OPINION April 7, 1993 wy The Castidgar Sun PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG SHARLENE IMHOFF CATHERINE ROSS EDITOR ADVERTISING REP. NICOLE BEETSTRA PRODUC NON/OFFICE LINDA ANDERSON PRODUC TION MANAGER CHRISTINE MOYER ART DIRECTOR MELODY SEMENOFF ADVERTISING REP. MARGE LALONDE CIRCULATION MANAGER JOHN VAN PUTTEN SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER KAREN KERKHOFF REPORTER Direct Department Phones General Office 365-5266 Circulation 365-5266 Classified Ads 365-7848 Display Advertising 365-2278 Newsroom 365-5579 Fax 365-7762 editorial comment Another nail in the coffin Just when we though they were on the right track, the provincial government has done it again. They have punctured the artery of a sector which can’t financially tolerate any more bleeding. School District No. 9 has just received its funding from the provincial government, and to say trustees are shocked would prob- ably be an understatement. Instead of receiving a three per cent increase, which they were led to believe they would receive from the NDP, they have ended up with a $891,564 budget shortfall. (Oops! Sorry, you misunderstood—we meant three. per cent across the province, not three per cent per district.) Somehow the school district has to now adjust their budget to accept this life threat- ening loss, and the only way they can see doing it without laying off valuable and essential staff members is to rob Peter to pay Paul. One of the first things that School District No. 9 has financially adjusted is ‘supplies and equipment. What exactly does equip- ment mean? The equipment which the dis- trict won’t see, for example, are computers. While the provincial budget appeared to be on track in a lot of areas, this govern- ment still fails to recognize that you simply can't cut back in education. Wasn't it Mike Harcourt who said this budget looks towards the future? That's right. A future of crowded classraoms, insufficient supplies and fewer teachers. Our future as a country depends on having healthy people who are well educated. We live in a wealthy province. That's true. But it's also true that B.C. students, in fact Canadian students education levels in general do not match our very high standard of living. In fact, we are far from the top of the list. By further cut- ting education funding is a sure way to eventually hit educational bankruptcy. This slow and painful death of the education sys- tem has got to be stopped now. If the cur- rent government is unwilling to reconsider or re-evaluate their funding policies for edu- cation, then maybe they are not the people for the job. The message is clear, education is essen- tial. We all have the right to a proper educa- tion, even British Columbians. wily The Cas' 7S 1S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE Established November 28, 1990 ZB gar Sun Published by The Castlegar Sun Weekly on Wednesdays Member of Canadian Community Newspapers Association B.C. Community Newspapers Association and B.C. Press Council 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1G8 ERRORS The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not damages arising out of errors in ar amount paid tor the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of its servants or otherwise. and there shall be no for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement All advertising subject to publisher's approval Contracts must be completed within one year trom contract date. No contingent orders accapted liable for advertisement beyond the Media intrusion? John aren you really sur- prise me with some of your comments Being a media-type yourself | thought you would be the last person to stick up for public officials who continuously shov- el so much dung out of their mouths in the hopes of having their name in the limelight and being re-elected. These people have been elect ed by the people and for the people. We are bank-rolling them with-all the luxuries one could ever need, and then some One of the things that goes along with being elected into public office—and it is just that—‘Public Office’, is answer ing to the people who were kind enough to put you there in the first place. The only way for the general public to keep tabs on government activities is through the media. The government and even the general public are quick to cry out to the media when they have some type of cushy story they want the public to know about When the government or even the opposition have what they consider to be a positive tidbit of news, the fax machines in every newspaper, radio sta tion and television newsroom run in overdrive spitting out the regurgitated, biased propaganda There are two sides to every issue and, being a writer Karen. you should understand that bet ter than most. When you have to make calls concerning news that is, information that isn't fed to you by the government, it's likely that