No by TOM NIXON Citizen Staff Reporter John Furlong talks like a modern merchandising executive. He uses the word "deliver" often and talks about packages, programs and public acceptance. Nothing out of the ordinary for a supermarket manager. But Furlong is no such thing. He's Prince George's new recreation director and might be expected to talk a bit more like a sports jock. With a background in international sport, the young Irishman is an athlete but he has a strong talent for public relations and a university degree in recreation management. Furlong, 26, is a native of Dublin, who's played for the Irish national basketball team, coached the women's national team and played team handball, soccer and volleyball internationally, for his homeland. There's little danger of the recreation department here becoming more sport-oriented than it already is, however, because Furlong puts a great emphasis on development of an all-round recreation program. "Sports and fitness groups are very well-organized," he says, "so there's a tendency for them to overpower the cultural-type interests. "The department has to maintain a middle-of-the-road approach and try to cater to all interests. "We have to be fair and watch that the library and arts and crafts get their share, too." The new recreation boss PRISON RELEASE PROGRAM Activators on by JOHN POPE Citizen Staff Reporter Bootleggers, drug pushers and the dependent psychological bonds of prison living are some of the problems facing Lynn Fitzpatrick. As director of the Prince George Activator Centre, Fitzpatrick and his six-member staff must deal with these problems every day helping inmates on work release programs integrate them-. selves back into society. And in doing so they have to walk an emotional tight-rope stretched between a need to have personal relationships with inmates or their friends and the requirements imposed by the correctional system. On a day-to-day level this means they must be humane to "street" people visiting the centre, yet see they don't interfere with the rehabilitation process. Which isn't the easiest thing to do since many street people have personal habits not conducive to maintaining strict rules in the centre prohibiting drugs, alcohol and sexual contact with the opposite sex. "A lot of them don't even know people here," explained Fitzpatrick, "But they visit the centre because they don't have anywhere else to go." "So they come in there smelling bad, with rampant staph infections and both eyes swollen shut because they've been beaten up," said Fitzpatrick. "Yet the kind of person (counsellor) who could kick them out would be too vicious and cold-blooded to work here, so we sometimes have an impossible conflict." And while dealing with problems in the centre, the MARK ANNIVERSARY TORONTO (CP) - Celebrations for the National Ballet of Canada's 25th anniversary will extend over a 10-day period. The actual anniversary date, Nov. 12, marks 25 years to the night when Celia Franca first launched a company of 30 dancers including herself in a mixed program of pas de deux and one-act ballets at Eaton Auditorium in 1951. HE TALKS ABOUT PACKAGE PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE jock talk f rom ci fy s new recreation r ""Citizen Prince George Friday, July 9, 1976 V FURLONG emotional tightrope Activator director Lynn good cooking technique. Activator staff are also required to know where the 25-30 inmates in the program are at all times. Although two correctional officers from the regional correctional centre assist in work-ing with the police and employers when an inmate is on a work" release, the key to the program's success is often the personal relationship that exists between staff and inmates. "Most of the internal controls are personal," said Fitzpatrick. "Like I won't bring booze in because I have a personal committment to the person working." "But when someone knocks on your window with a cardboard box of booze asking what you would like . . . it's just a bit too much." Most inmates are able to adjust to the temptations and only about 18 per cent are sent back to jail before their work release programs have been completed. Fitzpatrick shows inmatei Fitzpatrick says the average length for inmates is three months, although some people have been allowed to stay longer if they pay for their room and board. Some inmates find they need extra time to adjust to life outside prison. And the staff help them with this by teaching them to be self-sufficient, One method for this is in the handling of the food allowance. Although food could be provided cheaply if it was cooked for them, inmates are instead given a $5 food allowance daily so they can budget properly and prepare their own meals in a kitchen at the centre. Since an inmate's pay check CANTIN'S MOVING & STORAGE LTD. 563-0371 Centre all types Leave your car at Fox Glass, and we will deliver you to your shopping area and pick you up when you are finished. Windshield wiper blades installed at no charge, with eacK windshield replacement Only 2 Blocks from the ICBC Claims OPEN ALL