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A Jurassic Park-size water lily, complete with leaves stretching four feet (1.3 metres) across, is growing at a nursery on No. 7 Road in east Richmond.
Native to the tropical climes of Paraguay, northern Argentina and Bolivia, the lily, carrying the species name Victoria Cruziana, was discovered in 1801 by European botanist Thaddaeus Haenke. They are an extremely rare sight in Canada, according to Jack Wootton, owner of Hawaiian Botanicals and Water Gardens.
"I've never heard of anybody out west growing one," he told The Review.
The two-month-old lily sits in an eight-foot (2.25-metre) tank inside a greenhouse at the water plant nursery. In its natural surroundings, the plant grows up to 20 feet (six metres).
While the lilies are suspended in water, the plant is rooted to the bottom of the tank, which is filled with a 65-kilogram mix of turkey-manure and soil.
Despite their size, relatively few people have actually seen the plant in Richmond.
"We basically got it out of curiosity."
The plant exudes a strong pineapple-like fragrance from its 30-centimetre-wide, night-blooming flowers. The lily began blooming in mid-August and the flowers should continue to bloom until the end of September. The underside of the lilies, and the base of the flowers, are covered in sharp spines.
"The thorns prevent vegetation-eating animals from grazing on it."
Wootton hopes to build a six-metre tank over the winter and keep the lily outside during the summer months.
The second largest type of water lily in the world, a related species endemic to the Amazon rainforest is only slightly larger. The plant was named after Queen Victoria.
Those interested in getting a peek at the plant are invited to drop by the nursery at 6011 No. 7 Rd. on weekends between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Higher limits and longer hours have translated into dramatically increased revenues for the Richmond-based Great Canadian Casino.
The operator of four Lower Mainland casinos, including one at No. 3 and Bridgeport Roads, has seen its revenue figures skyrocket between 50 and 60 per cent ever since betting limits were increased and operating hours extended earlier this summer.
As intended, the move has resulted in B.C. gambling dollars staying at home instead of leaking into Washington State, according to a strong proponent of the move.
More than $70 million was being lost annually to Washington State tribal casinos, says Great Canadian Casino vice-president Jacee Schaefer.
Of those gambling in Washington casinos, roughly three-quarters were from B.C., she says.
High-rollers who had to cross the border to get their fix now have the option to gamble big in B.C., where betting limits for card games have been upped to $500. New games, like mini-baccarat and pai-gow poker, have also been added to the mix.
The changes to B.C. gambling have had a devastating and almost immediate impact in Washington State. Dwindling numbers have forced the Lummi Island casino to shut down, the Nooksack casino has been cut in half, and the relatively new Harrah's casino - operated by a Las Vegas casino management firm - is "suffering seriously," Schaefer says.
While Universal Coach Lines has terminated its daily bus trips to Lummi Island, a company spokesperson said gamblers are continuing to make daily trips to Nooksack and Harrah's.
But local seniors aren't likely to stay at home as a result of the changes to B.C. gaming, according to a spokesperson for the Minoru Seniors' Centre.
"Something like Harrah's...is basically a social outing for people," said the man, who would not give his name. "I can't see any reason why we wouldn't offer it in the future."
While the first trip sold out fairly quickly, he expects the current offering to sell out also.
The B.C. government will soon start taking a much bigger slice of the booming gambling revenue pie. And the cut going to charities will plummet.
In the past, B.C. charities have been taking half of the nightly revenues, with Great Canadian Casino taking 40 per cent, and the provincial government the remaining 10 per cent.
Eventually, Schaefer says that while casino management firms will take 40 per cent of the table revenues, Victoria will also take 40 per cent, and charities will come away with 20 per cent.
Schaefer maintains B.C. charities overwhelmingly supported the change to the way monies are divided. Charities will be guaranteed a minimum level of donations of about $118 million.
While the provincial government was deciding how it would alter gambling guidelines, it met with representatives of one-third of the 3,000 charitable organizations in the province.
Not only did the charities accept the changes, they supported it, Schaefer says.
