TUESDAY JUNE 2, 2015
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Vol. 120, Issue 85
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Orioles open season Page 11
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Provincial grant aiming to benefit small airports
WARFIELD COMMUNITY DAY
BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
The Ministry of Transportation has lift off with its new B.C. Air Access program – a grant program designed to benefit the province's many small air traffic hubs, including the Trail Regional Airport. After public consultations, including a meeting with local stakeholders in Trail in November, the provincial government has laid out plans to invest $24 million over the next three years, or $6 million a year, into regional airports across B.C. Don Goulard, manager of the Trail airport was at that meeting last fall, and says if the airport were to get a small piece of the $6 million being handed out in 2015, it would be great and he’s keeping his fingers crossed. “It is a great opportunity and I am certainly optimistic and I think it is fantastic they are investing in airports,” he said. “However, one of the things to consider, is that $6 million doesn't go very far. If every airport and helipad in B.C. applied, it would mean each would get $20,000. Hopefully nobody else applies, but I don't think that is going to happen.” Goulard was one of many attendees at the public consultation meeting, and from what he saw, airports are increasingly important to residents in the Kootenay Boundary and just months later, the province unveiled its plan. B.C. on the Move and the B.C. Air Access program also published a report on its findings, showing that air transportation is a top priority for 71 per cent of people surveyed in the Kootenays. “These numbers are supported by other communities like Cranbrook, Nelson and Grand Forks – all around,” he said. “We are kind of out in the middle of nowhere so if you can take off by plane really quickly, it is easy.” Goulard says local airports are the logical place to spend transportation money. With only a mile of runway, airports get more bang for the government's buck versus building and maintaining winding roadways through the province. “While at this meeting, we talked about how expensive it was to build a road - $2 million for a mile or something like that,” he said. “I piped up and asked if they saw anything wrong with this. Airports require one mile of road and they can connect you anywhere. Where should you invest your money if a mile of road just gets you a mile farther up the road, but a mile of runway connects you to the world.” With or without some extra grant money, airport staff is still on a forward trajectory with airport improvements. See FINAL, Page 3
LIZ BEVAN PHOTO
The Warfield Community Day featured an all-wheels parade which brought out over 30 dressed up modes of transportation and a wide-array of participants. See more photos on Page 2.
Students get nostalgic with ‘Grease’ production
Leather jackets and poodle skirts return as J.L. Crowe drama students perform at Charles Bailey Theatre this weekend BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
“Grease” is the word this week at the Charles Bailey Theatre when the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies take the stage. An enthusiastic group of drama students from J.L. Crowe Secondary School
have been working for weeks, learning their lines, dance steps and musical cues to perform the classic 1950s musical. Now, it is theatre goers' turn to learn the hand jive. The young thespians are putting on two shows this coming weekend, one on Friday and another on Saturday, telling the songand-dance filled high school love story of Danny and Sandy. “Grease” has been retold time and time again, whether it is Frenchie being warned to stay in school,
or Kenickie racing down Thunder Road for pink slips. Crowe drama teacher and production director, Tanya LaFond, says that is exactly why the class is putting on the show this year. “The play has always been a favourite of mine since I saw it at the age of five,” she said. “It is musical that is fun, has great music and spans generations.” Kyle Higgins is playing the role of Danny Zuko, the high school bad boy who tries to hide his softer side
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while winning over Sandy, a summer fling who reappeared on the first day of school. Higgins says he can't wait for audiences to see the final product after he and his fellow actors have worked for weeks to perfect it. “We practise twice a week after school and on Saturdays,” he said. “As well, we practise on our lunch hours and on our own. It is a big commitment, but it has been fun to see the show become a polished performance.” See TAILGATE, Page 3
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