yi i ‘ December 18, 19868 The Castlegar Christmas hamper drive has completed another season with the successful delivery of 80 food hampers to families in the area. The number of hampers totalled 115 last year but community hamper coordinator Ruth Rourke of the Castlegar Legion said this year's program was a success. “We're all bushed,” Rourke told the Castlegar News yesterday. ¢ “There was a lot of hard work involved and it's finished for this year.” The Legion was working in cooperation with schools, service groups and churches in providing Christmas cheer for less fortunate families in the area. Above, Earl Rourke brings another box of food for Pearl Zorn to gift wrap. CosNewsPhoto MP's to work longer hours on free trade OTTAWA (CP) — Members of Parliament will find themselves working longer than usual when they return to the Commons next week to pass the free-trade bill before Friday. The Conservative government used its majority early today to pass a resolution that forces the Commons to sit until midnight Monday through Thursday. The vote followed a debate that lasted more than 15 hours and ended at 1:30 a.m. EST. A motion passed earlier in the session will end the free-trade debate by Friday. Doug Lewis, the deputy government House leader, told members he's willing to keep MPs toiling until the early morning hours of Christmas Eve to get the free-trade legislation passed before Jan. 1. The trade deal is scheduled to begin phasing out tariffs — a kind of important tax — and other barriers with the United States on New Year's Day. Earlier Friday, Trade Minister John Crosbie said there is no need for an interim report on programs that may be needed to aid workers laid off because of free trade. Crosbie made the comments after he and other ministers met a committee headed by business executive Jean de Grandpre. The committee was appointed early this year by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to assess the need for free-trade assistance programs. “They reported there was no emergency situation in effect,” Crosbie told the Commons. “We have concluded a interim report is not necessary,” Crosbie said. “There will be a final report in a very short period of time.” “We're conscious some people have lost their jobs,” de Grandpre told reporters following the meeting. “The programs in place are, in our view, certainly sufficient to bridge the problem.” The government has been under intense pressure to announce special aid for workers at a number of plants, including Gillette in Montreal and Northern Teleom in Aylmer, Que. Both have announced layoffs since the Nov. 21 election. The government denies they are related to the free-trade deal, which will govern the $200-billion in annual two-way trade between Canada and the United States. The motion was padded 143-82 to close off debate by the end of Friday. “This is a very,sad day for the Parliament of Canada,” said NDP House leader Nelson Riis. The Conservative government then employed the seldom-used procedure of closure — a debate-limiting device — to force the vote on its controversial motion to extend House hours. The free-trade bill will be considered by the entire Commons in committee-of-the-whole rather than being sent to a legislative committee for detailed study. Lewis said he is confident the bill can get all three readings in the Commons before Christmas and he is prepared to use closure at every step if needed. It will then be up to the Liberai-dominated Senate to give final approval to the bill between Christmas and New Year's Day, said Lewis. The legislation will then require royal assent. “I am quite optimistic we will have the trade bill through the House of Commons before Christmas,” said Lewis. Number of wildlife accidents increasing By CasNews Staff Police are concerned about the The next worst spot was the Castlegar airport, with 11 incidents. more warning signs and increased public awareness could help the December 18, 1988 Castlegar News A3 Briefly WORK STOPPAGE Cominco employees protest By CasNews Staff An altercation between a shop steward and a supervisor resulted in a work stoppage at Cominco's lead and zinc operations in Trail Wed nesday. Doug Swanson, president of Local 480 of the United Steelworkers of America, said all non-critical union members — union workers not dir. ectly involved in operating the plant's smelting operations — “went to their bosses and complained” after a local 480 shop steward was alleg. edly struck by a supervisor, knocking out a tooth. “There was a work-stoppage in response to a Cominco supervisor punching a chief steward of local 480,” Swanson told the Castlegar News. He did not name the two people involved. “The result of the incident is, after a day of discussions, they (Cominco) would discipline their employee and pay for the broken tooth (of the shop steward who was allegedly struck).” Cominco spokesman Richard Fish said Cominco “is dealing with it internally.” “There was some sporadic job ac tion but things were settled,” Fish said. Swamson said the plant did not shut down during discussions be- tween the union and Cominco. He said the union did not want to shut down the plant because of extreme complications caused by freezing in the cold weather. The “on job protest” by