su: mber 23,1989 Castlegar News 45 OPINION hy as Castlegar News _decomber23, 1909 a Bush spoils Christmas with invasion Just when we thought it was safe to sit down to a traditional ~kindness, sire turkey dinner on Christmas day in a world making great strid ~tax willing tire year — Christmas — is with us towards peace, along came U.S. President George Bush who sent his J again. Most of us are looking upon this troops, guns ablazing, on yet another incursion intd a tiny Latin ~ a occasion as one of celebration and ex- American country, this time Panama, to swat down, once and for : change of gifts. A few, however, are all, that pesky Gen. Manuel Noriega, dictator and alleged drug traf- looking to Christmas as a day of Remember When? 40 YEARS AGO From the Dec. 22, 1949 Castle News The most happy occasion of the en- Christ's escape retold Editor’s note: Former CasNews editor Bruce Ramsey recently visited Bethlehem in the weeks Good tidings, poor man... I'll be reducing the GST on those twigs you’re gathering by two per cent. Merry Christmas! They'll sing carols to your —— BEST BUY HEDDAR CHEESE 600 G. Blocks worshipped Him, At the same tune, many lions and other wild animals around, ficker We find it rather ironic that President Bush decided to throw his country’s weight around at a time when the Soviet Union, long cri ticized by the U.S. government for its interventionist policies has renounced such heavy-handed methods of political. influence and, in fact, is encouraging political self-determination among its long- repressed allies : President Bush gave some legitimate-sounding reasons for ordering an invasion of Panama — Gen. Noriega had declared war (sort of) on the United States, was threatening American citizens in Panama, has ignored the results of a democratic election in his coun try earlier this year and is wanted in the United States-on drug charges But we find those reasons insufficient justification for the U.S. to send in thousands of troops, guns drawn. At the worst couldn't President Bush have increased the military presence in Panama to protect American citizens and warn Gen. Noriega to stop his provocations but without the bloodshed? Even more incredible is President Bush's belief that his gover nment has the right to kidnap Gen. Noriega from his own country to bring him to trial in_Florida. Even thugs and dictators surely have some legal rights under international law Canada’s reaction, of course, was typical Following a long tradition of not wanting to disturb-the sleeping elephant, the Tories supported President Bush's decision although the Canadian government said it regretted the use of force. We would have liked a stronger ndemnation than that Editor's note: The following are the winners of the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ's “What Are Peace Toys?” contest. The winners were chosen from three age categories — up to seven years, eight to 11 years and 12 to 16 years. Alex Lozier receives a $25 gift certificate from Secret Garden Toys in Nelson, Laura Jane Fipke receives a $50 gift certificate from Carl’s Drugs in Castlegar and Craig Sapriken receives a $50 gift certificate from th USCC’s Sunday meetings committee. Here's what the winners had to Say about peace toys: By ALEX LOZIER Age7 When I play my harmonica it makes everyone who listens to my peaceful music very happy They smile and clap along and always ask me to play more. That makes me feel very happy too! So that is why I think a har monica is a great peace toy. By LAURA JANE FIPKE Aged I think a good peace toy would Students about peace rite bea music box playing the song It’s ASmall World. The music box would be large and have people of all the nations on top. With the music box a collection of dolls of different nations would be available. An example of what a doll would be like is a Hawaiian dancer with a grass skirt and bikini top dancing _ to the song It’s A Small World. I chose this peace toy because this spring I went to Disneyland and saw It’s A Small World there. Also the dolls of different nations would be a sign of world peace. By CRAIGSAPRIKEN. Age 13 My impression of a peace toy is a kite soaring high above the treetops, making it visible for all to see. It symbolizes peace as it flows freely in the wind, just as peace should flow freely into the hearts of man. Peace is God’s gift to man, to be shared throughoui the universe. Just asa kite is freely seen by all, so peace is to be felt by all. It is impossible to feel violence, when one observes a kite in flight ‘Energy minister's actions questioned Energy Minister Jack Davis recently stated that energy conservationists say electric power is wasted because it’s too cheap in B.C Since West Kootenay Power's (UtiliCorp’s) main claim for a gas tur bine is cheaper electrical costs, why does the B.C. government allow WKP/UtiliCorp to harass the public with