By ADRIAN CHAMBERLAIN
Staff Writer f

Most Castlegar homeowners will pay between $80 and
$50 more this year in city taxes. after Castlegar council
Tuesday passed its 1984 budget, which éalls for a $93,000
general tax increase.

But council insists the budget is a tight one.

“There's been ap increase in, the taxes... (but) not
because we're out.to produce a large budget with surpluses,”

Budget in detall, A2
said Ald. Albert Calderba of the administra’
and finance committee.

New city administrator David Gairns added: “It's
pretty tight fiscal management. It’s the tightest budgeting
I've seen, anyway.”

The city will collect just over $2 million in taxes from

businesses and residents — up $93,100 from $1,962,500 last
year, or a 4.7 per cent increase.

Taxes for the homeowner with a house worth $51,800
will go from $779 in 1983 to $806 in 1984.

Those owning a house worth $82,900 will see their taxes
increase by about $47, say city officials.

Residential assessments will remain frozen at last
year's levels.

It's the first’ tax increase for the city in three years.

Calderbank said while it's a “rock-bottom” budget, costs
have increased and funding from the provincial and federal
governments has decreased by more than $48,000.

Gas, electricity, telephone, water and sewer costs have
all risen, he said.

The total amount the city will spend in 1984 is $3.7
million — an inerease of over $200,000 (or 5.9 per cent) from

the $9,467,814 it spent in 1983.

‘The ratio of taxes paid by residential and industrial
property owners will remain the same as 1983, said Mayor
Audrey ‘Moore

This yeat about 41 per cent of city taxes are paid by
residential taxpayers, about 36 per cent are paid by
industry, and 18 per cent by business.

In an effort to give the small businessman a boost, the
city has offered a $10,000 basic exemption on the improve.
melt asseasment of all business and industrial properties,
which will “provide extra relief to small businesses in line
with (provincial) homeowner grants provided to residential
property Owners,” said Gairns.

Tax Yates for commercial business have decreased
slightly. A business that paid $4,325 in taxes last year will

Meanwhile, the city has allotted $389,000 for reserves
and surplus funds this year — up from last year's $320,734.

Although some of this will go to uncompleted projects
from 1983, such as the public works yard — much of it will go
for large capital expenditure items such as a $85,000
front-end loader, a $54,000 fire truck pumper, and two
sander units worth $30,000.

Calderbank said operating expenditures have been
‘finely tuned” to essentials in this and previous years as
much as possible to save money

But “you can’t fine tune for three years” without an
increase in taxes, he added

He also said the city will investigate separate charges

for municipal services such as garbage removal and ceme
tery costs as they do in “larger cities.”

pay $4,222 this year.

These services are now included in general city taxes

CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1984

WEATHERCAST

Thursday with sunny

40 per cent chance of
scattered showers, highs bet
ween 15 and 17. Outlook for
Friday, mixture of cloud and sun
shine with more precipitation ex
pected on the weekend.

3 Sections (A, B & C)

Thousands
take up
challenge

By CasNews Staff

Castlegar residents were out by
the thousands today, walking, cy-
cling, running, swimming, jogging
and doing just about every kind of
physical activity imaginable to make
Castlegar one of’ Canada’s fittest
communities.

It’s all part of the Great Canadian
Participaction Challenge.

Weyburn, Sask. has challenged all
Canadian cities with a population
under 10,000 to..see. which. je. tb
fittest.

Castlegar is one of 65 commun-
ities taking part, and the winner will
be the city with the greatest per-
centage of residents participating.

That means Castlegar needs
everybody. All residents have to do
is take part in any physical activity
that makes their heart,beat faster —
like walking — for 15 continuous
minutes, then telephone the rec-
reation office at 365-3386 to let them
know.

Metge says he's looking for a 55
per cent participation level.

The day's events climax with a
special aerobics class at 7:30 p.m.

