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| BAKER'S

BY NIXON BAKER

BATTER

It certainly is not my in-
tentlon to presume to tell
you, the residents of Terrace
for whom you should vote
this Saturday, Nor, as far as
Tam aware, does the Herald
have any “picked’’ dan-
didates, however I would be
lees than honest to those who
read this column not to make
some comment,

First, 1 must preface my

. remarks by saying I am sick

and tired of people telling me
I can’t possibly understand
the situation in Terrace
bbecause I have only been
here four months.

These are the same people
who advocate that in order to
have a ‘job well done you
must import “experts” from
Vancouver. Reporting news
and covering polltics is my
business, or at least, was my
business for many years. .

T have been to more
council, school board,
regional and district

mieatings than anyoneele in |

thls town; and I say that
without fear of con-
tradiction, and will prove it
toanyone willing to wager on
the matter. Mind you, these
meetings were not the same
council in the same town, but
range from the far north of
Ontario to the nation's
capital, Ottawa. ‘

And if, one more person
asks me why I am in
Terrace, considering the
great future I have behind
me, I think 1 will be gick to .
‘my stomache. What is it
about this town that people
automatically feel there
must be somethiig wrong
with you otherwise you
wouldn't be here?

» Terrace is currently going
through growing pains.
similar to many other
communities ut the
county; too beg to be small
and too small to be biz.

This situation is not por-
eullar to Terrace, many,
many cities have gone
through the same tran-
sformation.

Anyway, back to the up-
coming election.

All candidates strike me,
and remember this is strictly
a personal opinion, as honest
people who are genuinely
interested in the welfare of
the community. The fact that
ning persons are seeking
three seats speaks well for
thedistrict. These people are
really performing an ex-
tremely worthwhile service
for the district regardless of
whom is elected.

They should be thanked
and appreciated for this
alone.

People like Lilly Neilson,
who continues to seek a seat
on council despite past
defeats, are to be treasured,
not necessarily elected, but
treasured. That's what it’s
all about, If you don't like
what's going on, seek office
and change it, and if you are —

VANCOUVER (CP) —
Mayor Jack Volrich easily '
won re-election for a second
two-year term Wednesday,
as the conservative Non-
Partisan Associatidn (NPA)
assumed dominance of civic
politics with majorities on-
council, school board and
parks board.

Valrich, 50, who ran as an
independent with NPA
backing, collected 45,762
votes, handily turning back
the challenge of Alderman
May Brown, The Electors
Action Movement (TEAM)
candidate, who polled 29,449

yotes.

Volrich's al aa ter
support was up from
per cent he received when -
first elected in 1976 as the
TEAM candidate.

Voter turnsul was per
cent, down considerably
from past years. The law
turncut was blamed partly
on the shutdown due to a
labor dispute of Vancouver's

of TEAM. .
“It's going to be something

of a caretaker council,”

Volrich sald, “On the one

hand we do have all these

very ‘worthwhile projects
before us, yet on the other
hand we are going to con-
tinue through a period of
money.” .
The makeup of the new
council was 8 good sign for
ments of the propo:
ies million Multtplex

not elected the very fact that
you ran has an effect on
those who are elected.

Too bad we can't say the
same for. the school board,
whose budget probably is
greater than council's.

If you are still reading this
column, you want to know
how far 1 intend to stick my
neck out, don’t you?

Well, this far and no far-
ther; at the candidates
meeting Wednesday the
“outs” promised and the
“ing” pointed out haw ex-
pensive some of the
suggested programs would
be, thus raising taxes.

It would seem that a
couple of years on council
certainly does temper en-

‘thusiasm for expensive

projects.
0.K,! Here goes, as the

person who has at-

tended every council
meeting during the last four
months, other than aldermen
and municipal employees, I
would say there are only four
creditible candidates. The
three incumbents; Cooper,
Jolliffe and Pease, and Al
Purschke, How to win
friends and influence people,
I just made five enemies.

I am sure my recom-
mendation will be worth at
least three votes, mine, my
wife's and my son's.

I would have given
credence to both Ms.
Clarkson and Paul Johnston,
if they were not so tied to
labor. Now don’t start! I
have nothing against labor, I
have been a member of
unions and enjoyed the
benefits of them. However, [
don’t think municipal

politics is the place for

‘parties’, 7. want my
alderman or alderperson or
alderwomen, to speak for
themselves not for a com-
mittee, no matter how wise
or, representative that
committee may be.

Juanita is a charming lady
and serves a useful purpose
within the community. She
should continue to do so.

Lil Farkvam is un-
derstantably frustrated by
the apparent lack of action
regarding recreation within
the district. Her candidacity
will help to move the wheels
a little faster.

All the candidates are geod
people who deserve credil
for their courage and in-
terest; but as 1 said earlier
there are really only four,
Cooper, Jolliffe, Pease and
Purschke. 1 listed them in
alphabetical order not in
preference.

I realize this type of
column is not usual because
it puts a journalist in a real
bind, if -- as may well be the
case others are elected; bul
then my reporting of news
has nothing whatsover to do
with this column. Thisis, and
I repeat, only a personal
opinion based on my ab-
servations at council.

- Volrich back

stadium, an issue that at-
tracted much of the elec-
torate,

Most of the council
members favor the proposal
which would see the stadium
built at the Pacific National
Exhibition. Brown was
radvocating a site in the False

Creek area.
The NPA also elected
seven of nine school trustees
and five of seven park
commissioners.

