Surrey North Delta Leader, April 09, 2013

Page 1

Teen metal bands rock Surrey See ‘Music’ listing, page 18

Surrey’s Hammond signs with Sens page 15

Tuesday

See today’s specials on page 2!

April 9, 2013

KIN’S

KET FARM MAR

Serving Surrey and North Delta

www.surreyleader.com

Sky’s the limit for paraplegic pilot Ben Goodridge hopes to inspire others to fly by Evan Seal

S

ince he was a young child, Ben Goodridge has dreamed about flying. You could say it’s his dad’s fault. His outgoing, often thrill-seeking, pilot father once arrived at Goodridge’s elementary school and told the teachers his son had a doctor’s appointment. Within minutes, the two were in his father’s small plane doing multiple barrel rolls high above the school. “I had to promise my dad not to tell anyone it was us flying that day,” Goodridge recalls. It’s a memory that still brings a smile to his face. Taking his first flight with his dad was the spark that ignited a lifelong Ben Goodridge passion. “It was the buzz and the open space,” says Goodridge, now 35, in a thick English accent. “Seeing the world by air as a kid, it always seemed so cool. I always felt at home, it seemed like the right place to be.” For Goodridge, a Delta resident, the delight of flight is especially freeing.

“I really want to see the expression on people’s faces.”

EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER

Ultralight pilot Ben Goodridge climbs out of his C42 Ikarus Ultralight at King George Aviation in South Surrey. The paraplegic pilot is planning to start a flying school aimed at helping other students with disabilities.

16-year jail term sought for killer

See PILOT / Page 3

Convenience store clerk shot on Christmas Day by Sheila Reynolds THE SURREY man accused of killing a convenience store worker on Christmas Day in 2011 pleaded guilty to manslaughter Thursday, admitting he shot 27-year-old Alok Gupta with a sawed-off rifle during a robbery in which he stole less than $65. William Andrew Whiteside, 23, a

fair-skinned man with short strawberryblond hair and tattooed arms, was originally charged with second-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge in Surrey Provincial Court. Lawyers are asking for a 16-year jail sentence, minus the 10 months Whiteside has been in custody. See SHOOTER / Page 3 Alok Gupta

Editorial 6 Letters 7 Sports 15 Datebook 18 Classifieds 19

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