Thebluetarptentinfrontof theExtraFoodsonDewdney TrunkRoadhasbecomeafa-miliar sight for residents of downtown Maple Ridge.For the past two years, close to 40 em-ployees of the grocery store have kept a constant vigil there, enduring snow, wind, rain, angry taunts, and near-con-stantboredom.InDecember2008,75 employeesatthestorewentonstrike afterrejectingacontractofferfrom Loblaw Companies Limited, the parent company of Extra Foods. The contract would have rolled back wages to $9.40 perhouraspartofaplantoconvert the store to a discount outlet called No Frills.Noonethoughtitwouldbethis long,saysformercashiersupervi-sor Lori Storey of the strike, warming herself in front of a propane heater. If someone had told me, I wouldnt have believed them.Aftertwoyears,thepicketlinein front of the Extra Foods store has since becomethefrontlineforwhatunion ofcialsarecharacterizingasawar against the working class.TheNoFrillscontractamountstoa 45 per cent reduction in wages in some cases,accordingtoAndyNeufeld, spokesperson for the United Food and Commercial Workers local 1518. What to do with the Albion flats. p3B.C. ViewsIts politics, not cancer research. p6Rally planned for second anniversary at Extra Foods THE NEWSTwo years later, and still on strikeColleen Flanagan/THE NEWSTwo to tango(From left) Grade 1 students Layla Ba Obaid, Abryana Pagtakhan, Charlotte Williams and Isabella Skjerpen perform the Christmas Tree Tango during the Davie Jones Elementary Christmas Concert dress rehearsal Tuesday afternoon. Suspicious fire destroys Albion houseResidents of the Tamarack subdivi-sioninMapleRidgeareexpressing reliefafteranotoriousabandoned house was set on re Friday night.Ridge Meadows RCMP and the Ma-pleRidgeFireDepartmentareboth investigatingthere,whichstarted around 7:30 p.m. in the 23600-block of 105th Avenue, across from Planet Ice. Bothagenciesbelievethere, whichcausedextensivedamageto the house, was deliberately set.Therewassetinsidethebuild-ing, said Maple Ridge Fire Chief Dane Spence. But we have no idea why.Residents in the area say the prop-erty has long been a magnet for illegal activity.Iwasmoreconcernedaboutthe treesburningthanIwasaboutthe house, said one resident, who asked not to be identied. See Fire, p5See Strike, p8Opinion 6Tom Fletcher 6Letters 7Arts&life 23Community Calendar 28Sports 29Classifeds 32IndexWednesday, December 15, 2010 Serving Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows est. 1978 604-467-1122 50 www.mapleridgenews.comArts&lifeCome All Ye Faithful to sing-along.p23Abandoned property had troubled past with police(From left) Lori Storey, Celine Derrick, and Laura Nicolai picket at Extra Foods. Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWSbyRober t Mangel s dor fstaffrepor terbyRober t Mangel s dor fstaffrepor terAC TREE CAREBob Fitz-JamesA Very Merry ChristmasTo All!2 Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.comChristmasWe have everything you need to create the Magic of Christmas. DestinationVisit our website www.tripletreenurseryland.comTRIPLE TREELougheed Hwy.203rd St.207th St.NPitt River20503 Lougheed Hwy. Maple RidgeOpen 9am - 9pm EverydayChristmas hours: Dec. 24th 9am - 4pmDec. 25th & 26th ClosedDec. 27th-31st: 9am - 5:30pmCall 604-465-9313or604-465-601535%offSANTASCOUPONAny regular priced itemin stock.Valid Monday, Dec 20th 20109 AM - 9 PM.One coupon per family.GREAT GIFT IDEA: WIND CHIMES$20 - $300UNIQUE ORNAMENTS$1.99 - $24.99ELEVATED PLANTERS FOR EASY PATIO PLANTING! NO TOOLS REQUIRED! CONSTRUCTS IN MINUTES BY HAND!$210 - $399.99WORD ART HAND MADE LOCALLY$45 - $110OURANNUALCHRISTMASCOUNT-DOWNSave on all Christmas Ornaments and decor! Includes articial trees, wreaths, greens and more!DECEMBER 22ND 20% OFFDECEMBER 23RD 30% OFFDECEMBER 24TH 40% OFFDECEMBER 27TH-31ST50% OFFAs always, we have a huge selection of Poinsettias!ALL COLOURS! ALL SIZES! ALL GORGEOUS!SALE STARTSDEC. 16TH @ 9AMADD COLOUR TOYOUR CHRISTMAS NEW PRODUCTGreenhouses!Manufactured in England Give the gardener on your list a year-round hobby2 on display! Come and check them out! www.mapleridgenews.com - THE NEWS - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 3If the Albion ats turns into a trendy shop-ping village, will it still have big box stores?While she likes the concept of a shopping village,theexecutive-directoroftheDown-townMapleRidgeBusinessImprovement Associationisntasenthusiasticaboutbig boxstoresalongLougheedHighway,and says that how everything ts into the Albion area plan will be up to the district to decide.Ineke Boekhorst was at last weeks follow-upmeetingtotheAlbionatsbrainstorm-ingsessionsthattookplaceinOctoberto hammer out a plan for the area on Lougheed Highway and 105th Avenue.Its possible for both the downtown and an Albionmalltothrive,saysBoekhorst,who points out the BIA hasnt taken a formal po-sition on what should happen there.Ithinkitsoundsallverypositive,she said Tuesday.Thevillagelifestylethattheyretalking aboutsoundsgreat.Idontreallythinkits goingtohurtthedowntown.Itwillrather keep people in Maple Ridge shopping.Downtown,though,ishealthy,sheadds. Itsattractingnichestores,whichiswhat BIA has been trying to do.Boekhorstsaidmoreretailisneededas MapleRidgespopulationgrowsandshe doesnt perceive a lot of opposition to devel-oping the Albion ats. We know we need more retail. Our popu-lation is growing so fast and so strong.She acknowledges a shopping village could still have big box stores.If they want to go to Walmart, she said of residents, theyre going to Walmart.Buttheresstillnooverallplanofwhat goeswhereintheAlbionats,shepoints out, plus there are environmental and agri-cultural limits, so it will be up the District of MapleRidgetodeterminehowtotinev-erything.Most of the ats lie within the Agricultural LandReserve,andtheareaislacedwith streamswhichrequiresetbacksof15or30 metres, resulting in only 180 acres of devel-opableland,accordingtooneoftheback-groundreportswrittenbyG.P.Rolloand Associates for the planning process.Last weeks meeting had consultant Mark Hollandreviewwhatcameoutofthetwo-daybrainstormingsessioninOctober,in particular Concepts A and B, which included shopping and recreation on the east side of 105thAvenue,rulingoutanydevelopment on the west side of that road.Butlastweek,anoptionproposedby SmartCentrescalledforintensivedevelop-ment of the west side of 105th Avenue, with villageshopping,residentialandindustrial useproposedofthelandwhereSmartCen-tresownsmostofits30acresinthearea. ButitslesslikelytheAgriculturalLand Commission will allow land on the west side of105thtoberemovedbecauseofitshigh quality soil, while the ALC considers east of 105th Avenue more difcult to farm because its already used for other purposes.ThatnowwillbeconsideredbyHolland andhisteamashewriteshisreportfor council.Retail consultant Paul Rollo told the Tues-daymeetingofcouncilthatthereisstrong demand for all uses of land in the area.Hesaidby2015,MapleRidgesgrowing population could support another 120,000 to 265,000 sq. feet of commercial space.However, one of the things you want to do is protect the downtown and not impede its growth with development outside the down-town that doesnt t properly.In his background report in September for theAlbionplan,Rollolooksatthreeshop-ping scenarios facing Maple Ridge.If Kwantlen First Nations opens its 300,000 sq. ftshoppingcentreonLougheedHighwayat 250th Street then only 190,000 sq. ft of shop-ping would be needed in Albion ats by 2015.And if another 400,000 sq. ft shopping cen-treopensinPittMeadows,(SmartCentres recently led a development application for its property on Lougheed, just west of 200th Street) then only 112,000 sq. ft of new shop-ping would be needed in Albion ats. If that scenarioisprojectedoutanother10years, then only 240,000 sq. ft would be needed.If neither Pitt Meadows nor Kwantlen proj-ect proceeds, Albion would need 303,000 sq. ft. of shopping space.All of the existing concepts proposed so far exceed that gure.ConceptA,whichevolvedfromtheOcto-berbrainstormingsession,callsfor600,000 sq. ft. of commercial/mixed use.ConceptB,callsfor450,000sq.ft.ofcom-mercial/mixed use.SmartCentresproposalforthewestside of 105th Avenue only calls for 390,000 sq. ft of village commercial.IfAlbiondevelopsintoapedestrian-ori-entedmall,itcouldalsodraindevelopers dollarsfromthedowntown.Allowingresi-dential in Albion could also stall downtown development, the report says.For Christian Cowley, with the Community EducationonEnvironmentandDevelop-ment Centre, Albion isnt the place for new shopping. OthernewcommercialcentresinMaple Ridgearealreadyidentiedintheofcial community plan. Theyre already there. We do have profes-sional planners, said Cowley. For instance, Dewdney Trunk Road makes more sense for most Maple Ridge residents, he added.Work cut out determining flats futureThe message from the B.C. For-estServiceisanobviousone each year, the number of high-rehazarddaysinLowerMain-land is increasing.So Maple Ridge Fire Chief Peter Grootendorstagrees,itsjusta matter of time before a forest re starts here and if one ever gets going, it could turn into a raging monster.Thatsbasicallywhattheyre saying, he says of the forest ser-vices predictions.Compared to the sparsely treed slopes in Kelowna, the dense for-est on the coast could be tougher to ght, and Maple Ridge, with its extensive suburbs that bump into the forest, is one of those most at risk from an interface re.Areasparticularlyvulner-ablestretchfromSilverValley toWhonnock,particularlyon south-facingslopesthatdryout and heat up quickly.Thornhillisanotherhigh-risk area.To try to minimize that, the re departmentisworkingonaby-lawtoreducetheriskofhomes burning.Oncethepublicand buildersgivetheirinput,thede-partment will present it to coun-cil in the new year.Itlikelywillrequirethatplans fornewsubdivisionsinhigh-hazardareasbereviewedbya professionalforester,whowill thenrecommendarepreven-tion plan.Similarmeasuresarerequired forhomesbuiltinoodplains orthosewithunstableslopesor soils, Grootendorst pointed out.Thebylawcouldrequirecut-tingofcertaintreesinanew subdivisiontominimizethere hazard,useofnon-combustible roong or building materials and minimumdistances,suchas10 metresfromthenearestconifer or 30 metres from the edge of the forest.Grootendorst said small chang-escanmakeabigdifferencein helpingahomewithstandafor-estre.Puttingscreensaround theperimetersofsundeckscan preventsparksblowinginbe-neath and catching re.SmartCentresSmartCentres owns most of the land along Lougheed Highway, where it proposes building village commercial.Bylaw in works to limit forest fire threat in sprawling burbsNew malls planned for Pitt Mead-ows and Kwantlen lands already chipping away at market sharebyPhi l Mel nyc hukstaffrepor terColleen Flanagan/THE NEWS(From left) Firefighters Damon Hansen, Rob Macdonald and Roy Snow, with a Polaris Ranger Crew that they use to fight small forest fires. See Fire, p4byPhi l Mel nyc hukstaffrepor terSee Albion, p422355 River Road, Maple Ridge B.C. 604-467-6002Receive a $5 Billy Miner Bucks Gift Certicate for every 5 cans of donated food or a toy for the Friends In Need Food Bank.The Holiday Train arrives Friday, December 17th at the Port Haney Station at approx. 