OPINION SN, Castlegar News PAGE A4, SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1991 MEMBER OF THE B.C. PRESS COUNCIL ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7, 1947 TWICE WEEKLY MAY 4, 1980 INCORPORATING THE MIO-WEEK MIRROR PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 12, 1978-AUGUST 27, 1980 PUBLISHER, AUGUST 7, 1947-F EBRUARY 15, 1973 PUBLISHER, FEBRUARY 16, 1973 MAY 1. 1997 LV. CAMPBELL BURT CAMPBELL. PUBLISHER EMERITUS, PUBLISHER — Dave McCullough EDITOR — Simon Birch PLANT FOREMAN — Peter Harve) ADVERTISING MANAGER — Wayne Stoiz OFFICE MANAGER — Warren Chernoff CIRCULATION MANAGER — Heather Hadley EDITORIAL | Shameful largesse Canada Post should be ashamed of itself. The federal Crown corporation, it seems, can find the money to allow its top executives to relax in luxury as they watch the Blue Jays and Argonauts while at the same time closing another 150 rural Post offices and eliminating 200 jobs. On Wednesday, The Canadian Press reported Canada Post is renting a luxury box at Toronto’s SkyDome to wine and dine clients. Canada Post made a deal for the box with Cineplex Odeon Corp., the original leaseholder of the box, for ‘‘a one-year test,’’ Canada Post F spokesman John Caines said. As an original leaseholder, Cineplex Odeon would have agreed to a 10-year lease worth between $100,000 and $225,000 a year, depen- ding on the location of the luxury box. Mr. Caines ‘said the deal cost Canada Post less than $200,000. On Thursday, The Canadian Press reported Canada Post will embark on another round of rural post office closings. Since 1987, Canada Post has either replaced 920 rural post offices with private contractors operating service ‘out of retail stores or closed them outright. A private contractor took over the Robson post office last year. But the additional 150 post offices slated for closing by July is the largest group in any three-month period since the changes began, according to Cynthia Patterson, national coordinator for Rural Dignity, a national lobby group which has been fighting the closures and privatizations. Ms. Patterson said the closings are another federal assault on rural Canada that amounts to the exact opposite of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s definition in the 1984 election campaign of Canada as a nation of small towns with big dreams. “What he’s done is make us small towns with big nightmares,” she said. Ms. Patterson is right. There’s nothing wrong with a government trying to find better and less expensive ways of providing a service. But Canada Post’s wholesale closings of rural post offices is an assault on the rights and expectations of Canada’s rural residents to be treated equally with their urban counterparts. Meanwhile, Mr. Caines of Canada Post said the Crown cor- Poration is also committed to leasing a luxury box at the Palladium, the as-yet unbuilt home of the new National Hockey League Ottawa Senators, and is also looking at renting boxes at Maple Leaf Gardens and the Montreal Forum. Such largesse while.Canada Post is slashing jobs in rural areas is an outrage and residents of rural Canada are justifiably mad. ROR, HOPPY MOMENT AT TORY POLLING H.Q..... We Zi LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Attitude archaic I would like to voice my wholehearted support of your editorial supporting open board meetings at Castlegar Hospital. The refusal of Mr. Bill Horvath and the board to accept the fundamental democratic principle of having full participation of the people they supposedly represent would be funny if it wasn't so tragic. I would suggest that it is this archaic attitude which allows elected representatives to remain aloof and unaccountable to the very people they have been elected to serve. Len Embree Castlegar Nothing to lament If the recreational human hunter is a vanishing species, that is nothing to lament. I'm glad that in my lifetime humans have begun to make some moral progress. The recognition of animal rights comes with the realization that humans are but one of many species. With increasing knowledge and respect for the other creatures, we realize that perhaps we are not the crown of creation. Young people are to be credited if they seriously doubt that wildlife was provided by the creator for our use or misuse. A large number of rock stars are now vegetarians and outspoken against the skin trade. For many, the recreational killing of wildlife is as loathsome as the recreational killing of people. As habitat champions, hunters now represent only eight per cent of B.C. population. Their numbers dwindle, but the issue of habitat Preservation and restoration is taken up by groups such as Western Canada Wilderness Committee and in Equi Co-op. i groups such as these, which are solely concerned with keeping natural habitat, have enjoyed tremendous growth among Canadians in the last four years. Therefore, schools need not educate young people to kill animals, as the B.C. Wildlife Federation suggests, so that fees are collected for ‘‘game management.’’ In direct response to Stephen Davis, who scolds George Clements for not taking up the habitat issue, a man can only do so much. I commend George Clements in his life’s work for humane treatment of all creatures. Barbara Murdoch Castlegar Overstocked As chairman of the St. David's Thrift Shop committee, I am pleased to see.the column on recycling in your paper and the suggestion in a recent issue to take clothing and household utensils to the Thrift Shop. However, this seems to have resulted in a deluge of boxes and bags at the shop almost to the point of dumping. I must remind all the good People out there that only the every best will sell. Clothes must be clean and not have tears and broken zippers, and have lots of wear left. Kitchen utensils and dishes should be in working order and not cracked and broken. We have been so over-stocked that we can’t accept more donations until after June 18 so we can get caught up with sorting the goods already in. Also, please don’t leave donations at either door when the shop is closed. Frances Hunter Castlegar Supper enjoyed Sarah Jacobson hosted a potluck supper April 18 for the Castlegar Seniors Association. People outdid themseives bringing a great variety of fine cooking. We were then entertained by Debbie Tompkins dancers. It was enjoyed immensely. D. Raymond Castlegar Please address all 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 residence only will be published. 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. Super Ukes members are stars at school You know the times they are a-changin’ (or you are) when sentences start with the shopworn refrain: “When I was your age...” That sort of intro always put me on the defensive as a kid, and it’s no more endearing as an adult. References to one’s ancient history indicate the downward slide to becoming quaint and antique. I caught myself thinking like an old fogey recently, while attending the Spring Performance at Lucerne school in New Denver, and later at a practice and performance by the Syper Ukes — a group of young ukulele hot-shots. Watching the kindergarten class performing song and dance skits with all the pizzazz of pint-sized vaudevillians, I reflected on my own public debuts in ice skating carnivals: first as a baby chick, later as a Peppermint twist. The twist part came naturally — I could barely stand on my blades. In later years, we were obliged to deliver speeches on such compelling subjects as hobbies and classical musicians to classmates who had no choice but to listen. I recall nothing about those Presentations except the terror. The amnesia that followed these rare made it i ible to whether any of the memorized words had been-forgotten, much less whether faces in the audience were delighted or dismayed. I take my cue only from the dearth of applause. After delivering a mini-lecture on Mozart in Grade 7 — which left me looking like I'd just left an uncomfortably warm sauna — I competed in Grade.8 with another boy (an eloquent speaker) to be class valedictorian. (In 1963, Grade 8 was the last hurrah in elementary school.) Such pufishment had nothing to do with ego; I was surrounded by adults who were also fond of saying, “‘Practice makes perfect." At age 13, 1 wasn’t i in y refi but there were other perks: an credit on my graduati: program, a nifty dress and a chance to go to the “Beauty Parlor.”” Nearly 30 years later, I still feel squeamish in situations which require speaking or performing in public, although I keep "‘practising.”” Now that I've met the Super Ukes, I wonder whether things would have turned out differently if only I'd played ukulele Catherine Shapcott in a group (instead of solo piano). Take 10-year-old Jenny Rudrum, a Grade 5 student at Lucerne. At the Spring Performance, which attracted 200 people, Jenny was asked to introduce her ‘‘group.”” Without a hint of shyness, this radiant redhead from Rosebery introduced The Three Amigos (Amigas in future) who sang and perform on the ukulele and guitar. . School principal and ‘‘Ukulele King’? Mike Lesnik, who introduced the ukulele program to Lucerne four years ago with the ‘‘Ukulele Queen” — his wife and fellow teacher Marion — describes Jenny as an outstanding natural talent. Given that rave review, I sought her out at a Super Ukes dress rehearsal for a performance at the Silverton Gallery. Jenny has been playing the ukulele since Grade 3. 1 asked whether it had improved her self-esteem, a word I would have aced in a school spelling bee, but didn’t directly experience as a kid. She shook her red pi ‘Not in this,”” she says, ‘but I do get nervous in skating competitions.” I was tempted to tell Jenny what happened when I was her age, but felt satisfied just knowing we had something in common. Catherine Lowen, a bright and beautiful Grade 7 student who recently turned 13, is in her second year with the ukulele. Like many others in the 16-member Super Ukes group who play several instruments, she performs on bass. These activities apparently did not influence the good feelings she has about herself. “I already had that,’’ Catherine advised me at the practice. *‘I’m just me.” Grade 5 student Jasmin Caton of Hills is also disarmingly self-assured. z “I feel fine getting up in front of an audience,” says Jasmin, who is poised and confident in public. Almost 11, she has played the uke since Grade 2. At the final practice session the day before going Should've learned to play the ukulele Three of the Super Ukes: (from left) Colleen Murphy, Catherine Lowen and Jasmin Caton. Costews photo by Catherine Shapcott ; the plan: “It gives them a good impression,” she tells the group. met: % Kim Merrifield, 12, of Silverton, is described by Selkirk college artist D. Dan Mors! + —CasNews tile photo VIEWPOINT