Page 4 THE EXPRESS August 4, 1999 op1n1on PUBLISHER'S COMMENT EXPRESS ould be RV heaven! PHONE: (250) 354-3910 EDITORIAL 354-1118 FAX 352-5075 554 WARD STREET, NELSON, B.C. VIL 1S9 E-MAIL: express@expressnews.bc.ca It X • llOplewbo are interes~f,,(J, ;,:_ iid!:'31'1l.· y_ .. , OFFICE HOURS: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ,!-.ittht# -(@ -% } incsooietlillig. ~r.,,f; w~want tq see ourselves as Keeping a come from . . espkiren aut1· adv.enturert.I like dult. :Jbn an edvcatw~ centnl. We: could take a lesson from •'Dietare bite . .peoJ_!le. y aud from fat away. TheJ'-J:"e the Vl$1ton Centre at Kokanee Creek Park, which • provides aneducational service to camperst.y having H- do we getthem w Yisit? We make the best RV a small display area and a small theatre. The display tradition alive park in.thi: wol'ld, tbat•s IH)W.We already ha've a area contains exhibits about nature and wHldlife. world-class place fo.- an :av • RVers atri1>eearlier and stay longer than ordinary It's ironic that even as hundreds of former puk, right '1own by the campen because they're not affected by the weather. players, coaches and officials from the late, train yard. We just need to That also means they generally spend more: money in great Western International Hockey League build. it in such a way as to the colllll\unity. And. the very nature of RVing lends are preparing for a September reunion in Trail make it more.Jib a park itself to "geuing out on the town" once in awhile, than a place for RVs. The whi~b can O"mymean good things for our restaurants, (see page 9), supporters of the current fran- land could l.>esculpted to bars and clubs. chises in Nelson, Rossland and Castlegar are Incorporate hills _and foun;, • Mobile tourists are more apt to \'bit .the surround- once again faced with having to decide if tains as well as· benches, ing centers: What's good for us would also be good for junior hockey can survive in the West trees and bushes. There our neighbors in Rossland•Trail, Castlegar, Kaslo and Kootenay. could even be a 'small amp- every otb,er community in the West Kootenay. itheatre. . What else can be done with the rail yard site? The What's that you say? This is summer, and An RV park, doesn't have ground is contaminated, and digging in it wonld defi- hockey should be the last thing on our minds? to be ugly, and unlike a----==-' nitely be a questionable practice. An RV J>llrkdoesn't Perhaps. But in tribute to the memory of leg- campground it would NELSONBEC ER nee4 to be::dugin - It cou1d'slmply be bmllatop the ends like Ernie Gare and the great Nelson attract ' ' n y11:~r emmigsudace."' ,, . , Maple Leafs' clubs of the 1950s and '60s, iro.undO' o·drive ,to In ad4iti<>J1'8'ac,:q,nunodating visitori!: when names like Adams, Keller, Hyssop, spendwi , the globe. onr'new RV'.park cbuld bee . ,kind or Here are S()IJle11t,b.er advantages: , gathering place for,-the whole community. It cool4be Maglio, Laughton and Malacko helped fill the • An RV park wonld add to our vbitorbed capacity. used .tor things like circuses, fairs and the Mid- Civic Centre to capacity, our community We have only so many hotel roo-, and an .RV park Summer Bonspiel picnics, instead of damaging the should be doing all it can to ensure the pre- presents a cost'.-eQlclentalternative. soccer fields behind the Civic Centre. sent-day Leafs survive in the Kootenay • Like any gTOU.P,theteare all 1unds 11fRVefS, We What ilo you think, Ncl5on? Are we ready for R\1' International Junior Hockey League. can make the p...-lJa ·kind of.nature educational cen- heaven? Nelson's move to the KIJHL for the upcom- ing season came as a result of the dissolution of the Rocky Mountain Junior 'A' league -- which was already down to three teams after the Creston Valley Thunder franchise folded. Some fans will no doubt equate playing against Rossland, Beaver Valley, Castlegar and II fheEditor's MailbagII Who will mistakes. and been passed by a chip to solve this alone. On the the rest of the Junior 'B' KIJHL as something I slowed to 20 km below truck. Perhaps it would be positive side partnering our of a come-down, but that's to be expected. be at fault? the speed limit for more their