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_ DInNER e F Cipg eP‘ LLINCH OR _ DINNER Restaurant & Gifts 1396 King Street North, ST. JACOBS 664â€"2286 59 Church Street West, ELMIRA â€" 669â€"1521 269 Frind said there‘s some immediacy in launching the campaign now because the offer to buy the nature cenâ€" tre lands is already on the "The nature centre is intensively used by both school boards, and a lot of people go there to relax and unwind from the pressures of the day." Continued from page 3 save that greenspace. The board has targeted 100 per cent of the additionâ€" al funding provided by the Ministry of Education for adjustments to increase the salary and benefits benchâ€" marks by three per cent for employees. employees. _ _ Tentative agreements have _ campaign. Residents rally to save Laurel Creek Nature Centre Over the last two weeks agreements have been reached with a number of Waterloo Region District school board employee groups and the public board. School board employees reach tentative agreements "I was disappointed, especially after all the disâ€" cussion on it," Jones said. "It seemed like we were getting down to the nuts and bolts. I thought we were getting somewhere." Jones said opposing a moratorium puts added pressure on the city, in light But when it came time to vote, Couns. Brent Needâ€" ham, Bruce Anderson and Mayor Lynne Woolstencroft oppâ€"osed the motion. "We want to show that we can have some results â€" that we can actually produce some funds, and save the centre before they try to sell it," said Frind. table. The GRCA has given local residents a limited amount of time to show their interest in preserving that land by initiating their own fundraising drive. But the clock is ticking. As a result there are agreeâ€" ments in place and ratified which provide for a threeâ€"perâ€" cent salary adjustment retroactive to Sept. 1, 2002, with educational assistants, custodial and maintenance employees, elementary and secondary school principals and viceâ€"principals, manager, senior administration and nonâ€"union supervisors and ty Council approved the rest of the study in principle, and directed staff to report back with an interim report on outstanding issues. The issue of student housing was originally part of the city‘s height and denâ€" sity study. However, council agreed the matter should be considered separately, given the heated debate. "The applications for lodging house licenses are pouring in," he said. "People think it‘s a gold rush, and they want to cash in on it." more information about the campaign can visit the comâ€" munity group‘s website at www.Laurelwood.ca/saveâ€" LaurelCreek. They can also phone Frind at 885â€"4415, or eâ€"mail him at frind@exeâ€" culink.com. Agreements are yet to be reached with six other employee federations and associations including the Ontario Secondary School Teachers‘ Federation, currentâ€" ly engaged in a workâ€"toâ€"rule also been reached with superâ€" vision monitors and cafeteria assistants, adult basic educaâ€" tion and English as a second language instructors and cafeâ€" teria supervisors.