OPINION Y, July 22, 1992 A PUBLISHER JON JARRETT SHARLENE IMHOFF EDITOR DENISE GOLDSTONE CIRCULATION/OFFICE MANAGER, editorial comment Support for an annual event is a two-way street It's absolutely amazing what a group of people can . accomplish when they put their heads together to plan an event geared to provide entertainment for the entire family. The Robson Volunteer Fire Department and the Ladies Auxiliary, which helps support them, have a working relationship which betters the entire com- munity. Together, they have managed to put on an event which, every year, grows a little bigger and gets a little better. The Robson Firefighters Hose Lay Competitions, as it has come to be known, is also gaining in popularity — volunteer firefighters from the Kootenays and the U.S. look forward to the event with anticipation. Sure the competition is there — and sometimes it gets pretty stiff — but the whole event rides on an easy-going, sociable attitude. If you win great, if not, so what? Let's have a good time and raise a bit of money. That's the attitude, and it's working. Planning the event takes work, more than likely a few late nights here and there, and after a long day at work, it's so easy to ‘just say no’ to anything that sug- gests an amount of volunteerism. Thank goodness these Robsonites haven't yet done that. The work and input from either side is appreciated by the other side as well. Robson Fire Chief Bob Taylor said the Ladies Auxiliary raises money through various func- tions to buy furniture, appliances, etc for the fire hall. Apparently, the next purchasing goal is a small camcorder, which will be used not only for firefight- ing practices, but to tape the social activities the group enjoys as well. During last Sunday's competition, as every year, the final event place involves a relay race, in which the top team donates their winnings to the charity of their choice. This year, a team from Robson claimed victory, and their earings were donated into a trust, estab- lished for the family of a deceased fellow firefighter. The gesture is supreme — though not unusual. It's a great thing to see a volunteer group like this put so much heart and soul into a yearly event. But it's even greater to witness a community show its By Don Addis wy The Castidgar Sun o ~~ 7 1S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE Established 28, 1990 Published by The C ar Sun Weekly on Wi ys 465 Columbia —— ae ‘ What is there about the air in Ottawa that so adversely affects our politicians so that, once there, they immediately suffer from soft brains, weak eyes, deaf cars and over-active vocal chords? Our politicians go off to the Nation's Capital with all their sensibilities intact, but in very short order, they begin to mutate into totally different characters. The same disease appears to permeate Vic- toria as well. A recent morning news byte informed us that our federal wise leaders have decided to grant our aboriginal peoples a commercial share of the fast depleting West Coast salmon resource. Excuse me? What is the basis of politi banding it, rather than dividing up what is already inadequate to sus- tain either sport or commercial industries? As a part owner of property near the mouth of the Capilano River, a salmon spawning river which passes through native lands, with an under-utilized fish hatch- amounts to money being spent for producing exactly zip. How can we reconcile worrying over Cana- da's diminishing competitiveness on the one hand, while we con- tribute to non-productivity on the other? Maths were never my best subject but you do not have to be into rocketry to understand it will not work! It seems to me that Canada is fast forgetting our past while div- ing head first into a future wherein we will be tied to a magnitude of problems caused by past superficial Political thought. We elect our politicians with the expectations that they will provide 1 i solutions ery up river, I sy with the and di thought that gives more of the pie away, when the pie is dwindling so quickly there will soon be none left? What about the materials that go into that pie? If sport and com- mercial fisher folk must now share their resource with our aboriginal Peoples, how about other parts of the equation, the responsibility? Would it not make more sense to place more emphasis on increas- ing the resource, or at least hus- P hatchery manager who waits, often in vain, for the spawning salmon to arrive! Have our wise leaders learned nothing from their experiences with the herring and cod fishing industries on our East Coast? While I sympathize with the now shore-bound fisher folk, and their loss of employment, the cost to the rest of us is staggering. Whether we are subsidizing the industry or the workers, it still No knock-outs in round one JIM NIELSEN Which side do you believe will win the