TERRACE — Anyone planning to put in a new lawn this year best do it now,

That’s the advice from engincering director Slew Christensen as the city prepares to introduce sprinkler restrictions,

The restrictions take hold. next Tuesday, June 15 and the first to feel them. will be people living in even-numbered houses.

As in previous years, the cut backs allow | add-numbered houses to use - sprinklers. only on odd-numbered _ days, :. even- numbered houses: on ' even- numbered days. - *

These restrictions are not as stringent as ikese brought in last year. Then, again on June 15, the odd-even formula was also used bul with an additional limitation of 6-10 a.m. only.

Tougher measures are in-

evitable, Christensen warmed.

That’s because once the city’s main water supply from Deep Creek dries up, it depends on the Skeena River pumps.

They can only supply 16 mil- lion litres a day and that figure has already been hit once so far this spring.

Even a: generally wel summer .

will not stop the tighter restric-

'. tions coming in, Christensen said.

‘Deep Creek, he explained, relies on snow melt for its peak

flows.

With snow ~ packs in the watershed well below normal and disappearing ‘fast, that means once the snow is gone only rain run-off keeps the creek level up,

“With no reservoir to collect that

-run-off, when it stopped raining

the. creek started going down al- most immediately.

Christensen pointed oul a three or four day hot spell would see a

dry creek at the same moment everyone started using their sprinklers again.

Given it would take too much time to get the word out about new and.tougher restrictions, he said the only solution was to anticipate the problem and have them in place in lots of time.

The cily will wait as long as it could before shutting off the tap even more.

Last year 14 people were fined

for.ignoring -the restrictions and .

one household had its water supp- ly cut off.

Christensen pointed out people

worried about their gardens and lawns drying out could still use a hand-held hose to do the water-

ing.

kkkkk The city may know next week whether it’s going to get money

from Victoria for its water well project. Then again, it may not. Engineering director Stew Christensen said the last word

from the province is to expected .

grant decisions in mid-June — **maybe”’

The city is looking for a SO per cent prant on the estimated $1.2 million project.

The well water is needed to bol- ster the city’s present water sup-

plies which cannot keep up with

summer demand.

And in the long term the extra water will be necessary to meet the increased demand that will come with continued population growth.

Council has indicated the pro- ject will not go ahead unless the province comes up with half the money.

Customized service

WELCOME BACK to B.C. sign greets those leaving Hyder, Alaska for Stewart. But failure to report tobacco and alcohol purchases:to Canada Customs means trouble If you run Into

ACMP Constable Dave Smith. He's been concentrating on: smuggling lately and has several large seizures to his credit.

Ses story on Page A2.

Councils debate Shames debt .

TERRACE — City councils in Terrace and Kitimat are debating whether the Kitlmat-Stikine regional district should accept shares in Shames Mountain Ski Corporation, . :

Their decisions will determine what path the regional district will take in -settling a $345,000 outslanding loan Shames owes the regional district for Kitsum- kalum ski equipment it bought in 1986.

To date Shames has any interest

on the loan, Jt missed-a $35,000 -

interest payment due Jan. 1, The two councils are consider-

ing two. options: renegotiate the . repayment schedule for the fifth ©

time or accept preferred shares in the corporation.

The regional district directors from Terrace and Kitimat areas

will bring a recommendation back to the regional district board mecting June 26,

‘Thornhill area director Les Watmough says directors have al- ready rejected the idea of forgiv- ‘ing the loan altogether as well as the option of calling the loan.

If-the loan was called, Shames might go bankrupt and the regional district would then likely .get'no money, because it gave up first position in the line of secured. credifors to enable Shames to get a $502,000 federal-

‘provincial loan, said Watmough.

“That doesn’t help anybody,”’

Watmough said..*We don’t real- -

ly consider it an option.” “Preferred shares or the status

" quo — that's basically what it

bolls down to.’’ - Watmough floated another idea

— which was rejected by other directors — that involves. selling ihe loan to the Royal Bank which has also lent the ski corporalion maney.

The regional district would get a negotialed percentage of its

‘ money back and in exchange the - bank would take over the loan.

“] think we should look seriously and see if thete isa way ‘fo get-out of it and let someone else worry about it,” Watmough said,

He says money from - the Shames loan could be used to pay down the regional district’s $300,000 accumulated debt thal taxpayers are still paying off for the defunct Kitsumkalum sk! hid,

“It’s a nightmare that keeps coming back,’? Watmough said.

