VANCOUVER (CP) Kelowna is being accused three ‘— The school district in of religious persecution for at Rutland elementary; and off school property, effective Thursday. The three are Kirk Shaw, a Grade 7 student at Bankhead elementary; Daniel Kingston, a Grade 5 pupil Jennifer Wickens, in Grade 2 “It’s crazy. In the old days they wouldn't ha Catholics to eat meat on Friday and they Jews to/eat ham sandwiches. So why do they do this to us?” into He said the children don't want to miss gym, but the chureh believes it is an abomination for girls or women to dress im male attire, He also called gym clothes “immodest,” There are 18 Bethany. United Pentecostal Churches in B.C. and the church has a following of a million people rorid-wide. r forced wouldn't force SHIPPING DEPOT .. . organization has started The local Tools For Peace crating equipment and materials to be sent to Nicaragua. Helping crate hospital equipment donated by Trail Regional Hospital are (from left) Penny muvinehy Bud Godderis, Len jou Embree and Curt Smecher. The r, along with Aaron Embree, braved the cold and wet snow Saturday to get materials ready for shipping Court news Brian Pion will pay a $150 fine or spend 10 days in jail after being found guilty of theft this week in Castlegar provineial court ° * Bryce Bankert was given a conditional discharge after being found guilty of being a minor in possession of al- cohol. . 8 6 George Mark was fined $35 for failing to notify the owner of property damaged by his vehicle, and was fined $25 for driving at an excessive speed. Gas prices down By CasNews Staff Castlegar gasoline service stations appear to be engulf. ed in a gasoline war The stations were sup posed to increase the price of gasoline by more than two cents a litre at midnight Fri day because of the federal government's decision in its economic statement Thurs day to raise Canadian oil prices to the world level However, prices fell in Castlegar to 47.3 cents a litre for regular gasoline at most stations. That was down from atound 489 the day before and the usual 49.7 cents a litre. A $600 fine or a 10-day jail term was the penalty re ceived by Daniel Tremblay who was found guilty of im paired driving. . . A 14-day intermittent jail and probationary term was handed to Lance Brown who was found guilty of impaired driving . 8 6 Ivan Stoochnoff was given a six-month suspended sen tence with probation for possession of a narcotic. . A six-month suspended sentence and probation with conditions was given to Daryle Rizzotti for posses- sion of a narcotic. . Peter Stoochnoff was given a six-month suspended sentence and probation with conditions for being a minor in a licensed establishment. . A onemonth suspended sentence and probation with conditions was given to George Swinarchuk for mis- chief in relation to private property . . A six-month jail term was handed to Gilles Bouchard who pleaded guilty to -im- paired driving As well, Bouchard was given a three-month sentence to be served concurrently on another charge of impaired driving 7 Arley Barton will pay a $750 fine or spend 45 days in assault. jail for common Africa needs still more aid NAIROBI (AP) — A UN relief agency has asked gov ernments for more aid to feed victims of Africa's drought saying an additional $8.9 mil lion and 16,000 tonnes of food are urgently needed. UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar visi- ted a centre set up to feed famine victims in northern Ethiopia and urged that gov- ernments keep polities out of efforts to ease drought prob- lems, estimated to affect more than six million people Poul Hartling, UN high commissioner for refugees, issued the aid appeal, which said his agency has tried to help both refugees and those who returned to their drought stricken homelands to,qaige their own food. He said those efforts were “hard hit by drought and crop failure.” peal said urgent aid led by 160,000 refugees from the warfare in the Oga- den region of southeastern in Ethiopia alone. Ethiopia. “They want to bring in a new rate for new people (who) come onto the job,” says Conroy, adding that the rate continued trom front pege Cutting the Tarrys noon-time kinder- garten rin would save $2,194 — the difference between the $15,130 it costs for the run, and the $12,936 in funding provided by the government, said Wayling. Parents at the meeting had mixed feelings about the proposed full-day kindergarten. One said four and five-year-olds “are extremely tired at the end of the day,” on