The Castlegar Sun Wednesday, August 5, 1992) Arthritis society to send young member to camy DAN CARLSON Special to The Sun every four months for treatment. “We would rather go to Vancou- When I was asked to interview Brad Armstrong about his involve- ment with the local Arthritis Soci- ety, I was under the impression that he was an older man with arthritis. I was told that he had arthritis, so I assumed he must be an older man. However, when a young man of sixteen years greeted me at the door, and informed me that he was Brad, I was quite surprised. How could anyone my own age have arthritis? Brad was born with a form of arthritis called Juvenile Ankylosine Spondylitis, a disease found to be more common in males and eventually results in the stiffen- ing of the spine. "It seems to affect my entire body,” says Armstrong, “but my knees are the worst.” Usually the first areas of the body to be affected by JAS are the knees, ankles, or hips. In fact, because of his knee “flare-ups”, Brad has missed up to three months of school at any one time. He has been known to sleep for over 24 hours straight, and must make regular trips to Vancouver m= Safety ver for than to the doc- tors here in Castlegar,” said Brad's mother, Susan Armstrong, Generally, arthritis is an inflam- mation of the joints; a disease which will affect most people by the age of 60 During his last treatment, joint fluid was removed from his knees and cortisone and prenisone (steroids) were injected back in. Brad reported that he was feel- ing generally better since his last treatment, but as before, to much of the wrong exercise will cause his knees to become swollen, inflamed said Susan, and goes on to describe herself as being a "meanie" for pushing him so hard at times. But they both agree that if she hadn't, Brad might be in rough shape. JAS causes Brad to walk a little awkwardly, which is the only prob- lem other boys notice about him, apart from his small frame. “Kids don't understand his prob- lem, and tend to be critical at times," continued his mother. Because JAS is a chronic dis- ease, it could persist into adult- hood, However, there might be BRAD ARMSTRONG lead healthy and productive lives. Because of the lack of under- s he sees in his peers, Brad has joined the local branch of the Arthritis Society. He has been a member since last December, and has found it to be a good way to relate to other people who have arthritis, as well. Brad has appreciated the sup- port of the Arthritis Society, but he looks forward to the day when can relate to people his own who have the same problems as does. That day is not too far now, because he has been invited participate in activities at Cam one of 34 children at this camp, participating in specialized acti ties designed to aid their recove and movement. When asked why he would lil to go to the camp, Brad's rep! was, “It'll give me a chance to to other children who have arth tis...there is only one other perso my age with arthritis in Castlegar." ‘The camp is scheduled to stat August 18, and is expected to for four days. The Arthritis Socie has played a large part in pro Brad the opportunity to attend Camp Capilano, by paying for hi plane fare there and back. In addi tion to helping him overcome vari ous obstacles, the Castlegar branc! of the Arthritis Society reached into their own pockets to give Brad’ enough money to carry him the four days of camp. "I would like to thank the Arthritis Society for helping me to get there,” Brad said. Continued from 1A hall—this isn't so. According to Barry Comins, superintendent of public works at the City of Castlegar, the responsibility for Highway 22 rests with the Min- istry of Transportation and High- ways. If a left-hand turning lane is put in place, it will be the min- istry which gives it the O.K.. "We can act on behalf of local citizens to get something done and voice our support, but we have no control to say yes or no something will be built there,” Comins said. An example would involve the intersection at 18th Street, near Kinnaird Hall. "Local residents would like to see traffic lights placed at this intersection. We supported them by going to the ministry and mak- ing a request.” Comin continued to say the ministry turned the request down but are now reconsidering. "I think there's a good chance the lights will be put in place,” said Comin. As for the left-hand turn lanes for which Anderson is advocat- ing, there was no answer at the ministry of highway's local office at press time. Fire officials fight constant battle in the forest BRENDAN HALPER Sun staff Police-investigate criminal artists On July 30 at 2:40 p.m. a theft was reported at Celgar where gal- vanized