OTE School move plan debated THE SCHOOL BOARD will hear what the public thinks about a plan to turn E.T, Kenney Primary Schoo] into an alternate high school at a meeting Text Wednesday. Individuals and groups are invited to comment on two options which would affect the three schools in the horseshoe. Both options would move primary students ftom E.T. Kenney to neigh- bouring Clarence Michiel Elementary, which would expand to include Kinder- garten through Grade 7, Option one would see Parkside school expand to include Grade 4, Parkside would remain a Kindergar- ten to Grade 3 school under option two. In both scenarios, E.T. Kenney Primary would be- come an alternate schoo! for students at Lakelse Jr, High and the Teen Learn- ing Centre. The First Nations Edu- cation Centre at Clarence Michiel would have ta move, possibly tao the school district office. The board committee will hear oral presentations March 13 at the school district office in Terrace. The deadline for written submissions is Friday, March 15. The committee will then speak with district administrators and the education ministry before making its recommenda- tion to the school board. The school board will make a decision at its April 3 meeting in Kitimat. Two years ago, parents of students at Parkside Elementary mounted a vocal campaign to save the school from closure. In. the end, the school district backed off from plans to turn Parkside into an alternate high school because it was too expen- sive. « Out with the old WORKERS FROM Nechako Northcoast spent last week finishing a project to replace old railings on the old Skeena bridge. The old horizontal- style railings were replaced with new vertical fen- ce-like ones. Here, Gerry Monsees and Sid Mills wark on the waikway side of the structure. The work is part of a larger project undertaken last year in which an old hardwood deck replaced with one made of steel gratings. It was too ex- pensive to replace and maintain the hardwood. Baby classes on chop block By JENNIFER LANG TERRACE AREA residents who want to attend prenatal classes could soon be on their own. The health authority responsible for childbirth educa- tion doesn’t have the staff or resources to offer a program right now. Meanwhile, the instructors who’ve been teaching pre- natal classes on their own say they're preparing to pull the plug. Shelley Gagnon, Sonja Comerford and lactation con- sultant Pam Straker have been helping more than 100 couples a year prepare for labour and to deal with preg- nancy. All three are former members of the Terrace Child Birth Education Society, a non profit organization that offered prenatal classes here. But the society folded in June 2000 on the under- standing the health unit would be assuming responsibil- ity for child birth education programming. Gagnon says they're tired of waiting for public health to offer childbirth education classes, so they’re bowing out. “It takes more than just a willingness to do it,” said Margaret McKelvie, assistant administrator of public health nursing for the new Northern Health Authority. “These. women stepped forward with all the best in- tentions. It takes more than that to get a program up and running and keep it viable," #e ~ vag McKelvie said the old health ‘services society, now part of the new health authorily, and Mills Memorial Hospital teamed up for a survey on neonatal care in Ter- walgalt flourish. them...” mistake.” ex...she's out to get me....” off dragged him away. wor't let you down.", wile, gossip." You! BE THE JUDGE Save my job while I'm in jail! Sam finished his presentation with a E His boss beamed. “Superb job. We can all learn from Sam's dedication.” Suddenly, the boss’ secretary burst into the boardroom. “I'm sorry, sir, | couldn't stop Two police officers stormed in. “We have a warrant for Sam Meich's arrest,” The boss was shocked. "This must be a Sam collapsed into his chair. “It's my The other employees gawked. “This meeting Is over.” The boss sent them Sam tried to explain to his boss, "She threatened to have charges laid...just to get back at me. We're going through a bitter divorce. | swear, | never laid a finger on her.” “Save il for the judge,” the cops said as they The boss reassured Sam. “I'll cail my lawyer and we'll meet you at the station. Don't worry. | Sam was charged with assaulting his ex The