Times Colonist from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada • 39

TDTEffl TflfHIEL LIVINGD2 CLASSIFIEDD11 EUROPEAN TOURS oiusft FREE BROCHURES HOW AVAH.A81.6 Jin HILLSIDE CENTRE 1 MAYFAIR CENTRE 386-3277 Saturday, January 30, 1988 595-1181 Mom loses college library job over religious beliefs with no results. She also talked to Saanich MLA Terry Huberts, Premier Vander Zalm and wrote a letter to Labor Minister Lyall Hanson without results. Two days before Christmas last year, the college gave her a deadline of Jan. 4 to sign her union card or be She appealed to the college staff to respect her religious beliefs, but when she did not sign the card she received notice of termination Jan. 5.

"I enjoyed the job, the staff and the students," she said. "I am sorry they cannot accept what my religion tells me." gious grounds permitted by the Labor Act. That exemption was denied. CUPE would not comment on the case. Pat Floyd, acting president of Camosun, said the college contract with CUPE makes union membership a condition of employment and the college had no choice but to fire her Tuesday.

Peebles has applied to the Human Rights Commission to investigate the firing as religious discrimination by the college and the union. That investigation has yet to begin. Peebles belongs to the the Plymouth Brethren Fellowship, a fundamentalist Christian sect which meets in the homes of its 20 Victoria members. the Labor Relations Board for exemption under the Labor Code. That section allows a worker in a closed shop out of a union if the person can prove his or her religious beliefs prohibit membership.

The LRB held a formal hearing in December 1985 and Peebles presented scriptures to support her position. "To my horror," she recalled, "I was told they weren't religious beliefs, rather they were personal and philosophical beliefs." She immediately appealed the ruling and heard nothing until June 1987 when the-LRB rejected the appeal. Next she tried the Ombudsman She said the Bible teaches that no one may join a group which does not accept Christ as supreme. She said she has never spoken against the union. She allowed dues of about three dollars a week to be deducted from her pay, but refused to sign the union card.

In 1985 and 1986 she listed those union dues as a deduction on her income tax forms. Peebles started to work part time at the college 15' years ago. In April 1985, a job for a permanent part-time clerical worker in the library was posted. She won the job and worked 17 5 hours a week. The union required her to sign the membership card, but she went to By Patrick Murphy Times-Colonist staff A mother of three has been fired from Camosun college after 15'4 years because her religious beliefs would not allow her to join a union.

Elizabeth Peebles, a member of the Plymouth Brethren Fellowship, said Friday she paid her dues to the Canadian Union of Public Employees all the time she was employed at the Carey Road campus of the college. But she refused to sign the union card because her religious beliefs would not allow her to join a union. She continued working at the college while she sought exemption from union membership on reli I PEEBLES: sorry to go enan ts rent by 98! rising liiiiliB mmmmmm field in. Fair I By Judith Lavoie Times-Colonist staff Tenants of a Fairfield apartment building say they are being driven out of their homes by a 98-per-cent rent increase. Bachelor suites at the 10-suite Glengarry Apartments, 240' Cook will increase from $240 to $475, April 1, and most tenants say they will have to leave because they cannot afford the hike.

"They shouldn't take advantage of people in a rental squeeze," said Cheri Ingram, a four-year Glengarry 1 A Bingo hall to reopen next week January white sail Alex Barta photo breezes bring out the winter sailing set. Friday's wind, however, gives over today to rain and cloud, says the weatherman. Navy training vessel HMCS Oriole shares saltchuck with smaller sailboats off the Dallas Road scenic drive as January sunshine and Jury finds U.S. sailor not guilty crimestoppers join forces of raping prostitute downtown l0 find kmers "Under normal circumstances they couldn't even get close to that for these apartments." Rental vacancy rates in Greater Victoria have dropped to 0.4 per cent. "We're not only going to end up with low-income people on the street, soon there'll be middle-income people," said Ingram, a self-employed jewelry maker.

For Judy Clements it is the second time in four months a rent increase on Cook Street has disrupted her life. In October she moved her consignment clothing store from Cook to Douglas Street because of a rent increase which she could not afford. "I thought they were just going to evict us here but this is the same difference," she said. Clements will search for an apartment to share with her adult son, so the two can split costs. Joanne Whittier, a student, said she will probably move in with friends as she doubts she will be able to find another affordable apartment.

At a tenants meeting called Thursday, Victoria New Democrat MLA Robin Blencoe said the increase is a form of economic eviction and does not reflect average Cook Street rents, which according to CMHC figures are $301 for a bachelor and $369 for a one-bedroom apartment. "I have never seen a 98-per-cent increase before," said Blencoe. "No one disagrees with upgrading and clearly this building needs upgrading but there's a fine line between upgrading and taking advantage of a tight market. They should not gouge." The building was bought in December by Blue Eagle Investments, a Vancouver-based company. John Hopper, director of Complete Property Management, said Friday the increase is partly a catch-up, because the building has had unusually low rents, and also reflects extensive renovations which will start almost immediately.

