Paye 4, The Herald, Tuesday, May 13, 1980 .

TERR SCE/RITIVAT

daily herald”

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| Sterling Publishers, .

Circulation - 633-6287.

PUBLISHER ©
EDITOR - Grea Middleton Paro
: - CIRCULATION | ;
_ TERRACE & KITIMAT
’ 635-6357 :
Published every weekday at 3212 Kelum. Stradi,

Authorized as second class mail. Registration number:

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT - aa |
TheHerald retains full, complete and sote copyright In.
any advertisement produced andor any: editorial or

Reproduction ts not permitted without. the- © written :
permission of the Publisher. — . oe

——————

EDITORIAL

“ine Is Hospital Week, a week in nick

attention Is focused on‘our local health:

care facility.

What Is Mills Memorial Hospital like?

It is hard to give you a good. idea of -
what Is going on at the hospitaj because.
the governing body of the institution, the...
board elected by the hospital: ‘society -
which runs It, insists on secrecy: Board —
members meet In camera once a month
to decide how to spend your tax dollars.

What is known is.that this hospital has
had some very. serious problems for a
long time. |

Staff Is difficult to get for Mills, partly -
because people don’t want to come. to’

Terrace but’ mostly because this
hospital has a bad reputation. It is not
considered to be a. hospital you. want to
work In.

Those problems may be ‘coming fo an
end though...

‘The hospital has anew. administrator.
Robert Finlayson admits that he ts still
- going through a honeymoon perlod here.

He seems, however, to be - genuinely -

interested In doing something about
changing some things at Mills. A change
in attitude at the top Is one of the’ first
steps.

co

JOURNAL

by
“GREG MIDDLETON.

k

' She walked into it.

Linda Hamilton isa fairly new y member af the board .

at Mills Memorial Hospital. She ran for the position
because she saw some probleme there, or at least.
some things:she would like to see changed, and
thought she could do something about it.

Perhaps because she was new, or possibly'because -

she wanted to open up the relations between the

hospital and the news media, Linda was chosen: as

publicity person.

Now, this is Hospital Week, so Linda trundies down

- to the local newspaper office to see about getting some
stories in the paper about the goings on at the hospital

What Linda ran into was a very, hostile newspeper ,

editor. I probably even yelled. .
For 16 months now I have hoped for some. kind of
break which would open the hospital board meetings -
.to the public. What Linda walked into was the

frustration which has built up over those 18 months.”
The hospital board meetings were closed some.:
years ago because the board didn’t like the kind of.

coverage they were getting. The meetings are closed
now because the board is afraid.

Things at the hospital have been pretty ghastly: for
some time now. There has been almost open warfare
hetween staff members. No one will stay here if they

can go elsewhere. The former administrator was -

disliked by a number of staff members. It is a mess.

Linda joined the board because she wanted to make
some changes. When she was in the hospital to have
her baby there were things she either didn't like or
improvements she thought could be made: -

“What she walked on the board*into was a group of
people trying to cover their mistakes.

What she walked into in my office was an honest
righteous anger at having listened to board members '
say they didn’t want negative coverage of the hospital .

when the place was in such a state of confusion and’. * 7

turmoil the books couldn’t even be kept straight.

She says she was the one person who wanted to let
the public in to the board meetings. Several other
board -members say the same thing. One board
member says it was unanimous to keep the news
media out. Who do you believe.

The chairman of the hospital board, Wayne Epp, -
says the staff turnover here is normal and the people

whe leave are quitting for personal reasons. I hear»

that people couldn't stand to work there because the
atmosphere was so filled with politics and backbiting.

The official line is that the books are in good order
and there are no problems. Those books were just
recently brought up to date and have been months
behind, something which would not be tolerated In a
commercial enterprise.

And what .of access to the decision making | process
of one of our largest public institutions? e beat
Linda could offer was press releases, what the board
is willing to say.

Quite Frankly, I don’t believe what the board has to
say, after all, I listened to members of the board say
the meetings would be opened § as soon as a few
reablnms were straightened ¢ out. .

wo RS a .

.. Calvin’ MeCarthy oe 7 "

Terrace, B.C. A member af Varlfled: Circulation.’ (4
1201. Postage pald in cash, return postage Suerantent. ,

photographic. content: published in’ the: ‘Herald, ‘|

! Thornhill.
“7 Qa Tuesday‘Olson \ was

‘| “delivering: a. register
letter. He was at the door:
- of the house when the dog

™ }e
I

man, art Olson,

- Something to get teeth-into

By CARLA WILSON.

