Welcome to our Premier Issue
These are the main articles minus a few jokes & puzzles we
throw in.
Editorial
Welcome to the first issue of the OpenMinder, not only a new publication, but hopefully a new kind of publication.
Crossing over into the “21st Century”, “The New Millenium”, “The Year 2000” is just another year like all the rest, or is it? According to many cultures and myths, these are times of change. To the Hopi Indians this is the 4th world, “World Complete” – “It is not all beautiful and easy like the previous ones. It has height and depth, heat and cold, beauty and barrenness; it has everything for you to choose from. What you choose will determine if this time you can carry out the Plan of Creation on it or whether it must in time be destroyed too”.
In the North American Native culture, the birth of a “White
Buffalo” (which happened August 20, 1994 in Wisconsin) symbolizes
a change to the nurturing mother earth spirit, which is a very
good omen and in our own culture it is said to be the “Aquarian
Age”.
Even though it is just another year it sure seems to mean a lot
of things to a lot of people and it sure seems like there are
a lot of issues that are now being thrown in our faces to look
at and “vote on” with our hearts and clear minds. Many
of our previous ideas and things we were taught all our lives
are being challenged under new grounds, mostly with compassionate
solutions.
Many of these issues are asking for a general attitude change
towards an acknowledgement of the web of relationships that connects
us all. Some of these changes are affecting the laws that govern
us and some the way we look at the family and our children. I
see a lot of parallels between community and family. If, as a
parent, I make rules and “house laws” that don’t respect
my children as individuals, then how can I expect respect from
them? Stupid rules only make me look stupid.
Open discussions about the rules (“laws”) should be
a regular item on the agenda. If we can get the young people involved
in their strengths with plenty of positive encouragement and a
little constructive criticism, they end up having no time or desire
to strive for negative attention. If we allow them to make their
own mistakes and help them to overcome them, they will grow up
to be better citizens for it. These concepts can be applied to
the community as well. The “lynch mob mentality”, which
originates from misinformation, vindictiveness and ignorance was
supposed to go out the window with those old western movies, but
it is still alive and well everywhere around us.
Open, mature discussions of the issues affecting us without suppression or purposeful distortion of information is the only way to make educated decisions about anything. The OpenMinder will strive to make this happen by letting the people who have something to say tell you in their own words.
Positive recognition of achievements encourages more positive achievements. Do you do something unique, draw cartoons, create crosswords, are you a budding musician or artist or have a home business?…. let us know!
In closing I would like to deeply thank the businesses that were adventurous enough to support this first issue with their advertising dollars (it was impossible to see you all) and those that supplied their stories.
“4,300 Feet of Business Opportunity
Lighting the 21st Century
Ron Wyers – Western Aviation Services Ltd.
Nestled in the beautiful community of Grand Forks, British Columbia
is a paved runway waiting to be busier. That’s what attracted
Western Aviation Services Ltd. to commence extensive renovations
on two hangars in April 1997 after
we had researched many other airports in central B.C.. It was
two long years involving installation of essential services to
begin with, since no evidence existed of a future development
plan for the airport. Today, construction is still ongoing with
the continuous growth of our business into Commercial Aircraft
Maintenance (we are Grand Forks’ first AMO facility approved by
Transport Canada). This certification is now bringing new customers
from other B.C. locations to our facility and the City of Grand
Forks. Expansion into composite aircraft designing and construction
will happen later this year with a number of aviation enthusiasts
wanting to build their own planes.
There is a great deal of work to be done to develop the airport into a thriving economical asset for the City of Grand Forks. When we arrived two years ago, we were the only active business here at the airport. Kootenay Airways from Cranbrook has recently opened a flight training school with 13 students registered and plans to bring foreign students into the area. Canadian flight training standards are considered the highest in the world and we have the latest technology and the space (airport) to tap into a market which sees unlimited opportunities for the future.
Our neighbour, Skynet Telecommunications, opened their technology-based
company one year ago. As luck would have it, Skynet had the communications
and aviation expertise to become the Project Manager for the airport
runway
lighting upgrade. This mayor accomplishment for the airport was
completed on schedule and under budget using local trades, businesses
and personnel.
B.C. Forest Service moved their Rock Creek office this past winter to the G.F. Airport alongside their existing fire attack unit. An essential fire fighting service we recognize here every summer, and growing to meet the demand to reach forest areas throughout south central B.C..
