Serving the 16,000 people of the Castlegar area, The Castlegar Sun 's published every Wednesday by Sterling Newspapers Lid. at 465 Columbia Ave. Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1G8, The Castlegar Sun is politi- cally independent and a member of the Sterling News Service, Cana dian C y . B.C. C Newspapers Assocation, and the B.C. Press Council. Established 28, 1990. Mail 10420 PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG TRENT BANCARZ EDITOR KAREN KERKHOFF REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER JEFF GABERT SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER MARGE LALONDE or CARI DOLGOPOL CLASSIFIED ADS Ty ve editorial comment 1996 and years beyond belong to the provinces 1995 likely won't go down as one of Canada's better years, especially the way it ended. The country finds itself embroiled in yet another unity crisis concerning Quebec while other provinces are having scrapes with Ottawa over program funding. One could look at alll this, wring one's hands and say the sky is falling and the country is falling apart. But that’s just simply crawling in one’s bunker and adopting a siege mentality. The ongoing national unity crisis and the aforementioned Scraps are a road map for the future and indicate Canada must become a different country in 1996 and beyond. Starting in 1996, the future belongs to the provinces. At one time, Canada was more or less a loose amalgamation of Provinces or even regions. The federal government had little involvement with things such as health care, social services or natural resources. It stuck to things of a purely “national” nature such as the military, the currency and foreign affairs. Consequent- ly, there was little talk of the country breaking up and we didn’t see the federal-provincial battles we do now. It stayed this way until Pierre Trudeau was elected Prime min- ister in 1968. Trudeau ran the country on a pipe dream theory called the “Just Society.” Unfortunately, the country has yet to depart from the pipe dream. AT THAT Moment, Rank on THE [srsrecer) WEDNESDAY, December 27, 1995 ART Dip worry MORE Afost ms Se. For COVGRALE. ed NAVUEATY UST t . — Big Brother in the schools? Something's wrong, really wrong. A recent story I did about the Castlegar school district installing video equipment on school busses has been niggling at my brain. While I fully understand why the cameras are being installed, I find it hard to compre- hend that George Orwell was right - Big Brother is watching! I find it equally hard to understand that school officials feel they need proof to give to parents that, yes, their Johnny did indeed mis- behave while on the bus. : When I was growing up it was well under- stood, if I got punished at school for misbe- having, I had better be prepared for the consequences when I got home. No questions asked. The teacher was ALWAYS right - even when she wasn't That in itself was enough to keep me and my siblings in check. And it wasn't just our family which had this understanding. Most parents backed school officials 100 per cent. Kids knew better than Trudeau was a centralist and suddenly, the federal g Started to take over things which are constitutionally provincial responsibilities. Trudeau did it the sneaky way by proposing to cost-share social with the provinces in hange for them complying with national The provinces fooli bought into it and then he had them. Ottawa would more or less call the shots while the provinces were still responsible for the lion’s share of the funding. But it wasn't just social programs. Other things like official bil ism and multi ism were foisted upon parts of the country where they really had little meaning. These things irked people in the lied “hi ds” and : and talk of separation started to brew. In a nutshell, Ottawa tried to impose a vision of the entire country which really only fit the parts Previously known as Upper and Lower Canada The concept of “two founding nations” and official bilingualism made no sense to British Columbians or folks on the Prairies. Multiculturalism had the same lack of Tele- vance for many regions of the country. The Just Society was a dismal failure and unfortunately, the current government in Ottawa can't see it and is trying to plow ahead as if nothing changed. Lloyd Axworthy, the human resources minister, appears caught in a 1970s time warp. He recently stripped B.C. of $47 million in transfer payments for welfare because the province apparently didn't follow Ottawa's tules. Health Minister Diane Marleau is embroiled in a similar dispute with Alberta over medical fees. One would think the feds would be tired of the scrapping, but Axworthy recently offered a cost-share child care deal to the Provinces. It’s another of those Ottawa-calls-the-sh hile-the-provi pay type of progr Inevitably, there will be a Scrap over this one, too. Trudeau couldn't have done it better himself. The future clearly points to the past and the 21st century belongs to the provinces. In Practical terms, the country