Storm rises to nationals
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Thursday July 28, 2011 Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Pitching in for Peru
Delta organization helps Latin American country host international fastpitch tournament by Maria Spitale-Leisk THE DUST HAS SETTLED at another international women’s fastpitch tournament at Softball City. And now, the North Delta Softball Association (NDSA) is helping its counterpart in Peru create a tournament of similar calibre. Next week, members of the North Delta Sunfire, a senior women’s fastpitch team, will travel to Lima, Peru to participate in that country’s first crack at hosting an international competition. It’s all been made possible thanks to some key local players, including Roberto PerezLeon, a Peruvian-born umpire who’s part of the North Delta association. He once coached the woman who is now president of the girl’s softball organization in Peru. NDSA president Cliff Lane has also come on board, collecting 1,000 pounds of used equipment and uniforms – enough to outfit approximately 15 girls softball teams – and shipping it to Lima at a cost of $1 a pound. “Obviously there is a lot of poverty (in Peru),” said Lane. “The extra uniforms will be given to soccer clubs.” Cliff Lane The tournament runs Aug. 9-14 at a modern facility in one of the nicer districts of Lima. Some of the Sunfire players, who range in age from 23 to 31, have been part of the local squad for 20-plus years. Lane’s two daughters – Melissa and Ashleigh – were fixtures for many years, and their mom Kathy Lane started the team. Cliff attests that there are underlying life lessons that the players have taken from the sport. “They have learned how to deal with adversity,” he says. The Delta team is the only international entry outside of Latin America in the Lima tournament. “The goal is to make it a stepping stone to put together a tournament in Peru that is complimentary to the international fastpitch tournament in Surrey,” explains Lane, noting the Lima economy could also benefit from business revenue generated by the event.
“...there is a lot of poverty (in Peru).”
BOAZ JOSEPH / THE LEADER
The North Delta Sunfire senior softball team has donated 1,000 pounds of equipment to aspiring athletes in Peru. From left is player Jen Van Egdom, coach Cliff Lane and player Britni McLellan.
Solid waste plan OKd
The province approved the Integrated Solid Waster and Resource Management Plan this week, which includes trash incineration, as well as increased recycling and composing of household organic waste.
Controversial garbage incinerators part of the mix by Kevin Diakiw THE PROVINCE has endorsed the regional waste plan,
which includes the incineration of garbage. The region adopted the Integrated Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan (ISWRMP) a year ago this week. On Monday, Minister of Environment Terry Lake gave it his approval. Along with trash incineration, the plan also calls for an aggressive push for increased recycling and composting of household organics. Metro board chair Lois Jackson said Monday the pro-
vincial approval was great news. “This solid waste management plan will help us preserve non-renewable resources, save energy, generate revenue, protect the environment and reduce greenhouse gases,” Jackson said. The ISWRMP was the result of exhaustive public consultation and involves several methods of waste disposal as the region attempts to cut down the amount of garbage headed for the landfill. The targets are an 80 per cent diversion in the amount of waste heading for landfills, which See PLAN / Page 5
FILE PHOTO / THE LEADER
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