Most of the additional money generated by the change in gaming policy was intended to go to government, according to lotteries advisory committee's Bruce McCulloch.
"I'm sure the charities would have liked more."
Since June, casinos have raked in an average of $13 million per month. That projects to more than $156 million for the year. During the 1996/97 fiscal year, casinos brought in $95.4 million.
Slot machines aren't likely to make their first appearance in Richmond until the start of 1998, Schaefer says.
The Great Canadian Casino has applied for a development permit to upgrade and expand its Richmond location. The 730-square-metre (8,000-square-foot) site will have to more than triple to accommodate the current tables in addition to the 300 one-arm bandits allowed at each casino.
The newest Great Canadian Casino in Newton will likely be the test site of the slot machines in late November, or possibly as early as the middle of next month. That facility, which already has the wiring in place to accommodate the machines, has room for about 200 machines. Casinos in the B.C. Interior will be the next to receive the machines before they are brought into the Lower Mainland.
To compete with the anticipated new government-run casinos, B.C.'s 17 existing casinos will need to spend an estimated $137 million in upgrades, says Schaefer.
Two Richmond males were arrested last weekend following a six-week Vancouver police investigation into a rash of robberies of elderly patrons of the local Great Canadian Casino.
The latest incident occurred after the Richmond casino closed Saturday at 2 a.m., when police say a man, 75, was followed to his west Richmond home and robbed by two men brandishing a foot-long meat cleaver.
Vancouver police know of five separate robberies - three in Vancouver and two in Richmond - involving gamblers attending the local casino. Expensive watches were the primary target, police say.
In each incident, the victims, most of whom were elderly women, had a meat cleaver held to their throats.
Arrested and charged with robbery, break-and-enter, possession of stolen property, and possession of a dangerous weapon is Matthew Qui Ho Chiang, 21. The name of the second arrested male, 17, cannot be published under conditions of the Young Offenders Act.
Richmond lost a shining light and leader in the business community with the sudden death of Richmond Savings president Kirk Lawrie, 54, on Friday.
Lawrie, who was found collapsed at his Richmond home, died of a heart arrhythmia, a condition normally triggered by a heart attack in which a portion of the heart becomes electrically unstable and is unable to function normally.
A testament to the high regard workers had for Lawrie was seen in their reaction to the news.
"People broke into tears right on the spot," said Coun. Ken Johnston, who has known Lawrie since 1986. Outside the business community, Lawrie was also well-known for his contributions to various non-profit groups including The Caring Place and the Lions Gate Hospital Society in West Vancouver.
Johnston, a member of Richmond Savings Credit Union's board of directors, characterized Lawrie as a deeply compassionate, loyal and principled man.
"I've never met a man that lived integrity. His ability to touch people was just incredible. He really truly was a nice guy."
Lawrie led Richmond Savings on its meteoric rise from the brink of insolvency in 1983 to garnering assets of $2.4 billion and earnings of $6.8 million in 1996. Richmond Savings is currently the nation's third largest credit union, serving more than 72,000 members at 13 branches in the Lower Mainland.
He is best known for ushering in a humorous advertising campaign that raised the company's profile from virtual anonymity. The 'humungous bank' campaign, as it became known, was a major reason for the company's success, he told The Review in an interview last May.
A true team player, Lawrie was quick to spread out the credit for Richmond Savings' success to the board of directors and staff at Richmond Savings, Johnston said.
"His leadership was unbelievable. That will be missed, no doubt about it."
Lawrie is survived by his wife Christa, and two daughters, Lyenne and Leila.
A memorial service will be held Friday at 1 p.m. at St. Anne's Anglican Church, 4071 Francis Rd.
In lieu of flowers, Lawrie's family has requested that donations be made to one's charity of choice, or to a trust fund set up in Lawrie's name.
A committee comprising Richmond Savings employees will decide which charities will receive money from the trust fund.
To give staff an opportunity to pay their last respects to Lawrie, Richmond Savings branches will be closed Friday from noon to 4 p.m.