endless hearings about a gas tur- bine? As minister of energy, Mr. Davis can easily stop WKP/UtiliCorp from its senseless ongoing plans for a gas tur- bine. In failing his public duty in this regard, isn’t he really giving the public reason to drive more nails into the Socred coffin and his own political career? He also stated it’s good that the government-owned B.C. Hydro will be paying a dividend ($486 million) to the public’s provincial treasury. If it’s good for the public to receive dividen- ds, then why did he support the sale of WKP to UtiliCorp, thereby enabling Americans rather than British Colum bians to receive WKP dividends? Under domestic ownership of WKP, dividends would remain circulating in B.C. thereby strengthening the B.C economy. Why, then, did the Socred government give Cominco $55 million in public funds as benevolent aid rather than using the same $55 million towards the purchase of WKP from- Cominco for maximum public benefit? Since the B.C. government claims to exist for British Columbians, why does it consistently favor American foreign investors instead? Robert Cichocki Kelowna Please address all Letters to the Editor to: The Castlegar News, P.O. Box 3007, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 3H4, or deliver them to our office at 197 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar Letters should be typewritten double-spaced and not longer than 300 Letters must be signed and include the writer's bull name and address. Only in very exceptional cases will letters be published without the writer's nome Nevertheless, the nome and address of the writer must be disclosed to the editor The Castlegar News reserves the right to edit letters tor brevity, clority, legality ond grammar Castlegar News MEMBER OF THE B.C. PRESS COUNCHL ICE WEEKLY MAY 4. 1980 BER 12.1978 AUGUST 27. 1960 PUBLISHER, AUGUST 7, 1947" FEBRUARY 15, 1973 PUBLISHER ESTABL INCORPORATING I Lv CAMPBELL CIRCULATION MANAGER Burt Compbell Jacqueline Costerd Linda Kositsin Heather Hadley Letters to the editor Questions remain 1 join with a number of area residen- ts in tallying up concerns over the proposed expansion to the Celgar pulp mill. number of specific issues appear. at, Celgar expects our com- munity to provide new transportation links at our own expense. (Perhaps the loss of the Robson ferry is, in part, a ploy to soften us up for that.) Rail transportation is obviously the most efficient way to move large volumes of bulk material, but Celgar¢and its customers would then have to pay their own transportation costs, rather than foisting them off on the region’s tax- payers. Clutter on the roads aside, what is the environmental impact of several hundred héfrs of truck exhaust per day, as against locomotive exhaust? Secondly, we are told next to nothing about the expanded mill's emissions. The proposal is, after all, to modify and expand the existing ob- solete installation, not to install new equipment throughout. Some~toxic emissions are reported (adhering organohalides — the dioxin and furan killers, for some, and total reduced sulphurs), but others are not men- tioned at all. What about sulphur oxides? These are not only primary, acid rain forerunners, but in company with other pollutants are important im- mune system opponents. What about carbon dioxide? Tolerable in reasonable amounts to be sure, but also the primary global war- ming agent. No one has told us how much Celgar emits now, let alone how much it is to spew freely into our skies in the future. Weare told that.some emissions will be reduced by just over 50 per cent per ton of pulp, but that pulp tonnage will more than double. In other words, Celgar will increase its resource extrac- tion and profits while the same load Of poisons freight the same river and sky (and human bodies) as that already licensed under the despicable variance order, well above the high level already causing serious damage in this provin- ce. As others note, we ought not to choke in a cloud of poison just because we live in Castlegar. Lastly, | am disturbed by the man- ner in which Céigar, provincial and locat—authorities appear to be preparing fait accompli, the development process so that the com- munity will be faced ith a monolithic proposal too late for input, too strong for criticism. If this ‘*world-class’’ Project costs Itoo am concerned about the Celgar pulp mill expansion in Castlegar I understand that this expansion will only result in 30 permanent jobs for the community. Offsetting this benefit are increased pollution, greatly increased chip-truck traffic, and further pressure on thetimber supply in our area The problem of large amounts of dioxins and furans being dumped in the Columbia River has not been adequately addressed. I understand that alternate technology exists (in Sweden) for bleaching pulp that does not result in poisonous effluents. The citizens of Castlegar should rest assured that there is not some 10-year- old ‘*Rambo’’ patroling school groufids and breaking young girls’ wrists as might be gathered from the front-page article (Castlegar News, Dec. 17) titled ‘‘Injury sparks dispute."’ Kids around 10 years old are nor- mally friendly and get along with one Board On Dec. 9, 1989, Mr B.C. Hydro’s public involvement coordinator, made a presentation to the Regional District of Central Kootenay board about B.C. Hydro plans to create a $10 million trust fund to address the impact of the utility's dams on fish and wildlife resources in the West Kootenay Geissler, According to your newspaper’s ac- count of this presentation, Mr Geissler claimed that the provincial government was not making effective use of current compensation funding and thus the need for a trust fund I am very concerned that B.C. Hydro’s spokesman has seriously misled the regional district board and area residents about what the B.C Ministry of Environment is accom- plishing with the funds provided under These days, we are all making an effort to use unbleached paper products and to recycle paper. The demand for new bleached paper will go down and in- stead there will be a demand for the pulp industry to recycle paper The increase in chip-truck traffic, from 41,000 loads a year to 119,000 loads a year, will mean that our taxes will go to subsidize road building and maintenance for industrial use Meanwhile, the railroads, already built and paid for, sit idle. Further pressure on the local timber supply, as the pulp mill seeks new bo' not another fine. However, disagreements sometimes occur resulting in arguing, pushing or even kicking each other This certainly seems to have been the case in the incident covered in the newspaper article, Who pushes whom first or starts such events is often difficult if not im- possible to determine and in this case there was almost certainly provocation on both sides. misled current compensation agreements for the Revelstoke, Lower Arrow and Pend d’Oreille reservoir projects. My staff and I plan to meet with the RDCK in January 1990 to set the record straight on this matter. At that time, we will also provide detailed information to your newspaper about how current com- pensation funds are being utilized and what fish and wildlife benefits are ae-4 cruing from these projects. I am confident your readers will agree once the true picture is portrayed about this matter that my regional fish and wildlife staff have done a very commendable job designing and im- plementing fish and wildlife compen- sation projects in the West Kootenay. Dennis McDonald Regional Director Ministry of Environment project is indeed first-class, why ex: clude public participation — what is there to fear? 1 also deeply resent any process that involves us intimately, affecting the air we breathe directly and the food and water we consume only a little less directly, yet denies us the power and resources to work for our own survival in which we are experts more than any corporate or governmental official While I am not a physicist, a chemist, a meteorologist or a biologist, l—am a reasonably intelligent person who can understand much that I hear and read from,such scientists, and what I have been learning in the last few years gives me pretty strong evidence that the best thing in the world is not more forest harvest, more slash burning, more carbon dioxide and more dioxins. To the contrary, all of usin the world need less. If this conclusion is wrong, I want to be shown that it is wrong. I do not want more of the same forced down my throat for the sake of higher profits in eastern Canada or China, and 30 jobs at home. Proper public hearings into the proposed Celgar expansion are the least we need, the least we can accept F. Mark Mealing Castlegar idden pulpwood agreements from the gover- nment, will increase. We have not yet resolved environmental problems in the Arrow forest district — the need for watershed protection, the need to slow down the rate of harvest, the need for longterm planning to ensure a forest industry into the next century These are hidden costs in this expan- sion that we will all have to bear. I urge the citizens of Castlegar to take a second look at where we are going with this expansion — it may not be worth it J.C. Bradford Winlaw here This point did not come across in the newspaper article and, in fairness to the people involved, needs to be made. This does not take away from the seriousness of a broken wrist which must bea most unpleasant experience. What can kids learn from this event? They can learn that if they start being rough with one another it is likely that one of them, if not both of them, will get hurt. It is not like on television where the hero is punched 20 times, shot and run over with a truck and gets up smiling. You can hurt one another, so