Podunk Below the Masthead November 2007

A daily look at the BIG TYPE headline of the Podunkian Daily News.

We'll list that day's BIG STORY, the one the Daily puts out in the big type just below it's masthead, for all Podunkians to ponder. There will be a link to this feature on the right hand side of the blog.

On Wednesdays and Friday's you can access all the stories of the Daily News free on their website, on the remaining days you end up at a dead end, asking you to go purchase your paper, for (as Paul Harvey would say) the rest of the story.

November 30--'MINISTER'S CONTAINER FEARS NOT AN ISSUE ON NORTH COAST'--The Federal Defence Minister worries about weak links, while the folks at the Fairview Container Port says all is fine on the north coast. (see story here)

November 29--PET BYLAW TO BE REWORKED BY CITY AFTER RAISING HACKLES--City Council throws the pet bylaw controversy back to its staff for a rework (see story here)

November 28--OWNERS VENT ABOUT CITY’S PROPOSED ANIMAL BYLAW--City residents take three hours to proclaim their outrage at proposed bylaw plans (see story here)

November 27--PRINCE GEORGE EAGER TO TAP INTO PORT'S NEW LINK TO ASIA--Rupertites travel to Prince George to celebrate opening of inland container terminal (see story here)

November 26--NISGA'A PEOPLE CELEBRATE THEIR REJUVENATED CULTURE--A look at last weeks Nisga'a Feast of the Blessing and the traditions of the Nisga'a Nation (see story here)

November 23--'SIGN WOULD DRIVE HOME THE HIGHWAY OF TEARS MESSAGE'--Councillor Joy Thorkelson ponders the progress (or lack of) of some of the implemations of the Highway of Tears symposium (see story here)

November 22--ANGRY COONS SLAMS VICTORIA FOR HIGHWAY OF TEARS EFFORTS--NDP MLA for the North Coast raises questions about the provincial governments handling of the Highway of Tears issue. (see story here)

November 21--NAIKUN FIRMING UP PLANS FOR NORTH COAST WIND FARM--More details on the development plans for wind power on the North coast (see story here)

November 20--PORT BOSSES EXPECTING NEW SHIPPERS TO DOCK HERE SOON--Port authorities are hopeful of new shipping lines calling on Fairview in the near future (see story here)

November 19--TENSION IN BURMA MAY END UP HITTING CLOSER TO HOME--Human rights concerns in Myanmar may see Burmese registered ships no longer welcome at Prince rupert ports (see story here)

November 16--WATSON ISLAND TO BE NEW HUB FOR FORESTRY OPERATION--The idled Pulp Mill site seems destined to be a transportation hub for first nations forestry operations in the Northwest (see story here)

November 15--EDMONTON, CHICAGO BUZZ WITH TALK OF RUPERT'S PORT--The message of Prince Rupert is taken to the Business world of Chicago (see story here)

November 14--PORT LIKELY TO HAVE KEY ROLE EXPORTING GOODS TO CHINA--The recently opened Fairview Terminal may soon see an increase in outgoing shipments to Asia (see story here)

November 13--GLOBAL WARMING IS GIVING ISLANDS THAT SINKING FEELING--The folks on the Charlottes are watching those Global warming waters start to rise (see story here)

November 9--ROTARY'S BIG ANNUAL FUN-RAISER ADDS SPLASH OF GREEN--Details of the upcoming rotary auction and the many community projects that the proceeds provide funding for (see story here)

November 8--NDP DEMANDS AQUACULTURE ACTION, QUESTION LONG DELAY--The opposition wonder whatever happened to that Aquaculture report and its recommendations (see story here)

November 7--EARLY DAYS, BUT PORT ALREADY DELIVERING ON ITS POTENTIAL--So far it's smooth sailing for the operations at the Fairview Container port (see story here)

November 6--MINE FIRM PUTS PLANS FOR BIG NORTHERN PROJECT ON SHELF--Developers of the Kemess North mine site, see the handrwrinting ont he wall and put the project into the inactive file (see story here)

November 5--WIND FARM PROJECTS BREEZE FORWARD, ENGINEER SELECTED--Wind Farm developers proclaim progress on plans (see story here)

November 2--CONTAINER TRAIN LEAVES AMID A WAVE OF PRIDE, EXCITEMENT--The debut of the container service to the American mid west and beyond was the talk of the town this week. (see story here)

November 1--TOP ECONOMIST SEES ONLY GOOD ON HORIZON FOR RUPERT'S PORT --The Fairview Container Terminal offers up a whole new world of opportunity for British Columbia and the Northwest, that according to an economist with Export Development Canada. (see story here)

We'll be right back after this short commercial message Noveber 4

The eighties were a fashion parade of monumental proportions.

It's not the man in the jacket, it's just the jacket!

Standing up for Saku!

The last week has been a rather unsettling one for Saku Koivu, the Montreal Canadiens captain and current whipping post for the more opportunistic of Quebec politicians.

The province is holding hearings across Quebec, seeking out lessons on accommodation with Quebec’s wide Diaspora of residents, a collective that has made the province a veritable study in the cultures of the world.

Those hearings are looking at or for examples of "reasonable accommodation" in Quebec society. However the discussions have at times proven to be controversial and have even been described as toxic, as ancient grievances and raging current concerns have popped up, sending more than a few of the participants to decry the nature of the debate and the image of the province that it is showcasing.

Into all of that political intrigue the name of Saku Koivu has popped up, used by a contributor to the panel as an indication of all that is wrong with the current make up of Quebec society and the ability of outsiders to fit in.

Guy Bertrand, a rather controversial lawyer in Quebec with a penchant for changing sides in a debate more often than a hockey team changes lines (he’s a federalist, he’s a nationalist, independiste, federalist again, and on and on it goes), brought up an incident in Montreal at the start of the season as evidence of a great injustice to Quebec. During the opening ceremonies to the Canadiens new season, Koivu as captain of Les Habitants introduced the players on this year’s edition of the team.

He did this in English; a PR blunder by the Candiens of large proportion, but surely not one that deserves to see the heap of scorn that has greeted Koivu since. If the cackling masses on the issue wanted to blame someone perhaps they should direct their anger at upper management and their lack of foresight on the matter, it seems like an easily remedied problem, one which need not have put their captain at the front of what resembles a frothing mob.

The always excitable Montreal news media have lunged at the issue, spurred on by the grandstanding Bertrand to ask if Koivu should even be the captain of the team. It's an issue that seems to pop up from time to time in Quebec whenever anyone other than a francophone dons the C on the red, white and blue sweater.

In any other city in the league the issue would be a tad ridiculous, especially when you consider the leadership that Koivu has shown not only to his team, but the province over the years.

Battling back from numerous medical problems, including a high profile battle with cancer, he led by example then and later on when he launched a fund raising campaign to bring much medical technology to Montreal.

He has routinely answered any request by the Candiens to appear in public, lend his name and image to better the game and the reputation of the Canadiens. So to be treated with such petulant attitudes is a dis-service to what he has brought to Montreal.

Over the off season, the Habs reportedly were trying to lure Daniel Briere to come home and play for the team that means so much to his home province, Briere instead chose to spend his time in Philadelphia.

Considering the voracious appetite of the press and the politicians in the province, is it any wonder?

