Page 6 January 1983 Cassiar Courier Erickson Creek Column SS Oe a DY ne by Pat Lewis Beaton What a nice holiday season we had this year! The Erickson children’s Christmas Party, held Dec. 12, was a great success. The party began with a play performed by the Erickson Junior Players Association. The play was written and pro- duced by Cathy Rolfe, wife of Erickson raise min- er Bob Rolfe. Cathy practiced with the children for weeks before the performance. She also hand- painted several excellent backdrops for the var- ious scenes and supervised the children as they wrote a foot high letter to Santa! The cast of char- acters for the play included: Sam Bondesen as the announcer; Shelley Bondesen as Mary and Mrs. Santa; Jason Hebert as Joseph; Chris Anderson, Danny Loughran and Aaron Anderson as the Wise Men; Gail Yee, Kelly Yee and Jenny Beaton as angels; Bernie Archibald as Scrooge (bah, hum- bug!); Danny Loughran, Kevin Loughran and Aaron Anderson as Elves. Bravo to all the young actors and actresses who did such a great job and many thanks to Cathy for all her efforts! Lasha Devine shyly accepts present from Santa. In addition to the play, Mighty Moe the Clown performed for the children. He turned cartwheels into an inner tube full of balloons, danced and sang. There were cartoons, lots of food and, of: course, a visit by Santa. Wonder what Cathy Rolfe is asking for? Other recent events at Erickson included a visit to the mine site by Erickson Gold Mining Corp. president, David Ross. David brought with him a big gingerbread house for the children’s Christmas. It survived the flight up here beautifully (thanks to special treatment by CP Air) and it graced the Kitchen’s holiday table. It is always a pleasure having a visit from David. He has played a major role in the development of Erickson and is always full of stories about the times when he and son Kristian were staking this claim. Congratulations this month to Ray and Geor- gina Morrissey on the birth of their first child, Crystal Rae, born October 21 in Chilliwack. HAPPY NEW YEAR 1983! MAY IT BE A GOOD ONE FOR YOU The Government Keeps Taking More and More.... The Federal government recently announced that, beginning in 1984, subsidies on housing and travel enjoyed by many northern residents, will be tax- ed. This tax will be phased in over four years. 25 per cent of the value of northern benefits will be counted as income in 1984, 50 per cent in 1985, 75 per cent in 1986 and 100 per cent in 1987. In addition, beginning January 1, 1983, employee contributions to unemployment insurance will increase an average of 53% and employee con- tributions to the Canada Pension Plan will go up approximately $32 per year. FOI IK ‘TOTHE — ENe oN DITOR STAR GAZER REPLIES Thank you, Mr. Jacobson, for your response to ‘Star Gazing’ and it is with hope that the following reply will have some informative value. The practice of astrology is a mathematical study of the position of the sun, moon and planets in relation to one another, creating what are termed as ‘aspects’ to form an adequate study of an individual's birth (or natal) chart. All aspects have to be taken into consideration. According to my research, (the World Almanac), Michel Gauquellin’s profession was that of psychologist, not an astrologer, and as such was only concerned with the malific aspects of Saturn and Mars in relation to the natal, (or birth chart) sun, drawing conclusions (using probability theory) to a death factor of his subjects. The first problem that arises from this area of his study is a lack of knowledge that ‘death’ cannot be inter- preted mathematically into a birth chart. The reason that this cannot be done is that a birth chart and motion of the planets are circular and never ending. Through interpret- ation, a subject does not die but transcends. The problem here is that we as humans are continually transcending, evolving through our troubles and errors to a point of being able to cope with such difficulties. This is usually accomplished with the aid of what are termed ‘benefic’ aspects. Gauquellin’s was also interested in certain benefic aspects, but they were only Jupiter’s aspects in relation to successful subjects. Again he used. probability theory. Not only has Gauquellin’s research come under scru- tiny by students of astrology, but has also come under a great deal of scrutiny by the scientific community in fact he has been accused of trumping up his statistical odds by employing binomial probability, which requires one of only two possible outcomes. So, Mr. Jocobson, taking these factors into consider- \ ation Gauquellin’s research should be considered as ex- tremely questionable as a foundation to repudiate or con- test the validity