OPINION Wednesday, February 24, 1993 The Castlegar Sun Letters to the Editor : Page 7A ; ssrrees:: tpegyrese SS The Castiégar Sun Pa TW PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG SHARLENE IMHOFF CATHERINE ROSS EDITOR ADVERTISING REP MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA CIRCULATION MANAGER PRODUC TION/OFFICE JOHN VAN PUTTEN LINDA ANDERSON SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER PRODUCTION MANAGER KAREN KERKHOFF CHRISTINE MOYER REPORTER ART DIRECTOR MELODY SEMENOFF ADVERTISING REP. Direct Department Phones General Office . Circulation 7 Classified Ads .... Display Advertising Newsroom Fax 365-7762 editorial comment Quality care at its best! When a person has a progressively diminishing budget to work with, quite often the priority that gets cut first is quality. But Castlegar and District Hospital has done just the opposite in defiance of the dark face of health care spending. restraints and other cutbacks which have consistently and begrudgingly handed all hospitals meager funding The three-year accreditation which the Castlegar hospital just received speaks volumes about that institution's ongoing commitment to provide quali- ty care to those who need it The Castlegar hospital does not have a CAT scan, nor does it have an ultra-sound machine; what it does have though, are professionals who are determined to provide first-class health care despite an intravenous line of uncertainty and a whole bed pan full of uneasiness It's sometimes all too easy to focus on the things we don’t have, while failing to appreciate the trea- sures we do have. The Castlegar and District Hos- pital is one of those treasures. and it shines through each and every time a patient is well-cared for, and made healthy again The furare of acute-care hospitals ih British Columbia is shaky and uncertain, and at times it can't be easy for the health care professionals at our local hospital to look towards the future with But despite the economic political changes that take place, the Castlegar hos pital has done just that looked towards the future One of the initiatives of the new healthcare strategy, aS announced by Health Minister Eliza- beth Cull, is the regionalization of hospitals. The concept is that one hospital in an. area would pro- vide in-depth acute medical care and diagnosis while the surrounding non-regionalized hospitals would provide beds and care for those less critical- ly il In light of the quality care which has been given in the past, and its obvious commitment to the future by attaining three-year accreditation sta- tus, staff at the Castlegar and District Hospital can be proud of their accomplishments. A debriefing from the Canadian Council on Health Facilities Accreditation, which granted the accreditation, recognized that Castlegar's hospital provides superior care. In fact, council members admitted that Castlegar is one of the best hospitals they have been to; and the staff demonstrated car- ing attitudes, like a family. When it comes to quali- ty health care, the debriefing says it all. But what it doesn’t say, is that Castlegar is extremely lucky to have a health facility which is doing exactly as it is supposed to do—provide top notch care in a pro- fessional manner. Congratulations and well done! out worry social and consistently ~~ Z/\\S 1S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE Established November 28, 1990 Published by The Castlegar Sun Weekly on Wednesdays Member of Canadian Community Newspapers Association B.C. Community Newspapers Association and B.C. Press Council 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1G8 ERRORS The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in any advertisement beyond the amount paid tor the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of its servants or and there shall be no habtlity for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement All advertising subject to publisher's approval Contracts must be completed within one year from contraet date. No contingent orders accepted THE BRITIGH PRESS IS 100 , FOR DID THEY INTRUSIVE !...) MEAN HEAVENS SAKE, Vet “LG LE: SS Whi tanateree ss Fs > Mite, LS SAsgy Wiitates taste Le SS NG BRE SK oe Se) WCB suffers from political interference JIM NIELSEN Sterling News Services The word came out the other day that the Workers’ Compensation Board fell short by chairman of the WCB $99.3 million was returned to employers in a controversial move Well, not quite accurate. At that time the WCB had a surplus account of about $250 to $300 million. The act, which authorizes the board’s sure does and in a very personal way The higher the costs for WCB, ICBC, Ferry Corporation, B.C. Transit, et al the less loonies in your