Hop off the bus, hop into jail!

The Prince Rupert RCMP North District Drug Section made April Fools Day a memorable one for one local resident. A thirty one year old male had just arrived in Prince Rupert aboard the Greyhound bus when the Mounties stepped in to take custody of a kilogram of cocaine that was allegedly found in his possession.

Charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled substance were laid against the 31 year old resident; his name has not been released due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, as the RCMP look further into the case more arrests could possibly follow.

The available details were released to the public on Monday afternoon.

Police Seize One Kilo of Cocaine

On Sunday April 1st, 2007 members of the Prince Rupert North District Drug Section arrested a 31 year old male as he disembarked from a Greyhound bus that just arrived in Prince Rupert. A search of the individual resulted in the seizure of a kilogram of cocaine.

The Prince Rupert resident was released from custody and a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled substance is pending.

The Prince Rupert RCMP is asking each and every citizen to do their part in ensuring safe communities by reporting any information regarding drug trafficking to their local RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

-30-

Jagdev Uppal, Cst.

Border Integrity Program

45 Charlie Currie Road

Prince Rupert, BC V8J 4B7

Phone: (250) 627-3137

Fax: (250) 627-3163

Email: media.webmaster@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Jib Jab's back with the media in their Bullseye!

It's been a while since the folks at Jib Jab have trotted out a new animation, but just in time for Easter they're back with a brand new evisceration of a sacred cow.

This time around the message is the medium and the medium is the message.

The Jib Jab writers take on the American news machine with their satirical digital bytes, with their presentation "What we call the news".

A fit to be Tied?

Tie Domi can’t seem to avoid controversy in his retirement years. The former NHL enforcer was most recently featured in numerous stories over a less than amicable divorce. A dizzying array of stories that left no rock unturned, no nasty tidbit unreported, as the Domi divorce saga played its way through the Ontario court system.

Now he finds himself cast in the role of Hockey Parent from Hell, as stories start to bubble out of the ever competitive Toronto press, recounting Mr. Domi’s day at the rink and subsequent argument with his son’s hockey coach.

Domi it is alleged exhibited some serious rink rage on Friday night at the end of a minor peewee AAA match, which involved Domi’s 11 year old son. It is reported that Domi was unhappy with the way his son was used in the game and the amount of playing time allotted to him during the pivotal playoff match up.

Instead of respecting the normal 24 hour cooling off period that the Greater Toronto Hockey League recommends, The Toronto Sun, citing a number of eyewitnesses claims that Domi launched into a verbal attack on the head coach of his son’s team. A display that left a few of the other parents speechless, well at least until the Sun answered the phones.

“Several witnesses said that when the game ended Domi confronted his son's coach, Lucas Miller, and launched a tirade filled with profanities in front of young players and fans.” Witnesses are quoted that Domi, “acted like a caged animal” and that Toronto Police were required to bring order back to the arena.

Other witnesses however suggest that the whole thing seems to have been blown out of proportion, which surely is impossible for a place such as Toronto.

That’s the storyline that Domi is taking, in an interview on the CTV Website, he preferred not to discuss the matter, but said it had nothing to do with his son’s playing time. The website item features a story from the CTV National news on the controversy.

Giving this latest bout of parental interference, a much wider platform than most cases would receive! We patiently await the first video of the incident to pop up on YouTube, eventually someone along the wired world will upload their exclusive!

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

Back in service, but not quite on schedule.

The debut of the Northern Adventure took place this past weekend, with the newest addition to the BC Ferry fleet making folks feel right at home by heading out of Port Hardy three hours late on Saturday night.

King Lee delivered a special to The Globe and Mail, published on their website today, detailing his early shipboard experience aboard BC Ferries brand new acquisition.

Lee reported that the cause for the delay was never actually made public, with a rather mysterious “the crew is checking things out” offered up for a reason, which may be something for BC Ferries to look at as far as passenger awareness goes, Not all of the 74 staterooms were available for occupancy on the debut journey, leaving a few folks to check out the comfort of the reclining chairs or spending the delay watching the Canucks Flames game on the LCD screens which have been added to the fleet.

The article ends with the vessel sailing out of Port Hardy at 9pm, whether they made up the three hours as promised only the crew and passengers know for sure.

Replacement for sunken ferry gets off to slow start
KING LEE
Special to The Globe and Mail
Monday, April 2, 2007

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. -- The maiden voyage of the Queen of the North's replacement got off to a bumpy start this weekend. But after departing three hours late, MV Northern Adventure glided through smooth waters from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert.

Northern Adventure, built in Greece in 2002, has spent three years as a charter cruise ship.
It replaces the Queen of the North, which sank in Wright Sound on March 22, 2006, after hitting Gil Island shortly after midnight.

The vessel had travelled about 130 kilometres south from Prince Rupert when the accident occurred. Ninety-nine passengers and crew were rescued, but two passengers are missing and presumed drowned.

