PAGE A4, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1990

MEMBER OF THE B.C PRESS COUNCE
ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7, 1847 TWICE WEEKLY MAY 4, 1980
THE PTEMBER 12,

LV. CAMPBELL — PUBLISHER, AUGUST 7, 1947-FEBRUARY 15, 1973

EDITORIAL

Letter expresses
heartfelt thanks

The Castlegar News breaks with tradition this Christmas,
running as a guest editorial an article written by former Trailite Ernie
Poscente, Shaw Cable’s vi
in Edmonton.

The article, in the form of a letter to Ernie’s mother, puts into
perspective what Christmas and family is all about. Sophie Poscente
was a fine lady, matried a second time wien she lost her first
husband, she brought up a two fine families of the children.

Mrs. Poscente passed away a few days before Christmas, five
years ago, and the church that snowy evening was filled to capacity as
friends, i
respect she so richly deserved

Mr. Poscente’s article, A Letter I Should Have Written a Long
Time Ago, follows.

. . .
Dear Mom,

Well, here it is Christmas again and time to dig out all the things
that make it a special time of the year. Mostly the memories.

Like every kid in the world, I took it all for granted. It all just
happened somehow. Nobody ever really cared how it happened, it
just did. But now I understand.

1 remember best the smell of Christmas, of those special dishes
that you made only at Christmas time. I never could understand if
they were so good, why you didn’t make them more often. Now I
understand.

It didn’t matter then how much I ate of that special, sticky,
honey-nut-molasses candy you made. In those days my waistline was
only the point where my shirt stopped and my pants started. I ate to
my heart’s content and there’was always enough. I never knew how
much work it was to make. Now I

I don’t remember anyone going into the kitchen to help while °
you were in there doing your magic. It was magic too, the way it all
just happened. At least that’s what we all expected as we went our
own way having fun visiting, playing, without a care in the world or
anything to worry about. God, how you must have worried and
fretted and worked to make Christmas so good for us for so many
years.

And the excitement of midnight mass, being able to stay up so
late. You would make me take a nap sometime during the evening so
I could make it ‘till 2 a.m. You'd let me have a friend over so I could
have company for my nap. We never slept, you know. But you knew
that, didn’t you? How come you never scolded me for that? Now I
understand. It was Christmas Eve and you don’t scold kids on
Christmas Eve.

Going to church at night. God, that was fun! You’d make sure I
was all dressed up, always had something special to wear for
Christmas, usually new shoes that hurt a lot, and a white shirt with a
clip-on tie. More of your magic, Mom, changing a scruffy little kid
into a mini: looking bank

Remember how the church smelled — of candles, incense, and
pink needles? And for once it was nice to have it so warm and even
stuffy, after we had all trudged through the snow and cold to get
there.

And then after church, before going to bed, you let me open a
Present or two, just to keep me going for the night. You had me hang
my stocking next to the wood stove in the kitchen, because we didn’t
have a fireplace like all the pictures of Christmas showed. At least the
stove was next to the chimney. I could never understand how Santa
Claus made it down our chimney into our kitchen. Hey, now I
understand.

Well, I guess I could go on and on about all those nice memories
you left me with. They were your best gift of all, you know. And I
never thought to say thank-you.

I only wish I'd have written this letter sooner, when you were still
here to read it.

That’s what I don’t understand.

Your son,
Ernie

Interim report
recaps hearings

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following

the topography and climate on the
fate of those substances. Again. all

Celgar’s_mnill-is_built to an owt-
dated standard and allowed to
pollute under a variance order at a
level which the public today ‘finds
All partici
whether for or against the expansion,
agreed that it is important to reduce

Participants appreciated that the pulp

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

NDP alternative

I hope to speak to some of Andrea Wright's
comments in her Dec. 10th letter. First | know
Andrea, Grant Copeland, and Colleen McCrory
very well and | like all of them. | regret that a

conversation between them was mis-

reported by David Lewis and is now being used as
a soapbox for the Green party. There are many
questions which may come up between persons
who know each other or work together, which are
never meant to be and do not belong in this public
forum. What passes between individuals is their
business, stemming from the history they have
lived together, each trying to address what is best
in the other.

