District wants school money SCHOOL DISTRICT offi- cials ‘are still trying to Spend money that was sup- posed to pay for desks, chairs and other furnish- ings at a brand new schcol that never opened due to budget cuts. The money was in addi- tion to the $3.2 million in construction costs Schaol District 82 received to build Terrace’s new Moun- tainview Elementary, which was supposed to open in September. District official Robert Gilfillan satd he is still looking for ways to spend the money on something else besides equipping the empty elementary school. “He didn’t put a dollar figure on the amount of money for Mountainview but confirmed it’s jess than $250,000. Construction on the ”250-seat school, the first new: school built in Ter- ‘race in almost 30 years, continued even after the ‘school: board decided last spring il wouldn’l open as planned. Landscaping around the new building and an outdoor sprinkler system were completed. Meanwhile, the dis- trict’s First Nations Educa- lion Centre is surveying local parents to see if there’s enough interest for a magnet First Nations school that could be loca- ted at Mountainview. THE PLAYGROUND ligs empty at Copper Mountain Elementary. Part of the school may be rented out. New school tenants found By JENNIFER LANG THE COAST Mountains School Dis- trict has lined up tenants for two of the five schools the ooard closed last year due to budget cuts, including Copper Mountain Elementary. The board has approved in princi- ple a rental proposal for Copper Mountain from a group called the Rock Christian Community. The board also accepted in prin- ciple an offer from the Kitimat Full Gospel Bible Fellowship to rent a portion of Alexander School, one of two Kitimat schools that closed. The district must find new tenants by June when the provincial govern- ment’s grace period ends or face ad- ditional costs for liability coverage. “If we have these facilities rented out and there's occupancy, the risk protection branch will continue to cover the liability insurance,” dis- trict official Robert Gilfillan said. “If we don’t have ‘anybody in there, we the school district - will have to pay for it.’ Someone may also be interested in renting Stewart Elementary School according to trustee Donna Caruso, who had planned to report- ing back to the school board with an update, So far, the district has not placed any rental advertisements in ils search for tenants, preferring a low- key word of mouth approach. Gilfillan explained he had hoped the local economy would improve with the resumption of operations at the Terrace sawmill owned by the New Skeena Forest Praducts, result- ing in more jobs, more people and more students, Instead, the mill remains vacant and the economic tailspin - and the exodus of job seékers and their children from the district - conti- nues. “All our jabs rely on the students. We all want the kids in the schools We all want the schools open and running at full capacity,” he said. “I’m trying to be optimistic.” District’s energy efficiency plan to pay big dividends — down the road B.C. Hydro incentives and lower utility costs are already taking a bite out of expenses By JENNIFER LANG A PLAN to make a local junior high schoo! mare energy efficient has al- ready resulted in money back for School District 82, A pilot project to re- duce energy costs al Thornhill Junior Secondary is the recipient of a B.C, Hydre rebate, thanks to one of the power corpora- tion's incentive. programs. “Robert Gilfillan, the district's maintenance superintendent, said the district has earned a one- time-only rebate worth "$18,000 for the project. “The district spent about $96.000 last year upgrad- ‘ing the school’s heating, ventilation and lighting ‘systems. Staff have noticed less “(glare from the overhead ‘flourescent lighting, which is less’ bright and emils a “more nalural shade. The school district will -_ continue to earn BC Hydro “e-points” as a result of the. energy-saving project, savings that will pay fi- nancial: dividends on util- years. For example, Gilfil- lan said the district is ex- pecting a cheque worth $3.000-$4,000 in “e- points.” Gilfillan said a compar- ison between last year’s winter energy bills and this year's is already showing posilive results. “We are seeing some very significant savings,” he said. The pilot project at Thornhill Junior may only be the start. Last week, trustees decided to pursue all energy effiency pro- grams available as part of ongoing efforts to reduce an operaling budget defi- cil. Gilfillan and his depart- ment have been working on an energy efficiency program for the whole school district for the past eight months. Rising natural gas prices and an anticipated KEITH