PROFILE

BLUE RIBBON AWARD

1994

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WEDNESDAY

May 3, 1995

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‘s Effective this issue,

The Castlegar Sun / > Gosts 84 cents plus - GST. The increase is due to the Increase in the cost of newsprint

The Castlegar

Vol. 5- No. 24

‘The weekly newspaper with 4 dally commitment’

VARIABLE

Weather 3A

Stanley Humphries Secondary tops. Students say that although

council has no voice.

OVER DRESS CODE

Students walk

KAREN KERKHOFF Sun Staff

Carrying signs and shouting “we want a voice”, some 150 Stanley Humphries Secondary School students walked out of classes in protest Friday afternoon.

The students, charging that the SHSS student council is just a “puppet council” which. has no say in issues which concern and affect students, the Protesters gathered on the field outside the school

Jayda Block, 16, said the Protest was staged after fellow student Holly Neylands, also 16, was told on Th@fSday to change her shirt or go home. At issue was not the shirt, but rather the brevity of the shirt, known as a crop top, which exposed her navel and midriff.

Newlands said that although she changed her shirt as request- ed, she felt humiliated and believes that the matter could

David Hogg . enforcing code

have been. dealt with in a more tactful way.

“I felt really embarrassed There were lots of kids that were standing around.”

Students say that although they were angry over the “new” rule which forbids the tops, there is another, more serious underlying

KAREN KERKHOFF Sun Staff

More than $1,000 in coun terfeii S20 bills have been sent to the crime lab in Ottawa after their discovery by Castlegar Savings Credit Union officials.

Castlegar RCMP Cpl. Dave Beach said the bills were hand- ed over to RCMP by credit union officials in late April Beach added that he believes

Credit union spots bogus $20 bills

the bills hadn't been circulated in the community

The bills, explained Beach had suspicious characteristics which alerted tellers to them

“They didn't look right and

ey didn't feel right.” said Beach

In particular, the bills were lacking the water spots which are easily identifiable on authentic $20 bills.

RCMP are still awaiting results from the crime lab

out

issue—their belief that they're treated like children whose input is neither wanted nor solicited.

“The belly-button issue set it off, but they don’t listen to what we have to say,” said Block.

While other students nodded in agreement, Scott Blackwell, 18, spoke about the latest rule set down by school administration.

“Our school has a lot more serious problems, such as drugs, and here they pick the stupidest things [to be concerned about)”.

Students say the edict is just another example of administra tion's refusal to acknowledge them as a source of input.

Principal David Hogg defend. ed the ruling, saying he was merely enforcing the behavior code set out by the board in writ- ing, which requires appropriate dress that’s consistent with school and the workplace.

“The issue is more than belly buttons. I feel the school is the conscience of the community.”

Hogg also stressed that he had no intention of humiliating New- lands in front of her peers.

“I was in the’ hallway, but I spoke to her in a soft voice. I was probably more embarrassed than she was humiliated.”

Hogg said that earlier in the week students were invited to form a committee to look at the issue of appropriate wear, but few chose to do so.

Instead many opted to protest by walking out despite an earlics announcement on the public address system that to do so would bring a reprimand

Those students, said Hogg. will have a letter sent to their par ents informing them that their child “missed instructional time”

school students’ walked out of class last Friday in protest over the ban of crop they are angry over the dress code, the real issue is that they believe student

Major shakeup at college

RON NORMAN Sun Editor

Selkirk College is undergoing a major personnel shake-up.

The college has eliminated three senior administrative posi- tions and is considering a number of other staffing changes over the next few months.

The three positions include the director of the Trail and Nelson campuses, the director of person- nel and employee relations and the facilities manager, the latter two based in Castlegar,

In a memorandum to staff, col- lege president Leo Perra says the college is making the changes in the wake of “serious financial difficulties”.

“While the overall (1995-96) allocation represents a reasonable share of the allocation provided to the ministry for distribution to institutions, the funding levels are not adequate to maintain last year's activities,” Perra said.

He noted that an operations review was undertaken to see if the college could operate more “cost effectively.”

