The Chilliwack
Progress Tuesday
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120 YEARS YOUR COMMUNITY
NEWSPAPER
Chiefs fill coaching vacancies.
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1891-2011
Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • T U E S D AY, J U LY 1 9 , 2 0 1 1
City paid Sanborn $104,473 in severance Robert Freeman The Progress Grant Sanborn, who is facing three counts of breach of trust by a public official, was paid $104,473 in severance when he left the employment of the City of Chilliwack in June, 2000. At that time, there was no mention of a severance agreement, or that Sanborn was leaving for any reason other than to pursue a career in the private sector. But in February, 2008, the city issued a statement that a former employee who had been “separated” from the employment of the city was under investigation by the RCMP for “possible criminal activity” 10 years ago. The matter had been reviewed at that time by a third party, then-mayor Clint Hames said in the statement, and the unnamed employee was “let go.” “The matter was deemed an internal staff issue and the employee was subsequently separated from their employment with the city,” Hames said. The employee was never identified by city officials on the advice of police and legal counsel. But in June last year, Sanborn, 52, was charged with failing to fulfill his public duty as the city’s approving officer on two occasions, and “willfully withholding” information from city council and the public on a third occasion. Former Chilliwack Mayor John Les was not charged by the special prosecutor brought in to investigate the allegations of improper land dealings. The charges against Sanborn have not been proved in court, and a trial is not scheduled to start until February, 2012. The three charges involve incidents alleged between Aug. 1, 1997 and Dec. 31, 1997 and between Aug. 1, 1994 and Feb. 28, 1999. The Progress filed a freedom of information request in September last year asking for any records of a severance agreement paid to Sanborn, and any documents of a review by a third party of his employment. Continued: SANBORN/ p5
Jeremy Rice, 13, and dad, Mark, show how far out one needs to be at the intersection of Upper Prairie and Chilliwack Central roads to see past the hedges. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Questions linger after boy hit on bike Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Jeremy Rice, 13, doesn’t remember the precise moment he was hit by a car and thrown off his bike. But he does remember stopping at the stop sign at Chilliwack Central Road and Upper Prairie Road, and looking both ways before trying to cross in the agricultural section of East Chilliwack. No one asked the youth if he had stopped at the stop sign, even though he was conscious and breathing before
being airlifted to hospital, said Jeremy’s father, Mark Rice. Also he noticed there were no skid marks on the roadway left by the westbound motorist, which could indicate there were visibility issues at the crash site. “I am still not sure why the driver did not see my son,” Rice said. According to the July 10 RCMP report, the westbound driver had the right of way, and was not at fault. The injured cyclist failed to stop at the stop sign, police said. But questions linger in Rice’s
mind and he has asked city staff to take a look at the intersection to determine if something can be done to make that corner safer. It’s located about a block from their home. “I followed the same path as the driver did travelling the speed limit at 60 km/hr and I can tell you it is a blind corner,” Rice said. The young cyclist told The Progress he remembered looking to his left and then to his right, and when he looked left again he had already started crossing Chilliwack Central, and saw the car coming toward
him before everything went black. He was wearing a bike helmet, but was sent airborne in the crash. The youth was treated at BC Children’s Hospital for a broken rib, partially collapsed lung, sprained ankle and stitches to his head. Rice was up and moving around slowly on crutches last week. Fortunately he’s doing quite well “all things considered” and is expected to recover from his injuries in the long term, says his dad. Continued: ANSWERS/ p5
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