Kitimat-Stikine Regional District Secretary/Receptionist Lois Newman quarters on the third floor of Manuel's building on Lazelle Avenue. The ne tional library space, is air conditioned and wheelchair accessible.

is now hard at work in spacious new w 5,000-square foot facility offers addi-

Consumer observations -

‘The Code of Silence -

by. Stephanie Wiebe ~The people in the grocery

". stores are smart, They keep a

pleasant but distance acquain-

tance with .regular customers, - friendly, but not too personal. _ They must be specially trained for that, for they have powerful.

inside information about each of us. I could never be best friends with my grocery cashier, She knows too much about me. -They must take an oath of

Silence. Otherwise, they could “pop up anywhere, like your

Weight Watcher’s meeting, and announce that you've stocked up on Hostess Twinkies this week. Imagine the social exile if her child threatened your child with the public announcement of your buying dandruff sham- poo, athlete’s foot powder, and Compound W. And just be thankful they don’ t sell wine and

beer i in B.C. grocery stores. Already, it must be difficult

coughing, overweight customer buys cigarettes and donuts. Do they snicker when a known bachelor purchases control-top pantyhose and blue eyeshadow? They’ll never tell. There must be some interesting discussions in the back of the store.

The. real threat is the com- puter scanner. This machine téads “the UPC ‘symbols”on’ my

-for cashiers to keep silent when a:

to inform you that according t to computer records of ‘your pur- chases for 1987, -

determined. that

bought 53 boxes of Ding-Dongs

and 27 packages ‘Cookies ’n Cream desserts. I am

of Oreo

sorry, Mrs. Wiebe, but for your own health, we cannot allow any

‘more purchases of these items

purchases and adding up the

total, it .produces a_ printed receipt. These computers calculate the store’s inventory, cash totals, and customer che- que cashing numbers. For all- I know, it-could be keeping a run- ning account of the items I buy. I’m expecting a computerized letter any day now. “Dear Mrs. Wiebe: We regret

Medical plan cost

nears $1

The cost of B.C.’s medical

plan approached $963 million in.

1986/87, according to the Finan- cial Statements of “the B.C. Medical Services Commission released recently. The . document

_payments made by the Medical

Services Plan to individual prac-

titioners, institutions and cor-’ :

porate entities, and summarizes the costs of operating the plan for the year ending March 31, 1987,

Payments for medical services increased by eight percent to $897.5 million, and payments

for supplementary benefits in-

creased by 13.9 percent to $65.4 million. The cost of administer- ing the plan decreased by 14.5

percent. Total revenues from subscriber premiums were

$380.8 million, up 7.2 percent from 1985-86.

In addition to the information in the Financial Statements, B.C. Health Minister Peter

_ Dueck noted that in 1986/87:

- @ Average payment to

billion

general practitioners was

specialists was $168,287.

@ The total number of ser- | vices rendered by fee-for-service | ; physicians was 37,669,589,

lists all”:

receipt,

this calendar year. -If you at- “

tempt. to buy these fatty, ar-

‘tificially preserved -sugar-laden

items, our computer scanner will reject your grocery order, and a nutritionally balanced: diet will be printed for you on your And remember, Mrs, our computers link

throughout B.C.

Wiebe, together

. Sincerely, The Grocery Store.’’ .

So far, we're safe. As long as

the cashiers maintain their code of silence, I can buy a case of Born Blonde No. 201 and my

‘true hair color will remain a

secret between Clairol and me.

_ But should these secret agents of

$132,837, while the average for - |

-@ The number of physicians

claiming payment from MSP in-

creased by 2.6 percent, dental wt surgeons ‘and. orthodontists in-- creased 5.6 percent and sup- “— plementary benefit practitioners. ns increased 8.5 percent, During

this period the provincial

population increased by 0.9 per- —

cent. @ Premiums paid for 38.6 percent of the cost of. the plan

(down from 38.8 percent in ™.

