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Monday, July 25, 2011

Mother Of Boys In Red Tragedy Critical Of Movie And Province


The mother of one of the teenage boys who died in the Bathurst van crash that killed 7 high school basketball players three years ago is speaking out against an upcoming movie about the crash.

Isabelle Haines tells CHSJ News the movie is opportunistic and exploits a tragedy.

She says if any profits are made, they should go towards increasing safety in student travel.

Haines is also critical of the province -- she says the production could potentially receive up to 250-thousand dollars in tax credits and she says that money should be used to hire licensed school bus drivers to take students to events.

It was announced last week that a TV-movie about the aftermath of the crash, tenatively titled The Phantoms,will begin shooting in October and air sometime next year.

JDI Hosting Two Day Job Fair

Get out your resumes -- JDI is holding a job fair over the next two days at the Lily Lake Pavilion in order to fill jobs in the forestry sector.

The company is looking to hire 82 people for local positions and 200 people provincially for jobs including truck driving and harvesting machine operators.

Irving Woodlands spokesperson Jim Ketterling tells CHSJ News they're looking to replenish their work force as baby-boomers begin to retire.


He says while experience in the industry is great, they are looking to train newcomers as well.

The job fair runs today until 8pm and tomorrow from 8am to 8pm at the Lily Lake Pavilion.

City Hall Will Re-Organize To 4 Key Departments

While the size of council is staying the same, the city itself is changing the way it works and does business.

The city will be revamped into 4 main departments -- growth and development, urban environment, transportation and environment, and Saint John Water.

City Manager Pat Woods says the change will allow the city to deliver key services such as snow removal and road repairs more effectively as well as making it easier for citizens and developers to navigate city hall by putting related services in one department.

He adds the city will also save about 150-thousand dollars a year thanks to the switch.

Hampton Getting The Once Over By Communities In Bloom

It's time to prune, pluck and weed.

Hampton is joining the likes of Tallanstown, Ireland and North Berwick, England in the Communities in Bloom Challenge.

The judges are visiting the town for an evalation today.

The non-profit organization is committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility, beautification and to improving quality of life through community participation and a national challenge.

Results will be announced in Quebec City on October 29th.

City Fire Crews Quell Apartment Fire

An apartment fire last night at 54 Coster Street where there was heavy black smoke. Fire crews managed to contain the blaze to one room but the rest of the apartment sustained smoke and water damage.

Early yesterday afternoon, the smell of smoke at Sobeys in McAllister Place prompted a call to the fire department. Fire crews discovered a fan had overheated. The store did not have to be evacuated.

One person arrested this morning for breaking into the United Book Exchange on Charlotte Street. Several charges are expected.

Mayor Complains Common Councillors Are Getting The Wrong End Of The Stick

Mayor Ivan Court says the Common Councillors who voted down a big residential development on Loch Lomond Road have the wrong interpretation of the upcoming municipal plan.

187 homes would have been built with the infrastructure to sustain them already in place.

The plan, which still requires final approval later this year, says housing developments should be focused on the uptown core but

Court counters the plan doesn't shut out other developments, especially if they're in great locations wth water and sewage services available.

Court says he would like to see Plan SJ speak to council about the proper interpretation of the plan.

Meantime, Common Council is holding an emergency meeting tonight in closed session to try to salvage the expansion of American Iron and Metal. The company has said unless it gets the power that's needed, there is no expansion. Officials from NB Power and the Port Authority will also be taking part.

Pharmacists Warn Province Not To Rush On Drug Prices

Pharmacists in the province say they're quite willing to talk about lower drug prices but are worried the provincial government will try to rush things in order to get something in place as early as the fall.

The Executive Director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists Association, Paul Blanchard tells CHSJ News the province does not buy drugs in bulk which would lower the cost.

Blanchard says individual pharmacists do their own buying with corporations like Wal Mart, Shoppers, Sobeys and the Superstore buying in bulk.

The pharmacists are looking for an increase in the fees they get to distribute prescriptions. There is a legislated cap with the last increases in 2001 and 2009.