Bruce Howell, vice president of finance, has been appointed interim chief executive officer by the company's board of directors.
When the big one strikes, Richmond will likely be one of the main targets to feel Mother Nature's wrath.
It's also the only city in the Lower Mainland that has yet to designate emergency disaster routes.
That's why Allan Galambos, a provincial highways engineer, is leading a municipal and provincial drive to keep some Lower Mainland roads clear for emergency vehicles during disasters.
For just $3,200, the city can erect a series of bright yellow-and-black signs to warn residents to stay off designated roads during floods and earthquakes, he told council Monday. Those streets must be kept clear for speeding ambulances, police, fire trucks and other rescue vehicles.
Cars off roads in Richmond? That's impossible, said a skeptical Coun. Lyn Greenhill (RNPA). Panicking residents are more likely to think those signs are evacuation routes and drive on them, creating chaos on the streets, she said.
But if that happens, police and army members stationed at intersections will politely remind residents to keep clear, Galambos said. Then, if residents don't listen, they'll be pushed off.
"Once you have those designated routes there is legislations that allows you to bulldoze cars off the road," Galambos said. "If you don't designated it, you can't keep them off."
Kobe, Japan didn't have emergency routes when a devastating earthquake struck a couple of years ago. As a result, the roads were clogged up with fleeing, scared residents. Even weeks after the earthquake hit, Galambos said, it still took eight hours to travel what would normally be a 15-minute drive "and if we have that, we will have a lot of people dead."
Council now wants a staff report on which roads should be designated for emergencies, likely the No. 2 Road bridge and Westminster Highway.
When asked afterward how long it would take to make the $3,200 price tag for signs pay off in a disaster, Galambos replied: "I think it would be paid for in the first 30 seconds."
It's been six long years since New Westminster's Lance Konkin, 23, was murdered and his body dumped in a Richmond ditch. But now his family is closer than ever to seeing an end to the unsolved nightmare.
On Wednesday, Drew Albert Newcombe, 28, of Vancouver was arrested by Richmond RCMP for Konkin's murder. Newcombe appeared in Richmond provincial court late Thursday afternoon, where he was charged with first-degree murder.
For Konkin's family, news of the arrest came as a shock.
"This is all news to me," Lance's older sister Kelly Konkin told The Review Thursday. "I can't believe it. I'm just blown away."
Kelly Konkin and the rest of her family were unaware an arrest had been made in her brother's murder when contacted by The Review.
"It got to the point where I thought nothing was going to happen," she said, choking back tears. "After waiting six years, you begin to give up hope. This is unreal."
Kelly Konkin, who lives in Surrey, said she was the last family member to see her brother alive on June 21. But Lance was seen by friends outside the College Place Hotel in New Westminster on June 22, she added.
Lance's body was discovered by a city worker in a ditch along Triangle Road in south Richmond on July 2, just three days after his family reported him missing.
Police now believe Konkin was murdered on June 22, according to RCMP Sgt. Willy Laurie.
Lance, the youngest of four kids, had inherited $4,000 from his grandfather shortly before his disappearance. His family feared his murder resulted from the fact that he was carrying a large amount of cash.
A story in The Review on July 5, 1991, reported that police believed Konkin "died of blows to the head caused by an unknown instrument." Although there were no immediate arrests, police at the time wanted to question two men seen talking to Konkin shortly before he disappeared.
Lance's big brother Troy, of Delta, still harbors some guilt that he wasn't around to help Lance when he died.
"He was my little brother. I miss him deeply to this day."
The two were extremely close and enjoyed all types of outdoor activities together, Troy said. He last saw Lance when he cashed his inheritance cheque.
Police said an arrest was very close shortly after Lance's body was found, raising the hopes of the entire Konkin family, Troy said.
"It went from six months to six years. My family's been taunted by this since my brother's murder. I have never given up hope that somebody would be charged."
Troy is hopeful that the arrest and charge will eventually allow the family to begin healing.
"I haven't been able to move on. I don't think my sisters or father have."