war of medicine in B.C.? The doctors of the province are somewhat ticked off with legisla- tion passed by the govern-ment which would limit the total spent for medical services over a fiscal year. The government argues such control is needed to save the medi- care system. A head-on collision between two sacred cows. Medicare is the politi- cians’ best friend when they are try- ing to get the public on side. Our health care system is dragged out as the issue whenever other matters appear to be unpopular with the | Often, the rel p is difficult to identify. Medical doc- tors, meanwhile, usually head the list of groups we most trust There is no question the costs of health care, and for that matter, education, are of grave concern to the provincial governments in the country. There is no argument bet- ter methods of control over spend- ing will be implemented if we are to retain standards with which we have become familiar. Has the NDP read the political winds correctly or are we in for a long siege and a bit- ter battle? Political winds are in a state of constant change and that which May appear acceptable today could be disastrous tomorrow. If I were offering an opinion as to the wisdom of Health Minister Elizabeth Cull’s actions this past session with respect to what was once known as Bill 71, it would be that her timing may be all wrong. Should this legislation remain as is, the doctors, with their some-what limited ability to battle within the political world, have three years or So to wage a war against the NDP. R ber, there are thi d. of doctors in the province and over a several year period, almost every voter in B.C. will have seen their own doc and perhaps will have received a political message as well. Such a campaign, if handled correctly, can impact negatively on a government's chances for re-clec- tion. The doctors tell me they didn’t expect to win the first battle but, with stiff upper lip, they intend to win the war. You have heard government statements that other provinces have placed caps on their doctor's spending so it should be expected B.C. medicos can expect no less Don’t have all the details of each provincial situation but I do know in some instances such a cap was the resuk of negotiations. Not so in B.C. The government, in its wis- dom, has unilaterally imposed a cap. The amount, a lot of money, yet is not the main point. The pro- cess is. B.C. medical doctors have lived with a cap before; a negotiated cap A deal was signed with the BCMA which saw a three-year deal and a formula to place a cap on expendi- ture. The system, while not loved by everyone, worked and the govern- ment of the day and the docs lived with it. A repeat of the deal was not achieved so the government chose to impose. It is next to impossible for a min- ister of health to survive in the post if that minister is at war with a major segment of the health care world such as medical doctors There is a need for the two sides to communicate and co-operate and if that is not possible the minister soon learns what miserable really means. I would be surprised if Elizabeth Cull is still minister of health at the end of this year. Barbie is Editor's note:Due the high number of citizens in Castlegar who are of Russian origin, we felt this story, which came across our wire service, would be of great interest to these readers. MOSCOW - Since the begin- ning of summer vacation, clusters of little girls from all over the for- mer Soviet Union have been sigh- ing at the window of Moscow’s most famous toy store, Detsky Mir. In contrast to the mud-toned toy trucks and the complicated paper games, one section of the display features an explosion of the blinding pink cars and opales- cent carriages and blond curls and sparkling fake jewels that could herald the arrival of the one and only, the amazing Barbie. “I love her,” whispered 5-year- old Katia Vanichkina, who stared at one display of Barbies that, given her parents’ income, might just as well have been the crown jewels. “We just wanted to have a look,”’ said Katia’s mother, Rita Vanichkina, who works in a facto- ry. “That's all.” Nearby, Russian bio-engineer Zoia Mayevskaya and her 10-year- old daughter Olga were also star- ing past the glass cases that separate an array of Barbies from their yearning public. “It’s like a month’s salary,”" said Mayevskaya, shaking her head. She makes 2,500 rubles, or less than $25, a month. In most cases, Barbie comes with a price tag of 1,900 rubles - roughly twice the U.S. price tag of $7 for the bot- tom-of-the-line Barbie. The price for Barbie's van can run as much as three times Mayevskaya's monthly salary. *But she does have one Bar- bie,” Mayevskaya said proudly of her daughter. It was made in Ger- many. And it was only a third of a month's salary, bought at the street market for slightly less than those in the