I do not want the subtle suggestion in Andrea
Wright's letter to solidify into a belief that NDP

bankrupt.” It is simply not so. Greens obviously

share our concern for the environment, the

realize that the loss of the NDP would be taken as
a sign they were too green. It would give the
Socreds the final go ahead to continue their brutal
treatment of the environment. Is this the
wonderful message we who care about the Earth
are supposed to deliver to the government?

Even though I may have my disagreements if
the NDP could be transformed with all of its
charactaristics into a person, I would like that
person. The NDP is a people friendly party, it is
responsive to human needs. People’s needs for
wilderness are reflected among 23 private
member’s bills they have put forward.

That means putting imto legislative the
Preservation of 12 per cent of B.C.’s eco-regions
that are our prime wilderness areas. The CFC ban
to protect our ozone layer, reduction in pulp mill

jon progr to ish our
resources, wise usage practices to extend our jobs,
the rights of Indians respected, as weil as of
women. Are we going to risk all this
away for a slap on the hand to the NDP for not
being green enough?

Picture 1995 after a Social Credit victory; no
wilderness left to preserve, more and more sawmill
closures as the old growth forest disappears; and
after their courageous battles to fight their way
out of the poverty and injustice we have imposed
on them, the indians meet up with the same kind
of bigotry and brutality that the Oka met
fe

The NDP offer an alternative to that scenerio
which I consider to be much more than just good
enough. Don’t let anyone teil you the NDP and
the Socreds are all the same. This is an untrue
Statement that is just what the Socreds want to
hear, because it can deprive their only real
challanger of voters. _I share the concern of
many about the of

mill odor will be dr ly
reduced.

Participants focused the panel's at-
tention on the particular features of
the Columbia River, its valley and
tributaries, as they argued that the
standard applied should be site
Specific. Until the attention prom-
pted by recent proposals, and
notably Ceigar’s, there has been little
research on the actual quality of the
receiving air and water, their sen-
sitivity to pollutants and the

authorities accepted Ceigar’s

With regard to ais quality, some
uncertainty was revealed as to the
consequences of emissions of certain
substances, due to a lack of basic in-
formation about the actual effects of

of the natural life in

ment among B.C. Hydro, Cominco,
Celgar and the provincial gover-
mment to research and
monitoring of the river. The
canadian federal government,
Washington state and United States
federal also

this.

The message we must give the government is
that voters do notice the difference between the
NDP and the Socreds, and will reward that
difference with their votes. This way we climb
gradually towards the kind of world the Greens

Church speaks up

A statement in last Wednesday's CasNews
(Dec. 12) about the United Church of Canada and
the Gulf crisis was a bit misleading. I would like

an interest im participation.

Roted that there sa
long history of
cooperation i

River, which could form the basis
for a Canada-United States commit-
please see REPORT page AS

Pursue a long-term solution of

in a direction that is suicidal to the environment.
I'd say that’s as much upside-down as you can
get. Colleen McCrory has done more for the:

and political processes, not a resolution of
injustice."”

The most recent statement on the issue was in
a mid-November letter to (Prime Minister Brian)
Mulroney, a copy of which was sent to all -
congregations, and read, in part, at our Castlegar
church. Briefly, we asked our government to
“make a constructive contribution to world order
by pressing for every alternative to use of force by

(C2zechisovakia in 1968, and how the churches of

Eastern Europe are now convinced it was right not

to retaliate militarily, with great loss of life and

the real risk of world war, but rather to suffer the

injustice while diplomacy and time and various
and

changed
the picture completely. The letter suggested it is
not unrealistic to hope that even in the Middle
sanctions and defensive postures, would eventually
produce a lasting stability.

