TERR ACE/KETIMAT daily heraid Genaral Offlee - 635-6357 Published by ; Circulation - 635-4357 Sterling Publishers GEN. MANAGER . Knox Coupland EDITOR - Greg Middlelon CIRCULATION - TERRACE - 435-6357 KITEMAT OF FICE - 632-2747 F Published every weekday at 3212 Kalum Street, Terrace. B.C. A member ot Varifled Circulation. Authorized as second class mall. Registration number :: 1201, Postage pald In cash, return postage guaranteed. NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT The Herald retalna full, complete and sole copyright In any advertisement produced and-or any editorial ar photographic content publishe¢ In the Herald. Reproduction Is not permitted without the written ' permission of the Publisher. CONSUMER COMMENT TT “When all of the festive wrappings of Christmas have turned into a heap of torn paper and ribbons and empty boxes, and an undressed and abandoned Christmas tree sits over 4 growing pile of dry, fallen needles, you may find yourself wondering how you'll ever dispose of it all. But have you ever wondered about what you might do to reduce the amount of waste coming from your home? And not only around Christmas, but all year round? Canadians are pretty good at producing garbage. Statistics show the average family of four churns out about 16 pounds of refuse each day, Every year, we pay about 500 million dollars in this country to dispose of all that garbage. The collection and disposal of garbage are just the beginning of that monumental expense. Every soup can, refrigerator or tattered newspaper that ends up on the scrap heap costs us twice. ..first to dispose of it, then to cycle a replacement through the marketplace. Itis alsocesting us inland and fresh air, for garbage dumps take up valuable acreage, and its burning can pollute the air. . When it comes to garbage, less means more — more energy, resources, and money saved, as well as more environmental preservation and protection. And that’s in everyone's best interest. Why not start the New Year with a resolution to reduce the amount of garbage coming out of your household? A good start at home is to avoid products that use needless amounts of packaging material, and to not hesitate to let retailers and manufacturers know why you are rejecting their product or service. Avoid disposable items when possible, for in the long run, they usually: cost more than those that can be refiit@d. Such items™are usually praducts' ‘of our dvailing, non-renewable resources..Many plastics, for example, are made from petroleum. products. Recycle household discards: newspapers, glass, and melal can be re-processed, while food scraps can enrich your garden soil through the use of a compost pile. Don’t be afraid to save things. Gift wrap, shopping bags, glass jars, plastic bags and containers, all can be used and reused. Every time that happens, you save money and resources. Rather than buying items that you'll rarely use, why not rent them? You may not only save yourself money, but by using an existing product, you're helping to conserve raw materials. There are numerous ways to reduce household waste, and for the small amount of time and effort they take, the resulting benefits are enormous. If you would like more ideas and information, contact your local office. of Energy, Mines and Resources to receive a copy of ‘The Garbage Book — How to Save Energy and Money by Throwing Out s”, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Editer, The Terrace Dally Herald, Box 309, Terrace, B.C. Dear Sir; With considerable con- sternation I listened to a C.H.C, commentary on December 17, Edltor Greg Middleton essentially said that Skeena federal nding waa NDP for 1? years prior to 1974 and Liberal from 1974 to 1978. He suggested that Jim Fulton's ‘boyish pranks", such as wearing a Halloween mask {in the House of Commons and storming the Senate, should be ignored. The fact that Middleton choosea_ to overlook these asalnine performances is elbla, The record of what was accomplished ar not ac- complished by the Members representing Skeena during the pat 22 years and 7 months should be the leave. When Frank Howard was representing Skeena he had an extremely poor record of attendance a the Howe (approximatley 93 percent which he attempts to explain away with an operation which must have had a recavery tlme of 17 yearal), Other than establishing a notorious record for poor attendance what did Frank Howard do for Skeena? I have yet to hear of anything of consequence that he ac- irrespon-. complished for the benefit of this riding. Iona Campagnolo worked extremely hard for Skeena andas a result, all of Canada was aware of us, Qur transportation, fishing and oll transportation became national issues. (whether we kgree with the Liberal governmenta policies or not). Fulton is cited by Mid- dleton as being “heavywelght" in the NDP. Who says 80? Fulton? Middleton? On what basls? It appears that the only tlme the NDP Is seen and heard is at election time. During elections work very hard indeed-to become elected, that is, After that, they accomplish very ilttle of merit except for their carefully ataged comments. For example, during the last campalgr, Frank Howard refused to commit his opinion regarding wolf control. And then on December 14, 1970, C.F.T.K. television in Terrace quoted Howard as saying that he is for predator contral. This sounds very suspicious and leads me to suspect that someone may have told Howard that the moritorlum on predator control is to be lifted. Otherwise, why would he wait until this late date to express an opinion. Yours truly, (Mra.) Gall M. Tompson VANCOUVER (CP) — About 300 million tons of radioactive wastes will be produced by Canadian uranium mines by the year 2000 but little thought is being given to disposal of this material, the royal commission into uranium mining was told Tuesday. Earth sciences ofessor John Cherry, of ie University of Wa- terloo, also predicted that problems resulting from radioactive mine waste are likely to reach a crisis before research is carried out, “] would say that there "ia very little basis for “‘having confidence that site management prior: to the crisis level,” he sald in response to a question. Cherry said little was known about the effect of uranium tailings ponds on Where “research will be done on ~*” 17 TAT MY Wee AM NOOK, Ta Coon Aare LE SP5n..