That's when Castlegar will shoot
for the Guinness world record for
the largest aerobics class. Want to
be a part of it? Then simply show up
at the complex and have your name
in the Guinness Book of World

Records. minded resi

COMMUNITY WALK . . . Castlegar Mayor Audrey
Moore (right) and aldermen were join

by fitness-

nts this morning for a stroll from city

hall to Zuckerberg Island Park. The walk kicked off
the Great Canadian Participaction Challenge.

CasNewsPhote by Adrien Chamberlain

WOMEN'S ACCESS PROGRAM

College to take second look

BEAUTIFICATION

Study says
trees, grass
would help

By RON NORMAN
Editor

Castlegar could improve its visual
appearance by planting flowering trees
and low ground cover in a number of
small areas throughout the city, a
study by a Vancouver landscape archi-
tect recommends. 7

And Glive Justice says the city
should lead the way by beautifying the
»property in front of the Old Arena.

“The city should take the lead with
an area like the Old Arena frontage to
remove the parking and put the whole
front in grass with an ‘orchard’ of trees
which would give the arena a front
facelift that would serve as an example
for Safeway and others along Columbia
Ave.,” Justice said.

He noted that the city could ask all
the other areas mentioned in the report
to match the Old Arena project.

The city earlier this year commis-
sioned Justice's firm, Justice, Webb
and Vincent Landscape Architects
Ltd., to recommend how Castlegar
should spruce up its image.

Justice visited the city in February,
toured the area and held a public infor-
mation meeting to hear comments from
residents.

He submitted his report last month.
The report outlines beautification plans
for 12 pockets in the city. Justice
rec ds the Russian in ash
as the “theme” tree for Castlegar.

“A common theme of flowering
trees, conifers or grass ground cover
would be best,” he says. “We suggest a

tree in the report which would be
special for Castlegar, the Russian
mountain ash.”

Justice says the’ city could use sea
green juniper and potentilla (white) for
ground cover, along with grass.

He also says the city may want to
adopt the “orchard” cancept by moving
a number of old apple trees along the
Columbia River to spots in the city.
The trees could even be named
heritage trees, he says.

As well, he recommends sponsoring ’
or organizing beautification compe
tition among local businesses.

In the report, Justice recommends
the city tackle the Old Arena by cre-
ating a landscape and park setting by
removing all front parking and provid
ing a combined fire access and broad
entry walkway all along the street side
of the building with a grassy area out
to the curb and sidewalk at Columbia
Ave.

“The grassed area (could be) cano-
pied with a plantation of trees,” he
says.

“This could serve as a pilot project to
show the way to rid the whole of
Columbia Ave. from any parking dir
eetly in front of buildings,” he said.

“This practice not only makes every
business look like they sell used cars,
but it also creates a desert-like detrac-
tion to any visual attraction the build
ing might have.”

Justice goes on to recommend plans
for 11 other pockets.

continued on poge AZ

—inside

By CHERYL CALDERBANK
Staff Writer
“There is a need for the women's
access program at Selkirk College
because women students still have
special needs (because of employment
inequalities) and other unjust reali-

ties,” a five-woman delegation told
Selkirk College board Tuesday night in
Trail.

The women's access program is
scheduled to be eliminated after June
15 because of college budget restraints.

Board chairman Jack Colbert told

DISTRICT SCHOOLS
TO GET COMPUTERS

By CasNews Staff
Castlegar School board decided

Hall said ideally the board could have
spent more to bring the district's

Monday to spend $40,000 on
and a computer repair program for this
September.

Since one of the stipulations of the
motion is that “all schools have at least
‘one permanent computer on inventory”
at least four computers will be
purchased, said board chairman Dor.
een Smecher.

But in an apparent contradiction, she
added that primary schools in the
district: won't get computers.

“They're going to be placed where
we can get the best educational value
from=them.”

Rik Hall, chairman of a district

mater study committee, said

sy've recommended an “Apple”

ad of computer — which would cost
between $900 and $1,300.

prog! up to a high
standard, compared with other dis-
tricts in B.C.

