Thursday October 4, 2012 (Vol. 37 No. 80)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
Pint-sized pugilist: Josh Lauriente, 11, was good enough last year to make the cut with his atom rep hockey team, but he gave up his spot in order to focus on improving his skills in the boxing ring. › see page A43
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
Alleged dog thief held six nights in jail
$50,000 cash bail for Olson’s release Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
A South Surrey woman jailed last week for breaching court-ordered conditions imposed in connection with an extensive dog-theft investigation learned Wednesday she can have her freedom back. But Janet Olson had to come up with $50,000 to get it. (At Peace Arch News press time two hours later, she was still in custody.)
The cash bail was among a slew of conditions imposed on Olson by Judge Donald Gardner, following a bail hearing in Surrey Provincial Court. A court-ordered ban prevents publication of any of the evidence presented during the hearing. The 58-year-old – founder of A Better Life Dog Rescue – had been in custody at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre since the previous
Thursday, when officers with Surrey RCMP’s Property Crime Target Team, acting on a tip from the public, obtained a search warrant for her home and then arrested her. RCMP Sgt. Drew Grainger said the next day that the search gave the officers “reasonable grounds to believe that the offence of breaching her recognizance had taken place. “Our members were able to obtain a search warrant which confirmed that we had
enough evidence to substantiate a charge that she was still operating a business, allegedly… which was one of her conditions to not do,” he said. Olson, who is a pilot for Air Canada, was given numerous conditions to abide by last fall, following her arrest Nov. 21 in connection with the theft of a bulldog from a Coquitlam backyard. › see page A4
Decals for visitors
Leaders hopeful over parking Sarah Massah Staff Reporter
Black Press photo
A developer who had received permission to cut down 39 trees on his property is responsible for other trees removed on neighbouring properties.
Fees include $25,400 fine and $150,000 three-year security deposit
Developer penalized $175,000 for trees Black Press
A local developer is fuming after being slapped with fines and a damage deposit totalling more than $175,000 for cutting down trees in Newton in August. Paul Bal said the issue has been blown out of proportion in the media and said that if there was damage, it was caused by his subcontractor, JB Demolition. The city said neither Bal or JB Demolition is accepting blame for the cut, which Surrey
general manager of planning and development Jean Lamontagne said went beyond city permits and into protected parkland areas and other private lands. City staff also said JB Demolition doesn’t have a Surrey business licence, which would be required to do the tree-cutting work. In August, the city gave permission for Bal to cut down 39 trees on his property at 5904 144 St. to make room for two residential lots. When JB Demolition arrived, those trees were cut down, along with several others in a park,
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along a riverbed, and on two private properties. City staff allege that the heavy equipment was delivered to the west side of the property and was driven over a tributary of Hyland Creek to work on the east portion of the land. Damage to the creek bed caught the immediate attention of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officials, who launched an investigation. So did the City of Surrey. › see page A4
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Changes are coming to pay parking on White Rock’s waterfront. But Mayor Wayne Baldwin made it clear that further revisions at the urging of the White Rock Business Improvement Association will not be considered anytime soon. “One thing I can promise you, we’re not going to be reviewing our rates again with the BIA during this term of office. This is it. Done. Finished,” he told council Monday. The recommendations, which will be implemented Nov. 1 and include a $175 off-season, nonresident waterfront parking decal program, were approved that night. While council members expressed excitement at the pilot program, concerns were raised about the use of the decals by employees of Marine Drive businesses. “Staff will buy them. They will get around the four-hour limit by just moving cars to two different spots,” Baldwin said. “Hopefully, the merchants are on the lookout for that. I suspect the best parking spaces will be taken up by their own staff, especially in rainy weather. › see page A5
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