Wednesday, June 3, 19 Lu < o. = = - al Dave McCullough Publisher Circulation Manager Burt Campbell Publisher Emeritus L.V. Campbell Aug. 7, 1947- Feb. 15, 1973 Saturday at 197 Columbia Ave., OurWiEWS AdrianRAESIDE Unity is now within reach The current recess in negotiations for a renewed federalism really is a pause that refreshes, for it allows time to reflect on the magnitude of what is being accomplished. Hard issues won't disappear in the next week, but they will begin to seem less intractable. Alberta, for example, may well come to the realization that the dream of a pure Triple E Senate — an entirely reasonable goal, incidentally — is impossible. But in its place, Alberta and its allies may reach a compromise that achieves their objectives, and yet is more palatable to Ontario and Quebec: The federal government’s last- minute Senate scheme may not be exactly what Alberta and its allies wanted, but it may satisfy their goal of ensuring that fairness becomes integral to the federal decision- making process. Will the latest Senate proposal solve. the impasse? Will the patched- together strategies regarding Aboriginal self-government hold together? Will some other dispute raise its ugly head? We won't know for quite a while yet, but we can be certain that the negotiators, without exception, believe that what they are trying to achieve will lead to a stronger, better Canada. The good news is that they are probably closer to realizing that objective than even they know. When they return to the table, they'll finish the job. i DANGER ZONES FOR KiDS THIS SUMMER ... | nee Ma TY: EES aneaw -PROGEANTS CAUSE BRAN WES [-maviae CURB needs a name change I’m having a little trouble Flux are probably thinking understanding the Coalition Unaccepting Rash Bureau- cracy. It’s not the group I have trouble with, it’s the name. See, by its very name, CURB has put itself in a° confrontational position with Castlegar’s elected officials. I mean, let’s face it, no matter how you spell it out, the Coalition Unaccepting Rash Bureaucracy hardly |. } Harrison “2 Comparison balls to the head, but I believe the group must change its name if it is community. ze suggestion would be Association or the Castl- egar Ratepayers’ Ass- sounds like a group that is ready to buy flowers before attending an afternoon tea with Audrey Moore, Doreen Smecher, Kirk Duff or whoever. With that in mind, I think the time has come for CURB to dump it’s cutesy acronym — which, according to what I’ve been told, was selected prior to the words themselves — in favor of something more politically and community correct. I know Michael O’Connor and Walter. long run, I think it would be bette accepted. CURB has long been saying it’s thi Rodney Dangerfield of Castlegar, getting respect and no answers out of city hal Between you and me, who can blame th city? After all, I know I wouldn’t be hustli my butt off for a group that wants to us my own information to assassinate me. please see HARRISON page Street TALK Question: Do you think litter is a big problem in Castlegar? to themselves that I’ve ™ taken too many soccer 7 ever to be accepted by this With that said;-a quick 7 something along the lines” of the Castlegar Residents” ociation. A simple CRA Sure CRA lacks the punch of a CURB, but, in the - Castlegar, B.C. wih Brian Roberts Blueberry Mike Mortimer Castlegar Tracy Johnson Castlegar Mina Briggeman Castlegar “People don’t recognize it as a problem, but yes it is.” “Yes, a very big problem.” “Yes, in some areas it is.” “Yes, but it can be dealt with.” @ Wednesday, June 3, 1992 AThe News OtherVIEWS Please address all letters to: Letters to the ditor Castlegar News P.O. Box 3007 V1N 3H4 or deliver them to 197 Columbia Ave. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and not longer than 300 words. Letters MUST be signed and include the writer's first and last names, address anda telephone number at which the writer can be reached between 9a.m. and 5 p.m. The writer's name and city or town of residence only will be published. Only in exceptional cases will letters be published anonymously. Even in those cases, the name, address and phone number of the writer MUST be disclosed to the editor. The News reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality, grammar Letters toWHE EDITOR | Garbage bylaw should be scrapped _ The Slocan Valley Concerned Citizens Forum submitted a brief to the May 27th meeting of the Area H Advisory Planning Commission, held at the Women’s Institute Hall in Slocan. The following is a portion of that brief: “We respectfully request that Proposed Bylaw 923 be rescinded in its entirety. Further, we also request that any other Bylaws presently in place within Electoral Aea H pertaining to land use in any degree or form be immediately opened to public input and discussion, with a view to their alteration or veto as reflected by public forum. The opinion of the electorate within Area H was made clear at the public meeting held at the Winlaw Hall on April 30, 1991. At this meeting a motion on the floor to totally rescind Proposed Bylaw 923 was voted on, the result of the vote being 106-3. This posiiton of overwhelming public opposition has continued to be voiced in subsequent open democratic meetings of the Concerned Citizens Forum. Any community consists of the individuals within it — rich and poor, young and old. The hopes and dreams of each individual, their personal preferences and beliefs, are a part of the overall community spirit and lifestyle. We are proud of the fact that our ethnic backgrounds, abilities and tastes are so diverse. We think of our community as a radiant ‘mosaic of dispariate individuals who have chosen the more casual, ‘laid back’ style of life which the Slocan Valley exemplifies. The type of unwarranted, paternalistic interference by government which Proposed Bylaw 923 allows is totally against the lifestyle of this community. The sweeping terms of the bylaw and its negative approach represent bureaucratic tyranny at its worst. We believe that any restriction of an individual’s