yy Castléjar News December 2, 1987 FLOWING CREEK . . . Creek winds its ways through forest covered in fresh fallen snow. Surprise your Family, Friends, Neighbors and Relatives by having a story published in the Castlegar News. All you have to do is enter the... Christmas Short Stony Contest Sponsored by the Castlegar Public Library and the Castlegar News It's simple to enter: * Just write a short story of up to 300 words beginning with the line: “It was Christmas Eve, and os Tommy looked out the window it started to snow” and ending with the line: “Who would have thought Christmas would turn out so well? * Mail or bring your story into the Castlegor Public Library or to the Castlegar News by 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7. * Include your name, address, age and telephone number * The Christmas Short Story Contest has been divided into 3 age categories Eight and Under Ages 9, 10and 11 Ages 12. I3.and 14 * The three stories in each group chosen by the judges os the best in each group will be published in the Castlegar News’ Christmas gs Tabloid on December 23. * In addition, book certificates will be awarded as first. second and third prizes in each category 3 Court convoy arrives to hand out justice By DAPHNE BRAMHAM Canadian Press CASSIAR, B.C. — They pull up in a little convoy, dispatched to this stark, mountainous north country to dispense justice. These are the people who work British Columbia's northern court circuit for four days every two months, zig- zagging across the B.C.-Yukon border Out of the lead car hops Judge Dennis Oserend. wearing a blue fleece jacket over his formal striped pant and white shirt, its collar as crisp as a bread stick. nh his briefcase are his formal robes and red shawl. Emerging from the same vehicle are court reporter Holly Tryon and clerk Faye Koenig, both lugging recording equipment and huge briefcases stuffed with files. It’s just after 9 a.m., but they have already travelled for nearly three hours to get here. Joining them are probation officer Rob Watts, native court worker Ben Cardinal, Crown prosecutor Jim Struthers and lawyers Forest Nelson and David Mardiros. MUCH VARIETY During any given morning, the group may hear cases in provincial, family and juvenile courts. In the afternoon, they may return for a full trial complete with jurors. On days when there's a lot of cases, they may sit into the evening. Other days can be light because defendants working in the bush didn’t receive notice their cases were being heard, couldn't get a ride to the makeshift courtroom or simply can't be found. On Sunday night every eight weeks, the travelling road show in —2, north of the provincial capital of Victoria — to start the northern court circuit. Overend flies more than 2,500 kilometres north to Whitehorse from Vernon. Koenig and Tryon come 1,500 kilometres from their homes in the Peace River area on the B.C.-Alberta border. The rest drive nearly 1,000 kilometres from Terrace. To get to the four B.C. communities they serve — Atlin, Lower Post, Cassiar and Dease Lake — they travel roads through the bush and treeless, snow-brushed mountains, spending nearly as much time on the Yukon side of the 60th parallel as they do in British Columbia. ALWAYS TOGETHER In a week, the travelling court can cover 3,000 kilo- metres and hear anywhere from five to 15 cases a day. They stay in the same hotels; eat in the same rest- aurants; drink in the same bars. So when the lawyers or the judge uses the courtly appellation of “my learned friend,”*there is no sarcasm or irony. Overend, an athletic-looking 52-year-old, has been doing the circuit for two years. “The chief judge asked me if I'd like to go up north,” he recalls with a laugh. “I said I would like to go in September when the weather is nice.” He's quick to add that he volunteered for the job and has asked to stay on at least until the end of next year. ENJOYS WORK “It’s fun,” he a leaning back in a red, high-backed chair in the urtroom in Cassiar’s r centre, the sounds of children i in the day-care room next door seeping through the wall. “Especially since you get to work with very congenial people, although some people would suggest they are demented.” “You don't have to be crazy but it helps,” interrupts the irrespressible Tryon. Tryon, a vivacious woman in her mid-30s, brought along two fur coats and several pairs of high heels to complement her various outfits. Teased good-naturedly about her non-stop chatter, Tryon frets aloud about missing a weak of rehearsals for her part as a bimbo in a local production of Neil Simon's play The Last of the Red Hot Lovers. “How's that for typecasting?” she asks. NEED HUMOR Overend describes the court circuit as an opportunity to improve himself. He says anybody who wants to do it must have a sense of humor. “It's pretty difficult to take yourself too seriously in a place like Lower Post where (during court) I sit between the PacMan machine and barbells” in the Kaska Dena Indian band’s office. But it’s Watts, with more than 10 years experience on the circuit, who holds the crew together. Overend calls him “the meat in the sandwich.” Watts is a city boy. His father, Alf Watts, was a well-known provincial court judge and his two brothers are Vancouver lawyers. He knows nearly everybody in each of the four wide- spread communities the circuit serves. IMAGE PROBLEM Although a compassionate man, he doesn't let it get the better of him. Co-workers say they've never seen him upset ny “ don’ ‘t believe in burnout,” Watts says while manoeuvring his truck along a back road. “Although you see. the same people (in court) over and over, you also see the successes.” TELLS TALES Watts, decked out in an outrageously wide, crested tie with blue pants, plaid logger's jacket and work boots, is quite a story-teller. He loves to describe how he managed to convince Mardiros to tag along when Watts visited one of his clients. What Watts didn't tell Mardiros — until he strapped a shotgun loaded with two slugs on to his back — was that the man lived deep in the northern bush, a 90-minute off-road hike through grizzly country, Mardiros, who earned a master's degree in anthro- pology