The Cas tlegar Sun _ Hospital cutbacks devastate local family KAREN KERKHOFF 5un staff Wednesday, October 20, 1993 Sonja Sather and her mother Borghild Selvig, had reached the end of their rope since every where they turned being closed. Last February, Sonja's father Gunnar Selvig, 92, was diag nosed with Alzheimer's disease, a debilitating disease which affects @ person's mental faculties. ‘The progression of the disease is indi vidual to each person, and while the disease might in some case: Progress at a slow and uncertain rate, for others it advances at a frighteningly rapid speed For Gunnar, the progression of the disease has been both rapid and ferocious. Watching helpless ly as Alzheimers took its tol) has been heart-wrenching for Sonja and Borghild. Besides dealing with the impact and associated problems of his mental decline, both Sonja and her mother had been caring for Gunnar at home For a while, the option of caring for Gunnar in a home setting worked well for them, but as the disease advanced, and the care of Gunnar demanded more of their time, Sonja said that she and her mother found themselves unable to care for Gunnar in this way. “One day I realized this was ndiculous. It was impacting on so many ways in our lives.” The women decided that Gun- nar could best be cared for in a structured setting, such as a hos- pital, or long-term care facility And so Gunnar was placed on a wait-list for a bed in the Alzheimer’s Unit at Columbia View Lodge in Trail While waiting for the bed, Gunnar’s condition declined fur- ther, and Sonja and her mother found themselves “burned out”, and unable to deal with the many demands that caring for Gunnar placed on them. With her doctor's help, Sonja was able to have Gunnar admitted into Castlegar and District Hospital on Septem- doors wer IN VALUE IN QUALITY IN SATISFACTION Gunnar Selvig sits back and relaxes in the hair care room at Castleview Care Cen- tre as his daughter Sonja Sather, (I), cuts his hair and his wife, Borghild, offers. words of encouragement. An uncertain future for Alzheimer-stricken Gunnar is a source of stress for his family. ber 17—and Sonja and Borghild were finally able to stop and take a break from the pressures of car- ing for a loved one in their home—or so they thought Only a few days after Gunnar was admitted to the hospital, Sonja received a call from a hospi- tal representative to inform her that her father would be dis- charged the next day. “It was dev- astating to say the least. I spent the next two days begging for help. I didn’t know who could help us.” Although every health care facility or worker who Sonja con- tacted was extremely sympathet- ic, Sonja said it became crystal clear to her that there is a gap in the health care system—one so large it looked as if her father, herself and her mother were © 2 door hatchback ° 5 spd., manual transmission © Halogen composite headlamps 8995 OR GiSuarrLease- _ 36 monTHS $189: PER MONTH 1994 PONTIAC SUNBIRD aa Power door 10 (jSmarr Lease~ $219** rer montu j 2 door coupe Anti-lock brakes Cassette stereo system locks 995 — 36 MONTHS “Total time price $7281.25 PST, GST extra KA) Mi, PONTIAC BUICK GMC (1989) LTO THE KING OF CARS LAWS "365-2155 Collect TRAIL, FRI Hey ROSSLAND ALL **Total time price $8502.65 PST, GST extra going to be swallowed up by the implications and enormity of it Due to recent budget cuts to health care facilities, including Castlegar Hospital, beds were being decreased and people such as Gunnar were being left with nowhere to go. At that point the only options they had were to either resume car- ing for Gunnar at home, or admit him to a private room at Castle- view Care Centre at the prohibitive cost of $70-$85 a day. “That was not an option, we couldn't afford to pay that,” said Sonja. Luckily a funded bed became available and Castleview Care Centre officials agreed to accept Gunnar on a conditional basis Although it now appears as if Gunnar will continue being cared for at the facility, Sonja is dis turbed about the lack of facilities for people who are unable to be cared for at home, and yet have nowhere else to go. “I see a gap in what is available for families The more we needed support facilities, the less they were avail- able. There needs to be a place for families in crisis.” Castlegar and District Hospital Administrator, Ken Talarico, veri- fied that due to budget restraints, including no increase in this year’s funding, the hospital has SUN STAFF PHOTO (Karen Kerkhott decreased the amount of beds available for patients Talarico justified the decrease from 55 to 30 beds for economic reasons, and because of the decreasing need for those beds. “Basically 30 beds and two emergency holding beds aré ade. quate for Castlegar. We haven't used 55 beds for years.” Activity levels show that from September, 1992 to July 23, 1993 there was an average