Brott “T just like to go out and help the kids. It's like a hobby, hockey is. I do it be- cause I love the game of hockey,” says Bill Savinkoff. “I like the exercise and 1 like working with kids, and when my kids get older I hope someone else will do the. same thing,” says Don. Brothers Don and Bill are certified hockey referees and are out on the ice, whistles in their mouths, sometimes four or five times a week. They ref minor hockey, junior hoc- key, senfor men’s and com- mercial games. Bill describes officiating minor hockey games as “our community service. Other people are in the Lions Club, but this is our community service.” Don readily agreed. Because this is a volunteer service, finding refs for'the minor league is often a diffi- cult-and thankless job. “I hope you mention in your article about Lillian Goosen and Marge LaLonde. They have the job of phoning the refs for games. People don't realize the work they do for the league.” Bill feels, “it would be good if more people were involved’ in minor hockey.” He especially wishes that more young people would learn to ref the mes, One of the reasons that Bill is involved in reffing minor hockey is that he remembers _ when he, was a boy, “you'd * show up at games and there'd be no refs, so what do you do?” Bill likes reffing tho junior and senior level of hockey the most.. “It's faster. hockey, more exciting.” To his brath- i er, the minor hockey Midget. rep games are the most enjoyable, .Bill's' beginnings in refer- eeing go back 15 years. He: attended a week-long refer- eeing clinic in Banff where “serious” refs are trained. They watched NHL officials in action, He credits his’: interest in reffing to Jim Mailey of-Trail. “He's one of: the reasons I got involved in’ the. sane t ‘ Getting to Know Your: ‘Neighbor | Currently he holds a Level 'S certificate. Don also holds a Level 8 ticket, : ~ Don, who has:been reffing’ ‘four years says, “when you first start; the fans: get to you.” Don remembers being discouraged’ on‘ more’ than one occasion, “With parents yelling, it‘gets to you. The first couple:of years are ‘the toughest,. whet’ you have to take’ abuse.”” LP 3 Sweetens family Ss life - By CINTHIA BENJAMIN CASTLETON, ON HUD- “SON, N.Y. (AP). — Two homemakers in this tiny . Hudson Valley village have hit on a recipe that sweetens the quality of their intellec tual, economic and family life. Margaret Helms, 37, and Joanne Van Beusichem, 87, say the chocolate businesses now being operated from their homes have provided their, families with a much-- needed second income while allowing them to fulfil their need to be creative and to be there for their children and husbands, “It’s really filled a gap in my life,” says Helms, mother of four boys. “I love raising my kids, I love being here for my husband. But everything * was routine. I had to prove I could do something for my- self.” Maggie's old Fashioned Candies now is responsible for a substantial part of the family’s income. Without the business, Helms says, the family would have to do wit one less ear, change th - eating habits, do away wil their“ small swimming pool; and return to “a garage sal way of life.” Van Beusichem says Can- dies by Joanne has meant her fi oldest daughter can ski, her younger daughters can roller skate and the entire family can enjoy camping vacations. “Everybody needs two in- comes today,” she says. For Helms, the odyssey she has turned into a 8,200- kilogram annual business be- gan 17 years ago when, as a young mother, she was in the market for birthday cakes. PRICES HIGH “The prices at the stores were more than I wanted to pay and the quality ‘just wasn't there,” she said. 8o she made her own cake. In time, with the help_of mail order’ books -and sup- plies, she began to create elaborate cakes complete with light butter cream frost- ing, pipe figures, custard fillings, and flowers. Word of her prowess with tubes and moulds spread and she was offered a job: demon- strating cake decorating at an Albany department store. “I said you gotta be kidd- ing, I said, ‘This is a joke isn’t it? : “I thought it was too good to be true. I thought who is going to pay little ole’ happy homemaker Maggie $10 an hour?” she recalled. Her husband Robert was skeptical. But in a few years, his wife had saved $3,000 — the down payment ona ‘house for the growing The fruits of her ‘early experiments were given.as. gifts. But soon the recipients : returned orders and Helms took the big plunge. “I had $20 and I said to my ‘husband that was ‘going iat business. I turned that '$20 into $40 and that $40 into $30 Yantil I had_$1,000.: Then I bought moulds, candy, - and . ld lollipop. sticks, ‘I put ‘an: door on the poreh, and “a friend printed up 200 flyers; My boys put the flyers on cars and I made 100 cupcakes; to give away se the grand opening.” Three people came. “Isat down and I cried and cried. I- thought I really screwed up. $1,000 at that time... really set.me back. “But as I sat there I ate a piece of candy. And I thought, ‘boy is this good.’ ” So Helms wrote a letter to the editor ‘of an Albany” newspaper. She told what it’s like to he a woman trying to“ go into business. She told how no one would give a woman credit. She told how no one would: give her a chance. She told him about her American ‘dream, " The newspaper printed the letter on the front page of its business’ section. Within a week, 2,500 people showed up on her. front porch. And her candy’sold as fast as she could make it — =, faster, at times. Both Savinkott brothers agreed that now they “don't even hear the fans.” Then Bill " added with a grin, “but there’s always some guy on the blue'line yelling and yell- ing, and you can hear his voice above the rest.” But the brothers who do their jobs well, just ignore the un-asked for comments from: the. stands now. Junior and ‘senior games, especially playoffs bétween two even teams, require the men's full concentration. Don stated, “sometimes you go out there and you might not feel good; but you still have «, to do your best. We're just like the players,” he contin- ued, “we have our bad and our good games.” “It's important to be men- tally prepared,”- added Bill. “The more games you do the better you are.” The respect of the players is vital fora ref. “It's im- portant to joke a little bit too. Be friendly and courteous with the players. Respect the players and they'll respect you,” continued Don. The ~Savinkoff brothers haven't encountered too many problems with fighting "Taal Men's, team: He was the assistant ‘coach of ‘the * Rebels their first year :in existence. Being both a‘play- er and a ref gives him a certain insight into the game that many ‘do not have, Bill ‘did not ‘get into'a pair of skates until he was 12, When he jwas of (minor hockey age’ his family, waa, games, “There's no truth that Til show ‘favoritism. It's no problem. Ivonce gave him a penalty,” he sald pointing to Don. tees |. Besides being reffing part- ners, these’ brothers’. work together for “A. Ssvinkoff Stucco and Plastering, a bus- iness they took over from their. dad. Its heavy work,’ Bill is involved in refting minor ho: key because ‘he remembers when ‘he was a boy, "you'd show up at games dnd there'd: be no refs, so what do you'do?". living’ in Vancouver where at that time ice time was scarce, the rinks" were’ far’ and playing: minor hockey was only for,a few. He is not on a regular hockey ~ team ° now, but is. strictly an. official. They both laughed when they told me that Bill, who referees’. the Commercial’ Men's league often has to officiate at his own brother's on the ice this year. But both | | have had to deal with this in the past. “I tried not to panic when it happened for. the first time,” said Bill,“I talked to the players, and told them to. cool ‘off, eventually they did, then I could access the penalties.” “Sometimes. the players have a grudge from the game before,” added Don, “and you “have. no way of knowing this.” The brothers were born i in Nelson, lived in. Vancouver . for six years and. eventually, settle. Don grew up’ in ‘the b Minor Hockey League and then went on to play Junior Hockey and now, isonaCom- © Grew acorn humble beginning The Oxford Dictionary ‘de fines a “pioneer” as “one who initiates any enterprise.” The story of the Castlegar and District Public Library is, by this definition, therefore surely the story of one of Castlegar's pioneer enter- prises. - It began 35 years ago from absolutely nothing and grew — not without blood, sweat, toil, tears, as well as a con- siderable amount of aa faith and determination — the very respectable public institution that it is