metal sheets valued at $400 were stolen. The case is still under investigation. +8 On July 31 at 5:28 am. police on patrol noted that the Oglow building on Columbia Avenue had been spray-painted, as well as the School District No. 9 maintenance building. There are mo suspects in the case, which is still under investigation. Poy On August 2 at 10:50 a.m police investigated an attempted break-and-enter at St. Peter's Lutheran Church where someone attempted to pry open the side door. There are no suspects in the case ae On August 3 at 1:20 p.m police received a report that a small amount of cash was stolen from a residence on Marshall Road in Rasberry. +08 On August 4 at 2:30 a.m police attended to a break-and- enter at the Beer and Wine Store. Two Castlegar young-offenders were arrested inside after they had forced open the side door. The young offenders had duffel bags loaded with liqour when they were arrested. The youths are being released to the custody of their parents and will appear in court at a later date +e% Four-year-old Mickey Mcintosh helps a friend from the C r Kiwanis Club bag sume ducks after the Third Annual Duck Race was held last Sunday on Pass Creek. SUN STAFF PHOTO / Shariene Imhoff The Arrow Forest District is at the peak of its fire season with 100 fires since the beginning of the summer and many more are expected The long weekend may have meant fun in the sun for most of us, but for firefighters throughout the district it meant dealing with 50 new fires over a period of only four days—from Friday-Monday. Most of the fires were lightning- caused “Presently they're all spot fires,” said Skip Walsh, Resource Officer in the Protection depart- ment for the Arrow District. “But who knows what could happen next.” The district is in a high, or number four, danger class. The fire control room at the ry <3 eee Arrow District Office is a beehive of activity, with phones ringing incessantly and new fires to respond to, by the hour. “Our main priority is to short- en the time from ignition to detection, and then from detec- tion to attack times,” Walsh said. “That's the whole game—that’s when it’s won or lost.” The district’s worst fire of the weekend is burning near the com- munity of Hasty Creek, east of Valhalla Park in the Slocan Val- ley. A fire boss and an 18-person unit crew of firefighters are bat- tling the blaze which is situated in very steep terrain. The ‘Cape’ fire was first reported last Friday night and by early Saturday moming a Rappel crew had been sent in to build a helipad. The helipad allowed the unit crew members easier access to the fire on Sunday, after retar- ” t More fires than you can shake a stick at — Arrow Forest District Resource Officer Skip Walsh (left), dis- cusses strategy with Fire Boss Bill Hopp at the heli- copter staging area in the Slocan Valley, Tuesday afternoon. SUN STAFF PHOTO / Brendan Halper . dant was dropped by Firecat bombers twice on Saturday. At the time of press at the Sun, the fire covered an area of seven ‘Our main priority is to shorten the time from ignition to detection, and then from detection to attack times’ — SKIP WALSH Resource Officer Arrow Forest District hectares. “It's extremely steep,” said Fire Boss Bill Hopp. “This fire has a lot of potential (to spread). There’s a high amount of fuel (logs, sticks, grass) on the ground.” Burning fuel can roll downhill in steep terrain, spreading the fire downward at an alarming rate. By Tuesday afternoon the crew had 80 per cent of their fire guard and 100 per cent of their fuel break completed. “It's surrounded with hose,” Hopp said. “We're making head- way but I can't say it’s complete- ly contained yet.” Any change in the wind can cause a nearly-extinguished fire to suddenly run rampant. Near the fire are three large water-holding tanks (oné 5,000 gallon and two 1,500 gallon) which are filled by a Bell 204 helicopter. The helicopter was making three-and-a-half minute runs to a small lake above the fire. The helicopter pilot drops the water into the holding tanks with stunning accuracy, then flies off to refill. “That's-an art,” Hopp said. “You've got to be good to do that, especially with the larger machine.” Water from the tanks is pumped up to the fire with portable pumps. The ‘Cape’ fire, because of its close proximity to the homes throughout the community of Hasty Creek, is a high priority to the Ministry of Forests. “We're giving it all we've got,” said Arrow District Manag- er Ken Arnett. OFFICE MANAGER REQUIRED Local company requires self- motivated individual who enjoys working with people of all ages. Accounting background preferred. Dutles Include: * Cash Reconciliations + Accounts Receivable + Accounts