t

Page 4, The Harald, Thursday, April 30, 1981

ee eS ee oe

TERRACE- daily al j

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Publisher: Gary Husak

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Carot Ballantyne
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NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT
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in any advertisement produced and-or any editorial
or photographic content published In the Herald.
Reproduction is not permitied without the written
permission of the Pubtisher.

LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR

To the Editor:

With regard to your
editorial of April pth,
“School in Limbo”, [ would
like to set the record
straight. First, the school
has not been open for 3
years. It opened in Jamary
of 1953. Why did you state
that the reputation of this
school has been bad since it
opened. Over the years,
Skeena has had 4 great
number of excellent
teachers and principals.

Most of Skeena's former .

To the Editor:

As you are probably
aware, Billy James Hargis
is a prominent U.S, anti-
communist. His ‘Christian
Crusade” has done much,
over the years, to counter
the Red threat to North
America. In his latest issue
of the magazine of the same
name, he describes the
comrhunist threat to the
fishing industry of the
world, and J quote:

“Soviet Russia is raping
the oceans of the world;
sweeping them clean of fish
of every kind, not to eat, but
to turn into fertilizer to try

to save the failing
agriculture of com-
munism.”' "'... they plunder

the oceans, scooping up
everything... whales, seals,
walrus, dolphins and any
other sea life they catch in
their gigantic trawler nets.”
“These trawlers also serve ,
as spy ships.’

pupils are now valuable
members of our sociely.
What right do you have as

Editor, .» wipe out the,good —

things that have happened

in Skeena over the years.

As a former student of
Skeena, 1 take exception to
your rash statement and
would add that I, as well as
many others, am proud to.
be a graduate of Skeena
High School.

Yours truly,
Elaine Johnson

There is much more, of
vital interest to all who
depend on the sea for food
and employment, as well as
those charged with national
security. But, incredibly,
not one peep has been heard
from) our commercial
fishermen or their Indian
‘knee-jerk’ friends. The
howls of protest are aimed
at the federal government
and the Americans. As I
said, not a word; no protest.
‘Why?

Of course I know the
answer. I have heen
painted and caricatured as
one who sees Reds under the
bed. But I have long ob-
served the sympathy of our
local left-leaners with the
communist conspiracy.

Perhaps your lefthanded
cartoonist, who's brain
power is equal'to his ability
to draw, can make
something out of this.

Yours truly,
Thomas Atrill

Depression is a
confusing disorder

LONDON, Ont. (CP)

— Depression, To its victim, there

Baye ne rhyme or reason to the chronic fatigue,

desolation and moodiness.

To the doctor, it remains one of the most confusing and

common of disorders.

A conference of physicians heard Wednesday that 10 to 15
per cent of people suffer deep depression at least once In a

lifetime.

“It’s a syndrome of massive level," said Dr. John
Lohrenz, a University of Western Ontario psychiatrist,
noting that the symptoms of depression are both physical

and psychological.

Dr. J.H. Talley of Grover, N.C., said many doctors, in
seeking the cause of the depression, will miss the illness
itself and spend thousands of dollars to find some other

disease.

Talley said temporary brain changes of unknown origin
may occur. Often, though, the temporary problem can
create irreparable harm to the individual, his work and his

family.

“The vast majority of the time the patient will say he has”

cancer and so will the doctor,” Talley said.

The difficulty comies when, having failed to find cancer or
some other disorder, the doctor finally diagnoses
depression, which the patient rejects as a copout by the

doctor, Talley said.

Talley said physicians should always be alert to the signs
of depression — unexplained fatigue, sleep disorders, pain
and mood changes and sudden irritability.

“The ability to cope goes to seed with depression,” sald
Talley, adding there's nothing anyone can do to prevent it,
However, it can be effectively treated and in mary cases it

will clear up on its own.

Fortunately, woclety is is more willing to accept a person

with depression, be

Parents have

Is it true that Skeena Jr. secondary “School
principal Tom Hamaka was transferred from
his present position to that of a teacher at
Thornhill Jr. Secondary School because he and
Frank Hamilton disagreed over the handling of
teachers in the school?

Is it true that the school beard took the
position that a principal must observe a teacher.
for a few months; and then If that teacher Is not
performing properly fire that teacher because

he or she is not good enough? “

"ts If true that Hamakawa’s position was that
aprincipal should observe a teacher for a.few.
months to see If he or she is doing the proper
job; and then if he or she needs improvement
the principal should assist the teacher In every
way to improve himself or herself before more
harsh methods for dealing with the teacher are
employed?

is that why Tom Hamakawa‘was fired?