Grad night

NEWS #A5_

**Somewhere, somebody has to. be firm about this.’’

The regional district has already renegotiated the loan with Shames four times, and has far- given $100,000 worth of interest.

The current arrangement re- quired Shames to begin annual interest payments this year and to start paying off the principal in 1996.

“How long do we keep forgiv- ing and forgiving and forgiv- ing?”’ Watmough said. ‘That's taxpayers money.’

Any option the regional district decides upon will have to be ap-

proved by the ministry of municipal affairs. Watmough said talks are

planned with Shames Mountain to get the company’s perspective,

Water restrictions next we

Christensen said Victoria has received 50 per cent grant ap- plications totalling $114 million, more than double the amount available this year.

With the provincial government having said priorily will be given lo projects tackling health or en- vironmental concerns, the city is playing up that side of the pro- ject.

Christensen said it was pointing to the purity of well water and the contrasting health concerns asso- ciated with surface water.

The city has set aside money in this year’s budget to carry out de- sign work on the well, to be lo- cated at the corner of Frank St. and Hwy16 West.

If the grant comes: through, Christensen said the well could be in production sometime next. year,

- wanted

on sewer vote |

TERRACE — Opponents of the proposed Queensway sewer sys- tem are seeking a court injunction to stop a referendum scheduled for Saturday.

Queensway area voters will de- cide June 12 whether or not to go ahead with a $1.9 million low pressure sewer system.

“We are seeking legal advice

~ and we are willing to take it as far

as we need to,”’ said Lowrie resi- dent Laure] Donaldson, one of the members of the ‘No’ side.

She said homeowners opposed to the project raised $2,000 at a

mesting last Thursday night to

hire a lawyer to fight the referendum.

They contend thai renters should not be allowed to vote in the referendum because they don’t have to pay the capital costs of installing the system.

Donaldson, one. of - the homeowners who has a brand hew septic system, fears renters — in particular trailer park resi- dents — will push the referendum through because they have noth- ing lo lose.

“IPs a quick fix solution to these 15. houses down on Bob- sien,’’ she said,

Donaldson says Bobsien Cres- cent is the worst affected arca and

‘that the regional district is

making a tax grab by proposing a system taking in the rest of

‘Queensway and Churchill Drive.

Proponents of the system con- fend there are failed septic sys-

tems all through — the proposed .-

sewer area,

“There are: problems all over Thornhill,’ Donaldson replies. ‘Why don’t we do all of Thorn- hill?’ .

"We are being made to pay for the problems of Bobsien because we happen to live nearby.”

Regional district administrator Bob Marcellin says the matter of who gels to vole In the

referendum is not negotiable.

Under the Municipal Act, all ‘‘eleclors’’ are eligible to vote.

An elector is defined as anyone who Is 19 years of age, a Cana- dian citizen, a B.C. resident for at least six months and elther a

homeowner, tenant, or someone who has resided in the affected area for three months.

“Sv’s not going to come for all of Thomhill,"” says Thornhill regional district director Les Wat- mougti.

MOVING

Two. Tieutenants are

_Teaying Terrace “COMMU NITY*B1

this Saturday _

‘We finally had to go with something that ‘will solve the majority of the

problem. ”

The municipal affairs ministry

approved a rare 75 per cent sub- sidy for the sewer project for the

- Queensway- -Churchill Drive: area

only, he said. - Municipal affaits rejected ‘a

" plan to-include an oversized main

line in the project to. accom- modate future expansion to’ in- clude the rest of Thornhill.

“YT understand that some people have perfectly good systems. I feel sorry for those people,’’ Wat- mough says, ‘*But we finally had to go with something that will solve ‘the majority of the prob- lem.”

Watmough and others have been trying to get a sewer sysiem for the Queensway ara for n more than 10 years. .

“Ef this referendum fails Idon’t know what the hell to do,’’ Wal- mough says. “*[ hope it passes,’*

The low-pressure sewer system proposed for the Queensway and Churchill Drive areas would cost each resident either $350 per year over 20 years, or else a $2,770 up-front payment.

They would also pay an estimated $150 per year for oper- ating ‘and maintenance, and they'd have to pay around $1,000 each for hookup to the system.

It would still require residents to maintain a septic tank, which would pump out sewage to the main sewer linc, .

Les Watmough | .