- “T see they settled on a toxic waste disposal site — our stove!” RADIOACTIVE WASTE the environment until a recent study of con- taminant movement in the Nordic mine tailings in the Bllist Lake uranium district revealed that sulphates have travelled hundreds of metres from the tailings site while radium was moved a few metres since the mine was closed more . than 20 years ago. ‘'The guiding philosophy that is now providing the basis ... for development of manage- ment systems for radioactive wastes it that the system must protect ._ the environment during . the short-term time = period “hiid during the ~ additional period of time in which the wastes will have hazardous levels of radioactivity," Cherry said in a brief requested by the commission, will he dump it all? Cherry said two ap- proaches exist — lining and covering the pond te prevent movement of contaminants into groundwater or chosing a site where contamination of groundwater will not result in leakage into the . surface waters. He said no matter which option is used for tailings management, there will be uncertainty about the chances of tailings-derived con- taminants entering surface waters during future decades or cen- .. furies, © -’ “Some of the un- eeeevertainty that is currently “associated with surfite- deposited uranium tailings is due to a lack of past and present research efforts directed at this topic,” he said. Cherry said no i nthe government agencies have.made it a priority to research the impact of tailings ponds on the environment but, in response to public outcry, research is being carried out on the disposal of highlevel radioactive waste from nuclear - plants. ' “In contrast, in uranium mining districts we have much larger masses of low-level ra- dioactive waste (tailings) and intermediate-level wastes (sludge) being deposited directly on the landscape and yet there has been no commitment by any federal agency’ to. what could be rega asa moderate level] research directed at determining intermediate or long-term Implications of management of tailings in surface-. deposited systems." Changes for the children | By CHRIS MORRIS FREDERICTON (CP) — There was nothing spec- tacular about the In- ternational Year of the Child in Canada but it has quietly brought about a change in attitude towards children and nudged their needs higher on government priority liste. “T think Canadians right across the country have become more aware of children and their per- sonalitles — aware of children as persons,” says Judge Doris Ogilvie, chairman of the. Canadian Commission for the In- ternational Year of the Child, “Before the year, we were all aware of the plight of children in the Third World and they are still the prime concern ... but the greatest awakening has been in In- duatrialized countries where children were always a thought so fortunate, we didn't really have to stop and see how change was alf- fecting them and our attitude towards them." Mrs, Ogilvie, a family court judge for the last 15 years, aaid Canadian children will get more al- tention from governments, the legal profession, city lanners and architects cause of the Year of the Child. She sald the year focused attentlon on what children, need In apartment buildings, at playgrounds and during divorce and custody battles, Lawyers will have to be taught how to represent children before the courts and architects will have to design more housing com- plexes and apartments with specific play areas for iidren. Mrs, Ogilvie said there mus be more parent education programs to help adults cope with ac- eelerating changes In society IN THE PAST YEAR and the new demands of child rearing. "Certainly if we are to do anything for children, we must do it through their parents,”’ she said, Increased mobility in Canada has moved the nuclear family away from grandparents, aunts and uncles, forcing responslbility for the child completely onto the parents, Mrs. Ogilvie said. Because of the isolation of families, especially single parent families, she said children rely increasingly upon other children and they are under more pressure from their peer group, the only generation they know. Mankind owes to the child the best it has to give and this is particularly true of governments, Mrs. Ogilvie said. She said Canadian govern- ments will put the needs of children at the top of priority lists because the in- ternational year has demonstrated a . huge groundswell of support and concern for youngsters The 1979 International Year of the Child has been the most successful of the United Nations’ designated years, Mra. Ogilvie said, In Canada, “Countless organizations have used the Year of the Child as a theme for thelr gatherings, even those that normally don't deal with children, and those that do have redoubled their efforts. “Each province and the federal government have had great long lists of special projects in recognition of this year and there are many, many othera that have not yet come te Ilght and perhaps never will — it hasn’t been a year. of spectacular spectacles, everyone has marked it In. their own way." . Mrs. Ogilvie said that at, the start of the year, the 44- member Canadian com- mission received a $1 million grant from the federal government to distribute to those chiliren’a programs considered the most worthy and needy, The commission recelved 4,-000 applications for a share of the $t million and only 500 could be funded, She said the commission - was not able to conduct studies into the state of children in Canada, but the applications for assistance indicated the areas where action is moat needed. The commission will be dissolved in February, Mrs. Ogilvie said the group Ls now working on a