bed occu pancy rate of only 23 patients per day. Although budget restrictions have required the need for certain restrictions or changes, Talarico asserted that service to os i would be available 24 hours ja day, seven days a week, and me discharge of Selvig was based dn other reasons, not lack of acufe care bed space “The patient did not requir acute care and needed to § looked after with home support br at another facility.” The move from caring for patients such as Selvig in a hospi tal setting to a facility in the com munity and utilizing home support has been a directive man dated by the Ministry of Health's ‘Healthy Directions’ But for Sonja Sather, the gov ernment's new plan offered no direction at all Diesel spill investigation continues SUN STAFF A local conservation officer Says results of his investigation into a diesel spill from the Castlegar and District Hospital will likely not be released until December. Conservation Officer Barry Farynuk told The Sun on Monday that due to other investigations regarding fish and wildlife offences, as well as minor hunting infractions, results of the diesel spill that occurred two weeks ago will have to wait for now. More than 400 gallons of diesel spilled onto the hospital grounds and into the storm drain, ending up contained in a small A&W gets SHARLENE IMHOFF m Sun Editor Construction on Castlegar’s lat- est fast-food restaurant could begin in less than two weeks, with plans for an opening date near the end of March. Castlegar’s newest corporate citizen, A&W restaurant, was given the go-ahead during a spe- cial council meeting, held October 14, after it received a development Permit voted unanimously by all councillors present. Representing Adobe Develop ment Lid., of Kelowna, Gary Teb- butt said the company is anxious to begin work on the project, which has been in the planning stages for more than three years. “Things never really panned out in the past, but it’s all for the better now because Castlegar’s economy is much stronger.” The restaurant's location, 1982 Columbia Avenue (just next to the pond under the suspension bridge leading to Zuckerberg Island Heritage Park. Members of Castlegar’s Volunteer Fire Department, Public Work's crew and officials from the Ministry of Environment were on the scene shortly after the emergency was reported by an alert nursing staff Volunteer firefighters puta boom in place before flushing the storm drain. Officials say that none of the diesel escaped into the Columbia River due to its current low level An initial on-sight investiga tion by Farynuk showed no evi dence of immediate damage to fish and wildlife, but water and soil samples were taken and the analysis has not been released. go ahead Sandman Inn), is currently zoned General Commercial, but is designat ed under the Official Community Plan as Highway Commercial. The land was under specifications for a shopping centre, and Tebbutt said plans are now underway to amalga Mate the restaurant when a new shop- Ping centre is built in the near future “We do foresee a new shopping centre in this location in the future there are other national companies looking at this market, it's just a matter of attracting the right mix of tenants,” Tebbutt said. Castlegar's Positive economy, combined with a congestion problem in Kelowna has resulted in more developers senously examining this Kootena city: While explaining plans to city councillors, Tebbutt said that if there were further delays to th A&W project, the developer may move to another market Tebbutt said the fast-food outlet would employ between 40-60 full and part-time employees. Wednesday, October 20 , 1993 The _ The Castlegar Sun Page 3A Twelve to ride political roller coaster for council SHARLENE IMHOFF Sun Editor With eight candidates seeking six council seats and four candidates now vying for the mayor's chair, it looks as if there's more track ahead in C. ‘astlegar’s political roller coaster ride. Nominations officially closed last Friday, and to everyone's relief, the fact that Castlegar has a race on its hands was announced. FOR COUNCIL ac Brenda Binnie ° One of the first candidates to declare her inten- tions, Brenda Binnie might be a new face in the political ring, but she's had her hand in various activ- ities relating to School District No. 9, where she works as a busdriver. Binnie, past-president of her union local, is calling for more openness on council. Kirk Duff An incumbent, Duff is hoping his support for re- election will come from those taxpayers who are pleased with his past-performance on council. An employee at Cominco, Duff was elected to council shortly after moving to the area. His performance over the past three~ yoors has resulted in a reputation of well-though king. Duff was involved in a number of projects that cited contro- versy, and was one of the few councillors