LangleyAdvance
Quick study pg A9
Your community newspaper since 1931
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
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Land use
Residents rally to save forest land
People in Aldergrove want to keep part of a forested area from being developed. by Matthew Claxton mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
Aldergrove residents are asking Langley Township to modify plans for developing its own land to spare a chunk of forest. Angela Wonitowy and Jessica Horst have been gathering signatures for a petition they planned to present to the council Monday night. Wonitowy has lived in the area almost 20 years, close to the site in the 27500 block of 28th Avenue, at the southeastern edge of Aldergrove’s suburban area where it meets farmland. The land in question belongs to the Township, and includes the Langley Water Treatment Plant. The plant takes up just a small portion of the land, and a
Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance
Jessica Horst wants part of the forested lands along the Bertand Creek in southeastern Aldergrove preserved from development. Township reports says the rest is no longer used. With Sanderson Planning, the Township wants to develop 61 homes on the site. Wonitowy and Horst don’t object to the entire development. Bertrand Creek and one
Langley
604-530-5371 Langley Christian School Open House Tuesday, February 4th 9am–noon & 7–9pm
For more information 604.533.2118 development@langleychristian.com www.langleychristian.com
of its small streams flow nearby, dividing the lot roughly into two chunks. Horst and Wonitowy are fine with allowing the northern segment of the project to go forward. But they and their neighbours want to see the southern section,
which has a small forest, left alone. The southern portion has about one third of the homes. The land has long been used as an informal park by neighbours, with paths leading into it from several directions. Horst said that by last Friday they had 250 signatures physically and more than 300 online. The group has also been in touch with the Watchers of Langley Forests, WOLF, which lobbied to preserve similar Township-owned forested lands from being sold in Glen Valley. “I really do believe in densifying towns,” said Horst, a teacher in Langley and Abbotsford. She said she likes the idea of putting “eyes on the forest” in much the same way that adding residents to a downtown area puts “eyes on the streets.” People living near a forest take ownership of the land, she said, and feel responsible for it. The public hearing was scheduled for Monday night.
Courts
Ready stance With guidance from coach Monique Deakin, Jeremy Wright fielded a ground ball inside the Walnut Grove Secondary School gymnasium, as the Langley Dynamite softball team practised for the 2014 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games taking place July 8-12 at the University of British Columbia. Troy Landreville/Langley Advance
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Ralph back in court
A trial may be averted in the case of a sexual assault involving a former teacher. by Matthew Claxton
mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
The trial of former Langley teacher Deborah Ralph, charged with sexually assaulting a former student, may wrap up without a trial. The trial was scheduled to begin Monday in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster. Over the previous two weeks, a jury has been chosen and a voir dire hearing was scheduled. On Monday, lawyers for the Crown and defense said they have been having discussions, and expected to reach a “final resolution” by Wednesday. Justice Selwyn Romilly adjourned the proceedings to Wednesday once discussions have finished. The jury may be dismissed by Thursday. The alleged offenses took place between 1998 and 2001, and the victim was “elementary school aged” at the time, said Langley RCMP. Ralph taught at James Kennedy Elementary from 1987 to June 2010, then at Langley Fundamental until she was arrested in 2011 when the victim came forward to police.