OPINION ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7, 1947 Castlégar News PAGE A4, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1991 MEMBER OF THE B.C. PRESS COUNCIL TWICE WEEKLY MAY 4, 1980 12, THE MIO-WEEK LV. CAMPBELL — PUB HER, AUGUST 7, 1947-FEBRUARY 15, 1079 PUBLISHER — Burt Campbell EDITOR — Simon Birch PLANT FOREMAN — Peter Harvey ADVERTISING MANAGER — Wayne Stolz OFFICE MANAGER — Linda Kositsin CIRCULATION MANAGER — Heather Hadley EDITORIAL Reflectors better than nothing Transport Canada’s largesse when it comes to the Castlegar Air- port brings to mind the old saying ‘‘Beggars can’t be choosers. John Hall, chairman of Castlegar’s airport advisory committee, told city council Monday it best forget any plans to convince Tran- sport Canada to install permanent runway lighting at the airport, primarily because of the cost — as much as $1 million. Instead, Transport Canada has authorized the installation of runway reflector ‘markers this year followed next year or the year af- ter by the installation of high-intensity strobe lights to mark the end of the runway — a set-up called an Omni Directional Approach Lighting System, or ODALS. The markers, which reflect the landing lights of incoming planes, and the strobe lights, will make it safer for pilots attempting emergency landings at the airport after dark. As well, the superi of the pi ial Emergency Health Service says his staff will review its policy of not dispatching air am- bulances to Castlegar after dark if the reflectors are installed. Getting that service into Castlegar when necessary is really the key issue here since Adastra Aviation Ltd. ceased its emergency medical flights. Dr. Hall, a medical doctor and pilot with long experience flying into and out of Castlegar, says Transport Canada’s authorization of the reflectors is ‘‘very good news’’ for this city and we trust his opinion. Unfortunately, the river of trust for Transport Canada does not run deep in these parts after the shoddy way it dealt with the removal of air traffic controllers last fall from the tower at Castlegar Airport. And we note with a good deal of apprehension that Transport Canada officials in their discussions with Dr. Hall are once again hedging their bets about the proposed improvements with phrases like ‘funds permitting’’ and ‘‘dependent on funds.”” Castlegar council will write to federal Transport Minister Doug Lewis urging the installation of the new lighting system this year. We hope Mr. Lewis listens. This area should not be deprived of emergency medical flights after dark. The flights should be a right, not a privilege. VIEWPOINTS: ‘Khaki election’ option debated By STEPHEN WARD LONDON — It’s a cynical scenario, but British politics is not cricket It goes like this: Fresh from a coalition victory in the Gulf War, Prime Minister John Major calls an election for early summer. His Conservatives earn a fourth consecutive term in office and walk away from last year’s divisive leader- ship race with hardly.a scratch It’s called the ‘‘khaki election’ option and politicians are busy en- dorsing or dismissing the idea. The biggest detractor is Major, one of Britain's biggest cricket fans. He calls the option ‘‘silly’’ and says innocently that political points can’t be scored over a war endorsed by both Tories and Labor “Ihave no intention of giving an indication of when we might have an election, not least because I've not yet myself given it any particular thought,”” Major said last weekend. Labor Leader Neil Kinnock buys the khaki-election talk. He’s told his party to be prepared for an ion call for late spring or early sumnter. “Considerations of good taste and economic probity are not going to get in the way of a Tory government that will grab at any chance to avoid defeat,"’ he said. The brash Labor leader is busy fighting his own party revolt over the war. Prominent Labor MPs fear that Kinnock may be bulldozed into san- ctioning wider war aims in the gulf, please see MAJOR page AS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Writer impress Since you have hired Catherine Shapcott, I will get serious and subscribe. I, too, recently arrived from Toronto. But I know well ‘‘The Valley’’ she has adopted. It was there I lived my life, raised my children and from there I wrote often for the Castlegar News, freelancing on matters of education, culture and social planning. My name was Barbara Ballard then. 1 am impressed with Catherine’s previous experience and her decision to come out here and gather pioneer points. They are essential to greater wisdom. Regarding her article that came out in the Castlegar News on Groundhog Day — on feeling squeezed by mountains — I must share what my son read to me from his Grade 9 English curriculum: “Can you imagine yourself on a hot summer afternoon, driving along between Moose Jaw and poles, equal distances apart, flick their shadows across your eyes. “*Yes. You'll fall asleep if you don’t watch out.” (Then follows a bit on how to give variety to your sentences.) “Back on the prairies, as you drive in Calgary, you can see the mountains before you . . . the road will begin to twist and turn on the way to Banff, the patches of trees will turn to forest, the skyline will be different every way you look. Driving may be more difficult, but you may be certain of one thing — you'll stay awake!"’ Living here has been such an incredibly sensual experience, I know I am alive to the max. Barbara Murdoch Pass Creek Crosswalk dangerous Have you ever noticed that life is full of ‘I should have done that” or “I don’t know why I did that."" For example, | should have bought that car on sale, or I don’t know why I said what I said. The crosswalk across Columbia Avenue at 24th Street is a prime example of a ‘‘should have’’ or “don’t know why.” It’s an accident just waiting to happen. Last year, a small girl was almost hit after school crossing Columbia when a truck loaded with lead had to come to a quick stop. The truck Jost its load all over Columbia. & son was almost hit crossing Columbia the er day. He should have seen the oncoming car, and the car’s driver should have seen him, but neither happened. This fall, a telephone pole that was there for years was hit. How many times, when you are stopped on Columbia to turn towards Sth Avenue, do cars pass you on the right, even with children on the sidewalk? How many times at the crosswalk do you see children standing on Columbia ready to dart across the road at the first open spot-of traffic they see? The taxpayers are already paying for school buses to take our children across Columbia during school days. But, if they have a friend across Columbia they would like to play with on Saturday and he gets hit by a vehicle the questions of *‘I should have”’ or ‘‘I don’t know why’’ come into the conversation. We have preventative medicine, why not of the water resource. The Forest Service felt the meeting with the Cayuse Creeks Watershed Committee (Nov. 3, 1990) was beneficial for parties involved. Unfortunately, it appears that Mrs. Ruljancich felt otherwise. It may interest your readers that during this meeting, a number of items which concerned the CCWC were addressed. These included: 1. A commitment to meet with the CCWC at least twice a year to discuss watershed related issues. 2. A commitment to meet with the CCWC on site and review past, present and any proposed harvesting operations. . 3. A commitment to conducting a hydrological review of these drainages this year. A number of the CCWC’s “‘concerns"’ were, in fact, demands. In my opinion, the nature of these demands were tantamount to this office taking direction from the CCWC instead of our Pp ve accit 3? We can our children against a disease, why can’t we prevent an accident? With more traffic expected on Columbia elected In addition to these commitments, the Forest Service conducts regular inspections of all harvesting operations on Crown land and reviews, ‘ nr there should be a bright light and» traffic light on the corner of Columbia and 24th Street. No one is perfect and no one is immune to the words ‘‘I should have”’ or ‘‘I don’t know why.” So start some preventative accidents with a bright light and a controlled traffic light. Save our children now instead of having to say, ‘I should have done it earlier.”” The city is planning to revitalize the city. I’m sure it can afford a bright light and a traffic light. Daragh Carter Castlegar Water top priority I read with interest the letter to the editor (CasNews, Feb. 6) sent in by Libby Ruljancich. Her letter was centred around a perceived lack of cooperation from the B.C. Forest Service in dealing with watershed issues in the Cayuse and Little Cayuse Creek watersheds. Mrs. Ruljancich’s letter would lead one to believe that the Forest Service is not interested in the concerns of the residents of this area nor are we interested in watershed planning for the Cayuse Creek area. This is absolutely untrue. The Arrow forest district has met with Mrs. j on i bk i over the past years, both at her residence as well as this office and, I might add, over many forest management- related issues. In regards to the Cayuse Creek for many years without, to my knowledge, any detrimental effect to either the quality or quantity in, depth, all p harvesting operations. The Forest Service remains committed to being receptive to any public criticism and/or concern regarding the management of our forests. In this regard, whether Mrs. Ruljancich chooses to believe it or not, this office will continue to treat water quality and quantity as the No. | priority in Please address ail letters to the editor to: Letters to the Editor, Castlegar News, P.O. Box 3007, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 3H4, or deliver them to our office at 197 Columbia Ave. in Castlegar. Letters should be typewritten, double- spaced and not longer than 300 words. Letters MUST be signed and include the writer's first and last names, address and a telephone number at which the writer can be reached between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The writer's name and city or town of only will be Only in exceptional cases will letters be published without the writer's name. Nevertheless, the name, address and telephone number of the writer MUST be disclosed to the editor. The Castlegar News reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality, grammar and taste. WILL pass. U.S. war eagle. “*Public images change and no one knows that better than I do,”” he said in an interview. Clark's up, he’s down, he’s back up again. But while the external affairs minister may be up now, some say the one-time Red Tory has been resurrected as Ramjoe, a hawk flying too close to the A surprise choice over Brian Mulroney for PROFILE has been entirely spectacular,” said Alex