‘intertime getaways for ever Hawaii, Mexico, a ‘by NANCY LINGLEY ‘Sun Editor ‘With the mercury hovering b in the minus-minus range and the sun a pale; ‘cold imitation of it's robust summer self, many Castlegar resi- dents have taken matters into their own hands and gone in search of the real thing. “Popular destinations this time of the year are Hawaii, Mexico, - and Cuba,” said Travel Consultant Katrin Liebenow of West's Travel Agency. | The seven travel agents at West's have also booked trips to Ecuador, Portugal, Thailand, Bejing, and “Costa Rica is becom- ing popular,” added Liebenow. “People getting away this time of the year go where they ¢ can escape the snow.” And the downtum in the econo- my isn’t stopping them. .. “The number of people travel \\ Ling this 'year is about the same,’ she stated. “When people want to get away, they want to get away.” ‘The first step in ‘getting away” is actually getting out of Castlegar but Vi Stoushnow, office manager as well as a travel consultant, noted that there has been much less problem at the airport with the smaller aircraft being used. “Our connections have been excellent with the smaller aircraft, the Dash 7s and 8s,” she said. “The flights have been going in and out with no problem. I've been impressed with how the flights have been getting in.” Castlegar Airport is served by two commercial carriers, AirBC and Time Air, noted Stoushnow. SUN STAFF PHOTO/ Nancy Ungley & AAME. Help Us Celebrate The Stat of"1991" "4 991 * "Barrel Sale only 19,91 for a Barrel of 20 peices of Golden Delicious Chicken save 5.08 ailthe Month of January Don't forget the Salad and Fries Celgar, Westar & Cominco meal tickets accepted 2816 Columbia Ave. There are six flights out to Van- couver daily on weekdays and four , Saturday. and Sunday. As well, there are two daily flights to Cal- gary and one flight to Kamloops each Saturday. . Just about everyone is travel- ling, “retirees, families, quite a few young people, and singles. Although the bulk is probably older people,’ said Liebenow. She added that air/hotel packages were the most popular way to book a trip although many booked air fare only, “The younger people usually do air fare over there and then wing it when they get to their destination, they're good at that,” said Gail Shellenberg, another of West's travel consultants. “The older peo- ple like things all set up for them.” The options for travelling are many. Cruises to the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera are popu- lar. “Most cruise packages include air fare. People don’t realize that,” noted Shellenberg. “And of course meals are included on cruise trips.” Resort packages can also be all- inclusive. Sandals Resorts in Jamaica caters to couples only and one price includes retum airfare from Toronto, transfers, accommo- dations, meals, anytime snacks, unlimited drinks, and use of all sports equipment including instruction. Club Med, with loca- tions worldwide, is also popular. Closer to home, bus tours, usually of eight days duration, to Reno are the most popular, said the travel consultants. “A lot of people don't realize that we can just book a hotel for them if they want to drive them- selves,’ said Liebenow. “Those are people that aren’t going more than about two days’ drive away, though. Much more than that and they'd rather fly.” “Quick weekend getaways to . local areas such as Ainsworth Hot Springs, ski resorts, Greybound Park in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and “definitely Spokane, where shop- ping is popular,” are also possible. Information on these nearby desti- nations is more readily obtained through the locil Chamber of Commerce advised the travel con- sultants. They also had these tips for those contemplating a winter, or anytime, getaway. - Don’t overpack. “What you forget, you can buy there,” said Liebenow. “Air travellers are allowed two check pieces and one carry-on. You'll pay extra for excess baggage and - it’s really expensive.” However, Shellenberg added, “I noticed, like in Mexico, things like suntan lotion are really expensive and you should take at least one bottle. Or any type of toiletry. Any destination that is in demand is a little more expensive.” - Take at least one sweater. “Even if it’s a hot destination, you don’t know what the weather will be like,” warned