OPINION

WEDNESDA

The C jar Sun
Caigitn sete peep wi to Curtnow Been The Custager Sun

Cotumbia Ave. Castlegar, B.C. Vin sas Tee Cocke Ou bo pel
caly dependent and @ mame: of the heyy oo beara

Aasocaton, ard the B.C. Pose Conch Batabthed
28, 1980. 10420.

editorial comment

Voters deserve better

Casth school trustee
Tow ban pret rala won't be serving on any
school board standing committees is a slap in the

farce, a joke and an insulting waste of time”,
Guglielmi refused to accept his appointments as
“ operations committee chair and communication
committee member.

While his decision might sound noble to some, to
others it stinks. Because of his refusal to accept the
appointments, other trustees will have to sit on
those committees. These are trustees, by the way,
who are already busy on other committees. and who
will still get the same stipend as Guglielmi. in other
words, they get to do the work, and Guglielmi gets
the pay.

Why, if he does less work than the rest, doesn't
he get less pay?

If he won’t serve in his full capacity as trustee,
why did the voters of Castlegar elect him?

Whether or not Guglielmi’s reasons are sound for
refusing the appointments has little bearing. He
was elected to do a j he likes the pro-
cess or not. His responsibilities as a trustee don't
—

“What if everyone on the board felt the same
way? Wouldn't the district be in a fine pickle?

This is the same trustee, by the way, who didn’t
show up for the most important meeting of the
year—the ihang If Guglielmi cares so
much for process he should have been present to
give his two cents worth instead of coming in after
the meeting with a sour look on his face.

If he cared so much he would stick around, tough
it out and try and make a difference. A war was
never won by withdrawing before the battle was
even waged.

Our trustees have to answer to the taxpayers.
Taxpayers elected them to do a job. Trustees get
Paid for doing that job. It’s a concept most of us are
aware of— it’s called work for pay. Most everyone
knows that if you refuse to work at your place of
employment and shuffle your workload onto some-
one else you will soon be without a job.

It’s clear Guglielmi isn’t doing his job. After all,
anyone can attend only one board meeting a month.
It doesn’t take any great commitment to do so. If
Guglielmi doesn’t want the job of trustee, and all
that it entails, he should give it up to someone who
does—someone who won’t walk away when things
aren’t going how hethinks they should.

Castlegar taxpayers deserve better.

Karen Kerkhoff

Merry Christmas!

We at The Castlegar Sun wish to take this time to
wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and the best
of the holiday season. We hope you take the time to
enjoy his festive time of year with family and

ERRORS:
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You BETTER COME OP WITH SOME
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NORTH

ALL THESE TOYS

PAL. ! eve
+)

Santa's special Christmas list

And a ho, ho, ho Merry Christmas to everyone!

I was sitting at my Computer
terminal minding my own busi-
ness late Monday night when this
short, fat guy with a pot belly, red
nose and white beard appeared
out of nowhere.

Oh no! I thought. Someone left
the front door to the newspaper
unlocked and one of the regulars
from the Marlane had walked in
off the street.

“We're closed,” I said. “You'll
have to come back tomorrow at
8:30.”

ark got something here for

“Did my wife put you up to
this?” I asked, staring hard at him.
“No. No,” he assured me.
“You've got it all wrong. This is
something I wrote and thought
like to publish.”
“A letter to the Editor?” I
asked, a wave of relief washing

“Sorry,” I replied. “Deadline
‘was noon today.”

“I think you might want to find
some space for this,” he suggest-
ed with an elfish grin, putting a
finger aside of his nose.

I wasn't sure I wanted to see
what he was going to do with that
finger, so I quickly looked down
at the paper.

It was only for an instant, but
when I looked back he was gone.
All that remained was the faint

odor of wet wool and a puddle on
the carpet where the snow from
his boots had melted.

