Wednesday April 15, 2015 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST INCLUDED
Rescue training Vernon Search and Rescue crew member Travis Anderson attempts to land on the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Shuswap Station 106 vessel during their firstever helicopter winch training exercise conducted Monday, April 13 on Shuswap Lake. The exercise was designed to lift and transport critically injured patients from the rescue vessel on the lake to a helicopter for flight to hospital. LACHLAN LABERE/OBSERVER
Board considers school closure
Silver Creek Elementary: Bylaw initiates process, trustees will vote on whether to proceed. By Barb Brouwer OBSERVER STAFF
School District #83 trustees are considering whether to move forward with the process to close Silver Creek Elementary School following a public meeting April 9 where residents appealed to the board to keep the school open. A last-minute addition to the April 14 agenda was done Monday to give trustees enough time to have the required three readings prior to the May 12 meeting when a final decision is scheduled to be made.
Proceeding with first reading does not necessarily mean the school will be closed. Trustees could vote against the bylaw, effectively dropping it from consideration. The school board meeting took place Tuesday night after the Observer’s press time. Last Thursday in Silver Creek, the board heard from respectful but adamant community members about the importance of the school to the area. Not only did those in attendance tell trustees why the school should remain open, they offered a plan
to give the building new life as a You know what Montessori school. Superintendent Glenn Bor- the roads are thistle explained that the same like here. The school infrastructure district- loss of one child wide is being supported despite doesn’t cover a 28 per cent drop in enrolment Joe Sarrazin since 2001 and a projection of the savings. SILVER CREEK just 5,500 students in the district RESIDENT by 2019. Borthistle said only 22 per cent of Silver Creek school is currently being utilized, with students to either Hillcrest or South only two of six rooms in use as Broadview would save the district classrooms for a current enrolment $375,000, he said. of 37 students. But the cost to the young stuClosing the school and busing dents, their families and the com-
This week A 27-year-old man was struck by a CP Rail train but walked away from the experience. See A3. The crack of the bats are back at local ball diamonds. Check out some of the action on A15.
munity itself were of more concern to the attendees. Parent Advisory Council president Amanda Crawford said the school serves a large area and its closure would mean children with young families would not move to the valley. More important to mom Kristie Clark is the length of time (up to 90 minutes) her child would have to travel on the bus, the likelihood of bullying and the question of who would supervise the children. See PAC offers on page A2
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Sports................A15-A17 Time Out................... A18 Arts & Events ... A19-A22 Vol. 108, No. 15, 44 pages