Kircher Disciplined

A Fort Frances trustee has received the lightest form of discipline possible for breaching the Rainy River District School Board's trustee code of conduct.

Chair Mike Lewis says a letter will be sent to David Kircher outlining the trustee's decision to censure him after he released confidential information about severance packages of two senior administrators from a previous in-camera meeting.

"The most significant consequences would have been to remove him from a committee," says Lewis, "or ban him from certain committees. That wouldn't serve anybody's purpose. We'll move on from here."

Kircher feels the decision was fair.

Residents Gather for Meeting

Last night's board meeting was attended by over sixty residents, all showing their support for Kircher.

Walter Horban says the board's focus should have been on investigating the decision to bolster the severance packages.

"The amendment to senior administration contracts and the method by which it was done, in our opinion, is a violation of the public trustee that the previous board was charged to protect," says Horban.

Horban also called for the resignation of trustees Dan Belluz and Marg Heyens, members of the previous board that approved the packages last November.

Chair Mike Lewis says the board will be contacting its legal counsel on labour negotiations to discuss the amendments.

Mine Centre School Name Selected

Mine Centre School has been chosen as the name of the new elementary school in that community.

It takes the name from the existing school.

Trustee Dan Belluz, a member of the naming committee, says of the 30 suggestions received, just one offered a different name.

The new school is to open this fall.

OFIA Turns Back on Forest Tenure Act

The provincial government is getting an earful for its decision not to hold committee hearings in northern Ontario on its new forest tenure legislation.

Scott Jackson of the Ontario Forest Industries Association says the McGuinty government doesn't seem interested in the opinions of northern Ontario.

"The only way we can read this is that once again the current administration doesn't believe that the voice of northern or rural Ontario counts," says Jackson. "This is about fast-tracking a piece of legislation without any due consideration with what the impacts are going to be."

The O.F.I.A. had tentatively agreed to support the Bill, but has since come out against it.

Returning Offices Open

Elections Canada now has its returning offices in place in the Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding.

Returning Officer Tom McCuaig says the top priority is the voting lists.

"We are updating those lists with calls coming in from electors to be revisited on the list or to be put on the list if they feel they're not on there," says McCuaig

McCuaig says voter information cards are also being sent to homes in the riding this week.

The main office is in Thunder Bay with satellite offices set up in Fort Frances and Atikokan.