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Rick Hansen Relay makes Rossland students show talents impression in Rossland at evening of fine arts See Page 8 See Page 12
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SD20 swiftly moves to pass budget
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There was no shortage of volunteers to get their heads shaved Saturday night during the Roller Derby doubleheader at the Rossland arena. Donations went to the Canadian Cancer Society and Prevent Cancer Now. In total, $5,569.87 was raised.
The ghost of a proposed school district budget past became the specter of a school district budget present as the board of trustees unanimously passed the first two readings on a balanced budget Monday night. However, the balancing act came on the backs of nearly 14 full time job losses throughout the region — including two teacher-librarians, almost eight teachers, three non-enrolling teacher staff, and one custodian — with a motion towards consideration of school closures still forthcoming. Much of Monday night’s crowd of 40 people first heard the budget cuts presented last week in a public meeting in Trail but in proposal form. Nothing had changed since that committee of the whole meeting last week, even though the board had been “open� for comment on what the document contained since Wednesday night. Instead, people bore witness to the quick passage with no deliberation of the budget in the special open board meeting at Blueberry Creek Community School. The $42-million budget for 2012/13 wasn’t well received last week in a proposal form from SD20 administration, and it was even less tolerable Monday by those See SD20 on P. 3
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Council questions RDKB spending ARNE PETRYSHEN Rossland News Editor
Council had a few concerns with the Regional District of Kootenay-Boundary’s increase in its annual budget of 3.5 per cent. Rossland council has had the third year of zero increases.
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Coun Tim Thatcher found the spending surprising. “There’s a lot of money being spent,� Thatcher said. “I know we can’t control that but it seems out of control.� Thatcher noted some of the big budget items, like the transit cost of almost $200,000. “Are we really getting the value out of that?� he asked “I
know its a touchy subject, but thats a big chunk of money, when you look at the ridership.� Coun. Jill Spearn defended the transit saying that it helps people who don’t have the opportunity to drive. “It addresses a segment of society, whether they be less fortunate or whether they
choose to be green and take the bus or other reason like seniors,� Spearn said, adding that she noted to council years ago that Rossland could probably do with small busses, using the busses she saw in Mexico as example. “The buses here are huge and they’re seemingly underused. It’s the format of the transpor-
tation that we might take issue with in my mind. She noted that businesses in Rossland benefit from more transit to the city. Coun. Jody Blomme agreed with Spearn. I think it’s very important that we have a transit system,� Blomme said. See City on P. 3
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The date Tuesday April 24, 2012 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Prestige Mountain Resort