Liebenow. “Or maybe a windbreaker-type coat that folds up into a litle pack- age.” - Take comfortable shoes and, if headed for a warm destination, “definitely take cotton clothes that can breath properly,” advised Liebenow. “Also take a light cover-up to cover your ams and protect them from sunbum.” - Take all prescription medicines in your carry-on with the labels on them, And always take a change of clothes in the carry-on. = Get travellers’ cheques in U.S. “U.S. currency is the most widely accepted,” said Liebenow. “Make sure you have proper docu- mentation. Even if you’re just going to the States, you need to take proof of citizenship. And don’t take any valuables with you. You'd be really disappointed if there was a theft.” - Don’t forget to invest in extra insurance coverage. “Hospital, medical, baggage, accident, and flight cancellation is important, “ Liebenow stated. “Most prepaid packages have a high penalty for cancellation. Some are 100 per cent non-refund- able.” - If in doubt, contact the Central Kootenay Health Unit for immu- nization information. “You don’t usually have to worry about vaccinations unless you're going to Africa or some- ~ Piebe really tropical like that,” said and Cuba are the popular destinations right now r West's Travel consultants ‘SUN STAFF PHOTO/ Nancy Lingley Gail Shellenberg and Katrin Liebenow indulging in some wishful thinking. craft, that transported the item could also be seized and forfeited. In addition to seizure of goods, the smuggler could face prosecu- tion and a possible fine or impris- sbéniow. eran fs mi - Do your homework. “We recommend people do their own research on their desti- nation to get to know the culture and the customs of the country re and Excise is available to trav- elles. - Book your trip early_to avoid disappointment. “The sooner the better,” said they’re going to visit,” Li said. “They can visit the library, or we have a few travel videos here that people can borrow.” - Don’t try to smuggle goods * back into Canada. “They're very thorough at Customs,” noted Liebenow. , Any smuggled item could be seized and forfeited, or the trav- eller may have to pay much more than the actual value to have it released. The car, or boat, or air- Exhibition by L.X. Forde to open at Nelson Museum Jan. a HB. alunne Forde opens at the Nel. son Museum on January 7 and continues until January 31. The of ario, Laat Puubene College and grad- uated in honours from he Universi- ty .of Western Ontario. He has been ing for 20 years, and has ry paint- ings, entitled “Fifteen years and Still Flying: A Retrospective” will gather together a number of L.X.’s works since he came to ‘Wester Canada in the early 80's, up to the present time. Forde paints joyous- ‘Open: gee Te eames’ Wake Up Your Day With Our E Specialty Sanctolches - Boracht - eae Mon.- Sat.6 Bias am-5 pm 1102 3rd St... © ‘Simply Good Food” 8 Openin Broakfast Fe Lis ‘4 ;6am=6pm 365-8312 | : ly d and witty coll: exhibited his works in London Ontario from 1976-80, in Edmon- ton from 1981-83, and since mov- ing to the Kootenays in the 80's be |. has exhibition, and in Artwalk 1989 and 90. Most recently be had a one-man show at the West Xx National Exhibiti Dilecting the absurdity of life in -our time,.a life lived against he . shadows of human and Centre in 1990. The mural cele- brating Nelson's 90th birthday in 1987. was designed - insanity buoyed up only by frag- “mentary joys and irrepressible ety. The tension thus developed’ - juces an art which is related to’. that of. the Dadaists of the early ; gai- to the Nelson Museum by Alexan-' der Forde A rece} will be held at the Nelson Museum on Friday, January 4, from'7:30 to. 19:30, p.m. The public is.invited. ° : °iumination, manuscripts, a and. academic studies in psychology: and languages and literature. With oil and ‘acrylics his.chosen media, . Forde often breaks with stint p.m, daily except Ss andays from. tion to meet the artist : hours are from :1 to 4°. for pack- ages. It’s nice to have that a month in advance. If it’s a popular time, like Christmas, you should book almost a year in advance. Like right now.” Liebenow added that the cheaper airfares needed to be booked 21 days or two weeks in advance. “There are only a certain number of seats allotted to each fare level and when they're sold ,out, we have to go to