The Courier Blog

Harper's gamesmanship has Liberals at brink of failure

2011-03-24T16:13:00.005-03:00

You’ve got to hand it to Stephen Harper.
In another life, the man might well have had a promising career as a bespectacled chess nerd, because his ability to master feints, launch gambits and manage momentum would make even a grandmaster blush with envy.
Right now, the Conservatives are about to succeed in having an underdog Opposition push for an election that only the Conservatives want, and only they can benefit from, without at all seeming like they had anything to do with the event.
Let’s put things in perspective: the Bloc Quebecois has nothing to gain from this election. A few seats here or there, won or lost, won’t make a wisp of difference to the separatists’ larger mission to milk the federal tax dollar for their province. Quebec has, and always will be, an overly large player in federal politics. The Bloc will not win more seats in the next election, they might lose, and at the worst, they will be a bit player in a majority. No, their greatest power is now, where they can try to play kingmaker in a dysfunctional Parliament.
The NDP will only lose in the next election. Jack Layton, perhaps the most likeable of all the federal leaders, is on the limp. His party has no traction, and has somehow lost the traditional support of the Prairie provinces (how?) and left-leaning voters in urban B.C. (how?) while utterly failing to gain any traction amidst the impoverished and working-glass Maritimer. (How, again?) Given the NDP’s propensity for tax-and-spend fiscal incompetence, and given the obvious financial instability of the world, voters won’t be willing willing to give the NDP any power to spend money we don’t have. The next election will be a bloodbath for the NDP, and anything close to losing only a half-dozen seats will be about the best the party can hope for.
The Liberals are hoping to strike it lucky by challenging the Tories on issues of morals and ethics. But here’s where the utterly un-prime ministerial Michael Ignatieff has fallen for a clever trick. The Tories have polls – they spend more of your dollars and theirs than any other government in history on such things – that show the Canadian people just don’t give a damn about a staggering litany of scandals. Part of this has to do with the Tories’ overloaded coffers, which allows the Tories plenty of pre-election election ads. Michael Ignatieff will never be prime minister.
But Stephen Harper will, again. He might not achieve many more seats than he has, but he will retain power.
Now, it’s not clear an election will give the Tories the majority they crave by positing the current governing party as a better option than the Liberals. But there's another way to victory: not by being better than the other guy, but by making the other guy appear less viable. In that light, Harper has allowed Ignatieff and company just enough room to think they have a chance – while also being certain that the Canadian public have little confidence in Ignatieff and the Liberals as a whole. The fact that Ignatieff decided the budget wasn’t his cup of tea (even though it was more Liberal than some Liberal budgets of years past) without even reading it will be portrayed by the Tories as evidence Ignatieff isn’t here for us – just himself – as all those quasi-slanderous Tory attack ads suggest.
The only fly in the Tory ointment is the departure of veteran (and likeable) MPs Stockwell Day and Chuck Strahl. But both B.C. politicians come from areas rife with die-hard Conservative roots. Short of a meltdown by the candidates in that area, both seats will be blue the next election. So what if Harper loses a few veteran ministers? It’s not like most of the government has any power other than to heed what comes out of the Prime Minister’s Office anyhow.
But even against that backdrop, Harper retains a master-stroke: people didn’t want an election, and if one is forced, he has the power to point out how the nasty Liberals and evil Socialists are responsible for this spring inconvenience. The message from the well-oiled Tory machine will be a simple one: “Don’t blame us. We had a wonderful budget that would have helped seniors and the poor and help build jobs, and now we’re just stuck trying to govern the country as best as we could despite those meddling kids.”
In the game of electoral chess, Stephen Harper has masterfully shuffled the political pieces on Ottawa’s checkered board such that regardless of whoever moves first, the Conservatives win.
If Ignatieff forces an election, he will lose. Alternately, the Opposition could cave and allow the Harper regime another year of life. Either way, the Conservatives are the only party that stand to gain from the current political turmoil, regardless of its outcome.
And that’s got much to do with the machinations of Harper: he hasn’t piloted a less-than-spectacular minority government to the greatest longevity in history by luck alone. Come Friday's non-confidence vote, the Liberals may well have allowed Harper to trick them into securing a Tory majority.
- Vern Faulkner is the Courier editor.

Please, just count this time, OK?

2010-11-27T09:53:00.004-04:00

It was a Sunday, and the newsroom of the Prince Albert Daily Herald was abnormally packed.
Two "deskers" - an industry term for layout editors, a sports reporter, myself, and a general news reporter gathered around the television on a chill night. (They're all chill at that time of the year: one of the reasons I wanted to move here!)
We knew, we all knew, that the psyche of an entire province lay in the play ahead.
Grey Cup, 2009. Montreal trailing, Damon Duval - the Al's placekicker, who had struggled all day long - was about to try and seal his team's victory.
We all know what happened next. But for readers in this area to truly understand the impact of that last-second field goal, one has to try and wrap one's head around how Saskatchewan views its football team.
Folks on the Prairies bleed one of two colours: green, or white. Take your pick.
As I related in a column recently, it's a passion of unbounded proportions. Little old ladies will gab over offensive formations with a depth of understanding that most football coaches elsewhere can only struggle to obtain.
That's why this time, 360-odd days ago, the newsroom of the Herald was so busy. We had a four-page special section to put out, either celebrating the Saskatchewan Roughriders victory, or, alternately, marking the squad's defeat at the hands of Anthony Calvillo and company.
My job that night was to co-ordinate the feeds from The Canadian Press and Canwest News, as well as our own reporter in Calgary. The press was on alert, long told that we'd be running a little late with a special edition.
But to speed the process, we'd already gathered some images, forged a front cover for either scenario. The one for the Riders victory was super-special, with the nameplate running up the left side of the page: something that had never been done before. Go big, or go home, was the philosophy.
Now all that we needed to do was see whether Duval could split the uprights.
The memories of that moment diverge at the moment of the snap.
All else in the newsroom saw the snap, saw the kick push wide. Bedlam ensued.

Every seasoned football official I have spoken to has reported the same reaction: as others reacted according to fan persuasion, those of us who officiate the game at any reasonable level, were shaking our heads.
There's only one foul that deep officials will call at the snap of the ball.
In any officiating crew of five officials or more, the deep officials will count the defensive players. The referee and umpire will count offence.
Every official has his or own way of counting. Me, I block players out in groups of four.
One, two, three groups of four and all is good: it's basic Grade 3 grouping and number theory in action. More than three groups of four and we have a problem. Less than that - 11 men, not 12 - will usually provoke a "count 'em up" at lower levels of ball. A minor hint. Even 13 players will trigger such a call: it's a concept called "preventative officiating."
But at the pro levels, it's up to someone else to avoid such simple infractions as having too many players on the field.
"Too many men," I mumbled to a newsroom that was rather non-objectively celebrating what it thought was a Rider win.
My sports reporter looked at me, a jaded expression creeping over his face.
"It's a 10-yard penalty, and a re-kick. There's no way Duval will miss."
I lurched into my incredibly cold office to scrap the super-special cover and run with the "Al's win" version, even before the penalty had been announced to the world.

Although I tend not to work the deep positions as an official, I can only recall throwing a flag for too many men maybe two or three times in my career.
It's even rarer to see at the higher levels. At the college and pro levels, there is at least one on-field player who counts the team at every play. Smart special teams coaches make sure that a key player - a kicker for the offence, usually, and a linebacker or receiver for the receiving team - counts.
But not that day, not that play.
I've read some commentary from the deep officials of that game, referee-insider stuff from the Canadian Football Officials Association newsletter. Not one of the three officials responsible for catching that extra man could believe what they were seeing. One guy said he counted the defensive set three times, in disbelief.
Ironic, really, that an icon of Rider culture - the 13th man - would haunt them such. It cost them the greatest prize in Canadian football, and the collective psyche of the Rider nation is still smarting.

There are some odd forces at play, this year. It's not surprising that Montreal would return to the grand stage of Canadian ball: they are the current dynasty in the league, after all.
But the Riders had to fight, claw, and scratch to another Grey Cup berth.
Instead of Calgary, it's Edmonton as the site of the big dance this year. But no difference, for hundreds of melon-headed, green-clad, Pilsner-fuelled lunatics will have made the trek to see the 2009 combatants in a rematch.
And this year, one can be sure that there will be multiple eyes counting every special teams play.
So, if I may offer a wee bit of suggestion to the Riders before tomorrow's big game, this would be it, in Monty Pythonesque fashion:
Twelve is the number. Not 13. Eleven is sort of OK, but 14 is right out.

Thinking pink to prove a point

2010-11-17T16:08:00.002-04:00

I’m still trying to piece together what, exactly, happened in St. George involving the assault of a gay couple.
But I can tell you this: it can’t happen again.
What’s more bothersome is that it seems to have stemmed from what the victim says were systemic incidents at Fundy High School, where he “came out” while in Grade 11.
He's graduated now, but says he doesn't want to come home, for fear of persecution by, well, bigots. Those are my words, not his.
As of the writing of this missive, I have left two phone requests for an interview with the principal of Fundy High School to address the state of homophobic bullying at FHS – with no response.
This would be the same school subject to some serious backlash last year when parents effectively muzzled a day aimed at preventing homophobic-triggered violence.
Now, it’s none of my business who sleeps with who in this community: that’s not something I’m interested in, nor something The Courier should care about.
But it is my business, I feel, as a visible figure in this community, to take notice when one of our citizens is treated unfairly, unjustly.
And this is one of them.
On Thursday evening, Fundy High School is hosting a community event. I have been invited. And I shall arrive – but I shall, tomorrow, wear a nice shirt. A nice pink shirt. I’m even going to buy a nice pink tie. And, if I can find one, I’ll also obtain a nice, glittery effeminate ear-ring.
I have no insecurities or questions over my sexuality, my sexual preference or any of those such things. And even if I did, I’m certainly not so much of a coward that I’d gather a few of my like-minded (narrow-minded) bigot friends and beat the snot out of someone who felt the urge to bed someone of a similar sex.
I don’t know who the cowards involved in the weekend assault are, exactly. But consider this an open invitation to step forward and show a little courage. Put your names in the newspaper, if you dare, and tell us all what moved you to track down a gay man and make his life miserable. In the meantime, I figure the least I can do don a wardrobe that might show the small-minded and bigoted of the county that they aren’t going to win.
Given some of the rabidly anti-homophobic comments I fielded when the Courier covered the rainbow flag issue earlier this spring, this may become my official St. George attire.
We in this community need to show those bigots who might be a bit upset over trifling things like sexual preference that violence cannot, must not be a part of our society.
So tomorrow, I’m wearing a whole bunch of pink.
Who’s with me?
And who’s got a really, really girly earring I can borrow?

