Saree aeeces teeta? ee WHAT WAS PREDICTED last fall did take ' place —- a cold winter. But while it was colder than normal, no over- al] records were set, indicates information from the Terrace weather office, Instead, there were individual daily records set and the month of January came in as a bit chil- lier than the rest of winter, The predictions of last fall centered on La _ Nina, the opposite of El Nino which has been bringing those warmer temperatures in the : 1990s. La Nina features cold ocean currents reacting ' with winds off in the Pacific to drive down Air quality now tested THE CITY now has a device that'll measure the quality of - its air. The teom (tapered clement oscillating microbalance) costs $30,000 and is scheduled to go into service this " month, says the area’s air quality unit head for the environ- - ment ministry based in Smithers. - The device will let environment and health officials know when air quality deteriorates to the point that health advisory alerts are issued, says Doug Johnson. It'll do so by measuring the amount of particulates in the air that are so tiny they aren’t filtered by a person's nose or lungs, he said. “Tt is similar to smoke,” said Johnson of the effect the - particles can have on people with breathing problems, lung problems or on young children whose lungs haven’t fully developed, Measuring devices of this type have been in place for years in Houston and in Smithers where alerts are issued when required. Smithers, in particular, does experience problems in the winter when weather inversions trap smoke particles, caus- ing them to hang low over the town and surrounding area. The area has a lot of wood buming stoves which, if not efficient, contribute to the particulate problem. Air quality issues there have lead to citizens demanding cleaner air. and complaints that the measuring device isn’t needed. Johnson said other measuring devices in Terrace have in- dicated that air quality docs fall here to the point where an alert could be issued. Although the winter winds blowing through Terrace lead people to believe particulates can build up, Johnson said there are days when the air is still, Summer weather presents problems of its when when ‘high pressure systems move in and the air is still for days - ata time, temperatures overall, ‘What scientists said last fall seems to have been proved out,” commented Terrace weather office specialist Andy Schmiedel in pouring over the data. While January featured a monthly maximum of -7.2 Centigrade, the historical average is a balmier -2.4 Centigrade. The average low for January was -11.8 compared to the average -6.7. Where January got really interesting was total rainfall and snowfall, There was more rain than normal but less snow than the average, That combined for more precipitation than average but it came down in more concentrated Winter got a bit chilly amounts, The result was more dricr days trans- lating into more sunshine than normal and, con- sequently, those colder temperatures. And that may be the reason people have called this winter more brutal than normal, says Schmiedel. “When we got rainfall and snowfall, it tended to come down all at once,” he explained, Overall, total winter precipitation from No- vember to March was about the same as the his- torical average, there was more sunshine than the average, less snowfall than normal and more rain than normal, The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 3, 1996 - AS eeumupmaremrammmempmmmn emer] CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Mail Bag Hey, what about us Dear Sir: I'm proud to say that in the 34 years I've lived in the Nass Valley as a non-native we have all lived in close harmony with the Nisga’a. , That is the reason we must try to gel a good workable agreement for everyone, Otherwise the agreement in principle (AIP) could turn oul to be a very dangerous document, There are parts of the AIP that we do not agree with and we have concems that are not mentioned in it, Al- though we have discussed these concerns with the ne- goliating teams they have tuned us out and we have : gone unheard, , Therefore we really haven't been up to bat yet, The present system of relying on out of town negollators is just not working and we are in the process of installing our own elected tlegotiator from our own community. It is true that the non-Nisga’a community is very small here. It’s about the same ratio as nalive to non- native people in the areas of larger cities, So if there is to be an equal degree of fairness in these negotiations we should deserve the same recognition as nalives living in these large city areas, We have faith that our concerns will not be looked at 4S an attempt to water down the Agreement In Princi- ple. They are more in the way of fine tuning rather than major changes. Just for instance, we have mentioned to the negotiators many times that we must’ have watershed protection but there is no mention of it in the AIP, We were told that we had guaranteed access to our fee simple land but upon reading the AIP it is condi- tional. The AJP states that fee simple land holders will be subject to liabilitics and responsibilities as sct out in the final agreement. As yct no one has said what this means. It could mean most anything and we don't want to