Payable + Over Counter Sales + Purchasing Please reply to Box 50 Castlegar Sun by August 14, 1992 465 Columbia Avenue Castlegar, B.C., VIN 1G8 WEATHER OF JULY 1992 A series of upper disturbances tracked from off the Califomia Coast then north eastward across Oregon into Montana through July 1992. As each system moved iniand they gave heavy thunderstorm activity across Southern B.C. with varying amounts of precipitation. The only records broken for July were daily rainfall amounts; on the 22nd 16.2mm of rain fell as compared to 8.0mm recorded in 1986; on the 23rd we recorded 6.2mm as compared to 3.6mm in 1973. Between these systems the Castlegar Airport recorded above normal temperatures with consider- able sunshine. Temperature High This Year Precipitation Rain Snow 1) Total Precip. 55.8 Sunshine 256.2 Day Wednesday, August 5, 1992 The Castlegar Sun Local Reform candidate searching for a following SHARLENE IMHOFF Sun Editor _ and a stringent deadline stack the odds against a fresh, new candi- date iciti Castlegar resident Jim Gouk doesn't like the word “politician”, which is why he refers to the position he's seeking with the Reform Party government representative.” Gor d his candidacy votes for the first time—combine that with the fact this area is viewed as unshakable NDP territory and the scenario turns bleak. Still, Gouk says he is making headway, and is banking on the idea that local voters are will allow voters a mechanism to remove their elected officials who do not represent their inter- ests in Parliament “I believe there are a lot of good people in government, but they're caught up in the system, and they end up being told how women, minorities and people with disabilities deserve the chance to seek election. "I can't agree with this. To me it just belittles the women who are secking nomination and taints the entire proce aid Gouk, refer- ring to Mengia Nicholson and earlier in June, and has recently begun soliciting new Reform Party members and personal sup- porters across the Kootenay-west Revelstoke riding, a large geo- graphical area known more for its scenic beauty and sparse popula- tion than its number of Reform party supporters. Gouk plans to change this, and says he is already gaining momentum when it comes to people supporting this western grassroots party. The latest tally has 600 people jumping on the Reform Party bandwagon in the riding, and Gouk intains that the hard drive for more members is just getting started. “The wide area makes it some- what difficult to solicit support, but that just means we're going to be doing a lot of travelling over the next while.” One other candidate has filed nomination papers, Jim Nelsen from Warfield, and a third poten- tial unnamed candidate from Rossland has yet to file. A series of ination meet- JIM GOUK tired of what he considers false representation. “The Reform party is the first real party which is dedicated to representing the individual and collective views of the people,” said Gouk, referring to a Reform Party policy which states the duty of elected members to their con- stituents should come before their ings will be held in Revelstoke, Naksup, Nelson and Trail. In Castlegar, a nomination meeting date has been set for September 20. Like any other political party, only members are allowed to vote, and an August 12 deadline has been set as the cut-off date to sign up members who will be eli- gible to vote. The large geographical area igation to their party. “The biggest thing missing from Canadian politics is Canadi- an people—the country’s direc- tion should be placed back into the hands of the people,” he con- tinued. Refusing to tow the party line isn’t the only policy which Gouk and fellow reformers say differs them from the Conservatives, Liberals or NDP, a recall on MPs ‘The biggest thing missing from Canadian politics is Canadian people.’ JIM GOUK Reform candidate to vote by the party, and not the people who put them there,” said Gouk, adding that the Reform party appeals to people because it's “the common sense party”. Gouk, who worked as an air traffic controller for 22 years, including 14 years at the Castle- gar and District Airport, says the Reform Party is gaining appeal from union workers, who are tra- ditionally hard-core NDP. “A basic form of real represen- tation is appealing, and I believe I’m the person who can do that.” Like the NDP, the Reform Party has a policy which supports the right of workers to organize democratically, to bargain collec- tively and to strike fully. Unlike the NDP, which has endorsed an affirmative action policy, Gouk says all people should be encouraged to become involved in the political process, but when it comes