OPINION

jay, September 7, 1994

' WEDNESDAY, Sentomber 7.1994 6A Letters to the Editor

ronda sn

Published every Wednesday by Newepapers Lid. at 486 Cohmmbia Ave, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 18. The Castegar Sun Seeman all tte Ghndien ‘Service

editorial comment

That's a wrap!

Some people in the news business harp that the months of Tely and August are traditionally bone-dry for good news

stories. Aw contraire! This summer has been an exceptionally

oem 't take a break, and while the spin doctors are off at their homes and are given a Bis gen teen sheared eaten ho teog bea Gaye of sommes!

From weekly updates on fires that were raging in this area, to regular crime news, there was always something to write about.

A major story involved the report that an eco-terrorist

aistine remained on the ground for some time. As well, our employees who work at the Pope & Talbot sawmill in Castle-

Sasa fax eny orton maior the age e019 to: porchass tobacco products. This summer has been one full of development pains and

the P Prop caeate. City council is also pondering Arrow Lakes Drive, and wondering if the hefty price quoted by consultants would really be worth the effort.

Ootischenia residents were not silent about what they feel is excessive noise by West Arm Trucking, and have taken their concerns to the Regional District board. As well, the debate continues over whether or not to save the CPR Foot- bridge. Is it a piece of our past that deserves the status of her- itage site? Or, is it simply a footbridge that served its purpose but who's time has come? What's mose, who will pay for its upkeep if saved?

‘Then these’s the issue of lagd rights involving the New Set- tlement, a group of Doukhobors im Crescent Valley, and of course of the most recent development there, in which the haned remains of a body have been found after a house fire.

As the summer wore on there were stories to follow-up om, such as the andit of the Genesis

od wei

Have you got a minute, Your Majesty? Will it be development at any cost?

Queen Elizabeth may have been a hit with most British Columbians, but as the old adage goes: you can't please every- body, not even if you're the monarch of the realm, Defender of the Faith, got the job by the Grace of God, and open the Commonwealth Games and a university in Prince George.

The Vancouver Island Hemp Alliance wanted very much to

What is the Vancouver Island Hemp Alliance, you ask, and why did they want to meet Her Majesty? The group is dedicated to the spiritual and life-

That little problem notwith- hempsters up at Forbidden Plateau to do whatever Hempfest activities call for, only to run headlong into an RCMP

qualities of hemp, that is to say cannabis, a marijuana plant vari- ety, also known as pot.

And the Vancouver Island Hemp Alliance's interest in the royal visitor was a legal one. They wanted to serve her with a writ.

Would I kid you? Of course not. These guys really had a writ, sworn in B.C, Supreme Court on August 16, against Her Majesty The Queen in the Right

ment ruined what Hemp Fest

's were hoping would be a nice little get-together. Hemp Alliance founder

“This clearly shows that the police will use any means to harass and intimidate targetted groups of law-: abiding citizens.” Honest, I'm not making this up. That's what the man said.

He should have been around when kids were sentenced to three years in prison for having one joint on them. What did he expect? An RCMP welcome wagon?

The Hemp Alliance has provid- ed me with some literature, and Rot surprisingly, there's no men- tion that'the stuff their dreams are made of can be smoked. If you take their word for it, cannabis is a health food.

“Cannabis hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and

pels, - m going to contact and ask

them why his ign*t on their menu: Hemp burgers to go, the only burgers that can be cither smoked or eaten, with or without

cheese.

To be fair to the Alliance, you'd have to smoke quite a bit of hemp to get an even mild buzz. It ¢on- tains only got about three»per cent of THC, a agent, compared to the 35 per cent any self-respectable pot has these days. But illegal it is, until the law says otherwise.

Which brings me to the serious point of this column. Aside from the antics of the Hemp Alliance, I support their endeavors to con- vince our legislators that it's about time to legalize marijuana.