of astrology. ; | would also like to note that astrology, with its many variables does not lend itself well to the controls of sci- ence as we know it today although some astrological stud- ents substantiate their study. through the field of cosmo- biology. They cite, for instance, the direct effect of the moon on tides and sealife such as oysters or the corre- spondence between atmospheric magnetic disturbance, solar flares, and conjunctions and aspects of the major planets. In closing I’d like to draw attention to the fact that the validity, or lack thereof, has been pursued for centur- ies and there hasn't been any substantial proof to override either side of the argument. Whenever an individual re- searches this subject he or she usually has a predetermined bias at the origin of his research and therefore gathers sta- tistics to validate his point of view in much the same man-- ner as the bias found within both your and my views. Re- search by one side or the other corroborates nothing more- than the information being sought. Kk KKK Ikk Tom May Smiles to everyone who helped dress up the Town for Christmas with all the bright lights. Gassiar Liors by Ted Krawczyk The Lions and Lionesses held a combined meeting on Tues., Dec 14th. Special guests were District Governor Ray Stuck and wife Lioness Loretta Stuck from Alaska, and Zone Chairman Harry McLachlan from Whitehorse. Both Lions and Lionesses were brought up to” date on future forums and conventions. Our Dist- trict Governor Ray presented Lion Derek Walker with the rare “100% Secretary Award”. A tremen- dous achievement for Lion Derek and Cassiar Lions Club. The Lions presented Governor Ray vith a handsome desk set of B.C.Jade, made by Lion Norm Cosnett. Then the Lionesses presented Lioness Loretta with two B.C.Coal carvings, who in turn presented the Cassiar Lionesses with her club’s latest pin. After the meeting adjourned we enjoyed a social evening with old friends for many of us had known our guests for some years from previous conventions. We look forward to seeing them again soon. From left to right - D.D.G. Lion Richard Rud- . kowski, Dist. Gov. Lion Ray Stuck, Lion Pres. Tim Walters and Zone Chairman Lion Harry McLachlan. j TOWN COUNCIL NEWS by Dave Brocklebank The ““Best Decorated Premises’? were judged on Sat., Dec. 11th by members of the Town Coun- cil. Congratulations to Woody and Pauline Wood- row, who won the $100.00 prize for their efforts. Honorable mention goes out to Mr. & Mrs. F. Osorio and Mr. & Mrs. G. Pearson for their fine displays, too. The judges really had a hard time picking the winner. At this time of unfortunate bad luck for Cassiar Resources and many of the residents of Cassiar and area, there is another form of bad luck that rears its ugly head - ‘break and enter’ and ‘vandalism’. The Town Council would like to-ask all peo- ple staying in town to keep an extra keen eye out for anything suspicious. Generally we all know when a neighbour is out of town - whether you live in the bunkhouse or in the townsite. If you have any suspicions - phone the RCMP or if no answer - call Security. The Town Council will be contacting the RCMP to try and set up a Neighborhood Watch and possibly Block Mothers here in Cassiar. If it does come to pass, it would be to everyones ad- vantage if as many people as possible become involved. The Town Council has recommended a dona- tion to help make up the short-fall in funds raised by Cassiar students and the C.C.C. for the instal- lation of backboards for the full size basketball court in the Rec Centre. With the upcoming Cassiar games and Cassiar’s possible involvement in the Yukon Games it was felt a useful project. Town Council hopes you have a Happy and Prosperous New Year - just make it a safe one! Cassiar Courier January 1983 Page 7 In and Around S.D.87........ HIGHIN GH SIO Fs 9'8'2 SCHOOL BOARD In November 1981 the first school board was elected for School District 87. (Stikine). The Board met regularly during 1981-82 with meetings in all centres except Lower Post and Good Hope Lake. One meeting was abandoned when unfavourable weather and trustee illness prevented achieving a quorum. In general the public in each centre has attended the open sessions well and the board has been able to maintain an open stance in terms of com- munication and reaction to public input. Elections were held in November 1982 for Cassiar, Good Hope Lake, Dease Lake and Lower Post. Bill Wood, Burgess Longson and Dave Pewsey were re-elected for two years and Peter Stone was elected for Lower Post. The Board’s main tasks are:- — to make policies — to plan for the future — to establish priorities and budget accordingly —to communicate with the community: on educational