City’s girth expands It looks to be smooth sailing to include airport lands into city You made the call ‘The “Best of” survey reveals _ |. Some surprising choices by Heck of a race They don't call it the giant slalom for nothing and here are the’ limits\NEWS A100 locals\COMMUNITY B41. results\SPORTS B4 WEDNESDAY ~~ ‘January 27,1999 Expert to MILLS MEMORIAL, Hospital has been offered a carrot — bul also a stick — in the latest attempt to correct its precarious financial situation. Burdened by a continuing deficit and uuder the threat of exhausting ‘all of its cash reserves by next year, the hospital is hiring what’s called an‘ ‘‘executive mentor” to bring its costs down. Only then, say those involved, will the health ministry entertain the thought of more money ar more services at the fa- cility, ; ; : News of the mentor came last week after key health ministry officials met with the Terrace and Arca Health Coun- cil, which runs Mills, in a closed session. . For more than a year the health council ' has been asking ihe ministry to review its operations which have posted regular and alarming deficits. Up until last week, the ministry had re- jected the request. ; The person. to-be- hired will be. sta- tioned ere for‘at least a year and: work: “with senior admitistrators and the health council = = , The salary will be covered by the ~~ ‘Page A2. - health ministry. | - Sue Rothwell, the senior health minis- try official charged with the overseeing _ of northwest health-care, ‘said the mentor . isn’t a form of mild trusteeship in which - the ministry inserts its own person to run health care facilities, : _ But she conceded: tinie was running Short to correct the situation at Mills. “IT know what.would happen,"’ said Rothwell of continuing losses at Mills. “If the hospital is to meet its mandate, Doc doubts savings will be found. Page A2. m@ Greater regional role for “hospital forecast. Page A2. m Could docs be a target? this is the tine'ta act.” :. Larisa Tarwick, the chair of the Ter- race and Area Health Council, also said the: mentor is net to be considered a: ” trustee. ° “This person will work with the board and will be hired by us to develop all the work that needs to be done to get the ser- vices we teed,” she said, “There will be no layoffs or reduction of services,”’ Tarwick added. Although Rothwell and Tarwick were clear on the role of the mentor, their opinions on what will happen next dif- fered. One way to gain elficiencies is a .-Fenovation to the nursing station on the hospital’s main ward. - That's been considered by the health. council as a crucial part of any plan to make services more efficient, Speaking last week, Tarwick said the ministry indicated it will pay the * $250,000 renovation cost. But Rothwell said the hospital must first demonstrate it is becoming more cf- ficient before she’ll consider the renova- tions project. 93¢ PLUS 7¢ GST VOL, 14.NO, 42 — cure hospital illness “We waul to see something moving in the right direction,’ Rothwell said, She expressed much the same opinion aver the possibility of more money for the intensive care unit, » Health council officials have said for some time the unit is put under undue cost pressure when equivalent services in Kitimat and Prince Rupert close, causing patients to be transferred hete, In effect, local officials say the hospital is providing a regional service. without any extra moncy. But Rothwell said the minisiry can’t consider expansions or additions at a hospital until inefficiencies have been corrected, “My first step is to reassure myself that the hospital is operating efficient- ly,” she said. Winter chill may linger THE BLAST of cold arctic air that began last week could finally mark the start of La Nina. The colder twin of the El Nino weather phenomenon — which gave us dramatically wantier weather last winler —~ was sup- posed to bring B.C. chillier than nonnal temperatures and above average precipita- tion this winter. Up until last week, however, this winter had been ‘almost balmy. Bui Environment’ Canada climatologist Dave Lahn says. La Nina takes time to develop, It starts as colder than normal sea surface temperatures in the equatorial regions of the east Pacific off the coast of Peru. Gitanyow wait for treaty ruling . GITANYOW natives are now waiting for a judge lo While fast year’s El Nino was one of the strongest on record, La Nina is only moder- ate and just starting to show a sirengthen- ing, Lahn said, “The effects are not going to be felt until later on and may lead to a longer winter pattern which may slow the beginning of spring,”’ he said. ; : Colder temperatures were anticipated to begin in the second half of January, he said, ' and should prevail through Febrvary and ~ itito March, De, Because of ‘‘natural climatic variability”? B.C. had been experiencing temperatures in some cases seven to 10 to 15 degrees above nonmal, he said. bocks of government now,” Williams said. ‘‘We had negotiations. That could lead to the rule on their court challenge of the Nisga’a treaty. They argued in BC, Supreme Court last week that B,C, and Canada should not have proceeded with ratification of the Nisga’a governments being directed back to the negotiating table to address the overlap con- cerns of the Gilanyow, and might also affect the com- pletion of the Nisga’a treaty. But Williams said all sig- some indications that they don’t want to have further dialogue with us because we've upset the apple cart now.” It could be days or weeks before the judge renders his PARKSIDE