er i ee ies es ei rl

—e — a

Winter woes |

Play me a tune

Teachers want to stay home on. those snowy days when students - are excused/NEWS A8

The ivories of an ancient player. piano could soon be tinkling once again/COMMUNITY B1.

The big five-oh

Terrace athletes bring home 50 medals from Northern B. C. Winter Games /SPORTS C1

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY. 16, 1994

STAFF SHUFFLES needed to beef up the local forest service’s enforcement arm are almost com- plete, says Kalum district man- ager Brian Dowaic.

Last November forests minister

Andrew Petter issued a call for increased monitoring of logging operations and tougher enforce- ment of regulations,

Al the time Petter suggested all this would be achieved through “redeployment” of existing staff,

He said the changes would not

necessarily mean pulling staff off other jobs in areas such as in- ventory and silviculture.

However, that’s just what's happening here.

Downie explained each district had been told to assign staff to focus on enforcement.

He’s done so by taking slafiers working split duties (for example, planning and enforcement) and

switching them to full-time enfor-

cement. ’ However, the reassignment had

been delayed where necessary to allow them to finish projects al- ready started.

Downie said four enforcers are now in place and the district is working on adding two more.

He also pointed out timber and Silviculture staff also has some enforcement powers.

In line with Victoria’s decision (hat environment ministry person- nel also get involved in monitor- ing and enforcing logging stan- dards, Downie said representa-

TERRAC

STAN

tives of the two ministries have met several times,

The purpose of those sessions was to ensure there was no duplication of effort and everyone was working from ihe same set of rules.

“We must avoid confusion,” Donwie emphasized.

As for what the ‘‘new’? palicy will mean to companies in the field, Downie said action taken against offenders will depend on the situation.

DARD :

Forest cops ready to start wor

If there was an imminent en- vironmental risk, “We would take strong action, at a minimum stop whatever was going on.’’

In other cases a company might simply be told what corrective ac- tion was needed and given a deadline to do it

“It will depend on the serious- ness,’* said Downie.

And alihough companies should be in no doubt “we expect stan- dards to be achieved,” Downie

756 | PLUS 5¢ GsT T VOL: 6 NO, 4

said the forest service will also be

fair in the way it handled sitva- tions. - :

The enforcement effort will, for now, be on the basis of existing legislation and conditions: at- tached to current cutting permits.

While anticipating ‘the : Forest Practices Code will add ‘‘new ob- ligations”, Downie explained those regulations are not expected to become law until October or November.

s Nice — and dry

HALLMARK OF a modern sawmill are warm and dry quarters for its workers. That's Skeena Cellulose’s Surgit Gill in an oper- ator’s booth’ where TV screens and com- puters assist him greatly as logs begin eir journey along the way to final pro- duct. The company and its _— parent, Repap, recently un- derwent refinancing that'll add punch to its bottom line. There are two stories on this. Both are on Page A7, our busi- ness page.

MAKING A STAND: Dr. Joe Zucchiatti and his wife Carol say they’ endure the onslaught of rumours, and emerge stronger,

Drug bust rumour hurts

his business and family ©

By JEFF NAGEL

DR. JOE ZUCCHIATTI says he’s got better things to de than deal drugs,

But that’s exactly the rumour the local dentist and his family are now wrestling with,

“It has been really upsetting,’* said Zucchiatil, who decided to make a public statement last week in an effort lo clear his name. Several other focal businessmen have been named in the same rumour,

“*[ thought it was humourous at first”? he said. ‘‘But it’s just be- come ridiculous.’”’

And tt

INSPECTOR LARRY Yeske has heard a few rumours in his 32 years with the RCMP, but this one’s got {o be the mother lode.

And it’s fool’s gold, al that,

According to local gossip, at least four prominent local people ~~ probably more by the time you read this — have been busted for drug dealing.

‘I've not seen anything like this in my years (on the force),”’ says Yeske. “It just won't go away. It keeps growing each

“ week. Every. time you hear. it,

there’s anew nanié atlached,’’ What gives this mumour’ such

He has heard the rumour from every group of people he knows — from patients to friends to fel- low karate compelitors,

“Pve heard it through my

' wife’s circle of friends and my

kids are hearing about it through school,’’ he says. ‘*1 can take it, but for the family it’s un- necessary.”?

And there’s no line-up in the dentist’s walting room.

Zucchiatti's appointment list for last Thursday showed only two patients, with several cancella- tions.

He says the number of patients

force are new tales that the arrests have been publicized In other cities,

People in town say they've been told the arrests have aired on local radio, been reported on a Calgary radio station, broadcast on s Vancouver TV station or published in“ Vancovuer news- paper. All of that is untrue,

Yeske and the RCMP's north- west narcolic investigators say the rumour is completely un- founded,

“Wer have not charged: any businéssmen in Tertace nor are: we actively Investigating the indi-

ag

-is down more than 50 per cent

from January, which was a record-setting month for the prac- tice, despite a nose-dive in ap- pointments in the final week.

“T’ve been going skling,'’ he says. “‘But I'd really rather be working.”

Zucchiatli says he’s fortunate that he’s . financially secure, Otherwise his receptionists and dental hygenists would be laid off by now, .

“If I had to pay debis on my equipment and if I didn’t own my own bullding, ’'d have to send these four people home.”'

just won’t go away

viduals who have been named,’ said Sgt. Al Lindsay of the RCMP Prince Rupert subdivision narcotics squad.

“As far as I know, it’s absolute,

complete rubbish,’* said : Jeff Amdt, the federal prosecutor responsible for. laying drug charges in the norihwest.

Some of the people named in the rumour are “damned mad’ about it, Amdt said,

there will be a legai action ‘com-

“menced as’ a reault of tis,” he

wes

charge at the very least,” “If the. sourée of the rumour ry

“can be found, you’ can be sure

birt up.’ fhe

There’s not much for his staff to ’

do right now, Zucchiattl says, but he has them working on personal

training and skills upgrading pro

grams,

The rumours sting, he says, “But he’s sure business will pick ‘up and he tries to remember that. it could always be worse... ~~:

“T-have a loving’ ‘wile end wonderful children,’’ he saya, “This {s an attack on integrity. And that’s the thing that will pull us through this. Integrity” Just

can’t be questioned.”

Cont'd Page An

Anyone - who. repeat “such re Tumour for the purpose of defam- ©

ing someone risks a: laweult: for. slander, Arndt said,

Yeske says he. would: c even. be prepared to lay criminal: charges if ihe culprits c could be found,

“I'd like to. get my ‘Hands’ on thent (the people who started the rumour), They’d face a nilachiCf

‘*These are good ‘citizens,’ be

added. “Somebody” 4 going to get

their’ ass chewed if they don't

1 i i