Right now, we are not aware of an official airport development plan to blend compatibly with the neighbouring industrial park and rural residents. This is a reality that needs addressing. In addition, improvements to the weather reporting system (AWOS) and airport fencing are major projects we must recognize soon to pursue night landing for medevac flights, commercial and private aircraft.
Grand Forks needs jobs today and a future that we can all be
a part of. Is it fear of “noisy” airplanes, losing our
beautiful local colour or simply not being aware of the many opportunities
that this airport is capable of providing that puts this airport
in its present condition? Even our Boundary neighbours are recognizing
the importance of this airport when you realize that Castlegar
Airport is not capable of night flight services. We are fortunate
to have attracted a number of aviation professionals to this community
who have voluntarily come forward to work at making this airport
economically viable for the benefit of all. I encourage everyone
to get involved and visit your local airport.
You’ll have that opportunity May 22 and 23rd when the City of
Grand Forks, the local flying club and the Chamber of Commerce
invite you to the opening ceremony for the runway lighting project
and airport fly-in activities for both days.
Ask the Man!
Ask your question to a local elected representative
and we will try to get an answer in writing for you.
Question to Mayor Brian Taylor:
What do you think of this type of column in our publication and
would you co-operate in answering reasonable questions?
Answer:
It is essential that public officials debate public issues in
the eye of the public. This weekly space will be dedicated to
public debate. What I like most about Brian’s idea for this space,
is that the reader will get both opinions in one read. So, say
you wanted to ask a councilor why they voted in a certain way,
or you think the school board needs to explain themselves; you
ask the question, the OpenMinder will forward your questions to
the representative of your choice and, assuming they respond,
the question and the answer will be printed together.
Grand Forks sends a lot of information out by “jungle telegraph”. The problem with this low-tech approach is that the message that arrives is never the same as the message that left. Public debate in this town is a challenge. Conceivably if we were larger, we would have an exclusive radio station and maybe local TV.
I appreciate the job hat is done by both the community access cable but in my opinion the print media is the most influential voice in this community. I wish to extend my thanks and appreciation to Bill, Marie, Herb and Henry at Sunshine Cable for making possible the live broadcast of city council meetings. Tune in and watch the people you elected run your city. At the end of each council meeting, the chair asks if the gallery or the media have any questions. I think it is worth considering asking the TV viewing audience to telephone or fax in a question or two as well.
My personal commitment is to make this space work. When asked
a fair question I will answer clearly and honestly. In closing,
my congratulations to Brian McAndrew and his wife Sonja Gartner.
I believe that the ethical commitments
to open debate, education and community involvement will make
this weekly paper a popular forum and a “must read”
for residents and visitors to the Boundary.
Chamber Shows Pride in Community
Loretta Robinson
Every day the Grand
Forks Chamber of Commerce hears about something our community
can be proud of. In the weeks to come we promise to expound on
that theme and share information with you as well as ask you for
input. Sonia at Golden Heights Estate Inn and Restaurant informed
me this week that they are interested in providing wall space
for businesses to advertise. All they ask is that it be done up
in a tasteful collage format and put in a frame.
They have a well-trafficked wall that they feel would be ideal
for merchants/businesses to promote their establishments and be
an opportunity to entice the visitors staying at Golden Heights
to shop/spend/stay in the area. Another thought from the Hill
– would any businesses be interested in having a discount coupon
put in a parting “promotional envelope” for the guests?
– call Sonia – Here’s your chance for some cross-promotion.
We have a very interesting request from our Thompson Okanagan
Tourism Association representative – here it is: The second edition
of British Columbia: Off the Beaten Path will be published in
the fall of 1999. I’m in the process of revising it and would
like to include a few interesting facts from your area. For example,
could you give me the
names (including a little info) of any famous people from the
region (authors, musicians, actors, sports stars, etc.). Also,
does your area have any – unusual or otherwise – “biggest”,
“oldest”, or other superlatives that you are proud of,
for example, Salmo claims the oldest phone booth in the world,
Kitimat I believe claims the biggest one-day snowfall in B.C.,
Burnaby claims the largest ice-sports arena, B.C. Place the largest
air-supported, domed stadium, Victoria has the oldest Canadian
synagogue, etc.
Any information you can give me to make the second edition of BC:OBP more colourful would be much appreciated. So – Grand Forks and Boundary…. do we have any juicy stuff???!!
