The Chilliwack Progress from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada • Page 3

THE pHILUVyACKt'ftpppESSvguntlajlanMaiy 3 The Progress News Eyes wide open Beading a new path From front .5 VIC IT that we get organized as soon as possible," he says. "So we're ready to fight the NDP when an Barry Penner 1 1 -v V-i? 4 Chilliwack NDP riding association, says the leadership contest simply shows "the democratic process" at work in the party, and NDPers here are keeping an open mind until the party's February convention. "I think they just want to go in with eyes wide open," she says. And she believes Mr. Penner is blowing smoke if he's suggesting the party or elected MLAs would turn on a new leader.

"I think whoever the new leader is we'll try and give him all the support we can. I hope all the members in all the constituencies would do that." The local NDP won't hold a founding meeting in the new Chilliwack-Sumas riding until after the convention, she adds. "1 think we need to find out who our leader is first." Mr. Penner says he's been pushing Liberal Party brass to form a new riding executive here to get a leg up on the NDP in the next election. "I feel it's important election is called." The founding meeting and election of the riding association executive will be held February 9 in Abbotsford at the Ramada Inn.

A nomination meeting for MLA candidates in the new riding is expected "very shortly" after the founding meeting, he says, because the party's constitution requires 42 days notice to allow time for candidates to get ready. The Chilliwack riding currently represented by Mr. Penner was split in two by a provincial election boundaries commission last summer. The resulting ridings are called Chilliwack-Kent and Chilliwack-Sumas. Mr.

Penner says most of his executive, including Judy Hamel, will continue in the Chilliwack-Kent riding, but some may opt to seek a position in the new riding association. Levi Broeckx, 9, reaches for a handful of beads to string onto a strip of leather while making a keychain on Potlatch Day at Robertson Elementary School. Other activities included a snack of dried berries and seaweed, a song sung by First Nations Support Worker Emily Smith and a gift give-away, jenna hauckprogress Kids' Stuff Parents can get into Kids' Stuff for a quarter. That's what organizers are calling their garage and bake sale event coming up on January 29. Chimo Family Resource Society is putting on the event to sell gently used clothes, toys, sports equipment, baby furniture and more.

good quality clothing on hand at bargain prices. "And the best part of it is that it's indoors so it makes saving money fun in winter." The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cheam Centre Gym, 1061 Boulevard. To register for a table or to make donations, call Gabrielle or Wendy at 858-8099.

"Proceeds from the event go to benefit our parents, caregivers and tots drop-in," explains Gabrielle Glinz, funding research coordinator. "The entire event is geared to children and there will be a little of everything. Plus, people these days don't like to bake that much anymore so we usually do very well with the bake sale portion of the event." She says there's going to be a lot of Convicted of 15 offences Following the leader Criminals with passports See page 4 Strahl believes in Preston Manning and his quest to take the right in a UA direction history is made up of offences involving this target group." Mr. Dawson was convicted of 15 offences such as buggery and indecent assault involving boys from 1959 to 1974. His ongoing "sexual fixation" for boys never changed.

He was deemed a dangerous sex offender in 1975, meaning he was supposed to serve an indeterminate or life sentence. He was given some temporary prison absences from 1986 to 1989, but his parole was suspended when further allegations of-sexual assault arose. In April 1994, Mr. Dawson was released on full parole and established his drafting building company in Chilliwack. His parole was revoked again in May 1995 for allegations of sexual assault against a young male.

He was jailed until January 1997. The charges were dropped. He arrived at Sumas Centre in January 1997 and was again allowed day parole. A parole officer, however, told the parole board that "nothing short of commando-style surveillance would be effective without constant surveillance, the offender was not manageable in the community." "enthusiasm" among voters in the rest of Canada -not just the West to win a national election. "But if the party wants to re-trench and just look after a regional Western base, that's not where I'm coming from," he says.

"I certainly care about the West, but I care about the country as well." Reform Party delegates will meet later this month in Ottawa to decide whether to create the new political party, and then put the proposal to a vote by all party members in March. Mr. Manning needs two-thirds of the party membership to win the vote, but in an earlier UA referendum only 60 -Please tubntoUA, Page 4- 'Nothing short of commando-style surveillance would be effective on Dawson' From front system. It's also shocking that the dangerous sex offender had a valid Canadian passport, he says. "That's a first in Canada." The MP obtained a copy of the board of investigation report by CSC and the National Parole Board and released it publicly this week.

Mr. Dawson will be sentenced on Jan. 28 in Vancouver Supreme Court. The report notes that Mr. Dawson "demonstrated a persistent sexual interest in adolescent males.

His entire criminal By Robert Freeman Staff Writer Preston Manning says he'll quit as Reform Party leader if rank and file members reject his United Alternative to form a new political party for a better shot at winning election to federal government. And party whip Chuck Strahl, Reform MP for the Fraser Valley, says he may decide not to seek reelection as a Reformer, if the UA proposal fails. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life on that (Oppositionsideof the -r House," explains Mr. Strahl. He says a "small group" of party members believe Reform should be satisfied with it's Opposition role, influencing government policy like the federal New Democrats.

"I just don't agree with that strategy," Mr. Strahl says. "To make things happen you've got to get on that (Government) side of the House." He believes Mr. Manning's idea of creating a new conservative party under the UA banner is key to creating the.