to representa- tion, the best woman or man should be chosen. The most recent action involved NDP sup- porter Gerald Rotering, who pub- licly made it known he would not seek election in the Kootenay- west Revelstoke riding because Heather Suggitt, two women who have recently announced their bid for the candidacy. When the federal election is held next year, Gouk feels it will prove to be a two party race— between the Reform Party and the NDP. "When it comes to cred- ibility, the Conservatives and the Liberals don't have it any longer.” Running as the Reform Party. representative is not Gouk’s first appearance as a politician. Earlier aspirations resulted in him gain- ing a spot in Castlegar municipal politics as a city councillor from 1977-79. Gouk still maintains his interest in the politics of Castle- gar. He is currently a member of the Coalition Unaccepting Rash Bureaucracy (CURB), a local watchdog group on city council which sprung up earlier this year. Gouk, who is active as District Chairperson for the Castlegar and District Rotary Club, is married with two children, one of whom is completing his third year of Commerce at UBC and the other about to enter a final year of high school New industrial ambulance service caters to the workplace BRENDAN HALPER Sun staff Castlegar now has a private ambulance service Worry not, the new service will not lead to ambulance atten- dants fighting over car accident victims. The service is intended specifically for industrial use, nothing for the general public— no transfer calls. “We'll do strictly industrial work,” said Trauma Care Owner Terry Klapper. “A mobile first aid site.” Klapper would work on a con- tract basis on large industrial worksites. According to provincial legis- lation, private ambulances cannot transport patients on public roads. This law rules out the possibility of any conflict with provincial ambulance crews. “He could take patients on a private logging road,” said Denis Gracey, Unit Chief for Castle- gar’s B.C. Ambulance Service. “In a case like that we would probably arrange to meet him at a designated spot.” Gracey says there are plenty of industrial ambulances throughout the province but, “Klapper is the only jobber (ambulance contrac- tor) in the trade, in Castlegar.” Klapper has a fully stocked, radio-equiped and Canadian-built ambulance. He has’three years of provin- Hazy sky caused by pulp mill mechanical SHARLENEIMHOFF Sun Editor \ Trauma care owner Terry Klap which will serve Castlegar as a mobile first aide site. cial ambulance experience and is a qualified first aid and C.P.R. instructor. “My ambulance is licensed as a number four first aid room, by the Worker's Compensation Board,” Klapper said. “I believe entering the atmosphere in such large quantities. Because of the No it's not the Los Angeles sky-line. You're still in Castlegar, home of the Celgar Pulp Mill. Unfortuatley a mechanical break- down in the pulp mill's electrosta- ic precipitator has created an ugly, greyish haze to remain over the community. While phone calls to The Castlegar Sun questioned about the possibility of a forest fire, an official from Celgar explained that the breakdown allowed more particles to escape into the atmo- sphere than normal. “The electrostatic precipitator shorted out early Wednesday morning, which is why there is such a haze out there now,” said Jim McLaren, Environmental Manager for Celgar. “We regret the incident and we're taking every precaution to eliminate it.” The precipitator, which is located in the plan'ts recovery boiler, normally traps and con- trols dust particles and other wastes, and prevents them from , a sodium sulfate sub- stance escaped into the air. there will be a demand for this type of service in this area there’s a market here.” It is provincially legislated that when there is a certain number of workers on a site, a certain amount of care has to be provid- recovery boiler and precipitator to virtually eliminate the parti- cles. “We're expecting a better than EE Oyrh! Bi. per sits inside the fully-stocked industrial ambulance SUN STAFF PHOTO / Brendan Halper ed. That's where Klapper’s ambu- lance comes into play as a mobile first aid site As Gracey points out, a fixed first aid site is of very little use on many large job sites where mobil- ity is very important break-down 90 per cent improvement in the removal process of the particles. We'll have better dispersion and less particles.” “The. sub that ped into the air is basically harmless, it's comparable to table salt,” continued McLaren. “If the prob- lem were to continue over a lengthy time though, people who suffer from asthma might experi- ence some problems." McLaren said officials