_it was last year,” Steele

SCI shuts mill here next week

LOW PRICES far lumber

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tee

and pulp have driven Skeena Cellulose to tem- porarily shut its Terrace sawmill and part of its Prince Rupert pulp mill.

The sawmill here will shut down for two weeks, from Jan. 22 to Feb. 5.

The pulp mill’s B line will close until at least the end of February, putting 100 employees out of work...

The A line, which is responsible for 75 per cent of production and employs 600, continues to run.

‘Company president Bill Steele said SCI and other producers have been pla- pued by a combination of falling product prices and soaring energy. costs.

“The cost of natural gas is three to four times what

said. .

Low demand from Asia and high inventories have pushed prices for pulp down .from their recent peak of around US $710 to in some. cases below $600, he said, .

. Lumber prices are also dismal, he said, adding they’re at. their lowest point since 1991.

ig Crunch!

Firefighters inspect the damage to this truck that was involved in a collision wilh a van last Thursday at the intersection of Keith Ave. and Kalum St. The driver of the truck (far right) was checked over by

News In Brief

ambulance attendants but released with a minor in- jury to his knuckies. Driver arror on the part of the yan’s operator is blamed for the accident. Neither speed nor alcohol were factors in the crash.

Student losses mounting up

THE COAST MOUNTAINS Schoo! District is losing hundreds of students each year and with no sign of the decline in enrolments abating, administrators.are bracing for a budget crunch next year.

Another 35 students left the district in De-

cember, leaving the overall head count at just: 7,162 students, or 146 fewer students since September. -

The exodus could spell a trend, assistant superintendent Randy Smallbrugge warned board officials Jan. 10.

“There’s been no change in the trend from last year that illustrates we were losing stu- dents in the hundreds,” Smallbrugge said. “It’s a downward slide.” : The district already faces a $485,000 bud-

3 a

get shortfall for the current year because of de- clining enrolments.

Secretary treasurer Marcel Georges said 146 students represents a drop of more than $1 million from next year’s budget.

“The question is, are we going to be on budget? Ase we going to be on surplus or defi- cit?” Georges said.

Lf the declining enrolment trend continues, staff layoffs may be inevitable. :

“We'll have no choice,” he said.

In addition to a potential $1 million gap due to fewer students, the district will also face rising costs for wages, WCB premiums, bene- fits, and heating bills.

The price of natural gas has jumped by 18

_ per cent since October, when a 10 per cent

hike went into effect, doubling the district's already hefty annual heating bill to as much as $650,000, Georges said.

“We planned for an increase, but not that much.” ;

Meanwhile, the district is still waiting for its final 2000-2001 budget. Georges hopes the province will kick in money to assist B.C.’s school districts with rising satural gas bills.

Financial relief may also be available in.

the form of a special grant from the education

ministry for declining enrolment, or even al-.

lowing an incremental drop in the district’s

$54 million annual budget over several years

so the hit doesn’t come all at once, Georges added.

Methanex says ‘no’

METHANEX HAS rejected a provincial offer to help re-open its closed Kitimat methanol plant, —

After months of negotiation involving Meihanex, Pacific Northern Gas, which supplies natural gas to the plant, and the provincial Job Protection Com- missioner, a plan was submitted to the government.

It called for the province to give Methanex $18 million over three years. The province replied with a three-year offer of zero in the first year and $4.5 million in each of ihe second and third years.

That was rejected by Methanex as being insvffi- cient for it lower costs enough to justify re-opening the plant which closed for at least a year last June.

The pravince also made its offer conditional on restarting the plant right away.

Methanex official Brad Boyd said it is open to further talks with the province. “The door is not closed,” he said, adding, “We're planning for success,”

Even if the JPC's rescue plan had been approved by the government, it would still take changes in natural gas and methanol prices to persuade Me- thanex ta restart the Kitimat plant.

With the plant having been “winterized”, Boyd pointed out the earliest the plant could recom- mence operations would be April/May.

And whether it did so wauld “depend on the economics at that point of time”, he said. :

Boyd confirmed Methanex is exposed” at its

_ Kitimat plant when it comes to natural gas prices.

Money orders doctored

TWO ATTEMPTS to circulate forged money or- ders were made at local banks, Jan. 2 and again Jan. 8, say RCMP.

A 27-year-old man and a 19-year-old female have been charged with uttering forged documents and another man is under investigation, said po- lice. The suspects allegedly purchased Canada Post money orders for small denominations and then modified them for a greater amount.

