Saturday, August 8, 1992 @ NET LOSS Crestbrook Forest Industries Ltd. in Cranbrook recorded a net loss of $3.3 million for its second quarter. That translates to a drop of 28 cents a share. This compares to losses of 44 cents per share for the same period in 1991. CFI says an increase in demand and selling of the product did not have time to make an impact on the companie'’s first and second quarter results. Pc PRICES PLUMMET Prices on personal computers are coming down sharply. A report states IBM will be axing the price on one of its most popular PS 2 computers by almost $1,000, bringing it down to $2,575. The report states PC prices have dropped about 50 per cent in the past four months. POOR GROWTH RATE orRPLACE Making ends meet B.C. students struggle with low wages and high costs Mark Nielsen CASTLEGAR NEWS SERVICE Unable to raise the $6,000 he'll need, Dave Biggin-Pound will likely have to forego a year at the University of British Columbia because he wasn’t able to find enough work during \ the summer. The 20-year-old graduate of Howe Sound Secondary said as much while addressing members of the Squamish Rotary Club about the difficulties university students have had earning money this summer. Basing most of what he said on personal experience, Biggin- Pound said he’s worked for only three weeks this summer although he recently found a job as a _ helper on a construction site. In order to return to school, he said he would have to make $6,000 over the course of a summer to cover the cost of tuition, books, rent, food and other living expenses. But even if he were working all summer, the second-year forestry student said it would have to be for pay significantly higher than the minimum wage rate of $5.50 per hour. “Minimum wage just won't do it,” he said. “I'd have to work 14 hours a day to make the money I would need to go back to school.” Moreover, Biggin-Pound said he’s not the only one who’s caught in such a biad. “I have friends who go to school every other year because they can’t make enough money in one summer to pay their expenses.” The situation is even worse this summer, he said, because both federal and provincial student assistance programs have been cut back. Ministry of Advanced Education public affairs officer Alan Strickland said the Student Summer Employment Program was reduced in size from $4.6 million to $1.6 million at the start of summer. As well, he said that where the program once pertained to tourism, university and colleges and to the private sector, it now focuses exclusively on tourism. “(The program) is used to subsidize students hired at tourism information offices across the province,” he said. However, while the federal government’s Challenge ’92 program was cut back by 15 per cent nationally, regional director for Metro Vancouver Dave Louch said his budget has been chopped by seven per cent. He said that while non-profit groups didn’t get as much support, private sector business “probably got more money this summer.” Even so, with just six weeks remaining until until university starts again, Biggin-Pound remains out in the cold while many friends are working several part-time jobs. “Many will take anything they can get — like newspaper delivery,” he said. Biggin-Pound said businesses would be surprised at “how many little things they can do for students.” “Students will look for a few hours work here and there — it does actually make a difference.” Go ahead, convince me CKQR format change is a good thing Pointing to Statistics Canada’s Composite Leading Indicator, a national economic forecasting firm states the country’s growth rate is seriously inadequate when compared to employment growth. bohunk, radio station business decision. It’s not. And what CKQR better do with its new format change over to country music is keep it hip. Good God, if Slim Whitman, Red Sovine and Boxcar Willie are mainstays of QR’s programming it’s time to saddle up the horses, Festus, and ride out of Dodge. Sound harsh? Sure it is — I don’t plug into Spokane radio in the morning and I’m damned if I’m going to wake up to Come on. Try to convince me. Tell me that having some backwards-ass, redneck country-bumkin music is a sound —_ es mel ee — JS The Bottom | NeitRACHYNSKI These guys have needed to streamline themselves from the start but they’ve got to be careful. You don’t fix what ain’t broken, and CKQR has been a solid money maker for the past few years. (I know, I was their former news director. And don’t go reading any bias into this because it’s strictly business.) Although I think CKQR is going to have to be thrown a lifesaver, another ’QR alumnus, Gary Dorosz, thinks the switch to country is a great idea — on condition. Dorosz, a marketing consultant for CKSA radio in Lloydminster, says the change will have CKQR riding the current wave of popularity that country music is enjoying. Where I tend to agree with Dorosz is that