the full-day system. Another parent said his child has gone to full-day kindergarten at, both Robson and Brent Kennedy schdol in Crescent Valley and “we found no problems at all; it’s good.” He said his child is now doing well in Grade 1 at Sh y any other major unions who have taken concessions,” he says. “We are not asking for much in terms of the overall. Ours is right in line with what other people get around here.” But Halliday says the union has asked for an increase which would average 15 per cent over the last two years of a three-year contract, ranging between 8% and 20 per cent. Halliday says this was requested on the basis of the towboat workers KINDERGARTEN CHANGE children to a full-day kindergarten might result in an “adverse reaction that is not seen by the parents or teachers as such.” He said the quality of children's education is being ignored in order to save money. “I think we're getting very little for a dollar for a full day,” he said, adding that pupils forget “90 per cent” of what they learn on the full-day system “the next day.” Kay Johnson a Gastlegar school board candidate, also spoke out against =I full-day kindergarten for the 18 ‘arrys kindergarten pupils. Pesky Tm appalled for a saving of about $100 each a year our kinder- garten children are going to bear the school. Yet another parent said sending brunt of " she said. Cochairman of the Tarrys-Shore- acres parent's group, Ann Kooznetsoff, that direction.” Halliday says that if pickets go up at the mill, Westar will go to the LRB to have them removed. He said it is unclear whether the towboat workers have the legal right to picket the sawmill. “We will be before the board as “— as we can get there,” Halliday or said that since the Labor Code has been changed, he is “reasonably confident,” the marine workers won't be allowed to picket other sites. said teachers and parents at Brent Kennedy full-day kindergarten were for the most part satisfied with the system. She said at first parents “were very concerned that their children couldn't adapt to the long hours — that they couldn't cope in school. “I think their concerns didn’t even. tuate once they got into the system.” The Tarrys-Shoreacres parent's group will meet again to further dis cuss a full-day system. Wayling said he wanted kindergar tens in the district to change as soon as possible, but added that he “didn't want to put a date on it.” He said the school board might de- cide to completely eliminate noon-time bus runs for next September. “The board hasn't talked about it,” he said. “That’s just one possibility.” 73 continued Ireavtrent poge I am entering the contest to win a Vietory Tour ticket because: a) I've wanted to see Michael Jackson since his Off the Wall album, but living so far away from Vancouver, I wasn't able to get a ticket. b) I've heard that the Jacksons are fantastic in concert. c) I also want to see B.C. Place and Expo 86. Dan O'Connell, 15 Castlegar I would like to go see Michael Jackson and his brothers because I really enjoy their music. Another reason is because I have not seen the new stadium or Expo 86 site and I would like to learn more about them besides what's been on the news. Janette Dube, 14 Seuth Slocan I would love to see Michael Jackson because he has a very special talent that is very rare. Michael is an artist of his own kind, he brings joy and happiness to all hearts. His songs are all filled with meanings that no other artist can capture. He creates songs of love, joy. sorrow and new friendships. JACKSON LETTERS Michael thas teeii (given this miracle of talents whicl I would love to see. Susan Pedevennikeff, 14 Crescent Valley Why I want to see the Thriller? I would like very much to see Michael Jackson because he is a very exciting and well respected per- former. He leads a very exciting and interesting life. Treally want to see him in concert with his brothers. Vancouver is probably the closest he will come to Castlegar. To go see him would be very thrilling. ‘Tracy Kaminsky, 15 Costlegar I want to see the Jackson Victory Tour because I have been a fan of the Jacksons for a long time, but I thought that I'd never get a chance to see them live. I've tried to get hold of tickets before, and this is my last and only chance left. Helen Fehrenberg, 14 Castlegar I would love to see the Jacksons’ concert because I think they are the most talented entertainers in the world: I love music, and the Jacksons’ music is the best. Their songs have special meaning to me. I