about 800 maintenance, construction and other non-critical plant employees lasted about four hours. The RCMP investigated the inci. dent and turned its findings over to the Crown for consideration of crim inal charges. continued from front page of activities that have taken place, particularly in forestry.” “As a result, that watershed has become, from a water point of view, highly unstable.” Vanderpol said the approximately 2,500 people who depend on water from the creek are worried that additional development will cause problems such as erosion. “Before you know it, we will be drinking mud,” he said. In an interview Saturday with the Castlegar News, Hoodicoff defended his project and assured residents who depend on water from the creek that his dam will not harm the environment. He said officials from the Water Management Branch of the Environ ment Ministry inspected the site of his project. “They've determined it is not detrimental in any way and will not contribute to problems created by logging” in the watershed, Hoodicoff said. He said the project will involve building a dam about 10 metres wide and about two metres high across the creek to divert part of the water a short distance to a small generator building about four metres square. The water is forced over a turbine to generate the power and then re- turned to the creek, said Hoodicoff, who previously built a similar but smaller facility on Goose Creek to supply power to his home. “I drink the water that comes out of my power plant,” he said. Hoodicoff plans to sell the power generated from his Norns Creek dam to West Kootenay Power which pays between 1.2 cents and 2.7 cents per kilowatt, depending on the time of year the power is purchased. Unlike the Goose Creek project which was basically for personal con sumption of power, Hoodicoff said he intends to use the Norns Creek generator as a source of income “just to feed the kids.” At the Dec. 10 meeting of the RDCK board, Vanderpol publicly complained about the Environment Ministry's failure to study the watershed prior to giving Hoodicoff permission to build the dam. At that meeting, Dennis McDon- ald, the Environment Ministry's re- gional director for the Kootenays, said his ministry did not have juris- diction over the issue. However, in a letter to RDCK board chairman George Cady, Mc- Donald apologized to Vanderpol and the board. < 1 “Reflecting back on the.meeting, I feel I owe Mr. Vanderpol an apology for implying that the issue he raised was an issue for the Lands Ministry rather than my ministry to deal with,” McDonald wrote in the letter, a copy of which was sent to Van- derpol who read the letter to the Castlegar News. . “I erred to both he and the board by giving you this impression,” Mc Donald wrote. “When I viewed the full scope of Mr. Vanderpol’s con. cerns about the project in question it does indeed become a matter for my ministry as well as the Lands Ministry to adjudicate.” McDonald said he is particularly concerned about Vanderpol's asser- tion that an access road was built to the dam project without proper authorization from the provincial government. “I have directed my igate this matter i and I will advise Mr. Vanderpol of the outcome,” McDonald says in the letter. However, Hoodicoff said he re- ceived permission to build the road in October and didn't complete the work until this month. Vanderpol said he appreciates Mc. staff to diatel: MARTIN VANDERPOL . . Not attacking the project Donald's apology but added that Mc. Donald is still missing the point. “That road is only a minor issue,” Vanderpol said. “What really con. cerns me is I asked for a study of the watershed and that hasn't been done. I made it very clear that I wanted that watershed properly and fully studied from every aspect to make sure it can indeed sustain any more development in any way, shape or form. I thought I made a good case but it has been completely ignored.” Court news growing number of automobile acci- dents caused by wildlife. Figures compiled by the Castlegar RCMP show that in the first nine months of this year there were more accidents attributed to wildlife than in all of 1987. So far this year, 51 vehicles collided with wildlife, while only 27 such accidents were reported in 1986 and 49 were reported in 1987. Most of the accidents occurred between 6 p.m. and midnight. The worst location for wildlife accidents was near the Nancy Greene junction, Staff Sgt. Jack Keddy said. There were 15 reported accidents on either side of the junction. There were 10 reported in China Creek and 10 between the Celgar pulp mill and the Hugh Keenleyside Dam. Eight wildlife accidents were reported near Trowelex Equipment Rentals and Sales and seven were reported 10 kilometres west of the Kinnaird overpass. Keddy says it’s difficult to take problem. But because most people involved in wildlife accidents don't report them until they get home, many acci- dent sites are not visited by police and an exact location can't be pin- pointed. “In view of our inability to pinpoint problem areas within a specific or r ble location, no steps to prevent the i be- cause drivers are too vague about the locations. . In a letter to the Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Keddy says he would