who rec- ommended disclosing the contents of the Price Waterhouse. Bob Pakula Incumbent Bob Pakula said he just “couldn’t stay away” from municipal politics due to his interest in the on-going projects. A keen interest in “seeing things done right”, this Pope and Talbot employee's performance on council has been one of quiet con- templation. Although never one to rock the boat, Pakula is obviously firm after making a decision and because of this, was rarely, if ever, involved in heat- ed debates. Ron Armbruster Also a newcomer to Castlegar’s political scene, Armbruster feels his involvement in community affairs along with over 16 years of management experience in the airline industry has given him the capability to effectively serve the citizens of Castle- gar. Armbruster, currently a director on the Chamber of Commerce, is hoping for strong support from the business community in Castlegar Walter Flux The name Walter Flux surfaced often, after an organization known for its harsh criticisms of the mayor and city council surfaced out of distaste for the direction council was heading. Flux, vice-presi- dent of the now defunct Coalition Unnaccepting Rash Bureaucracy (CURB), said that although the watchdog organization no longer exists, he is sub- scribing to the one main philosophy CURB held since its beginning—openness of local government Flux, who is highly critical of in-camera meetings, also condemns city hall for what he calls “a bad atti- tude towards developers.” The owner of a construc- tion business, Columbia Excavating, Flux was also in the headlines after he tried taking the City of Castlegar to Small Claims Court over a squabble involving water and sewage hook-up charges on his Property. Doug Green Although he was considered by many to be close- ly linked with the Coalition Unnaccepting Rash Bureaucracy, BC Tel employee Doug Green was adamant that he had no part in CURB's plans, and was acting on his own accord when running in a bix election to replace councillor Marilyn Mathieson last spring. Beating out two other candidates, Green took the seat on council and was indeed an effective voice in many controversial issues, the latest of which involved the city’s purchasing policy on local hire Gteen, who has a keen interest in the planning and development department, is hoping taxpayers will look closely at his short time on council and consider his past performance Dave Keen A former resident of Castlegar, Keen relocated just a hop, skip and a jump away to Blueberry Creek in 1991. A counsellor at the Employee Resource Centre in Trail, Keen feels he can provide to council a totally objective view of matters that have to be dealt with. Keen is currently serving on the city’s Advisory Planning Council, of which the current council app’ all the In rela- tion to his employment, Keen has contributed to the Keen says he “understands the difference between confidential and public information.” Jim Makortoff The fitial person to throw his hat in the political ring for councillor, Jim Makortoff is as local as they come. Born in Grand Forks and raised in Castlegar, Makortoff said he plans to continue living here and eventually retire in Castlegar. “I’m staying here for the long run, so I figured I might as well get involved in ma ing Castlegar the best place it can possibly be,” Makortoff, whose father was a long time employee of the city’s Public Works depart ment, says the community is going through a (ransition.-and proper planning must be a top priority for council. Makortoff also believes that councillors must pay closer attention to senior staff members at city hall. “I think there has to be more checks in place to ensure that staff are treating the public well.” FOR MAYOR Audrey Moore Curre nt Mayor Audrey Moore says she is still as about her res lities as when she was first elected mayor 17 years ago. “I have tremendous energy, both physical and mental,” said Moore, who, after her years of experi ence in the mayor's seat, is proud of the fact she has the ears of many politicians on the provincial, national and even international stage. Involved in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, the Police Com- mission and discussions on future Downstream Ben- efits under the Columbia River Treaty, Moore was under criticism in the last two years, for not spend- ing enough time handling local issues. Moore responded by saying that she is involved in the day to day concerms of the city, but includes, “yes, I am involved in the wider spectrum of politics. But it's raised the profile of this city. When | am involved, | am aware, I bring every experience back for the ben efit of counci 4 the community Moore says she recognizes with pride the changes taking place in Castlegar, and feels stable leade rship that can only come from solid experience is needed to guide Castlegar into the 1990s and beyond. Moore cites a number of projects she has interest in, includ. ing the formation of a regional health plan, a new senior arena, expansion Of Selkirk Colles the return of down S centre, education services and of course, stream benefits to the Kootenays. Moore is also touting what she calls ‘ working relationship between herself and director from Area I and J, as well as Selkirk ¢ other people in government.’ Mike O’Connor “We have some damn good people at city hall they just need better direction from the mayor and council.” And if former CURB President has his way, the direction from the mayor's chair will take on a dramatic change. “There needs to be more attention paid to local problems, such as the road and sewage-capacity problems in our city,” said O'Con nor, who is adamant that while the attitude of cit councillors has changed somewhat, it still has way to go if it wants to be truly accountable “City council needs to open up and be more accountable for its actions. It can't hide behind closed doors every time a touchy subject comes uf Former owner of the Castlegar Funeral Chapel O'Connor has made no secret of his intentions to be mayor. Last spring, he solidified his committment \ do so by swearing his allegiance-to the Queen and to Canada, becoming a Canadian citizen As well as changing what he refers to as the closed-door attitude at city hall, O’Connor is an excellent rilege and a long See CANDIDATES BA Rural candidates state intentions RICHARD ROWBERRY For The Sun Resource Centre Joint Advisory Ci a job that entailed working with people of different back- grounds, points of view and agendas. Through this, Dinim and William Hampson All the other contests are two- way fights with Area C director i KAREN KERKHOFF Security guard hired to control unruly teens and fe eee Sheer frastration, and anger at a group of rude and destruc- tive teens has lead to a tactic which Castleaird Plaza Manag- er, Dale Bradley said has been effective. For the last two and a half months, a security guard has been hired to sit in the old Canadian Bank of Commerce building and watch. Day in and day out he watches to assure that people and property are not accosted by Bradley said are the reason - hiring the guard. “Yes, we've hired a security person. Both skateboarders and teenagers have been harassing people in the plaza and causing damage to the shopping centre They sit up in the stairwell of the new Canadian Bank of Commerce building and party up there—but not any more.” Dale Donaldson, owner of Mallard’s. Source for Sports, a plaza tenant, agreed with Bradley regarding the need for a security guard. “It's wen ey congregate in big groups ¢ there’s a problem. There have been incidents to cars. and of seniors being harassed.. It has become quite’a problem.” Bradléy. said the security guard was hired after other attempts to solve the problem failed. “I called the RCMP, they said ‘call the city, it's private land’, so.I called the city and they said ‘call the RCMP*” Since hiring the guard, Bradley said the problem has Recycling response ‘overwhelming’ KAREN KERKHOFF Sun staff “Overwhelming”—in a nut- shell that’s how the recycling effort is proceeding in Castlegar. It’s been less than a month since the recycling depot opened in Castlegar, and the owner of Trail Ecocentre Mickey Pazurik, the company responsible for main- taining the recycling depot in Castlegar, is amazed at the amount of recycled goods that have been been dropped off at the depot which is located beside Castlegar Foods. “Already there have been 20,000 tofifes of newspapers dropped off.” Last Sunday alone there were 27 pieces of “white goods” dropped off at the depot. Pazurik is thankful the recycling effort is so obviously strong in Castlegar, but stresses that the depot is open Mondays through Saturdays only. The dumping of white goods Stolen rifle recovered “SUN STAFF A rifle that had been stolen from a pick up in Ootischenia was found in’a culvert by a per- son taking a walk in Robson October 10. The rifle, a Ruger M77 had been reported stolen the same day by Robert Larsh. It is uncertain if the truck had been locked at the time of the theft. Castlegar RCMP are continuing their inves- tigation into the theft eee Machado's Grocery was bro- ken into sometime in the evening of October 16. Thieves gained entry through a door which had been pried open before taking an while depot personnel weren't on duty and available to load result- ed in an eyesore for local resi- dents. “It wasn’t supervised, they just dumped it.” As well, Pazurik said some recyclers have taken the term “white goods” literally and left white toilets in the white goods section. “They didn't leave green toi- lets, so we think they thought this is what's meant by white goods.” Pazurik said white goods are classified as large household appliances