Wednesday February 10, 2016 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST Included
Parents to fight closure By Tracy Hughes OBSeRVeR STAFF
They may be fighting the same battle for a second year in a row, but Silver creek parents are not going to let their school be closed without a fight. At Tuesday night’s school board meeting, which took place after the Observer’s press deadline, trustees discussed a motion to initiate a 60day public consultation process for the proposed amalgamation of Silver creek elementary with Salmon Arm West elementary. This would mean the closure of the Silver creek school and re-routing its 46 students out of the area. Silver creek has the lowest enrolment in the Salmon Arm area, as well as the highest education costs per student. School closure was proposed for Silver creek last year, but trustees instead voted to keep the school open. now facing a similar situation, parents and educators in the area are lobbying for that motion to be voted down immediately and the rural school to remain open. “As far as Silver creek goes, we want the community to realize the school isn’t shut, this motion can be defeated as it was before,” says denis Tong, the school’s representative on the district Parents Advisory council. “Silver creek has grown beyond its projections and it will continue to grow if the school board will let it.” Parents in the area have supported a variety of options to keep the school viable, including looking at a Montessori learning model – an idea that was rejected by the school district earlier in this school year. controversy also emerged when, after parents had worked to increase student numbers, the school district required the transfer of Grade 6 and 7 students out of the school, as the school’s population increased beyond the requirements for two teachers. The numbers did not justify the cost of adding another full-time teacher. noah Ralston was part of the Montessori initiative and says the closure of Silver creek is not just about that school in particular, but an attack on small schools and rural life. See Long on page A2
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Shuswap’s Angalena Cross skips by the tackle of Pinnacles defender Jessica Skerlec during a U15/16 game at the SASCU Memorial Complex indoor field on Saturday, Feb. 6. Shuswap FC won the game 3-2 and went on to win the gold medal in the tournament.
Police investigate shooting Celista: Two men severely wounded in north Shuswap incident. By Tracy Hughes OBSeRVeR STAFF
Two men remain in hospital following a shooting in the celista area Sunday night, while a third was treated for minor injuries and has been released. The RcMP Southeast district General Investigation Section and chase RcMP
This week Plans to introduce the Uber ride business throughout B.C. don’t please everyone. See page A12. The Salmon Arm Silverbacks claim their berth in the BCHL playoffs. See more on page A15.
are investigating a shooting, which occurred Sunday, Feb. 7 at 6:55 p.m. At that time, chase RcMP responded to reports of the shooting and confirm that three adult males were injured in the incident, two of whom suffered serious gunshot wounds and were kept in hospital. The third man was released following treatment for a minor gunshot wound.
RcMP investigators from the general investigation section and the major crimes unit have been examining the scene at a celista residence in the north Shuswap. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the chase RcMP at 250-679-3221 or via crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Time Out................... A10 Sports................A15-A18 Arts & Events ... A19-A22 Vol. 109, No. 6, 40 pages