like to see reflectors or fencing installed in problem areas. He also suggests that night speeds could be reduced where wildlife is abundant. He added that tions are being made relative to re- flector installations,” Keddy states in the letter. He goes on to suggest that if victims or police were required to be more specific about “locations, re- flectors, fencing, warning signs and reduced night speeds would be pos- sible. Worker disciplined VANCOUVER (CP) — A postal worker in suburban Surrey who wore an anti-privatization button at work has been suspended and put onto a night shift The penalty was imposed despite an arbitration in Atlantic Canada giving employees there the right to wear the political message while at work. Peter Whitaker wore a button identifying from his union — the Canadian Union of Postal Workers — which read: Your service, our jobs — oppose privatization. Whitaker was suspended Dec. 5 and 6, then moved to the night shift. He said service to the public is suffering because no one has re- placed him at his daytime wicket job. “They didn’t replace me, even though we have trained wicket clerks on the floor and at Christmas we have triple the load,” said Whitaker. Justice In Castlegar provincial court this week, Tori Faye Naknakin was fined $450 after pleading guilty to driving with a blood alcohol reading over .08. . 8 « Peter Podmoroff was fined $450 after pleading guilty to driving with a blood alcohol reading over .08. * ee Peter Podmoroff was fined $100 for careless driving. continued from front page court time,” he said. “What they've (the committee) tried to do is they've brought a procedure about where all matters would be started in the Supreme Court. Those Supreme Courts would have designated registries in all the communities . .. where there aren't now Supreme Court registries they would have a designated registry for the family court. Lawyer Terry Dalton could not attend Thursday's luncheon meeting with Smith but is familiar with the recommendation in the report. “Some things are really necessary,” Dalton said of the proposed changes. “Some of the recommendations will allow us easier access to judges and some will reduce the costs (of going to court).” Dalton did express concern for one recommenda- tion that would increase the cost of losing a court case. “The cost for a person when unsuccessful in court could increase by three times,” he said. “We feel that might well discourage people from bringing a proper case.” Some of the recommendations are clearly aimed at reducing the need for a lawyer in certain court cases. But Dalton said he is not concerned about what may result in less work for him. He said the reduction in Local Armenian relief effort on As an extension of the Union of Spiritual Ci iti of Christ (USCC) efforts to assist the Armen: ing outlets: People may make donations at the Kootenay Savings Credit Union's small claims cases will free him and other la}wers to handle more important cases. E “I think that for the type of case that really requires a lawyer's attention, there will still be enough,” Dalton said. Smith said he hadn't heard any concerns from lawyers about a reduced work load because of some of the recommendations. The lawyers he's met with so far have expressed no opposition to giving the average citizen the ability to represent himself, he said. Smith was asked if the report was requested because of serious problems in the province's judicial system. Because 182 changes have been recommended, there was some concern expressed about the current system in the province. “We fe a very good system,” Smith said. “The fact that it’s called a reform is not because of a bad system. The reason why we need reform is because more people want to use the system than it can accommodate and they want to use the system because they trust it.” Smith has travelled across the province talking to bar associations and will spend the next three months studying the proposals and requesting public input. He said some of the reform committee recommendations may be acted on as early as March. Police file Castlegar RCMP have charged four drivers with drinking and driving in the first two weeks of this Christmas season's Counterattack campaign. ian people in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, the USCC has organized a local campaign for funds to include all concerned citizens of the Castlegar area. The campaign is known as the Armenian Earthquake Relief Cam paign. “We are, therefore, soliciting your support by way of donation in this necessary humanitarian effort,” local coordinator Len Voykin says. Castlegar, South Slocan and Salmo branches; Castlegar Savings Credit Union's Castlegar and Slocan Park branches; Johnny's Grocery and Gas Sales in Robson; and The Book Shop in Castlegar. The members of the coordinating committee are working as volunteers with the local Red Cross chapter. Police report, 1,531 vehicles have been checked since the beginning of December, resulting in 11 24-hour roadside suspensions (of driver's licenses) and 15 people were fined for not wearing seat belts. There were 58 traffic tickets is sued and 19 people were fined for traffic violations. Police issued warnings to 74 people with vehicle defects. Nuclear test conducted