Page A12 The Castlegar Sun Wednesday, November 1, 1995 @ Rebel revite Rossland Warriors G.F. Border Bruins Castlegar Rebels Beaver Valley Nite Hawks Spokane Braves NORTH TEAMS Sicamous Eagles North Okanagan Kings Revelstoke Grizzlies Golden Rockets Columbia Valley Rockies 13 9 “Note: Shoot-Out Wins count as Wins LAST WEEKS SCORES: Fe. Set. Sun. ‘Spokane 1 at Beav Valley 6 Spokane 6 at Rossland 6 s/o Beay Valley 2 at Spokane 6 Goklen 2 at Stoarnous 6 ‘Revelstoke 3 at Rossland 7 — Col Valley 2 at Sloamous 13 Cal ValoySat Okanagan NA Okanagan 5 at Gokien 6 The Rebels are now starting to come together as a team and, according to Price, the benefits will continue to be seen on the tm all for gwiung blood, Gut not when it comes tr masguitees. Especially onzs whe dine and dash. So when he furushed hus forearm buffet, ice. Their next contest comes this “Basically, all this team has to do is stay focussed,” said Price. “We didn't win those games at the beginning of the year, we just didn't lose them. Now we're playing a full 60 minutes and we're winning games.” Price now hopes to continue improving throughout the season and go into the playoffs at full steam. “The major move has been out of cards to make more changes. But we'll still be making tune-ups and we'll continue to improve up until the end of the year.” Rebel rousings: Price said he is looking forward to the addition of the two new defensemen from the Smoke Eaters but cautioned that just because they have talent zle analogy - if the new pieces don’t fit he doesn’t want them in the picture. On the injury front, Denis Nolette will be out much longer after x-rays showed he has a bro- ken clavicle in addition to a sepa- rated shoulder. Ryan Hittel will be joining Nolette on the walking wounded list with broken ribs as will Lindsay Christianson with Def Dale Friday in Rossland and night against Beaver Valley at the Complex. Neon red, and tok off after hum. Soon ( saw red Smith is day-to-day with back and hip problems. 5 Now it § personal 1996 Neon Ex 21N Package: ¢ 2.0L 16V 132 hp SOHC engine ¢ 5 speed manual transmission ¢ Dual air bags Side door impact beams AM/FM stereo cassette with 6 speakers 7135 $750' GRADUATE REBATE Castlegar Bantam Reps get off to fast start Submitted The Castlegar Bantam Rep Hockey Team is off to a sizzling start in the West Kootenay Minor Hockey League. After three league games the team boasts a three wins, no loss record The wins have come at the expense of Grand Forks, Beaver Valley, and perennial archrival Trail, The Castlegar Bantam Rep squad handily defeated all three ts, including Trail which usually provides the toughest competition. Furthermore, the Castlegar Bantam Reps have recently retumed from the “Ice Breaker” tournament in Westbank with ‘first place honors. To achieve this distinction the local team defeated Westbank, Prince George and Kelowna. The final game against Kelowna was esp ly enter- 1995-96 Castlegar B Bantam Reps were equally resp ble for the good showing. The team followed up its Westbank success with an Aeining as Castlegar won 5 to 4 scoring the winner in the dying minutes of the game. This tour- nament featured a great all round team effort. All team Jay P. 14” deluxe wheel covers Dual outside remote mirrors run at the Winfield Bantam Rep Tour- mament featuring ‘AA’ and ‘AAA’ teams. Castlegar cruised thought the 10-team tournament beating (7 it was tume tu make the proper untraductums. Mesquite meet wundsheld. Windshield, masquits. Arguably, a fly matter would ve been caster, but not nearly as satufyung CX im Rear spoiler Fuel economy-5.6L(50)/100 km (mpg) hwy** -8.3L(35)/100 km (mpg) city”* Induding Freight $9S For a hassle free test drive of the Neon Ex please call 1-800-333-3678 SEE YOUR B.C. CHRYSLER TEAM. vive Slt Stivince Bendre bese a ‘lege pods = Tinted os ee og eng wap fos hon nh eo Set dee “Based on anspor! Conoda ond toxes ooh pas oon botany pd sound ea oo one tps hr Ce ‘eae To fuel consumption moy Salmon Arm 8-1, Kelowna 5-2, North Delta 10-7 ahd Sicamous 6-3 en route to the final versus Winfield. Winfield proved to be the stiffest competition yeat as regu- lation time ended with a 4-4 tie. But Castlegar came up big in the overtime as Matt Bragg scored just 25 seconds in to give the Bantam Reps the title. The Castlegar Bantam Rep team consists of the following members: Jeff Craig, Curtis Simi- noff, Kevin Carlson, Drew Ross, Ryan Wenger, Justin Dunsmore, Kris Kanigan, Kevin Pacheco, Shane Palahicky, Brian McCormick, David Bell, Craig Davis, Matt Bragg, Steve Gus- tavson, Stacey Bublitz, and Reed Byers. The coaching staff con- sists of Grant Fenwick (head coach), along with assistants, Aaron Postnikoff, Brian Wilson and Rob Dunsmore. Upcoming tournaments for the local team include: Comox, North Okanagan, South Okana- gan and Canmore. Currently the coaching staff is working hard to prepare the Castlegar Bantam Reps for the B.C.A.H.A, Bantam AA Rep Provincial Championships which are to be held in Castlegar in the Spring of 1976. = Oh Canada playing either.” The Russians now go back to prepare for the Russian club championships Nov. 11-17 while the Canadians will attempt to qualify for the Olympics by finishing in the top three of the 12 teams in the World Cup. The next step for the people at Selkirk College is to thank a lot of people who helped make the event a