CASTLEGAR NEWS, July 24, 1983 Mr. Retailer You Lose 3 Out of 10 Customers Every Year -..and 30 per cent of ‘your business leaves with them! Hard to believe, but true! If yours is an average business, you LOSE 30 PER CENT of your customers each year. If you don't believe it, look through last year’s accounts and see how many are no longer active. WHY DO YOU LOSE THEM? Through death, hard. feelings, moving to another community or through the efforts of hard-driving competitors . . . a variety of reasons, some of them beyond your control. At the same time, there’s a normal business increase of only four per cent each year. That leaves you facing a 26 PER CENT HANDICAP each year. A handicap you must overcome if your business is to remain healthy and profitable. ; WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT? . The answer'lies in better merchandising, better planning, more vigorous promotion of fast-selling goods and service. The surest, most profitable method of sales promotion is consistent, timely newspaper advertising. 8) > EVERYONE... . .. JUST EVERYONE READS The Castlegar News We can help you, give us a call! Display Advertising 365-5210 “A DAILY INTEREST ACCOUNT THAT HAS IT ALL” Savings 1016 - 4th Street, across from the Post Office. Credit Union By CHERYL CALDERBANK Staff Writer “Good evening. Welcome to Hockey Night in Canada, live from the Pacific Coliseum, tonight we bring you the , Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers. . .” + The game begins and the Rangers take advantage of the Canuck’s slow start and are leading 1-0 at the end of the first period. Then at 2:42 Vancouver scores a goal, making it 1-1. At the five-minute mark the Rangers are handed penalty..The Canucks are on the power-play. - Rangers coach Herb Brooks makes a switch. Mike Rogers comes off the ice. In his place is, who else but penalty-killer Gordie Walker... / Walker, a 17-year-old Castlegar native, played junior hockey for. Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League last year and is looking forward to playing with the NHL Rangers after being selected in this spring’s NHL draft. a5 Walter was a third-round pick — 64th overall in the draft. ? “It was right around when I expected,” Walker said in a recent interview. “I figured second (round) would be excellent, third would be good and fourth, I would have been a little disappointed.”. ' Walker said he expects he might sign a contract with the Rangers this year, but it probably won't happen until i next year. i ey With Allan Eagleson — director of NHL player Walker simply says Eagleson became his agent “through ties.” Walker plans on playing with Portland again this year, unless he signs a contract with the Rangers; in which case he will be off to the Rangers’ camp. Walker noted that Portland may hold its training camp in Trail this year. Besides Walker, the team has such area locals as Terry Jones and. Ray Ferraro. “Iam sure they'll have a few more trying out in the area,” Walker says. : -“The Winter Hawks are the most successful junior ,team in the world,” Walker notes. “The team has a 94 per cent ratio of getting people in the pro-Jeague in the last seven years,” he says. “I think in the last four years it’s been: 100 per cent,” a NHL players such as Keith Brown, atid Wayne and Dave Babych once played for Portland: ; ‘alker was on the protected’ lists of a handful of junior teams, before being traded to Porland last season. When he was 14 years old, he was on Calgary ‘Wranglers’ list, then New Westminister Bruins. He was then traded to Medicine Hat Tigers and finally went to Portland. i ‘ ; “I was going to go to college if I didn't get on with Victoria,” (Cougars — another junior team) Walker says. Walker wasn’t showing up at team training camps. And because he intended to attend college he was traded to other teams. “I was always hoping to get to Victoria or Portland because it has the best players and. potential to put players in the pros — my dream,” Walker said. “I got to Portland, my number one team.” Walker said the only training camp he attended was for Calgary Wranglers when he was 14. But he never