INSIDE: Wind whips through the valley . . . will it ever end? Pg. 3 SPORTS
Roadrunners advance in snow bowl Off to B.C. high school semi-finals
T UESDAY , N OVEMBER 23, 2010
28 Pages
Page A21
YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER AND ENTERTAINMENT abbotsfordtimes.com
City on the hook for $450K Ownership confident team will make money ROCHELLE BAKER Abbotsford Times
– JEAN KONDA-WITTE/TIMES
T
he City of Abbotsford will be paying close to half a million dollars for the Heat hockey team’s first season. However the mayor and the team’s owners believe the cost is part and parcel of building up a business and bringing professional hockey to the city.
First reported @
abbotsfordtimes.com
The Heat’s ownership group will be getting $450,637 as part of supply-fee agreement with Abbotsford. In the deal, the city guarantees to make up revenue shortfalls for up to $5.7 million annually for a period of 10 years. The Heat generated a total of $5,249,363 in revenue in its first year of operations. The deficit was largely due to a lower than expected attendance and commercial sponsorship. see HEAT, page A7
PAC member Richelle Meneghetti (blue jacket), with her husband Dean and daughters Samantha (Grade 4), right, and Chantelle (Grade 2) are hoping their rural school, Deroche Elementary, will not be shut down next year. Parent Jenn Fisher, behind left, holds Anika (Grade 3) while Kayla, left, Grade 6, will be heading to high school at Hatzic Secondary next fall.
Two more schools on the block
Hours after Dunach’s closure, Mission report reveals a pair of rural schools could be next ROCHELLE BAKER Abbotsford Times
T
he Mission board of education is considering closing Durieu and Deroche elementary schools. The Board of Education for Mission Public Schools (MPS) received a report from staff on Tuesday, which cited low enrolment and economics as primary factors for undertaking the school closure consul-
tation process. “Ongoing budget constraints combined with declining enrolment makes it necessary to reconsider these schools for closure,” said MPS superintendent Frank Dunham. The board received a report Tuesday outlining enrolment trends in the school district – particularly around the decline of student numbers in east Mission and predicted growth west of town.
North Deroche Rd., is located about 20 km east of Mission “We’re going to do what we while Durieu Elementary is can to present why we think located at 11620 Seux Rd. north of Hatzic Lake. they shouldn’t close [DerIn 2008, the Mission district oche], but we’re hoping it shut down Ferndale, Fraserview and Stave Falls elementary doesn’t fall on deaf ears.” schools. At the time, Deroche and – Richelle Meneghetti Durieu also came under scrutiny by the board. The two rural schools are The two elementary schools predicted to have significantly being considered for closure smaller student populations in are located in rural areas in the the 2011/12 school year. eastern part of the district. see CLOSURE, page A5 Deroche Elementary, at 10340
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