Legislative Parliament 5 Victoria, B. vay 154 thrill Castlegar's Steve Bozek says his biggest thrill wasn't playing in the Stanley Cup finals, but beating Edmonton Oilers... 81 Employment and migration Minister Flora MacDonald was in Trail Friday announcing a $2 million employment The six winning numbers in last night's Lotto 6/49 drow were 8, 16, 17, 37, 40, and 41. The bonus number was 19. The $500,000 winning number in Friday's Provin- cial lottery draw is 2668656. There are also sub- sidiary prizes. WEATHERCAST PARENTS TELL BOARD a You can't take school from us’ Sunny end hot again todoy highs near 30. Outlook 28-30. day Tuesday is seding ond slightly cooler with highs Overnight lows will be around 14- By SIMON BIRCH Staff Writer A small but vocal crowd of about 30 Pass Creek residents gathered in Pass Creek -y school’s sweltering —, Thursday night to tell the Castk hool board not to close the TRIKE RACE THEY'RE OFF and pedalling in the great Moga Madness tricycle relay race. Nine Stanley Humphries secondary school teams competed for the coveted Moga Madness title Friday morning as part of a national contest held every year for high school students during National Physical Activity Week. MOGA is an acronym from Most Outrageous Group Activity osNewsPhotos by Ron Norman se RRR rural sakoal to save money. “The only good thing we've got going for us besides our rural lifestyle is our sehool. You can't take that away from us,” said Marilyn Strong, expressing a sentiment repeated by many of the residents who attended the meeting. The Pass Creek meeting was the first of four public forums called by the board to discuss the possibility of closing four rural elementary schools this September in an effort to save Editorial, A4 more than $100,000 in operating costs for the 1986-87 school year. Pass Creek, Shoreacres, Ootischenia and Blueberry Creek elementaries are the four schools earmarked for possible closure. The board's administrative staff estimates an anticipated 150 students who would be displaced by the closures could be accommodated at Castlegar city schools. But that would mean busing the Pass Creek students into the city, a prospect that didn’t please the residents at the meeting. “My tax dollars should not be spent busing children to town when they could go to Pass Creek,” said Strong, who pointed out to the trustees several times the poor and dangerous condition of Pass Creek Road. John Voykin, Regional District of Central Kootenay director for Area I and a Pass Creek resident, told the trustees people in Pass Creek use the school as a community centre. He said Castlegar residents shouldn't complain about their tax money being spent to keep rural schools open. “People who live in Castlegar have very little to bitch about,” he said “They have their Community Complex that we're (Pass Creek residents) helping for. We deserve the same consideration from the City of Castle r.” Voykin also pointed out that Pass Creek students who attend school in Castlegar must get up early in the morning to catch the school bus “How many are aware that kids have to get up at five or six inthe morning to go to school (in the city).” he said. “I don't think it's fair at all Earlier in the meeting, superin tendent of schools Terry Wayling ex plained why the board is considering closing the schools to save money after inereasing school taxes in the district Wayling said the board's “mainten ance” budget of $8.75 million submitted in March made allowances for 129 full-time equivalent teachers PARENT MEETING . But when the provincial government refused to grant the district more than $8.2 million for its 1986-87 operating budget, the board was faced with having to goto the taxpayers for “quite a high increase,” he said. Instead, Wayling said, the board submitted a budget of $8.6 million which calls for 124.5 full-time equiva- lent teachers but still requires a tax increase of $19 this year and $24 in 1987 for the average homeowner. But director of instruction Lach Far- rall said keeping all schools open next year would require 126.72 full-time equivalent teachers — two more than the board has money for in its 1986-87 operating budget Since the board doens't have the money to hire extra teachers, it would have to compensate by transferring some students to other schools, by re- ducing or eliminating learning assis tance and library time, or by reducing the number of classes in some schools, he said Farrell added that keeping all the ..» Concerned Pass Creek parents speak their minds at meeting with Castlegar school board Thursday. CosNewsPhote schools open would result in six “triple grade splits” (three grades taught by one teacher in one classroom) and nine or 10 “double grade splits.” “This staffing pattern will not allow any