would be ecstatic if I had the chance to see Michael because I love him very much. It would be the greatest thrill of my life to see” Michael and his brothers in concert. Shawna Smith, 15 Robson Ever since I saw Michael Jack. son’ first video of Billie Jean from his Thriller album two years ago, he has taken my breath away. Also, Michael Jackson and his brothers are absolutely gorgeous, and I just love the way they move. That is why I want to see them all. Michelle Bourrette, 17 Castlegar The reason why I would like to see Michael Jackson and the Jack- sons in concert on their Victory Tour is because it has become the biggest tour in tock 'n roll history. there's no doubt in anybody's mind that Michael is one of a kind. I think B.C. is very lucky to have a superstar like Michael Jackson and the Jacksons performing here and to see them would be an evening never to forget. Robson BRISCO ‘POSITIVE’ Sun poll puts Harcourt ahead VANCOUVER (CP) — A poll commissioned by the Vancouver Sun newspaper shows that support for Mayor Mike Harcourt has slipped, but he still has a commanding lead over his main challenger, Bill Vander Zalm. The poll. taken one week before the election shows Harcourt, who is seeking 2 third term, with a two-to-one lead over Vander Zalm, a former Surrey mayor and Social Credit cabinet minister who is running for the civie Non-Partisan Association. The three other candidates had a negligible effect on the poll with less than half a percentage point of support among them. ‘The survey, conducted Thursday night, shows Harcourt has slipped to 38.7 per cent from the 50.7-per-cent mark recorded in a similar poll taken six weeks ago. Vander Zalm has remained almost the same with 19.9 per cent, down slightly from the 20.4 per cent in the Sept. 26 poll. Of the 377 people surveyed, more than 40 per cent are either undecided or refused to state their preference. The margin of error is plus or minus five per cent, 19 times out of 20. results,” by creating roan be the West Kootenay. One measure that concerns Brisco is the $29.4 million cut from the Residen- tial Rehabilitation Assistance Pro- gram. That amounts to about 25 per cent of the RRAP budget Brisco said. “That is a substantial cut and one that gives me a concern. I'm sorry to see that cut.” He said the program was “useful” in Kootenay West, but added it will be his responsibility to see that Kootenay West receives as much as it can from the reduced RRAP budget. cut will hurt Kootenay West. “We were about the heaviest users of the RRAP program in B.C.,” Kristiansen said in a telephone inter- view from Ottawa, where he is trying to sell his home. Kristiansen said the program pro- vided much-needed employment for “The priority without question is the Trail smelter,” he said. Brisco said the Cominco application will be going to the minister respon sible, Sinclair Stevens, next week. Cominco has asked for funding of up to $60 million of the $130 million first stage of its proposed lead moderni. zation. Elsewhere, Brisco said he wouldn't be surprised to see a bill introduced in the House cutting MP's salaries. Cabinet ministers have already taken a 10 per cent cut, while Prime Minister Mulroney has taken a 15 per cent decrease. Asked about the government's apparent of position on the ‘of social programs, Brisco responded: “I don’t think it is » change when they speak of universality and the sorial net.” Tees gt oe Bs te Robber apologizes VANCOUVER (CP) —.A lone bandit who robbed a Vancouver branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Friday left a note saying he was sorry he had to do it. The man, who escaped in @ taxi with an undis- closed amount of money, left a note that said: “Sorry that I am robbing your city bank, but life is hard and I need the money to support my search for work.” Police are investigating. i Canadians contribute OTTAWA (CP) — In just two weeks, Canadians have contributed $454,812 to assist drought and famine victims in Africa, especially in Ethiopia, the Canadian Red Cross Soeiety said Friday. Appeals for aid to Africa are intended to provide urgently needed food and medical supplies for 25 countries affected by the drought, the society said Red Cross offices across Canada are accepting contributions in support of the International Red Cross appeal for African relief operations. Birks charged MONTREAL (CP) — Quebec provincial police have laid fraud charges against four members of the wealthy Birks jewelry family, it was reported Saturday. The