Despite the obvious sup-
port for NPA candidates and
policies, voters narrowly
approved a __ plebiscite
favoring 8 ward system for
the city—something Volrich
and other NPA candidates
campaigned against,

Volrich said the 51-per-
cent vote in favor of a ward
system was not a definite
indication, but he agreed to
set up a commission to
consider the whole matter of
loca] government.

Any decision to change the -

sent system must be ap-
Troved by the provincial
government.

Also elected as aldermen
were Harry Rankin of the
Committee of Progressive
Electors, independent in-
cumbents Michael Harcourt
and Darlene Marzari and
Marguerite Ford of TEAM.

Elected as school trustees
were: Nathan Divinsky,
Jonathan Baker, Peter
Westlake, William Brown,
Bryan Hannay, Peter Hebb
and Karl Erdman, all of
‘NPA, and SBetty-Anne
Fenwick and Norman
Robinson of TEAM.

George Wainbora, Russ
Fraser, Andy Livingstone,
Phillip Owen and Doug
Mowat, all of NPA, were
elected to the parks board,
along with Ian Bain and
Mary Ann Fowler of TEAM.

NEWS IN BRIEF

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C&
(CP) — The president of the
Prince George and District
Teachers’ Association told a
British Columbia Energy
Commission hearing
Thursday that conservation-
wise homeowners are being

nished with higher rates
roin Inland Natural Gas.

Doug Smart told the
hearing in this central-
interior city that conserving
doesn’t pay.

The commission is
studying a request by Inland
Natural Gas for a 10.75 per
cent rate increase, The in-
crease came into effect Sept.
1 but the utility may be
forced to return the extra fee
if the commission turns
down the application.

Smart presented a brief,
representing 1,200 teachers
in the district, which stated
the increase is highly in-

flationary and should not be
granted at this time.

*Smart said teachers have
been faced with demands for
restraint in the past three
years and suppliers of

essential services should

show the same restraint.
The Prince George and
District Teachers’

Association agreed Wed-

‘nesday to settle for a 7.9 per
cent wage increase.

Five other briefa
presented to the commission
Thursday reflected the
concern of private citizens
and small businesses over
Inland’s proposed hike: in gas
prices.

The chamber brief stated
that the hike could hurt the
local timber industry which
relles on a highly com-
petitive and - fluctuating
foreign market.

Deaths termed accidental

QUESNEL, B.C. (CL)—A .

coroner's jury has blamed a
truck driver, the driver's
employer and a local lumber
company in the deaths of
William McDonald, 48, and
his son John, 17, both of this
central British Columbia
community.

The two men were killed
Aug. 28, while working at
Ernst Forest Products Ltd.
when a truck dumping
asphalt backed over them.

The six man jury ruled
Wednesday that the deaths
were unnatural and at:
cidental. ;

Extension not feasible

VICTORIA(RP) — Travel
Industry Minister Grace
McCarthy caid Thursday it is
not economically feasible to
extend, on a year-round
basis, the sailing season of
the government-owned
Princess Marguerite.

Mrs. McCarthy, the
minister responsible for the
B.C. Steamship Corp. which
owns and operates the vessel
between’ Victoria and
Seatile, sald the board of
directors had informed her
the economics of extending
the season would be out of
the question.

“There 1s not sufficient
offseason travel between
Victoria and Seattle for that
ecruise-tzpe travel'” said
Mre, McCarthy.

The minister said the
vessel carried 570,000
passengers during the
summer, an increase of 13
per cent over last year.

She said it ended the year
with an operatng prodtof-
$527'-000 but moat of it would
go to debt charges, and the
remaining $60,000 will be
more than used up by the
Marguerite’s annual refit.

Miss World 1978 crowned

LONDON (AP) — OissAr-
gentina, Silvana Suarez, was
crowned Miss World 1978 at
Royal Albert Hall in London
on Thursday night.

Runner-up was = Miss

Sweden, Ossie Carlsson, ant
Miss Australia—Denise
Coward—placed third,

Miss Mexico, Martha Ortiz
Gamez, was fourth and Miss
Spain, Gloria Valenciano,
was fifth.

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—
—

The seventh ina series of MB reports:

eve been doing all the
talking. Now wed like

to hear from you.

For the past few weeks, we've
been running this series of re-
ports telling you what MacMillan
Bloedel is all about.

If you’ve been reading these
reports, you know that our com-
pany was born in B.C. and that
we plan to stay in B.C. We're
part of something unique—the
British Columbia way of life.
_And we’re proud of it.

We think you're aware that a
company like MB can only oper-
ate in this province with your
say-so. The people of B.C. own
80% of the forest lands we.man-
age. So we’re not the landlords,
you are. We're the tenants.

That’s why we’ve been telling
you how things are going on

your property.

So far, we’ve been doing all the
talking. We'd like to open it up.
If you have any ideas or reactions
concerning these reports—why
don’t you write to let us know?
If you'd like copies of any or all
of them—or you want further
information—we'll be glad to
send it along.

Perhaps you belong to a group
or organization that might be
interested in more details. If
you contact us at the same address
we'll arrange for someone from
MB to come and talk to your

people.
Just write and we'll be in touch.

MB REPORTS, LA

1075 West Georgia,
Vancouver, B.C.
V6E 3R9

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