Then there was a rumbling on
the roof like someone was try-

For Councillors Ron Arm-
bruster and Brenda Binnie,
who incurred the wrath of south-
end neighbors when they decided
to accept a legal opinion that

advised them

ing to break in,
so I picked up ;
The view

the phone to
Ron

call the RCMP,
Norman

but for some
unexplained
reason I
stopped in mid-
dial.

Ti 4

not to attend
the public hear-
ing on the pro-
posed 129-lot
Riverbend sub-
division: dark
glasses and

The sound had
disappeared. In its place was the
soft jingle of sleigh bells fading
into the distance.

“Kids,” I thought and got up to
make sure the front door was
locked. I don’t need any more
interruptions, I said to myself.

But there was no need to lock
the front door: it was already
bolted. I double checked it.
Locked tight alright. Oh well.

I returned to my terminal and
picked up the paper that the fat
man had left.

Here is what it said:

“I have been unable to locate
some of these items and I was
hoping your readers might be
able to help.

For Castlegar Mayor Mike
O’Connor, who held in camera
Mectings on everything from city
Christmas decorations to coun-
cil’s stipends: a new dicti
one that doesn’t define “open
government” as “in camera”.

unlisted phone
mumbers.

For Coun-
cillor Doug Green, who said the
new Riverbend subdivision gave
him a “warm feeling”: a new win-
ter coat. It will give him the same
thing at a fraction of the $700,000
it will cost the city to upgrade ser-
vices for the development.

For Councillor Kirk Duff,
who has had nothing but
headaches from the regional
recycling program: a case of
Excedrin extra

For Ken Wyllie, the director
for Lower Arrow-Ci ia, who

Guglielmi, who won't sit on any
board committees because he
finds them “a farce, a joke and an
insulting waste of time”: a toilet
seat. It’s something he can sit on
that isn’t a waste of time.

For school trustee Mickey
Kinakin, who submitted a letter
to the Editor explaining why he
thinks Canadians aren't over-
taxed at the same time as a story
on school trustees hiking their
indemnities: a watch. It might

“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.”

For Rossiand-Trail MLA Ed
Conroy, who was forced to apol-
ogize to Rossland Mayor Bill

For Rossland Mayor Bill
Profili, who riled Conroy when
he said he wouldn't support
of the dams on the

has a tendency to want to amend
many of the Regional District of
Central Kootenay board motions:
a copy of Frank Sinatra’s autobi-
ography “My Way”.
For Area I director John
Voykin, who won't commit to
ing the Castlegar and District
Public Library: tweezers to pull
out all the slivers from sitting on
the fence for so long.
For school trustee Tony

Lower Columbia until B.C.
Hydro began paying property
taxes: a nose to replace the one
he cut off to spite his face.

And for you, Ron Norman,
who suggested eliminating after-
school bus service for. day care
and babysitting: a permanent seat
on the loudest and noisiest of
those school buses.

Yours truly,

S. Claus”

Merry poltically-correct Christmas

_ Merry Christmas. There, I said
it, Government Services Minister
Robin Blencoe’s spectacularly
sful attempt to introd
“generic holiday,”

us to a

The short-lived controversy

during the noon hour keep in
mind Canada’s multi-cultural
makeup and consider singing
songs not solely associated with
Christmas had not only Chris-
tians, but a whole lot of Jews,
Muslims, Buddhists and just
about everyone else scratching

guite
another. A Chinese friend of
mine was wondering whether
Blencoe would next ask the Chi-
nese community to keep any Chi-
nese reference out of the Dragon
Dance during Chinese New Year
celebrations.

All fired up by the NDP’s pre-
occupation with political correct-
ness, Blencoe forgot the most
important thing: the very fact that
every component of Canada’s
rich and varied culture can freely

SA EE AE ITI TERETE ek, RRA EET

contribute to the mosaic that is
Canada is what makes this coun-
try unique in the world.

