ate
u__ Castha§iirNews _Jowons. 99s

Editor's note: Julie Higgins is a Rotary exchange student
from Stanley Humphries Secondary School living and
going to school in Tokyo. The following is a letter she
wrote just prior to Christmas.

._ 28 «

Merry Christmas:

Just though I would drop youa line and let you know
how I am doing. Life here in Japan is much different than
in Canada, but I am enjoying it immensely. I wouldn't
trade this year for the world!

I have encountered a few difficulties, but that was to
be expected. My school here is totally different than my
school back home (SHSS). I am attending an all girls high
school, wearing ponytails, no make-up and no jewelry. It's
a rough life!

My school has about 1,800 girls in it aging from 12 to
18. Japanese schools are much stricter than Canadian
schools, but they are much nicer looking and tend to be
much cleaner as the girls clean up their own school. There
are no janitors.

Japanese schools have so many rules that they give
you a rule book when you start attending school. My
problem is that I can't read it. One day I got in trouble for
wearing my sweater over my shoulders. I didn't even
think it was possible to get in trouble for something like
that.

Some schools are even stricter. They forbid you to
have boyfriends (dread of dreads!) and they have hair
codes. For example your bangs must be above your
eyebrows. Perms and dyed or tinted hair are not allowed
in any school. If a boy gets a perm the school just shaves
his head.

The schools also dominate the students’ personal life.
If he/she is caught or heard of doing something “wrong”
such as going to a disco, drinking, smoking etc., they will

get expelled from school even though it was done on their
own time.

The teaching method here is also much different. The
teachers aren't allowed to become friendly with the
students. Therefore, the classes tend to be quite formal
affairs. I seem to be quite friendly with a few of the
teachers but I think this is because I am an exchange
student and I get tutored one-on-one by about six
different teachers in one week.

Local girl tells of Tokyo

The Japanese schools are run on a weekly schedule.
I find this a bit difficult as I only get one or two hours of
each subject a week and I am not in many regular classes
(four to be exact) so they seem to be quite apart.

T am alone quite a bit as the school doesn’t want to
put me in any regular classes for some reason. This
makes it kind of hard for me to make any close friends
although all the girls are really nice and friendly to me.
My Japanese seems to be progressing quite nicely, so I
am hoping this will help me out in finding some friends.

I haven't seen much of Tokyo yet but I hope to
correct this quite soon. Trains are the main means of
transportation. It takes me one hour by train to get to
school. I have to ride it during rush hour and let me tell
you, ‘it is no joy:

I never thought it was possible to get so many people
into one train. I now understand why they have to hire
re to push people onto the train. It is somenine that

only be experienced!

The train gets so packed that you end up in the most

and You have no
say in the matter. It’s a case of go with the flow! Trains
are also used for travel between different cities. I have
already experienced a ride on “the bullet train”. It is
similar to the feel of a plane.

My host family is super and I love them dearly. It is
because of them that I'm not very home sick. The only
real problem I have in my new home is that I have a lot of
trouble eating Japanese food. I don't like it very much.

When I first arrived and everyone asked me what
kind of food I liked, I said one the first things that came to
mind, Italian. Well, whenever anyone takes me out for
dinner, or when my sister and I go out for the day, we
always go for pizza or spaghetti. I'm gaining a lot of
weight. I wonder why?

Japan is very different from Canada in many ways,
thus I am always learning. I can already notice changes
within myself for the better. I can feel myself broadening
and growing. As I said earlier, I wouldn't trade this year
for the world!

Well, I must close for now. I hope you will forgive me
for my typing. I hope you will have a happy Christmas
and New Year! I will be thinking of you.

Julie Higgins

Pen versus oil-can

Everett Dirksen, the late
U.S. politician, once observed
the bickering between the
business community and the
press and concluded of their
respective powers: “the oil-
can is mightier than the
sword.”

Society may consider bus-

iness and journalists to be
two pigs in a poke — public
credibility for both is low —
but they only infrequently
get along. Generally, theirs is
a brittle and caustic relation-
ship, highly charged by sus-
picion, contempt and attem-
pts to gain the upper hand.

That gives broadcast jour-
nalist Patrick Watson quite a

Merge lane
for highway

By CasNews Staff

The Highways Ministry
has designed a plan for a
merge lane at the inter-
section of Highway 3 and
Columbia Ave.

Bill Sproul, ministry of
highways regional director,
wrote in a recent letter to
Castlegar council that a de
sign has been prepapred for
the merge lane — which will
allow eastbound traffic exit-
ing from Highway 3 to merge
with southbound traffic on
Highway 22.

