Tuesday March 18, 2014 (Vol. 39 No. 22))
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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Food, fun, friends:: The Kent Street Activity Centre’s Fresh and Lively Luncheons – cooked up by volunteers – help bring seniors together. i see page 11
Robinson remembered as multi-talented, outspoken public servant
City grieves for ‘courageous’ councillor Tracy Holmes & Alex Browne Staff Reporters
A first-term White Rock councillor who shared his cancer journey with Peace Arch News readers last fall has died. Larry Robinson succumbed to the disease Saturday afternoon in Peace Arch Hospital. He was 65. “He was a multi-talented, multifaceted guy,” Mayor Wayne Baldwin said Monday, noting Robinson’s “tremendous amount of courage” in his public battle with cancer. Robinson’s many interests resulted in a contribution to the city “much more than you might expect from a first-term councillor,” Baldwin said, adding that the flag at city hall will be flown at half-mast for the rest of this week. “It’s a great loss to the community – he’s going to be missed.” Robinson’s widow, Ann, said he died around 2:40 p.m. with herself and his brother, Garry, at his side. “He passed very, very peacefully, which is good – he’d been in a lot of pain in the last two or three days,” she said. “It’s very, very hard, because he was always into fitness and health. He was a big guy with a big heart – and he was much too young.” Robinson was first diagnosed with a melanoma in 2009. i see page 4
Dan Ferguson file photo
Larry Robinson shared his cancer journey with the public, continuing to attend meetings and fulfil duties when his cancer became visibly noticeable.
Speculation builds after Surrey mayor is noncommittal about running this fall
Tories ‘not wooing dream-candidate Watts’ Kevin Diakiw Black Press
Mayor Dianne Watts
MP Russ Hiebert
Despite widespread speculation, a riding president says Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts is not being courted by the Conservatives for a federal run in South Surrey-White Rock. Electoral district association (EDA) president Jerry Presley said Thursday that he would love to have Watts on board, but there’s been no discussion about it at the local riding level. “Dianne Watts? You’ve got to be kidding,” Presley said. “If we could dream… “I haven’t heard yet, and normally I’d
be the first.” Conjecture arose after it was learned Steve Casson, Watts’ former financial agent, was on the executive of the EDA, but Presley says nothing should be read into that. “He’s worked with me in the past with riding matters, and he’s a good fundraiser,” Presley said. Presley said Watts hasn’t approached him regarding a run in the riding. “If I knew there was any kind of a chance, I’d be pounding on her door,” Presley said. The Conservative candidacy for next
Have you Heard?
year’s election opened up last month, when longtime South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale MP Russ Hiebert issued a news release saying he would not seek a fifth term. This came on the heels of the announcement that the riding would be redistributed into two constituencies – South Surrey-White Rock and Langley-Cloverdale. Suggestions of Watts’ possible departure gathered steam last week after Black Press reported that Coun. Linda Hepner was gauging community support for herself as mayor, should Watts decide not to run this November.
Watts said she knew her Surrey First running mate was checking the pulse of the community about a mayoral run. Asked if she would be running for mayor, Watts was noncommittal. “At this point in time, I’m concentrating on being mayor of the city. Period,” Watts said. Other Surrey councillors are also considering a run for mayor, should Watts move on to another political arena. Although she denies it, it has been widely suggested that Coun. Barinder Rasode is considering a mayoral run. i see page 2
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