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SEPTEMBER 5, 2014
Kootenay Ice on the road in Kennewick | Page 8
Summer ends at Alix Lake > Local wakeboarders wrap up season | Page 8
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Vol. 63, Issue 171
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Fab Fondo up by 40 % this year Rubber hits the road Sunday for highly anticipated cycling event ARNE PETRYSHEN
PHOTO BY BB COLLECTIVE
STYLES, LIES AND LETTERS: Poiema Productions is returning to Cranbrook this month with its latest play, the romantic comedy “Sweet Lies.” The Edmonton-based production company, whose founding members include Cranbrook’s Candice Fiorentino, every year bring their latest production through Cranbrook. This year they take the stage at the Key City Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20. See more, Page 3. Left to right: Candice Fiorentino, Liana Shannon, Brianne Jang, Byron Trevor Martin, Melissa Blackwood.
Organizers say the Gran Fondo is shaping up to be a great ride this Sunday, with registration up 40 per cent from last year’s inaugural race. The weather is also looking like it will cooperate for the 362 confirmed cyclists, with the forecast calling for a sunny high of 27 degrees. Glenn Dobie, chair of the event, said they are pleased with all the riders coming from outside of town. “We have two from Oxford, England, one from Montreal,” he said. “We have half a dozen from Vancouver Island
which is a change from last year.” He added that East Kootenay locals still make up close to 50 per cent of the riders. The rides begin at St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino. Cyclists have a choice of three distances to ride — the 57 km Piccolo Fondo, the 102 km Medio Fondo and the 152 Gran Fondo. The staggered starts begin at 9 a.m. for the Gran, 9:10 for the Medio, and 9:20 for the Piccolo. Dobie said there has also been an increase in those doing the shorter Piccolo ride.
See GRAN , Page 5
Province eyes longer school year J E F F N AG E L Black Press
Education Minister Peter Fassbender says the province may take extraordinary steps to ensure senior secondary students’ school year is not cut short by the
teachers strike. That could mean adding days to the school calendar later in the year, he said, to ensure Grade 12 students in particular complete their courses and get all the marks they need.
“Do you put it on the end of the year? Do you take it out of Spring Break? Do you take it out of Christmas holidays? My staff are looking at all of the options,” Fassbender said. “It’s going to depend on
how long this drags out. Whatever length of time it takes to get this settled, we will do everything we can to make sure the school year is kept whole for those students.” It’s unclear how the gov-
ernment would finance adding extra days of classes later when all of the $12 million per day in strike savings may be consumed by the province’s offer of $40-a-day payments to parents.
Stuart McLean & the Vinyl Cafe – Live on Stage Thursday, Oct. 16 – Key City Theatre, Cranbrook For tickets, please call (250) 426-7006 or www.keycitytheatre.com
“If they were accumulating the savings, that would be one thing – they would have a fund,” Vancouver School Board chair Patti Bacchus said.
See PROVINCE , Page 5