Wednesday, March 15, 1995 ® The Castlegar Sun Letters to the Editor Serving the 10,000 people of the Castlegar Area, The Castlegar Sun Ltd. at 465 is every by Sterling j Columbia Ave. Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1G8. The Castlegar Sun is polit cally independent and a member of the Sterling News Service, Canadian C y BC. C Newspapers Assocation, and the B.C, Press Council. Established 28, 1990. Mail 10420. PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG RON NORMAN CHRISTINE MOYER ACTING EDITOR: PRODUCTION MANAGER KAREN KERKHOFF TRICIA LAKTIN REPORTER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JEFF GABERT CATHERINE ROSS SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER ADVERTISING REP. MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA QEF CARI ROHN FRED JACK CLASSIFIED ADS ADVERTISING REP. Direct Department Phones General Office ....... seers ye 65-5266 Circulation . 365-5266 Classified Ads .... .-365-7848 Display Advertising - 365-2278 Newsroom .. ‘ 365-5579 .-365-7762 editorial comment The sludge saga Castlegar council and the Regional District of Central Kootenay will sit down one more time to try to resolve the sludge issue. But no one should be overly hopeful that a reso- lution will be quick to come out of the meeting. The problem is that each side comes to the table wearing a different set of glasses. The regional] district, and more specifically Lower Arrow Columbia director Ken Wyllie, sees the city as too demanding. The city was on the verge of implementing a $200 fee for rural residents who wanted to dump their septic sewage in the city’s lagoons. The old fee was about $8. ' The city idered the fee ible, based on the fact that Castlegar residents must pay about $250 a year for sewage disposal. A properly operating septic system only needs to be cleaned out once every four or five years; In that case, the fee to dump the septic sewage would be about $40 to $50 a year. That’s a pretty good deal, in the city’s eyes. But Mr. Wyllie doesn’t see it that way. He makes the point that the “city” lagoons: are in fact in his electoral area (as is the Ootischenia landfill, anoth- er sore spot). The city plunked its sewage lagoons in the rural area ahd then expects rural residents to pay to use them. His view is that rural residents should get something for having the lagoons in their back yard. He convinced the West Waste Management Sub- region to block the city from emptying its sludge from the lagoons in the Ootischenia landfill until something was done about the septic fee. But the city sees Mr. Wyllie the same way: as too demanding. The city, and rightly so, feels it is being held for ransom by the regional district decision to halt the sludge disposal. It points out that its federal grant to upgrade the lagoon—a grant worth $190,000—may be in jeopardy. The city sat down with the regional district earlier this month and thought it had worked out a solution by postponing the septic disposal fee until June. But it turned out the regional district, after agree- ing to the proposal, decided it wants more. It asked the city to pay a fee to dispose of the sludge. The city balked—again, rightly so. It was paying the full cost of disposing of the sludge, including constructing the necessary facility at the Ootische- nia landfill. Why should it pay a fee as well? The regional district backed off and tried another tack. It suggested the city help pay half the cost of a rural septic disposal facility at the dump, a facility that could cost as much as $200,000. The city is justifiably outraged by the suggestion. Why should its residents pay up to $100,000 to help rural residents get rid of their septic sewage? So we have the regional district outraged at the city’s demands and the city outraged at the regional district demands One meeting to resolve all this? Don't bet the family fortune on it Ron Norman ERRORS: The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in any advertisement beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the of its servants or and there shall be no liability 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 from contract date. No contingent orders accepted BLUEBERRY-PAULSON HIGHWAY — DISAGREEMENT OVER GRANTS TU ALL pec ~~ (>) Castlegar Sun Council shows signs of coming of age Castlegar council showed signs of coming of age last week—polit- ical age, that is. * For the first time since I started covering council five months ago, the mayor and councillors didn’t all agree. That's right. They actually took opposing sides on not one, but two issues. Usually, this kind of thing is pretty run-of-the-mill for politi- cal bodies. am I saying “political bod- ies”? Heck, my wife and I often can't agree on what TV show to watch, so you would expect politi- cians to disagree on some of the “bigger issues”. Of course, it can get downright silly.’ Take the provincial legisla- ture and federal House of Com- mons. There, we see politicians of different political stripes disagree- ing simply because they are not in the same party. It’s a question of party solidari- ty that MPs and MLAs vote not accetding to their beliefs, but according to the party line. But municipal politics is differ- ent. The mayor and councillors are elected as individuals and, for the most part, act as individuals. It’s true that alliances can form over time when councillors dis- cover that another councillor often as not feels the same way about issues as they do. That's natural. But not on every issue. Yet, that was just what was hap- pening at Castlegar council. Everything—from the most same response. Seven arms raised in favor. None opposed. It began to look like there was no need even to ask for a vote because no one would ever dis- agree The first crack in this veneer showed up last month when Councillor Bob Pakula voiced concerns about council spending only $350,000 to upgrade Arrow Lakes Road. Mr. Pakula sug- gested that if the city is going to do the job, then it should do it right and spend what is needed. He never had a chance to vote against the decision because Mayor Mike O’Connor didn’t ask for those who were opposed. He simply asked who was in favor and when the majority raised their hands, he declared the motion passed. That didn’t happen last week with the issue of whether the Castlegar Festival Society should get a $7,500 grant to operate the annual Sunfest'celebrations. In fact, almost all the council- lors spoke quite eloquently on the issue, clearly stating why $5,000 grant. Councillor Ron Armbruster gave a detailed account of why he Proposed the motion to eliminate the grant 7 Mr. Makortoff raised his objec- tion fo the motion, explaining Makortoff is beside the point. — You have to like the fact that they are voic- ing their opin- ions for everyone to hear. I’m not saying that we want to see a donnybrook at every council meeting, with councillors squaring off over everything that comes up. Though that makes for great news, it wouldn't make for a great coun- cil. And that in turn doesn’t make for a great community. I am saying that it is healthy for councils to disagree on some things, perhaps on many things. Disagreements create debate and discussion, which in turn ensures that many different points of view are given proper consideration. While consensus should be council’s goal, it isn’t always pos- sible, no matter how much each NORMAN they were in favor or opposed to the grant. Councillors Jim Makortoff and Kirk Duff felt so strongly about the issue that they asked that their volatile issue like dev in the south end, to the most mun- dane like awarding the contract for traffic line marking—drew. the 74 votes be k The same thing happened with the Castlegar and District Commy- nity Services Society request for a side comp 3 The other thing is that if council agrees on everything—as it appar- ently has for its first 17 months in office—then what difference does it make who we vote for? We can elect anyone and still wind up with the same council. Part of the reason for council voting as a block over the first year and @ half of its term is that sO many are newcomers and have been learning as they go along. Councillors Makortoff, Arm- bruster and Brenda Binnie, along with Mayor Mike O'Connor, are first-time politicians while Councillor Green is only in his second term, Only Councillors Duff and Pakila have had any real experi- ence around a council table. It's not surprising, then, that they have been among’the’ first to express disagfeement with the rest of council. What has been surprising is Mr. Makortoff’s performance. I must admit that I considered him a lightweight when he was first elected. He didn’t speak particu- larly well. at the all-candidates’ forum and just didn’t present him- self well. But I have been wrong. He has proved to be a thoughtful contrib- utor to the discussions. A disappointment so far has been Ms. Binnie’s performance— at least as far as council meetings go. A hard worker behind the scenes, she has not looked at all comfortable at the council table. And I’m not alone in my opin- ion. I’ve had others who voted for her tell me they are bewil- dered by some of the positions she has taken. Still, it’s only halfway through her first term. There’s a long way to go yet. Her first big test of the second half of her term will come later this month at the public meeting into the proposed fourth ball field for Kinnaird Park. Red Cross needs community support Across Canada and throughout the world the Canadian Red Cross continues its relentless efforts to pre- vent and alleviate human suffering. The Castlegar