INSIDE: Times questionnaires continue with Mission candidates Pg. 3 F R I D A Y
April 29, 2011
7 N E W S ,
SPORTS,
Girlfriend turns on gangster
WEATHER
&
Cancer mom is balding for dollars
E N T E R T A I N M E N T abbotsfordtimes.com
– JEAN KONDA-WITTE/TIMES
Ki
Young democracy activists like Alexandria Mitchell (below) say the tide is turning and formally disenchanted young voters are set to become a powerful voice in Monday’s federal election.
Decision to testify enough for alleged Red Scorpion
THE
ARE ALRIGHT
JENNIFER SALTMAN, The Province
Youth vote set to mob Monday’s election
A
n alleged Red Scorpions gang member pleaded guilty Wednesday to drug and gun charges after his former girlfriend decided to testify against him. After delivering his opening statement on the first day of trial for Jason William Brown and Terra Lynn George in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, Crown prosecutor Peter Eccles stayed the charges against George and announced that she would be the Crown’s first witness. After a brief break, Brown changed his plea to guilty for two of the five charges he faced — the rest were stayed. Brown and George were charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of property obtained by crime and possessing a restricted firearm with ammunition. Brown faced an additional charge of possession of a firearm contrary to an order. In the fall of 2009 Abbotsford police began investigating Brown’s activities and set up surveillance of his Aldergrove home. On the evening of Nov. 12 police executed a search warrant on the house. A safe was found bolted to the floor in the closet of the master bedroom. After removing the safe and prying it open, officers found two one-kilogram bricks of cocaine, two bags containing 26 grams of cocaine, 493 grams of crystal methamphetamine, $7,700 in Canadian currency, two boxes containing 91 rounds of 9-mm ammunition, a case with a 9-mm semi-automatic handgun inside and an eight-round magazine. In the office, police found digi-
ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
Y
oung voters are on the brink of becoming a force to be reckoned with during the federal election, according to politically active youth in Abbotsford. The 2011 election is an energetic and engaging event for young people for the first time in years, said 18-year-old Alexandria Mitchell. The UBC political science student, who voted for her first time in the advance polls, helped First reported @ organize a vote mob on abbotsfordtimes.com her campus that drew more than 200 students. Vote mobs are student- “When you are organized rallies that have young, you believe sprung up on campuses across the country to you can change encourage youth to head the world . . .” to the polls May 2. “Taking part in a vote mob is almost like a – Daniel Bryce pledge,” said Mitchell. “It’s to show other youth and politicians across Canada that you are paying attention and are going to vote.” Youth voters, aged 18 to 24, are notoriously disengaged with a turnout rate of 37.4 per cent during the 2008 election. Mitchell believes the sense of apathy among young voters is changing. “Before, the election wasn’t a big topic of conversation with youth,” she said. “Young people spend a lot of time on social media and YouTube, and the election is part of those places now. It’s more in your face and young people are becoming more aware. “I think we’re seeing a shift starting to happen, see VOTE, page A13
see TRIAL, page A13
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