Montreal Gazette and La Presse said the charges were laid after a lengthy investigation into stock transactions dating back to feb. 10, 1978 and involve shares in the Birks Family Foundation, a charitable foundation set up to divert some of the family's fortunes to charity. The two dailies said the four family members listed in the charges are: G. Drummond Birks, president of Henry Birks and Sons Ltd., and his three sons, Jonathan, president of the Montreal operation; Barrie, head of the United States division; and Thomas, vice-president of marketing. Singer stops drugs LAHAINA, HAWAII (AP) — Rock singer Grace Slick says she stopped taking drugs because “if you're 17 and graduated from high school, you don't keep going to high school until you're 35.” “Wheh I was taking drugs, I used to write a song and look at it again sober, then with marijuana, then with coke, and then look at it again in the morning, and so on, until I liked it no matter what frame of mine I was in,” said the 45-year-old lead singer for Jefferson Starship. “I don't do that anymore.” But the cheques “keep coming in” for White Rabbit, a song about drugs she recorded with the Jefferson Airplane, the group's forerunnere, she said this week wo Prince Philip roars LONDON (AP) — Prince Philip, who's known for his salty humor, roared with laughter Friday night in the royal box at the London Paladium Theatre as dancer Wayne Sleep began to lose his pants during a sizzling dance routine on stage Philip and the rest of the audience fell about in helpless mirth when the unfortunate Sleep's zipper broke. But in true theatre tradition, the show went on, with Sleep’s pink underpants clearly visible as he and dancer Cherry Gillespie finished the routing called I Want to Dance. Sleep, the star of the BBC's television Hot Shoe Show, said afterwards: “I think my face is redder than my underwear. But at least you can say I put some zip into my performance.” Springsteen charitable TEMPE, ARIZ. (AP) Bruce Springsteen is becoming almost as well known for helping the jobless as he is for belting out rock hits such as Born to Run and Dancing in the Dark During a four-hour shot this week, Springsteen made an impassioned plea for donations to the People’s Clinic, which serve copper workers who have been striking Phelps Dodge Corp. for 17 months Officials said about $500 was raised. Springsteen contributed $10,000. Esquire registry NEW YORK (AP) — A comic book publisher, two Texas mayors and the owners of a chocolate-chip cookie chain are among 272 people in Esquire magazine's new list of “the best of the new generation.” All are profiled in a 516-page issue entitled The Esquire 1984 Registry — more than 100,000 words devoted to those under 40. The registry has two years in the making. Some 5,000 people were nominated through advertising, direct mail, the media and Esquire's regional reporters. The magazine goes on sale Nov. 15. ‘Help John DeLorean LOS ANGELES (AP) — A newspaper ad asking readers to chip in $5 to $100 to help John DeLorean pay legal bills from his drug-trafficking trial has triggered an onslaught of offers of support “The calls won't stop,” Maria Terrell of Conad-Benskin Associates said. “Tm surprised our existing clients can get through, there have been so many calls.” Terrell estimated that hundreds of people have called since the ad appeared Wednesday in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. DeLorean was aequitted Aug. 16 of drug charges but still faces a grand jury investigation into his handling of DeLorean Motor Co. finances. i __ eee =. “ baat . a. re 43 $ SNOW REMOVAL .. . phries Secondary School spent Wednesday sday shovelling snow off soccer field in order tor the West Kootenay senior high school soccer champion- Students from Stdriley Hum- and Thur- ship game to be staged. About 16 hours were spent shovelling snow off the field in preparation for game between SHSS and Trail Cashews Photo by Ryan Wilson INVASION EXPECTED” Nicaragua sends protest But a tour of the Managua area did not disclose any ex- in traordinary military prepar ations. Foreign Minister Miguel D'Escoto sent his third pro- test note since Oct. 31 to U.S. MANAGUA (AP) Nie aragua has sent its third protest note to the United States in nine days, claiming a loud boom that shook Man. agua was caused by a U.S. spy plane breaking the sound An administration official Washington said U.S analysts who reviewed areial photographs concluded that the size of crates unloaded from the