Theologically, the letter suggests the ‘‘just
cause’’ theory of war does not fit in a world of
modern weaponry, and that ‘‘the only way to stop
aggression effectively is to ensure that peace
emerges from creating space for justice. It is not
created by simply defeating an aggressor.""

Such a position represents an attempt by our
United Church to speak up helpfully, but any
individual member of our church is not necessarily

Names confuse
The Cancer Research Society is at the

Society has its headquarters in Montreal and
should not be confused with the Canadian Cancer
Society, one of whose units has worked in our

community and undertakes educational projects
such as the Breast Seif Examination clinics held
each year.

It is unfortunate that the two | groups have
names so similar that confusion between the two is
almost inevitable, and that both organizations
conduct their fund raising operations at the same

and Grant Copeland are naive about what
political party is best for the environment. Colleen
McCrory has been working in B.C. politics since
she got out of high school, where has Andrea
Wright been? I've been working alongside Colleen
for the NDP for years; she knows politics and
environment inside out.

Where do David Lewis and Andrea Wright
get off acting like Colleen and Grant are
misleading people about what's best for the

travelling for six months ail across Canada and up
to the Arctic in the winter to fight the giveaway of
eee A an ae
General’s Award for the Environment. Andrea

Wright didn’t win the Equinox Award, but
Colleen McCrory did.

1 don’t think this should be a campaign of
personalities. I'd rather see just straight arguments
on the issues. But Lewis and Wright have made it
personal by bringing Colicen and Grant into it,
and it makes me mad. | see Colleen and Grant

anything-
telling everybody that Colicen and Grant are going

just by herself than one hundred
David Lewis’s and Andrea Wrights put together. I
figure that’s because she’s out there fighting in the
real world. Pie-in-the-sky environmentalism comes
real cheap if you don’t see any need to deal with
Wright's letter said that the Green Party is
the only bona fide protector of the environment.
You gotta be kidding. The Green Party can’t
Protect anything until it gets a candidate in office.
If people want to really make a difference in the
environment, the NDP is the best party to vote
for. And the same is true for workers who want
something to be done about layoffs in the forest
industry.
Harry Laktin
New Denver

Losses expected

In the (Dec. 12) issue of your paper, it was
reported that our city council wants to ban
curbside parking along a stretch of Columbia
Avenue.

Our restaurant location is in this stretch. At
Present we enjoy a good business with truckers,
who in most cases, have to use the curb to park
because of their aize. Several months ago we sent

LIFESTYLES

and

Kits help habit

The British C; bia Lung Association (BCLA) is urging smokers
inedie (ew 900 saa 2 ae Ge ee ee
kits. The kits include helpful tips on how to stop smoking and stay
smoke-free for good, a news release said.

**Cigarette smoking is a major cause of lung disease and jure
death in Canada," says Kelly Ablog-Morrant, BCLA ‘director of health
education and program services. She adds that New Year’s is a good
time ‘'To come alive, and be healthy by quitting smoking.”’

A voluntary health agency with some 13,000 regular supporters,
BCLA funds medical research into lung. disease and conducts health

service

Christmas Seal campaign.

at 1-800-665-LUNG.

almost entirely on contributions to fundraising events like the annual

For your free quit kit contact the B.C. Lung Association toll-free

across the vit It relies

Energy efficient
save on pollution

By SUSAN YELLIN
The Canadian Press

The wind moans through the draf-
ty doors of your home and the drip-
ping kitchen faucet seems like the old
water torture.

The Persian Gulf crisis has made
filling up the gas tank pricey and you
have concerns that burning fossil
fuels will hurt the environment.

Time to be more energy-efficient.

“If you reduce the amount of
energy you use, you reduce the
amount of emissions from burning
fuel and therefore contribute to the
reduction of pollution,’’ says
Maurice Ruel of the federal Energy
Department. ‘‘And of course, you
can also save money.””

