Two men, each travelling alone, pick their way along the charred forest floor, looking for treasure. Spotting each other, they freeze in their tracks. They dig in for a stand-off, determined to defend their territory. This is the desperate world of mushroom pickers.

Mushroom harvesting, particularly morels, has the potential to become a lucrative Northern business.

Morels grow in areas that have been ravaged by forest fires, and command high prices from gourmet restaurants and specialty-food dealers around the world.

Last season European and Asian markets were prepared to pay as much as $550 a kilogram for the wrinkly brown fungi.

As a cash crop, morels could be a real boon to Northern communities, providing well-paying seasonal work for pickers.

There are, however, as many potential problems as there are benefits. Morels are harvested regularly in parts of British Columbia, the Yukon and Oregon.

Those jurisdictions have seen bitter, and sometimes violent, disputes among pickers. Property owners have complained about disregard for their land and their privacy.

The business is largely unregulated, and everybody deals strictly in cash, which leaves the door open for all kinds of problems.

Last year, with only 42 pickers working in the Tibbett Lake burn area, there were complaints and accusations of threats, assaults, and theft.

A report on the industry compiled by Yellowknifers Walter Brown and Joachim Obst recommends licensing harvesters similarly to anglers and hunters. In the same vein, the GNWT is contemplating bringing mushrooms under the aegis of the NWT Wildlife Act.

In light of the experience of other jurisdictions, it would seem prudent to institute some controls before something regrettable happens.

With all the potential benefits for Northerners, it would be a shame to seem them lost in a fungus war.

While many city councillors, including Mayor Dave Lovell, donıt want to declare their intentions for next Octoberıs election, potential candidates should start planning their campaigns.

With the city still recovering from division, GNWT layoffs and continuing block funding cuts, taxes and city expenditures will top the list of election issues.

Then there is the question of the cityıs involvement in land development, what to do with the waterfront, and how to maintain a balance between the burgeoning Frame Lake South business centre and downtown.

City councillors running again will present a formidable challenge to any hopefuls but whatıs required is a vigorous debate of all the issues. The voters will then be able to decide whether to opt for change or steady as she goes.

Weıre glad to see the RCMP have brought back their summer student program.

Thanks to the federally-funded initiative, four students are now on the job, two of which are patrolling our streets via bicycle.

With authority similar to auxiliary officers, these students are responsible for searching for stolen bikes and missing children.

They also patrol the bicycle and walking trails throughout the city, areas that are sometimes overlooked by the regular police force.

One only need go out on the Niven Lake Trail on any given night to see teenage partiers living it up. Judging by the numbers of smashed beer and liquor bottles left behind in the the trails, these students will have plenty to do this summer. Good luck!

Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects have been rampant in the North for years, but only recently has the government made moves to get educated as to how to cope with the problem.

The situation has not been a secret to educators who have watched first-hand how FAS and FAE have grown to epidemic proportions.

Since Health and Social Services has been so inactive in addressing the problem with FAS and FAE, it's refreshing to see the Beaufort Delta Education Council stepping to the fore to deal with what they have long identified as a crisis situation.

The BDEC has taken their own measures to counteract this problem by hiring a school psychologist who will not be able to treat the problem, but will assist educators, parents and students in identifying the symptoms.

Classrooms in the Delta have been estimated to have up to half the students declared "special needs" by staff and consultants, but as yet, no one has conducted a thorough diagnosis of how deep the problem goes.

The BDEC has taken the initiative with this first step of identifying the problem and hopefully, the feds and the GNWT will be right behind to shore up this ground-breaking work.

Headstart

In another wise move, the board agreed to pursue a shared pre-school/headstart program funding arrangement between the BDEC, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) and the Gwich'in Tribal Council.

BDEC recently conducted a writing assessment at all schools within the Beaufort Delta region. That study indicated more than half of Grade 1 students had insufficient or inadequate writing skills.

Nellie Cournoyea, Richard Nerysoo and the board all recognized the value of a shared program and agreed to negotiate a solution. With money too tight to mention, the three can do a lot better with shared money, resources and vision.

Kindergarten and Grade 1 teachers everywhere are noticing a marked increase the abilities of Headstart graduates. Studies have shown that for every one dollar spent on preschool, six to nine dollars are saved in every other social program.

