THE NEXT TIME you park your vehicle at the mall, don't be surprised if you find “alittle blue note tacked to your windshield when you get back. Members of Terrace's Citizens on Patrol want you to know they're looking out for you. ' As part of their Lock Out Auto Crime program, they're. checking vehicles for visible valuables, keys, ‘unlocked doors or open Windows in-an atlempt to reduce Tertace's property “crime rates. oo H's amazing what ' people leave in full view," ‘said. voluntcer Jane Blix from the organization's mall office space. “You see purses, videos, cd's, letevi- sions,. everything." *- Another volunteer, Keith _ Trask, said’ most’ people don't realize that their spare change could be so Thieves target vehicles Group out to prevent theft The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 6, 1999 - A3 News In Brief Campbell to visit here HEALTH ISSUES appear to be high on Gordon Campbell's list when the provincial Liberal leader visits here next week, He's arriving Oct. 12 and will. visit Sleeping Beauty Lodge, the hostel-like accommodation facility. at Mills Memorial Hospital which closed last week. Campbell will then spend a couple-of hours in Kiti- mat speaking with Kitimat Healt, Watch, a citizen’s group formed to lobby governments and ‘athers re- garding changes in Kitimat health care. The com- munity has been without the services of an orthope- dic surgeon since last fall-and has yet-to- replace ils only general surgeon who left carlier this year. Campbell is also the’ guest that night at a-banquet hosted by the Terrace and Disirict Chamber of Commerce, , The Liberal leader then heads east as part of a nortiem B.C. tour. Docs’ group gathers THE B.C. MEDICAL Association has invited more than 30 people connected with health care services to an Oct. 20 session so il can learn more about health and medical services issues here, “The purpose of this session is to give focal doctors and the BCMA the opportunity to hear from a varic- ly of key opinion leaders in Terrace,” said an invi- lation from the association. It represents B.C, doc- (ors lo the provincial government on issues such as fee payments and has had an ongoing dispute with the trol parking lots, leaving blue notes as reminders for motorists to hide their valuables and to lock up their vehicles. And they're looking for volunteers . ITS AMAZING what people leave in their vehicles in plain sight of thieves, says Jane Blix, a member of Citizen’s on Patrol. She and other members pa- province over fees, One of those invited is Skeena NDP MLA and ca- binet minister Helmut Gicsbrecht. He won't be at- valuable to. thieves, “The average amount of change in a vehicle is $10," he explained. “If thieves hit 20 vehicles in one hour, that's $200 — that's pretty good pay for one hour's work," ~ The worst offenders, said Trask, are | people. that leave keys in their new ve- hicles. But, he added,-even leav- ing valuables in sight. can cause a lot of damage if thieves smash a window to get in the car, Trask said the program, which has been in opera- would like to take some eredit for a decrease in theft from vehicles here in the last five years. The system works by im- proving public awareness. About five times a year - and more often during the Christmas season — volun- leers inspect parked cars. you've done wrong, or right, to prevent auto crime : Don't Miss q This Offer! tion for-about two years, tion notice to tell you what: that day. ; ; They prefer to think of themselves as.good Samari- tans but-admit they've had their share “of shoppers. *“Some peaple consider it tampering when we'd ‘lock your door for you,” said Trask. “"But we don'tdo that anymore — it's siriclly visual now.' Trask added people scom . to have be more crime con- scious in recent. years as patrollers now Find only 15 per cent of cars‘unJocked instead of 50 per cent: a few years ago. Still, Trask and Blix said, the group could go oul mare often and be. more effective if they had more voluntecrs . able to commit themselves ee working a’ variely of. Crime: Ss EON oe suspicious arts And: Accessories... ARCTIC CAT What Swowmobilings. All About: Health care goes regional ANOTHER STEP toward regionalization of north- west health care is taking place with the hiring of a consulting company to come up witha plan. ~ IWll address what’s nee- ded and haw to go aboul reaching regional health care goals, says Bob Kelly, ’ in-coming chair of the Ter- face and Area Health Council. There is no overall regio- . nal health care authority in the northwest’ and while local “health councils had _been meeting to discuss areas of mutual concern, “there is no formal structure in’ place. That’s different than else- where where strong regio- nal boards are in place to oversee hospitals and com- prevention/:duties.: “munity- type health --ser-. “one night a month. “We always need more ¢ volunteers,” said Blix, vices. Keily said the success of the regional plan depends upon the co-operation of With Only 8. 