Sometimes the initial outlay is ex-
pensive.

For example, it can cost about
$3,200 for a high-efficiency gas fur-
nace — one that keeps in your home
92 to 98 per cent of the heat
produced, rather than letting much
of it slip up the chimney.

The slump in the housing market
may see some dealers selling the fur-
naces for less. But even at the top
price you can recoup your money in
three to five years, says Bob Har-
togsveld of the Ontario Department
of Energy.

Changing from single-pane to
double- or triple-glazed windows is
also costly, depending on the size
and number of windows, and
recovering the expense can take five
to 10 years.

“However, you do achieve the
i comfort effect and get to

petition to city hall with many trucker’s si
reflecting he opposition to this ban. In addition
because we have limited off-street parking, a lot
of our customers have to park at the curb. In
some cases they are here to pick up an order to
go, but if parking on the curb is banned and there
is no parking spot available they won't stop. The
same is true of truckers who have no alternative in
most cases but to use the curb.

In short, city hall is tellilng us that we have to
accept this ban and suffer the loss of business if
they go ahead with this. | would encourage any
business on Columbia Avenue between 6th Street
and 20th Street to examine this proposal carefully
oe Ure oo Sone 00 Site several of yon tee

Castlegar

Media distorts

Our advertising, entertainment and news
media are filled with violent images and violent
messages. Women in particular are often on the
receiving end of all violence. It is almost
impossible to escape as it appears in all facets of
society. On television we see violent actions that
desensitize us to their real impact. Violence
becomes normalized, made to seem like nothing
unusual. Sadism is another such distortion. It too

straight realistic sex in any popular media. It's
found under a new label of entertainment. I think
T.V. has been one of the worst offenders. It has
brought into our livingrooms a Mighty Torrent of
Violence which has made many of us recoil, some
of us turn off the sets, and some wonder how the
youngsters in the audience can sit there and take
it. What are we learning? That people relate to
one another through violent means.

Yvoune Caroline Jonasson

use areas of your home and you
didn’t before,’’ Hartogsveld says.

Then there are the small things
that add up.

Hartogsveld says caulking around

“windows, changing furnace filters
and weatherstripping around doors
are easy, inexpensive and effective
ways of saving energy.

A_ low-flow showerhead costs
about $35 and, for a family of four,
pays for itself in just a year in the
amount of hot water it saves.

Provincial utilities can usually of-
fer advice on conservation. The
federal government has a toll-free
number: 1-800-267-5166.

Many utilities offer consumer
guides and tips on how to conserve.
Here are a few of them:

© Fix the faucet. A drop a second
from a leaky hot-water faucet will
waste enough water every month for
16 baths.

© Insulate. Heat rises, so in-
sulating the attic should be a top
priority. It can save you up to 30 per
cent of heating fuel.

© Turn down the thermostat. The
Ontario government estimates that

every three degrees equals $50 in
your annual heating bill. Toss on
an extra blanket or wear a sweater.

© Stick to the speed limit. Ruel
says driving at 100 kilometres per
hour instead of 120 can reduce the
amount of gasoline you use by 23 per
cent.

“Now if everybody in Canada
would drive the speed limit we’d save
something like 3,000 to 4,000 barrels
of gasoline a day,”’ Ruel says.

© Turn off the engine. Ten secon-
ds of idling your car uses more fuel
than restarting your engine.

° Use the microwave. A
microwave oven uses less than half
the energy of a conventional oven.

© Go "‘green."’ So-called ‘‘green”’
fluorescent light bulbs may be dif-
ficult to find because of their
popularity. -They’re expensive —
about $20. But the fluorescent bulbs
last 10 times longer and use 70 per
cent less energy than regular incan-
descent bulbs.

You may also be able to get money
back from some utilities for your
conservation thoughtfulness. Ontario
Hydro and B.C. Hydro, for exam-
ple, offer rebates on flueorescent
lights.

