INSIDE: Howse plays overtime hero as Bruins edge Silvertips October 15, 2010
Pg. 21
F R I D A Y
Gagnon says bring 37 the whole family 1985-
201
0
LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER & ENTERTAINMENT chilliwacktimes.com
Chilliwack a ‘crime-ridden’ city BY TYLER OLSEN tolsen@chilliwacktimes.com
A
national magazine is calling Chilliwack the ninth most “crime-ridden” city in the country. That’s the bad news. The good news is Chilliwack has actually dropped down Macleans’ annual crime rankings list, on which it sat
We’ve dropped slightly in the rankings, but mayor calls annual crime index numbers ‘disheartening’
in sixth place last year. Chilliwack has a “crime score” 58 per cent above the national average, according to the report, which is based on Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index. That index
uses police reports to determine how serious crime is in a given city. It assigns more weight to the most serious of crimes like homicide. Chilliwack can thank property crime for its dubious distinc-
tion. For the second straight year, Chilliwack has the highest rate of break-and-enters in the province. The local B&E rate is double the national average. Chilliwack may be bad, but the
report identifies four other British Columbia cities with even worse crime: Prince George (first), Victoria (second), Kelowna (sixth), and Surrey (eighth). Chilliwack residents can also take solace that property crime is dropping. Last year’s first-place B&E ranking relied on crime stats See CRIME, Page 7
Numbers too high in class size rift
OUTDOORS HOOKED ON FISHING . . . AND A TREE
BY CORNELIA NAYLOR cnaylor@chilliwacktimes.com
A
Paul J. Henderson/TIMES
Passersby on the Rotary Trail along the Vedder River admire a happy fisherman’s catch as he tries to unhook his line from a tree branch. The sockeye salmon bounty on the Fraser River is over for this season, so now anglers have flocked to the Vedder/Chilliwack system where coho and spring salmon are running. That record Fraser bounty meant quite a mess was left behind on the Fraser so some local anglers have organized a cleanup on Oct. 16. To pitch in just show up at the West End Auto Body shop at 45825 Airport Rd. in Chilliwack, between 7:30 and 9 a.m. on Oct. 16, for coffee and staging of volunteers.
rift over class size and class composition is developing between teachers and administrators in the Chilliwack school district, according to data in the Superintendent’s Report on Class Size and Composition presented to the board of education Tuesday. About 70 per cent of middle and high school teachers consulted this fall disagreed with their principals over whether the size and makeup of their classes were appropriate for student learning. That number has jumped almost 40 per cent since last year. “It’s one of the only avenues teachers have to advocate for their students and say this isn’t working, this isn’t right,” said Chilliwack Teachers’ Association president Katharin Midzain. One main source of contention is the number of designated special needs students (students with See CLASS, Page 6
WWW.OCONNORGROUP.COM
FREE 143 PT pre-owned inspection and one year membership!
only at
604-792-2754 DL#5952
02124924
8645 Young Street, Chilliwack 604-792-5151 www.jadamandsons.com
06198229
Plumbing Service Department Price 60¢