Sproul said his office has
already submitted a request

for funding to construct the
merge lane this year.

However, Ald. MacBain
pointed ‘out, “We haven't
even seen the plan.”

Council will have its city
engineer review the plan for
the merge lane.

As well, Sproul said the
Highways Ministry has in-
stalled additional signs ad-
vising eastbound traffic of
the Trail exit and the exit
speed. °

Council had expressed con-
cern about the lack of ade-
quate signs for the exit.

chasm to close as host of the
weekly business program,
Venture, which starts Mon-
day night on CBC-TV. By no
means will Venture be tele-
vision’s olive branch to bus-
iness, but it will give ex-
panded treatment of an area
Watson believes journalism
has often been “delinquent”
in covering.

“There's more drama in
failure and conflict, and that's
what a reporter instinctively
zeroes in on,” says Watson,
whose award-winning career
in public affairs program-
ming at CBC stretches back
30 years.

“At the same, to try to go
on in a Pollyanna fashion isn't
going to serve anyone well.”

The half-hour show, which
will feature correspondent
Carole Taylor in Vancouver,
is expected to nestle smartly

in the large environment of
TV business reporting bet-
ween the 90-second news clip
and the full-length documen-
tary. Venture sets out nei-
ther to devalue nor promote
the virtues of business; it
won't be a weekly recitation
Of hands in the till any more
than it will be a 30-minute
commercial for free enter-
prise.

A preview of rough footage
of the program's first in-
stalment was briskly paced.
Subjects were covered in
between five and eight min.
utes for the most part with
lucid writing, largely devoid
of the arcane language that
can glaze the eyes of a
non-business viewer.

Watson admits he was
“very hostile” when first
approached to join the pro-
gram.

Western Express

The winning numbers for
the Western Express lottery
were drawn Wednesday. For
$100,000 the prize numbers
were 2371317, 1567169 and
2053516.

The $50,000 prize numbers
were 1379568 and 2202792.
The five merchandise prize
numbers drawn were
275A098, 198B109, 2470720,
138D465, and 113E202. The
millionaire club number is 0.

The Lotto West jackpot of
$228,460.45 was carried over.
The eight numbers drawn

were 10, 18, 22, 27, 44, 45, 47,
ros The bonus number was

aoe five correct plus bonus
number category was carried
over.

Sixty winners of the five
correct category win $446.70
each, 1,836 winners of the
four é¢orrect category win
$42.50 each, and 23,042 win-
ners of the three correct
category win a prize of $5
each.

Next week's jackpot will
be worth an_ estima‘
$340,000.

THE

Coming Soon . . . See the
Castlegar News of Sun., Jan. 13

within the S
School Trustees.
There is a strong possi

could fore

limits should be walkin;

are based on are:
Grade 1 -
Grade 4 -

Grade! -3
Grade 4 -

on the bus

Year.

Boord
8.C., VIN 3H5.

SCHOOL BUS _
TRANSPORTATION

The School Act authorizes School Boards to
provide transportation systems.

This Board of School Trustees has,
years, chosen to operate a school bus s)
the students in the School District.

Therefore, the authority to establish rules and
procedures Ak stbeipiveh that school bus system
| District rests with the Board of

lity that the “two cheek”
rule will be enforced in the near future which
the Board to curtail some of the bus
riding privileges students presently enjoy.

The Board presently transports a large number
of students who, according to Ministry walk
to school. The Ministry's
walk limits, on which the Transportation grants

3 — 4.0 km (2.5 miles)
12 — 4.8 km (3.0 miles)

The Board has recently met and discussed the
below listed general recommendations

1. "That the School District establish the
following walk limits

—2.0km

12—3.0km

2. “That students living within this District's
walk limits be only transported if a bus is
going by and if there is adequate room

The Board would of course reserve the ri;
make exceptions to the above where visil
traffic and speed limits warrant it

Because of vandalism on buses (slashed seats in
compra this past School Year, students could

issued with Bus passes which will mean
assignment of a particular seat for the School

Prior to the Board approving any of the above
recommendation, it would appreciate f.
from the General Public.

for many
stem for

(buss Telephone 365-5210 pusinens Directory wile ccceptod op te trax den’ 90 fer the monte of Fobruery.