boss remained supporiive. He called a meeting with all lhe employees. “Sam is going through a rough time. He needs alj our support. | don't want to hear any Months later, Sam was convicted of the charge and received a nine month sentence. He pleaded with his boss. “l swear, | did nothing wrong. Please keep my job. Otherwise my whole life will be ruined, {'ll have nothing!” “Don't worry, Sam. I'll do everything in my UY CLAIRE GERNS TEIN For the first months of hls sentence, the boss let Sam use all the unpaid leave he had _ collected. Once that was used up, Sam called his boss from prison in desperation. “I need an unpaid laave of absence.” “I'll talk to the president,” the boss promised. But the president was acamant. “We can't accommodate jailbirds." “Gams a fine worker." “Sorry.” The boss called Sam to tell him the news, “I'm so sorry. You're fired.” Sam |just jet the phone dangle in his fingers. Distressed, he decided to sue the company. in court, Sam argued tirmly. “Your Honour, an employer has no right to tire a person for being convicted of a-erime that Is unrelated te the job." The company fought back. "Your Honour, we never discriminated against Sam because of his conviction. We went oul of our way to help him, He was fired because he was unable to come to work. Period. Surely, that’s reasonable. Was Sam wrongly fired? You! Ge the Judge Then look below for the decision. race. McKelvie said the general consensus is Terrace needs a neonatal program. “The issue is now, where would be get the funds to do it?” McKelvie said. “Neither the hospital nor the health unit have the staff or the dollars to do that kind of a program.” It’s unlikely the lack of childbirth education courses will change any time soon. “This whole health region is now directed through Prince George,” she said. “There’s a whole recrganiza- tion and thinking of health dollars.” - MceKelvie poinied out nutrition and pregnancy infor- mation will still be available at a variety of locations, including the health unit and the Building Healthier Ba- bies program. But there likely won’t be any labour classes avail- able, “It’s a real problem,” said McKeivie. McKelvie said the survey, launched by the perinatal committee, asked respondents what type of neonatal program would work best, The survey found it’s difficult to offer a consistent program in a smaller centre like Terrace because the numbers of pregnancies fluctuate. “The other.thing we found was that some of the people — because. it’s a resource based community.— had ‘partners, out. of ‘town'‘during the week, so they’re not available.”' a oo The survey and its recommendations will be released by the end of March at the earliest. ‘SEE THE NEW SHIPMENT OF. WOLF & EAGLE FIGURINES ag, Also Fountains JUST ARRIVED FROM THE ~~ TORONTO GIFTSHOW = i ‘Open Sundays Noon - YA CATON: CUR The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 6, 2002 - A3 News In Brief Obstetrician arrives A TWO-YEAR search for a second obstetrician-gy- necologist concluded with the artival here last week of Dr. Johan Adam Van Heerden Kruger from South Africa. He was recruited fast fall and should begin prac- tising this week once the required paperwork is ar- ranged, says Chally Boland, who is in charge of health care for Terrace and Kitimat. Van Heerden Kruger joins Dr. Lani Almas, the area’s only other obstetrician who had the challen- ping task of coping as the area’s only obstetrician while the search went on. In the meantime, the search for an internal medicine specialist continues. This is to fill a va- cancy created when Dr. Michael Kenyon left a year ago for a position in Nanaimo. That's left Dr. Barrie Phillips as the area’s only internist, Boland said a group of potential candidates has been found. Their credentials are being checked before proceeding any further. Health officials last year thought they had found a replacement and had an arrival date tagged, only to discover the person look ancther position in Ca- lifornia. Fake $5 bills out there PEOPLE HERE are being encouraged to circulate pink miniature size $5 bills bearing the likeness of provincial women’s equality minister Lynn Ste- phens. Called women’s bucks and issued by the “Bank of Oppression,” they're in protest of Stephens’s comments that wage inequality between women and men exist because of choices