Tuesday April 1, 2014 (Vol. 39 No. 26)
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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End of an era: Rev. Joan McMurtry’s Sunday service at First United Church March 30 marked the end of 38 years of tireless work, but the social-justice advocate plans to stay active in her community. i see page 11
Broken nose, loose teeth among injuries suffered in ‘unprovoked’ attack
Bus driver injured in Newton assault Sheila Reynolds Black Press
A bus driver was punched and had his nose broken by a passenger during an unprovoked attack in Surrey on Wednesday evening. Transit Police say the incident happened around 8 p.m., after the driver picked up a man and woman at 72 Avenue and 132 Street in Newton. The man was agitated as he boarded the bus, complaining about not being able to
smoke and asking for a free ride. The driver, say police, asked the pair to sit down and carried on with his route toward Guildford. According to police, the man then started “verbally challenging” the transit worker, who did not respond, and as the bus pulled into the left-turn lane at 72 Avenue and 144 Street, the male passenger stood up and punched the driver in the face. He and the woman then fled the scene. The driver was taken to hospital and
treated for a broken nose. The assault also left him with blurred vision in one eye, a bruised jaw and loose teeth. The suspect is described as a clean-shaven, muscular white male in his mid-20s to early30s, standing between six-foot-two and sixfoot-four, with short bleached-blond hair and a large tattoo on the back of his neck. He was wearing a black leather jacket with a grey or white hoodie underneath, jeans and light-coloured runners.
His companion is described as a thin white woman in her mid-twenties, with blond hair. The incident brings to 42 the number of reported driver assaults this year. Monday, Transit Police launched a campaign called “Don’t Touch The Operator,” but union leaders say it doesn’t go far enough. Drivers and supporters staged a rally outside of the New Westminster headquarters, calling for more security and stiffer penalties for assaults.
Hulabaloo Members of the Paul Latta Dancers perform That’s How They Do The Hula in the group International Contemporary class (underseven) on the first weekend of the Surrey Festival of Dance at the Surrey Arts Centre. Boaz Joseph photo
Designated site at athletic park ‘a stepping stone’ to bigger projects
South Surrey paves way for new longboarders Nick Greenizan Staff Reporter
A designated site for longboarders will be built at South Surrey Athletic Park, the City of Surrey has announced. The site, part of a pilot project, will be located on the “service access road” that begins near the 20 Avenue parking lot and runs south between the baseball diamonds and running track, which is in the southwest corner of the 14600 20 Ave. park.
Surrey’s manager of parks, Owen Croy, estimated the grade of the pathway to be “about 6.5 per cent,” and especially good for boarders who are new to the sport. The location’s proximity to public transit is also noted. The city is to add barriers on either side of the pathway – which is already paved – to ensure it does not intersect with any other walking paths in the area, Croy said. Appropriate signage will also be posted.
He estimated the cost of the project to be “a few thousand dollars” and said he would “like to get it up and running in the next six weeks,” though he added that timeline is not definite. “It’s a work in progress, but it engages youth, and we think it’s an excellent way to get (young longboarders) off the streets, where there are safety concerns.” Croy believes the longboarding project would be the first of its kind in B.C.
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Longboarding – similar to skateboarding, except the board’s dimensions and wheels are bigger – has become a popular sport on the Peninsula in recent years. And with its growth in popularity has come increased concerns about the safety of boarders, pedestrians and motorists. “It’s very unfortunate but there have been some tragic incidents in other places in recent years,” he said. i see page 4