Thursday December 20, 2012 (Vol. 37 No. 102)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
Sustained sustenance: White Rock’s Community Christmas Day Dinner, a more than 30-year tradition, returns for those in need of a feast. › see page 17
S U R R E Y
w w w. p e a c e a r c h n e w s . c o m
Hit-and-run driver prepares for atonement after killing woman, lawyer says
‘I’d trade places with her in a second’ Sheila Reynolds Black Press
A woman who was drunk at the wheel of the van that sped through a red light and crashed into Surrey’s Kassandra Kaulius last year apologized in court Tuesday morning, saying words couldn’t express how sorry she was for causing the 22-year-old’s death. “If I could take it back, I would trade places with her in a second,” said Natasha Warren, 35, facing the judge in Surrey Provincial Court.
“Please don’t drink and drive,” she said, vowing to speak to youth of her experience. “It hurts so many people.” Tuesday was the second day of Warren’s sentencing hearing. In July, she pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving causing death and failure to stop at an accident causing bodily harm. The Crown is seeking a 3½-year federal jail term, plus a five-year driving prohibition after her sentence concludes. The defence wants a jail
sentence of just over two years (25 months), plus a five-year driving ban. Warren’s lawyer, Mark Cacchioni, said his client is a “decent young woman” who suffers immense grief daily living with the knowledge she’s responsible for Kaulius’ death. He said Warren always wanted to plead guilty, but he advised her not to do so until he reviewed the Crown’s case. Then she not only pleaded guilty, but fully co-operated with police, providing the hockey jersey she was wear-
ing the night of the crash and a DNA sample, he said. “Actions speak louder than words,” said Cacchioni. “She’s preparing herself for atonement…” Dale Trimble, a counsellor who saw Warren seven times this year, said she immediately said she wanted to take responsibility for the crash and showed a willingness to go to prison – something he said he rarely sees when counselling accused criminals. › see page 4
Students toast alcohol safety
Waterfront security
‘Not if but when’ for cameras
Message on your bottles Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Young White Rock students have a thing or two to say about drinking and driving this year, and their messages are in – er… on – the bag. About 300 bags, actually. “One of them said, ‘Rudolph will know you did it’,” said Const. Janelle Shoihet, of notes carefully added to brown paper bags that will be distributed at the Sandpiper Liquor Store. The effort was part of BC Liquor Stores’ bagdecorating program, in which school-aged children decorate bags that are then used to package liquor-store purchases. Shoihet took the challenge – which she dubbed Project Paper Bag – to students at White Rock and Peace Arch elementaries. “I’m so pleased with the outcome, because the bags look fantastic and it’s such a simple thing.” Some of the children were so proud of their bags, they wanted to ❝…my good friend keep them to give as Const. Shoihet will gifts to their parents. Teacher Jessica be waiting for you.❞ Beggs is confident her Grade 4/5 students at White Rock Elementary understood the goal; to get people who are buying alcohol to think about potential consequences of not being responsible with it. “They were really proud of that, that the message would get there,” Beggs said. Other messages included, “We are not cats, we only live once” and “Seriously dude, don’t drink and drive.” Shoihet’s personal favourite brought her into the picture: “Don’t drink and drive or my good friend Const. Shoihet will be waiting for you.” “I think they’re getting the message behind it,” she said. “A lot of effort went into these.”
r
Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Sterling Smith and Nolan Strand show off the bags they and their classmates decorated for alcohol purchases. Tracy Holmes photos
merry christmas & happy new Year!
fine indian cuisine
Evan Seal photo
Natasha Warren.
•Best Food In Town!
#1-3268 King George Blvd. So. Surrey • 604-536-4600 (near Peace Arch Toyota)
open christmas eve & new Year’s eve
BORDER GOLD CORP.
White Rock may not be able to justify surveillance cameras along the waterfront yet, but Al Campbell is confident that time will come. “It’s not a case of if, it’s when,” the city councillor said Monday, in discussing a staff report advising against proceeding with such a system. “I think at some point or the other… it’s got to be in the best interests of the city.” Campbell, who last June first suggested looking into such a system, said his motion was meant to help the two bylaw officers charged with monitoring the area. For the price of hiring one or two more, “a lot of cameras” could be put in place, he told Peace Arch News Wednesday. Still, Campbell said he is satisfied with the report’s findings. “It was all about qualification,” he said. “At some point… I really believe it will be there.” Last summer, only Coun. Helen Fathers opposed investigating the use of closed-circuit cameras. City manager Dan Bottrill suggested Monday that cameras be considered for the works yard, to combat illegal dumping.