B.C. Hydro has several other
rebate programs, which include con-
verting to natural gas, handing in
old, inefficient refrigerators, and
making home improvements.

“We're working very hard to
change the social ethic,”’ said Blair
Trousdell of B.C. Hydro.

December 22,1900 Castlegar News AS

DINING LOUNGE
R THE H

Weight Scale
— LICENCED DINING ROOM —

SPECIAL

9 Pcs. of Golden
Delicious Chicken.
Reg. $11.99. SAVE $2.00

DEC. 20-23

Cominco, Westar, Celgar
Vouchers Accepted!

2816 Columbia Ave.

365-5304

“Anytime is Chicken Time!’’

“Real

SEs ta te WITH BARRY BROWN

HOW TO GET YOUR HOME SOLD

Regardless of the market, a good
method of ensuring your home sells
is to price it properly from the start.
This way you won't lose " smoothly
lerested buyers by overpricing, By and “you do at ‘on offer on your home
the time you've dr your price quickly, don't panic if you haven't
anyway, they will probably have bought another house yet. You con
found another home. aways negotiate the closing date to
you the extra time you to
ind @ home ond buy it. A know:
ledgeable agent will know several
Options that will protect you from
ending up with two homes or no
home, including making a purchase
conditional on the sale of your
esent or arranging interim
financing.

especially in @ buyer's market, to be
more realistic.

or later, you'll be forced,

F THERE 1S ANYTHING | CAN DO TO HELP YOU INt THE FIELD OF REAL ESTATE. PLEASE CALL O8 OROP IN AT.

BN NATIONAL REAL
NESS ESTATE SERVICE

Your Castlegar

SAFEWAY
1 ed": HOLIDAY HOURS }

Sun., Dec. 23 — 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 24 — 8:30 a.m.

CLOSED CHRISTMAS
& BOXING DAY

GRADE A TURKEYS

4°”
Toupie. 9 Ib. Average .... . kg. $4.37/Ib.

iE In-Store Deli

Assorted

SALAMI
Cervalet, Genoa,
or Hungarian
100 G.

U.S. Grown
kg. $1.94

Castlégar News
Holiday Publishing Schedule

Wednesday, December 26

No paper

Saturday, December 29
Last Paper of 1990 — Afternoon Paper
“Year in Review Edition"

Thursday, January 3
Because of the January | holiday, our Wednesday,
January 2 paper will be published as.a
MORNING PAPER on Thursday, January 3.

Please address ail letters to the editor

in exceptional cases will
published bag o4 Piel writer's —
address

tetephone number of the witer MUST be
Recioond 00 Oe oe

The Castlegar News reserves the right
to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality,
grammar and taste.

This holiday
season let us
do the driving.

Sponsored by:

Banjo's Pub
Sandman_tinns - Dexters
Lion's Head Pub (Robson)

New Year's Eve timetables available on bus.
No bus service on Dec. 25, 26 and Jan.1
BC “

ansit

Regional District
of Central Kootenay

Free rides
New Years Eve.

Chinese

CAULIFLOWER |

MANDARIN
ORANGES

Approx. 9 Ib. Box .....-

8" PIES

Apple or Pumpkin

2/*

Old Dutch or
Nalleys Potato

CHIPS

st. 200 g. Box

CHIP DIPS

Asst. 225 g.

$18

7-Up or

PEPSI

Reg. & Diet
750 mi

69°

PLUS DEPOSIT

Mon. to Wed. & Set. Thursday & Fridey
Fa.m. toé p.m. Pa.m. tod p.m.

TURTLES ©

Dark or Milk Chocolate.

400 g. Box

$786
Advertised Prices in Effect
until Monday, December 24.

Sunday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

We reserve the right to limit sales to retail quantities.

SAFEWAY

($

We bring tt all together #