the next fare,” she explained. For example, there are 16 different fares from Castlegar to Vancouver, ranging from the most expensive full fare to the least expensive excursion fare with everything from seniors’. * and’ children's fares in between: Stoushnow pointed out that the services of a travel agency ‘don't cost the traveller anything. “When a person books through a travel agent, the travel agent can offer any airline, or hotel, or what- ever, of their choice and they can pick the cheapest prices out of the computer, not favoring anybody,” she said. “Travel agencies sell the same rates. We don't charge for our services. The airline, tour company, or hotel pays a commis- sion to travel agents, They don’t give that discount to individuals, so by booking through an agency you have better options and you're helping your community.” ake Eve this ‘snow:.c Avenue knows: vo don't drink ‘and ‘rive. : SUN STAFF PHOTO Fark Omby e spotteg along Columbia’. BUSINESS. ouple's life By. BARBARA TANDORY Sun staff writer ' You’ve got to be a dog person ‘todo it, starting with a love of ' dogs to do it well. Dieter and Ursula Dolmen. of Ne t Castlegar are dog breeders and trainers who do their job well, so well, in fact, that.a Black: rador pup sold by the couple year.was a star of an outdoor Labor. Day weekend event in‘ upstate New York and was fea. tured in a New York state news-' “The Dohmens! vwho: run Shwarzenberg Kennels — while Dieter is also manager and owner of Electro Dohmen Enterprises Ltd, in Castlegar’s industrial park — sold the pup, York state couple for $400. .° The U.S. couple, a pair of dog training ‘and hunting enthusiasts, had placed advertisements in national publications in the U.S. until they found a dog they want- * ed'— in Castlegar, B.C. Sunrise, a registered purebred, was acquired by Lorie and Keith Bowers, its present owners, after a Sunrise, to aNew . . year-long ‘search of the United States and Europe for a retriever with both good skills for hunting game and good looks for shows, “The Dohmens have sold fully- trained dogs for as much as $4,500 but Dohmen says such deals are “" rare and it is a very small group of people ‘who make them. Ons dog sold at a national championship . recently, fetched $25, 000 and - another $40,000. But most dog breeders aren't in it for the money, be'claims, “You don't make any money, As be said; “It costs you money. The reward is to see the dog work.” It takes between.three and five years to make a field trial champi- on, Dohmen noted. The couple now have another field trial cham- pion — which means the dog is trained for hunting of migratory birds, like ducks, and upland game, such as pheasant — but their breeding stock has fallen to an all-time low of two dogs. “We socialize,” Dohmen remarked. They | ‘come to the. house every night.” *. ‘The Dohmens started in the dog business in 1960, in Calgary. ile has gone to the dogs But Dohmen says with him it's a long family history. “I've been into eee all my life,” he said, “! dogs with children" — of all basic colors: black, yellow and choco- late. In C: the couple teach ‘used to train potion ous. Ly Dohmen has tured over the actual owner participation in dog competitons to his wife, Ursula, on his doctor's, orders, but didn’t -stop going to the dog shows and contests, zh “T have been judging dog field trials for the last ten years,” he says, noting his ultimate ambition is to judge a national champi- onship. The couple has had" dogs in since dog obedience classes twice a year, in the fall and spring, and also teach a course in obedience for the West Kootenay Kennel Club. « : Obedience training, explained Dohmen, “is to make the dog a ‘ ‘ decent citizen, to sit down and obey (the owner’s) commands.” Aside from obedience training, work with dogs involves two other basic categories — show dog preparation and field trial runs oes when their, Labrador came up fifth in obedience training in Canada. “In order to achieve a good standard you literally have to work at it every day,” he said. “We both do this. This is our hobby,” The Dohmens came to.Castle- gar in the early 1980s from Craw- ford Bay (on Kootenay Lake), where they resided since leaving Calgary in 1970. They specialize in Lab dogs — which Dolmen calls “the easiest “We've created an interest,” he noted. “Now in my spare time