played for them. When he was 16, he played for Drumheller Miners in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. personnel — as his agent, how can Walker go wrong? ° “I had an excellent year,” Walker says. In the 1981-82 season he finished sixth’ in league scoring. ’ “This helped me a lot because we only won 10 games out ‘of 60.” : i Of his future NHL team the Rangers, Walker said. they are an excellent team: 43 “Herb Brooks is a good coach, He emphasizes motion. He likes fast skaters. I have a pretty good speed — that helps. I think ll fit in good with his system: “My goal in Jife when I was little was to get drafted. I got drafted. Now my goal is to make it. I have set little goals in hockey all my life and I 't reach only one.” He wanted to play junior, B .hockey with. the Castlegar, Rebels when he was.15 but the Castlegar Rebels wouldn't let him because he was too young. ‘Walker's present team, Portland Winter Hawks, beat Oshawa G. to win the Mer: Cup this year, and have a good reputation because of the club's discipline. How strict is the Winter Hawks’ management? “You name it, we're not allowed to doit,” he says. No girlfriends. Curfews at 7 p.m. sometimes, though normally at 11 p.m. If you miss a curfew you could go down to as low as 7 p.m. : “We have private phones in our rooms but we don't know the number either.” As well, there are spot checks. “We never had a party this year,” he adds. “Drinking : is a cardinal sin. That's maybe why we have so many drafts,” Walker explains. “If you're going to do something you've got to make sacrifices.” i The players are billeted with families during the WHL season. . ‘Thad an excellent place to live, Walker says. “They treat you just like one of the family.” o 1 Walker's average day consists of waking up at 8 am, being at the rink by 9 a.m. The team normally practices from 10 a.m. until noon, seven days a week. < Walker says holidays are rare with the Winter Hawks. “'We had maybe three days off. . . in nine months.” After the team gets out of the dressing room the rest of the days is mainly devoted to public relations, “We go to schools once in'a while, talking about - hockey a bit. They don't know toomuch about hocke down there (the U.S.)” he says.” ~ Walker looks forward _ to playing in NHL | GORDIE WALKER... , In action with Portland Winter Hawks of Western Hockey - League. Walker was‘: = Other events includ at car d autograph sessions in malls — excactly like the pro teams. “We are treated like pros,” he said. ‘ At nights, when there's no game team members are often found at movie theatres. : “Te seen Rocky about six times, First Blood about five times,” says Walker, admitting that he’s a Sylvester Stallone fan. On the night of a game the team practices from 10:30 ‘to 11:30 a.m. E “Igo home, have a light lunch, sleep for three hours, get up and eat supper and go to the rink and be there by 5:80 p.m. for a 7:80 p.m. game. After the game we go back home and sleep. g “Some days we play a game and travel all night on the bus as far as Winnipeg or Re; : “But trips are a major thing in Tier (junior) hockey. It’s so hard to get off the bus (for a hockey game) after being on for 10 to 16 hours,” Z In his first season with the Hawks Walker scored 24 ed by New York Rangers in third round of this year's spring draft. goals and 31 assists for 55 points to place in the top 10 in team scoring. However, he is noted as more of a defensive. forward, playing on a line with Ray Ferraro and Curt Brandolini. Walker also managed 110 penalty minutes last season, ee “There are a lot of fights in the league,” Walker notes. “But it’s going down. This league used to be one of the worst for fighting. This year is one of its better years. Not too many want to go out and fight. You don’t win much.” = The team plzys in the Memorial Coliseum — one of . the nicest places in. the league, according to Walker. * fot of people think it's (hockey) all fun and games — I “Tt had the best fan support in Canada for junior hockey.” Attendance averaged 6,600. Of coach Ken Hodge he says, “he's the best coach I have ever had up until now. He is an excellent