sites What would you rather be doing? y's car Playing with my trucks Drivers are playing it safe KAREN KERKHOFF Sun staff It's not cool anymon safe, and it’s no longer acceptable Most people reali that drinking and driving don’t mix and Castlegar RCMP member Corporal Al Hudema couldn't be happier They must t behaving th 1 ( the whole attitud: ing and driving is changing Hudema said roadcheck as the highly successful Christma: CounterAttack Program, 1s help about drink ing educate people that mung the two just doesn't cut it, “What w see now mostly is repeat offenders. Hudema said that during the current CounterAttack people are choosing to de er, and that has paid « and more we ha that someone has nated driver. Peoph there are roadchecks out there Of over the 3.000 dnvers who have been stopped since December 8, not one has been impaired. Ther have been 18 roadside ening tests administered, five 24-hour suspensions, and tv issued. In total there have bh toadchecks conducted Castlegar area since Place a shiny n So you say you'r realize that January finally fin ished your Christmas shopping and you're ready to just sit back relax, and enjoy the holiday. But wait! What about Fido? Doesn't he get a package to open Ch mas morning If you'r i your family f¢ Christma pp Castlegar City Hall you should be heading City Staff say 1994 dog tags have arrived and are ready for purchase. Simply visit anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m The benefits of a dog tag are If your dog is lost, the chance is greater that your beloved pet will be returned home sooner. As well. if the ani mal contro! offficer dog running loose. the 1994 tay will save you mon And after Christma money ts on Photo right will be placir for her Ruby year atches your on fin Springs under The ¢ Submitted Proceed from a meeting held at the Bril of more than $1,200 lant Cultural Centre on Decem ber LO will be used to assist the Canadian Red Cross Society in its medical relief program in Russia The money was raised during in information event featuring Bruce Miller, a Red Cross worker who recently returned from Rus sia. According to Red Cross Pets for Christmas - Good intention, but a bad idea KAREN KERKHOFF Sun Staff They're cute, theyre cuddly but they're not suitable for a Christmas gift Often the losers in the Christ mas gift exchange tradition are tnimals, which well intentioned ift-givers incorrectly assume will be “the perfect gift”. In their eal to find just the right gift, the gift-givers might inadvertently be taking the trusting. would-be pet out of the fat and throwing him into the fire Branch Manager of the Trail S.P.C.A Bnan Brownrigg, agrees and explained why The excitement level is high There's tinsel, people, glass balls and ail this foreign stuff around The stress on the critter is astro- nomical Brownrigg suggests that iistead of placing a wrapped box containing a frightened pet under 1 tree, parents might instead place a leash, a bag of pet food, a »k on pet care, or a collar the wee instead as Cute. Photos can be just and just as exciting ander Due to the new pet's excitabili ty in its new surroundings, and to the season's busyness, Brownrigg said that quite often the pet will not adjust as quickly —or at all When that happens, Brownrigg and hi » deal with the sad results o-employees often havc We get calls from concemed trom people, and we get animals turned into us. Last year was the worst—we got 12." Il. for those who already pets in the home Brownrigg s some further advice. ‘If your pet gets into’ some thing don’t give them a hard tume—it’s foreign to them. The best pet in the world can't resist the temptation. If your cat climbs 4 tree don't give it heck for what they do naturally It is suggested that poisonous plants, such as poinsettias, are well out of a curious pet's reach As well, Brownrigg suggests securing ornaments to the trees and making sure that pets don't ingest tinsel as it can cut their If you find a strand of tinsel hanging out of your pet don't pull it out—snip it off advised Brownrigg intestines instead i ew tag under the tree for your pet astiegar Sun Regional Director ry Ock enden, “The project in Russia is providing critical medical sup plies targeted to hospitals serving the needs of children and preg nant women, We've done tull issessments to properly target the uid and workers like Bruce are on hand when the goods arrive-—1o make sure they arrive safely and vel to their proper destinations Dunng the meeting at the Cul tural Centre Nick Verigan pre $200 semted a cheque to Grade five students from Kinnaird Middle School were kept busy these last couple of weeks collecting non-perishable goods from their fellow students. The food items were then packaged and sent to the Legion where they