Saturday, December 19, 1992 @ Corinne Jackson NEWS REPORTER ‘An outsider has been hired to study the future of health in the West Kootenay. . S Acsinton to Elizabeth Barbour, Tuesday’s decision to hire The Young Group of Burnaby will ensure an unbiased as- sessment is made on the delivery of health care. : “Potentially, you can say there's a problem with an outsider not having an understanding of what’s important (to the area),” West Kootenay’s Health Care Plan Steering Commit- tee chair said Thursday. ; 7 a “But, Barbour said, the committee decided it was better off having someone who's impartial. P "ieay be a disadvantage and it may be an advantage, she said. — In order to balance things out, however, Barbour said she hopes facilitator Valerie Young will consider incorporating her runner-up — a local individual — as part of the team. Young would not say whether or not taking ona local per- son as part of the team is in her plans, but said, “it certainly sounds like a good idea to me.” _ ; . ; Young said her work will require the input of everyone in- terested in health care in the West Kootenay. She will make her first West Kootenay appearance in Castlegar Jan. 8 and hopes her report will be completed within a year. Library deal receives OK from board Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER The local library board has inked a new deal with its staff. The Castlegar and District Public Library Board agreed Dec. 9 to the new contract with the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2262. “The contract is identical to what the City of Castlegar signed with its employees,” said Ron Norman, a member of the library board’s negotiat- ing team. Norman said the three- year deal will see the CUPE workers get a wage increase of three and three the first year. In other words, a three per cent increase the first six months of the year, and an- other three per cent raise the the six months following. The second year of the agreement has wage increas- es of three and two per cent. The third year will see a wage reopener, in which Norman said, “that’s where you sit down together and discuss wages only.” : Also, where the CUPE workers previously received no benefits, they will now get medical and extended health coverage. “it's a good contract for both sides,” Norman said on Dec. 9. “Basically it was patterned af- ter the city contract.” The CUPE employees had been without a contract since == powntown Castlogar Dec. 31, 1991. The workers § Gift Wrapping had agreed to the pact Nov. 19 and have been waiting for the board’s approval. WINTER HOURS Lunch Tues.-Sat. from 11:30 a.m. Dinner Mon.-Sat. 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Comfortable booths & chairs! Non-Smoking Sections Reservations Appreciated! 646 Baker St., Nelson Turner bracing for busy year Corinne Jackson NEWS REPORTER Gordon Turner has been re- elected as chair of School Dis- trict No. 9 by his peers. Although it’s going to be a busy — and at times difficult — year Turner says he is look- ing forward to it. “I’m very pleased with the way the board is operating, we seem to have worked out some of the personality problems we've had and our new super- intendent is working very well with us,” he said. According to Turner, his election may be a shock to some people. At one point, Turner said he would not be running again because of “some of the non- ‘I don’t see any new money coming down and the needs continue...’ sense that occurred at board situations in the spring.” Now that those bugs have been worked out of the system, Turner expects that govern- ment restraint will be the next stumbling block. “There’s going to be some tough times. “I don’t see any new money coming down and the needs continue on so I’m sure that will be a tough situation to work through,” he said. However, the rebuilding of Twin Rivers Elementary is a —Gordon Turner priority and something the board will be pushing for, Turner said. “We'll be putting our MLA on notice that (he has) to put energy in there.” Besides work on Twin Rivers, Turner said a long- term plan to assess needs at other district schools will be done. “We've been flirting with putting a long-term plan in place and I think this is the year to do it.” Lots Of Ideas For CRYSTAL STEMWARE SET OF 4OR6 SALE PRICED K pater BOXED CARDS.AND EEPSAKE ORNAMENTS 25% Off IZZLES & PUGAMES Fe WOODEN ADULT UNIQUE MOVING PAPER WEIGHTS GENUINE ‘LEATHER PURSES. Reg. $34.95-42.95 25% Off 3 \ Conbean new + RICE COOKER & STEAMER THE CLASSIC — SUNBEAM MIXMASTER TELEPHONE CLOCK RADIO JRT1957 Reg. $59.98 SALE AM/FM DOUBLE CASSETTE STEREO With Digital Tunin CORDLESS TELEPHONE Memory Security “s4 1 9* Code. JRT1967 Reg. $159.95 SALE PHOTO FRAMES PHOTO FRIDGE MAGNETS PHOTO ALBUMS DAY DIARIES DAY PLANNERS CALENDARS JS6060 Reg. $159.95 SALE STO CHRISTMAS CKINGS 4.50°° All Styles Including Baby's First +» CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS - LIGHTED TREE TOPS REG. RETAIL 0% OFF ORNAMOTION tree ornament UNFORGETTABLE by REVLON. 50 mL. Reg. $31.75 $23°° For Baby For Christmas Wedgwood Peter Rabbit 10% OFF BABY GIFT PACK by Penaten Reg. $19.95 sue 13.95 CARL'S PLAZA DRUGS Your Friendly Pharmacy — 365-7269 @ Saturday, December 19, 1992 AroundTOWN Our person for Our People Corinne Jackson 365-7266 GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT The Side Pocket Family Billiard Lounge and Snack Bar has joined forces with the Salvation Army in a drive to boost donations for Christmas hampers. On Dec. 23 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., patrons will be offered hot chocolate and snacks for their donations. Carolers will be spreading Christmas cheer and door prizes will also be given out by local businesses. Come on out, it sounds like fun and it’s certainly a worthwhile cause. CHRISTMAS __DINNER Castlegar’s community churches are coming together to provide a free Christmas dinner Dec. 23 for people who are alone this season. Tickets are required, but are free and available at the Salvation Army. Dinner will be held at the Community Complex and Starts at 6 p.m. SOME HOLIDAY CHEER The Castle Theatre is offering a community carol service Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. Everyone is invited. OurPEOPLE THE GIVER... ELMA MAUND IS GETTING THINGS DONE. Corinne Jackson NEWS REPORTER Once Elma Maund puts her mind to something, nothing will get in her way. “Whatever I (start to) do, I do the whole thing. “I guess that’s part of the work ethic — what you start you finish, what you like you excel at,” she explains. Maund credits her parents for her tenacious style — what she refers to as “assertiveness venturing on aggressiveness.” Maund may be a fairly new face to the people of Castlegar, but she certainly hasn’t kept herself — or her talents — hidden away. Since arriving in Castlegar in June 1991, Maund has taken on the post of co-ordinator of the Senior’s Action Committee. As a follow up to her work there, she became project manager of a recent seniors’ housing survey. “This project was not something that I said ‘This project, I want to do.’ “This was the outcome of a community-driven effort to have Castlegar seniors’ needs known and addressed,” she says. But anyone who knows Elma Maund also knows that the survey was driven by her own realization that a housing problem exists here and something needs to be done. “When (my husband Bill and I) first came to Castlegar the housing that we wanted didn’t exist — and it still does not exist,” she says under her breath. “If we didn’t find the housing we wanted we figured we weren’t the only ones.” And Maund was right. Once she spoke with seniors in the area and found out that housing was a concern, she set out to find out what kind of accommodations they wanted. Maund developed a survey for people 40 years old and older with the help of SAC. But according to Maund, forms started coming back from people who weren’t even solicited for comment, namely people who were younger than 40. And in true Maund fashion — now that the problem is out in the open, she is set on fixing it. “You never take anything apart unless you can put it back together again,” Maund says, reflecting on what her father used to tell her. Since the completion of the survey, Maund has been inputting data in her basement office. “If I can identify the type of housing that Castlegar seniors need then I’ve done my part,” she says. News photo by Corinne Jackson Elma Maund (standing) is one lady that can't be kept down. A newcomer to Castlegar, Maund is determined to see things through with the help of project assistant Margaret Green. That “part” to which Maund refers is what she and Bill do every time they come to a new community — make a contribution before moving on. Maund says she gets so much out of each community she lives in, that she likes to put something back. If it’s something to do with seniors, great. If it’s something that requires putting her planning and organizational skills to work as well, even better. Maund may say her work is done once the needs assessment is completed, but don’t let her fool you. She has also said that she wants to see some action taken once the surveys are tabulated. “Housing has to start even if I have drag a developer in here with a bulldozer. It’s on Elma Maund’s schedule,” she says. Explaining her eagerness to see the project completed, Maund says she likes a challenge. “I want to see things improved. There are so many things in this world that need to be improved,” she said. “There comes a time in your life when your fulfillment is not seen in what you have, but what you can give. “There are three types of people — the user, the taker, the giver. “I’m definitely a giver.” It's frustrating when help isn’t a phone call away During two recent interviews in The News, we were told how difficult it is for people with prob- lems to make ‘the first call for help. A friend of mine made that first difficult phone call Wednesday. (The reason she chose that day was because she heard that a group. met in Trail Wednesday nights.) Her first call was to a dietician at the Castlegar and District Hos- pital to ask if he knew ofa support group for people like herself who are bulimic. She was then given the names of two people to con- tact, Lynn in Trail and Stephanie in Castlegar. My friend called Lynn, whose number was out of service and was told Stephanie moved to Van- couver. Well, after three difficult phone calls, not one answer... my girl- friend gave up. Explanation points Corinne ACKSON Knowing that asking for help is not easy for anyone, I offered to continue her search for a self-help group. I had no idea what I was going to get myself into. I phoned the lo- cal dietician again and told him about my friend and what became ofhis suggestions to call Lynn and Stephanie. He then gave me the names Dr. Brenda Trenholm and dietician Hilary Lindsay in Trail as con- tacts. Lindsay was away, but whoev- er answered the phone at Trail Regional Hospital did ask others if they knew of a self-help group. I then called Trenholm who was also away from her office. Trenholm’s nurse gave me Lynn and Stephanie’s numbers again. This time, though, I was given two numbers for Lynn, one of which put me in touch with a Trail transition house. Lynn was away and I was asked to leave my number so the person who answered the phone could track her down for me and get back to me. less to say, I called two numbers at the Women In Needs Society, a number in Rossland asking for Barb and was told “There’s no Barb living here... we’ve lived here for a year-and-a-half.” Eleven phone calls in all — how many transfers, I don’t know — and I hit a dead-end. Every person I called did try to assist me in my search. My girl- friend said the same thing. But why is it made so difficult for someone to get help. Those seeking assistance have said the first phone call is hard. Members in the health field agree and have said they need money to hire a full-time counsellor to deal with eating disorders. In the meantime, I had some- How many people have to fall where acquired the number for though the cracks of a dysfuction- Trail’s Mental Health Centre. ing system before something is When they were called I was told done. ‘ to call Trenholm. As for my friend, she’s still try- Well this could go on, but need- _ ing to find a meeting to attend.