AZ - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 24, 1997 FROM FRONT Service won't deteriorate, mayor assures Thornhill Terrace mayor Jack Tal- stra, who sits on the com- mittee, assured the audience that services would not deteriorate. ““The sun will not stap shining after the vote,”’ he said, “The contractor will . likely continue to do the job. ’ The snow will be cleared.’’ ‘Andrew Webber of the commitiee also pointed out that the bridges over the Skeena would continue to be maintained by the high- ways ministry. The new Greater Terrace would, however, assume responsi- bility for several small bridges over Thornhill €reck and one to Braun’s Island. - Some Thornhill residents Were also concerned abaut Assuming what they saw as 4 large debt load from Ter- race. - But Lalonde said debt was aot really an issue since Thornhill already shares in the costs of Terrace’s big- gest debts —- the aquatic centre and the library. ? In fact, if there’s an im- balance I think it tips the ¢lher way in favour of the rewcomers,”’ Lalonde said. 'They are benefiting from many things that are already ¢stablished and have been paid for by Terrace folk, like the city hall and municipal buildings.” Some people weren’t too interested in those benefils, however. They were too worried about taxes. : “I oppose amalgamation Because of the exorbitant éosts,’? said Peter Wallin, who owns a self-storage business on Queensway. beer -- a total of 1,680 beer. back to pet inside. the fire. 1,680 bottles of beer... THIRSTY THIEVES broke into Big River Distributors | over the weekend and made off with 70 cases of 24 cans of Police say the theft occurred sometime between the evening cf Sept. 18 and moming of Sept. 19. Apparently thieves unscrewed the metal siding of the warehouse and peeled it Fire in the horseshoe FIRE SWEPT through a 4800-block Hamer St. home early Sunday morning, causing extensive damage. Fire Chief Randy Smith says the fire apparently started in the basement when a lamp fell over. Five people were in the house, but managed to get out safely. A 16-year-old youth was treated for minor bums to his feet and then released. Fire truck stolen THIEVES MADE off with one of Terrace’s fire trucks while firemen were putting out a blaze at the Cedars Motel. The fire department had been called to the motel along Higtiway 16 west to attend a fire in one of the kitchenettes, Sept 13. Apparently something had fallen on one of the stove elements, creating lots of smoke but little fire. Chief Randy Smith says firemen parked one of their smaller fire trucks on the highway to help keep traffic back from the scene. But someone couldn't resist the shiny red vehicle, so they hopped in and headed off towards Rupert. The truck was found al the side of Highway 16 a while later. “T think it was pretty much a joyride,” Smith says. ° Blaze hampers search A SIGNAL fire lighted near Kitwancool Lake to help a lost mushroom picker find his way out of the bush has burned out of control and is now actually hampering search efforts. Forest fire control chief Brian Atherton says thal the fire, originally lit by RCMP and PEP volunteers as a signal to the lost picker, got out of control because of erratic winds. Two tank trucks, a cat, excavator, helicopter, about 30 fire- fighters and an air bomber from Abbotsford are working on Two mushroom pickers, 32-year-old Jamie Schiller and 31- year-old Billy Wong, had been reported missing from the Kitwankool Lake area Sept. 19. Schiller was found, Sept. 22, 11 kilometers from where he reportedly entered the bush. He is now assisting the RCMP and volunteers from the Provincial Emergency Program to lieip find his cousin. ‘CONCERNED ABOUT higher taxes, that's Peter Wallin of Thornhill addressing the restructure com- mittee at the first pubic meating last week. “This is clearly punitive. We're getling clobbered.”’ Wallin said that bis busi- ness, zoned for light indus- try, will see a tax increase of 54 per ceat — something he said was unfair. “Te we amalgamate with Terrace it will drive up our costs aud keep light industry away,” he said. ‘Local government demand less taxation, not more.” Lalonde was quick to defend the tax increases, * : obviously . hasn’t got the point. We’ however, He pointed out that the hikes would be phased-in to lessen the im- pact, and that the new coun- cil would have the preroga- tive to lower light industry taxes if they wanted. “Third, your counterparts on the other side of the river ‘are already paying those taxes,’” he said. ‘You're in the same marketplace, so you're really just catching race’s economic develop- ment officer, pointed out to the audience that economics knows no boundaries. He argued that the two communities. needed each other in order to have better economic clout, since Ter- race has the population, but not sufficient land, while Thornhill has the land, but a smal] population, “To have two com- munities competing for the same services is like bang- ing our heads against the wall,’’ he said. And Lalonde argued that a united Greater Terrace, combined with provincial grant money guaranteed to go to projects in the new areas of Terrace, could be great leverage for major projects -— like a sewer sys- tem for Thornhill. Andrew Webber echoed that comment, pointing out that it would be easier to get grants as one communily. “Your eligibility ta get government grants is related to where you rank as a municipatity,’’ be said. “And Thornhill is way down in the pecking order.’’ Many in the crowd _ seemed unconvinced. But at least one Thornhill resident thought that amalgamation was likely the best bet. ‘The idea that Thornhill should go alone is a romantic one,’? he said. “But it’s not realistic. 1 think Thornhill should join Terrace and become one community.” Friday, September 26th & Saturday, September 27th Uniglobe Courtesy Travel Skeena Room - Terrace inn 4718A Lazelle Avenue 8:00 pm (doors open at 7:00 pm) Terrace Tickets are $15 each at m haggling goes on The next public meeting will be beld at the Thombill Community Hall Sept, 30, from 7-9 p.m. ‘up to them. That’s the flip side.”’ Commiltee member Ken Veldman, who 55 also Ter- FROM FRONT Loggers wait as the province or the banks get stuck with the bill, estimated at $8. 5 million after three years. Skeena Cellulose vice-president Rudy Schwartz said neither logging nor sawmill operations can start without the final text of the agreement being approved and the money being released to the company. Once that word comes down, he said, logging would likely start immediately, with Terrace and Smithers sawmill operations follawing a week or 10 days later. Carnaby would take even longer, “We've got a dry pipeline for the sawmills,” Schwartz said. “We don’t have a lot of inventory in logs. We do have good inventory in chips but the pulp mill needs a bit of work to start it up.” Martin Hyatt, of court-appointed monitor Coopers and Lybrand, said $30 to $40 million would be the low end of the scale of what is required for the company. He said the operating line of credit from the banks was depleted to around $50 million and that should be increased above $100 million to cover road building and other capital costs outside of the pulp mill over the next three years. He said he could see $50 to $60 million more being needed. “$30 million would not be enough,” Hyatt said. “And it certain- ly would not be enough if there’s going to be even a nickel com- ing out to the creditors.” Any share of that money contributed by the province would be aver and above the $74 million provincial contribution towards the $170 million to be spent to modernize the pulp mill. Creditors, including many Terrace- and Hazeitons-area logging contractors, have yet to get any indication how much they can expect under restructuring. . Monitors are expected to apply this week for an extension of the month-end deadline for a restructuring plan. Last week, the union representing the pulp mill-workers in Prince Rupert voted to accept a deal brokered by the government. They agreed to accept a 10 per cent wage roll back over a period of seven years, and defera further five per cent for the first three years of that period, which would be reimbursed later. In total, 161 jobs would be cut at the mill but the terms of job Mexibility and contracting out will be left up to the results of province-wide bargaining. The Toronto-Dominion and Royal Banks, which end up with 55 per cent equity in the company, agreed to invest $96 million, while the province puts in $74 million for a 45 per cent stake. The province will roll over 20 per cent of that stake to the pulp mill workers in exchange for the wage claw back. Although Skeena Cellulose workers at the Prince Rupert pulp mill will own part of the company if the agreement is finalized, they won't be able to control overall operations. Schwartz says the equity that would be held by pulp mill work- ers would not allow them to push their agenda on other operations. Dieting isn't easy. That’s why we created a diet that is. I introducing 123 Success. It's a real diet break- SUCCESS through from Weight Watchers. And here's why. 123 i] It's anew POINTS™ system that's easy to learn and easy to live with. There’s no complicated counting, because we did all that for you! We've converted the fat, fiber, and calories in thousands of foods to one simple number. On 1¢2¢3 Success, no food's a no-no, so a little indulging doesn’t mean you've blown your diet. 19203 Success...it makes weight loss easier by keeping things simple. Wéiphettetehene You can't argue with success. Join now for only $12 and get our Eating Out Guide...FREE! Call 1-800-682-8011 KNOX UNITED CHURCH 4907 Lazelle Ave. | Tuesday - 7:00 p.m. Check our centers for details on our maintenance record. ©1997 Weight Watchers International, Inc. Owner of the WEIGHT WATCHERS trademark, All rights raserved. Has life in the fast lane got you in a time crunch? Then it’s time to drive into Northern Savings. We're serving up the best in banking convenience with our drive-through ATM, the fastest anti easiest way to withdraw cash, make deposits and pay bills, all without leaving your vehicle. And it’s open 24 hours a day, every day. gb NORTHERN SAVINGS FREE TRAVEL COFFEE MUG Open a new account before October 1, 1997 and we'll give you a Northern Savings travel coffee mug. Drive in today. * *Caunnat be combined with other promotional offers. ~ Terrace Community Branch © 4702 Lozelle Avenue © 638-7822 WE ALL WANT THE SAME THINGS. At the Forest Alliance of British Cqlumbia, we don't see environmental protection and economic stability as mutually exclusive. And we're not alone. Fact is, the vast majority of British Columbians support eee > the direction forest . FOREST ALLIANCE Of BRITISH COLUMBIA Common sense, Common ground. management has taken in recent years, And support is growing for a balanced approach toward the Issue, But we need your help, Join us. And have a voice in the most important issue facing British Columbians today. Call 1-800-576-TREE (8733). ‘wwwiforest.org