Arts: Spinning and weaving in Whonnock. 21
Looking Back: Please, do not feed the pigs. 14
Education: Westview the technology school. 3
Wednesday, November 26, 2014 · mapleridgenews.com · est. 1978 · (office) 604-467-1122 · (de li ve r y) 6 0 4 - 4 6 6 - 6 3 9 7
Christmas Kettle campaign kicks off More volunteers still needed for collecting By Neil Corbett ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
T
Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
he jingle of Christmas bells is a gentle reminder to shoppers that there are people who need their help – especially over the holidays. Gerhard Hirsig has the bells in hand, shaking them gently as he stands behind a Salvation Army Christmas Kettle outside the Save-On Foods on 227th Street. It’s his first volunteer shift of the 2014 holiday season. “It’s just a good thing do to – it makes me feel good,” said Hirsig. He started four years ago, learning about the need for volunteers through the Maple Ridge Community Church, where he attends services.
Gerhard Hirsig is volunteering with the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign for a fourth straight year.
See Kettles, 12
Election strategy goes to online tactics Opponent’s ex partner purchased domains By Phil M elnyc h u k pmelnychuk@mapleridgenews.com
Buying a domain name of one candidate, then using it to redirect viewers to a rival’s website isn’t against the law, according to Elections B.C. “There’s nothing under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act that talks to that,” said spokesman
Doug Main. He hadn’t heard of that tactic being used elsewhere during B.C.’s municipal elections, and there isn’t any reference to election websites in the Local Government Act. In the weeks, before the Nov. 15 vote that saw a major reshuffling of Maple Ridge’s council, with Nicole Read winning as mayor, the former partner of one candidate bought three domain names – or website addresses – that contained names of two other Maple Ridge candidates.
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When viewers clicked on either erniedaykin.com or nicoleformayor.com or nicoleread.ca, they were directed to Corisa Bell’s website. John Peters, Bell’s former partner, purchased them. Former mayor Ernie Daykin doesn’t like the Bell practice, but says it’s part of modern politics. “It didn’t affect the outcome of the election. I have no illusions or BEEF
delusions or whatever on that front. And it is legal, I guess.” Daykin said he may have used the erniedaykin.com name in the 2011 election, but it became available later and Peters bought the domain name in July 2013 for $1.95 for a year. “There’s going to be people out there, they’re smart, Ernie’s dumb. Ernie let that slip or he wasn’t paying attention, all of
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which has some truth to it,” Daykin said. “It’s done. It’s over with. Would it change anything? No. Is it something I would do? No.” Peters is the ex-husband of Bell and supported her re-election to Maple Ridge council for a second term. However, Peters said he did the redirection without Bell’s knowledge. “She didn’t know about this and if I had told her, she would have said no.”
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