Thursday January 10, 2013 (Vol. 38 No. 4)
V O I C E
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W H I T E
R O C K
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S O U T H
S U R R E Y
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Sound effect: Deaf students in Bali are receiving a helping hand from across the globe from Lumina BC volunteer Richard Zeeman of White Rock. › see page 11
Full house to last more than 12 hours, if anticipated crowds address Surrey council
City set for marathon casino session Kevin Diakiw Black Press
It’s expected to be one of the busiest nights Surrey council has seen in recent memory. Staff are “guesstimating” that on Monday, Jan. 14, there will be upwards of 1,000 people packing city hall for a decision on whether to build a $100-million casino and entertainment complex on an 18-acre parcel of land at 10 Avenue and 168 Street.
Further, it’s estimated that 100 to 150 of those people will want to address council. If all take their full five-minute time limit, the casino hearing could last more than 12 hours. Mayor Dianne Watts told Black Press that out of respect for prospective speakers, she plans to carry the meeting through to the end, rather than interrupt the process and continue it on a subsequent night. It will be up to council whether to vote on the project
immediately following speakers’ comments. The public hearing – requested by BC Lottery Corporation, which is looking for a nod from Surrey council – is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. However, with five other prior items on the agenda, the Gateway Casinos application likely won’t be heard until 8 or 8:30 p.m. Registration for those wishing to address council will be open at 5:30 p.m. Speakers will line up on either side of coun-
cil chambers – which seats about 140 – with the mayor alternating comments between pro and con. Once speakers have addressed council, they will be encouraged to head to one of several viewing areas set up outside. People not wanting to speak can register opinions that evening before the meeting. The hearing will air live on Shaw and online at ww.surrey.ca/city-government/6993.aspx Ethnic focus for casino foe, page 5
Surrey youth arrested
Samaritans help police in arrest Monique Tamminga Black Press
Sarah Massah photo
Crescent Park Annex teacher Carolyn Logan-Estey shows students a video of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield’s launch into space.
Crescent Park students launch mini-missives into space
Ground control to Commander Chris Sarah Massah Staff Reporter
Chris Hadfield astronaut
“How do you feel being away from your family?” “How many planets do you think you’ll see on your trip?” “Do you like the spacesuits?” After settling into his new position as Flight Engineer 1 aboard the Russian Soyuz 33 bound for the International Space Station, answering those questions – among others sent from students
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in Carolyn Logan-Estey’s class at the Crescent Park Annex – was top of the list for Canadian astronaut Cmdr. Chris Hadfield. With Earth framed in the ship’s window, Hadfield answered each of the questions while in orbit: “I miss them, but I get to talk with them and email them and occasionally see them on video, so it’s OK.” “Just one up-close; the Earth. Our trip doesn’t go to other planets, it circles
around the earth, like the moon does.” “Yes, because they protect me and let me go outside.” Tuesday, clutching copies of the letters they sent, the primary students waited excitedly for a CBC Radio reporter to arrive and record them reading the notes. “I’ve never been on it before. It will be fun,” Hayden Scott, 8, said of his impending radio performance that aired on Early Edition the following morning. › see page 4
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An RCMP officer wants to offer a “heartfelt thank you” to several Good Samaritans who helped him detain an unco-operative teenager fighting off an arrest last Saturday. “The officer really wanted to offer a sincere thank you to these citizens, but they were gone before he could,” said RCMP Cpl. Holly Marks. A 16-year-old Surrey boy was arrested after a foot chase through downtown Langley and a scuffle on the sidewalk where community-minded citizens helped the officer complete the arrest. The young suspect was first spotted near the Greyhound bus depot at around 3 p.m. The officer recognized the suspect had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, and the chase was on. The young man ran through the Logan bus loop and even temporarily took refuge in a bus waiting to leave. Another officer spotted him there, and the young man resumed his flight all the way to Fraser Highway. The officer tackled the runner and a fight ensued, with the suspect trying to break free. Several civilians came to the aide of the officer, with at least two helping control the suspect’s hands so the officer was able to get the handcuffs secured.