Salmon Arm Observer from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada • 1

Vol LXXX No 39 50c a copy $2500 a year SALMON ARM BC WEDNESDAY SEPT 30 1987 22 PAGES Second class mail registration number 0247 Premier makes announcement What's Inside Premier Vander Zalm announces plans to decentralize government Spar ft role of regional districts in the new plan is not clear he says it could give regional districts more clout "I suspect it wont undermine regional districts" he says "We should be closely involved" Abbott adds there were a number of other "surprises" at the annual L'BCM convention but says those will come up for discussion at the October 22 regional board meeting Development of the eight regions says Abbott will bring provincial functions closer to home and that could prove beneficial for some things like the regional district's milfoil control program "The idea is well worth pursuing" says Abbott "I'm not going to knock it until it's been given a chance to work" Although Abbott admits that the Boundaries for the eight zones will be determined by regional district boundaries meaning for instance that this area's development region will include the Thompson Nicola Regional District Columbia Shuswap Regional District North Okanagan Regional District Central Okanagan Regional District and the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District Each of the eight regions will be allocated one million dollars for "start -up and on-going operational development activities" and "government resources" will be deployed to the regions "so that personnel can work directly with the private sector in new particition initiatives" Development is only the initial part of the regional plan Apparently over the next two decades responsibility for everything from health care to the courts will eventually be handed over to the regions "It's probably a good idea" says Abbott "and we should give it the benefit of the doubt In theory it sounds like a good thing" Premier Bill Vander Zalm announced at last week's Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention the government's plan to establish eight "development regions" in BC as a means of decentralizing the powers of the provincial government The announcement was apparently unexpected for most of the BC mayors aldermen and regional district directors attending the UBCM convention "We were surprised" says local regional district director and Columbia Shuswap Regional District board chairman George Abbott "There was no forewarning It's in line with his (Vander Zalm's) views on decentralization but we didnt expect it to happen so quickly" Vander Zalm's eight "development regions" or zones will consist of a grouping of regional districts and government will appoint a Minister of State from Cabinet "with full responsibility to coordinate development initiatives and provincial services in their areas" Area may be named centre of new regions j- i "I Mayor Dick Smith is crossing his fingers and predicting that Salmon Arm is going to be named the administrative centre of one of the eight new development regions to be set up by the provincial government "We have strong indication that Salmon Arm may be one of the centres" Mayor Smith said Tuesday evening "I'm anxiously awaiting the premier's announcement" Mayor Smith said he finds the Vander Zalm government's proposals "very exciting" "It can do a lot for the regions" he said "There has been concern ex pressed by municipalities and school boards that BC is so diverse in its various regions that more recognition of the differing needs is necessary" "This is a response and It's a move to the future With the faster communication now possible there's been so much wasted time under the existing setup I hope co-ordinating departments at a regional level will make it possible to get answers much more quickly" Smith said he is particularly excited because "we have had strong indication Salmon Arm may be one of the eight centres We have been encour-Continued on page 2 Grant is approved Airport to be expanded Salmon Arm Tigers got it off on the right foot! The newest BCJHL hockey team skated to a win in their first-ever home game Saturday night Sm Page 13 There just wasnt room last week so this edition brings you a lot more stories and a lot more pictures from the Shus-wap's biggest annual event the Salmon Arm Fair After consolidation what then? How should we reorganize the secondary school setup in Salmon Arm? Two secondaries? Middle schools? Parents from Salmon Arm Senior Secondary express their view on Pago 8 Junior golfers shared in the awards after a windup tournament at Salmon Arm Golf Course on the weekend See Page 15 Despite educational advances in recent years there are still many in the Shuswap who are functionally illiterate If you have some time to volunteer perhaps you could help Sea Page 7 Observer changes hands David Black of Cariboo Press announced last Thursday that arrangments have been completed for the sale of the Salmon Arm Observer group of companies to Cariboo Press (1969) Ltd The Observer group includes the Chase-Shuswap Weekly Eagle Valley News Salmon Arm Observer the weekender and Total Television as well as printing plant operations in Sicamous and Salmon Arm Cariboo Press is a Williams Lake-based company with newspaper holdings in six northern and interior communities A sister company operates six weekly newspapers on Vancouver Island Ian Wickett who with his wife Lynne and Frank and Gwen Harris has owned the newspaper since 1976 said the sale was a difficult decision "I am pleased that the sale was to a group like Cariboo Press which has a commitment to excellence in the production of community newspapers" Wickett said Wickett will continue as the publisher of the Shuswap newspapers for two years Black commented that he and his company have two prime objectives The first is to produce good papers that reflect the communities in which they circulate and the second is to be a good employer providing jobs and career development for the staff The commitment to quality newspapers has been shown in recent years by the number of awards won by Cariboo Press newspapers in both provincial and national competitions Black said he is proud to welcome the Observer group of publications to Cariboo Press "The Shuswap newspapers have an excellent reputation for quality and we look forward to working with their staff" Wickett said "Cariboo Press will bring to the Observer group strengths in certain areas and enhance the job we have done in others Our goal over the past 1 1 years has been to produce good newspapers and by and large we are pleased with our accomplishments With the backing of the larger organization we look forward to doing an even better job" efficient if we put in access roads and ran hydro in even if the initial cost was very high "So we put in an application and now they've approved it That means all eight beacons will be on hydro and It will be a lot better" Mathews added additional funding is also going to make It possible to add 200 feet to the airport runway this fall and he says there's more to come "We're going to have a 4500 foot runway here by next year" he said and that's going to make it possible to bring in pretty big planes including government jets" Matthews said funding has yet to be approved for the expansion program but discussions have been held and he is confident the money will be coming Currently Salmon Arm has a 