The ese. man: o B.C.’s best’
One Terrace farmer. is -
keeping ; a wary’ eye: on

the bird flu outbreak”

to rule them all: :
Mj) are the pridé-of
< ‘Tertace\SPORTS BA

‘There’s one. ringette team |
and. they

Flowerful

j the form of.armloads of.
daffodil bouquets’
\COMMUNITY ¥ BL.

Spring: arrived. last week: ne

down Soutn\WEWS Aad

$4. 00 plus. 76. GST.
: ($1.20 plus a6, GST. -
outside of the: Terrace, area)’

ss VOL 16 NO. 52

SCHOOL TRUSTEES could
decide this . week to delay.’ a
controversial decision. on what.
to do with the ‘brand: new’ but:
never-opened- $32. million’
Mountainview Elementary School .
onthe bench: 9. °

‘A’ public forum: is plantied for’ :

April 5-on_-the topic, building on
smaller . sessions: already. held:
“Trustees had-planned fo make. a-

final’ decision. on: Mountainview a

the ‘next’ evening; says school
board chair Lorrie Gowen:
-But trustees.

complexity’. ‘and.-
of two of-. four. Mountainview -
proposals received, ’she said.

The. local Canadian, Parents

and "parents: :
need more time- td ponder ‘the .
. implications an

for , French chapter wants to [
open: a French immersion schoo!’ .
‘there; while: the First Nations .

Education Centre wants to ‘open

Mountainview to focus on native .
values “and Janguage within: ae
”. standard curriculum, ° a :
- Acting’ on: either one” “could
-tigger.a series of events, resulting:
wim the’ closure. of 5 An existing f

school: a
~Gowen . also.

decisions : ‘all ‘tied

“ “That's” certainly ~ my feeling
on it. But I'm only one of- nine ©

TER RA

terracestandard

E

.com ©

_Wocinesday, March 31, 2004 §

said: parents, \

“teachers and’ even. ‘trustees. would
“benefit: from: a. break ‘in. what. has. :
been several years ‘of. difficult.” 3
‘to ~budget:
pressures - and declining student”
‘Populations, Ce

'. Lorrie Gowen

[trustees], said Gowen. “To. jet.
everything rest for a while would

S the. financial:

‘had. a lot of anxiety.And -that
would be the same for the. Other
employees.”

-at afea’. schools:
that parents. ‘are, also. thinking. a
break is in order. ;

> we are and stabilize. things for a
" year,” Gowen added.*

the district's ‘overall - insurance

policy-and: wasn’t the subject of

a separate a and d higher Tale: because ».

give teachers a break. They’ ve

She said last week's meetings:
to: discuss.
Mountainview ‘proposals. revealed - i

“This year we had the f four: day 7
week, so maybe we.cun stay as:

One worry trustees’ ‘had ‘were ;
implications “of,
‘keeping Mountainview. -elosed..
It has so. far been’ covered by

the building j is vacant. “That was

I School decision could be delaye

‘due to end this year, meaning the.

district would have an additional

“cost to bear. was

But the district has now been”
told the province: would carry. the..
insurance’ Cost. for another: sears "<
said Gowen.) :
OAS. well, "Gowen. said parents .
; aised. a number. of questions at
meetings’ last week about:bath the.
:First-. ‘Nations. Education, Centre ®:

and French immersion proposals:

will need either, Gowen added.”

That s because both, the French ‘ :

‘Gowen. ‘asked. |

immersion and: education centre -
groups are still surveying-people -
‘to determine potential-enrolments. .
“based, on their: Proposals for.
the: 250- student .
Mountainview: school.” ‘Those ® ate. /

due: in this. week:

- The French iinméfsion broposal ' .
‘is ‘based: on taking studénts ‘from -
Kiti K'Shan: “and Cassie Hall. In

theory, the: Temaining: “students

:could then be, grouped together at
Cassie Halle. 2" -
really: think. parents-need.to.-
have more’ information, ‘An: ‘extra
year would help,’she said:
“Trustees themselves ‘don't: Vet .
“have: ‘as much’ information: as they.