I would suggest not to start pushing someone else around or to walk away when pushed yourself. What can we adultstearn from this? We can learn to.try to find gut both sides of the story and not to be afraid to present both sides. It is difficult for a reporter sometimes to dig up the facts unless people are forthcoming Where does the parents’ respon- sibility in the school yard end and the teachers’ begin? A difficult question. I have a 10-year-old son whois sure he is bullet proof and able to leap all buildings with a single bound. He has gone to the emergency department in the hospital at least twice as a result of accidents in the school yard. In both cases they were clearly his own fault and thus ultimately the fault of his parents. Merry Christmas. John Mansbridge Castlegar spiritual worship, a day to renew our pledge of Christian living, a day for communion with Christ to chant the age-old wish, ‘‘Peace on earth, good will toward man."" Unfortunately, there is no peace on earth and good will towards man is strictly limited to a few countries, of which our own is particularly blessed. If there is any lesson to be learned at all from the turmoil that is sweeping the world — all types of political, economic and social unrest — it is a lesson preached nearly two thousand years ago by Jesus and never yet lear- ned by the entire human race. That lesson is that the solution to all world problems is SPIRITUAL, NOT military or economic. 25 YEARS AGO From the Dec. 22, 1964 Castlegar News The Castlegar and District Hospital showed an operating surplus for the fourth straight month in November. The surplus was $113 os @ B.C. Hydro plans to abandon the Deer Park road because after the Arrow reservoir is filled in 1969 most of Deer Park will be flooded ‘‘and there will be little space left at the communities of Renata and Deer Park for any continuing population.’ The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company has announced it will start making primary steel from iron next year at its Kimberley operations On an average, one in every three telephones in the Trail area will be used for long distance on Christmas day, the B.C. Telephone Company reports. 15 YEARS AGO From the Dec. 19, 1974 Castlegar News The responsibility of assuming the fult cost of operating Selkirk College ~~ should be the responsibility of the department of education This is the position taken by School District No. 11 (Trail) and college council chairman Frank Bein- der which received the backing of the board of trustees for School District No. 9at its meeting here Monday Letters, both incoming and those originally mailed from Castlegar, show a slight decline at the Castlegar Post Office over the same period last year. A decrease is also recorded in parcels being delivered by the contractor: The naming of committees at the inaugural meeting held Jan. 6 will see anewly formed committee recognized. Ald. Andy Shutek, in making his report at Tuesday night’s council meeting, spoke on what he called an in- formal police committee formed locally to develop feedback from the public to the police as well as from the police to the public The 1975 Regional District of Cen- tral Kootenay provisional budget, which shows an increase in spending of almost $500,000 over’ 1974, was discussed at the meeting Saturday SYEARS AGO From the Dec. 23, 1984 Castlegar News Anumber of Castlegar residents will be downhill skiing in expensive new gear, tapping the keys of new com- puters, and quaffing generous amoun- ts of B.C. and French wines this Christmas (not necessarily all at the same time) according to a sample sur- vey of local stores. . 8 @ The Crescent Valley RCMP detachment may permanently close in the name of ‘‘economy and efficien- a.” The Central Kootenay Union Board of Health has received the thumbs up signal from Victoria to expand the present Castlegar Health Unit building to provide a headquarters for the board Mike Balahura, a Stanley Hum- phries secondary school teacher, has been named to coach the Castlegar Aquanauts swim team for the 1985 season * 8 Music videos featuring Donna Summers and the late John Lennon were rated among the least violet by a television watchdog group that con- tends the multimedia clips are making youngsters anti-social and less sen sitive to violence. leading up to Christmas. The following is the conclusion of his reflections on his visit. BETHLEHEM — Little children, the innocent ones in the long-drawn-out Israeli-Palestinian dispute, play as children all around the world play, in the dusty streets of Bethlehem. I watched them for a little while playing something that resembled hop-scotch and the giggling that came from their mouths when one stepped on a line, even though spoken in Arabic, had a familiar ringto In the distance I could see the place where tradition states the shepherds tended their sheep on a midnight