volunteers of the Canadian Red Cross Society remind, you that March is Red Cross Month and they urge the residents of Castlegar to support the efforts of the Red Cross. The Castlegar Branch of the Red Cross is pleased to announce that it will receive five cents from every cup of coffee purchased at Tim Horton Donuts on each Mon- day in March. The Red Cross relies on your donations to ensure the programs and services can @ontinue to be available to those in need of assistance. Castlegar Red Cross volun- teers work hard to ensure the Programs and services can con- tinue to be available to those in need of assistance Castlegar Red Cross volun- teers work hard to ensure the pro- grams and services of the Red Cross are available to the resi- dents of Castlegar. In addition to the blood donor clinic that is held every year in Castlegar, the Red Cross offers the Medical Equipment Loan Service which provides medical equipment for short term loan. This service is staffed by vol- unteers and is located in Sandman room 102. We are fortu- nate to have Red Cross Learn to Swim lessons that are offered year-round in the Castlegar and District Aquatic Centre, as well as at the Clarke's Pool summer swimming lessons on 10th Avenue. Gerry Rempel, the president of the Castlegar Branch, wants you to know about the services offered by the Red Cross volunteers. “The Personal Disaster Assis- MY Inn, TURN SHELLEY The DALKE tance program provides immediate assistance to families who have been forced to leave their resi- dence due to disasters such as house fires,” says Rempel “We have volunteers trained to conduct registration and inquiry in the event of a local large-scale evacua- tions due to disasters such as forest fires or flooding.” Castlegar Branch also encour- ages interested people to get involved in the Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry, a service that matches potential bone marrow donors with patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. The Red Cross has specially- issues related to physical, emo- tional and sexual abuse. Through International Services we are able to offer the Tracing and Reunion Service which works to re-establish communication between family members when disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or tornadoes disrupt nor- mal methods of communication. The Red Cross needs your sup- port to ensure services and pro- grams can continue to be offered in Canada and abroad. The Castle- gar Branch volunteers”are seeking a commitment from Castlegar resi- dents, whether in the form of a blood donation, financial support or by volunteering a few hours each month to participate in Red Cross community programs. Donations can be sent to The trained vol s who d Presentations for the Child Abuse Prevention Program for Adoles- cents, an educational program that Canadian Red Cross Society, 625 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1G9. Shelley Dalke is the Red Cross Kootenay region's acting program provides teens with i on c A COUNCILLOR SEEMS 'OBLIVIOUS' What about 2,100-name petition? Dear Editor: Councillor Brenda Binnie, at the last Castlegar council meet- ing, seemed oblivious to the petition of more than 2,100 per- sons, and letters of concern from three major service clubs in the city (the Kiwanis, Lions, and Rotary) prompted by concern about proposed changes to the Kinnaird Park. Robson print ‘impressive' Dear Editor: Last fall I attended a viewing of a limited edition print by the Robson Elementary School and the parent advisory council. Our local artist Richard Widdifield was commissioned by the school to create four seasonal prints of our area, the first of which depicts a fall scene of the Lions Head. My understanding is that the commission was to enhance art appreciation in students as well as bring culture a little closer to home. I was very impressed by the professional way in which the print was presented, Richard him- self was on hand to answer any of our questions. Great support was shown by the community. I purchased two of these prints, one on behalf of my col- leagues, the other for my home. The print evoked sentimental feelings in me because I grew up and raised my family here in Robson. I feel the artist did a wonderful job in capturing this local landmark and I'm looking forward to when the next print becomes available. I also felt by purchasing this print I was sup- porting the arts and culture for the children of our community. Congratulations Robsop ona job well-done! - Debbie Sutherland pRiveryiew. 1993 CHEROKEE SPORT 4.0 L high output « 6 cyl. auto fully loaded * Only 37,000 km DON'T DELAY PHONE ME TODAY! IKE BRAGA Sale & Leasing Ropresentave CASTLEGAR: 365-2296 TRAIL: 368-9134 WELSON:352-1614 \ 2880 Highway Or., Trail, 8.C..V1R 2T3 PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL What are the 3 most common questions people ask electroniogists? 