were placed in family food hampers. Well done students! Wednesday, December 22, 1993 USCC boosts Russian relief Ockenden from the USCC Koote nay Men's Group. The ladies Auxiliary matched that by waiv ing the fee for refreshments and donating the money instead to the Russia Relief Campaign, The rest of the contribution came in through donations collected at the door About 125 people attended the presentation, which was co sponsored by the Red Cfoss and USCC. John Verigin Jr. reminded the audience that December 10 was World Human Rights Day . . TSS SUN STAFF PHOTO / Shajlene Imhott Giving a pet for Christmas is not the perfect gift, and good intentions can soon be seen as a bad idea. Government nibbles at CP purchase offer SHARLENE IMHOFF Sun Editor The provincial government has decided to nibble at the bait Canadian Pacific Railway has set in offering to sell the Boundary ubdivision known as the Ketth Valley Railway line nthe lin CP Spokesperson John Tin mins told The Castlegar Sun th rnment’s purchase off came through only last week, and that negotiations are now under- way between the two. Every time we abandon a line there is a series of steps and in one of them the govern- ment is offered the land at market valuc Deadline for government 0 b tended. An pending une the other i t Frid cing Nevotiated tfer is now idents ot the area say like to see the line turned into a type of park that would offer a walking path to be 4 1 by nature enthusiasts and that the topic of the meeting fit well with this theme “Obviously there is a great interest in Russia in this a . said Ockenden x reassuring to learn once again that the interest is also humanitar ian in nature, | think there lot of people in the Castlega who are reajly concerned about the deteriorating conditions in Russia. I'm pleased that so many of them are offering to help through the Red Cross Wednesday, December 22 Students help peers by cooking Christmas dinner Submitted Christmas is a time for love and sharing. A time of being with friends and fami- ly. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, especially when your career path leads you away from home. Many students at Selkirk College find themselves in this situation. In previous years, students have stayed in their apartments or in res- idence, alone, with Kraft Dinner and beans being their joyous meal, washed down with a cold glass of Kool-Aid. Christmas, them, can be a gloomy, lonely space of time, while waiting for semester two to bégin. Besides being alone and feeling depressed, many of them have run out of money, since the education. al loan they received in September has long since been depleted and new resources. do not arrive until January. Some of these stu dents have come from far away places such as; Chin: Singapore. and Japan. For these young adults the problem is compounded by the fact that they are now all’alone in a foreign coun- try, still not fully under- standing the language therefore unable to commu- nicate effectively Sometimes Canadians do not make the effort to make these people feel welcome and at case. Their differ- ences are recognized, yet their similarities are ignored. Christmas is the perfect time to show them that, as Canadians, we respect human being s of all origins and want them to feel welcome in our country Students for Students was organized this year to ensure that students wouldn't be totally alone during Christmas. As a result, students have orga- nized the first annual Christmas dinner for fellow students who are unable to be with their families this year. The response to this idea has been incredible. People are volunteering happily, and local business- es such as Safeway, LG.A., Castlegar Foods, and John- ny’s Groceries have cheer- fully donated food and money to help students with their goal. We would like to thank the community for its sup- port and for their kind dona- tions. If anyone else would like to help students with food, money of tifne, they may contact the college at 365- 7292 and leave @ message for Sam Bishay. The dinner itself will take place on December 23 at the Robson Hall on Waldie Rd., near the fire department Volunteers will be there at noon to prepare the hall and begin food preparation. If you are a student and you would like to join us for dinner, please come, there is no charge ae The true spirit of Christmas was clearly evident when Jerry Rust, (|) along with many volunteers helped sort food and fill 101 Christmas Hampers being put together by the Castlegar Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. In addition to the hampers, for which there is an increased demand this year, the Castlegar Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion will be distributing toys to 198 children. Besides the canned and dry food over 2,000 pounds of fresh vegetables was collected and then distributed in the hampers. Castlegar Volunteer Fire- 1993 fighters will be helping deliver the Christmas hampers. The Castlegar Sun SUN STAFF Page 3A WEATHER Lacie! forecast for Wednesday; mostly cloudy with highs of -1. Extended outlook for A LOOK BACK AT THE PAST WEEK | a +A0.4 Normal Mean:........ 