Wednesday, January 13, 1993 TheFARSIDE By Gary Larson 4-29 sn 54 [enews rag eM Oar, 3 SUN CO mm ga “One good thing about living in this age -— all the caves are brand new.” PolicCBEAT Patrick Connolly of Burna- ooo by was driving his 1987 Ford Gerald Millaird of Castle- pick-up on 11th Avenue Jan.9 gar was driving north on when he lost control and Highway 22 Jan. 11 when he struck a utility pole. lost the left front tire off his There were no injuries and Ford Bronco. The tire struck some $4,000 damage was in- _ the front end of a southbound curred. pick-up driven by Joseph Kanallo of Rossland. Total damage is estimated at $2,500. Alcohol is alleged to be in- volved and charges are pend- ing. For theRECORD The Jan. 6 edition of The News stated Castlegar’s Rhon- da Schmidt rounded a curve on Highland Drive Dec. 31 and collided with another vehicle driven by Nadya Sofonoff, also of Castlegar. Sofonoff was not driving the vehicle at the time of the acci- dent. In fact, Sofonoff’s vehi- cle was parked at, the time the collision occurred. The News regrets the error and apologizes to Sofonoff and out readers for the inconve- nience. COMMUNITY CASTLEGAR CHAPTER RNABC MEETING January 26, 1900 hours. Castlegar and District Hospital. 4/04 ROBSON REC. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Robson Hall, January 27, 7 p.m. 4/04 CASTLEGAR SENIORS Social, January 21, 2 p.m. Pot luck with entertainment January 23, 5 p.m. Dance to follow approx. 8 p.m. 2/04 CASTLEGAR SENIORS ASSOCIATION Business meeting, January 7, 2 p.m. Social, Jan. 21, 2 p.m. Whist, Jan. 14 and 28, 7 p.m. Seniors Hall. 4/02 Coming events of Castlegar and District non-profit organizations may be listed here. The first 12 words are $4 and additional words are 30¢ each. Boldfaced words (which must be used for headings) count as two words. There is no extra charge for a second insertion’while the third and each consecutive insertion is half-price. Minimum charge is $4 (whether ad is for one, two or three times). Deadlines are 5 p.m. Wednesdays for 's paper and 5 p.m. Monday for Wednesday's paper. Noti should be brought to the Castlegar News at 197 Columbia Ave. OMMUNITY Bulletin Board Hin water © 133 g. limit 2) All Our Best From CASTLEGAR FOODS 635 Columbia Ave. ¢ 365-5755 fective Thurs., January 14 to Wed., January 20 SAUSAGE Made in store .18 kg. © previously frozen 3.05 kg. California Grown GREEN PEPPERS 1.74 kg. California Grown NAVEL or Cheese Slices ° 1 kg. White tg Wheat 4 flavours 27-250 ml. case Skim ¢ 1% ¢ 2% © Homogenized « limit 2 FLAKED TUNA Campbells Soup | CREAM OF | ij MUSHROOM 284 mi. ¢ limit 4 69 CASTLEGAR FOOD WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES HOURS: Mon.-Thurs., Sat. 9-6; Fri. 9-8 OPEN SUNDAYS 10 a.m.-5 p.m. @ Wednesday, January 13, 1993 The News is located at 197 Columbia Ave. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m Closed on weekends and statutory holidays. SUB RATES The News is published by Castle News Ltd. for Canwest Publishers Ltd. Mail subscription rate to The News is $37.50 per year. The price on number 0019. Columbia concerns finally addressed @ Provincial government announces symposium to review management of important West Kootenay water basin Corinne Jackson NEWS REPORTER The Columbia River is about to be explored. After a three-year battle with the provincial government, an assdciation of five regional dis- tricts and some First Nations councils will fi- nally get a say in the long-term management of the Columbia River basin. Economic Development Minister David Zirnhelt and Energy Minister Anne Edwards announced Saturday that the groups’ concerns will play a big part in a provincial review of the operation and management of the West Koote- nay waterway. “We've been pushing... to be involved,” Josh Smienk said Tuesday, noting the announce- ment was a victory. The review, jointly-sponsored by the region- al districts, B.C. Hydro and the Ministry of En- vironment, will look at the electrical system’s operation in response to the Columbia River Treaty, its environmental impact on the West Kootenay and possible recreational activities. “We've been trying to get these issues ad- dressed by the province for 30 years and over the last three in years in an organized effort,” Smienk said. According to the district’s coalition chair, “all the promises that were made to us when the treaty was first signed have never been lived up to. “The environmental impacts here have ex- ceeded expectations.” Smienk said the review will not be able to re- verse past environmental damage, but hopes it will address local concerns about