NewsFLASH

**' * ae

a ae

A mixture of cloud and sun-
shine with a chance of flurries.

@ OUR PEOPLE

Are you finding it a little cold
out there and wondering what
you can do to keep warm?
People in Castlegar were more
than willing to provide some
helpful hints this week.

page 9
@ LOCAL SPORTS

Felix Belczyk may have left
the world of international ski-
ing, but the world of interna-
tional skiing hasn’t necessarily
left him. The Castlegar native
reflects on what life is like away
from the Canadian Ski Team.

page 10
@ WORK PLACE

B.C. investors have been
given an incentive to expand to
the U.S. market. What's new is
that it's a Spokane utility which
is prepared to help entrepre-
neurs get their feet wet down
south.

Farside
Norman
Letters

Our People
Crossword
Local Sports
Work Place
Action Ads
Wheels '92

Saturday

January 2, 1993

T5¢

Audrey Helmkay took a load of weight off her house and shoulders Wednesday. Old Man Winter's latest blast had her out
shoveling the roof of her 12th Street home, giving the shingles a little breathing space

News photo by Neil Rachynski

_

Castlegar coach pulls players

@ Penticton tournament turns
ugly as midget coach removes

Please see letters,
page 7

ers “at risk.” In fact, prior to leaving the
ice in the third period, Ray said he con-
ducted a vote among players on
whether they wanted to continue the

team from ice for safety reasons

Scott David Harrison
EDITOR

It wasn’t the tournament final John Ray was hoping for, but
it’s one he and the Castlegar AAA Midget Reps will learn to
live with.

With seven minutes remaining in the championship con-
test of a Penticton tournament, Ray removed his team from
the ice. The Midget Reps never returned.

“It was just a matter of sanity, taking control,” Ray said.
“The official wasn’t taking control, so I had to.”

Trailing 7-2, Castlegar left the ice during its final against
Kelowna. Ray said continued cheap shots and poor officiating
left him and his players with little choice.

“All care about is the kids playing hockey,” Ray said. “I
wasn’t going to see a kid get hurt, not for one lousy hockey
game.”

The incident that prompted Ray to remove his team oc-
curred in the third when a Castlegar player was two-handed
across the chest.

“I didn’t see it, but I certainly heard it. Everyone heard it,”
Ray said. “The poor kid fell like a ton of bricks and all the of-
ficial called was two minutes for high sticking... come on.”

Ray said that incident was one of many that put his play-

game after the first.

“The kids didn’t want to quit,” he said. “I asked them and
they wanted to keep playing despite all the cheap shots they
were getting.”

Ray said the two-hander in the third period was the final
straw.

“It’s too bad,” he said. “(Kelowna) didn’t have to play like
that. They were a good team, but they kept on running every-
one. Even the goalies.

“It was supposed to be a fun, competitive tournament. You
had three teams playing hockey and one team playing like id-
iots.”

At least one other team agrees with Ray. Parents of the host
Penticton team have written the B.C. Amateur Hockey As-
sociation, urging it not to take action against Ray.

“The style of leadership that exists with the Kelowna team
causes a deterioration in the quality of play, resulting in un-
necessary injuries and is detrimental to the image of hock-
ey,” the letter reads. “Castlegar was justifiably uninterested
in exposing the players to this negative and dangerous situ-
ation.”

The BCAHA was unavailable for comment Wednesday on
what action — if any — it will take against Ray or the Midget
Reps for leaving the ice.

COMINCO COULD BE FACING HIKE IN WATER FEES, PAGE 3