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ANTI-TERRORIST UNIT COMES FOR VISIT
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REPORT TIME FOR LOCAL POLITICIANS
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RIVERFEST RETURNS page THIS WEEKEND
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WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER 24 2014 www.newwestnewsleader.com
The election race is starting to heat up as Tej Kainth (pictured) and David Brett throw their hats in the ring. See Page A3
Local man charged in transition house death
MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
Viktoriya Ostankova unpacks boxes for her French immersion classes only minutes before the first students entered Qayqayt elementary school for the first time on Monday.
Qayqayt opens its classroom doors Students get look at new digs on hectic first day
Students eager to see their new Gaiptman. “You’re probably seeing school on Merivale Street off Royal more boxes in classrooms than Avenue and Agnes Street gathered you’ve seen before as teachers are Grant Granger ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com on the gravel, all-weather still putting things away. We playing field—the school gym had a great first day. The tone The first day back at school is is still under construction— was fantastic.” usually hectic. Add it happening Monday morning. Then class Friday, the day after the after a bitter teachers strike is by class they were escorted deal was ratified by the settled and the chaos is multiplied. through to their shiny, teachers, was invaluable for Throw in being surrounded by modern classrooms. getting the school set up, GAIPTMAN a construction zone and the “It’s a cool way to do said Gaiptman. challenges increase exponentially. it because you walk in together “Qayqayt was ready, but individual But when Qayqayt elementary and you get the tour. They got classrooms had to be created so opened its doors to students for to see where the office was, that teachers would know the shape the first time Monday it went well, where the washrooms were,” said of the classroom, where each desk considering the circumstances. district superintendent/CEO John would go, each activity station would WE SPECIALIZE IN SELLING NEW WESTMINSTER HOUSES AND CONDOS
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go,” said Gaiptman. “Qayqayt looked like it should which is a very beautiful, modern school and clearly designed for 21st century learning.” The gym should be ready in two to three weeks, said Gaiptman. Outdoor construction as well as work on the Neighbourhood Learning Centre is still ongoing. “It was certainly an adventure, but I think it went really well,” said Qayqayt district parent advisory chair Serena Trachta. “Every day the amount of work finished changes.”
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A New Westminster man has been charged with second degree murder in connection with the death of a worker at a Nanaimo Street transition house Sept. 16. Steven Rogers, 25, was arrested last Wednesday and made his first court appearance Friday. He is charged in the death of Jason Collett, 38. Police said the two knew each other, but would not release any other details. New Westminster police were called to the home operated by the Last Door Recovery Society in the 1100-block of Nanaimo about 4:30 p.m. last Tuesday where they found Collett deceased. He was an evening support worker at the home and had been working part-time for Last Door since April 2012. During the day he was a crane operator. On its Facebook page, the society said, “Whether Jason was waving at you from a crane tower over Metrotown, pruning a tree, or working through some written exercises with a client, he was kind, courteous, considerate and diligent.” Police said Rogers did not have a criminal record. His next court date is Oct. 8.