today. When one’ looks at the bulging shelves of the mod- ern north Castlegar Library and>.the equally bulging store-front library of south Castlegar with their. great variety of services and well- trained staffs, there is a. great temptation to assume’ that they have always been here. In fact, it is very difficult, . * even for those of us who have. been here since the village days, to realize what changes _ have occurred, both in our library and in Castlegar. Since city and library have grown side by side — in tandem as it were — I thought it worthwhile to take you back for a few, minutes via one of my columns from the Castlegar News to our town and its library as they appeared over 80 years ago. begins . ain it was in those days’ almost - 30 ‘years ago, . but special. The centre of the town was where it still is, at the traffic lights (though they are recent if necessary evils), with. Al Horswill’s grocery store where Bob's Pay'n'Ta- kit is now, with Ed Lewis’ barber shop on one side and Ralph West's Hetavare wv store and the post office on ‘w} the other and the village office opposite. x Fomenoff's garage «and... _' General Store just across the ‘forgotten, but haunting cry But a library must have old railway overpass bridge. of the steam whistle —acry books — so Scouts, Guides,, Up to the right on a which re-echoed in the hills Cubs and Brownies were or- tree-shaded dirt road was about. Then came the long ganized in’ a book drive. Cheveldave's general store spume of. white steam and About. 700 widely: varied’ and on the other side the. smoke and soon, it would be titles were brought in and Doukhobor Meeting Hall; there — great black steam . the library had begun — but which doubled as a classroom. locomotive, panting ‘and his-,..without any operating funds. for Mr. Zuckerberg’s Russian sing jets of steam, the wood- . In order to establish an language classes and as tem- en passenger cars with their operating base for the classrooms for the faded seats, the baggage car library, all organizations plus porary high school Grade 9 classes, with the baggage. car man, the Ministerial Association Maple © Street © (Fourth standing °: in: the’ open -door’: were invited to a meeting at Street), also a dirt road but to one of the first-of Castlegar’s ‘his little step stool’ to help’ Hoss Whittaker. Those first. now. way and the condactor with le home of Mr. and Mrs. streets to be paved, boasted | passengers to alight from the |. library. board. members in- of three businesses — Alice Zuckerberg’s beauty’ parlor, high train step. : ‘Then there followed a ‘few luded‘the Rev. Jack: Har- vick,. Rev. Woodrow, Arch- Kavic's bakery and Harvick's frenzied minutes. of gather- © «deacon Resker and Father grocery, all now gone or ings-up, of arrivals : and: de- | Amando Maglio,” together: transformed, When a repre- sentative of. the Bank’ “pf Montreal set: up:shop in‘ ithe . All of these, togethi ‘with of steam, cinders and Hot. 1947, had obtained its charter - the Co-operative Transpor- | tation Society, St. Rita’s par- ~ partures,ig tings and fare- wells, ° ga. and nlodd:. ings. Then the ‘condi orts and that special tang steel.: 2 Most of the aa on the with Mrs, Jim Gemmill, Mrs... aH. Pedersen, : Mrs.°’C.H. "Gx8a J. Charters, e infant ‘Castlegar Pub-. rary.\had- taken ‘its second’ step’ and, by June, from Victoria. Boon, however, the board » ish church, the two pool halls street you -knew, or.simply realized that one neither and the Castlegar Hotel, greeted as a matter of makés bricks without straw were special meeting places course. There was an.air of nor runs a library without for special people. The daily quiet and tranquility in-the funds. Fortunately, while community meeting place, as opposed to the old commun- dirndl skirts and all the other holiday, she was able to call . dusty roads and dogs and Mrs, Bell was in Victoria on ity ball, was, of course, the things which have changed, on Mr. Morrison of the Public railway station. A daily service, both pass- many cases, no doubt for the longtime friend of the Castle- enger and freight, came in from east and west and con- tinued down into Trail, pro- of this tranquility, a signi- nual grant of $250 provided * viding a link with the outside. . Well before train time the platform would be alive with mien, women, children