Your every move is under scrutiny, your ever step is fodder for the headlines. It’s a wonder that anyone wants to play for the team at all, fabled hockey history is one thing, but over zealous xenophobia is another.

There has been a wide assortment of people associated with the NHL coming to Koivu’s aid over the last few weeks, from Calgary a proud Quebecois lad named Alex Tanguay came to Koivus's defence and the always controversial Don Cherry took the critics to task on his Coach’s corner segment on Saturday.

On any given Saturday night in Canada, there are probably a fair amount of people who feel that Cherry is off his rocker, out to lunch and a few bricks short of load. But on this one blast of bombast, he most likely was preaching to the choir.

Koivu is a class act, something that those that are lining up against him will never come close to achieving. To drag his name through the mud as they have is disgusting and should be something that should be of concern to the team. Critics of the Canadiens approach to their on ice leadership should address those concerns to the head office, not the player who has the utmost respect from his peers in the dressing room.

Not only could it drive him out of the city, like so many before. But free agent signings may decrease rapidly in the future, as the occasionally nasty and ugly side of the hockey and social spotlight in Montreal becomes more and more known. Leaving the Canadiens, Montreal and Quebec as a distant outpost that no one would want to move to.

Something that self serving politicians and lawyers should keep in mind.

The above item first appeared on my HockeyNation blog, for more items about hockey check it out!

Banking errors not in his favour

The President of the World’s biggest bank is president no more.

Charles Prince, the chairman and chief executive of the world's biggest bank, Citigroup tendered his retirement notice on Sunday, after a week which saw the stock in his bank drop almost 7 per cent in value.

Citigroup is just one of the many US financial institutions that have begun to suffer due to the sub prime loans crisis in the United States. Citigroup recently advised its shareholders that the bank has reported a 57% drop in quarterly profits, after losses in the sub-prime mortgage market.

Sunday they also declared that the pain would continue this week as they are facing losses of between $8 billion and $11 billion in previously undisclosed losses due to a decrease in the value of its $55 billion portfolio of sub-prime loans. And if their hedge fund maneuvers don’t work out as planned, it was suggested that there could be even more losses to come. That’s an announcement that surely will perk up the ears of investors anxious for the trading day to start on Monday.

The departure of Prince marks the second time this week that a high profile banking official has been moved along, earlier in the week the head of Merrill Lynch, Stan O'Neal, resigned after his bank reported heavy losses.

Sunday’s developments set the scene for another wild week on Wall Street which has been providing a roller coaster of results over the last number of weeks.

Prince will be replaced at Citigroup by the former Secretary of the US Treasury, Robert Rubin.

The Citigroup story took an added bit of urgency this week, after CIBC World markets analyst Meredith Whitney downgraded the banking group on Wednesday to a sector under performer. The net result of which saw the stock tumble 6.9 percent during midweek trading.

For her astute analysis of the Citigroup troubles, Whitney is said to have received a number of death threats from disgruntled clients. Bringing to mind shades of Jack Nicholson with that famous movie quote of "you can't handle the truth"!

Apparently it would seem that those with stock in the banking group, don’t appreciate any bad news being broadcast before they can sell their own stocks off!

Is it a case of our trees, for somebody else’s jobs?

The issue of raw log exports always a hot button in British Columbia, is once again in the headlines, after this weeks announcement of an increase in the amount of raw logs that will be allowed to be exported from British Columbia.

The province released details (see press release here) on its long awaited Coastal Forestry Plan, which included a decision to allow 35 per cent of the raw logs harvested on the North and Central coasts to be exported without being offered to local buyers, while at the same time they reduced the fees for buyers looking for raw resources from the BC forest lands.

As well as part of the change in direction for the forest industry, the government has included the Queen Charlotte Islands in the plan. The Liberal strategy seems to be one that dictates that expanded exports are necessary in order keep the remaining few jobs associated with harvesting in the region.

Any thoughts of a local value added industry associated with the forest sector seems to have been thrown out the window, while 35 per cent of the trees in our area are now destined to provide jobs in some other community, in some other country.

Over the last number of years, Prince Rupert has seen the decimation of its local forest industry, with the closure of the pulp mill and the dismantling and sale of North Coast Timber. Over 700 direct jobs and who knows how many secondary ones have disappeared, all in a period of time that log exports have been on the increase.

It’s a troublesome aspect of the industry that has caught the attention of the opposition member for the North Coast Gary Coons and the NDP MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, Nathan Cullen, both of whom shared their thoughts on the issue with the Daily News.

The background on the issue and the reaction to it was part of Friday’s newspaper.

Victoria is washing its hands of forestry, says NDP
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, November 02, 2007

Pages one and three

By committing to increased log exports, the provincial Liberals are giving up on the forest industry in the Northwest, according to politicians and union officials representing the region.
Earlier this week, the provincial government announced its long-awaited Coastal Forestry Plan, which included a commitment to continue to allow 35 per cent of raw logs harvested on the North and Central Coasts to be exported without being offered to domestic log buyers, and which expanded this order to include the Queen Charlotte Islands.

They also reduced the fees for raw log exports.

After waiting two years to see the Coastal Forestry Plan, North Coast MLA Gary Coons was angered and disappointed by what he read.

"This action plan falls way short to help out those workers and communities that need it the most. This will not rebuild the manufacturing sector in the Northwest. Nor will it help the people on the Charlottes, particularly in the long-term. Log exports exchange short-term gain for long-term pain," said Coons.

"The expansion of log exports to the Queen Charlottes coupled with the continuation of old-growth logging will lead to the devastation of our vulnerable coastal forests."

Since the Liberals came in to power in 2001, Prince Rupert has seen the closure of the Watson Island Pulp mill, which was sold and has not operated since. The West Fraser specialty sawmill in the industrial park, North Coast Timber, was also sold and since then has been completely dismantled and auctioned off. Together, these facilities provided 700 jobs directly in Prince Rupert.

And last week, West Fraser announced it would be closing its sawmill in Terrace, resulting in the loss of another 80 jobs. The 20 managers at the mill are being moved to other facilities.

The union representing forestry workers from the Terrace sawmill called the expansion of raw log exports a mean-spirited insult "It is mean-spirited to announce that we have to export Crown logs from that area because of a lack of local processing capacity mere days after it was announced the last Central Coast sawmill is closing," said Bob Matters, United Steelworks Wood Council chair.

Steve Hunt, western Canadian director for the United Steelworkers Union, said the province did not consult communities or workers for their input on the Coastal Forestry Plan, so there's no surprise there is not much in it for communities.

"Of course, we always welcome new money for silviculture and research, but the changes to log export policy miss the mark and the other new components are little more than a repackaging of the same ideas we've been hearing for the past few years.

"And while Minister Coleman dithered, dozens of mills closed down and raw log exports have sky-rocketed."

In recent years, a significant portion of forestry tenure in the Northwest has been taken back from large companies and redistributed to First Nations and communities.

In the Coastal Forestry Plan, the Liberals say the expanded exports are necessary to keep the remaining few jobs associated with harvesting in the region.

And in a previous provincial government report on raw log exports, it acknowledged that First Nations and communities entering the forest industry on the North and Central Coasts will need to continue with raw log exports in order for their forestry ventures to be financially feasible.
However, Coons said this sounds like an excuse to allow logs to be shipped to US mills, with very little benefit to B.C., while providing no investment into B.C.'s industry.

