“y ms er two teachers for two “split” classes of 13 students each. There's “just no possible way of justifying kindergarten classes with 13 students in it,” added Smecher. ‘She said in past years excess students were transferred from one kindergarten in the distriet to another, but this year most of the kindergartens are full. If the class size at the Robson kindergarten grows too large, Smecher said the possiblity of hiring an extra teacher will be investigated, but given the distriet’s “current financial state” hiring another teacher “would be a real last resort.” Robson kindergarten now is held for half-a-day. five-days-a-week. According to Wayling, the kindergarten will soon switch to being a full-day (five-hour) class, to be held two days one week, and three days alternate weeks. i i hg kn exten Yoacher’s aide | “We've got problems; we've got serious problems seule ca financially,” said Wayling. Board chairman Doreen Smecher noted that the salary of a teacher's aide is one-third that of a teacher's. “We do the best we can with limited resources,” she told parents at the meeting. “We have other classes in the “The board feels that a teacher and an side will provide Gistriet with overcrowding problems in the primary and the quality education — not ideal — but quality education,” added Finney. According to B.C, Teachers’ Federation class size limits, Following the board's decision, one of the parents again 20 children should be the limit for a kindergarten class: a to the board to hire an extra teacher, but About six parents attended Monday's meeting to superintendent Terry Wayling said the district can't afford indieate that they want an extra teacher hired for the it. kindergarten because the class is too large and the children are unruly. Trustee Peter Kagis sided with the parents, saying, “I think we should put in two teachers.” The board, however, ‘Twenty-six students how attend the kindergarten at the Robson Elementary School. One teacher is in charge of : the’ alate. According to Finney, there are “any nymber” of kindergartens in Trail and Nelson with classes of 26-28 children. Mn the Castlegar district, however, most kindergarten classes are close to 20 students. Smecher said in an interview that Valley Vista has kindergarten classes of 19 and 20, Tarrys has 17, Castlegar Primary has 21 and 22, and Woodland Park has 19 and 20. She said parents of Robson kindergarten students want He said even though the district managed to cut back five teaching positions this year to balance its budget, 1.5 teachers had to be hited for the month of September to fill the positions of two staff members on sick leave. continued on page A2 on \\A WEATHERCAST Casth VOL. 37, No. 76 a > ar News & CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1984 Cloudy Thursday with sunny breaks and a slight chance of at ternoon showers. Highs 24 ond lows 5. Outlook for Friday is mix ture of clouds ond sun with in creasing chance of showers 3 Sections (A, B & C) SIGNING . . . Peace petition caonvasser Pot Romaine signs up neighbor Hilda Knicki. Volun- By RON NORMAN Editer Pat Romaine has protested for peace, marched for peace and attended monthly peace vigils. Now the Castlegar resident and other peace advocates are taking the campaign into the homes of area residents with a door-to-door petition Romaine and about 25 other volunteers began canvassing for signatures for the Peace Petition Caravan Campaign Monday evening. They will be taking the petition to their neighbors over the next three weeks, seeking support to end the arms race. Romaine was out for 2% hours Monday in the neighborhood surrounding his home. “I was quite by it all,” he said. “I got positive responses from all but one of 44 people.” Romaine tackled one side of the street while his wife Polly knoeliéd on doors on the opposite side “We don't high pressure anybody,” said Romaine, adding that residents who have reservations about signing the petition are entitled to them, “We don't intend to sell it,” he noted. ‘The petitions are part of a national campaign which started on March 16 and has been underway in a number of commutiities across Canada, including Vancouver and Victoria. However, it adopted a lower profile during the federal election campaign and has been rejuvenated now that the election is over. ~ Local organizers plan to finish gathering signatures by Oct. 5 so the petitions cain be sent to Kootenay West MP Bob Brisco in time for an Oct. 20 rally in Ottawa. Petition pushes peace TTT teers will be tak the petitions door-to-door in Castlegar area for next three w: CaatteonPhoto by Ron Normen As well, two peace caravans will leave on Sept. 29 from Vancouver Island and Halifax carrying petitions to Ottawa. The caravans will hold rallies as they proceed across the country, with the final rally in Ottawa. “The caravan itself won't actually be passing through Castlegar,” pointed out local organizer Ann Godderis She said the caravan will instead travel along the Trans-Canada Highway. But that shouldn't hurt support for the petitions. “We're expecting good, positive support,” added Godderis. She noted that recent regional district and municipal referendums on nuclear disarmament in the West Kootenay received support. Godderis said the actual door-to-door canvassing wil! be “interesting”. “It's really seary going out and meeting people at their doors,” she said. Yet, at the same time she said it will also be “exciting” to get out and speak to