midweek edition WEDNESDAY, AUG. 25, 2010 Vol. 101 No. 68 • Established 1908 • East
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Hippie history Rossini’s takes a bow
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School board shuts down ‘primary’ school house Dr. A.R. Lord parents displeased Naoibh O’Connor Staff writer
Linda Chow’s son will attend Dr. A.R. Lord at 555 Lillooet St.
photo Rebecca Blissett
A boarded-up building on the school grounds will greet students returning to Dr. A.R. Lord this September. Two facilities sit on the expansive property at 555 Lillooet St. near the PNE—a larger “intermediate” building that housed Grades 3 to 7 students last year, and a smaller “primary” building that served kindergarten to Grade 2 students, located at the southwest corner of the site. The district considers the primary building an “outbuilding.” It was shut down to save the cash-strapped district an estimated $42,820 despite a parent campaign to keep it open. All the doors and windows were boarded over with plywood last
week. Technically, it’s not a school closure since it’s regarded as an “outbuilding,” but many parents believe it should have been treated as a unique, small school and they should have been consulted and given time to find alternatives. The building was designed to meet the needs of younger students and accommodates a gym, kitchen, staff room, learning resource room and six classrooms. Its closure serves as a reminder of the fate some other Vancouver schools face this year as trustees decide which, if any, should close to save money. Dr. A.R. Lord parents and neighbours are particularly troubled by the primary school’s abandoned appearance. See PARENT on page 4
Social housing project to study mental illness, homelessness Bosman Hotel Community officially opened this week Cheryl Rossi Staff writer
Dave, otherwise known as Mad Dog, says he’s no longer blowing all his disability benefits on cocaine. He was one of the first 50 people to move into the Bosman Hotel Community on June 30, and
since then, he’s stopped using drugs every day and spends less on his habit. He reckons he now spends $100 a month on coke and collects bottles to foot some of the expense. “I don’t have to spend all my money at one time,” said Dave, a balding 51 year old with blue eyes, a moustache, prison tattoos
and missing teeth. He would not give his last name. “Nobody’s going to rob me, whereas I’m on the street, I don’t know how long it’s going to last, I do it all,” he said. The Mental Health Commission of Canada and the PHS Community Services Society officially opened the Bosman Hotel Com-
munity Aug. 23. It’s part of the mental health commission’s At Home/Chez Soi project to study mental illness and homelessness. Dave first heard about At Home/Chez Soi at the clinic where he collects his medication when he was homeless. He says he was lured by the $35 incentive to apply for the program. He
wanted the money for drugs and food. But Dave, who suffers periods of depression, said he’s pleased to have a secure home until at least March 2013, his own bathroom, and a comfortable place to hang out after spending 20 years on and off the street. See BUILDING on page 4
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