stores. “She is very, very beautiful, and someday we can buy clothes and wear clothes just like hers.”” ip an to complex problem, while paving the way for a better Canadian future. Whatever happened to the idea that when you take something, you put something back? John F. Kennedy inspired his nation with that very simple slogan. Rather than expect your country to sustain you, consider what you must do to sustain your country. Recently, it has become popular for many businesses to have a small container by the cash register that contains pennies. The signs usually says “Need a penny, take a penny. Have a penny, give a penny”. It is a system that basically works! It also exemplifies a fear that we are becoming a nation of takers, while we know, at our very core, that in order to take we must also give, or big hit i The love affair with Barbie in the new Russia is not an isolated example of this country’s fascina- tion with all things Western Hawkers on the streets tempt Rus- sian buyers by saying: “It’s not Russian; it's Chinese. It’s from the U.S.A.” Beers like Heineken and Tuborg, along with another curious brand labeled American Beer, are a big hit; even the empty cans are sold on the streets occasionally Haagen Dazs is here, as is Diet Coke. Fords and Porsches are now being sold, albeit for carloads of rubles. A fully outfitted American vehicle can draw crowds on the streets as people marvel at Western cars not driven by Westerners - all of whom are expected to be so rich -but by fellow Russians. For years, Soviet citizens have hoarded West- ern jeans and listened to Western music and idolized such techno- logical advancements as tearproof mascara or fax machines that real- ly work. The lusting for the West is free and open, but it is also openly disturbing to many of those who want to preserve the Russian soul or protect the new Russian consumer. With the hordes of Westerners coming in and offering products openly - and for rubles rather than precious hard currency - this huge new market is falling Prey to the seductions of Madison Avenue. Packaging and bright col- ors and fake designer patches make all the difference. But if Westerners try to warn that some products can be worthless even with a ‘Made in the USA" label, Russian customers don't seem to Pay any attention. When asked whether Barbie wasn't teaching their children a few bad lessons, such as the idea that sequins and blond hair and conspicuous con sumption bring happiness. the Russians look blank and confused To one Russian woman staring at a Barbie wearing a huge, pink glit- tering dress and standing beside a pink, plastic Ferrari, | asked whether she thought all Americans looked like that It is the season for sharing—responsibilities there will come a day when there is nothing left! Is this a concept too complex for our wise leaders to grasp! A few years ago, aboriginal peoples in Alberta discovered there was oil on their land. Sud. denly, everyone with any tenuous claim to belong to that tribe came out of the woodwork from across the nation Wednesday, July 22, 1992 The Castlegar Sun Letters to the Editor Inspection results should remain in perspective Dear Editor: I have just received a copy of the June 17 issue of the Castlegar Sun which includes the Story “Give Me A Brake”. It is recognized that brakes out of adjustment is the most com- mon violation found during road side commercial vehicle inspections. The assessment make by the inspector quoted in your story as to the number of The reserve was soon d to the point where the Chief said “Enough!” and they closed the list! The Chief was wise enough to see that if they continued to recognize all the takers legitimate sharers in the largesse, there soon would be no largesse to share! At a time when the proposal of native self government is very much on the minds of our constitutional nego- tiators, and when many Canadians feel that this is an honourable enterprize, many of us would feel more comfortable that native responsibilities be negotiated as well. By all means, our First Nations should share in the largesse Our First Nations should also take on their share of the burden of generating the largesse. This belief is the basis of most of the resent- ment shown toward our aboriginal peoples, resentment which will not be assuaged until the First Nations take on their share of the burdens of the partnership in Canada. It is the season for sharing! WILL YOU RELAX!2. _- WHAT 10U DONT. KNOW WONT HIRT YOU! Russia “Don't they?” nodding her head in the affirma tive If Barbie looks fresh off the beaches of Southern California, the standard Soviet doll conjures the image of someone at the end of a production line in Minsk. The dolls look sturdy and wholesome and homely. They are wearing simple aprons or small, lackluster dresses. The main concession.to childhood for these