* By Budy Relmehe Judy Reimche
Peninsula News Review ~

. For the first time in its history, School District
63 will operate in a deficit situation during ¢ the
1998-99 school year.

“We anticipate being out of money by about
» April,” said school district superintendent Jack

- Fleming.

: The district says it’s being forced intoa deficit
amounting to about $900,000 because of the
provincial government's forced contract settle-
ment. The government introduced Bill 39 to rat-
ify the Agreement-in-Committee between the
province and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation.
~ Board chair Derek Chow said, by adhering to
the agreement, District 63 board of trustees has
determined it will need to hire 12 to 15 additional
full-time equivalent teachers, at a projected cost

- boards must find that additional money in their
coming from the ministry.

to come out of our budgets,” Fleming said. “This

"for administration than the province allots. That
funding is going into programs.”

a J ames William Robertsoil ¥ was detained j in

- Court Judge Hon. “Wally Oppel.

Board chair wants BOTY, trustees, to re- start negotiations

of $900,000. The government has indicated that -

ba dgets, and that no further fun ding will be" - kids to other classes,” he said. “That could méan
“some students could end up in split grade situa.
tions.” He said he won’t know those particulars 7
“until September, when the next school session :

~ “There is nowhere for that additional funding :

_ district has scrounged for economies for the last _
seven years. We're already spending less money*

~ Classroom teachers in many cases. That's good. —
news for our students, The problem is, we can't

Chow said he expects the final figure for this i
oes to be trimmed down from the $900, 000

Se wi tha female | under, the age of 14, is set to start ie
ee RAR

“from ‘lleged incidents involving both male and

eee ‘female children, id to h ed be
: custody July-14 after being found in. breach. of. icin rich haaas = ave OCcurTe:

- recognizance by possessing a passport he was.
_ ordered to surrender in December by Supreme. a

7 . Publishing any details surrounding the case. .

“projection, although he isn’t sure where that
funding could come from. Wages, he said, take
upa full 90 per cent of the budget, and they have :
already cut support staff significantly
Aiso, all districts have been asked by the min-
istry to review their budgets, and to report back:
to the government on the impact this an-
nouncement will have on their districts.
“If all the districts say they are facing deficits,
I think that will be a clear message,” said Chow.
He wants to see teachers and trustees go back ©
to the bargaining table.
If that doesn’t happen, Fleming said finding
the physical space for extra classes won't be a
large scale problem for this district. Unlike some"
districts in the province, this one has had a fairly
stable student population, and in some cases,
even a decline in numbers. ‘
“In some cases we may have to add portables; a
in others, we may be able to adjust by moving

we end up. with some strange groupings —

ae:
“It’s not all bad news,” he said, “We will see -
more librarians, more counsellors, and-more

ay fori it.

Rove ree rape, gross piece: oer and indecent . ;
assault to sexual'assault and sexual intercourse

int Vidtotid. * i

tween 1966 and 1989...
“He has elected trial by judge aii ju jury.” mes
A publication ban prohibits The Review from co

By Judy Reimche

Peninsula News Review

PENINSULA NEWS REVIEW 3

“Go outside and play.” It’s
-the parental command most
children. hear regularly, as
they sit inside, doing: other «

things.
But what if you-are seven
years, old, and. must. get
around in a wheelchair? What’.
if going outside is a compli-
cated task, and, once you're...
out there, the terrain keeps.
you. trapped at the. top of a’ -"
steep driveway?
Television is a good option,
It entertains, and brings the:
outside world indoors to you: :
_ Those were Iggy Pelkey’s.
options — until thieves broke |:
into his home July 12 and.
. Stole his television and VCR.»
‘| Iggy, whois going into

' Grade 2 at Saanichton Ele-..
“mentary, was born with cere- .
‘|. bral palsy. Although his father: -
-- |" believes the boy. will be able: -
“|. to ‘walk one day, for now his’
\-form of locomotion i is a wheel: :

~ chair. ' :
' “He never ‘complains and 2
-asks for very little,” said dad,
| Ignatius Pelkey. “T don't kn vi

who would‘de this.” ;
os Iggy! “a,blight, quiet boy.
with liquid: brown ° eyes b
“hind ‘small ‘wire: ‘spectacles,
‘sat watching. his. dad.-From.,
time to time, he stole a glance a
-}- at the empty:TV stand. -

~The theft took place while:

oe Pelkey was away canoe race

- Sidney Mayor Don Amos has suggested that the surthouse™

: gay and. his dad, ignatius, hope someone has Infor-
. mation on their stolen television and VCR. .