jeans If memory serves me this time, when I left in 1989 the administrative budget for the board Dear Editor Phistetter is in fesponse to your lead article, dated January 13, 1993, “Witnesses to attempted fescae say professionals incompetent” attest to most of the contents of th icle The Jaws part of the 2. part rescue system were Not operative when Mr. Hamilton decided to help. 1 believe that without Marty Hamilton's help. Mr. Patrick Hickey would have remained longer in the vehicle, and since the ambutance did not have blood -with th he could have probably died. I was one of the persons who was helping to free Mr. Patrick Hickey together with Marty Hamilton, and several gthers, including, of course, the ambulance medical personnel 1 can Kelowna, who was helping at the scene as much he could, as well. | commend him for that. His arti- cle was published January 20 under the he. ding: “Attempts*to- save life-were-exeetient”, in which Mr. Funk criticized and derated the efforts of Mr. Hamilton, I sought clarification from Mr. Funk He retumed my phone call today, to say that he was mainly unhappy about Mr. Hamilton allegedly giv- ing the impression that others had not shown enough interest in helping. Mr. Funk also told me that two stroke engines should not be used to power rescue equipment, because’ starting difficulties in poor weather conditions had become obvious. He mentioned that, after the roof of the Honda had I also read the article written by S. Funk, of No professionals assigned to road rescue in Castlegar | been cut off, the front part of the vehicle had sagged and pinched Mr. Hickey's foot between the brake pedal After the accident I contacted the fire department and found that they were pot prepared or equipped to do road rescue I also contacted Mr. Watts, the Ambulance Superintendent for the East and West Kootenays in Cranbrook. He told me that road rescue was not the mandate of the Ambulance Service The sad conclusion is, that there are no profes: sionals assigned to road rescue in the Castlegar area. Is it lithe wonder that the rescue effort was considered unprofessional by your lead article? I contacted Mr. Chernoff of the Castlegar Ambu lance, and was told that he is pursuing the matter with the Castlegar City Fire Department, and that the matter would be brought before City Council In most cities in North America and Europe, the Fire Department responds to a road rescue call I believe that the City of Castlegar should grant the request of Mr. Chernoff and provide the road rescue service he is asking for - for the sake of the public. As more and more newer car models are slanted down on the front, they tend to wedge undemeath a higher vehicle, such as a pickup truck, when they collide, thereby trapping its occupants. Requests for road rescue may become more fre- quent in the future than we would all like to see Karl-Ernst Lich Grad class choosing substance-free celebration Dear Editor: } graduating class of 1993 this year's celebrations communit graduating students and the entire can take pride gifts will be raffled to the mem- bers of the Grad class. about $150 million last year. So what, you say. It will cost you money, I say The WCB is one of the largest corporations i the province and draws nearly one billion dollar a year from the pockets of employer Okay, you are not an emplover does this have an impact on you? Firs billion dollars is not. taxed then this money ts not avat better ben so we lo that area expansion, new jobs, or those émployed The story in the my friend Nicole Vancouver Sun w Parton, said wh Stuck on a Fijian reef! Je had been living in Lautoka on the Fijian Island of Viti Levu for over a year and were just beginning to feel at home. We had made many friends in the small city and were excited about an invitation to visit a copra plantation on the smaller island of Vanua Levu to the -north- east of Viti Levu The Plantation was located to the northeast of Savusavu, so it would take us most of a day just to get there. While on the car ferry, cross- ing the Koro Sea to Nambouwalu, I thought of the many times I had complained about the service of the B.C. Ferries Corporation who seemed to run vessels solely for the convenience of the staff rather than the paying passengers. The Fijian car ferry offered washrooms facilities and little else, for nothing else was working. Dull skies, rough-seas and oppressive December heat did little to brighten our spirits so we were happy to arrive on shore. The track to Buca Bay wound along the coast, past villages and plantations and several “resorts”. Undaunted by two flat tires, and being pelted with stones passing through a darkened village, we reached “Devo” in darkness, in time to join the family at