We have just finished the final, complete 1999 Calendar of Events! This encompasses the entire Boundary area and not only keeps you informed but can be a great marketing tool for visitors to our area. Call the Chamber if you would like a copy.
Medical Marihuana
Excerpt from “Marihuana , medicine and politics”
by Lester Grinspoon, M.D.
In September 1928 Alexander Fleming returned from vacation
to his laboratory and discovered that one of the petri dishes
he had inadvertently left out over the summer was overgrown with
staphylococci except for the area surrounding a mold colony. That
mold contained a substance he later named penicillin. He published
his finding in 1929, but the discovery was ignored by the medical
establishment, and bacterial infections continued to be a leading
cause of death. Had it aroused the interest of a pharmaceutical
firm, its development might not have been delayed.
More than 10 years later, under wartime pressure to develop antibiotic
substances to supplement sulfonamide, Howard Florey and Ernst
Chain initiated the first clinical trial of penicillin (with 6
patients) and began the systematic investigation that might have
been conducted a decade earlier (Hayes, et al., 1993).
After its debut in 1941, penicillin rapidly earned a reputation as “the wonder drug of the ’40s”. There were 3 major reasons for that reputation: it was remarkably non-toxic, even at high doses; it was inexpensive to produce on a large scale; and it was extremely versatile, acting against the microorganisms that caused a great variety of diseases, from pneumonia to syphilis. In all three respects cannabis suggests parallels:
(1) Cannabis is remarkably safe. Although not harmless, it
is surely less toxic than most of the conventional medicines it
could replace if it were legally available. Despite its use by
millions of people over thousands of years,
cannabis has never caused a death. The most serious concern is
respiratory damage from smoking, but that can easily be addressed
by increasing the potency of cannabis and by developing the technology
to separate the particulate matter in marihuana smoke from the
cannabinoids (prohibition, incidentally, has prevented this technology
from flourishing). Once cannabis regains the place in the U.S.
Pharmacopoeia that it lost in 1941 after the passage of the Marihuana
Tax Act (1937), it will be among the least toxic substances in
that compendium.
(2) Medical cannabis would be extremely inexpensive. Street
marihuana today costs $200 to $400 an ounce, but the prohibition
tariff accounts for most of that. A reasonable estimate of the
cost of cannabis as a medicine is $20 to $30 an ounce, or about
30 to 40 cents per marihuana cigarette. As an example of what
this means in practice, consider the following. Both the marihuana
cigarette and an 8 mg ondansetron pill (cost to the patient $30
to $40) are effective in most cases for the nausea and vomiting
of cancer chemotherapy (although many patients find less than
one marihuana
cigarette to be more useful, and they often require several ondansetron
pills). Thus cannabis would be at least 100 times less expensive
than the best present treatment for this symptom.
(3) Cannabis is remarkably versatile. The most common present medical uses of marihuana: cancer treatment, glaucoma, seizures, pain, AIDS, affective disorders (i.e. depression), asthma, rheumatoid disorders, etc.
Small World
Sharon Ann
Let me share a little story with you! Last summer a Canadian artist,
Alex Duparis, stopped at Grand Forks and sold me a couple of his
Limited Edition pictures – one of which turned out to be quite
special! This picture was painted in Barkersville, B.C. of a re-created
nostalgia wedding outside one of Barkersville’s old churches.
To my amazement one day I heard some ladies talking in the corner
of the store (Sharon Ann’s) where the picture was sitting! June,
one of the ladies, could not believe her eyes as she recognized
the painting of that wedding – her daughter had been chosen to
be one of the bridesmaid models in that wedding! June and her
family were living in Barkersville at the time the artist was
painting this picture! Yes, she bought the painting as a surprise
gift for her daughter, who is now grown up, married and having
a child!
If you have a story that shows how small the world is, send it in to us at the OpenMinder (Small World) or drop it off at our drop boxes at Pharmasave and Value Drug Mart in Grand Forks.
5W’s contest
Guess Where
If you are an elementary school student in the Boundary Area you
could win $5 by telling us what this is a picture of. Don’t forget
to include your name, grade, school, and phone number. Drop off
your entry at Value Drug Mart,
Market St. or at Pharmasave, Central Ave. in Grand Forks. The
first correct answer to our puzzle drawn from our hat
will win the $5 prize.