7:45 pm4 Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.comTrafcwillalsobea concern.Cowleysaysa shopping mall in the Al-bionatswouldrequire apopulationof200,000 tosupportit,meaning halfofthoseshoppers willarrivefromoutside MapleRidge,resulting inmotoristslookingfor shortcutsthroughnear-by residential areas.Wellbecomewhat Coquitlam Centre is, he said.HefavoursConceptB, whichcameoutofthe Octobermeetingand calls for intensifying use ofexistingdeveloped areas,about450,000sq. ft.ofcommercial/mixed use,whileleavingthe westsideof105thAv-enuewheremostof SmartCentresslandis located, untouched.While the area west of 105th Avenue has drain-ageproblems,making itdifculttofarm,you can let any farmland de-teriorateifyoudontdo anything.Just as soil can be sta-bilized for by preloading forbuildings,thesame can happen for farming. Stormwaterfromsubdi-visionsabovehascreat-edthedampsoilcondi-tions in the Albion ats, sothedistrictshould remedy that, he adds.Theseissuestran-scendthecurrentown-ership.ItsintheALR. It really doesnt matter if its used.The ALR is not a land bank. It is a land reserve forthefuture.Youhave to plan out 500 years, not 20.Thatlandwillbecome morevaluableforlocal foodproductionsoag-ricultureandenviron-mentalagenciesshould coordinatetheirman-agement of the area. He pointedoutthatfarm plotsareoperatedwith-in some European cities.Cowley,whorepre-sentedCEEDasoneof theinterestgroupsdur-ing the October meeting, saidthetwoconcepts thatexcludedanyde-velopment west of 105th Avenueincludedsome-thing for everybody. Asoilpricesclimb,so toowillfoodprices,he predicts. What are we going to dowhenwedonthave oilthatsaffordable and its not far off.What if oil isnt affordable?Albion from p3Most new construction alreadyusesnon-com-bustible building materi-als, he pointed out. Most roofs,suchasDuroid shingles,metalortiles meetrecombustion codes,asdotreatedce-dar shakes. The bylaw derives from severalrecommenda-tionsmadeintheCom-munityWildreProtec-tionPlanwrittenin2006 intheaftermathofthe 2003 re storms that dev-astated Kelowna.Twoothermajorrec-ommendationsincluded upgradingequipment andpubliceducation aboutwildres,bothof whichareunderwayin Maple Ridge.Two years ago, the re departmentboughta six-personPolarisATV tocarryreghters into the forest to ght a blaze before it gets too big.The whole goal idea is you get there quickly.Theres also a portable sprinklersystemthat reghterscansetup on rooftops in areas that are endangered by ying embers. Fire from p3Bylaw derived from protection planHOLIDAY COUNTDOWNSALE ONNOW!Coquitlam CentreNE123G510 2010. Sears Canada Inc.578 460 503 5760503**Before taxes. In store only. $10 will be deducted from your purchase price. Offer valid until Dec. 19, 2010. 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LASOND AD CELRUNLUL A*$www.mapleridgenews.com - THE NEWS - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 5Letthathouseburn for all I care.To tell you the truth, I feel safer now that its gone.Policeconrmedthe househaslongbeena nuisance in the area.Thispropertyhas beenthesubjectofa number of police inves-tigationsoverthepast year, or so, said Ridge MeadowsRCMPStaff Sgt.AndrewMartin. At the time of the re, thehousewasempty, and no one was seen in, or around, the property, so no one was injured.Spencesaidpass-ersbywerecheering the houses destruction astheredepartment fought the re.Wehadpeoplesay-ing to us, Let it go, let it burn, said Spence.Whatsleftofthe househasbeenboard-ed up by the re depart-ment,andasecurity guard was placed at the propertyovernightto ensure no further dam-age.Thehouseisowned inpartbyanumbered sub-companyofprop-ertydeveloperDecker Management Limited.ErnieBeaudinis DeckerManagements directorofB.C.opera-tions, and says the resi-dents of the house were evictedattheendof November to make way forthehousesdemoli-tion.However, residents in theareahavereported seeingpeopleatthe houserepeatedlyover the past few weeks.Bylaw,vacantbuild-ingsmustbesecured againstunauthorized entry.Vacant buildings are a real safety concern for theredepartment, saidSpence.Theres hazardousconditions, andthepossibilityof people inside.In2008,vepeople werelivingillegallyin an abandoned property onRiverRoad,across fromtheHaneyWharf andbesidetheBilly MinerPub,whenare rippedthroughthe house,destroyingthe building.Oneguygotcutup prettybadjumpingout a window, said Spence. Thesearedangerous places.If the house continues toattractillegalactiv-ity, the re department canhavetheproperty declaredahazardto thecommunity,and demolished. The owner would be billed.Thereisaprocess forthat,saidSpence. But our rst step is to work with the owner.Beaudin is waiting on thecitytoissueade-molitionpermitsothe remainsofthehouse can be razed.There are no immedi-ate plans to develop the eight-hectareparcel thehousesitson,he said,asitiscurrently partofAgricultural Land Reserve.Wemightbuilda farmonit,saidBeau-din,suggestinggreen-houses or a pig farm as possible options.We cant do anything until the [municipality] decideswhatitwants to do with that area.Passersby cheered on destructionColleen Flanagan/THE NEWSPossible options for the property include greenhouses or a pig farm.Fire from frontCelebrating 80 Years ofServing the CommunityOTTER CO-OP AT PITT MEADOWS OTTERC OTTERCMon - Fri9:00-5:30 Sat9:00-5:00 Sun10 - 4www.otter-coop.ca12343 Harris Rd., Pitt Meadows 604-465-5651 604-465-8755Visit your Hometown Feed Store Today!Lets Do Lunch!11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6A9Tel: 604-463-5221 Fax: 604-467-7329www.mapleridge.caThe District of Maple Ridge gives notice that it is seeking public opiniononthefollowingLiquorPrimaryLicenceapplication: Proposed Increase in Occupant LoadApplicant: Golden Ears Winter ClubProposed Site: 23580 105 Avenue, Maple RidgeProposed Establishment Name: Golden Ears Winter ClubTotal Person Capacity/Occupant Load Request:Current: 210 PersonsProposed Additional: 200 PersonsTotal Combined: 410 PersonsPersonswhoconsiderthemselvesaffectedbythisapplication arerequestedtomakewrittensubmissionsintheformofa letteraddressedtotheCounciloftheDistrictofMapleRidge, 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 6A9.Written submissions will be accepted from December 10, 2010 to January 10, 2011.For further information or clarication on the proposed Licence ApplicationpleasecontacttheLicences,PermitsandBylaws Departmentat604-467-7370,from8:00a.m.to4:00p.m., weekends and Statutory Holidays excepted.Public Notice: LiquorPrimary License Application www.westgate-wel l ness.comSpinal Decompression is not for everyone.Call today for a FREE consultation.To see if you qualify, call the Westgate Wellness Centre at 604-465-4263Call to join us 604-465-4263#200 - 20395 Lougheed Hwy.,Maple RidgeIf you said yes to any of the above, and have tried manual therapies without success you could be a candidate for Spinal Decompression Therapy. What the Doctor Wont Tell YouAbout Your Symptoms Thurs., Dec. 16 7-8:30PMThe truth about Cholesterol, Diabetes,Heart Disease, Arthritis, Anxiety, Depression, Blood Pressure & moreCost: $15/coupleBack Pain? Neck Pain?Sciatica?Arm Pain? www.westgatewellness.com Spinaldecompressionbc.comMAHONSCHRISTMAS TREES25908 - 124th Avenue,Maple Ridge604-462-9918OPEN 9 AM - 4 PM100s To Choose From!U - CutNoble, Fraser, Grand & Douglas CAMEO STAMPCOI N&HOB BY(SERVING MAPLE RIDGE & PITT MEADOWS SINCE 1981)OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEKMONDAY TO FRIDAY 10 TO 6. SATURDAY 10 TO 522756 Lougheed Hwy., Maple Ridge604.463.6113Great Selection Great Prices Collector Coins StampsPlastic Model Kits Diecast Models Slot Cars Rockets HO & N Trains MoviesSupplies & AccessoriesWE BUY COINS, GOLD& SILVER6 Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.comTHE NEWS/opinionVICTORIA Christy Clark is the second woman to enter the B.C. Liberal leadership contest. I mention this in case you forgot about Moira Stilwell, the Vancouver radi-ologist who led the way into the post-Gordon Campbell era in late Novem-ber.Stilwell did her own diagnosis on the harmonized sales tax and concurred with main-stream economic theory. Its efficient and it promotes personal savings, as well as business investment.In medicine, if you believe the pa-tient has the right prescription to im-prove her health, you dont then look for ways to discontinue that medica-tion as quickly as possible. But thats the situation we have with our less scientific candidates.Clark didnt always understand the HST, but she consistently supported it on her radio show before her splashy re-entry into politics last week. So the lone outsider becomes the fifth candidate to replace Campbell, after endorsing the tax that led to his sudden retirement.So apparently, the five are unani-mous that the HST is a great idea, and all but Stilwell want to get rid of it as quickly as possible.One after another, the cabinet vet-erans sought to distance themselves. First George Abbott agreed with Stilwell that the new premier should move up the date of a province-wide referendum from September to June. Prognosis of patient not good, Abbott intoned.Then Kevin Falcon scrubbed in. Get the vote done as soon as possible, and maybe the HST can be revived if we slice a point or two off.Mike de Jongs outlook was, well, grave. Cutting the rate would be like putting lipstick on the scars. This patient is terminal, so lets pull the plug as inexpensively as possible. An election-style vote would cost $30 mil-lion, but a mail-in ballot could be done for less than half of that.By the time Clark arrived, the HST was a palliative care situation. Her only option for a fresh perspective was to move toward assisted suicide. OK, lets scrap the referendum, she said. Its doomed anyway. Lets go back to the legislature and have a genuine free vote, where B.C. Liberal MLAs can reverse their earlier votes and throw it out.There are so many things wrong with this idea that its hard to know where to start.Mistake, said Abbott. A real blunder, said Falcon. De Jong said if he had to vote on the HST again, hed support it like he did the first time.