wot be fenced in

Nigh ve

work

Full house

Liberal posse fails to corral
government MLA on Forest — |
Renewal cash plan\NEWS: Az

Good crowd turns out to stake.
claim for freedom, safety and
security\COMMUNITY B1

A local inventor finds a way to
allow seniors to keep right on
curling\SPORTS B8 -

WEDNESDAY _
SEPTEMBER 25, 1996

93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST
VOL. 9 NO, 24

Solo Thornhill option too pricey

Property taxes for average $118,000 house

Based on present assessments, not including homeowners giants

Counter-offer calls for
two-way bridge traffic,

revitalization plan
By JEFF NAGEL

THORNHILL cannot afford to incorpo-
rate, and even the amalgamation of Terrace
and Thornhill looks too expensive without
in improved provincial offer.

That’s what local representatives are say-
ing after consultant Eugene Lalonde discov-
ered an error in his calculations and revised
his estimates of the tax implications of
restructuring,

1996

Thornhill home $1,476

‘TERRACE-THORNHILL AMALGAMATION. -

Terrace home $1,587
Thornhill home $1,476

_ THORNHILL INCORPORATION

Year 1 Year 9

$1,962 $2 390

$1,659 $1 919
$1659 $1,919

Thornhill residential property taxes would
leap 32 per cent immediately if the com-
munity was to incorporate. And eight years
later, after transition grants run out, the

owner ofa $118,000 home would be paying
$2,390 in taxes - G1 per cent more than the

owners would fice immediate tax hikes of
around tour percent in Terrace and 12 per
cent in Thombhill, After that initial jump,
taxes would be at the same level on both
sides of the river, and would increase anoth-
er 15 per cent aver the next eight years as
Iransition money tapers off.

Thornhill regional district director Peggy
Julseth said the new numbers are more in
line with what she had expected-all along: -

“When you're doubling a bureaucracy it's
usually not that cheap,” she said -of the
incorporation option,

“The status qito is nat going to be the sta-
tus quo regardless of what happens,” Julseth
said. “There are things that’ are going 10
increase our tnxes regardless.” :

The new numbers provided timely ammu-
nition for local officials who met with muni-
cipal affairs Dan Miller last week at the
Union of B.C, Municipalities convention, in
Penticton. .

"They tubled‘a counter-ofler to Victoria’ 8
restructure package that was unveiled in
August.

The most startling elements of the new

$1,476 paid in 1996.
Under the amalgamation option, fome-

m Nice shot

BLACK POWDER shooting is a fun and unusual sport. That's Peter Nicholson taking careful aim on the
trail walk at a shoot two weekends ago near Terrace, Nichalson placed second in the trail walk event and
first in the tomahawk throw. For more on black powder shooting, check out Sports, page B&.

Julseth conceded amalgamation appears

tu be the best option for Thornhill now.

Continued Page A2

Local gives birth
to healthy triplets

THINGS ARE going to be particularly
busy around one household here with the
birth two weeks ago of triplets.

Michelle Hamer gave birth to two girls
and one boy Sept. 11 at the B.C. Women’s
Hospital in Vancouver.

Jordyn Ashley arrived first at 4:45 p.m.
weighing three pounds, 15 ounces followed
by sister Paige Theresa at 4:46 p.m. weigh-
ing three pounds, four ounces and brother
Austin ‘Roger’ at- 4:48 p.m. weighing four
pounds, six ounces.

Husband Roger was able to travel to Van-
couver in time for the event,

“Everybody’s just doing fine,” said
Michelle’s mother, Terry Holding, who
lives in Hope.

The triplets have since been moved to
Royal Columbian Hospital in New West-
Minster and are in an incubator. This was
the first pregnancy for Michelle, 27.

The triplets make for four grandchildren
for Terry Holding and her husband Stan
and 10 for the other grandparents, George
and Margaret Hamer of Terrace,

Margaret Hamer said she's looking for-

ward to sccing the new additions to the
family. ‘‘One [ could imagine. Three ls a
pleasant shock,’’ she said.

Michelle moved down to Hope with ber
mother in late August to be closer to the
hospital. The B.C. Women’s Hospital is the
preferred location for multiple births be-
cause of the number of specialists and ser-
vices on hand.

She had a caesarean section scheduled for
Oct. 9 -but her water broke Friday, Sept. 6.-

“That may have been the plan but they
just decided to come,” said Holding’ of the
caesarean dale that was set

The Holdings and Michelle then drove to
the hospital and the births:took place the
following Wednesday by caesarean,

Michelle and the triplets will remain
down south until they are able to travel.