Ignorance is hardly bliss

2010-11-12T12:26:00.003-04:00

As timing goes, a press release issued by a group calling itself the Institute for Canadian Values could not have been worse – nor could it have possibly been better.
On Thursday at 2:19 p.m., the man claiming to be the group’s president, Dr. Charles McVety, issued a press release decrying a federal bill that aims to include transgendered individuals as people protected from discrimination.
What was interesting, however, was McVety’s use of the term “pervert,” to describe transgender individuals.
The irony, of course, is that McVety’s release came almost at the same time local media outlets learned that a transgendered individual, Michelle Rayner, had allegedly been assaulted in a bathroom on the St. Thomas University campus in Fredericton, apparently on the basis of her perceived sex (male).
Now, we fully acknowledge that not everyone is comfortable with transgendered individuals. And frankly, that’s OK. We live in a free society, and should be able to hold individual views that range from one extreme to the other on transgender issues, and to reasonable in-betweens – such as holding the view that governments should not fund gender-change procedures.
The latter is somewhat my personal view, by the way. I have no hatred or animousity towards transgendered people, and once knew a fascinating young lad named Melvin who became a lass named Melody.
Yet at the same time, it is difficult for me to see governments subsidizing $50,000-plus elective sex-change surgery when Grampa is on a 15-month waiting list for a hip transplant, and Samantha needs to have a biopsy done to see if she’s got a cancerous tumour in her breast.
But there is a considerable difference between holding a personal view, even an extreme view, and having an uniformed or inflammatory view, as McVety and the alleged assailant in the St. Thomas University bathroom did.
We teach our two-year-olds to “use your words.” The woman in the bathroom who allegedly assaulted Rayner could have done exactly that.
“Excuse me, but this is the woman’s bathroom,” would have been far preferable to a punch in the face.
McVety’s term “pervert” (the precise quote reads: “... our children will be exposed to perverts entering girls’ bathrooms, change rooms and even showers claiming transgender discrimination.”) is fear-laden and needlessly inflammatory. It also shows an interesting bias, in that McVety (president of the Canadian Christian College), didn’t use the term “boys’ bathrooms” even though there are transgendered individuals who are biologically female but either choose to express, or feel moved to express, as a male.
Although much-debated, some scientists have well-founded data linking genetic traits to transgendered individuals: some people, it seems, are hard-wired to be something other than a black-and-white, girl-or-boy outcome. If so, we note that genetics can’t be altered.
But ignorance can.
Many transgendered individuals experience some degree of psychological trauma, and more than a few suffer from mental illness attributed to challenges with gender identity: trauma directly linked to societal anger and misunderstanding, like assuming transgendered individuals are “perverts.”
Adding to that trauma isn’t going to help.
Understanding, however, will.
A line from an old Rush song, “Witch Hunt” seems appropriate, here:
“Quick to anger, quick to judge, slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice and fear go hand in hand.”
As an aside, evidence as to how attitudes in this country must change lies in location of the Canada.com story on Rayner’s claims.
It was filed under “entertainment.”

Potash decision pits Tory principles against wise governance

2010-11-03T11:47:00.001-03:00

These are interesting times for the federal Conservative government.
And for those who watch Ottawa, it seems as if the Stephen Harper government is recognizing that good governance does not necessarily mean following a set of defined political ideals with unswaying passion.
Two mining-related moves underscore this shift in realization.
Last week, Environment Minister Jim Prentice announced that a proposed mine at Fish Lake, in the northern reaches of B.C., would not be allowed to proceed, due to considerable concerns about environmental impact.
The decision flies in the face of the stereotypes cast upon the Tories as a pro-business group unconcerned with the environment. Indeed, given the precursive protestations by environmentalists, one would have assumed that the Tories had all but rubber-stamped the approval.
Not so: and that’s a great thing for the government – and probably a wise outcome, given the very real impacts the proposed mine would have.
Today, however, the Tories are going to be tested on another key issue. The staunch promoters of de-regulated business, free market economies and free trade concepts are going to decide whether to allow a hostile takeover of Potash Corp., the largely Saskatchewan-based supplier of potash. Potash is a vital ingredient in fertilizer, and as such, a valuable commodity in a world that is pressing ever-harder to obtain as much food material from dwindling land resources.
The decision, set to come down today at 4:30 CDT, pits free-market, free-business principles against the very real concern of losing control over a material valuable to not only Canada’s economy (Potash Corp. has a mine in New Brunswick), but the global economy. The state-owned potash producer is a key generator of jobs, revenue and by its role in sustaining the agriculture of multiple economies throughout the world, a key player in the global economic landscape.
Lose control of Potash Corp. to foreign-owned BHP, and we collectively lose control of a valued resource. How valued? If the current hostile bid fails, a group of Russian investors is looking to obtain partial ownership of Potash Corp. to minimize future takeover bids – citing concerns about economic welfare for their nation.
This is heavy stuff.
The Conservatives can stick to their party principles and let the sale proceed.
Or they can follow a moral route and do what’s probably best for not only Canada, but many nations around the world.
In four hours, we’ll find out whether principles or morals win.

Halloween fear oddly ironic

2010-10-28T11:20:00.004-03:00

Religion is a powerful force, indeed, it is one of the unifying elements of humanity – although one wouldn’t think so, to see some of the atrocities committed in the name of religion.
But belief is powerful. So powerful that it sometimes over-rides logic and reason, such as what will happen in McAdam this weekend, and what happened here some years past, when towns decided to unilaterally “move” Halloween from a Sunday date to the Saturday before.
The logic, of course, is that Halloween is seen as a non-Christian event, somehow in conflict with Judeo-Christian principles.
This, however, doesn’t bear the test of history.
In my former guise as a long-haired philosopher, I opted for the career path of studying religions. Now, there’s not a lot of want ads for long-haired comparative religions professors, which is why I fled the hallowed halls of higher learning and wiggled my way into the current career path.
But I still have a passion for that field.
Here’s an interesting tidbit: almost every major religion or culture has a celebration where there is a belief that spirits of the dead are somehow “closer” to the real world. Indeed, there’s a celebration in Catholic faiths called “all souls day” which is based on the thought that some of the souls of the dearly departed must be assisted to their final destination.
But back to the original thesis for moving Halloween, shall we?
The general gist, as I understand, is that Halloween is a pagan event and it is a conflict to celebrate a pagan event on a day reserved for Christian celebration.
That’s a nasty can of worms to open. For one, our culture is infused with celebrations rooted in pagan observations. Easter and Christmas are two examples. The very existence of the Christmas tree – a common practice in many households – is rooted in the practices of the British and Germanic Celts. A Yule log – often the same pole used in the fertility rite of the May pole – was burned on solstice night, the longest night of the year, to mark the death and rebirth of the horned consort to the mother goddess. (Variations exist in many European pre-Christian cultures.)
The Easter bunny, however, is likely tied more to Greek practices, and seems to be rooted in the sacrifice of fertility symbols (eggs, rabbits, pigs) to the chthonic (earth-bound) gods and goddesses held to be charge of plant growth.
This is hardly news.
But I find it a bit odd that we would embrace or ignore one pagan-rooted celebration in this culture, and provide another – Halloween – with such power.
It would make sense if churches banned Easter as well as most of the pagan trappings of Christmas.
But for the most part, they don’t, in large part because the pagan/non-Christian trappings of both celebrations have long been lost, removed from the realm of religion and incorporated into custom and culture.
Likewise, this forthcoming celebration of Halloween has long lost its roots in pagan faiths, long lost its history as a time when people would wear masks and costumes to conceal their identity from possibly vengeful spirits reaching across from the “other world” on a day when the veil between here and the afterworld was believed to be weak.
Nope, it’s a day for kids to dress up and gather far too many calories in short-chain, sugary molecules.
Unless, of course, one chooses to believe otherwise. Ironic, isn't it?

Baffled by New Brunswick politics

2010-09-17T13:23:00.002-03:00

These few weeks are going to be tough, with general accusations that yours truly is biased, clueless, ill-informed, incompetent, irrelevant and a general waste of oxygen.
No, I’m not talking about the guts of football officiating season. It’s that time that every editor ever to put ink to print dreads: election time.
See, this is the time when various political aspirants want very desperately for newspapers to write stories that make them look utterly amazing. Of course, if we dare to do something to make said political aspirants look like they may not be entirely in touch.
As we edged closer to this campaign, I mistakenly thought I could draw on my previous experience from other areas: almost a score of municipal, provincial and federal elections.
Nope. Toto, we’re not in Kansas, anymore.
Let’s start with the Conservatives. Most times, the PC/Tory amalgam (Saskatchewan Party in my former domain, Liberals in B.C. before that) are skinflints that cut programs, cut cabinet, cut taxes but programs and cut spending.
Not here. Judging by the multitude of press releases I keep getting, the PCs must have the inside line on a whole lotta money, because their spending pledges are bordering on the utterly ludicrous. (If our finances are in dire trouble because of government incompetence, how is spending more money going to help? What happened to the fiscal part of fiscal conservative?)
Then you’ve got the Liberals, who are quietly hoping everybody has kinda forgotten that whole mess about selling off public property without consultation. Isn’t gutting state-owned property more of a Tory gig? And, more recently, the Liberals are pledging 20,000 new jobs. Gosh, nice idea: too bad it didn’t germinate two years ago.
And in recent days, they, too, are starting to spend money we don’t have.
Here’s a clue: when the house is falling apart, the roof needs repair and the electricity bill hasn’t been paid in two months ... don’t suggest going out to buy a 56” plasma TV, because you plain can't afford it.
But that’s just what both the big guns are doing.
And the NDP, frankly, baffles me. Typically, a NDP government taxes more than it should, and spends more than it should, stifles business while driving the coffers into mass deficits – but in the process, the governments build long-term infrastructure such as affordable housing, medical facilities and the like. (Two things this area needs, desperately.)
The NDP here can’t organize a constituency association in a riding that by all rational logic should be an NDP stronghold, and hasn’t a hope of forming even a bare-bones opposition Sept. 27. Yet, it is the only party noticing that gosh, the cost of promises made by both the Liberals and the PCs borders on the utterly ludicrous. Fiscal restraint? From the NDP?
I gotta go find a pair of size 11 red pumps. That’s the only logical explanation for what’s going on right now.

