OPINION WEDNESDAY, July 19, 1995 SZ The ea ‘stl HIS Serving the 10,000 people of the Castlegar Area, The Castlegar Sun 's published every Wednesday by Lid, at 465 Columbia Ave. Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1G8. The Castiegar Sun is politi cally indapencient and & member of the Storing News Service, Canadian C: . B.C Newspapers Assocation, and the B.C Press Coun Eat 28, 1990 Mail iar Sun PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG SHARLENE IMHOFF CHRISTINE MOYER EDITOR PRODUCTION MANAGER GARY SCHNEIDER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT CATHERINE ROSS SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER ADVERTISING REP. MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA OFFICE/CIRCULATION MANAGER = ADVERTISING REP. CARI ROHN FRED JACK CLASSIFIED ADS ADVERTISING REP. KAREN KERKHOFF REPORTER JEFF GABERT Direct Copacinent Phones: General Office i Circulation Classified Ads Display Advertising Newsroom Fax cCNA ‘& CNA " Pome as sos editorial comment Thumbs up! Thumbs down! To provincial Labor Minister Dan Miller for finally seeing the light at the end of a dark and dreary tunnel leading to the Worker’s Compensa- tion Board. Miller suspended the Board of Govemors last week after finally recognizing how dysfunctional it had become. Double thumbs up for Terry Dalton who had the foresight and tenacity to call for such a move more than a year ago. This Castlegar lawyer knew long before anyone that the Board of Govemors was no longer looking out for injured workers and their families. To the. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources for not requiring that in-depth testing be done of proposed gravel pits before remov- ing fill. This lack of foresight has resulted in an ugly eyesore to locals who must pass by the Stanbra Pit every day on their way to work. The company which removed the fill from that area has attempted to clean up the site, however, unique geological challenges has made that close to impossible. The ministry has spent thousands of dollars on geotechnicians who must now try to determine how the pit can be reclaimed. This appears to be a typical example of closing the barn door after the cow got out To local RCMP, firefighters and ambulance crews who attended to a two vehicle accident last week near Trowelex. The team arrived at the scene only minutes after the accident was reported, and did an excellent job of removing a trapped motorist and keeping traffic moving in a safe and efficient manner. To Castlegar city council for rec- ognizing the need for cycling paths around town. Council will be starting a traffic study soon and part of that Study includes looking at alternate transportation. We're certain that local cyclists will want to Provide their input to the study. To West Kootenay women Anne Pellerine and Gail Ogley who spent time in Guatemala advocating better working conditions for factory work- ers in that country, It must be difficult to see such harsh conditions and real- ize that there are still many hurdles to be crossed before significant improvement is made. Perhaps your efforts seem small, but to the people in Guatemala they are truly significant ERRORS: » advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for tamages arising out of errors in any advertisement beyond the _AMount paid tor the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the neg! of its servants or and there shall be no habilty for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. All advertising subject to publisher's approval Contracts must be completed within one year trom contract date No contingent orders accepted BY aNT-H FOUR CONSTITUTION WaS WRITTEN ii a eT-IAW CYCHSTS: HHO GAET “sal Pry bIaCKLOP weir LiNeo' seionial and Le expenses Paid aaa sex or nace, Wave tre Quarankeed ACiSTS, a ens co ride Eni bikeS Without ANY at 20 mph. hit tne 4 ofe bei vies a 0 iin tor Mei Principal admired for principles Every once in a while, if we're lucky, someone enters our life who makes an enduring difference. Call it a quirk of fate, or an act of God, but now and then paths cross for a fleeting moment. Long after they're gone their essence lingers, forever changing our direction in life. Most of us have met someone who has touched our life, and our hearts, in a way that no one else ever could. For me, that person was a man who was dying of brain cancer. I was a nurse at Trail Hospital and was helping to care for him. It’s strange—I can‘t remember his name, but I remember the dignity in which he conducted the final days of his life. I remember how he made every moment with his family count, and how he valiantly fought to hide the excruciating pain from his wife and two young sons. Every day would bring a decline in his health. Then came the day when the cancer invaded the area of his brain which controls speech. But that didn't stop him from savoring life, or his family. He merely found other ways in which to communicate Each challenge that reared its