success. Organizer Mike Perra said they didn’t make any money off the event but they did break even and that was what counted. Especially considering they were up against a bundle of Halloween parties and hockey games in Trail and Castlegar. “The fact we brought that cal- ibre of volleyball in here and still not lose money is just great,” said Perra. “A lot of peo- ple said the price was worth it and they were happy they got the opportunity to see it.” Perra said the best tearm dur- ing the event wasn't either of the one’s on the court but the Doukhobor community who provided a high class banquet and billeting for the players. “The Doukhobor community really came through,” said Perra. “They really made them [the Russians] feel at home and, according to the Canadian play- ers, you could really see the dif- ference on the court.” Although the event didn’t make money Perra said his goals were met. “T think we just accomplished them,” said Perra. “But my goals are bigger than the bottom line and the bottom line was that a bunch of people came to the gym and left saying ‘wow’.” Perra added that he hopes to bring more international volley- ball to Canada in the future and is looking at possibly setting up a Team Canada - Team U.S.A. match. But don’t look for it any- time soon, he wants to have a lot more lead time than the three weeks he had for this match. — NT! AS MRE tre eon PROFILE The Castlegar Su WEDNESDAY, November 1, 1995 Less than one year ago the Stoodleys of Pass Creek were planning to build a new home which they hoped to be moved into by this month. Last month Jim’s untimely death put that dream in jeopardy. But now a community has joined together to help the Stoodley dream come true. eptember 13 was one of those S sais days that is remem- bered long after the fading light turns to dark. A hint of fall was in the air and the golden sun warmed all that it touched. To Jim Stoodley of Pass Creek, it seemed like the perfect day to work on the dream homie he was building for his family. But then, for Jim, every day was a precious gift. That morning, as every,1 , Jim, a proud and involved father to Katelyn, 4 and Amanda, 7, drove Amanda to the bus stop. Little did Amanda know that that would be the last time that she would see her much-loved father. After driving Amanda to the bus stop Jim started working on the roof of their four bedroom home. That Wednesday was a special day for Jim, 44, and his wife Elaine, 32: The home they had dili- gently saved for was becoming a reality before their very eyes. “He was so excited because the truss- es were up. That was a milestone, another hurdle,” explained Elaine with tears in her eyes. The Stoodleys had moved from Kelowna just over two years ago. The couple had a clear vision.of the kind of life they wanted for their daughters and themselves. “We just wanted to get away from the big city. We wanted to raise the girls in a smaller community,” Elaine reminisced. Living in a tar papered and drafty shack next to their home site was little sacrifice for the Stoodleys if it meant that, in the end, they would have a home in which to raise their daughters. To them it was simply a means to the end. They hoped to be in their new homie, which Jim had designed with precision, this month. That was their dream. Jim and Elaine were what some peo- ple would consider a “traditional” fami- ly. Some people who know them say they were “joined at the hip”. All agree that theirs was a solid and loving family that many people could only hope for. All speak fondly of Jim using such words as “devoted’, “gentle’, “soft-spo- ken’ and “perfectionist” to describe him. “We did everything together. We even grocery shopped together,” said Elaine when describing the incredible close- ness the two shared. That morning, at around 9:30, Elaine was outside with her daughter Katelyn and the three children she babysat. What happened next is every wife and moth- er’s nightmare. “He was working up there and I heard the trusses starting to fall. I tuned around and he was falling.” Elaine's frantic and piercing screams brought neighbors running. There on the ground Jim lay bleeding in a crumpled heap beside the home he had been building. Neighbor Rick Skinner was nearby and heard the commotion. After running to the Stoodlev home he quickly took control of the situation and urged Elaine into her house with the four children. At first ambulance attendants told her she could ride along with Jim to the hos- Pital, but later changed their minds. Instead Skinner drove her to the hos- pital after child care arrangements were made for the children. “When I arrived they were working on him. They worked on him for about an hour,” said Elaine. ’ At one point, said Elaine, a nurse came into the small room she was wait- ing in and told her that Jim was breath- . ing. Hope flickered in Elaine’s heart, but was soon extinguished when Dr. Keith Merritt came out and told her that, despite his efforts, Jim was dead. “I didn’t believe him—I told him he was wrong. There was no way that Jim would ever leave us.” But it was real, and the truth became heartbreakingly clear as Elaine was handed her husband's wedding ring, house key and belt. Soon Elaine would have to explain to daughters Amanda and Katelyn that their father wouldn't be coming home. Sitting beside her dead husband, Elaine heard her daughter