Thursday June 21, 2012 (Vol. 37 No. 50)
V O I C E
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W H I T E
R O C K
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S O U T H
S U R R E Y
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Gearing up for China: Inspired by his father – and by a desire to help give children the chance to play sports – South Surrey native Paul Hayes is embarking on a 4,200-km cycling trip through China. see page A33
Homophobia battle
Gay teens lobby board Sheila Reynolds Black Press
Boaz Joseph photo
Coffee klatch
Longtime Crescent Moon Coffee House participants Harriet Quint (bass), Dennis Peterson (guitar and vocals) and Randy Schultz (lead guitar) entertain at the coffee house’s regular venue, Kwomais Point Park, during last Saturday’s South Surrey Festival. They and other musicians have gathered at the coffee house every Thursday for more than 30 years.
For Anthony Hope, it’s a nobrainer: the Surrey School District needs to follow in the footsteps of other B.C. districts and develop an anti-homophobia policy. As an openly gay student, the 15-year-old has faced harassment and ridicule firsthand. But when his friend committed suicide last fall, Hope decided to take action. “The biggest thing about it is not specifically the bullying, but it’s the seclusion and the feeling that you’re worthless, you’re alone, that you’re invalidated, de-liberated – a feeling of you’re the only one in the world and that nobody cares about you,” Hope says. see page A4
Communication breakdown and illness blamed for lack of quorum at White Rock city hall
Hearings cancelled due to council no-shows Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
For the first time in recent history, two public hearings and a land-use committee meeting scheduled for Monday night at White Rock city hall were cancelled – 15 minutes past their scheduled start time – due to lack of quorum. As a result of illness and other absence, only three of seven council members – Couns. Helen Fathers, Larry Robinson and Al Campbell – made it to the 7 p.m. hearings and meeting. To proceed, at least four members had to be there. “We apologize for any sort of inconvenience we’ve caused any of you,” city clerk Tracey Arthur said, addressing the crowd of approximately three dozen who had turned out to hear and be heard.
Attendees included residents concerned about flooding issues associated with a Roper Avenue property that is the proposed site of a seven-unit strata townhouse project, and developers associated with the proposal. “This is just an unfortunate circumstance, due to illness, that council is sincerely sorry for,” Arthur said, noting new meeting dates would be announced both on the city’s website (www.whiterockcity.ca) and in newspaper advertising. Coun. Mary-Wade Anderson is in hospital; Coun. Grant Meyer was sick; and Mayor Wayne Baldwin was “in transit” from a family vacation in Osoyoos. Attempts by the city to reach Coun. Louise Hutchinson were unsuccessful Monday evening, but she later told Peace Arch News that a problem with the city’s email meant none
Tracy Holmes photo
Coun. Larry Robinson talks to attendees. of the councillors were contacted. Baldwin said Tuesday that he’d advised staff last Thursday that he wouldn’t be back in time for the meetings – including an incamera session that was cancelled for that very reason – but didn’t expect his absence
to be an issue. “I would have assumed we would have sufficient for quorum, but we didn’t. That’s unfortunate,” Baldwin said. While the public hearing delay isn’t problematic for the city, it is for the developer, the mayor said, “in the sense that time is money.” “We have to respect that, and we didn’t show the proper respect on that particular day, and that won’t happen again.” Robinson said Wednesday it was “a bad situation” and that he fielded complaints from some of the professionals present. The public hearings have been rescheduled for July 9. The land-use meeting will take place at 6 p.m. June 25, prior to the regular council meeting. see page A4
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