Morrison, executive director of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies. “‘He’s respected abroad and his speeches at home have been of the type of oratory that is rarely seen in the House of Commons."" He has also won over skeptics in the prime minister's office, where one senior official used to advise Mulroney not to share a stage with Clark during international meetings. : The mandarins were shaking their heads in admiration at Clark's stamina — he rarely slept more than five hours a night during the week before and Clark worries about cloud around silver lining OTTAWA (CP) — Praise is raining down on him from friends, foes and fellow foreign ministers. But Joe Clark, still rubbing political war wounds, looks for the cloud wrapped around the silver lining. “That will pass,” he said, chortling about the plaudits on his handling of the gulf crisis. “That Tory, a small-! liberal Conservative with a heart beneath his pinstripes. That perception was shaken when Clark told a committee before the war broke out that Canada ‘would support military action against Iraq — even without the sanction of the United Nations. Lloyd Axworthy, the Liberal external affairs he believes Clark's past suggests he would have Prime minister likens separatism with divorce TORONTO (CP) — Prime Minister Brian Mulroney attempted to play marriage counsellor Tuesday, pleading with Quebec and the rest of Canada not to give up on each other. “Quite frankly, this speech coun- try needs a little love right now,"’ Mulroney said in a speech to the Empire and Canadian clubs that was _ long on emotion and short on specifics. “Divorce is expensive, corrosive and inevitably leaves bitterness on both sides. Reconciliation isn’t easy either."” He gravely warned Canadians not to turn their backs on prosperity, social harmony and each other, in a speech infrequently interrupted by muted applause from the business crowd. “Heart-wrenching ‘I love Canada’ stuff is not what he does best,’ said one listener, Wilbert Everett. “‘He should spend less time doing that and more time ing on February 13, 1901 BRIAN MULRONEY ++, counsels Canada The address was Mulroney's first constitutional foray since a Quebec Liberal i under Jean Allaire specifics about how he intends to negotiate.”” Sherry Thrasher, another audience member at the Royal York Hotel, said the address proves Mulroney is the only man capable of bringing the country together after the failure of the Meech Lake accord. “It reaffirms the prime minister's commitment to being flexible in renegotiating constitutional change,’’ she said. called for a sweeping transfer of power from Ottawa to Quebec — or, failing that, a move to sovereignty. Mulroney did not respond directly to the Allaire report, but warned against concluding that the fight is over. “‘Let’s stop throwing around careless statements like ‘Let them go” or ‘Quebec is already gone so let’s get someone to negotiate the separation agreement,’ ’’ he said. Major continued from page A4 such as toppling Iraqi President Sad- dam Hussein. After Major replaced Margaret Thatcher as prime minister almost three months ago, Kinnock predicted a brief Tory honeymoon with the electorate and dismissed Major as **Son of Thatcher.’’ That smugness has vanished as the Conservatives contiriue to lead Labor by about five percentage points in opinion polls. Major's reported calmness when the Irish Republican Army launched an unsuccessful mortar attack on his official residence last week has also played well in the media. At a recent Tory youth conferen- ce, Major displayed his self- effacing style. The prime minister made no swaggering war speeches. Instead, he focused on education as the issue of the 1990s. Can this polite and formal leader do as well in the hurly-burly of an election campaign as the pugnacious Iron Lady? For many young Tories at the conference, the jury is still out. i “People call him (Major) boring, but it’s simply that he isn’t especially well known to the public yet,"” said youth delegate Huw Shooter. Faced with Major’s popularity, Labor is trying to turn the political agenda from war to the slumping economy — the Tories’ most vulnerable area. Environthent Minister Michael Heseltine is still trying to decide how to change — or drop — Thatcher's much-hated poll tax. And the economy is falling into a deep recession with almost two million Britons out of work. Business is crying out for a reduction in rates, now at 14 per cent. Major, 47, like a paternal family doctor, says he regrets the pain but it’s necessary for the patient to . High interest rates combat Cinflation. Some analysts predict there won't be an election until next fall or spring of 1992 when the economy is supposed to turn around. For now, the government line is to ridicule the tempting khaki-election idea. Chris Patten, chairman of the Tory party, was pouring cold water on the notion Monday. “I think the expression ‘khaki election’ is absurd,"’, he said. “After all, we've bent over back- wards not to take any partisan ad- Kigletes cEicaece BI. epee AUTOMOTIVE vantage out of the difficulties the Labor party has had during the gulf crisis.”” Stephen Ward writes for The ‘Canadian Press. "fn Addition to Our 6-Month Interest- Free Sale! 0 * NO DOWN PAYMENT 0.A.C. 0 * NO INTEREST O.A.C. * NO MONTHLY PAYMENTS 0.A.C. FOR 6 MONTHS Brand-Name Japanese. Hi-Fi Stereo. 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