(NDP finance critic Bruce Ralston also believes scrapping the referen-dum now would be dumb, and its not often youll find him agreeing with Falcon.)Clarks genuine free vote would have to take place before she even has a seat in the legislature. It would divide the B.C. Liberal caucus again, unless her idea of a genuine free vote is everyone doing what she tells them to do.This plan would be a disaster. It shows that while Clark spent the last four years getting in touch with fami-lies on her radio show, she lost touch with political reality.Which brings us back to Stilwell. When I reached her on the campaign trail, she reaffirmed her support, and vowed again to campaign for the HST.Stilwell said people have earned the right to have a direct say, and she is perplexed that Clark would suggest taking that away. Stilwell remains hopeful that other benefits of the HST can still be discussed, giving it a chance for public support.In short, she remains logical and consistent in her approach. Its no wonder she is given no chance to win.Tom Fletcher is legislative reporter and columnist for Black Press and BCLocalnews.com(tetcher@blackpress.ca).Its politics, not cancer researchSeason of givingIngrid Rice News ViewsPublished and printed by Black Press at 22328 119th Avenue, Maple Ridge, B.C., V2X 2Z3@ Online poll: cast your vote at www.mapleridgenews.com, or e-mail your vote and comments to editor@mapleridgenews.comThis weeks question: Do you support a commercial development in the Albion flats?B.C. Views Tom FletcherItsestimatedtheaverageCanadianwillspend more than $1,100 this Christmas season buying gifts, entertaining,travelingtobewithfamilyorfriends for the holidays. In total, well spend more than $28 billion in retail stores in the month of December.But the greatest gift of all wont drain your wallet or stress the limit on your credit card.Its you.According to Volunteer Canada, 12.5 million Cana-dians give some of their free time to help out in their communities. Theyre coaches, mentors, advocates, activists, reghters. They staff the ofces of com-munity organizations, serve on their boards of direc-tors, raise money to keep those organizations going. They put on or help out at community events. They help care for and comfort people in need, or who just require a friend or sympathetic ear. They cut grass, shovelsnow,cleanravinesandshorelines.They walk dogs, shelter cats, tend homeless snakes, raise sh so creeks and streams may teem with life. They construct, create and calculate.Volunteerstoucheveryaspectofourdailylives. Theyre the threads that weave together the fabric of our society. Theyre the foundation for our quality of life. Volunteers are seless, but the reward they get from giving their time and abilities are totally self-ishthe warm feeling when a shut-in senior thanks themfordroppingofflunch,thedampcheekfrom a dog happy to be liberated for a half hour from the shelter, the pride of a job well done when the keys to a new home are handed to a family that otherwise could have never afforded a place of their own, the high-ve from a kid whos nally mastered a corner kick.The gift of volunteering needs no batteries. It wont harm the environment. And it doesnt cost any mon-ey.Itcanbealargegiftofmanyhoursaweek,or a small one. All it takes is desire and commitment. And the spirit of giving. Not only in the Christmas season, but all year around.Black PressJim Coulter, publisherpublisher@mapleridgenews.comMichael Hall, editoreditor@mapleridgenews.comCarly Ferguson, advertising, creative services manageradmanager@mapleridgenews.comKathy Blore, circulation managercirculation@mapleridgenews.comEditorialReporters: Phil Melnychuk, Monisha Martins,Robert MangelsdorfPhotographer: Colleen FlanaganAdvertisingSales representatives: Karen Derosia, Glenda Dressler, Rina Varley, Michelle BaniulisAd control: Mel OnodiCreative services: Kristine Pierlot, Annette WaterBeek, Chris Hussey, Brian HoltClassifed: Vicki Milne22328 119th Avenue, Maple Ridge, B.C., V2X 2Z3Ofce: 604-467-1122Fax: 604-463-4741Delivery: 604-466-6397Website: www.mapleridgenews.comEmail: newsroom@mapleridgenews.comThe News is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatorybodygoverningtheprovince'snewspaper industry. Thecoun-cil considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council.Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 SelbySt., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org.CCAB audited circulation: (as of September 2009): Wednesday - 30,221; Friday 30,197. Ser vi ngMapl eRi dge&Pi ttMeadowssi nce1978THE NEWSSo apparently, the five are unanimous that the HST is a great idea, and all but Stilwell want to get rid of it as quickly as possible.www.mapleridgenews.com - THE NEWS - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 7LetterstotheeditorshouldbeexclusivetoTheNews andaddresstopicsofinteresttoresidentsofMaple RidgeandPittMeadows.Includefullnameandaddress, aswellasdaytimephonenumberforverification.Keep lettersto500wordsorless.Lettersmaybeeditedfor length and clarity.@ E-mail letters to editor@mapleridgenews.com.Letters welcomeEDITOR, THE NEWS:Re:Kidsdontcarewherecharity comes from (Letters, Dec. 8).Kids do care where gifts come from. I know this because my children cared. Theyalsosaidnotopopularclothing andshoesproducedbyoppressedpeo-ple for starvation wages. My children did not, as the letter said they would, happily and thankfully take those gifts, for the very reason that they know what its like to be poor and disad-vantaged themselves. Theyareadultsnowandremem-berverywellwhywemadethechoice wedid,andarestillcondentthatour choice was the right one. Foryourinformation,wedonotsup-portlegislatedpovertyandletourgov-ernmentknowthisateveryopportu-nity.ThisfamilystoppedtakingtheMaple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Societyhamperafteraheartfeltfam-ilydiscussionwhenwerealizedsucha largepartofthedonationswerecom-ingfromwomenneedingtoshedtheir clothes for the cause, as the newspapers have put it so prominently. Ifanybodyqualiedforthehampers over all those years, we did. Wehaveneverjudgedthemforwhat theydo.Nordowediminishtheircon-tributionsorthereasonsbehindthem. Everyone is and always has been free to contribute anonymously. We didnt stop signing up for the ham-pers because we dislike strippers. Quite the contrary, we stopped signing up for the hampers because our circumstances of poverty were no greater or more im-portantordeservingthanthosethat broughtthesewomentotheirprofes-sion. Andourconsciencewouldnotallow us to add to their burden in any way. Be-yond this, I didnt want anyone to think theyneededtodosomethingformy family that I wasnt willing to do myself.Itistruethatstrippingisalegalpro-fession,oneinwhichsomearehighly paid. However, I dont know any who are truly well-off for it.Thesadthingisthatforanumber ofmeninthiscommunity,inorder forthemtomakeanykindofastand againstpoverty,theyfeeltheyneedto be rewarded by watching a woman take off her clothes.Povertyisamonstrousthing.Andit isapparentthatitsburdenislargely being born by those who have the most troubles.GAIL NEUFELDMAPLE RIDGEBetter waysEDITOR, THE NEWS:Re:Strip-a-thonraises$20,000for Christmas hamper (The News, Dec. 10).I do not agree with this. There are so many ways to raise needed funds rather than selling a body and giving an image that it is okay to do this.Indthisdegrading,demoralizing, grossandsendingawrongmessageto young people.I am shocked and sickened to nd this in our papers, year after year.How em-barrassing to our community.D. STRAIN MAPLE RIDGEDoesnt add upEDITOR, THE NEWS:Re: Kids dont care where charity comes from (Letters, Dec. 8).Itotallyagreewithyourpremisethat kids dont care where charity comes from and neither did Joan Smith if you read as far as the last paragraph of the letter. She objected to how the newspaper han-dled the act.But what I dont get is why you respond-ed as you did. I may be wrong, but what I am reading from your letter is: going all out once a year to help the poor is OK and highly laudable, and doing it all year long from a basis of faith or altruism is abso-lutely appalling; and exploiting the poor inThirdWorldcountriesbymultina-tional corporations is terrible (and Im in total agreement with that), but exploiting women sexually here is perfectly accept-ablebecausetheyareself-employed and not slaves to some corporation. Give your head a shake.KARIN BREUERPITT MEADOWSNo thanks, to hamperEDITOR, THE NEWS:Re: Kids dont care where charity comes from (Letters, Dec. 8).Itsobviousthatyoudontknowstrip-pers or poor families, Mr. Wilmot. Im go-ing to take a moment and tell you about both.Unfortunately,Imnotareligious prude. So this may disappoint you.Icomefromalow-incomefamily.My mother has been disabled for nearly two decadesandsheisunemployable.Our family received the local Christmas ham-per every year, until we discovered that our hamper had been associated with the rst stripping event back in 1994.I remember my mom sitting down and explainingtousthatwomenweretak-ingtheirclothesofftoearnmoneyfor donations. She then asked us whether or not we thought that receiving donations from that was right or wrong.My mother didnt treat us like we were stupid.Wewereoldenoughtounder-standtheconceptofpersonalmorality and we weighed out different aspects of women willingly stripping for charity. MysiblingsandIthendecidedwe didnt want the hamper anymore. While wewereawareofawomanschoiceto take part in the event, it made us feel bad that a woman would have to undress for mensowecouldhavefoodortoys.We managed with less. I dont regret it.Trust me. Needy kids care. Stop think-ingthatchildrenhavenomoralintel-ligence. I never wore name brand shoes or clothes as a child. I was well educated on the subject. I knew where they came from and I knew tiny ngers made them. Im glad I made the choices I did.As an adult, Ive known strippers. I have