a2 Cast! News June 3, 1990 A2_ Castlegar News 90691000 LOCAL/PROVINCIAL NEWS Premier says B.C.won't sellout on accord VICTORIA (CP), — British Columbia demands won't be sacrificed when first ministers discuss the Meech Lake constitutional accord impasse this weekend, Premier Bill Vander Zalm said. “It’s a united Canada but not a capitulation to somebody who sees this as an opportunity to grab whatever possible,"’ he said before leaving for Vancouver. the dinner. **I found myself in that situation once previously,"” Vander Zalm said when asked if he would give in if all other premiers agree to the Meech Lake agreement as it ‘That's the tough one."” He has said although he felt uncomfortable wit and Newfoundland has rescinded its stpport. Quebec in- sists the initial agreement must be passed before any amendments are considered. The accord must pass by June 23 or it dies. Vander Zalm favors the so-called Triple B Senate — i each we near the midnight hour and then we'll decide from there what happens on Monday.”’ The session could be like an Ith hour labor bargaining session with the first ministers staying at the table until they reach a compromise, Vander Zalm said. “There is an awful lot on the table, Some things will need to be removed.\There’ll need to be some give and “We'll not be sacrificing those things we believe to be our priorities. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the premiers will | discuss the accord during a dinner Sunday at the Museum of Civilization in Hull, Que., across the river from Ot- taw ministers conference unless there are si agreement when he signed it three years ago, he want to be the odd man out. The accord, designed to bring Quebec into the stitution, recognizes that province as a distinct societ widens provincial powers in various areas including over immigration and Supreme Court and Senate appointmen- Mulroney has indicated he won't call a full first ts. s of progress at New Brunswick and Manitoba have not ratified it BRIEFLY By CasNews Staff Public drinking costly for man In Castlegar provincial court last week, Eddy ael Plotnikoff pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place and was fined $750. Trial date set in hostage case Two Castlegar men charged for their alleged roles in a hostage- taking incident in April are scheduled to stand trial July 26, Castlegar provincial court records show. Daniel Sydney Haack last week elected to be tried by a provincial court judge while Gordon Jack Benton has yet to make an election for trial by judge or judge and jury, a court registry spokesman said Friday. The two men were charged with abduction, breaking and entering, using.a firearm during the commission of an offence and assault with a weapon following the incident during which a Castlegar man alleges he was taken hostage at gunpoint. The victim alleges one shot was fired but said he was driven back to the city from_a secluded area west of Castlegar and released with only minor injuries, Castlegar RCMP said when the charges were laid. ' Negotiations off to ‘good start Contract negotiations between the Castlegar school board and the Castlegar and District Teachers Association got off to a good start last month, superintendent of schools Terry Wayling said. The initial talks, where the two bargaining committees exchanged proposals, were ‘cordial, positive and productive,’’ Wayling said. Labor relations negotiator John Thron of Vancouver is the board’s spokesman on the négotiations, Wayling added. Talks are scheduled to resume June 4 and $ and June 11 and 12, he said. Injured cyclist identified A woman in Trail Regional Hospital with multiple injuries, including internal injuries, she suffered after being hit by a vehicle while cycling on Broadwater Road has been identified as Tori Naknakin, 26, of Robson. The driver of dump truck that struck Naknakin May 27 was Eddy Plotnikoff, 32, of Castlegar, RCMP said. Naknakin suffered a fractured left arm and right leg, police said. The investigation is continuing. Socreds form youth wing The Rossland-Trail Social Credit Party has added a youth organization which recently held its founding meeting. “It’s something new to the area and offers young adults the opportunity to explore politics and share opinions with their peers,”’ said Rory Pompu, Rossland-Trail Young Socred president. “We hope to attract high school and college students who are beginning to form political impressions, as well as young adults up to the age of 30 years who are interested in protecting the future of their families,”” Provincial Young Socred organizer Troy-Lanigan attended the local group’s founding meeting and explained the function of the Young Socreds in offering young adults the opportunity to learn about and select a political party. The local association will have informal meetings periodically. PNE talent search By CasNews Staff A contest to select a young person or group to represent Castlegar at the Pacific National Exhibition’s Annual Youth Talent Search in Vancouver will be held June 8 at Stanley Hum- phries secondary school. The local contest was originally scheduled as part of today’s Sunfest activities but wet weather and short notice from the PNE led to a decision TOURIST ALERT VANCOUVER (CP) — Tourist alert issued by the RCMP. The following people, ‘believed travelling in British Columbia, are asked to call the person named for an urgent message: Doug and Doreen Phillips of Langley, call Roger Phillips. Ken Phillips of Williams Lake, call Roger Phillips. Michael Basarab of North Van- couver, call Randy Basarab Lawrence or Naomi Dueck of Rosenort, Man., call Paul Loewen. Fields Overwaitea Shoppers SuperValu Zellers Not olf flyers recetve tult dist: tion. “ not recei: one of these and would like to de so. pi our Circulation Department