wait until it is defined and entrenched into the final agreement before we have a chance to look at it. It is concerns and questions of this nature that we are worried about. There needs to be more effort put into the workabie relationship of natives and the third party members living within the arca of settlement. Once the final agreement is signed and the negotia- lors have all gone home it’s the natives and third party non-natives that will have to get along together for many gencralions to come, We don’t want to live under an agreement that some out of town negotiator has chosen for us, Lloyd Brinson, Nass Camp, B.C, Spitting spreads disease Dear Sir: Re: Tuberculosis cases on the rise. It is no wonder, Look around any place where people pass in and out, like the entrance at the mall. While having a smoke I got sick to my stomach, not due to my cigarette but due to people spitting allover AIR CHECK. Environment ministry air technician Helen Joseph changes the filter and does a complete check of the tapered element oscillating microbalance on the roof of Clarence Michiel elementary. This one is only a test device which measures the quality of air. The permanent one will be installed at the access center ata cost of about $30,000, .. - ‘ : het ats ~The Terrace device is being installed at the access centre. Tests were done at three locations around the city to ensure that readings take were the same. Johnson has met with health officials to bring them.up to | date on the device and what it does. Is Canada the coldest country? WEATHER AND sports have more in com- mon than some people think. With that in mind, the federal government’s weather service has prepared the following tz. "tt recognizes 1996 as the 125th anniversary of the weather service and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta as the 100th anniversary of the modern amateur athletic contest, Who knows — you might qualify as a - weather wizard, ‘1. The Montreal Expos made major league history on July 1, 1974 when a game they were hosting at Jarry Park was delayed due to: A. An earthquake B. A lightning strike C. Glere from the sun D, Snow flurries . 2. Which of the following golfers has been struck by lightning? . A. Bobby Nichols B, Lec Trevino C, Seve Ballesteros D. Tony Jacklin 3. According to data from nearby weather sta- tions, which of the following ski areas gels the " most snowfall, on average? A. Whistler, British Columbia B. ‘Marble Mountain, Newfoundland C. Mont Ste-Anne, Quebec D. Banff, Alberta 4, When the original Meteorological Service of Canada was founded in 1871, Canada had only 126 weather observing sites. Today, En- vironment Canada’s weather service has: a network of more than: A. 1,000 stations B, 2,000 stations C, 3,000 stations D. 4,000 stations §. Which of the following weather. oddities — each of which has affected the Grey Cup over the course of its illustrious history — stretched the officlal game time to a record 24 and 3/4 hours? — A. Heavy fog B. 80 kilometre-an-hour winds C. Awind chill of -27C D, Six days of torrential rain 6. On what kind of day would a’ discus thrower get the most distance? If it was: A. Hol aid humid B. Warm and dry C. Cool and rainy D, Cold and clear 7, The first scientist to make a detailed predic- tion about the impact of greenhouse gases on global climate published his findings: A. 15 years aga B, 25 years ago C. 30 years ago D, 100 years aga 8. Which of the following weather facts is not true? _ A, Canada has the lowest average annual temperature of any nation oo B, The biggest snowflake ever recorded in Canada was 5 centimetres across C. Combined, June and July 1995 were the hottest months in Canada in the past century ©, Staff at Canada’s national weather office were once trapped ovemight by a snowstorm 9. Which of the following travels slowest? A. Brett Hull's slapshot B, Tom Henke’s fastball C. A hurricane D, Tornado winds ‘10. On any given year, what are the odds of the SkyDome roof in Toronto being open for the first pitch of the season? A. 11 per cent B, .21 per cent C. 56 per cent D. 62 per cent 11, The winter Olympics held in Calgary in 1988 broke weather as well as athletic records. On how many of the 16 days in February when the Games were held did the mercury climb sig- nificantly above freezing?.- A. 0 B.8 C.i4 D.16 Answers... 1. The answer is C. Blinding sunlight delayed the start of the game between the Expos and the Chicago Cubs for 20 minutes because the umpire couldn't see the pitches. ; , “2. Belleve it or not, all four have been zapped and lived to tell the tale! Three-quarters of all people who are struck by lighting have a full recovery; a direct hit, of course, is always fatal. 3. The answer is A. Whistler receives neatly double the snow the other three resorts do, on average each year.: A weather station indicates that the peak gets a whopping 1174 centimetres of the white stuff al an elevation of 1840 metres. , 4.-The answer is C. Canada has approximately :. 