Every year of non-

You don't have to be a devout
Christian to enjoy Christmas car-
ols. To marvel at the sight of a

Chinese Victo-
rians take in the
fabulous spec-
tacle of the
Dragon Dance
on Chinese
New Year. I’ve
even learned

Hubert
how to say Beyer
Happy New

Year in Chinese: “Gung Hai Fa
Choi.”

Every year, I wish my Jewish
friends Happy Hanukkah, the
ancient Jewish holiday. And they
have no problem wishing me a

Christmas.

There are, of course, com-
plaints every year that Christmas
has become too commercial.
Humbug. Eve: can choose
how to celebrate Christmas,
Don’t like the

But most of
all, you don’ t

mood that the
induces. Christians, Jews, Mus-
lims, Buddhists and members of
every other ion can

Canada with the rest of the world.

Eastern Europe is in turmoil.
Serbs and Croats are at each
other’s throat. Thousands are

Take away all the countries
where the word freedom is ban-
ished from the dictionary, and
what are you left with? Western
Europe, which is so crowded that
open space means a ncighbor-
hood park and aa few free coun-
tries whose standard of living we
wouldn't want.

Yes, there’s Australia, New

allow therhselves to be swept up
by the festive mood of the sea-
son.

As for me, I say, humbug, Mr.
Blencoe. I will enjoy Christmas
the same way I have since I was a
kid. I will dig out those old
albums with Christmas carols.
And I will do so, secure in the

Stay away from department
stores and shopping malls.

On the other hand, it is the
secular aspect of Christmas
that allows Canadians of other
religions to participate in the
festivities.

ledge that I"m not off
anyone else.

I will reflect on my good for-
tune of living in the best country
in the world. I don’t even have to
take my own word for that. The
United Nations said so. And
small wonder, when you compare

Zealand and the United States,
but on the whole, I'll take
Canada.

And during this Christmas

fear a knock at the door in the
dead of night.

Surely, you were j Mr.
2 ; joking,

Wednesday, December 21, 1994

The Castlegar Sun

Page 7A

Letters to the Editor’

Perhaps it’

Dear Editor:
I am angry. I have just had an
unpleasant conversation with

grant to the Castlegar and Dis-
trict Public Library. A grant was
given in 1994, the result of which
had been that those of us in out-
lying areas have been able to uti-
lize the Castlegar library this
year without charge.

s time for a change

ianaeoa aoe
er grant. He said he had no
money. He did indicate that he
was thinking of proposing a refer-
endum and would need help with
that. I answered I would be happy
when the time came. This was the
termination of the conversation.
Well, it was not ion for

than I, he will never
be contacting me as he does not
have sufficient information to do
so. Also, what does he mean, he
has no money? Were his
fande weed for the great? IF 20, 1
i gize. Hi x
ly suspect otherwise.
A library is not a luxury.
U ly, some of us cannot:

me, My name, te! number
and address were not taken.
Unless Mr. Voykin is far more

afford the annual charge for its
usage. To deny usage of the facil-
ity is to promote ignorance—a

very dangerous tact. Children in
outlying areas have to “make do”
with the limited resources avail-
able. These are the citizens who
will be taking care of us in a few
years, Scary, eh?

irl Srtches Headache

over, not only the particulars of
library usage, but the attitude
Voykin has displayed. Is this what
you desire for your families, your
friends and yourselves? Perhaps
it is time for a change. We are
worth more than this’

‘ad

I d Mr. Voykin has

we cannot help but learn somes

I

even jived a petition signed by
many of us requesting continua-
tion of the grant. To me, such a

would indi a real

It’s a selective interpretation

Dear Editor:

I found Hubert Beyer’s Dec. 7
column (Now's the chance to put
things right”)

my involvement with the Cariboo
CORE process that I take issue
with - and with his impression

because while I agreed with him
on some things, his interpretation
of my activities related to land use
concems was way out of whack.

