Castlegar News July 8, 1987 Bike builder is back By CALVIN WOODWARD Canadian Press YORK, Pa. — The bravado is back at Harley-Davidson, builder of a growling American icon that also became known for a tendency to leak oil, shake and quit. Battered by the Japanese over the last decade in ite A few years earlier, when a group of Harley managers " raised $33 million US and bought the company from AMF Inc., they acknowledged that too many problem-plagued bikes were coming off the assembly line. They knew, to that Harley-Davidson was gaining a reputation as a dinosaur. “There was a point where the problems were so onetime preserve of big bikes, the sole U.S. y maker has come back from the precipice and regained a position of strength. fi was evident in chairman Vaughn Beal's recent announcement that “lean and mean” Harley-Davidson had applied for a premature end to tariffs on large Japanese bikes. ‘The tariffs, imposed in April 1983 at annually declining rates of 45 to 10 per cent, had been due to expire in April 1988. But Harley said it no longer needed trade protec because it had completed a manufacturing reorganization and quality drive faster than planned. In the super heavyweight segment of the motorcycle market, it is vying for the lead with Honda in the United States and Canada. Through the years, as Japan pioneered sophisticated, reliable, multi-cylinder bikes capable of blinding speed, Harley ignored many trends and even some advances in engineering, industry watchers say COAST ON IMAGE Instead, it chugged along with its hulking, born-in-the- U.S., V-twin engine and coasted on its image as a builder of “real” machines — the “hawgs” immortalized by the movies The Wild Ones and Easy Rider. The V-twin engines — built at the Milwaukee headquarters and shipped to the assembly plant in York, Pa. — are at the heart of Harley-Davidson’s almost mystical appeal, says David Edwards, editor of Cycle World magazine. “This is a big-engine kind of country,” he says, “and they've stayed pretty much true to what they think a motorcycle should be. There's still something very elementary, very fundamental, about those two pistons going up and down.” Even the faults of the “Milwaukee vibrator” were considered assets by its passionate loyalists. The shaking, after all, made riders feel like part of the machine. So what if mirrors on the handlebars quaked so badly that they were blurred beyond recognition? As a manager at the York plant wryly put it, “if there wasn't a puddle of oil under it, it wasn't a good motorcycle.” SHARE SHRANK But Harley's share of the big-bike market was shrinking, hitting about 20 per cent in the United States in 1983 and plunging lower in Canada before recovering lately to about 30 per cent in both countries. people d if any ig could be done,” ys Don James, president of Fred Deely Imports of Vancouver, Harley's Canadian distributor. “They've led the way for a lot of North American manufacturers in showing what can be done with a product that still mai da loyal ig but just had incredible quality problems.” IMITATE LOOK These days, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki are flattering Harley-Davidson by imitating its look and echoing its deep roar. V-twin now power a legion of monstrous Japanese motorcycles and some have the thick, staggered exhaust pipes, the peanut-shaped gas tank and an array of design detais! that speak loudly of the Harley. Harley, in turn, has flattered the Big Four from Japan by imitating some of their manufacturing techniques, including systems that have retooling times, improved the circulation of inventory and tightened quality control. The motorcycling press agrees with Harley's claims of better engineering and quality, and offers additional reasons for the turnaround. Phil Schilling, editor of Cycle, magazine, says the average motorcyclist is growing older. The median age of his readers has gone from 22 to 32 over the last 10 years, suggesting that precisely the same people make up the bulk of the market and fewer young’ people are taking up the sport. = As they, have matured, he reasons, many are less inclined to be dazzled by the technology of the still dominant imports and more able to pay the premium price for a piece of Harley tradition. But because this generation has grown up on reliable Japanese bikes, Schilling added, Harley knew it could no longer count solely on devotees “who were willing to put up with a lot of problems. “Beals and his group understood that perfectly.” Harley had won the tariff by convincing U.S. regulators that the Japanese were unfairly dumping bikes into a shrinking market. In the past, it had blamed its high wage rates for the difficulty in competing with Japan. More recently, company executives have praised the “extremely high quality” of Japanese motorcycles. That kind of talk is nearly treasonous to the fanatical Harley rider, the guy who never waves at another motorcyclist on the road unless he, too, is on a Harley. TORONTO (CP) — Acid rain is now a health threat to more than half a billion people, says a United Nations report. The pollution, which has killed 14,000 Canadian is endangering 600 million city-dwellers worldwide, says thereport, prepared by the UN Environment Pro- gram and the World Health Organization. Another one billion people — more than one-fifth of the world’s population — are ex- posed to high pollution levels from coal, wood and oil com- bustion and dust from auto- mobile traffic, said the July report from Geneva. Better pollution controls are needed in up to 70 per cent of the affected cities, said the report, Global Pollu- tion and Health, which exam- ined 170 test sites in 50 countries. The agencies that pro- duced the report say it is- “well-documented” and “just the tip of the iceberg.” It appears to echo the con- cerns of several leading American doctors, who told U.S. senators earlier this year acid rain is probably the third leading cause of lung disease, after smoking and breathing in second-hand to- bacco smoke. The report also appears to voice concerns similar to those expressed by Environ- ment Canada in a report last week, which said—acid rain continues to threaten the country’s lakes, trees, build- ings and human health. by Soligo, Koide & John, chartered accountants. 