Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 10, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba School bus walkout exposes deep divisions among trustees by Nick Martin five of the nine Transcona Spring Field school division trustees Are opposed to contracting out school bus services a but a bus Drivers strike enters its third week monday with no sign of ending. Its a Board divided so bitterly Over an Issue that sources say the division has retained a Security firm to protect individual trustees should they require it. The division would pay the Cost of $13 an hour a $20 if the Security firm brought along a video camera. Trustees Jamie Boychuk Sally Anderson and David George have publicly declared themselves opposed to contracting out school bus services. Trustee Marilyn Lamoureux insisted Friday she a opposed to contracting out but wont risk a Public vote on the Issue until she a sure there Are five Board members present ready to drop the Deal killing Issue from collective bargaining talks. A a in be stated time after time i would never vote for contracting out a a Lamoureux said. Taking such a vote would have been lost 4-4 on a tie tuesday night before an angry frustrated crowd of 200 Rural parents and striking Drivers further inflaming emotions Lamoureux said. I a Darryl Reid nip Transcona a who a offered to mediate Between the Board and striking bus Drivers a and Lamoureux said the key vote now is Rural trustee Linda Zarecki. Zarecki said in an e mail to the Board tuesday evening that she had changed her mind and is now opposed to contracting out. But she did no to attend tuesdays meeting and she be reached later in the week. The next Board meeting is dec. 19. A had she attended the last meeting there might have been a change in direction a a Reid said. A you can to rescind an earlier motion without your hand going the Transcona Springfield school bus strike began nov. 24. A similar strike in River East began nov. To. Public discord is nothing new at Transcona Springfield. Which includes six City and three Rural trustees. Two years ago Board members chose up sides Over trustee Laurie Goodman a shoplifting conviction Goodman is in the contracting out Camp along with chairwoman Mary Andree and trustees Pat Watson and Colleen Carswell. The past two years the Board has been split Over squeezing 13 Day care centres in schools to cover utilities and maintenance. Last Winter trustees passed a budget then decided later what cuts it would make. This summer they appointed a principal by a 5-4 margin in a Public show of hands. Andree said she Hasni to called for Security guards even though striking Drivers have picketed her House twice this week. A they have that right it does no to bother me. If they re trying to intimidate me it Isnit Andree continues to insist that the opposition to contracting out is concentrated in the pm of Springfield and that the division needs to have the option As the budget tightens. She can to predict when the strike will end. A who can Tell a Andree said. A a it a going to take Goodwill to get it Back on Rural parents were incensed by Andrees comment this week that kids enjoy spending extra time with their parents while being driven to school. A a in be got Gas Bills at the end of this week Are pushing up to $300,�?� said Glen Stobbe who a driving 200 Kilometres a Day ferrying kids to schools. A a she a making it sound like a piece of cake a said Rachel Mustard who drives her own and a friends children to five schools. Ken i Gigot leg toe Wess each stamp features a nativity scene painted by a disabled , going. Bid now on Canada Post collectables pennies from heaven auction ends tomorrow its not too late to put your bid in on the pennies from heaven auction of valuable Canada Post Stamps. The artwork framed and matted in Gold features the 2000 Christmas Stamps. Each is a nativity scene painted by a disabled artist. All three Stamps Are coveted Corner blocks. Readers can bid by calling 697-7272 and be avg their name number and bid. Deadline is 5 . Monday. The top bid now stands at $300. In pays compensation to municipalities affected by closing of two rail subdivisions by Kevin Rollason while Rural municipalities Are beginning to receive compensation from in rail for two discontinued rail lines the drive to save one of them May have been spiked. Maxine Olesiuk. Reeve of the pm of Ethelbert confirmed Friday that the municipality has received its first of three payments of $161,200. But its a bittersweet moment he noted a the area would rather have had a working rail line. Olesiuk said that railway company Omni trax expressed interest last october about acquiring the Cowan subdivision which runs through the rms of Dauphin Ethelbert and Mossey River. But he said its probably too late now because much of the track has been torn up for scrap since then. A we Are disappointed because we wanted it retained As a Short line railway a a she said. A no the Money does no to compensate us but at the end of the Day its better than Olesiuk said the Money will have lasting benefits because it has been put into a charitable Community foundation with the mandate to fund local nonprofit organizations. Gord Peters president of Brandon based Cando contracting which is tearing out the steel rails to sell them for an estimated $2 million for scrap verified upwards of 40 per cent of the line has been salvaged so far. A a we be had a pretty Good run in the last two weeks a Peters said. A a it a unfortunate it just did no to have the business volume to make it a successful a spokesman for of Nitya was out of the country and could not be reached for comment. In rail announced Friday it is paying eight municipal governments along the Cowan and Erwood subdivisions $1.67 million in compensation for shutting Down the lines four years ago. Besides the pm of Ethelbert the pm of Dauphin received $215,800, the Village of Ethelbert $11,400, the pm of Mossey River $10,600, the pm of Mountain $69,500, the pm of Minitonas $53,300, the pm of Swan River $24,300, and the Village of Bowman $11,100. Each will receive identical payments next year and in 2002. Of Hanlon shoes Winter clearance Sale starts tomorrow o men s amp ladies Quality Winter boots footwear amp accessories All on Sale. All of our top Brand lines Are on Sale Bally Florsheim. Bostonian Rockport Cole Haan mephisto Rock ports Allen Edmonds and Johnston amp Murphy. Also featuring ladies shoes such As Thomas Wallace la Vallee or. Seymour ecco Liz Claiborne Rockport. Mephisto and Roberto Capucci. Our 25th year serving you shop from 9-5 30 monday to saturday. Free half