right to do what he/she wishes with his/her private land must come from a general consensus of the community. The fact that this bylaw can, and presently is, being used against a specific individual (Mr. Frank Kootnikoff of Krestova), proves that it has the potential to be extremely devisive. At a time when our federal government is trying to reconcile all the diverse groups which make up our country . .. to heal the wounds of the past and ‘bring home’ a Canadian constitution . .. we submit that legislation as potentially devisive as Bylaw 923 is ill-conceived and ill-timed, and might even be considered unpatriotic. With reference to the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights, we submit that land use bylaws are sensitive in the extreme. Proposed Bylaw 922 is seen by many as contrary to the rights of the individual to privacy and to freedom of expression and action. We also submit that this bylaw does not appear to uphold the individual’s right to be protected from persecution, and the implied attitude it contains is against the principle that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. It is our contention that the only restriction on property use which might be accepted by our community at this time would be with regard to control of pollution (Le. burning of quantities of tires) and prevention of collection or dumping of unwholesome or noxious materials that are potentially harmful to the environment (i,e. chemical or radioactive waste). These activities are more within the scope of the Environmental Protection Act (which is already attempting to deal with them). We wish to request a more positive approach be taken with regard to items ‘covered under Proposed Bylaw 923 and defined therein as ‘unsightly’. We have several proposals, and believe a request for submissions from the public would result in a number of other viable alternatives the community would find far preferable to legal charges and summary conviction. We see the proposals as being positive activities that counteract unsightliness while at the same time nurture community spirit. Such ac ivities fit in with our lifestyle and the counnity as a whole and encourage greater cohesion. All too often elected officials at every government level make decisions on their own because they believe the ‘person on the street’ does not want to be involved, or believes that politics are too complicated. In other words, apathy. The only way to change this situation is for each of us to stand up for what we believe. If we do not like the decisions our officials make, we must be willing to say as much. We were pleased to be allowed to submit this brief, and encouraged by the receptiveness of the Advisory Planning Commission members. Slocan Valley Concerned Citizens Forum Winlaw, B.C. Thanks for the support On behalf of the Canadian Red Cross Society in the Kootenays, I want to thank everyone who supported our Caribbean Cruise Raffle. The winners of the two : cruises were Anne Buchignani from Trail and Sandra Wilkinson from Invermere. Harry Grossmith Financial Resources Coordinator Castlegar Glad you could make it Four members of Celgar Development Ltd. 1952 visited Castlegar and Celgar as a 40-year reunion of the organization: Those attending were: Jack McKinnon, Al Longworth, Ulff Lonegren and Fred Waldie. Bill Bedden could not make it, nor could office clerk Frenee Spence. Those who did make it out enjoyed their visit and were glad to see Ce lgar Pulp Co.’s mill expansion going ahead. Ed Flynn Castlegar Please address all letters to: Letters to the Editor Castlegar News P.O. Box 3007 Castlegar, B.C. V1N 3H4 or deliver them to 197 Columbia Ave. Letters should be double-spaced and not longer than 200 words. Letters MUST be signed and include the writer's first and last names, address and a telephone number at which the writer can be reached between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The writer’s name and city or town of residence only will be published. Only in exceptional cases will letters be published anonymously. Even in those cases, the name, address and phone number of the writer MUST be disclosed to the editor. The News reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality, grammar and taste. - Poetry will NOT be accepted. Harrison continued from page 6 Speaking of assassinations, question that logic, after all, O’Connor routinely sprays interesting interesting gatherings of people. are interested in is building a The better Castlegar. and taste. those, too, have to stop. I’m sure CURB thinks they are going about things the right way, but you can only hammer at a door so long before it’s forever slammed in your face. I’m certain that there are a lot of people in Castlegar that have written CURB off as a gang of nonconformist yahoos who have nothing better to do than to be the burr in the city’s saddle, Based on CURB’s first four months, it would be hard to verbal assaults on city council. But O’Connor isn’t CURB and CURB isn’t O’Connor. Instead, CURB is a citizens group comprised of 150 members — not bad in a city of 6,700. And of. those 150 members, you'll find mild- mannered business owners, articulate lawyers, independent contractors and average Joes. Out of curiosity, ’ve attended both of CURB’s meetings. For the most part, they are exchanges have been open, honest and frank — sometimes more frank than sensitive ears can handle. What comes out of these meetings though, is quite interesting. Separating rhetoric from facts, there is a reoccurring theme to these meetings. CURB may shake a few foundations a little harder than most of us would like, but its bottom line is quite simple — the only thing these people When you really think about it, CURB and city council may be more similar than they choose to admit. On one hand is a citizens _group that wants Castlegar to be the best it can be. On the other is an elected council committed to the same goal. CURB must recognize this and make changes accordingly. Only then, can it contribute to Castlegar the way it says it wants to.