Tuesday January 21, 2014 (Vol. 39 No. 6))
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Claw-backs: After coming oh-so-close to winningg last year’s Surrey RCMP Basketball Classic, assic, the Tamanawis Wildcats are finallyy champions of the city-wide tournament, ment, beating Fleetwood Park Saturday night. i see page 13
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
Breach of trust ‘must be denounced in the strongest terms,’ judge says
No jail time for former Surrey planner Kevin Diakiw and Sheila Reynolds Black Press
A former City of Surrey planner has been sentenced to house arrest instead of jail, against the wishes of both the Crown prosecutor and his own attorney. Both Crown and defence lawyers had recommended prison time for former longtime city planner Akonyu Akolo, ranging from three to 15 months, for trying to solicit money from a developer.
On Friday afternoon in Surrey Provincial Court, Akolo was given a 15-month conditional sentence to be served in the community. The first nine months he is under house arrest – only allowed to leave his home for things such as medical appointments – while the last six months he will have a curfew from 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. He must also complete 50 hours of community service. Crown prosecutor Kevin Marks had
asked the court to sentence Akolo to 15 months in prison. Defence lawyer Jennifer Currie suggested three to four months of jail time, arguing that while a lengthier sentence of nine to 12 months of community service was an option, the defendant needed to work and provide for his family and a job was awaiting him in Africa. In delivering his sentence Friday,
Judge Michael Hicks said a short jail term would not serve as enough of a deterrence. Such crimes, Hicks said, are “difficult to detect… and must be denounced in the strongest terms.” Akolo, who oversaw development plans for South Surrey, pleaded guilty to breach of trust by a public officer last September. i see page 2
Akonyu Akolo
$5.77-a-month rise
Big surge for White Rock water bills Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Boaz Joseph photo
Attendees (from left) Cassidy Patton, 16, Kathryn Morse, 13, and Sarah Morse, 16, take part in a candlelight vigil at Holland Park for Julie Paskall.
Community needs to get back to taking care of each other, widower says
Slain mother commemorated at vigil Boaz Joseph & Kevin Diakiw Black Press
Julie Paskall
A candlelight vigil was held in North Surrey Saturday in memory of slain hockey mom Julie Paskall. Hundreds of people – including several Surrey Minor Hockey teams – attended the event at Holland Park. Julie was a “great mom, first and foremost,” said her husband, Al, following two minutes of silence. “Her greatest attribute
was her ability to take care of others.” At 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 29, 53-year-old Julie Paskall was waiting to pick up her 16-year-old son who was volunteering as a referee at a tournament near the Newton Arena at 7120 136B St. The longtime timekeeper with Surrey Minor Hockey was in the parking lot when an unknown assailant clubbed her in the head and beat her with a blunt object. She died on Dec. 31.
Home of the Hot Shave
Grandview Corners Unit 30, 2438 160th St.
604-385-4800
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Police believe the killer may be the same person who attacked a woman getting off a bus at the Newton exchange on Dec. 16. The Surrey RCMP did not issue a news release about that attack at the time because they didn’t believe it was severe enough or that it represented a trend. Paskall’s murder reignited debate about safety in Newton and prompted residents to take action. i see page 2
! r e t n i W everything
LOOK INSIDE f o r G R E AT D E A L S !
If they haven’t already, White Rock residents will soon start to see the financial impact of plans to upgrade the city’s water system. Epcor spokesman Tim LeRiche said Friday that bills bearing the interim water rates – which are climbing by an estimated 21 per cent over 2013 – should be arriving in customers’ mailboxes at anytime. To the average homeowner, it’s a boost of $5.77 per month, to $25.29. LeRiche acknowledged the increase is dramatically higher than that of previous years – for example, rates rose by 14 cents per month in 2011 and $0.72 per month in 2013. But if Epcor’s rate application to the B.C. comptroller of water rights is approved, the bills will increase by about the same rate every year through 2017. That means the average homeowner will be paying more than double what they were last year by the end of the term. “We acknowledge that there’s an impact to consumers and in fact, we spoke about that in our communications with the community, including the open house (on the Total Water Quality Management Program),” LeRiche said. i see page 8