Season of illumination —

Nature, like a wise and generous parent, has placed
the best things everywhere and in the open, such as air
and water and the earth itself, but she has hidden vain
and useless things in remote and faraway places,

Sir Thomas More, “Utopia”?

Many of us spend a good deal of mental energy at this
time of the year pondering the meaning, in a philosophi-
cal sense, of the year-end holidays. Any attempt to
explain the confusion of symbols associated with Christ-
mas as it is celebrated in this part of the world to, for
example, a child confirms what we may have already
suspected: the holiday season is more a feeling than an
- understanding.

Christmas, as the name indicates, is largely regarded
as having a religious foundation, but an examination of
the totems and rituals associated with it reveal strong
pagan influences. It hardly seems coincidental that the
nativity of Christ and the winter solstice occur only three
days apart.
The sun assumes an overwhelming importance for
. residents of Terrace by virtue of its periodic prolonged
absences. People of the northern hemisphere have en- .
gaged in celebrations at this time of year every since the
ancients were able to track the sun’s annual movement.
Tomorrow is the-winter solstice, the shortest day of the
year and the signal that the sun will begin its journey
northward through the ecliptic again.
Christmas is a uniquely northern holiday in nearly all

its aspects. This part of the planet itself undergoes a sort

of rebirth, the tradition of the Christmas tree brings the
forest, so critically important to the spirit of this land,
right into our dwellings. Snowfalls assume an aspect of
purity rather than being an impediment to movement.
The sun’s light, falling almost horizontal even at noon,
throws familiar vistas into- new configurations and
assumes a sort of grim beauty, as though it were filtered.
through lead crytstal. .

The exchange of gifts has taken on a prominence
_above and beyond all the other rituals, but even the'so-
called ‘‘commercialization’’ of Christmas cannot touch
the knowledge in our hearts that this is a time to
experience a special sort of unity with our fellow
humans and the earth itself.

This is a season of celebration for everyone, regard-
less of religious beliefs. It has its foundations | in the very
land we live on. °

PIRANAAY,
RNVER

nia

~RINDA REMINDS -
ME OF Ms
SHOPPING.

by Bob Jackman

Wednesday

_ Per Sp e c i ves :

I was going to review my
Fearless Forecasts for com-
mittee appointments in this col-
umn, but the auditor’s report
presented at the December 12
Council meeting will make
more entertaining reading.
Let’s just say my forecasts were
fairly close, except for Mo
Takhar staying in Parks and
Recreation. I’d hedged most of
the other bets anyway. |

The audit points out how
difficult it can be to get
bureaucracies to move, and
how important it is to have a
performance appraisal system |
in place. People have to ‘be
aware of.their goals, they have:

_ to have a hand in setting those

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goals, and they have to be rec-
ognized positively for achieving

_ their goals, Conversely, when

goals aren't attained the
reasons should be looked at
and appropriate action taken.
In industry, the role of the
accountant is to provide timely.
and accurate information to
management so that corporate
goals can be achieved. Should
that role be any different i in the
public sector?
Can.you hold a Public
Works or Recreation Super-
intendent accountable for his

department’s costs if the infor- .

mation he gets is not current,
or worse, wrong?
Because any matter with per-

sonnel implications goes in

camera, much of the organiza-

~ tional change that Councils try

to effect does not become —
public knowledge. If the |.

' membership of Council changes —
> was built, when Kalum Street
~ was the main north-south con-
’ nestor, a traffic light was in-
_ stalled at the Terrace Hotel

regularly, which it does, the
continuity that could lead to
positive change is lost. Despite
a consultant’s report in 1982
(The Bruce Report) and a series °

Of. ‘meetings bye a Select Com-" os

‘... there is still almost a refusal by some » staff
and a lack of political will by.Council to make

. mittee in 1986, there is still -

almost a refusal by some staff

- and lack of political will by

Council to make. the City’s
financial reporting meaningful.

Mayor Talstra and Alderman
Hallock were on.the Select:
Committee, while Aldermen
Cooper and Takhar have been.
on Council for at least four

"years, The continuity is there -

— it is time Council took:
significant action to implement
the auditor’s recommendations,
in full, before the 1989 budget
is approved.

e Interestingly, although the
TV monitors were on in the
Council Chamber, the meeting
was not televised on Channel
10. Funny how the sound
screws up or broadcasting fails

‘when there’s potential danger

on the agenda. Couldn’t the il-

_lustrious TV reporter make a

quick call to the station to
make sure the viewing public
can see the performance?

@ Around the time Napoleon
was at his peak, the British
Civil Service invented a job —-
an employee stood on the cliffs

- of Dover with spyglasses,

watching for Napoleon’s ships.
Napoleon died in 1821. The job
was abolished in 1943. "

"Before the Sande Overpass

corner, the intersection of —

the City’s financial reporting meaningful.”’

you're going to or returning

' from the bottle depot, there’s
not much reason to cross Greig:
‘at all. A month or so ago the

light went on the blink, so to.
speak, and it was discovered
that traffic flowed a lot quicker
and easier with just four-way

stop signs. Pedestrians didn’t

get any more respect than they —

do anywhere else in town, but
_ at least with smoother traffic

flows they didn’t have to wait
as long before dashing across ©
the street. ;
Unfortunate'y, the light has
been repaired, In an effort to

find the middle ground, the

signs have been removed and
the light now flashes yellow on

. Greig and red on Kalum, which

is better than the long delay —
waiting for the light to turn |
green, but... do you stop and —
then go on a-flashing yellow?

ona flashing. red? if the other — .

guy looks scared? if the other ~
guy looks insane?... if some-

- body stops on the. flashing

yellow and takes up residence,
do you honk? wave? think ©
about Napoleon and the British
Civil Service? |

_@ Much has been made during

the Kermode Bear kafuffle
about the discretionary power.
given to administration once

- budget dollars have been ap-. ,
- proved by Council. Does this me,
discretionary power allow peo- --

ple to hire their relatives for

~ City work? Council approved.
- payment of over.$5,000 at the.
| December 12 meeting | to a Van. oe
- Kalunn. and ‘Stele: Nows ‘unless: NE a5

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