Library, Blagsa., B.C. tive Parliament Victoria, VBV 1X 59L Bellevill CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1987 3 Sections (A, B &C) Brokers given six months By MIKE KALESNIKO Staff Writer Shouts of anger erupted in the Castlegar p pyramid schemes were tha kgs some of Meee ome (the scheme netted some $3.2 million), the vulnerability of court Monday as Judge Ron Fabbro sentenced the four men involved in the Dixie Dee Powers pyramid scheme to six months in prison. “That's a bloody joke!” shouted one man in the jammed courtroom, forcing the sheriff to quiet the room. The four men, Daniel Voykin, 30, of Brilliant, Steven Evdokimoff, 28, of South Slocan, Samuel Stoopnikoff, 28, of Castlegar and Fred Chursinoff, 49, of Brilliant, showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down. The four were immediately ushered, single file, out of the courtroom. Fabbro, in making his decision, noted that several factors had to be considered in the sentencing. He said what made this case different~from other of incarceration must be imposed,” he said. But Pabbro also acknowledged that “in a sense, they (the brokers) were victims themselves” but that “the victimization was compensated by the sum received.” Fabbro dged that the of the scheme was Dixie Dee Powers, herself sentenced to 20 months in prison after her conviction, and he also noted that this was the first offence for all four ment. But Fabbro said the “essence” of the sentencing was that all four men had full knowledge they were involved in a seheme and they knew the money collected “would be used to pay off old investors.” Though special Crown prosecutor Sean Madigan of Vancouver was present far the sentencing, both Trail lawyer Donald Sperry, who represented Btoopnikoff and Churs. inoff, and Vancouver lawyer Harry Rankin, who Voykin and , were di by the brokers a week earlier Acting as agent for all four men was Brian Bailey of the Slocan bang a long-time friend of three of the brokers. Ma in, during his sentencing statements, called for imprisonment as the only suitable punishment for the men. “This was a vast scheme,” Madigan told the court. “It involved enormous sums of money. It involved greed on a grand scale.” Madigan described the four men receiving “ex ceptionally generous sums of money for very little work” during a “very short space of time.” “They were the doors by which Powers entered this community,” he said. “And they were well paid doors.” During earlier testimony, Voykin was accused of having a personal “take” of $263,000, or 20 per cent of $1,815,000; Evdokimoff made $102,000, or 20 per cent of $511,000; Stoopnikoff made $72,000, 20 per centof $961,000; and Chursinoff netted $56,000, 20 per cent of the $284,000 he collected. All four men later admitted their own personal records of the investments were not detailed enough to dispute the 8. Madigan noted that Voykin only worked for Powers for one year, Evdokimoff took only six months to collect his continued on poge A2 CT scanne officially opened By RON NORMAN Editor With the smell of paint still fresh, Health Minister Peter Dueck cut the ceremonial ribbon Monday officially opening Trail Regional Hospital's $1 million CT scanner. More than 100 guests and visitors crowded into the narrow hallway outside the CT scanning room to hear Dueck praise the community's fund- raising efforts. “[T am always amazed at. the in- volvement by people in small commun- ities,” Dueck said “We all owe particular thanks to the volunteers who happened to raise your portion of the funding. It’s an from which many. can learn.” The provincial government pro- vided 75 per cent of the capital cost funding — $750,000 — while the com- munity raised the remaining $250,000. Hospital board chairman Don Nutini said in fact $475,000 was raised by the community. He said the remaining $225,000 in community funds will be used on the CT scanner to purchase “extras”, such as a machine to determine bone density “All that money has been totally assigned to the CT scanner,” he told the Castlegar News. The provincial government has also agreed to provide all funding for the $250,000-a-year operating cost. Nutini said the hospital has hired a second radiologist to help operate the seanner, which he expects will attract patients from throughout the Koot- enays. Nutini noted that the nearest scanners are in Kelowna and Calgary. Earlier Nutini told the crowd at the opening that other regions in B.C. have contacted the hospital to find out how it installed various parts of the new