such as: fridges; stoves; washers; and dryers Pazurik said there are plans in keeping with the Downtown Revite theme on the drawing board to minimize the visual impact of the depot. “We'll meet any obligations we have.” Pazurik said he thinks the increasing and welcome recycling effort comes from a greater and growing awareness of our small world, and in respect to other gen- unknown quantity of cigarettes, candy and groceries. Castlegar RCMP are continu- ing their investigation into the break-in. . eee Someone attempted to break into Fields Department Store the evening of October 18. Culprit(s) tried to remove the metal framing surrounding one of the front win dows. Castlegar RCMP are con tinuing their investigation into the incident eee Castlegar RCMP were called” to Stanley Humphries Secondary School October 13 to investigate the theft of approximately $200 in coins from a vending machine Three male juveniles, who can't erations who will be living in this world after our generation is gone. “This generation recognizes their responsibility to not leave a mess for the next generation and feels a responsibility to get this stuff recycled.” Besides the Castlegar depot, collection depots for other areas have been set up on a part-time basis. They are: beside the Irriga- tion office in Robson the third Saturday of the month; at Play- mor Foods at Playmor Junction every second Saturday; and in Winlaw every fourth Saturday of the month. In Slocan Park the depot at Slocan Park Co-op will be in operation during store hours on a daily basis. The depots will recycle: news- papers and colored flyers, maga- zines; glass containers; tin and aluminum cans; plastic milk jugs (but NOT milk cartons); card- board; and non-ferrous scrap met- als obtained from used appliances. in culvert be named under the Young Offenders Act, were found to be responsible for the theft and will appear in court to answer to the charges at a later date ee Castlegar RCMP have arrested two male juveniles, October 13, for the theft of a ticket dispenser and its contents—approximately $200 in coins from Bel Air Laun dromat The dispenser, valued at $500 had been taken from the wall of the cleaners, September 28 Both juveniles, who can't be named under the Young Offend er’s Act, will appear in court to answer to related charges at a later date tee With the passing of the Octo- ber 15 deadline for the nomina- tion of candidates in the upcoming local government elec- tions, in which all 11 rural direc- tors chose to run again, the return of a number of Electoral Area incumbents has been assured for lack of competition. Uncontested Areas B, D, E, G, I and K will again be represented by directors Elvin Masuch, Larry Greenlaw, Josh Smienk, current Chair Hans Cunningham, John Voykin and Helmut Klughammer. Area H has the largest slate of candidates with Leonard Block, Jo Brown, Bob Lerch and Eric Nygren challenging the present director, Bob Barkley. Close behind is Area A where incum- bent Larry Brierley will be up against Willi Cziborr, Gabriel Tom Mann facing Brian Ander- son, while Hans Kolman has pit- ted himself against Area J veteran Ken Wyllie. The job pays $550 per month with a $90 stipend for meetings. The monthly board meeting, as it is also the meeting of the Regional District Hospital board, nets $180 each time. Directors are also reimbursed for various job-related expenses. In return, a director works an average of 20 hours a week, according to Area E representative Josh Smienk, with some weeks being much higher. He points out, too, that in order to attend confer ences and some important com- munity meetings he has to take unpaid leave from work “If I was married with kids,” he says, “I'd quit tomorrow. You just can’t do both.” Area J Director Ken Wyllie is being challenged for his RDCK seat by Hans Kolman Kootenay man faces charges of impaired driving A Montrose man, charged with operating a vehi cle while impaired and having an alcohol consump- tion over the legal limit, appeared in Provincial r(, in ‘Ne! October 6. 1994 Neil Thomas Edmondson entered a plea of not guilty and will be back in court for trial, January 12 FOR CHILDREN Troll Mask ¢ Royal Costum ae Z Giggle Head $8.99 $7.98 es $18.99 FOR ADULTS Masks $9.99 Costumes $18.99 20's Nestle's Candy Bar's Smarties, Aero, Coffee Crisp, Kit Kat °3.49 Hostess Chips 12x16 g. bag Regular Cheetos Doritos Neilson Candy Bars Caramilk, Crunchie, Jersey Milk, Crispy Crunch Bi Loot Pails °2.98 Carving $ Kit Jack Q O’Lantern ' Make-Up Kits Window & ee Ww, Sa af ~~ > ~ — jie “We, ¢ Pumpkins ¢ Skeletons e Witches ¢ Ghosts $4.99 - $7.99 House Decorations 99¢ - $6.99 ACCESSORIES Teeth $1.99 Fake Ski $2.48 Eye Glas $3.99 Nose 79¢ Moustache $1.99 Soother $2.98 Eye Patch $2.49 Pointed Ears ...$1.99 ~~. wr i ~ x ~ ~~, ~-4 a wr + FS PHARMASAVE 1128 - 3rd St. (Downtown) Castlegar 365-7813