TUESDAY
S I N C E
NOVEMBER 4, 2014
1 8 9 5
Vol. 119, Issue 172
105
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INCLUDING G.S.T.
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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Race for local school trustee spots limited to Trail Despite school closures and teachers’ dispute, few step up for role on school board BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
LIZ BEVAN PHOTO
Gordon Lightfoot and his band were centre stage at Charles Bailey Theatre on Friday night for a show the audience won't soon forget. The Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee played many of his famous hits, including, “Rainy Day People,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Carefree Highway” and “If You Could Read My Mind.”
Lightfoot serenades Trail crowd BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
Songwriter and folk music legend, Gordon Lightfoot, graced the stage Friday evening for a nearly sold-out performance at Charles Bailey Theatre. Opening the show with the 1975 release, “Now and Then,” the 75-year-old played through two hours of classic hits that any fan could sing along with, and many fans did. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” singer also took a few moments to joke around with concert-goers between songs. “As you can see, reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” he said, while laughing along with the audience. The performance was part of his 2014 Canada-wide tour, and after releasing music and performing for nearly 60 years, Lightfoot is a seasoned performer and it showed. Playing with Lightfoot were some familiar faces. Rick Haynes, on the bass, has accompanied the folk singer since 1969, while drummer
Barry Keane joined the band for studio sessions back in 1972. Keyboardist Michael Heffernan has spent over 30 years on stage with Lightfoot and lead guitarist, Carter Lancaster, the newest addition to the ensemble, joined only recently to replace quintet regular, Terry Clements, who passed away in 2011. The show happened to fall on Halloween night and during an intermission, Lightfoot had a costume change from a blood red velvet blazer with white patent leather shoes to a black silk vest, paying homage to the holiday and apologizing for any Halloween plans that may have been cancelled or changed for the show. After the small talk, Lightfoot launched into some of his biggest hits, including “Beautiful,” “Much to My Surprise,” “Carefree Highway,” “Restless,” “Sundown,” and plenty more, with many songs receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. When Lightfoot and his band played the See LEGEND, Page 20
Decisions impacting the region’s schools are made around the trustee table every month, but, it appears, in the upcoming municipal elections there aren’t many people who want to help make those decisions. Everyone, at one time or another, has had a vested interest in schools, yet only Trail, Castlegar and Robson will be holding elections for trustee spots in School District 20 (SD20). Only one candidate put their name up for election respectively in Rossland, Warfield and the district encompassing Fruitvale, Montrose and Area A. So voters won’t even have to choose a school representative in those areas, it has already been decided. The only local race will be in Trail with three candidates vying for two spots on the board. Gord Smith, acclaimed trustee candidate for Rossland, says he believes there aren’t more names
under the school trustee column because the role of trustee is less than desirable. “You are often put in a very difficult position between the province and continual cutbacks to education,” he explained. “Earlier in this term, there were reconfiguration decisions made and Rossland was a big one. Those were very challenging times and that is going to continue. Why doesn’t it translate to the ballot? “Perhaps, and I am only speculating, it is because people don’t have control over the budget because it is a grant system. You’re ability to effect change is compromised. You are kind of standing on one leg and you try to do the best dance possible.” School board chair, Darrel Ganzert, acclaimed candidate for Fruitvale, Montrose and Area A, agrees that making tough decisions with only a little wiggle room is one deterrent for potential candidates in the upcoming election. “One of the problems faced by anyone interested in running for trustee is the fact that annually cuts have to be made to the SD20 budget,” he said in an email reply. See TIME, Page 3
Quiet Halloween for cops BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
Halloween night was quiet around Trail when it came to vandalism and mischief, according to the Trail and Greater District RCMP. Sergeant Darren Oelke says the detachment only received a couple of calls about parties, and only two calls for property damage. “The night was very quiet,” he said, adding that the dismal weather may have played a role. “There were some extra calls related to Halloween parties but only two reports of property damage, one house getting egged and a vehicle's windows were damaged. The cold, wet evening, although not pleasant
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for the kids, was likely a factor in making it a quiet night.” Earlier that day, police responded to a motor vehicle collision on Highway 22, just north of Trail. The call came through about the three-vehicle collision at 3:39 p.m. and police, fire and ambulance responded to the scene The highway was closed in both directions for over an hour with four people sent to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital. None of the injuries suffered were considered life-threatening and police say all vehicles involved, “sustained significant damages.” The cause of the collision is still being investigated by police.
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