D8 CASTLEGAR NEWS, October 28, 1981 Biggest Cc oO n coin flipping. artist around ness. VANCOUVER (CP) — compulsive gambler is prob- ably the biggest con artist around, says Russell V., who spent 86 years wagering his and his family’s money on anything from golf games to Seven years ago he joined Gamblers Anonymous and learned he was not the only one with the problem. Mem- bers help each other glue together the relationships, confidence and pride that compulsive gambling has shattered. They admit com- pulsive gambling is a sick- The pounds,” he said. problem.” Russell “You can probably tell who the overeater is — that’s the guy who weighs about 400 “The compulsive drinker may also be edsy to spot — he's probably drunk ’ and staggering. But the compul- sive gambler could be any- one, male or female. There are people who can gamble every day and not become compulsive — they know when to stop. It’s when they can't stop that they have a course and as the golfers made their putts the caddies would wager who would win. “I think I was compulsive from the start,” he said. “I went to gambling like a duck to water, from blackjack to throwing coins against walls.” JOINED GROUP His wife, Rae, speakes candidly about her husband's gambling years. When he joined Gamblers Anonymous she joined Gam-Anon, a fel- lowship of spouses and rela- tives of the earns children the next week. an illness that gots progres- sively worse,” she said. “These people love their families, but the gambling takes control and eventually that bingo game becomes more important than your child's birthday.” She described the uncer- tainty of being married to a compulsive gambler as never knowing if they still owned their home or wondering if there would be enough money to feed their four began when he was nine years old. He wasa caddy at a local golf bler. pe When he took his family to C is he dropped them off at the fair and said he was going golfing. He spent their vacation money at Hollywood Park racetrack. “When I was down I even stole money from my wife's purse, then got mad at the kids for doing it,” he said. “You have to be pretty low to do something like that.” He felt so low that at one point he considered suicide. Then his wife spied an article about Gamblers Anonymous in an Ann Landers column and he hasn't missed a meet- ing since attending his first one seven years ago. Anony be- gan in 1957 when two com- pulsive gamblers in Los An- geles began to meet regu- larly to discuss their gamb- ling problem and how they could stop it. There now are almost 600 groups in North America, with memberships in the British Isles, Australia and Europe. There are no dues or membership fees, and the gruop does not con- demn gambling but rather treats it as a sickness that ‘can be overcome with a posi- tive approach to daily living. As alcoholics must never drink, so must compulsive give up better en- tirely. This includes fore- going the seemingly harm. less practices of buying lot- tery tickets, flipping a coin or entering the office sports pool. “If it wasn’t for the pro- gram he rould have been in jail or he might have jumped off a bridge,” Rae said, “He'd say to me, ‘One day we'll go to Hawaii,’ but it never hap- pened until he stopped gam- bling. Now we have term deposits, money in the bank and we've been to Hawaii and New York.” INTRODUCING SAY HELLO TO THE PIPER Il FROM HAMMOND. It's totally fun and oh, so easy to Bley. Don't let the small size fool you. you, The r lis packed with the rich tone, authentic instrumental voicing, and innovative Easy Play features of larger Hammond Organs. 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You'll be grateful you met. . . and you'll remember who introduced you — your Hammond dealer. « Note-A:Chord. Auto Vani, Autochord and Brite Foot are Trademarks of Hammond Corporation -Roman mce B ec Hgacaattce Ltbrary,” “Paxtianent. sve sc Be: Febs: ae CASTLE, Published at “The Crossroads of the Kootenays” WEATHERCAST. Cloudy Sunday with froin and ralld t weather ted for the next day or so. ieee a will remain unset. with highs around 11° and overnight lows near ir 5°, VOL. 34, NO. 87 35 Cents => 2 Sections (A & B) Session to open Nov. 23 RICHMOND (CP) — A new session of the B.C, legis- lature will open Nov, 23, Premier Bill Bennett an- nounced Saturday. ; Bennett made the an- nouncement at an airport news conference ashe left for the first ministers’ confer- ence on the constitution in Ottawa. Bennett said the legisla- ture will be called to order at 10 a.m. Nov. 23 and the new \ session will. open with a speech from the throne at 2 The government's legis- lative program is expected to include a housing policy and a new planning act. Bennett also has promised a bill to make enumeration of, voters mandatory between provincial elections. The premier earlier indi- cated there might not be a fall legislative session be- cause of the constitutional negotiations. He said Satur- day that his action in setting a date for the new session cannot be interpreted as a sign he expects the meeting to settle the constitutional issue. However, he