Along the Fraser Crossing Grand Canyon off my list. p6
Progression of roof garden science. p35
THE NEws
Science A glimpse at B.C.’s rich biodiversity. p11
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Habemus Papam: we have a pope Maple Ridge Catholics celebrate a new pontiff by M on ish a M a r ti ns staff reporter
A
Marko Jakus, Francis Limpin, Madeleine Hessels, Ethan Brown and Jorecho Lulu pray for the new pope Wednesday at St. Patrick’s Church.
Colleen Flanagan/the news
t 7:07 p.m., local time, a puff of white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City to signal Catholics around the world had a new Pope to lead their church. In Maple Ridge, Marko Jakus, 11 and Jorecho Lulu, 12, charged out of their classrooms to St. Patrick’s Church to ring the bells for five minutes. Echoes boomed through the empty building as the classmates tugged on the long rope to toll the cluster of bells. At the entrance of the church, Lulu pointed to two posters, with tiny pictures of each of the popes who’ve led the Catholic church since St. Peter. see Pope, p16
Trustees call for more funding Province passes budget without education increase by Ne i l Co r b e t t staff reporter
The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District sees a widespread crisis in education, and will try to rally school boards across B.C. to protest the provincial government’s demands for budget cuts. “It is a very challenging budget year for us,” chairman Mike Murray said at the Wednesday night board
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meeting, referring to a shortfall estimated at $6 million out of a $129 million budget for the 2013-2014 school year. He noted the province has told boards to find the funds for increased employee remuneration within existing budgets, warning that the province will not increase its grants for operational funding. Other cost pressures are added by declining student enrollment, the switch from the HST back to the PST/GST tax regime. “That is a budget going backward – that is a budget that impacts services,” said Murray.
Index Opinion Along the Fraser/health Care As we Age home&gardening Acts of Faith/Cycling Community Calendar scoreboard
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He noted that boards across the province, the local school district among the first, have voiced concerns to Victoria. However, the provincial budget has Murray been passed by the legislature, without increases for education. “Nothing has changed, despite our protestations, and that is a con-
cern,” said Murray. He added that the board has been “looking under every rock” for potential cuts that won’t affect students. Ken Clarkson, the board’s representative on the B.C. School Trustees Association (BCSTA) and a former board chairman, was at a meeting of Fraser Valley districts, and said six of the seven are in a similar position to Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, facing shortfalls ranging from $3 million to $10 million. Metro districts find themselves with the same dilemma. see Budget, p5
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