Ad - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 31, 1999 STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 PUBLISHER: ROD LINK ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Strect Terracc, B.C. * V8G 5R2 TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 * FAX: (250) 638-8432 EMAIL: standard@kermode.net In the dark ONCE AGAIN local residents are ignored as yet another forest company seeks a deal with the provincial government. West Fraser’s plan to export logs has metit. . After all, the continuing shaky lumber market re- quires creativity and ingenuity to generate in- come to survive. The idea of selling overseas to subsidize operations here just might fit the bill temporarily. And any prospect of putting loggers back to work is welcomed. . But all through this, the company never released its plan, held a public meeting or had its officials appear in public. The provincial govern- ment’s Job Protection Commission, the agency charged with putting together the plan, has never released what its findings have been. The [WA, whose support is said to be vital, has never released anything on its own. Consider that the plan involves log exports, al- most a profane phrase in B.C. There’s probably nothing more touchy of a public policy issue in B.C, than the prospect of having our logs float off overseas to provide processing jobs in anoth- er country. It crashes up against that which has been hammered into us for the past decade — namely, we are no longer simply a province that sends its raw resources elsewhere. Instead the taxpayer, that’s the person who theoretically owns the logs the company wants to send overseas in the first place, was left at the mercy of rumours and suspicions. And although IWA members were given a chance to vote on the plan, the same was not re- quired of those who work for West Fraser’s non- unionized contractors. That’s hardly democratic, let alone polite. Now add in Skeena NDP MLA Helmut Gies- brecht. At first he seemed skeptical of the plan, . saying he didn’t think there was a solid enough commitment by West Fraser to keep at least one shift running at its Skeena Sawmills here in return for approval to export. He also raised questions about the mix of wood being cut at Skeena Sawmills here compared to what is being cut at its Prince Rupert sawmill. And he wondered at the relative profitability of both mills because what each cut. Interesting topics, but again nothing was ever released to back them up or refute them. Despite Mr. Giesbrecht’s reservations, he also said he’d very much take the lead of local government on such a crucial issue. But Terrace. city council appeared ‘to be caught without enough information of its: own when it came time: to take a position. So that created the odd-ball possibility of Mr. Giesbrecht who appeared to know more than city council, following city council’s lead when it knew less than he. West Fraser has had a good reputation of con- sistently paying its contractors on time when it was operating normally. And this plan calls for substantial opportunity for those same con- tractors, an admirable objective on the part of the’ company. So that’s what makes the secrecy and lack of public details behind the plan all the more puz-- zling. PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS Jeff Nagel * NEWS/SPORTS: Christiana Wiens NEWS/COMMUNITY: Alex Hamilton OFFICE MANAGER: Sheila Sandover-Sly - CIRCULATION MANAGER: Karen Brunette ; ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Sam Bedford, Bunnie Cote TELEMARKETER: ‘Tabatha Orange 1998 WINNER CCNA BETTER NEWSPAPERS COMPETITION AD ASSISTANT: Kelly Jean COMPOSING: Susan Credgour: AD ASSISTANT/TYPESETTING: Julie Davidson SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: $57.30 per year; Seniars $50.75: Out of Province $64.39 Outside of Canada (6 months) $158.25 (ALL PRICES INCLUDE GS7) MEMBER OF B.C, AND YUKON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION. CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION “AND B.C, PRESS COUNCIL @cna oo aa Serving the Terrace and Thorhill grea. Published on Wednesday of gach week at $210 Clinton Sirest, Terrace, Gritish Columbia, VaG 5R2. Slories, photographs, illustrations, designs and typostyles In tha Terrace Standard ara the property of the copyright holders, Including Cariboo Press (1969) L1d., ils illustration repro services and adveriising agancles. : Reproduction In whol or in pay withcut written permission, is specifically prohibtted, Authorized a3 second-class mait pending tha Post Ofice Department, for payment of postage in cash. Special thanks to all aur contributors and cotrespondenta _ for their time and talents .. gunpoint, no less, to take her, 16.” , Hawaii. As Maurice Chevalier * even if it is only for a week. A ‘| -leaned forward to read the ‘caption. “Celebrity reader. ITAPPEARED SOON AFTER YOUGOT YOURSELF INTO THATAWFUL MESS... Grass isn’t always greener VICTORIA — With age comes a tendency to get set in one’s ways. At 30, I wouldn't have dreamed of spending my vacation at the same place twice. At 60-plus, I don’t mind at all going back to where I liked it, again, and again. And if there’s a certain menotony in that, there are compensations. I could think of a worse place to write this col- umn than on the lanai — that’s Hawaiian for balcony to you — of a hotel overlooking the beach of Waikiki, sun shining and the temperature hovering at a balmy 28 degrees. The day before we left, I sent an e-mail to my editors inform- ing them that Pamela, our granddaughter, had forced us, at _ “FROM THE CAPITAL HUBERT BEYER Hawaii cocktail. Speaking of political scan- dals, British Columbia is not alone, and I’m not talking about _ Bill and Monica. Conflict of .. interest, this phenomenon .of. a its head'éven on these beautiful, “islands. Last Thursday, the Honolulu Advertiser reported that former state Senator Milton Holt was — charged ina new federal indict- ment with allegations that he spent campaign money to pay