Along the Fraser Don’t cut off your nose to spite face. p6
Start growing a front yard garden. p5
THE NEWS
Gardening Landscape you want, garden you get. p29
www.mapleridgenews.com Friday, May 23, 2014 · Serving Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows · est. 1978 · 604-467-1122 · Delivery: 604-466-6397
District starts voting message Wants to increase turnout for Nov. 15 municipal election by Ph i l M e lnych uk staff reporter
Those who relied heavily on social media in the 2011 municipal election may have lost votes, according to the District of Maple Ridge’s manager of corporate communication. “They were counting on social media to be a bigger deal than it was,” Fred Armstrong said as Maple Ridge readies to roll out its campaign to increase voter turnout Nov. 15. Those who used a variety of means to get their message out in 2011 were the people who had the greatest success, he added. As well, changes in the way Facebook shares posts means fewer people are seeing those by other people – unless someone has paid along the way. Armstrong bases that on the district’s own experience.
Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
Eyeing the prize
See Vote, p10
Monique Lisek, leaping a hurdle at Maple Ridge secondary, has her sights set on winning a provincial title. See story, p40.
Teachers will be docked 10% Extracurriculars not affected, says MLA by Ne i l Co r b e t t staff reporter
Community: THSS student fed up with food waste. See story, p16
Teachers are going to be docked pay for their job action, as a partial government lockout has been put into effect. If they go ahead with rotating strikes next week, as planned, they will lose 10 per cent of their pay. The B.C. government is locking
out teachers in response to their escalating job action, beginning Monday. A traditional lockout would prevent unionized employees from working. This one will restrict their work, and reduce their pay. However, a full lockout would come into effect at the end of classes for most schools, on June 27, if no deal is reached. The local teachers’ union representative says the government’s actions threaten summer school, the marking of provincial exams, after-school sports events and even graduation ceremonies. “It’s baffling,” said George Serra,
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HOT SUMMER NIGHTS ARE HERE!
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president of the Maple Ridge Teachers’ Association. “I don’t think they even realize what they’ve written.” A letter from the B.C. Public School Serra Employers’ Association, which negotiates on behalf of Victoria, addressed to B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) president
The
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Jim Iker, outlines the government’s plans. It says that the locked out teachers will be docked five per cent of their salary, based on their present job action. Teachers have been doing Stage 1 job action since April 22, refusing to meet with administrators or communicate with them electronically, or supervise students. The government’s lockout letter instructs teachers not to work during recess or lunch hours, and not to be at school more than 45 minutes before or after class time. See Teachers, p3
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