"There is nothing in this plan to build First Nations capacity to ensure they get not only harvesting but manufacturing jobs from their forests," said Coons.

"There is nothing in this plan to deal with the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic for the Northwest which only highlights the minister's ignorance on the issue."

Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen, who applauded the provincial Liberals for their involvement in establishing the Great Bear Rainforest initiative to develop environmentally friendly businesses on the coast, added his voice to the chorus of disappointment over the expansion of raw log exports.

"The idea that raw log exports are somehow a good idea is perplexing to me. We have mills shutting down as we have many smaller companies having trouble getting access to wood. We have a provincial government that has made claims they want to eliminate raw log exports and on the other hand they increase them. What do you believe - the words or the actions?" said Cullen.

"Increasing raw log exports is increasing the export of jobs."

Bad news for Cats everywhere...

I'm not sure that the world needs a mightier mouse, but we now have one.

Scientists have announced the development of genetically modified mice, a creation that has astounded them with their talents.

The New Mighty Mouse is one that is faster, eats as much as it wants without getting fat and apparently has a rather healthy appetite for sex. They're on the prowl for romance right up to the very last days of its life.

And it's a longer life that they prowl through, living longer than those slovenly like regular mice and ready to leave behind a legendary line of heirs, as they can breed seemingly at will and long into their final days too.

When they're on the move, they can run six kilometres at 20 metres a minute. A pace that they can keep up for five hours or more, a marathon mouse which all in all must be bad news for cats.
The Times On Line was kind enough to provide a link to a video of their kinetically modified ways. Have pity on the mouse on the right in the video (identified as the drop out), who must wonder why he/she goes to that gym with the (muscle bound types)

We can only guess that this means that we must now secure our supply of cheese and inform the household cat that there's a change a coming. There's a new mouse out there now, one that won't be diving for the mouse hole at the first sign of trouble.

We'll be right back after this short commercial message November 3

When you like a song, you like a song!

Music to clean the pool to and more!

Container Port debut spurs interest and excitement across Northern BC

As the Cosco Antwerp sailed out of the harbour this week, the Fairview Container Port finally became the long planned and anticipated transportation link to the world.

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With a frenzy of activity on the docks with the arrival of the first shipment of goods from Asia, the port quickly loaded those containers onto rail cars and sent them off on their cross continent journey.

Needless to say, the story dominated the week in Prince Rupert and Friday’s paper had two main stories to cover the background on the Port of Prince Rupert’s big week.

From the front page of the Friday Daily News a sense of the excitement that the new direction for the Port and the impact it will have on the region.

CONTAINER TRAIN LEAVES AMID A WAVE OF PRIDE, EXCITEMENT
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Friday, November 02, 2007
Pages one and three

The first containers to arrive in Prince Rupert by way of the Fairview Container Terminal left the city yesterday afternoon, much to the pleasure of all the partners involved.

Representatives from the Port of Prince Rupert, CN Rail, Maher Terminals and COSCO Shipping were all ecstatic to see the double-stacked, 9,000-foot train departing on the first leg of its journey that will end in Memphis, Tennessee.

"When that first container came off the ship, I couldn't help but reflect on the many years of planning, designing and constructing all coming to fruition," said Franz van Riemsdyk, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Maher Terminals.

"It was a pretty special moment. COSCO reps mentioned various times that they feel like they're part of history, and I think they're to be commended for taking the first step in recognizing the gateway that Prince Rupert is."

Maher Terminals President Joseph Curto was also onhand to watch the first shipment of containers leave the city by rail, and was at a loss for words to describe the way he felt during recent days as he watched the project become complete.

"We've been working on this for like three years, and to see the ship come around that corner made me proud and extremely excited," he said. "I think as soon as others see that this option is real and that it works, that the ship can come and the cargo can move, we'll have a lot of other carriers also taking advantage of this option."

Curto said he was reminded of the original visionary Charles Hays, who foresaw the possibilities that Prince Rupert had to offer world trade.

"It goes way back to that vision of a land-sea bridge, and we're seeing half of it here from the Far East to this West Coast, but there's no reason to think the land bridge at some point couldn't continue even further east," he said.

"But we'll have to see how this whole process develops because we're at the very early stages of exploring this gateway."

"With great opportunities come great new things," said Curto.

With the arrival of the first COSCO ship, and departure of the cargo on the first CN train, the question everybody wants to know now is, what shipping companies are going to sign on next?

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"There's a lot of conversations ongoing for sure, and at the right time, we'll be more than happy to announce that," said van Riemsdyk.

"For the moment, they're discussions/negotiations that we have to respect the confidentiality of."

'Extremely exciting day' makes dream a reality
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, November 02, 2007
Pages one and three

Despite some windy weather, the first container ship to dock in Prince Rupert has managed to come and go, marking the beginning of operations at the new terminal.

On Tuesday evening, the 5,400 TEU (20-foot equivalent units) COSCO container vessel ANTWERP sailed into Prince Rupert Harbour and berthed at the new Fairview Container Terminal.

"The significance of the event goes well beyond opening a new chapter for Prince Rupert or even British Columbia," said Dale MacLean, chair of the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA).

"When it touched the shores of North America at the Fairview Container Terminal, the ANTWERP activated the first new transpacific trade corridor to be created on this continent in 100 years. The wave from this ripple effect will travel from Prince Rupert to the mid west and back again."

The containers, filled with a variety of merchandise for large eastern retailers, originated in the Chinese ports of Hong Kong, Yantian, Qingdao, Dalian and Xiamen as well as Yokohama, Japan. This is part of the CKYH Alliance's Pacific Northwest Butterfly South Loop service, of which COSCO is one of four shipping lines, that will see a container ship from a string of nine 5,400 TEU vessels make a weekly call to Prince Rupert.

Maher Terminal crane operators began offloading the first of about 1,100 TEUs from the ANTWERP shortly after midnight. The containers were loaded onto Maher bombcarts, and driven through one of four Canada Border Service Agency's radiation portals before going to the intermodal yard less than 200 metres away for loading onto the rail cars.

In the meantime, Maher's 17 reach stackers were offloading about 600 containers, many filled with paper products, that arrived on the CN train from the east and double stacking them on the terminal to be loaded onto the ANTWERP.

The ANTWERP was scheduled to depart from the Fairview Terminal yesterday.

After calls in Vancouver and Seattle, the ANTWERP will sail back to Hong Kong to complete the butterfly service loop.

The collaboration between the Canadian and United States border services to review manifests before containers are loaded in Asia and to collectively identify containers to be opened and examined in Prince Rupert means CN trains will only be slowed down to pass the rail cars through security scanners at the border before entering the U.S.

"COSCO's vision is clear, it includes strong growth in trade between China and North America and given the facilities developed in Prince Rupert," said Dave Bedwell, executive vice president, COSCO Container Lines. "COSCO will be able to build on the advantages and become a long-term supporter of the gateway in Prince Rupert."

"We were in the enviable position of building, not only this state-of-the-art container terminal, but a high-efficiency express trade corridor virtually from the ground up," said Don Krusel, president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. "The extremely exciting day for us has now arrived to put our new business model to the test and begin to realize the full economic benefits for Prince Rupert and along the northern transportation corridor that we have envisioned."