4 Priced as low as cuees +8910 25: stot That’s right, $1,000 in silver. Buy one of our new Ranger trucks, and it could be the one that’s specially marked for you to win $1000. The winning serial number will be held and supervised In one of our new Ranger trucks, you will find “Silver”. 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The bonw: The tery draw is winning numbers for the Lotto West — The Pick draw Friday were 1, 2,8, 23, 40, 43, 45, 46. Helping hand A Simon Fraser Universi physicist is helpin, co improve its gallium ar. senide waters . . Comin AT 60 Cents ~ HELPING HAND .. . With the help of hand signing for the deaf, all of the 2,744 Jehovah's Witnesses who gathered at the Castlegar Community Com- plex Saturday were able to take in the afternoon's CASTLEGAR A HIT WITH WITNESSES By MIKE KALESNIKO Staff Writer Almost every hotel, motel and campsite in Castlegar is booked to capacity this weekend with the arrival of more than 2,700 Jehovah's Witnesses from across Canada and the United States. The Witnesses are meeting for three days of discussions and seminars at the Castlegar Community Complex, wrapping up today at 4 p.m Daryl Shellborn, spokesman for the group, said Castlegar is easily the best location for a large convention because of its central location, access and restaurant and hotel accommodation. “For this particular meeting we wanted a central location in which people don't have to travel too far,” he said. “The facilities are available here. There is no other 2,700 WITNESSES IN TOW seminars. Some of the larger ' ‘international con- feature in such | as Spanish, French and Greek. More talks, seminars and plays continue today. Story below CosNewsPhoto by Mike Kolesniko place in the Kootenays that can house and feed everyone.” According to Shellborn, the Jehovah's Witnesses have met in Castlegar every year for the past three years. “And this is one of the smaller conventions we are having in Canada,” he said. A recent meeting in Lethbridge, Alta. drew some 4,000 people. Shellborn said the event is well orchestrated with some 23° different departments, including sound, trucking, food services and a news service, to ensure the meeting runs smoothly. The complex even has a temporary money exchange booth set up for their American members. “We had a huge line-up at that booth yesterday.” said Shellborn. “The Americans like it here because of the friendliness of the people and the beauty of the place.” Even something as simple as a dramatic production required some 2'/ months of rehearsals. “We're following a biblical example here,” he said and pointed out that even the Israelites in the Bible met for conventions up to three times a year. continued on page A2 2 Sections {A & B) emenel FIGHT NOT OVER WKPL sale gets formal approval By The Canadian Press After weeks of public hearings and months of deliberation, the B.C. Util- ities Commission approved the sale of West Kootenay Power and Light to an American company on Friday, but opponents of the deal say they'll fight on. Cominco Ltd., the resource giant now trying to shake off its debts, unloaded the electric utility on Utili- Corp United Ltd. of Kansas City for $80. million. UtiliCorp also assumed West Kootenay’s $67-nillion debt. Opponents of the takeover say the Opposition benches in the’ legisla- ture. “I am relieved that this is finally over and we can get going ahead with the new setup,” said West Kootenay presi- dent Joe Drennan. WAS OVERJOYED UtiliCorp president Richard Green Jr. said in a telephone interview from Kansas City he was overjoyed with the decision. “I was passed a note during lunch,” he said. “That made it a very good lunch for me.” But a leader of the 7,700-member Koot Ok Electric Consum- they're concerned about ip of a monopoly utility being shifted to foreign hands. They're also worried the new owners will move quickly to recoup their costs by jacking up rates. The deal brought relief from Utili Corp and West Kootenay front offices but anger from a consumer group formed to battle the takeover and from ers Association, which led opposition to the sale, said despite weeks of sub- missions at the hearings the com. mission had rubber-stamped Utili- Corp's proposal. “T can tell you nobody is happy,” said Don Scarlett, vice-president of the Kootenay chapter. “We will not be VOTING THIS WEEK lying down for this, I can guarantee you.” By approving the sale the commis- sion “fell down on the job of protecting the people against misuse of the re source,” he said. Scarlett said the association will appeal! to the provincial government to stop the sale, despite the fact the province has praised the deal as wel. come foreign investment. Scarlett said he is sure Premier Bill Vander Zalm will listen. Cominco said in a news release it will use the proceeds of the sale to strengthen its financial position. The company lost $151.6 million last year, compared with a $98.1-million loss in 1985. The commission set 11 conditions to the sale to protect against back-door rate increases, diversion of power and financial instability. continued on poge A2 Cominco pact reached