Community mourns popular teacher and musician Jeremy Hepner 7
the richmond
Destination museum ‘just a conversation’ 3
REVIEW
richmondreview.com Wednesday, April 10, 2013
‘Friends’ ready for whale of a sale
Dziekanski was victim of a homicide, rules coroner
Volunteer group celebrating 40 years; semi-annual book sale set for next weekend
by Martin van den Hemel Staff Reporter More than five years after he was repeatedly tasered by police at the Vancouver International Airport, the high-profile death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski has been ruled a homicide by the B.C. Coroners Service. In a report completed on March 20, 2013, coroner Patrick Cullinane classified the death as a homicide, caused by cardiac arrhythmia “due to or as a consequence of physical altercation in combination with multiple deployments of a conducted energy weapon.” The 40-year-old died on Oct. 14, 2007, following a 10-plus hour flight from Poland via Frankfurt, Germany, that was supposed to reunite him with his mother who lives in Kamloops. Instead, although his flight touched down at the airport at 3:15 p.m., he didn’t clear immigration until some nine hours and 30 minutes later. See Page 6
A frustrated Robert Dziekanski was tasered by police at Vancouver International Airport.
by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter
B
ehind a plain glass door next to Richmond Public Library’s Cambie branch, a group of volunteers are working by the book.
Hundreds of boxes filled with fiction and non-fiction titles—covering everything under the sun— are stacked in the space where dedicated bookworms busily sort remaining titles. The used books are destined for Thompson Community Centre, which will host the Friends of the Richmond Public Library’s semi-annual book sale next weekend—a sale so big it’s called the Whale of a Sale. “We have over 20,000 great books,” said volunteer Moreah Sinclaire on Wednesday. “We have spent all year sorting and pricing all the books that are donated by the public or that may come out of circulation from the library.” Next week, at least 700 boxes will be loaded into a truck and shipped to the community centre. Titles will then be organized on tables in preparation for the sale April 13 and 14. Book sales are key functions of the Friends, a volunteer group of library advocates and supporters formed 40 years ago. The group hosts two big sales a year—in April and October, each preceded
Matthew Hoekstra photo Alison Cormack and Laria McKee, 30-year volunteers with the Friends of the Richmond Public Library, show off some of the titles available at next weekend’s book sale.
by a mini-sale. Each sales event raises approximately $10,000, which is donated to the library for new books and equipment. “Over the past 40 years we have raised over half a million dollars that has gone back to the library,” said Sinclaire. Fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, Chinese-language books and thousands of children’s books are just some of the available offerings. And with most titles priced at a loonie or toonie, the book sales also make low-cost reading available to everyone. Sinclaire joined the Friends several years ago, unsure about
BOTTLE DEPOT (Next to Liquor Store)
OPEN 7 DAYS
We also do bottle drives
Whale of a Sale •Friends of the Richmond Public Library’s Spring Sale •At Thompson Community Centre, 5151 Granville Ave. on Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. •Proceeds go toward special library projects
the prospect of wading through the loads of book donations and library discards that the group
sorts and prices for its sales. But she soon discovered you can’t judge a book by its cover. “The reason I love it is you get to see all these different books that you wouldn’t ordinarily go into the library for. Books on Tai Chi, improving your health, personal development, Lance Armstrong’s book, books on painting, nutrition, whatever’s of interest,” she said. “You just open this box and here are all these books.” Since volunteers are able to borrow titles they’re interested in, Sinclaire quickly found herself bringing home a half-dozen titles each week. See Page 6
TURN YOUR
No. 2 Rd. & Blundell
604-671-7897
32 PAGEs
WWW.PRICKLYPEAR.CA
12311 NO. 1 ROAD, STEVESTON • 604-241-4717
news@RICHMONDREVIEW.COM
office: 604-247-3700
INSIDE OUT NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO GET YOUR OUTDOOR SPACES ORGANIZED AND PLANNED, AND WHY NOT GET SOME EARLY PLANTING DONE.
SPRING HOURS ARE HERE OPEN 9-9 MON. TO FRI. 9-6 SAT. AND SUN.
DELIVERY: 604-247-3710
CLASSIFIED: 604-575-5555
NEWSROOM: 604-247-3730