Local resident Marian Weber rescues stray cats from the streets of Waterloo. St. David Celtics outgunned the WCI Vikings in WCSSAA final action. lcanada.com| You said it Classified 26 Saturn Saab Isuzu of Kitchener Waterloo 663 Victoria St. N. 744â€"5811 WATERLOO CHRONICLE WHAT‘S INSIDE \PORTS Page 10 Page 21 WATERLOO P'JBL!CLI_BMJ&\‘ 12 Region‘s deal with CN Rail won‘t include tourist train rF l1he Waterlooâ€"St. _ Jacobs tourist train is not part of a tentative deal which could see the Region of Waterloo take over the local component of the CN Rail corridor. Last _ week, _ the _ region announced its hope to purchase land, operating rights and all other property associated with the Waterioo Spur rail linkage between Elmira, Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge in attempt to improve Twoâ€"yearâ€"old Kendra Cassidy made a furry friend Saturday morning, latching onto one of the many items available for sale during the 18th annual Festival of Crafts and Fine Arts, held last weekend at Bingeman Park By Anorea Baicey Chronicle Staff â€" WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2001 erving your community since 1856 economic health, the environment and transit usage. Negotiations pending, the cost of acquiring the linkage could be in the range of $1.11 million, plus taxes. However, contrary to the belief of some, though the Waterloo Spur shares the same line with the Waterlooâ€"St. Jacobs Railway, it is in no way affiliated with the tourist train. The train, which has been a popular mode of transportation between Waterloo and the St. Jacobs Farmers since 1997, was Furry friend WATERLOO, ONTARIO derailed for all of last season because of overwhelming capital costs. During that time railway ownâ€" ers tried to find about five or six more investors to help offset the expenses, which sit in the $40,000 range. In January, the antique locomoâ€" tive was taken from its Caroline Street location and put into storage to keep it safe from vandalism. Owners claim there is no guarâ€" antee when or if it will return to the station. $1 INCLUDING GST Continued on page 5 ANDREA BaitEy PHOTG Parents group prepared to take legal action against board over school closures Members of the Harold Wagner school community are debating joining forces with a group called CHOICE, Coalition to Help Our Inner City Education, to raise the funds necessary to attain the serâ€" vices of an attorney to contest the recent board decision. The battle between the Waterloo Region District school board and a group of citizens against the closure of two uptown Waterloo schools could be far from over now that talk of possible legal action has surfaced. Last week, trustees ratified a vote to close Harold Wagner and Brighton schools in June 2002. Board planners recommended the move to accommodate changes made to the provincial funding forâ€" mula for school construction. Students who now attend the two schools will be redirected to other facilities such as Elizabeth Ziegler, Lincoln Heights, Keatsway, and Preuter. In order to qualify for a grant, school boards must determine which schools are most valuable, and which can be considered surâ€" plus. But, according to a representative from CHOICE, the board didn‘t go through proper procedure before making a decision of this magnifude. "We want the process slowed down a bit, so that the board and members of the community can have time to come up with alternaâ€" tives which take care of the board‘s financial concerns without involving school â€" closings," _ said Howard Rotberg, a real estate developer who helped develop CHOICE last spring. In a formal report, Rotberg states the board‘s procedure in making the decision to close the schools was not in accordance with the full requireâ€" ments of The Ontario Education Act. He said, given the fact the board only studies the closure of certain By AnprEa BaAmEYy Chronicle Staff Continued on page 5