is simply too large and too diverse to run with a central bureaucracy in Ottawa. In addition, Ottawa is quickly running out of the resources needed to enforce its rules on the Provinces. It's time Ottawa accepted this and got its mitts out of things which are constitutionally provincial Jurisdiction. The feds should go back to worrying about the military, the currency and enter- taining foreign diplomats. to . They were in school to learn, and learn they did. Now some might argue that schools ‘in the 60s and 70s were still in the dark ages. After all, that was an era when getting the strap at school wasn't illegal or morally wrong. That was before the term child abuse was coined. I'm not saying corporal punishment is acceptable. It isn’t. It wasn’t appropriate then, and it isn’t appropriate now. But I wonder at the changes in our society today when a mere kindergarten child has the nerve to tell an adult where to go. It’s also hard to fathom that students would dare to threaten teachers or bus drivers. There is little recourse left for educators AN INSIDE LOOK KAREN KERKHOFF nowadays. But the worst part, it seems, is when notified of their child’s behavior, parents side with their behaviorally challenged child, no questions asked. The message from parents to kids in these Situations is clear - no matter what you do, I'll defend your actions. With their parent's help, these little brats then grow up to be big troublemakers com- pletely immune to any kind of authority. They Proceed slowly, but surely towards crime. Shaking their heads, parents try to grasp what led up to their child ending up in jail. It’s time to wake up folks. You wanted to be solely responsible for disciplining your child. You now are. The strap was abolished, and teachers now quake with fear that any form of discipline might be wrongly con- strued as child abuse. Now that the ball is in your court you don’t know what to do with it. Instead you shy away when the ball is lobbed at you and then blame your opponent for smacking it out of the court. When you find that you're the loser in the game, you wonder why. It’s time to take control of the game. It's likely that if your child is cussing out authori- ty figures, they're also cussing you out. If they're younger children, that problem is eas- ily solved. Consistent discipline usually works wonders. If they’re older children, about all you can do now is pray they make it safely to adulthood. So you don’t like Big Brother watching your children? Well you better get used to it, or start partaking in the disciplining of your child. Because next thing you know there could be cameras in the classroom to protect teach- ers and other students from those who are undisciplined. Speaker’s Corner Castlegar student Tamara Terry is pounding the pavement in search of answers to questions that correspond with news stories that have appeared in The Castlegar Sun. If you see Tamara, it could be your opportunity to appear in Speaker’ s Corner, which is published each week. My wish is a world peace and an aware- ness on how unnecessary war is and that hopefully, we can see wars like the one in Bosnia come to an end this Christmas. — Sylvia Sperling Rather one day of year, I hav wish for 365 days to you. than concentrate the year. I hope the 1996 year will go good for everybody and let every day be special — Sheila Wozniak Like the say- ing goes: the peace and ea good will all towards all end this I wish for an wars good food to feed all the of . world's chil- dren. Let no one be hungry mas. I'm wishing for world peace and am hoping that anyone sick these holidays will get better. — Liz Chrusch to all and Christ- Florence Kavaloff Wednesday, December 27, 1995 Page A7 Condom column misses the mark Dear Editors In reference t§ Trent Bancarz's commentary entitled, “Why Sup- port Teen Sex?”, I wish to respond with the following. First, condom machines are not necessarily related to birth con- trol—today they are more often thought of in terms of offering Protection from infection by HIV which causes AIDS. The World Health Organization defines the spread of AIDS as a “pandemic” meaning that it has spread to every comer of the’ earth (including the West Kootenays) and is currently Stealing the lives of 1.5 million children as I write this. No vac- cine. No cure. No second chances. Second, Bancarz makes a rather large leap when he ypssumes the perceived increase in (diseases and pregnancy among Teens is the result of sex educa- tion, Drawing parallels between two coincident socjal phenomena community, personal responsibil ity, freedom of expression, etc Health Canada’s publication, “We Need to Know About AIDS A Guide for Parents on Talking With Their Children About AIDS” states that “Research shows children who are well and c in talk safety nets (the state) or how much worse might things be? Sex education, which includes’ AIDS awareness, is anything but “a morality which advo S$ any thing goes and no rules.” On the contrary, it is about teaching our children to value and