system. Nutini recalled the history of the project, saying it began in 1980 when the hospital board decided to place the CT scanner on its list of proposed major purchases. “It was felt a CT scanner was a necessity,” he said. The Hospital Employees Umon local 180 made the first contribution to the fundraising drive, donating $500. “This fund started from a simple beginning to a tremendous end,” Nutini said. He also pointed out that the drive was accomplished, not only by the support of the immediate residents, but with help from the surrounding communities. He noted the various guests in attendance for the opening, including Kootenay West MP Bob Brisco, Ross- land-Trail MLA Chris D'Arcy, Nelson- Creston MLA “Howard Dirks, and representatives from the hospitals in Castlegar, Nelson and Grand Forks. However, Nutini said it would be “presumptuous” to say the project went smoothly. Dueck said a major reason funding for the scanner was approved was because of the intense lobbying from the Trail hospital board. “I don't think I've ever seen anything quite g0 full of pressure as the lobby group of Trail,” he said. He also noted that Walt Siemens, a former Trail alderman and Social Credit candidate in Rossland-Trail, is his cousin. “I knew I- could never come to Trail again unless this became a reality,” Dueck joked. JAWED . . . Samuel Stoopnikoff (left) and Daniel Voykin (centre) are led by a Castlegar sheriff to on awaiting sherift's van shortly after being sentenced JUDGE DENIES REQUEST FOR COMPENSATION By MIKE KALESNIKO Staff Wi A compensation request by Nelson lawyer Marvin Singleton on behalf of some 60 investors in the Dixie Dee Powers pyramid scheme was denied Monday in Castlegar provincial court. Judge Ron Fabbro, during the ing of WKPL to build $3 gas plant By CasNews Steff West Kootenay Power and Light Co. Ltd. plans to invest $105 million over the next five years to improve its plants, including a new $33 million natural gas turbine generator in the Okanagan Valley. West Kootenay president Joe Dreunan, who announced the new five-year plan in a prepared release, a the gas turbine facility will result a significant saving for West Rootenays 400,000 residential cus ‘Over a 20-year period . the proposed project would provide roughly a five per cent savings to residential customers by reducing the need to purchase expensive peak firm power from B.C. Hydro,” the company said in the release. The gas turbine would use natural gas as the primary fuel but could use fuel oil when gas is available. West Kootenay expects to file an application for approval to install the turbine with the provincial Minister of Energy and the B.C. Utilities Com. mission within the next two months. Drennan said the turbine is the most cost-effective way to provide to six‘months in prison for a pyramid scheme. made within the presentencing reports which stated that the four men would be unable to meet compensation payment. Singleton emphasized that those seeking compen- sation were a “financially impoverished group” while many were “elderly and on pension incomes.” On the other hand, Fabbro,stated that the four men may be unable to fulfill the compensation claims of the vietims. “I note that does not necessarily apply to Voykin,” b said, but added that Voykin had made a proposal in the presentencing report to deal with the suits in a civil context. re ope many questions still remain unanswered Powers's four so-called brokers, stated that the Loe ion for was far too be dealt with during the sentencing but rather, would os handled during civil proceedings. Singleton requested a total compensation of approximately $194,000 from the-four men, with re payments ranging from one $1,000 to $5,000 per investor. According to Singleton, the claims against each broker broke down to $9,000 from Stoopnikoff, some $25,000 from Chursinoff, and approximately $80,000 from both Evdokimoff and Voykin. Singleton asked Fabbro to disregard the conclusion suit. He said the court must consider She ‘\egality of the contract made between the investor and the broker, and he also said there is a dispute regarding the amount of the claim. Fabbro said the court. will have to consider whether the brokers are responsible for the entire claim, or merely repaying their 20 per cent commigsion. He also said the court must decide whether some of the “victims” were previous beneficiaries of the scheme. The court did make af order to compensate two yietims a total $7,200. The money was found in the residence of Powers during a police raid and the