at 365-7266. by the Castlegar Arts Council to postpone the event for a week, coun- cil events co-ordinator Eleanor Elstone said. The change of date and venue will ensure enough time to make the con- test as entertaining and enjoyable as possible for the contestants and the public and will allow more performers to register, she said. “I believe young people in our commmunity need opportunities’’ to display their talents, Elstone said. The contest is-open to anyone bet- ween the ages ‘of 13 and 21 and the winner will receive return airfare to said. strategy he would employ. “It'll become a little rougher and a little tougher as » pe ars ae Vander Zalm, who will be accom} y of senior civil servants from his office, refused to say what take on the part of all players. “It’s @ little more Wifficult than a labor negotiation because you're dealing with 11 different people represen- ting 11 different bodies."* Vander Zalm also insists he won't give up hope for an agreement even if this session fails to find compromise because ‘‘there might well be another meeting. EEE Rainy May a weather record setter By CasNews Staff Wet No other word sums up May’s weather in Castlegar any better as the Castlegar weather office closed the books on the month with a record 139.2 mm of rain, drenching the old record of 102.8 mm set in May 1981 and almost 2% times the normal amount of 55.8 mm for the month. For those of you who still have to rush for the conversion tables, that’s just shy of 5.5 inches of rain in May 1990 compared to the normal two in- ches, give’or take a downpour. The driest May on record is May 1970 when just TI mm of rain fell. Rain fell on 21 days in May, tying a record set in May 1984. Normal for the month is 12 days and in 1970 rain fell on just five days of the month, the fewest on the weather office’s records which began in 1965. Although it may be hard to remem- ber ‘“‘Warm, dry weather prevailed during the first nine days of May as a ridge of high pressure influenced weather over the southern Interior, the monthly summary. from the weather office reminds us. >» “The warmest temperature of the month, 29.4 degrees, and the greatest Castlegar Ald. Doreen Smecher wheels in to lunch during National Access Awareness Week activities in Castlegar. Smecher was one of five local residents who spent a day in a wheelchair during the week. More photos, page AS. — Proto by Kris stonbro. coming to city Vancouver to compéte in the PNE talent search Aug. 20-24. The grand award winner of that contest will receive $500, airfare to Memphis, Tenn., and accom- modations in that city where the win- ner will compete in international finals. The winner of that competition will audition for the CBS television talent search in Hollywood, Elstone said. Entrants in the Castlegar contest must be in one of nine categories, in- cluding vocal solo-female, vocal solo- male, vocal group, instrumental solo, band/instrumental group, dance solo, dance group, variety solo, or variety Gov't steps in VANCOUVER. (CP) — The provincial government has stepped reluctantly into a bitter truckers’ strike, appointing a mediator ta help find a solution to the five-day-old dispute over hauling rates. But Solicitor General Russ Fraser, who announced the move at a news conference, also hinted that continued road blockades might trigger a tougher reaction from the gover- nment. Fraser said he will name the mediator before a meeting scheduled for this afternoon at a Vancouver hotel. LOTTERIES 1 he $1,000,000 winning number ii Friday’s Provincial lottery draw is 1356106. There are also subsidiary The winning numbers drawn Friday in the B.C. Keno lottery were 11, 16, 17, 25, 26, 39, 40 and 49. The winning numbers drawn Thur- sday in the B.C, Keno lottery were 3, 4, 8, 20, 21, 38, 40 and 45. The winning numbers in Wed- nesday’s Lotto 6/49 draw were 7, 11, 17, 28, 38 and 42. The bonus number was 32. The four Extra winning numbers for British Columbia on Wednesday were 8, 9, 40 and 71. The winning numbers drawn Wed- nesday in the B.C. Keno lottery were 5, 6, 7, 26, 36, 43, 49 and 51. These numbers, provided by The Canadian Press, must be considered unofficial. group. Rules for performances include no acrobatic or gymnastic movements in dance acts, no voice accompaniment for vocal performances and no taps on a taped recording for dance acts, the rules say. As well, baton twirlers or similar acts using batons, machetes, or knives will not be accepted and no fire will be allowed on stage during the PNE, the rules state. v Anyone interested in entering the Castlegar contest can contact Elstone at home. The PNE also holds a talent program called B.C. Showcase which is open to performers of all ages, Elstone noted. Selection for the showcase is determined by nomination from community groups and individuals and Elstone said she may be nominating Castlegar performers for the showcase. Performers nominated to the showcase may be asked to audition, a PNE news release says. amount of sunshine were recorded during this period,”’ the summary says. “The remainder of the month was drastically ferent as a series of up- per disturbances slowly tracked inland from the coast of Oregon, spreading endless bands of moisture across our region.”” The good weather early in the mon- th probably saved the area from set- ting a new record for fewest hours of sunshine. The weather office recorded 148.2 hours of sunshine last month, a scant five hours more than the record low of 143.4 hours set in May 1981. Normal for May is 231.1 hours and the most sunshine beamed down in May 1983 when the weather office recorded 308.5 hours. Despite being dafhp and dull, the temperatures during May were not far. off normal. The mean temperature — the average of the highs and lows during the month — was 12 degrees, just one