respect themselves, their bodies and each ing about sexuality are least like- ly to have sexual intercourse when they are adolescents.”” Third, Bancarz takes exception to the idea that, “the state (schools) has taken Over functions which rightfully belong in the home.” On this point I have to agree. Our school systems are already overwhelmed by an ever- expanding mandate which, in many areas, now includes feeding and clothing our unfed, under- clothed children who manage to show up for school. I agree val- ues and sex education should come from home along with th: is an easy way out of pting responsibility for the real causes involved in the deterioration of our shared social values—social values like compassion, empathy, food and clothing—the fact we increasingly fall short in provid- ing these basics is a sad testimony to us all. I am grateful for what we do have in the way of social other by exploring consequences and. making informed choices This is the very stuff which must guide all of us in our daily lives The 75 per cent of parents who support condoms in schools do not likely share Bancarz's view they are promoting sex, These parents are simply more aware of the dire consequences of sitting back wishing for a return to the “old ways” and drawing battle lines of judgement while the spread rate of HIV among 15-24- year-olds continues to increase alarmingly. Lest we forget, 15 years ago, many of us believed AIDS to be a “gay disease” and we coldly and foolishly turned our backs on the gay communi- ty's warnings. Now, as usual, our children are paying the price for Absence of God hurts schools in school was thrown out into the garbage Dear Editor: I am very disturbed by the 73 per t and 67 per cent cent of parents jo the band-aid decision you have made. We are getting to be a non- moral population—there is a 300 per cent increase in dope in the last year and 67 arrests related to dope offences. How can the police handle everything that is beginning to take place in our beautiful area? Dear God! What in the world is going on? I am 65 years of age. What will I have to expect to see of my grandchildren? When our sons went to school in the 1960s, there was an open house in School. We were asked: what would you like to see your children do in their days of education? We answered that we would appreciate the children being taught, at least a little, moral living about Christ, about the way he grew up and the way he taught us to should not do. live on earth. Were we listened to? Even the Lord's Prayer that we used to read first thing every morning System breaking down - MP Dear Editor: Donna Stone, daughter of Andy and Ester Spiers of Nelson, was brutally murdered. Her mur- derer, Bert Stone, could be back on the street as soon as May, 1997, 18 months from now. He was sentenced to four years. Donna leaves to grieve her two young daughters, her sisters, her brothers and her parents, as well as friends and other family mem- bers. They are all victims, not ‘only of violent crime, but of our ™modern day justice system. Donna's life ended i ruled these events had happened five and six months before the murder and, therefore, had no bearing on the case. Consequent- ly, the jury found Stone guilty of manslaughter. Justice Brenner sentenced Stone to four years, saying the principle in sentencing was general deterrence, as the risk of Stone re-offending was relatively low. Why should anyone have faith in a justice system that works like that? The defense attorney portrayed as ful, while when her husband, Bert Stone, iciously ked her, stabbing her 47 times. In a deliberate and contrived departure, he then fled ‘Canada, stating he didn't want to talk to police until he got his Story straight. He later returned to ‘Canada, conferred with a lawyer and two days later, turned him- self into police. He confessed to taking his wife’s life and was charged with second degree mur- der. At the discretion of the judge, the jury did not hear evi- dence of prior abuse. The judge Stone explained to the court he had never struck his wife or become angry with her before he killed her. Donna did not have a chance to contradict his self-serv- ing testimony and the judge did not allow the jury to hear wit- nesses who contradicted the killer's statements. It would appear only the criminal had a voice in this trial. I ask you is this justice? Four years for the commission of a brutal and violent crime? It serves no purpose to remove City sidewalks need Dear Editor: PEDESTRIANS OF ‘CASTLEGAR UNITE! It has been several days now since it last snowed, but the sidewalks tare still atrocious. I realize side- walks are a low priority (although I don’t understand why—people were walking long before they were driving), but I don’t think they should be ignored completely. The early mornings are like trying to walk on an ice rink and in the afternoons, I have found myself walking ankle-deep in slush. It has taken me three quar- ters of an hour to make the jour- There was an open line a couple of years ago