The company will fix ceilings where water leaks have brought down ceiling plaster and replace antique kitchen cupboards and appliances, Hopper said. "I'm not saying the building is substandard now, but it's at that point when it has to be upgraded." Blencoe said he will ask for a reduction, but if not successful, there is little the tenants can do without going to court. By Carla Wilson Times-Colonist staff An Esquimalt bingo hall shut by the provincial gaming branch in November will be back in business Wednesday. Bingo Bingo at 820 Esquimalt Rd. has been granted a six-month interim commercial bingo hall licence.

The approval was received after an appeal of a decision denying the hall a licence, manager Mark Eraut said Friday. All participating charities will re: ceive 25 per cent of proceeds on a per-event basis, he said. "That is going to be met right from the start." The charity licences of the Esquimalt Charity Bingo Association, representing 28 charities at the Bingo Bingo hall, were suspended in early November. Bingo Bingo was one of two Victoria-area halls closed by the Public Gaming Control Branch which said charities were not getting their 25 per cent of gross proceeds as stipulated by regulation. The B.C.

Gaming Commission upheld the suspension in December. Eraut said the charities' licences were reinstated on Dec. 30 but they were not permitted to participate in bingo at a hall without a commercial bingo hall licence, something not previously required. Eraut estimated charities lost about $150,000 during the closure and said he expected all 28 to return. Local halls, competing for clients," kicked off a round of bingo wars in July by offering guaranteed prizes.

Gary Hoskins, B.C. Gaming Commission executive officer, said all 57 commercial bingo hall licences have been granted on a six-month interim basis. The commission does not like to see guaranteed prizes because they lead to "increased competition which, leads people to contravene the terms," he said. "It is an area that is being adf dressed now I He also discounted the woman pointing out Spoonemore in the public gallery, noting she never described him in any way. He said eyewitness identification was extremely frail.

Morahan also criticized the photo lineup, claiming Victoria police "are setting the guy up" because Spoonemore was the only one with a short, military haircut out of the eight pictured. Crown counsel agreed that the identification of Spoonemore was the major issue. He said that Salvidge and Wilson have had from June until January to talk about and consider the incident. "Sometimes memories change due to emotion," he said. "I'm not suggesting they came here and deliberately lied to you." He noted Salvidge had been drinking for several hours before returning to the naval base that night and Wilson lost his log for months, found it, and then did not bring it to court Thursday.

"Is he basing his recollections on wishful thinking?" asked Lang. He said, in closing, the alibi defence might be a view through "rose-colored glasses." Victoria and Washington State Cri-mestoppers programs have joined forces for the first time, to help find the killers of Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg. Crimestoppers commercials asking for information on the slayings of the young Victoria area couple will begin airing Thursday with a 30-second segment, followed within the next few days with a five-minute commercial, Victoria Const. Dexter Mason said Friday. Mason said the commercial, filmed with their Washington counterparts, is a first for Victoria Crimestoppers.

The commercials were filmed largely in Skagit and Snohomish counties and will go over the events leading up to the murder as well as recapping known details. Van Cuylenborg's body was found Nov. 24 in a ditch on an isolated road near Alger. She had been shot in the back of the head. Cook's body was found Nov.

26 near Monroe, about 80 kilometres south of Bellingham, where the couple's van was discovered near a bus station. He had been strangled. Crimestoppers are offering a $5,000 US reward for information leading up to an arrest. An independent special reward fund will pay $50,000 US. He said that if the jury believed either or both Chief John Salvidge, the Arkansas' bosun's mate, and Chief Petty Officer Dave Wilson, "then I direct you to acquit (Spoonemore)." Salvidge and Wilson both said they saw Spoonemore passed out on the docks of CFB Esquimalt about p.m., June 27.

They said he stayed there until 1:30 a.m. Toy told the jury that was the first question they should tackle when deliberations begin. He also said the identification of Spoonemore was a critical and crucial issue. He warned the jury of the danger involved in accepting the complainant's selection of Spoonemore from a group of military personnel seated in the courtroom. "Be alive to the possibility the witness could be honestly mistaken," he said.

In his closing address to the defence lawyer Rory Morahan made an issue of the moustache on Spoone-more's picture in the police photo lineup. He noted that both Salvidge and Wilson remembered a moustache while the alleged victim insisted Spoonemore did not have one on the night of the incident. By King Lee staff A U.S. sailor who was the centre of an international incident last summer was cleared Friday of raping a Victoria prostitute in a downtown alley. Ronald Spoonemore, 19, of Loomis, was found not guilty by a jury of seven women and four men one juror was excused Friday afternoon after he told Mr.

