Wednesday February 3, 1993 m _TheFARSIDE By Gary Larson “You didn’t give me a chance to elaborate, friend. ... Mitsy doesn't bite, but man, can she kick!” PolicCBEAT An equalizer, two stereos and a CB radio were stolen J: an. 29 from three vehicles parked in the Lion’s Head Pub parking lot. Police have no suspects. ece James Menzies’ 1989 Mazda sustained some $400 damage af- ter it was hit while parked in the 400 block of 13th Avenue Jan. 30. Castlegar RCMP have no witnesses or suspects. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact police. eco Monica Rizzotti, 25, of Robson was driving northbound on Broadwater Road Jan. 31 when she swerved to miss what she thought was a coyote and drove into the ditch. There was $4,000 damage to the vehicle and Rizzotti received minor neck injuries. No charges will be laid. eee Allan Negrey, 34, of Castlegar was driving westbound on Ar- row Lakes Drive when he collided with a deer Monday morning. There were no injuries and $1,000 damage was incurred. No charges will be laid. Paint another Rider truck for old time sake, Sweetie. L IPP ee eee sss Issel lS) Peers aaah T J All Our Best From CASTLEGAR FOODS 635 Columbia Ave. ¢ 365-5755 ective T ., February 4 to Wed., February 10 CAMPFIRE BACON 500 g pkg. os California Grown FRESH BROCCOLI 1.52 kg. ..69 Nature's Path ORGANIC CEREALS Asst. ¢ 250 g min. President's Choice COFFEE Reg. ¢ Fine © Ex. Fine 1.1 kg. ¢ Limit 1 12 roll pkg. © limit 1 FOREMOST SOUR CREAM . Reg. or light ¢ 500 g. 99 CASTLEGAR FOODS NE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES HOURS: Mon.-Thurs., Sat. 9-6; Fri. 9-8 OPEN SUNDAYS 10 a.m.-5 p.m. & SAUCE 5 Varities 124 g min. @ Wednesday February 3, 1993 dTheNews SecondFRONT CALL THE NEWS @General Inquiries 365-7266 OUR HOURS __ The News is located at 197 Columbia Ave. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on weekends and statutory holidays. SUB RATES The News is published by Castile News Ltd. for Canwest number 0019. Cominco issues lock-up orders @ Slumping zinc prices prompts Trail smelter to close for April and August Scott David Harrison Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTERS Cominco is closing its doors. Slumping world metal prices has prompted the Trail smelter to close down for the months of April and August. “Primarily it’s the very low zinc prices and oversupply of zinc on the market,” Cominco’s Ri Fish said. The inventory of zinc on the London Metal Exchange has tripled over 1992. Cominco states the shutdown will reduce its zinc pro- duction by 50,000 tonnes for 1993. Already the announcement has had an immediate impact on the industry. Fish said zinc prices have hit an eight-week high on the London Metal Exchange after Cominco made public its plan to shut down. But he added that other zinc producers are go- ing to have to take action as well to help stabi- lize the market. The company reports a loss of $30.2 million for 1992 and was hardest hit in its fourth quar- ter. Common shares plummeted by $1.21 for a consolidated fourth quarter loss of $95.2 mil- lion. That compares to a loss of $16.3 million for the same period in 1991. “Metal prices really fell in the fall,” Fish said. He added that Cominco’s Trail operations “took a write-off” on its QSL lead smelter which didn’t work. . Rossland-Trail MLA Ed Conroy also blamed the closure on world markets. “It’s the nature of the industry and industries,” he said Tuesday. “When you rely on natural resources for your entire industry — whether it be lumber or mining — you are susceptible to the ups and downs of changing markets and market prices. Conroy said the closure only heightens Cominco’s need to get its failed lead smelter working. “The key thing is that new smelter,” he said. “If they can get that new smelter going, it will help them better manage with the ups and downs of world markets.” Pointing to shutdowns he expressed during his work in the forest industry, Conroy said he feels for Cominco employees. “It’s never a pleasant situation for anyone, whether it be the merchant, a worker or an entire town. I just hope it doesn’t impact tog severely on the local economy.” A spokesperson with the United Steelworkers of America could not be reached for comment Monday or Tuesday. The closure will effect 2,200 employees, leaving Cominco with skeleton crews for maintenance duties. It’s not the first time Cominco has closed its doors. The company shut down for a month in July 1982 after announcing an indefinite clo- sure. Fish said monthly shutdowns were also a regular practice in the early 1960s. ROSY FUTURE i Pope and Talbot employees net whopping Five Pope and Talbot workers hit it big Thursday, winning $500,010 with the 6/49 Extra. On hand in Kamloops to collect their huge pay day were (left to right) Mario Chaves, Chuck Tuma, Ed Chaves and Rob Parisotto. Missing from the photo is the fifth lucky man, Tony Chaves. Local men share 6/49 jackpot “I don’t think I'd say no to the Extra again,” Ministers gather in Castlegar @ Glen Clark, Robin Blencoe accept invitation to speak to public at local open house Scott David Harrison EDITOR The New Democrats are bringing grassroots politics to Castlegar. After some gentle arm- twisting from Rossland-Trail MLA Ed Conroy, Finance Minister Glen Clark and Municipal Affairs Minister Robin Blencoe have agreed to conduct an one-hour public meeting this Thursday. “This is just a terrific opportunity for people to partake in (the budget) process,” Conroy said. “Even if you don’t agree with what Clark or Blencoe have been doing, this is an opportunity to ask them a lot of questions.” $500,010 after saying yes to 6/49 Extra Corinne Jackson NEWS REPORTER Five local men have hit the 6/49 jackpot. Chuck Tuma, Rob Parisotto and brothers Ed, Mario and Tony Chaves have spent unknown amounts of money on lottery tickets in the last 15 years. On Thursday, their efforts paid off big time as the five co-workers collected a $500,010 tax-free cheque. “I was kind of shaking and excited — I couldn’t believe it,” Tuma said Monday from ps. Tuma said every month the group has been putting in $10 each and buying 6/49 tickets that are good for 10 consecutive draws. Any winnings have then been put toward buying the Extra ticket. The men won $10 on the 6/49 and a whopping half million dollars on the Extra. Tuma. said, remembering all the times they had said no. Tuma said it’s hard to estimate how much they have spent on lottery tickets over the years, but the big win more than makes up for any money spent in the past. The group had to drive to the B.C. Lotto Centre in Kamloops to collect their winnings. “We just took our time. We wanted to live to collect our money,” he said. Tuma said the group — all Pope and Talbot employees — plans to continue working. Parisotto will pay off his mortgage and then go south. . As for the Chaves brothers, they plan on helping their children out with school. Tuma said he’s going to need some help from his wife, daughter and grandchildren in deciding what to do with the winnings. “I never thought I’d win this kind of money before so I never really thought about it.” The one-hour public meeting, hosted by the Castiagar and District Chamber of Commerce, begins at 10 a.m. at the Sandman Inn. It will be followed by another public meeting Thursday at Nelson’s Capital Theatre, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Both meetings are designed to get public input before the government releases its 1993 budget. “I think the people locally — whether they be from Cominco in Trail, Celgar or Selkirk College — should take this opportunity to talk with the rs about ir concerns,” nroy i - “It’s important for le to attend in order to hanes Sales in what the government is planning to do.”