to the School Board. We phoned and talked to the Superintendent of this area about the Lord's Prayer. His answer was there was nothing he could do about it. It is Victoria that tells us what we should or It is getting very confusing for our next genera- tion. I am not sure of what is going to happen. But it sure does not look good. There is no peaceful feel- ing even at Christmas time. How many of us think of Jesus Christ, of his peaceful feeling within? And the ones that do, please don’t give up. There will be room for us on this earth I wish one and all the spirit of Christ to be within us in our new year, 1996. With best wishes to all Mike W. Davidoff Brilliant violent criminals from main stream society if the courts are going to tum them right back on the streets. We need to take back control of our courts. The only hope we have for change is for the people to speak Out against a system that has gone bad. It is long past time for a ground swell of public opinion demanding real justice against violent criminals I urge everyone who is as dis- gusted with the Bert Stone trial as I am to sit down and write to the Attorney General of B.C., asking for a review of this case, and stat- ing your concerns with the justice system of today. Write to: Hon. Ujjal Dosanjh, Attorney General, Room 276R, Parliament Building, Victoria, B.C., V8V 1X4. With enough public support we can change the system Please do your part. Working together, we can have a better justice system. Jim Gouk, M.P. Kootenay West-Revelstoke shovelling ney to and from work, which nor- mally takes 15 minutes. To the City, please remember those of us who still use our feet and legs as a mode of transportation Lesley Hastain Castlegar Be proud of the hospital Dear Editor: back in place as I recall them pulling my shoulder and arm, so to speak. our ignorance There are not, as Bancarz States, “plenty of outlets where condoms are available,” In most cases, Obtaining condoms involves arranging for finances and trans- portation to retail outlets which are only open certain hours and which do not offer much in the way of confidentiality. Alf of these are obstacles which don't act as deterrents to sex but ag deterrents year, the federal govern- tuent designated ANKORS as the agency responsible for establish- ing a Community Care Team in each community within the West Kootenay/Boundary district Each local Care Team consists of Wishing you all good things in the coming year and beyond. We're very grateful for your support, and look forward to your visits all through ‘96! Happy New Year. © 1996 © 1996 © 1996 © 1996 agencies and individuals commit- ted to being AIDS educated and AIDS aware in order both to stem the spread of HIV and to provide better care and support to those among us both infected and affetted by HIV and AIDS. This is a strong indication of a resur- gence of shared social values, not a further departure from them ANKORS can be contacted in Castlegar at 365-AIDS and throughout the region at 1-800. 421-AIDS Kathleen Beechinor Community Care Team Coordinator From the Cc Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ ‘Staff and Memb 100% B.C. OWNED & OPERATED REDEEM YOUR TURKEY VOUCHERS EXTRA LARGE EGGS 1 Dozen ia ed SIRLOIN TIP ROAST Canada Grade ‘A’ $288 KELLOGGS CORN FLAKES }=<5 675 g. box * LIMIT OF 3 a CRACKER BARREL CHEESE 907 g. A few days ago I had the misfortune of dislocat- ing my right shoulder and could not get off the floor. Within 10 minutes, the ambulance was here and we went to the hospital. In no time flat, they exam- ined my shoulder and the attending nurses were fan- tastic to say the least, including the x-ray nurse In a few minutes, the doctors put my shoulder Some have argued there will be no Canada without a strong central government. But the way things are headed, there won't be a Canada with one, either. So why not try a different way — a way not based on an unreal- istic pipe dream My point is Castle gar and district residents should be proud of their hospital, doctors and nurses and the fine way they discharge their respective duties 6°77 48) TNB ERRORS: approval. Contracts must be completed within one year from contract date. No contingent orders accepted Got something on your mind? Write a letter to the editor! Letters Policy Letters to the Editor are v.elcome on any topic of local or general interest. Letters should be double-spaced, type) written, or legibly handwritten, and no more than two pages if possible. Letters will be edited in the interests of brevity or taste if necessary. Alll letters must be signed, with address and telephone number, although names may be witheld from publication for valid reason by the approval of the editor. Send letters to: The Castlegar Sun, 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C., VIN 1G8, or drop them off at the office. Poetry will not be published 225 g. RITZ ASST. SNACK CRACKERS <5 1 98 ROMAINE LETTUCE §==<€Qq — While Quantities Last — Sale dates: Dec. 27 thru Dec. 30 2717 COLUMBIA AVE., CASTLEGAR * 365-5336 = ae