and ‘as change they must — in best. Nonetheless, in the midst ficant and continuing change had already begun. Helen “Davis (now Mrs. Frank Richardson of Okan- Library Commission and a gar Library. He.was able to arrange for us to get an an- that it was matched by a like grant by, the Village Com- missioners, These learned gentlemen, dogs of every age, kind and agan Falls) a 1946 superin- after some initial reluctance, description, laughing, gossip- tendent of ‘the Castlegar were persuaded by some un-: ing, taking their leave, run- United Church .Sunday known hero, or more likely ning about excitedly, while School, decided that the chil- heroines, of the board to blue-uniformed officials dren-needéd a library. She meet the request. moved great wooden, big- therefore called a meeting of With these riches, secre- wheeled station carts loaded interested people to start tary-treasurer Helen ‘Davis baggage and freight, such a library in the rear of was able to order the first lot 1 ben telegrapher in his what is now the Lutheran of requested books. When otlep nt panventty over his (then United) church. By the they arrived, the board was The wnke toes train an- time the meeting was over, it had been decided to extend shocked, as they would be again and again: over the Pitt's Drugs were located nounced its impending ar- the idea of a library to all of years, by the few books that across the road, with Rigby's' rival with that now-almost- Castlegar. their money bought. About this time also, we had to vacate the church school premises and moved to the back stage room in the old Community Hall. (about where the Co-op garage now stands)..It was a cold, clam- my, windowless and.draugh- ty place, but since the Grade’ 1 and 2 classes were also being held in the old building, we did a booming business, , About this time, ‘also, my fellow teacher, : Bill Fraser, : ‘the medical librarian ix > Vancouver, came to.our aid at helped greatly with the taloging. When the ‘dampness of the ‘plage { started warping the backs of the books and grow- > ing unwanted ruffles to’ the pages, “as. well” as’. giving’. they say, but being in busi-* ness for themselves is worth * it, “They work mainly in the summer, stuccoing the’ out- side of-homes. “Then we're. : jobs waiting for them as soon as the snow melts. Bill is married to another hockey lover, Caroline, who comes to Bill's games, “not to .. watch me ref,” he says, “but ; to watch good hockey, and’ fl ‘gets carried away and” yells’ at. tho; ref just Tate else!” Don and his wife: Wendy” have a three-year-old daugh- | ‘ter Donna, plus’ another on: the way who,’ hopefully, will: have made his or her appéar- >. ance “by the time this article \. comes out,” he said. “In the: spring the brothers, hang up. their. skates and: drive! down ‘to the boftball’ diamond | to: umpire ‘that’ sport. Both say they enjoy. umping as much as reffing:. although the game, is “much * slower.” ~oraetings;” says Dons; :Mthere's a two-week span be- tween hockey. and softball jand we don't know what todo’ with ourselves!” Both would like to thank — Fred LaLonde, the referee- sin-chief in town and Gary “Hyson, who does a lot of the: referee testing. .“Some of these people get no recog-, “nition, and they, deserve it,": ‘there are two teams out ‘there, but there are. three: teams, two teams of players and the refs make the third team.” BILL and DON SAVINKOFF ++-Don hag baer rating for four JOHN CHARTERS’ years while brother eM bas, been aeing it for 15 years. “Reflections &. Recollections _ brate the event brought in A year. later, in 1967, the The .annual réport’ pre- many new members and Castlegar Centennial Com- sénted - January 1980, two: made the public at large “ mittee chose the library. as’. years ago, indicates that the: realize that for four years, a’ their centennial project and | book ‘stock: then was over: peal had existed in Castle-” a years later, in 1965, * the old Community Hall was “condemned., The - Village Commissioners had: an‘old ‘private house moved from its location on what is ‘now the Bank of Commerce building ‘to down behind ‘the present City Hall on the then Front chronic near-pneurnonia to. portin; the volunteer > staff, “we started once again to look for - new. quarters. This time, Len and Helen Davis came to our rearranged ‘their basement: “and ;;we moved ‘shelves, books and files into a4 the ivacated: space yand started systematic ‘catalog. ‘ing. T.even_ got some of my Grade 9 ‘girls’ in helping. Sherrel Riley was telling me the other, day about’ how proud sho was to be working in ‘the’ library , and “Muriel Scott, up from Vancouver for a brief visit, said that when five, Schwartzenhavers miarched in to take out mem- berships'.