It’s hard to determine when the Jast time
triplets were born to a person from Terrace,

But health ministry statistics indicate
there have been no triplets bor to a Ter-
race person at least since 1985.

And there are suggestions the last time it
happened was more than 30 years ago.

Dollars for health
could rise in north

THE NORTHWEST should get more
money for health services under a proposed
formula being considered,

An increase of as much as seven per cent
might be on the way for hospitals, extended
care facilities, community programs and
prevention programs if the formula for es-
lablishing regional health budgets works
out, says the head of the Northwest
Regional Health Board.

But Wayne Hay cautioned that the for-
mula is still under consideration and that
the dollar amounts [or each region have yet
to be set.

And it’s those dollar amounts that may
change given a provincial budget that’s un-
der increasing pressure.

_'*¥ou could get an overall increase under
the formula but if the dollar amount is
decreased, then there’ll be an impact,’’ said
Hay.

For now, the proposed increase recog-
nizes the lsolation of the north, the distance
it takes to gain access to medical services,
the cost of delivering services and supplies
because of geographic distances and the
overall health status of the northwest.

“A product could cost $10 to buy and $5
to deliver, making the overall cost $15
compared to the lower mainland where it
might cost 50 cents to deliver, for in-
stance,” said Hay.

The proposed increases in terms of health
Status recognizes that northwesterners rank
lower in terms of overall healih than people
who live in other areas, .

“The direction is lo increase health out-
comes, to allocate money to address thase
issues by more prevention programs and
services,’’ said Hay.

Increasing the health of northwestemers
then means fewer dollars will have to be
spent in dealing with problems, he added.

Once a formula is established, it'll take
up 40 five years for the new system to take
hold. The plan to set regional health
budgets is part of the provincial govern-
ment’s plan to move health care decision
making out of Victoria. ‘

Once a reglon is given its budget, it'll
then be divided among the various facilities
and services within its borders.

Northwest health care spending this year
is in the area of $64 million,

MLA leaps into administrator buyout fray

SKEENA MLA Helmut Giesbrecht has
entered the hot debate over how to
choose senior administrators for the
merged Terrace and Kitimat school dis-
tricts,

Speaking last week, Giesbrecht says
expensive buyout provisions in the con-
tracts of several senior Terrace adminis-
trators shouldn’t influence hiring deci-
sions for the new district,

And he wants the education ministry to
send up an official to tell Terrace school
trustees to agree to open up the process
of filling those senior posts.

“The Terrace board should start

making some compromises,’” said Gies-
brecht.

Thal news should be welcomed by
Kitimat trustees who’ve been asking for
a facilitator to help move the talks along,

**We haven't budged Terrace from its
viewpoint,” said Kitimat board chair
George Neumann. ‘‘Terrace just wants
to plug peaple into vacancies.’’

Neumann is worried that the Terrace
board is stalling and plans to just slide its
administrators into position,

“We believe im a new and open com-
petitive race for that particular job,”’ said
Neuntann, referring to the position of su-

perintendent, “Cost us what it may, it
may cost us more if we don't do some.
thing.”

An open competition means Terrace
superintendent Frank Hamilton could
apply for the job like anybody cise, he
sald.

Terrace trustees say they are happy
with their administrators and wish them
to ‘contitue on in’ the’ new Coast
Mountain school district.

But Giesbrecht doesn't want money to
be the main criteria to choose senior ad-
ministrators, —

“] don’t think the high cost of

severance should dictate to Kitimat
people who survives and who doesn't,”
said Giesbrecht,

“The process (of selecting senior ad-
ministrators) should be fair.’

The MLA added that Kitimat shouldn’t
be expected to shoulder the. burden of
severance packages agreed to by Terrace
trustees,

“J don’t think severance should be a
factor (in hiring). Everybody should
have an opportunity to apply,” he said,

High severance casts ave an issue with
at least two of the most senior Terrace
administrators,

They have five-year contracts, the
terms of which add one year as the pre-
vious year ends. In effect, the contracts
never run oul and are always for five
years,

Buyout provisions call for full payment
of each contract’s worth should employ-
ment with the Terrace district cease.

Taken together, for Terrace’s two
senior administrators, that sum could top
$1 million.

Hamilton's salary is among the top five
in the province for superintendents,

There’s more on the school districts’
merger on Page Al2,