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Monday, June 15, 2015 COMMUNITY
» Wedding season
Tragic end to pitbull search KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
O
King and Queen Ty’ii ha’wiilth, Tliishin (Derek Peters) and Homin’niki, Irene Williams, sign their wedding certificate at their wedding potlatch at the Alberni Athletic Hall on Saturday, June 6. The couple are the ‘king and queen’ of Huu-ay-aht First Nations, as Derek Peters is the top hereditary chief for the Nation. The community gathered for the first time in almost 100 years to celebrate the marriage of their Ty’ii. [PHOTO BY HEATHER THOMSON, HUU-AY-AHT FIRST NATIONS]
REGION
School board opposes airport expansion MARTIN WISSMATH ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
School board trustees decided not to accept a formal request for support from the regional district for plans to expand the Alberni Valley Regional Airport. The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District sent a letter to School District 70 this month requesting a letter of support from the district as part of the ACRD’s application for grant funding to expand the regional airport. Board trustees did not endorse the ACRD’s entreaty and voiced their opposition to the $7.5-million expansion. “I don’t feel that we should as taxpayers be paying for Mr. [Wayne] Coulson’s...business,” said trustee Pat Dalhquist, referring to the Coulson Group, which operates aircraft at the airport. Trustees Rosemarie Buchanan and John Bennie agreed. Buchanan noted a possible con» Use your smartphone to jump to our Facebook page for updates on these stories or the latest breaking news.
“I don’t feel that we should as taxpayers be paying for Mr. Coulson’s...business.” Pat Dahlquist, SD70 board trustee
flict of interest in the area. “Since we have the woodlot out there,” said Buchanan. “I would just err on the side of caution.” “So we will not be sending a letter of support,” said board chairwoman Pam Craig. The ACRD sent the request for support to stakeholders as part of its application for funding from the British Columbia Air Access Program. The BCAAP is a provincial program that provides capital funding to assist B.C. airports with improvements to their infrastructure. “Your support for this project
would be greatly appreciated and help promote a positive future for the Alberni Valley,” wrote Russell Dyson, chief administrative officer for the ACRD. Dyson said the regional district hopes to fund the entire $7.5 million expansion through government grants. A total of $6 million is needed to expand the airport runway approximately 300 metres. A further $1.5 million would provide for improved lighting on the runway. With the installation of a global positioning system, improvements to the airport would enable major airlines to provide passenger service to the Alberni Valley; but that decision lies with the airline companies. The regional district is in the process of passing two bylaws that would allow for up to $6 million in borrowed funds from the Municipal Finance
Authority. The full amount on a 30-year loan would require a tax increase of $23 per year for an assessed property value of $200,000. A 32-day “alternate approval process” would need to take place before the bylaws are enacted. If 10 per cent of the electorate petition against the loan a full referendum would be required. The ACRD expects funding announcements for government grants in the fall. The Coulson Group was authorized to clean the airport runway in February to remove algae that could interfere with aircraft. Martin.Wissmath@avtimes.net » We want to hear from you. Send comments on this story to letters@avtimes.net. Letters must include daytime phone number and hometown.
Woman found newspaper from 1897
New digeridoo sound for tsunami warning
Cindy Sjoholm was completing renovations about eight years ago when she came across the discovery. » Alberni Region, 3
Council recently approved the ADSS Civic Studies 11 class project to change the warning signal to a more distinctive sound. » Alberni Region, 3
wners of a pitbull searched for their missing dog all weekend with the help of the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad. Nevaeh, a six-year-old pitbull mastiff-rottie mix, was found dead on Sunday. Michayla Burkett and her boyfriend Barrie Homeworth, were hoping for a positive outcome, after their dog fell off a cliff on Saturday and went missing. The two, along with roommate Sagi McCandless, brought Nevaeh to Little Mountain on Saturday afternoon. It was their first time there and they were not completely familiar with the area. “Sagi and Barrie went ahead of myself and Nevaeh, and when Barrie told me to bring Nevaeh with me, not knowing where the cliff was or the area, I let go of her leash so she could run to daddy,” Burkett said. “She ran right up to Barrie, gave him a kiss, ran back down to me and then back up behind Barrie where he couldn’t see her.” Nevaeh walked closer to Homeworth and then wandered over to McCandless, who was close to the edge of the cliff near some overhangs. Burkett said Nevaeh got too close to the edge, lost her footing and when she tried to regain her balance and push herself up, she slid off the cliff. “Barrie and Sagi took off down the trails to the left of the cliff to get down to the bottom to try to find her,” Burkett said. While they searched, Burkett was on the phone trying to get help from 911, the SPCA and search and rescue. “[Search and rescue] came within the hour and helped as much as they could,” Burkett said. “They spent five hours down on the trails looking for her but she got up from where she fell and took off before the SAR or Barrie and Sagi got down there.” The three, plus about 20 volunteers, including members of the Alberni Valley search and rescue, spent hours combing the trails through the night.
Kristi.Dobson@avtimes.net 250-723-8171 ext. 234
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