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Vol. 89 Issue 17 • Wednesday, APRIL 25, 2012 • www.arrowlakesnews.com • 250-265-3823 • $1.25 Includes HST
Smart meter critic comes to town Teachers to halt after-school activities By Jeff Nagel
Black Press
Werner Hoffelinck answers questions about smart meters at the Bonnington in Nakusp. CLAIRE PARADIS/ARROW LAKES NEWS swing, consumers saw their bill go up an avBy Claire Paradis erage of 40 per cent, said Hoffelinck, and in Arrow Lakes News some cases 200 to 300 per cent. These giganThe Coalition to Stop “Smart” Meters’ pre- tic rises in costs were attributed by the power sentation at the Bonnington Friday, April 20 corporations to faulty analog meters being in was the one-man show of Werner Hoffelinck place previously, he said. and a series of slides and short videos. Even The new meters, by the way, need to be rewith sound difficulties, the audience of 45 Na- placed every 10 to 15 years, unlike the analog kusp citizens sat captivated by the information meters which have a lifespan of 50 years, he Hoffelinck put forward. said, which is good for meter manufactures not Originally an electromechanical engineer for Hydro clients. Some profits from meters from Belgium, Hoffelinck now lives in Vernon sales are destined to end up in the pockets of and is volunteering with the coalition spread- Hydro executives who happen to own shares in ing the word about smart meters. CRI, parent company of Corix, the outfit that The talk started with a description of elec- installs the meters, said Hoffelinck. trohypersensitivity, a condition Hoffelinck The executives may be reaping the rewards, himself suffers from. The human body, the but many Hydro workers will be receiving brain in particular, has a fine electrical balance, nothing but a pink slip. Meter readers and one that can be upset by wireless transmissions IT staff at hydro are facing job losses as BC from devices like cell phones and smart me- Hydro eliminates or moves their jobs overseas, ters, he said. Electrohypersensitivity, accord- Hoffelinck told the crowd. ing to slides in the presentation, has a cluster More bad news was on the agenda as Hoffeof symptoms associated with it that vary from linck brought up the elephant in the smart headaches to insomnia and lack of appetite, meter room: security of an electronically-conand has been identified as a medical disorder trolled grid. It is pretty much self-evident that in Sweden and Germany. The symptoms are any system which can be programmed can also often misdiagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis, said be hacked, as the presentation reminded everyHoffelinck, who said one of the worst offend- one, pointing out that intelligence firms like ers is cordless phones. the Pentagon, major banks, and governments Claims by residents in California that smart are not immune to being hacked. Hoffelinck meters were causing an adverse physical re- said security organizations like the FBI see the action has forced Pacific Gas and Electrics to move to a smart power grid as foolhardy, openremove meters from homes where they were ing up access to the grid to whoever can pay installed, claimed Hoffelinck. And if the re- the hacker’s price, including terrorist groups or search isn’t all in, Hydro should be following organized crime. the precautionary principle, he said, and stay The tone changed from terror to absurdity on the side of safety. when the presentation took on the topic of If research and reports of electrohypersen- smart appliances. A short video explained that sitivity didn’t move the audience, the stories not long from now, your fridge will tell able of sudden surges in the cost of power after to tell smart meter installation were sure to. In Ontario where the smart meter program is in full See ‘Smart’ page 2
Public school teachers have voted 73 per cent in favour of withdrawing extracurricular activities province-wide to intensify pressure on the provincial government in the continuing labour dispute. The vote of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) could affect everything from high school graduation ceremonies to upcoming sports events. Meanwhile, a decision of B.C.’s Labour Relations Board has ordered unionized teachers to prepare second-term report cards immediately, something some had resisted as part of job action. The ruling gives teachers until April 27 to have them ready. Public school teachers walked out for three days in March before the provincial government passed Bill 22, legislating them back to work with a six-month cooling off period. A total of 21,625 teachers voted to ban volunteer work, while 7,846 voted no. BCTF president Susan Lambert said cancelling extracurricular activities was a wrenching choice. “Teachers struggle with this because these activities bring so much joy to our engagement with students,” she said. “We know this will mean the loss of some highly valued activities, and we sincerely regret that. But we have to look at the bigger picture and the longer term.” The decision is expected to pit teachers who still want to coach teams and run student clubs in defiance of the BCTF decision against more militant teachers who will be able to ask their union locals to take disci-
BCTF president Susan Lambert said teachers “sincerely regret” refusing volunteer activities. KATE WEBB/METRO plinary action. Education Minister George Abbott told reporters the BCTF vote to ban extracurricular activities will divide teachers, punish students and leave parents overseeing functions like grad ceremonies. “It’s their personal decision,” Abbott said. “And I don’t believe it’s appropriate for the BCTF to be trying to interfere in that.” Abbott also defended his choice of a mediator in the dispute, Dr. Charles Jago, who the BCTF alleges is biased. If talks with the BCTF fail to reach a mediated settlement, the government would likely legislate a two-year contract, ending June 30, 2013. Abbott said he can’t guarantee that the dispute won’t disrupt the start of the school year next fall. The action plan approved by the BCTF membership also calls for a public awareness campaign to mobilize public opposition to Bill 22, a possible future vote on a full withdrawal of services and work in advance of the May 2013 election “to bring in a new government” that will repeal the legislation.
Slocan Valley man busted for cocaine trafficking Black Press
Slocan Lake RCMP arrested an Appledale man last week who they call a “key player” in a local drug trafficking operation. Police say last Sunday, an officer stopped a vehicle for a driving infraction in Winlaw, and suspected drugs were in the car. The driver was arrested and a search uncovered several packets of cocaine that had been prepared for street-level distribution. Subsequent investigation led the officer to obtain a warrant to search a home on Kanigan Road in Appledale. Early Monday, police found over three ounces of suspected cocaine, and about two
ounces of several other substances, including what they believed was ecstasy and ketamine. Two counts of cocaine possession for the purpose of trafficking are being recommended against the man, who was released on a promise to appear in Nakusp court on May 31. Further charges are expected. “Based on the evidence in this investigation, we believe we they have been successful in disrupting the local market for illicit drugs by apprehending a key player who is part of a larger Kootenay area drug trafficking operation,” said Const. Shaun Foley.
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