your calls are seldom returned. Do you think that's because everyone is to busy? Or that they just don’t want tc return them? There is a mentali ty out there that if they fail to. call you, ‘the media’ will just give up and let the story dissolve away—not likely The recent issue of: the extra- marital affairs of Gordon Wilson and Judy Tyabji only brings the issue of the role of journalism, and the public's perception of to Xu our role to the foreground When the information leaks started and the first stories about the alleged true-life soap opera scenes started coming out of the Provincial Legislative House, it was a case of how gossip started to pile up. The whole province, the whole country for that matter, was watching and waiting with anticipation to see if the allega- tions were on solid ground Weeks of blatant denial from both Wilson and Tyabji only showed the true nature of their consious. When they finally admitted the truth about their affair, Wilson had the gall to proudly state the relationship had not yet been consecrated Remember, this is coming from = 4 man who is no longer known for his honesty, Wow, I can hear O «the? angels singing their praises a match made ifisheaven (the Provincial Legislature, is a cushy place as any) One last thing to think about Karen. | am not doubting your sense of ethics but, next time you start to do a little bit of dig ging for a story, watch what you say, you might find yourself being a bit hypocritical. uheek lhe other day when we were talking John, you defended the media's right to intrude upon the private lives of public figures.’I can't believe you actually think it is alright to broadcast anyone's personal life! Just because we are the media that doesn’t give us the right to air a stranger's dirty linen in public. When public fig ures step into the spotlight I'm sure they don't do it with the unspoken agreement that they and their lives are henceforth public domain For example, take the recent media coverage of Gordon Wil son and Judy Tyabji. Who gave the media the right to follow them around, hound them and indirectly be the ones responsi ble for informing Mrs. Wilson of her husband's alleged infi delity? Would you like to get that son of news in the paper? I know that you will irgue that if someone become a public fig ure they must also expect that they will be closely scrutinized and their morals will be exam ined keenly If a person can do the job honestly I don’t think what they do behind closed doors in their private life is anybody's busi- ness, the media included. If their personal life affects the public job they are doing then fine, go for it! But until that time we don't have the right to overstep that fine line between good taste Wednesday, April 7, 1993 The Castlegar Sun Letters to the Editor Page 7A No condoning condom selling Dear Editor: I recently read that for any college student who has sex just once, that person is guaranteed five sex- ual transmitted diseases on the average. Not bad for college kids who engage in sexual activities, one with the other. Last week I read in the Calgary Sun, that U.S young people have an average of 100 sex partners. The University of Indiana did a study 6n sexual activities of young people and it was found that-by the age of 13, 55 per cent of guys had experienced inter- course while 50 per cent of girls had sex by age 15 “Contrarily, the aids virus is only 0.1 microns in size. Since this is 50 times smaller than the voids inherent in rubber, the virus can readily pass through the condom. “A reluctance to stake ones life on the ability of a condom to prevent HIV infection. bespeaks. wis dom...” Remember even in preventing pregnancy, con doms have a 12 per cent failure rate! If I have any sense or understanding of the English language, it means iis To depend on a con- dom is a farce and is like a Russian Roulette pistol Students face gross injustice in unfair tax Dear Editor I have recently been made aware of a gross injustice Students in this province are be ing incorrectly taxed. They. are being taxed in one year for monies received in the following yea The students of this province are often assisted in the financing of their education, by the government of British Columbia, in the form of grants Those grants are usually Biven to selected students in the spring semester (January - April). very low tax brackets, often below ‘the national poverty limit The double issuance of these grants in a single tax year has pushed many students into signif icantly higher tax brackets. The end result is that many students. instead of receiving tax refunds, now Owe money to Revenue Canada that they do not have This may result in a gross loss, to some students, of over $500. This is bad enough but it comes at a time of the year when most stu of funds. While it may be too late to do anything about this problem this year I feel that every effort Should be made