The event was also recognized in the legislature were Prince George Omineca MLA John Rustad recognized the milestone.

"The arrival of containers from China signals to the world that B.C. now has a new major high-speed, congestion-free container port with enormous potential for growth. This milestone has been a dream of northern B.C., and indeed for the entire province, ever since the railhead for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was created early in the 20th century," said Rustad.

"In my community of Prince George, people are also celebrating. With the recent opening of the new transload inland container port, the first trainloads of containers carrying goods bound for Asia and beyond are already on their way to Prince Rupert."

Podunkian Music Club: November 2007

Our archive of selections for November.

November 24--Lenny Kravitz-American Woman
November 17--The Killers-Tranquilize
November 10--Bryan Adams-Remembrance Day
November 3--Chicago-Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is

Podunkian Music Club

Chicago-Does anybody really know what time it is?





While we wander around our homes tonight setting the clocks back, we take a moment out to commemorate the weekend’s duty with a look back at one of the monster groups of the sixties and seventies.

Chicago complete with the biggest sound in music at the time was a wonderful amalgam of blues, jazz and rock. Formed in the city that provided the band with its name, they came to embody the free form era of FM music of the time.

An experimental time for music where radio station play lists weren’t closed to only the hottest of groups and when record labels didn’t cater to the latest whim or trend.

Originally known as the Chicago Transit Authority, they delivered their first self titled album in 1969. The band would shorten the name to the now legendary Chicago after that first album, reportedly according to musical lore under threat of legal action by the real transit authority of Chicago.

The first effort, proved to be a monster success, making the band the staple of the recently arrived radio music format of Album Rock which was beginning to take over the FM band of North America’s radios.

The Band, with its mix of guitars, drums, horns and vocals proved to be the perfect fit for the new musically pure new way of delivering the songs of a new generation, they were as hip as was the new medium and the two fit together perfectly, highlighting a shift in musical direction that would burst out through the seventies.

Chicago would go on to record multi platinum recordings year after year, making them one of the world’s most successful recording groups. A massive production run would take place over the next three decades as the band recorded a huge volume of music over the years.

One of the most recognizable and complete collections of their early years is the amazing Carnegie Hall recording, a live four disc set which in a way is the first of the box sets that now are so prominent in the music world.

The journey began in 69, with tonight’s Podunkian Music Club selection, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?".
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We provide it tonight as our way of helping you put some background music on, as you get to work getting those clocks turned back!


Artist-Chicago
Recording-Chicago Transit Authority

High interest in higher education

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There were a couple of stories from the Daily News this past week that caught our interest, but time worked against us in delivering. Both involved the college and university level of education in the province.

The first one was about the desire from Northwest Community College to advocate in favor of more funding for aboriginal education initiatives.

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The second one highlighted some of the achievements in research that have been happening at the University of Northern British Columbia and how that has resulted in a high ranking for the university in recently published university ranking lists compiled by the firm InfoSource.

The two stories appeared in Monday and Tuesday’s editions of the Daily News.

COLLEGE SEEKS HELP SUPPORTING ABORIGINAL STUDENTS
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, October 29, 2007
Pages one and three

Northwest Community College would like to see the provincial government provide more funding for aboriginal education initiatives.

Speaking to the province’s Finance Committee hearing in Terrace last month, Diane Ready, the vice-president of finance and administration at Northwest Community College, said the college has established wonderful partnerships aimed at helping prepare First Nations students for the workforce.

However, there are also many challenges.

“NWCC is not like other mainstream colleges in B. C. Our large aboriginal population makes us significantly different and presents us with extraordinary challenges. We are unable to keep up with the student supports and transition needs of our at risk and aboriginal learners,” she said.

“Unlike publicly funded aboriginal institutions NWCC is funded as if it were a mainstream institution. It is not adequately funded to provide the outreach, literacy, transition and student supports required of our aboriginal learners.”

She urged members of the committee to consider a pre-program and service funding model that is on par with other aboriginal institutions in the province.

One of the challenges in fully engaging the aboriginal community is the lack of on-campus housing for aboriginal students.

“The college struggles to maintain, let alone renew, our teaching and learning facilities, given a scarcity of annual capital allowance funds,” said Ready.

“We need support for the construction of on-campus housing for aboriginal students, one of the many barriers to aboriginal learners participating is housing for single parents and families. With the resurgence of the housing market in the Northwest, finding adequate and affordable housing is proving increasingly challenging.”

She also argued the funding should be available, given the economic contribution the college makes to the provincial economy.

Students benefit from higher earnings, thereby expanding the tax base and reducing the tax burden on provincial taxpayers, Ready said.

“When aggregated together, students generate about $8.2 million annually in higher earnings due to their NWCC education,” said Ready.

“As many as 95 percent of students stay in the region initially, after they leave college, and contribute to the local economy.

“The aboriginal population is critical to the revitalized economy and is on a steady rise, while the non-aboriginal population is in significant decline.

“With employment rates in aboriginal communities still in the order of 37 percent to 80 percent, aboriginal people represent an increased portion of the labour force.”

The deadline for submissions to the budget committee was on Friday.

The committee must present its report to the Legislative Assembly by November 15 for consideration.


UNBC GETS TOP GRADES FOR LEADING THE FIELD IN RESEARCH
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Pages one and two

The University of Northern B. C. has received accolades for the amount of research it is undertaking, including its work on the North Coast.

Last week, it was named one of Canada’s top Research Universities of the Year in a national ranking of Canada’s research-intensive universities.

Only universities that place within the top three in their size category have the distinction of being a ‘Research University of the Year’.

UNBC placed third among the 20 small universities.

The ranking is conducted by Research InfoSource and was published in the National Post.

Universities are assessed on a number of criteria related to research funding and research publications.

The 2007 ranking is based on data from the 2005-06 fiscal year.

“The reason for our success is simple: we have the best faculty in the country,” said Don Corzetto, UNBC president.

“They’re connected with numerous industry groups, communities, and government agencies such as Northern Health, to both ensure that the community is part of the research process as well as the dissemination and application of the research results.”

Overall, UNBC has ranked 29th among Canadian universities, placing better than many universities that are much larger and older than UNBC. For example, UNBC placed one point ahead of the University of Regina, which has nearly 13,000 students. UNBC has a little more than 4,000.

In the 2005-06 fiscal year, UNBC attracted nearly $16 million in research funding, a 90 percent increase over the results from the previous year. This large annual increase is due to a number of new developments during 2005-06: research funding for the new National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health, the acquisition of state-of-the-art forestry research equipment to assess fibre quality, the expansion of UNBC’s high-performance computing centre, and the addition of health research equipment.

Work on the North Coast in recent years included research by Dr. Laurie Chan, B. C. Leadership Chair in Aboriginal Environmental Health, on a dietary survey and risk assessment in Kitkatla in order to determine the potential impact of the sunken Queen of the North ferry on shellfish and seaweed.

Dr. Caroline Butler received a Fulbright award in 2006 to study the effects of fishery policies on fishing enterprises and coastal communities.

