PAGE 3 Tackling the issues Hearts shown Massive volunteer effort drives heart month campaign. Mixed medium Artist blends computer graphics skill with photography. Clippers rewarded Shipmen hold off Grizzlies for rare road victory. PAGE 7 PAGE 24 PAGE 27 TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 2010 www.nanaimobulletin.com VOL. 21, NO. 118 Fire numbers worry city officials School board considers giving stakeholders voting power BY JENN MARSHALL THE NEWS BULLETIN School trustees are consider- ing giving Nanaimo stakeholder groups more decision-making power on school board committees. The district has a range of committees and sub-committees that discuss issues and bring forward recommendations to the board. Those include the business, human resources, education, facilities planning and policy committees. Trustee Dot Neary said it is time the purpose, composition, and operating and decision- making procedures of the committees is reviewed, as it’s been six years since the rules for the committees were developed. “This is an opportunity to see if there is something that could be changed,” she said. In particular, Neary wants to explore giving voting rights to stakeholder groups who partici- pate in these committees, such as parents, teachers and support workers. “Only trustees sitting on these committees have voting privi- leges,” she said. “I think [allow- ing stakeholders to vote] will add to the transparency and accountability of the decisions made at the committee level.” Neary also wants to review membership for each committee, whether the committees are still relevant and if different committees are needed. At last week’s regular board meeting, Neary’s motion was referred to the district’s policy committee for further review. [email protected] CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN Firefighters attack a stubborn blaze in a house at 370 Stewart Ave. Thursday that hospitalized one man and dis- placed several people from their homes. The investigation into the cause of the fire was handed to the RCMP. BY JENN MARSHALL THE NEWS BULLETIN A fire that destroyed a 100- year-old house on Stewart Ave- nue last week was intentionally set, say fire investigators who handed the probe to Nanaimo RCMP. Doug Bell, chief fire investigator with Nanaimo Fire Rescue, said the blaze started in the basement of the house, but because it is a suspected arson, he can’t comment further. The Stewart Avenue blaze was the fourth major house fire – and third suspicious fire – crews attended in the past two weeks and Bell said a public fire awareness campaign is in the works. The department has attended 36 house fires since October, up from 29 in the same period a year earlier. One person died during a basement fire in a Departure Bay neighbourhood in December. “We’ve had a lot more major structure fires this year in a short period of time than we had last year,” Bell said. “We have to come up with a way of trying to cut down on these fires – prob- ably 90 per cent of them could have been prevented.” Bell said investigators need to analyze the fires and pinpoint major prob- lem areas, then launch an educational pro- gram. Except for the intentionally set fires, Bell said the fires resulted from a variety of things, including heaters too close to flammable mate- rials, overloaded exten- sion cords and unat- tended pots on stoves. “These fires can be prevented with either preventative maintenance or by education and people pay- ing attention to what is in their homes,” he said. I THURSDAY BLAZE is 36th structure fire since last October. DOUG BELL ... awareness effort coming. ◆ See ‘TRUST FUND’ /4 3 Year Variable OF B.C.’S LOWEST RATES! Sheryl Eaton [email protected] April Corbett [email protected] 3 Yea r V a ri ab l e TAKE ADVANTAGE #2-7190 LANTZVILLE ROAD Serving Nanaimo, Lantzville, Nanoose, Parksville & Qualicum 250.933.CASH (2274) *Rates are subject to change without notice.

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Page 1: BCYCNA - General Excellence, Nanaimo Bulletin

PAGE 3

Tackling the issues

Hearts shown Massive volunteer effort drives heart month campaign.

Mixed medium Artist blends computer graphics skill with photography.

Clippers rewarded Shipmen hold off Grizzlies for rare road victory.

PAGE 7

PAGE 24 PAGE 27

TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 2010 www.nanaimobulletin.com VOL. 21, NO. 118

Fire numbers worry city officials

School board considers giving stakeholders voting powerBY JENN MARSHALL

THE NEWS BULLETIN

School trustees are consider-ing giving Nanaimo stakeholder groups more decision-making power on school board commit-tees.

The district has a range of committees and sub-committees

that discuss issues and bring forward recommendations to the board.

Those include the business, human resources, education, facilities planning and policy committees.

Trustee Dot Neary said it is time the purpose, composition, and operating and decision-

making procedures of the com-mittees is reviewed, as it’s been six years since the rules for the committees were developed.

“This is an opportunity to see if there is something that could be changed,” she said.

In particular, Neary wants to explore giving voting rights to stakeholder groups who partici-

pate in these committees, such as parents, teachers and support workers.

“Only trustees sitting on these committees have voting privi-leges,” she said. “I think [allow-ing stakeholders to vote] will add to the transparency and accountability of the decisions made at the committee level.”

Neary also wants to reviewmembership for each commit-tee, whether the committees arestill relevant and if differentcommittees are needed.

At last week’s regular board meeting, Neary’s motion wasreferred to the district’s policycommittee for further review.

[email protected]

CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN

Firefighters attack a stubborn blaze in a house at 370 Stewart Ave. Thursday that hospitalized one man and dis-placed several people from their homes. The investigation into the cause of the fire was handed to the RCMP.

BY JENN MARSHALLTHE NEWS BULLETIN

A fire that destroyed a 100-year-old house on Stewart Ave-nue last week was intentionally set, say fire investigators who handed the probe to Nanaimo RCMP.

Doug Bell , chief fire investigator with Nanaimo Fire Rescue, said the blaze started in the basement of the house, but because it is a suspected arson, he can’t comment further.

The Stewart Avenue blaze was the fourth major house fire – and third suspicious fire – crews attended in the past two weeks and Bell said a public fire awareness campaign is in the works.

The department has attended 36 house fires since October, up from 29 in the same period

a year earlier. One person died during a basement fire in a Departure Bay neighbourhoodin December.

“We’ve had a lot more major structure fires this year in a short period of time than we had last year,” Bell said. “We have tocome up with a way of trying tocut down on these fires – prob-ably 90 per cent of them could have been prevented.”

Bell said investigators need toanalyze the fires and pinpoint major prob-lem areas, then launchan educational pro-gram.

Except for the inten-tionally set fires, Bell said the fires resultedfrom a variety of things, including heaters tooclose to flammable mate-rials, overloaded exten-sion cords and unat-tended pots on stoves.

“These fires can be prevented with either

preventative maintenance orby education and people pay-ing attention to what is in their homes,” he said.

ITHURSDAY BLAZE is 36th structure fire since last October.

DOUG BELL ... awareness effort coming.

◆ See ‘TRUST FUND’ /4

3 YearVariableOF B.C.’S LOWEST RATES!

Sheryl [email protected]

April [email protected]

3 YearVariable

TAKE ADVANTAGE#2-7190 LANTZVILLE ROAD Serving Nanaimo, Lantzville, Nanoose, Parksville & Qualicum

250.933.CASH (2274)*Rates are subject to change without notice.