The Castiegar Sun

Wednesday, June 22, 1994

are 2,200 tonnes in one long- tonne). If three transport trucks ride the ferry together, only 22 tonnes are left for regu-

with a vessel and water, There are other factors that have to be looked upon as well, auch as weather permpenens | anid

lar cars and trucks (ap ly 11 total private vehicles). “People have to realize that we are regulated by the Canadi- an Coast Guard. We're dealing

it is the ferry's pros os who determines who or what comes on board, The Galena Bay ferry makes the three-and-a-half mile cross- ing between and Revel- stoké in Bis oe pany 20

Saturday, June 25

CASTLEGAR COMMUNITY COMPLEX * Registration 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon + Show & Shine 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

+ Awards 3:00-3:30 p.m. + Cruise & Poker Run 4:30-6:00 p.m. Dance to the sounds of Tommy and The T-Birds 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. (19 years or older)

+ 50's & 60's Jive Contest + Dress From the 50's Contest

For More Info Call: Dwayne or Doreen @ 365-7616 / 693-5520 or Mike @ 365-6460

dings on cither side take pines every half hour. First loading begins at 5 a.m. and the final drop-off is at 1 a.m.. While tourist traffic is heavi- est' in the summer months, the committee which made the deci- sion to limit loaded transport traffic has not stated if the deci- sion will be reversed in the fall and winter,

12' X 68' 2 bedroom mobile home completely remodelled, no ‘appliances. Delivered & blocked:

ALSO 14° x 68' 2 bedroom with 5 appliances.

To view call 693-5554 after 5 p.m. Northwest Mobile Homes Dealer #6683

@ School

Continued from 1A

The PAC wants inspection on fire safety standards; the health and safety of the build- ing (ceiling tiles, paint, asbestos, old pote ay 1); air quality from uilding mate pn “4 rials; radon testing;

Kinakin is fearful that should health and safety sto- ries not be up to standard the school would be closed result- ing in students being bussed to other schools within the district.

But Greep said that’ 's prefer-

in an

from mice or pre ‘disease -car- rying animals; lead content of the water analyzed; structural quality of the interior and exte- rior examined; and the play- ground assessed to ensure that its size is adequate for the stu- dent population and that the equipment is safe.

Although the board unani- mously voted to request safety. inspections be conducted,Trustee Mickey Kinakin said the outcome could be a double-edged sword which cuts both ways.

“What if we do find we have health and safety issues? This district doesn't have a pi

able to unsafe building. “If those schools are in bet- ter shape than ours, then sure. I wouldn't want my child to go on a bus, but if that had to hap- pen then sure, that'd be OK.” Superintendent of School District No. 9 Everette Surgenor agrees that the school is in need of repair, but claims the school isn't a health hazard and said he has never been ified of a mouse it

ps pol Lampe Ah ibe of about

determined that repairs and upgrade to the facility would cost approximately $1.5 and that it would be more feasible that a new school be built,

Last year the Ministry of Education allocated funds for

Planning

and progressed to the point of carpet color being decided when the ministry announced that funding to begin construc- tion wouldn't be forthcoming.

The decision to withhold funding has left district offi- cials wondering whether to apply for funding to upgrade the existing facility, or hope that funding for a new school

at the school.

“It needs repair there's no doubt about that—there is trou- ble. There is dry rot, and asbestos, but we don't believe

That

with not enough schools, but rather with too many. I think we should be careful with this motion. It may lead to some- thing we may not want.”

the isap

building is safe for the children

on a daily basis. Is it the pretti-

est or the nicest? No. But it is

safe.” s Surgenor said a study was

will awarded next fiscal year.

Surgenor said ions of the facility will be carried out soon.

The absentee rate at Twin Rivers Elementary School from January 4, 1994 to June 24, 1994 was 5.2 per cent and is

quitable to other ab rates at other elementary schools within the district.

@ Runaways from 1A

S

eS S\_F

DINNER ROLLS

in-store bakery

¢ COCA-COLA " — CLASSIC

6x355 mL

ORANGES

86 kg

NATURE PLUS MULTI-GRAIN

In-store bakery

454 g.

Avenue. Damage was estimated at $1,800.

Two days later a 1983 Chevy truck parked in the lot at Super- Valu also broke loose and hit atother parked vehicle

The same day a 1979 GMC truck owned by John Mason of Castlegar rolled from a church parking lot on Merry Creek Road, crossed Columbia Avenue, narrowly missed anoth- er driver and crashed into Dr. Gorman’s office in the

CMP say there was exten-

damage to both the building the vehicle.