Axelson, PE teacher and athletic director at Thornhill Jr., in the staffroom marking assign- ments under new, energy efficient lights Robert Gilfillan thermostats, is an interna~ Honeywell has now out- lined its plan for making School District 82 more energy efficient ta school district officials - and de- puty ministry Emery Dos- dall, who was in Terrace in Jate January. Gilfillan said money spent now will result in considerable savings down the road. tional expert in energy management, Gilfillan. said. hike in B.C. Hydro’s elec- tricily rates are looming on the horizon for cash-strap- ped school districts. “Rumours are that theyll go up by as much ihree years,” said Gilfil- lan, a former physical plant manager at Vancou- ver General Hospital who has a background in the area of energy savings. With that in mind, the district asked the cnergy services division of Hon- eywell to conducted an energy audit of all Coast Mountains buildings. The company, perhaps best known for making “You may nol see the savings for as much as five to six years,” he said. But after that, the cost savings would have a major impact on the dis- trict’s finances, ‘ity bills for a number of as eight per cent in two ta Cause for hope in capital wish list Victoria indicates it will take a closer look at two local school spending projects By JENNIFER LANG TWO BIG TICKET items on the school district’s five year capital plan will be reviewed by an edu- -ealian ministry project analysis team.to see if they should go ahead, ‘The fact that the ministry is taking’ a closer look at. the two projects is welcome news. “They, haven't given up on us,” -. secretary-treasurer Marcel " Georges said, referring to the edu- ‘cation. ministry, which has told school districts their operating budgets are frozen. “They still un- derstand thal there are some schools in need of repair.” “The two projects - a $3.8 mil- lion renovation and mechanical upgradé. at Thornhill Elementary and: a $5 5 million. renovation. at Mount Elizabeth Secondary in Ki- timal — are at the top of the dis- trict’s capital spending plan. When the plan was endorsed by the board last month, senior managers al the Coast Mountains School District told trustees the ministry is serious about spending some money on capital school projects. Georges said the ministry hasn’t said which projects across the province will get the green light, Nevertheless, the gesture is a sign of hope in a district that’s been hammered by an operating budget freeze and a declining en- rolment trend that’s been made worse because of the economy. It’s not known when the mini- stry-selecied team of construction experts will arrive in the district to conduct its review, but district officials have already been asked to provide information the team might need, The $3.8 million proposal for Thornhill Elementary would sce an overhaul of the entire mech- - anical system at the 42-year-old school. It’s also overdue for a seismic upgrade. Those two factors pushed the proposal to the number three spot on the district’s capital spending wish list, behind replacing a- school bus and the MESS renova- tion but ahead of renovating Bear Valley School in Stewart, which became a K-12 schoo} this fall. “It’s an old building,” mainte- nance. superintendent Robert Gil- fillan sald, adding Thornhill Ele- mentary school was originally built in 1962, The situation is urgent, but not critical, Many buildings over 15 years of age don’t meet current air quality standards, for example. Capital items awaiting ministry approval are listed in order of priority, Gilfillan said. The capital plan calls for three renovation projects in 2004/05; a $3.1 million renovation at Kildala Elementary. and a $1.9 million re- novation at Nechako Elementary, both in Kilimats and a $1.6 mil- lion renovation of the board affice in Terrace. Year 2005/06 would. see a $1.7 million upgrade at Clarence Mi- chiel Elementary and.a $2.1 mii- lion addition and renovation at Caledonia Senior Secondary. : a a Narr The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - AS CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Mail Bag Hang in there, Tom Dear Sir: In response to the persona! attacks on Dr. Tom Nenninger for his professional stance on the fluoride non-issue, I say hang in there, Tom. You are a good man and a fabulous caring dentist. Every !0 or so years the irrational antis spew their gibberish. When a dentist dares to speak the truth the antis respond with personal attacks on our character and heaven forbid our sense of humour./ radical it may be and how unsupported it is by the universities, public health authorities and main line health care practitioners. approximately $100,000 per year