FIFA must address soccer shortfalls

2010-07-12T13:02:00.008-03:00

I shall take two powerful and lingering memories from the recent World Cup of soccer, and neither of them are positive.
In the first instance, an Italian striker is streaking towards the opposition goal as a fellow forward is prising a gap on the sideline. Suddenly, just as the man going for open space near the goal is actually in open space, he falls down like he’s been shot, clutching his leg. Calf-muscle pull? Assassination attempt? Nope. The guy appeals to the referee, calling for a penalty kick right at the top of the 18-metre line.
Small problem: there wasn’t a defender within two yards when the striker went into his swan dive.
In the second instance, the Dutch earned a free kick in the dying minutes of the second extra frame of the final. On the ensuing kick, the ball deflected off a Spanish defender and out of bounds for a corner kick ... save that the official, who was seriously tested all game long, incorrectly awarded a goal kick. Two minutes later, the Spanish win the game on the match’s only goal.
The above two instances underscore everything that is wrong with elite-level soccer.
Fortunately, both can be readily fixed.
At the highest level of the game, players insist on embellishing even the littlest bump. This has to be addressed. Other sports have a methodology for dealing with instances of player embellishment of non-fouls. Hockey implemented the “diving” penalty, and I, as a lacrosse official, have administered an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a similar act. Soccer needs to do something – but I don’t know what: a yellow card seems a bit harsh. Then again, if officials issued a few yellow cards for faking a penalty, maybe people wouldn’t be calling the recent soccer event the World Diving Championships.
Maybe FIFA could borrow a tactic from rugby, and send a player off for five minutes for a diving infraction. I know that will offend soccer purists, but as a sporting purist, the blatant faking of injuries and fouls plaguing soccer is one of the reasons it will never gain better traction in North America where hockey, lacrosse, football and other more forceful contact and collision sports are played.
On another front, let’s be honest: the World Cup featured missed calls, blown calls, non-calls and other examples of poor or questionable officiating. In one game, a goal was discounted that was clearly in. On the road to the World Cup, the French eliminated the Irish on a clear but not-called hand ball.
In the World Cup final itself, Netherlands striker Arjen Robben was involved in a sprint to the net late in the second half. A Spanish defender, Carles Puyol, charged in, and grabbed Robben by his waist as he began a clear-cut breakaway to the goal.
The official - Howard Webb - could only see the backs of the involved players. According to reports, he signalled an “advantage” foul, in which the error is acknowledged, but the play allowed to proceed. However, from my point of view, the foul seriously impacted Robben’s chance to score. In the NHL, a similar play would have been a two-minute minor, if not a penalty shot.
As a veteran official as well as a sports writer, any time I see an officiating error, I immediately ponder mechanics – the positioning of an official. Nine times out of 10, when a call is blown, the arbiter is in the wrong spot. But when I looked at the replays of the Robben non-call, Webb was in a good spot for the flow of the play at the time. He was just in the wrong spot for that particular instance, which is why he didn’t see what everybody around the world saw on TV.
The World Cup featured the best officials in the business, and FIFA (along with its constituent bodies) has some excellent referee-development plans. The competence and quality of officials is not, contrary to the howls one constantly reads on British soccer fan chat boards, a problem. Nonetheless, it’s plain to see that soccer officials are, simply put, overwhelmed.
That observation leads into an obvious conclusion: soccer at its highest levels needs to implement a two-official or even a three-official system. It works in lacrosse, it works in hockey, it works in many other sports.
Were there two officials on-field Sunday, maybe, just maybe, one of them would have been in a better place to the clear and obvious deflection on that late-game free kick, and the Dutch allowed to take a critical corner-kick they were otherwise deprived of.
Yes, the better team won the World Cup. But had that officiating error not taken place, what might have happened? It’s that what-if that FIFA needs to take seriously and address if it is ever to improve the state of the world’s most popular sport.

Vern Faulkner is the Courier/Courier Weekend editor. He has officiated football for 14 years and lacrosse for three.

Reflections on Atlanticade

2010-07-06T12:19:00.004-03:00

As a man, there are few times when I can stand up and say, “Hey, gosh, I was right.”

For the previous months and weeks, I’d been trying to explain just how much of an impact a major motorcycle festival can have on a region.

As of Monday morning, more than a few county residents had come to grips with that reality.

The numbers are still being tallied, but so far, it seems like at least 5,000 people signed on for Atlanticade, the five-day motorbike festival that was here in the county for the first time, but in its fourth year of existence in this province. Upwards of 10,000 bikes may have come through the region in a five-day period.

Wow.

I had the delightful duty of riding around on my motorbike and participating a bit, and I can honestly say that this weekend’s impact exceeded every one of my expectations.

Everywhere I went, there were bikes. At stores, at restaurants, parked in the lookout overseeing the Campobello Island lighthouse – everywhere.

There’s a habit among bikers of waving at each other (left hand, of course, as the right has to stay on the throttle) as we pass on the road. There was a lot of waving.

Or, as I said to Dale Hicks Monday, “My left hand got more tired than my right did.”

More than a few businesses reaped the rewards. Appropriately marketed and appropriately placed restaurants were the big winners, as were hoteliers.

Not everyone was happy, however.

Some St. Stephen merchants were underwhelmed. That would, I think, be adequate fodder to plan ahead and create a bigger splash next year – there were a few things done, but for the most part, too little, too late. Simply put, St. Stephen residents and powers-that-be didn't realize the potential.

Now they do, one would hope. It will be better next year.

In a related note, a second-hand report suggested a St. Andrews jewelry store was displeased with the lack of traffic.

Well, what did that business do to tap into the market? Did it flog skull-and-crossbone rings, pendants and “ride free or die” jewelry?

Business requires creative marketing, like the tartan store in St. Andrews that flogged tartan-printed do-rags and bandanas: that, my friends, is smart stuff.

Now, let me address the remaining big issue: noise.

And here’s where some of you may find an intriguing ally.

I utterly and totally despise the loud-pipe crowd.

There are several myths regarding loud bikes, the most pervasive and utterly debunked one being that “loud pipes save lives.”

The thought is that if someone can hear your rumbling behemoth, they’ll see you. It’s a totally false. Motorists still plow into bikes, and they do so for two key reasons: one, the biker wasn’t sufficiently trained in defensive driving and avoidance techniques; two, the driver didn’t see the bike.

Muffler-less bikes will still get munched, in large part because motorcycle collisions usually involve the front of a motorcycle, and noise from a bike usually goes out the back.

Some remove mufflers in the mistaken belief it will improve performance. That, too, is usually false. (If anything, the loss of back-pressure actually reduces power output.)

So yes, I find that too many machines are too loud. There is never a need to remove or diminish a muffler. Someone is compensating for something.

There’s a saying among some of my dual-sport peers, and this weekend’s backlash from Atlanticade underscores the saying: "loud pipes annoy the neighbours."

Unfortunately, there are too many image-seeking individuals who think that a loud bike is part of some lifestyle thing.

That said, even if you don’t like loud bikes (and I clearly don’t), it is unwise to decry Atlanticade.
The buzz in this region was spectacular, and the impact staggering: Atlanticade just put this county on the tourism map of thousands who had no idea what this region had to offer. I cannot tell you how many riders reveled in the delightful roads of this region. Some explored the ridges, others went to the delightful undulating curviness of Deer Island.

As an “embedded journalist” I didn’t have to pay for accommodations. Typically, the Scottish genes in my makeup congregate in my wallet. I’m a cheap guy. Yet in the two days my wife and I participated in the periphery of Atlanticade, we spent $150 or so. That’s dollars into the economy – and our spending was paltry compared to some.

In closing, two things must be stated.
The bikers came here, and spent bucketloads of money. And, more importantly, they’ll be back, if you let them.

Atlanticade, as I had hoped, was, indeed, the biggest boost to tourism this region has ever seen.

And frankly, loud pipes or otherwise, the welcome mat should be readied for this time next year.

Tax dollars, watered down

2010-06-08T12:49:00.002-03:00

There are times when you just have to wonder who’s thinking these days.

Tuesday morning, a team of two were busy watering the hanging baskets out front of our office on Milltown Boulevard in St. Stephen.

This would be Tuesday, June 8, the second day after five centimetres of rain deluged the area, and the day after baseball folks were hoping for a string of warm, sunny days to dry out soggy, water-laden baseball fields.

In other words, on a day when the last thing needed was a couple of workers watering already-soaked baskets, the town of St. Stephen sent out two staff to water the aforementioned already-soaked baskets.

Your tax dollars at work.

Why believe a liar now?

2010-05-29T12:55:00.003-03:00

I was shocked and stunned to hear a national radio program discussing – with some seriousness – if allegations made by Floyd Landis might tarnish the reputation of Lance Armstrong.
Now, one might be forgiven for not knowing who Landis is, but you’d have to have been living under a rock to not know that Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, is the world’s most identifiable cyclist.
In a sport mired in more drugs than any other, Armstrong has yet to fail any test, and is largely accepted as the most tested athlete in all of sport.
OK, so here’s Landis, a former team-mate, who earlier this month decided that after years of denying use of steroids changed his tune.
So now Landis is admitting he was, all this time, doped to the gills like every other drug loser in the sport.
Hardly a surprise.
Most of those who protest a failed drug test eventually come clean.
But for years, Landis cried innocent, even raising $1 million in public money, bilking donors who believed his tale that the French authorities were out to get the good-old-Amurican boy.
So he was lying then, but now he’s coming clean?
It’s hard to suggest that Landis is suddenly being truthful when he points his fingers at Armstrong.
Meanwhile, here’s Armstrong, the man who has yet to fail a drug test in his career, saying as he always has, that he’s clean and will always be that way.
Landis is a liar and cheat. That can safely be said, because the trail of evidence is clear: he said he didn't take drugs, and now he admits he did, so he lied. He cheated - not only by racing while doped, but also when he sought donations to mount a legal defense against drug use findings he now admits were true - so he's also cheated innocent people of their hard-earned loot. (We won't even mention the money he made writing a book about his ordeal.)
Landis should be banned from cycling for life, as an example to the clowns who continue to think they can avoid being caught.
I’m not sure what I find more distressful: that Landis is clearly spinning another fanciful yarn, or that one of my media peers was dumb enough to buy the guy’s story long enough to give it air time.

What are MP's hiding?

2010-05-27T15:35:00.001-03:00

It’s almost the end of the month, and that means it’s time for me to submit monthly expenses.
There’s not much accrued on the expense account this month, other than mileage for a few weekend trips for sporting events.
Likewise, Courier reporters will soon report expenses to me. It’s a typical corporate chain-of-command process, hardly unique to this business.
Such a process ensures that I don’t frivolously spend loot the company doesn’t have to spend.
Hence, there are several layers of checks and balances: I check reporters’ expenses and send claims to the beancounters.
My expense claims must also undergo scrutiny. It’s hardly something I worry about.
After all, I’ve got nothing to hide. I haven’t balked about submitting an expense report since I got into this business – and that was a heckuva while back.
So why, then, did MPs balk at having the chief government beancounter examine their expenses?
One has to wonder, especially in wake of obvious misuses of political spending systems in Britain and Nova Scotia.
Of course the public mounted protest. After all, like me, most everyone has to answer to someone else.
Why should our MPs be any different?
I find it most interesting that the Conservatives, who gained power largely by decrying the lack of public scrutiny of Jean Chretien regime’s utter misuse of public money, would suddenly change their “we will be transparent if you elect us” theme to the one that’s been bounced around of late.
That the Liberals and NDP would close ranks and join the Tories in protesting Auditor General Sheila Fraser’s examination of expense accounts is, frankly, troublesome.
As a former daily crime reporter had written on a poster above his desk, “News is something somebody doesn’t want people to know. Everything else is propaganda.”
The very vehemence our elected officials protest scrutiny of their expenses suggests they’re hiding something.
And really, what’s wrong with a little scrutiny?
Fraser should be able to see every last penny our MPs spend.
And voters should be hard-pressed to support any MP that opposes such a move.
After all, if I have to answer to my bosses on a regular basis, MPs should answer to their bosses on a regular basis.
And just in case those elected members of parliament forget – as they sometimes do – who they work for, that would be us, the taxpayer.

