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JEPSEN WINS TRIO OF VIDEO AWARDS Mission singer was honoured Sunday at MMVAs
THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012
PAGE 19
Fraser water levels to peak on weekend River expected to hit 6.38 m by Saturday
Braving the rain Car enthusiasts didn’t let a little rain stop them from heading down to Fraser River Heritage Park last Sunday for the annual Old Car Sunday in the Park. Hundreds of owners brought out their pride and joy to display them for the appreciative crowds. BOB FRIESEN PHOTO
The rain and snowmelt that has been causing high water in the Fraser River system and flood watch warnings in Prince George and Chilliwack is not expected to create similar problems in Mission. The Fraser River gauge in Mission was measured at 5.86 metres Wednesday morning, up 0.59 metres from the previous week, and is predicted to peak at 6.38 metres by the weekend. But that is well below the 8.89metre height of the lower Fraser River dike system, so communities along the lower Fraser are not likely to experience flooding except for areas not protected by dikes. Environment Canada reports show a low pressure system off the B.C. coast that is expected to spread rain — potentially up to 15 mm — to the South Coast on Friday and Saturday.
School budget calls for staffing level reductions BY JASON ROESSLE Mission Record
A number of staff reductions and cost-cutting measures were unveiled at Tuesday night’s school board meeting where the proposed 201213 budget was out for the public to view. The $61-million budget was given the first two readings, while voting on the third will happen at a special meeting of the board June 26. But the vote was not unanimous.
Trustees Randy Cairns and Carol Hamilton voted against the budget, while Edie Heinrichs, Jim Taylor and Shelly Carter were in favour. Cairns said the staffing reductions worried him, due to potential complications with contracts and “legalities,” and that the level of administrative staff being let go (see story page three) “leaves us too thin at the administration level” to carry out the work. He also said the goodwill established over the years with working groups will be undone
and that student achievement will be negatively affected. Board vice-chair Taylor was blunt in his assessment of the district’s financial position: “We’re in bad financial shape. We have big problems and there are no good cuts,” he said. “Our belief is that we can spread the administrative work around the district.” He added that it was time the board looked at how to more fiscally responsibly carry out services for students.
Hamilton lodged her negative vote after stating that while she recognized the financial problems the school district faces, she didn’t “feel that the approach was balanced.” She said “people would feel better if they knew the transition plan.” One of the main cries from the public Tuesday evening was the loss of two elementary school counsellors, which some residents said put their children at risk. But at the budget presentation, board chair Heinrichs said a 0.6 full-
time equivalent (FTE) counsellor will be in place by September. “We’re not planning on leaving a hole there,” she said, and promised that staff has begun working on how children’s needs will be met, and that a plan will be created during the summer months. We want to create “better services, and affordable services,” Heinrichs added. “If we don’t make changes, See FURTHER Page 3
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