hour parking at the Lombard garage. Lombard concourse Portage amp main menus shoes 943-2751 women s shoes 943-0142 Gate West Coin Ltd. One of Canadas largest Coin dealers and official Canadian mint distributors we buy and soil Aff coma Gold Silver pm or Money Mill Torla and notated collectables All current mint products available at mint Issue Price 1711 Corydon at Lanark 489-9112 Canada a a or Coin Mark maker Bright / continued from Page a1 Christmas vacancies jetted spas up to free movies. Private Sauna 2 Day mini stay. Lower rates Sun. Thru thurs. Mpg. Info line 453-7626 a a West Hawk Lake my 1 -204-349-2209, with Matching accessories Western Canada s largest selection size Range from extra Petite to extra Large Ayau Able at a the coat specialists Quot 275 Mcdermot ave. At King 942-7376 toll free i -888-227-3477 free parking North Side of store. Hours 9 30 5 30 saturday 9 30 4 Bialek a web site on Holiday lights has received about 140,000 hits Over the last three years reaching 1,000 a Day in the countdown to Christmas. Dozens of cars Glide by the by Aleksy country Home outside Beausejour every night at this time of year. Bialek has even been on a Springfield 111., radio show explaining his passion. Not bad for a 19-year-old who fits in his yuletide Hobby around University studies and a Par time Job at a Winnipeg investment company. The family Home is once again resplendent in reds and greens lights Strung along roof lines driveways and across the expansive Lawn. A the sky a the limit a said Bialek sitting in his parents living room. A it will continue one Way or Iris Bialek smother wonders if Shell be Able to foot the electricity Bill. She and her husband Randy support their songs efforts a and the $1,200 Bill that Powers those lights. A at this time of year we re Manitoba hydrous Best Friend a Bialek joked. The wheel inside the Hydro metre spins a Cycle in less than two seconds. A my dad could Sharpen his axe on that thing a joked Bialek a younger brother Randy 12. The Large ranch style Home and two outbuildings sit on a two hectare treed lot. All the buildings Are covered with lights. And that taxes the three household electrical panels. Earlier this week Bialek attached Small fans to the front of one of the panels in the basement because it was overheating and circuits kept tripping. He Hopes it can hang together but he knows he a taxing the system More and More each year. Bialek already spent about $1,200 of his own Money buying lights and Winter accessories to decorate giant Candy Cane anyone. That a in addition to the horde he stashes in one of the Large garages on the property. A the people i work with think in a crazy a said Bialek. His Girlfriend Erin Winnicki 17, smiled shyly beside Bialek rather than comment on his Holiday habit. Bialek said Winnicki helped a lot and that he can be difficult when he struggles to get the lights up and running. Iris suggests her son should Wear a muzzle along with his warm Winter clothing when he a putting on the lights. Bialek it seems gets a Tad irritable when the lights go out in Beausejour. But then he has been working to get the lights up since halloween. Once the pumpkins disappear under the Snow the lights go up. Bialek and Winnicki worked every weekend since the beginning of november to get this years twinkling display going. Bialek admits he could not have finished in time this year without Winnicki and his brother Ryan. Mom and dad were also pitching in at the end to fulfil this years dream this passion All began innocently enough about five years ago when the family moved from town into their country Home. Bialek a dad Strung up a few lights and the boys gave him a hand. But then Bialek a competitive spirit took Over. The family Home placed second in a local Competition. He wanted to do better. No matter that no other contest has arrived on the scene. Each year since the Light display has become More expansive. Last year there were 15,000 lights. This year 25,000. Phil Hossack Winnipeg free press Matthew Bialek and Girlfriend Erin Winnicki show off some of their Handiwork. Where to see the lights in Winnipeg and Portage putting up Christmas lights Isnit just a Beausejour tradition. Folks closer to the perimeter Highway also trundle out the lights for spectacular displays. The most obvious place to Start your own twinkle tour is downtown Winnipeg where More than half a million lights decorate the downtown especially along Broadway and Portage Avenue. But Over the years certain Winnipeg area neighbourhoods have gone just a Little bit further than most in celebrating the season. Linden Woods especially Waterbury drive Thorncliff Bay and Fox Meadow drive Are Favourite stops for people to drive by. But Many More Winni Eggers could be vying for the title. Take Pride Winnipeg is once again sponsoring its annual Competition. Judging started dec. 6 and ends tuesday so lights Are on across the City. As Long As you re out for a drive you can also Check out Portage la Prairies special Light display. The Manitoba Hydro Power smart islands of lights features More than 450 displays in 13 theme areas. The web site was born of the same drive. Bialek admitted he was a computer Geek in High school. A Friend had created a web site and challenged Bialek to do the same. The site accessible at , began Small but has taken on a life of its own. Bialek a one regret is that his Commerce studies at the University of Manitoba have hindered him from updating the site since last Christmas. But it still has All the Basic info and questions people have about setting up a big Christmas Light display. The site has even attracted businesses. A few years ago a Texas company saw the site and asked Bialek to test some Light clips. He used them but did no to like them. But the company did. Bialek said he sees those clips on All sorts of lights s nothing quite Tike Christmas in Winnipeg except maybe Christmas in Edmonton West Jei has added new non Stop flights Between Winnipeg and Edmonton just in time for Christmas. So take advantage of our special can Somas non Stop flights Between december 15, 2000 and january 7, 2001 and celebrate Christmas with it my Gas Call your travel agent or West Jet at cd i a Soo a ass a s090 a a or Book online at Winnipeg to Edmonton Low fares today tomorrow everywhere we fly.l/i/tsr#, seats at these fares Are limited and May not be available on All flights. Taxes and Nav Canada surcharge extra. Offer combi Nable with other fares. 100% non refundable. New bookings Only. A Tiv 1-877-952-0100 or 403 219-7523. _ _ a a a Quot a. A a. Brince George Grande Prairie t bunder Bay t ;