PROFILE

The Castlegar Sun

22, 1994

GENELLE MINI STORAGE Units Now Available 365-7798

‘Vin 1S Fax: 365-3817

Grease Lightnin

Young Matthew Scott of Castlegar takes off his helmet while brother Dan cools off an extremely hot engine. This was Matthew's first official race and he finished an impres- sip apoond i) tn Qupes Sees. A aoe iso:

Stacey MacKinnon of Castlegar carefully assesses the track before climbing into his Modified race car.

Gord Zaitsoff of Castlegar takes the checkered flag in the Modified division B Trophy Dash.

Kootenay back yard, or if you have a habit of turing down the car everytime a teenager rides in your car, you might not want to take a trip across the border to Thunder Valley. On the other hand, if you like hard-hitting action, the whol smell of a of dust and oil engrained into your hair and clothes, and you want to hear the thunderous roar of modified and street stock engines, by all means head on down to the Northport International Raceway.

The allure of the races is something very difficult to describe. Logi- cally, you wouldn't think it would be much fun at all. It’s just men racing their mechanical toys around in a circle until one is pro- nounced a winner. There doesn't seem to be any humanity to it; the machines do all the work and the driver takes the credit.

‘You can certainly think of it that way but that just isnt what it’s all about.

When you step on to the hardened clay of Northport you can feel the exchement, It rumbles in-your

IE you enjoy the calm serenity of a quict Sunday in your West

superb driving. They spend hours working on their cars, specially modifying them to get every ounce of power out of their car without breaking any of the complex rules which govem the machinery.

Next is the street stock division which features stock automobiles that you would never actuallly see on the street. The drivers of these cars don't try to be pretty, bat what they lack in grace they maim for in sheer tenacity. This tenacity usually shows itself by a few

7 it

ua

i

like World War II dive bombers. They don’t have other classes but they are entertaining all the same.

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F; i il Hi ae

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stomach from the engines of the cars and it lights up your face from the friendly people around you. Sure they are there to race, but they are there to have fun too. Castlegar driver Stacey MacKinnon is an example of someone who has caught the racing bug. It started as an occassional trip to the racetrack but now it has become an obses- sion that has him racing in the |

‘It's like having sex. . You get a pounding headache ‘cause it's such a rush’

— NIKI HYSON Castlegar race car driver

modified division:

“I used to watch in the stands” said MacKinnon, “but I couldn't take it. So I built a car. I wanted to play.”

Watching is exciting enough, but driving a race car is quite another matter. The rush one feels when pushing your car to its absolute limit around a rough dirt track can border on the religious or maybe even the not so religious.

“It’s like having sex,” said Castlegar modified driver, Niki Hyson. “You get a pounding headache ‘cause it’s such a rush.”

MacKinnon may not go that far but he does agree that it’s plain old fashioned fun and it’s an entire package. You build your car with love and care, then you race your car with a violent fury and then you must repair your car with a sense of anxiety. If you win, you reach cloud nine, if you lose or are forced to leave a race, you suffer in a pit of despair. In racing, your next problem could be your last as MacKin- non found out after he blew his third clutch this year.

MacKinnon must dig up money for a new clucth, money that he doesn’t have, so he may have to sit. His situation is common in rac- ing. These guys wouldn't even be out there without sponsors. The natural high of the race can quickly turn to bitter disappointment.

But racing gets in the blood, and anybody can tell you racing is thicker than water. That is why four separate divisions of racers gather every second weekend atThunder Valley.

picked of his third place in

denoted by the letters “A” and “B”.

The next races scheduled to rock Thunder Valley will happen on July 3 and race promoter Dave Weiber has a special treat in store for race fans. Northport will play host to the North West light sprints. Sprint cars are smaller than the modifieds and run an 1100 cc motor- cycle engine. They are fast and can run a lap at Northport in cighteen seconds. The sprint cars will ran a full program in addition to the reg- ularly scheduled program the. Street Stocks, Modified and Volkswagen classes. Race time is 1:30 p.m.

Photos & Story by Jeff Gabert

a fine time to leave me loose wheel! Local Castlegar driver, Martin Whitehead lost a wheel on the final B Event Main Dash. Whitehead was forced to the pits for the remainder of the day, but was still awarded the B Main. He races in the Super Stock division which can often be a rough ride.

eras

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