sad creatures is that they often have pink or blue hair. In some of the more tradition- al toy stores in Moscow, there is a certain resentment about how quickly the nation’s young have deserted this bulkier doll for the slim lines of Barbie or Cindy or their shapely friends. Russian toy manufacturers have tried to come up with their own version of Bar bie, creating the same general form and a shock of blond hair. Even the merchants who sell this Barbie like creature don't try to compare the Mattel Inc. version with the Veronika or Natasha created here in Moscow. Outside one Moscow toy store, Zoia Smimmova was sell ing the Russian Veronica for 300 rubles. “This is a lower quality than Barbie,” she acknowledged, not ing the drab, blue dress and thin, blond hair that must have about a fifth as many strands as Barbie's. “But after the children look at Barbie and the parents see the prices, they come here,’ Smirnova said. Some pay the price for a real Barbie anyway. ~My husband and I have just started vacation, and before vacation you always get a month's salary in advance. So we put ours together and - because we are not going anywhere this year and will spend the vacation with our parents - we can buy it,” said Gali na Gutovskaya. The Barbie their 10. year-old daughter wanted cost 1,690 rubles. Would that wipe out the vacation checks? she was asked Gutovskaya nodded and shrugged her shoulders helplessly My daughter is suffering without her.” she responded of dj brakes as nine out of ten, however, is gross- ly exaggerated. As the article pointed our, “the inspection team looks for signals to safety prob- lems to determine whether or not inspection of a particular vehicle will be undertaken.” To equate violations found on vehicles with obvious safety problems to the total vehicle population is unfair and inaccurate In a North American-wide road check done in May, of the 46,363 trucks selected for inspec- tion by a “sight and sound” screening process where only those which appeared most likely to have defects were stopped, 26.4 per cent were found to have defects, a 6.4 per cent decreased from 1991 statistics. In B.C. 865 vehicles were inspected, 31 per cent of which were placed out of service, a 13.5 per cent decrease from 1991. Of the vehicles placed out of service 85 per cent of those were required only to do a minor brake adjustment before they were allowed to proceed Truck drivers are required to keep their brakes properly adjust ed at all times and the Associa tion and the industry support enforcement activities such as the inspections which were carried out in Castlegar and elsewhere. It is important, however, to keep the Inspection results in perspective Rob Weston General Manager British Columbia Trucking Association, Port Coquitlam Gravel on Broadwater reflects bad planning Dear Editor: The following letter was sent to both Mr. Art Charbonneau, Minister of Transportation and Highwways, and our local MLA Mr. Ed Conroy. I felt that some- body had to say something about the gravel which was placed on Broadwater Road. Dear Mr. Charbonneau, This past week we have seen trucks literally litering the high- way in Robson (Broadwater Rd), with pea gravel. This gravel mov es in a direction to hit whatever is in its way as cars drive over it Furthering this dilemma lies the fact that there are no sidewalks for pedestrians to use, and the dust factor is also deplorable And by dumping all of this gravel on Broadwater Road, how does this fit with the government's programs to encourage tourism? Namely, this gravel was dumped only one day before our communi- ties celebrated Sunfest, during which many tourists visited this community and without a doubt, along with local residents, were not impressed at all the flying stones and dust on this major route. Better planning (and timing) sure would have prevailed here. During this time, I also hap pened to pick up a folded piece of Plastic, oozing with a tar-like composition, just past my proper- ty line. As I moved it to the garbage can, it made quite a mess as it ran onto my clothing and hands, The stark reality is that there are more tax hikes, and less rea- sonable government services. Nellie Lynne Chatten Robson Government has destroyed basic principles Dear Editor: Mr. Conroy’s letter in response to the BCMA criticism of Bill 71 contains multiple inaccuracies and supports my view that he has little knowledge of either the issues or the chronology of events that have occured. The government has not nego- tiated in good faith and appears never to have intended to. Mrs Cull has repeatedly left negotiat- ing meetings early (June 12, 14) At Whistler, on June 5 she put down an unrealistic deadline for negotiations to be completed by June 30, nine days later (June 14) she adjourned a meeting without having resolved a single issue She then announced