itt Soe cS aA 3 pare Wednesday, July 15, 1992 a Recycling starts with Victoria Wl RDCK says province has to pitch in if new waste initiatives to be successful Scott David Harrison EDITOR The Regional District of Central Kootenay says Victo- ria’s recycling plan is a waste of time. Joining forces with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, the RDCK is asking the government to re- think its tough new solid waste management plan. “We have to stop it at the source,” RDCK administrator Reid Henderson said Tuesday. “We have to have the govern- ment involved at the manufac- turing end in terms of packag- Henderson said the govern- ment must put an end to point- less packaging procedures if it hopes to enlist the support of municipalities and districts. Henderson’s criticism fol- lows that of RDCK chairman George Cady. On July 4, Cady slammed the government’s solid waste initiatives, saying the district is being held ransom to unre- alistic demands as it tries to come up with a plan to reduce = garbage by 30 per cent in 1995 and 50 per cent be- fore the year being forced —————— t make some unpopular decisions, in- cluding one proposal which would see it create four region- al dump sites for all its garbage. Those sites are. Ootis- chenia, Nakusp, Salmo and Creston. “The consultants have iden- tified that as the most cost-ef- fective way of handling our waste stream,” Henderson said. Despite that, the plan hasn’t washed in Castlegar and area. At a June 24 open house, RDCK representatives were accused of turning Ootischenia into a wasteland for unwanted garbage. The criticism continued Tuesday when the Recycling Advisory Group lobbied city council to force the RDCK to put its solid waste manage- ment plan to a region-wide vote. The district’s waste plan is currently going through a re- draft of Stage 2 following re- gion-wide public hearings. Henderson said the RDCK will consider its alternatives when consultants Stanley and Associates present their Stage 2 findings in September. Despite criticism, Hender- son said the public hearings were useful. “People weren’t so much concerned with the sites that they were the implimentation of the plan,” he said. “They are fed up with the talk and they want some action.” And Henderson agrees. “It’s up to the district now to make sure senior politicans are aware of what was said at a local level.” More local news coverage pages 25, 26 and 27 Letters toll E ED ITO R a Recycling Advisory Group urges Castlegar city council to get push for region-wide landfill vote Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER Castlegar residents Will be paying for Nelson’s junk re- moval if the Regional District of Central Kootenay has its way, according to Mike Liv- ingstone. Recycling Advisory Group chair George Marken and Castlegar representative Liv- ingstone made an 11th-hour appeal to Castlegar city coun- cil Tuesday in an effort to re- vise the RDCK’s Solid Waste _Management Plan. Livingstone says Nelson’s high cost of waste manage- ment would be reduced by passing some of those costs — and garbage — onto Castle- gar. “We're concerned that Nel- son seems to be the beneéficia- ry of the plan and Castlegar would be paying the shot,” Livingstone said. Livingstone wants Castle- gar city council to ask the RD- CK to hold a region-wide vote on the waste management plan. “Too much money is in- volved for the directors to simply impose it,” Living- stone said. The proposed plan is ex- pected to cost $3.3 million dol- lars and raise home taxes by as much as $186 per year. “(The plan) is very sloppi- ly put together,” Livingstone says, “you can get lost in these figures. It's a master- piece of gobbledygook.” Livingstone says one op- tion is independence. “Another alternative (for Castlegar) is to stay as a sub- region and not go in with the RDCK.” Graduation comments unfair As the volunteer sponsor for both hundrais- ing and decorating for this year’s graduation exercises, I cannot let your coverage nor Mr. Lewis’ remarks pass without comment. Avery small group of students — eight to 20 out of 150 grads — and myself worked for over 40 hours during grad week to decorate the main arena, foyer, and ballroom of the Com- munity Complex for the grad festivities. This decorating took place after the stu- dents spent the day studying for or writing their final exams while I was at work. The drinking incident occurred early Thurs- day evening during our dinner break — a break I had to force these hard-working yourig adults to take. I am appalled at Mr. Lewis’ assertion that the incident would not have occurred had a su- pervisor been there. That is tantamount to saying that someone else is responsible for their behavior. As the valedictorian stated when he came to me to apologize the next day, “I knew there Some of the penalties John Strilaeff has endured for his “out-of-school” beers may be appropriate. Yet the possible cancellation of his Passport to Education Grant is excessive. Such a penalty may be displaced if we are really concerned about teenage gwen we make an example of Strilaeff: a model student by all accounts, while the drinking culture of grad year — an alleged "rite-of- passage” into adulthood — is ignored? was arisk, and I was willing to take that risk.” Surely, Mr. Lewis, you will agree that every action or decision has a consequence; only a coward blames others for the choices or mis- takes he makes. Rather than basing your letter on rumor, conjecture, and