to ensure that a repeat of this bureaucratic bungle does not happen again. If we must rely on computers to make decisions for us we must at least check the results of these deci- sions. Failure to to do so may result in computers ruining the lives of the people that they were created to improve and tackiness. I'm sick, and tired of hearing about Diana’s private cooing to an alleged lover, or about how Wilson's wife and children are devastated. What's next? Will we be taking candid photos of Wilson and Tyabji caught entwined.in each others arms? For that matter, I suppose you think it is just fine to take a pic- ture of someone's most private act—dying. Just because it might be a public act, such as a car wreck, doesn't give anyone the right to intrude on that indi- vidual’s right to die in peace, without a camera or a reporter close by to record the gruesome details. Why don’t we save that sort of journalism for the stark reali- ties of today which definitely need to be addressed, such as Canada’s homeless, street kids, alcoholism or war? What ever happened to good taste? You know as well as I do that words are powerful, and so are the pictures which emphasize those words. If people are always overwheimed with sto- ries and pictures of horror they will soon become conditioned to seeing them, and soon we will become a nation of desensitized zombies. Where do we draw the line? Will peeping in bedroom win- dows be an accepted part of our job description? I personally feel that if I wanted to do that kind reporting then I would be work- ing at one of the well known and numerous “rags” that are in cir- culation But because I have integrity, and a strong sense of right and wrong I choose to work for a paper which knows the meaning of ethicality, integrity, and respon- sible and \ccurate reporting If you have any comments or questions about this week's Cheek to Cheek, feel free to send us your comments In a letter to the editor c/o The Castlegar Sun. if you have a subject that you would like to see debated In the Cheek to Cheek column, Karen and John would love to hear your suggestions. Call the newsroom at 365-5579 or fax us your Sandt ts at 365-7762 The University of North Dakota sponsored a Safe Sex Week seminar. The Condom companies were out big time. The reps gave out packets, ointments, facts and condoms. Not one word was said about abstinence or morality. Josh McDowell was the last speaker. Josh asked the crowd if anyone knew the percent of failure using condoms. No one did. The students realized an important fact had been omitted. Josh quoted from the New England Journal of Medicine and the American Medcal Association Journal. Couples, where one partner had AIDS and the other was free, using condoms 100 per cent of the time, the failure rate was 17 per cent to 30 per cent in a 24 month period. Remember, AIDS has an eight year average incubation period. Another chill- ing morse] was provided by C.M. Roland (Editor of Rubber Chemistry and Technology), he writes in the April 1992 Washington Times Letter “ .. the rubber comprising latex condoms has intrinsic voids about 5 microns (0.0002 inches) in size {about 10 times smaller than sperm) — Stanley Humphries students would benefit from timetable changes As I near the end of my sec- ondary school year, I spend most of my time studying and I sometimes reflect upon the system. Could it have served me better? The linear timetable system at Stanley Humphries Secondary School is an eight-day, eight-sub- ject timetable. This is a very com- mon configuration in many British Columbia high schools, but there are other systems to consider; I think better ones. The eight-day, eight-subject timetable creates fran- tic answering to the bells (which ring every. fifty seven minutes), constant student movement aiid teachers with student loads of up to two-hundred. In this linear system _ great for entrance into a post-sec- the student has up to eight different ondary school, grades are extreme- teachers with eight different sets of ly important. Post-secondary expectations for each class. I cannot schools generally require a straight think of a job or career where one ‘B” average. When taking eight would have to answer to eight dif- academic subjects, students gener- ferent bosses ally find maintaining good grades a As a member of this year's grad struggle and the course load too uating class, I know how heavy the much to handle workload has been for myself and The Ministry of Education's for other students. One of the major Year 2000 document suggests that problems I've had this year is the major changes in education are constancy of tests and projects. it needed, and Tee. There are some seems to make organization an impossible task June brings final exams and for grads this means three-hour long provincial examinations. The exams are written over an eight-day period but for people writing seven provincials, eight