One passenger on the replacement vessel didn't realize he was a part of B.C. Ferries history when he drove on board Saturday. "It was neat," Michael Scott said. "It was unexpected."
Mr. Scott said he was impressed with Northern Adventure's amenities. "It looks like it's a converted cruise ship," he said.

After a short ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday with B.C. Tourism Minister Stan Hagen, 144 passengers and 39 vehicles -- the vessel's listed capacity is 600 passengers and 101 vehicles -- got onboard shortly before the scheduled 6 p.m. departure only to learn there would be a three-hour delay.

Mark Stefanson, the ferry corporation's executive director of public affairs, said the holdup was due to the crew checking things out. He did not elaborate.

Captain Trafford Taylor, a B.C. Ferries executive vice-president, said the purchase and renovation of the vessel amounted to about $100-million. It is expected to be reassigned to the Queen Charlotte Islands-Prince Rupert route in 2009 and replaced on the Port Hardy-Prince Rupert run by a new B.C. Ferries vessel, the Northern Expedition.

The delay announcement was accompanied by an offer of free meals for everyone onboard Northern Adventure while still docked at the Bear Cove terminal in Port Hardy and assurance that the three hours would be made up during the scheduled 16-hour journey.

Those in the two lounges with LCD high-definition television sets were able to watch the final period of the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs followed by the game between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

Not all of the 74 staterooms were ready for occupancy on the inaugural run, a situation that did not sit well with Darryn Ludwikowski of Campbell River, who was travelling with two children and was unable to secure one despite booking the trip 10 days earlier. They had to spend the night on some of the 480 reclining chairs or the carpeted floor.

Inside cabins cost $75 while outside cabins were going for $80 a trip. Four luxury cabins at the bow of the Northern Adventure with double beds and televisions were available for $200 a night.

When an announcement was made shortly before 8:30 p.m. that the vessel would get under way "in a few minutes," only one woman in the main TV lounge stood up and raised her arms in a mock cheer.

Shortly after 8:45, the ship's captain, Rory McKonkey, thanked those on board for their patience and suggested everyone cheer for the Canucks, who were down by three goals to the Flames at the time.

At 9 p.m., Northern Adventure inched away from the pier without much reaction from those in the main lounge. The passengers were a little more excited when Vancouver's Brendan Morrison scored later.

Mr. Ludwikowski was taking the inaugural run to visit his father in Prince Rupert.
"I'm impressed," he said when asked for his thoughts on the new ferry.

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

High School gossip and a bad connection can only lead to something bad!

No Drop (dead) zones!

By age one, Mom, Dad or maybe even both, are down two months worth of sleep!

Well, no news here!

From the Monster’s and Critics water cooler talk section, some confirmation and a smidgeon of helpful advice for the sleep deprived parents of babies.

Parents Don’t Sleep Like Babies

LONDON, March 30 (UPI) -- One-third of new parents lose the equivalent of two months of sleep during their baby’s first year, a survey by a British company found.

One in five parents surveyed said they lose more than three hours a night, almost three full nights a week, according to the survey of 500 mothers from Tomy, the nursery products company, The Telegraph reported.

Half of new parents reported arguing with each other over who gets less sleep, while a fifth of respondents said they brag -- often falsely -- about how well their baby sleeps, The Telegraph reported.

Forty-two percent of mothers reported that they responded to their babies` night-time cries within 30 seconds, while 68 percent of mothers said it takes their partners five minutes to respond.

The sleepless nights don`t necessarily end with baby’s first birthday.

Thirty-eight percent of babies were not sleeping through the night by age 1, the survey said.
'Being up with a screaming baby, several times in the night can be a very lonely experience, especially if you’re not getting support,' Joanne Gray of Tomy said in The Telegraph. 'Our message is simple -- you’re not alone.'

Pictures of Podunk: Open when in need of Snow removal

We've decided to haul out the camera once again and try to keep a more reliable video archive alive with some timely pictures of Podunk.

We begin with a shot of something the city might have thought of pulling out of retirement on Wednesday night. The vintage snow plow currently on display at the Park Avenue Campground, last used in Stewart in 1958, it might have come in handy on a snowy night in 2007!

The Gagmeisters of Google

Every year on April 1st, the folks at Google break out of their cubicles and offer up some zany prank to unleash on the wired universe.

The First Google prank came around on April 1, 2000 when the newly arrived Internet Goliath offered up the MentalPlex, a process that would read our minds and seek out information for us.

Over subsequent years the smart alecks at Google suggested that jobs were waiting at a soon to open lunar outpost for the Google empire called the "Copernicus Centre", the only problem with that prank is that it came out at the same time as the announcement that G Mail had arrived, it seems at the time more people figured the lunar jobs story was more believable than the new mail service.