theory, (and writing it in such away as to make your theory seem like the re- ality of the situation), you might instead allow the parties involved to deal with the issue and stick to things you know something about. I have been advised not to discuss this issue publicly, but I invite Mr. Lewis to contact me at home, if only to apologize. Mrs. Corinne Tamelin Castlegar PS.: The decorations were spectacular, but no mention has been made of that. Why not? As much as I would like to to give credit to those students who richly deserve it, I cannot supply their names for fear they might be ha- rassed, threatened or slandered. Out-of-school punishment too severe Recent events in the Castlegar area suggest that responsible treatment of alcohol is required. We still have a long way to go. If we really disapprove of the idea that graduation should be associated with drinking one’s self into oblivion, then we as a community have much to do. This is not a school problem, it is a community problem. After all, young people learn their drinking habits somewhere. John Myers Pass Creek Logging just the beginning to whole host of problems Mi Plenty is at stake for beautiful Christina Lake We have of recent date been assailed by in Christina Lake letters informing us, in effect, that logging is of no re- al problem. , But is logging the real aim of what is happening? Is logging what the consor- tium is after or is this a false front for some deeper issue? The removal of trees, the building of roads, and the building of skid trails is of great concern — concern for what is in store for the prop- erty owners who live below the site. For those who draw and drink the waters of Christina Lake. For those who come to en- joy the scenery and come to swim and water ski in the not as yet, seriously polluted wa- ters. The logging is a ploy and involves a much deeper issue. A matter of use to recoup expenses and then turn it in- to a new subdivision — a real estater’s dream. With this new subdivision will be added further pollu- tion — further septic systems — which on this slope will cascade down hill to befoul existing properties and cause added contamination to a be- leaguered lake. Question 26 of a recently received questionnaire adds weight to this hypothesis. In it, it states, “A commu- nity sewage and collection and treatment system would effectively prevent most — and I emphasize most — sewage from reaching the lake. The construction and maintenance of such a system costs money and would cost you!” Hence we find a no-win sit- uation — we pay and pay to put in the system and others reap the benefits of our labors. We end up as always carrying the burden. I suggest that if these de- velopers do as I surmise, then they should be made to carry the load, to pay for that they have caused to happen and we pay a nominal — not pro- hibitive — cost to hook up. Thus in this situation we all win and not as in the past the taxpayer losing while the others leave counting their gains. G.L. D’Appolonia Christina lake re @ Woednésday, July 15, 1992°'* AroundT’ OWN Our person for Our People Glen Freeman 365-7266 JUST DO IT The Screening Mammography Program of British Columbia mobile van will be at the Castlegar and District Hospital from Aug. 8 to Aug. 11. It is highly recommended that women take advantage of this program, as the next time the van will be in town is Jan. 18 fo Jan. 23. For scheduling or inquiries please call 1-800-663- 9203. B.C. ing U. If you are heading to the University of British Columbia for the first time and think you might need a little help getting into the swing of university life, take advantage of UBC’s Orientation '92. Orientation '92 will familiarize you with the UBC campus and prepare you for the ups and downs of student life. All first-year students, college-transfer students and parents are invited to attend. Please call 822- 3733 for registration information. OurPEOPLE PEDOPHILE: TRUST NO MORE Kate Poole CASTLEGAR NEWS SERVICE edophile. The d conjures up images of violent, lurking monsters. But most pedophiles can’t be distinguished from anyone else. The only differences is their relationships with children, something they keep very secret. Graham Cook, a convicted pedophile, said coping with the problem would be far less difficult for parents of victims, police and others if they could set aside misconceptions about victims and abusers. Cook has been convicted three times for sexual offenses involving children. The first time, in 1984 in Ontario, he was fined $250. The last time, he was given a three- year sentence in Abbotsford provincial court on April 6, 1987. He described the sentences for his first two convictions as slaps on the wrist, the third as a jolt. “They hit me on the head with a ae and finally got my attention,” he said. x During 30 years of pedophilic activity, Cook victimized at least 200 young boys. Few ever complained. He isn’t excusing his past, he wants people to know the extent of pedophilic activity across the country. “There are thousands out there just like me who have never been caught,” Cook said. - ook was also a victim of child abuse. In a video produced by the National Film Board, he recalled his father dragging him across the floor by his hair. He remembers his father as ‘an intelligent, domineering man who made him feel inferior. “I wanted to be close to him and do things with him but never did,” said Cook. His mother was violent and beat him with anything handy — belts, wooden