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Efforts underway to boost Oregon spotted frog numbers.
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Boundary changing for Promontory and Vedder Katie Bartel The Progress Chilliwack school district is expected to change the catchment area for two of its schools that will see more students going to Promontory elementary and fewer to Vedder elementary. After years of over-capacity issues at Promontory, long-term projections are now showing a significant decline, whereas at Vedder, enrollment is increasing. “The population has matured at Promontory and the enrollment projections moving ahead show they’re going to have declining enrollment,” said assistant superintendent Rohan ArulPragasam, looking specifically at incoming kindergarten students. “Longterm, if we do not make adjustments, projections could have the population decline as low as 420.” The school currently has 540 students enrolled; with six portables on site, the school has a capacity for 570 students. (The school building itself has a capacity for 388 students.) Vedder elementary is experiencing the opposite. With new development projects in the area, “Vedder elementary is exploding,” said Arul-Pragasam. “If you look at the growth for future years, they’re going to outgrow their functional capacity.” Continued: CATCHMENT/ p13
Promontory catchment area set to expand eastwards.
Claudia Earl (left) owner of Find A Treasure, and Krista Butt, Cornerstone Custom Picture Framing and Gallery owner, chat on the newly widened sidewalk along Mill Street where both of their businesses are located. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Mill Street makeover creates new vibe Jennifer Feinberg The Progress The sidewalks on Mill Street are twice as wide as they used to be, and way more pedestrian friendly. There are pretty flowering trees, stamped concrete sidewalks and distinctive lamp standards on the new one-way street in downtown Chilliwack. They’re celebrating the improvements that the City of Chilliwack made recently with a ribbon cutting Saturday morning at 10:30 on Mill Street to mark the milestone of completion. So how do the merchants
and customers like it so far? “It’s beautiful,” says Claudia Earl of Find A Treasure and Declutter.ca. “There’s a new tree planted right outside my store. “We’re fairly new to Chilliwack, and didn’t get to experience it very long the way it used to be, but the increased sidewalk space now allows us to put product outside.” Already she’s getting good feedback. There were literally hundreds of neighbours who came down on Customer Appreciation Day to check it out. It’s like there’s a new vibe on the street. “Everybody is saying how
much better it all looks.” Customers have been spotted window shopping and lingering around the shops, cafés and bakeries. Three of the Mill Street businesses serve food. They have put a couple of tables outside each storefront to allow customers to enjoy their treats al fresco. “Also we get a lot of people on mobility scooters. They have no problem navigating the street,” Earl noted. “Everyone is sharing the sidewalk. It’s so nice.” More people seem to be strolling around, agreed Kevin Klassen, owner of Harvest
Store and Café. “It looks so refreshed. It’s given the street a new life, and it’s downright sexy around here. It gives you an idea of what the rest of the downtown could be as well. “No one is cranky when they come in here. The customers love the improvements.” It’s good to see people wandering around, says Birdies Cottage Bakery and Catering owner Johanna MacDonald. “The feedback has been positive. People are saying it was time for a change.” They now have a couple of new bistro tables out front Continued: MILL/ p10
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