Legistative Library. Parliament Bldgs,, 501 Bel Victoria, B. Cy levil! Canadians A, total of 17 new Canadians will be sworn in during ceremo: Friday afternoon in Castlegar Sports club CasNews sports writer Sur) Ratton takes a look at the liftle-known Cougars Athletic Association... « bonus number was 36. Lotto-The Pick were 54. The winning numbers in Saturday's Lotto 6-49 draw were 14, 18, 23, 26, 28 and 30. The The winning numbers drawn Friday in the 10, 12, 21, 24, 31, 32 and _ SERRA Castlegar SUNDAY CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1987 1,40, No. 79 - sceneries Four S 6 Cents 3 Sections (A, B &C) FUNNY FACE . .. Victoria Thompson paints a rainbow on young Hilary Rafter's face at Castlegar United Church's Market Days Saturday. Face painting was just one of a number of events for young and old. RED MOUNTAIN Ski society puts hill up for sale By SURJ RATTAN ‘Staff Writer The Red Mountain Ski Club Society managed to reach a com- promise decision Thursday that will allow the club's members to have control over the ski hill's decision- making process. At a specially called membership meeting in Rossland attended by more than 400 people, members voted to inject some of their own cash into the financially strapped ski hill, but not as much as the club's executive had hoped for. In addition, the executive has been directed by the members to look for an ‘outside investor willing to buy Red Mountain. The meeting was called after the Bank of Montreal told the executive that it is no longer willing to financially support the ski hill. Red Mogntain is faced with a $1 million debt and in order to keep the ski'hill operating, the club's executive yut two proposals to Thursday's mem- Pership, meeting. A ‘The first proposal — the one the ~papputive preferred — — that the — Sistas Pies by Ren Naeem FORMER REPORTER IN 'QUAKE EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a first person | account of Thursday's earthquake in Los Angeles by formér Castlegar News reporter Mike Kalesniko. Kalesniko is currently a film student in Los Angeles. By MIKE KALESNIKO I awoke at 7:42 Thursday morning and all of Los Angeles awoke with me. I don’t think I could describe the way I awoke as mere panic. Earthquakes, of course, tend to make people panic, Instead, I was in the grips of a frenzy of terror. The last big earthquake to hit L.A. was the Sylmar of 1971. It registered 6.4 on the Richter scale and it demolished hundreds of home and buildings. Thursday's qdake — the third largest to hit this area in 50 years — reached 6.1 on the Richter scale. I've been in L.A. for one week. I live in Glendale with my older brother, Mark, only 10 kilometres from the Vancouver ‘quake, A2 quake’s epicentre near Whittier, between Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles. But how do you describe an earthquake? The events are already surprisingly vague to me. The L.A. papers described it a rolling quake, but it didn’t feel like rolling. Instead, it was like a grinding shudder, the way a semi-trailer skids on dry pavement. And it hit without warning and with such intensity it seemed at full force the moment I opened my eyes. I remember I was stunned by the racket. There was no tinkling of dishes and the slow rocking back and forth. Instead, the house had come alive, jolting wildly, and the noise was tremendous. I don’t recall getting from my bed to the living room, but | remember finding Mark standing there with his MIKE KALESNIKO . in underwear arms outstretched as though surfing. Surprisingly, he was smiling. . He said something. Something like “here it is” or “it’s an earthquake,” but I can’t seem to put the words to his mouth. I did not want to be in that house though. The quake seemed to be building up to something, like an explosion. We both ran for the door and stumbled out onto the porch and that's exactly when it stopped — stopped dead. It didn't slowly subside, but it built to a violent crescendo and stopped. The poreh is a wide open concrete, covered patio and it seemed the safest place to be. All the hanging planters were swaying and even after minutes had passed, the chandelier over the dining room table was still swaying. Two men from the small apartment building across the street rushed outside. One was in his underwear. Come to think of it, was in my underwear too, but it just didn’t matter at the time. We could hear hundreds of ear alarms wailing for onpage AZ Pl scented ‘That would have ant each adult mémber investing $1,000 a year. The second: proposal was to put Red ‘Mountain up for sale and let an outside investor purchase it. “We will also look at what that buyer would do to the ski/hill. We feel the ski club is doing an extraordinary job in running the ski hill. We'll look for a buyer who will develop the hill”, said Peregrym. He added that by selling to an outside investor who is willing to develop Red Mountain, the members will be able to continue to run the ski hill. “It will allow us to operate and re- structure the debt and the bank would not be in the driver's seat; the members would be in the driver's seat.” He added that the executive will be sending out notices immediately to various ski organizations announcing that Red Mountain is for sale. Although Red Mountain — one of B.C.’s last locally-owned skil hills — has real assets over $1.2 million and a debt of $1 million, there are three reasons why the club is in financial straits. During the past two years the ski hill's operations were poor to marginal with the financial return providing no surplus for operating funds. In