By MIKE KALESNIKO Staff Writer Striking production and maintenance Workers at Cominco in Trail and Kim. berley reached a tentative agreement Thursday in the two-month-old dis. pute. The agreement between the three union locals came after a day and a half of the latest round of contract talks. “It’s a good contract for both sides,” Cominco’s Duncan Wilkins told the Castlegar News Friday. By Selkirk College president Leo Perra does not think a new Japanese business college slated for Nelson will lure international students away from Selkirk programs. A two-year Japanese business col. lege, to be called Canadian Inter national College, will be set up on the former David Thompson university campus in Nelson. It is expected that the college will serve about 225 Japanese students. Selkirk College expects about 50 international students to enroll for the fall in Although he said he does not have enough information on the new Japan ese college in Nelson, Perra said he does not expect a problem with the two schools competing for international students. “I really don't have sufficient in: formation to make a good comment,” Perra told the Castlegar News. “There are 120 million people in Japan so I really don’t think it will have much of an impact on the institution. We may even be able to work with them.” In addition to the international stu dents who will be studying at Selkirk College this fall, 30 Japanese students and instructors will pay a visit to the college for three weeks beginning July 19. The David Thompson University campus was to be used as a private school but that plan was shelved after not enough students registered. Only Japanese students will be studying business at the new Nelson college and most will be female Wilkins agreed that both sides worked hard to arrive at the agree. ment and he said mediator Vince Ready played an important part in securing an agreement. The 2,800 members, who turned down an earlier tentative agreement at the end of May with only 55 per cent against, will hear details of the new agreement tomorrow morning and will vote on it between Tuesday and Friday. But another 550 office and technical workers remain deadlocked with Com inco, and Local 9705 president Jim Saare says he sees little hope in the production and maintenance tentative agreement breathing new life into their stalled talks. “The fact that they reached an agreement doesn't mean at all that we are any closer to an agreement,” Saare said Friday. “Their strike is strictly a money matter while our strike is a strike to get concessions off the table.” Saare said the issues of pensions, job security and even severance pay for Kimberley workers, which the produc- tion and maintenance bargaining com- mittee claims has been resolved, still remain sore points. Saare said no further talks are scheduled between the office and tech nical workers and the Cominco at this time. Details of the production and main tenance agreement will not be dis- closed until after the members have been briefed on the package. Wilkins admitted that both sides will be watching the results of the vote closely and he added he is uncertain what affect the agreement will have on the office and technical bargaining. On the other hand, Wilkins hopes that once the strike is completely over and the steelworkers are back to work, there are no hard feelings between workers and management. “This is one of the things we occas. sionally have difficulty with,” he said “Certainly, there are no hard feelings on the company side.” Ministry suggests scrapping spraying By SURJ RATTAN Staff Writer An Environment Ministry official recommends scrapping plans to spray pesticide along CP Rail tracks in the Slocan Valley At the same time, Stuart Craig, regional manager of the Pesticide Control Program for the southern Interior and Kootenay regions, recommends limited spraying along the rail line between Nelson and Castlegar. Craig made the recommendations in a report this week to Ron Kobylnyk, administrator for the provincial Pesticide Control Act, after making a 15-hour on-site inspection of the tracks. Kobyinyk will decide Tuesday whether to follow or ignore Craig's recommendations CP Rail was issued two pesticide use permits by the Environment Ministry on April 10. CP Rail planned to use the herbicide Spike 80W to kill weeds alongside the rail tracks The spraying was to have been carried out between June 1 and Aug 31, but was postponed until Craig had a chance to tour the tracks and listen to residents’ concerns. Craig's 14-page report includes seven pages on the permit issued to spray in the Slocan Valley. Only two pages are given to the spraying in the Castlegar to Nelson area While he recommends that CP Rail's permit to spray in the Slocan Valley be cancelled, Craig suggests spraying be allowed in the Castlegar to Nelson area, but with certain conditions. The report recommends that 15.64 miles of track — or 32 per cent of the area to be sprayed in the Castlegar Nelson area — be excluded from spraying because it falls within 10 metres of water bodies or wells. Some of this area includes the water on the north side of the tracks, the Slocan River bridge and the tracks crossing the Columbia River. Craig also sets four conditions for spraying of pesticides in other areas in the Castlegar-Nelson region. They are that: no spraying be undertaken without the direct supervision of a represent ative of the Ministry of Environment; e the rail speed of the spray apparatus not exceed 16 kilometers an hour during the spraying: spraying shall only be undertaken during daylight hours © the spray apparatus shall be equipped with a shroud over the boom to minimize drift continued on poge AZ