teaching coach — that is the major reason Portland has had to much success.” : There are 20 players on the team and all but two are Canadians. Walker says 15 of the players are B.C. natives. When hockey season ends, Walker takes it easy on his vacation, taking time to do a bit of golfing. “We work pretty hard for nine months,” he says. “A found different.” Taranoft captures batting title By CasNews Staff Carling O'Keefe's Terry Taranoff easily captured the Castlegar Men's Commercial Fastball League batting title following the end of regular season play this week. Taranoff finished with a 499 average (86 hits in 82 at bats), .026 points better than runner-up Terry Halisheff of Hi Arrow Arms who ended the season with a .418 average (81 for 76). Taranoff won the title after a disastrous start to the season. He only climbed into the league's top 10 batters five weeks ago. Entering the last week of action, he was .014 points back of Hi Arrow's Pat Fenrick and .006 points behind Halisheff. But Taranoff went seven for 10 in his final three games, while Halisheff went four for nine and Fenrick one , for 11. Fenrick closed out the season in seventh spot, falling from .417 last week to .873, Northwest Homes’ Ron Hutchinson rounded out the top three hitters with a .411 average (28 for 56). Meanwhile, Bob Hutchinson of Northwest Homes was selected the league's top pitcher. He heads the first all-star squad dominated by Hi Arrow. The first all-star team includes: Doc Savinkoff of Labatts at catcher, Gary Konkin of Hi Arrow at first base, Pat Fenrick of Hi Arrow at second, Marcel Apels of Labatts at third, Ron Hutchinson of Northwest at shortstop, Terry Halisheff of Hi Arrow in left field, Dave Kirby of Hi Arrow in centre, Bob Essaunce of Labatts in right field and Gary Fleming of Carling O'Keefe as the utility player. The second all-star team includes: Hi Arrow's Lawrence Halisheff at pitcher, Carling O’Keefe's Terry Hughes at catcher, Rich Kanigan of Labatts at first base, Clay Liber of Northwest at second, Hal Hesketh of Hi Arrow at third, Bill of K: at sh p, Gord S of O'Keefe in left field, Wayne Kuzyk of Thrums in centre field and Mike Schmitt of Kalesnikoff in right field. In all, Hi Arrow placed six players on the two teams. Labatts was second with four players. The league umpires selected the all-star teams. Pete Evdokimoff won the umpires’ trophy for the player who has done the most for the league this year. F In the final standings, Hi Arrow placed atop the league with 49 points on 24 wins, four losses and one tie. Carling O'Keefe was second with 88 points on 19 wins and 10 losses. Northwest edged out Labatts for third place with 30 points on 15 wins and 16 losses. Labatts had 29 points on 14 wins, 16 losses and a tie. Thrums was fifth with 22 points on 11 wins and 18 losses, while Kalesnikoff had eight points on four wins and 26 losses, 2 In final action this week, Carling O'Keefe won all three of its games, including an 18-2 shellack of Kal on the final night. Cam Sookro picked up the win, with relief help from Gary Fleming and Terry Taranoff. Mike Belanger suffered the loss, with Roger Essery coming on in relief, O'Keefe pounded out 19 hits, including four by Fleming, three by Terry Taranoff and two apiece by Grant, Cam and Cal Sookro, Phil Angrignon, Phil Markin and Steve Poznikoff. " Pete Nevokshonoff had two hits for Kalesnikoff. Earlier in the week, O'Keefe thumped Thrums 9-6 behind the four-hit pitching of Grant Sookro. O'Keefe began the game when three of the first four batters hit home runs off losing pitcher Ron Drazdoff. Fleming started it off, and was followed by Poznikoff's round tripper. After an out, Taranoff then slashed another homer. Taranoff went three for three, while Poznikoff and Gord Semenoff each went three for four. O'Keefe started out the week with a 4-0 shutout over Labatts. Grant Sookro chalked up the win, tossing a five hitter. Don Deschene had‘ two of those hits for Labatts. Almost every O'Keefe player chipped in with a hit. Phil Markin was the only player to get two hits off losing pitcher Pete Evdokimoff. Labatts then split ‘a doubleheader with