Herald Staff Writer

Art “Olson-:is .a letter
carriér who loves dogs~
but -has already been
bitten a,number of. times |
this, : ‘year. . es

Olson’ has: delivered’
mail for about eight years.
and ‘said his legs are
scarred from dog bites.
His route is in. Thornhill,
which has <a: higher .per
centage of dogs ° than
Terrace.’
sUePretty.. ; nearly.
everybody has .a ‘dog,
some have two or three,””.
he said. ' He- pointed out
that in the last week or so
owners. ‘have. been tying”
their dogs up sohe hasn’t’

_had to watch out for them

as. much... He believes:
dogs are controlled better:
Terrace than in.

bitten by alittle dog wh

ran out and bit him./. The
owner. :wasn't’ ‘upset, he
said. Most people won’t
believe their dogs: will
bite, ‘he, ‘commented.
‘Some’: letter: “carriers
take repellant spray with
‘them for protection from
-yicious dogs. However,
Olson doesn’t use it.
-:[- could ‘carry spray

but I don’t think: if does.
“any good,” he said.

ey
used to carry it years ago
but by the time you get it
out the dog is already
° Rone. ms

. "The dogs that generally
bite, Olson finds, are little
ones who will sneak up

‘ behind a person. He said ,
generally if a dog barks it

won't bitebut he’s wary of
- German shepards.

Late last year Olson
was attacked by a Ger-

man Shepard trained asa .

guard dog. . The dog
tipped his clothes with his

bites. The dog is not a.

‘ problem now though, he’s
chained in a secure,

. fenced in area. However,

the owner of:the dog-had

to pay Olson for replacing

ripped clothes and for
harrassment. =.”
When a. » don bites a

By ALICE NOBLE
ST, LOUIS (UPD — Many
area mail carriers are doing

more than delivering letters,
— they've taken:.
on the role of guardian angel

these da

for’ elderly residents.

Carriers in-two St. Louis.
tip code areas and in the’
suburba of: ; Wellaton ‘and!

aplew ‘Are: keeping a

special -Jookout for the.
¢ derly under. a. pilot
program, “galled Carrier
Watch, |

Program sponsors say the
concept is nothing new.

“We have’ formalized the
system, but mail carriers
always: ‘felt they had an
obligation to Keep an eye on
the elderly,” satd Phil
Polsky of the Mideast Area
Agency, on . Aging.- ‘‘This

’ gives them a format wav tn

PRE a.

43 Rh

seer ‘a person
“something i in their hands -
‘and so they think they: are

” .However, it isn’t always
the Wniform that: sets.

- POSTIES PROBLEMS |

letter carrier, a letter is is.
sent to the owners, they
_haye to sign a paper.-that..
the ‘dog’’ will be. -

control or else they” will

under.

“them off, this reporter

went on ‘the route with
‘Olson and was barked

and growled at just. as’
: much aS he was, | —

not receive mail service.’ ~

“Olson ‘is’ not ‘required toe’
deliver’ mail to: any.
residence if he thinks the:

‘dog. may be vicious.

Olson said- he «finds.

most ‘people helpful but

some will, “‘swear up and.
down - “thelr” dogs . don’ t

bite. an
Dison has ‘been on tt e

dogs. ‘Will-bite: .

' He suggests that dogs.

may: bite because. they

going .to ‘get: hit...

with |

“Olson used to’ have dogs.
but now;. “living in ‘town.
_ you-can’t look after them -
properly and [ hate to'see_
them tied up.” A large
“number. of dogs,
"Thornhill are tied up: and

judging from ..some.’-of

‘their. ‘surroundings, “it’s
“Hot: surprising they bite.
‘Thornhill’ route for about ™
- two: years ‘now: and‘now.
knows pretty well which: *

‘Many “looked. in. poor
condition and were left by

themselves on a. barren .
- lot“or“among .a pile of
garbage in the yard,.
presumable for the day.’

Olson's been bitten six

or seven times this year .
and is one of the: six
- Terrace letter: cartiers.

that . have been bite

-Tunning loose’ and a
., Number of etter carriers

Switn improved wea ther
more people are letting
their dogs outside said

‘the Terrace postmaster
“and -tiis naturally in-

creases the danger to the
postman...