The woman was arrested at a bank while the man fled from another bank and was arrested two days later.

Altempting to pass a doctored document off as. authentic is punishable by up to ten years impri- sonment.

Bus hits moose

SEVEN passengers were hurt when a Greyhound bus struck a moose then hit the ditch Jan. 10.

The bus, heading for Prince Rupert, hit the moose 4O0km west of Terrace. The driver lost con- trol, crossed the oncoming traffic lane and came ta a stop in the ditch next to the eastbound lane. Two of the seven passengers were taken to Mills Mem- orial Hospital and jater released.

No charges are expected to be laid against the driver, say RCMP. Icy road conditions were also partially to blame for the accident.

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“Oh, Mother, won't you reconsider?” Joanne pleaded. "Sell the hause and move into a seniors residence. Youre 91 years old and wheelchair bound. Your friends ara all gone and | live out of town, You fiave no one,” ;

Eleanor almost had apoplexy. “Never! | will die in this house. I’m still able to take core of my beautiful garden. Ill be just fine.”

Bula few weok to garden.

So sha hired Jorden landscaping... ..

Twa jovial workers showad up on her doorstep.

*My name is Ben, My buddys name is Albert. Well take care of oll the gardening.”

“Gentlemen, have some of my lemon sponge cake.” : “Delicious, Mrs. J.”

“No trouble, macam.” ; “And if its not tos much trouble...my doarbell isn’t working, And another thing...” Albert and Ben gladlly did the home repairs. ‘ Eleqnor’s i f of tha burden of maintaining the property, ” Eleanor startad toking better care of herself, Even pulling on a bit of Ipsick, and As she grew more fee _ aver fa running of the house. " “Here are the groceries, Mrs. $. Your Favorite tea.biscults were on speciall” “How do you like my beef stew, Mes, 12" “Lal mma carry you fo the washroom.”

OU BE THE JUDGE A Capitalist with a Shovel

“Maybe you should cash in some bonds in order fo poy our bills.” months later, Eleanor had become to The monthly bill stated only the total amount owed. Eleanor wrote out a check in her shaky hand, without knowing ony of the specific charges.

Eleanor was happier than shed been in years. "You boys are like family. | trust you with my

Eleanor ayed them carefully as they mowed the life." grass, They were good. She knew she could — Four years later, Eleanor died peacefully in relax. her sleep. ;

Joanne put her mother's affairs in order, She lel out a screom. “Four hundred thousand

doliars to take care of my mothers home an “Could | be a terrible bother and ask you to garden for four year? Highway robbery!” repair my leaky faucet?" oe Joanne sued Jordan Lendscaping.

in court, Joanne was still seething, “Your Honour, they teak advantage of an old and trust- ing womon by charging grossly inflated prices. Make them relurn the excess profil of fe was transformed, She was relieved . $140,000." . :

Jordan’ Landscaping defended itsal? vigar- ously. “Your Honor, Mrs. James was indeed old, -

le, Albert and Ben took. perfo gave

Should Jordan Landscaping be forced to return money? YOU! Be Tha Judge. Then, look below for the decision. ;

me . s, :

BY CLAIRE BERNSTEIN

BASED ON ACTUAL COURT CASES

cin

unable.to take care of herself. Thats why we rmed so many extra services for her, We her quolity of life and deserve to be paid.”

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‘a business relationship, Ben and Alber

excessive prices charged were unacceptoble,”

lawyer in tha scenar : the lege! Isstea In the cose

n greatly reduced and simpli

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| BE THE JUDGE - DECISION: “eet $140.0001" Jugs Mendy nied. “The conpany know : your Jonas wos old and frail and that she didn’t wont fo 30 the only people any -

I became advisors ond companions in every aspect

pletely dopendent on them. Therefors, the company had o duly'to-act in Eleanor’s bost interests, not its own. The

Todoy’s cotumn is based on a case from Onieria. IF you hava a similar problem, please contact (sponsor) or anathar ur provines. Te provide compalling entertainment, we have ictionall in the cata. Any resemblance to real people is purely

Cloira Barmipin ts a lawyer ond nationslly syndicated columnist. Copyright 2000 Haika Enlerprises. e239

add left. This was not merely of her life, Sha was com:

ed th , tha characters and jecincldenia. nthe intrest c TSinvand bey,

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