DAY SATURDAY Locally Owned and Operated, Glass repairs of MIRRORS PLEXIGLASS - - FRAMES BfGLASS J ,. Boa-qqei Wm- -. seRviCH-iil flfe. P AUTO RESIDENTIAL f "j r says Prince George has better conditions for recreation than most communities and much better policies toward "delivering" recreation than Great Britain. He said, in an Interview, that British and Irish governments favor giant sports complexes where everything is offered under one roof and people have to pay to get in. "Here the emphasis is on proper programmtng where the government pays much of the cost," he said. is sent back to the correctional centre while he is working, an inmate must save money by cooking his own meals if he is to have enough money for other necessities. Inmates in the program are also encouraged to take part in camping, fishing and other outdoor activities planned at the centre. In addition to servicing inmates from the federal and provincial correctional system, the centre also provides short-term housing for federal inmates on day parole and others from the detoxification centre. About 40 per cent of the inmates in the work release You Can't Go Wrong At Schultz Pontiac Buick Ltd. Service Dept. Open Saturdays. 9 Full stock of GM Parts and Accessories. 9 Large Inventory of New Cars and Trucks. Vancouver Cars (used) at Vancouver Prices. Place your order now as to make and model. New Modern Body Shop. Bank Financing or GMAC. All this at ... . Schultz Pontiac Buick ltd Hll Central Dealer License a year at Burns Lake came to Prince George College where he was a math and physical education teacher. He returned to Ireland In 1972 for more study on recreation management. He managed a government sports centre and after getting the experience he was after he was "glad to come back to Canada." "I really didn't think sports centres were the right way to offer recreation," he said. Rather than arrange programs and then sell them to the public, Furlong thinks the program should be the result of public demand. "The community recreation associations should be the leaders telling the department what the community wants. The recreation co-ordinators are doing Inventory Saturday, July We're overstocked on some of our masonry items and . . . there's 60 products on sale so make plans to join us i are ideal for: Incinerators Storage Sheds Flowers Aglow "I think that's a better way." Furlong is full of praise for the city's recreation opportunities. He said the facilities the city has developed are far better than local people appreciate. He also has high praise for the people in the recreation department. "We should be able to deliver a heck of a program," he said. "Everyone in the department is very concerned about delivering recreation for giving people what they want and deciding how to get it to them. "I think the program here has been very effective. The people are highly-qualified and dedicated to the job." John Furlong first came to Canada in 1969 and after program are from the Prince George Correction Centre, with another 35 per cent coming from the federal penitentiary system. 563-0271 No. DI-483 Patios Firelogs Borders director a good job with recreation groups throughout the city." There are 12 community associations in the city which work with department co-ordinators to arrange programs for the various community centres. Some of the groups originated from recreation commissions that served areas like the North Nechako and Vanway before the city was enlarged in 1975. Others, like the Duchess Park group, began later. "I'm very concerned about public relations," Furlong insists. "That's what this is all about. I want people to get to know us, to come in and talk. "One thing Matt Briggs (the former recreation director, now retired) said that I really agree with is How to save onyow fuel oil and soil en joy continuous home comfort SAVE by Immini; your Easy to clean and maintain own wocxl and trash Convenient home comfort Install the only combination furnace burning wood.coal and oil that can pay for itself. ULTRA HEATING LTD. 24 HGS DURING OUR Hour Oil & Gas Burner Service 562-8069 FOB If Clearance Barbecues Planters 10th we have to clear them out on Saturday. These items OCEAN CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES NORTHERN LIMITED 1560 Ogilvie St Phone 562-6661 North Nechako Road 563-1656 that public relations is most important. "I want to open the door to people so we can pr ovide them with what they want, not what we want." He says that although the recreation program here has been effective the increase in the city's population puts a constant pressure on to be even more effective. "You'll always get dissatisfaction and you always feel the need for more facilities but Prince George has its fair share of world-class athletes and it wouldn't have gotten them without facilities and good programs," Furlong says. "We've produced Jim Fowlies (swimming), and Sid McKnights (boxing) and we're going to produce ' many more." Efficient, quiet and trouble-free operation Easy to install Quality built to last Factory guaranteed TO mi