Most recently, she participated in the fourth annual Steelhead Symposium, which brought together researchers from across North America to Prince Rupert to discuss the impacts of development of a container port at Fairview Terminal.

The expansion of research at UNBC relates to the growth in graduate students at the University. About 14 percent of UNBC students are pursuing Master’s or doctoral degrees and they are vital to the research process.

Is it time for the Mounties to ride off into the sunset?

The recent death of a Polish immigrant at Vancouver airport at the hand of an RCMP taser gun, has added more discussion points for the debate over policing in British Columbia.

With the recent attention drawn to a number of high profile deaths in custody in Northern British Columbia and spiraling gang violence in the Vancouver area, there are a few calls being made for the province of British Columbia to terminate its contract with the RCMP and to set up its own police force.

The latest entry to the debate seems to be centered on policing issues around the Lower Mainland and no definitive plan was offered to change the delivery of police services outside of that area.

BC once provided its own policing services with the British Columbia Provincial Police, but they were disbanded in August of 1950 and merged into the RCMP, the federal force which now handles most of the policing in the province, with the exception of a few cities mostly in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.

The call for a replacement force for the Mounties was made by the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Press provided details on their concerns as well as some reaction to their proposition.

Group says RCMP crisis in B.C. makes it a good time to switch to provincial force
Canadian Press
November 2, 2007

VANCOUVER - Recent events have battered the reputation of the RCMP in British Columbia, calling into question the very core of the operation in the province.

The force's top regional policing officer for the Vancouver area rejects the criticism.

But the head of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association believes the RCMP "crisis" should force politicians to replace the Mounties with a regional force.

The complaints come after two coroners' inquests this year into the RCMP shooting deaths of Kevin St. Arnaud and Ian Bush in the B.C. Interior.

A third inquest is pending into the Vancouver Airport death of a Robert Dziekanski, a Polish immigrant jolted by an RCMP Taser earlier this month.

The idea a regional force could better police the Lower Mainland was levelled after the bodies of six men were found in a Surrey apartment in what appear to be gang-related murders."

There's no question there has been a lot of criticism of the police in the media recently," the RCMP's Lower Mainland district commander Assistant Commissioner Peter German said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "I'm not prepared to accept that is reflective of public opinion,"

Jason Gratl, president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said the public opinion he's hearing is much different."

When you speak to people on the street and even in the boardrooms people are really questioning the lack of political response to this policing crisis," he said.

Gratl said the Mounties' refusal at first to release a bystander's video documenting the death of Dziekanski is an example of the police not being in touch with what the public wants."

I believe the relationship between the RCMP and the citizens of British Columbia has reached a point where the citizens distrust the police and the police distrust the citizens," he said.

German said there are 8,000 RCMP officers working hard for the citizens in the province, 3,000 officers and staff in the Lower Mainland."

The police are not out of control in British Columbia," he said. "In fact there are numerous forms of oversight."

Not only is there public oversight, there's a free media ... but within the legal system there are criminal investigations. Police officers are subject to civil suit."

Gratl said the time is ripe for a B.C. police force."Happily we can afford it at this time," he said. "There's never been a better time to consolidate police management policy and civilian oversight. The Police Act is currently being rewritten."

Gratl said B.C. Solicitor General John Les has to be behind the change."The political question is whether the solicitor general has the guts to withdraw some stature from the RCMP," said Gratl.

Les responded that many jurisdictions in North America consider B.C. to be one of the most integrated policing jurisdictions on the continent."

When people express a desire for a provincial police force, we already have a provincial police force in British Columbia - it's called the RCMP," he said."

I think they do excellent work."On the oversight process, Les said the Mounties are already working on a pilot project to harmonize the provincial and federal complaints process.

Les said he's already seen proof of that because RCMP in B.C. asked the federal complaints office to monitor an investigation into the death involving the police Taser at Vancouver airport right from the start."

They are not brushing off the need for a different model of monitoring complaints."

German said there's no need to make any changes."

Really, integration is working very well in the Lower Mainland in terms of police forces," the Mountie said. "And some would say that the concept of regional policing is almost passe."

He said Lower Mainland communities, with more than two million residents, are comfortable with their local police forces and the current model is working."

The important thing is to then to deal with the high-end crime, the crime that crosses jurisdictions," said German. "

We attempt to deal with that by way of integrated units and speciality squads."Vancouver's gang problem isn't unlike other big cities in Canada, he said, and noted the homicide rate connected to Lower Mainland gangs has dropped this year."

The threat to the average citizen is probably fairly minimal," said German. "

Unfortunately the recent incident in Surrey tells how tragic these shootings can be."

Two of the six men killed in a Surrey apartment were innocent bystanders - one a fireplace serviceman, the other a young resident of another apartment.

Police said that the four other men murdered were connected to gangs and the drug trade.

Tonight you go back in time...

Well the move to stay on a standard time system was lost a long time ago it would seem...




So since we've chosen to tempt the dark side, it's time to remember that tonight, one week later than we are used to, it's time to "Fall back".

It's that time of year to set your clock back one hour before you retire for the night tonight, and miracle of miracle you will be rewarded with an extra hour of sleep.

Too bad we can't bank that extra hour for some time when you just want a nap.

If you're reading this blog from Saskatchewan don't do a thing to your clocks, since 1966 the middle province has chosen to stay on Central Standard Time year round, just to remind the rest of the country that they aren't ready to follow just any old trend.

For those with "too much time" on their hands, here's a bit of history on the clock reversal program courtesy of the CBC website..

We'll be right back after this short commercial message November 2

More sugar makes better bowlers?

Sugar smacks, right up their alley!

You’ll be a Dentist; you have a talent for causing big pain…

A Syracuse New York Dentist could soon be feeling the financial pain, after one of his patients launched legal proceedings after an alleged impromptu dance session in the dental office.

According to the plaintiff, Brandy Fanning, her dentist, Dr. George Trusty was grooving to the vibes of the song Car Wash, when he broke off the drill bit he was using to break up a molar, resulting in the bit to become lodged near her eye.

Judging by the reports from the dental chair, Doctor Trusty's extraction skills seem a tad rusty, as do some of his follow up care theories.

While we can understand enjoying the Car Wash library of songs, surely a more appropriate tune for a dancing dentist could have come from the Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack!


Syracuse, N.Y. dentist sued for dancing while drilling, injuring patient
Published: Friday, November 2, 2007 4:14 PM ET
Canadian Press: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A dentist was dancing to a song on the radio while drilling on a woman's tooth, and she wound up in the hospital when the drill bit snapped off and lodged near her eye, a lawsuit alleges.

Brandy Fanning, 31, said she had to undergo emergency surgery and spent three days in the hospital because of the October 2004 mishap.

The federal lawsuit filed last month against Dr. George Trusty seeks US$600,000 for her medical expenses, pain and suffering.

Trusty, 57, a dentist at Syracuse Community Health Center, declined to comment, as did Dr. Ruben Cowart, the centre’s president and CEO.

Fanning said she went to the centre’s emergency dental clinic after pain in a left molar started getting worse. With a root canal ruled out as an option, Trusty gave her some Novocain and began drilling to break up the tooth before extracting it, she said.

As Trusty drilled, he was "performing rhythmical steps and movements to the song 'Car Wash',"' which was on the radio, according to the lawsuit. Then, Fanning heard a snap.

