A2 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 16, 1996

MLA tangles
with trustees

By CRIS LEYKAUF

TERRACE TRUSTEE Stew Christensen responded
with disbelief when MLA Helmut Giesbrecht accused
Terrace trustees of insisting ona takeover of the Kitimat
school district.

Kitimat trustees have said they feared Terrace was simp-
ly planning ta slide its administrative staff into positions in
ihe new amalgamated district, leaving Kitimat staff with-
out jobs and ensuring a Terrace monopoly,

“From the superintendent on down. the kind of attitude
being displayed is that they're simply going ta walk in ard -
take over,” Said Giesbrecht of the Terrace school board. °

“responding tothe Terrace School Board's position which
would see the’ loss of I1*-Kitimat School Board
Employees,"

However. Christensen said he didn't know what
Giesbrecht was talking about, “I have absolutely no idea
who those will be;" he said of the:|1 employees referred to.

“We have never discussed that or “proposed that.”

“If not 11,then how many?” asked Giesbrecht. There
are 11 administrative positions in Kitimat. “They may save
one or two secretarial jobs. but I doubt it.” said Giesbrecht.

Christensen did say that he wanied to protect Terrace
statf as much as possible ‘since they are “exceptionally
good.” -- .

But that didn’t mean’ Kitimat stalf would aulomutically
be booted out, he said: Rather it was just.a matter of look-
ing out for the best interests of Terrace staff, and he said

Kitimat would likely do the same.

Giesbrecht went on.to cail for more cooperation bet-
ween the two boards.

However, Christensen questioned Giesbrecht’ 's involve-
ment in the amalgamation process.

“He hasn’ talked to the Terrace transition team or the
trustees.” said Christensen. “Somecne i is giving him bad
information.” :

Giesbrecht confirmed that he hadn‘t. talked to Terrace
vustees, but added, “the telephone warks both ways Stew,”

“Kitimat is the one that’s- being: threatened: Kitimat is
the group who's been asking for help,"-said Giesbrecht. “If
the intention at the beginning was thal this was supposed to
be a merger, then why don’t both sides have the same com-
fort level?"

Christensen also expressed concern that Kitimat trustees
were only fighting for Kitimat. while Terrace was arguing
on behalf of Kitwanga, Hazelton and Stewart.

In a news release last Friday, Giesbrecht said he was’ >

FROM FRONT

Apology issued
for court delays

“Terrace is no different than any other place in the pro-
vince,” he said. ‘They are entitled for legal matters to be
dealt with by the court in a timely way and they have not
been for some time. 1 spologize for that.”

The case backlog probably built up for various reasons.

Court registrar Irene Blackstone says one reason is that
Terrace was only given about 18 weeks of Supreme Court
time each year, which may not have been enough to keep
up with the demand.

Another reason is because a large number of jury trials
are held in Terrace. In most trials where the defendant is
charged with an indictable offense, that person can elect to
be tried by judge alone or by judge and jury. And in Ter-
race, 75 per cent of elections go to jury trial. These, on
average, take considerably longer than trial by judge atone.

Blackstone also points out that different lawyers work at
different speeds — and some lawyers in Terrace may not
work as fast as others.

Further, she says the amalgamation of County and
Supreme Courts a few years ago directly contributed to
plugging up the system.

Meanwhile, county bar president Holly Grueger insists
that there aren't an unusual number of jury trials here. In-
stead, she says that a number of factors contributed to the
backlog — but the applications to quash cases likely acted
as one of the main catalysts which prompted Dohm to act

And Giueger says that while the extra sittings have
meant an increased workload for Terrace lawyers, it seems
lo be working.

“‘L can’t personally think of a better way that it could
have been handled,’’ she says, ‘'The measures were
Draconian, but they seem to be being effective.”