made by the for- mer. She said there is wage disparity because more women want to work part time. “That’s a choice they have made,” said Ste- phens in a article published in her home-town newspaper, The Langley Advance. “People make choices. This government is not about to say you can de this, but can’t do that. From choices flows everything else. You are free to work where you wish, for whalever you wish; you are free ta live where you want.” Stephens added that single men and women now have the same oppertunities as they have the same education. She has since said she was misquoted. Sod turned for school SCHOOL DISTRICT officials are gathering outside Skeena Junior Secondary School this afternoon for a sod-turning ceremony to signal the start on the long-awaited Skeena replacement project. The new junior high will be located on the play- ing field and track behind the existing school. With a price tag of $12 million, it’s currently the biggest capital school project slated to go ahead in northern B.C. The project, approved by the NDP. last spring, : ‘survived a cdpital'spending freeze on schocl pro- jects revealed by education minister Christy Clark last November. Quality Gifts For New Arrivals PEACE OF MIND Hand-picked First Choice Vacation Club Packages leave nothing to chance. . Hundreds of worry-free vacations and cruises to choose from. Enjoy your vacation! Keep checking Gemma’s ~~ Skeéna Mall ~Terrace’* 1-800-563-4362. Book a First Choice Vacation and SAVE sf 50 sue abl Gol Pens PER COUPLE on every purchase! power.” SPONSORED BY TERENCE WRIGHT LAW OFFICES TRIAL LAWYER since 1985 Serving the Pacific Noribwest TERENCE WRIGHT Criminal and Family Law and Civil Litigation » PUERTO, VALLARTA, MEXICO. Allegra Resort Nuevo Vallarta Hotel Room April 13 1 week All-Inclusive ACAPULCO, MEXICO The Fairmont Pierre Marques Hotel Room = March 25 T week Almost All-Inclusive Includes 1 sound of golf per day - =e ACAPULCO, MEXICO: .... The Fairmont Acapulco Princess Standard Room March 18 1 week Breakfast daily, 4 dinners & beverage credit plus 4 rounds of golf per week " Rey. Price "Rag. Price’ -- 7, Reg. Price CWT Price. og § /»° 7 Bae 2704 CANCUN, MEXICO ° Cancun Palace Hotel Raom March 23 1 week All-Inclusive VARADERO, CUBA. RIU Turquesa Beaches Varadero Hotel Room April 15 Garden View Junior Suite April 22 1 week 1 week All-Inclusive Adults Only Resort ~~ MARADERO, CUBA’). Free Initial Interview for I.C.B.C. and All-inclusive Personal Injury Claims — Reg. pric . - 201-3219 Eby Street, Terrace, B.C. V8G 4R3 Phone: 638-0354 Fax: 635-2919 YOU! BE THE JUDGE - DECISION: “Sam's firing was justified,” held Judge Lyn. ‘The law protects people from being fired based on the stlema of thelr conviction. But it’s not meant to guarantee that people jailed for crimes can keep thelr Jobs even though they're unabfe to show up for work.” » CWT Price” “Rey, Price” "CWT Price ae Saas 1324 2124 *Yaricouver departures, Available to Gold Points cardholders only. Prices include Fint Choice Vacation 5150.00 per couple savings, All orices ate adult per person based on db. ace, New bookings only. Taxes and travet related faes extra, Savings available on selected properties. $150.00 CAD per couple savings are reflected as “dollars. off” and available for bookings made up ta April 30, 2002, for travel between January 5 - September 30, 2002 {or end of supplier season). Some restrictons So Age restrictions and availability may apply 10 golf offers. Ask your Carlson Wagonlit Travel consultant for full details, Please tefer fo the Sunquest brochure for full terms and conditions. Suite 2 - 4736 Lakelse Ave., Terrace 635-2277 "Reg, Price CWT Price 2 Bea a) ee : Call today for details: OPEN SATUADAY Today's column is based on a case from Briish Columbia. If you have a similar problem, please consult Wright & Mandiros in Terrace, BC. We are proud to bring you some of the current legal {ssues fram acruss the country lor discussion and debate, To provide compel ling entertalnment, we have flctlonallaed Ihe names, the characters and the scenarics In the case. Any resemblance (o real peop is purely colnéidental, In the interest of clarity and brevity, the legal issues (nthe case have been greatly reduced and simplified. Claire Bernstein ts a lawyer and nationally syndicated columdst, Copyright 2001 Halka Enterprises. C28-4