Trusty tried to use a metal hook to pull the bit out, but that only pushed it farther up, driving it through the sinus and bone near her eye socket, the lawsuit alleged.

After first minimizing the problem, Trusty talked to an oral surgeon to set up an appointment, and then told Fanning she needed to get to an emergency room immediately, according to the lawsuit.

She claimed he had initially told she would likely sneeze the drill bit out, but doctors said later that if she really had sneezed, the drill bit could have blinded her left eye.

Fanning said she sued because Trusty failed on a promise to pay her medical bills. She said she still suffers facial swelling, nerve damage and chronic infections.

The suit is in federal court because the health centre operates under federal law.

As long as they hand out the right maps when it comes time to send the bombers…

They might be getting a little nervous in South America these days; as Vice President Dick Cheney inadvertently named Hugo Chavez as the leader of Peru in a speech today.

Chavez of course is the despot of the day in Venezuela, which just happens to be a few miles up the road and across the continent from Peru.

Chavez of course, has been busy smelling sulfur at the UN and shaking hands with that other international bad boy of the year Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

They are the twin poster boys for all that makes the US administration boil these days, and Cheney took time to express his thoughts on Chavez, as part of a forum called the World Affairs Council in Dallas.

Chuckling that diplomacy was hard, Cheney chose not to follow the advice of Mom, that being, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

From the official White House transcript Vice-President Cheney described his impressions of Hugo during a Question and Answer session with the audience.

We have -- I'm trying to think how to state this diplomatically. (Laughter.) Diplomacy is hard sometimes. (Laughter.) We have refrained from making public pronouncements about Mr. Chavez -- I think for good and legitimate reasons. He's a -- obviously an individual with his own agenda, and he spends a great deal of his time worrying about us and criticizing the United States. My own personal view is that he does not represent the future of Latin America, and the people of Peru* I think deserve better in their leadership. But that's obviously a matter they've got to resolve for themselves.

(the * represents a clarification issued at the end of the statement)

Depending on how you interpret the term “future”, the folks in Peru may wish to keep their eyes on the skies for the next little while. While Mr. Cheney worries about Mr. Chavez's' ability to run Peru, Hugo will be busy polishing up his oratory skills back in Venezuela.

As for the Vice President, perhaps Santa can bring him an atlas this Christmas, it would seem that there is a need for a geographical review in the Vice President's Ceremonial Office.

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Below: The Vice President's grasp of geography from the dais.

Snow Daze in Prince George

An early taste of winter hit the central interior today as Prince George received its first significant amount of snow of the season. Four centimetres were received on Friday with four more on the way for Saturday, not large by any means but enough to cause a bit of chaos on the roads of Prince George.

Judging by the comments on this story from the web pages at Opinion 250, they weren't particularly prepared for the first snow and there seem to be some unresolved civic issues from last snow season to deal with.

This is the time of the year where Podunkians can get a little smug at the snow belt troubles, while we will eventually receive our own blasts of winter, for now it's the liquid deluge that we shall have to deal with.

Fairview terminal opens up a new world of opportunity

Despite a Canadian dollar on the rise, the Northwest pacific gateway of Fairview Terminal stands ready to capitalize on world trade.

In a front page story on Thursday, the Daily News reports on the findings of Peter Hall, the chief economist for Export Development Canada who finds that a lack of container facilities in North America will more than make up for the strong dollar of late. A situation that should help to make the Rupert port a viable and well utilized shipment point.


TOP ECONOMIST SEES ONLY GOOD ON HORIZON FOR RUPERT'S PORT

By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Thursday, November 01, 2007

Pages one and three

The loonie may be rising above the U.S. dollar, but it's not going to crush the prospects of the newly opened Fairview Container Terminal, according to an economist with Economic Development Canada.

Peter Hall, the deputy chief economist for Export Development Canada and author of several articles on the new facility, said the lack of container facilities outweighs the impact of the rising Canadian dollar.

"I don't think it (the high Canadian dollar) will impact it much at all for a couple of reasons. We believe the West Coast of North America is headed for another capacity crunch in terms of port capacity," said Hall.

In 2004, importers sending goods through the West Coast of North America saw a large backlog at ports from Los Angeles to Vancouver right before the Christmas season, causing financial loses for both importers and exporters.

While the investment that was made following the 2004 problems was sufficient to tide it over for another couple of years, Asian shipments to the West Coast have continued to grow since then and Economic Development Canada does not expect that growth to stop.

“The way we expect them to continue growing, even with the global slowdown, we foresee another port capacity crunch on the West Coast by the end of 2009,” said hall. “The bottom line is shipping companies will be looking for outlets like Prince Rupert to help manage their risk on the West Coast.”

The first ship, the COSCO Antwerp, arrived in Prince Rupert Tuesday night and began unloading at Fairview Terminal Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar soared to heights not seen in nearly half a century Monday, briefly rising above US$1.05.

“Should we be worried about the Canadian dollar? Clearly, everybody is worried with the Canadian dollar going over parity and the amount of movement that has happened with the dollar what is going to happen over the next while,” said Hall.

“However, by the end of next year, we expect to see a dollar in the 85 to 90 cents zone, with the way global growth dynamics are going, we expect a slow-down next year that will take some of the heat out of the commodity prices and that is really giving some of our dollar some of its loft,” said hall.

Meanwhile, a shortage of bulk export capacity also means CN stands a good chance of finding ways to fill the backhaul of empty containers to Asia, he said. Using empty containers for bulk commodities is a growing trend.

“Commodities for which China has a great appetite will actually be put in these containers. The industry is trying to find solutions for that right now. It is in its infancy, but I believe that will gain some traction as we go forward. There is a tremendous amount of constraint in terms of dry bulk right now. There aren’t enough ships, and lease rates are going through the roof, so the time is right to look for alternatives and containers are being looked at very seriously,” said Hall.
In addition, the province should also see growth in its exports during the next few years, according to Economic Development Canada.

The value of British Columbia’s provincial exports are expected to increase by 1.7 per cent in 2008 after declines of 2.4 per cent in 2007 and 2.0 per cent in 2006.

“The housing-led economic slowdown in the United States is a major challenge for B. C.’s forestry and wood product manufacturers,” said Stephen Poloz, senior vice-president of corporate affairs and chief economist. “The province’s forestry sector is going to continue to suffer from the U. S. housing recession through 2008. On the plus side, exports to China remain solid, led by exports of pulp, metal ores and machinery and electrical equipment.”

Higher export prices and stronger shipments are forecast to boost coal exports by nearly 22 per cent in 2008, potentially good news for Ridley Terminals.

We'll be right back after this short commercial message November 1

Sometimes you can share too much information in a job interview...

Why a short attention span is better for your job prospects..

And it's on to Chicago....

The first load of containers has left the North coast, followed by express trains scheduled on Thursday and Friday to take the Cosco Antwerp's Prince Rupert bound cargo on to the store shelves of the American economy.

The Prince George website Opinion 250 proclaimed the good news on Wednesday and The Prince George Citizen shared in the excitement Thursday. Both welcoming the debut of container service on the North coast, and examining the impact that the port will have on the region and when Prince George will benefit from the new transportation link to Asia.