residents in their homes about peace and the arms race. “It does raise the issue,” she said. “Maybe it will be talked about in people’s homes. The only thing that will change it (the arms face) is people.” The petition asks four questions: eWe ask what the Parliament of Canada act to refuse the testing of the cruise missile in Canada and to reject research, production, testing and transport of any nuclear weapons, their delivery ¢ystems or components in Canada. "We ask that Canada be declared «# nuclear ‘weapons-frée zone ih accofd with’ similar initiatives by continued on page A? SELKIRK COLLEGE Student housing given go-ahead By CHERYL CALDERBANK Staff Writer Selkirk College moved a step closer Tuesday to getting new student re- sidences at its Castlegar campus. ‘The board agreed Tuesday to sign a letter of intent with Western Student Housing for the construction of the re- of intent means the @mipany, subject to approval of the lease by the éollege and Ministry of Education. . bursar Dale Schatz told the hoard that Western Student Housing hopes to have the residences in operation by next September Preliminary plans call for the con struction of a twotothree-storey building, which would most likely be wood frame construction. The building site being considered is south of the gymnasium overlooking the Columbia LETTER SPARKS REPLY By CasNews Staff A request by the Minister of Education that school board con tracts be open to both union and non-union bidders provoked the ire of a Castlegar school board trustee Monday. “My feeling is that we should write (Jack Heinrieh) back, and tell him to mind hie own-business,” said trustee Peter Kagis et the regular board meeting, Board treasurer John Dascher said the board doesn't have a policy on unidn or non-union bidding. “It's open to all,” he ex plained. Dascher added that in the past, the board had a policy which stated that inthe @vent of close bids between a nof-union and union firm, a contract wotild be awarded to the union firm if its bid was no more than 10 per ¢emt higher than « non-union bidder. - Heinrich’s request. was contained in a form letter gent to all B.C. school boards. The letter says it River. A lease agreement of 20 acres is being looked at, which provides room for expansion if desired The facility would consist of in dividual units, with shared washrooms between two units and a common kitchen. Schatz told the board that Western Student Housing began to take ap interest in the Castlegar campus six months ago. The company indicated it may be interested in setting up some type of residence program. “We went through the prelimin aries,” Schatz said. “The administra. tion met with students and interested parties.” He said it was felt the project was something which should be pursued. The college then informed Western Student Housing to do a feasibility study. As a result of the feasibility study, the company advised the college that it wished to proceed with the project, and requested a letter of intent from the college Western Student housing currently has a housing complex at Malaspina College on Vancouver Island, while a similar project at Prince George's College of New Caledonia is just star ting. If the project at Castlegar goes ahead, Western Student Housing would lease the land from the college, and would be responsible for con- struction and operating costs. In other college news: College principal Leo Perra told the board in his report that improve ments and adjustments to the way the Ministry of Education allocates college funding are continuing. He said most of the anticipated changes are minor and will not significantly affect college operations. Perra said funding for capital however, work by the B.C. Association of Colleges, Council of Principals and the Joint Committee on Formula Funding should result in adequate support for the 1985/86 fiscal year “The college still faces a nine per cent decrease in its 1985/86 allocation unless new programs are initiated and/or the government decides to pro vide an inflation adjustment,” Perra said. ePerra also reported that progress on the college's Expo 86 proposal has not been significant. Support for the college's proposal remaims positive, he said adding that senior level decisions regarding the availability of free ex hibit space should be resolved towards the @nd of this month. “Alternatives to provincially-spon sored space is being pursued in the event the college’s initial proposal is rejected,” he said. —inside SOUNDING THE CALL: Silhouette of bugler giving the call to the gate is one in a series of photographs by CasNews sportswriter and photographer Chery! Calderbonk dering @ recent visit to Playfair Rocetrack in Spokane. For a special view of the races which run until Oct. 8 83 BEAUMONT, Tex. (AP) James Williams didn't know what he was getting into when he promised his wite Cosondra that she could choose the nome for their baby gir! Mrs. Williams, 23, who said she always wanted to top the long names in the Guinness Book of World Records called in that promise last week when she had a baby gir! The baby is called Jameshauwnell, which is short for h henk h ddtechtund: Hoshan- “I ath ‘etre you can appreciate that the public interest is best Y tesporklerescsoundrieoq atyronevekacarr pr for tendering and awarding contracts that is Open to all bidders capable of doing the work,” gags the letter, dated 6. k it is “firm policy of this with 1,019 letters, broke the Guiness record t