3600 foot runaway with a 200 foot overrun area at each end He said the plan is that will go to 3800 plus overuns this fall and 4100 with 400 feet of overun area next vear Another grant has been approved for Salmon Arm's airport and there's more to come according to airport commifte chairman alderman Wayne Matthews MP Nelson Riis told the Observer this week the federal government has approved an additional $88609 on top of the $558609 originally approved" Riis said the new money is in response to a request involving completion of the hazard beacon and obstruction light project "It will go a long way toward helping to develop the local trans po ration infrastructure" Riis said Alderman Matthews explained when the beacon project was originally planned there were a couple of real tough spots to service and it was decided to equip them with diesel generators "I dont know how we were going to get the fuel in" "But we got looking at it and we finally came to the conclusion that in the long run it would be more economical to operate and more YUM! These three got their cake and are eating It tool From left Jolene Crystal and Joseph Thomas won the cakes in the "cake walk" at the carnival event at the community centre pool Saturday College wants Jackson as permanent campus Hockey seminar The BC Amateur Hockey Association hat ust announced details of their new Awareness Program All coaches parent and Interested persons are Invited to attend a seminar on Tuesday Oct 6 In Room 3 of the Shuswap Inn Members of the BCJLHA wIN be In attendance to bring further Information about hockey In BC The seminar Is hosted by the Salmon Ann Minor Hockey Association larly the continuing education prog-nuns "Right now we're spread all over We're using schools in some cases we're having to rent private facilities and we've got an ucoming computer program that's going to have to be handled in a portable lab Tliat kind of tiling is not too satisfactory" Tucker adds tiiar at present with the college centre operating out of "a numtwr of little huts" communication is difficult "And it's just not very good for the public" Tucker notes Jackson has a great deal more classroom sink than the 12 classroom units currently available in the portable buildings that house the college In addition of course Jackson has a great deal to offer in the way of extra facilities lunch room change rooms the gymnasium I he simp areas and so on "A lot of thise things the recreation facilities for example would make the campus a great deal more attractive than it currently is and enable us to attract students we may lie losing This fall we've already identified some 20 people who made serious inquiries or even applications and tlien ended up going elsewhere There's no educational justification for their Continued on page 2 Futures committee unhappy Shuswap Community Futures Committee members are not happy with guidelines covering the training option of the program which is part of the Canadian Jobs Strategy Originally it was indicated that the provision of training assistance would lie part of the mandate that the local Community Futures Committee would be emjKiwered to purchase courses in approved institutions such as the local college for training the employed self-employed or unemployed However when federal funding for the program was announced last Tuesday the training option was not mentioned Continued on page 2 I if $mMmmm "Rumours of my death" said Mark Twain "have been greatly exaggerated" The same will hold true of stories of the "death" of JL Jackson School as an educational facility if Clyde Tucker has his way Tucker is director of the Salmon Arm Centre of Okanagan College And he thinks the 37-year-old secondary school would make a wonderful permanent campus for the college replacing the aging temporary stuc-tures now situated at the intersection of Okanagan Avenue and Broadview (30th St) Of course the idea lias to be sold first to the board of Shuswap School District and then to the provincial education ministry Shuswap school trustees decided this month after king discussion that JL Jackson no longer fits into their future plans as a school However the board has not yet publicly stated what it Intends to do with the JL Jackson facilities once they are surplus to school needs One possibility that has been mentioned however is conversion of the building into a new school board building Tucker says college officials have had their eye on Jackson for some time but had not wanted to speak out until the school board had made its own decision to close the facility as a secondary school "When we heard it might become available" he says "the lights went on" He adds he and the college administration have hud informal talks with District 89's superintendent of schools Ron Smith College officials have also toured the Jackson facilities "and all who have seen it have been very impressed with its potential as a college centre" "It would certainly do marvellous things for us" he says "largely because we could consolidate our offerings" Tucker notes there simply isnt the room and in some cases the facilities for all the current offerings particu Postal service to continue "Some kind of service will be provided" The inside postal workers union could legally strike at midnight last night but Salmon Arm Postmaster Doug Randall says no matter what happens service will not be completely severed As of yesterday evening Randall said the union wasnt releasing any information on their position "We dont know what's going to happen" said Randall "There are tentative plans to keep the office open" When questioned on who would keep the office open Randall said everything was still up in the air "It may be only me" he said '1 vtveatheni Riis praises committee Salmon Arm's Community Futures Committee is seen as the best in the country right now according to MP Nelson Riis Riis was commenting on last week's approval of funding for the local job creation program "It's ati excellent gesture to show how pleased everyone is with the performance of the local Community Futures Committee" Riis says "The work that's been done here is seen as a model for other areas right across the country" With the funding now in place Riis says "it's all systems go and it bodes well for the Shuswap" Riis adds that chairman Frank Phillips the committee the staff "and me we've all been able to work as a team and the results clearly demonstrate tliut this kind of co-operative approach works well The success of the local operation and the effectiveness of the local committee "have been noted across the country" Riis says "Let me tell you it's really put the Salmon Arm region on the map" 1 iMiwiuvJ Max Mia 8a Pr cm mm 8ept23 26-6 Sept24 255 5 Sept25 215 5 Sept26 20 10 34 Sept27 18 0 Sept28 19 1 Sept29 21 2 Temp this date 1980: 15 7 SMOKED OUT Deputy flrechlef Pat Shirley blows theatrical smoke from a smoke gun through the sewer Unea In the seniors' drop-in centre and the school board office Tuesday as district workers help The Salmon Arm Are department was asked by staff at the public works office to help track down where the sewage smell wafting around Alexander Avenue was coming from Smoke was blown through the sewage lines to see if It was coming up the sewage stacks That would mean the sewage lines were hooked Into the storm lines not the sanitary lines as they should be Nothing concrete was discovered however District workers will continue testing this week.