no issue with strippers. Ive spent time in the homes of a stripper or two and I can assure you that they do not live high off the hog. Many strippers start to strip be-causetheyendupinthesameposition theneedyfamiliesarein,notbecause theywanttobeself-employedortoen-tertain. Many of the strippers take part in this event because they were previously in that situation. Ironic, no?Thiswholeideawherepeopleare against donations coming from a strip-a-thon isnt because the donation is coming fromstrippers.Imsuremanystrippers donatetocharitieswhentheycanand ifagroupofstripperswishedtodonate fromtheirincome,thenmorepowerto them. The problem everyone has is with the event overall.Its depressing that these women need tostriptocoaxmoneyoutofpeoples handstogivetoneedychildren.The strippersarenotthedepravedpartof allofthis;thepeoplepayingthemdur-ing this event are. Why must individuals watchwomenundresstowanttohelp hungry children, who ultimately become theexcuse?Whynotdonatestraightto thehamper?Mustapatronssexualde-siresbesatedbeforepoorchildrencan eat? That depravity speaks for itself.TAUNIA SABANSKIMAPLE RIDGENot lest be judgedEDITOR, THE NEWS:Re: Kids dont care where charity comes from (Letters, Dec. 8).WhenIwasinhighschool,Ireada story in French class called Le Jongleur deNotreDame, by Guy de Maupassant. It was a story of a poor, uneducated jug-gler who wanted to become a monk. Be-ing of good heart, the monks allowed him to stay at the Abbey and do chores for his food and a place to sleep, but, of course, he could not become a monk.Late at night they heard noises coming from the chapel and decided to hide the next night to nd out what was going on. As they watched from their hiding place, theysawthejugglerperforminghisart untilheworkedupquiteasweat.They decided to confront him for his blasphe-my and as they entered the chapel they saw the statue of the Virgin Mary come to life, smile at the juggler and wipe the sweat from his brow. He was then accept-ed as a monk.There have been so many letters about the strippers who want to raise money for the Christmas hamper. I think it is great. Judge not lest you be judged. It would be worth your while to read the story by de Maupassant.Hehasabetterwaywith wordsthanI.IcriedwhenIreaditand still do when I see it performed or told.MARIE THOMPSONMAPLE RIDGEEDITOR, THE NEWS:Re:SmartCentreshavenewplanforAlbion(TheNews, Dec. 10). Sounds like SmartCentres is coming back with some good green ideas for Albion, but wouldnt it be nice if they were closer to the town core instead?It will be more centralized for all people in Maple Ridge, and have the ease of transit.Wouldnt it be nice if they can put these new concept plans in place of the junk slum shacks and empty run-down build-ings scattered in the core area now, or replace the outdated and vacant plazas. Wouldnt it be nice if they developed these great shopping villages for us without having to remove land from ALR and displace hundreds of species, living creatures in a natural environment, and without taking away a healthier lifestyle for our childrens future?I realized it is not that simple.But neither is going to the moon, but it can be done.PETER TAMMAPLE RIDGEEDITOR, THE NEWS:Re: Off-leash area too popular for neighbour (The News, Dec. 10).I live directly across from the main gate at the off-leash area in Bonson Park. My husband and I, as well as four neighbourshavebeenghtingwithDavidBoagabout the park. The noise complaints go beyond car alarms. Firstoff,theparkwasputinwithoutourconsulta-tion.Secondly,itis2.7acres(whichourmayorisevenin disagreementwith),takingawaythefunofhavinga park with trees for children to play in, for adults to play bocci or have a picnic in the shade.Myfamily,aswellasadjacentneighbourshavedealt withacarbeinghitduetoU-turnsinourdriveway.In fact, more than 30 such U-turns a day occur in our drive-way, some over our front lawn.Dogsbarkingandrunningfreelytogettothegate starts before 6 a.m. and go until late at night.We have had lose dogs in our garden, in my neighbors house. Lis-teningtodogsghtingorownersyellingortalkingor honking is very disruptive.Ourstreetisvirtuallyadeadendandhadfewcars daily before this park was given to the dogs. Itisobvioustheparkhashadalargeimpactonour lives and home. Mr. Boag has cancelled our latest meeting dragging ourconcernstobeheldoffforyetanothermonth.He feelsoncesignsareinplacepeoplewillfollowthe rules.However, the park has been running since June and no signs are to be seen.The only step Mr. Boag has made in our favour was removing the garbage cans from across from our front door.DAYNA DINGWALLPITT MEADOWSBonson dog park nothing but troubleWhat kind of reward is this?Why only in Albion?THE NEWS/letterschat@www.mapleridgenews.comNice to seeFrom: kn7, posted on www.mapleridgenews.com.Re: SmartCentres have new plan for Albion (The News, Dec. 10). This is a must for Maple Ridge it is nice to see that there is some effort be-ing put into this as it is a necessity for the overall growth of our community.EDITOR, THE NEWS:Re:ConfessionsofaChristmascarolGrinch (Commentary, Dec. 10).Mr. Holota, the most miserable man in Maple RidgeandAbbotsford(Ipitythemandyou), whydontyoudoyourfamilyandusafavour andgetoutoftownatChristmas,andforthe rest of the year, as far as Im concerned.Itwilldoyourfamilyandusagreatservice (the spirit of Christmas).I love all that you hate.Withthesepoorsoldiersghtinginfaroff places, who cant be with their families,maybe you could change places with them.If everyone lived the songs of Christmas the, worldwouldbeabetterplace.Bylisteningto them I feel that maybe one day, and I pray for one day that there will be peace on earth.KAREN ROGERSMAPLE RIDGEGet out of town, Mr. Grinch8 Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.comLoblawhopesto eventuallyimposethe NoFrillscontracton employeesat10Extra Foodsstoresacrossthe province, he says. Should that happen, it couldeventuallyforce wagesdownatgrocery storesacrosstheprov-ince in a race to the bot-tomtoremaincompeti-tive with No Frills.This is about a work-ers ability to earn a liv-ing wage, says Neufeld. Thisisawatershed disputeforretailwork-ers in B.C.Theres a lot at stake here.AnExtraFoodsstore PrinceRupertclosed downthispastsummer afterworkerstherere-fusedtoaccepttheNo Frillscontract.Despite thestorebeingclosed, workershavemain-tainedapicketline,as theownersstillholda lease on the property.Neufeldbelievesthe storeintendstoreopen asNoFrillswithre-duced wages should the strikers relent.Aslongasthey holdthelease,wellbe there, he says.Herejectstheargu-mentthatLoblawmust bring wages down in or-dertoremaincompeti-tive. Loblaw is Canadas largest food distributor, andemployscloseto 140,000workerscoast-to-coast,makingitone ofthelargestprivate sectoremployersinthe country.In2008,the yeartheMapleRidge strikebegan,thecom-panypostedaprotof $545milliononsalesof $30.8 billion. The UFCW Local 1518 membershadbeen working at the local out-let under an expired con-tractsince2004.Under theoldcontract,long-timeworkersmadein the$20-per-hourrange, withbenets,accord-ingtoNeufeld.Under anewcontractLoblaw wantsthemtosign, most workers would top outat$11.90,withno benets.Ouremployeesat SafewayandSave-on-Foodsaresomeofthe bestpaidfoodworkers in North America, says Neufeld.Andthose companiesaredoing justne.Thisisabout corporate greed. Itsnotfairorjusti-ed in any way shape or form.Whiletheunionis readytonegotiate,Lo-blawhassofarrefused tobudge.Asaresult, bothpartieshavent talked in close to a year.Today,hundredsof unionmembers,activ-istsandcommunity membersareexpected totakepartinarally marking the second an-niversaryofthestrike, andhopefullyraise enoughnoisetobring Loblaw back to the bar-gaining table. Backonthepicket line,thestrikingem-ployees are aware of the greaterimplicationsof their strike.Theyaretryingto busttheunion,says LauraNicolai,whoup untiltwoyearsago workedatExtraFoods as a cashier. But were notgoingtoletthem. Weareinthisforthe long haul.Thepharmacyatthe ExtraFoodsremains open, and while custom-ersarestilltechnically crossing the picket line, thepicketersarenot interferingwithpeople llingtheirprescrip-tions. However, Neufeld said the union is asking peopletolltheirpre-scriptionselsewhereif they can.[The customers] have gottenusedtousbeing outhere,saysNicolai. Itsbecomeawayof life.Someofferwordsof encouragement,some askiftheresbeenany progress.However,not everyone in the commu-nityhasbeensupport-ive of their cause.One elderly pharmacy patronspewsvitriol atthepicketersasshe walksintothestore, telling them to get back to work.Comehereandsay that,saysoneofthe womenmanningthe picket line.Youheardmeloud andclear,thewomen screams back.The half dozen picket-ers shake their heads at the exchange.Itseemstheresstill somenastypeopleout there, says Storey.Thestrikerseachput in32hoursaweekon thepicketline,andfor that the union pays them astrikewage.While Neufeldcallsthewage substantial,itisstill lessthantheworkers were making before.Nicolaisaysshe doesntknowifshecan gobacktoworkingfor ExtraFoodsshouldthe strikeend;toomuch damage has been done.They havent respect-edus,andtheyhavent respectedthiscommu-nity, Nicolai says.Therallybegins today[Wednesday] atnooninfrontofthe ExtraFoodsonDew-dneyTrunkRoadin downtown Maple Ridge. Guestspeakerswill presentspeechesto the crowd followed by a march.Parties havent spoken in close to a yearStrike from frontMore than 5,000 homes werewithoutelectricity Tuesdaymorningafter gustingwindstoppleda tree, taking down power linesandanelectrical pole on Dewdney Trunk RoadineastMaple Ridge.Powerwentout ataround1:45a.m.,put-ting most of Whonnock, RuskinandAlbionin darkness. Thefallentree,mean-while, managed to block trafconDewdney TrunkRoad,whichhad tobererouteddown Garibaldi Street and Mc-NuttRoad,accordingto B.C.Hydrospokesper-son Steve Higginbottom.The affected area from theblackoutstretched from the Fraser River to KanakaCreek,between 240thStreetandStave Lake in Mission.B.C. Hydro managed to restore power to around 1,300 customers by about 9a.m.,whilemorethan 3,100customershad their power back by 1:30 p.m.As of 2 p.m., all but 400 customersnearDew-dneyTrunkRoadbe-tween256thand280th Streetshadtheirpower restored. Wearehopingto havepowerbacktoall ourcustomersbyabout 7:30p.m.,saidHiggin-bottom.Another100custom-erson128thAvenue neartheSouthAlou-ette River also lost their poweraround9:30a.m. Tuesday.Thecauseof that outage is still being determined.Wind knocks out power in Maple RidgeDeparting from Pitt Meadows Airport 604-219-0848Downtown Tours Glacier ToursLocal Flights Fly Over Your HouseSKYLINESair.com$199Includes2 Free Gueststhis Christmas giveScenic Flight Gift CertificatesLooking for that Special Gift?email chuck@skylinesair.comfor more information.TH Fantastic NailsSet or Fill (gel, sola or acrylic) Manicures PedicuresWalk-Ins Welcome! Gift Certicates Available$500offwith any service of $30 or more.604-477-5503#101 - 22489 Lougheed Hwy., Maple RidgeMon. to Sat. 10 am - 7 pm Sunday 12 noon - 5 pmSpecial offer on to Dec. 31/10ChristmasSpecialMerry Christmas to all our customersHaney Place Mall604.467.4630Limited time offer on now!HURRY IN! Includes Simon Chang12-10O AP15Perfect Gift Giving Idea1/2 price sweaters!