For Prince George it's all in the back haul, when the westbound trains come a calling there for a number of products that they hope to sell to the Far East. Prince George economic observers are already suggesting that joint projects between BC and Asia are being considered, hopefully to increase employment and investment options for the Central Interior city.

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They're the kind of initiatives that many in Prince Rupert hope can happen here, projects that can create some employment and industry to go along with the Pacific gateway that has just opened up for business.

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Some background information was presented at the Citizens on line site today.

Container impact ‘so big’, says mayor
(News) Thursday, 01 November 2007, 09:04 PST
MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff

Prince Rupert's ship may have arrived but Prince George will have to wait a while longer before its train comes in.

The Cosco Antwerp, capable of holding up to 2,750 40-foot containers, began unloading at Prince Rupert's new Fairview container terminal on Wednesday.

A CN Rail container train capable of carrying up to 365 containers was there to pick up the load for its 105-hour trip to Chicago. Another two trains slated to depart today and Friday will handle the Antwerp's remaining cargo.

But CN spokeswoman Kelli Svendsen said the impact on Prince George won't be felt until those trains make their trip back to Prince George and stop at the new intermodal terminal.

"It's backhaul. The train doesn't stop in Prince George on the way to Chicago because that's the advantage of the port being in Prince Rupert," Svendsen said. "The advantage of Prince George is that on the way back, the train stops and will be loaded with containers from the area destined for Asia through Prince Rupert."

Svendsen did not have more details on when the first train will stop in Prince George and the kinds of items the containers from this region will carry.

"Currently, we're still discussing with customers around the intermodal and distribution centre," she said.

It's expected those containers will be used to ship pulp and other bulk material at the outset, but Mayor Colin Kinsley predict bigger things to come over the coming years.

"It is so big, I don't think people realize how big it's going to be," Kinsley said. "It can lead to such a diversification in the economy, first being transportation logistics. Specialty grains coming out of the Peace River trucked here and shipped to Asia. More specialized wood products -- some of the pine beetle wood that's been naturally drying out in the forest being cut into cants (large blocks of wood) and put into containers and shipped off to Chinese furniture manufacturers."

Kinsley sees the day when laminated wood products will be manufactured in Prince George for the Asian market, opening up big opportunities in the process.

"Right now, in the middle of the biggest fibre basket in the world, we don't have glue-lam production," he noted. "We don't laminate veneer lumber, we don't have parallel stand lumber, we don't have lignum strand lumber, we don't have any glue-lam. We could go much deeper into structural engineers wood products.

"There's just so much that could be done and the information is out there and the market is growing, so I think we take this challenge of the mountain pine beetle infestation and turn it into an opportunity."

And in answer to China's demands for minerals, Kinsley even sees smelting in the city's future.
"We're shipping concentrate and such literally hundreds of thousands of miles for processing, and that can all be done in this region and put onto trains and sent out to Asia," he said.

Asked about the impact of smelters on the city's air quality, Kinsley said they would use best technology and located properly.

"I've seen incinerators for burning garbage where there's no emissions, I've seen coal-generated electric plants where there's no emissions," he said. "I mean, it's very, very expensive but the technology is there and what I'm saying is if we're right on this incredible trade route and we're in the middle of primary metal extraction and precious metal extraction, why aren't we processing it here?

"I don't mean in downtown Prince George, I don't mean anywhere near the Bowl. There are areas where this can be accommodated and it can be accommodated because we have hydroelectric generation, we have the opportunity for bio-mass electricity generation, we have the water, we have natural gas, we have land.

"And any of that primary metal processing will lead to more manufacturing."

Initiatives Prince George president Gerry Offet said IPG has been talking to a B.C. businessperson and a Chinese forestry company who plan to establish as a joint venture a small mill to resize wood products for shipment to Asia for further processing.

Prince Rupert is home to North America's deepest harbour and is 58 hours closer to Asia than any other container terminal on the west coast.

The community of 15,000 people 720 kilometres west of Prince George has been added to the south loop of the Pacific North West Butterfly service jointly operated by Cosco Container Lines and Hanjin Shipping.

Hanjin is operating five vessels within the service, while Cosco has four. The nine ships can each load 5,500 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units). Modern containers are now 40 feet long.
The Hanjin London is next to dock at Fairview Terminal.

The recently-completed facililty can handle 500,000 TEUs a year and plans are in place to quadruple its size by 2011. The Port of Vancouver can handle 1.5 million TEUs a year.

Elvis really has left the building...

At 81 years of age, the opportunities to be proven right, are probably dwindling.

So with that, Bill Beeny, the 81-year-old owner/operator of The Elvis is Alive Museum has decided to shut down his Heartbreak Hotel and look for a little less conversation and perhaps gain a little Money Honey through the world of eBay.

Beeny is selling the contents of his roadside attraction, with hopes of using the money received to provide child care, senior services, a food pantry and counselling for the addicted.

While he hasn't Lost that lovin' feeling, he has decided that perhaps it's time to let others carry the torch for Elvis.

Offering up perhaps the definitive quote for all followers of the American icon, "but life has its changes. You have to let go."

As Elvis once suggested by way of a Bob Dylan song, Don't think twice, it's all right.

Elvis is Alive Museum closing, contents for auction on EBay
Thu Nov 1, 9:11 PM
By Cheryl Wittenauer, The Associated Press

WRIGHT CITY, Mo. - If Elvis were here today, he might say: "Thank you, thank you very much" for the 17 years an odd Missouri outpost has been making the case the King never died.
But the burden of proof soon will fall on someone else's shoulders.

Bill Beeny, the 81-year-old proprietor of The Elvis is Alive Museum, said he has placed his Elvis Presley memorabilia on EBay in hopes someone else will take up the cause. His collection includes photographs, books, FBI files, replicas of the Cadillac the King drove and of the coffin and gravestone from his 1977 funeral, even a painted Elvis head.

Beeny, a self-described "western Kentucky hillbilly" Baptist minister who wound up in Missouri 50 years ago, is selling the contents of his roadside attraction, a transformed coin-operated laundry about 90 kilometres west of St. Louis that he opened in 1990, to satisfy something else that drives him.

"I have a burden to help people," said Beeny, wearing the long sideburns and slick black hair of an Elvis aficionado.

"Someone else can run, will run, the museum. No one in the whole county is doing the job I intend to do."

Beeny wants to put his energy into serving the needy in rapidly growing Warren County by providing child care, senior services, a food pantry and counselling for the addicted.
Beeney said he'll miss Elvis "but life has its changes. You have to let go."

He hopes someone will buy the collection and open a new museum dedicated to the theory Elvis lives - although the look and feel of Beeny's place could be hard to duplicate.

Outside, a five-metre sign of a rhinestone-belted Elvis holding a microphone dominates an otherwise humdrum small-town landscape. A replica of Elvis's old Cadillac that hasn't been started for years is parked out front.

Inside the small museum, signs in large, bold letters and exclamation points scream out, "FREE MUSEUM," "SEE FUNERAL ROOM,"

"10 REASONS WHY I BELIEVE ELVIS IS ALIVE!" and "DNA PROVES ELVIS IS ALIVE."

Visitors wind their way around a coffin, complete with a mannequin that doesn't look anything like Elvis, hundreds of photographs and yellowed news clippings, and a poster of the famous photo of the late U.S. president Richard Nixon and Presley from 1970.

