A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - TERRACE. BSTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 PUBLISHER: ROD LINK ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C, * V8G 5R2 TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 « FAX: (250) 638-8432 WEB: www.terracestandard.com EMAIL: standard@kermode.net Get moving POP QUIZ. What is easier for a 40-year-old woman to do in Terrace? A) Buy a bottle of vodka on Sunday. B) Get a mammogram. If you answered A), you are right. In two short weeks from announcement to implementation, a change in alcohol sales rules now means you can purchase hard liquor at beer and wine stores. But get a mammogram? No way. This troubling story began last fall when the plug on the aging mechanism in use at Mills was pulled by a technician after it was found to be un- reliable. Such a device is absolutely essential for women because mammography scans can detect early signs of breast cancer, a leading cause of death in women over 40. Not having one at Mills means women would have to travel to Kitimat or Prince Rupert for scans. Efforts to buy a new one quickly gathered mo- mentum. Lobbying from local people and from Skeena Liberal MLA Roger Harris produced the money from the provincial government. It was topped up by the Northwest Hospital District, which collects taxes and then provides 40 per cent of the cost of new medical equipment. Some very good thinking went into the acquisi- tion project. A decision was reached that the new mammography unit should be a mobile one so that it could also be taken on the road to places such as Stewart and Dease Lake. This would pre- vent women from those and other northern com- munities having to make the trip to Terrace. Tender invitations went out late last year and a supplier was chosen. All that was required was the final purchase authorization and there were optimistic predictions the new unit and’an especi-- |" as'a sporter“at ihe Winnipeg ally equipped van for taking it on the road would be ready early in the new year. Too good to be true? Unfortunately, yes. Last year community health councils were scrapped in favour of larger regional authorities. Up here that is the Prince George-based Northern Health Au- thority, a creature with a $330 million-plus bud- get and the mammography project disappeared into its maw. To be sure, it takes time to organize something as large as the new health authority. But this should have been a no-brainer for the spadework had already been done. Now the price guaranteed by the supplier has expired because of the delay and it has to be re- tendered. Worse yet — the new authority wants to review the project. Translation: more delay. Issu- ing the purchase authorization order should have been as easy as changing the alcohol sales rules. This could have been a slick Bertuzzi-to-Nas- lund two-on-one, Instead it’s turning into clutch and grab. And that’s hardly something to inspire taxpayer confidence in what is supposed to be a more efficient and responsive way to provide health care. 2001 WINNER CCNA BETTER NEWSPAPERS COMPETITION PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credzeur NEWS: Jeff Nagel NEWS/SPORTS Sarah Zimmerman NEWS /COMMUNITY: Jennifer Lang FRONT OFFICE: Darlene Keeping & Carol McKay CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Terri Gordon ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Bert Husband & Stacy Gyger TELEMARKETER: Stacy Gyger COMPOSING: Susan Credgeur AD ASSISTANT: Saundra Stefanik SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: $56.25(+$3.94 GST)=60.19 per year: Seniors $49.50 (+$3.47 GST)=52.97; Out of Province $63.22 (+$4.43 GST)=67.65 Outside of Canada (6 months) $152.34 (+$10.66 GST)=L63.0H) MEMBER OF B.C, AND YUKON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION, CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION Ze AND 6.0, PRESS COUNCIL (www.bepresscouncll.org) Serving the Terrace and Thorhilt area. Published on Wednesday of each week al 3210 Clinton Street, Terrace, Biilish Columbia, V8G 5R2. Storias, photographs, IMustrations, designs and typestytes in he Terrace Standard are the proparty of the copyright holders, including Cariboo Press (1969) Ltc., its illustration repro services and advertising agancies, Reproduction in whote or in part, without written permission, fs specifically prohibited. Authorized as second-class mall pending ihe Pest Olfice Caparimeni, for payrnent cl postage in cash, Special thanks to.all our contributors and correspondents for thelr tlme and talents VICTORIA — The first thing I ever heard about the Queen Mum was when Hitler called her “the most dangerous woman in Europe.” And well he might: This was the woman who more than anyone else represented the defiance of England when she stood alone against an enemy Staring at her across the Chan- nel. “The children will not leave without me; ! will not leave without the King and the King will never leave,” she respon- ded to suggestions that the royal family seek safety in Canada or some other place not threatened by invasion from the seemingly invincible German army. At the time, of course, Ger- mans readily believed without reservation that the English, along with the royal family, were indeed the most danger- ous thing this side of Hades. Years later when { worked Free Press, | was rather as- tounded by a headline: Queen visits relatives in Germany. Even though I was aware of the royal family’s German roots, it still sounded so im- probable. That was during the Queen’s first official visit ta Germany after the war, Tt was in those years that on television ] caught regular IN THEIR March 26 closure of five district schools, the Coast Mountain school trustees by- passed the School Act and ministerial guidelines which allot 60 days for proper public notice and meaningful public consultation. Consultation begins the day the board raises the prospect in an open board meeting. In this case, March 6. And I’m told Copper Mountain wasn’t -mentioned then. Copper Mountain first learned it was on the chopping block March 22, in a phone call from the board to the prin- cipal. The only public meeting