1) Q: Is electrolysis really permanent? A: Yes, however a series of treatments is necessary. Q: Is electrotysis safe? A: Yes, it is often recommended by the medical profession Q: Does it hurt? A: Everyone's pain tolerance is different. When the shortwave treatment is applied you feel a sensation of warmth. For futher information call for a free consultation Phone: 365-7616(Avenues) Vee's Electrolysis Member of The Association of Professional Electrologists of British Columbia She stated that those opposed to the ball field don’t know the exact nature of the proposal for the Kinnaird Park. This is true as council has not seen fit to inform the citizens as to the full extent of its plans, This should cause grave concern among the citizens. It would appear-that council wishes to get the ballplayers’ firm commitment of funds plus the B.C. 21, Grant approval before calling a general meeting for pub- » lic information. One wonders whether the project would be steamrolled through council hear- ings and the trees cut down before the citizens had time to digest, discuss and react. To date, the released informa- tion is vague and, at first glance, not practical. For example: 1. They propose to plant two trees for every one removed. If the purpose is to cut down the trees to create a ball field, where do they intend to plant the new trees? Do they plan on logging the entire area? 2. The new ball field is drawn up on the plan sent to B.C. 21 as being the same size as the Pony field used to be before it was enlarged because it was not big enough. What type of ball is the new field to be used for? Is this the first step before “it, too, will have to be enlarged? 3. Parking, they say, can be accommodated. Where? Present- ly, on busy weekends the parking lot is crammed and cars are parked on both'sides of the adja- cent streets often going into resi- dential areg. Where will the extra parking sface be obtained with- Out Cutting down more trees for a parking lot? 4. There is a proposal to upgrade the ball field in Ootis- chenia. The Lions Club is plan- ning to build a ball field.in Pass Creek. Has council considered that by upgrading the present fields with the help of a B.C. 21 Grant there would likely be ade- quate facilities without destroying Kinnaird Park? 1995 Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager 24T Package includes: ¢ Standard front dual airbags © ° Automatic transmission * Standard side impact beams 5. The proposed site for the batting box oppo to infringe on the present childfen's play area. Where is the children’s play area to be? One should,\be concerned whether Councillor Binnie has a hidden agenda. Does she agree with Councillor Pakula, who told me on the phone, “I think the entire Kinnaird Park should be made into ball fields.” Where are the other members of council? Are they all of the same mind as the councillor in the background (out of camera range) who said, “I don’t care what happens to Kinnaird Park.” Is this the best we can expect from an elected council? Councillor Binnie said there would be a public meeting at 7 p.m. on March 29 at the Commu- nity Complex. I urge all interested citizens to attend. W. M. Yule, Castlegar ¢ Air conditioning ¢ V6 engine 19,288 Including freight, no charge 7 passenger seating, and $750 factory rebate CHRYSLER Dodge ke poworurs & Y Price inchades freight $810, no charge seven passenger seating and $7'50 factory rebote assigned to deoler in heu of finance offer. Price excludes license FIVE Sra Shivics sell for less. See dealer fox denis * “Offers mutully exchsve ond for personel use only. Financing subject to prove Example: $15,000 ot 8 9% APR/4B mo 17,887 68. With rebote ro oken. fective interest ate 13.60%. Cost of bomowing inching rebote ot tober $4147.88. License, inswonce, regstoton o Here is what is wrong with our city Dear Editor: do see a lot of things wrong with the city. Shoppers leaving the stores in Castleaird Shopping Center see the back of a bank. Shoppers leaving the stores in Midtown Mall-see the back of a motel. Shoppers leaving most of the stores in Colambia Mall see the back of a fast food outlet. Not many drivers notice the flashing lights at 17th street, tain times of the day and signs for vehicles when leaving the side roads. You should see how many, cars drive through the red light ‘at the bottom of the hospital hill. Many drivers do not know how to use the turning lane along the center of Columbia Avenue and some use it as a ¢,regisotion ond taxes F term. Monphly payment $37 fe See deo for details *. AM/FM stereo ¢ And much more FACTORY FINANCING” OVER 46 MONTHS SEE YOUR B.C. CHRYSLER TEAM. DEALERS YOU CAN BELIE N oft: Deoler may Toto! to be repoid Jeep Eagle 995 (ongude Mogozine