I don't smoke the stuff. Hell, I Se een, bet pun er he Mae,

poison, but even that was ille-

gal during the U.S. prohibition. “ ~*

Germany recently joined the Netherlands in decriminalizing soft drugs, which by most accounts, are far less harmful

fatty acids y to

maintain healthy human life,” says one the alliance's

“No other single plant source

of Canada, the general of Canada and British Columbia,

the city of C a couple of RCMP staff sergeants and

in in such t= easily digestible form, nor has the oils essential to life in as per- fect a ratio for human health and

than most countries will follow Holland's lead. It simply makes no sense to have a law on the books that is routinely broken by 25 per cent of the population, not to mention the drain on resources to enforce that law.

GARY MACE A MENTAL NOTE TO AVaD> (\ S PARKING OUTSIDE DURIWIG THE FIRST’ PEL WEEKS OF HUNTING SEASON |

Dear Editor: I'm writing this to remind all those concerned about the 129 lot sub

proposal itself to have those concerns ary ot recorded and

to attend to Public Hearing on Wednesday evening September Tat7 Cin the Recreation

Although this hearing is Sloenya posedly, just

“Local 1 id have asked the city's Director of Develop- ment Services Philip Markin, for @ public hearing on the subdivi- sion itself, but so far, Mr. Markin has refused that request, i d referring us to the

re-zoning bylaw parpelpaveta ment to the Official C

Regence 7 bylaw meeting.

Plan, it is, in fact, the only Opportunity for residents con- cerned about the subdivision

‘so far raised wenn the subdivision pro- posal include: safety issues regarding the use of an already

too narrow 4th (or Sth or 3rd) Areas og eee wets ee

the large of the highways department staff to consider two access routes onto Colembia Avenue, even

sewage lagoons of peiysa this many mew homes; the impact on iden- tified archaeological sites (pit houses, etc.) located on this land; and the need for public access to and along the river and

the need for green space, walk- ing trails, bike paths and parks in the south end.

The final major concern has to do with public participation in the planning process and respect for existing neighbor- hoods and Le sa in an expanding cit

la this city golig wd bécome another Kelowna

Just sign on the dotted line please

Dear Editor:

Kootenay area residents have the opportunity to voice their support of the Red Cross as'the Kootenay Region is involved in

show their commitment to the Red Cross,” said Mae Williams, Blood Service Chair for the Kootenay Region.

“The campaign means our

a Canad ide card paig! aimed at i i of

PP ” voices will be heard by key makers.”

the Society's role in blood col- lection and distribution.

“The idea for the card cam- paign came from the gr

The card states the

The cards can be mailed directly to the BC Minister of Health, the Honourable Paul Ramsey, or to the Red Cross regional office in Castlegar.

“We believe the card cam- paign will be very ful.

positive; so far more than 100,000 Canadians have signed cards.

Locally, cards can be obtained from any local Red Cross office.

The C:

is proud to be one of the two million Canadians involved in

level, when blood donors, volun- teers and program participants asked us how they could best

the many progr of The Cana- dian Red Cross Society, and that the signee trusts the Red Cross to run the blood program.

our supp are the silent majority who may never have been given the chance to voice their opinion,” said Williams.

The initial response to the card campaign has been very

Branch of the Camadian Red Cross

only one of many that will soon be before staff and council of our city. lt is our resp

letter at the September 7 meet- ing. It is not enough to rely on the k

as residents to make sure thal our needs and concerns are lis- tened to, respected and acted

It is vitally important that each person with concerns speak out or submit a written

of a few people. It's all too easy for staff and city council to dismiss them as “vocal minority”,

Every voice counts this time!

Ann Godderis, Castlegar

Thirsty for water and peace

res ee to the story that im The Castlegar Sun Wednesday, August 31, 1994, about our and incon- siderate neighbor, West Arm Truck Lines Ltd. and the noise, dust and working hours that are in contravention with the noise bylaw, the promise of trees as a noise buffer; they also promised to restore our water thal was on government property next to theirs.