Firstly, I did agree with Mr.
Beyer’s observation that residents
of Vancouver Island and the Cari-
boo did not like the Commission
on R and Envi

that I inj d myself into the
public concems being expressed
about the Kootenay CORE
reports - specifically, the East
Kootenay CORE report.

It is abundantly clear that
CORE's reports for the Koote-
nays, the Cariboo and Vancouver
Island were not popular. CORE

(CORE) land use reports for their
areas. Secondly, I aJso, agree that
kK i houldsnot

fe to deal with people as
numbers and ignore the fact that
impacts caused by CORE recom-

follow the fact thas Mr, Beyer
likes the CORE reports. Thirdly, I
agree that local politicians should
not use residents’ concerns about
CORE as a springboard for their
own personal ambitions. Besides,
people are far too smart to be
duped by blatant politics.

But, that’s where I part compa-
ny with Mr. Beyer. It is his selec-
tive interpretation of the reality of

would negatively
affect families and communities.
My role in the Cariboo was not
to put the CORE process off the
rails there, but instead to give
local people a chance to have
direct involvement in a huge land
use plan that affected them
directly. I am proud to have been
a part of the government's land
use plan that the premier
announced for the Cariboo on

We | needed that !

I eerdomrnal like to thank Maureen
Palcher for informing the paper
that school trustee Mickey

a $1,400 increase to their annual
stipend.

Now that I have read Mickey's
expanded explanation, I think I

Kinakin was not rep
PPWC Local 26 when he told

Call that we should all
be paying more taxes. I personal-
ly had a hard time figuring out
where Mickey came up with such
a hair-brained idea. Then the
school trustees voted themselves

d. Mickey is
that the citizens don’t mind paying
more taxes as long as those taxes
are used for something good...like
Mickey.
Rod Retzlaff
Glade

Oct. 24. My role in the East
Kootenay’s public concerns with
the CORE report for that area,
was to give a perspective on how
local people could have more of
a say there as well, using the
Cariboo land use plan develop-
ment as a reference point.

I did not name any forest com-
pany as trying to get some sort of
an anti-government bandwagon
started. However, I did say that
getting the government's atten-
tion focused on people’s concerns
in the Kootenays would take a lot
of people's time and effort—
along with advertising dollars to
take the issue to the B.C. public
and the politicians. Otherwise,
nobody would really care about
what happened in rural B.C. Our
hundreds and thousands of voices
are not as easily heard as smaller
groups in the Lower Mainland
and Victoria because the major
media are too far away from us.

Getting back to Mr. Beyer’s
points about building on the
Kootenay CORE land use plan. I
think that it is fair ball to use rec-
ommendations that the CORE
tables agreed to, but I take seri-
ous issue with points in the
CORE reports that the negotiat-
ing tables did NOT agree to.

One final note—Mr. Beyer
seems to have fallen into the trap
of treating the forest industry and
forest jobs as a sunset industry.
Nothing could be further from the
truth. As chairman of the
Williams Lake Save Our Jobs
Committee, I have seen people’s

9

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faces when they lost their jobs
due to forest cut reductions, new
regulations and technological
change. I have talked with their
families. They are the real vic-
tims of regulatory change and
land use changes.

Terry Tate
Chairman
Save Our Jobs Committee

to all my friends
and clients.

365-6222
2536 - Sth Avenue
_(by Chang's Nursery)

1217 - 3rd om Castlegar

365-7782

interest in using the library and a

thank you for 1994 usage. Is it

power

the last federal election if you

question this).
Perhaps it is time to reassure

ourselves that we are heard

S.B. Sellen,
South Slocan

anda

Ed Conroy MLA
Rossland - Trail

FACE ON EARTH

Merry Christmas from us to you.
We appreciate your friendship and trust.

On bebalf of my wife Katrine
and our family I wish you alla

Merry Christmas

Prosperous New Year

619 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C.
VIN 169 * Ph: 365-7500

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