Another famous Google prank was the Google Gulp, which no doubt had 7-11 running to research to find a way to beat back the invasion of silicon soda.

Last year, Google played matchmaker to the computer generation with Google Romance, where the quest for love was just a simple search problem!

This years epic takes the computer geeks of the Silicon Valley back to the days of the ultimate in Fart jokes, with the TISP, the convergence of wireless technology and bodily fluids!

It's so simple, even a network executive can do it!

The Slate website has put together an interesting examination on what fame may come from a TV commercial turned into a TV series.

ad report card
Neanderthal TV
Can the Geico cavemen make it in prime time?
By Seth Stevenson
Posted Monday, March 19, 2007, at 2:17 PM ET


A few weeks ago, word arrived that the Geico cavemen—those Neanderthal chaps who appear in some of the car insurer's television ads—might get their own sitcom on ABC. It's early days, of course. (A spokesman for Geico's ad agency told me they're "exploring possibilities" but that "there's a lot of room between a pilot and a show.") Can the cavemen conquer prime time?

They first entered our consciousness in the autumn of 2004, in an ad that initially appears quite humdrum. "It's so easy to use Geico.com, a caveman could do it," recites a blow-dried actor smiling into the camera. "What?" we hear off-screen. The camera pans, breaking through the fourth wall and revealing that the boom operator on this film shoot is, in fact, a caveman (wearing a backward baseball cap, as all boom operators do). Huffily dropping his boom mic to the floor, he shouts, "Not cool!" and storms off the set.

Nice gag. But it's in the follow-up spot that this concept hit its stride: We see two cavemen being treated to an elegant dinner, at which Geico hopes to make amends for the previous slur. When the waiter asks for orders, the first caveman requests "the roast duck with the mango salsa." The second caveman folds his menu shut. "I don't have much of an appetite, thank you," he hisses, glaring at the squirming Geico apologist.

Two comedic elements here: 1) the lighthearted satire of interest-group pique, 2) Neanderthals as urbane sophisticates. An amusing dual premise, but the elevating genius is completely in the details. (That startling entree choice. The stylish sunglasses perched on the caveman's too-prominent brow. The stone-faced seething of the hunger-striker.)

Geico's ad budget is massive, and it funds multiple campaigns aimed at pretty much anyone who drives (meaning every sector, age 16 and up, of the American populace). Some of Geico's ads feature broad humor, appealing to large swaths of the viewing audience. But the cavemen spots felt a little sharper. Full of offbeat surprises.

When the cavemen reappeared for a second round of ads in 2006, the wry nuances became even more refined. In one dialogue-free spot, we see a caveman riding an airport people-mover. He glides past a Geico billboard with the "So easy a caveman could do it" slogan, and he sighs in disgust. This surface joke is fine. But what I adore here is the sparkling precision of the art direction. The soundtrack is bouncy synth-pop from the little-known indie band Röyksopp. The caveman (en route to or from a vacation) totes a wooden tennis racket in a canvas shoulder bag. The implication of these careful cultural signifiers: The caveman has grasped not just literacy and reason but also the affectations of the modern hipster aesthete. (That knowingly antiquated racket might easily have been stolen from a Wes Anderson set.)

At the campaign's ancillary Web site, CavemensCrib.com (it lets you poke around their apartment), we learn that the cavemen are into (among other things): blogging, Tolstoy, yoga, smoked Hungarian paprikash, and Paddy Chayefsky movies. They have poetry magnets on their fridge … in Esperanto.

The ad folks are clearly having a blast curating the cavemen's highbrow lifestyle. But the joke, unlike the cavemen, is not evolving. We get it: Cavemen are historically portrayed as brutish oafs, not au courant intellectuals. This limited approach is no problem (in fact, it's a plus) in a 30-second ad. But can it sustain multiple episodes of a TV show?

First, let's remind ourselves that super-high-concept sitcoms are nothing new. Third Rock From the Sun = "We're aliens and we can't tell anyone." Small Wonder = "Our daughter is a robot." These shows achieved relative success, so who's to say "We're cultivated cavemen" can't do the same?

There's even precedent for advertising icons succeeding on other platforms. The news stories about the cavemen's pilot all mention Baby Bob—the one-time dot-com spokesbaby who later had his own sitcom (and later still got back into ads). A friend also reminded me that Ernest, Jim Varney's redneck caricature ("KnowhutImean, Vern?") began as a pitchman before landing a kids' TV show (and then a string of hallucinogenically plotted films—see e.g., 1997's Ernest Goes to Africa).

As they compete for their spot on the fall schedule, the cavemen do have a couple of key points in their favor. First, they may have gotten their start as ad icons, but in their ad campaign's story line they actually detest Geico—which makes them slightly less tied to their identity as corporate shills. Second, judging by the stellar quality of the ads and the Web site, there's someone (or someones) with a wonderful comic sensibility behind all this stuff. It's a sensibility I'd be eager to spend more time with.

