By CHERYL CALDERBANK The old system consisted of the lumber travelling on a conveyor system, but it was difficult and frustrating for A new $750,000 'y two-saw system went on stream at BC Timber’s Celgar sawmill Monday. Mill manager Al Thornton said the system is part of the mill's recent $1 million renovations and an overall upgrading plan» The mill also spent $225,000 on modifications to its chip and saw line, which cuts smaller timer. Thornton said the new trimming system was completed on schedule and on budget. Work began before Christmas and crews will put finishing touches on the machinery this week. He noted that the old system caused much frustration for employees and needed to be replaced. MAKING READING EASIER GIFT Laycock (left) and Helen Leduc (second ton right) an behalf of the Castlegar Legion Auxiliary donated a $600 reading Library in gar and District Public Library ended 1983 in the bi dGspite budget cutbacks, treasurer Clarice McKinnon reported Monday. Speaking to about 100 library volunteers, staff, members and executive at the annual general meeting arid volunteer dinner, McKinnon said the ‘library had.a budget of $98,747 and emerged with a surplus of $2,560. However, she said $2,300 has been earmarked for a new photo copier and a e Yack, with the , remaining $200 going to the library's disabled program. In the annual library board elections, all nine trustees were elected by acclamation. There will be two new faces on'the board this year. Pat Donajlueand Jane Lippa will replace Maisie Dalziel and Sandra Hartman. Othér board members who were returned for another ad include chairman Sue Port, vice-chairman Murray Young, secretary Mary Healing, treasurer Deb Chmara, Jud Dudley, Sally Knight and George Wanjoff. The board will elect a new chairman and executive at its first meeting. Meanwhile, chairman Port called the year “difficult and often frustrating” as the library attempted to maintain its standards on a reduced budget. Port credited the “hard work and generosity of the staff.” She noted that the staff accepted a reduction in the number of hours worked and a pay cut, but faced the ae hha as the year before. also reported that the book budget was cut: i hhetes from 1982, with 38 per cent fewer books added to the collection. 7*One result of this may well be the 4.6 per cent’ decrease in circulation in 1983,” Port said. “We expect the 1984 book budget will not be quite so ledn and look forward to increasing circulation again.” ip to keep the lumber in a steady flow. The new system is used to transfer lumber from the sawmill tothe automated lumber sorter. The machinery carries the lumber through a chain system, which results in fewer pileups. The new system is also computerized, enabling the mill to keep track of every piece of wood. ‘Thornton said the project was the largest single one program wt the mill in the last few months. Modifications have also been completed on the chip and saw line to bring it up to the speed of 240 feet-per-minute from 190 feet-per-minute, increasing its efficiency. COMPUTERIZED MILL... New $750,000 trimmer was lumber mill put into production this week at BC Timber’s Celgar IN WAKE OF CRASH lens to Castlegar library at annual meeting Mon- day. Librarian Pat Livingstone accepts the gift. — CasNews Photo the black Pert said the “major obstacle” to providing library service is lack of space. “Last year more books were put into storage ‘and Kiwanis once again came to the rescue in the Castlegar Branch and turned a former furnace room into an attractive shelving area.” However, she warned, “There are no more furnace room.” In making a pitch for a new library of same kind, Port said both Grand Forks and Rossland have new libraries. “New facilities are not impossible in hae’ times and we look to the whole community for suggestions as to how our space problems might be solved,” she said. She added that the provincial book budget — which is allocated at the rate of $1.50 per capita — provided 12% per cent of the total library budget and close to half the book budget. “This grant has remained constant for several years and thus buys fewer books each year,” she said. “As well, the budget of the Library Services Branch in Victoria has been severely cut, resulting‘in a reduced Open Shelf service and. ta Facdneed Gasistance from the library consultant there.” Elsewhere, Port. thanked the City of Castlegar for its “generous” funding. The city provides the major source of library funding — $73,400: last year. Port also thatked the many edo fo for which a dinner is held every year. “One not so obvious but invaluable source of funding comes indirectly,” she said, “through ‘the work of the many vélunteers who haunt na gheag =" tnd ad She said that every hour the libraries are “open a volunteer is there “quietly citculating and shelving books and doing innumerable other essential tasks to keep the library operating.” Port also noted two ‘#tandin® librarians — Joan Williamson and Vi Wileox — are rétiring. Wilcox and She pointed out that C: "s 1982 ci was only second to Kaslo in the East and West Kootenay on a per capita basis. w fill ih ona regélar basis for the’ librarians. en at rene = emergency, ; Rains knock out phones MBverything ts’ back inbo\ service as far 4s. know — hopbtully it won't be Wines er Ss Simaiand “their view this weekerid due to heavy tain and cun-off, Coshiews Photo by Chery! Coldecbank Seatbelts considered for highway buses COURTENAY (CP) — A bus crash that killed one person and injured dozens Monday has prompted govern- mest officials to consider making seat- belt mandatory on highway buses in British Columbia. The government will likely look at the practicality of a seatbelt law, similar to the one that now governs cot taxis and other vehicles, Trans- pont Peet, Alex Fraser said in Vic- toria Killed im the crash near this central Vancouver Island