MOSCOW (AP) — The Soviet Union conducted an underground nuclear test today at government grounds near Semipalatinsk in Central Asia, the official news agency Tass said. It said the 7:18 a.m. test (8:18 p.m. PST Friday) had a yield of 20 to 150 kilotons and was conducted “with a view to upgrading military technology.” Tass added, “The radiation situation in the testing area and beyond the test site is normal.” No other details were provided. Troller captain charged SEATTLE (ABR— The captain of the Canadian fishing troller Ocean Princess has been sentenced to 15 days in prison and fined $5,000 after his boat was caught fishing illegally in U.S: waters. Jan Szado, 48, of Ninaimo was convicted of resisting and interfering with the U.S. oast Guard in its fisheries enforcement, and of illegal salmon fishing last Aug. 15. Faulty equipment blamed LONDON (REUTER) — Faulty installation of signalling equipment caused Monday's train crash in London which killed 34 people, Britain's worst train crash for 21 years, a British Rail inquiry has found. The equipment itself was not defective, a spokesman for the state-owned railway said, indicating poor workmanship was to blame. British Rail had already accepted responsibility for the three-train crash near Clapham Junction in south London. LaRouche convicted ALEXANDRIA, VA. (AP) — A federal jury has convicted political maverick Lyndon LaRouche of 13 counts of tax and mail fraud conspiracy for cheating federal tax collectors as well as his supporters whose loans were never repaid. After less than two days of deliberations, the jury of eight women and four men also convicted six LaRouche associates of mail fraud and conspiracy in the case of $30 million US in defaulted loans. LaRouche, 66, a perennial independent presidential candidate, faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in prison and fines totalling $3.25 million. He will be sentenced Jan. 27 The six are William Wertz, LaRouche's chief fundraiser; Edward Spannaus, his legal co-ordinator, and fundraisers Michael Billington, Dennis Small, Paul Greenberg and Joyce Rubinstein. Donald Trump outbid NEW YORK (AP) — A Japanese trading company outbid developer Donald Trump for a piano that was a centrepiece in the movie Casablanca, paying $154,000 for the ivories once tickled at Humphrey Bogart’s request. “It's because many Japanese are fans of the old '40s movies,” said Mashahiro Kanaoka of C. Itoh Co., who bought the piano on behalf of an anonymous Casablance buff'in Japan. Trump was in the audience bidding, but went home without the piano — and without comment — immediately after it sold at Sotheby's auction house. The green and beige upright, from the 1942-43 Warner Brothers classic, had a presale estimate of $75,000 to $100,000 bench included — by Sotheby's. Sex offender jailed VICTORIA (CP) — A 25-year-old man has been declared a dangerous offender and given an indefinite prison term following a string of sex attacks. Michael Mundy was handed the sentence in a Victoria court after two psychiatrists testified that treatment for the man was virtually hopeless. The court was also told Mundy, accused of attacking four women, has an uncontrollable sex drive and suffers from sadistic tendences. His case will be reviewed by the federal parole board in three years. Canada halts talks OTTAWA (CP) — The federal government has no immediate plans to improve contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization, External Affairs Minister Joe Clark said. External Affairs officials up to the rank of director-general maintain contact with the PLO. Ministers, deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers and ambassadors have no official contact with the organization. The United States announced Wendesday it will open talks with the PLO. Contact will be at the ambassadorial level. Bible teacher shot VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. (AP) — Students cowered and cried “Jesus save us! God save us!” as a 16-year-old boy opened fire in their Bible class after he killed one teacher and wounded another, police said. The boy fired two shots in the classroom but did not hit anyone before his MAC-10 commando-style machine pistol jammed and he was subdued by a teacher and students at the Atlantic Shores Christian School, authorities said. “Once you see what went on in there, it's a miracle that we didn't have more people killed,” police chief Charles Wall said Police fight poachers NAIROBI (REUTER) — Kenya is set to fight an increase in elephant and rhino poaching by creating a new police unit to protect the animals. The government was also setting up an organization to take over the management of Kenya's national parks, the Kenya news agency quoted Tourism and Wildlife Minister George Muhoho as saying. Muhoho said the government would continue its policy of shooting poachers on sight. Eleven poachers have been shot dead in and around the Tsavo National Park, Kenya's largest game reserve, since the decision was taken in October. Kenya's national parks attract thousands of foreign visitors every year and tourism is Kenya's largest source of foreign exchange Nanaimo in contention NANAIMO (CP) — A New Jersey businessman says Nanaimo’s Duke Point industrial park is one of