Visitors can hear what is said to be a tape recording of Presley's voice, supposedly copied from a telephone answering machine six years after the funeral, as well as see piles of documents Beeny said are FBI files proving Presley's involvement with federal authorities.

Beeny, who had been only a nominal fan of Elvis Presley, started to doubt his death when customers at Beeny's former 1950s Cafe in Wright City asked questions that couldn't be answered.

Beeny said he eventually showed tissue samples of Elvis he says he obtained from a Memphis doctor did not match samples he says were taken from the cadaver "purported to be Elvis." Beeny later wrote a book, "Elvis' DNA Proves He's Alive!"

He also claims Presley had good reason to disappear: he's in the federal Witness Protection Program for assistance he provided federal law-enforcement authorities.

David Beckwith, a spokesman for Elvis Presley Enterprises, which manages Graceland, the King's estate and mansion in Memphis, Tenn., said the company has no comment.
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On the Net:
The Elvis is Alive Museum, http://www.theelvisisalivemuseum.com/home.htm

Legion steps up to provide money for Acropolis Manor

10,000 dollars, that’s the amount that the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #27 has donated towards providing furniture for rooms at the currently under construction replacement building for Acropolis Manor.

The facility won’t be completed until the fall of 2008, but there will be a number of extra touches required upon completion, which the community will no doubt wish to participate in.

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The Legion is the first group to make a donation to the Manor, which is still in the process of putting together a fund raising plan to attract more donations from the community for the 61 bed replacement Manor on Summit Avenue.

The Daily News featured further details on the Legion’s contribution and where the North Coast Heath Improvement Society hopes to go from here.

New Acropolis gets boost from Legion
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch #27 has stepped forward with the first donation, $10,000, to help furnish rooms at the replacement for Acropolis Manor.

Dorothy Millington-Jones, legion president, said they made the donation in the spirit of providing good care for local senior citizens.

"We decided to make the donation because there are so many senior citizens in this area," she said.

The funds will be used to provide furnishings in two of the facility's palliative care rooms. These are rooms specifically designed for end-of-life care, making people comfortable until they pass on.

The funds were donated to the North Coast Health Improvement Society on Monday, with representatives from the legion, health improvement society and Northern Health in attendance.

Murray Webster, North Coast Heath Improvement Society, said he hopes this is the first of many donations for the new facility.

"The facility is under construction and won't be completed until next fall," said Webster.

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"However, we will be looking at other opportunities for donations."

While they are not yet ready to announce their fundraising plans, Webster said they are looking at new ways to raise funds for the new facility.

"There's a never-ending list of things," he said.

The new complex care facility will replace the aging Acropolis Manor and replace rooms being provided to residents on the fourth floor of the hospital.

Plans for the new $20 million facility include 61 new replacement residential care beds and 15 new assisted living units, along with a new adult day centre for seniors.

Site preparation for the larger footprint of the building started early this year, wrapping up on time and under budget. Following a public tender process, Northern Health named Yellowridge Construction as the successful contractor for the 18-month project.

A ground-breaking ceremony took place this summer and the facility is expected to open in late 2008.

Education cuts leaving many concerned for local classroom loads

Education once again is on the front burner in the Northwest, with concerns being expressed that recent and potential future cut backs could have serious impacts on local educators and students.

As we discovered on Monday here on the blog, Education Minister Shirley Bond is speaking out about the need for School districts with declining enrollment to take strong measures to make the best with the budgets provided.

While not coming out and advocating directly for school closures, she made it rather clear that the best use of space is needed, considered by some to be a suggestion that consolidation in declining areas is a goal and perhaps may soon be a ministry mandate.

Wednesday's Daily News expanded on the education theme, with comments from local union reps about recent changes to secondary school operating grants. Changes which could see larger classrooms in Prince Rupert's High schools, and layoffs by mid year. The funding reductions and swirling conversations over cutbacks and closures, are seen unbelievable by some, with the school year now under way.

There certainly seems to be a need for a more transparent process in the way all these cutbacks and suggestions of further changes are being handled. As it is it seems that while the Ministry of Education and the teachers union have their positions well in hand, the parents and students seem to have been left on the sidelines.

Once again waiting for the government and the union to perhaps ask for their input, after all they will be the ones impacted the most by changes and deteriorating relations on the education front.

Close the book on education cuts, says union
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Pages one and three

Part-time high school students and staff in Prince Rupert will be negatively affected by recent provincial cuts to the secondary school operating grants, according to Prince Rupert District Teacher's Union President Joanna Larson.

In an e-mail to British Columbia's school district secretary treasurers dated Oct. 18, Minister of Education Shirley Bond announced a cut to grants for 2007-2008 secondary students in Grades 10, 11, and 12 who have less than a full course load.

"A change in funding at this time of the year is unbelievable. We already have 81 secondary classes with more than three students with special needs," said Larson.

"With the possible loss of staff how many more classes will become oversized? How much further does this government plan to cut back services to students, and still have them still have them succeed?"

Prior to the Oct. 18 e-mail, students enrolled in less than eight courses received .5 of the base grant plus .125 of the base grant for every course they took. With this announcement, students who do not take a full course load will only receive .125 for each course taken, meaning they will lose as much as $4,000 per student.

New Democrat education critic David Cubberly urged Minister Bond to rescind the cuts, and on Oct. 24 in the legislature posed the question why a change in school funding was made without notice or consultation.

"Monkeying with funding for the school year in progress disrupts plans, jeopardizes programs, demoralizes educators and may victimize at-risk students taking fewer than eight courses," he said.

Minister Bond responded by pointing out that the education budget is higher than it has ever been in the province.

Bond said that plans made in March to send $4.34 billion in operating funds to school districts will not change.

However, Cubberly was not satisfied that the minister had answered the question as to why the cut was made during a current school year.

"Cutting the base grant for every student and replacing it with a per-course grant will cut funding to schools and districts facing declining enrollment," said Cubberly.

"The minister must be aware that many kids don't take eight courses in high school in a school year for all kinds of reasons.

"For schools with a lot of kids, this is a funding cut, pure and simple."

Just how much this announcement will impact Prince Rupert School District remains to be seen, since there was funding protection previously put in place that would protect local school staff for the rest of the year.

However, Larson says if this previous protection does not cover these recent cuts, School District 52 secondary schools could be facing mid-year layoffs and further overcrowding of high school classrooms.

"[Minister Bond] said every committed dollar is going into education, but these were committed dollars that they are now pulling the plug on retroactively in the middle of the year," said Larson.

"That's a huge problem because it affects the staffing and programs already in place for these students. It further destabilizes public education in the province of B.C."

Adding further concern for the future of School District 52, Minister Bond has also said districts with declining enrollment such as Prince Rupert should brace for school closures in the near future. Student enrollment in Prince Rupert has decreased by 24 per cent since the 2000-01 school year, and across the province of B.C. enrollment has declined by 7,000 students this year.

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"I don't want to speculate on closures, but I can tell you the loss of 7,000 students will have an impact over time. Our primary consideration is making sure resources go into classrooms and not into half-empty building," said Bond. "Those school districts cannot expect to operate with the same configuration."

With files from Canwest