TUESDAY
S I N C E
DECEMBER 11, 2012
1 8 9 5 Horning rink claims Kootenay berth
Vol. 117, Issue 229
110
$
Page 11
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
School board seeking public input on facilities
SANTA STOPS BY SILVER CITY NITES
BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
The funeral dirge has begun for two schools in School District 20 (Kootenay Columbia) as the board of trustees embarks upon its facilities review this week. The district is faced with closing one of the two schools in Rossland, as well as one elementary school in Castlegar, but how that end will come has yet to be determined. Beginning last week, the district released background information to the public on how the closures could take place in preparation for public forums that begin in mid January, as well as announcing the period was open for written submissions. When people take a look at the various configurations under consideration (www.sd20.bc.ca/facilities), and they attend the public forums, they should be amply armed to express an opinion on school closures, said board chair Darrel Ganzert. Although Ganzert said the board was not bound to the current motions passed or to the intention of closing schools, the situation has become dire. “We are under such budget pressure we have to take extreme measures,” he said about the closures. “What we are hoping is we can get a sense from the public, pos-
sibly some areas that would be less impactful upon them, possibly some ideas we haven’t considered ourselves in the past. That is the intention of the public input.” All trustees will be in attendance at the forums and they will review all of the information sent to them. The board is hosting a public forum on Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Rossland Secondary School gym to discuss potential closures or reconfigurations in the Rossland and Greater Trail area. Two days later the Castlegar public forum takes place at Twin Rivers Elementary. Wendy Herbert, a retired superintendent from SD 64 (Gulf Islands) will help staff and guide the board through the final steps of the facilities review. She will facilitate meetings, including public forums, and co‐develop resources. Once the public comment period is over the board of directors will move swiftly into a decision, with first readings of any potential bylaws related to reconfiguration and closures coming Feb. 4. On Feb. 12 second readings of any potential bylaws related to reconfiguration and closures will take place, with third and final readings of any potential bylaws coming Feb. 25. However, Ganzert hinted there could be additional public meetings held. See DEADLINE, Page 3
Crash claims local man BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
SHERI REGNIER PHOTO
A special appearance by Santa Claus caught the attention of some of his biggest fans during the Silver City Nites festivities in downtown Trail on Friday. Over 1,000 people joined the evening of fun. For more photos see Page 2.
A local man was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Sunday evening in the Birchbank area near Murphy Creek. Trail RCMP and regional firefighters responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 22 at 7 p.m. Initial investigation revealed that 53-year-old Franklin Murray Kotyk, from the Trail area, died at the scene as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. According to the police report, Kotyk was traveling toward Castlegar in a 2000 Ford SUV and crossed into the incoming lane.
The driver, from Vernon, was traveling toward Trail in a 1990 Chevrolet truck and was unable to avoid the SUV. He suffered serious injuries from the crash and was transported to Kelowna. As a result of the collision, the highway was closed for almost four hours, said Cpl. John Ferguson of the West Kootenay Traffic Services. Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, and the occupants wore seatbelts, said the police. The investigation into the crash continues. The roads were slippery and snow covered at the time of the crash.
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