They promised that we would have water without loss as much as one day. That was about a year ago when this promise was made. The ten families that are still using the

old water system, and have been for the last 70 years or so, fell victim to the bulldozers of this inconsiderate, corporate neighbor they call West Arm Truck Lines Ltd..

We have exhausted all avenue trying to get West Arm Truck Lines Lid. to restore our water. Our only hope is to ask the businesses of Castlegar and area to boycott West Arm Truck Lines Ltd. until such time that they restore our water and abide by the laws and regulations which were made for everyone.

Thank you.

Peter Kinakin, ‘Fhe Water Users

Dear Editor:

A delegation of The Green Party of British Columbia lodging at College of New

ia student this weekend were visited door-to-door by the Canadian Women in Timber campaign between midnight and 4 a.m. Saturday.

Canadian Women in Timber with headquarters in ‘Vancou- ver and

The-Greens of,gaodyneet the Queens af wood

representatives during the ‘ ‘open forums at the college on Satur- day and Sunday but no repre- sentatives showed up.

We were pleased, however, to receive a visit from a repre- sentative of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council to tell us about their to regain control of the Nechako River flow from Alcan Aluminum.

The ones Ppl of B.C. is

the province left posters on doors at the student residences where the Greens were staying the night.

The Greens were looking forward to meeting with CWT

ilies strug- gling to pag re timber indus- try alive. Our Program plans for the long-term of the working forest and a ry from the of clearcutting by corporate

monopolies and a stop to export of jobs in the form of raw logs and raw log cants.

We ehjoyed our visit to Prince where we were particularly the new University of Northern

Thank you to UNBC faculty members who accepted the invitation of the Prince George Greens to speak to the open

We said we'd go public

Dear Editor:

Fifty BC widows, ranging in age from 49 to 81 years old, charging discrimination, have demanded the dismissal of two Cabinet Ministers and the Chairman of WCB.

In a letter to Premier Mike Harcourt, August 30, they have outlined the cruelty and abuse

suffered by these vulnerable and poorest women in society.

They have petitioned the gov- ernment for the return of their Workers’ Compensation sur- vivor widows" pensions.

These pensions, awarded to them upon the death of their

popes yauue

Upper Room Gift Shep

314-10th Ave. 365-2213

o July 8 o July 8 eu:

+ Ang,'25 - Born inGreg

& District © Hospital

BABIES OF SUMMER

- Bom to Ken & Rita Gorkoff - - Bom to Matti8eElaine Hillétead - a

- Born to Clarence & Bonnie Verigin -.....git eT = Bor to Perty & Zulfia Roberts, Mureena Mclvor - ...boy * Ang. 27 - Bortrto Lee & Lana Giesler -........... RY

tulations to all!

The name with & baby rattle receives a free Mum plant from Tulips!

AI i. * Samoyioif -......

Floral Designing Classes start September 28

Watch for your Selkirk College brochure For more information call Tulips @ 365-5191

refused to release the audit report in its entirety without a

written request.

‘This is just a small taste of the events that have transpired the summer months, whea news is supposed to

be slow and the reporters are all on vacation.

‘With the Labor Day weekend now behind us, many consider that summer has run its course, as the crisp days of fall fast approach. Here’s to a beautiful fall, and of course, The Castlegar Sun thet continues to inform, entestain and provide opinion.

Plus. you could win one of seven

$1,000 credits to your MasterCard

account — just for applying for a card!

There's no initiation fee. No annual fee. And no fee for supplemental cards.

Yer ca Union has just made it easier for you to keep on top of all your credit card payments. And it could make you a winner!

First, gather all your retail cards, gas cards, department store cards. and other credit cards. Then, just switch your existing card balances to a Credit Union MasterCard® credit card. (We'll even give you a set of special Switch Cheques for free.) You'll be automatically entered ina draw to win the amount you switched...up to $5,000!

Chances to consolidate your card payments in one easy-to-pay statement

don't come by every day, so call your Credit

Union foday to arrange your switch to the Credit Union eer Card cet credit a

cA re Ee ——cwhere jo