“If they had a money tree, we could
hav: easily spent $200,000 in this dis-
trict,” he said,

“Other districts of comparable size
are spending more on computers than
we're spending,” said Smecher, adding
that $40,000 is “not a lot of money™-to
spend on computers.

“(But), it’s all the money the board
felt they could comfortably spend this
year,” Smecher said.

Trustee Peter Kagis said that similar
amounts*may be spent next year if
madney is available.

He added that it's desirable to have
computers in elementary schools so
pupils ean become familiar with them
at a young age.

oF

the group the board will discuss the
elimination “in relation to available
finances.

The delegation was from the wom
en's access advisory committee.

Three of the women giving the
presentation, Eileen Pedersen, Carol
Beauchamp and Deb Thomas, gave
reasons for continuing the program,
citing statistics, such as women earn 58
cents for every dollar men earn and
that 47.8 per cent of the students at the
Castlegar campus are women.

The program provides personal and
academic counselling for women, and
conducts workshops covering subjects
Such as assertiveness training and
communications. *

The board was also told the program
encourages women to seek non-tradi
tional occupations where there is more
money and status.

mittee $3,000 to continue the program,
but the group asked that rather than
the committee doing volunteer work,
the money be maintained in the wom
en's access account, earmarked for
women's programming as part of the
continuing education program, Peder
sen said in an interview.

In stating the functions of the pro-
gram, Deb Thomas explained that the
initial mandate of the program was to
form a liaison between the community
and the college on women's issues, to
provide counselling for women consid
ering college courses, and to stage
conferences and ‘workshops.

The board asked about the number
of women that sole counsellor /co-ordin-
ator Vita Storey had counselled, and
how magy are enrolled at the college.

Storey’ said that of 107 women she
counselled, 22 per ceft are enrolled in

Humphries

chelor
students to
Castlegor

In its report, the said,
“The women's access program has
done an extraordinary job. It has en-
couraged women to attend college, to
expect better things for themselves.”

The also gave recommen
dations to the board.

‘The group wants the program main
tained 4s.is, but aware of college re-
straints asked that it be maintained at
a 50 per cent funding’ level. It also
wants the eollege'to work closely with
the\advisory committee to redefine the
goals and positions of the program.

The college had offered the com-

prog at Casth and David
Thompson University Centre (exclud-
ing othe, campuses).

Board wiember Walter Donald asked
how much female enrolment had in-
creased since the three-year-old pro-
gram

began.
Richard Hallett, dean of program | NEW M

Rotary
Adventures in Citizenship
program. Batchelor won a
trip to Ottawa along with
249 other student winners
from across Canada . . . B7

OFF TO OTTAWA: Stanley

Secondary

School student Connie Bot-
topped 25 other

the
Club's

win

BUSY WEEKEND: This Victoria Day holiday weekend will be busy in
Castlegar with three major events all vying for top billing. First, the
Vintage Car Club of B.C. will be meeting here for their annual con-
vention. More than 125 vintage cars from around the province will be
in town and residents can view the cars from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday
and Sunday at the Community Complex.

Next, the Castlegar Portuguese Social Club is holding its an-
nual three-day soccer tournament at Kinnaird Junior Secondary
School with six teams from the
up.against the Castlegor Stars.

Finally, the weekend will be copped with the official opening
of the suspension bridge connecting Zuckerberg Island Park with the
mainland. The 44th Field Engineering Squadron from Trail will com-
plete the bridge in a two-day blitz and then on Sunday at 3 p.m. the
bridge will be officially opened. Everyon

and the Of

going

welcome to attend.

The C Chamber of C ce has a new

services, said the proportion of females
in the non-voestional area has dropped
steadily.

He said it is not the fault of the pro-
gram, but because the economy has
had a “terrific impact” on the number

continued on pege AZ

manager — he's Wallace Peacock. To find out more on him . .

-A3

ESPO’S FOUNDATION: Former hockey great Phil Esposito hes
established a foundation to help active ond retired NHL players with
personal problems and to plan new lives outside hockey. How does it
work, turn to port one of a two-partfeature. ... 83

a