first and last time to energies leads to a result Keeping the game alive here is more impor- Dear Editor: control to pass him when a do so. which is more than the sum tant. Since the meeting at the chip truck came from the Slocan Valley has a gold- of the parts. Important Slocan Park Community other direction. Three en opportunity to provide a health issues like this tend The Leafs have been a fixture in our city for Hall for/against the 'Rails decades, both as a senior and junior-calibre abreast we passed, and I safe causeway for children to be forgotten when the for Trails,' I've become can tell you, I broke a sweat to pedal up and down the debate shifts to health care franchise, but competition for the local enter- more aware of the use of in fear of hitting the boy. valley to school, to friends, issues such as hospital beds tainment dollar has seen some crowds dwindle the highway through the I didn't, thankfully. The to the store. and other health services. to less than 250 fans in recent seasons. valley by pedestrians and question begs: How many Vehicle drivers have a For your infonnation, the bicyclists. other drivers have had a Corporate support has remained strong, but What strikes me now in reasonable road to drive on Kootenay Boundary CHSS much of the club's annual budget (upwards of similar experience on this for vehicle safety, why not is working on a Seniors' these prevailing weeks is road? Speaking as a driver, provide the same for bicy- Health Report for projected $200,000) still comes from ticket sales, pro- that the people who spoke I know the levels of abili- clists and pedestrians? It is release in September. This gram advertising, etc. against the proposal are ties of vehicle drivers in the our public duty, our legacy will support our Board's It's in those areas that the average Nelsonite neither pedestrians nor valley varies a great deal, for our children's safety. initiative to provide up to can really make a difference and help the cyclists. Is this a case of as do their vehicles and the Robert Eyre. $50,000 for action in this being unaware of the dan- road conditions due to Bonning/on, B.C. region to reduce the isola- Leafs and the KIJHL live to see another sea- gers inherent of travelling son. The idea that community pride and har- weather and time of day. I tion and increase the inde- this road by foot or bicycle? feel like it's only a matter pendence of seniors in this mony are enhanced by high-profile organized Case in point: Driving of time before a pre- Health issues international year of the sports isn't new, but perhaps it's time for many down the Kosiansic's hill ventable tragedy will hap- in spotlight older person. of us to become reacquainted with it. from Crescent Valley the pen. Thanks again for raising other day, I came upon a Dear Editor: Even if you don't personally like hockey, young lad pedalling with all And whose fault will it Thank you for your inter- awareness about these purchasing a single ticket, a I 0-game package be? The cyclist? The vehi- important health issues. his worth to gain speed for est in and support for action cle driver? Or the people Nelson Ames, MD, MHSc. or some program advertising for a friend, rela- the flat stretch ahead. Head who spoke for the so-called to address determinants of CEOIMHO. Kootenay tive or someone on a fixed income would go a down and pumping like child health. 'protection of personal Boundary CHSS long way towards keeping junior hockey alive mad, the young lad devel- You were correct in point- property' over public safe- Castlegar oped a front wheel wobble. ing out in your July 28 edi- in our little comer of the province. ty? I truly doubt that these torial that this is a concern Lack of control? Probably. people have travelled the Think of it as an "assist" that doesn't have to Paved curb? No. Just gravel for all of us. No one agency be written down to count. Slocan valley road by bike -- with no provision for or individual has the ability OWNER and PUBLISHER: Nelson Becker EDITOR: Murray Greig PRODUCTION: Julie Swenson Letters to the Editor guidelines: We encourage our readers to write to us. 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