100 Mile House
Waterfalls trail upgrade near completion
Golfer competes at national Special Olympics tourney
Carl Gimse’s journey to business owner
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Fall and Winter wheels
A19-24 OCTOBER 10, 2012
• 52 Pages • Two Sections
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Meeting brings passionate pleas from residents School board presented hard financial facts to parents, invited ideas Carole Rooney Free Press
Emotions ran high and spirits were low for many of the more than 80 people who showed up at 100 Mile House Junior Secondary on Oct. 4 to hear more about proposed school closures. At the meeting, slated to discuss the potential shutdown of the junior secondary and Buffalo Creek Elementary School (BCES)‚ concerned community members heard School District #27 superintendent Mark Theissen present the board’s Initial Options Report. Resulting reconfigurations planned for all remaining south-end elementary schools from kindergarten to Grade 8, and grades 9-12 for Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School (PSO), were also explained. After the presentation, trustees fielded questions and explained their
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rationale in proposing the school closures as a possible way to mitigate the financial shortfall resulting from Ministry of Education funding cuts. Parents and students passionately asked questions when they addressed the board. BCES Parent Advisory Council president Julie Dewsbury had several questions for the trustees, and also presented comments from other parents. These comments pointed to student improvement after relocating to BCES, with its “friendly, family atmosphere” offered by the staff, its “wonderful and unique learning experience” of small, multi-grade classrooms, and its “huge gym and great playgrounds.” Dewsbury asked if the board has considered the feelings of Grade 8 students who would face the status of still being in elementary school, and expressed other concerns with having 13-year-olds mixed in a school with five-year-olds. “Even some Grade 7s, who start their hormones earlier, are ready to be in a high school. Do you really want those Grade 8s mixing with kindergarten kids?” The PAC president said she has personal knowledge of students who smoke marijuana, are sexually active, and girls who have taken pregnancy tests, while still in Grade 8. See SCHOOL… page A6
Ken Alexander photo
Record turnout... Some 85 people attended the joint Take Back the Night/Sisters In Spirit Vigils: A movement for social change gathering on Oct. 4. Cynthia Daniels-Archie, left, Chief Mike Archie, George Pete and Alice Felce were among the Canim Lake Band members who opened the event with drumming and a song.
Enamoured elk moved to safer site Arlene Jongbloets Free Press
A love-sick mature bull elk, which has been dominating a herd of domestic cows on the outskirts of 100 Mile House for the past couple of months, has been relocated. The massive six-point elk, estimated to weigh nearly 400 kilograms (900 pounds) had become a local curiosity, as he could often be spotted among the cows just minutes from town on 100 Mile Ranch property. Ranch manager Greg Messner says the animal was becoming very aggressive and mounting the cows. On the evening of Oct. 3, conservation officers determined it was in the best interest of the elk and the public to
Arlene Jongbloets photo
The lovesick elk, which has been getting public attention recently, has been relocated because his presence had become a safety issue for the public and ranch owners. move him elsewhere. “We were getting pretty concerned because he was trying to gore several of the young cows and keeping them away from the rest of the cows.
People were coming onto the property and creating traffic hazards on the road.” He adds the final straw came when the RCMP got complaints when people
were seen stopped at the Highway 97 lookout with guns pointed at the ranch that borders 100 Mile House. Conservation Officer James Zucchelli says the elk was in the peak of his rut and was going to cause a significant public safety threat and was a threat to livestock. “He broke two fences and pushed cows through it. With Highway 97 and Canim-Hendrix Lake Road in close proximity, we couldn’t afford to have him doing that.” He added the rancher had made multiple attempts to run him off but was unsuccessful. Zucchelli says one person was seen walking through a field where See ELK… page A6