Page Aé - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 4, 1993

LETTER

TO THE TERRACE STANDARD

Teacher didn’t plan
to leave this way

An open letter to:

Hon. Anita Hagen,
Minister of Education,
Victoria, B.C.

Dear Ms, Hagen:

In June of this year, I was diag-
nosed as having a recurrence of
cancer and decided to.” move
closer to my children in the south
of the province.

I wanted to take early retire-
ment under the new early retire-
ment incentive plan, There are
two dates each year to do so. One
is July 1 (notice given by April
30) and Dec. 31 (notice given by
Oct. 31).

My diagnosis. took plece in
June, too late for the July date.
The president of the teachers’
union approached the school dis-
irict superintendent abou! waiv-
ing the April 30 notice date in
view of the extenuating circum-
Stances.

The secretary-treasurer replied
and said I should. apply for the
next effective date on Dec. 31.
This would hurt me financially as
I will be 61 on Dec, 29,

This means I will lose part .of
the retirement allowance which
decreases by 20 per cent each
year from 100 per cent at age 60.
L also wanted to retire in July, not
inDecember, —

I felt I still had sufficient reason
to pursue the matter so on June
25 1 wrote to the secretary-
treasurer of School District 88
with copies to the superintendent,

the school board chairman and
other interested parties.

Before sending the letter, how-
ever, 1 showed it to one of the
other trustees who encouraged me
to believe that my request was not
unreasonable, I am still waiting
for a reply to my letter one month
later, although I have learned ver-
bally from a third party that my
request has been denied.

I realize that the matter was of
much greater moment to me than
to elther. the administrators. or
trustecs and therefore they did not

‘perceive the same urgency for a

quick resolution.

However, it is my opinion that
public servants who are paid
salaries of $100,000 or more,
receive cars paid for out of public
funds and have access fo expense
accounts larger than the salaries
of some employees have an abli-
gation to be sensitive to the necds
of their staff members. ;

Although the irustee I  ap-
proached gave mc a sympathetic
hearing initially, he neglected to

- follow through or to keep me in-

formed of the administrators’
reaction to my request.

The board chairman has given
no indication that he has received
my letter, I would suggest that
people who allow themselves to
be. elected to serve the com-
munity have a duty to give
priority to the ‘affairs of those
who appeal to them.

- YT now understand that I have

other options so the granting of
my request is no longer relevant.
However, thal is not the point at

Dear Sir;
On July 18 on the comer of
Old Lakelse Road and’ Pa-
quetie my son was involved in
amotor vehicle accident.
A man and his wife

forming CPR until the am-
- bulance arrived.

A man called Mike

2 Stopped. ©

The man helped mb, li” per-’"-’ Conkict us at 638-1794.

All I know is that the man's
name is Mike and that he is an
ex-police officer. 7

My husband, myself and our
familles wish to thank him in
person” Oe.

‘

Barb Splsak,
Terrace, B.C.

Fingers
crossed

‘TERRACE — Library board
members are spending their time
hoping a proposed expansion pro-
ject will come within budget.

Tenders went out last-week and
estimates arc due back the middle
of the month. -

"Fhe board wants to .add 10,000 - -

square feet of space and a bas¢-
ment.

‘STf the bids come back below,
that’s fine.-If they are high, we'll
sit with the city and the regional
district and decide what we
should do next,’ board expansion

chairman George Clark said last —

week. |

Regional district and city tax-
yers last year approved borrow-

_ ing $1.2 million for an expansion.

The board had expected to get a |

$600,000 lottery grant to flesh out
what was to be a $1.7-$1.8 mil-
lon project,

But the lottery grant program |

was cut a year and a half ago and

nothing has been announced to _ .

take iis place.

The board then-trimmed its pro-
ject, taking ovt an elevator and
plans for 4 finished basement in
an attempt to cut costs.

There’s no word yet on a re-
placement lottery grant program
but Clark said it probably won’t
Involve the large. amounts of
money of past years.

“We think ‘the. days of big
grants are gone forever, We think
we'll sce-a lot of small grants in
the $30,000 to $40,000 ange,”
hesald. Pa

Although there were culs made

to the project, one aspect not

reduced sits size. 2.
“The board was pretty adamant -
it did not want to reduce the
square footage as any kind of
compromise,’ said Clark.
He added that the last thing the
board wanted was to. expand and
then find out in a.couple of years
that the

issue. | know that-I am not alone -

in being in a situation of putting
my life on hold while waiting for
senior officials to make known a
decision’ which will. affect a
course of'action, ©

The feelings of indignation,
resentment, frustration and help-
lessness that I have been experi-
encing this past month are the
kind of negative emotions which
have an adverse effect not only
on serious diseases but on fhe re-
lationship: between . management
and employees and are all too
often taken to the bargaining
table.

As teachers, we try to inculcate
in our ‘students self-esteem, 4
respect for the rights and feelings
of the individual and the impor-
tance of good manners in our re-
Lationships with others.