Brian L.
Brown

Certified General
Accountant
270 Columbia Ave.
Castlegar
Ph. 365-2151

MOROSO,
MARKIN &
BLAIN

Certified General
A

© 1964 Universe! Proms Syncicate

11-21

241 Columbia Ave.
Castlegar

Ph. 365-7287

Soligo, Koide
& John
Chartered Accountants

615 Columbia Ave.
(Upstairs)
Castlegar
Phone 365-7745

Henry John, B.Sc., C.A.
Resident Partner

KOOTENAY'S
BEST

(G (CEASA ))

ea get

Appliance Parts
Service Dept.
All Brand Names Serviced

All Parts Stocked

Rebuilt Timers

Used Appliances &
Consignments

Coin-operated Machines

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WE ALSO SERVICE: »

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‘+ INGLIS * HOTPOINT

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& HEATING LTD.

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————
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5200

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Medala Shortwave
365-5687

a
Peppercorn

Dining Under the Palms
at Uncommonly
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TERRA NOVA MOTOR INN
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Reservations 364-2222

(ASK CHES OR JOHN FOR
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PPLIANCES |

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THE COLANDER
SPAGHETTI HOUSE
Specializing in Italian cuisine.

For Reservations
Phone 364-1816

1475 Cedar Avenue
‘rail, B.C.

WILLIAMS MOVING
& STORAGE

2237-6th Ave., Cast.

Business Directory advertising is
for you!

Invite you to call them for a free
moving estimate. Let our
representative tell you about

services which have

Ph. 365-3328 Collect

RATES ARE Too!

Phone 365-5210

FOR FULL DETAILS.

rs
CLOTHING, DRAPERIES,
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‘on consignment.
NEARLY NEW SHOP
TT6 Rossiond Treil

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bess at
Phone 1

Tues.-Fri. 9a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.-12 noon
———

DY. (THM) ALLAN
OPTOMETRIST

366 Baker St.
Nelson, B.C. Ph. 35:

* Planning
Office Interiors
°c

Supervisions

365-25:

CASTLEGAR
FUNERAL CHAPEL
Dedicated to kindly,
thoughtful service.
Granite, Marble and
Bronze Plaques

Phone 365-3222

F. PIRSH
CONTRACTING

2045 —" Ave., Trail

it to * Renova’
‘lity, . = isto bute kitchen cobinens
. 2 Gap jobe or smal fone
Ph. 368-5911 ~~
your name storts Diomend Ringe
with A or M, or X, Y or Z Wedding Ringe
You' ll find

ivectly to the
Bont 3220, Castlegar *

PHONE
365-5210

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& Heating Ltd.
Quality Wholesale
Plumbing &

COLEMAN COUNTRY
BOY SERVICE

Sump & Septic Tank
Pumping
Phone 365-5013
3400 - 4th Avenue
Castlegar

PUBLISHER
The Costhegor News is
published by Castle News Lid.
Mail subscriptions rate to the
CASTLEGAR

jor ead
edition. The price delivered by
corrier for both

newspaper
editions is only 66¢
(collected monthly)
class mail registration number
0019.

News will not
je for ony errors
in edvertisoments atter one

his ad when it is first

Wt is ogreed by the adver
tiser requesting space that the
isement is accepted on

the ition that in the event
of failure to publish any od

errors occur in the publishi
of on advertisement, that por,
tion of the advertising space

occupied re
Heating Supplies ooeus Soe” <
aah fes: tonal advi signature, will not be cho:
Yr? pro eo 12 od for but re taoe sets
1008 Columbie Avenue the oppli we — heghed
365-3388 event of on error. advertising

tae

Goods oF services at @ wrong
Price, the goods or services
Need not be sold. Advertisi

Full, complete and sole
serie in any printed mot.
ter produced by Castle News

shell omen
and belong to the advertiser

CASTLEGAR NEWS,

74
Twice Weekly a pod

Mid Wek Mirror pubahed
from Sept. 12, 1978
to Aug. 27

es
ative Library,

ianent Sligs., 501 Belleville St
Victoria, B. C.
V8v 1X4

Feb. 28

Vol. 38, No.3

50 Cents

Heinrich defends

By ADRIAN CHAMBERLAIN
Staff Writer

Despite adetnilin cutbacks, increasing class sizes and
reports of declining teacher morale, Education Minister Jack
Heinrich says B.C’s publi¢ schools are offering a “good,
sound basic education.”

“I think there's a good, sound basic education being
given today. What we have to get across is that everyone is
doing a tremendous job within the schools and the school
boards,” Heinrich told a Castlegar press conference
Tuesday.

“The government is trying to make the very best out of
a somewhat difficult situation,” he

Heinrich met with school boards in Castlegar and Trail
Tuesday to discuss local educational concerns. The education
minister said his tour of B.C. school districts has so far
covered 40 municipalities:

He said issues.diseussed with local trustees included
pensions, early r hep ee em recent 2.3 per cent salary
h

CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1985
TT

considerable amount of time.’ They felt they'd initiated

secondary school for a week each, to examine teaching
ve hand

tighter controls before the (three-year

inerease by ‘an arbi

had been

board.

