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Arsonist at work in Langley MONIQUE TAMMINGA Times Reporter
There is an arsonist or arsonists at work in Brookswood and vandalism is also on the rise. The latest target was a school portable that was torched on Saturday night on the grounds of Noel Booth Elementary in the 20200 block of 35 Avenue. Langley RCMP’s Serious Crime team has taken over the investigation as this is the fourth suspicious fire in the Brookswood area in the past couple weeks. The previous three arsons took place at the nearby Brookswood Baptist Church on Feb. 12, 18 and 28. The suspects torched a storage trailer the Baptist Church had parked in the parking lot. The arsonist came back and did some more damage the next time. On Feb. 28, anti-religion graffiti was spray painted along half of the building and the suspect(s) got inside and caused a small fire there too, said police. While this is going on, Brookswood residents have been noticing that graffiti and vandalism has been on the rise lately, with graffiti found on bus stops and other places around town. Police are asking residents in the area to be extra vigilant and pay attention to suspicious people and vehicles in the area. Don’t hesitate to call 911 if any concerns arise, said Cpl. Holly Marks. Arsonists often use recycling and discarded materials left in close proximity as a starting agent or tinder for fires. In order to alleviate the chances of someone using your discarded material to cause unnecessary and potentially extensive damage, there are some simple tasks you can perform, said Marks. Keep your recycling/garbage inside your garage until the morning it is to be collected. If you have combustible or flammable material in your garage that you no longer need, consider disposing of these items to the appropriate recycling agency. Residents in the area are asked to survey their garage space and outbuildings and take notice if any spray paint or combustible material is missing. If this is the case, please call Langley RCMP.
'Highest Prices Paid for Gold & Silver'
Miranda GATHERCOLE/Langley Times
Langley Secondary School teachers rally along 56 Avenue on Monday morning, the first day of a planned three-day strike, which includes a trip to Victoria to join in a larger demonstration at the legislature today (Tuesday).
Teachers rally in Victoria 150 Langley teachers planning to attend Tuesday demonstration at the legislature
MONIQUE TAMMINGA Times Reporter
It was a cold and wet start for teachers who began striking outside Langley schools first thing Monday morning. Langley’s 1,500 teachers walked off the job and will continue demonstrating until Wednesday, after talks failed between B.C.Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government. “Our army of elves are busily putting clear plastic over the signs and we’ve made a visit to the teachers with buckets of food,” said Langley Teachers’ Association president Gail Chaddock-Costello on Mon-
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day morning. Teachers are not picketing but demonstrating. The LTA has rented three buses, able to seat 150 teachers, to attend the large rally planned at the legislature in Victoria on Tuesday. The BCTF and the B.C. Federation of Labour are holding the rally, which is expected to draw thousands of teachers from around B.C. “It’s going to be a long day for our teachers, but it’s worth it,” said ChaddockCostello. Closer to home, the LTA will have teachers lining 200 Street with signs Wednesday morning before a large rally “in defense of public education” is planned outside the Langley Events Centre. Teachers will not be demonstrating outside schools on Wednesday. Speakers at the rally include Irene Lanzinger, who is current vice-president of the B.C. Federation of Labour and is former a BCTF president, and CUPE’s president Barry O’Neill. The LTA will be laying pink
wreaths at MLA Rich Coleman’s office, located at the LEC. The pink is to symbolize the bullying tactics the government is taking by trying to introduce Bill 22, said Chaddock-Costello. The BC Liberal government introduced Bill 22, which would impose a cooling off period that would ban teachers from striking, and invoke hefty fines on individual teachers and the union. House leader Coleman, MLA for Aldergrove-Fort Langley, said there is no need to rush the bill through. Bill 22 introduces a mediator who is allowed to look at everything but salaries. The government insists that the new contract be a “net zero” one, with no added costs. Schools are essentially closed during the teachers’ strike and thousands of parents in Langley struggled to find care for their children. The Township, City and Langley Museum are offering day camps.
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