TheFARSIDE By Gary Larson Te =e" ihe: Pers u runnin’, we could run over hikers, pick up females, chase down mule deer — man, we'd be the grizzlies from hell.” Flux-Castlegar case nears final decision NEWS STAFF A longstanding civil dispute in Castlegar should wrap up Thursday. Walter Flux and the City of Castlegar have been at odds over a two-year-old water and sewer charge. The two sides laid out their arguments in Castlegar provincial court Dec. 11. Flux, who is vice-president of the Coalition Unaccepting Rash Bureaucracy, argued that the city overcharged him for wa- ter and sewer work done to property he once owned. Flux said he paid a $1,600 bill from the city for the work, but almost a year later, was given another bill for roughly the same amount. The city contends that it has worked hard to provide better estimates for the work it performs, but at the time of Flux’s work there was no track record to provide a more accurate in- dication of the costs involved. The case is somewhat unusual in that the city has not actu- ally made a claim against Flux for the balance of the money. ‘A decision is expected to be announced tomorrow in Castle- gar provincial court. PolictBEAT A 15-year-old Castlegar male appeared in the city’s provin- cial court Monday after he was arrested for the breaking and en- tering into Bel Air Cleaners and Laundry Ltd. During the Jan. 6 incident, a small amount of money was stolen. A 34-year-old Castlegar man will appear in provincial court March 31 on charges of causing a disturbance and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace. : The charges stem from a Jan. 22 incident when a fight broke out between two males at the Hi Arrow Motor Inn lounge and one man received minor cuts to the face. For theRECORD In its year-in-review, the results were 176 votes in favor Jan. 9 edition of The News of relocating the public works identified the results yard and 10 against. In fact, CURB had stated the reverse. The News regrets the error and apologizes to CURB and our readers for the inconve- nience. Wednesday, January 27, 1993 All Our Best From CASTLEGAR FOODS 635 Columbia Ave. ¢ 365-5755 Prices effective Thurs., January 28 to Wed., February 3 Made In Store ITALIAN SAUSAGE Hot © Mild * 4.14 kg. Back attached a Family Pack © 1.94 kg. Castlegar Foods SANDWICH BREAD White ¢ Whole Wheat Chilian os F RED SEEDLESS|| MEDIUM GRAPES TOMATOES 4.16 kg. 1.96 kg. ..89 CASTLEGAR FOODS VE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES 4OURS: Mon.-Thurs., Sat. 9-6; Fri. 9-8 OPEN SUNDAYS 10 a.m.-5 p.m. \A ¥ @ Wednesday, January 27, 1993 The News 1 SecondFRON The News is located at 197 Columbia Ave. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on weekends and statutory holidays. SUB RATES The News is published by Castle News Ltd. for Canwest Publishers Ltd. Mail subscription rate to The News is $37.50 per year. The price on newsstands is 75¢ for each edition. The price delivered by newspaper carrier for both editions is only 90¢ a week ( monthly). GST extra. Second class mail registration number 0019. Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER The war of words has peaked between B.C. Hydro and West Kootenay Power. The Crown corporation took its most outspoken stance since it was announced B.C. Hydro would seek a rate increase against WKP. The two utilities have had verbal fisticuffs over what impact the proposed increase will actually cost the average homeowner. B.C. Hydro claims it will be a rate hike of 20 cents per month to a typical residence. But WKP states B.C. Hydro is way off target, and that electricity customers would face increases of $10 a month. In ‘a prepared statement, B.C. Hydro’s manager of corporate communications took shots at WKP. for kowtowing to its parent B.C. Hydro questions W company, Missouri-based UtiliCorp. Peter McMullan states, “... the time has come to sound the warning bell — to tell the customers of West Kootenay Power not to accept the role of scapegoat while West Kootenay Power dodges its obvious responsibilities to the benefit of its American owner and shareholder.” Mike Bradshaw, WKP’s director of community and public affairs, said he was discouraged a company the size of Hydro would “sling mud” to explain its position. “That’s a smear campaign, not an information exercise,” Bradshaw said. “I don’t understand why B.C. Hydro wants to stand on a soap box and beat their chests.” “T told it the way it is,” McMullan said. The two sides will explain their positions to the B.C. Utilities Commission when a hearing begins Feb. 8 in Castlegar. B.C. KP loyalties Hydro wants to amend the current Power Purchasing Agreement it has with WEP. The deal treats WKP as a customer of the Crown corporation. But B.C. Hydro has proposed changing that relationship, largely by placing a cap on WKP’s power capacity charge and imposing a penalty for exceeding it. WEP argued that based on consumption figures from the last two years, it would be forced to buy power from B.C. Hydro beyond the cap. B.C. Hydro responded, “that would be irresponsible and imprudent activity for any utility, and would mean that (WKP) had not explored other avail- able options for purchasing extra energy at more reasonable, market-base prices.” “We don’t have a problem being resource independent,” Bradshaw said. “We do have a problem doing it overnight.” POTHOLE PATROL Columbia Avenue'’s got more holes in it than a pound of swis than city workers Alf Ambrosone and Phil Koochin. The pair were hard at work fixing the mess Tuesday. oe News photo by Corinne Jackson s cheese these days, and no one knows it better Wage hike won't hurt merchants i Chamber survey reveals Castlegar’s small businesses above provincial minimum Scott David Harrison EDITOR British Columbia’s new minimum wage standards won't affect Castlegar’s small businesses. A random survey conducted by the Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce Friday revealed that local businesses are already paying above the proposed $6 minimum. In fact, of the 15 to 20 businesses the chamber contacted, not one paid minimum wage. “The response that we got was ‘We don’t pay minimum wage anyway, so the increase doesn’t really affect us,” Corinne Jackson NEWS REPORTER ees could break the bank. have to start looking for money. retary-treasurer said. “It’s just gone wild.” Under-the-weather School District No. 9 employ- John Dascher says if employees continue to take off sick time at the current rate the school board may bers. . — As for remedying the problem, Dascher said, “we'll “We've budgeted $170,000 and there’s ($40,000 have to seriously look at increasing the budget left), We still have six months to go,” the district's sec- amount for substitutes.” Sick leave causing budget blues chamber. president Ron Armbruster said Tuesday. “Merchants did say that now that the gap has been narrowed they may be forced to boost Either that, he said, or “the overrun will have to their wages, but that was about come from other areas of the budget.” According to Dascher, there was a $20,000 in- crease allocated for sick leave this year, even though there has not been a significant increase in staff num- it,” he said. The provincial government announced last week that effective April 1, the minimum wage for workers over 18 will increase 50 cents per hour to $6 per hour. The wage for workers under 18 will also increase by 50.cents to $5.50 per hour. Both Incentives to keep staff from using sick days may increases come despite concerns be another way to go, he said, adding that something expressed by the B.C. Chamber Dascher predicts the board may be facing a has to be done. “This is the worst year we've ever had.” of Commerce. “And that is the $100,000 deficit if things continue the way they are. disappointing part,” Armbruster | NEWS STAFF If the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and bridge-builder SCI are working | out a deal, they don’t want the media to know it. Neither side will comment on last Wednesday’s meeting in Calgary, agreeing that nothing has been decided. The talks were initiated by the carpenters in the hopes that union members would be employed for the construction of the June 1994. Castlegar-Robson bridge. The 475-metre bridge is scheduled to be complete in said. “Despite a request from the B.C. chamber not to increase it again, the government did it. The government ignored the wishes and concerns of the business community.” The NDP government has increased the minimum wage by 20 per cent — or $1 — since it took office.