The Castlegar school board is “obviously concerned
about the arbitrator's award — that they just do not have
the: ability to pay it,” said Heinrich.

However, he noted that all arbitration committee
awards must be referred to compensation stabilization
commissioner Ed Peck for a final decision.

“I hepe (the Castlegar board) will take advantage of
taking their agreement there as well,” he said.

Another major concern of the school board was that
provincial funding for the district has been cut to the limit,
according to Heinrich.

“The concern from this board was this: ‘Okay, we've
exercised fiscal integrity. We have done it now for a

Heinrich said the Castlegar board has managed its
money “very, very well,” adding, “They have made a
concerted effort, which pleases me no end, to put as much
money as they can into the classroom.”

He said while this district is “going to be able to
survive” the next six-month fiscal |. the- “major
concern” of this and other B.C. districts is to make it through
the 1985-86 year, which begins July 1.

But in both C:
help ease the financial burden, hé added.

Asked if teachers are exaggerating the effects of
provincial funding cutbacks, Heinrich replied, “It would all
depend on which teacher you're talking to.”

He said he recently visited an elementary and junior

and Trail will

.C. Hydro
to review
ish ladder

first-
“Yes, I found some classes that were more than 30. . .
not very many. And I found a number of classes where there

* were 15 or less.

“What's the average within the school?” he asked.
“Tee woes you have to look at fairly closely.”

inrich said while there were 494,500 students in the

B.C. eee ee that number dropped to

472,500 for September 1984. Over the same time peried

1,237 a positions proarap ee

Pie hecargers may be rd any For pacerding a BC. Teachers?
Federation study said that 40 per cent of Vancouver schools
suffer from overcrowding. But Heinrich says over half of

continued on pege AZ

tion.“
Heinrich may not have wanted to
meet with teachers as part of a
“politieal program” to “pay back”
teachers for “past political sete,”
Rodgers suggested.

~

EDUCATION OKAY? .. .
Minister,

Tuesday to discuss local

Jack Heinrich, Edvtcation
met with Castlegar school boord trustees

educational

concerns

Heinrich says the three-year restraint program in
education is an example of the government
make the best out of a somewhat dif!

“trying to
cult situation.’
Coshiews Photo by Adrian Chomberlain

..terms .of the package

FROM LOCAL GROUPS

Twinning’ gets boost

By CasNews Staff

Support is growing for
council's proposal to
with a city in the USSR.

Four area groups have endorsed the
proposal and a number of other local
organizations have offered to help set

up the twinning.

Peter Perepolkin of the Canada.
USSR Association, told council Tues-
day night, “What is needed is an open
channel through which we can speak
and also through which we can hear.”

Perepolkin said the average North
American's perception of the Soviet
Union is strongly influenced by the
news media's negative reports.

“A great concern of mine is that a
similar situation exists in the Soviet
Union,” he said.

He suggested that twinning Castle
gar with a Soviet city will help break
down the negative perceptions resi
dents, have of the other's country.

Perepolkin told couneil a number of
organizations have volunteered to
serve on a committee led by council to
establish the twinning.

Those groups include the United
Church, the Castlegar Multicultural

PETER PEREPOLKIN
channel needed

of cities willing to twin with Castlegar,
but would first need a letter from
council that the city is sincere about
twinning.

Mayor Audrey Moore added that an

Society, the Canada-USSR A
and Area J director Martin Vanderpol,
among others.

Perepolkin noted that the Soviet
embassy in Ottawa could provide a list

world or also
helps cities willing to twin.
Moore said council is currently
“investigating” the twinning proposal
Ald. Albert Calderbank supported

the proposal saying, “I feel council will
do everything (it can) . . . to work it

out.”

Ald. Len Embree noted that any
thing council can do to “overcome the
posturing and the rhetoric is positive.”

Meanwhile, the Association of Cana
dians of Russian Descent also sup
ported the twinning concept.

In a letter to council, Len Voykin
said, “We are very pleased to learn
that you, as council members, are
undertaking a project of twinning our
city of Castlegar with a similar city in
the Soviet Union.

“When we are friends we cannot be
enemies. If we don’t have enimies, the
need for arms buildup is unnecessary,”
he said.

The Union of Spiritual Communities
of Christ also wrote supporting twin
ning.

“This process will help promote
understanding and friendship amongst
people,” said Paul Strelive on behalf of
the USCC Lifestyle Planning Commit
tee.

