RIE kt ea - Oe ee re | 55.64%; P = ; ~Garbage collection ‘The city last week released the results of a survey it recenily carried out to find out what people think of the way the city handles its affairs, The report card below summarizes the public's assessment of various departments and services. _ Those taking part in the survey were also asked what the city’s spending priorities should be and how they would like fo see Terrace develop in the future. Other stories on this page look at the answers, », Participants were selected at random by contacting every tenth name in the telephone book. That translated to 265 resi- dents. "CITY REPORT CARD |. SUBJECT GRADE - Fire department Swimming pool A B- ~~ “Arena . Storm sewersystem City Parks Water Supply Recreation Programs C Tourism and Economic Development P ~ Road System Snow Removal Road Maintenance By-law Enforcement Grades are assigned based on the percentage of respondents who indicated they were satisfied with the facility or department in ques- tion (a ‘3’ rating or higher), A = 75% or more; B= 65-74%} Cx 45-545 and F = less than 45%. TERRACE -- The city's recrea- tion facilities and staff were given a strong vote of confidence by respondents to the city’s questionnaire. Topping the popularity poll was the swimming pool. Asked io as- sess the quality of the facility on a scale of 1 to 4 (4 being the highest rating), more than a third expressed complete satisfaction with the aquatic centre and close ‘to 80 per cent gave it at least a ‘3’ rating. Three quarters of those ques- tioned also gave high marks to pool staff for customer service and only four people said they wouldn't recommend the facility. Not surprisingly, the older ice arena did not fare quite as well but it still scored high marks with the majority. It was given at least a ‘3° by 56 per cent and only 13 people indi- cated they would not recommend it to friends. Customer service at the facility got high marks from 45.5 per cent. Recreation programs offered by ihe city passed with flying colours, close to 60 per cent ex- pressing complete satisfaction The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 25, 1992 - Page AS Bouquets and brickbats Recreation applauded | and another 26 per cent saying they were usually pleased with them, ; The only fly in the recreational ointment appeared when it came to the city’s parks. While three out of four ques- tioned were happy with the quall- ty of existing parks, a mumber ex- pressed _concems about the quantity. **There’s no sense having washrooms if they’re going to be locked.”’ ‘We could use more parks,”’ was one comment while others pinpointed the need on the bench in particular. Other suggestions included more benches at —s park playgrounds so parents had some- where to sit while watching their children, more picnic tables at George Little Memorial Park dur- ing the summer months and an outdoor wading pool for kids. There was also criticism of the city’s policy of keeping the Litile Public works takes a mauling “TERRACE -- In a city where. potholes are a topic of conversa- tion as often as the weather, it’s probably not surprising the public works department got a rough ride in the survey. Those same potholes and the number of open roadside ditches -were leading complaints as resi- dents panned the city’s road sys- tem and maintenance. "Asked to describe the quality of city streets, more than 60 per cent of respondents gave them a rating of ‘2’ or lower, _, One. respondent even went:so.._ far as to say, “I would give it a zero if I could.” However, the city did pick up compliments as well, including being ‘‘smart enough’’ in recent “— years to ensure upgrades included >! laying. down a proper road bed before paving. “Told the city would have to pave 3km of road each year in or- der to ensure all city streets were paved once every 25 years, 85 per ; cent said the city should do at least that amount annually., However, one respondent echoed the worry of a number of people when he asked ‘At what cost to taxpayers?”’ Unhappy as people were with the roads system, they were even less pleased with the way it is maintained. Here, dissatisfaction topped 65 per cent with the chief frustra- tions being the length of time it took to get potholes fixed and watching city crews filling in the same pothole time and again. It was much the same story with the city’s sidewalk system with 64 per cent critical, the most con- ‘sistent. complaint; being: the, need for more outside the downtown | core. Snow removal also came under fire with 59 per cent dissatisfied. Leading beefs were the time it took crews to tackle snowfalls, graders filling in just-cleared driveways and the practice of piling snow in the middle of toads. There was, however, one bright spot in people’s assessment of city services, It’s storm drainage system was given the thumbs up by 38 per cent with only 20 per cent saying it was inadequate. Keep it clean! TERRACE -- When it comes to what kind of new