Love over gold - the Masters

2010-04-12T11:17:00.002-03:00

The coverage of the Masters golf tournament pretty much underscored everything that is wrong with the mass media of today’s world.
Journalists covering the event had two choices in the stories they wrote.
As I watched the final rounds of the event, the comparison was obvious.
On one hand, you had a philandering egomaniac who, in the previous half-year, had watched his marriage unravel in wake of numerous instances of marital infidelity.
On the other hand, you had Phil Mickelson, who had likewise been absent from the game of golf for a far more noble reason – to tend to his wife and his mother, both of whom were undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
The emotional merit, and the uplifting message of joy, of hope and of love that was embodied within Mickelson’s third green jacket should have carried across the front pages of every sports section.
But no, too many news stories focused on Tiger Woods, whose selfish, self-serving ways have destroyed too many lives. Why, tell me, does that man deserve any more attention? Why, tell me, did he gain an interview, rather than Lee Westwood, whose plucky and talent-oozing efforts led him to a second-place finish?
Why, does that deserve more media attention than Mickelson, who won after an absence tied entirely to his devotion to his wife?
Because Woods may be philanderer, but he still sells. And that's a sad statement in today's society.
The world is a sad place when good, uplifting stories are lost in a maze of meaningless paparazzi-driven gossip. I honestly expected to hear Woods heartily booed - it's not like he doesn't deserve it. At the very least, there should have been some derisive T-shirts lampooning the man for the idiotic, lying clown he obviously is.
Nope. To make matters worse, the media fawned over Woods. Utterly contemptious, if you ask me.
This, folks, is what’s wrong with the media industry of the day. The news directors and the publishers and the commercial conglomerates sacrifice the good stories for the TMZ-like pablum that will draw eyes. We’re teaching a generation of media consumers to accept garbage instead of good journalism.
But not everybody dove onto the sell-papers-or-else bandwagon. Some outlets, thankfully, got the story right.
That’s the story that everyone else should have written. That, my friends, is the story of the Masters.
Nice going, Lefty.

Manners - you gottem

2010-03-24T09:48:00.003-03:00

Last week, I ranted about the lack of logical order at the traffic circle in St. Stephen.
Now, lest folks come to an unfavourable opinion of yours truly, I wanted to note a driving behaviour that I find most abnormal.
Let me describe, if I may.
The other day, I decided that I didn't want to go home for lunch, and hence, engaged in a Courier staff ritual: I went out the door, turned left and set my bearings for Pizza Delight.
The journey necessitates crossing Milltown Boulevard.
Here's where things get odd.
I stepped out onto the pedestrian crosswalk and - shockingly - drivers in both lanes of traffic came to a polite, orderly halt.
What?
Vehicles STOPPING at a pedestrian crosswalk, like the law suggests?
Egad, you'd never see this in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton or Saskatoon.
One would only expect vehicles to stop in a crosswalk in Toronto or Montreal if one were on some form of mind-altering drug.
Yet it happens here, repeatedly. It's almost like people are aware that when they strap themselves into their cars, that there are still other people around them.
And I hope it never changes.

2010-03-18T14:55:00.003-03:00

Perhaps the fine folks at Service New Brunswick should contemplate a modest test for anybody in the St. Stephen area applying for - or renewing - a driver's licence.
The test would cover the appropriate behaviour for folks encountering a traffic circle.
Now, for those of you who may not have realized, St. Stephen has a traffic circle.
They're wonderful things and interestingly enough, are proven time and again to be safer than traditional light-controlled intersections. They also provide a greater flow-through (measured as the number of vehicles able to move through the intersection per unit time) than traffic-light-based intersections.
That is, if they're used properly.
Unfortunately, far too many in this area approach the traffic circle near the St. Stephen High School ... AND THEN COME TO A FULL STOP.
Now, this is perfectly understandable, logical and reasonable if there is, say a flood of cars or a logging truck in the intersection.
But this is often NOT the case. Folks seem to stop just for the heckuvit, thus negating the wonderful traffic-flow-through benefits of the circle.
Then there's those who fail to understand the merits of yielding to traffic that is already IN the intersection.
By law and general protocol, a driver should signal a) right to signal intent to turn at the first exit, b) left to signal intent to use the third exit (and yes, the St. Stephen roundabout has four entrance/exits) and not signal to go straight. (Either most users don't know this rule, or simply operate vehicles with non-functioning signal lights. Do get those checked out before the next inspection, what?)
Secondly, if a vehicle is in the intersection, yield. Do not (as the clown in the black sedan did a few days ago) charge towards the intersection without regard for life or limb of those around. If this is a shocking revelation, do consider handing in your drivers licence.
Please.
In the meantime, maybe a refresher course on what a roundabout is, and how to use it, may be in order.

2010-03-12T08:45:00.001-04:00

Tonight, the St. Stephen Seahawks will take to the ice in Game 4 of the SHL opening-round series.
It’s an important game, and not just because the local squad is facing elimination.
Now, chances are that today, all the Seahawks players and coaches will utter the time-honoured clichés: they’ll play it “one period at a time,” and “the series isn’t over yet” and other such things.
But the reality is that of course, the series is over. Maybe the Seahawks will win tonight – but it won’t change much.
If they do win tonight, statistics gleaned from decades of best-of-seven series dictate that the squad will simply close out the season on the road in Game 5. Or, less likely, they’ll pack in the season in Game 6.
The finality of the season not in any real doubt, then, the squad takes to the ice tonight with really only one thing to salvage.
Pride.
That’s because the March 12 outing at home was one of the most lackluster efforts many local hockey fans had seen.
In 14 years of covering hockey at all levels, from novice to minor pro, I can’t think of a hockey game that had less passion, less contact and less intensity than the ho-hum outing in Game 2. That includes all-star affairs, for what it’s worth.
Further, I have yet to find a person who thought anything different than my own take on the matter.
By sharp contrast, Game 1 of the junior B playoffs the next night (Saturday) in St. Stephen was a delightful affair, and not just because the home side won.
It had hitting, it had energy, it had … well, it had what hockey fans should expect if they delve into their pocket for a couple loonies and toonies to pay for entrance. Even if the home side lost, no fan could have gone away from the game wondering if their money was well spent.
In that light, the ‘hawks have to show that they care. They have to show some energy, some intensity. Good gravy, losing is OK – but only if there’s some blasted effort, guys.
This isn’t a group of teenage boys we’re talking about. This is a team of grown men. People pay to see ‘em play. This is serious stuff. Or, at least, it should be.
Friday’s game wasn’t any of that.
Hence, the Seahawks have to show the fans – who by all accounts seem to be a loyal bunch – that even though this year is all but over, there’s something worth stumping up season tickets for in the season to come.

- Vern Faulkner is the editor of the Courier and Courier Weekend.

Santa

2009-11-30T12:04:00.002-04:00

Santa has been spending a lot of time in Charlotte County this season, and the Courier publications have agreed to give him a hand.

Letters to Santa can be dropped off at the offices of St. Croix Printing and Publishing weekdays 8:30 to 5.

And now you can email your letters in to santa@stcroixcourier.ca

Merry Christmas

H1N1 clinic info

2009-11-02T15:49:00.002-04:00

The St. Croix Courier website is being updated frequently to keep our readers informed about where the clinics are for the H1N1 immunization program.

Miller changes plea

2009-10-01T12:27:00.003-03:00

The trial of Rodney Miller came to an end on Thursday morning with Miller changing his plea to guilty of first degree murder.

More details to follow in the Courier Weekend

St. Stephen strikes gold

2009-09-03T13:14:00.002-03:00

On Wednesday, Sept. 2 they came from far and wide to celebrate local athletes who competed in the Canada Games. Read the story in the Weekend edition, heading to a newstand near you.

Coming up in the Weekend Edition

2009-08-13T12:38:00.002-03:00

The August 14 Weekend edition of the Courier will soon be hitting the newstands, and some of the stories we are working on include an update on a double lung transplant and a report on this season's blueberry crop.

A busy week

2009-08-11T13:20:00.002-03:00

The past week has seen Courier reporters covering the International Festival, the Chocolate Festival, The City of Calais, Maine celebrating 200 years, and the Province of New Brunswick celebrating 225 year, with the biggest NB Day celebrations in McAdam.
While Kathy, John and Melissa have been busy with everything from cannon fire to fireworks, Barb has been busy covering Eastern Charlotte. Look for Barb's piece on Minister's Island in the August 11 edition of the Saint Croix Courier.

Fan mail

2009-07-14T08:16:00.000-03:00

Dear Chuck Brown,
In anticipation of my eighteenth birthday this coming week I stumbled upon your article about teenage satisfaction. I found the article to be quite offensive and very misinformed.
As a teenager from Ontario living on my own in New Brunswick for the summer I have many responsibilities to tend to. From working, to paying rent, to paying my phone bill as well as buying groceries and necessities I am a very active member of society.
During the school year most of the teens I know are hard-pressed juggling schoolwork, homework, a part time job, a social life and in several cases a car of their own. I'd also like to address your "FOR PARENTS.../FOR TEENS..." section of the article. In some cases parents actually don't allow their teen to get a job because they fear it will affect their focus on school and the future. For teens unemployment is no reason to party, how could one afford alcohol, or drugs or the cover charge at their favourite band's concerts with no money to do so? For teens university is also a large financial burden and no joke as most of us will be getting a student loan and aren't reliant on our parents to pay our way through. As a teen I have lots to worry about, but it is all worth is because I can take a step back and see how much I and my fellow teenagers have matured and progressed through the years on our way to adulthood.
At 11 pm when when I'm off a long night at work, I chug a Red Bull, even though it tastes like crap, so that i can stay up and finish my fifteen page essay due the next morning. When i am done that and I can finally curl up under the sheets, I recap my day and I can smile, because I have a satisfying life, and I'm loving every moment of it.

Mitch Kacprzak

And here is the offending column...