Strelive mentioned Zuckerberg Is
land Park, which he said was created
“in memory of one of Russia's outstan
ding sons who lived, worked and died
in our city. Can you imagine the
response of a mayor from a Soviet city
upon visiting this park?”

Proposed
garbage fee
delayed

By CasNews Staff

Castlegar council Tuesday postponed
a proposed garbage collection fee until
next year pending a complete review

Council instructed city staff, in con.
sultation with the health and welfare
committee, to carry out a full review of
present garbage collection services and
costs as soon as possible

Mayor Audrey Moore first an
nounced the proposed fee in her inau
gural address last month.

She said the fee would help offset
any general property tax increase this
year

Administrator Dave Gairns said
council hoped to raise $70,800 by
charging each householder $36 a year.

Moore later added that the proposed
$36 fee would only cover part of the
cost of garbage collection and that the
rest of the cost would be paid out of
general property taxes.

In other business, council announced
it will oppose West Kootenay Power
and Light Co.'s application for a five
per cent rate increase.

Ald. Bob MacBain, chairman of the
finance and administration committee,
said that after council met with West

By RON NORMAN
Editor

The regional director of the Ministry
of the Environment predicted Tuesday
that B.C. Hydro will likely approve a
$1.5 million fish ladder for Inonoaklin
Falls on the Lower Arrow Lake.

Dennis McDonald told Castlegar
council plans for the fish ladder were
part of a compensation package sub-
mitted to Hydro in early December.

He said the Crown corporation is ex-
pected to appoint a representative to
meet with the ministry and go over the

around

middle of this month.

Although McDonald cautioned, “We
don't at this point know with accuracy
what Hydro's stance will be,” he said
he doesn't foresee any problem with
the fish ladder proposal.

However, he said other aspects of
the compensation package “may be
much more subject to debate and
negotiation with Hydro.”

The other aspects of the package
relate to fisheries and wildlife prop-

osals.

Part of the package includes a prop-
osal to expand the Hill Creek hatchery
north of Nakusp. Asked if Hydro will
approve of the expansion, McDonald
replied: “I would expect they would.”

The compensation package was pre-
pared as part of Hydro’s terms for con
structing the Keenleyside Dam. Hydro
never fulfilled many of the original
terms.

Fisheries biologist Harvey Andrusak
said the Inonoaklin ladder and the
expansion to the Hill Creek hatchery
should improve fishing on the Lower
Arrow Lakes.

the.

HARVEY ANDRUSAK
. trophy fishery

Andrusak said the Arrow Lakes are
capable of producing much better
fishing, though he said that fishing isn't
poor now.

He added that the fisheries branch
hopes to establish a trophy fishery on
the Arrow Lakes to ease pressure from
Kootenay Lake.

He said the branch has already
stocked the lake with Gerrard trout,
though the results of that have not
been seen. Another 18,000 Gerrard
trout will be introduced this year.

However, Andrusak said the Arrow
Lakes have as much potential for
trophy fish as Kootenay Lake.

Andrusak also denied reports that he
said it is no use stocking the Arrow
Lakes because no one fishes there

—inside

pe

HOT ROCKS: Castlegar's Marie
Prokop rink captured the West
Kootenay zone women’s title
over the weekend. The four
some leaves for Prince George
tomorrow for the Interior
playdowns and a shot at the
provincial championships . . . BT

France

VENDOEUVRE

a family problem

Kootenay Power respr 1
continued on page A2

up. C

TRAIN ISSUE: Castlegar council has decided to make two recommen-
dations to the public hearings on cabooseless trains A2

IT'S C-C-COLD: Freezing weather is keeping o tight grip on most of
Europe as residents shiver through the worst winter in years a7

Five hundred villagers submitted a
petition Tuesday asking that a boker in Vendoeuvre, jailed for failing
to pay alimony, be freed so they again can have their daily bread
Residents of Vendoeuvre, Sainte-Gemme, Migne and Metieres-
en-Bremme in central France said in their petition to the court that
they had no intention of interfering in the personal affairs of the
baker or halting the wheels of justice. But they said they “refuse to
walk many kilometres in the snow because the boker is in prison for

They asked for clemency for the baker. He went to jail last Thur-
sday for failing to pay 700 francs
wite to support their two children. The town's second baker hos not
been able to keep up with the extra work

DECISIONS. DECISIONS: How much is too much? That's the question
most homeowners ask when the snow on their roofs begins to add
reporter Adrian Chamberlain has the answer 83

($77 U.S.) monthly to his former

Pic

(RII