*See in store for details.Just in time forGift Giving!*2nd item must be of equal or lesser value.Applies to all regular priced items excludes Alia n TanjayBUY 1 GET 1HALF PRICE*BOGOPlus, recent markdowns up to 50% offMaple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Bicycle Advisory CommitteeHelp Build A Stronger Community, Volunteer Opportunities AvailableApplicationsareinvitedfromPittMeadows andMapleRidgeresidentstoserveas volunteermembersoftheMapleRidgeand PittMeadowsBicycleAdvisoryCommittee. The Committee functions as an independent policymakingbody.Thepurposeofthe Committee is to advise both Maple Ridge and PittMeadowsCouncilsoncyclingissuesin the communities and implementation of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Bikeways Plan.Letters of Interest are being sought for the following positions:- Two vacancies for Pitt Meadows Citizen-at-Large members to begin January 1, 2011 for a term to expire December 31, 2012.- One vacancy for a Maple Ridge Citizen-at-Large member to begin January 1, 2011 for a term to expire December 31, 2012Lettersshouldincludeanindicationofwhy the candidate wishes to serve along with their professionalandcommunityinvolvement background.Additionalbackground informationintheformofavolunteerjob description and an on-line application form is available on the web at:http://www.mapleridge.ca/EN/main/municipal/committees_commissions.htmlhttp://www.pittmeadows.bc.ca/EN/main/cityhall/39971.htmlForfurtherinformation,pleasecontactKatia Robichaud,PittMeadowsStaffLiaisonat krobichaud@pittmeadows.bc.caorRuss Carmichael,MapleRidgeStaffLiaisonat rcarmichael@mapleridge.caApplications and inquiries for all committees may be directed to:Please Note: Applications will be accepted until Monday, December 20, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.Katia RobichaudStaff LiaisonCity of Pitt Meadows12007 Harris RoadPitt Meadows, BCV3Y 2B5T. 604-465-5454krobichaud@pittmeadows.bc.caTracy CamireCommittee ClerkDistrict of Maple Ridge11995 Haney PlaceMaple Ridge, BCV2x 649T. 604-463-5221tcamire@mapleridge.caNews Tips? Whats happening in your neighbourhood? What issues are important to you?THE NEWSServing Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows since 1978We want to know!Send us your news tips:Email either editor@mapleridgenews.comor newsroom@mapleridgenews.comCall 604.467.1122 or Fax 604.463.4741www.mapleridgenews.com - THE NEWS - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 9The19167 Ford Road, Pitt Meadows604-465-9911PUB & LIQUOR STOREJolly CoachmanOPEN 9AM - 11PM EVERY DAYIN OURPUBIN OUR LIQUOR STOREwww.jollycoachman.com Ford Rd.HarrisLougheed Hwy.WE DELIVER5-11PM - 7 DAYS A WEEK DA 7777777777 D R5555-111111111PPPPMMMMM - 7777 DDDA R -111111PPPPMMMM- 7777 D - PM- R5555-11111111PPPPPMMMMM- 777777 DDDDA$4.75 ONLY ~ ~CheckOutOurExpanded, ExtensiveSelectionof WinesfromAroundthe World. IceColdBeer, Ciders, Coolers, Liquor& Wine@Govt. LiquorStoreRetails.$2149+ depositWednesday, December 15th7:00Canucks vs. Blue JacketsSaturday, December 18th7:00Canucks vs. TorontoHOCKEY MANIADuringEvery GameOur Famous Fresh Wings 25ea. Win a Canucks Jersey Every GameIncludes Turkey, all the trimmings and homemade dessert.Christmas Buffet11:30am - 2:oopmDec. 17, 24, & 31st$1199ENTER TO WIN A 42 PLASMA TV WITH DVD PLAYEREVERY PURCHASE GIVES YOU ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN!Draw Dec. 24th at 6:00pmFREE JELLYBELLIESwithMalibuCoconut Rum750 ML $1999+ deposit sit ossitFREE PINEAPPLE JUICEwithAbsolut VodkaVancouver750 ML FREE T-SHIRTwithKahluaLiqueur1.14 L FREE HIGHBALL GLASSwithWisers DeluxeWhiskey750 ML FREE 2 LITREPEPSIwithAlbertaPremium Rye750 ML or 1.14 L Wine TastingFriday, 4-8Dec. 17thFREE GLASSwithOkanaganSprings Pale Ale12 PackFREE GLASSwithSleemans Honey Brown12 PackFREE LIMEwithCorona12 PackFREE BAG OFICE WITH DELIVERYOPEN Christmas Eve Pub and Liquor Store until 11 p.m.OPEN Christmas Day Pub and Liquor Store 12-810 Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.comQJAPANESE QUALITYQ VALUE LOADED STANDARD FEATURES Q RELIABLE 5-YEAR POWERTRAIN WARRANTY

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Plus taxGGGG G2011 KIZASHI SX iAWDALL-IN-ONE-PRICE Includes destination, delivery and fees2010 GRAND VITARA JX 4WDALL-IN-ONE-PRICE Includes destination, delivery and fees2010 SWIFTALL-IN-ONE-PRICE Includes destination, delivery and fees$197$170$94$1332010 SX4 HATCHBACK JX iAWDMOST FUEL EFFICIENT COMPACT AWD IN CANADAALL-IN-ONE-PRICE Includes destination, delivery and fees2.9%Purchase Financing for 84 mo.0.9%Purchase Financing for 84 mo.0.9%Purchase Financing for 84 mo.$0Down$0Down4WD500 FREE GAS CARD!oror42 PLASMA TVCHRISTMASatWhy buy a pre-owned Why buy a pre-owne Why buy a pre-owne Whhyy- nnee hy buy a pre-own hy buy a pre-own y buy a pre-own y buy a pre-own y bb www buy a pre-ow buy a pre-ow buu - ww buy a pre-ow uy a pre-ow uuyyyoo uy a pre-o yy-o y a pre- wne wne Whya pr p wn wvehicle at Orca Bay? ehicle at Orca Bay? hicle at Orca Bay? hicle at Orca Bay hicle at Orca Bay icle at Orca Bay c e a rcaay cle at Orca Ba cle at Orca Ba lee BBaa le at Orca B e at Orca B ee aBB e at Orca B at Orca B aataaat Orcaatt OOrca vehi at Or at Orc BBIIHHAAAAS AAS AS SS SSSSSL SLLLLE LE EE- E--F FFFREEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NOO PPPPPR PR RRE RREEEES ESSSSSS SSSSSU SURE SU SUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII30 DA DAAAY AY AY YYY E EXCHANGE EXCHANGE EEXX EE EXCHANGE XX GG XXC GG XC G CHAN CHAN CHA HANN DAY H G NN APOLICCY GUARANTEED CY GUARANTEED CY GUARANTEED Y GUARANTEED Y GUARANTEE Y GUARANT E G EE EE GUARANTE GUARANTE GUARANTE GUU TT UARA T UU NT NT UARAN AA NN ARAN ARA CY C N AAIIII1 YEA AR R POWERTRAIN R POWERTRAIN R POWERTRAIN PP NN POWERTRAI POWERTRAI POWERTRA PO AA OWERTRA OWERTR OWER R WW R TR WERT WW TT WERT WWER ER AIN I RAA RT R 1 POWA WARR RR RRAAAAAANNNNNT TTTTTYYYYYY WWWWWWWW AN ANT NJOHNS SPECIALOF THE WEEK8100 - 2850 Shaughnessy St., Port Coquitlam604-464-3330DL#30882 www.bcsuzuki.com1999 Chevy TrackerGood condition,black on black, no accidents, fully equipped. Stk 10V0314C$$$$12,8 2,8 2,8 2,8 2,8 ,88 ,88 888 888 888 8888 888 88 88 88 88 88 8 2222*********** Price does nnot include taxeesand licensinng.Japans No. 1 Selling Automaker!00 50 00 50 5500 55555555555555555555550 50 00 5002290 DAYSPAYMENTS PAYMENTS$500 OFFSNOW TIRE OFFER OOOOFFFFFFFEEERRRR OOOFFFFFFEEEERRRR With every new or pre-enjoyedw or pre-enjoyed veh vehicl icle p e purc urchas hased ed hi l h ddCHOOSE ONE!2009 Suzuki SX4 AWDAll wheel drive, built in Japan, the go anywhere vehicle.Stk 10V0361A1999 Lexus RX 300 Lexus RX 300 Lexus RX 300 Lexus RX 300 Lexus RX 300 exus RX 30 ee 3300 exus RX 30 exus RX 3 exus RX 3 exus RX 3 xx XX xxu XX xuu RXX xxuu RRX us RX us R us R 119 119 Lexus Le 9 Lex 9 L 9 119 1119 L 99 LImmaculate Im cula mac maculate e ulaco cond ndit itio onn .. ooonne ne eee ooof off offffooon tio itio ondit ti ition... on ne nne ofa kind, silve ver e ccco co ol ol olo olo looor orrr c er c kind k , d,k co olor o coStk Stk kk ttk tk 10V01 01 014 14 14 4445 45 45B 5B 5B BBB 45B 5B 10V B2002 Suzuki Aerio AWDFull power group, built in Japan, excellent condition, front wheeldrive, economical, sporty, low mileageand fun to drive.Stk 10V0299B2007 Grand VitaraThe real deal, ladder frame construction, towable, built inJapan, Stk 10V0230A2004 Suzuki XL74 wheel drive, made in Japan, hard to ndin this condition,Stk 11V0008A2007 Grand VitaraV6, 4 wheel drive, towable, made inJapan, the best inclass vehicle.Stk 10321www.mapleridgenews.com - THE NEWS - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 11staffrepor terMore than 100 people turnedoutMonday eveningattheGreg MooreYouthCentre toparticipateinand supportthesecond annualShred.Share.StokedChristmas charity skate competi-tion.Forty-threecompeti-torsfromthroughout theLowerMainland, aswellasKelowna paideither$5orfive non-perishablefood itemsorfivearticles ofwinterclothesto participateinthe event. Organizerscol-lectedfourboxesof foodfortheFriends inNeedFoodBank, ninebagsofclothes fortheMapleRidge-PittMeadowsChrist-masHamper,four bags of clothes for the Iron Horse Youth Safe House and $250, which willgotoboththe Iron Horse Youth Safe HouseandtheGreg MooreYouthCentre skateboardmentor-ship program.Thereweremore than$1,200inprizes available,donatedby local businesses. Firstplaceinthe advancedcategory wasDominicDevires ofAldergrove.Matt LathamofMaple Ridgetooktheinter-mediate category, and DerekOyeofMaple Ridge came first in the beginner class. TyWilliamsonof MapleRidgetookthe titleofMostGener-ousSkaterforbring-ing in two full garbage bags of old skateboard clothing.Thenextskateboard-ing competition will take placetherstweekin May for Youth Week. Anyoneinterested cancontactMeghan Macmillanatmmac-millan@mapleridge.caortowww.youth-services.ca.Skaters give to food bank, hamperColleen Flanagan/THE NEWSTy Williamson, 16, of Maple Ridge, competes in the intermediate category during the second annual Shred.Share.Stoked. Christmas charity skate competition Monday evening at the Greg Moore Youth Centre. #180 22709 Lougheed Hwy., Maple RidgeValley Fair Mall(behind London Drugs)Loose Denture?ask us about Implant Supported DentureMon - Sat 8-6(with evening hours until 8 pm on Tues, Wed & Thurs)Every 2nd Sunday 11-5ASK US ABOUTSEDATION DENTISTRYDental Plans Accepted!Youll probably never be afraid to go to the dentist again.Amalgam FREE Ofce!Dentistry For All AgesCall now to book your appointment! 