passed months ago, said Sanyshyn.

The school district is one of more than a dozen in B.C. to adopt a formal policy promising respect and inclusion for all staff and students regardless of their sexual orientation.

It was opposed by the Burnaby Parents Voice Party, which was formed by those opposed to the gay-friendly policy, and the controversy is now dominating the school board election, Sanyshyn says.

"It's definitely a hot button issue, like Occupy Vancouver...you never know when you start a campaign," he said.

Helen Ward, a trustee candidate with the Parents Voice Party, says it's an unfortunate development.

"It is overshadowing, which is kind of unfortunate, because we need to discuss the other issues too," she said.

The Parents Voice Party is running five candidates in the school board election on Nov.Graves, Dr. Ira

Noted molecular cyberneticist Dr. Ira Graves was considered by some contemporaries in the 24th century to be one of the greatest human minds in the universe.

Early in his career, Graves was a teacher to Dr. Noonien Soong, and thus Graves considered himself to be a "grandfather" to the android Data.

Graves spent the last years of his long life isolated, with only assistant Kareen Briannon, on a planet he called Gravesworld. Just prior to his death in 2365 of Darnay's disease, Graves deposited his intellect into Data's positronic brain and this information was later stored in the Enterprise-D's main computer.