“Owners are. Hable for

injury. - or damages to
letter carriers .and the

‘average amount they pay
ig $340 when their oe

attacks, ;

~ Moat, people keep ‘thee
dogs inside fences or. tied -
up 80 letter carriers are”
not’ running : ‘any. risk.’ in
delivering = mail. -.
However,.. there | are
always a few people who -

don’t bother to ‘do this_or. °

ignore requests from the
post office and their dogs,
friendly or’ mean are.

ing bitten: here.
Uni) sees

Art Olson Is a postman in A Thornhlil: and. manages to make friends -

with some of the pups on his route.

~ WATCHEUL 100

handle referrals, " ;
John Haake, president of
the letter. carriers’ union,”
said: ‘Carriers always kept
an eye dut for people on their
routes, But we're happy that
we can do things we.have
done quite a number of years

and be able to coordinate ut ”

Under ‘the - program,
patticipant. places a special
aticker in: the mailbox.
Carriers then: watch to see

- that person's mail Is picked

up each day. If the mail is

not collected within 24 hours,

the carrier reports to either
the Mideast Area Agency on
Aging or the Mayor’s Office
for Senior Citizens, — -

-The agericy-then tries to
contact the individual or a
relallve oF neighbor, or if all

alon belt

+ SUN A RIM igen? Seda Licks ce tonnte #

le BS Waites

The elderly taking part in the
. program say they feel

is looking out for them.’ -

glad I was .in the (test
area)," Lucille Brown said,

« “T enjoy it and -I- feel safe.’ .
; me rogram is a big help to to

ople living alone

vhs i you live alone’ you're
_Yeally on your own, |

Et n
ve in an aipartitent » neighboring counties’ within.

heart allack.gomé time ago. .

bullding and -¥ suffered a

So for me, it’s.wonderful, I

wouldn't hesitate | to propose
the program adopteil
across the United States.”

‘Polsky said ‘the program,: Pep
started In. January, was’.

developed by. the United
Way, re

nen

aide tet a aati Teeth dee ae

more.
secure knowing their cartier:

vg Mailmen are their friends~

positive | etep - towabd
assuring assistance can be

given to oldst. persors:ina -
, . -pelatiyely short. period: ‘The.
“It is. a good thing and lm

number: of _people- par-.

ticipating right now ‘is not.
- good, but thé péople who
Feveenrolled feela heck. ofa.
- Jot more secure. Be

- Polaky. said the program: 5
__may be expanded to include *
"-- ” all of St. Louis County next. -

summer -and — possibly’ in

two years. . —.
“People in the rural areas.
especially need . the ~

. am,” he sald. “The.
aly contact some of these |

te have for weeks ala

‘time is their postman. Their -
. nearest
__. Sometimes 4 or 5 miles

‘neighbor

nue 1

ie ce mneebagiarh on te neeemeesemtaites tr aeth cromrmamngis meanate Ao yt ee
:

~on-the unappetizing rotten apple. «

oe grq

, billion more a year thanit was taking in. Now the rate’: ‘

‘is -

4 The. mod ‘encouraging, thing about ‘fast. weekeni o
: announcement of the plan to-gouge out about half, of
British Colupabia and ship it to Japan as part pater
-deal'ls that it-proves ‘that'at least somebody | believes
.there!#: Life: After. Recession...
‘ ~Curiously,”: ‘the: cataclysmic’. comning-apartat-the
seams of our. beloved capitalist economy appears t to he x
having legs impact on thé public and. its pundits. than *'
one. might expect. ‘Case in point: the babblings of one;
Leland: Jengen,; a 65-year-old chiropractor: and.cer-: et
_tifiable: ‘religious -nut-from Missoula; Montana, :W
predicted the end ‘of the’ world and ; ‘crawled int | hig. es
fallout shelfer-with some of his followers last ‘week,

rated aboutjas much ink as the gloomy.announcerhent
that 300 000; auto ‘workers are currently unemployed:

wet

As for: my. colleagiies:. in the: ‘eoluminiat trade; miy#!
favorite . madman’ (who .shall_ remain nameless):
‘steadfastly maintains his. traditional: list of windrallle's
‘fo tilt against, which. are,-in’ orderr'the. evils. of. ‘a
migration, the plight: ‘of penniless landlords, ‘and thes

evils ‘of immigration... ae on
Thus, while'the Chryaler ‘Corporation thrashes. abéut:*
-in-its’ death “agonies; threatening to’ drag’ various*: -
‘provincial and federal governments dumb enough: tors
lend it money down with it, this earnest scribe - ‘cone ”
‘tinues to report in ad nauseum detail on every dark}?<.