Is It also true that the school board found Tom.
Hamakawa’s handling of a- hamburger
shortage In the school cafeteria another reason
for finding him tess than satisfactory? — -

Is It.true that after a large group of student

MONTREAL (CP) — Nuclear power ia only a symptom of

the larger plight the earth faces, but it serves as a handy’

target in the battle for a new world order, says Gordon
Edwards, likely Canada's best-known antinuclear activist.

Edwards, 40, a mathematician at Vanier College here,
said the human race must see the problems of nuclear
holocaust, pollution, over-population and dwindling non-

renewable energy sources as linked or it will go the way of -

the dinosaur.

“Nuclear power, although not respansible for all of the
problems in this world, exemplifies many of them,” he said
in an interview.

“When you talk about pollution and what to do with
highlytoxic wastes, nuclear power is obviously a good
example. :

“When you talk about technocracy and the scientific
priesthood. and the erosion of democratic Principles,
nuclear power again is a very good example.

“When you talk about science turned ta military purposes
to build weapons of destruction, again it’s a good example.

“It’s just an excellent touchstone for many issues which
go far beyond the mere issue of nuclear power.”

Edwards is chairman of the Canadian Coalition for
Nuclear Responsibility, which, he said, acts as a loose co-
ordinator for about 200 tious ranging from. ae trade ,
unions and the Canaan’ ‘Wildlife’ .Fedetatidn” 0" small ~
community ‘organizations | of a dozen members.

He doesn’t claim to speak for all member groups, but ie
does capture much of the public focus in the nuclear debate.
His critics consider him a publicityhungry paranoid, but his
supporters see him as a leader in the cause af saving the
world from itself.

The coalition, he said, simply wants a ‘second look at
nuclear energy,

“What the CCNR stands for as an‘organization is com-
plete public accountability on matters of nuclear power, a
national inquiry into the whole subject so we can reach a
Tesponsible decision on whether we want to continue down

Nuclear order controls power?

this path and until such time as that decision is made, a
moratorium on the expansion of the industry.”

The son of a Toronto druggist, Edwards was first bitten
by the activist bug in 1970 when he heard a renowned
mathematician condemn scientists for irresponsbility
through such things as close ties tothe military.

“T felt that I was a good example of that because I had
never bothered myself about the problem or felt I had any
responsibility in the issue.”

He was then taking his doctorate at Queen’s University in
Kingston, Ont, When he carried on to the University of
British Columbia for post-graduatestudies in 1972, he was a
committed activist.

“T learned an avwiul lot ina very short time. For the first
time I really contemplated the mess of problems the human
race was facing and in fact not just the race, but the planet
in terms of the tremendous powers of destruction we had

amassed, w

He said he fell into a deep depressién for a few months at
UBC because he was convinced “there was a huge
machinery trundelling toward destruction and it was
unrealistic to think of alternatives that would really work or
even forces that were capable of stopping the drift.”

But he snapped out of that by challenging the university
physics departme nt to debate the wisdom of nuclear power
and he hasn { looked back since,

ithe facher of three boys, Edwards said he was raised a

“Roman Catholic but turned into a “pragmatic agnostic.”
He now senses “a higher consciousness that we can com-
municate with and partake of' in the global anli-nuclear
movement — ‘“‘an idea that takes root in the spirit.”

The coalition for nuclear responsibility was born in 1975
after he had done enough media interviews, panel
discussions and public debates to convince himself and

‘ others that diverse groups needed a nationa] umbrella.,

The coalition now has an annual budget of more than $50,-
000, all of it from private donations and more than half from
a single benefactor, whom Edwards would not name, giving
about $4,000 a month. °

,

Don’t mix politics with art

HALIFAX (CP) — Politics and the arts don’t mix and
Canada should maintain ond. reaffirm a tradition of
political independence between the two, says Timothy
Porteous, an associate director of the Canada Council.

During a visit here pricr to next week's Applebaum-
Hebert policy review hearings on culture in Canada,
Porteous said in an interview that some senior federal
bureaucrats think of the arts as an industry and treat il as
such.

