So, what is it? Mais orf Creek\NEWS A10 It's going to take a while before we know what's exactly in Thornhill WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 1996 Local students are making fast friends via computer connections \COMMUNITY Bi First for here ma A local gymnast and her coach are going to put Terrace on the b\SPORTS BS Alarm firms denied big break By JEFF NAGEL SECURITY ALARM companies here have satned only minor changes to the city’s policy of chiurging suff fines for repeated false alarm offenders. The city’s two security companies — Tolsec and Lockport Security ~ joined forces to lobby coun- cil 19 change the year-old “policy of charging increasing levels of fines after a business or hanie exceeds three false alarms. Tolsee’s Chris Sitter and Lockport’s Joe Sullivan said the fines of up to $300 per false alarm were too expensive for their customers, The problem is that customers who have used up their first three “free” false alarms ina year are asking the companies to check out the alarm rath- er than dispatch the RCMP directly and face Reni s, A MAJOR OVERHAUL to the bus system promises new and improved transit that will grow with the city. The plan is being examined by the Transit Advisory Commission and also has to be ap- proved by city council, But Coastal Bus Lines’ Mike Docherty hopes to get the green light to what he believes will revitalize transit in the city, “This is not the creme de la creme,” Docherty says. ‘‘But it’s a big, big step for- ward’? A year ago some city councillors were toying wilh the idea of axing transit service altogether, “I think that would be biting off your nose,’ Docherty says. “‘They could have a premicr system in this cily.”* But with improving ridership — up 18 per cent in the last six months — and the new plans to make the bus routes better ac- comodate riders, councillor David Hull is one of those on council now talking about spend- ing more moncy, not less, on transit, “It’s ironic for someone down on transit a ycar ago, but T think there's really good hope for transit to become a little more workable in town,’’ said Hull. The city is growing and should provide ' another fine it’s a false alarm. “Unfortunately the false alarms bylaw penalties have lead to un obvious delay in alerting police.on some actual burglaries,” RCMP Inspector Steve Leach wrote in a report to council. “This has, of late, greatly hindered) our criminal investigations.” a That issue was the subject of in-camera discus- sion, so we can’t tell you what was said. But if the companies used the situation as ammunition.to lobby: for amore relaxed policy, - they were only partly successful. , When councillors emerged from behind closed doors, they increased the number of “free” false arms: allowed businesses before fines kick in from three to four, The companies wanted six. - They also agreed companies that spend more than $500 upgrading their alarm system will be allowed to wipe out all false alarms on their record for that year. But councillor Val George said the policy seemed lo be smushingly successful, and that the siluation was blown out of proportion. The number of false alarms fell from a consist- ent 750 in previous years to 370 in 1995, Each false alarm costs the RCMP time — and the city money — and’ prevents police from con- transit for seniors, young people, and others wha don’t drive. “Every so oficn you see young people hitchhiking back and forth from Thoruhill,”’ he added. ‘‘It just scares the life out of me. You can’t have that any more,”’ Among the changes: @ The two-zone system would be replaced with a single ticket price of $1.25 that takes you anywhere. “This is not the creme de la creme. But it’s a big, big step forward.” W@ Beiter service to and from Thombill should mean more frequent runs and slightly faster service from Thornhill to the Skeena Mall. Addition of scheduled runs to Queens- way and Copper Mountain. W@ Later hours on Thursday and Friday eve- ning to better mesh with late night shopping patterns, and provide service for mall workers. Mi The Halliwell route would be split in two giving quicker access for bench residents into centriiting on real crimes. George noted only $4,300 worth of fines were levied against all abusers in 1995, - Councillor David Hull agreed and predicted the amount of fines and false alarms will drop again in 1996 with improvements made to systems over the course of 1995, | BUS DRIVER Jim Jefferis shows the welcome way to a Hand- yDART paratransit bus. Transit officlals hope to bring in a wide- ranging plan to improve bus service. They also would like to add a second HandyDART, noting the first one is in great demand. lan gives ticket to ride town and for students going to the college. The new eastern Halliwell route would re- place the old Soucie route. @ Some routes — such as the Keith Ave. roule on the southside — would alternate in the direction they run, giving residents at one end or the other quicker access to downtown every other trip, M Introduction of monthly student bus passes that college students would be eligible for as welll. The 1996 transit budget would tise 6.1 per cent 0 $436,000 with the changes. City