. ‘skinned refugee’ from."'Pango Pango “who's: ever
chiselled our: lily-white nation for a penny. (While -T'in ts

_ digressing on the immigration issue, I'should report £ DN
that my fear is not the multi-huéd influx, ‘but the: I
thought that once our coal, lumber and power: have.
been shipped out, we'll all find ourselves onthe shores”?

of Japan, immigration papers in hand, and subject’ toi
the insults of equally crotchety Japanese columnists’:
complaining that the Land of the Rising Suni ds being

" flooded’ with pale ‘Anglo-Saxons. d° a a .

Some. fiscal gurus, however, are ‘Keeping their: eye
‘Southam: News::;

‘Service's, Don McGillivray (who, for. my:devalued
dollar, is one of the better financial-analysts currently :;
punching a pocket calculator).;: sreports “certain
disquieting facts. “Inmany ways,'": says McGillivray, %:;
“Canada is entering this recession:in averse economic.»
phape:than at the start of. the:last:tecession in’ thes
“winter. oF TTA A wd tad, og abe, eT ee
cs i) . .

“At that time, smemployment was running: at 5.3 per:
cent (a figure that now belongs, to’ the Sper: rt

Nostalgia). | Today, It’s. more. than . two : percentage:

. points: higher, which means we've got another quarter..:
of a million workers out of a dob even n before the =
recession begins. . we wt

Wien the: 1B74-75 ‘recession gat underway, the .
‘country had just: cote through a-period ofrapid ‘
So eo atte pear ry per cent annual’ for the Ae
vs BreyJous Veara, As we a6 ihto- Pp Y-
wth rate, over;the past three yearw hasrverdgdd it
only three per cent. That. means, says McGillivray; "4
that ine re going into this recession n from a position af: 4
wea ess. - if

Finally, there’ 8 the deficit. ‘When the last  recensit ‘2
: started the federal government was spending about $1

of deficit is 10 times as great -- about $10 billion per:

- annum, This is particularly awkward in times ‘of
‘recession because thé laid-off worker stops paying: °
- income tax and starts drawing Ue thus boosting , the
‘deficit further.. oo

As if this weren't bad ‘cough, west coast ‘bitsiness :
editor Ken Bell throws in his two cents. The national ..
debt is now over $55 billion, or about $2,500 for every:
man, woman and child in the country (including our -
restive compatriots in Quebec). It’s not the size of the «.
debt that’s: so troubling, says Bell, but the interest °
payments on‘it that give cause for concern, This year
iti is expected to resch a a stapgering $10,

On os ; y

- Seen from the “ewpotit. of the ‘country’ Ss “nine.
million taxpayers, it looks like this: in 1980 personal: iB
income tax’ will amount to $16.5-billion, or an-average --
of $1,833 per taxpayer. Just to meet the interest on the ;
national debt will-require $1,133 from’ each taxpayer,.°
leaving a scant $700 each to pay for other government ‘9
‘expenses (including such fripperies as those 130 F-184° .

' fighter planes that we just had to buy 4 couple weeks _ ne
_ ago). At the rate we're: going “Bell says, ‘‘within a 4
couple of years-all of the income tax raised would be...
. insufficlent.to meet the interest payment on the debt.""
You don’t have to know much about economics to
know what. you don't like, Po

‘In the midst of all this, the govenrment’s decision to:
back the Chrysler Corporation: ‘fo the tune of $200-
million has to be regarded as misguided comic relief.
The most relevant question of the week. is the title of
national political analyst Christopher: oung’s article,
“Why help Chrysler?”

4; :
mies

vent ah

‘The only point of handing out tixpayérs’' ‘money toa
"bia private corporation, says Young sénsibly enough,
would be to save the jobs of thousands of Canadians.
That's exactly what the government of Ontario asked
. Chrysler President Lee Tacocca to Promise betore he
" signed on the dotted. line. ’

Far from offering job guarsntees, ‘Chrysler an- y

" nounced last week that it was cancelling plans to bulld ;
“a! V-6. engine’ plant in’ Windsor to ‘replace the un-
necessary :-V-8 .plint now there, thus wiping out |. ff
‘another 2,400 jobs. Iacocca’s parting shot was classic : }
“We.can’t guarantee jobs to anybody," said the :
‘Chrysler ‘President. ; t

LETTERS WELCOME | f
The Herald welcomes its readers comments. |}:

. All letters to the editor of general public interest. |
- will be printed, We do, however, retain the right !
to refuse to print letters on grounds of possible | | ..
_ libel or bad taste, We may also edit letters for ®

‘style and length, Ail letters to be considered for
publication must be signed. ‘

ted

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