3,000 weather observing ‘sites located across the _ country. They can provide information onsurface air temperalure, precipitation, humidity, wind direction and speed, and include satellite remote sensing. §. ‘The answer is A. During the infamous ‘Fog Bowl” of 1962, spectators in the upper stands couldn’t see Ihe opposite side of the field. The game was finally stopped in the fourth quarter _ and resumed the next day (the Winnipeg Blue Bomb-_ ers edged the Hamilton Tiger Cats 28-2 6. The answer is A. The higher the air temperature, the faster an abject travels. Since walter vapour is slightly lighter than air, humidity also increases the effect. 7. The answer is D. Swedish chemist and physicist Svante Arrhenius developed the world’s first quantitative climate model in 1896, estimating that a tripling of carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmo- sphere would increase the earth’s average air temperature by about 9 C, 8. The false fact is A. Canada’s average annual lemperature is -4,4 C, making it the second coldest nation in the world next to Russia at -5.3 C, but well ahead of Outer Mongolia at -0.7 C, $, The answer is C. Although the winds inside a hurricane travel at more than 118 kilometres per hour, minimum, a typical hurricane travels ata pokey 25 to 30 kilometres per hour. 10. The answer is B. The percentage chances of ‘open dome” weather for an aflemoon event at the Skydome in April arc only 21 per cent, They reach a seasonal high of 77 per cent in July. 11. The answeris C, 14. The warmest day was Feb- ruary 26th, when temperatures rose to a scorching 18,1 C — making Calgary a holter place to be that day than Miami, Madrid or Casablanca! How Did You Rate? @-5 Weather Wimp: Don’t lose heart. Keep your ears apen to various bits of weather trivia, 6-8 Weather Wit: You show great potential, but there's plenty of room for improvement! 9-11 Weather Wizard: Congratulations, you’ve reached the pinnacle of weather trivia- dom! Your challenge, should you choose to ac- cept it, is to maintain your impressive standing next year. Hail, Wizard! The above was supplied courtesy of the federal weather service, Canada’s weather service was established in 1871 when Parliament granted $5,000 to the University of Toronto Observatory to establish . 4 Sinall network of weather stations, Today, the national weather service provides a wide array of environmental information, in- cluding daily weather forecasts, storm warn. ings, smog advisories and the UV index. Weather is an iinportant factor in the world af sports. Climate information — such as leenperature, humidity, winds, precipitation and air quality — contributes not only to the selection of sites for major sporting events, bul also to the safety of participants and spectators and the training and preparation of athletes, The general public also relies on accurate weather information to plan for recreational activities ranging from skiing to sailing. the sidewalk. After five minutes I tiptoed away from there making certain not to step on the mess. With the warm weather coming that bacteria will most likely spread. The ‘Pepsi Generation’ docsn’l realize diseases can be spread through careless spilling. Why not take the extra step and use the garbage bin? There used to be a law and fines were levied for spit- ting in a public place and for a good reason -— to curb the spread of tuberculosis and other diseases. The ques- tion comes to mind, why does he spit anyway? Com- Mon Sense tells me whoever spits has already a discasc to pass on. Two weeks earlier at a restaurant, for instance, I saw a handicapped old lady put her cane on the table after walking through such an entrance. How is that for des- sert? Manfred Bader, Terrace, B.C. Doesn't make sense An open letter to the Minister of Education: [ am wriling to you as a concerned parent of a child in our public school system, I am worried about he pro- posed school district amalgamation and how it will af- fect my son’s education. My son, Spencer, suffered a severe hearing loss as a result of meningitis at the age of thirteen months. He is deaf. He is the only deaf student in our school district. He relics a great deal on the resource staff, I fear that this amalgamation process will bring layoffs and termination to the people whom my son depends on the most. The teacher's aide in his kinder- garten class is the only person who can fluently sign ASL, American Sign Language, other than the part- time teacher of the deaf, Her job description is teacher’s aide and not interpreter so her job may look like an easy target for trimming the budget, Someone 30 miles away, who really knows nothing of our situation, with the power to cut positions he or she may deem frivolous or unnecessary, scares me. ] have a genuine jnterest in making sure my child receives the education he bas a right to without us relocating or sending him to the provincial schoo! for the deaf, I realize ] am but one person and my voice is small, but besides me sits a person even smailer. He wants to go ta school and learn. He wants and needs someone there with him to help him communicate, I urge you to re-think your plans to save moncy in this way, I may be speaking for more familics in the northwest when I ask you this, There have to be other ways to save the almighty dollar. Education is not something we can scrimp on. Nicole Lavalle, Kitimat, B.C, About letters The Terrace Standard welcomes Iet- ters to the editor. Our deadline is noon Friday. Our mailing address Is 3210 Clinton St., Terrace, B.C. and our fax number Is 604-638-8432. You can also e-mail us at ter- race. standard@sasquat.com