Of course, the cavemen will need to branch out from their eternally aggrieved-victims shtick. Perhaps they get a new roommate. Some missing-link type from a forgotten evolutionary eddy. He grunts and knuckle-walks and isn't into Rem Koolhaas at all. At first he messes with the cavemen's mojo, and they conspire to kick him out of their apartment. But in the end he teaches them (and us!) an important lesson about patience and understanding. Cue laugh track, roll credits, I'll need 23 more episodes and a Christmas special.

Seth Stevenson is a frequent contributor to Slate.

Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2162149/

We'll be right back after this short commercial message, March 31

Revenge is best served with an ice cold beverage.

Giving as good as you get!

Tea leaves and crystal balls with Jack Layton

When you’re a leader of a national political party, you no doubt need to keep on the positives and see signs of growth in every corner of the country.

But it’s with interest that we read Jack Layton’s thoughts on the recent Quebec election and the harbinger it provides as to what is to come for Democratic socialism in the province.

The ascension of Mario Dumont to the top of the political pile in Quebec is seen by Mr. Layton as a sign that the province is ready for change and it’s a place that he feels his party may be able to step up into.

Which looks pretty darn impressive at first sight, but then you look at the results of last Monday’s election and you kind of wonder how Jack reads election results and polls.

Mario Dumont’s party the Action Democratique, is a centre right party, nowhere in its election campaign did the mind meld with Layton’s view of Canada and Quebec ever take place. In fact, horror of horrors, many suggest that Dumont’s mind set may put him closer to the Conservatives of Stephen Harper than the NDP of Layton.

If anything, the stunning rise of the ADQ is probably more similar to that of the old Union Nationale days, a party that appealed to the middle class, wasn’t too keen on taxation and was decidedly not particularly socialist in philosophy.

In Quebec on Monday, the closest kin to the NDP the Parti Quebecois suffered its worst political defeat since the 1970’s, its long sought after goal of yet another referendum quashed for now and the economic levers to implement socialist policies kept far away from Andre Boisclair’s hands.

Even the Liberals which while not quite cousins to the NDP, suffered a severe spanking at the hands of the voters who delivered a rather nasty verdict on the policies of Jean Charest, who mixes that old Liberal tactic of making sure enough money rolls in just in time for election day, with a bit of a right wing tilt to appeal to the business and middle class.

Even with all of that largess behind Charest barely could hold his own seat and saw his party cling to a thin surplus of votes to hold power in a minority government at Quebec's national assembly. Nowhere in the results of Monday, was there anything that resembled a shift to the left or any desire to claim the ground that Layton seems to think is now ripe for the taking.

Even the Bloc Quebecois which in recent history has been the one key roadblock to potential NDP success in the province is reported to be stumbling in polling numbers, possibly giving leader Gilles Duceppe cause to pack his parachute and try to land in Quebec City as the new leader of the now rebuilding PQ.

It could be that one snippet of sunshine that gives the NDP leader hope, perhaps he thinks that the results show that the sovereigntist block of votes may be set to scatter to the wind. A situation that perhaps, would give his would be candidates in Quebec a chance to collect left leaning voters looking for a new home.

Past history is not on his side, Quebec for the NDP has been nothing but a political graveyard through the years, with candidate after candidate finding little success and the party itself suffering from a particularly low profile, thanks mainly in the old days to the large hold the Liberals once held on the province and more recently to the reach and appeal of the Bloc philosophy.

Whenever Prime Minister Harper is forced to go to the Governor General to call another election, it would for now appear that his party may have the most to gain in Quebec. The Liberal’s received a rather nasty wake up call Monday, left as nothing but a party of the massive ridings of Montreal and Western Quebec suburbs of the Ottawa area in the nation’s capital.

If Quebec has taken a tilt to the centre or even further to the right, as seems to be the indication from the ballots on Monday, then it will be Harper who may benefit the most from the change in dynamic in the province.

Layton is probably correct in his observation that the results were a rejection of the province's two old parties. The people of Quebec were weary of the ancient battles and anxious for a new face, a new voice and new direction, but from all appearances that direction is not going down the same road as the NDP.

While Jack may think that he’s going to be in the thick of the pack whenever the federal election comes around, we suspect that he may be a little further away from a breakthrough than his latest declarations seem to suggest.

"We lost and we don’t know what comes next"

The long process that made up the process of negotiations towards the Lheidli T’enneh treaty vote, ended on Saturday with the treaty being defeated after two weeks of voting in Prince George, Prince Rupert and other northern BC locations.

To the memory of many of those involved in the negotiations, this marks the first time that a negative vote has been handed in regarding treaty negotiations.

The Opinion 250 website had the details of the vote, which turns down the offer of an estimated $13 million and 4,000 hectares of land in addition to rights on fisheries, governance and natural resources.

