ARTS All BUSINESS C10 CALENDAR C8 CLASSIFIEDS _A27 COMMUNITY 15 GARDENING C9 /)PINION AG ‘SPORTS A23 OUTDOORS C2 TOP OF THE PILE A7 ROCKING HORSE WINNER North Saanich man crafts a childhood memory for his family Page Al5 COLD ROUTE TO CASH Cool swim across Elk Lake Jan. | fo raise money for waterpolo Page A23 PRIVATE EYES They make a career of watching you. Find out about the investigators Page Bl JOLLY HOLLY FARM Caich the Christmas spirit among the many boughs of luscious holly Page Cl @FLYERS e Shoppers « Robinsons* e Co-op* e Panagopoulas* *select areas Review Office Hours The Review office, at 9726 First St in Sidney, is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mail to Box 2070, Sidney, B.C. V8L 3S5. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agres- ment #41815. BEYER AT CROSS Cll GRENBY C10 | HAMPSON @ LANG 9. LL Audited Crenladon 12,762 A Victoria Weeklies Publication Wednesday, December 23, 1992 68pages 50¢ Wishing a very Merry Christmas fo one and alll! No charities behind plea for help Over 20 Peninsula businesses have responded to a plea for dona- tions from a handicapped Sidney man who says he’s trying to pro- vide items that local food banks don’t provide. Paul Bassani sent out one-page appeals to business managers and owners last week pleading “for any type of food you can spare,” plus some basic needs such as toiletries, laundry detergent, clothes, candy and baked goods. “We are not part of the organi- zations, just a group of concerned citizens trying to assist in our own little way, and so far with help from people like you, we are Decision expecied by new year on request for right to end life by Paul Wyke The Review North Saanich resident Sue Rodriguez is awaiting a court deci- sion that will either permit or deny her the right to be aided by a physician at the time when she wants to end her life. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Allen Melvin reserved his deci- sion after the two-day application was heard in Victoria court Thurs- day and Friday. Victoria-based Right to Die Society executive director John Hofsess said he hopes a decision will be handed down before New Year’s Day. “We're waiting for the judge to give notice. He did indicate a decision would be reached as quickly as possible,” Hofsess said Tuesday. But according to Hofsess, any decision, in favor or against the case, could possibly be appealed by Rodriguez’s lawyer Chris Con- sidine or groups defending pro-life ISSUES. “This case may have to go all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada,” Hofsess said. Continued on Page A2 making a difference,’® Bassani. He invites people to. phone or fax him with donations at any time and says a “computer hook-up will take your calls.” The plea has been met with Suspicion from many in the busi- ness community. Several mer- chants called The Review citing inaccuracies in Bassani’s state- ments and expressing concern for where donated products will go. In an interview Tuesday, Bassani said he was originally trying to help about 18 people in his pain threshold group. But the project ““snowballed”’ after a story appeared in the Vic- toria Times-Colonist Saturday. Since then, Bassani says he has provided 40 people with help and has a list. of about 90 people requesting assistance. Bassani said that what started as a small project to help a few people has ““kind of snowballed.”’ About 98 per cent of solicitations have been done on the telephone. Donated items are collected in Bassani’s Weiler Avenue home, Continued on Page A2 Hamper Drive raised $27,000 for ihe needy The final tally is in and over $27,000 was raised by the Sidney Lions/Review Christmas Hamper Fund through donations of money, food, toys and other goods. Sidney Lions spokesman Andy - Andrews said Monday that about 450 Peninsula families received Christmas hampers, estimated to serve about 3,000 people. The final tally is only $3,000 short of a $30,000 goal set by the organization in November. ~The project was a large suc- cess,” Andrews said. “God bless you all and may your Christmas be better for what we all have accom- plished,” he said to the many donors and volunteers who helped with the annual project. Andrews said people from Elk Lake, Brentwood Bay, Saanichton, Sidney and North Saanich contri- buted to the Christmas drive. “Truckloads of groceries came in,’ Andrews said. “There was just-reams of food. One guy put ten $100 bills on our counter and— — said he didn’t want his name used.”’ The Lions/Review Christmas Hamper Fund and Sidney and Peninsula Kiwanis Toy Drive office in Mariner Mall in Sidney is now closed as the majority of hampers were distributed last weekend, Andrews said. The food bank will re-open as a regular provider to those in need on Jan. 12. But persons requiring immediate assistance can contact service agencies, such as the Peninsula Community. Association or the Ministry of Social Services, for a referral to the food bank’s emergency services, Andrews said. 000