black gives last speech in leg
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wednesday
March 20 2013 www.newwestnewsleader.com
New Westminster Hyacks defensive lineman Sonu Kainth will play next year for the University of Manitoba Bisons. Page a19
Secretary treasurer leaves school district Sommerfeldt to ‘pursue other opportunities’
MarIO BarTEL/NEWSLEaDEr
A flower memorial marks the corner at Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue where Gemma Snowball was killed in the crosswalk by a vehicle on March 11.
Staff sombre over Snowball’s passing Safeway employees upset about co-worker killed at Sixth and Sixth Grant Granger
ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com
Gemma Snowball’s enthusiastic personality snowballed across the Royal City Centre Safeway right from the day she was interviewed for a job six months ago. Deli manager Sue Lawson asked the transplanted Australian if she was a vegetarian. “No, I love beef,” came the reply with a big smile. “Do you have a problem with
Brand new state of the art facility
handling dead chickens?” “No, not at all.” “Well, if you have no problem with handling dead chickens, you’re hired!” said Lawson, immediately enamoured with Snowball’s ebullience. “She was like a bottle of champagne, full of bubbles, and she would just explode,” says Lawson. When the 25-year-old Snowball began her training she met Gemma Kuol, who was preparing to work as a pharmacist’s assistant, and another employee named Tammy. “Another Gemma,” said
Snowball. “OK, that’s cool. You’re Gemma Cool and I am Gemma The Best and you’re Tammy Awesome. We will be the best working trio of (Safeway store No.) 48.” Koul brought her daughters to work one day and soon Snowball had them laughing and talking. One daughter said to Koul, “She was so nice. I wish she was my sister.” Snowball said, “OK, I’ll be your big sister.” Stockers, cashiers, produce workers and managers were infected by Snowball’s personality. Even baker Claude Elezam, who
works on the other side of the store from the deli, was affected because Snowball would come over at the beginning of a shift and ask, “You got my bread for me?” “She was a bright light,” says Elezam choking back a lump in his throat. “It was sincere and with love.” “She knew everybody and everybody knew her,” echoes Lawson. Just last weekend, Koul told Snowball she should take the bus home at night instead of walking. Please see STOrY, a9
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With the New Westminster school district scrambling to recover past deficits, trying to ensure it won’t have one for the current year and to avoid further shortfalls in the future, its secretary-treasurer is departing. Board of education chair Michael Ewen announced in a brief statement Friday that Brian Sommerfeldt, who had been on sick leave, is leaving the district to pursue other opportunities. Citing the decision as a personnel matter, Ewen would not comment beyond saying the board thanks Sommerfeldt for his contribution and wishes him success in his future endeavours. He added the board has not met to discuss replacing Sommerfeldt, who has been on sick leave for the past few weeks. Sommerfeldt was hired in 2009 to replace Doug Wong, who was demoted to assistant secretary-treasurer in January of that year following an $890,000 deficit for 2008-09. The district did not renew Wong’s contract when it ended in October 2009. Please see STOrY, a9