The developments leave the treaty process in a state of limbo, with all sides now having to consider their options and what course of action is to follow this weekend’s result.

Lheidli T'enneh Treaty Rejected
By 250 News
Saturday, March 31, 2007 11:27 AM

"We lost and we don’t know what comes next". Those are the comments of Rick Krehbiel, on the results of the Lheidli T’enneh treaty vote which took place over the past two weeks.
Krehbiel is the Director of Policy & Research and the lead negotiator on several aspects of this treaty process.

"This is the first treaty to ever be voted down to the best of my understanding" says Krehbiel.

"We now are going to have to sit down and talk to the Province and Canada to see what we can do next. We have spent $6 million dollars trying to negotiate the treaty and now we will have to step back to see where we go from here."

Last fall, Premier Campbell, Federal Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice and other dignitaries were on hand to initial the treaty with Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dominick Frederick.

The voting took place over the past two weeks, and the final count was 123 against, 111 in favour. The Band had set an acceptance threshold of 70%. The voter turnout was a true account says Krehbiel with 234 of the 273 eligible voters casting ballots.

"There has been a great deal of work started on projects. That work is now in limbo" says Krehbiel. Some of that work includes the Master Agreement with the Regional District of Fraser Fort George which was waiting on property tax assessments before proceeding. There was also a great deal of discussion about services, and shared responsibilities with the City of Prince George.

No one knows what the next step will be or when it will be taken.

Krehbiel says the irony comes in the other ballot that was conducted at the same time as the treaty vote "The constitution for the new treaty government passed by a vote of 121 for, and 112 against, but that is meaningless when you have no treaty. We will definitely be sitting down with everyone in the next few days to look over this entire matter."

Peter Quaw, who recently ran (unsuccessfully) for the position of Chief, said at the initial signing that he, along with his supporters would vote against the treaty.

The Treaty would have given given the The Lheidli T’enneh about $13 million and 4,000 hectares of land in addition to rights on fisheries, governance and natural resources.

It’s a day for all the fools

April 1st, it’s the much anticipated day of foolery and pranks. Apparently a few days late for Podunk, as it would appear that this year we celebrated the day of fools last Wednesday afternoon.

Indeed, April Fools Day landing on a Sunday, just seems like such a waste of a good day for pranks. Many people will have barely rolled out of bed by the time the prankster’s deadline of noon has passed, daring anyone to become the fool by pranking after the noon hour.

It’s unfortunate in a way, from radio disc jockeys, to office and class clowns, April 1st is the day that sees almost as much real time research and preparation put into tomfoolery, as a final term paper in University might find.

Short of your priest or minister shocking the congregation witha proclomation that maybe religion isn’t the answer, and then laughingly declaring April Fools, there’s a pretty slim chance that today, you’ll be overly pranked.

Short of the young ones around the house trying to get the best of you in your sleep deprived state, you may find this April Fool’s Day to be a rather quiet one.

So while we try to cook up the ultimate in April Fool’s pranks for a new year, here’s a few of the best pranks in history and a few of the pranks that perhaps didn’t quite meet up to the standard of a good prank.

Trace the course of April Fools Day through history here, and check out this website dedicated to all things Foolish on April 1st, for after all if you’re prepared, perhaps the jokes won’t be on you!

Podunkian Music Club

U2-Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Tonight, we bring to an end our month long celebration of the contributions of the Irish to the world of music, with the grand finale!

Right here on our humble little portal of the Music club, we showcase a band that without a doubt, has become the most successful and most recognizable of bands ever to come from the shores of Eire.

Consisting of Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullin Jr. and Adam Clayton; just four Irish lads who put together a band called U2 and conquered the world. From those early beginnings in 1976, they have become one of the longest lasting and still vital bands in the world of rock.

Politically charged, yet not particularly tied to politics, the songs of U2 over the years have reflected not only Ireland’s struggles and achievements, but have offered a wider vision of the world and given countless millions cause to sit back and think about where the planet has been, where it’s at now and where it may be going in the future.

Music with a message, but delivered with a driving rock beat that is as tight as any act has ever kicked out. They’re a favourite here on the Music Club and have converts world wide to their high tempo fusion of social conscious and rock and roll.

They have offered up a number of sea changes in their music, from the early days of the punk explosion, into the songs that are now the staple of classic rock, through the strange ways of the electronic era and back to the anthemic rock that made them famous along the way, U2 has remained relevant from the very first days that they arrived on North American shores.

Tonight’s selection is perhaps one of their strongest songs, Sunday, Bloody Sunday. It’s a powerful recollection of troubled times in their home country, which when done live as showcased tonight and found from various locations in the world on YouTube, is as powerful a song that you will ever come across. It offers up a hope of pages turning and a new life ahead. The pounding drumbeat from Mullin, tied in with Edge’s driving guitar and Clayton’s bass lines, set the electric background to Bono’s declaration that change must come.

