N E W
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013
W E S T M I N S T E R
INSIDE: MLA Dawn Black retires after 25 years P3
NEWS,
SPORTS,
OPINION
&
ENTERTAINMENT
www.royalcityrecord.com
◗ HELP WANTED
More than a hot meal
Meals on Wheels is in dire need of funding to continue BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com
Geoffrey (Jim) Marshall enjoys cooking up a healthy meal for dinner each evening – in just three minutes flat. Marshall, 86, is a fan of the Meals on Wheels program that’s offered by the Seniors Services Society in New Westminster. Each weekday, friendly volunteers deliver a tasty meal to his home. “What I like about it is the vegetables are freshly cooked,” he said. “Other people that deliver meals, they are frozen meals.” Marshall’s meal is still warm when volunteers deliver it. While some Meals on Wheels clients dig in right away, Marshall prefers to save his meal for dinner. “I save mine till 5 o’clock,” he said. “I put it in the microwave for three minutes and Bob’s your uncle, as they say.” The Seniors Services Society aims to ensure the program is available for all who need a meal delivered to their home. Individuals with mobility challenges, sight impairments and chronic illness are among the seniors who require a meal delivery service. “This essential program serves 47
Larry Wright/THE RECORD
Soup’s on: Jim Marshall prepares to enjoy a tasty dinner, courtesy of the Meals on Wheels program. The Seniors Services Society is holding a fundraiser March 27 because the program is $12,000 in the red. people, with numbers growing every day; 798 meals were delivered in the month of January by 29 dedicated volunteers who have 462 hours of their time,” said office administrator Helena Quo Vadis Mex in an email to The Record. “But this program is not just about a hot meal, it is also a
social visit for someone who is otherwise isolated or homebound and also acts as a safety check for our most vulnerable population.” The Seniors Services Society is holding its first major fundraising event on Wednesday, March 27 to raise funds for
For a video of Jim, scan this page with
the Meals on Wheels program, which is in dire need of funding. The goal is to raise $10,000. “This valuable program is running at a $12,000 deficit,” Quo Vadis Mex wrote. ◗Meals Page 4
District’s secretary treasurer won’t be returning BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER nhope@royalcityrecord.com
Brian Sommerfeldt will not be returning to run the finances of the New Westminster Board of Education. “The board of education of school district No. 40 (New Westminster) wishes to advise that secretary-treasurer Brian Sommerfeldt is leaving the district to pursue other opportunities,” said a brief statement issued Friday afternoon. “The board
thanks him for his service and wishes him success in his future endeavours.” Board chair Michael Ewen said Sommerfeldt’s departure is effective immediately. Sommerfeldt has been on a medical leave since the beginning of February. Assistant superintendent Al Balaniuk has been serving as acting secretary-treasurer in Sommerfeldt’s absence. “The board will have to talk about that,” Ewen said about a replacement. “Dr. Balaniuk is acting as the acting secretary-
Check Out Our 2013 Calendar online
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
that Sommerfeldt be replaced, but it didn’t vote on the motion. The New Westminster school district has been battling financial woes, tackling a $2.8-million deficit. SommerfeldtjoinedtheNewWestminster school district in March 2009, replacing Doug Wong as secretary-treasurer. Wong was reassigned to assistant secretary-treasurer at that time. Sommerfeldt came to New Westminster from the Langley school district, where he started working in May 2006.
EXPERIENCED DENTIST ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
Dr. David N Burdett ❖ ❖ ❖
604.525.4465 www.vancouverpaddlewheeler.com
treasurer. Right now that is how it will remain.” Ewen would offer no further comment on Sommerfeldt’s departure. He wouldn’t say whether a severance package was negotiated as part of his departure. “We don’t comment on personnel matters,” he said. Shortly before Sommerfeldt went on medical leave, New Westminster’s district parent advisory council raised the issue of voting on a motion to request
General Dentistry Crowns & Bridges Implant Related Procedures
Selling / Buying
Call Ed...serving you for 29 years
Phone 604-521-7633 www.drburdett.com Suite 403, 625 Fifth Avenue NewWestminster, BC
*Please call for an appointment
twitter .com/TheRecord
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK
facebook.com/RoyalCityRecord