matters. Policy making is probably the most important of these tasks. Policy. development and amendment is an ongoing activity which follows an outlined procedure, in- cluding consultation with individuals and organizations deemed to have vested interest in the policy being address- ed. During this past year policy development in the Stik- ine has included such topics as: Statement of Philosophy and Educational Goals Public Participation at Board Meetings Management by Objectives Transportation and Boarding Allowance Assignment of Teachers Placement of Students outside of School District 87 Controversial Learning Resources Parent Advisory Committees (Draft) Community use of School Facilities ee ares nie PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE _ This year planning for the present and the future has meant a fairly rigid paring-down of the district’s operating budget - a reduction of $122,310 in March and a further reduction of $82,984 in October. In these budget reduc- tion exercises the trustees were adamant that they wanted to give the highest priority to protecting expenditures for direct instruction in the classroom. This priority was achieved. STUDENT ENROLMENT Student enrolment totalled 620 on September 30th of this year. This figure represents a student population growth of (620-573) 47 over the previous year - a percent- age growth of 8.2%. FACILITIES Two major projects were completed during 1981-82. These were the construction of the new schools at Atlin and Cassiar. Atlin was ready for occupancy at the start of the 1982-83 school year and Cassiar was ready for oc- cupancy November 26th. The 1982 Capital Expenditures Program provided funding for the construction of an Administration -Main- tenance Complex. The building, being ‘designed ‘by Killick, Metz, Bowen and Rose will hopefully be complet- ed by June 30th 1983. The major project listed for 1983 is the construction of a modular type school at Dease Lake. Officials from the Facilities Division (Ministry of Education) have: al- ready visited Dease Lake in connection with this project. SCHOOL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION In the 1981-82 school year Cassiar Secondary com- © pleted its accreditation program. The accreditation team has evaluated the assessment and awarded a four year (with a possible extension to five years) accreditation. The district administration team has initiated the essential fol-_ low-up. Atlin Elementary Junior Secondary completed its self-assessment in 1981-82 and three phases of that assess- ment are complete or underway. During the current year Good Hope Lake and Dease Lake will complete the first two phases - self assessment and external evaluation- of their assessments. MICROCOMPUTORS All elementary and junior secondary schools have computers and have embarked on ‘a staff familiarization computer literacy program, The program has been receiv- ed enthusiastically by students and teachers alike and ex- tensions to the program are under consideration. Cassiar Secondary School has. developed Computor Science Courses at the Grade 9, 10, and 12 levels. CHOICES Choices is a computer assisted component of the sec- ondary school guidance program. A wide variety of in- formation pertaining to many careers is made available to students through this specific computer program, This in- formation will help students make decisions about careers choices and about post-secondary. education directions necessary for given vocations. District 87 (Stikine) has opted for a Choices component for its Apple 11 micro- computers. This option will be available to all secondary students in the Stikine in their Grade 10, 11 and 12 years. KINDERGARTEN To standardize Kindergarten instruction in the Stik- -ine, the district has introduced the Santa Clara Inventory of Developmental Tasks. * The program has two major components: 1. The observation guide which provides guidelines for assessing children’s developmental skills and 2. The instructional activities which are found in both a manual and on cards. The use of the Santa Clara means early identification of potential learning problems and systematic instruction to correct the problem. THE FUTURE There is no doubt that the slowdown in population growth and the current economic times will affect educat- _ion, and it is likely that educators will have to think in terms of reducing expenditures, staff, and instructional programs. A demand fOr thrift has Becorie ponarant among school boards. The general need for conservation of re- sources has gained acceptability as a high priority aim. What is happening in most industries and with food and other natural resources may soon characterize schooling. We are going