Hi-Arrow Thursday, winning one game 6-4 and dropping ano:her 6-2, Al Potapoff picked up the win for Labatts with seventh-inning relief help from Evdokimoff. Lawrence Halisheff was tagged with the loss, giving up six hits. Ken Keraiff and Al Waterstreet counted two hits apiece for Labatts to lead the offence. One of Waterstreet’s hits was a home run. Rich Percival also smashed a homer in going one for two at the plate. Terry Halisheff led Hi'Arrow with a triple and homer, while going two for three. In the other game, George Plotnikoff was credited with the victory, giving up nine hits in the process. Keraiff, Marcel Apels, and Rich Kanigan had two hits each for Labatts. Pete Evdokimoff was the losing. pitcher, allowing 11 hits. Dave Kirby accounted for three of those hits, while John Obetkoff, Gary Konkin and George Plotnikoff each had a pair of hits. In other action, Northwest Homes split its last two games, losing 6-1 to Hi Arrow and thumping Kalesnikoff 9.2. In the Hi Arrow match-up, Bob Hutchinson was tagged with the loss as Hi Arrow pounded out nine hits, including two by John Obetkoff. John Evdokimoff got the win on the mound for Hi Arrow, holding Northwest to just three hits. In the other game, Wayne Abietkoff grabbed the win, throwing a six-hitter. Northwest smashed 17 hits off losing pitcher Roger Essery. Jim Nazaroff and Ron Hutchinson each had three hits, while Mike Nevakshonoff, Cy McConnell, Sandy Booth and Tim Keraiff had two hits apiece. The league's wind-up tournament began Saturday and continues today (Sunday) at Kinnaird Park. KISBL award Gil Robison of the Grand Forks Dusters captured this year's Kootenay Internation- al Senior Baseball League coach of the year award. In voting by the league's five coaches, Robison re- ceived a vote on each ballot to capture the coaching hon- ors and trophy. Under Robison's leader- ship, the Dusters rebounded ‘from a horrendous 1-18 mark in 1982 to a respectable 7-8 record this year. With Robi- son at the helm, the Dusters also qualified for post season play for the first time in four years. KELOWNA (CP) — De- fending Canadian amateur chamion Doug Roxburgh of Vancouver easily won his seventh B.C. men’s amateur golf championship at the Kelowna Golf and Country Club Friday. The 81-year-old chartered accountant fired a blistering seven-under-par 65 in the final round Friday for a 16-under-par total of 272 over 72 holes. Runnerup Lanny Sawchuk of Victoria registered a 70 on the final day for a 278 total. Rick Gibson of Victoria was another stroke back in third place while Brian Chris- tie Jr. of Pitt Meadows and Keith Westover of Vancou- ver finished 12 strokes off the pace at 284. Roxburgh three-putted only twice and had only three bogeys through the four rounds. “I looked forward to this tournament all year,” said Roxburgh. “It was nice to hit the ball so well.” Roxburgh started the final round one stroke ahead of Sawchuk and three ahead of Gibson. But he quickly bir- died two of the first four holes to stretch his lead. It remained close until the 18th, when Sawchuk found Roxburgh wins seventh amateur the bunker on the par-three hole and then rimmed the cup on his fourth shot to end up with a double bogey. WAS WIPED OUT “That double bogey just wiped me out,” said Saw- chuk. “All of a sudden I rea- lized it was going to be a battle for second place, and I was in a fog on 14 and 15.” Roxburgh birdied the 16th, 17th and 18th, while Saw- chuk parred through to a bir- die on the final hole. “I keep telling people down at school (Stanford) how good he (Roxburgh) is, and they've never even heard of him. I figure he's one of the top five amateurs in the world.” Sawchuk trailed Gibson by one stroke heading into the final hole, but finished in sec- ond place when Gibson bog- eyed. Those strokes »were important for Sawchuk, who hopes to make the Willingdon Cup team that will represent B.C. in the Canadian amateur championship. The top 30 finishers and ties now head to the B.C. Invitational at Gorge Vale Golf Club in Victoria July 31 and Aug. 1. The best four totals-in the B.C. Amateur and the Invitational make the Willingdon Cup team.