Royal City Record April 16 2014

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N E W

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014

W E S T M I N S T E R

INSIDE: New ambassador starts her reign P22

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Claude shares basket secrets While parts of the country are still thawing out from winter weather, the city’s greenhouse is getting set for summer. City staff has been hard at work preparing plants for this year’s hanging baskets, which will be displayed in various parts of New Westminster later this spring. “The baskets are doing good,” said Claude LeDoux, the city’s manager of horticulture. “There are always new plants. We select some new, interesting ones to show off in our baskets.” Residents who are interested in learning the secret of the city’s hanging baskets and creating one of their own can attend upcoming classes being offered by the City of New Westminster. “They are tons of fun,” said LeDoux, who provides hands-on instruction for the classes offered in the city’s greenhouse. “For two hours we get to laugh, learn how to put plant in the baskets without damaging them and learn how to care for them and get a successful basket for summer.” The class costs $64 for people making a 14-inch basket, and $74 for those making an 18-inch basket, which includes all the plants, basket, soil, fertilizer, wick watering pan and instruction. The courses are being offered on Monday, April 28 (noon to 2 p.m.); Saturday, May 3 (3 to 5 p.m.); Thursday, May 8 (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.); and Saturday, May 17 (9 to 11 a.m.). To register, call 604-777-5111. By Theresa McManus, staff reporter

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Fun with flowers: Claude LeDoux, the city’s horticulture manager, checks in on the hanging baskets that will adorn city streets – and likes what he sees. The city will reveal some of the secrets of its beautiful hanging baskets at upcoming classes.

Parents will have to pony up for extras

But those who can’t afford to pay for extracurricular activities will not be left out BY NIKI HOPE REPORTER

nhope@royalcityrecord.com

The New Westminster Secondary School athletics programs spent a whopping $100,000 from the school’s operating budget on taxis to shuttle high school students

CINDY GERING 604.779.1292

to and from games. That’s just one of the details high school parents heard at the school’s advisory council meeting on Thursday night, which superintendent John Gaiptman, secretarytreasurer Al Balanuik, trustee Michael Ewen and principal Phil Cookson attended to talk to concerned parents about budget changes for next year. “We need to make changes in how we fund athletics,” Cookson told the roughly 25 parents who turned up to the meeting.

“We can’t fund athletics at the expense of kids using 10-year-old computers.” Parents at the high school have been asking for more information after the district slashed the school’s budget this year in a bid to save money. The budget adjustments didn’t impact programs this year, but many parents were concerned about next year. Last Thursday night, they heard that the district is increasing fees for athletics and the international baccalaureate program (an advanced learning program) to offset

the cost of offering the specialty programs. Using the senior basketball team as an example, Cookson told parents that if the school covered all of the costs associated with the program it would be about $120 per student. Currently, families pay $75 per child – that rate will jump to about $85 next year, Cookson estimated. It is illegal to charge fees on classes required for graduation, but the district is able to charge for extracurricular activities. ◗NWSS Page 9

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