also said he is going to. Ottawa with the thought that the meeting be- closed SQUAMISH (CP) — Squamish highway, site of a bridge washout which killed five persons earlier this week was closed to traffic along much of its length Saturday when heavy rains cat flooding and h in TRICK OR: TREAT, Halloween scare for, In nice evel and workers. CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1981 for, mera. scalars yea roughput ‘Castlegar j throt Friday and Saturday with ‘costumes of their. oO jeon par 8 speci occasion for it all’ is polte Overy: ve t 1 ig t at press tin CAIMAW w VANCOUVER and TRAIL (CP) — The B.C. Labor Rel- ations Board overturned Fri- day an earlier decision which used prohibited the Canadian As- jal, Mech- several places. ~ The break in the highway was spanned at Wednesday's bridge washout at M Creek about 80 kilometres north of Vancouver. Another bridge ‘north of M Creek and ‘south of Brittania was closed be- cause of fears it may be washed out. A search is still under way for four persons missing and presumed dead after a tor- rent of mud and water knocked out the M Creek bridge. The highways ministry said the temporary one-lane Bailey bridge replacing. the wooden trestle structure which collapsed is ready on schedule but cannot be used_ sai because of other breaks along the highway. The highways ministry had. hoped'to have the-road open to one-way light traffic by. Saturday afternoon. Lots go on sale By CasNows Staif Lots at the Castlegar In- dustrial Park went on sale for the first time Thursday — marking the climax of two years of active negotiations, planning and site prepar- ation. But the work isn’t over yet’ — not by a long shot. Now the push is on to fill the park with suitable tenants. City clerk Ron Skillings anical and Allied’ Workers from signing members on the premises of Cominco Ltd. in: Trail and Kimberley. The decision by the three- member panel, headed. by board vice-chairman Stephen Kelleher, allows the union to reeruit members at Cominco outside’ working hours, in- cluding lunch ‘and coffee breaks. Cominco had refused to permit leaflets or signing up of union members ‘on company property. . The union is trying to win the right to bargain for the 6,000 Cominco workers in Trail and Kimberley, now represented by the United Steelworkers of America. The union appealed the first board decision and ap- ~plied for an unfair labor dec- laration against Cominco,ar- guing that the Ixhor code only restricts organizing on will be placed in the major Van- couver, Calgary and Edmon- ton papers, as well as in pa- pers around B.C. The city has 10 lots avail- More on page B3 during company p working . hours. Recruiting © had been conducted during coffee and lunch breaks, not considered working hours by the union. Union secretary- treasurer wins appeal! Jess" the new decision. “It-remains to be seen if it will make it any easier for us to get a majority of the mem- ‘bers signed up, but there’s no doubt that the earlier de- cision our. criticized the membership pio its apathy toward union af- fairs, saying it gives the company added clout when dealing with safety matters or contract negotiations. from the start,” he said. Succamore said the union still hopes to apply for a . certification vote by Nov. 3 but declined to say how close his union is to signing the needed majority of workers. Meanwhile, employee apathy is a critical problem for the union representing the Cominco workers at Trail and Kimberley, representa- tives of two unions involved in a certification battle said this week. About 450 Trail employees ignored the final game of the World Series Wednesday to attend a debate which was noisy and opinionated but which seemed to win neither union new supporters, the - union leaders said. Ken said ers unhappy with their union should work to reform it. Swanson said the interna- tional union structure is too rigid to allow for change. The steelworkers were criticized for a poor contract which three months ago was ratified by 50.8 per cent of the membership. Georgetti said he had not supported the agreement but that none of the members were forced to accept it. The debate was threatened at one stage by another union which objected to what it called union-busting tactics employed by CAIMAW. Ed Haggan, Canadian Union of Public Employees national representative, had said he did not want such an of United Steelworkers local 480 and Doug Swanson, or allowed in any building under CUPE juris- diction. Teachers warn of ye action By RON NORMAN Stait Castlegar district teachers this week blasted the school board ‘for “lack of significant Broerees in curre int contract, he said, Wednesday's meet- ing was the teacher's second general meeting since con- started Medvedeff expressed “Frustration” for';what he job action unless talks im- tained motions to pull out of all extra-curricular school ac- . tivities and begin a work-to- rule Medvedeff said 80-100 | tea- A Sed chers vote yes, then that will give us an said. In a release, Medvedeff said teachers also chers mooting — about 80 per cent close to 90 per cent in