THE EXPRESS November 29, 1995 Page 7


   Head to head                                                                                                                Here'sAn Opportunity
                                                                                                                                   to Celebrate
                                                                                                                               ~ Community,

                                                                                                                                     ,.r
                                                                                                                        THE DANCINCiBEARCilVIN(iTREE
                                                                                                                                  A benefitfor the mothersandchildrenof
                                                                                                                                     AimeeBeaulieu   Transition
                                                                                                                                                              House
                                                                                                                         Picka cardoff ourtree.Thecardwill havebasicinformation
                                                                                                                         abouta person,ie. age,sex,itemstheymayneed,or would
                                                                                                                          likefor Christmas.Buya gift andreturnit (wrapped)along
                                                                                                                            withthe card,to the DancingBear.
                                                                                                                                                           Giftsreceivedwill be
                                                                                                                         delivered to theTransitionHouse,for theirChristmasparty
                                                                                                                                              on December19th.
                                                                                                                                                (Donorsandrecipientsremain
                                                                                                                                                 anonymous.Pleasedropoff all gifts
                                                                                                                                                to DancingBearby December 18th)
                                                                                                                                                Formoreinformation,pleasecall:
                                                                                                                                                171BakerStreet,
                                                                                             photo submitted
  HATS ON: These creations by Lillie/Cohoe are among many handcrafted items available at                                                        Nelson,B.C.V1L5P4
  the Kootenay Artisan's Christmas Market, Nov. 30, and Dec. 1-3 at the Civic Centre in                                                         Phone:(604)352-7573
  Nelson. Leatheiwork, soaps, stained glass, woodwork, candles, jewellery, herbs, furniture,                                                    Fax:(604)352-9818
  art, toys, clothing, weaving and pottery will be sold. A variety of musicians will play throughout
  the weekend. Craftspeople featuring their work had to make it through a competitive jury
  selection process.


Schooldistrictamalgamation
questioned
Major expansion of Nelson district could
mean less money for schools
by Steve Thornton                      in a district
   WEST KOOTENAY-Sbaken                   "So if you have 15,000 stu-
by Education       Minister     Art    dents in a school district, you
Charbonneau's       plan to cram       would receive less funding per
seven West Kootenay school             student than if you had, say,
boards into one super district, the    4,000 students."
Nelson school board is worried            Charbonneau's         proposal
that students will feel the bite of    shows a new West Kootenay-
financial cutbacks.                   Boundary        school      district
   Charbonneau has "implied           encompassing         the current
that (school districts) will get      Nelson, Kaslo, Castlegar, Trail,
less funding" next year, said         Arrow Lakes, Grand Forks, and
School District No. 7 board           Kettle Valley districts.
chair Carol Mann.                        Mann doesn't know if the
   "That would directly impact        ministry will revise its per-stu-
classrooms and programs."             dent-funding formula, but the
   Charbonneau said a steering        way things operate now, that
commmittee will be formed to
figure out how to reduce the
number of school boards and
                                      super district would get less
                                      money per student.
                                         Small, rural schools, which
                                                                              o~~~:~~~s ~:
                                                                                       1 0

                                                                              Lake.Spacious
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                                                                                                  11
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                                                                                                character             Nelsbn
                                                                                                                            h~~~e~~
                                                                                                         roomsare ~;'inlhe Kootenays
                                                                                                                                                              ~~c;::d ~~~~ti~:s ~~~:
                                                                                                                                                     Vancouver Sun, the Province,
save $20 million in "costs            cost more to run, would suffer          furnishedwith antiquesandall have Sonja's      ChinaCabinet Nelson Spokesman        Review,San Francisco
associated with administra-           first, Mann said, but damage            private baths. Toe Oak Room                                    &Trail Chronicle, and others. The
tion."                                won't necessarily be confined           features  a canopybed,woodburning Figmenrs                  === l<aslo prestigioustravelguide,Northwest
   Blaming reduced transfer pay-      to one-room schoolhouses.               fireplaceandjacuzzitub.A luxurious CellarFibreStudio · Rossland BestPlaces,hasawarded           the Lodge
ments from the federal govern-           If Charbonneau wants to cut          hottub is situatedin the gardenand N~SM<Emporium            Cas.~egar  a two star rating,andit is listedin
ment, he threatened to squeeze        costs, she said, he may intend
                                                                              walkingtrails leadto a spectacular orcnarge      byphone(Viswr,AC}:\..the Europeanpublication West
the current 75 districts into 37      to close down most current              waterfall.                              :~,y/ewillc,eliver.
                                                                                                                                        /    .. ··•• Kanada.
new-mostly larger-school dis-         board offices.
tricts, geographically based on          In a large area like the West         While the lodge itself might be                                        The guest book containsentries
the province's health regions, if     Kootenay, that could mean one           difficultto gift wrap,gift certificates                                from all over the world, including
by next April the steering com-       school       board     office      in   can be includedwith Christmas
                                                                              cards or tucked into Christmas
                                                                                                                   W,J,/ow
                                                                                                                        Po/Jit_J,_e        I         Australia, Germany, Britain, the
                                                                                                                                          '-""Y' Netherlands,Africa, Saudi Arabia,
mittee doesn't have a "workable"      Castlegar.
plan.                                    That could also mean one             stockings.                                      Nelson, B.C.           L.A.,NewYorkandNewDenver.
   But local school board mem-        school board representative from                                                    Local calls 825-9411        In additionto overnightguests,the
bers "do no necessarily agree"        each current district sitting on the     Willow Point Lodgeis offeringa                Long distance           Lodgealsohostsgardenweddings,
that the minister's plan will save    new board, said Mann, resulting         packageof three Gift Certificates             1-800-949-2211           businessmeetingsand retreats.It
money or that students won't be       in less representation for each         (totalvalue$145)for just $95. The •----------                          hasbecomea g-eatsuccess.
hurt, said School District No. 7      school, and huge increases in           package   comprises  one$95voucher




                                                                              ~§~t~~;~ IAI ~~~~;,~~~
superintendent Don Truscott.          travel time for each school board
   The board sees many problems       member.
with the proposed amalgamation           "It's going to be difficult to
plan, Truscott said.                  have someone do the work that
   Mann said expanding the            we do and represent that area on



                                                                              :::;·:".~::;~~ii;
school district will result in less   the same level," said Mann.
money for everything from
school books to staff salaries
because the funding formula used
by the education ministry is
                                         Finding school board members
                                      who will do the work for the
                                      money currently paid them-
                                      about $7,500 a year- will also
                                      be difficult, she added.
                                                                                       tti'E1:f=;:~~:l;ffln;
                                                                              ... perhaps
                                                                                        you!                       •~CJll._~...,_.,.af.._         Certificates.
based on the number of students                                                                                        Advertising Feature -------------