consideration of requests from child care worker, elementary counsel- lor or additional special -classes,” Farrell said. Wayling also pointed out the rapidly declining enrolment in the district means that provincial govern ment grants — determined by the number of students in a district — are also declining Wayling said about 100 students have left the Castlegar district since September 1985 and the board anti cipates that decline to continue. The result is rural schools such as Pass Creek elementary enrol far fewer students than the schools were built for, incurring disproportionate clerical, continued on poge A3 Smith last to know detachment closed By CasNews Staff The Crescent Valley RCMP detach ment has been closed for two months. but some one forgot to tell Attorney General Brian Smith In an April 24 letter written on Smith's behalf, Assistant Deputy Min ister Robin Bourne told the Regional District of Central Kootenay “that after a great deal of consideration, the Crescent Valley detachment will not be closed at this time Just one problem: The detachment was officially closed a month before, on March 20. The regional board had written Smith in January protesting the de tachment's elosing It sure doesn't help my confidence in the policing of my provinee,” re marked Slocan city director Bob Barkley The board agreed with a suggestion by Area E (rural Nelson) director Wally Penner to write back to Smith saying it is looking forward to the de tachment’s re-opening Nelson wouldn't Crescent RCMP Sgt comment on Valley detachment Frank Stacey whether the will be re-opened We're policing the Crescent Valley the Nelson detachment,” without commenting fur area from Stacey said ther erat Waterslide not dead By RON NORMAN Editor The proposed waterslide theme park for Ootischenia isn't dead. The park's developers are looking at appealing the Regional District of Central Kootenay's decision to reject a rezoning application that would have allowed the waterslide to proceed “We're considering an appeal to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs,” said Alex Cheveldave, one of the four principals in Cetac Development Ltd. of Castlegar. The regional board turned down the rezoning application May 24 by a 10-7 vote. Cheveldave said another possiblity is for Cetac to revise the proposal and make another rezoning application. But that would mean going through another lengthy process, he said “It took us nearly one year to get this far; to get a no out of the regional district.” Cheveldave noted: “The thing that really disappointed me is the City of Nelson in their depressed area has voted against it.” The waterslide wouldn't only have benefitted Castlegar, but the entire West Kootenay, he said “The offshoot of something like this into Nelson and Trail is tremendous. “Something like this isn't only for Castlegar or Ootischenia. Something like this is for the Kootenays in general.” And he contends that since benefits are so widespread. local residents alone shouldn't the power to determine if the dev: opment should go ahead or not Cheveldave also dismissed sugges continued on pege A} the have WE WERE OH SO CLOSE By CasNews Wivncgea cy but we lost J These myseular maritimers from . N.B. out-exercised Castlegar in Wednesday's Partici paction Challenge. More people in Castlegar per formed the required 15 minutes of continuous exercise than in New castle — 3,695 to 3491 — but lost out on a percentage of basis. Newtastle scored 55 per cent to Castlegar’s 50 per cent. Nevertheless, Tecreation director schools.” However, Metge said Stanley Humphries secondary school was a disappointment. “Unfortunately, the high school didn’t participate on a mass level All we had were the physical educ ation classes,” said Metge, who noted full participation by the high school may have put Castlegar on top in the competition Acting mayor Ald. Nick Ogiow said the challenge “went very well.” “We came along strong and almost overtook our competitors in New Brunswick,” said Ogiow, who registered his 15 minutes of sweat by “playing golf and swimming 15 laps in the pool.” “Come next year we'll probably catch up” with Newcastle, he said. Other than “a couple of guys who phoned in to say they dug a diteh,” Metge said the recreation office didn’t record any unusual activities. He said walking was the No. 1 exercise followed by swimming and aerobics. A number of people phoned in to say they had done some gardening or yardwork. he added Castlegar's 50 per cent participa- tion this year was an improvement over 1985's 45 per cent, which earned the city eighth place in Brit ish Columbia and 37th in Canada. On the other hand, Newcastle dropped 11 percentage points to 56 per cent from last year's 66 per cent, which placed the New Brunswick city 12th in Canada.