and regional district taxpayers pay about $120,000. Although it’s not in the plan, Docherty and some city officials want to find a way to add a second HandyDART paratransit bus. The existing one — providing specialized point-to-point service fot seniors and the dis- abled — is wildly popular. ‘We are virtually booked solid every day of the week,”’ says Docherty. A second HandyDART would cost the city about $37,000, but Docherty predicts it would be very well used. “We turn down six to 10 passengers per day right now because the one we have is fully booked,’ he sald. 75¢ PLUS S¢ GST VOL. 8NO. 41 j | We're moving! AFTER EIGHT YEARS on Lazclle Ave., The Terrace Slandard is moving. Beginning next week we'll be in a brand new build- ing at 3210 Clinton St, You'll find Clinton by beading easton Lakelse from the downtown core. Tum right at the corner of Clinton and Lakelse containing Darlene’s Country Antiques and Totem Furniture. Look to your lef. That's us. The building was constructed by P & D Berfclo Properties Ltd. and is 4,000 square feet in size, Con- - struction began the middle of last year. Our moving date is next Monday, Jan. 29. We’re starting in the moming and we’ll be closed for the morning as we move over the first load and get set up. Your patience is appreciated that day as we go through the chore of packing and unpacking. Our phone number of 638-7283 remains the same as does our fax number which is 638-8432, Our new post- al cade is V8G 5R2, City splurges CITY COUNCIL bit the bullet Monday night and commit- ied Terrace to spending $213,000 on a new municipal com- pater system. “Is a little shocking,” councillur David Hull admitted. “We're talking basically a quarter of a million dollars.” The system of networked. PCs running municipal software from Kelowna-based Vadiin Computer Maragemeiit will replace city hall's archaic mainframe and terminal system. The trend in comput- ers has been away from mainframes and towards net worked PCs Software companies, as a result, have conceitrated on thatarea. Municipalities running mainframes hive seen service. support and the frequency of upgrades fall Off 0 0 gee Everyone agrees a new system-is needed. but councillors were apprehensive about making the decision... (2 Le Councillor Ed Graydon wanted to know where the system would suve money - either by replacing start or creating better élficiency. “There has to be something on‘the other side of the equation to justify this.” Graydon said, 7 ane Hull said it probably won't save money, bul will generate more information to help managers run the city than has ever been at their fingertips before. pe es Other counciflors noted the escaluling cost of the system and argued for a final decision, “Every time: this has come. back to us it has been ata considerable additional cost,” Val George said. “We've got to the point we've got to make a decision on this, and it seems this is the best decision we ean make.” cee The system would give the city a full PC network with a wireless network to take in the public works building. ILalso would give the ability to use bar codes and scanning technology for things like tax billings. - ee Special programs would allow better maintenance expense track- ing an everything from city vehi¢les to raud expenditures. It would also replace: manuul systems for tracking building per- mits. parking tickets. and accounts receivable. A property datahase would be able to spit out all information the city has on a particular piece of property. oe, The city hopes to reduce the cost somewhat by trimming the $26,(AK) earmarked for training. NDP strongest in Skeena riding NORTHERN NEW Democrats appear to be strongest in the Skeena riding, suggests information released by the party last week. Of the 10 provincial ridings in the central and northern party of the province, Skcena ranks first in membership, The information’s contained in a listing of the number of delegates each riding can send to the party’s leadership convention next month in Vancouver. Skeena’s listed as being able to send 10 delegates. At a ratio of one delegate for every 25 members, that works out to 250 members here. Skeena’s 10 delegates outweighs the cight in labour min- ister Dan Miller’s North Coast riding to the west and the six in highways minister Jackie Pement’s Bulkley Valley- Stikine riding to the cast, Peace River North, for instance, can send only three delegates based on its membership and Peace River South can send four delegates. That means the two northeastem ridings have 100 and 75 members respectively. While the Skeena riding is the strongest for the NDP in the north, the other two main provincial political partics have more members here. Both the Reform party and the Libera! party list member- ships at more than 300. Skeena NDP MLA Helmut Gicsbrecht cautioned against paying too much attention to numbers. “It depends upon how far out the population is spread, too,”’ he said. “If you have a lot of litle communities there may not be enough members in each place for a real- ly aclive membership,'’ Giesbrecht added. that during elections more than just party members come out and. work for various political parties.