days is not enough time. Seven exams at three hours each adds up to twenty-one hours worth of exam writing on learning that occurred.as far back as September. This time does not include that spent by some students preparing for and writing scholar- ship examinations. For most stu- dents, the outcome of provincials impacts upon their plans for post- secondary education. At atime when competition is so Humphries, jyst recently voted overwhelmingly for a change in the timetable system. L.V. Rogers Sec- ondary School is on a quarter or horizontal system. Since they have changed from linear, outstanding results have occurred in the area of academics. Last year L.V. Rogers’ students won sixteen scholarships whereas Stanley Humphries received only two. Their graduation rate increased by 20 per cent and the failure rates in most courses decreased dramatically. Those stu- dents who did fail often took advantage of the opportunity to Tepeat a critical course and still pass it in the same year. Discipline prob- lems at L.V. Rogers have been vir- tually eliminated. Of course thete are advantages and disadvantages for every situa- tion but given the information I have, the positives outweigh the negatives. Stanley Humphries stu- dents could certainly benefit by adopting the system : ple; if the school system were to change to a semester or a quarter system there would be more indi vidualized attention as teachers would not be dealing with two hun- dred students at\ a time. Chronic lates, absences, incomplete work assignments and poor work habits would show up very quickly and - the student would become more Kris Myra is a graduating stu motivate irn and attend @”t at Stanely Humphries Sec very positive reasons for a change school reg ondary School wh« T ) plans to pursue in the timetable system. For exam P Pi of “Stantes a career in the field of education If you would like to appear in the column My Turn, send in your typed editorial (between 250-300 words) to The Castlegar Sun along with a recent photograph. If you prefer, The Castlegar Sun will take your photograph here at our office, located at 465 Columbia Avenue. ’ i] New column ruins old fantasy Dear Editor: Regarding your new Cheek to Cheek column, what on earth are you trying to do? How could you print some- thing so disillusioning, so unbelievable, so profoundly insane that I was actually moved to bum my copy of the column? I refer not, of course to Ms. Kerkhoff's comments (though they were pretty ludi crous), but to the fact that you printed PICTURES of the two debaters. I nearly gagged All this time, I thought John Van Putten was short, fat, and bald, with a penchant for horn-rimmed glasses and plaid cord pants. That fantasy is now gone — forever. Why can’t you people just leave a simple teenager with enough to lose sleep over without this added burden? Please refrain from ever printing a picture of Ms Kerkhoff in the future, as I don’t think I could handle it Respectfully yours, Greg Nesteroff PS Entering therapy, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m with six bullets in six chambers. Students and young people, please don’t buy the lie of safer sex. Our sex experts have greased a one-way gangplank to destruction in their ignorance. History is just repeat- ing itself, we never learn! In 1934 Dr. Pedlin Serokin, a Russian professor never erring computer. It appears in Science at Harvard University, and Dr. J.D Unwood of Cambridge University, did a study of what happened when a society allows sexual promiscuity to run rampant. It took only 30-60 years for that society to decline and loose productivity. No society in the past survived, but Dr. Serokin found a few who nearly turned around. A small group stood up and in spite of verbal abuse and opposition, stood against the trend. Bonnie Horswill represents that group. Three cheers for her gutsy stand. You’ be remembered forever. Thanks! The green light for condom selling is really mould on a rotten idea. Since the money: is received in Jan- uary one would be led to believe that this money would be taxed in current calender year. Enter the omnipotent and that the date that these grants are to be issued on is decided by a computer program. Well this year the program decided to issue the grants early; not that the stu- dents would receive them early. The result of this computer deci- sion is that students who also received a grant last year will appear to have received two grants in a single year. At first this may appear to be -_ unimportant, but think again Yours in Concern, Most students living on these Mr. Val Leiding grants, and students loans, are in Thanks for supporting Daffodil Day Dear Editor: On behalf of the Castlegar Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society, we would like to extend our apprecia tion and a big Thank You to all of the businesses and individuals that supported our Daffodil Day This