Canadian teens can get satisfaction, survey says

Chuck Brown
Out There

Canadians are a happy, satisfied people and the happiest among us, enjoying the highest quality or life and the lowest levels of stress are, according to Statistics Canada, my dogs. Really, they don’t have a care in the world. No taxes, no bills. All they really have to do is lick stuff and try very hard to remember a few basic etiquette rules, mostly surrounding when and where it is appropriate to go potty.
My dogs are followed closely on the satisfaction metre by teenagers, who have basically the same responsibilities as my dogs, except that teenagers are also asked, occasionally, to make their bed. They politely decline by saying something diplomatic like, “Yeah whatever.”
Yes in a recent survey, Canadians aged 12-to-19 reported the highest rate of life satisfaction. Ranking much lower are 35-to-54-year-old Canadians. An uninformed, cynical, cursory explanation of these results might be that the 35-to-54-year-olds are less satisfied with their lives because they work long hours in jobs they never imagined themselves doing, spending most of what should be the best years of their lives being drained of their spirit and creativity because they can’t afford to pursue a career they might actually find rewarding because they have mortgage payments to meet, bills to pay and, of course, teenagers. The 35-to-54-year-olds, an outsider with no real knowledge of the intricacies of this survey might deduce, probably come home from an average work day exhausted and find their 12-to-19-year-old kids kicked back on the couch watching TV while also texting, Facebooking or playing Nintendo DS, lifting their heads just long enough to ask, “What’s for dinner?”
The answer, no matter what it is, will be met with, “Awww. That sucks.”
Someone who hasn’t really studied this survey might think that after dinner the average 35-to-54-year-old must either chauffeur a 12-to-19-year-old or two around town for various sporting or social activities before returning home to quickly clean up the dinner mess before heading back out to collect those 12-to-19-year-olds and bring them home for the nightly fight over bed time. This fight starts at birth and ends when the teenager starts staying up later than the 35-to-54-year-old and decides on his or her own bedtime.
The average 35-to-54-year-old can’t really understand why bed time is even an issue as he loves to collapse under the sheets and turn on his favourite TV show, at least he thinks it’s his favourite but he’s not sure because he’s usually asleep before the opening credits are over while the 12-to-19-year-olds of the house stay awake well into the night chatting with friends on their laptops or playing some really cool online multi-person role playing game due to the fact they drink Monster or Amp or Red Bull or some other energy drink that the 35-to-54-year-olds avoid due to the fact they taste like carbonated anti-freeze with a hint of citrus.
Yes these are just a few totally uninformed observations as to why teens might find life more satisfying than their parents. But there are other, more scientific reasons.
FOR PARENTS… unemployment is one of the most frightening prospects imaginable.
FOR TEENS … unemployment is a great reason to party, right up there with breaking off a relationship, getting suspended from school and, “it’s Tuesday.”

FOR PARENTS… a car is expensive to buy, maintain, insure and fill with fuel.
FOR TEENS… a car is unfairly only available when mom or dad don’t have it for their stupid jobs.

FOR PARENTS… university is a major financial burden but one they are willing to tackle for the betterment of their children.
FOR TEENS… university is well worth the price because it offers a chance to experiment with many things… and we’re not just talking about broomball.

FOR PARENTS… this will all be worthwhile when they see their former teens graduate, land a job, move out and, most importantly from a revenge standpoint, have kids of their own.
FOR TEENS… Yeah. Whatever.

SSHS Grad Banquet - Special Awards

2009-06-16T00:13:00.001-03:00

VIDEO: Future Links Golf Clinic - St. Stephen

2009-06-14T16:35:00.000-03:00

VIDEO: Junior Silverkings Ball Hockey

2009-06-14T16:34:00.002-03:00

VIDEO: Relay for Life St. Stephen

2009-06-14T16:34:00.001-03:00

Moosehead will unveil new brand at Moncton Concert

2009-06-12T11:44:00.000-03:00

Moosehead Light Lime to Share the Stage with Bon Jovi

Moncton, N.B. --- June 12, 2009 ---Andrew Oland, President of Moosehead Breweries chose a Moncton audience to announce his company’s plans for a new summer brew. Speaking at a breakfast meeting of theConseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswickin Moncton this morning, Oland said Moosehead will give Bon Jovi concert goers the first taste of Moose Light Lime.

Oland was in Moncton to encourage members of the local business community to take advantage of Saint John’s growth and the economic benefits it is bringing to the entire province. He took the opportunity to share his company’s news with the Moncton audience. “I am delighted to be in Moncton to announce two important elements of our summer program,” said Oland. “It seemed appropriate to make this announcement while speaking about the benefits of provincial cooperation and the need for the business community to capitalize on regional strengths.”

Olandsaid Moosehead Light Lime will capitalize on the newest taste trend and offer consumers a refreshing splash of lime in one of the company’s best selling brands: Moosehead Light.

“We believe Maritimers will welcome our Moosehead Light with a twist and quickly adopt it as their drink of choice this summer,” says Oland. “The launch of this new brand demonstrates our ability to quickly respond to consumer demand and stay ahead of industry trends.”

Moosehead Light Lime will be available in New Brunswick and PEI in 12-pack bottles until September.

Oland also announced to the Conseil économique that Moosehead has once again secured the beer pouring rights to Moncton’s two big concerts this summer; Bon Jovi and ACDC.

“Moncton continues to host world-class acts at Magnetic Hill and we are thrilled to once again be part of the excitement,” says Oland. Moosehead products will be served at both the Bon Jovi and ACDC concerts this summer. “These concerts are a huge benefit to the economy, culture and reputation of our region and Moosehead is a great fit with these exciting events,” says Oland.

Oland was invited to present to the Conseil économique on the growth drivers in Saint John and what it means for the entire province. He challenged the audience to take a provincial view and seek ways to be part of the growth, energy hub and other exciting initiatives in the Saint John area.

“We are a small province that cannot afford to support competition between our cities and regions,” says Oland. “The growth in Saint John brings tremendous opportunity for the entire province including new contracts, jobs and increased tax revenue. The challenge to you and the entire business community in the province is to find a way to be part of it. We are stronger when we work together and learn from each other.”

Moosehead Breweries Limited traces its roots to 1867, making it Canada's oldest, independent brewery. The family-owned company is the only locally owned major brewery in Atlantic Canada and the last national brewer still owned by Canadians. Moosehead has annual revenues in excess of $180 million and sells its beer throughout Canada, the United States and in 15 countries around the world.

Andrew Olandis President of Moosehead Breweries Limited. He is the sixth generation member of his family to lead the Oland brewing business started by his great-great-great grandmother Susannah Oland in 1867. He joined Moosehead in 1992 and has held a number of increasingly senior positions with the company including Sales Manager for Nova Scotia, Sales Director for New Brunswick, Alpine Lager Marketing Director, and President of Moosehead Quebec. He was appointed President on April 1, 2008.

WHO HAS THE BIGGEST WORLD'S BIGGEST YARD SALE?

2009-06-05T14:03:00.003-03:00

Wow. Two World's Largest Yard Sales are happening on Saturday in two different communities right here in our backyard.
The Boat School in Eastport and The Tide 98.1 are both holding The World's Largest Garage Sale this weekend. We may require a measurement.

FROM THE BOAT SCHOOL IN EASTPORT...

This is a reminder to everyone that our second “World’s Largest Indoor Yard Sale” of the season is this weekend (tomorrow), Saturday, June 6, here at The Boat School.

We are still looking for people to bake items for the Friends of the Boat School Bake Table and / or donate items for the sale table.

We also have booth space still available if you or your organization have items you would like to sell.

Doors Open at 7AM to 8AM for the Early Birds. There is charge of $10.00 for Early Birds. This is how Friends raises money for the non-profit Friends of The Boat School.

From 8 AM to 1PM the sale is free and open to the public.

Most of our vendors sell out each show. If you have items to donate, if you have items that you want picked-up, if you want a booth, if you want to bake for the bake table, please call 207-853-2518.

The Bake Table will once again be the work of some our best confection and dessert bakers in the region. Just in time for National Donut Day we will have Jackie Davis Donuts. Ronnie Voisine is making Cream Puffs and my 90 year old mother is baking Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Dean Pike has promised to bake a triple batch of his Butterscotch Bars and Meg McGarvey is making her famous Cinnamon Bread that makes the best French Toast in the world for Sunday morning. Alum Paul Morin is making Peanut Butter Fudge. We would love to have you bake for us if you have the time.

Make sure you tell your friends, neighbors and family. I hope to see you here Saturday morning. I will be here at about 5:30AM on Saturday waiting for you.

Cheers,

John Miller

FROM THE TIDE 98.1

98.1 The Tide and Landmark events presents the worlds largest garage sale coming to the Border Arena on Saturday, June 6^th starting at 9am. Turn your clutter into cash and join the biggest contingent of vendors to ever hit the border town. To book your space for the sale, call 465-8416 or pick up your registration form at our Tide studio’s.

Bowen Island welcomes new CAO

2009-05-29T23:50:00.001-03:00

Former CAO of St. Stephen Hendrik Slegtenhorst gets a warm welcome from his new home, Bowen Island...

The Other Hendrik Slegtenhorst

2009-05-29T23:47:00.002-03:00

St. Stephen's outgoing CAO is also an accomplished poet.

http://www.combats-magazine.org/spip.php?article59

Breaking News - Slegtenhorst resigns

2009-05-27T11:28:00.003-03:00

COURIER EXCLUSIVE

ST. STEPHEN CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER HENDRIK SLEGTENHORST HAS TENDERED HIS RESIGNATION

Mayor Jed Purcell confirms that Slegtenhorst has resigned and his last day is June 26.
For details see the Courier Weekend.

St. Stephen's Had Tapley has questions about the civic centre...

2009-05-27T11:07:00.003-03:00

"You can't go by the Courier, Had, you know that."
– HENDRIK SLEGTENHORST
St. Stephen CAO and Courier Columnist

"Where the shouting should go to, if your neighbours are concerned, ought to be the civic centre board."
– HENDRIK SLEGTENHORST
St. Stephen CAO and member of the Civic Centre Board of Directors

ST. STEPHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS/OFFICIALS ON THE CIVIC CENTRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Hendrik Slegtenhorst
Mayor Jed Purcell
Gavin Toumishey

After the loss - Lady Spartans coach Bob Coates

2009-05-25T00:58:00.000-03:00

MISSING PERSON - GRAND MANAN

2009-05-22T14:58:00.001-03:00

RCMP seek public’s help to locate missing man, Grand Manan, N.B.

2009/5/22

Grand Manan RCMP are asking for the public’s assistance to locate a man who has been missing since the beginning of the month.

On May 1, 2009, 52-year old Ritchie Wilson of Seal Cove left Grand Manan in his silver 2007 Nissan X-Terra with NB license plate GSC159. Mr. Wilson made some preparations at home prior to leaving that were consistent with leaving for a trip, but did not tell his family on where he was going. On May 15, Mr. Wilson was reported missing by his family. At this point neither police nor his family have been able to locate him.

Foul play is not suspected but Mr. Wilson’s family is eager to locate him. Mr Wilson is described as 6 feet tall and 275 pounds with light brown hair. The RCMP is asking anyone with information on Mr. Wilson’s whereabouts to contact them at (506)755-1130.

- 30 -

Cpl. Andy Cook
Grand Manan RCMP
(506)755-1130

YOUR LIFE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE FOREVER

2009-05-22T10:45:00.001-03:00

PUBLIC NOTICE
JUNCTION OF
ROUTE 170, ROUTE 3, and KING STREET
TOWN OF ST. STEPHEN
TRAFFIC PATTERN CHANGE

The Department of Transportation would like to advise the traveling public that a traffic pattern change will occur at the rotary located at the junction of Route 3, Route 170, and King Street in the town of St. Stephen. All vehicles entering the rotary will be required to yield to traffic flowing within the rotary. These changes will take place on May 27th, 2009. This change is necessary to standardize traffic flow at this intersection. New signage to indicate the traffic pattern changes will be in place.

