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Friday, July 23, 2010

Up, Up, And Away On The West Side














(Photo by Deborah MacDonald)


Residents in the Duke Street West area somewhat surprised this evening to see a hot air balloon in the park next to the Carleton Kirk complex.
The company was offering flights in the tethered balloon - an offer which proved highly popular with neighborhood kids.


2010 Senior Canadian Little League Championships Set For Next Month

Players, Coaches and Famillies will be in the Port City next month for the 2010 Canadian Senior Little League Championships.
It's the second year in a row Saint John will host the event.
Victor Fitzgerald tells CHSJ News there will be 18 games during the tournament.
Fitzgerald says all the action will be at Memorial Field on the west side.


For more info, go to www.leaguelineup.com/championships

Province Gives More Money To K.V. Fields Project

The province is giving another $200,000 to help complete the K.V. fields project.

The project involves the construction of an artificial turf surface on the field behind Kennebecasis Valley High School.
The Graham government already contributed $300,000 to the project last June.











Construction Set To Get Started At Saint John Airport










(Aerial Shot Of The Saint John Airport)
               (File Photo)

Expect to see a lot more activity than usual at the Saint John Airport starting next month.
Starting August.3rd, crews will begin replacing the taxiway and apron edge lighting and wiring at a cost of just over half a million dollars.
The new LED lighting will result in more modernized and more energy efficient airside lighting system.
It will also save 7200 KW hours per year and produce 16 fewer metric tonnes of greenhouse gases.
The work should be finished by September.30th.

Saying Goodbye To Jack Irving




















(Line-Up Outside The Trinity Anglican Church)
            (Photo by Jim Hennessy)

They are coming from all walks of life to pay their respects to a man being remembered as a dedicated professional and a wonderful brother.


A steady line-up of people are making their way into the Trinity Anglican Church to say goodbye to John E Jack Irving.


He passed away on Wednesday following a short illness at the age of 78.


From former councilor Albert Vincent to Senator Joe Day, it seems like all of Greater Saint John is paying their respects.

Visitation will continue tonight until eight o'clock with a public funeral at the church getting started tomorrow morning at eleven o'clock.

Money for Curling Club


(Club President Debbie Easton stands with Ministers and MLAs at the Carleton Curling Club's scoreboards)
(Photo by Sherry Aske)

The Carleton Curling Club in the Lower West Side is getting $25,000 dollars from the province for renovations.

Club President Debbie Easton says the money is a tremendous gift. 

She says the club is 115-years-old and needs a new roof and a water recovery system.

The club has three sheets of ice and hosts between 9 thousand and 12 thousand curlers every year.

Growing Trouble For City Pension Plan
















              (Saint John City Manager Pat Woods)
                            (File Photo)

With no solution in sight, the numbers continue to balloon for the city pension plan.

In a letter to council dated July.14th, City Manager Pat Woods says left un-resolved, this could result in a nine to ten million dollar additional yearly payment to the plan which in turn translates to a tax hike that could reach as a high as 17 cents.

Woods points out the alternative is to reduce services by roughly the same amount.


The pension plan has over $325 million in assets and Woods says it can meet it's obligations for many years but requires a long term solution not drastic short term action.
 
Woods is expected to present council with a plan to fix the debt laden plan in September.

Conservatives To Host Public Forums














(Conservative Leader David Alward)
             (File Photo)

Energy will be the topic of conversation at five open forums being hosted by the Conservative Party next week.

As the Party continues to put together it's policy, it is looking for feed-back from rate-payers.

Leader David Alward has committed to setting up an Energy Commission that would report back to government with-in six month if his party wins the September vote.


The first of the five meetings get started Tuesday night in Bathurst with a stop in Saint John on Thursday between seven and nine at the Fort Howe Hotel.

Armed Robbery In Oromocto















(Robbery Suspect at Canadian Tire Gas Bar in Oromocto)
               (Photo Supplied By RCMP)

The search is on for a man after the Canadian Tire Gas Bar Wassis Road was robbed last night.

RCMP tell us a man, about five nine with a slim build, walked into the store at ten o'clock with a knife.


He told the clerk to give him some money and he took off.

Committee Will Look At Future Development As Part Of Peel Plaza















           (Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase)
                      (File Photo)

A committee will be formed to guide future development in the Peel Plaza area. That word coming from City Manager Pat Woods who says the facades of the so called Jellybean buildings on Wellington Row will be retained even though they are not designated as heritage.

Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase is looking for guarantees that some of the buildings in that area, such as the former Synagogue, will not be demolished.

Chase maintains too many beautifal old buildings in the city have been torn down but Mayor Ivan Court says the city isn't in the business of holding on to buildings for indefinite periods of time.

A First For The Province With Expansion Of Amber Alerts

A first for the Province where Facebook users can sign up for AMBER alerts directly in their new feeds.

Amber alerts provide the public with info that can help locate an abducted child. Corporal Todd Chadwick is the Provincial Co-ordinator for AMBER Alert and tells CHSJ News this Facebook page is set up differently.He says you can't write on the wall, it's purpose is to push information out to the public.


The AMBER alert program in the province began in 2003 and to date it hasn't been used.


To join their Facebook page, click on the link.


http://www.facebook.com/AMBERalertNB?ref=sgm