_ licing liaison officer and he spends a full day each week otal ef ean AERTS 2 Police boost presence in villages CONSTABLE JACK Hundial is becoming a familiar face in the villages of Kitsumkalum and Kitselas. He’s the Terrace RCMP detachment's aboriginal po- working out of offices based in both communities. The position is not new but is was put on hold for some time due to manpower restraints. Prior to Ffundial taking over the assignment nearly six months ago, it was unmanned for seven months, he says. ‘The position is paid for by the federal and provincial governments and First Nations communities. The com- munities provide office space and facilities. The federal government pays 52 per cent of the costs and the re- maining 48 per cent comes from the province, he says. “This is in no way a cost borne by local council or the regional district,” Hundial says. The satellite offices are meant to serve not just the aboriginal community but any person who lives in outly- ing areas of Terrace. The. program’s been in effect since 1999 and expires this March. Hundial hopes the agreement will be re- newed and expanded to fund a second dedicated mem- ber. Hundial works closely with aboriginal people deve- loping various programs including programs geared to youth such as the Kitselas First Nations cadets. Another program he'd like to see implemented by the ead of January is restorative justice. It’s an alternative to the court system for minor disputes. A facilitator works with the offender and the victim to Sign a contract in which the offender takes responsibility for his or her actions and an agreed-upon resolution is found. ; The system is expected to be especially effective jn minor disputes such as vandalism, school bullying or even minor assaults. “The intention is to eventually have members of the community run the program,” Cnst. Hundial says. ABORIGINAL policing liaison officer Constable Jack Hundial looks out on Kit- sumkalum from a log building being built there. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO Gas hike bite could have been worse News In Brief By MALCOLM BAXTER WHEN YOU get your first natural gas bill based on the new rates as of Jan. 1, it may be some small consolation to know it could have been worse. That’s because Pacific Northern Gas has over time collected $3.5 million more for gas than the utility actually paid for it. And that money is being returned ~ with in- terest. However, the hike in gas charges on bills will still be 21.7 per cent because the amount consumers were actually paying prior to this latest increase already included a refund _ which came into effect April 1 last year. It’s all due to the complicated way in which ‘the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) ap- proves rates based on projecied prices for na- tural gas. Regulations say PNG cannot charge customers more for the gas than it paid for it. Dozens of Products for Your Good Health on Sale Through February 3, 2003 Sulphate * Buy One Get One FREE 99 2x60 Captets 13:7? 2% 120 Caplats , te ce 9 99 NW Geanp OG cannes 2x 240 Coplets Because actual casts to PNG and forecasts rarely, if ever, match, the utility keeps track of of the differences and enters them in whal’s called a Gas Cost Variance Account (GCVA), previously. known as a deferral account. When gas costs went through the roof two winters ago — they were more than $14/gigajoule in January 2001 — PNG ended up paying out a lot more than the rate the BCUC had approved. As a result, PNG was allowed rate in- creases which not only reflected higher gas prices, but also helped it recover what it was owed by consumers. By early last year the si- tuation had reversed with PNG owing the con- sumers, hence the rebate. That rebate has been increased because PNG discovered it has more of the gas users’ money than it thought. It had calculated the credit balance in the health “centres - Vitamin E 400iu 100% Natural a B99 : 90 Capsules 6 180 Capsules _/ VITA E gate capauics ust 20 capsules | Matad Stet FREE BOOK! "Winning at Weigh? Loss" Gea With the purchase of Sangster's Xynergy or Xtreme, reccivea fBueecue Xynergy. FREE copy of "Winning at Weight Loss” by Sherry Torkos B.Sc. Phm. ,Ean i Keep that New Year's Resolution!!! epee a) pa ace seal Guaranteed Pain Relief or Your Money Back’ “tee store lor details 17”? 90 Capsules | sancagrenes CG ‘ca ‘ yt Puce Wey BYR NETL at “6 Great Savings Storewide on Nism, Calum a , Magnesium, Vitamin ¢, ‘ Odourless Garlic, Antioxidants, Proteins, Mulfi-Vitamins and more! ~ : — af 180 Copsules = git! SANGGTER'S health centres 101 Srieg Avenue, Terrace Sate Prices In Effect until February 3, 2003 while supplies last 653-5070 GCVA to be $1.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2001. However, PNG explained in its Dec. 11, 2002 submission to the BCUC, “A thorough review af the GCVA accounting records going back to 2000 has resulted in the.credit balance as of Dec. 31, 2001 being $3.1 million.” That figure was further amended in its Dec. 20,2002 submission to $3.48 million. PNG had originally calculated its rebate figure would have reduced that credit balance by about $3 million by the end of this year. But BCUC ordered the company to increase the rebate to a figure that would reduce the balance to zero. PNG calculates the increases, for both gas and delivery of that gas will cost the. residential consumer who uses" 110" ‘Bigajoules, an extra $194 per year. For ihe typical small commercial user of 400 gigajoules a year, the extra cost will be $660. ‘Special Edition! J 4 We will be accepting pictures of your babies to put into our © “popular pull-out supplement _ .. celebrating the babies born ' between January 2002 to Pecember 2002. verage Suspicious truck spotted LOCAL RCMP are Looking into several reports of a suspicious truck cruising the streets in the neigh- bourhood of Scott Ave. and Kalum St. Terrace RCMP say they received numerous re- ports of a Jate model grey pick-up truck with an aluminum ladder in the box driving around the area Jan. 8 around 9 p.m. The truck is being operated by a lone male driver. “Corporal Scott Lovell says anyone with similar sightings of a vehicle matching this description is asked to contact the Terrace RCMP at 638-7400. Chippy’s break in POLICE ARE looking for information that may help them solve two thefts in three days from Chippy’s Auto Repair shop at 4427 Keith Ave. The first incident happened overnight Jan. 6-7 wher a small amount of cash and a variety of tools were stolen, police say. An air impact gun, an air drill, an air die-grinder, a windshield wiper remover a cordless drill, a flashlight and two batteries were taken. Police say a key may have been used by the culprit to get inlo the building. The second break-in happened sometime be- tween 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Jan. 9. A Sony Playstation with two controllers and a rented game called “Defender” were taken along with a Motorola cell- _Ular phone. Anyone with information about these thefts are asked to contact Terrace RCMP at 638- 7400 or Crimestoppers at 635-8477. Savvy scholar praised COAST Mountains school trustees are congratula- ting former Hazelton secondary student Tara Di- Zazzo on her successes in finding scholarship money ~ and sharing her tips with other students. The second year University of Northern B.C. stu- dent earned about $36,000 in scholarship money after she did some digging, including the Canadian Millennium Supply Association Scholarship worth $16,000 and the UNBC Scholars award covering her tuition costs, Sales from her Scholarship Handbook for Sec- ondary Students in B.C. support the creation of new scholarships at her old high schoot. Hazelton schoo! trustee Jessica Mikolayczyk commended DiZazzo for leaving such a positive legacy. “It’s good ta see that,” added Terrace trustee Hal Stedham. “Our kids are using a re- source by one of our kids.” Telus, union still talking TELUS AND the Telecommunications Workers Union last week have agreed to keep talking in hopes of agreeing to a new contract. As long as they do, any job action is on hold. The two parties: are already using federal conci- * Tiatars ‘and will continue to do s0 despite failing to reach a new contract for two years naw. Telus wants to cut its casts to reduce a high debt load. 3210 Clinton St. Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R2 Family Name: Baby's Ist Name: Baby’s Birth Date: Age of baby in pic Mom's 1st Name: Dad’s 1st Name: Address: Postal Code___— Telephone: SD ee ee wm we ee ee eB ee BW ee ee