“The results of that process have indicated that it is only through significant change and reorganization that the college can achieve the needed efficien- cies to deal with the restraint that will occur over the next three to four years.

ind universities

nada will face a fund

ing syuceze over the next few

yeary as the federal government

reduces its share of post-sec ondary education funding

Perra said the recommenda tions made in the operations

See STUDENTS 2A

See COLLEGE 2A

Facilitator hired to resolve issue

KAREN KERKHOFF Sun Staff

a facilitator hired by West Arm can reach an arrangement with

The Regional District of Cen- tral Kootenay has taken West Arm Trucking to court over com- plaints about noise from the com- pany’s Ootischenia truck depot.

Regional district assistant administrator Barry Baldigara said that a writ of summons was filed Feb. 29, citing violations of noise bylaw 372, which forbids loading and unloading of goods during set times and days.

“We have started a court pro- ceeding against West Arm Truck-

g." Baldigara confirmed. “As far us the district's concerned they have contravened the bylaw.”

The writ came about, explained Baldigara, after the Fegional district received com- plaints trom nearby residents and following an mvestigation by the regional district's bylaw enforce- ment officer

“He determined there was noise coming from the property during the restricted hours.”

Ken Wyllie. regional director for the Lower Arrow-Columbia, said the regional district was “deluged with complaints” from Ootischenia residents.

Wyllie said the regional dis- trict chose to file an injunction rather than prosecuting the com- pany because “we thought that was a more direct way of dealing with them”.

But Baldigara said that although the complaint is still before the courts, there has been an adjournment in the hopes that

the

“West Arm suggested that as a possible solution and. hopefully [we] wouldn't have to proceed through the court process.”

Bob McLean, West Arm's Operations manager, confirmed that Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce manag- er Renee Read has been hired as a-consultant jn a bid to resolve the situation

“We're trying very hard to find a peaceful solution.”

McLean stressed that Read's mandate is to gather information ‘ and help devise a plan with which both the residents and the company can live

Shes. done the interviews and is gathering information to help a team build a plan. The team wili include the community.”

During a telephone interview with The Castlegar Sun, Read said that she undertook the job in a neutral capacity.

“I can disassociate [from the chamber]—I do it all the time. I don’t hold a personal stake in it.”

Read stressed that it's essen- tial that residents and compa- nies learn to tolerate and accept each other.

“It looks like the area could grow even more. I’m making sure everyone compromises and ¢omes out happy so we don’t end up with situations like this.”

Last fall the regional district turned down a request from West Arm Trucking for an exemption from the noise bylaw.

Council approves gravel operation

RON NORMAN © Sun Editor

The trucks have started to roll.

Peter Saliken this week began to haul the first of more than 3,000 truckloads of gravel from his Merry Creek Road property to the new Canadian Tire site on south Columbia Avenue

Saliken was given the go- ahead last week at a special Castlegar council meeting to remove more than 20,000 cubic metres of fill

There will be 20 loaded trucks an hour moving from the gravel pit and another 20 empty trucks return- ing, or about a truck every minute and a half for 12 hours a day, six days a week for up to 30 days.

However, Saliken agreed not to use Merry Creek Road, ‘but instead to build a temporary road adjacent to Merry Creek Road The new road will run behind Lindmar Estates and enter jback onto Merry Creek Road near the Cavalry Bapust Church

The new road was just one of conditions council Imposed before agrecing to the gravel pit. Others included

+ the operation will only be allowed for 30 days.

+ the gravel pit will operate for 12 hours. from 7 7 pm daily. with no work on Sundays;

* the pit must comply with Ministry of Energy, Mines and

several

P

* reclamation of the gravel pit must be completed by Oct. 30, 1995;

* catch basins shall be installed and a drainage basin must ‘be maintained to ensure water runoff is c: 4

+ Saliken will reimburse the city for street clean-up costs, which will be done weekly.

Saliken also agreed to provide flag persons where the new road will meet Merry Creek Road and again on Merry Creek Road near 18th Street.

Councillor Bob Pakula said he had a concer about the flag people.

“I don't want to see them slowing down any traffic on Columbia Avenue.”

Pakula said the trucks will have to obey the traffic lights at Columbia and 18th Street “the same as everybody else.”

Fred Gienger, a partner in the gravel pit operation, at first objected to the suggestion.

However, Mayor Mike O'Connor said council's concern is with traffic coming from the Fireside Inn and Woodland Park Shell and that is where the city wants the flag person—not on Columbia Avenue

‘What we're concerned about is safety in there,” he said, adding that area residents will be

See GRAVEL 3A