A6 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 31, 2003 Jt he Year In Th IE VILLAGE of Kincolith celebrated the May 17 official opening of its new road to the rest of the Nass Valley and Terrace. Krystal Stewart, 12, was among the villagers who welcomed hundreds of visitors. May Terrace city councillors say they ae reluctant (o join Kitimal’s cam- paign to block Alean power sales, ‘eating the company could shut its ° doors. Kitimat olficiats failed to lay: oul enough evidence supporting their confrontational slance -against the wluminum producer, says. Marylin About’ 250: Terracites: work’. Dhavies, for Alean, making: it the city’s lar post employer al the moment, and it spent $9 million at‘l 14 Terrace busi- nesses last year. : kk kkk More than 400 people who work. for the Coast Mountains School Dis- ivicl are hit with layoff notices = every singhe CUPE member. in the district. CUPE local 2052 president Rita Hall says she assumes it’s because af the impending lour-day~school .-. week, expected to save $1.4 million inh operating costs. .The plan won't reduce the amount of” time teachers spend in classrooms, but it-will-have 4 huge impacton non-teaching staff. - “It means a-20-per-cent cut in wage iw every single CUPE employce,”.‘ flall says. “She later presents’ the . school board with an 800-signature petition opposing the four-day. week, 22 Oo ae City Hall sleps up the adoption: ot a property rezoning needed for the Wal-Mart development, even though che company hasn't met all the con. ditians placed on the deal.— includ-~ ing a plan lo swap the animal shelter and parkland in-return. fora strip of land the city will turn: into: a river- aide trail Company. officials have told the ay it wants, lo open the big box store belore Christmas, so construc- lion must begin in July, tok Meanwhile, a local motel and RV aark owner urges the city to crack down on downtown businesses offer- ing free overnight camping. Yvonne Panroth of the Wild Duck RV Park says she wants the city lo have a frm policy in place before the big hax retailer opens. “Wal-Mart could *be the death knell of us all,” she says, adding there’s.a sub-culture of American motorized tourists who only stay at Wal-Mart parking lots. City officials admit the site of the anpending Wal-Mart develapment is problematic because it's so close to the municipal canipground an” Ferty Island. Kak kkk What's in a name? Plenty, says hose who have decided to dub: the 44 million plan to twin te ive arena ihe Territce Sports Plex... ; “Nobody wanted it tagged with the ald ‘Multiples’ name,’ city ad- ninistrator Ron Poole says. as local fundraising efforts kick into gear. The city has a $2° million: federal provincial grant. approved: and imay dorrow several hundred: thousand doflars — but the rest? will come from local donations and sponsors, ‘The first donation to the Tundraising com- invitee conies from former city caun- cillor Mo ‘Takhar and his wife Dar- shan, ls a doozie: $13,000. hak ke Ksan House Socicty starts: gather- ing community support for its plan ta build a three-storey building that will house a new, wheelchair-accessible transition house, adininistrative and counselling offices, ‘The society has lined up a number of high-profile community leaders to help raise ad- ditional money. for the estimated “750, 000-project. - tek Federal Indian Affairs minister Robert Nault ard B.C. transportation minister Judith Reid are just two of the dignitaries who gather outside ihe Nisga’a village of Greenville for a short but historic ceremony mark- ing the official opening of the road to Kincolith May 17. Until ihe $33- million, 29-km road was completed in December, the only way in-or out wis by plane:or boat, The ribbon- - cutting is. followed by a feast of fresh crab_and other goodies at the com- munity hall in Kincolith, dubbed the seafood: capital of the Nass Valley. tik kik Mayor Jack Talstra accuses the province of incompetence over the handling of the Alcan power sales issue — and industrial development in-the northwest. “Nobody sharp is on top of these files,” he says, draw- ing: parallels between the Alcan issue and the government’s sale of ‘Skeena Cellulose. He’s particularly “galled, considering. which party is in power, he adds. “You would think the Liberal government would be bu- siness-minded to some extent.” kot kot A new survey conducted by the chamber of commerce shows a ma- . jority of local business owners favour -opening on the three stat holidays over the summer, The. results contra- dict. the chamber’s two previous sur- veys. A change in provincial regula- lions’ are about ta leave holiday shopping. unregulated in Terrace un- less the. city passes its own regs, | sparking months of debale over the _ issue thal rages on into the fall. June Education minister Christy Clark tells the Terrace Standard school districts shouldn’t impose a four-day school week simply to save moncy because it’s just too big a risk for students. Her comments come the day before Coast Mountains trustees publicly reaffirm their de- cision to approve