Cocoons evolve since day ‘one 1E lj Aged man stoned by teenage p inks/3A Talking about health/1C WEDNESDAY May 4, 1994 The Castlegar Su SHOWERS Weather 3A Vol. 4°- No. 24 ‘The weekly newspaper with @ daily commitment’ 75 Cents + G.S.T. -Sod busters Wages eat up budget 16 Million Dollar School District #9 '94-'95 Budget KAREN KERKHOFF ‘Suistff Anyway a person slices the pie, wages and benefits gobble a whopping 88.72 per cent, or $14.2 of School District No. 9's $16 mil- lion budget, leaving 11.28 per cent, or $1.8 million with which to purchase supplies and pay for standard operational costs. School District No. 9 Secre- tary-Treasurer John Dascher said boards across the province are with steadily increasing employee wages and benefits, escalating operational costs, and a rapidly shrinking budget. Dascher explained that during past ining, boards have con- sistently pointed out to union negotiators that budgets simply don’ 't allow for continued wage Recent renovations to the Kinnaird Park ball di end by volunteers. Some of the renovations included laying sod and red shale. ‘SUN STAFF PHOTO / John Van Putten rds were Cc d last week- Kimberley child murdered ‘STERLING NEWS SERVICE As the family of an eight- ld Anand ‘ah y Bh to cope with their grief, the elderly father of the man charged with the crime is devas- tated with the news. “I cannot believe this is happening. This is horrible, just horrible. I have just come from seeing my son and he was crying,” Siegmund Stre- bakowski of Kimberley said yesterday, his voice laden with emotion, his eyes wet with tears. “Police told me it is best if I don't talk to people and just go out of town for a while,” he said. Strebakowski’s 38 year-old son, Siegmund Bruno “Bruce” Strebakowski, also known as “Ziggy”, was charged with first degree mur- der in the death of Stephanie Teresa Graves of Meadow- brook, after a court appear- ance in Cranbrook Monday. Meadowbrook is a small com- munity on the northern edge of Kimberley. Strebakowski, an associate of the Grave's family, was arrested Sunday moming after an exten- sive RCMP search and investiga- tion. Grave's body was found early Monday morning in an remote area north-east of Kim- berley. Police are still awaiting autopsy results. The accused, a local soit with three ih ley. Roofing. knows the accused, having hired him as a roofer about, six. said he is devastated - ‘not the mur- der, but by the fact that an employee of his has been charged “I can't believe it. He was the best darn roofer I ever had: Not always reliable, but a good work- er just the same,” said Smith, who described the accused as a “quiet, outdoorsy person who liked fishing”. Meanwhile counsellors a the and that to grant those demands could mean disaster for a budget that’s already stretched transparently thin. “That's what the boards have been saying— it leaves very little.” A document obtained by Sun Staff, called Employee Remuner- ation and Expenses for the Period Ending June 30, 1993, lists names and Wages of School District No. School t my me Schools in the as well, tephanie was the second youngest of five children to Harold, a Cominco mine worker, and Sandra, a convenience store clerk in Cranbrook. ploy who cara above 9 $35,000 y. The 11.28% 88.72% = around $50,000. With 184 government-required prac cone days per year for shows that the highest paid administrative official earns $85,386.08 in one year and that teachers’ wages range from about $38,000 up to about $62,000 per year with the average wage he average hourly wage for pose, is equates to, (assuming that the instructor only’ works 7.5 hours a day), is roughly $36 per hour. Allowing a liberal ten per cent margin of error, this then equates to about $32.40 per hour. Interchange goes to KAREN KERKHOFF Sun staff victim's school, Elementary, spent Monday hold- ing special sessions to help staff, students and parents cope with their shock and anger over Grave's death. “Obviously we are in shock over what has happened and words can’t express the kind of He said the counsellors will be holdi all Local chip truck drivers and motorists can breathe easier— the Brilliant interchange is finally going to tender. Although the project has been “shelf ready” since last fall, the project couldn't begin until crucial funding from B.C. 21 was approved by the Treasury Board. With completion of the Robson- Castlegar Bridge fast hing-its June 30 com- week to help st students, parents and staff cope with their feel- pletion, chip truck drivers and city officials were begin- ning to feel decidedly ner- vous realizing that a smooth flow of traffic across the bridge depended on the inter- change being modified. In fact, without modification to the interchange, chip truck would have to continue using Columbia Avenue. Rosstand/Trail MLA Ed Conroy, who lobbied Employment and Investment Minister Glen Clark and Highways Minister Jackie Pement to proceed with the project, said he is relieved CO service warns of Grizzly SUN STAFF \ The Castlegar Conservation office is warning the public to stay clear of Murphy Creek, at least until a bear sight- custody in Cranbrook until his next court appearance May 18. Elgin Smith, owner of Kimber- inside 3sections 34 pages Editorial .:..+....0s.0s GA SPOPts ..--ce-e-erererene A | 9A ed at the spawning pools is Conservation Officer Mike Krause said the bear was sighted by two different peo- ple in mid-afternoon and early evening, May 1. The CO service will attempt to trap and relocate the bear. “Even though the bear had done nothing aggressive, there bear sighting is always the potential for someone to get hurt if the bear continues to hang around that area.” Anyone who encounters the bear may report the incident to the Conservation Officer Ser- vice in Castlegar at 365-8522 A story in a B.C. daily news- s south of the plant, locals in that town are being told to wash bh Washington. _Located approximately 35 the Cominco department study found high lev- €ls of arsenic and cadmium in the fir. Northport retiree Bob Jack- man, 68, Claims his wife Faye d colitis, an intestinal disorder, from the pol- lution, He is quoted by The Province saying “She's one of the, people who swam in the ~Columbia River and she's been up here breathing the air which has been polluted for years.” Cc i s Fallout traced back to Trail doing everything it can to keep the air clean. “We are aware of these issues. But it’s important to keep the perspective that we're within the B.C. and U.S. (emis- sion) standards.” In 1996, Cominco is due to complete a new $145-million lead smelter, with the hopes that it will reduce emissions. The company recently received an food before eating it and to keep kids away from soil. The health For all the local news and sports — The Castlegar Sun son Richard Fish is also quoted in the article, stated the company is aid p from the Provincial government worth more than $55-million. the project will begin soon. “I'm very pleased there's another job on the shelf and I can move onto something different. I've got an eco- nomic plan, and by hook or crook I want to get it done before the next election” When announcing the call for tenders Conroy said he was relieved the project will begin this year. “In addition to improved highway safety, the construc- tion of the Brilliant Intersec- tion will accommodate more~— 1.8 Million 14.2 Million When the contract expires fos Castlegar and District Teacher’s Association (CDTA) bargaining will begif on an across-the-board provincial level and boards will have no input during bargaining. And so, whether a board can afford to increase wages or not, this = See BUDGET tender bridge traffic and improve traffic flow which will bene- fit the entire community.” Transportations and High- ways Minister Jackie Pement said the project, which encompasses an area from the Robson-Castlegar Bridge to the junction of Highway 3A and the Robson Access Road, will meet all safety requirements. “The ministry will meet See INTERCHANGE 2A In West Kootenay Soccer League Action, the Castle- gar Selects beat Rossland by a score of 5-2. It was their second win in as many games. For kicks .