Page 8A Hemingway in a bag, bumping into F. Scott Fitzgerald, Emily Carr, and a handful of North American authors. Myler Wilkinson will be carry- ing that bag for the next three- and culture to the Russian peo- ple,” said Wilkinson. An instructor with the lan- guage and literature a Castlegar’s Selkirk College, Wilkinson left Monday for the Russian capital on the first 1; he of a teacher exchange between college and the Moscow ov Pedagogical University, where the i is teach- wife Linda, and his children Nathan and Anna fortwo months. Linda will be teaching advanced- level English at a language insti- tute in Cheboksary, just outside Moscow. As chairperson of Cietlag’s international twinning Committee, Miss Castlegar 1989 foresees Sask. next week, Miss Castlegar 1989 made a quick pit stop at home in Thrums. She had just spent Apr. 24 through Aug. 4 on an internship, doing missionary work in Stutterheim, in South Africa’s Cape Province. “I'd like to go back to South Africa. I left.a part of me there,” said Darla Leiding. She decided on missionary work when she Pool Cues \ CREP IN TIP TOP besides exchange teacher. Besides investigating further developments in a Castlegar-Rus- sian town twinning, he will also be investigating the possibility of academic twinnings for Selkirk College. Both of these have been on the go for the past year or so, and Wilkinson, along with three other representatives from Castlegar, were in Russia to lay some of the ground work in Wilkinson has been invited to return to Yasnya Polyana, the links between Tolstoy and the Doukhobors who emigrated to Canada. Tolstoy had a close relation- ship with Peter “The Lordly” Verigin, and was a supporter of the Doukhobors’ settlement in emigration, and continued to follow their progress after their settlement. And come January, Wilkinson will be host instead of guest when his Russian exchange partner, Alexander was in her first year of general bible study at the Institute, after hearing missionaries tell about their work around the world. Leiding became convinced that missionary work was some- thing she had to try out. An expe- rience in South Africa convinced her she was right. For a week, she had been teaching the bible to kids who had nothing - wore the same clothes every day, they were dirty, they went bare- foot. One of her minions, a boy no older than seven, got up and spoke eloquently about his love for Jesus at the Church service on Sunday. “For me, that was one of the The Castlegar Sun Local language instructor leaving for Moscow Myler:Wilkinson to lecture about the links between Russian, American and Canadian literatures in translation, and an introductory Russian Language course The course Wilkinson will be teaching in Moscow is The Margins of Culture: Canadian, American, and Russian Litera- ture. Because Vashenko has done a lot of work of native writers, ded to cen- tre the Canadian component of his course on works by, or about, natives, including: La: ; Klee Wick by B.C.’s Emily Carr, and Swamp Angel by another B.C. writer, Ethel Wilson. “I want to advertise who we are — an unknown country, just as Russia was unknown to us.” In . choosing Canadian authors, he decided to teach B.C. and West- ern Canadian authors instead of the big-name Southern Ontario writers who normally represent Canadian literature to the outside world. The problem with authors like Timothy Findley and Robert- son Davies is their language is too complex, and too much time would be taken up explaining the i and culture of the Canada examined by writers of the Toronto-Montreal cortidor. “I felt that I had to choose books that are relatively short, and simply written.” The works he has chosen contain complex most rew: for being there.” Wortlag mostly with children during her internship, ing Sunday school, she said she learned something about children. “That's. where my ministry, if you could call it that, would be.” Contrary to Western ideas, by _ she saw, children were a last priority. were last to cat, the last to be taught. That’s why they’re so open to the teaching that missionaries bring. A missionaries work includes starting churches and bible schools, and visitations through. out the community they try to become a part of. Your Views Are Invited: HOW SHOULD PAY LEVELS BE SET FOR MLAs? set and adjust future remuneration for MLAs. Your views are invited. Forward thoughtful ideas, in writing, no later than Sept. 30, 1992. All submissions will be considered to be public documents. To assist the Reviewer, you may wish to address such questions as: What is the primary job of an MLA? In terms of pay and benefit levels, including pension and severance provisions, what other jobs im our society would rank with the job of an MLA? Should the Legislative Assembly or an commission decide how independent much to pay an.MLA? Should a formula, perhaps related to the Consumer Price Index, be used to determine future increases? Send your written submission to the following: Review of MLA Remuneration Suite 510 - 789 West Pender Street Vancouver, B.C. V6C 1H2 Facsimile: (604) 684-3381 Or, during September, call toll free to 1-800-461-8668. INCOME TAX COURSE CURRICULUUM — During ~ 13-week course, students wil phases of income tax reparstcn including current laws, theory and application. SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE an H&R BLOCK certificate of achievement as well as the opportunity to interview for employment with H&R BLOCK. However, completion of the course does not guarantee employment. HaR BLOCK KNOWS TAXES AND HOW wo te: CLASSES ARE FORMING — £ sessions are available. MAY ENROL. APPLICANTS need only the willingness to learn about taxes. THE TUITION COST Is LOW and covers the complete course, YOUR INQUIRY IS INVITED — PHONE 365-5244 a HéR BLOCK s oseaepreearummmmmmmeenmaetl THE INCOME TAX SPECIALISTS 1458 Columbia Ave. a = ideas, but they are written simply enough so that Russians, strug- gling to learn English, can get something out of the exercise. Wilkinson will move on to home ground with the relation- ship between American and Rus- sian writers. His doctoral thesis was about those links, entitled: The Dark Mirror: American Lit- ¢ Responses to Russia. t’s an interactive thing I'm trying to do. plist en pcan try to bridge the distance between the two cultures.” He said he hopes to remind the Russians of the beauty and importance of their culture. Some of these authors include: Ernest Hemingway, who was deeply motivated by the Russian authors Ivan Turgenev and Leo Tolstoy; Willa Catner; and The Great Gatsby, by Hemingway's sgometimes-friend and rival, F. Scott Fitzgerald. “I want to talk about America, and what has been called the American Dream - and the Amer- ican Dream that falls short.” Why are ideas important to a people, like the Russians, who need bread, not books? “All people need the help of the imagination to get through the times of turmoil, both economic and political.” After all, troubled times are the kiln in which the greatest of art is usually created. “It’s a hope for them in the midst of their desperation.” Despite the situation, she said that the news makes the political I'd like to go back to South Africa. | left a part of me there.’ — DARLA LEIDING Thrums resident situation out to be worse than it really is. The process to disman- tle apartheid, and have racial integration has begun, but it will be a slow process. “There's definitely a sense of the unknown. Almost everyone is asking what is going to happen next.” For Leiding, the next step is a return to school next Tues- day, and the beginning of her final year of school. As a graduate, she will have to apply to the head office of the Apostolistic Church of Pen- tecosts for a posting. And though she’s been interested in East European missionary work, she will likely be getting an ‘ordinary’ job to pay off her student loans before she heads overseas again. Wednesday, September 2, 1992 SUN STAFF PHOTO / Jason Keenan, i YLER WILKINSON her future in missionary work | SUN STAFF PHOTO / Jason Keenan DARLA LEIDING Local library celebrating World Literacy Day Community urged to participate in events Submitted Celebrate World Literacy Day on September 8 with the Castlegar Library and Project Literacy West Kootenay. Look for PLWK sandwich boards and balloons around Castlegar’s streets next Tuesday and come along to an Open House at the library between 2 and 5 p.m. All are welcome to attend and browse the library's literacy collection and watch the videos which will run throughout the afternoon. An exciting event, Celebrity Favourites, featuring some of our community leaders and readers, will start at 7 p.m. the GET ON A FUN ROLL... BeWL JOIN A FALL BOWLING LEAGUE TODAY ! Moming Coffee Leagues Monday - Thursday Night - Fri. Castile Bow same evening. Participants have been asked to read short excerpts from their favourite books and tell us why they chose them. We think this will make for fascinating listening; come along and find out for your- selves what their childhood or adult favourites have been. Library board members will Provide a reception after the readings. AUTOMATIC SCORING COMING SOON! 206 - 11th Ave., Castlegar, 365-5723 Se OR i g Sports Editor Jason Keenan 365-5579 Pua 1992 A TOMB Omnk« Sun Sports story and photos y Jason Keenan Tt was back to basics in the hills above Castlegar last weekend. the The organizers of Castlegar's first mountain bike race, Matt Scott and Pat Johnstone, are purists, and look back to the old “e ; : Chris McGrath takes a second attempt at Candie ttee on the trials. None of the experts made it past the tree without a penalty point. The race wasn't without its heart- -stopping spills. Competitors and spectators gathered near the end of the trials trail to watch the spills. Luckily there were no serious injuries. t i Don't let common sense fool you. Dave Lawson might tell you that it’s just as hard just as hard headin’ down as it is headin’ up. days of Mountain biking “In other races, if you have endurance and lungs, you don't have to hawe bike handling skills,” said Scott ‘In this one, you have to have those skills - the knowledge of how to handle your bike, and yourself,.“ At a lot of races over the past two years, the focus has been moving away from skills and towards vertical climb (how much of a rise in altitude the bik- ers ride) and time “It's getting like road riding.” The two decided that Castlegar, with kilometres galore of excel- lent back-country riding trails, would be the perfect place to hold a mountain biking race Local mountain biking enthusi- asts held the first ever mountain bike race in Castlegar. For Scott, it was a learning experience “It made me appreciate other races after realizing how much organization it takes to put on something like this,” said Scott. Along with fellow organizer Johnstone, Scott, and an army of volunteers mapped, and prepared the trails for the 30 participants. “I was expecting a little more {of a turnout], but with this size of a crowd, everyone had fun.” Large mountain bike races, like the ones held in the Okanagan and at Whistler, attract hundreds of riders. Participants came from Nelson, Grand Forks, the Rossland-Trail area, the Okanagan, as well as Castlegar. The race lived up to mountain biking expectations. The competi- tion was friendly, and it was more a self-challenge than being the fastest rider. After all, no self respecting mountain biker would want to become like a road racer. “Once it gets too competitive, it Why the concern with getting back to basics? “People aren't worrying about getting out there and riding in the woods. “I like riding through the bush” Riding through the more rugged bush, like the trails at To Bonk and Beyond, has one major advantage. While riders are trav- elling at a good pace (especially on the downhill sections!), they still are going slow enough that they are able to enjoy the scenery Part of this philosophy was including a natural trials course as a part of the competition. As an obstacle course, the most impor- tant part of the trials is bike han- dling skill. “We included the trial course to avoid putting emphasis on how fast and far can you go. The emphasis is on rider and bike.” That was true of all the events at the race. Most races emphasis how high a vertical climb you ride, usually in the Cross-Country Race/ Depending on the rider's level, that race can be anywhere from nine to 23 kilometres long. At 500 feet, the vertical climb in the cross-country was relative- ly low. But it was steep, there were sandy parts, and riders had to analyze hills for the most effi- cient line to climb. But the proof, as they say, was in the pudding. “They were tired on the finish line.” Actually, riders wouldn't say they were tired, they would brag about how ‘donk’ they are. Exhaustion is the goal of moun- tain biking like this, and bonk is a mountain biker's slang term to describe the excruciating feeling exhaustion. the only way to sign the course, and set it up, is to ride it. But he, along with last week- end's competitors, will be able to saddle up their bikes once again come the Rossland Rubberhead Race in But Scott is already talking Bonk