The Chilliwack
Progress Thursday
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Scene
News
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Business
Shakespeare
Smart
Outdoors
A new take on the Old Bard at the Centre.
B.C.’s high court unplugs smart meter appeal.
New business celebrates the outdoors.
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Poppy fund thefts lead to local couple’s arrest Chilliwack RCMP have arrested a local man and woman in connection with the theft of a poppy fund collection box from Tim Horton’s early Friday morning. And police said Milton Gabriel, the 40-year-old Chilliwack suspect, “remorsefully” admitted to stealing multiple poppy fund collection boxes in the Chilliwack area. The 43-year-old female suspect, also of Chilliwack, was released on a promise to appear in court in January, 2013. RCMP Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth said the police investigation continues to find out exactly how many collection boxes have been stolen, and how many Gabriel is responsible for stealing. “The total dollar amount that was stolen will be difficult to determine,” she said, “but thankfully Gabriel has held himself accountable for these crimes.” Six poppy fund collection boxes were reported stolen last week over a five-day from several businesses along Vedder Road. The annual 11-day poppy fund drive by the Royal Canadian Legion in Chilliwack raises about $20,000 to help local veterans. Hollingsworth said it’s not known at this time if or how many additional charges may be laid. The suspect couple was arrested outside the Tim Horton’s located at 7670 Vedder Road at about 2:40 a.m. after attempting to steal a poppy fund collection box. An alert employee called the RCMP.
■ R EMEMBERING
The Colour Party lowers their flags as The Lament is played before the laying of the wreaths during the Remembrance Day ceremony at Veterans’ Memorial Park in downtown Chilliwack on Sunday. For more photos, see our online photographic slide show at www.theprogress. com. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
New policy on religious materials eyed by trustees Furor over distribution of Gideon Bibles sparks debate over who makes policy Robert Freeman The Progress
The distribution of Gideon Bibles to elementary school students in Chilliwack sparked a hot debate Tuesday night among school trustees over who shapes policy in the school district. Trustees Heather Maas and Martha Weins adamantly opposed a motion directing school district staff to draft a policy on “distribut-
ing materials” in Chilliwack schools, saying to do so would be an “abdication” of their responsibility as school trustees. “We are the policy-makers,” Maas said. “There’s nothing in our policy, nothing in the School Act that says trustees don’t write policy ... It’s not taboo.” Weins charged that trustees backing away from policy-making “don’t want to take a stand.” But trustees Doug McKay and
$1.25 1-12T CS17
Walter Krahn argued that district staff are specialists hired for their expertise to research legislation around policy matters and then bring a recommendation to the board for approval. “I don’t think that’s abdicating, I think that’s doing our job,” McKay said. “We will decide in the end what the policy looks like, but let them (staff) do the research.” Trustee Barry Neufeld said he wasn’t happy with policy-making being solely in the hands of staff or trustees. “I would like to have more input from people who are affected,” he
said, and not just the dozen or so that spoke at the Tuesday board meeting. “I would still like to hear more from the community,” he said. After several versions of the motion were moved and defeated, trustees finally agreed on wording that will see trustees develop the policy, and then staff will provide a draft policy to the board by the end of March. Trustee Sylvia Dyck apologized for the “odd duck” of the administrative regulation that sparked the controversy in the first place. Continued: POLICY/ p4