Amanda, who had just been retrieved from school, in the waiting room. “T didn't know how to tell her, but she knew something was wrong. We always told her that if something happened to us someone would come and get her.” Elaine went to her daughter. “She was in the other room and look- ing very scared. I told her daddy had fallen off the roof and that he had too many “owies” and he’d gone to heaven. I told her Dr. Merritt tried-real hard to help him.” After leaving the hospital, Elaine and Amanda went to Jim's niece’s home in Robson. But all she wanted to do was flee to the comfort of the home that she, the girls and Jim had shared. “I needed to put the kids in their own beds. I needed to put some routine in their lives,” she explained. It was at the niece’s home that Elaine told Katelyn that her father died. Elaine and the girls finally did retum home that night at around 9:30 p.m. to begin to face the task of learning to live without Jim. For Elaine, the days since the accident and the subsequent memorial have been an endless thick fog. With bewilderment on her face, she spoke about the many times she expected to see him walk the door or working on the house. “I still haven't accepted he's gone. I'm still waiting for him to come home,” she said wistfully. She admits that the only thing that keeps her going is the children that she and Jim love so dearly. She worries about what the future holds. A small insurance policy will soon be eaten up with the everyday Costs of raising two young children. “There are no finances. There’s a small amount of insurance, but I'd be lucky if that lasted until they finish ele- mentary school.” Elaine says she knows:that one day she will have to find gainful employ- ment, but despairs about working out- side the home. After all, she and Jim had always planned that she would be a full time mother. That was also part of their dream. Twisting his wedding band, which she lovingly wears on her left middle finger, she told of how she and the children “talk to daddy” every night as the girls hold his picture in their little hands. She also tells of the driving need to go to the home he was building and talk to him. “He'd be up at 4 a.m. and I'd find him looking at the house. The four of us would sit on the newly-laid floor of the house and watch the stars. We had already pictured the Christmas tree in front of the window.” And 50, it’s not surprising that Elaine has decided that the home which they dreamed about and worked on will be completed.“That was our dream and it has to be fulfilled. The kids wanted to be where dad was. There is no way I can uproot them.” Now, Elaine's commitment to seeing it finished, and the. generosity of neigh- bors, friends, and strangers means, that Jim's dream won't die. With surprising swiftness people have banded together and donated materials, labor and whatever else it will take to finish the home. Since Jim's death there have been regular work parties so that Elaine, Amanda, and Katelyn will be able to move in before winter sets in. Businesses have been solicited for supplies for both the house, and the many meals and endless gallons of cof- Smatt Town Hero The Stoodleys less than one year ago. Jim, Elaine and daughters Amanda (left) and Katelyn were looking forward to building their new home in Pass Creek. fee necded for thirsty and hungry volun- teers. Most businesses, they_say, have been generous. Neighbor Vickie Ropoff said that prior to the accident, neighbors would sometimes pass each other on the road and not always wave. People were too busy with their own lives. But that's now changed. Jim's tragic death has been the glue that firmly binds a com- munity now overflowing with heart and compassion. Neighbors help neigh- bors. Kindness and generosity are in abundance. But the completion of the Stoodley home isn’t the only legacy Jim has left. In his death, as in his life, Jim has touched many people. That in itself is a legacy—something his family can be proud of and hold onto during diffi- cult times. The Castlegar Sun would like to thank Elaine Stoodley for sharing her story. Her incredible courage in doing So is greatly appreciated. If you would like to help the Stoodley family, call Rick Skinner at 365-2739. There is a trust fund set up at the Castlegar Savings Credit Union at the Castleaird Plaza in South Castlegar for the Stoodley family. The account num- ber is 19415-9. They are: Family and friends Residents of Pass Creek and area Atco Lumber Ltd. G. Glover Contracting Sam's Trucking All Star Excavating Trowelex M.J. and Sons Contracting Maglio Building Centre Mitchell Supply Ltd. Kalesnikoff Lumber Dave Story Construction Pass Creek Fire Department John Voykin Martech Electrical Systems Ltd. West Kootenay Mechanical SHSS teachers Castlegar District bus drivers Waltec Electrical Ltd. West K Concrete Canada Safeway Plaza Bakery Perry Hyson Gerry Freeman Purnel Distributors Super-Valu People’s Drug Mart Plaza IDA Mohawk Castlegar Foods Castlegar Pharmasave Old Dutch Potato Chips IGA Johnny's Grocery and Gas Van's Meats Voortman Cookies Monte Carlo Motor Inn Students Tyson Darius Elijah Fehr Kerwin Fargo Richard Skinner Ristin Turner Tom Varga Corey Skinner Mark Jenner Jenny Popoff The 22 cooks The work party any others who might have helped and been inadvertently overlooked Photo and story by Karen Kerkhoff