Page A2 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 29, 1993 ‘Welfare Night’ bingo tag draws apology from club A LOCAL athletic club has apologized for having its bingos advertised as ‘‘Welfare Night’ events. The phrase was placed on posters and- Invitation cards without the Terrace Peaks Gym- nastics .Club’s approval or permission, club officials said last week, “We had no idea this had hap- pened,” club president Colleen Froese said, It has issued a letter of apology and club official Peggy Julseth made a verbal apology during a Sept. 22 bingo at the Lucky Dol- lar Bingo Palace. That late night Wednesday bingo was the-first of five sched- wed for the Peaks club through to January. Each of the five bingos takes place the fourth Wednesday of each month, the standard day that social assistance cheques are issued, - Julseth said the Peaks club, Tegretted the connection made in the posters and cards between those who collect social as- sistance and those’ who play bingo. “Tm sure it was unintentional. It certainly isn’t the kind of im-. . pression we want. We appreciate very much the revenue we make from bingo,’’ she said. Lucky Dollar manager John Becher said there was no harm meant in the phrase and that using it on the hall’s posters and cards was a mistake. “*They were taken away,’* said Becher of the cards. ‘We apologize.” “There is no way we want people to think we did this to benefit from welfare money,”’ he said. Julseth said ‘she heard some people stayed away from the Sept. 22 bingo because of the Message on the cards, Those cards were first issued 10 days ago; withdrawn and then issued again with the phrase blacked out. **Having a black line like that just drew attention to it,’ said Julseth, She said the club had asked for Late night games are a test THOSE FIVE late night Wednes- day bingos allocated to the Ter- race Peaks Gymnastics club are an experiment, say the Lucky Dollar Bingo Palace.and an offi- cial of ‘the - provincial gaming branch. Both say the time’ élot will’ be cut should there. not be sufficient revenues... Palace "manager John Becher said he asked the gaming branch” to add. that late night Wednesday game on the day social assistance cheques ‘are. issued because he noticed that people stayed behind once the regular games concluded on that day. :. “T thought it would be a good day for another game,”’ he added. . ‘ The Peaks club-was chosen: as the beneficiary of the five Wed- nesday dates because it had asked. for more bingo times. Becher said an increasing demand by charitable organiza-. tions for bingo periods meant that groups had to have their existing times trimmed back. “We already have late night. bingo on Thursday, Friday and _ Saturday," Becher noted of the reasoning to ask for similar time. on Wednesdays. There are actually 10 late night Wednesday bingos authorized on the days that social assistance. cheques are issued between Sep-: tember and next June, said: Rick Saville of the B.C. Gaming Branch which regulates bingos. “We have allocated the first five’ to the Terrace Peaks clubd.: We want to see how the first five. ‘MAKE THAT. seven. candi- dates vying ta become the next Member. of Parliament’ in the “northwest. Greens running Skeena hopeful tion ‘and the . Canada-US. ocean boundary dispute at the Dixon Entrance are three is-._ sues “Mehling says, are: key to Green” party “japétal ‘Peter Mehling, 34, filed his papers in ‘time for the Monday deadline. A. Prince. Rupert. accountant, Mehling is the 25th representa- tive of his party to seek, a seat inB.c. - : “The. people of thé north: have different petspectives on niany issues. thjan those who live in southern urban areas,”’ said Mchling ina press release. “{ think that northerners: should: have strong policies, developed in the north,-inde-— pendent of any party’s central- ized platform.’”. Land ciaicn, resource extrac- the iorliwest, He said the opinions of some third parties are ignored in the attempt to setile land claims. - **Presently, the third parties ; involved. represent only. those who wish to erode the gains - that aboriginal peoples may , make,’’ Mehling added. He said all sides are needed fo solve forestry problems, - ‘Loggers are struggling against time to: keep up high payments on their trucks and _ equipment. They ‘are not the enemy in the ‘struggle for sustainable forest practices,”” said Mehling, ‘The friendilest “inn” THE Sovarian Tn fest | N| Make our place "Your Place” to enjoy an evening of intimate dining § and reasonable prices! town!. £03 Teper a “SAUSAGES “Oktoberfest” ts Wunderbar! a eat DINNER — ae ih