The department apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The department reminds motorists to reduce speeds and drive safely.

District Transportation Engineer
District 04 – Saint John

RUGBY PLAYOFF GAME IS AT 1 P.M. SATURDAY

2009-05-21T14:15:00.001-03:00

NOTE: After the Weekend sports went to press we learned Saturday’s rugby playoff game at St. Stephen High School will be played at 1 p.m., not 2:30 p.m.

In the Courier Weekend, May 22, 2009

2009-05-21T13:51:00.001-03:00

NEWS
They made it happen - Civic centre fundraisers celebrate $3.5 million goal, name facility after Garcelon family
Critics slam civic centre plans
LNG a dumb investment, says energy expert
Thompson visits troops in Afghanistan
Agent Orange protesters picket Thompson’s office
Council pay raises pass another hurdle
Julian Austin concert shuffled to Aquarius

SPORTS
GIRLS RUGBY: Spartans charge into girls rugby playoffs
Arena will carry the Quartermain family name
BOYS RUGBY: Fundy boys fighting for third
RUGBY: Charlotte County Bulldogs gear up for summer rugby
RACING: Local drivers back on track at Speedway 660
BOYS RUGBY: Algonquins version 2.0 make big gains
SOCCER: Charlotte County Schooners remain undefeated in pre-season
BASEBALL: Tryouts open to Charlotte County players

Dumb question of the day

2009-05-15T15:58:00.002-03:00

Why would a nut company call itself "UNIK"?

FREE BEER!

2009-05-15T14:33:00.000-03:00

Sent in by alert Courier correspondent (and Habs fan) Mark Taylor.

UPDATE

2009-05-14T12:47:00.002-03:00

Bail hearing set for Thursday afternoon for four charged with human smuggling

(Read the full report in the Courier Weekend, going to press Thursday afternoon)

By KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – Bail hearings were scheduled for Thursday afternoon, May 14, for four individuals arrested and charged with conspiring to smuggle people across the border from Canada into the United States.
Appearing in St. Stephen Provincial Court and charged Thursday were Savita Singh-Murray, 43, of St. Stephen; Vaughn McCluskey, 71, formerly of McAdam, now of Fredericton; Mohammend Habib-Yusuf, 53, and Ravindra Hariprasad, 36, both of Ontario.
Singh-Murray and McCluskey were arrested Wednesday in New Brunswick, while the other two individuals were arrested in Scarborough, Ont.
If convicted on a first offence basis, the accused face a maximum of 10 years in prison and fine of up to $500,000. More significant penalties are handed out for second offences.

St. Stephen woman arrested on human smuggling charge

2009-05-13T15:39:00.001-03:00

Four people charged in human smuggling ring, Fredericton, N.B.

FOR DETAILS FROM COURT, SEE THE COURIER WEEKEND, MAY 15

2009/5/13

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/nb/news-nouvelles/releases-communiques/May1309_142458-eng.htm

On May 13, 2009, the RCMP’s Atlantic Region Immigration and Passport Section (I&P) , working closely with the RCMP’s Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) in New Brunswick, arrested four people alleged to be involved in the illegal transport of migrants into the United States. These arrests are part of an ongoing RCMP investigation which began in New Brunswick and expanded to include activity in Ontario.

Human smuggling involves the illegal movement of persons across international borders, with their consent, in exchange for a sum of money. At this point of the investigation the RCMP have intercepted two migrants from Guyana this group was attempting to smuggle into the United States. However, it is believed that more will be revealed as the RCMP continues its investigation.

Savita Singh, 43, of St. Stephen and Vaughn McLuskey, 71, of Fredericton were arrested in New Brunswick while Ontario residents Mohammed Habib-Yusef, 53, and Ravindra Hariprasad, 36, were arrested in Scarborough, ON. All four face charges of criminal conspiracy to violate immigration laws, and will appear in court in St. Stephen, N.B. on May 14.

“Human smuggling is often connected to other serious crimes, such as drug smuggling and money laundering,” said I&P investigator Sgt. Wesley Blair.

“Since organized crime groups involved in human smuggling are profit-driven, they do not often distinguish between migrants who are looking for a better way of life and migrants who are dangerous criminals.”

Anyone who suspects human smuggling activity in their community can provide information by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, New Brunswick’s Coastal Watch program at 1-800-665-6663 or contacting their local RCMP or police detachment.

VIDEO: CIVIC CENTRE FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT

2009-05-12T13:25:00.000-03:00

Mayors of St. Stephen

2009-05-12T13:20:00.006-03:00

Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson, left, and Premier Shawn Graham, with former St. Stephen mayors Bob Brown and Allan Gillmor and current mayor Jed Purcell.

Inspired by...?

FREE STUFF!

2009-05-12T13:20:00.001-03:00

Enbridge Gas is giving away free shopping bags...

As a company that provides the cleanest burning fossil fuel, Enbridge Gas New Brunswick supports environmental changes in our communities. Therefore, in an effort to limit the usage of plastic bags and their impact on the environment, we would like to do our part by helping to reduce the billions of plastic bags that are used each year.

“We all have a role to play in reducing our impact on the environment,” says Dave Charleson, General Manager of Enbridge Gas New Brunswick. “As one of the leaders in the most environmentally friendly energy source in New Brunswick, we are pleased to offer our customers a ‘green’ alternative to plastic.”

For that reason, if you live in one of the nine communities, (Fredericton, Oromocto, Saint John, St. George, St. Stephen, Moncton, Riverview, Dieppe and Sackville) and would like one of the environmentally friendly bags, simply fill out the form on the website, http://naturalgasnb.web4.hubspot.com/enviro-bag-giveaway and each household will be mailed a reusable bag while supplies last.

In the Saint Croix Courier, May 12, 2009

2009-05-12T11:44:00.001-03:00

Kathy Bockus/Courier

A ground breaking ceremony is expected this August for the Charlotte County Civic Centre on Budd Avenue following an announcement Tuesday morning of federal and provincial funding for the $18-million complex. From left is project chair Richard Fulton, Minister of Veterans Affairs Greg Thompson, Premier Shawn Graham and St. Stephen Mayor Jed Purcell.

To subscribe call 466-3220

Premier, feds deliver civic centre funds
Ganong Park is open, SCEP has a new chair
Thompson elected to village council
Mother’s Day fire destroys home
FEATURE: A common thread – Through her Cottage Craft business, Grace Helen Mowat employed hundreds of Charlotte County women
Teamwork makes Relay for Life a success

We're worth it, councillor says in defence of huge pay raise

2009-05-06T10:20:00.000-03:00

By KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – Town councillor Robert Tinker doesn’t think a salary increase for members of council is unreasonable considering all the time and effort he and others put into committee work and meetings.
“It’s fair and reasonable,” he said of the increase that would see Mayor Jed Purcell receive a raise of 35 per cent; Deputy Mayor Jim Maxwell would get an increase of 36 per cent and councillors would see their stipends rise 27 per cent.
The current bylaw allows for a cost of living increase of up to three per cent based on the Consumer Price Index.
But council has given first reading to a bylaw that would allow salaries paid to elected members of council to increase to become more in line with other “Class C” municipalities in New Brunswick.
If the amendment passes after its third reading, Mayor Jed Purcell’s salary will increase to $11,000 from the $8,134 paid to the position in 2008.
The salary paid to the deputy mayor, a position Jim Maxwell has occupied since the election in May 2008, would increase to $6,500 from $4,772 and councillors would see an increase to $5,500 from the $4,338 paid in 2008.
Council members are paid an annual stipend in two instalments.
But former town treasurer Ted Moore wants to know where the recommendation on salaries went that he, Jackie Bateman and Charles Monaghan presented to council after the three were appointed as a special committee assigned to look into salary increases.
“We came forward with a recommendation that went to council,” said Moore. “It was a recommendation for a raise, but nowhere near as much as they are asking for now.”
Moore questioned why the committee was struck and why he and the members wasted their time reviewing salaries and making recommendations.
“I’d like to know what happened to our recommendation. It was supposed to go to the finance committee,” he said.
“Why should people bother to sit on committees if council doesn’t even take into consideration what is being recommended?”
Moore said he thinks his committee’s recommendation has been forgotten.
“Somebody made a motion to be tabled and have the new council look at it. What they should have done was have the old council look at it before the new council was voted in,” said Moore.
Tinker said he doesn’t think the general public realizes the amount of time and effort that goes into being a member of town council.
He said he spends a good hour and a half a day just on e-mails alone.
“Through careful strategic planning and by being politically astute, our team was able to bring to our community a new plan for $250,000 in street work per year over a 25-year period. So that’s a good, long term local plan,” he said.
“In addition, we secured $1.25 million for King Street reconstruction and we secured over $4 million through the Building Canada Fund for additional street work.
“That $5,500 in a salary investment had a return of $5.5 million for the community. I think that’s good value,” said Tinker.

Premier visits St. Stephen

2009-05-06T10:15:00.004-03:00

From left, Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet, Maria Kulcher, Premier Shawn Graham, Richard Fulton, Dianne Lombard.

Premier Shawn Graham was in St. Stephen on Tuesday, May 5. He toured the Chocolate Museum, attended a Liberal dinner and met protesters who questioned him on nursing home worker wages and dialysis services in Charlotte County.

In the Saint Croix Courier, Tuesday, May 5

2009-05-05T11:34:00.001-03:00

Suzuki visits Cooke aquaculture sites
St. Andrews firefighters can’t take ambulance calls
Councillor defends huge pay raise
Council backs off renaming after Boundary Street residents complain
Court date set on fraud charges
Border agents practice safe inspections
St. George students break out in song for Music Monday
Home remedy lands man in court
District 10 educators earn Premier’s Award
New councillors sworn in
SPORTS
Welcome to Binney's Boot Camp

RugbyFest 2009

2009-04-25T20:49:00.000-03:00

PHOTO UPDATE - ST. STEPHEN BASKETBALL ASSOC. APRIL 19, 2009

2009-04-19T20:16:00.000-03:00

SPARTANS WIN ST. STEPHEN INVITATIONAL

2009-04-18T22:10:00.001-03:00

ST. STEPHEN – The St. Stephen Lady Spartans won their own tournament Saturday, defeating Rothesay Netherwood School in two straight games in the final.

The Spartans came back from 11 points down in game one of the final and never looked back.

For more, see the Courier, Tuesday, April 21.

Hache questioned by blogger

2009-04-13T15:17:00.002-03:00

Environment Minister Roland Hache speaks with Tim Foulkes, of the Bayside Preservation Committee, and blogger Charles Leblanc about Wednesday's public meeting in St. Andrews.

JV Spartans take on Harbour View

2009-04-12T21:31:00.000-03:00

Abbi Wilt returns a serve for the JV Spartans on April 9. For more, see Tuesday's Courier.

Gas leak report empties dorms

2009-04-12T21:26:00.000-03:00

The residences of St. Stephen's University were emptied Saturday evening after someone reported the smell of gas. Firefighters investigated. For details, see Tuesday's Courier.

