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Monday, March 19, 2012

Gauthier Wins Three Awards Including Top Scorer

Danick Gauthier bringing home three award from the Sea Dogs Awards Banquet last night including Top Scorer and Most Improved Player.


Dogs President Wayne Long tells CHSJ News they have watched him blossom since he joined at a 17-year-old in the Dogs third year of operation.

Long says Gauthier has had a special season with a team record 47 goals.

#11 Jonathan Huberdeau won the Children's Wish Foundation Fan Choice Award.

Rookie of the Year went to Sebastian Auger and Oliver Cooper while Stephen MacAuley won the Team player award.

Mounties Bust Codys Grow Op

An indoor grow op near Sussex is no more.

A raid on Friday at a home in Codys leading to the seizure of about 220 marihuana plants that could produce up to 110,000 joints.

Police also seized contraband tobacco, marihuana growing equipment as well as loaded firearms.

No one was home during the raid so multiple charges of trafficking and possession are pending.

Small Fire On Douglas Avenue

A small fire on Douglas Avenue creating a traffic headache over the lunch hour.

Crews responding to a smoke coming from a 3-story apartment building around 1:30pm.

No one was home at the time and CHSJ news learning the building is undergoing renovation work.
Fire investigators are looking into the cause.

Peninsula Princess Back On April 1st

The Peninsula Princess ferry linking Saint John and the Kingston Peninsula is back from its seasonal hiatus.

The ferry will be back to service on April 1st.

The ferry travels on the Kennebecasis River between Sandy Point Road in Saint John and Summerville off Route 845 on the Kingston Peninsula.

People Want Stronger Shale Gas Regulations According To Liberal Poll

New Brunswickers are uneasy about shale gas development -- that from a poll commissioned by the provincial Liberal party.

400 people were polled and 79 percent agreed when asked if they still worry about the environmental impacts of hydrofracking, even with regulations.

Meanwhile, 82 percent want shale gas development delayed until there is sufficient regulations to protect the environment.

Liberal Leader Victor Boudreau tells CHSJ News the results validates what he thought the popular opinion has been on shale gas.

He says the results were the same across the regions, gender, age, and income levels.

The Liberals continue to call for a moratorium until stronger regulations are in place.

City's Homeless Getting Some Hope

The city's homeless are getting some hope thanks to a new study. Researchers, activists, and volunteers gathering today (Monday) at the Teen Resource Center to present the Human Development Council's latest report on homelessness.

Randy Hatfield, director of the HDC, tells CHSJ News homelessness doesn't necessarily mean sleeping on the streets. There's a large population of young people he describes as "one life event away from be homeless"--that is, who are couch-surfing or otherwise living in unreliable situations.

Some of the programs discussed include the Saint John Youth House, a 10-bed facility for homeless young people. Also is the launch phase is the STAR program, which helps people get out of shelters and unsafe housing.

Former Mayor Describes Allegations About Pension Board as "Damning"

Former Mayor Norm MacFarlane rejects all of the allegations made by Former Common Councillor John Ferguson about the pension plan and pension board.

MacFarlane claims those allegations had a damning effect on the pension board trustees.
 
He also told the jury the city hired an independent expert to answer questions about the pension plan which cost a minimum of 50 thousand dollars and Ferguson did not ask one question. But at the next meeting of Common Council, he complained the right questions weren't asked.
 
 Macfarlane estimates the allegations took up from 30 to 40 per cent of the time of senior city staff needlessly and haunted the work of Common Council at a time when it was trying to come up with a long term vision for the city.

Carma Can't Be The Fall Back For A Lack Of Animal Control

The local chapter of Cat Rescue Maritimes sounding the alarm about the lack of animal control services after the death of a cat last week.
Carma providing help to a man with a cat likely hit by a car bleeding on his porch all day before Pumpkin the cat was taken to a vet to be euthanized.

Stephanie Godin tells CHSJ News they can't be the fall back position for the city when they have no animal control plan.

She says this can't happen because they do not have the funding for it but, she doesn't want to see what happened to Pumpkin continue to take place.

Godin says she sent pictures of Pumpkin the Cat to all the common councillors and only one responded and Godin adds that person didn't offer anything helpful.


Animal control is currently being handled by the City's by-law enforcement office after their contract with SPCA Animal Rescue League ended March 1st.





Lack of Quiet Study Space an Issue at UNBSJ

About 40 UNB Saint John students, faculty, and staff attending a roundtable discussion about the current state and future of the school.

Dr Bob Whitney, a history professor, says it was a productive meeting. One of the main concerns for students appears to be lack of quiet study space on campus. The school has just built a new Commons, but while it's a great place to socialize, over 700 students signed a petition saying the space is simply too crowded and loud.

Other issues raised include cutbacks to professorial positions and unclear job descriptions on the administrative level. A similar meeting will be held at UNB Fredericton on April 14th.

Province Accused Of Being Fanatically Attached To Cuts

We'll be finding out March 27th how the Alward Government plans to tackle the deficit and rising provincial debt when the provincial budget is unveiled. 

The consensus appears to be it will be a tough one with alot of cuts. 

Jason Edwards of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives tells CHSJ News too much slicing and dicing could come back to bite the province.
 
Edwards goes so far as to say there appears to be an almost fanatic fervor that cuts are the only way to go while the amount of revenue government needs is ignored. 

He advocates the more affluent in the province pay more tax and the tax cuts initiated by the previous Liberal government be rolled back.

Union President Frustrated With Premier

The head of the union at Acadian Coach Lines, Glen Carr is calling out the Premier for not intervening to end the lockout which has shut down intercity bus travel in the province since early December.

Carr makes clear he doesn't want the provincial government to legislate the bus drivers, mechanics and customer service reps back to work. 

He would like to see a government official sit as a third party to get things moving quicker.

Negotiations will resume at the end of April. A CHSJ News poll found 93 per cent of the respondents believe the lockout has been allowed to drag on too long.



  

NBers Urged to Get Talking About the News

Halifax MP Meagan Leslie is urging Maritimers to start making a stir about local politics. The NDP environment critic paid a recent visit to an environmental economics class at UNB Saint John.

Leslie tells CHSJ News it's important for communities to consider the forces that influence their elected officials.

She says it makes a difference whether politicians are banked by banks, big oil--or by ordinary people. She says there needs to be a critical mass of discussion in the community if constituents expect to see their interests represented by government.

Some ways Leslie encourages people to get involved in local politics included writing letters to the editor, holding brown-bag lunch seminars, attending community events, and simply chatting at the water cooler about the news. It's only by getting the community talking, says Leslie, that positive change can be effected on the level of government.