a shorter week was based on fi- nancial reasons. While Clark doesn’t funda- mentally oppose a four-day week, she says she trusts local school boards will make the right decision in the interest of students, She fa- vours year-round schooling, calling it a inore balanced calendar that helps Students. retain what they learn. akkkkhk -. A Smithers-based scientist warns northwest pine forests are under threat from a fungal blight that stands ta become our version of the mountain pine heetle disaster. Christy Clark Dothistroma needle blight has now infected stands of lodgepole pine covering 50,000 hectares in the region, including Terrace and the Nass Valley. There are also high conceniralions in Kispiox and the Cranberry timber supply areas, says Alex Woods. It causes needles to turn a reddish brown and eventually fall of f. The damage starts low down, moving to-the tree top. KkkkKK Terraceview Lodge, the city’s long-term care facility for seniors, stands lo lose one-third of its beds by 2005 under a plan announced by the Northern Health Authority. The facil- ily will be converted into a complex for those who need care ihe most, while more resources will be alloca- ted to home and -community care, local NHA official Cholly Boland says. The health authority says de- mographics are changing in Terrace. If more home and community care programs ‘are available, Terrace- view’s current bed count af 75 won't be needed. kkahhe Premier Gordon Campbell and health minister Colin Hansen arrive in Terrace for the official opening af a brand-new new dialysis unit at Mills Memorial Hospital. The long- awaited. $1.4 million renal dialysis unit means patients in the region will no Jonger have to travel to Prince George for dialysis, or main- tain a separate home there. The six- tit station operales three days a week. KKK A court rules against two local logging companies who were hoping their evergreen contracts with the former Skeena Cellulose would be reinstated. Clear Creek Contracting and Jasak Logging Ltd. had renew- able logging contracts with the be- leaguered forest company that to- lalled 190,000 cubic metres and ¢m- ployed 75 people. The B.C. court of appeal upholds an earlier ruling that the buyers of SCI had a right to: terminate these contracts under bankrupicy prolec- tion rules. “This decision is devastating for our employees and our shareholders,” Clear Crevk’s Rob Wood says, adding it sels a dis- astrous precedent. tot kk Cops break up a gigantic high school graduation party at a Terrace home (hat drew belween 300 and 400 youths. A squad car and a taxi are vandalized as RCMP attempt to clear (he home square off with drunken teens, No one is injured and no arrests are made. DIALYSIS patient Jim Ryan was on hand when Premier Gordon Campbell came to Mills Memorial Hospital to olficiaily open a long- awaited new renai dialysis unit in Terrace. rapes St i ae Photo? = Dicl you see a photo in the paper that you wanta capy of? The Terrace Standard along with Northern Photo Ltel. now provicles this service. Come into our office located at 3210 Clinton Street and indicate the photo of your choice andi size. OL Lee Other sizes available. A"x6" 5"x7 Phone for pricing. Price includes printing fee from Northern Phato and purchasing fee ram the Terrace Standerd, All photographs are copyrighted fo tha Terrace Standard, Ay 6 (Nela: 90% ol photos token ore digital photos af high quality jpeg. Black ond white prints also available [rom black and white negatives. | northern photo "Your Headquarters For Digital Cameras And Digital Imaging Services” 44736 Lokebe Avenve STANDARD Ph: 438-7283 Fax: 638-8432 sn 30 - “Ea ER “COME ON DOWN...IT'S FREE! FREE GAME VOUCHER This game is free, that's right, FREE! — Use this voucher to redeem your free 3-up card that could win you an easy $200.00! Bring "them into our.“Salurday” afternoon event and . exchange ther: for cords for the free geome: Phone: 250-635-2411 Fax: 250-635-7882 " Jackpot Info. Line Ext, 27 . _ Aa10 Legion Ave.,, Terrace, B,C. a in parlnership with ahd Elia is Golub : | eas VOUCHER # FREE afon VOUCHER *. FREE GAME. VOUC - Shames Mountain Ski Club The club is made up of three components. There is the Ski component, snowboard component and free style component. The ski component includes the Nancy Green Ski Club which is made up of just over one hundred individuals ages five to ten and the Alpine Ski Team consisting of eleven to 14 fourteen year olds, There are fourteen members on this team and they compete throughout the region and province, Funding from Lucky $ Bingo allows the club to host meets and. two years ago Shames Mountain Ski Club hosted the Provincial ” Championships. With a budget of over $100,000, Lucky $ Bingo has assisted the club by providing over $30,000 to meet their requirements. Funding provides prizes and medals when hosting » meets, They also pay for fencing, gates, equipment, racing bibs, uniforms, nine coaches for the Nancy Green Club and two coaches for the Alpine Team. Recently the club has purchased a cabin to use for changing and set up.