the station’s success depends as much on implementing the new format as it does chosing its format. “I hope to God they do it properly, and they could dominate the West Kootenay,” Dorosz said. He says an ad campaign should have been launched, the sales force should have been briefed and the music library updated. Remember, all these changes were conceived and implemented in just two weeks. If they covered ali the bases, fine. Good luck and all the best. But don’t listen when ’QR claims their survey results say they should make the switch. Stations pay between $5,000 and $10,000 to find out how well they’re meeting the demands of the listener. CKQR based its change on the findings one college student. Happy listening. Tammy Wynnette crooning ‘D- : ” Saturday, August 8, 1992 FastLANE [ Win, lose or draw, it’s in The News Jonathan Green 365-7266 YOU DIRTY RAT Wu Dan, a Chinese woman's volleyball player, has become the first Olympic athlete to be disqualified from the games because of on- the-spot drug testing. But Wu didn't take the usual steroids to boost her performance. Instead, traces of strychnine — otherwise known as rat poison — were found in her blood. Chinese Olympic officials say Wu took the banned substance by accident, when she took some herbal medicine before a match because she was under the weather. Wu didn't say if the strychnine perked up her play or not. MAKE A SPLASH On a much cleaner note, the Castlegar Aquanauts and Robson River Otters are in Colville this weekend, competing in the regional swim offs. Our best wishes to both teams. Here's hoping we get our share of gold. LocdSPORTS Dynamo dilemma West Kootenay Men’s Soccer League awaiting word from Castlegar club Scott David Harrison EDITOR Dave Kienholz is waiting by the phone. The president of the West Kootenay Men’s Soccer League is expecting a call from the Dexter’s Dynamos. And that call will tell him whether the Castlegar club is dead or alive. “I don’t. know what’s going on,” Kienholz said Thursday, “I wish I did, because it would make things a little easier.” The Dexter’s Dynamos are the weak sisters of the WKMSL. The Castlegar club finds itself sitting at bottom staring up. Sixth in the six-team cireuit, the have just two points in eight games. The lowly standing is hardly what one would expect from the talented team, which showed plenty of promise in its first game of the season when it dropped a 4-3 nail-biter to its crosstown rivals, the Hi Arrow Devils. But playing isn’t Dexter’s problem, finding the bodies to field a team is. “I haven’t heard what their plans are,”: Kienholz said. “One day I hear they’re folding, the next day I hear they’re not. “I hope they manage to finish the season, but I just do know what’s going on in Castlegar.” Jason Chaves isn’t as pessimistic, however. Goaltender for the Dynamos, Chaves admits the team has had its problems, but he says that’s behind them. “We’ve been having troubles with a lot of player not showing up, but that will change.” . Chaves said the Dynamos have recruited new players to fill out their roster for its seven remaining games. mind — the status of the Dexter's Dynamo. + wr News file photo The WKMSL is gearing up for the second half of its season with only one question on its “The team will be better,” he said. “We will definitely be back.” That should come as good news to the league, which holds its mid-season meeting next Saturday in Castlegar. Kienholz said the only thing that is hurting the league is the status of Dexter’s. He says he’ll get “the official decision” on the team’s fate at the Saturday meeting. “If we can get the Dexter’s problems behind us, we’d be okay,” he said of the WKMSL. “This is probably one of the has see-sawed between Nelson Savoy and Nelson Heritage since Game 1. Savoy currently sits atop the standings, one point up Heritage with 17 thanks to a 8-0-1 record. Heritage, meanwhile, sports a 7-0-2 record. Both teams have five games remaining. “I don’t think anyone will touch the two Nelson teams,” said Kienholz, who also plays for Savoy. “But it will be interesting to see what happens.” The battle for third sport is also heating up as Nakusp and Hi Arrow take shots at strongest leagues we've had in some time. . one another. Nakusp currently leads the Strong, indeed. The battle for. top spot local lads by one point, with 11. The Devils, who have outscored the opposition 32-13, has a 5-4-0 record with five games remaining. The fight for the fifth and sixth and the final two playoff spots is also proving interesting. Trail finds itself in fifth with five points, while Fruitvale enjoys sixth, and Rossland seventh. Dexter’s is pulling up the rear, but it’s a good bet for a playoff spot if it fields a team for its seven remaining games. League play resumes after a six week hiatus on Aug. 22 with the two Nelson teams squaring off in a battle for top spot. Need a car loari? We'll make it ha;