two leading contenders for a $31-million ferrochromium plant which was slated for a site near Victoria. The plant project, which could employ up to 500 people, was planned for Bamberton, about 25 kilometres north of Victoria. But backer Jay Wooding pulled out because of bureaucratic delays Wooding said he'll visit the Nanaimo site by early Janaury, the deadline for site selection. SANTA VISITS . . . Castlegar primary students were treated to a visit by Grandfather Frost, the Russian version of Santa Claus. Gran- Firm blamed for roof collapse VANCOUVER (CP) — An engin. eering firm which reviewed the design of a mega-store before it collapsed underestimated the weight of the building’s roof and over. estimated the strength of. roof beams, says an investigating engin eer. John Rapson, an engineer exper. ienced in analysing building struc. tural failures, told a professional dis: ciplinary inquiry that engineers at MSS Engineering (Structural) Ltd. gave approval to a “seriously over- stressed, unstable structure.” When one of the roof beams failed April 23, 21 people were injured as 20 cars parked on the roof crashed to the store's floor. The disciplinary committee of the Professional Engineers Association of British Columbia is hearing char. ges against four engineers in two Vancouver firms. They are charged under the Engineers Act with professional misconduct in connec tion with the collapse. They are Joe Harrison and Ian Tacy of Tamm Tacy and Associates, the firm that did the building's structural design, and Tom London and Erie Man, of MSS Engineering (Structural) Ltd. The inquiry has been told that while the building was under con struction in November 1987 a sag ging roof beam was spotted and Tamm Tacy recommended remedial work, which was done. The owners of the building later called in MSS to do a design review that the firm reported some roof beams, including the one that later failed, were not strong enough. The inquiry, however, has been told that on the basis of mill test certificates from the manufacturer of the beanis, MSS subsequently de- cided the beam which eventually failed was at least 20-per-cent stronger than the specified strength and sufficient for the roof load. Stores to stay open VICTORIA (CP) — The provincial government will not appeal a British Columbia Court of Appeal ruling which strikes down a law regulating Sunday shopping, Attorney General Bud Smith sajd The government could make chan ges to the Holiday Shopping Regu lation Act, he said, but they would be difficult to enforce and would un doubtedly be subject to appeal. And any charges brought against stores for opening illegally on Sun. days or holidays will be dropped, Smith said The Appeal Court upheld a coun ty court ruling earlier this year in Cranbrook, where Judge Tom Mel nick said the law discriminated against people who don't celebrate the sabbath on Sunday. The Appeal Court said the legis lation is unconstitutional, because it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Smith said the ruling is “a signi ficant vietory for large corporate retail interests.” He said it will result in the denial of some democratic rights to local citizens the law tried to provide. a snow maiden dfather Frost brings gifts just after New Years and is accompanied by rather than elves. CosNews Photo Sign law overturned QUEBEC (CP) — Premier Robert Bourassa faces an uphill struggle to hold together his Liberal caucus as he seeks a compromise to his government's dilmema created by the Supreme Court of Canada judgment striking down the province's French-only sign law. Bourassa, facing his biggest political challenge since returing to office three years ago, will announce today what action his government will take in response to the ruling, which overturned the sign law on grounds that it violates the province's charter of rights. rights He will table legislation Monday to fill the legal void created by the ruling. He meets the party's general council behind closed doors today and his cabinet Sunday. Caucus memers huddled with Bourassa late Friday at the legislature seeking to work out a deal on the emotional issue that threatens to rekindle language tensions in Quebec. They would not comment as they emerged from the four-hour meeting described by Bourassa as “very serene, very dignified.” Bourassa hinted strongly again Friday he favors a solution that would allow bilingual signs inside stores but French-only signs outside. Various medik reports say he hopes to introduce the “inside-outside” formula without introducing legislation to override the provincial charter of rights. A delegate to today’s meeting — who did not want to be named — said Bourassa likes the inside-outside formula and would use the override clauses in the two charters only as a last resort if the solution was threatened by a new court challenge. PREMIER WARY Bourassa is apparently wry about invoking the “notwithstanding” provisions for fear of endangering ratification of the Meech Lake constitutional accord, which is already under attack for not protecting minority language rights. But some French-speaking hardliners in the 99-member Liberal! caucus want the government to use the override clause to protect the law from any changes. Backbencher