to have to think of trimming......... if school districts are to survive. § ECOLLEGE CORNER NORTHERN LIGHTS COLLEGE RECEIVES MEX CELLENT PROVINCIAL RATING The Ministry of Education, Post-Secondary Division, recently released its financial comparison of all colleges and institutes in the province. Chairman of the Board, Charlie Lasser, indicated that he was pleased to an- nounce that Northern Lights was one of only four in- stitutions in B.C. to receive the “excellent’’ rating. The analysis compared unit costs of instruction over the past two years. Of the nineteen institutions reported on, seven received a poor to very poor rating of their finan- cial trends. Chairman Lasser indicated that the only other in- stitutions to receive the excellent rating were Camosun, SOME REASONS WHY OUR KIDS LIKE THE MICRO-COMPUTER The mini-computer: gives them a sense of control and feeling of power — allows active learning — demands interaction — makes the user the decision maker — allows the user to stop and start in the learning task when ready and motivated — gives immediate feedback — provides risk-free simulations — provides a sense of mastery — is friendly, patient and never gives a detention THE 1983—84 CAPITAL EXPENDITURES PROGRAM Major items in the Stikine’s proposed Capital Ex- penditure Program are 1. Dease Lake (K—10) School 2. Cassiar Secondary (8—12) School 3. Purchase of two teacherages (Dease Lake and Telegraph Creek) 4. Micro-computer hardware/software for adminis- trative use 5. District Resource Centre equipment 6. Grounds development, district-wide proposal The total C.E.P. proposal was presented to the Ministry by the District's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Owen Corcoran, on December 15. The proposal is then integrated into the total provincial request for funding and priorized by Facilities Division of the Ministry of Education: Final decision on the above items will be made by the Ministry in late March/early April 1983. YOUR SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Do you really know what he does? What he is? These words from the acceptance speech of a principal who was’ recently elected as President of an Association of School Principals may add new horizons to your image. “Probably no other profession requires that a per- son skillfully assume the many roles which a school principal must assume daily, oftentimes within the hour. The principal is an instructional leader, he must be a counselor, he must be a disiplinarian, he "must be a diplomat, he must be @ politician, he must bea fiscal manager, he must be a legal expert, he must be an environmental engineer, he must be a mechanical, plumbing and electrical expert, he must be a nutritional expert, he must be a health and safe~ ty expert, he must be a mass transit director, he must be an evaluator, he must be a public relations expert, etc... In discharging these roles he must never compromise his personal integrity. These roles must be effectively discharged to enhance the educ- ational environment of his students...”” New Caledonia and the David Thompson University Centre. Mr. Lasser said the Board and the administration has expended a great deal of effort over the past two years to bring college expenditures into the context of Canada wide restraint. Chief Executive Officer, Jim Kassen, praised the ef- forts of all of the staff indicating that many had “walked that extra mile’’ to adjust to limited expenditures. Peo- ple came up with very creative solutions to problems, he said, so that high quality instruction could continue. Chairman Lasser indicated that difficult financial times are not yet over, but he is confident that the quality of the colleges can survive if everyone continues pulling together. Ted. Byng, Dean of Administration and financial advisor to the Board, said that the College is working on the basis of a two year plan rather than only for the cur- rent fiscal year. He indicated that it was the only way that large scale lay-offs could be prevented next year at the College. ' © 000000000 0000000000 0000000000 0000 C0000e Gingerbread Course One of the many courses offered through Northern Lights College was “How to make Gingerbread’. Hilde Voss was our instructor and gave us her fool-proof recipe. Baking and decorating a Gingerbread house, Santa & Rein- deer, Christmas tree or stocking is quite an art. The class that attended spent two very enjoyable evenings learning the tricks of the trade. Pictured on the right is Hilde, decorating,the roof of a Gingerbread house she baked during the class. If you're interested in taking any courses in the new year, contact Ellen Corcoran at 778-7638, she is the Northern Lights College Program Co-ordinator. __