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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012
Unsafe driving a concern
Proudly serving Williams Lake and the Cariboo-Chilcotin since 1930
VOL. 82. No. 84
FLU SHOT CLINIC HELD AT CARIBOO BETHEL KEPT BUSY Monica Lamb-Yorski photo
The Interior Health Flu Shot Clinic held at Cariboo Bethel Church Tuesday and Wednesday saw a steady stream of people accessing the service. Here Williams Lake resident Carol Hutchinson receives her flu shot from I.H. nurse Kendra Taylor. Public Health nurse Lyn Temple says flu shots will also be available at pharmacies and doctor’s offices throughout the city.
Citizens in Williams Lake are concerned about traffic safety in residential areas. In two separate petitions delivered to the city, residents from Foster Way and residents from Third Avenue North near Marie Sharpe Elementary School, voiced safety concerns to city council Tuesday. Concerns were about speeds in excess of 70 kilometres an hour, and the observation that drivers are often talking or texting on their cell phones. Council has referred the petitions to city staff for a report, and to the safer communities coordinator in hopes the Speed Watch program might conduct some traffic monitoring at those sites in the near future.
Inside the Tribune NEWS Get ready for winter now.
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SPORTS A11 Local featured in bike film. COMMUNITY A17 Doll house raffle deadline. Weather outlook: Expect cloudy skies and periods of snow heading into the weekend.
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RCMP inspector reports on W.L. crime Monica Lamb-Yorski Tribune Staff Writer With 13 of 14 known offenders out of jail last summer, Williams Lake RCMP saw an increase in the number of car thefts, and break-ins of businesses and homes. “Things had been going well, but the summer was definitely a blip,” Inspector Warren Brown told city council Tuesday. Crime rates still remain below the higher rates seen in 2008, however, Brown confirmed it has been a bit discouraging recently. Around 25 people were responsible for 95 per cent of property crimes. Most offenders are transient and do not live in one location, making it difficult for the RCMP to establish a starting point for investigation. Another challenge has been the recent changing of the guard at the local detachment. “We’ve had a number of senior officers leave and since January had eight new younger
cadets arrive to work here. You can say it’s a rebuilding year for us,” Brown said. Acts of mischief, such as graffiti and rocks being through windows are on the increase, as well as the number of young people engaging in violence, using machetes and bear spray as weapons. “The hard thing is that they choose to engage in this behaviour and that’s the challenge we face,” Brown said of the violence. Improved communication in and around domestic violence is still a priority and the Williams Lake RCMP has identified a successful program from the North Okanagan it plans to glean from. Relationships with First Nations communities are going well, Brown said. “We’ve got good policing in those communities and I cannot underscore the strong leadership in those communities and the fact we’re constantly being invited to participate in community events.”
Boitanio Park continues to be a concern for the community. A stakeholders meeting is planned for Nov. 1 to share information from an analysis that was completed by crime reduction personnel from Vancouver. The intent of the meeting,
which is closed to the public, is to develop solutions that will deter behaviour that Brown said “can no longer be tolerated.” On the upside, there has been a steady decline in false alarm calls, a statistic Brown attributed to work the city has done.
Agreement in principle Three more tentative agreements have been reached under the Cooperative Gains Mandate with CUPE locals at Thompson Rivers University and CUPE Local 4879, the University of British Columbia and CUPE Local 116, and between the University of Northern BC and CUPE Local 3799, announced Minister of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology John Yap, Wednesday. Each tentative agreement covers four years: two years under the 2010 Net Zero Mandate and two years modest wage increases funded from savings found within
existing budgets, as required under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate. CUPE Local 4879 represents about 15 full-time and 15 auxiliary employees at TRU in Williams Lake, working such positions as system analysts, accountants, cashiers, bookstore clerks and buyers, registration and admissions clerks, maintenance and utility staff, library technicians, ancillary staff and open learning support staff. In a press release, the government said No further details on the agreements will be available until ratification is complete.