604-463-7411We CaterTo Cowards!New PatientsWelcomeA Smile YouJust Cant HideValleyFair DENTALORGANIC REVOLUTI ONProcessor, Distributor, Wholesaler22225 Dewdney Trunk Road, Maple Ridge604.476.0718 Open 7 Days a Week 8am - 8pmITS TURKEY TIMEBuy one item at the regular price and get the second item of equivalent value or lesser price for FREE on selected items only.2for1Free Run Non-Medicated Natural Choice Turkey (uncooked)ONLY $2.79/LB (6.15/kg)Free Run Non-Medicated Specialty Turkey, Hot Smoked (cooked)ONLY $3.99/LB (8.80/kg)ORGANIC & NATURAL CHOICE RAW DOG & CAT FOOD $1.99/lbNatural Choice Turkey Gravy, Organic Smoked Beef Gravy,Organic Chicken Gravy Or Soup Stock.............................................................. $3.99/lb ($8.80kg)Organic Turkey Stufng ................................................................................... $3.99/lb ($8.80/kg)Organic Cranberry Sauce ..............................................................................$4.99/lb ($11.01/kg)Certied Organic Beef Prime Rib Roast / Steaks (uncooked) ......................$9.99/lb ($22.02/kg)Wood Smoked Organic Beef Prime Rib Roast (cooked) ........................... $10.99/lb ($24.22/kg)Natural Choice Ham, Bone-In .......................................................................... $2.99/lb ($6.59/kg)Ham Natural Choice, Boneless Black Diamond or California .......................$4.99/lb ($11.00/kg)Natural Choice Lamb Leg, Bone In ................................................................$5.99/lb ($13.21/kg)Natural Choice Lamb Leg, Boneless .............................................................$6.99/lb ($15.41/kg)Natural Choice Lamb Racks .......................................................................$12.99/lb ($28.63/kg)Natural Choice Whole Rabbit ........................................................................$9.99/lb ($22.02/kg)Natural Choice Fraser Valley Whole Duckor Geese ...................................... $4.99/lb (11.01/kg)Natural Choice Wild Boar...............................................................................$6.99/lb ($15.41/kg)Santa ArrivesDECEMBER 18TH 11AM - 2PMFREE Photos with Santa, FREE Hot ChocolateThe Eatery SpecialsBreakfast ................ $5.00Lunch....................... $5.00Dinner ......... starting at $10.00Certied Organic Fair Trade Coffee ......... $1.00/cupOrganic Beef, Organic Chicken, Natural Choice Bison And Natural Choice Turkey Garlic Kolbassa. Also Available With Cheese or Jalapeno & Cheese (Smokies, Snacks & More$5.49/packWHOLESALE PRICING TO THE PUBLIC! Certied Organic Meats Produce Groceries Vitamins & Restaurant12 Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.comParentsandstaff were unable to reach an agreementwithGrey-brookAcademyandits founder Nigel Turner at acourt-orderedsettle-ment conference in Port Coquitlam on Thursday.TurnerandtheVan-couverInternational PrimaryandSecondary SchoolSocietythatop-erated the Pitt Meadows independentschoolare currentlyfacingclose toadozenlawsuitsin provincialsmallclaims courtfromstaffand parents. Turner ordered theschoolbeshuton Nov.30,2009,afterstaff refusedhisrequestto workforfreefortwo weeks, following months of nancial turmoil.Theparentsare eachsuingTurnerand VIPSS,ofwhichTurner isthedirector,forlost tuitionandexpenses suchastutoringcosts fortheirchildren,after theyabruptlyfound themselveswithouta school to go to last year, withclaimsaveraging around $10,000 each.Thestaff,meanwhile, issuingforlostwages, vacation pay, and sever-ance.Noneoftheclaims have yet been proven in court.Thepartiesmet Thursdayforasettle-mentconferenceatthe PortCoquitlamProvin-cialCourt.However, thesettlementoffered byTurnerandVIPSS was rejected by the par-ents,andtheindividual claimswillnowlikely proceed to trial.Itwasabout75per centofwhatwewere asking,saidparent KarenKelinoftheset-tlementTurneroffered. Wejustwantbackthe moneythatisrightly ours. Staff,however,were not offered a settlement.VIPSSwasrecently orderedtopay25for-merGreybrookemploy-eescloseto$90,000by theB.C.Employment StandardsBranchina decision that recognized Turner as being person-ally liable.Kelinsaidtheyalso hopetogoafterTurner personallyfortheir losses.Thepartieswillmeet nextmonthtoprepare for trial.Turnerdidnotreturn requests for interview.No settlement for Greybrook parentsbyRober t Mangel s dor fstaffrepor terPolice reunite dog with ownerRidgeMeadows RCMPwereableto helpreuniteadogand itsownerThursday night. Policewerenotied of a howling dog in the areaofKanakaCreek parkon248thStreet justbefore11:30p.m. fromacitizenwho called,fearingthedog hadfallenoffacliffin the park. Const.GregMain-woodandConst.Co-linRydermanagedto locatethedogatthe bottomofatrail,and recognizeditfroma lostdogposter.The ofcerscontactedthe owner from the poster, whoquicklycameout andwasreunitedwith the dog.It was about 75 per cent of what we were asking,Karen Kelin, parentVisit our other Black Press sites5ave 1ime, 5ave Meney.Researchbefore youbuy.More money to get what you want this Holiday Season. HaluSushito our loyal customers and friends.Its been our pleasure to serve you. A percentage of our December sales will be donated to The Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation. Its Our 7thAnniversarywould like to take this opportunity to say Thank youAll the staff atWESTGATE CENTRENext to Starbucks203rd & Lougheed Hwy., Maple RidgeWere openMonday - Friday11:30 am - 3:00 pm, 4:30 - 10:00 pmSat & Sun. 11:30 am - 10:00 pm604.460.1886604-463-6958#470-22709 Lougheed Hwy., Valleyfair Mall604-465-693312157 Harris Rd., Pitt MeadowsAt Meadows Cleaners, our Biodegradable Eco-Friendly Dry Cleaning uid works in combination with our State-of-the-Art dry cleaning equipment to gently preserve the colour and quality of every garment.2 LOCATIONS FOR YOURCONVENIENCEPlus many more in-store specials!Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence 2010 Award Winner for Customer ServiceDraperies 20% OffTrousers$600Skirts$700Wedding Dresses$20 OFFWinter Coats$18002 Pce. Suits$1600We care about theenvironment.We use Biodegradable Polybags.MAPLE RIDGE604.463.775520758 Lougheed Hwy.Maple RidgeCARPET HARDWOOD VINYL TILE LAMINATE WINDOW COVERINGSHAPPY HOLIDAYSWishing you enough joy and laughter to ll your home from oor to rafter!With thanks for your business from our entire staffwww.mapleridgenews.com - THE NEWS - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 13StaceyCodysbroth-er is nothing like he used to be.TheLangleyschool trusteekeepsaphoto ofBlaironherbedside table and lights a candle forhimeverynight.In thephoto,Blairisabout four.Heswearinga stripedT-shirtandhis hairisshort,shinyand neat.Hisrighthandis burrowingexpectantly in his mothers purse.Hissisterhasanother photo. It shows her arms lovingly wrapped around him. His hair is neatly cut and his beard trimmed.Underhishalf-closed lids,itisimpossibleto misstheunfocusedeyes and what that means.Afewincheslower,a breathing tube protrudes from his throat.The little boy who grew up into a slim, tall young manwithowinghair andlongbeardnowlies inahospitalroom,dead totheworld.BlairCody isunrecognizabletohis sister,StaceyCody,re-ducedtoashellofthe man he used to be.BlairCodyslifehad goneofftherails.Much ashewasloved,espe-cially by his older sister, Stacey,andtheirolder brother,hewentdown apaththatledhimto drugs and crime.Releasedafterbeing imprisoned for drug pos-session, he was back be-foreajudgeforbreach-ingthetermsofhis probation.On May 18, 2010, a judge gavehimacouplemore months behind bars.Unknowntohisfam-ily, Cody was transferred fromSurreyPretrial Centre to Fraser Region-alCorrectionalCentre inMapleRidgethenext day.He had been there only amatterofhourswhen he was attacked.TheysaythatBlair didnt know his attacker, andthathisattacker didnt know him, Stacey Cody said.Blairsufferedmassive injuries.Hehasaverysevere braininjurythathas lefthiminavegetative state,shesaid.Hehas neverregainedcon-sciousness.Whathappenedto Blairhasdevastatedthe family.It crushes me, Stacey Cody said.IfIcouldtradespots withhim,Iwould.Hes mybabybrotherand Ive always been the one whohasprotectedhim. Hesaidtomeoncethat Iwasmoreofamomto him than a sister.Lostwithoutherun-clesvibrantpresence ishisnieceMickenzie, StaceyCodysdaughter, whomheaffectionately called Peaches.Sheislostwithout him, Cody said.Thereisanotherside to Blair, she said.HefoundChristat Christmastimeandhe hadbeenbaptized.He was beginning to turn his life around.Lastyearwastherst ChristmastheCodysib-lingsspenttogetherin 21years.ThatBlairwill likelyneverknowan-otherChristmasagain makesthisChristmas alltheharder,Stacey Cody said.Wearesoincredibly gratefulforhavinghad last year, she said.AlexanderDinuTa-nasescu,27,hasbeen chargedwithattempted murderandremainsin custody. Hewasservingasen-tenceoftwoyearsless adayforbreakinginto aKelownaelectron-icsstoreandstealinga 55-inchplasmaTV,lap-topcomputerandmoni-tor. He gained notoriety last yearaftersurveillance footagewasreleasedby theownerofStarwatch Audio Video showing Ta-nasescuswingingfrom aceiling-mountedvideo projector. Police dubbed him Spi-derthief.Man beaten at FRCC remains in a comaJohn Gordon/Black PressStacey Cody shows a picture of herself with her brother Blair, who remains in a coma.byNat as haJ onesBl ackPress11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6A9Tel: 604-463-5221 Fax: 604-467-7329www.mapleridge.caInvitation to TenderProject: Kanaka Creek Watermain (at Lougheed Hwy)Reference No.:ITT-EN10-199Project No.: E03-010-075TheDistrictofMapleRidgeinvitestendersforthesupplyandinstallationof approximately110metersof450mmdiameterDR11HDPEwatermainby horizontal directional drilling under Kanaka Creek; located on the west side of LougheedHighway,betweenHaneyBy-passandRiverRoad/TamarackLane intersection.The work generally consists of watermain replacement via trench-less technology, and environmental remediation works.Tender Documents may be obtained on or after Tuesday December 21, 2010 during normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, except holidays) at the Engineering Counter of the District of Maple Ridge, on payment of a non-refundable amount of $56.00 (incl. HST) made payable to the District ofMapleRidge.Copiesofthedocumentscanalsobedownloadedfromthe Districts website at www.mapleridge.ca after 1:00 pm on Tuesday December 21, 2010.TheTenderDocumentsmaybeviewedatthePlanRoomoftheVancouver RegionalConstructionAssociation,3636East4Avenue,Vancouver,BCV5M 1M3. Fortechnicalinquiries,contactJohnKupskayatParagonEngineeringLtd.at 604-837-5227.For all other inquiries, contact Davin Wilson at the District of Maple Ridge at 604-467-7349.Tender Closing Date:Tuesday January 18, 2011Tender Closing Time:2:00 pm local timeTender Deposit Place:District of Maple RidgeReception Desk (First Floor)11995 Haney PlaceMaple Ridge, BCV2X 6A9Now Open Mondays 11-5:30pm & Late Night Thursdays until 7:30pm Why buy Christmas Gifts when you can make your own?