industry and business the city should try and attract, people generally agree on one thing. Whatever it is, it should not have the potential to damage the environment. , In that vein, chemical plants, steel mills, mines, a hazardous Waste disposal facility and nuclear installations were all mentioned as undesirables. Also opposed by a number of people was the idea of a pulp mill being built here. In keeping with ihe emphasis on maintaining a clean environ- ment, continued expansion of the tourism industry remained the most popular option with 39.3 per cent of respondents indicating the city should encourage growth in that area. , More light industry -- machine shops and metal fabricating, for example -» came next at 25.5 per cent followed closely by manufacturing (23.6) and com- mercial expansion (23.2). Surprisingly, in a community which is still heavily dependent on the forest industry, only 21.7 per cent thought any economic development push should target related items such as sawmills producing value-added wood pro- ducts and silviculture. (The figures above add up to more than 100 per cent because most respondents suggested more than one objective) As to how good a job the city’s tourism and economic develop- ment department has been doing to date, 52 per cent gave it at least a ‘3’ rating. However, several wondered whether the city was getting value for the money it spent send- ing council members and staff on out-of-town promotional tips. “Tg it worth it,” asked one. ‘T's hard to know if, or when, the city will reap benefits,’’ said another. OUT IN THE COLD. That's where one of the fire depart- ment's vehicles has to be left because the existing hall is too small to accommodate them all. Concerned that's no way to treat the new $130,000 rescue vehicle the department has on order, chief Bob Beckett would like to see extra bays added to the building. And residents agree, according to the results of a city survey, Nearly half the respondents said expansion of the fire hall should be the city’s number one or two spend- ing priority. However, those same people were not so enthusiastic about the idea of buying a new ladder truck. As part of the survey conducted by the city, those taking part were asked io assign a priority from I to 8 to seven different projects/purchases council has been asked to consider during the past couple of years. Below, are the tally of responses. Percentage ranking project No.1 priority Upgrade city roads ..cssessssssssessssrcesteessseeneens wens 40.4% Expand fire hall........sessssssessssesessenssessenmeesses 225% Purchase ladder fire truck. svesvenees stssssensassesonsen snes 13.278 New animal shelter .......ssccsesrsrersssereseseesensses weones 12.1% Second sheet Of iC€....rsecceeneeeesssesenisnneenes 114% Community/Conference Centre .........00 svsssvscinerreses 960% Enhance city park SySteM....ussesrercers dasseesssees seesseess 0.8% People ranking it number six or lower Upprade city roads ....scssssssssesssesseseesnesrssresenecneens 21920 Expand fire hall..u.sscesessssscececesercees sestesvansenee LLA% Enhance city park SysteMus.sessssusescsereeeesrsnseesves 201% Animal Shelter sssss-ssssenceoececnsoneuvennessseen esas 20.6% Fire Ladder truckis.csssssscssescesecsecesssssssscsunsccereatis renee 300790 Community/Conference Cemtre vrscresecreree ussees 104% Second sheet of ice.......... desesseatecetttsenssasissesesectteseess DAL GO Park washrooms locked except when there were major events | going. on there. “Mothers with small children find it inconvenient when the washrooms are not open,’” one pointed out white another pointed out, ‘‘There’s no sense having them if they’re going to be locked.’’ And while complaints about the arena focused on the inadequate ice time for users and need for a second sheet, one resident maintained building that sheet should not be the city’s Tesponsi- bility. “Hockey clubs should do what the tennis club did: take the bull by the horns and do something themselves to raise the money,” was the comment. ; (It should be pointed out the city did provide $42,800 towards the Halliwell Ave. tennis court development.) Suggested improvements to recreation programming included More competitive recreation for older people and “‘more attention paid to teens and young people.” Overall, however, ‘‘excellent effort’’ was the consensus, Traffic, parking draw snarls TERRACE -- The city’s decision carlicr this year to reduce it’s by- . law enforcement manpower has not gone unnoticed by residents. And they’re not happ with the results. This department got one of the lowest ratings from residents with only one in ten people completely salisfied with the service pro- vided and less than 40 per cent giving it at ‘3’ or better. Similarly, only one quarter thought the city’s by-laws were being effectively enforced while 15 per cent gave a flat ‘No’ to that question. e Not surprisingly, . therefore, a clear majority of 60.3 per cent said the city should increase the level of