Breast Cancer fundraiser marred by cheating Ganong

2009-04-06T13:53:00.002-03:00

I thought last week's Dooly's fundraiser for breast cancer was going great as members of the community like myself, some radio personalities and others took their turns behind the bar serving up drinks and donating all tips raised to cancer research.
Sadly the festivities were marred Sunday when "celebrity" bartender Nick Ganong cheated his way to becoming the top fundraiser.
After I obliterated amateur drink slingers like The Tide's Mark Downey ($58) and Bill and Tom - WQDY's undynamic duo of spilly servers ("I don't know how much we raised but you killed us, Chuck") I figured I had the top fundraiser title in the bag with my $189 raised on a slow Friday evening.
But with my total as a target, Ganong waited until his shift was almost over before begging patrons to empty their pockets to put him over the top. I wasn't there but witnesses tell me it was shameless. His unaudited total was in the $200 range but I bet his Foxy Ladies and Kinky Pinkies were way less delicious than mine.
We'll have more on this breaking news as it develops.
- Chuck

IDOL RETURNS

2009-03-30T13:28:00.002-03:00

Downeast Idol host and producer Anthony Enman, left, with contestant David Humphreys during last summer's Charlotte County's Got Talent competition.

Popular competition will raise funds for high school theatre
ST. STEPHEN –Downeast Idol is back.
The popular singing competition returns for to St. Stephen for a third season, running for six weeks starting Wednesday, April 29.
Auditions for Idol are Sunday, April 19 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at St. Stephen High School.
The competition is open to residents from St. Stephen, St. George, St. Andrews, Saint John and Calais. Only those 15 years of age and over are eligible to audition. Applications are available via e-mail, enmaprod@gmail.com or by contacting producer Anthony Enman at (506) 650-3113. If you can’t make the audition but still want to try out, contact Enman.
Up to 12 contestants will be chosen to compete in the six-week competition.
Unlike previous years, singers can audition with an instrument.
The show will run Wednesday, April 29, Wednesday, May 6, Monday, May 11, Wednesday, May 20, Wednesday, May 27 and the finale will be on Tuesday June 2.
Admission is $5 per person or an Idol Pass will be available for all shows.
Downeast Idol was created in the summer of 2006 to raise funds for the erection of the Charlotte County Civic Centre in St. Stephen. Since then organizers have added some great new ideas, and have changed their charity for donation. The competition is now raising money for the Save Our Theatre Campaign to refurbish the St. Stephen High School theatre and replace its lighting system.
Last year Enman produced Charlotte County’s Got Talent, won by singer/guitarist Nick Gay of Utopia. He said the show is going back to its idol format due to popular demand.

BREAKING NEWS

2009-03-30T11:57:00.002-03:00

Deer Island teacher Jude O'Reilly has pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of indecent exposure over the Internet. Our reporter was in court and has all the details in Tuesdays Saint Croix Courier.

HARLEY WINNER

2009-03-30T09:17:00.001-03:00

Congratulations to Bernie Mersereau, Lorneville, on winning the 2009 Harley Davidson Bike at the Old Town Tavern draw on Saturday night! This was the 10th Annual Harley Draw with proceeds going to Fundy Region Transition House.

- From Carole McKenzie

WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON

2009-03-27T13:45:00.003-03:00

Tuesday, March 31

* Another candidate wants Tony Huntjens' job. Find out who.

* Get the details from Sarah Russell's bail hearing

* Southern Hockey League champion will be crowned Saturday or Sunday

BREAKING NEWS -- Russell gets bail

2009-03-27T13:25:00.003-03:00

FRIDAY MARCH 27
ST. ANDREWS – A 19-year-old Moores Mills woman charged with manslaughter by criminal negligence and accessory after the fact to murder in connection with the death of her newborn son has been released on bail.
The court ordered that evidence presented at the bail hearing this week cannot be published - only the outcome. She was released from custody Friday afternoon and left the Court of Queens Bench in St. Andrews with her father.
Mr. Justice Raymond French heard evidence presented by Sarah Marie Russell’s lawyer, Randy Wilson, and Crown prosecutors Jim McAvity and Randy DiPaolo on Wednesday and Thursday, March 25 and 26.
Russell is also charged with disposing of the body of a dead child in an attempt to conceal its birth. She is due back in Provincial Court on April 20 when it will be decided if and when she will have a preliminary hearing into the first two charges. At that time she will also elect her mode of trial on the disposing of a dead body charge.
Russell and her boyfriend, Rodney Miller, 27, were arrested Jan. 29 and have been in custody since.
Miller is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the child’s death. No date has been set for his bail hearing. He is due back in Provincial Court on April 14 when it will be determined if and when he will have a preliminary hearing.
Both Miller and Russell have elected to be tried by Court of Queens Bench on their murder, manslaughter and accessory after the fact charges.
They both underwent court-ordered, 30-day psychiatric examinations which determined they were fit to stand trial and were not, at the time of the alleged offence, suffering from any mental disorder that would make them not criminally responsible.
The small house where Russell and Miller lived on Route 790 was cordoned off for several days after their arrest as local RCMP officers aided by those from the J Division Major Crime Unit South conducted the investigation into the infant’s death.

HEADLINES - Courier Weekend, March 27

2009-03-26T14:37:00.000-03:00

In the Courier Weekend, March 27
Call 466-3220 to subscribe

Woman charged in infant’s death seeks bail
Out of the woods, deer pose highway hazard
By-election candidates have until April 17 to file
St. Stephen family heading north… way north
Thompson slams province for quarry defence
Malloch seeks PC nomination
Washington County: We want our LNG
Body recovered, search continues for second man
Silverkings, Thrashers all tied up

YOU SAID IT...

2009-03-26T14:26:00.002-03:00

Quotes of the Week, Courier Weekend, March 27

“I’m just frustrated with the tactics of (Blacks Harbour Silverkings coach) Meryl (Stewart) and his nutbars.”
– St. Andrews Thrashers General Manager Murray Knox

(Meryl and the Nutbars would be a good name for a rock band).

“I am so confident in all the work that has been done by Calais LNG and I know this will be an excellent project for the area.”
– Calais Mayor Vinton Cassidy.

“The economy of Maine and Washington County is on thin ice, and Calais LNG will recharge our economy and help build a secure energy future.”
– Maine State Senator Kevin Shorey

“I don’t have a PhD or a college education but what I have got is a hard work ethic and very strong common sense values.”
– Curtis Malloch, PC candidate

“Does the province actually believe that these fines – which are supposedly now under strict conditions for on-site storage at the quarry – suddenly become safe when they are distributed into local communities? This is simply not believable.”
– Veterans Affairs Minister and MP Greg Thompson

“I just hate to see them killed.”
– Sharon Tucker, on the numbers of deer being killed on Highway One

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

2009-03-24T15:32:00.003-03:00

“I didn’t support it or not support it."
“I just said, economically, it looks okay.”
– ST. STEPHEN MAYOR JED PURCELL (RIGHT)

“I think they have to hear both sides of the story and, once they do, I am sure they will change their opinion."
– ST. ANDREWS MAYOR JOHN CRAIG

"If these people are supportive of Jamer Materials, and believe in Jamer's solemn statements and science that they pose no threat to the environment (despite their operating history, and that of their parent company), let them host Jamer in St. Stephen. Let's plant a giant quarry dead-centre and sell it to the people as The St. Stephen Central Core Improvement Project."
– PAT MOWATT, BAYSIDE RESIDENT

“Did they not read the article?”
– PURCELL

“I didn’t have time to think."
– JERRICA BARTLETT, MEDAL OF BRAVERY WINNER

“They are putting us back 50 years. It makes no sense. They have wasted enough money on things that don’t add up. I don’t know how they came up with this.”
– JOYCE STUART, DEER ISLAND LSD

“People will have to adjust their travel plans.”
– ANDREW HOLLAND, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

“You can fight a better battle from within.”
– FORMER ST. STEPHEN MAYOR BOB BROWN CALLING RECENT RESIGNATIONS FROM COUNCIL A MISTAKE

“I am outraged. I am just vibrating."
– TERRY JAMES
BLACKS HARBOUR MAYOR ON THE PROVINCE'S FEE-BASED AMBULANCE PLAN.

"If someone wants to drop the mitts, we are more than happy to accommodate them."
– MATTY WALSH (RIGHT)
BLACKS HARBOUR SILVERKINGS

HEADLINES

2009-03-24T15:27:00.002-03:00

John Gardner/Courier

The Bartlett family gather around Medal of Bravery winner, Jerrica Bartlett. From left Josh Bartlett, Sheila Bartlett, Randy Bartlett, Jerrica Bartlett, Leah Bartlett, and Roxanne Petitpas.

In the Saint Croix Courier, Tuesday March 24, 2009
Call 466-3220 to subscribe

Lack of support stings St. Andrews -- Anti-quarry mayor wants chance to convince St. Stephen to join the fight
Quarry 'looks okay' -- But that's not a vote of support, says St. Stephen mayor
Councillors shouldn't have quit, says a former St. Stephen mayor
St. Stephen girl earns Medal of Bravery
Council chickens out of animal ban after bylaw lays an egg
Katlyn keeps fighting
Ferry cuts set Deer Island back 50 years
Mayor slams ambulance fee plan
Province responds to Thompson's quarry claims
Calais LNG holds public meeting Tuesday

EDITORIAL
Gutless comments are getting too much attention
LETTERS
If mayor supports quarry, bring it to St. Stephen
St. Stephen mayor stabbed St. Andrews in the back
Quarry GM says watershed is safe

SPORTS
Silverkings hook series lead
Islanders compete for NB title

St. Stephen girl earns Medal of Bravery

By JOHN GARDNER
john@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – On March 16, Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, announced that Jerrica Bartlett, of St. Stephen, will be the recipient of a Medal of Bravery awarded in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
On Aug. 4, 2007, then 11-year-old Bartlett rescued her great-great-uncle from a possible drowning in North Head, Grand Manan...

See the full story in Tuesday's Saint Croix Courier

HEADLINES

2009-03-20T09:14:00.004-03:00

JOHN GARDNER/COURIER Sarah Marie Russell, 19, is charged with manslaughter and being an accessory after the fact to the murder of an infant.

In the Courier Weekend, March 20, 2009...

Couple deemed fit to stand trial in infant death case
Hundreds tell province: We don't want a quarry
St. Stephen mayor, councillors support quarry
Islanders keep ferry hope afloat
ASF’s Wilfred Carter dies at 82
Blacks Harbour councillor resigns
St. George wakes up dry
St. Stephen liquor store on the move

FIT TO STAND TRIAL

By KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – A Moores Mills couple has been found fit to stand trial on charges of murder and manslaughter in connection with the discovery of the dead body of their newborn son.
Rodney Stuart Miller, 27, has elected to be tried by judge alone in Court of Queen’s bench on a charge of first-degree murder.
Sarah Marie Russell, 19, chose the same mode of trial on her charges of manslaughter and being an accessory after the fact to the murder of an infant the court is calling “Baby Russell.”
After the couple’s court appearance in St. Stephen on Tuesday, Miller’s lawyer, Joel Hansen said he would not be asking for a preliminary inquiry on his client’s behalf.
He said he is pushing for the receipt of the autopsy report.
“There’s no report yet that says the infant was alive at birth,” said Hansen. “If the child was not alive, there is no murder.”