GRIEAVUE ah
STOPPERS

Terrace Crime Stoppers are asking your assis-
tance in solving a break, enter and theft from a resi-
dence at 1769 Sleaping Beauty Lane, Terrace, B.C.
a 098 between September 28, 1996 and Oclober

The investigation has revealed that unknown indi-
vidual(s) entered the residence, and stole the follow-
ing items:

1. 1 Mitsubishi 100 watt amplifier $600.00:

2. 1 JVG CD player XL - F21 STN $300. 00

3. 5 OD’s $125.00

4. 1 pair tiger eye earrings $50.00 -

5. 2 diamond chip and pear! rings $740.00

6.1 gold ring (with lettering) $425.00

7,1 pair pearl eartings $45.00°

8. 1 pair gold and pearl $275.00 -

9. 2 gold chains $300.00

10. 1 gold watch $195.00

11. 1 pair ruby earrings $125.00

42. 1 pair sapphire and diamond chip earings,

$125.00 -

13. misc, costume jewelry earrings $470.00

if you know anything about this incident, or.if you
know the identity of the person or persons responsible
for this break, enter and theft, Crime Stoppers would
like to hear from you,

Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of
up to $1.000.00 for information leading to
an arrest and charges being laid against an
individual in this or other unsoived crime. If
you have any information call Crime
Stoppers at 635-Tips thal's 635-8477.
Callers will not be required to reveal their
identity nor testify in court.

Call 635-TIPS

Nine chase school
board seats here

SCHOOL BOARDS seats
will be the most hotly contest-
ed ones in this November's
municipal elections.

In the new Coast Mountain
school district 82, 21 people
are vying for nine seats.:In
Terrace-.and Thornhill. that

means choosing: from: nine -

candidates tor just four seats,

In contrast. there-are just six.

people running for five seats

on the regional district: Nass-

valley directors Harry Nyce.

Hazelton's Fréd © Roisum, |

Telegraph Creek's Dave
Brocklebank and Kitamaat
Village’s Gordon Robinson
will all take their seats. by
acclamation. Robinson takes

area C from Lakelse Lake res- .

ident Sandy Sandhals, who i is
stepping down. —

The only contest in the RD
is for electoral. area -E,
Thornhill, where incumbent

Pegey Julseth is squaring off

against former area director

Les Watmough. Julseth beat ©

Watmough by a slim margin
three years ago. --

Voters will- choose from
four incumbents and tive new-
comers for school board here.

In Terrace, Stew
Christensen, Roger Leclerc
and Laurie Mitchel! are going
for another term, along with
Gary Turner seeking te-elec-
tion in Thornhill.

John Jensen.is one of the
new faces seeking a seat as
Terrace trustee, The retired
carpenter, ex-college instruc-
lar and active carpenters®
union member has lived in
Terrace more than 30 years

Election |;

forums
planned

VOTERS WILL get a
chance to put their questions
to the local candidates on
two nights in the final
weeks of the campaign.

Candidates for the Terrace
and Thornhill seats on the
Coast Mountain School
Board for the area E (Thorm-
hill) director’s seat on the
Kitimat Stikine Regional
District will be on stage for
the first all candidates forum
on Thursday, Oct. 24,

Terrace city council and
mayoral candidates will spar
on Thursday, Nov. 7,

Both events start at 7:00
pm. at the R.E.M. Lee
Theatre and are sponsored
by the Terrace Standard in
conjunction with the Yer-
race Times and Skeena
Broadcasters,

“Kermode °

and has been active in educa-
tion issues.

He says he wants to see a
more open board that's more
accessible to parents and
teachers,

Hal Stedham is also seeking
a Terrace seat: on-the board,
He's currently the principal of
the Haisla Elementary ‘School
in. Kitamaat Village: .and
before that: was the principal at
Nisgata - Blementary
Secondary: for. “six. years.

Although he works in Kitimat, -

he lives in Terrace. He says he
wants to help the school board
office run” efficiently. and
effectively. :

‘Mae Derrick is another con-

tender who has represented |

native students and parents in
talks: with the school district
on how to spend money tar-
geted for-native studenis, and
has also’ played a role in the
curriculum

Tsimshian culture project.

And former teacher and
former president of the district
Parents Advisory Council,
Marj Brownis alsa seeking a
Terrace seal.

Brown is still active with
the PACs, and thinks amalza-
mation isa chance at a truly
unified district: °

Andin Thornhill Ron Towa

‘is the sole challenger for

incumbent Gary Turner. Town
filed his: nomination papers
just 12° minutes’ before
Friday's deadline.

~Fown is well known as a

provincial-Reform’ party can- '

didate: However health rea-
sons forced him to step aside

prior to the provincial election

in favour of Andy Burton.
He’s running because he

feels there are a number of

changes going on in education
right now, and he'd like to
play a role.

James W. Radelet

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WEEKLY CLIMATOLOGE

ICAL REPORT

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