more in each of our pockets due to the increase in decay that would follow the patterns of decay that we see in the children of the outlying areas. We would stand to benefit financially at the expense of the children if the antis had their. way. Thanks for your professionalism and. support in doing what is necessary and right to keep our children healthy. MLA off base with IWA _An open letter to: Roger Harris, MLA, Skeena Dear Sir: March 13 and I find it extremely negligent of you to not call me and ask. what the outstanding issues are with respect to drafting a new collective agreement prior to going to the media. Had you bothered to check, you would have found out it was the employer that has not been bargaining in good faith. You could have also found out that the local union sent a letter to Mr. Daniel Veniez stating that we were prepared to recommend to our membership the offer we proposed to Skeena Cellulose Inc. on Nov. wages, as well as numerous other concessions. union bargaining committee had proposed to accept the company’s offer on changes to the vacation issue for the first three years of the contract, and revert balance of the term of the new agreement. is not the issue of seven weeks versus five weeks, it is the entire article of the agreement, which affécts each and every employee at the mill, with significant changes to the percentage of yacation pay for every employee, from the most junior employee to the most senior employee. The issue of seniority retention is critical, and the company never agreed to extend the seniority retention past 18 months from the date of layoff in any of their proposals. Therefore, if we agreed with their document, the members’ seniority retention would be expiring right now, even with a new agreement, agreement unless it. guarantees that the members who were on the seniority list when 'the operation shut down have the opportunity to have their seniority reinstated and. an opportunily to return to work at the mill | The final point I would like to make is that the company has not currently ved up to any of their commitments to open the mill in Prince Rupert. and Skeena Cellulose Inc. Those workers have no income now, so what is your point of signing a collective agreement and taking away the only income the workers currently workers with an income?. My question is, how does your plan help the people in Terrace or Prince Rupert? I would suggest to you that the government has a responsibility, under the Forest Act, to take action against Skeena Cellulose Inc. and yet the Minister of BCGEU, CEP and ].W.A. Canada, Local 2171, In short Mr, Harris, quit trying to place the _tesponsibility of your government's decision to make that cannot afford to operate. I would say that it is time for you to do something for the people in your riding, such as demanding the under the Forest Act. Also, I suggest that you find out what the real financial situation is with respect to -Skeena Cellulose Inc. and their ability to ever run any ‘of the facilities they purchased. Darrel Wong, President, IWA Canada, Local 2171 Courtenay, B.C, Focus on the U.S. Dear Sir: When the UN inspectors are done with humiliating Iraq, perhaps, they should about turn their interests and scour the U.S. from which the only mass destructive weapons ever used was delivered on Japan, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians, and Colin Powell, the butcher of Vietnam, must not be allowed to conceal these truths, The world’s greatest ever known ‘would be’ world dictatorship is that of Bush and the U.S.A. today. D.L. Bulleid, Terrace, B,C. About the Mail Bag The Terrace Standard welcomes letters. Our address Is 3210 Clinton St., Terrace, 8.C, V8G 5R2, You can fax us at 250-638-8432 or e-mail us at newsroom @terracestandard.com. No attachments, please. We need your name, address and phone number for verification. Our deadline is noon Friday c or noon Thursday if t's: a long | weekend. ° They are entitled to their say no matter how . Tom, you and I both realize that the removal of the , fluoride in Terrace’s water supply would put Dr. Joe Zucchiatti, Terrace, B.C. I read your comments. in The Terrace Standard of 15, 2002, which included a 20 per cent rollback in . Additionally, you would have found that the local | back to the current collective agreement for. the . Just so it is clear, the issue of vacations with pay ° The local union will not sign a new collective there is a signed agreement between the PPWC and . receive. 1s the government going to provide the Forests has not responded to our letters signed by the - ‘a quick sale of Skeena Cellulose Inc. to a company - ’ Minister of Forests to live up to his responsibilities .