degree below normal. The warmest temperature of 29.4 C oc- curred on May 5 and the lowest — 1.1 C — on May 7. The hottest day ever recorded in May occurred on May 26, 1986 when the mercury hit 34.2 C. The coldest night on record is May 1, 1972, a nippy — Local Health unit considers wording of ‘report cards’ By CLAUDETTE SANDECKI Staff Writer Central Kootenay Health Unit of- ficials involved in preparing a health profile of the West Kootenay hope the end result can be written as one or more simply worded ‘‘report cards” listing health problems and concerns in the region, community profile co- ordinator Judy Toews said. The health unit is considering how the report cards could be written up in “‘a really simple format that most anyone would enjoy picking up and reading,’’ Toews said. Similar reports done in other areas of the province have tended to be technicat-and difficult to read, she said, explaining why the health unit would like to make the report cards easy to read. The health unit began the project earlier this year with a $9,000 grant from the Union Board of Health. Toews said at the time the report car- ds could be completed by late spring. Questionnaires asking residents to identify health problems in the Kootenay and give their opinions on health care in the region were distributed throughout the West Kootenay and through the schools: About 2,400 surveys were completed and returned to the health unit, Toews said, adding that she had hoped to get about 2,000 back. However, the project hit a snag when the person who was going to do the computer tabulation of the data became ill, Toews said. The report cards, and a longer, more detailed overall report, may now be ready by September, she said. The project group is considering putting out four report cards for the region, giving residents a better idea of their immediate area’s concerns and problems, she said. The Skeena Health Unit, which covers the northern coastal area of the province, serves roughly the same population as the Central Kootenay Health Unit and recently produced 10 report cards for its region, Toews noted. ‘ The report cards will be made available to local boards and organizations that may want to take action on the concerns identified in the documents but health unit of- ficials will not act on the concerns themselves, health unit director Dr. Nelson Ames said when the project was launched. The health unit will act as a catalyst in the process of bringing local gover- nments, health-care professionals and residents together to create healthier communities, Ames added. Abortion clinic anticipates law VANCOUVER (CP) — British Columbia's only private abortion clinic will continue to perform abor- tions, but will reassess its practices if the proposed abortion legislation becomes law, says a clinic official, Hilda Thomas, president of the Everywoman’s Health Centre, said the clinic will do everything it can to ensure patients are protected from prosecution under the new law. But unlike clinics in Quebec, where officials have vowed to defy the new law, the Vancouver clinic will follow the law if it is passed because the clinic doesn’t want to jeopardize its patients, Thomas said. The legislation, which allows abor- tion if a woman’s physical, mental or psychological health is in danger, passed 140-131 in the House of Commons earlier this week. If the bill is approved by the Senate, the clinic would require a doc- tor or other medical practitioner to say a woman's abortion met the necessary requirements before it could be performed, Thomas said. “The doctor will essentially have to ve permission,’’ Thomas said. This bill is a real insult to women. The Health Ministry should ensure the clinic is funded and protected despite the new law, said Darlene Marzari, the provincial NDP women’s issues critic. __—— events and should also be financially responsible for the worried about the clearcut when it was being logged but cleanup, which in the case of the Highway 6 slides being done by the Ministry of Transportation and High- is officials from both the Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Environment assured council the area would be safe. “*But it’s one of those things,"’ Peterson said. ‘‘You just never know. Peterson, who is also a director on the Regional District of Central Kootenay board, noted the RDCK has been trying to encourage the Ministry of Forests to establish an insurance system that would provide funds to ‘a. community such as New Denver in case a slide caused damage to the town. Forest companies would have to be insured for such ways, he added. Highway 6 was opened at 5 a.m. Friday after much of the slide ‘material in the le areas was removed, district highways manager Dan Williams said. However, repairs to the road will take time and will continue into next week, Williams said. The regularly scheduled closures of the road at Cape Horn Bluffs, where road widening is being carried out, are back in ef- fect as well. In the bluffs area, a partially completed new road bed is being used as a detour because the old road is “almost nonexistent,"’ he said. _ June 3, 1990 Castlegar News A3 Suntest 90 activities got underway this weekend in Castiega: Clockwise from top left: A float from Spokane makes Saturday's parade an international event; a youngster gets into the Mexican theme; the Ceremonial Mounted Troop of the Lord Strathcona Horses entertain at Kinsmen Park; a local Air Cadet stands watch; people line up for a hearty breakfast at the Rotary /SuperValu pancake breakfast; Lou Kratky of Montrose accepts congratulations from chili cookoff chairwoman Barb Bray for winning the annual cookoff; a caveman from Montrose walks the parade route; and a youngster rides a llama in the parade. CosNews photos by Clouderte Sondecki and Ed Mitts