two vietims were named on the attached receipts. back-up and peaking gen. eration capability. “Having the turbine facility would also postpone the need for a new $20 million South O) ion for options, including 16 different ap- proaches to using bydro, conventidnal and non-conventional generation pro- jects to meet future demand in our 10,000 square mile service area. “With timely regulatory approval, we could have a 140-megawatt gas turbine facility in service by the fall of 989." The $105 million five-year capital improvements plan is a $15 million increase over the West Kootenay’s most recent five-year plan. Other than.the $33 million gas tur- bine, $50 million has been earmarked for transmission and distribution faeili- ties and $20 million for other facilities and equipment. Meanwhile, Richard €. Green Jr., president and chief executive officer of Kansas City-based UtiliCorp United Ine., says the management of UtiliCerp has reviewed and endorsed the turbine project. UtiliCorp bought West Kootenay for $80 million from Cominco Ltd. The sale sparked public pro- tests in the Kootenays and Okanagan. The sale was completed earlier this month after lengthy hearings before the B.C. Utilities Commission. Green also said that beginning Tuesday, UtiliCorp’s shares will begin trading on the Toronto Stock’ Ex- change. A dition of the sale of West al to 10 years,” the company said. A specific site for the turbine has not been selected. Drennan noted, “Our recently completed resource study examined a broad range of supply and demand Kootenay to UtiliCorp was listing of UtiliCorp on the Toronto exchange. As well, he that two additional local outside directors will be named to the West Kootenay board in November. inside- FOX RUN: A Castlegor residents ran, walked, cycled and . even skateboarded to raise $366 in the seventh annual Terry Fox Run Sunday at the Community Complex. Number of participan- ts was down from last year, a trend reflected across the coun- -BI total of 60 40 YEARS YOUNG: The Castlegor Kiwanis Club celebrated its 40th anniversary over the weekend... A4 DEMERS JAILED: Nelson anti- cations Jim Demers was sentenced to 30 days in jail Tuesday . Heritage group gets grant By RON NORMAN Editor The Castlegar Heritage Advisory Committee has received a $40,000 grant from the B.C. Heritage Trust to restore the old CP Rail station. “It's a good chunk of money,” said John Charters, chairman of the heri- tage committee. Charters said the committee has tentative plans for the station. “Certainly, it's going to be a historical transportation museum of this area,” he said. Part of the station will be used for tourism promotion and part for office space. Charters said Kootenay West MP Bob Brisco has expressed interest in taking out office space in the station. The building is scheduled to be moved to its new site at the corner of 3rd Street and 13th Avenue on Nov. 2. City engineer Kevin Lagan said a crew working under a Canadian Jobs Strategy program, along with city works crews and city equipment have dug the footings for the new site and will begin pouring conerete Thursday. Lagan said it will take about two weeks to complete the concrete work. The city has received three bids for the contract to move the station. Lagan said he expects the contract to be let by the end of this week. The city earlier approved a $40,000 grant to cover the cost of the move. Lagan added that the city also plays to lay water and sewer lines at the new site. Lagan said the station won't be moved until November because CP Rail is using the station until its new station house. is ready. BOY BURNED: MINNEAPOLIS — An 11-year-old boy seriqusly bur- ned over 60 per cent of his body playing street hockey with a flaming, gosoline-soaked tennis ball, and a doctor says the game has become a fad: among some young people. “Parents should put a stop to this life-threatening type of ploy,” said Dr. John Twomey, head of the burn unit at Hennepin Country Medical Centre. Twomey said thei past year of youngsters being burned whi tennis balls. His latest burn case, more serious thon the other two, is that of Robby Powell of Orno, who now wants ajber youngsters to learn from his painful lesson just hope nobody else gets hurt this way,” said Robby, who. faces several skin-graft operations. Robby was burned Saturday afternoon as he and this friends played street hockey, hitting a gasoline-drenched tennis ball that had been set atire to make the game more thrilling. have been three cases in the area in the playing with flaming