May I suggest that efforts to im-
prove the system of bargaining
could begin with the practical im-
plementation of these principles
at all levels? - ;

This is not quite the way I
wished to end my 21-years of ser-
vice to this-school district. This
whole matier could have been
resolved very qhickly with either
a personal contact or the courtesy
ofa written reply.

No dollar value can be placed
on the advantages to be gained
from the exercise of kindness and
consideration.

Thank you for your attention.

"Yours sincerely,
Jo Falconer,
Terrace, B.C.

Pd

NTWAL,
ENN

A REMINDER TO OUR PATIENTS

We Have Moved
Dr. B. Prokopetz, D.D,S,
Dr. P. Okiml, BA., MAT. D.M.D.
4438 Lakelse Avenue Terrace, 8.C., V8G 1P1
638-8567
Mon. 8 a.m.- 8 p.m., Tue.-Thur, 8 a.m.- 4.30 p.m.

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Ee

B.C.'S GREATEST NATURAL RESOURCE

Cur vast grasn forests are British Columbia's; greatest natural resource, To quiatly
walk among the treas, to hear the sounds, ta saa the colours and the shapes, to breathe
the clean fresh air Is to experience the forest, its peace and its solilude.

This 's how we think of our forasts and this is one of the main reasons that B.C, Parks
is there to protect tham for your and your grandchildren, ;

Few parts of ihe world are so well clothed with trees as is British Columbia. Infact our
coastal forests exceed all othars in tha walght of traes that may’ be found on each hectare,

Look about you when you are aut in the forest and think of the importance of trees to
us all, Treas help to break the wind and conserve moisture; they capture the sun's energy
and use thelr sugars and starches ta feed the animal kingdam. Trees provide vital oxygen
to breathe and furnish homes for birds, mammals and lesser creatures.

British Columbla has about fifty kinds of nativa trees, leaming to recognize trees is nat
always easy because trees look vary much allke. Tha most commen and effective way to
identify a tree is lo closely axamine one of its leaves or abranch ofits needles,

To help you Identify leaves or needles ask yourself thesa questions: do tha leaves
consist of tiny overlapping scales which ara. sharp or rounded? Another itam to try and
Identify Is whether the needles are ina hard ora soft bundle, Other questions to ask are do
the needles roll between your fingars? Are the needles curved, straight, equal or unequal?
Are the cones focated near the tap or da thay stand upright? Do the leaves have coarse
lobes and radiating vains or broad leaves wilhfing or coarse teeth?

One of the most prevalent trees in Lakelse Park Is Wester Red Cedar which Is the
officla! tree cf the pravince. The tree js a massive, durable tree of conlcal form with a flared
base, In goad moist sites, K can raach a height of 60m with a diameter of 2m ar more.
Older trees often have dead tops and may be dense enough to hide the trunk.

West Goast Indians valued westem tad cadar bark highly, for making baskels, lathes
and mals, The reddish fragrant wood also used by the Indians for cances and lodges.

Another prevalent tree Is tha Western Hemlock, a tall tree reaching 51m, The top
alvays doops, enabling tha tree ta ba easily recagnized from a distance. The wood Is light,
rarely hard, with a whitetish wood, Early Canadian setilar named the hemlock after a
European weed because of the similar odour when the needles are crushed,

To try and identify more trees this summer join the park Interpreter at Lakelse Lake
Park fora hike this summer through the old growth forest.

LAKELSE LAKE PROVINCIAL

Boe
PARK VISITORS PROGRAMS
ALL EVENTS AREFREE AUGUST EVERYONE WELCOME
Thursday (August 5)

3.00 pm "Walk with the Giants: Coma and meet the old men of the forest and see how
the forest shapes our world, Hike. Meet at tha Entrance sign,

B00 pm “Hug a Trae and Survive". How to survive fyou or your children get lost A slide
show and presentation, Meat al the Picnic shelter."

Friday (August 6)
3:00pm "Insects In and Out” See where those critters live In the forast. Examine
different kinds of bugs and slugs Inthe forest. Picnic Shelter. -
8:00pm “Whistle Before You See Me". Tips for living in harmony with ‘Bears, Skit and
presentation, Amphitheatre. Free Hot Chacclate. :

Saturday (August 7)

and learn mora about safely inthe forest. ~~ ES a

10:00 pm “Walk on the Dark Side" Come and meat the old man of the forest and sae how
the (orest shapes aur world In the dark. Bring a flashlight. Meet al tha entrance
sign near Highway 37. Ce ,

: ‘Sunday (Augustay ©

2:00 pm . "Quick Frozen Critters” Come’ ard sae if you could Burviva in the forest Moet at

_~ the Host Sita near the start of the Twin Spruce Trail, A program for families.
8:00 pm "Nisga'a Lave Park", A lock et one of the most Interesting new parks in B.C,
; Slide show and presentation. Plonlc shelter, “ Les

‘Wonday (August 9) ohio

800 pm *Find Me Hf You Can" The expats fom tha Terrace Search and Rescue group

will put on a demonstration. Merrbers of the audience who are 16 or older may
take part in tha search, Picnic Shelter.” ee a

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