School board seeks input on budget

The Richmond School Board will seek public input on its 2004/05 budget beginning with the Jan. 5 public board meeting.

While the Education Ministry will announce a funding estimate for school districts Feb. 1, Richmond won't know how much money it will have until March 15.

The school board will then make its final budget decisions by April 19.

School trustees anticipate further cuts of about $500,000 in the next budget.

Trustees to send stern letter to minister

Richmond school trustees aren't satisfied with Education Minister Christy Clark's gentle back-tracking regarding the school board's alleged budget surplusand they intend to send her a stern letter.

While trustee Sandra Bourque said she thought the minister had given as close to an apology as they were going to get, trustee Debbie Tablotney said she wasn't ready to let go of the issue. Tablotney said the board should send a letter indicating that the perception of school boards created by Clark's earlier comments was not acceptable.

Clark incited an uproar among the province's school districts when she announced districts were hoarding a surplus of $145 million$10 million in Richmond. Clark accused boards of quietly building up surpluses while complaining they were broke.

But media reports, including a story in The Richmond Review, pointed out that the funds represented amounts allocated for unpaid bills, last minute funding and environmental savings carried over to buffer cuts for the next year. Bruce Beairsto, the district's superintendent of schools, said the money did not represent a surplus.

Clark later softened her comments by thanking school boards for doing a good job by providing quality services for students.

Music fest wraps up with gala

Some of Richmond's top young musicians will perform this weekend at a gala concert closing the two-week Richmond Music Festival.

The concert will feature winners in many of the competition categories for flute, string, piano and voice.

The festival, put on by the non-profit Richmond Music Festival Society, is in its fifth year, and continues to draw hundreds of amateur musicians of all ages from across the province.

They have been performing daily at Richmond Chinese Baptist Church and Broadmoor Baptist Church since Nov. 10 and the event concludes this weekend.

All participants receive adjudication from professional musicians in their field, and have the option to enter competitive categories. Dozens of scholarships and bursaries are handed out each year, as well as trophies.

The gala concert is Saturday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at Richmond Chinese Baptist Church, 10311 Albion Rd.

For tickets call 604-878-5167 or e-mail info@rmfs.org

Legion band, choir in concert

Richmond Legion Community Band is performing its 18th annual Christmas Concert at Gateway Theatre Friday, Nov. 28.

Special guests for the event will be the 50-member Vancouver Orpheus Male Choir.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. For ticket reservations call 604-270-1812.

Superintendent will be unveiled this Monday

Richmond School Board has chosen a new superintendent of schools for the districtbut trustees aren't telling who it is until Monday night's school board.

The candidate was chosen from a pool of 31 applicants who were short-listed down to five contenders.

The district's former superintendent, Chris Kelly, left the post this summer to join the Vancouver School District. Bruce Beairsto has been acting superintendent since Kelly left.

Citizen's Assembly to pick members

The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform will select six members from Richmond's three provincial ridings this Wednesday.

The assembly will include two people from each of B.C.'s 77 ridings and will look at reforming B.C.'s electoral system.

The selection takes place at the Ramada Plaza (10251 St. Edwards), with registration starting at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7.

One man and one woman will be selected from Richmond Centre, Richmond East, Richmond-Steveston. Two Delta South residents will also be picked.

The meeting is open to the public.

Purse-snatcher strikes again

A 52-year-old woman's purse was snatched outside the T&T Supermarket on No. 3 Road, Wednesday afternoon.At about 3 p.m., the woman was loading groceries into her car when an Indo-Canadian male ran up behind her, grabbed her purse and ran off.

The woman chased after him and saw him running with a white male. Both men got into an older model Jeep driven by yet a third person.

Richmond RCMP found the Jeep later at the Garden City Park and Ride and discovered it's a stolen vehicle.

Police say the Indo-Canadian male is in his early 20s, about 5'8" and thin. The white male is in his early 20s, about 5'6."

Auction to aid school breakfasts

School breakfast programs in Richmond stand to get a $5,000 boost from the Gilmore Park United Church's Dream Auction and Brunch, Nov. 22.

Last year, the auction raised $4,000 for school breakfasts and $10,000 for Nova House. This year, the team hopes to raise $20,000including $15,000 for the Richmond Food Bank, says Sally Houston.

"I think the main thing is we're not just raising money but awareness that 30 per cent of children in Richmond are living in poverty," she said.

The all-ages auction has both silent and live components. Those attending will find treats such as pickles, jams, knitted garments, homemade crafts, plants coupons for hair salons, a champagne lunch for six, and a draw to win an Air Canada flight.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Richmond Executive Inn. Call 604-277-5377 for tickets and more information.

Officers stop woman from jumping

Two Richmond RCMP officers may have prevented a distraught woman from jumping from the No. 2 Road bridge, Thursday morning.

At about 6:40 a.m., Const. Mark Basanta and Const. Stu Jette saw a 64-year-old woman swing one leg over a bridge railing. She had both hands on the rail and appeared to be contemplating a leap when the two uniformed police officers ran up from behind and stopped her. They pulled her down from the railing without injuring her.

After speaking with the woman, police are convinced she would have jumped. The woman was then taken to the hospital for care.

Police bust two Richmond grow-ops

Police seized 2,500 marihuana plants after busting two large grow operations in Richmond Thursday, although no arrests were made.

At about 2 p.m., four RCMP Marihuana Production Enforcement Team members searched a warehouse at #310212811 Rowan Place where they found 1780 plants and growing equipment.

Then at 6:45 p.m., police searched a two storey warehouse complex at #1102931 Olafsen Ave., where the officers found 832 plants and growing equipment.

Minister to speak to chamber

Minister of Advanced Education Shirley Bond will be speaking to the Richmond Chamber of Commerce Tuesday.

Her talk begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Best Western Richmond Hotel (7551 Westminster Hwy.).

For ticket information, call 604-278-2822.

Richmond Hotel celebrates 30th anniversary

Best Western Richmond Hotel and Convention Centre celebrated its 30th anniversary. Hotel sales manager Dayle St. Dennis (above, from left), Richmond Centre MLA Greg Halsey-Brandt, director of sales and marketing Wendy Hargreaves, general manager Andy Loges, and former provincial cabinet minister Grace McCarthy were among those on hand. Bill Papura, an employee of the hotel since the day it opened, has never missed a day of work! He was honored at the event.

Starlight Gala raises $155,500 for hospital foundation

Richmond Hospital Foundation's fifth annual Starlight Gala raised almost $155,500 last Saturday at the Radisson Hotel.

The proceeds will be used to launch a fundraising campaign for a digital radiography system for Richmond Hospital.

Gregg Rollo and his team from Ritchie Bros. rallied the crowd to raise $29,750 from the live auction.

Michael O'Brien was the master of ceremonies.

The digital radiography system operates without film and cassette to make radiography easier. Through state-of-the-art medical

technology, many routine activities are automatically processed.

The unit is ideally suited for head, chest and extremity imaging as well as abdominal, pelvic and emergency applications. The advantage of this technology is that digital images offer excellent image quality at a lower dose consistently.

The system creates many efficiencies: shorter examination times for patients, improved workflow and no processing of cassettes.