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TUESDAY January 14, 2014 • www.langleytimes.com NEWS Motorcyclist killed
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ARTS & LIFE
Grove teachers get their groove on
SPORTS Cohee teams up with NBA star
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Pro lacrosse returns
GA RY A HUJ ALangley Time s
Vancouver Stealth’s Jeff Moleski rifles a shot over the shoulder of Minnesota Swarm goaltender Tyler Carson during Saturday’s first period of the National Lacrosse League game at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday night. The goal put Vancouver up 3-1 as they went on win by an 8-5 score. See page 19 for more.
Professional lacrosse returned to the Lower Mainland for the first time in 10 years as the Vancouver Stealth launched the home portion of their National Lacrosse League schedule on Saturday night. The Stealth hosted the Minnesota Swarm at the Langley Events Centre, which is the new home base for the Stealth after relocating this past summer from Everett, Wash. And it was a winning debut for the Stealth, as they knocked off the Swarm 8-5 to even their record at 1-1 in the NLL. The Swarm dropped to 0-2 on the season. See page 19 for more.
Township taxpayers likely to pay more TOWNSHIP TAXPAYERS FACE $40 TAX HIKE, AND $43 USER FEE BOOST DA N FERGU SO N Tim e s Re po r t e r
Township of Langley residents will have to ante up another $83 a year in combined tax and user fee increases, if council approves the proposed hikes staff are recommending. That would bring the average homeowner’s annual bill to $2,614. A Monday report to council by deputy director of finance Karen Sinclair calls for increases of three to six per cent for general services, garbage collection, sewer and water. The report shows declining interest in actually attending Township open houses
on the budget, with 36 people showing up at the Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 events, down from 67 for the 2013 budget and the record of 96 set for the 2012 budget. The drop may be due in part because many people, almost 200, opted to fill out written comments using provided forms or the online budget feedback page on the Township website. Responses to specific questions showed three-quarters of those who filled out the forms backed hiring more firefighters. Comments on the submitted forms said the Township shouldn’t wait to hire more firefighters. “Funding the fire department is para-
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Funding the fire department is paramount to citizen safety and should be given highest priority. UNIDENTIFIED RESPONDENT
mount to citizen safety and should be given highest priority,” one unidentified respondent wrote. “[Eight] suppression firefighters should
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be added,” another said. In December, fire chief Stephen Gamble told council the Township doesn’t have enough firefighters to fully meet industry standards, but that it was not a safety hazard. The chief said about 20 per cent of the time, Langley fire trucks are operating with three- instead of four-person crews, which is below industry standards but does not mean increased risk to the firefighters. Gamble said it can mean a longer wait before firefighters can enter a burning building because a three-man crew is too small to meet a “two in, two out” safety rule that forbids them from going in alone. About a third of those who filled out the forms supported a signalled crosswalk at 216 Street and 88B Avenue, which was proContinued Page 7
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