Kitimat-Stikine Regional District Secretary/Receptionist Lois Newman
quarters on the third floor of Manuel's building on Lazelle Avenue. The ne
tional library space, is air conditioned and wheelchair accessible.

is now hard at work in spacious new
w 5,000-square foot facility offers addi-

Consumer observations -

‘The Code of Silence -

by. Stephanie Wiebe
~The people in the grocery

". stores are smart, They keep a

pleasant but distance acquain-

tance with .regular customers,
- friendly, but not too personal.
_ They must be specially trained
for that, for they have powerful.

inside information about each of
us. I could never be best friends
with my grocery cashier, She
knows too much about me.
-They must take an oath of

Silence. Otherwise, they could
“pop up anywhere, like your

Weight Watcher’s meeting, and
announce that you've stocked
up on Hostess Twinkies this
week. Imagine the social exile if
her child threatened your child
with the public announcement
of your buying dandruff sham-
poo, athlete’s foot powder, and
Compound W. And just be
thankful they don’ t sell wine and

beer i in B.C. grocery stores.
Already, it must be difficult

coughing, overweight customer
buys cigarettes and donuts. Do
they snicker when a known
bachelor purchases control-top
pantyhose and blue eyeshadow?
They’ll never tell. There must be
some interesting discussions in
the back of the store.

The. real threat is the com-
puter scanner. This machine
téads “the UPC ‘symbols”on’ my

-for cashiers to keep silent when a:

to inform you that according t to
computer records of ‘your pur-
chases for 1987, -

determined. that

bought 53 boxes of Ding-Dongs

and 27 packages
‘Cookies ’n Cream desserts. I am

of Oreo

sorry, Mrs. Wiebe, but for your
own health, we cannot allow any

‘more purchases of these items

purchases and adding up the

total, it .produces a_ printed
receipt. These computers
calculate the store’s inventory,
cash totals, and customer che-
que cashing numbers. For all- I
know, it-could be keeping a run-
ning account of the items I buy.
I’m expecting a computerized
letter any day now.
“Dear Mrs. Wiebe: We regret

Medical plan cost

nears $1

The cost of B.C.’s medical

plan approached $963 million in.

1986/87, according to the Finan-
cial Statements of “the B.C.
Medical Services Commission
released recently.
The . document

_payments made by the Medical

Services Plan to individual prac-

titioners, institutions and cor-’ :

porate entities, and summarizes
the costs of operating the plan
for the year ending March 31,
1987,

Payments for medical services
increased by eight percent to
$897.5 million, and payments

for supplementary benefits in-

creased by 13.9 percent to $65.4
million. The cost of administer-
ing the plan decreased by 14.5

percent.
Total revenues from
subscriber premiums were

$380.8 million, up 7.2 percent
from 1985-86.

In addition to the information
in the Financial Statements,
B.C. Health Minister Peter

_ Dueck noted that in 1986/87:

- @ Average payment to

billion

general practitioners was

specialists was $168,287.

@ The total number of ser- |
vices rendered by fee-for-service |
; physicians was 37,669,589,

lists all”:

receipt,

this calendar year. -If you at- “

tempt. to buy these fatty, ar-

‘tificially preserved -sugar-laden

items, our computer scanner will
reject your grocery order, and a
nutritionally balanced: diet will
be printed for you on your
And remember, Mrs,
our computers link

throughout B.C.

Wiebe,
together

. Sincerely, The Grocery Store.’’ .

So far, we're safe. As long as

the cashiers maintain their code
of silence, I can buy a case of
Born Blonde No. 201 and my

‘true hair color will remain a

secret between Clairol and me.

_ But should these secret agents of

$132,837, while the average for - |

-@ The number of physicians

claiming payment from MSP in-

creased by 2.6 percent, dental wt
surgeons ‘and. orthodontists in--
creased 5.6 percent and sup- “—
plementary benefit practitioners. ns
increased 8.5 percent, During

this period the provincial

population increased by 0.9 per- —

cent.
@ Premiums paid for 38.6
percent of the cost of. the plan

(down from 38.8 percent in ™.