she would introduce the legislation during the week of June 15-19 and would be unavailable to discuss it further. Mrs. Cull states that the BCMA will have full participa- tion in the management of the medical services budget (a tripar- tite govt - public - physician committee.) This is an excellent model but please note its recom- mendations are not binding to the Obituary Solecki On Tuesday, July 14, 1992, Gregor John “Harry” Solecki of Slocan, B.C. passed away at the Trail Regional Hospital at the age of 77 years. Funeral service was held July 18, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Fr. Wayne Pfliger officiating. Burial was in Slocan Cemetery. Mr. Solecki was bom October 5, 1914 at Eldorena, Alberta During his life he worked as a Section Foreman for the CPR He has lived at Slocan, B.C since 1956. Mr. Solecki was active in community affairs and served on City Council in his earlier years He is survived by two sons Glen and Mark, three daughters Bev, Bed and Laurie; five grand children, four great grandchil- dren; four brothers, Matt, Steve, Mike and Bill, one sister, Kay. He was predeceasedby his wife Mary in 1982 In lieu of flowers, contribu- tions may be made to the charity of one’s choice in memory of Harty Solecki Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Castle- gar Funeral Chapel Silver Rattle Antiques 301-11 Ave. Castlegar (in Tulips Building) 365-5191 Treasury Board. What good is input on a committee if the Trea- sury Board has no obligation to accept the wishes of the public and physician on the proposed committee. Mrs. Cull stated a willingness to continue the previous govt's form of a pension plan but to make it cost shared. This form of an RRSP is less tax advantageous but is still very acceptable as long as the govt. contribution remains the same, not half the amount as your party would wish.. The 25 million sum was accepted by ns in lieu of a fee in 1990. The BCMA in retrospect was unwise to trust politicians in this process - giving up a fee increase for a pension program that could be legislated away by his party. Our association wanted the ability to de-insure certain items and remove ICBC expenses from the fixed, non-negotiated sum of 1.27 billion, in order to stay with- in this figure. The NDP has refused this also. Why should the 40 million annual cost of injuries due to motor vehicle accidents come out of the MSP budget instead of the ICBC budget? See PRINCIPLES The govt. has refused to dis cuss binding arbitration over future fee disputes (now in place in seven provinces). On June 28 before breaking off negotiations Mrs. cull refused the use of a mediator to assist the parties in bridging the gap Mrs. Cull has not yet carried through with her program of pub. lic education, informing the peo ple of BC that expectation and unrealistic demands increase the costs of this tax-piard system, This is one program could solve a lot of the monetary problems; however government don't like to ask the public tc decrease use of the system as thi doesn't get them votes Mr. Conroy your Tett appears to be part of a prepared criticism wnitten by the party and distributed to NDP MLA’s. You have failed to listen to the physi cians in your district and feel their anger ment has destroyed basic princi The current govern ples I felt were the hallmark of the NDP - open communication honesty, arbitration, mediation and fairness*Bill 71 has been ~ 411A Thank you, from the Jubinville family Dear Editor: I'd like to take this opportu- nity to thank everyone for their kindness in bringing to us flow- ers and cards and even money. This has been a difficult time for my kids and me, but every- one has been so helpful, and. it really has made this tragedy eas- ier to bear. Todd would be grateful to everyone for all you've done for us. again. Nadine Jubinville, Dayna, Haley, Cassidy & Jessica Letters Policy “ters to the Editor are welcome on any topic of local or general interest Letters should be double-spaced, typewritten, or legibly hand- written, and no more than two pages if possible. Letters will be edited in the interests of brevity or taste if necessary. All 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 ( _ BEATTHEODDSON LUNG DISEASE Arm yourself with the latest lung facts from the B.C. e Lung Association. XK fT B.C. Lung Association tox 34000, Station DV nver. B.C V6) 4M2 a Luxury 2 Bedroom WATERFRONT Grand Prize $353,000 Condo at 1000 Beach Avenue 10 second CONDOMINIUM 81'S7600 cash + Only 9.900 tickets available * Oraw date September 11. 1992 All proceeds go to support ‘equipment and research at St Paul's Hospital In the St. Paul's Hospital Foundation Luxury Home Lottery port of the ST. PAUL'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION is appreciated end me ticket(s) at $100/ticket. 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