Kelly Konkin said her family has regularly contacted the media over the years, keeping the topic of Lance's murder fresh on everyone's mind.
She's convinced that that has helped find the person responsible for Lance's death.
Newcombe's next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 8. A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence.
Vancouver/Richmond health board officials hope a new hepatitis B immunization program will eventually cut down on the relatively high incidence of the disease in the area.
Vancouver and Richmond have six to eight times the rate of the viral disease than other parts of the province, according to Dr. Patricia Daly, communicable disease consultant for the regional health board.
"That's been true for years," she told The Review Thursday. As many as 2,500 new cases are reported each year.
But an immunization program started in 1992 could begin to pay off in the near future, Daly said. Students entering Grade 6 have been receiving shots since then and now only Grade 12 students need to be treated.
One of the reasons Richmond sees more than its share of the disease is because of the large immigrant population, Daly said.
Many new immigrants come from countries with a high incidence of hepatitis B.
As a result, when they come to the country, many act as carriers capable of spreading the virus.
But the disease, which attacks the liver, cannot be transmitted through casual contact, Daly emphasized.
Most infections result from sexual contact, Daly said. High-risk groups include intravenous drug users, those with multiple sex partners, those in the medical profession, hemophiliacs, inmates and those on dialysis.
Those who contract hepatitis B have a greater chance of dying than hepatitis A and C sufferers. While one per cent of those with an acute infection of hepatitis B die, 10 per cent remain life-long carriers capable of transmitting the disease. The remaining 90 per cent of people are able to completely fight off the disease.
Hepatitis B sufferers typically encounter fever and flu-like symptoms, including abdominal pain, jaundiced skin, dark yellow urine and in some cases pale stool.
B.C. has a higher incidence of the disease than any other province in Canada.
Of the group that remains life-long carriers, they have an increased chance of contracting other diseases, including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or cancer.
The immunization shot given to Grade 12 students is done in three stages over a six-month period.
While those in high-risk groups receive the immunization for free, others must pay about $90 for the three shots.
The vaccine has no major side effects, aside from a sore arm. It is effective in 90 to 95 per cent of cases.
Four robberies in the span of 15 hours on July 18 last year has netted a Richmond man, 32, one year in jail.
Gerald Linley, who has been in police custody for the past nine months, was sentenced to one year in jail and received a three-year term of probation in Richmond provincial court for the robberies, three of which were committed in Richmond.
A Crown spokesperson told The Review that the Crown thought a three- to five-year sentence was appropriate for the robberies, which were apparently committed to support a cocaine habit.
But because Linley agreed to testify against his accomplice, and has enrolled in a drug treatment program, his sentence was shortened. His one-year jail term is in addition to the nine months he has already served, the spokesperson said.
Brandishing a small imitation handgun, a disguised Linley robbed a Subway at Garden City Shopping Centre in the early morning hours of July 18, making off with $85.
Less than five hours later, still wearing beige nylons over his face and a jacket hood over his head, he robbed two employees of $200 at Studio On One Hair Design on No. 1 Road.
Linley, aided by an accomplice, then drove in the early evening to Vancouver where the pair's robbery attempt of a grocery store was thwarted by the owner's german shepherd.
The pair then robbed a Domino's Pizza on No. 2 Road, taking $150.
Flags were lowered to half-mast by city officials to honor the tragic death of Princess Diana last Saturday.
But flags at local schools weren't lowered until Thursday because school district officials were searching for direction from the provincial government.
Following comments from Prime Minister Jean Chretien earlier this week, Richmond Mayor Greg Halsey-Brandt ordered the flags to be lowered.
"We felt that her position was significant enough," Halsey-Brandt said, despite the fact that she was no longer officially a part of the royal family following her divorce from Prince Charles.
But school district superintendent Chris Kelly was less certain about what was appropriate.
"We were looking to the provincial government for a sense of protocol regarding that, and it wasn't there. I was very aware of the importance of the event."
The school district received only two complaints from residents upset that school flags weren't flown at half-mast immediately.