“To believe that films or publishing should he supported
(by government) because they are industries, or in order to
make them into industries, we think is very dangerous, "

Tax shelters offered to Canadians who invested in
Canadianmade films were weful in providing jobs but did
Iittle to enhance culture, he said,

“Unfortunately we don't believe it has produced any re-
sults that are culturglly-valuable. You need to have a multi-
million dollar budgel, and once you do that the only way you.
can get your money back is to sell it on the American
market. So, by definition, the film is going to be made for
the American market.

“Therefore it’s not really a Canadian tilm...And the films
we send to Cannes to represent Canada are not the tax
shelter films."

Porteous suggesied when programs are created ta
support culture, s study should be conducted to determine
what results are expected. .

He said an example of this is a federal program sup-

porting book publishers that is based on the sale of books as ~

an .industrial objective, The incentive exists for the
publisher to produce books geared to the sellers’ market but
there still remains the less-profitable publishing houses
which the Canada Council supports.

Porteous said the federal government doesn’t have an
understanding of culture and the implications it has op the
“Suppose they should decide that theatre should be a cul-
tural industry. So then everybody should produce American

musicals ot whatever, You can see what the implications |

are.”

Thetctalreal value of federal monies the councll receives
annually has declined while theatrical activity has ex-

_ panded. Porteous said the council has decided to offer -

’ financial support tothe struggling companies while keeping
the lid em those that are financially stable. ,
The Canada Council, Iathered by a royal commission,
~ believes inquiries can. produce positive results, Porteous
sald. He added that the Applebaum-Hebert commission's
terms of reference are wide enough, perhaps too wide,
“They include broadcasting and we have had royal

commissions just on that subject. Certainly the government .

hasn't placed any inhibitions or restrictions on the range of
- this inquiry. "

visitors came from Quebec to the school and ate
hamburgers the school board objected to the.
fact that the school ran out because the demand.
was gréafer than the supply? s that why:
Hamakawa was fired!

Something Is very wrong in our schools when:
these kinds of questions are raised time and

time again by parents trying to seek -
. information on why the board has dismissed

their principal from his school:

This Is not a media Inspired Issue. The vary .
day this writer was informed of the situation at
Skeena School by a parent the parent said: |
“You might as well print the story because It Is.
not going to go away. 1 can‘t belleve the board
has done this and we are going to fight it.
People better get used to that fact.’””

Since that time the: above questions are

- repeatedly raised by everyone except the board ©

and Hamakawa. Both the board and the
principal are, unfortunately, caught In the
middle of a legal battle when It comes to
making public statements.

The parents who are objecting the loudest are
not a bunch of rabble rousers. They are
concerried for the welfare of their children; and
it ts the welfare of the children that. schools are
designed for. west asd bag ot

From where we sit.It Is tHe’Schod? board anit a

the teachers who know the full facts. Both sides |
are opposite sides; and both sides are asking
fhe parents to supportthem. “Trust us,’’ they
say. :

How can the parenis trust anyone? Schools .

are not there for the board or the teachers.
Schools are there because young people need an
education and parents pay taxes. If teachers
must answer to principals, principals to
schools’ superintendents; superintendents to
school boards and boards to the taxpaying
parents there must be something more than
just firing the trustees on election day that the
parents can do when trustees refuse to make
themselves accountable to the public. It is a
shame that teachers can be transferred in mid-
term and parents must walt, ignorant of the
‘facts, while they pay the bills.
_ This matter has the whole town stirred up.
People.are concerned. Some are concerned
enough to be angry. It is an issue that has
forced parents to take sides: and to threaten
trustees with a showing of complete
dissatisfaction at the next election. ;

Meanwhile the parents have no answers and
must wait wonderlng what comes next. The,

board must come out with a positive timetable .—

for Informing the public In this matter. The
timetable must be made public and must deal
with both the legal procedures In the cases of
Hamakawa’s and Thornhill Elementary School
principal Roy Greening’s appeals; and the
teacher's negotiations on April 30, May 4 and
May 6 at the Lakelse Hotel.

if the trustees can say nothing at this point
then they should at least be willing to meet the
parents half way In this matter before ugly
rumours begin replacing the simple questions
parents are now asking themselves and the
reputation of the school gets lost once egain in
the shuffle, -

THINK FRANK HAMILTON
iS A GOOD SCHOOL .
SUPERINTENDENT.

GJHY SUST LAST YEAR WHEN
THE PRINCIPALS WERE
MOVED, EVERYONE WAS
CONSULTED,

CONSULTED WITH THE

Vm. TCceEBERG THAT |
eS ANTIC.

a right to. know