From the Page to the Screen PAGE 17
TUESDAY March 25, 2014 • www.langleytimes.com
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NEWS Coming to the Rescue
ARTS & LIFE Langley Has Talent Returns
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SPORTS Bantam Eagles Soar
248 Street overpass re-opens F R A NK B UCHOLTZ Time s Re po rte r
ALY S S A O’DELL L an gley Tim es
Langley Township Mayor Jack Froese, left, and Minister of Natural Gas Development and Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich Coleman lead a procession of local dignitaries and tractors from surrounding farms across the newly re-opened 248 Street Highway 1 overpass Saturday (March 22).
After an eight-month interval, farmers, residents and tourists can cross Highway 1 on a 248 Street overpass again. The former overpass, built when the highway was constructed in the early 1960s, was torn down as part of the widening of Highway 1 to three lanes from 232 to 264 Streets. While the widening project has been complete since October, final touches on a new overpass were just completed in recent weeks. An official opening ceremony took place Saturday morning, with Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich Coleman, Langley MLA
Mary Polak and Langley Township Mayor Jack Froese all taking part. One of the happiest people at the event was farmer Alf Krause, who has fields on both sides of the freeway. Instead of detouring with his tractors to 264 Street and along the edge of the Gloucester industrial area, he now has a short hop across the new widened overpass. He was the first to cross it after the ceremony with his Kubota tractor. He told The Times that the construction and closure of 248 Street as a through street affected his business, which is one of Langley’s agri-tourism draws, and includes a new winery. Continued Page 4
No jail time for former Langley teacher DEBORAH RALPH GIVEN TWO-YEAR CONDITIONAL SENTENCE FOR SEXUAL INTERFERENCE MO N I Q U E TA M M I N G A Ti me s Re po r t e r
ordered that Ralph stay inside her residence for the first 18 months, at which time a curfew will apply for the remainder of the sentence. Ralph must perform 200 hours of community service, have no contact with the victim or any child under the age of 14, excluding her grandchildren. She will be on the Sex Offender Registry for 20 years. Ralph sexually assaulted her former stu-
Former Langley teacher Deborah Ralph was given a two-year conditional sentence for sexual interference with an 11-yearold boy. Ralph, 59, who taught at James Kennedy Elementary, was sentenced on Thursday in New Westminster Supreme Court. Her victim wasn’t present in the courtroom. Supreme Court Justice Selwyn Romilly
dent between December 1998 and June 2001, while the boy was between the ages of 11 to 13. The assaults included kissing and fondling, and she performed oral sex on him. The victim contacted Langley RCMP in 2011 to report the abuse. Ralph taught him in Grade 5 at James Kennedy Elementary School. However, the sexual interference didn’t occur until she was no longer his teacher.
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Ralph had opted for a jury trial before pleading guilty to sexual assault last month. Crown counsel David Simpkin had asked for three years in jail and the defense wanted an 18- to 24-month conditional sentence. Outside the courtroom, Simpkin said he is pleased with the judge’s decision.
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