dinner. ~It was warm, some might even say hot. The evening was spent in happy chat in the lounge, well away from the kitchen bure and the heat of the ovens. We propped open the wooden shutters on the windows of our sleeping bure, dove under the mosquito nets and quickly fell fast asleep to the snorting and snuffling of the family of pigs that dwelt undemeath The days that followed were Suigating the copra opera cold and voivoi pent ir tions inching the local stream for watereress. saving mats We wind norkelled in the bay feaves for w surfed and taking along picnics for the long lazy afternoons. We sat in the twi light Fiji Bitter” in hand chatting after reliving the happen ings of the day bilo” (half with a with a ale on a pay-as there would b Therefor plus position, the hen oO how abated tof an tthe onc required to carry out the st outoin 3y the way the lable tor fits for mploy twa mitted By th So. trend Ss ot the not have nslation ritten by workin nil was ration doe coconut shell) of (kava) passed frequently copra workers strummed guitars and sang Fijian songs to which we yaqona while the Fijian Seasons Elma Maund learned some of the Fijian words We even learned to eat particularly starchy root vegetable, which is the Fijian meal staple One night there was a terrific thunderstorm and, in the morning, there was water everywhere. Since shells can often be found on the reefs after storms, we went shelling but had no success. That afternoon the sunny skies returned once again While dragging the windsurfer back “dalo”, a | FOR ONE THINK WE SHOULD WELCOME AMERICA .... WHERE IS THE CFL TO activities, contemplates the WCB should oper you-go basis no surplus or deficit t particular fand is in a sur uc permit tmount suitable to the pirit of the statute money was not returned to impl do not think for a moment the WCB or any other crown corpo: In an ideal world the present million. Phe assessments to be I enjoyec balance Compensat not collected, as per some real pr The WCE historic poli an intimate effect on you. It was about $100 million stayed longer he promised he would, had it not been for the ‘lack of political will by the Socreds to correct I was told a month age administration budget is about $183 ow! 14 my two years with the Workers ion Board of B.C. and would havc at least 4antil Mikey turfed me a ‘oblems 3 has a great staff but is hampered by tical interference. Too bad to shore, exhausted, I felt something tumble over my foet. Since you do not stand still when you feel some thing in the water with you in the South Pacific, my first instinct was to get out of there, quickly. Then a wave caught the object and I seized a large nautilus shell before it washed out over the reef. The next wave brought a second one, and then no more. I cleaned them off and was delighted to see they were in perfect shape, and neither had a live-aboard animal. You can buy nautilus shells in the shops but to find your own is rather special. My sister, who lives in Florida, was delighted to:get hers went I presented it to her. One day we drove up the coast of the island to another plantation to visit neighbours and to windsurf, and snorkel in- another bay on our way home. We were all wearing our bathing suits and sulus so my hus- “YOURE ON THE LITTLE GUY, ANYWAY Z.. band dropped the car keys into the pocket in his swimming trunks went snorkelling on the reef, and subsequently lost the keys! We were miles from civilization with no car keys, no tools and with dark ness approaching. We had to find those keys! All of us swam batk and forth across that reef, many times in about a meter of water, but no keys. Just as we were about to despair I, close to the original “Cousin Weakeyes”, caught.a glint of some thing red, swooped down and came up with the keys! We could not believe it! I had spotted the red tag from The Northern Club key on his key ring. Throughout the Fijian islands, on the many reefs, there are many hulls and hulks of ship wrecked vessels rotting in the sur Alas, we were not destined to spend the rest of our days stuck on a Fijian reef STANDING | HIM... will be an event in which the Taxpayers beware! Dear Editor: The Recycling Advisory Group for Castlegar Areas “I”, “J”, and South Portion of “H”, want to inform taxpayers on what is happening with the RDCK “Waste Management Plan” The consultants’ final stage I report has now been presented to the RDCK We, the Recycling Advisory Group, feel the report as present ed by the consultants is not acceptable Our reasons 1. There lic consultation or information in its present form are us follows was not enough pub only 1/2 per RDCK given in all areas cent to | percent of the population was involved 2. Our R.A.G tions that were recommenda sent to