freighter indicated that the ship could not also are an excuse “for direet mil itary attack on our country.” Ambassador Ling Quig of China, couneil president for November, adjourned the meeting, which Nicaragua had requested, saying the Space shuttle astronauts — deploy satellite HOUSTON, TEX. (AP) — The U.S. space shuttle Discovery's 8 Pp a second i satellite day and then don the most daring part of their mission — tracking down and rescuing a pair of errant satellites that are trapped in useless orbits. A short rocket firing by small jets on Discovery put the shuttle almost exactly on track to intercept the first ofthe target satellites Monday. Before the rocket firing, the satellite Leasat 2 slipped out of its shuttle berth and spun away towards its designated orbit, leaving the shuttle cargo bay empty and ready to receive the two errant satellites that are to be salvaged on Monday and Wednesday. The astronauts successfully deployed a Canadian communications satellite Friday. As the Leasat satellite spun free from Discovery on Saturday, astronaut Dale Gardner announced: “She's away; the second Frisbee is on its way.” A Leasat was released in a similar way during a September shuttle flight. The satellite is owned by Hughes Aircraft and leased to the U.S. navy, which uses it for worldwide communications. TELESAT SATELLITE The satellite launch followed Friday's successful deploy ment of a Telesat Canada communications satellite and frees the astronauts to concentrate on preparations for a daring space-walk capture and recovery of Palapa B2 and Westar 6, two satellites that were left in useless orbits by rocket misfirings following their launches during another shuttle mission last February. The astronauts unpacked and checked the space suits and equipment that Gardner and Joe Allen-will use to corral Palapa and Westar. They almost immediately found a minor problem — flashlights that failed to work. Gardner reported that the left light in each of two pairs of work lamps worn on the spacesuits failed to turn on during a test. “On both sets of lights, the left light does not operate,” he said. “It's something in the electronics of the lights. The astronaut said small pieces of metal floated away when the left batteries were removed. Worn like miner's lamps on the helmets of the space barrier during a reconnais. sance flight in preparation for an American invasion. The 8:30 a.m. shock Friday kept up the tension in Nic aragua, which has been on edge since earlier this week following U.S. reports that a Soviet freighter off the coast was suspected of carrying Soviet combat jets to the Sandinista government. U.S. officials did not rule out military action to destroy any warplanes’ arriving in Nicaragua. A source, who spoke only on condition he not be iden. tified, said Friday it was likely the Soviet freighter docked in the port of Corinto brought as many as three Soviet helicopters, and that a second Soviet freighter was waiting off the Pacific coast Nicaragua's leaders have been predicting an American invasion for weeks The government said it will begin issuing rifles today to 20,000 student volunteers for a defence force for the capital. Carlos Carrion, co- ordinator general of the San dinista Youth Organization, said the students will “re ceive immediate training” in preparation for “a direct in vasion by the U.S. armed forces.” Through the day Friday, government statements were broadcast warning people of a possible invasion and urg- ing them to donate blood Neighborhood defence com mittees held meetings to ex plain “how Managua will be defended,” said a resident. State Secretary George Shultz, following what the Sandinistas say was the third overflight in that time by a U.S. spy plane. | The note said a U.S. SR-71 spy plane flew over the coun try at 8:30 a.m. Friday, about the time a sound like a sonic boom was heard in Managua and elsewhere. The protest note said the alleged spy flights indicate “plans already have been put into gear to proceed to « direct military~-intervention™. by the United States. The government had sent a protest note following what it said was a flight by a spy plane Oct. 31 and again ear lier this week when it said U.S. navy ships and aircraft harassed the Soviet freighter Bakuriani as it was steaming towards Corinto. The source also said there were reports that “have some basis of fact” that a Bulgarian freighter has been unloading additional helicop- ters at the Caribbean port of El Bluff. Large wooden and