lake levels, water transportation and the economic and en- vironmental impacts from the treaty. “We produce 55 per cent of the province's en- ergy,” he said, adding that local concerns de- serve to be heard. “I don’t think we're asking for handouts from the government. “We're just asking for a level playing field... with the rest of the province. _ “The symposium) will set us on the path of finding restitution for the long-standing issues and effects of the Columbia River Treaty,” he said. The symposium — to be held in Castlegar — is set to begin in May. Smienk stressed the need for citizens to get involved in the review process. “We're looking for the widest possible pub- lic involvement.” SONG BIRD News photo by Corinne Jackson Any passerby would swear they heard a professional choir in concert at Twin Rivers Elementary yesterday. Actually, it was seven-year-old Steven Hoodicoff and his classmates practicing their Russian — in song. Break-ins continue NEWS STAFF Castlegar Medical Centre can add its name to the growing list of break-ins. The centre had its window forced open.Jan. 8, but it is still unknown if anything was stolen. Castlegar RCMP Cpl. Al Brown said there are no suspects or witnesses, but police are continuing to investigate the break-in. “We have no evidence to indicate that they were actually in the building,” Brown said, adding that he believes the motive was drug-related. “You have to come to some conclusion and drugs would be it... Normally there is no amount of cash there.” Police don’t suspect this break-in is related to others that have hit Castlegar since Nov. 30. B.C. stands behind Fulton appointment Corinne Jackson NEWS REPORTER David Zirnhelt is standing behind his ac- tions. The Minister of Economic Development says he will not step down despite calls for his res- ignation for his part in appointing Dr. Mar- garet Fulton to review post-secondary educa- tion in the Kootenays. “T’m not going to resign,” he said Saturday, responding to calls from Liberal Education Critic Jeremy Dalton. Fulton is a past-consultant for Nelson Uni- versity Centre who has pushed for degree- granting status for the institution. Some peo- ple believe that this link may taint the govern- ment-sponsored Kootenay Post-Secondary Ed- ucation and Training Review Project. “We fully understood Margaret Fulton's con- nections in the past, but to say that she is au- tomatically an advocate of Nelson University Centre is incorrect,” Zirnhelt said in Castlegar Saturday. “If any of us thought she could not carry out this process — going in with no preconceptions — we wouldn't have appointed her. “We have no preconceived notions as to what’s going to come out of this and Margaret Fulton’s appointment does not tip the scales in any way,” he said. Zirnhelt is not the only one to be touched by conflict of interest allegations in connection with Fulton’s appointment. Nelson-Creston MLA Corky Evans has also been grilled for his part. Castlegar’s Mickey Kinakin has accused Evans of pandering to NUC. “Basically, the issue is people made politi- cal promises to be elected and now they’re caught,” School District No. 9’s representative to the West Kootenay Education Program said Jan. 7. Kinakin believes that Fulton’s appointment may put the WKTEP in jeopardy, saying that the government can’t afford to sponsor two teachers’ programs in the Kootenays. And, de- spite that fact the NUC says it will offer liber- arts programs requiring no government funding, Kinakin believes it’s only a matter of time before the Nelson school gets government assistance and offers a teaching program sim- ilar to the Ootischenia-based WKTEP. Evans says he played no role in Fulton’s ap- pointment. He said that decision was made by Advanced Education Minister Tom Perry, Tourism Minister Darlene Marzari and Zirn- helt. Evans said Fulton will prove her skeptics wrong when she gets down to business. “As the people are actually getting to know the woman and the process, I think they’re los- ing the concerns,” he said. Even Fulton agrees. “I know there has been concern over my ap- pointment,” she said in Castlegar Monday, « _.(but) the response so far has been very pos- itive. “As a result (of news coverage) people know about the review committee,” Fulton said. “In one sense those (conflict of interest) charges have... created interest which is what we want. “That’s important.” The review project is presently seeking sub- missions from key players in the Kootenays, to re eaten by public hearings in March and pril. The review panel will submit its final rec- ommendations to the government in June.