RDCK were received by them and filed as information taken. These cems. No action was were major con 3. The consultants did not Meet at any time with our group for. our input 4. The plan, as proposed, is to be run by the RDCK. We feel the Private sector has to be involved There is an interest shown by some contractors for recycling and other phases of the waste budget 5. As proposed now, 1/2 of the cost is a large sum from the bud- get of over $3 million, to extract only 6-8 percent of recyclable material from the waste stream We are sure the private sector can do a better job and save a lot of taxpayers’ money 6. We have requested that a joint plan between RDKB and RDCK be explored on having See RECYCLE BA Bluetop ax Burger . Cheese $3 75 ~~ ‘Deluxe & Fries includes G.S.T. All beef patty with lettuce, pickle, tomato and onion. Topped with Cheddar & served with hotnemade fries Winter Hours 10 am - 8 pm ‘Castlegar's only drive thru AUTHENTIC RUSSIAN FOOD 1521 COLUMBIA AVE. 365-8388 ELECTROLUX Sales /Service/Repairs 611 Columbia Ave. WE ARE OPEN choosing a “substance free" grad- uation the students will have both an enjoyable and memorable grad. Throughout the past year we have tried to ‘base our grad events around community pride. By par- ticipating in events such as the Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic, the Terry Fox Run, the Kiwanis Skate-A-Thon and the Heart Foundation Curl-A-Thon, we have invested our time and sup- port in Castlegar. The organization of our Dry Grad, which is held after the Graduation Ceremonies, has been undertaken by the Grad class, The school. and the parents. It involves the arrangement of events throughout the evening. At the present time we are planning events such as a dunk tank, karaoke Jelto wrestling teller, pool tournament, and a casino. As well many 1 fortune during the night donated Exotic & Fun for him ~& for her However, such an evening does not come easily and our budget runs in the thousands of dollars. Grads have been fundraising throughout the year but funding remains a concern That is why at this time we ask the community to invest in the grad class to make our Dry Grad meaningful and unforgettable Beginning on March 1, and continuing through to the end of the month we will be seeking donations, in the form of cash or gifts, from local business and organizations. We believe that with the sup- port of the community combined with that of the parents, this year’s Dry,Grad will not only Graeme Basson Chairperson of the 1993 Graduation Council PyeyeyeyeVEVEVUBEYRUEYueyYeYVY LCaue S . a - Saturday, February 27‘, 1993 10 am to 5 pm ¢ 1523 Hwy. 3A, Thrums (between Castlegar and Nelson) Must be 18 yrs. or older to attend Book Your Love Shop Party NOW! BELIEVE iT OR NOT The only Love Shop in the Kootenays For all your personal needs 399-4370 ryyeyeveveeyrYVVEVEYVEuVyeYVY J ,Admit there Dear Editor Let's accept and admit the fact that there are problems in our Schools and they, are escalating to dangerous levels We could better preserve the image of our school by bringing out the problems into the open and working at solving rather than hiding them. The public, especially the par- ents, are entitled to know what Z0es on in our schools. It shouldn't matter where the students with the problems come is a problem in schools: _ frdm_cither. It's here and it's hap- pening. I strongly suggest that the school board, school staff, stu- dents, parents and the RCMP get together and work first on how to prevent, as much as possible, these unexceptable actions. Then if it comes right down to it, a disciplining committee could be picked from all the above citi- zens, to judge the more serious cases and decide how to punish and look for ways of getting help for the offenders, A round of applause for honesty Dear Editor: A big round of applause is due to the uriknown person who deliv- ered to my door mail containing renewal credit cards. Who knows what problems may have arisen had this honest neighbour not taken the trouble to do what the Post Office couldn’t. Thank you. Hissing and booing is due to Canada Post, which, once again, failed (© deliver a legibly and Properly addressed, properly coded envelope to the right place. On one memorable occasion last year, such a letter was sent all the way back to England rather than put in our mail box Placements needed Dear Editor: The community work service program needs volunteer place- ments. Placements may be non- profit groups, senior citizens, or handicapped individuals. Workers are court ordered youth and adults who have been instructed to perform 10 to 100 hours of service. Workers are screened for suitability. Care. is taken to fit the workers and place- ment. Skill levels of workers vary