ELEMENTARY oprincipal Christine Eide and school visitor David Tait stand in front of one of the displays that would have to be taken down to meet fire regulations. Fire regs under review THE TERRACE fire department won’t be enforcing fire code regulations banning the placing of flammable artwork on school corridor walls just yet. Deputy fire chief Rick Owens says the department is holding off. until the provincial fire commissioner. reconsiders what mauty are calling a drastic step. in an effort to keep schools from becoming sterile en- vironments, education minister Paul Ramsey has asked commissioner Rick Dumalia to find a compromise ‘to keep some artwork on the walls while still ensuring students’ safety. Fire officials say it is important to ensure students - and others have fire-free exit corridors in case of emer: gencies. Although Owens said fires haven’t been prob-. safety {ssue. ; Most educators here are unhappy with the new, regulation, arguing that displaying artwork is crilical to: young students’ self- esteem. “T really ibtnk its important to have ‘work up,” said” Joe Vidal, principal at E.T. Kenney School. “I!’s im- portant for students to see that their work is valuable and being praised, It may encourage them lo do more.’ Vidal invited deputy fire chief Owens to the school last week to review which displays must be taken down, Vidal said his school is fortunate since it has an open design concept and so doesn’t have many walls. Kili K’Shan principal Brian Phillips said teachers have already unhappily removed 99 per cent of the artwork from school corridors, leaving ‘bare, ugly- Jooking cork boards.”’ “Even the backing in the bulletin boards Is flam- table and had to be removed,’’ Phillips sald. He said “his school doesn’t now look friendly or inviting, lems in schools here, the amendment does concern.a::. ne ‘safe ways to decorale the school, noting one teacher, did a winter display with tirifoil. Phillips said teachers are looking at innovative fire- While ‘schools. could use fire-proofed paper, acting schools superintendent Sharon Beedle says it is too ex- pensive. Dumala’s review should be done next month, treaty without first settling the land claim overlap be- tween the Nisga’a and the neighbouring Gitanyow. The Nisga’a treaty will give the Nisga’a rights to land, fish and wildlife also contested by the Gilanyow, who have a separate treaty negotiation underway. Gilanyow chief negotiator Glen Williams said the group argued in court that Signing the Nisga’a trealy aud handing over jurisdic- lion in that area to the Nisga’a amounted to negoti- aling in bad faith in treaty talks with Gitanyow. Much of the arguments in the five-day trial revolved around = whal — constilutes good faith negotiations, he said, “Part of good faith would Incan resolving competing claims during good [aith ne- gotiations,’’ Williams con- tended. Government lawyers at- tacked the Gilanyow argu- ments as ‘political acting”’, _, Williams said. “The government is also saying if there’s problems the B.C. Treaty Commission should deal with them and the cotrts should have no invalvement whatsoever in any of these political discus- sions,” he added. But Williams and the Gitanyow are hoping Justice L.P, Williamson rules the is- suc is subject to legal; not political rules, and that the court will then. define. re- quirements for good: faith | nals now indicate the two governments want fo slay away from the Gilanyow treaty table right now, and might break off. talks altogether over the court ac- tion. “T think we're in the bad Fi prise A LARGE flaining object that streaked across the north-. west sky last Tuesday was likely a fireball. Denise Tupman and her nine-year-old daughter Hayley Gipps made the surprising sighting when they were driving on the bench at about 6:45 p.m. Jan 19, ‘Tt was amazing,’’ Tupman says. ‘‘I was so shocked I called my husband on the cell phone.” She says the object moved very quickly across the sky’ from cast to west, was yellow and red, and had a tail. By Friday airport manager Darryl Laurent had also received three reports of similar sightings at about the same time that night. He said one was from a Nav Canada technician driving here from Prince Rupert, the second was a Methancx — worker coming off shift, and the third was from a woman who works al the Kitimat RCMP detachment, University of Victoria professor Jeremy Tatum has inter- r viewed some of the witnesses here and says they almost ceftaiuly saw a firebali or large meteor. “Its typically a bright light streaking across the sky,’’ Tatum says. ‘It may leave a luminous train behind it for inany seconds, a minute or longer. And it's sometimes ac- companied by sound,”’ Many fireballs burn up completely or explode in a final burst, he said, Others survive to hit the pround intact as ; decision, but the Gitanyow are hoping for speed, since the Nisga’a treaty is before the B.C, legislature right now. ‘*He’s aware of the timing of the ratification process,’’. Williams said. “meteorites. Tatum is also researching a fireball witnessed by dozens of people in the Cariboo last year on July 14, The number of witnesses there nay make it possible for researchers to pinpoint the impact site. When other sightings are added in, he said, they should be able to triangulate a probable impact zone, which could lead to eventual recovery of the object, Some people facing south in Prince George saw It move from left to right across the horizon; while athers in Ques- rel facing north saw It move from right to left. °.