before becoming a lawyer, produces a hugh bulb of wild garlic that he found along the trail to confirm the story. ALCOHOL A PROBLEM IN NORTH CASSIAR, B.C. (CP) — A look of concern spreads over Judge Dennis Overend’s face as a middle-aged mining supervisor tells him he will be fired if his licence is suspended as a result of an impaired driving conviction. “I have three children anda wife,” says Raymond Moyle, his speech lacking any expected emotion. “I haven't had a drink since the night I got charged.” Moyle's job requires him to drive to sites operated by the Erickson Gold Mine and Overend asks whether the company might give him a driver. Moyle says it wouldn't. In the end, Moyle's record works against him. It's his second conviction on the same charge and Overend has little choice but to suspend Moyle’s licence. In the isolated north, Overend says, alcoholism plays a part in almost all the cases he hears. “Things are definitely different up here,” Overend says. “People have no outlet other:than aleohol, which is frequently abused and often leads to violence.” MANY FACTORS During a short recess in his makeshift courtroom in the town recreation centre, Overend says that his work “doesn't help resolve the issues which deal a lot with cultural factors and unemployment.” But Overend, 52, an athletic-looking man with snow-white hair and icy blue eyes, believes that by ordering volunteer work, a message is sent to everyone in the that ak is not Overend volunteered to do the northern circuit twe years ago. Every eight weeks he heads north from hig Vernon home near the Okanagan Valley orchards. Perhaps the most damaging effect of alcohol abuse in the north is the family violence — wife battering, incest and child abuse. Probation officer Rob Watts, who has worked on the northern court circuit for more than a decade, says that “while there is a need to have changes in the structure of the community, those changes are slow to come.” HAD JOB He points to a recent assault cas¢ heard in Lower Post. Although beaten by her drunken husband, a wife was a reluctant witness. She pleaded with Overend not to send her husband to jail because for the first time in a year be had a job. Overend gave the man a nine-month suspended sentence: Watts says the problems in B.C.’s north are com- pounded by a lack of services. The closest provincial jail is a two-day drive from most communities served by the northern circuit court. There are no alcoholism counsellors; no groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. B.C. Attorney General Brian Smith recently spent three days travelling the court circuit and says he would like to come to an agreement with the Yukon government to share things like jails and probation officers. Smith would also like to make it easier for lawyers who are members of the Yukon Bar Association to represent clients in B.C. courts. “This.boundary between British Columbia and the Yukon,” he said, “doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense when you talk about bringing services to northerg People.” Royalslosing dignity? LONDON (Reuter) — cameras, although it was to Royal Family, already ives raise money for charities,” constant target of rumors in Godfrey Talbot says in a Britain's scandal-loving tab- television documentary loid newspapers, now is about the Royal Family's being told it is losing its changing image. dignity. Talbot adds: “I'm not sure Some of Britain's most avid that that was sufficient ex- royalty watchers say ad- cuse for what went on then, visers to the Queen should and I'm not sure that a good try to change the monarchy’s deal of harm was not done in image because it is becoming in the world to the image of too much like a soap opera. the Royal Family.” One former court corres- The documentary, Royal mdent for the BBC has é 4 ban vnembers of the Parvaiie, was shown this Royal Family for ee “" It comes in a year when the this year in It’s a Knoc! out 8 Royal Family bes suffered a talevielon program in series of embarrassments. which they dressed up in medieval costume and took The tabloids lapped up the part in slapstick games. decision by the Queen's “I cannot but believe that youngest son, Prince Ed- the Queen and the Queen ward, to leave the marines Mother were not wildly ex. earlier this year and hinted cited about their descendants he wasn't tough enough. being silly in front of the They have accused the Duchess of York of too much the Royal Family, said on the skylarking in public. And documentary Program the Tumors have been rife about royals made a mistake by an alleged rift in the mar- giving interviews and ap- riage of Prince Charles and pearing on television. Diana. ; “They needed a mystique Even Buckingham Palace, but I think they have blown which usually greets any it,” Junor said. rumors about royalty with Suzy Menkes, fashion edi silent disdain, expressed con- tor of the Independent news. cern this month about ‘press paper said Diana should not persecution of Diana. have tried to look like a film It ignored reports that star. Diana burst into tears after a “T think she reali: photographer snapped Life that it doesn’t nares whe Guards Maj. David Water- people are looking. at your house playfully trying to run legs and at the bodice of your her down in his car after they dress, and wolf- whistling at had dined together. you in the street.” But it said bands of free- A recent poll indicated 30 lance photographers who fo}- per cent of Britons think the low Diana through London Royal Family should not be streets are getting bigger have like stars or appear on and becoming more of a chat shows and quizzes, 58 security problem. per cent think they should, Penny Junor, a broad- and 12 per cent have 20 caster and author of books on opinion. lement to the Castlegar News Wednesday, December 2, 1987 Su Thursday, December 3 through to Wednesday, December 9 i li iat I yi al Be sual of He bell HE : ial dl it a sesletate ut tia A; nda ai tetas shes eet la i ui TTT ila i if uit nt te dl Eli la, rity ig Ie jelite, i ‘a PCT i tity | ett rm tga HH tie El td i [i es | sell Eat a i We Take Anything in Trade! . 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