INSIDE: Huskers quarterback shines despite yet another loss Pg. 16 T U E S D A Y
August 16, 2011
is nothing crappy about her job 3 There N E W S ,
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E N T E R T A I N M E N T chilliwacktimes.com
SWAT service second highest Getting great bang for our buck when it comes to ERT BY TYLER OLSEN tolsen@chilliwacktimes.com
T
h e R C M P ’s E m e r g e n c y Response Team (ERT) team may be a frequent sight in Chilliwack, but that’s a good thing, according to Mounties. The ERT, the RCMP’s equivalent to a SWAT team, received 156 calls for service for Chilliwack in the 2010/2011 fiscal year, which ended in March. Among Lower Mainland RCMP detachments, that is second only to Surrey, which had 549 calls for service. But RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth said that there’s a good reason for the high numbers: one of the two ERT teams is based in Chilliwack (the other is based in Surrey) and the local detachment frequently uses the squad to deal with less-serious calls. “They do often attend with our general duty members for any calls of service, just as a backup,” Hollingsworth said. “They’re in our area, floating around. They may be available for high-risk takedowns for vehicles, search warrants where firearms may be in the residence, other firearm-related calls, or other calls serious in nature where police or public safety is an issue. See ERT, Page 4
Cornelia Naylor/TIMES
Kent elementary school principal Chris Wejr uses an iPad and a Facebook page to keep parents informed about events at his school.
Dialogue worth the risk
BY CORNELIA NAYLOR cnaylor@chilliwacktimes.com
K
ent elementary principal Chris Wejr is ready to take a risk to strike up a more transparent dialogue with parents on his school’s Facebook page. When the Agassiz administrator first set up his school’s online social networking page, “Parent Info for Kent Elementary,” two years ago, it was an instant hit with parents who could post comments on the site’s discussion board.
Kent elementary experiment in open Facebook site brings modern touch to staying in touch
But Wejr disabled the discussion board after colleagues raised concerns about what could be posted. This month, however, he had a change of heart and opened the page back up. “We may end up with some controversial topics on there,” he said in a recent blog entry, “but my feeling is that these conversations are already happening and I would
rather the school be a part of this important dialogue.” Although Wejr said his daily posts of photos and comments about school happenings have been well received, he said restricting comments to only his own posts hasn’t allowed the page to live up to its revolutionary potential. “We need to break free of the communication that we have used
in the past and move to one that encourages dialogue and two-way communication between parents, educators, students and community members,” he said. “Through social media, we will get a better picture of what we are doing well and what we need to do better as a school.” See SCHOOL, Page 5
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