A4
www.100milefreepress.net
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 100 Mile Free Press
Newsbeat PRE-CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Erb reveals reconfiguration concerns Carole Rooney Free Press
Cariboo-Chilcotin Teachers’ Association president Joan Erb says closing schools to reduce the number of student transitions is the school board’s “excuse” for making a “financially-based” decision. “Every time you put a kid on a bus, it’s a transition.”
Erb explains her main concern about the K-8 reconfigurations is its inequity for Grade 8 students across the school district. In Williams Lake, secondary schools will offer Grades 7-12 students workshops, home economics, music rooms, drama and art. Meanwhile, she says Grade 8 students
in the south end will have “extremely limited access” to those, and possibly another bus ride. “The elementary school gymnasiums are not full sized. Even the height of the basketball hoops are different than in secondary schools.” Bullying roles could reverse with teenaged, Grade 8 students tormenting
Mining update presented Arlene Jongbloets Free press
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) representatives were in 100 Mile House on Oct. 10, joining the South Cariboo Chamber of Commerce in hosting an information session focused on local mining activity and its potential rewards to local businesses. Close to 100 people attended the session and listened with interest as regional geologist James Britton from Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resources opened with an overview of local mining activity and exploration projects with suggestions of how businesses could profit from it. “You don’t have to be huge to have an impact,” he said. Britton noted the Cariboo is a busy area of mineral exploration, with deposits found as close as Lac la Hache. BDC consultant Michael Eibl followed with a talk about how very few businesses are adequately prepared to respond to the needs of the mining industry and then went over ways to remedy the situation, which included getting a business compliant with WCB requirements that are unique to that sector. Brian Battison, Taseko Mines Ltd. vice-president of
corporate affairs, gave an update on the progress of the New Prosperity Mine application and also talked about the positive economic impact Taseko’s Gibraltar Mine north of Williams Lake has on that community. Fiona Chan, who is the BDC branch manager for Kamloops and Cranbrook, closed the session with a talk about the importance of using technology to its fullest extent to achieve success in business. “Canadian businesses are behind most of the G-20 countries in adopting technology,” she said, adding a couple
of free assessment tools are available on the BDC website that business-owners should use. One is a business website assessment tool and the other assesses the business’ use of information and communications technologies. The website is located at www.bdc.ca.
five- and six-yearolds, she adds. If there must be a kindergarten-Grade 8 school in the municipality, Erb says she wonders why it can’t be located at the local junior secondary posed for closure, since 100 Mile Elementary is slated for rebuilding in the school board’s current five-year plan. “100 Mile Junior is an old, majestic school building. They don’t make schools like that anymore; they have a stage in their [full-sized] gym, they’ve got big classrooms....” Were the district to follow that suggestion, Erb says “most of her concerns would disappear” about the access to facilities in a K-8 school, at least for 100 Mile House. She adds the
current K-7 elementary school on Birch Avenue is closer to the highway and major shopping areas, so the property value may also be higher than for the junior school on Cedar Avenue. Erb encourages parents, teachers and others with a vested interest in local education to turn out for the related meetings being held by SD #27. “I think it’s real important for us to be there, and to show the board that we’re watching and we’re listening and we’ll do whatever we need to do.” The next south end meeting, Out of the Box Think Tank, takes place in the Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School gymnasium Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
T he Cloth Diapers • Pajamas Baby Wraps • Layettes
a
Call Shirley: 250-395-4019
www.butterflyhugsbabywear.com
i
Back to School
$
Annual eye exam recommended starting by the age of 3 years.
Children’s Complete Regular Priced Glasses*
100 MILE VISION CARE CENTRE OPTOMETRY Dr. Neil VanderHorst
2500 off
*See in ofÀce for details.
Monday to Saturday
250-395-4412 in the South Cariboo Business Centre
• Eye Exams • Ocular Health • Glasses • Sunglasses • Contact Lenses
Ruffled Yarn ONLY
$8.29/ball
Diana M. Worthington
Box 441, #3 - 330 Birch Ave. 100 Mile House, BC, V0K 2E0
Ph/Fax: 250-395-8816
E-mail: litwool@telus.net www.littlewoolshop.ca
Crochet, Knitting & Cross Stitch Supplies • Wool & Acrylic Yarns • OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK •
New stock Arriving Daily
TOUCH IT! FEEL IT! TRY IT ON!
E EXCLUSIV M PRO E SHOWCAS 21 t. c O , y a d Sun .m. Noon - 4p
Our professional, friendly staff are here to help you. Only one gown style sold per school. ASK ABOUT OUR NO INTEREST LAY-AWAY PLAN.
Class Act Formals 250-395-8825 250 395 8825 • 262 Birch A Ave.
E-mail: info@classactformals.ca
C
“A New Way To Listen To Radio” caribooradio.com
CARIBOO FAMILY ENRICHMENT CENTRE
GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES OUR MEMBERS FOR 2012 Chris Adams Marilynne Brager Linda Brown Rosalyn Butterfield Fran Campbell Leah Carswell Art Dumaresq Jane & Neil Duncan Denny Fahrentholz Forest Grove Women’s Institute Leona French Jim Geddes Helen Margaret Griffiths Sheila & Peter Hart Marga Hausmann Ronald Howard Louise Kerr Judy Lauzon Lise Leslie Tim Lyons Roderick MacDonald Ken & Kristi MacKenzie Grace Marshall
Ruth Marx Alex & Stephanie Masun Jill Matlock Carrie McDougall Angela McKee Peter Messner Ben Mowbray Donna Nivison Virginia Pettman Vic Popiel Alyssa Ratch Belinda Rhodes Shauna Rose Don Savjord Linda Savjord Janice Silveira Carol Stewart Leslie Stokes Patty Tawiyaka Linda Vallee Audrey Weber Roberta Wingert Angela Wynton