“How long must we sing this song? How long, how long”

It’s a song that demands attention, makes you listen and try to understand where that time and place was and whether hope ever does prevail.

As the band progressed on their way to world domination, many more issues would come to the front of the line, taking Bono and the band from song writers and singers to social activists, led by their never camera shy front man, who has taken the use of celebrity in aid of social justice, to a new level of activism.

All along the way the music remains vital, fully charged and hugely popular. They have become a member of the giants of the rock scene, peers of the great bands of the sixties and seventies that blazed the trail, and surpassing many of those in sales, concert attendance and social impact.

In the parade of the musical saints that March offered up for our Music Festival, no other band or artist has reached the lofty heights that U2 has elevated themselves to.

No artist has had the same impact on not only the music industry but the international community as much as the four lads of Ireland. We celebrate our month of Irish music, with the band that put music made in Ireland, into a whole new category and has brought a world of attention to their musical brothers and sisters across the island.

U2, they belong to Ireland, but are true citizens of the world!

Artist-U2
Recording-War

"This is better than the other theories, because it is the only theory that works"

Credit French Architect Jean-Pierre Houdin with the courage to stick to his theories despite all detractors, his boastful quote listed above, completes some eight years of study into the eternal question of; How did they build the Great Pyramid of Egypt?

Houdin examined the 4,500 year old pyramid over the years, settling on his theory of the use of inner ramps used to move the massive stones into place. Running counter to many others who contend that the massive structure, consisting of some three million stones weighing 2.5 tons each were moved into position using outer ramps.

Houdin's theory of pyramid evolution goes against both main existing theories, and may finally lay to rest the ages long debate over how the Egyptians constructed the gigantic structures.

One ageless myth down, more to come.

Can solving that ageless secret, as to how they get the Caramilk into the Caramilk bar be far behind.

We'll be right back after this short commercial message, March 30

It's still snowing, it's still cold, so we'll keep with the theme.

Now these might get you up that hill!

Province expresses disappointment in cancelled seismic tests for North Coast

The recently cancelled seismic testing scheduled for the Douglas Channel area, has been greeted with surprise and disappointment by the Provincial government. The tests were designed to learn more about how the northwestern part of the continent was formed, but were deep sixed when concerns about whales and marine life were raised.

The decision to cancel has Richard Neufeld, the provinces minister of Mines and Resources scratching his head. The Daily News provided a bit of background on the tests and some detail as to the concerns by the minister over their cancellation.

Minister laments Ottawa’s batholiths decision
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Friday, March 30, 2007

The provincial Minister of Energy and Mines is disappointed with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ decision not to allow seismic testing off the province’s North Coast.

“The federal government has been a bit disappointing,” said Richard Neufeld. “It absolutely astounds me that the federal government allows this on the East Coast, in the gulf of St. Lawrence ... all over the place. They have done the work.

“But when it comes to British Columbia, they are hands off.”

Earlier this month, a study that would have used marine seismic testing in the Douglas Channel to explore how continents are formed was called off because of concerns about the potential impact on whales from loud noises.

Canada’s National Science and Engineering Research Council has withdrawn its application for an environmental assessment of seismic testing to explore how batholiths — large bodies of rock — interact with the pre-existing crust of the continents.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada claimed there is a lack of sufficient and appropriate data to determine whether or not the testing would result in harm to marine creatures, particularly those recently listed under the Species At Risk Act, including orcas, fin whales and humpback whales.

The department said it would take four years to complete its assessments — called recovery potential assessments — on the West Coast, despite the fact that these studies have already been completed by DFO on the East Coast and seismic testing is permitted there.

Neufeld said the study, had it gone ahead, would have been a good opportunity to gather all kinds of information about the North Coast.

“There’s a whole void of information there. It amazes me to be perfectly honest and I am a bit disappointed. When the project was promoted I thought this would be good because we will be able to garner some good science from it finding out what is in that area and what isn’t, all those kind of things,” he said.

Seismic testing uses airguns to emit noises that are then measured to provide two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of the composition of the continent.

The B.C. government is interested in developing many offshore resources such as tidal and wind power as well as offshore oil and gas. Although those involved with the batholiths project explained that science for oil and gas exploration could not have been gleaned form their research, questions have now been raised about any seismic testing that would give government and industry a clearer picture of the resources in the Queen Charlotte Basin.

“We have been trying to work with two different federal governments in moving that file forward, so we can actually start getting some science along the coast,” said Neufeld. “We are doing some of it ourselves through the University of Victoria and University of British Columbia so we can get some of the information we need.”

In 2007, British Columbia in the new BC Energy Plan re-affirmed its commitment to offshore oil and gas exploration and development, its request to Canada to lift the federal moratorium and reiterated that the provincial moratorium will be lifted at the same time.