favor, | outlying ‘| reminded that the Central Public meeting Tuesday O a eek ol respect fx tee aaa bax of seaport fae'the “They quickly forward to receive, the good things that are hap- pening but fail to recognize the significance of the: tea- step efor 's communities are. Kootenay Regional Dis- on its at Selkirk yeptlenibnt: T 4 p.m. Tuesday in room K-10 College. ‘The ‘meeting follows public meetings in Robson, Ootischenia and Blueberry Creek at which trict will hold 'a followup one teacher.. salaries. However, the B.C.: Tea- ‘chers’ Federation is making a plan is close’ Pi damntiech oc were offered a chance to speak out on the proposed settlement plan. Hydro - office opens By CasNews Staff B.C. Hydro’s long-awaited Murphy Creek and informa- tion office is finally set to open in Castlegar. The office, which came - about at the request of “Castlegar council, will open 9 a.m. Tuesday at 1418 Col- umbia Ave. Former city engineer Alex Lutz will man the office, which will only be open from ~ 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Tuesday and Viuhaeen scheme is ‘lowly starting to come together. Ald. Charlie Cohoe told council Tuesday: the Down- town Revitalization Commit- tee is close to hiring a con- sultant to preapre an overall concept plan. : Cohoe said the committee interviewed several candi- dates and is interested in one in particular. Z The prospective candidate has been asked to present a proposal to the committee before any decision is made. “We expect to hear from her any day now,” he added. Cohoe said the candidate is “highly recommended” and has experience in revitaliza- tion schemes in other small He said the committee was looking for a consultant with he in small Until the plan has been ée- re- signed, business seeking * qualification under revit- alization scheme will have to follow a temporary set of guidelines. Some of these involve: government's 20-per-cent re- ities rather than one whose _ background involved -only demand warrants it. ‘Anyone with questions about the proposed dam can contact the office at 365-8471 at any time. will be drawn up and inelude architectural details and a cost breakdown, he said. That should be in “several weeks,” he said. a grant. The government grant is for 20 per cent of the capital cost of renovation up to $200 per. matte.) ‘ TODAY'S PRAYER Thank You, ‘Lord, for reminding us that it is time to “seek the Lord.” VICTORIA (CP) — will be sizeable School tax assesaments next year will drop slightly for homeowners but there for other “The government held out hope of some tax Fellel NDP finance critic Dave Stupich said: 11 per cent this year. will provide no relief. owners, particularly in the forest ° industry, according to new rates announced Friday. Forestry and tree farm properties have been hit the hardest by the new assessment rates, with increases of 10 and 20 per cent of actual value. Ina statement released jointly by the finance and education ministries, Finance Minister Hugh Curtis said assessments on residential property will be reduced to 10 per cent of adtual value in 1982 from While Curtis ead the one-percentage-point de- crease for homewners will ease their tax burden, the Opposition has charged it is a token move that there isn't going to be any. By the dee it reaches tax bills next year, taxes are going to be higher than ever.” ‘The decrease for homeowners is a smaller break than the reduction they were given last year, when assessments were reduced 3.5 percentage points. ONLY ONE FACTOR A reduction does not necessarily mean. lower taxes next year, since assessment rates are only one factor. School budgets have not yet been set for 1982 and municipalities must.decide their general property taxation base. But using the current tax rate of 41.8 mills to show what the one percentage point will mean, a homeowner whose house and lot have been assessed at $180, 000 would pay about $72 less next year. The assessment rate for forestry y will propert, increase from 80 per cent of assessed value this year to 40 per cent in 1982, The rate for tree farms is increasing to 80 per cent from the current 60 per cent. Stupich accused the government of squeezing mosey out of the industry when it can afford it the Sonoe that the forest industry is Leo snreush their worst ‘economic trauma since the World War, the government is saying, Aree hit you even harder.’ ” Assessments rates will also increase for indus- trial properties, to 34 per cent from 28.6 per cent this year, and for utilities, to 85 per cent from 30 ‘School tax assessments to drop per cent. 1 resort and 0 property are being reduced to 10 per cent of assessed value. “*qher wil bo nochange inthe atsasmont rae Lee ak pat eat of anscaed aloes FGER property also remains unchanged at 10 per cent. Curtis said that in setting the 1982 asseasment ratios, cabinet has reiterated its de- cision for. the need to avoid a tax share shift on to 1 and ‘ which He said the loss in the province's tax base caused by the declining value of forestry and tree farm property as stumpage walnes fell was also taken into consideration.