IP: only:
Sensé:to open’ up-a’new: schaol?”

~ Cont’ d. Page Az”

capacity ,

100°. “ludents are:
confirmed. - * for the: -
~~ immersion program; does it make | ~

French -

"Could.-you- fit”
. everybody. else into Cassie Hall?”

J Church calls on 1 gov't |

a Airborne

NO INJURIES were reported when this vehicle leapt over the curb, over a. ‘low wall and. through. a plate glass”
window of the Emerson Ave. side of. Vidéo Stop at. noon. on March 26. RCMP: centinus to investigate the.
circumstances which caused the accident. — OER - ;

Closure Schon, ee
building centre next month |

.By JEFF NAGEL ;
AFTERS9 yearsin operation. -
the Terrace Co-op is poised. |
to close its. home. centre and. 7
dissolve the cooperative.”
The Molitor:St- ‘building
supply centre .is preparing
to. liquidate’ all its stock and
its eight. workers, have been.
given layoff notices, ©
: “They” were . upset with’.
the decision,” said general: - Fr
“manager Allan Cole. “When
you tell them they’ re losing :
their Jobs, that's a hard thing
to take.” .
“They’ve - ‘worked. very.
hard,” he -added,’ - blaming

‘THE CO: OP board has recommended dissolving the
“association which has existed for a9 years..

Unable’ ‘to: react’ quickly:
enough’ to keep pace with: -
“competitors, - the ,” = Co-op
shut down. its main ‘Brocery .
‘and depattment.”

bankruptey.

op organization: and set .the
stage for afuture rebound.

’ But a couple:years later it
‘the garden centre at the Greig

: “ghapter i is being written now,

the econoniy and the failure’ ~

_ of New  Skeena Forest Products to. restart its saivmill just

across the street. 7

“We were relying on the mill to ‘open'=

thing,” Cote said. :

_ Official. word won ‘tcome until April 20. wiles
That’ s when ‘members will vote.on disbandiig U the Co-op: :

at an annual. general theeting. The board of ditectors, which
made the decision to shut down last week; h has s recommended 7

they vote in-favour:.:.

“Tf the’ membership decides * No, w want © ‘contin

that’s what. we'll do,”, Cote said:

‘The final demise-of the organization ould mark the end

of an era in Terrace :
- The : Terrace: -Co-oj

retailers started. to arrive. hers. and.
tanked. a :

ssociation,
founded in: 1945; has been in retreat since the late: 1990s:
_ That's when’ shopping pattems began'to. change, big box:

fuel cardlock. at the corner of, ‘Molitor: ard: Keith Ave.

that was the big 7

‘which. wos ae

the: orth wea: economy’ os

“Terrace Co-op. ‘members would - have: the option . of.
i cashing ‘out their: shares-or transferring. their membership to
the Vanderhoof Co-op. Se ;

“We will still have'a Co-op presence in ‘our eomnrunity,”
: : he ee .
Cols said selling. all assets, including the buiding and the g
_cardlack she nable: the. association t6.pay out the full
me value of. equity held by. membets around $1.7 inillian.

o. He foted it's better to‘do that now. ‘than later, when further
losses could, erode that value..””
~ -"We'ré-not bankrupt,” he'said:
* Although the Co-op ‘thanaged. to, end a four year string of
*s “osses in 2002, its: 2003: financial staternents show total sales.
have: ‘continued to decline in'recent years). 2°).
OF thé : neatly 9,000 members; -batel a
outed as’ active, oe an

“quarter are -

store ont
Greig. Ave; -in 1998 = laying: -:
off. 80 workers ‘- = to avert”,

_ The board haid hoped that ‘.

_ measure, although. bitter .
pill, would preserve. the Co.