2.0 the week: \ occasional flurries. JV. Rain: snow Ff \ \D Snow Total: . ARROW LAKE Beehive burners soon a thing of the past SUN STAFF Operators of beehive burners that bum sawmill wood residue have until March 31, 1994 to provide the provincial govern ment with plans for phasing out the burmers. Environment Minister Moc Sihota said the wood residue management, policy calls for the phased elimination of these inefficient wood residue bum ers. Beehive burners in urban centres and smoke-sensitive areas Such as transportation cormidors and recreation areas will be phased-out by 1996. All remaining burners will begin to be phased-out in 1998 The Vidal report, released last September by the Ministry of Health, clearly identified smoke from beehive burners as a contributor to respiratory health problems. The 170 bee hive burners in the province dispose of nearly five million dry tonnes of wood residue annually. In the process, harm: ful particulates are released into the air and the smoke reduces visibility Sihota announced he has accepted the recommendations of a joint government-industry task force report on wood The task force was formed last February residue management to study solutions to managing wood residue at sawmills shake and shingle mills and log sort operations Among its recommenda tions, the task force asks gov tment to encour and assist with alternatives to burning wood residue Options may include methods to recover energy from effi- cient incinerators, turning residue into cleaner fuels such as ethanol; or recycling residue into particleboard and fuel pellets Local business owner first to challenge new OCP SHARLENE IMHOFF Sun Editor A rezoning application, brought before city council last week, may be the first big chal lenge this new council has to face Arrow Building Supplies owner, Quinto Maida, has made an application to rezone the prop- erty his business is situated on, along 6th Avene, to Light Indus trial. However, Maida’s rezoning request goes against the recently completed and adopted Offic ial Community Plan, which desig- nates that particular area as Mixed Use Transition, targetting predominantly commercial and multi-family residential The new city council will have to determine if a growing lumber yard is something they wish to see in that area of town, particu larly when other areas are zoned Light Industrial under the OCP, a document that regulates zoning, and took more than 18 months to complete. “An awful lot of work and thought went in to the OCP, so we definitely have to take a seri ous look at his proposal. It may come to going to the public.” Although challenges to the new OCP put council on the edge and have the potential to encour age spot development throughout the city, this particular challenge has an important twist that falls in Maida’s favor. “The fact is his business was there before the OCP was Most dangerous The B.C. Association of Optometrists has issued a list of 14 toys that have the potential to cause serious eye damage BCAO President, Dr. Rex Graham says the most powerful toy, the Super Soaker Rocket, uses a water pressure system to rapidly fire a blunt missile up to 709 metres. Along with 11 more dangerous projectile toys, the Association is warning parents about two other toys that could inadvertant ley harm a child's eyes. “The mascara brush in the Color-Ups Fash- ion Cosmetics kit can easily: scratch the front surface of the eye.” said Dr. Graham, “and a slime called *Gak Splat’ contains chemicals that can burn the cornea.” In 1992, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 12,000 people were treated at hopsital emer gency rooms for toy related eye injuries “Since not all eye injuries are treated in hospi tals you can be sure the total number of eye injuries was much greater. Children are not always capable of playing safely, especially when younger siblings are involved, said Dr. Graham. The packaging terms “safe” or “soft” are relative to the speed of an object and where or how it strikes the body. “A toy may destroy the eye with same impact that would only cause mild pain on impact with another part of the body ae SUNSHINE 4, PHOTO / Joh” Van Putten Z Number of Hours:.. a bAN * Normal Number of Hours: ........ 