community was Adam Stewart KeFr, 4 17-year-old grade,12 student from Victoria. Five. other students from Claremont, senior ‘secondary in Sidriey ‘are in intensive care units at Victoria hospitals. The bus, which was carrying the students down Mount Washington af- ter a day's skiing, apparently lost its brakes, swerved into a roadside em- bankment and overturned. “I don't know of any jurisdiction in belts) in buses,” said Fraser. “But that doesn’t mean maybe we shouldn't con- sider them and be the first.” Some observers and police at the scene of the bus accident said seatbelts could have prevented many of the in- juries, caused when the students were flung out of their seats by the impact of Stages Ltd., which operated the bus, is likely to be declared void, Fraser said. The Insurance Corp. of B.C. will still pay the victims and their families, but it, will probably then.isue Conmac. for everything paid out. There are conflicting reports as to the number of passengers aboard the 45-seat Prevost bus. Courtenay RCMP Sgt. Phil McVie, who was at-the-seene shortly after the accident was reported at 4:47 p.m. Monday |: “The bus driver tells us he put a i of 55 on.” Canada that does require them (seat- But tallies of injured from the three hospitals where they were taken put the number at more than 60. Courtenay RCMP Sgt. Bob Crook- shank said: “When you're dealing with so many kids and everybody's excited about coming down the hill, they have a tendency to just climb on with their friends and nobody really takes a head count unless they make sure every- body is accounted for.” McView said. it doesn’t appear that road conditions nor weather were fac- tors in the accident. “It looks like a brake failure.” A semi-annual inspection which might have “qetected any mechanical problems was due Tuesday, said John Phillips, director of the Transportation Ministry's Safety Branch. Passengers on board the bus were not told why another Conmac bus carrying skiers was left at the base of mountain the morning of the accident, said grade 12 student Kerri Kuzz, 17, continued on page A2 Dam endangers town PEACHLAND (CP) — A wall of water could inundate this Okanagan village if Brenda Mines Ltd: is not allowed to discharge several million litres of water from its mountain-top tailings pond, the company’s manager said Tuesday. Gordon Harris said there is a “very good chance” the 1,000-metre long dam could break if the company does not lower the water level before spring runoff. But city officials, including the chief medical advisor for area, say the company promised this situation would never occur and they are concerned the tailings pond water will pollute Peach- land’s drinking supply. The dam, as high as 140 metres in places, is capable of holding 9,000 to 10,000-acre-feet of water. An acre-foot is one acre covered to the depth of one foot. ‘The water level in the tailings pond, which collects runoff from the mine's rock piles and open pit, has risen by about two mietres this winter. The result is that the water is close to the top of an impervious layer of slime, said Harris. MUST DUMP “We can't leave it until it reaches the top,” he said. “The water cannot be contained forever on top of the moun- tain. If we must release water, and ° there is no doubt that it must be done and done quickly, then now is the best time to do it.” Any release of water from the mine site would enter either the:Peachland Creek or Trepanier Creek watersheds, which supply north Peachland with drinking water. However, Harris said that since the mine shut down five months ago be- cause of a declifiing world market for copper and molybdenum — it is 'sehed- uled to reopen in the spring — the water quality is extremely good drank it ‘inyself. We've done every test known to man and it passed'them all.” But Dr. David Clarke, chief medital adviser to the South Okanagan Health Board, said the water is contaminated. “No way would I drink that water,” Clarke said. “If you fell into that bubbling discolored chemical brew you'd look like you'd fallen into an oil well. “There are elements of arsenic, cyanide compoundsd and organie al- cohols used in the metal extraction process and the company claims it is as safe as Perrier water.” —inside BOWL FOR MILLIONS: Little brother Lorne Maher will join other local "lttle brothers” to form one of 16 teams taking part in the first-ever Castlegar Bowl for Millions, sponsored by the local Big Brothers organization Clarke said the company should be forbidden to empty even a drop of tailings water into Peachland’s creeks, from which the town gets its water. The pond was allowed only after a guarantee it would not be allowed to spill into creeks. Peachland Mayor George Waldo said residents have expressed similar fears about contamination of their water. LAST WEEK: The federally another 10 youths the day atter . tendance.,. B1 state lottery using and each won $F million. housewife. ‘ed Kati ik crew is in its final week in Castlegar. The crew leaves F Feb. 7, but will be replaced by as PRO TOUR: The PWA Pro Ski-Tour makes a stop at Red Mountain this weekend, with the top professional skiers from across Canada in at- THE BIG CHILL: Cominco reported this week that it lost $29 million. in NOW THAT'S LUCK: A U.S. husband and wife entered the Illinois the same numbers, without telling one another, Robert and Anna Rucker each chose 6, 11, 23, 25, 26 and 29 in last week's Lotto game; using family birthdates. Each won a total of $1,018,400 to be paid in installments of $50.920 o year over 20 years. . Rucker, 45, is a retired air force Sergeant who works os an X-ray. technician in Florissant, Mo., a $t. Lovis suburb. Mrs. Rucker, 43 is.9 Rucker, who often travels in Illinois, would take his wite's num bers in an envelope, never looking to see what combinations she, was playing and had “noideo they were playing the same numbers, )