"I think it was unclear to everybody as to exactly how this tragedy should be recognized."
Flying flags at half-mast is a gesture of respect that is done infrequently, Kelly said.
Had there been a flood of calls to the school district, school flags would likely have been lowered earlier, he said.
"That would have had a profound effect on us."
But the flags were finally lowered Thursday when the school district received provincial government direction, he said.
"We had tacitly decided that without protocol, we would not fly at half-mast."
City and school district flags were to fly at half-mast until Saturday night, after Diana's funeral.
Those who knew Cassandra Lailoni Antone aren't going out of their way to help find her murderer, RCMP say.
The body of the 20-year-old Vancouver area prostitute was found in a deserted area of Richmond three months ago. Since then Richmond RCMP investigators have generated some leads, but have also found that not everyone is willing to talk, particularly Antone's friends who work the same areas of Vancouver's Hastings and Main Street as she did before she met her death.
"The investigators are certain that there are individuals in that area of Vancouver who are aware of the identity of the persons responsible for this murder," according to a monthly report to city council by RCMP Supt. Ernie MacAulay.
"The majority of prostitutes who work in that area of Vancouver are drug addicts. Their main priorities are to satisfy their addictions, even if it jeopardizes their own safety as well as the safety of other prostitutes," the report also states.
RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Willy Laurie confirmed that investigators have found it difficult to talk to some people in the skid row area, but stressed that others have been forthcoming.
"The information that they have gleaned, that leads them to be optimistic, has come from down there," Laurie said Thursday.
While police do not yet have a suspect in the case, they are making progress, Laurie said.
A hiker discovered Antone's charred remains on June 1 near a gravel road about two kilometres east of the Riverport Business Park in the Steveston Highway and No. 6 Road area. Police believe the person or persons responsible for her murder tried to burn her body to destroy any evidence.
Anyone with information is asked to police at 278-1212.
Richmond residents and businesses who receive a fake invoice in their mail by a company claiming to be called "British Columbia Energy-Electric" should "throw them out," says Valerie MacLean, general manager of the Better Business Bureau.
"It's an unsolicited invoice scam is what it is," she said Thursday, adding that such invoice scams are so common they regularly crack the BBB's top 10 monthly scam list.
The detailed invoice claims to have provided recipients with hydro services and even shows the amount of electricity they allege residents have used.
The invoice is actually a contract that locks residents into a business directory, but "of course, the directory doesn't exist," she said.
The company is not registered with the provincial corporate registry and the business address listed is a Vancouver post office number.
The invoices have also been circulating in Vancouver, New Westminster and Vernon.
Ash Street residents who cried foul in July about the city reneging on a promise may yet get what they are looking for.
The neighbors say the city assured them they would get sewer hook-ups and other infrastructure upgrades in 1998, but then it pulled the rug out from under them this summer by announcing it planned to alter its five-year capital works plan and improve Heather Street instead.
But their complaints - and a signed petition - did not fall on deaf ears, says Coun. Lyn Greenhill, chair of the public works committee.
Staff will propose that both Heather and Ash Streets be upgraded simultaneously, Greenhill told The Review. The staff report containing the proposal will likely be completed by the next public works committee meeting on Sept. 17.
Although the recommendation hasn't been approved by either the public works committee or council, the expected thumbs-up by staff bodes well for Ash Street residents.
The decision to improve Heather Street first, and delaying Ash Street came down to cost, she said. But staff have come up with a way to redirect funds from another project to upgrade Ash Street, she added.
The money would come from the planned Cook Road extension, which was originally slated for next year. Development cost charges will likely finance that project, freeing up money for Ash Street, she said.
Jozef Bosman, a long-time Ash Street resident, said he doesn't care where the money comes from.
"We just want them to do it in 1998 like they told us. We don't care if they do (Heather Street)."
Bosman was pleased to hear that Greenhill sympathized with the complaints of Ash Street homeowners and that their complaints did make a difference.
If the proposal is received by the public works committee on Sept. 17, the matter could be dealt with at council's Sept. 22 meeting.