by Tod Strachan , It's been well over a year since Joey Parsons drowned in a Heek Brook’ pond. And eight months since a coroner’s jury sald a 911 emergency number might not have saved the boy’s life, but would certainly have helped in launching a more coordinated rescue effort. Since that time, bureaucratic gears have been grinding, but not at a speed that pleases everyone. One Terrace resident, Diana Penner, is trying to change that by documenting public support for an Enhanced 911 system here. Her most recent project was a poster that hung in Skeena Mall for eight hours one Saturday during Emerg- ency Preparedness Week. Anyone Supporting the E-911 concept was invited to sign. And according to Penner, 640 people did. She had to replace the poster twice, she says, to provide more room for signa- tures. On May 17 she , presented those posters to Terrace mayor and Regional District of Kitimat-Sti- kine chairman Jack Talstra. Another project taken on by Penner recently was a random two- hour poll taken in a local super market parking lot. She says 110 people, all residents from within this regional district, stopped and took the time to fill out question- naires. Terrace Review — Wednesday, May 29,1991 B7 E-911 promoter Diana Penner hung a poster in the Skeena Mall on a recent Saturday, asking everyone who supported the emergency call system cancept to sign. In eight hours, 640 people put their names on it Penner presented the posters to Kitimat-Stikine Regional District chairman Jack Taistra recently, hoping the show of support would help speed up regional district action on starting the service, The results of that poll: A full 99 percent said they want an E-911 emergency system here, 86 percent said they were willing to pay their share of the cost, and only 13 percent said they were unsure, noting the "astronomical cost" involved in installing and maintain- ing the service. It wasn’t a pro- fessional poll, but Penner is en- couraged by the results and hopes local politicians will be as weil, Still, the gears turn slowly. One of Penner’s original efforts was to obtain an E-911 promotional video and information pamphlets used by the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George last fall. Penner says she passed this information on to city hall months ago, with the under- standing that city council would forward it the regional board. During the presentation of the posters, though, she asked Talstra if he had seen either the pamphlets or 10-minute video and he said he Auction items include; Kermode Bear photograph Native carving Golf bag and clubs _ Wolf print 20-minute helicopter ride Return flt for 2 to Edmonton & 2 nites West Edmonton Mall Theme Magic horn Yard blower Bathrobe Flower arrangement Pewter picture frame Wall clock Wilderness Call framed Soldering iron Cotton nightgown Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation Gala Eveni & Auction @ Saturday, June Ist, 6:30 p.m. Inn of the West Banquet Room Dinner, auction, door prizes and more! Room plate nS@ Donated by; Jim McEwan Motors Ev’s Men’s Wear All Seasons Sporting Goods Progressive Ventures Canadian Helicopters Central Mountain Air & Terrace Travel Bill & Helene McRae Terrace Equipment Sales Gemma Bath Boutique Central Flowers Central Gifts H. Lehmann Jewellers _ Robert Yorke Terrace Builders Kermodei Trading Tickets available at Ev’s Men’s Wear — $50 per person. Official receipts included for income tax purposes. hadn’t. Instead, he told Penner that the regional board is waiting for a personal visit from Fraser-Fort George administrator David Wilson who will describe their E- 911 system and how it came to be. The Regional District of Fraser- Fort George went to referendum on an E-911 system last November and 92 percent of the voters said "Yes", Part of the information contained in the information left at city hatl-by Penner referred to the cost. In total, $2.4 million, less an $800,000 Go B.C. grant for instal- lation, plus somewhere between $1.5 and $1.75 million annually to PEOPLE OF TERRACE. TERRACE NORM HOLMES, OWNER OF TERRACE'S PETRO CANADA STATION, |S ALONG-TIME RESIDENT OF THIS AREA. WITH HIS PARENTS, NORM MOVED TO TERRACE IN 1958. HE - ENJOYS THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY OF THE NORTHWEST, AS WELL AS PROVIDING SERVICE TO THE FRIENDLY. upport grows for 91 1 service maintain the service. Astronomical? Yes. And Talstra has often referred to the high cost of an E-911 system. But there is _more. There are 90,000 residents living in the 52,000 square mile Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, and according to Wilson, the annual cost for the average home owner for debt retirement ‘and operation of the system is only $15 to $16 per year. These are far less intimidating numbers and Penner questions the value per dollar when you compare the cost of an E-911 system to the price we're paying for the MK Bay Marina. During the last regional district meeting, Talstra was quoted as saying, "If the entire marina were built according to plans, it would likely be about a three million dollar project." And whether you own a boat or not, you will pay a part of the cost. The regional board may never reach their goal, but they’re trying. The hope is for one third of the cost to be paid for by the federal government, one third by the prov- ince, and one third by regional taxpayers. If you own a boat, of course, and want to use the marina, you will have to pay more than just taxes. Ten dollars each time you launch your boat, or a flat $100 a year if you prefer. Or, you might choose to leave your boat there. Depending on the size of your yacht,. that will cost you about $3 a day or $60 a month (with power). SUPPORTED BY THE CITY OF TERRACE