I always train dogs, mostly hunting dogs for someone who do doesn't have time to do it.” But, paradoxically, Dohmen says you have to start with the dog's owner to train the dog. “We do not train the dog; we : f teach the people how to train | their dog,” he said. The Dohmens will be starting their next obedience class in Castlegar in mid-February. Ursula Dohmen and DeeDee. SUN STAFF PHOTO / Nancy Lingley One way to enjoy the money you saved WAILEA, Maui, Hawaii - The sun is hot here on the beach as the temperature heads into the high 20s - even at 10 in the moming. But my wife Mandy and I aren't quite ready to cool off by taking a dip in the ocean, which itself is in the low 20s. We tumed as we beard a link ing sound, A young woman is walking across the sand with two large glasses of ice water, chilled face towels and a spray-misting bottle. “Would you like me to set upa cabana to give you some shade?” She asks as she hands us the glass- es of water, “T can also bring you a couple of beach back-rests if you'd prefer to sit up.” We said yes to the cabana, no thanks to the back-rests and accepted two more beach towels to roll up under our heads. Welcome to the world of the new, $190 million Four Seasons Resort Wailea. “As far as we kndw, we are the only hotel providing these services both on the beach and by our two swimming pools,” said Carol Zahorsky, director of public rela- tions, who had invited us to visit the resort for a day. “Not only are the.services free but they are offered to guests on a no-demand basis - that is, you _ Seasons is a Te don’t even have to ask.” Hawaii has more than its share of luxury hotels, but while you might leave the cold weather Mandy and I were pleased to undertake this assignment (on your behalf, of course). After all, what's the point of always saving behind, you still a o! patri pride when you realize that Four to-based, pub- and i ing if you don’t find ways to spend and enjoy your money? roses, + Two personally mono- grammed terrycloth bathrobes. +Candlelight dinner for two served either on your private lanai or in Seaons, the resort's fine din- ing restaurant. licly traded company. And you get interesting feelings when, in this sub-tropical yet very American part of the world, you pick up the biodegradable laundry bag in the hotel room and see the instructions written in Canada’s two official languages. Emergency plan announced VICTORIA, B.C. — A com- plan for British Columbia health care facilities was announced recently by. Health Minister John Jansen and General Rus- “This project will enable vueae cal health officers, amb cost-shared under the federal Joint Pro; chiefs and the Ministry of Health to quickly the Prep gram. The estimated $50,000 cost is es of local medical and emergen- sell G. Fraser, Minister Responsi- ble for the P should a major disaster occur anywhere in the Program. ” Jansen said "The five-year project is being A Kwik hug Ejdeiine Cotterhill, 6, Pree up to Kodak: -Karachter Kwikki during:th «Nogue | Studios recently ren je grand opening of. ‘BUN STAFF PHOTO / Nancy Uingloy / P to be shared 50/50 by the province and Emergency Pre- paredness Canada. Funds will cover the purchase of high speed microcomputers and software, as well as staffing to develop the data base. “As part of our: effort to throughout Canada, we are delighted to be able to participate in the project,” Bill McKnight, federal Minister of National Defence, said. “We applaud the province for initiating this project to ensure the rapid and efficient use of medical and emergency resources in a major disaster.” “Information on building con- plans, and availability of medical equipment, Personae and local will be collected from acute care hospitals, ambulance stations, and residential and day car facilities,” Fraser said. “This information will be cross-referenced with potential geographic hazards, such as earth- quake fault lines and flood plains. The data will be used to develop a computerized map that Ministry and emergency response personnel can refer to in a disaster.” “In the event of an earthquake, for example, this system would tell the emergency response team what medical facilities and equipment were available locally to treat the injured. This would be parti ly, the Four will be happy to help you with the “spend and enjoy” part of your