9% Financing — We Can Save You Over $1000 in Interest! PLOS the nine community health councils taking part in the planning. lt"li be ready in time for health ministry officials next June. “The plan is to go forward from here,’’ said Kelly in adding thal any regional plan must include the Northwest Community Health Services Society {formerly known as the Skeena Health Unit). Other community health councils, such as those in Kitimat and in Prince Ru- pert, have been reluctant to fully embrace the idea of regional health care for fears it will mean a reduc- tion in their services. Already in the works is ihe addilion of a third pe- diatrician in Terrace as a foundation upon: which to bring in regional pediatric caverage, And plans are moving ahead for Terrace and Kiti- mat to share the services of an onhopedic surgeon. Kelly described those two initialives as cxamples where regional co-opera- tion is a bencfit to all. Lalso think you'll find the plan will address the recruitment and retention of health care professionals in the region, including nurses,’” continued Kelly. He did add that the grow- ing shortape of nurses is a national problem and one that can’t be solved by a community or regional health council an its own. Kelly is now the vice chair of the health council and chair of the Northwest Community. Health Ser- vices Socicty. He’s essenti- ally switching with current health council chair Larisa -Tarwick who -will- become chair‘ of the community health services society. Tarwick is an advocate of repianal health services. tending because there’s a cabinet mecting in Victor- ia the same day. In his stead will be Gail Murray, Gieshrecht's executive assistant in the tiding. Among those invited aire key health care officials such as Tom Novak of the Terrace and Area Health Council and David Bowcring, chief excculive officer of the Northwest Community Health Services Sacie- ty (formerly the Skeena Health Unit), Also invited are senior provincial health care officials. One billion and counting ONE BILLION containers have been diverted from garbage dumps in the first year of a new deposit-re- fund program, says environment minister Joan Sa- wicki. The deposit program began a year ago and applies to all containers with the exception of milk and milk products ones, Estimates arc that the container deposil program will save up to $7 million a year in dump costs. UNBC enrolment up ENROLMENT AT the University of Northern Drit- ish Columbia has increased by six per cent this year to 3,350. That's more than what the provincial pov- ernment had projected. All told, there are 3,000 undergraduate students and 350 graduate students. Of (hose registered, ap- proximately 300 are located off of the Prince George “campus in places such as Terrace, Prince Rupert and Williams Lake, ‘Fhose students take courses via conference calls or other means. DENTURE NEWS ECKLAND’S DENTURE CLINIC 635-1288 Gerald H. Eckland, D.D., F.C.A.D. Rudi Peters, B.R.S., D.D., R.D. ¢ Your sink has developed a nasty leak, who would you call? - A specialist- your plumber! e Your car sputters, whines and comes to a painful death, who would you call? A specialist - your mechanic! e Your lovely old tree has broken a branch which is now sticking through your roof and into the living room, who would you call? - A specialist - your roofer, In every incidence you would call someone who specializes in the problem which you need fixed. Your dental problems should be no different. When and if my son needs braces, I will take him to an orthodontist. If he develops a cavity or needs a tooth extracted or repaired I will take him to a dentist.If he needs surgery to fix a jaw problem I would take him to an oral surgeon. You go to a dental hygienist to have your teeth cleaned. Therefore, it only makes sense that. you take your denture problems to a Denturist. You will be in the hands of a person who SPECIALIZES in the making of dentures, Every phase of this service is performed by the same operator, resulting in an accurate and personalized product. All denture procedures are performed on the premises and by the same person that does all the precise and intra-oral measuring. Service are at a very reasonable cost!