#101 22714 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge (First driveway east of 227th)604.477.1291Now Open Mondays 11 - 5:30pm & Late Night Thursdays until 7:30pm Dewdney Trunk Rd., #101 22714 D dNew Beads Just ArrivedMake your own jewelry or ask about aone of a kind piecemade by designerKellie Sutton.Make your own jewelryGIFT CARDSavailable & lots of great gift ideas. 22255 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge (in Haney Plaza)PHONE: 604.477.0910 FAX: 604.477.0911Saveti me,moneyand thedrive.SHOPLOCAL RichilaFABRICS++++++++++++++++++++++++++GIIonal l Dance,Bri dal ,Grad,Spri ngFashi on,Kni ts&many othersel ectfabri cs. Whi l esuppl i esl ast.*Mi ni mum1metre SALESAVE 25-50%OFFHurryi n, l astweektoSAVE!14 Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.comMorethan$17,000wasraisedbyMaple Ridge reghters at their annual Fireght-ers for Families Food Drive on Saturday.Fireghtersspentthedayatsupermar-kets collecting funds, food and toys to sup-porttheFriendsinNeedFoodBankand theMapleRidge-PittMeadowsChristmas Hamper Society.StaffattheBankofMontrealbranchon 207thStreetalsohadthereghterspick up donations of 380 pounds of food, as well as arm loads of toys.ThePittMeadowsredepartmentwas alsohardatworkSaturday,collectingdo-nations totalling $7,100 for both Friends in NeedandtheChristmasHamperSociety. Meadowtownmallliquorstorestaffalso hadthereghterspickupdonationsof 120 teddy bears.Anotherfundraiserforthefoodbank, theCPRailHolidayTrainrollsintoPort Haney station on Friday, 7:45 p.m. Canadi-anbandTheOddsarethisyearsmusical act.Thoseattendingareaskedtobringa donation for the food bank.Firefighters collects $24,000 for food bank, Christmas hamperHoliday Train rolls into town Fridaybclincoln.caOR PURCHASE FINANCE WITH 0%APR FOR UP TO 48 MONTHS**.WISE BUYERS READ THE LEGAL COPY: Offers available at participating dealers only. Dealer may sell or lease for less. Factory order may be required. Limited time offers. Offers may be cancelled at any time without notice. See participating Dealer for details. Inventory may vary by dealer. Dealer Transfer may be required.*Lease a new 2011 Lincoln MKZ FWD/MKX AWD/MKS FWD/MKT AWD and get 0% APR for up to 48 months on approved credit (OAC) from Ford Credit. Not all buyers will qualify for the lowest APR payment.Additional payments required. MKZ FWD/MKX AWD/MKS FWD/MKT AWD for $39,950/$48,050/$48,950/$51,500at 0% APR for 48 months, monthly payment is $449/$499/$579/$649, total lease obligation is $26,702/$29,252/$32,792/$36,552, optional buyout is $12,784/$18,740/$16,154/$14,935. Cost of leasing is $0 or 0%. Examples are based on $5,150/$5,300/$5,000/$5,400 down payment or equivalent trade in. Taxes payableon full amount of lease financing price after any price adjustment is deducted. Some conditions and mileage restrictions of 80,000km over 48 months apply. A charge of 16 cents per km over mileage restrictions applies, plus applicable taxes. ** Receive 0% APR purchase financing on all new 2011 Lincoln MKZ/MKX/MKS/MKT models for a maximum of 48 months to qualified retail customers, on approved credit (OAC) from Ford Credit. Not all buyers will qualify for the lowest APR payment. Example: $40,000 purchase financed at 0% APR for 48 months, monthly payment is $833.33, cost of borrowing is $0 or APR of 0%and total to be repaid is $40,000. Down payment on purchase financing offers may be required based on approved credit. Taxes payable on full amount of purchase price. Driving while distracted can result in loss of vehicle control. Only use mobile phones and other devices, even with voice commands, whenit is safe to do so. Certain functions require compatible mobile devices. Some mobile phones and some digital media players may not be fully compatible - check www.syncmyride.com for a listing of mobile phones, media players, and features supported. Driving while distracted can result in loss of vehiclecontrol, accident and injury. Ford recommends that drivers use caution when using mobile phones, even with voice commands. Only use mobile phones and other devices, even with voice commands, not essential to driving when it is safe to do so. 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Experience your musi c wi th the avai l abl e THX I ICerti fi ed Audi o System. And keep your l i fe connected wi th SYNC.Al lthi s wi th i ncredi bl e fuel - effi ci ency. 0% 48*MONTHSAPRON MOST 2011 MODELSLEASEFINANCINGFOR UP TOTHESE GREAT RATES WONT LAST LONG. VISIT YOUR BC LINCOLN DEALER TODAY.www.mapleridgenews.com - THE NEWS - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 15TheMapleRidge-PittMeadows School District paid out former secre-tarytreasurerDonWoytowichmore than $128,000 last school year, despite thefacthehasntbeenemployedby the district since May 2009.Woytowich,thedistrictschief-nancial ofcer, left School District No. 42aftereightyearsinwhatstaffde-scribed at the time as a health-related departure. BoardchairKenClarksonprevi-ouslyconrmedtheMapleRidge-PittMeadowsBoardofEducation approvedan18-monthpaidmedical leavetotaling$235,000lastyearfor Woytowich,butwouldnotelaborate why the district was paying out Woy-towich,andnotlong-termdisability insurance.The board has long remained silent ontheissue,citingacondentiality agreement with Woytowich.The pay-out was included in the dis-tricts Statement of Financial Informa-tion report, which includes salaries of employees above $75,000 per year.According to the report, the district hasmorethan450staffwhomade morethan$75,000lastschoolyear, the majority of whom are teachers.Amongschooltrustees,Clarkson claimed the highest amount of expens-esforthe2009/10schoolyear,with $3,786.50, in addition to the $20,640.44 he received in remuneration. Trustee Mike Huber had the lowest amount of expenses, claiming nothing.Clarkson and Palis re-electedKenClarksonandEleanorPalis werebothre-electedbytheMaple Ridge-PittMeadowsBoardofEdu-cationastheboardchairandvice-chair,respectively,attheboards regular board meeting last Wednes-day.Clarksonwontheboardchairpo-sitionbyacclimationaftertrustees DaveRempel,KathieWard,and Mike Huber turned down their nom-inations.Paliswasre-electedbysecretbal-lotforthevice-chairposition,de-featingHuber.WardandRempel bothdeclinedtheirnominationsfor vice-chair.Both Clarkson and Palis will serve in their positions for one year.SD42 still paying former CFObyRober t Mangel s dor fstaffrepor terA911 call Monday led to the arrest of 29-year-old man well-known to police. RidgeMeadowsRCMPwerecalled tothe19600-blockofAirportWayin Pitt Meadows at 3:30 a.m. after an exca-vator was spotted in the middle of the road. As ofcers approached the large machine,thesuspectexiteditand started to run away. One of the police ofcers ran after and caught him. The excavator is worth about $300,000 and was taken from a nearby work site. Thisclearlyillustrateshowpolice work in conjunction with our citizens, who are our eyes and ears in our com-munities, said Staff Sgt. Andrew Mar-tin. The suspect in this matter is well known for all types of property crimes, anditshardtosayifwewouldhave gotten this expensive machine back, or whatshapeitwouldvebeenin,ifwe hadnt received the call when we did. Thesuspectwasheldinpolicecus-tody for a court appearance later that day.Tow truck impoundedAtowtruckdriverlosthisdrivers licensefor90daysandhadhistruck impoundedfor30daysFridaynight afterpolicediscoveredhimoperating hiscompanystowtruckwhileunder the inuence of alcohol. Cst.AmandaPriestwasonpatrol inthe21700-blockofDewdneyTrunk Road just before 11 p.m. when she no-ticed the tow truck being driven errati-cally. Priest pulled the truck over and discovered the 44-year-old male driver hadconsumedalcohol.Thedriver providedtwobreathsamplesintothe roadsidescreeningdevice,withboth samples producing a fail reading.RCMP seek truck in hit-and-runRidgeMeadowsRCMPareinvesti-gating a hit-and-run of a light standard on 116th Avenue, near Burnett Street, in Maple Ridge. Police were called around 12:45 a.m. Saturday and found a light pole laying on the road. Police believe the vehicle wastravelingwestboundon116th Avenuewhenitstruckthepole,then left the scene. Police are looking for a dark-coloured pickup truck, possibly a Dodge Ram. It would have some dam-age to the front end.Anyonewithanyinformation abouttheseorothercrimesisasked tocontactRidgeMeadowsRCMPat 604-463-6251.Ifyouwishtoremain anonymouscallCrimeStoppersat 1-800-222-8477orleaveatiponlineat www.bccrimestoppers.com.Crime Stopperswillpayarewardofupto $2,000 if your information leads to an arrest and conviction.Excavator recovered after midnight rideEASYORDERMillionaireLottery.comTEL: 604-602-5848ORATANYDESIGNERHOMELOTTERYMILLIONAIREVGH&UBC HOSP I TAL FOUNDATI ONWinner will choose 1 prize option; other prize options will not be awarded. Rules of Play: MillionaireLottery.comASTON MARTINor$158,000 CASHDeadline Midnight Dec. 24GETINNOW!Hurry! Early Bird DeadlineChances are 1 in 116,000 (total tickets for sale) to win a grand prize. BC Gaming Event Licence #27974Know your limit, play within it.Problem Gambling Help Line 1-888-795-6111www.bcresponsiblegambling.ca19+ to play!BINGO HOURS: Sunday to Thursday 11:30 AM - 12:30 AM *Friday & Saturday 11:30 AM to 1 AM** SEE SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS ABOVELougheed Hwy119th224thHaney Place MallMR Comm.Gaming CentreXBingo sessions are at 11:30am, 3:30pm, 6:30pm & 10:15 pm dailyHoliday HoursFRIDAY DEC. 24TH Slots Open 10am 12am BINGO CLOSEDSATURDAY DEC. 25TH Slots Open 12pm 12am BINGO CLOSEDSUNDAY DEC. 26TH Slots & Bingo Open Regular HoursFRIDAY DEC. 31ST Slots & Bingo Open Regular HoursSATURDAY JAN. 1ST Slots Open 10am 2am BINGO OPEN @ 5 PM Ext. 1 for daily jackpots Ext. 2 for daily schedules Call 604-467-1723www.mapleridgecgc.com22366 - 119th Ave., Maple RidgeSLOTS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEKSunday to Thursday: 10 AM - 1 AMFriday & Saturday:10 AM to 2 AMNOW OPENNew Years Eve Bingo Gala Tickets are still available while quantities last $75 ticket includes an all-inclusive card package, special New Years Eve games, draws, dinner& party favours!slotsRacebook is open from 10am12am dailyFor breaking news, go to www.mapleridgenews.com16 Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.comDependable PerformanceIndustrys Largest Capacity Available With 6.7 cu. ft. capacity the New Gemini double oven offers the largest available capacity in the industry*.