its enforcement effort. However, while comments showed parking problems to be a major concern for people, respon- dents rejected by a three-to-one margin the suggestion installing parking meters might be the solu- tion. Although there is signifi icant pub- lic dissatisfaction with the poor condition of the existing animal Shelter, only 30 per cent of those asked to rate the service it pro- vided answered with a ‘2’ or lower. When asked what: the planning department should be concentrat- ing on, motorists’ frustrations with negotiating the city’s in- creasingly busy streets showed. Close to 60 per cent said city planners should be focusing on improving traffic patierns within the community while 40 per cent wanted to see greater attention to providing more parking spaces in town. Assisting the construction of townhouses and seniors housing development to ensure a more varied housing stock was a ptiority for just more than half the respondents while 35 per cent suggested planners should be making it easier to achieve in- creased community services such as day care centres and youth ser- vices. Processing development applica- tions, a major time consumer for the department during this past year’s construction boom, was ranked as important by barely a quarter of those questioned. ‘| Trapped ina Vicious circle By CAROL SABO Caral Sabo is a co-ordinator with the Terrace Women’s Resource Centre. . They are sad. They are angry. They are confused. They are lonely. They are terrified, hopeful, and forgotten. They are im- nacent. They are children, 70,000 of them in British Columbia alone, living in domestic ter- rorism, victims of family violence. ; They are experiencing the mest insidious form of child abuse - whether or not they are physically abused they are un- dergoing profound psychologi- cal abuse - watching their fa- ther beat their mother, They are becoming part of the dishonest conspiracy | of si- lence. Every day children witness family violence - they are secing and hearing women being slapped, choked, kicked, bitten, punched, burned, raped, threatened, attacked with knifes, guns, sticks, fists, belts, bottles, words, They are learning aggression and submission, learning to use violence to try and solve prob- lems and acceptance of that violence, They are in a high risk area, a war zone - their homes have been transformed into prisons, Eighty-four per cent of those children are less than 11. Be- cause their mothers are bat tered, themselves emotionally abused and neglected they may not be recognizing the abuse and neglect their children are suffering. Studies have shown that chil- dren who grow up in a violent home are likely to have behav- ior problems and adjustment difficulties. Transition house workers and teachers are seeing an inctcas- ing ‘fumbér “Of ‘Very Violent children. Children. are having difficulties at school, they are ‘acting-up’, are shop-lifting, are vandalizing cormmunitics. . Boys tend to be violent in their own marital families as adults, girls are inclined to be passive, both believing aggres- sion and violence a legitimate part of a relationship. . Young men lack responsibili- ty and respect, young women, confidence and self-esteem. Alcohol and drug counsellars report extremely high numbers of their clients as coming from a battering home. There is evidence that wife battering is related to the future criminality of the children and particularly to criminal behav- ior involving violence. Almost all serious adult per- sonal crimes - assault, al- tempted rape, rape, attempted murder, kidnapping and mur- der - are committed by men and women who as children, experienced the trauma of watching their mother being assaulted. Children learn through what they see and hear and although a wife-bealer may be a product of his environment, his be- haviour cannot be excused - the violence must stop. This circle must be broken. Dec. 6 is the anniversary of the murder of 14 women by one man in Montreal. The Terrace Women's Resource Centre has while ribbons, for the week of Dec. 1-6, to symbolize support toward the ending of violence against women. They are available by call- ing the centre at 638-0228, The start The Start is for people learning how to read. Mill Money Orenda Forest Products wants to build a pulp and paper mill. It wants to build the mill south of Lakelse Lake. The company has al- teady spent $2.5 mitlion. Other companies have also spent $2.5 million. But Orenda still needs to raise $400 million. And the provincial government must stiil say it is OK to build the mill. All of this means Orenda has a lot of work _ left to do. It had wanted to ‘start building the mill this year. The company now plans to start next year. The mill will provide several hundred jobs. Yummy Dan Mohr is making pancakes. He made these at a pan- cake breakfast. The breakfast was part of alcohol and dmg awareness week. Drinks without alcoho! in them were served at grocery stores. There were other ac- tivities, too.