Ad - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, Seplember 18, 2002 TERRACE™ STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 PUBLISHER: ROD LINK ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5R2 TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 « FAX: (250) 638- 8432 WEB: www.terracestandard.com EMAIL: newsroom@terracestandard.com New blood NOMINATIONS FOR city council, school board and regional district seats open in just a few weeks leading to Nov. 16 elections, which means it’s time for those who wish to make a difference to step forward. All of the seats carry a three-year commit- ment and a commitment it is given the time it takes to be a local government representative. This is especially true because of the enormous financial pressures now being placed on gov- ernments of all types. There’s already to be at least one open seat on Terrace city council through the decision by three-time councillor Val George not to run again. This will help pave the way for a new look on city council. Although even the harshest critic of city council should not deny the efforts of sitting council members to represent the city, there is a need to broaden out. Current council members tend to come from the same background, the same social class and the same income class. That creates a certain bonding and like-minded thinking when making decisions. It can be. helptul, but it can lead to ri- gidity. Given the substantial native population of the city, for instance, a native council member would be most welcome to diversify opinions and thoughts. Little. house - “THUMBS UP to ‘those seeking a-new: use for city founder George Little’s house. Dubbed the “white house” by many because of its colour, it now sits empty on a residential street. Current owners, the Ksan House Society, are offering it up for a community purpose. The plan is to move the house to a downtown location, renovate it and turn it into the city’s VIA Rail passenger station. The present station sits rather forlornly on downtown’s outskirts. Part of the push comes from the expected spinoff of Prince Rupert’s developing cruise ship industry. Passengers from the cruise ships will be looking for different kinds of northwest experiences. The prospect of a train ride from the coast to Terrace, combined with local acti- vities, can bring about economic stimulus here. More dramatic is the idea of using the house as a cornerstone for a new commercial core. That’s a far greater challenge requiring co- operation between the city, land owners and community groups, but it is one which could pay off. The planning award given the city re- cently for the millennium pathway proves what can happen when locals band together. 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Published on Wednesday of each waek al 3210 Clinton Streat, Terraca, British Columbia, V8G 5R2._ Stories, photographs, Illustrations, designs and tynestylas in the Terace Standard ara tha property of the copyright holders, Including Cariboo Press (1959) Ltd, Its Mustration repro services and advertising agencias, : Repraduelon In whole or in pan, without written permission, Is specifically prohibited. ‘Authorized as second-class mail pending the Post Office Department, lor paymant of postaga in cash. Special thanks to all our contributors and correspondents - for-thelr time and talents BOGGLES ThE MIND LOT SS ee STILL CAN'T “GET OVER IT CONTROVERSY eR on a a acl THE DUSTIEST, MOST - OUT-OF-TOUCH BUNCH OF FUDDY puppies You CAN IMAGINE CAME OUT IN FAVOUR OF LEGALIZING SUPPLIER AND ‘HOW po | PLACE Appeasing Saddam won't work VICTORIA — According to a recent poll, only 22 per cent of Canadians believe that the U.S. has made a case in favour of removing Saddam Hussein from power or, to put it less euphemistically, gaing to war with Iraq, while 54 per cent found President George W. Bush's arguments insufficient. According to the same poll by Leger Marketing, however, 46 per cent of Canadians questioned believed that Iraq poses a threat to the United States. What I read into those numbers is a loud and clear “I’m alright, Jack.” As long as Saddam poses no threat to Ca- nadians, tet the U.S. handle him. The same attitude is preva- lent in Europe. With the ex- ceplion of Britain’s Tony Blair, Washington’s closest and most loyal ally, European leaders are chickening out, : terrified of the possible teac- tion of their own large Muslim ' if: populations. ; Some of my friends tell me that of all people, I should be leery of war, having lived through the horrors of the Sec- ond World War. Alas, that is precisely the reason I support military action against Iraq. If only the world had shown some backbone in the years leading up to the World War Two, there would have been no Holocaust, no 50 million. FROM THE CAPITAL. HUBERT BEYER lives lost, no ravaged Europe. When the would-be painter ordered his troops to march across the Rhine into French- occupied territory, the world stood by. Emboldened, Hitler claimed the Sudetenland and shortly after all of Czechaslo- vakia. And again, the world closed its eyes, believing the ‘dictator. when'he said he had ‘no further land’ claims’ in Eur-"" ope. By the time, German troops rolled across the Polish Bor- der, it was too fate. The dogs of war had been unleashed, and their fury would leave a continent in ashes, Two Sundays ago, the most senior members of the Bush administration took to the air- waves to prepare the U.S. pub- lic for a strike against Iraq, - ing ‘searches, ds‘ stipulated in “thé agreement following the saying that Saddam Hussein is developing weapons of mass destruction that will necessi- tate swift military action. Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary, Condo- leezza Rice, the National Se- curity Advisor, and Dick Che- ney, the Vice-President, all appeared on talk shows to con- firm a report that Iraq has been trying to buy thousands of spe- cial aluminum tubes that can be used to enrich uranium in the manufacture of a nuclear bomb. “We know about a particu- lar shipment,” said Cheney on NBC’s Meet the Press. “We've intercepted that.” Now, you may rot betieve Cheney. But what if he’s right? What if Iraq is on the verge of possessing nuclear capability? Saddam Hussein's determina- tion to stall any and all wea- pons inspectors from conduct- Gulf War, would lend: cre- dence to that scenario. Nobody should be under any illusion that he won't use nu- clear weapons, once he has acquired them. This is the man who conducted gas warfare against his own Kurdish popu- lation. This is the man who fired Scud missiles at Israel during the Gulf War. . Skeptics predict that an armed assault an Iraq would be disastrous, miring the U.S. in another Vietnam. These would be the same skeptics who wanted nothing to do with the liberation of Afgha- nistan from its murderous Tali- ban tegime. At that time, tao, they predicted dire scenarios. _- What they didn’t predict was Afghans dancing in the streets, thankful to have -been delivered from their oppressors. There is good reason to believe that the Iraqi population would respond in a similar manner. It is not unreasonable to speculate that given a chance, Saddam Hussein would hire a terrorist organization to smug- gle a suitcase-sized nuclear device into the United States that could flatten New York, And Jean Chretien, our wily - prime minister, not unreason- ably, speculates thal the same device could flatten Ottawa. Better, therefore, to let, the. United States: da, the. ‘ty, ork and at the sanié ‘time reap "he benefits of ridding the world of one more murderous dictator. Should Canada and most other western nations persist in this chicken attitude, I can only hope that the U.S. will, in- deed, do what must-be done, Beyer can be reached at: E-mail: huber!@coolcom.com; Tel (250) 381-6900; Web | itip-/fwww.tubertbeyer.com , Devastating school closures = the movie-of-the-week to bela reenactment of the Wells, C.’s resistance to closure of their one room school. Their true tale has suspense, pathos, and a rivalry equal to hapless sod-busters standing up to ruthless cattle barons. Each day’s supper news brings us the latest twist in their struggle to reverse the closure edict. Their local school board opted to close the school and bus kids as young as five, 80kms to and from Quesnel daily over wind- ing roads that can be choked by as much as 12 feet of snow some winters. Like 45 other B.C. schools, last spring, Wells was told their school would close the end of June 2002, Like every other B.C. school facing clo- sure, residents, parents and Students. presented alternatives to unyielding trustees. The board stood firm. Wells rallied again hoping to make the board see reason. Nothing changed. Desperate, a ANY EVENING soon I ote THROUGH BIFOCALS CLAUDETTE SANDECK]I local artist went on a hunger strike. After a spell, the town’s mayor joined her; the board’s intransigence had killed his appetite anyway. Media tallied the days they had fasted, and reported on their wilting health. Then one day the mayor was rushed to hospital. His doctor advised him to abandon the hunger strike or risk death, Throughout, education minister Christy Clark dismis- + WHAT'S WRONG)? SNOW ] Gee! tHey musT WITH THE BLINDNESS! GET OUTDOORS KIDS KIDS HERE? ae Ey WA ait ryn ~_ pines A Ay sed Wells parents as political agitators, and refused to meet with them. She also refused to admit it was her awarding of a raise to teachers without fund- ing the increase that put the Wells school in financial jeo- pardy. Hours before Labour Day weekend, Wells met with their school board to make a final plea, and to offer more alter- natives. Residents were told if they could come up with the shortfall of $100,000 maybe the school could survive. After parents left the meet- ing, the board voted admin- istrative raises totalling ap- proximately $100,000, Tuesday Seplember 3 B.C. schools re-opened. In Wells, only three of 18 students boar- ded the school bus for the hour long drive ta Quesnel. The three are foster children; their foster parents were bound by law to send their kids on the bus. Students left behind demon- strated against the closure with skits, song, costumes, placards and the cooperation of parents. Many children began , home schooling. September 5 Wells town council] met. Councillors deci- _ ded to donate use of their council chambers as a school. The building is a one-room false front box typical of front- ier general stores. Council ex- pects the schoal board to cough up the funds allotted by Victor- ia for each student. The town feels it can fund raise any re- maining shortfall. I’m waiting to hear, the school board’s excuses if they refuse council's same solution. While Wells .is going through hell over the lack. of $100,000, Premier Campbell looks forward to flinging around $6 billion to widen the highway to Whistler and other expendi- lures to draw the Winter Olym- pics in 2010, The Olympic games. will last two weeks. Devastation to families by his school closures will last years. T won’t wave to his Olympic. bus when it comes to Terrace.