One week may not sound like a long time, but it had a big impact on five local residents. Dr. Kim Tsang, Dr. Meagan Saccucci and training and special projects co-ordinator Lindsay Myrfield from ̨ÍåMMÂãÁÄÊÒ Eyecare Centres' Courtenay office and Courtenay Rotary Club president Robert Buckley and his wife Maria recently travelled to Colima, Mexico.

The City of Courtenay will look at using gaming revenue to construct three new bus shelters in the coming year. Council received a report last week summarizing the work of the city's Bus Shelter Task Force, which recommends building new shelters at the Driftwood Mall, Walmart and the Courtenay and District Museum.

The Comox-Strathcona Regional Hospital District (CSRHD) has adopted a 2011 budget of $21.4 million. The budget is based on an estimated tax rate of $71.76 per $100,000 of assessed property value, which is an increase of $1.41 per $100,000 from last year.

It was just a matter of housekeeping, but it was a key piece of the Brooklyn-Lazo puzzle. The school board voted Tuesday to reopen Cape Lazo School, which will enable students from the Brooklyn Elementary School neighbourhood — who are currently divided between Brooklyn and Cape Lazo — to be reunited in one building this September.

Although Comox Valley MLA Don McRae backed George Abbott in the Liberal leadership race, he said he was not overly surprised nor disappointed that Christy Clark prevailed.

"It's time to say goodbye to Stephen Harper and John Duncan." Ronna-Rae Leonard's words were warmly welcomed by those attending the NDP nomination meeting Sunday as she became the party's Vancouver Island North candidate for the next federal election.

Despite snow flurries and freezing temperatures, a crowd of more than 125 determined local residents crammed into Highland Secondary’s Multi-purpose Room on Wednesday evening last week for an information session on the Northeast Woods in Comox.

Former Courtenay McDonald's first assistant manager Jenn Voigt recently received an order she didn't want to hear — she was let go from the restaurant because of corporate cutbacks.