final report, titled A National Agenda for Actlon for Children, that aims at keeping the spirit of the year alive in Canada. Mrs. Ogilvie she sald the best vehicle to maintain the momentum of the year would be another body to carry on the work the commission. “It would be a shame if the tremendous spirit aroused by the year were allowed to Iust dwinde away," she said, ’ gould not have a copy of the. ae ee Ho ’ teacher ~ LETTERSTO | THE EDITOR | “An - School District Nbr. 88, Terrace, B.C. Dear Sirs and Mesdames: ‘Blaine Johnson, former trustee, phoned to tell me I was wrong, that if fact the board had a proved the ’ Kitwanga teacher's request to take 30 students to “Terrace for skiing lessons, “gubject to regulatlons of School Board Policy Section Prowra §04, Part 3." She asked me to apologize to the Board for error. I am sorry if I understood what tran- wired at the December 4 School Board m . . To find out what tlon. Sa a . cy ‘ oned a school principal. fe read the polley section me, and as near as I could “understand, the Kitwanga -teacher had been given _ permission to be absent from ‘class, and touse a achoal bus presen! to take the children to p Terrace. I believe na per- mission was ven for grade ve to participate, or to pay for a substitute teacher. The principal also ex- to me that teachers’ realgnations submitted to the superintendent before Nov. 90 to become effective Dec. 31, or submitted before May 31 to become effective June 30, more or Jess had to be accepted’ by the schaol . The principal then suggested 1 obtain a copy of the School Board Policy for handy reference, Easy for him to say. When petmay sen ao vest n a copy Sctoal Board Policy, but also . copy of the minutes of the last meeting, I was.told 1 tninutes,; but I was, free to: ' pead them at the school board office, The secretary : ‘was at a loas to explain why the entire media could have @ copy of the minutes “as a tothem" while I, an interested parent, could not have a copy. Ag for the policy, I could not have a copy of it either, but was welcome to come to the era cents sac’ 2, Mra: also crigd.to . me: (age had one: other: trustee) that her dedication “slaving ber butt off 18 hours a week" had gone una preciated and unpralse “and ahe didn’t understan why. aneen a teacher ¢ tells me appea ore board to ‘itenahly beg for a salary increase was the most hu ting experience of her teaching life; or a says he was “roasted" ot a gard meeting; or 23 paren ve 10 eis on several oc- casions only to have their views Ignored by the board, those teachers and parents will require some very spectacular performances by the board before they will feel like patting the board on the back. ‘ For seven months I have talked with parents as well aa a few teachers to ask their opinions about how this board of trustees could improve their performance, 1 have taken up mora then my falr share of Space passing on their opinions to the board, In to enlighten the board as to how parenta and teachers would like tosee the Board's attitude toward them change. - But apparently it's all been a waste of my tlme and newspa ce. . My sincere turks to all those editors who have so generously relinguished editorial apace to me, an attempt . _ Sincer HITS, ’ Mra. ctmudette Suntech Dear Sir: In regard to Safe Driving test in your paper, question § gays that you can legally carry passengera in a camper. Seat belts. are mandatory in this province and I have yet to gee a camper so equipped. Petri Nystrom Editor's note: As far as I have been able to establish, you are allowed to ride in a camper even though It is not really advisable. In cam- pers, as in cars made before 104, you aren't required to wear seat belts unteas they have been installed, * One thing we.a — == Dear Sirs Minimal funding fop- the Women's Centre bas been granted through Canada Works for the 1080 calendar two pe 0 Women's ‘Centre -- can't at that level -o a seriously examine alter- ‘at the Women's accept this service to our clients and. word on those. More ap plications are ‘in ihe works”. We do, however, resent this scrambling for funds activity, the. com- petition that exists amongst eorvices source of continue a viable refuse to-do, is chai services to women. ‘Want to. ’ talk fo us? $10. please, in. advance." That ls simply not. the concept behind a su : service for women which offera counselling ahd programs that encourage rional ‘growth.- At this point, we're primarily for ‘programmes, but only: after some other source other than a Federal job creations grant (Le, Canada. Works) has core rf the bagle overhead of rent and basic salaries, 8202) We, at the Women's Centre, and hgh clients are angry an y pa at the various rn ot government that eay thay they recognize the particular neods of women, atid thet proceed to effectively eliminate services that address those special needs, Inanorthern community Bice Terrace, that is cil male-oriented, the C} opento women are limited at best, not to mention the compounding factors of {solation, aleohclism and faily violence. Political parties jromise durin election time to do « wonderful things for women of this country and then,once elected, procead to cut social service financing to such a level that a whole range of essential services... are eliminated- not just those affecting women, .but ‘the whole community at large, We will continue our en- deavors to operate a yiable support service for the women of this community in the coming year. Even though we believe: that the onus for the. provision of the’ services: offered through the Women's Centre belongs squarely on the doorstep of government bodies, we are making an appeal. to the public for financial au . Any and all dinatlone, large or email, will be gratefully a . to the community far the support that we need. -to carry on, _ oo The Women's Centre staff can be reached by ¢ oie at he 1 le (the ‘ Jim's, behind - Tilicum Theatre) between the hours of 10 a.m, and 6 p.,, Monday to Thursday or before 4 p.m. Fridays, ew ot. Frances. Birdeell must be .