OPINION Sane The Castiégar Sun KS PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG SHARLENE IMHOFF CATHERINE ROSS ~ an CAINE MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA CIRCULATION MANAGER PRODUC TION/OFFICE JOHN VAN PUTTEN LINDA ANDERSON SPORTS REPORTEAYPHOTOGRAPHE PRODUC TION MANAGER KAREN KERKHOFF CHRISTINE MOYER REPORTER ART DIRECTOR MELODY SEMENOFF ADVERTISING REP Direct Department Phones General Office 365-5266 Circulation 365-5266 Classified Ads Display Advertising Newsroom Fax 365-7762 editorial comment Preparing for change Anyone who drives down Columbia Avenue can't hetp but notice that Castlegar is busy, busy, busy. The Signs of progress are everywhere and they are popping up along with the tulips and daffodils Evidence that the construction of the Castlegar/Rob- son bridge has begun can be seen by the graders, pile drivers, and semi trucks which are increasing the noise level daily. But what we can't forget as we hear the roar- ing of heavy traffic is that we are also hearing the sound of prosperity and progression. Not only is the building of the Castlegar/Robson bridge in progress, but the second phase of the down town revitalization is scheduled to begin towards the end of April The downtown revitalization will include most of downtown, Castlegar, and at the height of revitalization one can expect to find sidewalks and streets torn up to make way for growth Traffic is slated to be temporarily re-routed by way of Arrow. Lakes drive in order to bypass bridge construc- tion on the Castlegar side. Add all of the above ingredi ents, and other unforeseen factors. and whai Castlegar and-its residents will experiénce Will be“the. pangs. of physical growing pains. Castlegar’s growth is sure to affect all of its residents. Those of us who shop down town will be tormented by the flying dust and the relentless hustle and bustle. For those who work down town, and therefore have little choice but to enter this hornet’s nest. it might very well be the ultimate test of our patience Even though the Ministry of Transportation and High ways is not bound by Castlegar’s noise bylaw due to their Crown status, they are trying to be good corporate citizens. The department will be running an advertisement which states their intention to operate on one Sunday only—as a way in which to test the waters, so-to-speak They will be requesting feedback from the public, even though they are not required by law to do so. If there is little negative public feedback, the department will then continue to Carry on construction on Sundays. However. should the noise prove too disruptive to residents, it has agreed to rethink their position If all goes well, and construction of the bridge contin- ues on subsequent Sundays we may realize a benefit in the long run. The bridge is scheduled to be completed by mid-July 1994. By calculation there are 65-70 Sundays until the projected completion date. If the Highways Department worked on the bridge on Sundays it stands to reason that the bridge could be finished 60 days earlier. Big things are happening here, there's no denying it We are a diverse community, and we should welcome and encourage positive progressive change. If that change means a temporary inconvenience to us, we should consider the long-term benefits. Afterall, it wasn't too long ago that Castlegar suffered through dark eco nomic days. The number of physical changes that are on the verge will no doubt cause same amount of stress, but the provincial eye is on Castlegar with interest, and maybe just a little envy, let's prove to the rest of the province, and ourselves, that Castlegar has the patience to handle that stress with finesse noise wy The Sxeti Gi ZS ir Sun. 1S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE Established November 28, 1990 Published by The Castlegar Weekly on Wednesdays Member of Canadian Community Newspapers Ass B.C. Community Newspapers Asgociation and B.C. Press Council ~ 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar. B.C. V1N 1 The advertiser agree sing out of e amount paid for the spac advertisement in which the error occurred to the negligence of its servant therwise liability for non-insertion of any advertisement bey paid for such advertisement All advertising subject to publisher's approv completed with: @ year fro acbepted damages a due whethe rror ts due shall be nc ontract date N, FRANKLY, IM BEGINNING TO RESENT COM WITH MS. CAMPBELL FoR THE MEDIA'S ATTENTION... PETING LL. It's the sunshine season! Even the most avid fan.of win terfinally longs for warmer, the we are abrupt changes in fonger, sunnicr days. In Northern Hemisphere, accustomed t« weather season and th b heralding the end of one eginning of another In the South the seasons are from ours, and th Winter” ts often the rainy so that in places such as Australia, there is a dry summer called “The Hols” (holi days), and a winter season, called ‘The Wet In the Fiji Islands, the wet sea son begins in November and lasts until May. There are usually reg ular cloud bursts, which are much more than showers. To be caught in a shower in Fiji is to be wet My first week in Lautoka, on Viti Levu, I was caught with my car several blocks away when the “morning shower arrived Everything disappeared in the resulting “steam”. With many more errands yet to do, I grateful ly accepted the offered shelter of an umbrella. In the dash to my car, I envied the Indian woman in an impeccable long silk sari who managed to look calm