clear, and beyond that, the escarpment where King Herod built a castle, the place where the Magi came from the east seeking out the Christ Child. Still lingering over my Turkish coffee, I thought of other youngsters, the Holy In- nocents who were slaughtered by Herod, an event recalled by the church on Dec. 28. It was because of this threat, according to St. Mat- thew, that Joseph and Mary took the infant Jesus to Egypt, where a one h gathered frightening Mary, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah that the ‘‘wolf also shall dwell with the'lamb and a little child shall lead them. Next, the family sought the shade of a palm tree, which bowed down and offered its fruit to the Virgin Mary. In the Vision of Theophilus, the story is told of the meeting up with two bandits, Titus the Eygptian and Dumachiis the Syrian. “| should have liked to plunder the garments that are on this woman and her Son,’’ Dumachus told Titus’’ and if I had encoun- tered tm in a place other than this, I would have taken those gar- ments from them.”” But the Egyptian said unto him, “*Let us proceed on our way. I never saw a Child like this since I was born.”” R Then Jesus asked for water and the Blessed Virgin looked around and did not find water. Then the Blessed Virgin arose and took her Son and brought Him to the town and asked the women for water to give to Him, but none of them wished to give them anything, as the inhabitants of that town had little story, the meagre Gospel account of the flight of the Holy Family, is told, particularly in Old Cairo, which the ancient Greeks called ©**Babylon.”” The sources for the story come from many documents unfamiliar to most ‘westerners’? and I was led into the story by an Anglican priest-professor of history at Lon- don University and by an Egyp- tologist from the University of Manchester. The Holy Family took what is basically the same route as the modern highway from Bethlehem to the war-torn city of Gaza, and then followed the Mediterranean to _ Egypt.““Behold and rejoice, states the Coptic Doxology for the Feast of the Entry of Our Lord into the Land of Egypt, ‘‘O Egypt; and her sons and all her borders for there hath come to Thee the Lover of man, He Who is before all the ages.” Because of the heat, Joseph took shelter in a cave in which a fierce dragon lived, but when the-serpent saw the Christ Child it fell down and When the brigands saw the Blessed Virgin and her Son en- tering Basatah, they came back and went to Joseph, and while she was asleep, they abducted the golden and silver sandals of Jesus and fled. When the Blessed Virgin realized this, she was much distressed and wept. However, when Jesus saw his mother weeping, He wiped off her tears and stretched His small fingers and made the sign of the cross on the earth, and instantly a spring of water jetted forth and flowed on the ground. And they drank this water, which was as sweet as honey and as white as _snow. Then Jesus blessed this _} waigr and said “‘Let this water help make whole and heal the souls and bodies of all those who shall drink of it, with the exception of the inhabitants of this town, of whom none shall be healed by it.”” Many miracles occurred during Jesus’s three-year stay in Egypt, the Coptic traditions state, and many churches in Cairo and in the Nile Delta bear names that reflect these times. MILD MEDIUM OLD 459 4is 499 Assorted CRUSH DRINKS Tetra .... 99 See Our In-Store Floral Designer For All Your New Year Floral Needs. Place Your Orders Early!! FRUIT FOAM PLATES oo” 2 a 9 G i SS) @ Priced From ane a sit ete ry POTATO CHIPS Party Pride * Assorted Varieties * 200 G. 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Gordon Head provincial byelection on “We will not sit back in silence and _ Dec. 13, Vander Zalm said he wanted watch political opportunists and some ~ time to consider his future as leader of the media attempt to destroy the and said he would go on provincewide PORT COQUITLAM (CP) — Another attempt is being made to con- vince Premier Bill Vander Zalm to stay in office after six consecutive byelec- tion defeats. 1.09 .99 In-Store Bake Shop CRUSTY ROLLS Or Dinner Rolls RIB ROAST Standing * Canada Grade A Beef $8.55 is. leadership of Premier Vander Zalm,"’ Welsh said in a news release ~ television in January to announce his decision. 349 7 and readers. Real °F state WITH BARRY BROWN All the Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season and a year of health and happiness! A special thank you to all my friends, clients And PLEASE Don’t Drink & Drive! LARGE PRAWNS Cooked ® Ready to Eat 10 For 2.99 SAFEWAY ($) Advertised Prices in Effect from Wednesday, Dec. 27 to Sunday, Dec. 31 Wed. & Sat. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We bring tt all together * Thurs. & Fri. 9a.m. to9 p.m. Sunday 9.a.m.-5 p.m. We reserve the right to limit sales to retail quantities.