financial planning. Room rates start at $300 a night (all prices in Canadian funds at an exchange rate around $1.18) while suites start at $700. (Bargain- hunters note: You can get a suite on the Hyatt-under-constraction ‘side of the hotel-at the'room rate:: -for the next few months.) Then there is the Maile Suite(465 square meters/5,000 square feet, three bedrooms, four sauna, tel ) which goes for $6,000 a night. “People tend to take it for a week at a time,” said a woman at the front desk. If a $42,000 a week in the Maile Suite just isn’t in the budget at the moment, you might consider the Romance For All Seasons package which, for only $4,300 a couple, gives you: + Three nights in an ocean front suite + Private stretch limousine transfers to and from the airport with chilled champagne enroute. + Three days’ use of a convert- ible or Cadillac. + One dozen long-stemmed +A picnic during a sunrise or sunset visit to the Haleakala (3,000 meter, extinct volcano) crater via private limou- sine. Or for just a taste of luxury, the $380 Room and Car package will give the two of you an ocean view room for a night plus an automat- ; air-conditioned full-size sedan. ‘the:rooms feature oversized bath- rooms with 2.5-metre marble counters and double vanities.) With four golf courses in the area, the Four seasons also has a three-night golf and car package for $1,650. This is the first Hawaiian resort for Four Seasons. “It is our goal to offer the kind of service that will anticipate a guest’s every need,” said Isadore Sharp, chairman and president. He said another first for Hawaii is Four Seasons’ complimentary “early artival/late departure”pro- gram. : If you arrive before the 3 p.m. check-in or leave after the noon checkout, you can use the bealth club facilities, storing your lug- gage and clothing so you can swim, lie in the sun or play golf or tennis important in a case where the local medial facility.bas sustained sever damage, since patients in need of acute care would have to be trans- ferred to other, Selling your product In the Sun Is a wise business move ph. 365-5266 ties as quickly as possible,” Jansen said. Rate increase approved Trail, B.C., Dec. 24, 1990 — The B.C.U.C. has approved West Kootenay Power's interim rate increase of 5.5%, which took effect on Jan. 1, 1990. West Kootenay’s application for a 1991 increase of 5.6% has been The Commission has denied West Kootenay's request to set rates for 1992, as it believes there is too much uncertainty in a three- year test period. While complimenting WKP on is efficiency compared to other d by the C i to 1 utilities, the 5.0% effective Jan.1, 1991.The new rate is further adjusted by a Significant reduction to the General Service Class rate. West Kootenay has been seeking this reduction for several years, but it is believed that an-intervention by a single com- mercial customer at the recent B.C.U.C. bearings may have per- - suaded the C to order caunanon directs the Company to increase its efforts towards ener- RSS <> gy efficiency. It says West Kootenay has no 7 higher priority than to develop a strategy towards an adequate long term power supply. A program such as Power Sense “is the least cost, most flexible and most envi- the reduction at this time. 1 benign source of Freeze kept on water: power rates Victoria, B.C. - Energy Minister "Jack Davis announced a one-year extension to the freeze on water "power rental rate increases. Rates .. swere._ scheduled to increase on Jan- wary 1, 1991, based on changes in B.C. Hydro’s average revenue over ~Uhe last two years. ‘ 3 ‘*The extension passes on eco- nomic benefits to all British sColsmablans by. deferring an elec- tricity rate increase,” said Davis. “This is necessary at a time when some sectors of our economy are « abowing signs, of vulnerability and the federal GST will add to energy costs” Finance and Corporate Rela- tions Minister Mel Couvelicr noted that protecting jobs i is key to B.C.'s economic policy. He added that by continuing | the water ‘that freeze the ete Eeely-priced el WEUTUUU UTE “ yf icity is to maintain our industries | and regions in the global Revenue on water rentals provides over $200 million annually to the province. The freeze on water rentals was first imposed in 1985. .. replace your old single pane glass with warm, thermopane units. TIUNUOUOU DDD