addition, the recent 17-week, long strike at Cominco as well as two poor snow years have discouraged skiers from buying early season passes for the 1987.88 season, which in turn chas resulted in a reduction of expected revenue from $160,000 to an actual revenue of As well, the Bank of Montreal is not willing to extend more credit on the operating or long-term loans until either, the membership commits itself to a larger share of the debt or the ski club sells Red Mountain. Despite the financial problems, Peregrym said this year the ski season should be “excellent.” Cominco hiring hits the 200 mark Hiring for construction related. work at Cominco's Trail operations in 1987 has hit the 200 mark, with almost 100 of those o peor being hired during rejected both proposals, but accepted a compromise proposal. Instead of putting in $1,000 each, an adult member will put in $500 over a two-year period. y In addition, the club's executive has been instructed to find an outside buyer. Adult members and adult non- members will also receive a reduction of $57.50 in the price of their season passes. “We will be looking for buyers for the ski hill,” said society president John Peregrym. “Before we select a buyer we would have to get the approval of the membership. “Hiring of laborers is expected to continue through at least the rest of this year,” Ron Buchhorn, Cominco’s manager of employee relations at Trail, said in a prepared release. from all over Gis but: the company is 4 specific hiring policy. A key element ip thé policy is a review, done over the ne few months, of the work records work safely and supervisor's ratings, are eligible for rehire. Those laid off from — 's Trail ith the most “Tradesmen will be hired the construction period as they're needed. “Construction schedules are still being revised, so we're not in a position yet to say just how many people will be hired for the modernization,” said Buchhorn, “but obviously, we will need substantially more people yet.” The Cominco personnel office at Trail has been flooded with applicants recent layoffs, are parkigona the first opportunity for jobs, then those with i and requirements for heavy industrial work. “We expect to have little, if any, hiring from outside the local area,” said Buchhorn, “and there is a strong emphasis on Cominco experience with a good work record.” MacDonald enters fray By CasNews Staff Communications Minister Flora MacDonald has stepped into the fray between Kootenay West MP and the Canadian Radio-tele- vision and Telecommunications Com- mission. On Sept. 23 Brisco told the House Commons the CRTC denied him ‘access to’ ‘information concerning an application for a rate increase by Shaw Cable systems. He added that the CRTC also refused to accept his submission on the issue after a 30-day period in which the publie ean respond to the application had expired Brisco said that while the CRTC refused to accept his submission, it accepted late submissions from the Castlegar, Warfield and Trail councils in a supplement sent in by Warfield Ald. Eric O'Dell, Earlier this week Brisco told the asking why Brisco’s submission was not accepted. “The minister is more than aware of my coneérn,” Brisco said. Briseo taised the issue in the House on a question of , but said that he does not think Speaker John Fraser will rule it as a question of privilege. “Tt (complaint) was a question of privilege. It remains to be seen whether the Speaker rules it as a legi- timate question of privilege — but I don’t think it is,” Brisco said. He added that right now he is waiting for MacDonald to receive . system not working ar.swers back from the chairman of the CRTC, as well as. from the Can- adian-Cable Television Association. He is also waiting for word from Fraser as to whether his complaint can be ruled as a question of privilege. In addition, Brisco said that the CRTC will be appearing before a Commons standing committee and he said he will attempt to get himself appointed to the committee 90 he can question the CRTC. Once an application for a rate increase is filed with the CRTC, anyone wishing to comment on the application has 30 days to do so. Three opponents of the rate increase are Castlegar, Trail and War- field councils. However by the time the councils had a chance to diseuss the issue, the 30-day limit had expired. “The 30 days to respond to an application is of concern to me and the minister,” said Brisco. Brisco told the Commons that the CRTC provided him with wrong information on the rate increase appli cation and that the government agency refused to accept his own submission on the issue. “Municipal councils in my riding are voicing their concerns by way of a supplemental attached to the sub- mission of Ald. O'Dell because they did not have an opportunity to deal with it earlier because of the timing of council meetings and the time allowed, 30 days, and in most cases less than 20 days. The CRTC has agreed to accept the supplements of those municipal councils attached to the submission of Ald. O'Dell after Aug. 20,” said Brisco. “It is not, however, pre to receive my submission. That is the full measure of the issue and it speaks volumes on the cavalier and inefficient manner of the operations of the CRTC. It is damn the public and full speed ahead.” Brisco added that the “system” that is in place now does not work. “It works unfairly against a Member of Parliament and may well deny him the opportunity to represent his constituents. It works against the public and it works against municipal couneils which also serve the public.”