at the plant are unsure at this time how much of the particle escaped into the air, though a report has been filed to the Ministry of Environ- ment to make them aware of the problem. The environmental manager said the problem will seem much greater due to the direction of the air Currents, which at the time, were blowing from the north,sending the particles right over Castlegar. “We've had this problem before and westerly winds have usually blown the haze towards the East Kootenay.” McLaren said the moderniza- tion project. will allow a new SUN STAFF PHOTO / Jason Keenan Last week's hazy skies, due to a mechanical break- down at the Celgar Pulp mill, caused some residents to question whether a forest fire was close. periods. WEATHER _ OUTLOOK: The forecast for Wednes- day; Sunny with some cloudy periods. iso- lated showers or thundershowers. Max temp. 32. Prob. of precip. 20%. Tonight - Isolated thundershowers in to the evening then a few clouds. Low 13. Prob. of pre- cip. 20%. Outlook for Thurs. & Fri.: Thur. - increasing clouds late in the day. hi 32. Prob. of precip. 20%. Fri. ~ cloudy with some sunny Hi 30. Prob. of precip. 40% 36.2/31 Precipitation: Rain A Sunshine: Number of Hours 84.0 on their sunburned faces. 10.7/21. Snow A LOOK BACK AT THE PAST WEEK: Temperature: Max/Date Min/Date Mean 22.8 Total 4 Normal Number of Hours 78.7 Summer returned once again to Southeastern B.C. Hay got cut, the odd forest fire was started by errant lightning and tourists traversed the area with smiles Forecast provided by The South - East Interlor Weather Office Area burned to date: ARROW FOREST DISTRICT DISTRICT FIRE INFORMATION Date: August 5, 1992 DANGER CLASS/FIRE HAZARD - 4 High Total number of fires to date: ... Number of fires still burning: - year 28 fires, 9 hectares. Number of new fires today: ———- - Weather Outlook (related to fire suppression/prevention activity} Will continue to be warm & dry. Possible thundershowers & lightning Fire Action: Manpower: 18 - firefighters, 3 - 3 man initial attack crews from Manitoba, 9 - 3 man provincial initial attack crews, 1 - 20 per son unit crew from Smith, 6 - light heli: 2- medium h omments: CAPE FIRE is 7 hectares in size south of Silverton. Anticipate more fire starts from past lightning actvitiy. Last Motorless Mounties nab man wanted on Canada-wide warrant BRENDAN HALPER Sun staff The Castlegar RCMP detach- ment’s bicycle patrols have result- ed in several supects being apprehended, including a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant. Last June the Castlegar RCMP detachment received two moun- tain-bikes to help with in-town night patrols. an earlier interview. The city of Castlegar approved funding and the bikes were leased locally from Castlegar Bicycle and Sport Shop—they chose British Columbia's official RCMP bicycle, the Canadian- built Rocky in Hammer. Both Constables had previous- ly tried night patrols on their own bicycles and were pleased with the results—near-silent approach- The idea for pedal-p d patrols was the brainchild of Constables Russel Sangster and Larry Oster, who were responsi- ble for taking the proposal to city hall for funding approval. Castlegar isn’t the first city in the Kootenays to bicycle patrols—Trail’s RCMP use bicy- cles. City Councillor Kirk Duff was a strong supporter of the peddling police “It’s a neat idea,” Duff said in es of susp have proved very effective. “We've been using them,” Oster said. Apparently the two-wheeled patrol vehicles can be just as prone to mechanical difficulties as automobiles. “We get lots of flat tires,” Oster said, with a laugh. “And we'd do better if Sangster wouldn't crash.” By the way, our motorless Mounties do wear helmets. On July 29 between 3 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., a hit-and-run occured at the Castleaird Plaza. A 1980 Toyota Tercel owned by Peter McKonen of Castlegar sustained approximately $800 damage while parked near the Dairy Queen restaurant There are no suspects in the case—anyone who might have seen the hit-and-run is requested to contact the RCMP. eee On August | at 5 a.m police investigated a two-vehi- cle accident on Highway 3A near Shoreacres. Dale Hughs Scott, age 22, of Castlegar was Busy long-weekend for RCMP driving toward Castlegar when his vehicle crossed the double- solid line and struck a vehicle travelling toward Nelson. The P of the car ing toward Nelson, all from Van- couver, were not injured. Police estimate the total dam- age at $10,000. Charges are expected to be laid. eee On August 1 at 12:59 p.m. RCMP picked up an impaired driver in the Castlegar area. The driver, a 39 year-old male from Slocan Park will appear in court on October 1. eee