metal crates at the Sandino Inter national Airport outside the capital contained one or two Soviet-made M18 helicopters and perhaps one MI24 heli copter, the source said The United States had said the Soviet ship could be car. rying MiG-21 fighter planes for the Sandinistas, but a White House official who spoke on condition of anony mity conceded Friday that the Reagan administration lacks proof for its claims. contain a squadron of 12 MiGs. A few MiGs could still be on board, but “the odds are dropping rapidly.” he said At a United Nations Sec urity Council meeting Fri day, Nicaraguan Ambassador Javier Chamorro Moro de nied Nicaragua had received MiG-21s and said U.S. claims council would consider hold ing another one after con. sultations between the 15 members. The official Soviet news agency Tass said Washing ton’s latest actions show the Reagan administration is “looking for a pretext to launch a direct armed in. vasion of Nicaragua.” Security increased for royal family LONDON (REUTER) British officials have greatly increased security for Queen Elizabeth and her family af ter receiving warnings of Irish guerrilla threats against them, indicate Satur day’s editions of British newspapers. Scotland Yard police head quarters would not comment on the reports. The Daily Express said elite Special Air Services troops are guarding the Queen's family around the clock after an Irish Repub lican Army death threat The Daily Telegraph said hundreds of police, some with firearms, are to guard the Queen and government lead ers at a ceremony Sunday in central London marking the armistice which ended the First World War. Guards on the Royal Fam ily were doubled aftet intelli gence reports from "Belfast that the IRA was desperate to follow up its failed bid to blow up Prime Minister Mar garet Thatcher and her cab inet at a seaside hotel last month, The Sun said. One worry, The Sun said, is that the IRA would try to “brainwash” a royal guard into carrying out a suicide attack like that which killed Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi The paper said security chiefs put the Queen's young est son, Prince Edward, now a college student, top of their danger list. Next came her only daughter, Princess Anne, The Sun said, des cribing the rambling country home of Anne and her hus band as a “security night mare.” It said Prince Andrew could also be a target during shore leave from his duties with the Royal Navy Bus problems solved By ADRIAN CHAMBERLAIN Staff Writer A compromise solution has been worked out between the Castlegar school board and a Glade couple who have been struggling for months to get full bus transportation for their son. who attends kindergarten at Tarrys Elementary School. Five-year-old Caleb Retzlaff will be picked up in Glade in the morning as usual with a number of other students. But at noon, starting Tuesday, Retzlaff will be dropped off at the Glade ferry landing to ride across the Kootenay River by himself, school superinten dent Terry Wayling said The kindergarten pupil will then be picked up by one of his parents on the costly and time consuming to transport one child back to Glade. Meantime, the Retzlaffs — who have refused an offer of transportation assistance from the board — have been picking up their son at noon from Tarrys school five days a week. Carol Retzlaff said the parents had to sign a waiver absolving the board of legal responsibility for their child once he’s been dropped off at the ferry land. ing. which has now been designated as a bus stop. “We feel we knuckled under because we had no choice,” she said of the agreement, made Wednesday “Ajj the other parents don't have to sign something (that says) if my child is hit by a car, the school board is not Glade side following the fi t ferry ride. Retzlaff is the only student who re turns to Glade from Tarrys at noon when his halfday fivedays-s week kindergarten class ends. Although parents Rod and Carol Retzlaff tried to have the board pro vide full busing for their son to and from Glade, the board decided it is too However, Retzlaff says she’s not unduly worried about the safety of her child. “He's a reasonably responsible child, and we've spoken to the ferryman to keep an eye out for him. He said it was all right when the weather was bad for him to go into the little room where they sit” Wayling said, “It's a compromise on both party's part.” Previously, the board had only offered to bus the child from Tarrys at noon to a bus stop on Highway 3A