The choice of Yellowknife for the so-called federal government's Smart Communities program is a bit of a coup for the organizers.

The city stands to get $5 million in matching funds to construct high tech communications centers in town servicing education, city, and business needs.

The key word attached to the funding is "matching", which means money has to be raised in the community before an equal amount comes from the federal government.

Technology is a wonderful thing and can create major efficiencies in time, money and access to information but it can also be a black hole that sucks in huge amounts of money for visionary projects that give little return.

The Yellowknife Smart Communities Society is headed up by Deputy-Mayor Ben McDonald and he seems to have sold Mayor Dave Lovell and the city on the project.

In May, City Treasurer Glen Jarbeau indicated the city will commit $300,000 spread over three years to the project.

It will be up to council to actually spend the money and we hope they look past the digital sizzle of the Smart Communities vision and look for the practical benefits for Yellowknifers.

The business partners in the project will certainly be doing the same.

The most difficult part about using new technology is not understanding computer language or the latest hardware and software, it's matching it all up to people's needs and skill levels.

If the Smart Community planners can design a practical, user friendly, adaptable and timely system, the project will live up to its name.

We sympathize with Yk Cab owner John Dalton, whose vehicle was vandalized by a group of youths partying on Vee Lake road over Victoria Day long weekend.

Dalton says he was shocked when a mob of about 50 intoxicated teenagers surrounded his van as they tried to grab the young fare he had gone to pick up late Sunday night from a bush party.

Damages to Dalton's van included a cracked windshield, broken tail lights, scrapes and dents along the sides of the vehicle and a smashed rear window, caused by a beer bottle hurled at the van when he tried to pull out.

We don't know what led to the altercation, but we're sure that alcohol played a large role.

This act of vandalism is surprising for Yellowknife, where such public outbursts are rare. It also shouldn't be tolerated.

The RCMP's claim that they were too busy that Sunday night catering to calls inside city limits to deal with the situation might be valid, but what if someone was killed?

Yellowknife parent Ter Hamer's suggestion that aired Wednesday on CBC radio -- that RCMP, who were aware of the bush party, should have set up a roadblock and confiscated the booze, and arrested the lot of them -- isn't such a bad idea.

But police shouldn't shoulder the blame for such activities. Despite the advent of Dry Grads, graduation time continues to be an excuse for teens to drink and party.

We turn a blind eye to the situation, hoping that something doesn't go terribly wrong.

When it does, as happened at Vee Lake, we shake our heads and wag our fingers, assigning blame all round.

The bottom line is that it's against the law in the Northwest Territories for people under 19 to consume alcohol in bars and public places. This law is there for a reason. As long as kids continue to get away with this kind of stuff it will only get worse.

We couldn't agree more with the recent honour bestowed upon Bob Engle.

In April Engle was named a pioneer in Canadian Aviation by the Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg.

Engle, who first toured the Arctic in 1955, was instrumental in bringing scheduled airline service to the North. He established NWT Air with a de Havilland Otter in 1962 and, after building his fleet to include a DC-3 the following year, he went on to offer the airline's first scheduled flight service in 1968.

Engle, who also received the Order of Canada in 1989 for dramatically reducing isolation in the North through aviation, is living proof that a little ingenuity can go a long way.

It's sheer coincidence that a delegation of Russians arrives in Fort Simpson to study the democratic process and, at the same time, Fort Simpson resident Randy Sibbeston offers up a thought-provoking column on the same topic.

While the Russians are just settling into the practice of representative government, we are in the midst of democratic chaos, as Sibbeston suggests. We have elected leaders at every turn and nobody can seem to make heads or tails of it all any more. It would be easy enough to dismiss his notion of a single government as unattainable idealism, but that's our decision to make. If nobody wants to work towards that end, it surely won't occur on its own.

It's true that the Deh Cho First Nations are working towards establishing themselves as the public government in the region, but who's to say if the GNWT will ever bow out completely?

If we were each entitled to one equal vote and could choose from among any candidate who decided to run for a single office that represented us all fairly, would that not be the optimal government? It would certainly reduce the number of redundant administrative positions that exist among all the political bodies today. That savings could then be allocated for economic development and job creation of some other kind.

Of course accountability would be a top priority. Under the system that Sibbeston proposes, which could be fine-tuned if need be, the elected community leaders don't have a community council. Perhaps we could stick with one community council to keep the leader honest because there's an old adage that warns us, "power corrupts."

Beyond that, the simplicity of it all is very appealing.

Maybe the Russians could employ such a system before they get bogged down and disillusioned with democracy.

Not much to go on

It was an interesting atmosphere at the NWT Association of Municipalities annual general meeting on Sunday. There had been some angry words spoken by municipal leaders throughout the week leading up to the meeting. They had seen their funding cut by the GNWT after they had already set their respective community's budgets. After a docile three days of workshops and opening remarks, nobody was sure whether there would be fireworks when the ministers sat before the delegates. Sure enough there were. Fort Simpson Mayor Norm Prevost led the charge. Whether you like him or not, he has to be credited for being an outspoken leader.

In their opening remarks, the ministers had carefully crafted messages implying that petty bickering would serve no useful purpose. Premier Stephen Kakfwi used the analogy of building a house and said that if one or two people aren't enthusiastic about it, it will show when the house is completed. Kakfwi and Finance Minister Joe Handley both alluded to the rosy future that lies ahead for the NWT with its vast resources and the promise of resource revenue sharing. Of course, promises don't help pay for this year's expenses. Kakfwi, however, also deserves credit for agreeing to meet with NWTAM's executive to sort out how to bear the load for the time being.

It is good to see our Department of National Defence actively promoting outfits such as the Skyhawks.

All too often here in Canada, the picture painted of our Armed Forces is one of intoxicated individuals forcing insane hazing rituals on new members before heading out to patrol our borders with obsolete equipment.

The Skyhawks' visit to our region should go a long way in helping local cadet leaders show our youth the positive side of the Armed Forces.

Also known for their drug awareness work with the RCMP, members of the Skyhawks plan to spend a good deal of time in contact with our local youth during their brief stay in Rankin Inlet.

The positive message and role-model status these members will deliver to our youth is worth its weight in gold at a time when too many media outlets focus on the negative aspects of our society.

This is especially true in the Kivalliq Region, where youth are so susceptible to what they see and hear and how those images shape their perception of the future.

Yes, we have substance-abuse and teenage pregnancy problems in some of our communities.

However, we also have a number of dedicated, hard-working people who are trying to increase education and awareness to battle these problems.

In many ways the Skyhawks mirror our Kivalliq situation.

Yes, there are problems in the Canadian Armed Forces, but there are also many skilled and dedicated individuals working hard to make a difference.

It is often all to easy to ignore the good and focus on the sensational.

Intoxicated NHL goaltenders throwing punches at hotel security members get the headlines, not the NHL goalie visiting sick children's hospitals.

Some media choose to write more about the teenagers who fall victim to the temptations of youth, rather than those struggling to overcome the challenges.

Still others would have you believe our Armed Forces are predominately a group of idle buffoons, rather than focus on the professional, caring group who will visit our region this coming weekend.

Our local leaders, whether they are involved in the field of sports, education, cadets or health, would greatly benefit by having more positive role models visit our youth.

Whether on the grand scale of the Skyhawks, or more to the grassroots level of Rankin's Tootoo brothers visiting local schools, we need to hear that positive voice get louder.

To hear someone say there are no limits to what a person can accomplish are often just words to our youth that are quickly forgotten.

But to see first-hand what can be accomplished is an experience with the power to change lives - the lives of our youth!