Jean-Guy Lemieux said the government should not touch the language legislation. The spotlight is also on three anglophone cabinet members. Environment Minister Clifford Lincoln, who once said he might resign over. the signs issue, repeated his opposition Friday to the inside-outside formula, but added, “We will reach a consensus, I am certain of that. The party is very mature.” And there is growing speculation about the future of Communications Minister Richard French, who has kept a low profile since the ruling. The “situation is evolving in such a way that he will have to make a decision,” an aide to French said. Attorney General Herbert Marx, who has refused any comment, promised to announce his decision Monday. Alliance Quebec, the province's largest English- rights lobby group, has threatened it might file a new court challenge if Bourassa fails to honor a 1985 electoral pledge to allow bilingual,signs. The court ruling said Quebec could not require “exclusive” use of French on signs but could insist on “the marked predominance” of French. A Quebec Justice Department lawyer said the government is charting virgin legal territory in interpreting the meaning of “marked predominance” of French. Bourassa told the legislature the government is “seeking a balance that will permit us to protect the French culture but at the same time respect the language of others.” The premier is treading carefully on the issue which contributed to his political downfall in 1976. Although polls indicate his party holds a commanding 30-percentage-point lead over the Parti Quebecois, they also suggest Quebecers don't trust him on the language issue. PLO to hal TUNIS (AP) — The PLO used its first official meeting with the United States to assure Washing. ton that it will press its followers to refrain from terrorism, Palestinian leaders said “We will do all our best to stop all this (terrorism),” PLO chief Yasser Arafat told reporters after returning to his headquarters in Tunis. PLO spokesman Ahmed Abdul-Rahman added “We will use all our efforts and all our influence on our people all over the world not to involve or engage in any operation against civilians, innocent people or Americans.” Arafat's renunciation of terrorism and recogni tion of Israel's right to exist led the U.S. government to drop its ban on contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization last Wednesday and to open a dialogue with the group. Arafat described Friday's 90-minute meeting between Robert Pelletreau, the U.S. ambassador to Tunis, and a four-member PLO delegation as a “step in the right direction” toward a “just and com. prehensive settlement.” “No peace can be settled without their (U.S.) participation and their efforts,” he said at a brief news conference Seems t terrorism Arafat said the PLO’s main priority in the talks is to push for an early international peace conference on the Middle East U.S. officials say an international conference is no substitute for direct Arab-Israeli talks. The spokesman alleged that Israel was trying to undermine the U.S.-PLO contacts by using deadly force against Palestinians. “The Israeli government is trying to sabotage this dialogue,” he said. Abdul-Rahman said PLO officials raised this issue in the talks Friday and urged the--U.S. government to press Israel to halt the use of force against the year-long Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in which more than 320 Palestinians and 13 Israelis have been killed Arafat also cond killings in the P territories, calling them a “continuation of state terrorism.” Abdul-Rahman said the PLO has tightened security measures in recent days for fear of possible attacks by the Israeli secret services. Arafat arrived at a Tunis PLO office in a convoy of nearly a dozen cars with heavily armed bodyguards. AAR Government backs down on $50 welfare cut VICTORIA (CP) The British But since the Columbia government has backed down on $50-a-month cut for some single parents on welfare. ented last month, benefits, he said nounced last spring, then implem focused on the $50 cut in monthly B.C. change was an- payment will not be made until February. Two single welfare mothers filed a Supreme Court suit in mid- the benefit attention has been A total of about 20,000 people were redesignated as employable and had their monthly cheques cut by $50 under changes implemented Nov. 1 by the Social Services Ministry. The move left a single person designated employable with a monthly welfare cheque of $430 at most. The original decision was made to help people get off welfare and back to work, Social Services Minister Claude Richmond said today. After a request from Premier Vander Zalm for a review, Richmond said, cabinet decided to change the policy. “What we have done is taken every single parent to the higher rate and removed the $50 issue from the table,” Richmond said. But the $50 will not be affective until Jan. 1,‘ Richmond said, and November challenging cut Under the new policy, all single parents who had fewer than two children under six years old at home were automatically reclassified as employable — The two women, in separate ac- tions, said their children were being discriminated against on the basis of age. No date had been set for a hearing.