7 ing. He had taken his chil- _

‘tives watching the house. The

_ peared fine, When the family

“found the back door dam-
_ aged. All that has been deter-

TVand VCR. The two shared. a resigned y.
Pelkey said the police had: Jook.

es investigated, but he doesn’t. “This isn'ta an ‘appeal for do- See
-expect to get the items back. - Nations or anything like that.” |

the first 24 hours, the chances .,
- Of. getting. them back are -

_lookedat ‘his gon, then shook” ;

~ some good social time there =:

le . Courthouse conundrum

FOE, yu “CONTINUED FROM FRONT

officers on their off-duty hours,
"My figures are only to reflect the hours when on- duty officers
are off community streets. The figures show the municipal coun-

out full police protection; time the munieipalifjes are paying fore!
oe sald,

“Over 25 Years af Py ofessional service
with a personal touch"

081 7 Resthaven Drive, § Sidnoy

hile 656-5544 —
DESIGNATED.

a @ INSPECTION FACILITY
. viyen a H Yes will
! co Vanes Fapoatln£ Dapl.

ear RRL

: Poiording to the police report to council, from September 1997
to June 1998, they expended 178 hours ‘in ‘travel and standby time.
_ to give just six and a half hours of testimony, And that's only tak-
* ing into.account the officers who are actually on duty. Staff Sgt.
Brian Muir said he doesn't factor in the hours spent i in court hy

cils in real terms the amount of time their communities are with:

ae Michelin LTX M/ S
_ All-Season Light Truck Tire is

-.¢ Smooth, quiet ride

ay TIRE LTD. De

be used, if not for Sidney cases, at least to serve the Gulf Islands.
Reversing a decision to discontinue court services on Salt Spring

Island, ajudge has again been made available to serve the GulfIs- ~
land communities. However, since the closure of Ganges court:

room, the judge has no suitable seat...

“We have the building, and there is good transportation be &
“tween the Islands and Sidney,” said Amos adding: that links to Sid-.
“ney are more efficient and central,

He said a series of meetings with officials from the Ministry of.

the Attorney General and from BCBC to discuss some partner-

ship options for the building has'so far had little result. He has put
_ forward some suggestions for the courthouse, including using it ’
to pick up some of the backlogged cases piling up in Victoria, es.
__ pecially those that W il be of long duration,

-e Dependable © is nea mn
all-weather traction A

Enhanced comeing
Superior mileage:

ee a ee ee ee

therapy... by the end of the
‘day, he’s tired out. The first
thing he does when he gets
home is turn on his television.
He likes his cartoons, and he:
‘has his’ favorite videos to’
watch. He can’t just go out- .
- side and run down the road.”
Iggy reached out and laid
“his small hand ‘on his dad's.

dren with him, and had rela- -

doors were checked at 7:30:
p.m:,. and: everything: ap-

‘returned two hours later, they

‘mined to be missing are the

“Sf they aren’t found within: © 1 just want people-to. know’
she’s: here, ‘he’s. ‘part of this

- community: ‘He works hard a

3.

pretty. slim,” Pelkey. said. He:; =
—~ his néeds aren'ta lot more ||”
than other kids’. It’s awful to :
‘steal from him.” oe
~ Anyone with any. informa: :

tis head slightly.
“He. goes: to school, “and
camp in summer, and he gets.

~ with other kids. And he goes

Sidney-North Saanich RCMP
‘to Physiotherapy, spec ee

at eoehonae

Alternatively, the four probation smiplovoes | in this area could .

be housed in the courthouse, with the additional space rented to.
- other related government services. —

- Coell and Amos asked to attend a meeting J une 24 between the’
Ministry of the Attorney General and the judiciary: to discuss

' those alternatives, However, sources in the AG's department say

that meeting was for internal matters only, and Sidney’s issues dlid

“not come up, :

“The courthouse in Sidney i is ‘closed, and that was made public»

at the time,” said a representative of the AG's department, To
them, the issue is finished.

‘But area representatives are still anticipating further talks, For
them,:as long as the courthouse building sits empty, the issue is
alive and necds resolution. _

We also offer: .
Lube and Oil Services.
Complete Br ake Service C
Wheel Alignments: |
Complete Exhaust Wor ke .
* Mretuaing Cus stom and Dual Systems) ti ee
“ Shock Absorbers: ie
\ oS ae Cooling sys stems os
ee “Tune Ups. : |
"Vehicle Inspectfons

New Care Warranty Mainten: ance |

chool, and jin, his, therapies nd

tion about the theft can call | oe

RR Aye Lt 0 mY