—;,requiring the completion of 15 cards — she learned, and has: never for- gotten, | how to spell Schwart- zenhawer. About .a: year later, we were offered. a much. larger ‘ room in the Community Hall and made move number four. ‘: When we were all: settled, since the room was also used for public meetings, the-then Rotary Club came in, put up doors on the shelves and painted everything. A well-publicized tea and membership drive to cele- the héuse_ sat blocking the:street for a ‘couple of days. Then, when it - was finally settled’ in its rightful place, there was no water or plumbing and the oil stove used for’ heating it smoked, stank and balked — asphyxiating the volunteer staff and- requiring” frequent ministrations “from. ‘Charlie King— the library’s longtime Mr. Fixit. It was “a un- forgotten experience,” as one member shyly puts it. Finally, though, these mat- ‘ters were remedied and the Rotary Club painted the in- terior, and volunteers added shelves, book racks and ta- ‘bles. Finances also continued toiniprove so that in 1966 (11° years later)-the library ‘was receiving “$900. from . the: ‘town, $900 from Victoria and $750 from’ thé Kinnaird. ‘Robson-Castlegar depreve: ment Society: This, together with the ep: pointment of Mrs. Donnan as by November of that. year, the new library building was completed at 117 Pine Street {now’ Third). and officially opened —-21 years after it had begun in. the . United Church Sunday School hall.’ When, after"12 years of service, Mrs.' Donnan was . forced to retire due to ill. health, her job was -taken - over by our present mayor, ifudrey M loore. In 1972 the library marked ‘its 25th anniversary (silver house, a poster contest and an attractive book mark logo - designed by local artist: Joe shner and a birthday cake which was cut in ceremonial fashion by 26-year volunteer, - Hope Whittaker. It was also’ marked bya special presen- tation dinner for’ Mr. and Mrs. Charles King for their, 25 years of devoted service. The. following year, 1978, the library was awarded the John Cotten Dana Award in Public Relations. There wera- 200 volunteer entrants in the competition and.the Castle- gar District Library was the only Canadian winner. In the meantime, the Kin- naird library,.which had also been growing steadily, cel- ebrated its’ silver ‘anniver- sary in 1974 by moving from ‘the Kinnaird. Hall to the Castlegar Savings Credit Union building with its 8.000) books. In ‘April 18 of that year, 28,000. and Dr. Roy Ward:; reported that the inventory. was increasing. by 200-200 per month, while the active membérship stood at 2,976. Only librarians Pat Living: stone and Judy Wearmouth ° could give the figures for to-' day or list the services pre- sently offered. job you would realize if you ‘could see my writing. T would also like to thank the library board for. doing - me the honor of asking me to ‘outline the story of the Castlegar District Public Li-- - brary. Its growth’ and de-. velopment from a Handful of ‘books in a small back room to, its present stock and services. is’a glowing tribute to the hard work, |. determination and! faith of countless men, women and young people in: this: community, and a re- flection of the true pioneer * “spirit. © og "tt is, as. well, a remarkable. reflection ‘ of the” parallel growth of our ‘city and an Fivaluable part of our city’s life ‘and future. > And finally, in considerinig the future of our city and our library, I would like to offer a: line from a recent letter from ‘Helen ‘ Richardson, who started this whole thing, in which she offers a quotation from the great German wri- r Goethe: ~ Whatever You Can Do Aa part-time’ paid ‘librarian, ' with the union of the two Or Dream You Can enabled the library to greatly. towns, the two libraries also - BEGIN: IT increase its services. It also represented another mile- stone passed.in the story of the Castlegar District Li- brary.