“owas. forced 10 eliminate: the..
Ave. location and the final .-

eo so Cole... expects. “the
Vanderhoof Co-op will buy and take over operation. of the

A “TERRACE.

hungry people:in. the area.»
The: Knox.
Church's
“outreach: *

sluggish economy. :s

“0 The: -probleni - “of

hunger in “our, “communit

: ‘capacity of

the, letter:

“area,” itadds, “

-. Linda Tupper, who. ‘sits. |
on’ thé mission and: outreach’.
committee... iS - particularly”:
-. wortied about” ‘the summer. -
-; Months when, volunteers”
now working with a myriad: :-
“of. % groups: “to feed: ‘People:

" take time off: ee:
aan Ge “know “there ae
‘programs: ‘for’ kids’:

vin ‘the: summer?” ‘she added.:

Tupper’ said the Terface:
~ ehurches: food “bank: (Knox ‘
“United © is.) a: participating ~
‘member) « has gone’ from,
Alstributing 250. to 300 bags 7

“church:
‘congregation is calling upon.
the provincial ‘government -
“to pay. more “attention to.
‘increased money ‘for school .
“in areas -
“such.:a8 Terrace “and - the ;
Hazeltons; places: where the:
economy ‘has been hit harder, ve

United |
_ mission: * and
-committee,. © in.
a letter to “‘Skeena MLA™.’
Roger Harris, says‘ hunger is’
a growing issue because of -
changes to social assistance’.
programs and’ the- ongoing -

“than in other locations.
We ve'come to the table.

- ) feed the hungry ©

a month to 730. bags this
month. :
. Skeena’

food : ‘programs *

in that’ regard,’ "he said. .

to feeding people i is to get:

: MLA- “Roger.
Hairis said the province has

-But--the “real: ‘solution oe

people ‘working | again,” the
MLA continited.: :
“banks Q are .
Something ‘that : have ‘been’. |
“part-of B.C. society forthe.
the past 40-50. years..They
haven't come:about becaiise .-
Of our ‘government: “There”
are: times: ‘when: they. are:

;. used’ more and:times when |
they. are used Jess" ‘Harris: an
Said, 0 oe
A full text of the Knox:
United letter'is on Pages As.

“Food.

Mental health —

“continues to” worsen “and.”
threatens: to. outstrip. ; the: *.
volunteers,
however: dedicated,” * Says.” -
2 _ AN ADULT. mental health residential. facility . should be _
“We: therefore. call on’:
our provincial. government ..
40 accept responsibility. arid
«provide: leadership : ‘in, this:

contract given

constructed: and open on the grounds of Mills Memorial,
Hospital by late this year...”

‘Northern contractor Wayné Watson Consiniction. Lid. a
has been awarded the contract for the $2. 5 million facility, woe
* health authorities: announced last week; © : a
Called, the Seven’ Sisters, the - facility - will ‘cotitain 20 |
private rooms with kitchen: and living facilities i ina central ..
~ setting along: with care and support services. 7” -
- The announcement marks the ead of more than 15 yeats oo
‘of. false startsand : planning to provide an adult: ‘mental: a

‘health facility someplace in the northwest.

- Mental ‘health ° services. ‘bin ‘to ‘improve: in- the

; of the-10- bed regional payne ait. at Mills Memorial ‘
“Hospital. :
"Health: ‘authorities: also: established: a core of five

psychiatrists 16 cover the.northwest bul several have since.

left and efforts are underway:to fill those Vacaricies.

= aSpecia delivery

‘Leaey BUT LITTLE: These Inquisitive, one-week old triplet ‘lambs: still ike. to

keep, close 10 their mom, Camilla, a St. Croix shdep, a variety that’ doesn't grow |
~ wool.. The. unusual trio - sheep normally give birth to one ‘or two lambs at a time |

— was born March 16 at Karousell Farms in Jackpine nate The farm is operated

by Ken and Cordula Belanger. . _

| JENNIFER LANG PHOTO

oS It will provide. closer-to-home. caré: for. patients in our
region: who would have received treatment at Coquitlam’s
‘ - Riverview Hospital in n the * Past ” said Skeena MLA Roger o
n” Haris.

schools, but: what’ happend :