Friday, April 27, 2012
Ballam
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Furniture Gallery A FAMILY TRADITION FOR 50 YEARS
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Art at work
RELAY FOR LIFE
'Dead' woman looking for answers
Harrison’s Lagoon the newest backdrop for cancer research fundraiser
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Bumped off voting list as deceased, Hope woman demands apology Jessica Peters THE OBSERVER
BIOLOGIST BITES BACK Farmers need to get act together: Mailbag
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INSIDE opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 6 mailbag . . . . . . . . . . . 7 sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 community . . . . . . . 10 classifieds . . . . . . . . 17
604.796.1170 160 Lillooet Ave., HHS
Pamela Smith spent her time volunteering at the Hope Art Gallery on Wednesday working on a painting assignment for a class at The Art Machine later in the week. The Art Machine has classes Mondays through Thursdays, for all ages and abilities. For more information on the gallery or The Art Machine, phone 604-869-3400. JESSICA PETERS / OBSERVER
Craigslist ad helps locate stolen property The Mounties found their man, online, thanks to a Craigslist ad. On April 9 at 11:30 a.m., the Hope RCMP investigated the theft of four tires and wheels which were stolen off of two brand new vehicles from the lot of Gardner Chevrolet Oldsmobile Pontiac Buick GMC in Hope. The tires and wheels were stolen overnight and they were estimated to be worth over $4,000. Then, over last weekend, an officer noted an ad on Craigslist with the same type of tires and wheels for sale in Hope. On Tuesday, officers orchestrated a meet with the seller of the tires and determined that they were
indeed the stolen tires from Gardner. The 20-year-old local man was arrested and he later admitted to stealing them. "Craigslist can be a great place for the public to acquire items that they need, however, it is also an easy way for the criminal minded to flog stolen items," said Corporal Jeff Bowerman. "Police are quite aware of this method and we are actively monitoring sites such as Craigslist to locate stolen items." The wheels and tires were returned to Gardner and the man will be referred to the Restorative Justice Program, which is an extension of the criminal justice system.
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MARCO D. CEDRONE PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER ICBC (MVA’S) • SLIP & FALLS • DOG BITES • PERSONAL INJURY - HOWEVER CAUSED
7070 Pioneer Ave., Agassiz BC | 604-796-0415 | www.cascadelaw.com com
Margaret Stephens wants everyone to know she is alive – and kicking. The longtime Hope resident was shocked to hear of her own death, as told to her by Elections B.C. last Thursday. She hadn't received a voting card in the mail, so she took her previously issued voters card with her when she headed to the polls to vote for MLA. When she arrived, she was told she was not on the list, and that she could register on site. And she would have, she said, if the exact same thing hadn't happened before. But it did. In 2009, she was told the same thing. "I reapplied then (in 2009), and I thought I was okay," she said. So, sensing something was entirely wrong, Stephens headed home and called Elections BC directly. It was there she was told she was listed as deceased. "When did I die?" she asked them. "There is somebody walking around here on two legs, so tell me when did I die?" But she wasn't going to let that stop her. She marched back to the polling station, registered onsite, and cast her ballot. But her experience has her wondering how accurate the entire elections system is. "I am cross," she said. "I have lived in Hope for 78 years, lived in the same house for 56 years. Where is my ballot?" She wonders what happened
when she registered at the polling station in 2009, and whether her vote was ever recorded. She wonders what will happen to her vote this time around, too. "It's got to be cleaned up," she said. "It's my privilege to vote and it's my right to vote, and I don't know where my name has gone." She had been trying to get in touch with newly elected MLA Gwen O'Mahony, to get help in finding out what went wrong. She also wants an apology, and proof that she is now a registered voter. O'Mahony has not yet been sworn in, but has been in Victoria all week getting a crash course in politics. The Observer caught up with her between meetings, and put the two women in contact. By chance, Bill-33 is being discussed this week, which in part discusses doorto-door enumeration. "This is quite timely, given what is being discussed right now," she said. She agrees the issue is troubling, and vowed to help Stephens find out what happened. "Sure people make mistakes," O'Mahony said. "But what this does is it tears at the fiber of trust. "The Liberals feel we have the best, most up-to-date voters list, but there are obviously still issues." She is hoping to see a return of timely, door-to-door enumeration, to clean up the voters list.