We're building a new jail here and a big one's going in down in the capital. I think we all wish they were building kindergartens instead.

A shared vision

The education council has been studying the Dogrib model for a combined community service board and has invited Dogrib negotiator John B. Zoe to attend the up-coming Orientation 2000.

Much can be learned from the Dogrib Community Services Board, which has led the way in preservation of culture, language and in supply of virtually every social service.

John B. and company have an established educating marvel in the Chief Jimmy Bruneau high school and Elizabeth MacKenzie elementary, which serve as fantastic models not only to Northern communities, but for educators worldwide.

The track and field meet in Hay River was, as usual, a great showcase of Northern talent and lessons in determination and commitment. It was also a great getaway for many students and as much a social event as an athletic one. Unfortunately, part of the meet was marred by a tragic incident that could have proven fatal. A Yellowknife athlete was accidentally struck in the head with a discus while sitting outside the fencing near the event.

It turns out the teenage boy will be fine, but there was a great deal of panic after the incident occurred as blood was pouring from his head and the medical team whisked him away on a stretcher.

After hosting the event for the past several years, it's a wonder how such a thing could still happen on that field in Hay River. It would not be fair to expect that the entire event take place without a single injury, but this is something that could have been prevented.

The areas that are vulnerable to flying objects should clearly be cordoned off. As a matter of fact, Lynn Wharton, a local resident who accompanied the Fort Simpson athletes, said she saw the discus land between two girls in a spot nearby five minutes prior to the boy being struck. She said she warned two officials that something had to be done to address the danger to students resting in that area. Both officials disregarded her words of caution, she noted.

That should not have been the case. It shouldn't have to take a serious injury to stir people into action. Common sense should have prevailed.

Ticket to ride

A number of the students who graduated from Thomas Simpson school Saturday stated their intentions to travel. Some for the sheer enjoyment of exploring the globe, others to pursue education elsewhere.

No matter what the reason, the opportunity to experience other places is invaluable. As much as the world has become a more accessible place through technology such as the Internet, there's nothing comparable to encountering other cultures and ways of life first-hand. Some may find other parts of the world to their liking, while being away from home may make others realize just how good they have it.

Do it while you can.

People power

The village of Fort Simpson's ongoing saga in a quest for a new power partner definitely elicits a wide range of emotions and sentiment among community members. The most important thing to remember is that the residents will have the final say in the matter (well, the Public Utilities Board may ultimately have the final say, but that possibility will only exist if the public approve of a deal with Jupiter Power International).

A public meeting has been scheduled for later this month. Show up. Ask questions. Voice your opinion. Then vote yes or no. It's your call.

Arviat senior administration officer Darren Flynn should be feeling pretty good about things right now.

Despite the hamlet's recent disagreement with the Nunavut Housing Corp.'s decision to offer a regional tender for housing units being constructed in Arviat, the hamlet's economy continues to grow.

Other Kivalliq communities should be keeping an eye on Arviat and learn from the results being gained there.

With Sustainable Development Minister Peter Kilabuk's economic development award already sitting on the hamlet mantle and the land camp in operation, Flynn and Mayor David Alagalak are free to see what other opportunities may be available.

Arviat continues to accomplish a great deal with precious few resources at its disposable.

If nothing else, the community leaders are showing the rest of the region what successes can be achieved.

Clean generation

At Kivalliq News we seize every opportunity to trumpet the value of positive role models for youth -- and we gained a new band member this past week.

Baker Lake RCMP Const. Jennifer Ebert hit the nail on the head when she spoke of the impact high school students, who prefer a "clean" lifestyle, had on their younger counterparts during the recent DARE program in that community.

Ebert said there was a real connection between the Grade 5 and 6 students in the program and the high school students who visited them.

This grassroots role approach works as somewhat of a foil to peer pressure.

As easily led toward bad habits by other kids in the community as our youth sometimes tend to be, they can be just as easily move in a positive direction when influenced by fellow youth who practise a positive lifestyle.

Hopefully, Ebert's words will prove to be prophetic in nature, and the DARE program, and others like it, will eventually have a profound affect on the Kivalliq Region.

If so, it may not be all that long before future generations of youth are living a much cleaner lifestyle.

We agree with the constable that Nunavut needs its youth to be the next wave of teachers, business people, nurses and, ultimately, leaders.