1985/86), with the provincial

million from general revenue,

including funding from federal - ‘i

transfer payments,
@ The province's contribu-

premium assistance for 558, 568
British Columbians, or 19.3 per-
cent of the population. Most

government contributing $562.6

tion included $90.3 million in °

received a 90 percent subsidy of.

their premium.

for further information.

A Flea Market will be hald at the Oddfellows Hall, 3222 Munroe, Terrace,
on the 3rd Saturday of every month from 10 am. to3 pm. Call 635-3985

‘phrase:

groceries decide to spill their
guts, remember this protective
“Tm buying it for a
friend.’’

it has been -
you have

Terrace Review — Wednesday, October a1. 1987 Te

“Arthritis month | 3
campaign auiceéds

| Letter
“| To the editor; |

-May I once: again - use the
pages of your newspaper to
thank all the people in this com-
munity who supported us during
our recent Arthritis Month
Campaign.

Arthritis affects one in seven
people — that’s:one in four
families — in this area. Our goal
is to find the causes and cures
for this cruel disease while pro-
moting the best possible care for
arthritis sufferers. With support
such as we received from con-

| .cerned people in this communi-
ty, Our goal comes even: closer,
‘During our Campaign, dona- |
tions may. be sent to The Ar-
‘thritis Society; B.C. and Yukon:

Division, 895 West 10th Avenue,
Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 1L7. A
receipt will be sent promptly.

The Arthritis Society (Terrace |

Block parents month

“TERRACE — October i is Block
‘Parents month in Terrace, and
representatives. of the local
Block Parents group are arrang-
ing meetings with ~ students,
parents, and other individuals

“interested in the services provid-

ed by Block Parents.
Mall displays: and school

presentations will be used to
-help create a greater awareness

of what the Block Parents sign
actually means. -.
A home with a Block Parents

Sign in the window is a ‘safe

house” for children or even
adults who. are in need of
assistance, Most often they are
used by lost children, or children
who are being plagued by bul-
lies, but adults in a similar

emergency may also seek help.

Block. Parents’ homes are not
to be taken for granted; they.are
only to be used in an emergency
situation, and not to use the
washroom or get a drink.

_ The number of Block Parents
in Terrace has grown tO cover
the community extensively, and
part of the month’s activities in-
clude the search for new mém-
bers.

Than k You <

to

Branch): extends sincere ‘thanks’ a
to all canvassers in the area for

their part in the September cam-

 paign for funds. To date “the

door to door campaign has
returned $6,200 towards. the
Society’s work in the research
field,

In closing, may I also thank
you and the staff. of. your
newspaper for your support in
publishing the material we.send
you. Everyone with arthritis can

be helped. Thank.you for help-

ing us get that message across!

Danda Humphreys
Communications Coordinator,
B.C. and Yukon Division

The Arthritis Society

The organization “works: inv

conjunction with the R.C.M: P.,
and prospective parents
screened in order to assure safe-
ty.

Fire Report

On Oct. 5 at Sl p.m. the

Terrace Fire Dept. attended a 7
fire on. Mills Avenue. The small .

fire resulted in no damage and

was caused by electrical. Pro-

blems,
On Oct: 7 at 10: 29 p. m. “the
Terrace Fire Dept. answered a

call to a chimney fire on the cor--

ner of Munroe and Loen. The
fire was caused by creosote
build-up in the chimney.

On Oct. 10 at 7:58 a.m. a car |
fire was attended at Terrace’

Chrysler yard. The fire caused
only minor damage and resulted
from mechanical difficulties.

A call concerning excessive
smoke was answered by local
firefighters on Oct. 12 at 1:56
p.m. when a vehicle emitted ex-
cessive amounts. of . smoke
because .of exhaust system dif-
ficulties.

CANADA

_— Terrace Co- -op Assoc.
= Cedar River Timber

- Overwaitea Ltd. |
~ = Copperside Stores -
. — Bear Lea Farms
Totem Ford ~
Skeena Valley Meat

F rom the Terrace 4 H members for

purchasing their animals.

that support the 4-H

Please support the businesses

are

ee

SE AS tee re eee a eer wei a pee

—"

Pets

ae ae “PENS

mate “Can eg8