and dry in the steaming wet When the tradewinds blow, from May until October, the Fiji Istdnds have a superb climate Locals, however, consider it very cold and are often seen in rn Hemisphere vastly different changes more subtle season season woollen sweaters, caps and even mittens im what is their summer! This 1s th ers to visit the will be be accustomed to best time for northern South Pacific. It more humid than. we may but it ompared to the is very pleasant humid heat of the wet season We Canadians loved the sunny Seasons Elma Maund days and the balmy breezes. We took advantage of the more leisurely pace to travel and visit every island we could reach with- in three-day long weekends. Our favourite became “Treasure Island”, which offered special rates to locals in what'was, to them,-the “off season”. Treasure Island is southwest of Lautoka, reached either by speedboat or motor vessel, both driven by kamikaze Fijians, whose only known speed is “full throttle”, or a quieter sail on the three-masted Tui Tai”, a gracious steel schooner, which makes two daily round trips from the Lautoka wharf. “Treasure Island” is small, with about forty separate bunga- lows, or bures, nestled among frangipani and flame trees rim- ming the beach. The central bure houses the dghing, bar areas. The staff ar their friendlines fun, their and dance renowned for and sense of music and mekes (dances) Island offers all the usual water skiing, para sailing, snorkeling, sail and pad dle boarding. shelling etc. ata slow pace Treasure fishing leaving guests or not, as they Sun” owns Island and “Beach . another smaller island to participate wish. “Islands in the both Treasure comber close by, across a short stretch of blue water. Beachcomber aims its market more toward the and restless, with dormitories and constant blaring music. We visit ed, once, for an hour. With an Australian cricket team and half the New Zealand Navy dence, one young in resi hour was sufficient for us, but young adults love it! The islands offer the opportunity for Mom and Dad to enjoy the peace and ambience of Treasure while sending the kids off to Beachcomber. It makes for a lovely family holiday My sister, Polly, and her hus band joined_us for a holiday on Treasure Island one late May. In tht afternoons, while our hus- bands “stretched their backs”, we ranged about, shelling on she many sand bars on the reefs two and snorkeling Many Fiji Islands offer a reef just a few steps off the beach, as opposed to The Great Barrier Reef, off the north- @ast..coast of Australia, which is shore We went snorkeling one afternoon on th reef mear the several miles off any swimmin beach The moment I dipped masked face into the water 4 band ed viper (dadakulathiji) curled up on the bottom. I took Polly's hand ind edged her away As I looked again was another one circling lazily I pulled her away in yet another direction and pointed out schools of bright blue fish, and a donu (coral trout) which is bluc with red polka dots but very tasty Everywhere I looked, I saw band ed vipers. It must have been mat ing season! Finaljy, I pulled her to a swimming raft and we sat and emptied our masks. “Will you stop pulling at me!” said Polly, in “Sure,” I replied. “I just want you to see everything After several hours snorkeling about the reef, when we finally returned to shore, I told Polly why I had been directing her away “Sea snakes!" exclaimed. “Thank God you didn't tell me or I'd have walked on water to get out of there!” “I know,” I replied That was when I told her they were deadly. Thankfully, although deadly, they have such small mouths, legend has it you would have to stick your fingér into one's mouth to be bitten. Or so they say. There are dangerous things in the Tropical sunshine! I saw in another direction near us exasperation she there . It's opinionated... factual...comical...and at times, even antagonistic... but it's always cheeky! oming March 31 = Wednesday, March 17, 1993 Letters to the Editor The Castlegar Sun Dear Editor: Citizens of British Columbia, we must shake ourselves free of our complacency or one day we will wake up and wonder how we allowed an atrocity to happen. Over the past three years there has been an extensive process of consultation between mental health professionals, legal experts, family members and individuals with psychiatric dis order in order to’ revise the B.C Mental Health Act Militant consumers of mental Revision of Me health services, the B.C. Bar Association and Human Rights activists are pushing for changes to give people with mental ill ness the night to refuse treatment and minimize detention, This would result in their being treat ed as criminals should they break the law because of their mental illne F ily members (who are often reluctant to speak out because of the stigma) and men. tal health professional cating for the right to treatment € advo- and invohuntary detention in a Psychiatric facility (not jail) should a person require this for the protection of himself and the Public at large. At the present time a consensus cannot be reached Both sides of this sensitive issue raise legitimate concerns. I fully support people's demands for better treatment, but I feel that no. treatment is not the answer, This should be treated as a health problem, not a legal one In order to be a humane soci- Diamond Anniversary Alex and Mary Ta Married on December 29, 1932 at Pass Creek, B.C., Alex and Mary Tamelin celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniver- Sary