73 Forecast provided by The South Dec. 17 1421.2 ft. * Dec. 25 1419.1 ft. ¢ TREND - $ Kevgevceaseuavecnceiys 8.4 East Interior Weather Office at Castlegar, B.C. RESERVOIR FORECAST - 1993 The eyes are extremely vulnerable to cataract or retinal injury.” Parents should consider how these toys could be used, especially in the hands of a younger child for whom the toy was not intended, said Dr. Graham. He called on the toy manufacturers to be more alert to these hazards when designing toys on the first place °93 Dangerous Toys List 1. Color-Ups Fashion Cosmetics For ages eight and up. A cosmetic kit that includes & mascara brush, that could easliy severly scratch the eye 2. Air Pressure Super Soaker Rocket For ages eight and up, this large rocket with 1 power pump can shoot 200 feet straight up to speeds of 50 mph 3. Pterodactyl Flyer (age five and up) Tail wind Long Distance Flyer (age eight and up) These platic and pressed foam gliders that fire off a spring loaded gun will shoot for more than 50 feet. The soft nose is pointed and could easliy cause a severe eye injury at close range 4. Electronic B.O.T.S. For ages five and up, these Ninja robots fire a hard platic disc at a length of 15 feet 5. Zooka Force Commandos toys list released For ages four and up, these four-inch tall commando fire a semi-hard foam arrow up to 40 feet 6. Snailiens Supersonic Shell Fighters For ages five and up, these figures shoot hard platic balls wiht rough edges, unpre- dictably, up to 30 feet, with enough power to break the skin. 7. Gak Splat For ages six and up, this rubbery slime type product leaves a residue on the hands that will bur if entered into the eyes. The residue can tlso cause an allergic rash to the sensitive areas of the skin. 8. Whistle Missile Air Pressure Pistol For ages six and up, this pistol shoots semi- hard foam ‘pointed fect. The point makes it easier to cause a more missiles more than 50 severe injury 9. Balzac. Super Star Soft Ninja Throwing Star For ages six and up, the weighted Ninja star with padded sharp points, can be thrown up to 100 feet. The points could cause a more seri- ous eye injury 10. Trendmasters Air Zooka For ages five and up, this item firs a hard foan arrow up to 100 feet. Other dangerous toys include: Nerf Arrowstorm Gatling Unit; Nerf Missile Blaster and the Nerf Sharp Shooter changed. You just can’t up and boot a guy out. Although we have to remain as close to the OCP as possible, we can't destroy a business either,” said Pakula. Maida made the same applica tion earlier, and back then, the city’s Development and Planning Advisory Planning Commission (APC) recommended to the city that Maida’s proposal meet with approval At the time however, the city was in the midst of revamping the OCP, so Maida was told to resubmit his proposal at a later date “It may go back to the current APC. It's definitely something that will careful thought.” deserve Santa has many helpers, and Canada Post employee, Linda Paterson is one of them. Postal employees are working feverishly to sort the packages which Castle- gar Canada Post is buried under during the Christmas season. - SUN STAFF City Council 1s contemplating 1 from b the proposal it recety two Montrose devcloy have plans to construct »4 unit 1 condominium on the 2100 block of Columbia Avenu According to a memorandum trom the Dir 1 Develop ‘Montrose developers look to Castlegar for condo idea ment Services, the proposal is consistent with the recently updated Official Community Plan, since it is categorized as special residential. Each suite in the condominium would be three storeys tall Daljit and Jaspal Sandhu have told city hall they would like to begin construction of the project in early spring According to the city mem randum, the proposed develo} ment will include a central! located grassed area as well fountain and park benches. Tt perimeter of the site will conta trees, shrubs and grass. Th developers will be providing th city with a landscaping proposal | | | After r paper a story about a bear paw illegally cut from a road kill in They had absolutely no idea 1 before receiving their develoy ment permit the Thrums area, a couple from Genelle has turned themselves in Megal to the local conservation office read about the incident in the According to Conservation Officer Barry Farynuk, the couple saw the dead bear and decided to aiding in a local news could give the that what they were sand Far nuk newspaper. Then they Knowing the arich remove one of the paws, so thes iws to their kids upset and embarrassed Couple turn selves in Genelle man and woman admit to removing bear paw from road kill { their actions, the couple imme diately called Farynuk who went their residence to retrieve the bear paw. “They had no doing anything illegal. They just doing was intent of “Unul the didn't know were prett Ignorance of the law doesn't mean a full pardon however, the urround couple was fined $100