for a relative’s birthday party and for drinks at another rela- tive’s wedding reception, We're talking about a grand total here of $1,700. “all figures in US dollars,” as the National Post would say. That’s consid- erably less than the premier paid for his sundeck. Mind you, the birthday-and- wedding spending caper came hard on the heels of other charges, including two involv- might have said, “thank Heaven’ for little girls with guns.” What I really appreciate about being here, aside from the sunshine and the Maitais, is not being involved in the never- ending litany of political disas- ters and bickering back home, day without seeing the name Glen Clark in the headlines is-a reward in itself. — The downside in that the guy might be resigning as I write this and [ wouldn’t be the wiser for it until 1 got back because, except for tourists from British Columbia, folks hereabouts wouldn’t know Glen Clark if they found him in their Blue Reading -— it’s the real “DID YOU sce the pic- ture of your classmates in today’s Standard?” 1 asked our 6-year-old granddaugh- ter as 1 arrived March 17 for a bedtime visit. “No,” she said. “Where?” “On the first page of the second section.” She snatched up the newspaper and perched cross-lepped on. the sofa between her mother and me, holding high the broadsheet. In a black-and-white photo, a woman sat with lwo little girls standing beside THROUGH BIFOCALS: CLAUDETTE SANDECKI “Eight local celebrities read to students at Copper her, , Mountain Elementary Recognizing the three school... Copper Mountain instantly, excitement = Elementary School? That's bounced her like a tiny heli- TMS our school?” She loaked copter revving its rotors. She straight al her mother, . as thrilled as an adult opening a $2300 income tax refund. To celebrate “Kindergarten students reading bee TO BREAK A WW 49 “? NORTHERNER... ing different incidents of illegal campaign spending. On top of it all, the poor bloke felt com- pelled to admit that he has been using drugs and voluntarily enrolled in a drug treatment program, And Clark thinks he’s got problems. Another controversy that has more than a passing resem- blance to Canadian jurisdic- tions, including British Colum- bia, is child protection or rather the lack of it. Prevent Child Abuse, a Hawaii non-profit organization, is questioning the pending reap- pointment of one Susan Chan- dier, director of the state Department of Human Ser- vices. Prevent Child Abuse doesn’t believe she’s up to the modern-day. politics; is rearing ; . task,of protecting. children fromiu.. , abuse, Where have;I heard-sim-. =: “ilar accusations before? A small but interesting item in the Advertiser concerned US presidential hopeful Steve Forbes of Forbes 500 fame and fortune. It appears that Forbes, ‘who promised to be “first, fast and unfiltered,” had to buy back his own name for a pres- ence on the World Wide Web in the campaign leading up to the presidential election in the year 2000. When he wanted to register the demain name www.Forbes2000.com he found out that a couple of enter- prising engineering students had beaten him to it. The deal he made with the students stip- Brenda Silsbe. Then, Silsbe read to them. Other celebrity readers included Vesta Dou- glas.., Vesta Douglas! She read at our school last year! Janet Watson... She’s my swimming instructor! Russ Sparks...That’s Daddy,” Her 8-year-old — sister leaned in closer and frowned. “They left out the “e’ in Sparkes.” The little one went on reading, “Anna Beddie, Bob Park, Marty Bolton and Dave Crawley.” Big sister gasped dramati- cally. “Dave Crawley. Mr. Crawley! He was our old principal!” “Community,” she read the title at the top of the page. “That’s what we’re studying in schooll’’ Buoyed by her new-found month.” shared : knowledge that wards she Mom prompted, “Eight.” with svrene “ athar can read in a school book are | FORTUNATELY You BROUGHT So? MY [30x oF TRUSTY: - ‘oy Goole CARPENTRY TOOLS ©: ays im | Lo ulated that they couldn’t reveal the amount they gol. All the students would say. is that it was “a good investment, a very good invesiment.” I’m. sure it was. Note to Gordon Wilson: register the domain’. name www. gordonwilson- NDP.com com while you can. I | got www. hubertbeyercom sewn up tight. Anyone want to buy it? Make me an offer. Finally, some. economic observations on British Colum- bia versus Hawail. : Tourism is on the decline:in Hawaii. Occupancy rates. are’ falling. The culprits. are the strong US dollar and the ailing Asian economies. That’s bad, but worse is that tourism is the only industry Hawaii has got, Sugar and pineapples,-onceésthe: mainstay of; Hawaii’s *.exports, « :have-: become import items, True, British -Columbia’s forestry and mining sectors are also on the ropes, but-we do- have other economic: sectors, including the fledgling: high- tech industry, that can and will be expanded. . « As for. tourism, we’ve got one thing on Hawaii: British Columbia has four seasons, each with its very own distinc- tive allure. Hawaii has only one — perpetual summer. Nice as that is, it won’t get you the ski- ing or river-rafting adventure of your life. Beyer can be reached. at — Tel: (250) 920-9300; e-mail: hubert@coolcom:com; web: http://www, hubertbeyer.com/ . thing — the same even when printed ~ in a newspaper, she read two sports headlines. That — black-and-white photo with its six line cap- tion boosted the girls’ pride in their school immeasur- ably. I watched it jolt them to see that what they do in school is of interest to the wider community. , As the Terrace Public Library’s children’s librarian Holly Nguyen says, “Read- ing is so empowering.” She’s got that right. For seniors and any other taxpayer wilh no daily con- | nection to the school, such happy news tidbits remind them of the good work their tax dollars do. And what better way to foster kids’ interest in read- ing, especially of weekly newspapers. FAULT! T HAA | HAA?! MOOSE WITH TIN WILL Do yr i! NOT MY wire!) ONLY.. BAAA!: SNIPS ANDACHISEL