head was swiftly answered. He didn’t allow them to detract from his life—he simply regarded them as character-building opportunities. His final days were spent with nurses who had the duty to sit with him as his life ebbed away. I was one of those nurses At first I feared that Death would sneak in while it was my tum to be with him. I was fearful of Death, and I don’t mind admitting that I still am. I was afraid that Death would linger Robson prinicpal Grant Lenarduzzi on me the way the odor of tobacco clings to all it touches. Then came the-day Death knocked on his door. I wasn’t there, so I didn’t see his final moments as he greeted Death. I felt relieved— AN INSIDE LOOK KAREN KERKHOFF and guilty. His death stayed with me a long time. But I realize now that his life isn’t measured on that moment of transition, but rather in the deeds he did. His fearlessness and love for his family remain with me—not the specific moments leading to death I consider myself privileged to have been part of this nameless man’s life. I am one of the lucky people whose life has been enriched by the existence of some- one else. But this column isn’t about me, or this man. This column is about another man who has touched many young and impressionable lives. This is about a man who has made a discemable difference to a community which, until he arrived, had little pride or focus. It's about a Principal who breathed life “to a school and a community making it vibrant and whole. I should know, because I live in that community In two years Grant Lenarduzzi has taken Robson Elementary. School, its students and the com- munity and given us an identity. Do you have something Osa? — Send it to the Editor and label your envelope My Turn. There was no job too large—or too small if it meant benefit to those who call Robson their home. With compassion, enthusiasm and fore- sight, he has shaped a community, its school and its students. I remember one day in particular which underscored the humanity behind the man. I had arrived at the school for an interview. But it was a few minutes before I could go into Lenarduzzi's office for the interview. After being seated he apologized for the delay; the office was being aired out after a student had left it The child had arrived at school reeking of urine and Lenarduzzi, knowing how important self-image is, had tactfully convinced the stu- dent that a shower and fresh change of clothing were in his best inter- ests. Changes of clothing were always available at the school, and it was not beneath staff to wash stu- dent's clothing if need be. You see, Lenarduzzi and his staff know that their jobs include much more than reading and arithmetic, and that successful students become successful adults. They know that positive role modeling and unconditional love are ingredients that are absolute in teaching, and that teaching is not a vocation, but rather a calling It was a sad day when Lenar- duzzi announced his resignation due to family responsibilities. He'll be missed—no doubt about that. But he’s left something behind of incalculable value—something that despite its very absence of physical substance fills a community with hope and pride. He’s one of those people who has made a difference nothing Definitely. If you're Any innocent you have 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 will be published each week Question: Should DNA evi- dence be legally obtainable from sus- pected criminals? evidence to Prove guilt from inno- to worry cent is obviously g —Glen Smith used years ago. Jon Van Vliet I think it’s a good If it means more way of scientifically Proving a crime ood. should have been proof, then-I don’t see It why not. It’s just one more thing to help solve the crime —IJames Birkett Wednesday, July 19, 1995 The Castlegar Sun Page 7A Letters to the Editor Riding club should saddle up to better manners Dear Editor: This past Sunday evening, July 16, my son Jesse and I decided to go mountain biking in Ootischenia along the dirt road that goes to Poupore. We took our two young dogs along for the exercise. Along the road we ran into some friends who were on their way home from fishing, so we stopped for a moment to chat. Soon after a group of horse- back riders came by. Several of the riders I recognized as mem- bers of the newly formed horse riding club HACK (Horse Asso- ciation of the Central Kootenays) in Castlegar. The first two.adult riders came at us at breakneck speed and, making no attempt to rein in their horses, saw a narrow open- ing between a parked truck and my son who was emparst ¢ by his bike on the edge of the road holding onto the two dogs, and tore on through. ! If one of the dogs had broken free and spooked the horses there could have been a terrible acci- dent. At one point my son said it looked as though the riders were aiming straight for him. If the riders had come by one minute later my friends could have been letting their two-year- old out of the car to come over to pet my dogs as we