Going international: High school students to provide aid work Community A21
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012
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SD72 cuts clerical staff to balance budget KRISTEN DOUGLAS CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR
PAUL RUDAN/THE MIRROR
Family and friends of the late Marion Wright join hands after planting a cedar tree in her memory during the opening and blessing of The Gathering Place at the North Island College campus Monday.
The tree of life and Marion’s spirit help create The Gathering Place PAUL RUDAN CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR
The spirit of Marion Wright and her mission to improve advanced education opportunities for First Nation students
is alive and well in Campbell River. Wright, a former North Island College educator and political candidate who died this winter, was remembered fondly Monday during the official opening
and blessing of The Gathering Place at the city’s college campus. “Children were her passion,” said George Hunt Jr. “She always believed in bringing wisdom to the table.”
The Gathering Place, situated in front of the college entrance, is an open-air, post-and-beam structure built in the style of a traditional West Coast long house. Continued on A3
School District 72 will cut office staff and dip into its savings to offset several additions to its 2012/2013 budget. The district was looking at a $122,000 shortfall and, at the same time, trying to accommodate additions, including a new teaching position. At a special meeting May 1, the board of education decided to reduce services by $115,000 and use approximately $165,000 from operational reserves to allow for the budget additions. “The proposed budget reduction of $115,000 results in an equivalent decrease of approximately 2.5 full-time equivalent positions in clerical staffing,” said a news release. “The reduction will be done largely through using the existing, historical clerical staffing formula already in place.” Peter Neale, secretary-treasurer for the school district, said the board had been considering cutting full-time educational assistant positions. “The reduction may be in fulltime positions, part-time positions, or in the number of hours EA’s (educational assistants) will work in the day,” he said last week. Instead, trustees elected to go with cutting clerical staff. The board also voted to create Continued on A5
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