TUESDAY APRIL 24, 2012
www.pqbnews.com
HAMMERFEST XC
IT’S FASHION WEEK
A34
A3
Shows at Ballenas and Kwalikum secondary schools
Cross-country mountain bike race held in Errington
TEACHERS
Extra work withdrawn B.C. teachers vote to end volunteer work, as part of opposition to Bill 22 BRENDA GOUGH
reporter@pqbnews.com
It’s hard to say what the withdrawal of B.C. teachers from extracurricular activities will look like in School District 69 (Qualicum). Mount Arrowsmith Teachers Association (MATA) president Deb Morran said direction will be coming from local presidents in terms of voluntary activities. “We will be providing clarification for members who are still not clear,” she stated on Friday, April 20 after members of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) voted 73 per cent to stop volunteering at their schools as part of an anti-government protest. “The 73 percent was a decisive result and strong endorsement to DEB MORRAN oppose Bill 22. We are talking about activities that teachers would be doing beyond instruction duties and after hours,” said Morran. She said that even includes lunch time volunteering. It likely won’t derail official graduation ceremonies for Grade 12 students but Morran said there is a lot of work involved in grad ceremonies and they could very well be impacted. She said at Kwalikum Secondary School in Qualicum Beach there are afternoon ceremonies for grads. See GRADUATION, page A4
BRENDA GOUGH PHOTO
EARTH DAY CAKE: Ten-year-olds Anna Houck (left) and Amanda Parayko (right) enjoy some Earth Day cake in Qualicum Beach April 21. Houck said her wish on Earth Day was for everyone to recycle, re-use and reduce. See page A5 for more.
Suspects crash in Qualicum
Police nab one of a pair of suspected thieves after a chase from Port Alberni
QUALICUM BEACH — A two-person crime spree across They fanned out to look for clues. It didn’t take long to three communities ended upside down in a Qualicum find one. They attempted to pull over a suspicious-lookBeach ditch early Sunday morning. ing vehicle on Highway 4, only to have it take off at high The action began last week with the theft of a motor ve- speed. hicle, say RCMP. That same car turned The chase was on at that point and Add your COMMENTS at up in Port Alberni on Sunday, April 22 Oceanside RCMP were advised of the www.pqbnews.com when police received a call at 5:45 a.m. situation. of a break and enter at Jay’s Lace it Up, a Corporal Jesse Foreman said police clothing store on Cherry Creek Road. set up a roadblock by Hilliers Road and laid out a spike belt Police raced to the scene to find thousands of dollars to make sure the suspect vehicle stopped. worth of property had been stolen. See FEMALE SUSPECT, page A4
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