Copper Mountain had an op- portunity to attend was the R.E.M. Lee meeting March 24. A truly “consultative” meeting! All discussion was ruled out, but everyone was instructed to leave a written copy of their remarks, to satis- fy another ministerial guide- line of which presenters were probably unaware, B.C. education ministry guidelines for the board ta fol- “FROM THE CAPITAL HUBERT BEYER glimpses of the Queen Mother at races or official functions, always in thase outrageous hats and colourful chiffon dresses, always that smile and always displaying a genuine interest in whomever she hap- pened to be talking to. This was the woman who alongside her husband, the King, presided over a still in- tact_world empire. This was. 4«the woman who! proved:to bes i the steely determination be- hind the throne in England’s darkest hour. Having experienced first- hand where demagoguery and tyranny lead, I found it re- markable easy to opt for the tradition and history of the British monarchy. To me the Queen Mother re- presented the vital continuity WE'RE GOING EXTINCT AND NOBody CARES! THROUGH BIFOCALS: CLAUDETTE SANDECKI low when considering closure of a school say this: “To ensure that an open and meaningful public consul- tation has taken place (a) make available, in writing, a full disclosure of al} facts and information considered by the school board including but not limited to — detailed reasons for proposed school closure; which schools are being considered for closure: how this would affect the current catchment area for NOSEKYGR Me Cy'A poRcuPINE! Bee HOW Come You Gors Bem ARE So SCARCE NOW: ‘< era TEENA +7 ea) SAAN PN NO SExy RESEARCH! By eee AAI NO SEXY WORKSHOPS: SNS Wh . N NA AS v 7 v 2°CC Looks Like THEY . 1 FORGOT QUESTION NINE: KN REFERENDUM ON TREATY PRINCIPLES for a nation and a Common- wealth that politicians can never hope to emulate. As others have pointed out, the Queen Mother during her lifetime, saw almost all the world’s other crowns and thrones disappear, including those of Germany, Russia, Au- stria, Turkey and Italy. When she was born, Israel didn’t exists, nor did the states sworn to destroy her — Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia, Although ] met her daughter, the Queen, on two occasions, ance aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, I never met the woman I most admired, the Queen Mother. Being an unabashed admirer of our Queen, ] am sure my now almost life-long admira- tion of her mother would have been more than justified. Her generation did not yet tolerate the antics of today’s young royals that have left refer during a’ New Year's ‘ad: dress some years back as her “annum terribilis.” The Queen Mother, her mar- riage arranged as much as any in the Muslim world, knew where her duties lay, Noblesse oblige. There was an unwritten and unspoken contract be- tween those who were privi- leged to rule and those wha each school; general effect on surrounding schools; effect on bussing; course implications; financial consid- erations; proposed use of the closed school.” Information shared by the board with Copper Mountain would fit on a cocktail napkin. “(b) provide an adequate opportunity for affected per- sons to submit a written response.” Remember R.E.M. Lee? {c) hold at least one public meeting to discuss the pro- posed closure, summarize written submissions, and listen to the community’s concerns and proposed options.” Have you seen a summary of written submissions? For consultation to be meaningful, fair consideration includes the concept thal the board’s proposal to close a school could be changed or reversed,” Two days after the R.E.M. Lee meeting, the board deci- ded to close Copper Mountain and not open the new Moun- WE'RE PRICKLY! (ue'RE NOT THE MONEY SPENT ON THIS REFERENDUM WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SPENT ON “\__ LEGAL AID, WELFARE CRISIS AID, WORK ENTRY ASSISTANCE... }~ “add: prompted the ~Guéeei’ a tee ay PPLE: ot-20_ Ze Hl hes ~ Queen Mum was true royalty were ruled. And she knew that contract well. When during the Blitz, Buckingham Palace was bombed, the family was in a nearby room, showered with glass and debris. . “Pm almost glad we’ve been bombed. Now I can look the East End in the face,” she re- marked. The East End of Lon- don had been the most hard hit during the Blitz. Despite her privileged birth,- she seemed to have a genuine connection to working people. During a coal miners, strike, a woman tried to ingratiate her- self to the Queen Mother by saying, “aren’t the miners dreadful?” Observers of the scene repor- ted that she gave the woman an icy stare and replied, “where I come from, they are good people and very loyal.” The Queen Mother’s death. will, no doubt, renew some “naval ‘gazing about’ whether “or are ae Hot'we ‘should ‘retain ’the ‘mon’ archy, Considering the alternatives, I believe I will stick with the monarchy. And the Queen Mum more than anyone else is responsible for that belief, Seyer can be reached at: E-mail: hubert@coalcom.com; Tel (250) 381-6900; Web http://www. hubertbeyer.com School close rules broken tainview school. “Teachers, staff, students” and parents of students attend- ing the schools which might re- ceive displaced students must be given notification and a chance to give their input.” Thornhill Primary and Ele- mentary schools had no such chance. They learned March 27 via the grapevine Copper Mountain students might be squeezing in with them come September. “Ministerial approval to clase a school may be refused where enrolment growth fore- casts for the surrounding area will require that the school be reopened in the near future.” Copper Mountain's enrol- ment has been steady for years and is expected to increase. The board’s school closure has been panicky, poorly thought out, if at all. Principals and staff have not been consul- ted. As of April 1, even our MLA hadn’t been asked by the board’ to seek more time or funding: from Victoria, or even to attend & meeting, He Seems] WELL, SEX OBSESSED] HAS ALWAYS WWTH Sex! BEEN DIFFICULT FOR PORCURWES YOU KNow /) He ag Cay RAN VW. Pi PEER a yee sy Sona tr UST arise ab SR eA inet nae antes ee ee