Tues July 26, 2011 Leader

Page 1

Take a day trip to the North Shore page 14

SPCA photo contest page 17

Tuesday July 26, 2011 Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com

Mayor breaks back in horse accident

Clean – and together After prying free from the grip of drug addiction, a Surrey couple moves forward and fulfills dream

Dianne Watts fractures two vertebrae during family vacation

by Evan Seal

A

by Kevin Diakiw SURREY MAYOR Dianne Watts broke two verte-

brae during a horseback trail ride on Saturday. Watts was vacationing with her family in Kamloops when the horse she was riding began to gallop. Watts was tossed up, and when she came back down in the saddle, she suffered a compression fracture of two vertebrae in her lower back. Watts slumped off the horse, falling onto the rear of another horse and then to the ground. She was airlifted to Royal Inland Hospital where she remains in stable condition. A CT scan on the weekend indicated there was no nerve damage, however she continues to be in extreme pain. She was expected to undergo an MRI on Monday to see if there are neural pathways affected. If there are, surgery may be required to reduce any pressure. As of Monday morning, her family was working to Dianne Watts have her airlifted to another hospital. Laura Ballance, speaking for the City of Surrey, said more will be known about Watts’ anticipated return to work after the diagnostic tests are complete. Ballance said she has been taken aback by the widespread public reaction to the accident. “I’ve had calls from all across the Canada,” Ballance said. “She is one of the one of the most loved politicians in the country.” Acting Mayor Marvin Hunt said the system is set up to operate in her absence. He was expected to chair Monday’s public meeting, which is the last one before council’s summer break, which lasts until mid-September. Updates on the mayor’s status will be posted at www.surreyleader.com

EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER

Former drug addicts Deana and Bobby have found happiness and are getting married on July 30.

cold light rain fell around her as Deana walked out of the Arco Hotel on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver looking to buy some crack cocaine. She needed a fix to get started for the day – a routine years in the making. Wearing only her housecoat, she fumbled through her pockets to find her ringing cell phone. The voice on the other end was loud and excited. “Mommy this our song do you remember it?” The song was Dear Mama by Tupac Shakur. Deana began to cry as she listened to the lyrics and to the exuberant and energetic voice of her daughter blaring through the handset. She knew it was time. She had poisoned her body and her life for too long. It was time to break free from the painful and devastating grip crack cocaine and heroin had on her. The road was not going to be smooth but it was a choice between life and death. Her path began at a young age. One of four children born to an African-American father and an aboriginal mother, her parents split up when Deana was small. Living with her mother in Vancouver she remembers a typical, idyllic life that included trips to Stanley Park and celebrations with family. But like so many teens, the rules became too onerous and she decided to move to Edmonton to live with her father. Although he also had very strict rules, her dad allowed Deana to smoke cigarettes and due to his very busy work schedule, was rarely home. It was a freedom that appealed to the then-preteen. At 12, she began taking Ritalin to control her hyperactive and erratic behavior. But soon the rules in Edmonton became too much and after giving birth to her first child at age 16, Deana decided to run away. Couch surfing and living with friends, she got mixed up with the wrong crowd. Not long after, she used a needle for the first time. See WEDDING / Page 4

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