from snow-shovelling/lawn-mow- ing to carpentry Placements must provide super- vision and confidentiality to the worker. If you are a senior, an adult with special needs, or a member of a non-profit organiza- tion who needs help, call the Com- munity Work Service office at 365-2104 Karla Staff \ Luxurious Lingerie There is a certain irony in this, Also_it's important that there are guidelines for all students th are applied to all students equal- ly, whether they are into basket- ball, math, or whatever, and whoevet they are. Unfairness could lead to frustration and that could lead to tragic quences. ‘ Please let's all get together and work towards the well being as well as a good education fa our children, ' A concerned Castlegar Resident conse- because today the media have , been making a story out of Cana- da Post's decision to enforce a rule requiring the recipients of misdirected mail to pay for its for- warding. Not one cent will they get from me for that purpose. Thanks again to the person who brought the mail to my door. Robert Jackson ‘a Della Swetlishoff (formerly of J.R.'s Hair Force) Is please to announce the opening of DELLA'S FAMILY HAIRCARE 5208 - 5th Ave. For appts. call 365-3615 Troup The federal government has proposed. changes in legislation which will be of considerable benefit to Canadians who buy Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) Parliament hasn't yet approved the new legislation, but Revenue Canada is operating on the basis that it will be passed before the March 1 deadline for purchase of a 1992 RRSP. You can feel reasonably sure you won't be out of line if you take advantage of the changes now. The two most important new rules affect the amount of money you contribute each year to your RRSP. One deals with under-contributions, and the other deals with excess contributions. If you didn't your maximum allowable amount to a 1991 contribute RRSP, you can carry forward the difference and add it to the amount you're entitled to contribute to a 1992 RRSP. For example, if you only could afford to contribute $5,000 of an eligible $10,000 for the 1991 tax year, you can invest an additional $5,000 to your 1992 RRSP anytime before March 1, 1993 Let's suppose your contribution-timit for 1992 also is $10,000, then you can contribute a total of $15,000 to your 1992 RRSP and claim that amount as a tax deduction when you make out your 1992 income tax return. That could eam you a handsome tax refund, the size depending on your tax bracket Under the new rule you can carry forward the “unused room” in your RRSP program for-at least seven years, and claim the tax deduction in a future year of your choice Ideally, you should endeavour to contribute your maximum each year That's because your RRSP investment grows within the plan on a tax free basis The more money you can shelter from MONEY MATTERS RRSP Series.....,. Meese Biiding futures Are You Happy With The Rate Your RRSP Is Getting Now? since 1940. tax the better. And the earlier the better. There may be circumstances, however, when it may be to your advantage to delay making a maximum RRSP contribution. For instance, if you expect to be in a much higher tax bracket this year than you were in during 1992 -- because of a big increase in your income -- it may be worthwhile carrying forward at least some of unused contribution room to your 1993 RRSP. Your tax deduction for the 1993 tax year’may result in greater tax savings overall. In essence, this. new rule gives you greater flexibility when you plan your RRSP strategy. The new rule governing over- contributions to an RRSP is also a helpful one. In essence, the new legislation gives you leeway to contribute up to $8,000 over and above your maximum contribution without penalty during the life of your RRSP However, you should be super- cautious when you take advantage of this tax concession. If your cumulative over- contribution is more that $8,000, there will be a one per cent monthly penalty tax on the extra amount. It should be clearly understood that you cannot claim a tax deduction for any excess contribution you make to an RRSP. You can only claim the excess amount as a tax-deductible RRSP contribution in any future year that you have RRSP contribution room available. You also should keep in mind that you have to “use up" any excess RRSP contributions before your plan is de registered The big advantage of keeping an $8,000 over-contribution in your RRSP for as long as posible is that the money can grow in your plan on a tax-sheltered basis Earn a better rate of return. Call us ‘today. before you renew your RRSP. I Michelle Gorosh Yi Investors Group Jim Laktin Pack some performance into your RRSP 1444 Columbia Ave., Castlegar 365-RRSP (7777)