Delta Optimist October 4 2013

Page 1

Apology offered

3

Fraser Health sorry for way senior treated at hospital

ElderCollege milestone Organization celebrates a decade in Delta

17

Soggy start

Sun Devils open girls field hockey season

Fire Prevention Week

25

Optimist

Focus put on kitchen fires

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Charges laid in death of Tsaw. man

Sidekick bringing American tragedy to Tsawwassen stage

BY

SCAN WITH TO REVEAL PHOTOS PHOTO BY

GORD GOBLE

The Sidekick Players Club is in rehearsals for The Laramie Project, which opens a three-week run at the Tsaswwassen Arts Centre next Thursday. Here, Lula Reed (centre) rehearses a scene with Jeanne Sommerfield and Todd-Elliot Gates. See story on Page 15.

Effort to quake-proof DSS School district spending $200,000 on study of soil conditions at Ladner high school BY

SANDOR GYARMATI

sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com

The Delta school district wants a better idea of the danger lurking under the feet of students should a major earthquake hit. The Delta school board was recently advanced $200,000 from the province to conduct a detailed geotechnical study of the soil conditions under schools and the possible outcome should the so-called “big one” shake the region, an earthquake so powerful it occurs every few hundred years. The money will come from

$20 million the district will receive for a major seismic upgrade approved for Delta Secondary. Announced earlier this year, the DSS project is part of $584 million committed to seismically upgrade FILE PHOTO 45 “high-risk” schools. Delta Secondary is built on liquefiable sand, Last year the province district facilities manager Frank Geyer told announced $10 million school trustees. for seismic upgrades at Geyer told the school board South Delta Secondary in last week that what makes DSS Tsawwassen, a project that’s now unique is that it’s built on liquefiunderway. able sand. As far as the geotechnical “If you have a good shake... study, facilities manager Frank

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there’s a lot of guesswork as to what could happen... and to take some of that guesswork out the Ministry (of Education) advanced us $200,0000 to do special studies that will then be applied to not just Delta Secondary, but to all the schools considered vulnerable,” he explained. The study will involve engineers from UBC’s civil engineering department as well as a geotechnical consultant and the Association of Professional Engineers. See QUAKE page 3

MATTHEW CLAXTON Optimist contributor

A Surrey man has been charged in the killing of 21-year-old Taylor Johnson, the Tsawwassen man found shot to death in a Langley home earlier this year. Jesse River Hill, 23, was charged Thursday with second degree murder, break and enter with intent, disguise with intent and discharging a firearm with intent. The killing was random and Johnson did not know the suspect, said Sgt. Jennifer Pound, spokesperson for IHIT. “It was a senseless act that tragically took the life of Taylor,” she said. “This has changed everything in our lives,” said Wendy Johnson, Taylor’s step-mother. “It is an open wound that is very raw,” she added.

Rally planned at health unit

Residents concerned about pending service cuts at the South Delta Public Health Unit are planning a rally outside the building Sunday morning. Organizers are calling on all South Delta parents and caregivers who have benefited from the services provided by the health unit to bring their children and join the protest, which is set for 10:30 a.m. at the facility adjacent to municipal hall in Ladner’s civic precinct. According to organizers, the rally is intended to show everyone how the health unit and its nurses have helped to promote a healthy community and deliver preventative health care in South Delta.


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