TUESDAY
S I N C E
FEBRUARY 18, 2014
1 8 9 5
Vol. 119, Issue 27
105
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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Student survey links lack of sleep to emotional issues BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
High school students are not sleeping enough and the number of teenage girls reporting mental health issues is increasing according to a recent survey. The 2013 B.C. Adolescent Health Survey, a study of 30,000 students across the province, was released in the first of a series of reports by the McCreary Centre Society last week. Students from Grade 7 to 12 in 56 school districts, including 17 classrooms in KootenayColumbia School District 20, completed the survey titled “From Hastings Street to Haida Gwaii,” between February and June last year. This is the fifth “This is an area of time the survey has conducted concern because been since 1992, with the we looked at 2013 study focusing 130 questions every single grade and overall related to physical and mental health trend was a lack to risky and protective behaviours. of sleep and the For the first link to poorer time, students were mental health.” asked how many hours of sleep they ANNIE SMITH had the night before the survey. “The sleep questions are really important because it correlates with mental health,” Annie Smith, executive director for the McCreary Centre, a non-profit society based in Vancouver, told the Trail Times. The study showed that only 29 per cent of youth (28 per cent of girls and 31 per cent of boys) reported eight hours of sleep before taking the hour-long survey, with over 80 per cent of respondents admitting to staying up on the phone or online when they were supposed to be asleep. Six per cent of youth in Grade 12 reported sleeping four hours or less the night before the survey, compared to two percent in Grade 7. Students in every grade who slept nine hours or more before completing the survey were more likely than students who got less sleep to report that their mental health was good or excellent. “This is an area of concern because we looked at every single grade and the overall trend was a lack of sleep and the link to poorer mental health,” Smith added. See DISPARITIES, Page 3
ART HARRISON PHOTO
Trail Mayor Dieter Bogs welcomes passengers from the first Pacific Coastal flight to land at the local airport, which officially became the property of the City of Trail, on Saturday
Trail officially flying solo with airport BY ART HARRISON Times Staff
The cloud cover hovered just above the mountains as Trail city council members, community boosters, and airport volunteers and staff gathered at the Trail Airport to celebrate the city officially taking ownership of the small cluster of buildings and airstrip Saturday. “This was successful operation already and I see this as an opportunity to build on that success, an opportunity for economic development for the region,” said Trail Mayor Dieter Bogs. “Now that it belongs to one city rather than the region it will make it more straight forward for decision making, I see the opportunities for development being better. We can make it even more successful.” Pacific Coastal staff received notification of the flight’s approach and they and the airport volunteers went into action. “We have to be able to see the mountain tops to the east and north and
south for the plane to be able to land,” said Kirsty Tichauer, station supervisor for Pacific Coastal Airlines in Trail. “I’d say the ceiling is at about 4,000 to 5,000 feet. It shouldn’t be a problem coming in today.” The mayor was handed a fluorescent safety vest and received last-minute instruction from Al Doherty. Bogs was given the task of acting as honourary volunteer for the occasion and assisting to marshal the flight in to the passenger unloading area. As the plane taxied in, Bogs and Doherty walked onto the tarmac and took their position, the mayor directly behind Doherty, and together they waved the plane into position with their fluorescent orange batons. The mayor then went and personally welcomed each of the passengers as they debarked from the plane. Afterwards, as Bogs and long time Trail airport supporter and volunteer, Don Nutini, walked off of the landing
area together smiling, Nutini was heard to say, “It’s a great day, Dieter.” The day began with staff and various council members bustling about delivering drinks and flower arrangements for the event as airport volunteers and staff held last minute conferences discussing protocols for the day. Add in the laughter, balloons, and large celebratory cake it was a festive occasion. The mayor arrived and briefly circulated amongst the 50 or so people who had come for the celebration. Bogs cut the cake and the crowd mingled, collecting draw prizes of complimentary Pacific Coastal swag bags and drinking steaming cups of coffee while chatting. Nutini was as busy as anyone dividing his time between preparing for the incoming flight from Vancouver and greeting those who had come for the event. See VOLUNTEERS, Page 3
Contact the Times: Phone: FineLine250-368-8551 Technologies 62937 Index 9 Fax:JN250-368-8550 80% 1.5 BWR NU Newsroom: 250-364-1242
This week hosting the 5 annual th
Trail Wildlife Association’s awareness week Selling memberships and a chance to win prize with 13 local awareness groups set up.
Late Night Shopping
Thurs. & Fri. to 9pm Free kids playroom and ball pit
www.wanetaplaza.com
5 min. east of Trail on Hwy 3B
Canada Post, Contract number 42068012