had just been discussing. The riders would never have seen the child as he stepped out in front of a vehicle to cross over to where my son stood. Broken reins, horses stumbling, loose equipment, any one of these things can turn a situation around in a matter of seconds. The riders to follow were tated and therefore more. difficult for the younger riders to manag- er, probably due to the commo- tion caused by the galloping riders ahead. The other problem I saw was that several of the children pre- Sent were teenagers who ride dirt bikes and I heard one comment that the next time they saw a group of horseback riders they planned on hitting the gas and flying right between them. This type of situation makes it even harder for parents to teach polite and their horses were somewhat agi- Loss of blood clinic not a reflection on donors Dear Editor: The following is an open letter to all blood donors in Castlegar: You may have heard by now that the Canadian Red Cross Society will be suspending blood donor clinics in your community beginning September 1, 1995. This extremely difficult decision has been made because of bud- getary and rising Costs, and in no way reflects on the important con- tribution of long-time volunteer Volunteer blood donors who selflessly give the gift-of-life whenever they can are the comer- stone of the Canadian blood pro- gram. Were it not for the dedication and support of blood donors, needy patients through- out British Columbia and Canada would noi be able to receive the high quality, safe blood products they require for treatment. But the economic reality is that it costs three times as much for the Red Cross to collect a unit of blood in the smaller communities outside the Lower Mainland than it does in the large urban centres. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor are wel- come on any topic of local or interest. Letters should be double-spaced, typewritten, ot legibly handwritten, and so more than two pages if possible. Letters will be edited in the brevi Ave., Castlegar, B.C., VIN co" or drop them off at the office. Poetry will not be published. As a non-profit agency, which receives funding through the provincial government (and therefore taxpayers), it is the responsibility of the Red Cross to ensure its funds are spent in a Tesponsible and most cost effec- tive manner, ensuring maximum safety of the blood supply. Blood donors in the B.C. Inte- rior and Central/Northern Van- couver Island have contributed this difficult time. We will con- tinue to provide every hospital in British Columbia with blood and blood products for use by patients. The Red Cross issues these products free based on need, not on location. As an existing or first time blood donor, our door is always open for your gift-of-life. Should you ever travel to the Lower Mainland or Victoria, we would 40 per cent of British C blood collections. Because of this significant contribution, the Red Cross hopes to return to many communities in the future, if and when a cost- effective solution is found. Meanwhile, please be assured that the Red Cross values your dedication and asks for your sup- port and understanding during love to wel: you at any of our permanent or mobile blood donor clinics. The Red Cross operates blood donor clinics in Vancouver six days a week; including Satur- days. For more information, please call 1-800-565-8000. Dr. David Pi Heather Zanussi Clinton H. Howard, President and CEO of Royal Bodycare International recently honored Heather Zanussi at their International Conference in Dallas, Texas, for placing amongst the top 10 Canadian representatives. By invitation, Heather was selected with 5 others to be the first National Certified Trainers for Royal Bodycare in Canada, to help people learn how to regain their health and build their own Royal Bodycare business. Heather wishes to_thank all her customers in the Castlegar area and invites anyone to call her with your nutritional Dd needs. She can be reached at 604-362-5616. fA f their ch manners, respect, and safety while participating in recreational sports. Not only is this a bad example for children to observe, it also creates negative feelings between members of different Sport interests. The riding club should pro- vide irfformation to its members on how to ride responsibly and courteously as well as remem- bering that the actions of its members reflect back on the » group as a whole. D. Docherty, Robson WINDOW FASHIONS Sizzling Summer Special ENTER TO WIN $500 towards your purchase (of $500 or more in blinds) or Your purchase FREE (if under $500) Stop in or call for more details FREE CONSULTATION & ESTIMATES SERENITY BLINDS Contact Gary or Brenda in Crescent Valley 399-2983 Recycle The Sun Formals Only to All Day Coverage Call For Free Consultation 745B Chickadee Lane, Castlegar aa THE Cet’ SIMMONS A SCALILYFEST CARLOAD Look at the Prices 2-PIECE SLEEP SETS TWIN SIZE (Mattiess, box spring) . 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