FRIDAY
< And they’re off …
DECEMBER 20, 2013
Kimberley Arts at Centre 64
WINTER/SPRING CONCERT SERIES
The golden age of Cranbrook horse racing | Page 7
Wednesday January 29: Anja McCloskey & Dan Whitehouse with support from Daze of Grace Sunday March 30: Caladh Nua Friday May 30: The Twisters
The adventures of ‘Candy’ > The most talked about book of 1958 | Page 18
Get Your Tickets Today at: 250-427-4919 • kimberleyarts.com
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Vol. 61, Issue 247
Proudly serving Cranbrook and area since 1951
www.dailytownsman.com
Bomb threat shuts down Cranbrook courthouse 11th Avenue closed in Cranbrook because of a bomb threat Thursday morning, believed to be a hoax
S A L LY M AC D O N A L D Townsman Staff
Parts of Cranbrook’s downtown were closed off Thursday morning, Dec. 19, because of a bomb threat
called into the court house. Cranbrook RCMP was notified at 9:20 a.m. Thursday by BC Sheriffs of a bomb threat that had been received by one of the court
clerks. The voice message was left shortly after 9 a.m. and retrieved by the clerk as she began her workday. The Sheriffs and RCMP evacuated the courthouse.
A male subject was identified very early on in the investigation and has been arrested. The subject has advised police the call was a hoax and a search of the
courthouse found no threats. A 35-year-old male from Cranbrook is in custody facing charges of public mischief. The investigation is
currently in the early stages and updates will be posted as they become available. The courthouse had reopened by 11 a.m. Thursday.
CUPE, SD5 strike deal Local education support staff have signed a agreement with Southeast Kootenay district SAL LY MACD ON AL D Townsman Staff
ARNE PETRYSHEN PHOTO
HAPPY 102ND BIRTHDAY: Alice Cullum turned 102 on Dec. 19 and celebrated at Joseph’s Creek Care Village with friends, family and staff. Alice was born in Walden, Sask. in 1911. During the depression years, she and her sister supported her mother, father and two brothers by working as hair stylists. At age 28 she married Matt Cullum and raised their two sons. It was in 1988 that she moved to Cranbrook with her son Gary and his wife Sue. An avid curler and bridge player, Alice earned her Master’s 100 level points in bridge in 1961. She continued to play until age 99. Her family is no stranger to longevity, as Alice’s mother lived to be 101.
School District 5 and B.C. education support staff have signed a collective agreement just in time for the Christmas vacation. The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4165 and the School District 5 board have come to an agreement for a 3.5 per cent wage increase and other labour arrangements this week. CUPE represents education assistants, clerical staff, trades, aboriginal workers, youth and family workers, custodians and bus drivers. The finalized agreement was narrowly voted in by CUPE members. A tentative deal made on Dec. 8 was defeated by the membership, said CUPE national representative Keith Nielson. “Then, this past week, we went back to the table, negotiated a little more and felt we had enough of a settlement to take back to our membership who voted on Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Nielson. The collective agreement, which runs until June 30, 2014, was ratified with 60 per cent of Local 4165 members in favour. “60 per cent acceptance isn’t a high acceptance rate. 40 per cent of the membership are still unhappy,” said Nielson. “A lot of our members weren’t happy with what came out of the provincial framework but chose to accept it.” In September, CUPE negotiations with the B.C. government through the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association brought about a 3.5 per cent wage increase between July 2013 and May 2014. “Along with that provincial framework, the members vote on what’s happened at the local table and the provincial framework at one time,” said Nielson.
See CUPE , Page 3