Northern Health has plans

Expanding care facilities and local support for seniors is high on the spending list for Northern Health, outlined in a recent 2007-08 service plan.

The Daily News examined some of the highlights of the planned expenditures for the next year.

Healthy sum to be spent on the region’s hospitals
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Friday, March 30, 2007

Northern Health will spend an additional $115 million on projects in the region during the next 12 months. Among those on the North Coast are the completion of the new Masset Health Centre, the replacement of Acropolis Manor and the replacement of the CT scan and x-ray room at Prince Rupert Regional Hospital.

“A major focus of our budget and service plan will be to expand care facilities and local support programs for seniors,” said Jeff Burghardt, Northern Health board chair. “We continue to see enhancements in a wide range of areas, which are helping us to better meet the health needs of Northern British Columbians.”

The spending was outlined in the health region’s 2007-08 service plan and budget plan, which was released at a recent board meeting.

Other projects include a new clinical information system, new residential beds at hospitals in Hazelton, Houston and Fort St. James, an expansion at Quesnel’s Dunrovin Park Lodge, completion of the maternity ward at Prince George Regional Hospital, additional residential care beds and assisted living units at Dawson Creek’s Rotary Manor, expansion at Terraceview Lodge, and an addition of residential care beds in Fort St. John.

Along with the hefty list of capital expenditures, Northern Health is also proposing an increased operating budget of $552 million, which must be approved by the Ministry of Health. It includes a 6.1 per cent increase in base funding from the B.C. Government. In the last fiscal year, which ends March 31, the health authority spent $532 million and is expected to have a $3.5 million surplus.

“The surplus from our last fiscal year will become part of our operating capital budget for the 2007/2008 year,” said Burghardt. “This will help us to meet our ambitious capital plan over the next year.”

Around the region, next year’s service plan calls for increases in hospital services, including an additional 28,000 surgical procedures; more seniors care services, including six more residential care beds next year and 83 more by 2008-09 as well as 59 more assisted living units next year and a total of 289 by March 2009; enhancements to mental health like $550,000 in new mental health observation units at a number of hospitals designed to offer more support for people with mental illness; and public health programs such as $180,000 in additional spending for the Tobacco Reduction Program. There will also be an additional 9,435 hours for home care support services.

Again for 2007-08, NH will also operate more acute care beds than mandated by the province.
With 20 per cent more hospital bed capacity than government expectations, the health authority will provide 5,540 beds at hospitals throughout the region. The extra beds are a response to both the poorer health status of people in Northern B.C., and the difficulty in operating some non-hospital services in small communities that would be common in urban areas.

NH has also initiated a community consultation on improving mental health and addictions services around the region. The health authority will begin visiting communities in late May to gather input.

Snowy Daze sends city to digging

The sudden burst of winter did not go un-noticed at the Daily News, which featured two stories and a number of photos on Rupert's days of post winter surprise.

CITY DIGS OUT AFTER GETTING BURIED BY SURPRISE DELUGE
By Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Friday, March 30, 2007

Environment Canada may have other ideas on the subject of snow in Prince Rupert, but for most long-time Rupertites, it was a late-March snowstorm that no one has experienced in a long, long time.

The previous heaviest March snowfall for a single day in Rupert, according to Environment Canada, was 22 centimetres, recorded on March 7, 1995, and even though no official word has been released on the Wed. March 28 total snowfall by Environment Canada (the website currently states that Rupert received 49.5 millimetres of ‘rain’ that day), nearly every local involved with the storm will tell you it sure felt like a record-breaker.

In fact, the heavy wet snow caused numerous problems, from various accidents, transit coming to a halt, and even an overnight power-outage.

“This certainly is unusual,” said Bob Gammer, BC Hydro’s community relations coordinator for Northern B.C.

“Many crew members were working well into the night.”

For Rupert specifically, most of the problems, such as power and cable outages, were fixed by Thursday afternoon. But in Terrace and the outlining areas (including the Nass Valley), 5,000 residents were still without power, and could be continue to be into Saturday.

On the North Coast, coastal villages like Port Simpson and Metlakatla are also expected to be without power until Saturday and landslide and avalanche warnings throughout the area have made it difficult for B.C. Hydro to respond, said Gammer.

Stewart is also currently without power.

The main problem that both B.C. Hydro and the city of Prince Rupert had was getting to all the problem spots, because the snow continued to wreck havoc on the area.

“The heavy wet snow weighed trees down, and brought them down on our power lines, and broke poles as well,” said Gammer. “And the snow slowed down calls.

“Because it’s so widespread, (it’s been difficult) getting around to all the areas impacted.”
There were rumours that B.C. Hydro was short of workers in the area, but the fact is there were so many widespread problems, the workers were spread too thin. More workers have been brought in from Vancouver to help deal with the crisis, however.

As for the city, the municipality also had trouble keeping up with the snow, especially after one of its three ploughs broke down at approximately 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night.

