Dear editor, There was no giant roar of disapproval from the small crowd gathered to hear SD20's first reading of the school closure bylaw, when all but three of the trustees voted to defeat the option to keep K-12 in Rossland at RSS. And that's exactly the way the trustees wanted it. They didn't want to face angry questions....

Dear editor, The citizens of Rossland have spent many years and long hours fighting to keep K-12 education in our community. In the over 175 submissions that were sent to the board of SD20 last month, the vast majority accepted a compromise and favoured closing MacLean Elementary, with K-12 at RSS. Over 500 people came to the...

Dear School District 20:   On Jan 15th we were subjected to yet another meeting regarding the funding crisis in SD20. It started as usual with the board presenting numbers and charts that show a) the declining enrolment and b) the cost savings associated with various school closure scenarios.    As for a) there was an admission...

Dear editor, The Order of British Columbia offers British Columbians a golden opportunity to take part in the public recognition of individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement, excellence and distinction in their particular fields of endeavour. Nominations are now being received for the 2013 Order of British Columbia.  If you know anyone in this community who […]

Dear fellow residents,    I arrived at the last council meeting at 7:05pm and missed the public input period.  What I would have liked to have said to our Mayor and Council is the following:   The meeting Jan 4, 2013 at the Seniors Center with the mayor to discuss what happened with the Arena project and Jason Ward generated...

Pretend you are back at school and your teacher assigns you the following math problem: School District 20 is facing another huge fiscal crisis due to government down-loading of costs and needs to cut its budget by $1,750,000 and has decided that it wants to close some schools before sharing all of the potential options it ...

Dear editor, Although we reside in southwest Ontario near Guelph, my wife and I share great affection for Rossland. A decade and a half ago, with she between jobs and me on a sabbatical from my teaching career, we decided to spend a year in the mountains of southern B.C. with our children – and chose Rossland. Indeed, our son...

Dear Rossland City Councilors, I am baffled by the Mayor calling a public meeting and then having nothing specific to say.  He acknowledges  that “mistakes were made” but can’t say what they were. He says there have been changes but can’t identify any specifically. Most outrageously, he continues to say that there is no...

Dear editor, At the meeting in the Seniors’ Centre last Thursday, the Mayor claimed that a comprehensive audit of the Arena contracts awarded to the former building inspectors company had been done. He said many times that he doesn’t see the need for a more comprehensive investigation. Anyone even with only a minimal knowledge...

Dear editor, I am a consultant with a doctoral degree in leadership and a keen interest in the importance of trust in organizations. More importantly, I am a resident of Rossland and, like many others, implicitly trust my elected officials to do be reliable stewards of our affairs. Acting on behalf of others requires openness...