near the two kilometre turn-off to the Glade ferry landing ‘Our main concern was the safety of the youngster.” Wayling said. “We're satisfied with this compromise.” A different solution to the Retzlaffs busing problem would come about if Tarrys kindergarten — which now runs half-days until noon switched to full-day classes two or three days a week. This has been proposed by the school board, and now is being con sidered by the Tarrys-Shoreacres par ents’ group. If the kindergarten is run all day, the Retzlaff child could ride the school bus in the afternoon to a bus stop in Glade, with a number of older students. But although Carol Retzlaff would prefer this, she's doubtful that the parents will opt for a fullday kinder garten. “Just from speaking to people, there seems to be a pretty strong concensus against the full-day kindergarten,” she said suits, the lights focus beams at arm's length and are used by space-walking astronauts when the shuttle is orbiting through darkness. Failure of the left lights will give the astronauts only half their normal illumination, but flight director Larry Bourgeois said this presented no problem. The space walk, he said, “can be accomplished with just one of the lights, or actually, without any of the lights at all. A hand spotlight also could be used, he added. 2.6-MILLION-KM-HUNT Since its launch on Thursday, Discovery has been stalking Palapa and Westar on a 2.6 million-kilometre hunt through the heavens. The wayward satellites are in an orbit of 360 kilometres up, Discovery. Palapa is about trailing Westar 55 kilometres high than by about 1,120 kilometres and both are moving at about 27,350 kilometres an hour. Rocket firings by Discovery have slowly closed the gap between the shuttle and Palapa. On Saturday, the distance had narrowed to less than 6,900 kilometres, and Discovery was closing in at 228 kilometres an hour On Monday Hauck will guide Discovery to within some 10 metres of Palapa and then fly in formation. Allen and Gardner will corral the satellite and lock it into the cargo bay. Allen, wearing a rocket backpack, will fly free from the shuttle and out to Palapa. He will attach a handle on the craft, “stinger.” using a pole-like device called a Astronaut Anna Fisher will use the shuttle’s 15-metre Canadian robot arm to grasp the handle and bring the satellilte into the cargo bay On Wednesday, Gardner will fly with the backpack to attempt the salvage on Westar. The satellites, each worth about $35 million, are to be returned to Earth for refurbishment, resale and new launches. Insurance underwriters are paying the National Aeronautics and Space Administration $5.5 million to attempt the salvage. Dec. Penthouse banned by gov't OTTAWA (CP) The local distributor of Penthouse magazine has been charged with distributing an obscene publication after the federal government ordered a ban on further imports of the mag azine’s December issue Fri day Ottawa police Sgt. Bill Vankralingen said National News Co. Ltd., was charged Friday with distributing an obscene publication and with jon of an obscene publication for the purpose of distribution. Vankralingen seized about 20,000 copies of the U.S magazine's December issue from the company's offices Tuesday after the Ottawa Crown attorney's office deemed some of the photo graphs to be obscene Vankralingen estimates about 20,000 copies of the controversial issue have been distributed in the area. Police have also charged the company's vice-presi dent, William Burger, 66. with the same offences. The case is to be heard in provincial court Nov. 30. Ottawa and Nepean police say newsstand operators are voluntarily removing the magazine from their shelves. National News sent notices to some stores suggesting the issues be removed until the matter is resolved. IMPORTS HALTED Revenue Minister Perrin Beatty on Friday halted fur. ther imports of the Decem ber issue, saying the 10-page pictoral showing women tightly tied with thick ropes, dangling from trees and lying on a rocky cliff is “degrading to women.” Beatty said the ortier does not affect copies already on sale or in the country. Such decisions are usually made by provincial or local officials. Penthouse publisher Bob Guecione called the pictures and “beautifully particular Japanese tradition.” But Gordon Kadota, past president of the National Association of Japanese Can- adians, said the photo feature was in “poor taste” and in an interview from Vancouver said they did not reflect Japanese tradition.