annual event that has been celebrated across Canada since 1954 is a supplement to the yearly April Canadian Cancer Society campaign Money raised because of your generosity goes towards medical research, public education and patient services. We'd also like to thank all the volunteers that helped to deliver our flowers, and to Loomis Courier Ser vice for their donation of transporting daffodils to most of our destinations around B.C. Once again Thank You Castlegar resi we've raised over $3,200. for your over support and generosity. This year Rosie Llewllyn-Thomas Corine Postnikoff -Unit Canadian Cancer Society Letters Policy Letters to the Editor are. welcome on any topic of local or general interest Letters should be double- spaced, typewritten, or legi- bly handwritten, and no more than two pages if pos- sible. Letters will be edited in the interests of brevity or taste if necessary. All letters must be signed, with address and telephone number, although names may be witheld from publication for valid reason by the approval of the editor. Send letters to: The Castlegar Sun, 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C., VIN 1G8, or drop them off at the office. Family Resource Centre WOMEN’S COUNSELLING SUPPORT WORKER The position is part time - 14 hours a week Salary: dependent on qualifications. Range $16 to $20°° per hour To provide para professional services in the area of - Crisis intervention for femaie victims of violence and their children - Referral - Community education - Support group leadership PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Post secondary education B.A., M.A. level - Excellent interpersonal skills - Training and experience with female victims of violence and their children - Ability to work as an effective community team playér - Ability to establish and develop an effective program Further information concerning this position Phone 428-5547 Applications stating training, experience and references may be forwarded by April 12, 1993 to: Serena Beye Box 987 Creston, B.C. VOB 1GO If you have something that Is lying around collecting dust, isn't it time you got rid of it? We can help! Phone the Sun classifieds at 365 - 5266 or 365 - 7848 We can't sell what we don't advertise! @ HAPPY EASTER & OS, 365-7269 er- groTER HAPPY EASTER- HAPPY EASTER: HAPPY EAS? Make This Your Most Colourtul Easter CARLS PLAZA DRUGS - Your FRIENOLY Pharmacy HAPPY EASTER. Paint a protare- perfect holiday with Laster cards, obe wrap, basket staffers and gifts from CARL S ORUGS Laster is Sueday, April 71/ Great gifts! Wonderful basket stuffers! isva A Va Aggy .yaisva ADAVH BALSA AddVH-Baleys yayN 4, "Ov. wy aasva AddVH BIAS] Aga ast PLANNING FENCES 6 SCREENS ] Fences, gates and garden ps screens are such a familiar part of most landscapes that we} rarely focus on them - until -we decide to build one. To the Prospective builder, the § diversity of these structures then become readily apparent. But which one will best suit your needs? Whether you're confronting a nude yard, with a blushingly clear view of nei ing houses, or pl to dress up a mature existing landscape, certain fence planning considerations remain the same. In all cases, you'll be faced with the following questions: + What purposes do you expect the fence to serve? (Among the Possibilities: define a boundary, offer protection and privacy, control sun and wind.) * Which type of fence best fits the surrounding landscape and architecture? + Where will the fence go? * What materials will be used to build the fence? ¢ Will the chosen fence design and location meet local codes and ordinances? * Who will design and build the fence? + How much will it cost? ting a p have is a wise move — dpple contracting Itd.— “Quality to the Core" « Fencing * Siding * Sundecks For your free estimates call Frank Smith at 352-5394 or Fax 352-3013 on these and any other you may ¢ dents are living on Kraft dinner W. K. and water because of a shortage Castlegar Silver Rattle Antiques 301-11 Ave. Castlegar. (in Tulips Building) 365-5191 Crystal ‘rystals + Rocks « Jewellery POLLAINE E. EMDE 1480 COLUMBIA AVE. CASTLEGAR, B.C. VIN 3K3 (604) 365-7616 Res 365-3253 ROYAL “ANA LEGION ’ Branch Aare 72 pm -6 pm Mon. - Thurs. 2 pm - 10 pm Fri. - Sat. 11 am- 11 pm Binee ores. eames See Quests with members welcome! 248 Columbia Ave., Castlegar 365-7017 a oat YES, we have Rocky Mountain & Cannondale Raleigh Serengeti $399 BRC Trekker $399 Peugeot Dune $379 FREE HELMET Our Reputation Rides With You BEST STOCKED CYCLE, SERVICE & REPAIR CENTRE IN THE KOOTENAYS BIGVCLELSPOR Tc 713-13th Street, Castlegar 365-5044 Monday to Saturday « 9 am- 6 pm aa. | Sundays * 10 am - 2 pm [ TUNE-UP TIME | | = 30 day warranty with IME vies | tuneu; Happy EASTER from our family at the SANDMAN INN to all of yours Sunday, April 11, 1993 Breakfast Buffet 7:00am - 10:00am Our full Easter Buffet with 31 items to choose from. 10:30 - 2:00pm