LangleyAdvance Your community newspaper since 1931
Thursday, December 12, 2013 Breaking news, sports, and entertainment: www.langleyadvance.com
Audited circulation: 40,026 – 36 pages
Crime
WE BUY GOLD Get all you want for Christmas BEST PRICE PAID ON THE SPOT!!
604-534-8845
20369 56 Ave., Langley (Behind the Baseline Pub)
SELLING LANGLEY ONE YARD AT A TIME Call
KEITH SETTER for a
FREE Market Evaluation 604-533-3491
Treeland Realty
View With
FREE 10 YEAR WARRANTY
Until Dec 31 get a FREE extended warranty on any Miele S5, S6 or S8 vacuum
Star
ting
at
$349
Miele
LANGLEY
#1-19638 Fraser Hwy.
604-530-7501 SOUTH SURREY #600-15355 24th Ave.
604-531-7614
www.biggarysvacuums.com
Grinches are working overtime this holiday season. by Heather Colpitts hcolpitts@langleyadvance.com
When eight-year-old Tristan Morton got up Tuesday morning, she noticed a friend missing from the front lawn of the family’s Aldergrove home. “My Frosty got stolen,” she said. The eight-foot inflatable snowman was missing from their home near Fraser Highway and 276th Street. It had been there the night before when the family turned in for bed. “In the morning, I said ‘I can’t see Frosty’,” Tristan said.
to anchor Frosty are For much of the still in the ground. day, she was sad. “We’ve been here “It’s been two hours five years and we’ve of crying,” said her always had [Frosty] mom, Kelly. up,” Kelly said. By late afternoon Kelly said she Tristan started to get heard on Tuesday mad. about the damage “I want it back,” and theft caused at the little girl told the Langley Advance. Williams Park. And The inflatable snowrobbers hit a yard man, valued at about on an Aldergrove This photo from www. $100, has a sign that cul-de-sac that was says ‘Happy Holidays’ shutterstock.com shows what decorated for the and is holding a holidays. The family the stolen inflatable is like. candy cane. was going to accept “We got it from my grandpa,” donations for charity. Tristan added. Anyone with information about As well, lights were stolen from stolen local Christmas decor can the family’s home in what looks contact the Langley RCMP at 604to be a grab and go. The stakes 532-3200.
Tristan Morton has drawn a picture of her missing inflatable Frosty the Snowman.
Volunteerism
Good citizen shared his green thumb Les Clay is Langley’s Good Citizen of the Year, a choice that surprised its recipient.
in rhododendron societies at the provincial and international level. He has donated hundreds of his rhodos and other trees to the Township and Langley City, to the landscaping by Matthew Claxton around the W.C. Blair Pool, mclaxton@langleyadvance.com and to various fundraising It took a while to list the charitgroups. able and professional accomplishWith the late Eric Bysouth ments of the newest H.D. Stafford – also an H.D. Stafford recipiGood Citizen of the Year award ent – he volunteered to prune winner. the plants around the historic Les Clay was given the award Michaud House and mainTuesday night at the annual tained the Langley United Greater Langley Chamber of Church’s garden. Commerce Christmas dinner. Over the last several years, Clay smiled and stood quietly one of his major projects as chamber president Kristine has been the creation of the Simpson listed the reasons for arboretum, a Township park his award. Then he took to the that saw a great deal of work View mic to thank the chamber, and done by volunteers like Clay, video invited everyone to visit the who formed the original stakewith Derek Doubleday Arboretum in holder group that called for its the spring, when more than 2,500 creation. or online daffodils are expected to bloom. “Thanks to his vision and The arboretum is one of Clay’s relentless work, we now have achievements, as he was a key not only a registered sociforce in getting the project off the ety named Arboretum and ground. Botanical Society of Langley, Clay said he was surprised to but also an arboretum and Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance receive the award. As a longtime botanical garden for scientific, Les Clay urged people to visit Langley’s arboretum after he was named the Citizen of the Year. Rotarian, he was asked to repeducational, and ornamental resent the club that night to get him to the purposes,” said Simpson. Clay, a rhododenron cultivator and owner ceremony. The garden holds groves of trees dedicated of Clay Nurseries, has put his green thumb to “They informed me that I was going,” Clay to the memory of significant Langley pionmany uses over the years. said. eers, viewing decks, and a memorial cenoHe has served for a decade on Langley He said he doesn’t seek out the limelight, taph dedicated to those killed while serving in Township’s Parks and Recreation but he doesn’t mind it either. Afghanistan. Commission, including four years as pres“It’s nice to see things get done,” he said of “Harold Stafford epitomized what a good ident. He is also a past president of the Fraser his philosophy of volunteering. person should be,” said Simpson. South Rhodo Society, and has been involved www.langleyadvance.com
Short on Holiday Cash?
Snowman stolen from child
Aldergrove Christmas Light Up Parade
Aldergrove is bringing on Christmas full force with its annual Christmas Light Up Parade, running through the middle of downtown Aldergrove, starting 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 – see page A25.