B16 Terrace Review — Wednesday, March 20, 1991

| Looking back...

he Sande Overpass. There has been planning, talk and
| proposals, but we still have it. This week in 1989, director of
engineering Stew Christensen delivered a proposal on behalf of
the city to a Task Force on regional transportation needs.

_ ‘Chiristensen pointed out the hazards and inadequacies... and the fact
that the Delcan report that preceded the Task Force had described
congested 90-degree turns at both ends of the overpass and given it an

"E’ rating — the'second highest rating for traffic congestion. - .

Christensen then noted that the lack of improvement has not been due
to a lack of local effort. He told the Task Force that a number of ideas
for improving the situation had been offered over the years but, "There
are many plans laying around here that have moss on them." He then
offered one of these moss covered ideas. How about 2 Braun St.
overpass?

A year ago this week, a glimmer of hope. "Ministry gets serious about
new overpass,” the headline read. Five city employees and politicians
tried a little lobbying in Victoria and the results, according to
administrator Bob Hallsor, were excellent. They weren’t offered a new
overpass, though. Just a study. But mayor Jack Talstra was pleased
nonetheless. "I think this is progress," he told the Terrace Review.
"We've never been this far before and I think it shows that they’re
really serious now."

City council was, however, tackling at least one of our in-town traffic
problems in a more direct fashion a year ago this week, The intersection
at Lakelse and Emerson was causing some concern and a proposal had
been made to restrict left hand turns being made by cast-bound traffic.
The Public Works Committee and the RCMP were asked to investigate

the idea.
O ft the streets and into recreation, the city was looking for ideas

to save Fisherman’s Park from a CN lease hike they didn’t

believe they could afford. And one idea, although it seemed a
little far fetched, just might have been the idea they needed. It had to
do with erosion and the fact the Kalum River had actually moved west
since CN right-of-ways were drawn. Maybe... Just maybe, CN didn’t
own Fisherman’s Park at ail.

During that same year, one more fishing lodge had been proposed, this
one near Copperside Estates. And local fishing guides said there were
already more than enough. The Terrace and District Angling Guides
Association therefore asked the regional district to help them in their
lobby for more stringent licensing procedures.

But a year ago this week, the mood was much more optimistic. It had
nothing to do fishing lodges... one way or the other. The optimism came
from a rumour that, come July, sports fishermen would have their long
awaited crack at pinks and sockeye. The authorities, however, said it
wasn’t true —- at least not yet — and this left the rumour hanging.
Along with a few hopes and prayers, there was an air of nagging doubt.

Along with the mood swings of fishermen, there was another issue
where there was no hope... and prayers wouldn’t help. This issue, of
course, was taxes. In 1988 we were promised a healthy hike; not the
fault of local government of course. According to the regional board, as
the province squeezed health and education funding, they were left to
come up with the difference. '

And a year ago this week, the city announced a 10 percent hike on
garbage collection, water and sewer rates that would take effect April
Fools’ day. The reason, we were told, was to raise the maintenance
dollars needed to maintain these services.

The same week, though, we were told of a computer billing error that
had robbed the water and sewer budgets of an undisclosed but
substantial number of dollars. The problem: some residents were being
billed by folio number, not for the number of adjacent lots they owned.
And this meant they were being billed for much less than they owed.

in 1988 that a possible revitalization project was being discussed

for Kalum between Lakelse and Greig. And council was mulling
over a Chamber of Commerce idea to display banners along the eastern
approach to our city.

The following year, the future of Klappan coal hung in limbo and
Mount Layton Hot Springs got approval from the Ministry of Crown
Lands for a scaled-down 51-hectare golf course. The original application
had asked for 153 hectares. And also that year, rumours of cyanide-
laced Chilean fruit caused local produce managers 1o dump hundreds of
pounds of suspect fruit.

And a year ago this week, anothet dumping issue brought threats of
public disclosure. This came as the result of a Ministry of Environment
demand that the city lock the gate at the sanitary landfill overnight, a
move that led to the disposal of afler-hours garbage on private land.
Perhaps, one city alderman said, if the names of violaters were released
o the press the iIlegal-dumping would come to a halt.

And finally, a couple of social issues a year ago this week were cause
‘or major concern —- and solutions might not be easy to come by. The
irst involved women — federal funding cuts threatened the survival of
he Women’s Resource Centre. And the second involved kids... kids
vho were apparently being forced to live on the street.

Project Reconnect was still active, we were told, dealing with a
wumber of kids trying to escape severe family problems. And the
'entecostal Church had offered a proposal that might help. With
ouncil’s approval, they wanted to open a youth drop-in centre In a
hurch-owned house, and a part of that plan included a "safe house",

I n the business community, we heard from alderman Bob Cooper

Finding a good home was a near thing for Sugar,

brought to the Terrace Animal Shleter by an

owner who could no longer care for her. The Stevens family — Bob, Sandy, Sean and Amy —

came through for the homeless dog. Stories from the shelter don't always end this happily.

Tale ends well for dog in need

by Harriett Fjaagesund

Sometimes stories do have happy endings.

This particular story involves a pretty little collie-
cross dog named Sugar. She had a good home and
was well-loved by her owner, but this person was in
extremely straitened circumstances, uanble to feed
or care for her properly. Sugar was taken to the
Terrace Animal Shelter. |

Staff member Marilyn Brown said it was
obviously a very difficult decision for Sugar’s
owner, but there was really little choice. Sugar’s
story could have ended tragically, but she got a
second chance when Sandy Stevens of Terrace

decided to allow her children to adopt a dog from
the shelter.

Brown said the whole thing was really amazing.
"Sugar was obviously unhappy and frightened at
being parted from her owner, yet she and the
Stevens children took to one another immediately,
like they were long-lost friends or something."
Sandy Stevens says Sugar has already become a
part of the family.

And while it won't put food on the table or a roof
over anyone’s head, or even set the world on fire
for its newsworthiness, anyone who has ever been
parted from a loved "friend" knows that a happy
ending like this can offset a lot of bad news.

March 14 | Violet Gellenbeck, Moricetown

March 15

Don Krusel, Prince Rupert

March 16

Randy McDonald, Fort St. John

March 17

John Sarich, Terrace

March 18

John Weatherall, Toronto

March 19 | Les and Lori Erho,

College Heights, Alberta

March 20

Bell Pole Co., Terrace