“One plough lost the blade on it, so we had to shut it down,” said Bill Horne, operations field manager for city works. “And then, a chain broke on another plough, and took out a blade at the bottom.”

The repair on the second plough took 90 minutes, and by then, catching up to the chaos was almost impossible.

“Normally, streets like Herman (see related story on page 3), Pigott, and McKay are priorities, but (Wednesday) night, we just couldn’t keep up,” said Horne.

“So we just stuck to the main routes.”

The city kept their mechanics on call all night, however, worried that something else might happen to the remaining plough.

“The toughest part was keeping up with the snow,” said Horne. “It made it rather difficult on the east side.”

Once the power went out in Prince Rupert shortly after midnight, cable followed, but went back into service late Thursday afternoon.

Chad Cunningham, marketing manager for Citywest, agreed it was an early spring crisis that no one in Rupert could have predicted, nor was ready for.

“This is a huge snowfall that caught everyone by surprise,” he said. “We’re asking our customers to be patient, and we’re looking at disaster planning right now, so if there’s another freak snowstorm next year, we’re ready for it.”

Citywest has been busy working with B.C. Hydro to get all customers back online, and while Rupert is back with power, other areas of the North Coast are still without cable, and in some instances, power. Citywest also pointed out that B.C. Hydro’s first concern was safety issues with fallen wires, and once the most dangerous concerns were fixed, they could move on to restoring people’s power and cable.

B.C. Hydro has been working hard at restoring that power, but even they need a break, said Gammer.

“Many of our crew members were working well into the night,” he said. “But regulations state that after working 16 hours, they must have a mandatory rest of eight hours.

“So that’s why we didn’t have that many out this morning.”

Once the snow stopped, the massive clean-up began on Thursday, luckily, under sunny skies.
“This is Prince Rupert,” said Cunningham, summing up his thoughts on the unpredictability of the region’s weather. “Look at it (now), it’s actually quite beautiful. Who would’ve known that (on Wednesday)?”

COLD TRIGGERS HOT DEMAND FOR FIREFIGHTERS
By Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Friday, March 30, 2007

The Prince Rupert fire department lived a month in one day on Wednesday, in response to all the emergency calls that came in due to the unprecedented snowfall.

“It all seems to come in all at once,” said fire chief Ron Miller. “I think we received 12 within half-an-hour. We got multiple calls almost simultaneously. That’s probably the heaviest (snowfall) in such a short period of time in my 30 years (working here).”

Perhaps the hardest to deal with was one from the top of Herman Street, one of the steepest roads in Prince Rupert. An ambulance arrived on the scene to deal with a 911 call, but couldn’t get up the hill.

The fire truck arrived, and made it to the top of the hill, but due to concerns about the road, officials had to resort to plan B to get the patient into the ambulance and off to hospital.

“The ambulance wasn’t able to get to where it needed to go, but happily we joined together and got the job done,” said Miller. “It was our crew members in their private vehicles that helped us out.”

The city also attended as quickly as possible to plough Herman Street in an effort to help both the fire department and the ambulance services.

“There was a fire truck at the top, and an ambulance stuck at the bottom,” said Bill Horn, operations field manager for city works. “We got there as quick as we can.”

But the city was having trouble keeping up with the calls as well after one of their ploughs broke down (see story on pages 1 and 2).

The other problem occurred when the power went out, especially on the east side of town where only the major streets had been cleared.

“Whenever you have power surges or outages happen, you do get a lot of false alarms,” said Miller. “But you have to respond to all of them.”

Keeping on top of every call throughout the night was difficult, but manageable, he said.

“We didn’t run into any delays in any of our calls, but some calls took longer than they normally would (due to the weather or backlog),” said Miller. “All in all we got through it.

School District makes public comments on police investigation and charges

The recent sexual assault charges laid against a Prince Rupert High School teacher have resulted in the School District moving to reassure parents and students that the safety of students, both present and past remains a priority in the city’s schools.

It marked the first comments that the School District 52 had made, since the arrest and subsequent court appearance of Michael Kolesar this week.

The details of their statement were presented in the Friday edition of the Daily News.

Teacher suspended
The Daily News
Friday, March 30, 2007
Page one

Following news reports about the arrest of a teacher at Charles Hays Secondary School, the Prince Rupert School District is assuring parents and students that its priority continues to be the safety of students, past and present.

The school district was told on March 28 about the arrest of Michael Kolesar and that charges were pending, the district said in a press release.

Kolesar, a special needs teacher and athletics coach, has since been charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual exploitation of a person with a disability.

The school district says it is cooperating with the RCMP with regard to the charges and conducting its own investigation into the allegations.

Kolesar is suspended from his duties. Anyone with concerns is asked to contact either the RCMP at 627-0700 or Brian Kangas, the superintendent of schools, at 624-6717.