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i EPP-JALK
There was a time when I
went on most of the Warriors
trips out of town. Most of the
time it was exciting and one
got to visit all the other
towns which operated teams
intheKIJHL.
The trips to the East
Kootenay were always
enjoyable. At first, it was
Kimberley, Cranbrook and
Fernie. Then, as the league
started to expand, we would
go to Creston, Invermere
and the Sparwood-Elkford
arenas. On our side of the
Kootenays, it has been the
shorter trips to Grand Forks,
BeaverValley,Nelson,Trail
and Castlegar and of course
the one below the line which
was always a special event,
even if it was to the Lilac
City arena or the Coliseum in
Spokane.
Those years were mostly
during the time I worked on
the hill. The kids were at
home and the travelling and
late nights appealed to me
more. Nowadays, after close
to seven years on the shelf, I
find that home games and
the odd trip to our close
neighbors in the league are
all I require to keep up my
enthusiasm for the game.
This time around I will
have to miss one event that I

have attended religiously
since its inception, the
KIJHL all-star game, which
pits the East against the
West. This year, with the
addition of the powerful
Spokane club to the West,
this all-star game should see
the West take over again.
They have had an edge in
recent years and with the
Flames added to our roster,
the West should be a shoo-in
at the aMual event, this year
to be played Saturday in
Cranbrook. I have a Legion
commitment that night in
Castlegar.
I guess it is one of the
things that happen to people
when they get along in years.
You do lose your appetite for
long trips and overnight
stays. I personally find, with
membership in three service
clubs, trying to take an
active role in all, plus
curling and hockey games in
Rossland and golf in the
summer, I find my calendar
can get pretty crowded.
Outside trips would only
serve to complicate it even
more.
Those of you who missed
Friday's Warrior game
missed a chaoce to read the
season update in the
program. It describes the

agonies of a coaching staff
faced with mandatory cuts
from the team to meet B.C.
Amateur
Hockey
Association limits. It is not a
situation that anyone who
coaches in the minors would
care to have thrust upon
them. These guys are too
close to their players, almost
like family you might say.
The Warrior staff will
definitely have some awfully
tough choices to make. I
don't envy them one little
bit.
Getting away to another
subject, last Friday night, as
I ambled home from the
Legion after hockey, I looked
inside the Uplander and the
pub was jammed with young
dancers having a ball. You
can appreciate my surprise
when, on continuing towards
home, past the Miners Hall,
the sound of revelry
emanating from that
establishment drew me
inside. To my astonishment
the floor in there was also
loaded with young people
enjoying themselves in a
maMer, which seemed to
me, just plain enjoyable.
This is really an excellent
situation for our town. I sure
hope it continues.
Till next time, then!

«illl
Harry
Pepper

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