Justice Samuel Toy he was too ill to continue. The jury took two hours and 10 minutes to reach their verdict. Spoonemore was charged after the 37-year-old woman told police she was forced to have sexual intercourse with Spoonemore during the early hours last June 28 after an agreement had been reached for oral sex only. Victoria police tried to arrest Spoonemore aboard USS Arkansas moored in Esquimalt harbor but were refused permission to board the warship, which then left for the U.S. Spoonemore was finally arrested and charged after he was voluntarily returned to Canada by the U.S.

Armed Forces four days later. In his charge to the jury, Toy concentrated on the legal issues of the defence of alibi and identification. ND THEN THERE was one high roller at this week's $50-a-plate Junior Achievement dinner who looked down at his plate, did a jni GIBSOH This town 1 choked up over the gift and all its significance. Crease and Ron Lou-Poy says snaring three significant lawyers from other firms is just a minor expansion. The three include David Adams, who counts many of this town's developers among his clients, and two Pearlman and Lindholm partners, Allan Tryon and 32-year-veteran with the firm, Noel Paget.

Just how many of important clients follow them to Crease Co. in March is not yet known A PBS-Seattle crew has started filming a documentary on the staging of Pacific Opera's Fidelio, opening Feb. 11. Although opera rehearsals only started this week, the television cameras started rolling earlier. Among those telling all on the Pacific Opera to PBS's cameras was retired T-C critic Audrey Johnson.

After four hours of taping, the producer decided an introductory shot was needed. Perhaps one of Audrey sipping tea would do. It wouldn't, challenged Audrey, who thinks Victoria is too often represented by grannies sipping tea. Instead, Audrey had them film her sitting at her computer where she's working on that Victoria book she's promised chain's promotional visors. Louise was premature.

The mayor didn't make it. Not everyone stuck to the night's issue for waiters visor and promotional apron. Restaurateur Dominique Chapheau refused to wear his visor, opting instead for a pith helmet advertising his own place. And along with the hamburgers, he served his table a side order of discount coupons (bearing his visage) for Chauney's during restaurant month. With such an obvious display of commercial cheek, is it any wonder that one woman repeatedly pinched Dominique's backside? There can be no other reason.

The night's entertainment didn't stop with the food and the waiters. A once-again clean-shaven Peter Chipman sang, Mr. Van accepted his award from the Junior Achievers, and an auction was held. Among the neat items up for bids were radios reportedly shaped like containers of french HERE SAY And realtor Eric Charman was apparently all in his glory this week with his whither-Victoria speech at the real estate board lunch. However, he couldn't resist a few shots at his competitors when he corrected a columnist's printed reference to him as "realtor to the rich." Eric confessed that 50 per cent of the houses he sold came in at under $500,000.

However, he deadpanned, "all the people are that much richer for having dealt with Eric Charman." Surprisingly, he was not pelted into humility by a blizzard of buns But it was Victoria MLA Robin Blencoe who got off one of the better lines at the realtor's expense. Eric teased in his speech that Victoria would be better served by the current government if its three NDP MLAs jumped to the Socreds. "Why don't you cross the floor?" heckled Robin from his seat. Eric didn't think that was possible as apparently he isn't a politician And guess who finally made it into the Union Club? No, not him, but Chamber manager Brian Small. A group of Chamber past-presidents chipped in to buy Bri a membership in the almost exclusive club.

It was presented at this week's lunch for Chamber past-presidents. Even Harold Husband was there. He chaired the Chamber about the year Brian was born. The Union Club's newest member was reportedly double take and gasped: "I thought they were kidding!" They weren't. They really did serve burgers and fries from the golden arches via the Causeway's own kitchen at this week's fund-raiser for the organization dedicated to steering teeny would-be Jimmy Pattisons down the yellow brick road of unbridled capitalism.

And you've got to admire the nerve and the salesmanship that let them get away with it. Nobody phoned later to say it was the best hamburger they'd ever tucked into. However, there was consensus that it rated as the most expensive. Yet there was more to the dinner honoring the city's greatest gas jockey Allan Vandekerkhove, than burgers and fries. For starters, there was deep-fried brie with raspberry sauce and not freezer jam as one diner bitchily concluded and the dessert was peanut butter cheesecake with chocolate sauce.

Sounds yummy, right? One table thought not and tried to bribe their "celebrity" waiter, realtor and mining promoter Cedric Steele, with a $150 tip to order in Chinese food for them. Other celebrity servers included Finance Minister Mel Couvelier and CHEK's Ida Clarkson, the night's sole waitress. Early last eek, hamburger queen Louise Eldrtdge of the multinational fast-food chain was touting the presence of Mayor Gretchen Brewin in her lineup of waiters. Louise was talking as though she'd scored a great fashion coup for th city when she had the mayor ready to exchange that nice hat for one of the -lnff-i -i fli.fhl fludV.