1985/86), with the provincial

million from general revenue,

including funding from federal - ‘i

transfer payments, @ The province's contribu-

premium assistance for 558, 568 British Columbians, or 19.3 per- cent of the population. Most

government contributing $562.6

tion included $90.3 million in °

received a 90 percent subsidy of.

their premium.

for further information.

A Flea Market will be hald at the Oddfellows Hall, 3222 Munroe, Terrace, on the 3rd Saturday of every month from 10 am. to3 pm. Call 635-3985

‘phrase:

groceries decide to spill their guts, remember this protective “Tm buying it for a friend.’’

it has been - you have

Terrace Review — Wednesday, October a1. 1987 Te

“Arthritis month | 3 campaign auiceéds

| Letter “| To the editor; |

-May I once: again - use the pages of your newspaper to thank all the people in this com- munity who supported us during our recent Arthritis Month Campaign.

Arthritis affects one in seven people — that’s:one in four families — in this area. Our goal is to find the causes and cures for this cruel disease while pro- moting the best possible care for arthritis sufferers. With support such as we received from con-

| .cerned people in this communi- ty, Our goal comes even: closer, ‘During our Campaign, dona- | tions may. be sent to The Ar- ‘thritis Society; B.C. and Yukon:

Division, 895 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 1L7. A receipt will be sent promptly.

The Arthritis Society (Terrace |

Block parents month

“TERRACE — October i is Block ‘Parents month in Terrace, and representatives. of the local Block Parents group are arrang- ing meetings with ~ students, parents, and other individuals

“interested in the services provid-

ed by Block Parents. Mall displays: and school

presentations will be used to -help create a greater awareness

of what the Block Parents sign actually means. -. A home with a Block Parents

Sign in the window is a ‘safe

house” for children or even adults who. are in need of assistance, Most often they are used by lost children, or children who are being plagued by bul- lies, but adults in a similar

emergency may also seek help.

Block. Parents’ homes are not to be taken for granted; they.are only to be used in an emergency situation, and not to use the washroom or get a drink.

_ The number of Block Parents in Terrace has grown tO cover the community extensively, and part of the month’s activities in- clude the search for new mém- bers.

Than k You <

to

Branch): extends sincere ‘thanks’ a to all canvassers in the area for

their part in the September cam-

paign for funds. To date “the

door to door campaign has returned $6,200 towards. the Society’s work in the research field,

In closing, may I also thank you and the staff. of. your newspaper for your support in publishing the material we.send you. Everyone with arthritis can

be helped. Thank.you for help-

ing us get that message across!

Danda Humphreys Communications Coordinator, B.C. and Yukon Division

The Arthritis Society

The organization “works: inv

conjunction with the R.C.M: P., and prospective parents screened in order to assure safe- ty.

Fire Report

On Oct. 5 at Sl p.m. the

Terrace Fire Dept. attended a 7 fire on. Mills Avenue. The small .

fire resulted in no damage and

was caused by electrical. Pro-

blems, On Oct: 7 at 10: 29 p. m. “the Terrace Fire Dept. answered a

call to a chimney fire on the cor--

ner of Munroe and Loen. The fire was caused by creosote build-up in the chimney.

On Oct. 10 at 7:58 a.m. a car | fire was attended at Terrace’

Chrysler yard. The fire caused only minor damage and resulted from mechanical difficulties.

A call concerning excessive smoke was answered by local firefighters on Oct. 12 at 1:56 p.m. when a vehicle emitted ex- cessive amounts. of . smoke because .of exhaust system dif- ficulties.

CANADA

_— Terrace Co- -op Assoc. = Cedar River Timber

- Overwaitea Ltd. | ~ = Copperside Stores - . — Bear Lea Farms Totem Ford ~ Skeena Valley Meat

F rom the Terrace 4 H members for

purchasing their animals.

that support the 4-H

Please support the businesses

are

ee

SE AS tee re eee a eer wei a pee

—"

Pets

ae ae “PENS

mate “Can eg8