* Among leading brands, based on a combined capacity of both ovens.Power PreheatPreheat the upper or lower ovens up to 40% faster than conventional Maytag ovens to help prepare meals quicker.Durable Design10-year limited parts warranty** The Maytag Gemini double-oven offers a 10-year limited parts warranty** on the elements and ceramic glass cooktop to give you peace of mind.Dependable EfciencyEvenAir True Convection with Third Element and Auto Conversion. This convection oven usese a high wattage-element and a fan to roast meat up to 30% faster than a conventional oven. Auto Conversion converts time or temperature to eliminate guesswork. NOW ONLY $2149LESS INSTANT REBATE $-200YOU PAY ONLY $1949NEW! GEMINI DOUBLE OVEN FREESTANDING ELECTRIC RANGEPROVEN PERFORMANCEFrench Door with ltered/external ice/water dispenser - fresh tasting ice and water at your ngertipsDURABLE DESIGNUnique French Door conguration - combines the benets of a side-by-side and a bottom freezer refrigeratorBeverage Chiller compartment helps keep drinks up to 4 colder than the rest of the refrigeratorWide-N-Fresh deli drawer - Full-width temperature-controlled drawer is great for storing snacks or deli traysENERGY STAR QualiedLook for the ENERGY STAR symbol on selected Maytag products. It shows that the product meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efciencyNNSD277SGENIUS INVERTER OVER-THE-RANGE MICROWAVEDistinctive dial control system Stylish Green Colour LED display 2.0 cu. Ft. 1100W high power output Flush front cosmetic design with push button door42 dB Extra quiet fan with high outside vent Turntable On/Off switch Super powerful and quiet fan (up to 420 CFM) Half mirror door Stainless steel nish Exterior Dimensions (H x W x D): 418 x 759 x 390 mm / 16.5 x 29.9 x 15.4 HOBBY 112210 Stitches including buttonholeHandy snap on/off feet Protective hard cover Adjustable stitch length NOW THE ERGORAPIDO 2-IN-1 IS EVEN BETTER WITH NEW AND IMPROVED FEATURES.It is a multi-purpose tool with a hand unit on the oor stick to reach crumbs no matter where they are. Its easy to sweep oors with a exile motorized brush nozzle.22381 Dewdney Trunk Road, Maple RidgeMon - Sat 9 am - 5:30 pm, Sundays 11am - 5pm SEE ABOVE FOR SPECIAL CHRISTMAS HOURS604-467-3897 604-467-3884WAUDI OWVI DEOWAPPLI ANCESWSEWI NGMACHI NESWVACUUMSNOW ONLY$1599DOUBLE DISHDRAWER TALL With over a decade of DishDrawer manufacturing, we introduce the latest addition by Fisher & Paykel to revolutionize your kitchen; DishDrawer Tall. Continuing with the ergonomically superior design of DishDrawer, Fisher & Paykel have found new ways to make your dishwashing experience even easier. By increasing the height of the top drawer you can now t up to 13 plates with ease, making cleaning up after dinner parties a breeze.21.8 CU. FT. ICE2O FULL-DEPTH FRENCH DOOR BOTTOM REFRIGERATORNOW ONLY$1599NOW ONLY$549M)NOW ONLY$12999SAVE$200$449MSRP $449Special Holiday Shopping Hours:Dec 15-17 and Dec. 20-23 open till 8pmwww.mapleridgenews.com - THE NEWS - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 17SATELLITE SPEAKERInspired by decades of design excellence, the Radius 45 represents Monitor Audio innovation at its most concentrated. The diminutive Radius 45 is a surround speaker with a size-defying performance. Its secret is a rear-ring gold C-CAM tweeter, which spreads and magnies the sound around the room to create ahuge, encompassing surround sound effect. Available in the Radius range of real-wood veneer, lacquer and grille colour options, the R45 will blend perfectly with your dcor in an ultra-discreet multi-channel audio or video system. R45HD7.1 CHANNEL DIGITAL HOMETHEATRE RECEIVER Enjoy all your HD audio and video sources. Featur-ing powerful 115W x 7 max surround sound HD Audio decoding. HDMI (4in/1 out), 1080p video upscaling, YPAO and New SCENE functionality.$399SAVE $150RXV565Experience your iPhone/iPod with no sound delays while easily enjoying your games, music and movies... wirelessly.THE LD400 WILL ENRICH ANY HOMEFull HD 1080p resolution.The LD400 is a 1080p Full HD marvel that brings personal music and photo collections to life. Connect devices through the USB port to display favoured photos at the large size they deserve.S2 SERIES 1080P FULL-HD PLASMA TVThe 1080p S series utilizes 600Hz sub-eld drive technology which lets us view superb Full HD motion video. Featuring Panasonics new NeoPDP which boasts twice the luminuous efciency of previous displays and reduces power consumption while offering new possibilities in image quality.22381 Dewdney Trunk Road, Maple RidgeMon - Sat 9 am - 5:30 pm, Sundays 11am - 5pm SEE ABOVE FOR SPECIAL CHRISTMAS HOURS604-467-3897 604-467-3884WAUDI OWVI DEOWAPPLI ANCESWSEWI NGMACHI NESWVACUUMS$799SAVE $20042 SCREENTCP42S2$999SAVE $30046 SCREENTCP46S2$1099SAVE $30050 SCREENTCP50S2$1299SAVE $40054 SCREENTCP54S2$2099SAVE $40058 SCREENTCP58S2$2999 SAVE $50065 SCREENTCP65S2$599 SAVE $20042 SCREEN42LD400TH TH THH TH T EEEEE LLLDD LD LD40 400 400 40000000 WIII WI WI WWI WILLL LLL LL LL LL EEE ENR NR NR NR C IC IC IC ICHHHHH AN ANYY HOME$159 EACHSAVE $40PDX50 WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM FOR IPOD$498DCX3400 / DCX3200$199SAVE $150GREY ONLYThe Shaw HD Box combines the incredible picture quality of HDTV and exceptional sound with Dolby Digital 5.1. The new Shaw HD Box is easy to install and gives you access to Shaw Video On Demand.The dual tuner allows you to record one program while watching another Watch a recorded program while recording two other programs 500 GB storage capacityHD PVR PLUS HD BOX COMBOSpecial Holiday Shopping Hours:Dec 15-17 and Dec. 20-23 open till 8pmm a g i c aal HtiHoliday s:Dec 15-17open till 8pa g i c id Dopc. d Dec and4220 Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.comWISE BUYERS READ THE LEGAL COPY:Dealer may sell or lease for less. Limited time offers. Offers may be cancelled at any time without notice. Factory order or dealer transfer may be required. See your Ford Dealer for complete details or call the Ford Customer Relationship Centre at 1-800-565-3673.*Choose 6.99% APR purchase nancing on a new 2010 F-150 Super Cab XLT 4x4 / 2011 F-250 Super Cab XLT 4x4 Western Edition / 2011 Ranger Sport Super Cab 4x2 for a maximum of 72 months to qualied retail customers, OAC from Ford Credit. Not all buyers will qualify for the lowest APR payment.Purchase nancing monthly payment is $494 / $639 / $256 (the sum of twelve (12) monthly payments divided by 26 periods gives payee a bi-weekly payment of $228 / $295 / $118) with a down payment of $0 or or equivalent trade-in. Cost of borrowing is $6,588.07 / $8,519.13 / $3,407.51 or APR of 6.99% and total to be repaid is $35,587.07 / $46,018.13 / $18,406.51. All purchase nance offers include freight and air tax of $1,500 / $1,500 / $1,350 but exclude variable charges of license, fuel ll charge, insurance, registration, PPSA, administration fees, any environmental charges or fees, andall applicable taxes. Taxes are payable on the full amount of the purchase price. Bi-Weekly payments are only available using a customer initiated PC (Internet Banking) or Phone Pay system through the customers own bank (if offered by that nancial institution). The customer is required to sign a monthly payment contract and furnish a cheque in the amount of the rst bi-weekly payment on the contract date. Subsequent bi-weekly payments will be made via a PC or Phone Pay system commencing 2 weeks following the contract date. Dealer may sell for less. Offers vary by model andnot all combinations will apply. Offers are available to customers taking retail incentives and may only be available on approved credit (OAC) from Ford Credit. **Or Cash Purchase a new 2010 F-150 Super Cab XLT 4x4 / 2011 F-250 Super Cab XLT 4x4 Western Edition / 2011 Ranger Sport Super Cab 4x2 for $28,999 / $37,499 / $14,999 afer Total Manufacturer Rebate of $7,500 / $8,000 / $6,000 deducted. Taxes payable on full amount of purchase price afer Manufacturer Rebate has been deducted. Offers include freight and air tax of $1,500 / $1,500 / $1,350 but exclude variable charges of license,fuel ll charge, insurance, registration, PPSA, administration fees, any environmental charges or fees, and all applicable taxes. All prices are based on Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price.Receive [$1,000 / $2,500 / $3,000 / $4,000 / $4,500 / $4,750 / $5,000 / $5,500 / $6,000 / $6,500 /$7,500/ $11,000] / [$500 / $1,000 / $2,000 / $4,000 / $4,500 / $5,000 / $6,000 / $8,000] in Manufacturer Rebates with the purchase or lease of a new [2010] / [2011] [E-Series / Focus S, Explorer 4 door, Transit Connect / Fusion Hybrid / Focus (excluding S), Fusion S, Ranger Regular Cab XL and FEL, EdgeSE, Flex SE, Escape Hybrid, F-350 to F-550 Chassis Cabs / Fusion (excluding S and Hybrid) /Escape I4 Manual / Ranger Super Cab XL, Escape (excluding I4 manual and hybrid) / Taurus SE, Explorer Sport Trac/ Mustang Value Leader, Taurus (excluding SE), Ranger Super Cab (excluding XL) / Mustang (excluding Value Leader), Edge (excluding SE), Flex (excluding SE), F-150 Regular Cab/Expedition, F-150 (excluding Regular Cab) / F-250 - F-450 (excluding Chassis Cab)] / [Ranger Super Cab XL, Ranger Regular Cab and FEL, E-Series / Mustang Value Leader, F350 to 550 Chassis Cabs / Transit Connect /Mustang V6 (excluding Value Leader) / Expedition / Mustang GT, Ranger Super Cab (excluding XL), F-150 Regular Cab (excluding XL 4x2) / F-150 (excluding Regular Cab) / F250 F450 (excluding Chassis Cabs). All Shelby GT500, F-150 Raptor and Medium Truck models are excluded. This offer can be used in conjunction with most retail consumer offers made available by Ford of Canada at either the time of factory order or delivery, but not both. On applicable vehicles, this offer can also be combined with the Commercial Connection Program incentive