recently at their home. Relatives from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Vancouver Island and Grand Forks, as well as local relatives and dear friends came to honor the happy couple and wish ‘ them health and happiness. in their continuing years together. Many congratulatory cards and messages were also gratefully acknowledged, including one which arrived from Queen Eliza- beth. Alex and Mary would like to take this opportunity to thank their loving family for putting on a lovely party in recognition of their parents’ 60th year of mar- riage. They also wish to thank all rel- atives and friends from far and near who participated and made their ‘Big 60° a very happy and memorable day indeed. Thank you all! melin & Castleview Care Auxiliary to start work on gazebo Submitted A Saint Patrick's Day Tea will be held at the centre_on March 17 with all proceeds going towards The auxiliary to the Castle- view Care Centre has chosen a new project to work toward. It is a gazebo for the garden. T This is their third major pro- Cc ject since the centre opened two t years ago Please Recycle the Sun the gift shop every “hursday and the the gazebo. The auxiliary continues to run Tyesday and newly-formed ‘andy Stripers work at the loca ion on weekends Anyone interested in learning DINING LOUNGE Open 4 p.m. Daily 365-3294 Located 1 mile South of Weigh Scales, Ootischenia. Celgar, Westar and Cominco vouchers accepted Parents wishirig to enrol their child in either the E Schools (Twin Rivers Castlegar Primary Ootischenia) Kinnaird Elementary (Kinnaird Elementary Valley Vista) Monday Tuesday Blueberry Creek Mon. Wed. Robson Elementary Mon. - Fri Tarrys Elementary Tues. Woodland Park (Woodland Park Pass Creek) Tues PLEASE NOTE; 1993 A parent of a child may defer the enrolment of his Parents are asked to bring with them their child's b legal proof of age your neighbourhood school Board of Schoo! Trustees School District #9 (Castlegar) English Year One Primary (Kindergarten) or Russian Year One Primary (Kindergarten) for September 1993 are asked to register their child at the elementary school indicated below Castlegar Primary P Mar. 29 Mar. 29 Parents of children who turn 5 years old between January 1, 1993 may register their child for Primary | (Kindergarten) to enter school Should you require clarification or additional information please Date Time Apr. 2 8 am - 3 pm Mar. 29 Mar. 30 Mar. 29 8 am Mar. 31 12:30 pr Apr. 2 8:30 am - 3 pm Mar. 30 8 am- 2pm Mar. 30 8 am - 12pm and Decemb SEPTEMBER her child until Sept birth or baptismal certifi more about the auxiliary is wel- come to attend the monthly meet- ings, held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m € George Allen, 365-5004 Leo Plamondon, 365-3067 Men and Women welcome Proud to sponsor West Kootenay Trade Fair April 23, 24, 25 Castlegar Rec Centre We Serve ety, which offers protection to the general public, we must treat People who require medical attention, and this includes the mentally ill. To leave them out on the streets untreated, or treat them as criminals, is cruel. If treated many of these people can function in society and make a contribution We can learn from the mis- takes made by the U.S and Ontario in changing their Mental Health legislation, and look to what is working in Saskatchewan SKATE SHARPENING Until the end of the Hockey Season Gerick Cycle & Sports 2181 Columbia Ave. B.C. 365-5599 and Manitoba when they passed legislation directed toward the provision of care and treatment in an effort to bring themselves in line with the Charter of Rights. ] Please make your views known to your MLA, the Minis. ter of Health and the Attorney General, because your negli- gence to do so might result in legislation you may find difficult to live with in the future. Evelyn Kristiansen Heritage Society to hold decisive meeting Dear Editor: : stlegar & District Her- itage Society is holding a very important meeting on Thursday, March 18, 1993 at 7:00 p.m. at the C.P. Rail Station‘Museum, 400 13th Avenue downtown. The outcome of negotiations with the City of Castlegar regard- ing this year’s budget and hiring of a coordinator will be presented to the membership. The fate of Zuckerberg Island Heritage Park & Chapel House and the C.P. Rail Station Museum are at stake All members, former mem- bers, people who love the island, and anyone else who is interested and willing to help are urged to attend. Carolee Fi Secretary, Board ol Directors Sun., Tues.; Thurs., Fri. 365-3752 Sell it quick - in the Sun classifieds Call 365-7848 PUBLIC NOTICE ‘a TATION ROAD #1113 There will be a temporary road closure from March 16th to March 30th, 1993 of the 200 metre section of road located 1.1 Km from the intersection of Station Road and Seven Mile Dam Road. The remaining sections of Station Road will be restricted to local traffic only for this duration. If you have any inquiries please contact Robin Valentine, Area Manager Rossland at 362-7331 or call toll free 1-800-665-2699 to contact the Kootenay Boundary District Office in Grand Forks, B.C. John Bodnarchuk District Highways Manager KOOTENAY BOUNDARY DISTRICT for Ministry of Transportation and Highways for the Province of British Columbia Pa FeEZ Province of British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways. PONTIAC We have these exceptional automobiles in stock for you to examine and compare. You will be as impressed as we are! 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