For more visit www.stcroixcourier.ca

HEADLINES

2009-03-17T16:09:00.000-03:00

Dick Cornish, of Dooly’s Billiard Room in St. Stephen, is ready for a St. Patrick’s Day toast.

In the Saint Croix Courier Tuesday, March 17

Parker quits, St. Stephen council now down to four
Thompson urges quarry foes to attend meeting
Doucet sinks Campobello ferry dreams
Mayor John Craig wants to replace Huntjens
Parents charged in infant’s death return to court
Thompson demands clean-up of fines from granite quarry
Man who tried to rob video store gets treatment, not jail

St. Stephen Town Council... visionaries

2009-03-16T13:57:00.003-03:00

Image copyright John Drysdale, used with permission

A few St. Stephen residents have asked the town to allow them to raise some hens in their yards. St. Stephen council has moved swiftly... to develop a bylaw banning chickens and any other livestock from town.

Meanwhile, in a forward-thinking, visionary city like Vancouver...

Cup comes to FHS

2009-03-16T13:55:00.000-03:00

Barb Rayner/Courier
Former NHL stars Brian Trottier (left) and Butch Goring pose with a replica
of the Stanley cup with students from Fundy High where they made a
presentation Wednesday afternoon.

NHLers visit FHS

2009-03-16T13:53:00.001-03:00

Barb Rayner/Courier
Former NHL stars Brian Trottier (left) and Butch Goring posed for a quick
photo with some Fundy High students after the arrived at the school to make
a presentation Wednesday afternoon.

Boy in Striped Pyjamas opens door to talk to kids about Holocaust

2009-03-13T09:51:00.002-03:00

JOHN GARDNER
This Week on DVD

THE BOY IN STRIPED PYJAMAS
Three and a half stars out of five

The Boy in Striped Pajamas is the story of a forbidden friendship between two little boys, Bruno, (Asa Butterfield) and Shmuel (Jack Scanlon).
Shmuel lives on a farm. Barbed wire surrounds the farm to keep the animals in and they often smell the stench of burning garbage coming from chimneys on the farm.
Bruno lives in the house next door, and his father, Rolf (David Thewlis) runs the farm. The house is behind a fence, and he only has a small gravel yard to play in. The backyard is off limits to him, and there are no other children to play with. You very much get the sense that Bruno is living in a prison.
Soon the adventurous eight year old finds a way through the backyard and out into the forest beyond. A short hike takes him to the farm where he has spotted strange people who spend all day in striped pajamas.
In reality the “farm” is a Nazi concentration camp, the electric barb wire keeps the “animals” like Shmuel in, and the garbage that the family smells burning are the Jews being slaughtered.
Scanlon with his head shaved and missing a few teeth, steals the scenes with few lines and fearful facial expressions. Originally Scanlon and Butterfield had more lines but the awkward silences that developed on the set seemed more natural than anything that could have been written.
Butterfield is clearly the star of the show, appearing in 120 of 140 scenes. A childlike innocence surrounds Bruno, as he asks Shmuel, “Do you have a lot of friends over there?”
But Bruno is not the only innocent character. The question is often asked how such a thing could have happened, and in this film the viewer gets to see the events through fresh eyes. Mother Elsa (Vera Farmiga) is equally in the dark as to the true nature of events going in the camp. When a young lieutenant (played by Rupert Friend) let's slip the true nature of what is going up the chimneys, Elsa is furious with her husband. He tells her he was sworn to secrecy to death about what was happening there. In researching, the producers discovered through journals kept at the time, that the wife of the real life commandant at Auschwitz did not know was going on.
Thewlis, perhaps best known as Professor Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter films, uses his full 6'4” to create an imposing, sombre figure as if the weight of countless deaths weighed him down.
The film is a new take on the Nazi war movie. Although the film is clearly set in the midst of the Holocaust, the shock value is lacking in this version. While other films made use of period newsreels type shots, and Steven Spielberg made use of black and white in Schindler's List, this film was shot in crisp colour. The atrocities are hinted at, but are not in your face.
The film is rated PG, and is definitely not something to watch when you are looking for mindless entertainment. Because the brutality of Nazi Germany is presented subtly, I would recommend this movie as a good one to watch with your children when you have the time for a follow-up discussion. As the plot progresses, the characters are educated but there is still much to talk about.
I am giving this movie three and a half stars because while it was interesting once I got into it, it did not grip me. As a war movie, it lacked the action. As a holocaust movie, it lacked shock value. The British accents caused me some problems, merely because I am used to war movies where the people with British accents are fighting the Nazis. Even the boy in the striped pajamas (Scanlon) does not show up until the halfway point of the movie. The movie is based on the novel of the same name written by John Boyne.

Movies for This Week on DVD are provided by Movie Gallery, St. Stephen.

In the Courier Weekend, March 13, 2009

2009-03-13T09:48:00.001-03:00

COURIER EXCLUSIVE -- Huntjens won't seek re-election
Quartermain quits St. Stephen council
Sweeney talks about call to the Hall
Bayside meeting isn't a quarry dig
LNG a great economic hope, says governor
Man pleads guilty to camp break-ins
New suds start flowing
NHLers treat fans to legendary night

Coming up in the Tuesday March 17 edition
Who might replace Tony Huntjens?
The Irish in St. Andrews

COURIER HEADLINES March 10, 2009

2009-03-10T15:19:00.002-03:00

Chuck Brown/Courier

For hockey fans who remember the 1970s and ‘80s, Wednesday night’s NHL Legends game will bring back a flood of memories and offers a chance to see some of their hockey card heroes live and in person. Bryan Trottier, Billy Smith, Butch Goring, Glenn Anderson, Terry O’Reilly, Rick Middleton and Gary Leeman are set to take on a team of locals at 7 p.m. at the Border Arena.

In Tuesday's Saint Croix Courier

Ferry a done deal
Time to shine - NHL stars coming to border town
Computer users jumping on broadband wagon
Island rink needs more work
Economy hurting community fund
Don Sweeney Hall of Fame bound
Reeves to speak at Boys and Girls Club fundraiser
Woman pleads not guilty to passing school bus

TIME TO SHINE
NHL greats hit Border Arena Wednesday

By CHUCK BROWN
editor@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – Bryan Trottier has certainly earned the right to spend these Canadian winters somewhere warm where he can put his feet up, kick back and admire his Stanley Cup rings – all seven of them.
But he won’t. He can’t. He just can’t stay away from the rink. And on Wednesday night the Hockey Hall of Famer will be lacing up the blades with six other NHL legends for an exhibition at the Border Arena in St. Stephen.
“It brings back some memories for some hockey fans,” Trottier, 52, said Monday in a phone interview from New York.
Fifteen years removed from his last NHL game as a player, he said he still feels the pull of the rink and, while he’s based in the U.S., still loves getting to Canada any chance he gets. It’s here, said the Saskatchewan native, that hockey hits home hardest and where he feels the passion for the game everywhere he goes.
The game treated Trottier well and he has gone down not just as one of the best of his era but of all time. In 1998 The Hockey News ranked him number 30 on its list of 100 greatest players. He was an all-star year after year. He won a scoring title, an MVP and a playoff MVP award. He was a rookie of the year. He won Stanley Cups with the 1980s New York Islanders dynasty and with the Pittsburgh Penguins when Mario Lemieux ruled the game. He won another as an assistant coach in Colorado.
And while hockey was a rewarding career, Trottier has a confession.
“I would have played for free,” he said. “It’s just the greatest game at the highest level against the greatest players in the world.”
There’s no way to describe the feeling of skating on NHL ice, he said, never mind trying to put the emotions and experience of lifting a Stanley Cup into mere words. It can’t be done.
Trottier shone bright in a golden era for hockey. He was a key part of the Islanders’ dynasty that brought four straight Cups to Long Island before a kid named Gretzky, along with Messier and the rest, toppled the kings and assumed the throne.
Trottier still watches, and loves, the modern game but he’s not sure how he’d enjoy playing it.
“I had a good chat with Mike Bossy about that,” Trottier said.
His Islander teammate and legend in his own right agreed that new rules allow stars room to move and to shine but the competition is fierce and players today are bigger and stronger than ever.
“The players are so big,” said Trottier, who played at about 5-11 and 195 pounds. “I sure feel small when I walk through the dressing room today.”
His old Islanders aren’t the perennial Cup favourites they were when Trottier centred the Trio Grande line between Bossy and Clark Gillies. Today’s Islander fans can only cheer about the prospect of a last-place finish and a shot at the number one draft pick.
“You’d much rather be vying for the Stanley Cup every year,” Trottier said, acknowledging that it’s still exciting to think about the future and the prospect of adding someone like all-time OHL scoring leader John Tavares to the fold.
Like his fearless playing days, Trottier isn’t afraid to weigh in on some of hockey’s current hot-button issues either. With debate raging in the hockey world about the role of fighting, Trottier said he doesn’t mind a genuine, spirited scrap when emotions boil over and two players spontaneously combust. But the goon battles that pit fighter against fighter are too choreographed and pre-meditated.
“It’s a recipe for disaster,” he said. “I’m not a big fan of that.”
He said the instigator rule that penalizes a player for starting a fight has to go.
“It ruined it all for everybody,” he said of the rule, which critics say removes any form of player-dealt justice from the game.
He also said the current perceived feud between young superstars Sydney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin is overblown by news-hungry media.
“I think the players have mutual respect for each other,” he said.
Focusing back on Wednesday night’s game at the Border Arena, Trottier said the Legends will provide an entertaining and interactive show.
“We have a lot of fun on the ice,” said the 18-year NHL veteran.
Joining him are fellow Islanders Butch Goring and Billy Smith, Boston Bruins Rick Middleton and Terry O’Reilly, Toronto Maple Leaf Gary Leeman and Glenn Anderson, best known as a five-time Cup winner with the Edmonton Oilers who added a sixth championship as a New York Ranger.
“He enjoys working the crowd,” Trottier said of the colourful Anderson.
Among the roster of Charlotte County players are Rob Dougherty, Mike O’Connell, Dan Dempsey, Larry Seabrook and RCMP members Don Marshall, John Beck and Dan Gourdeau. David Mitchell and Eric MacDonald, from Calais, will also be lacing up for the Charlotte County team.
The last time a roster of ex-NHL players skated at the Border Arena was 20 years ago when Eddie Shack and Frank Mahovlich were among the greats to face off against local heroes like Steve and Floyd Haley, Blair Price, Mike Kohler and Dale Orr.
The puck drops Wednesday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. That’s $5 less than originally planned, thanks to a donation from Cooke Aquaculture, said promoter Steve Walton.
Trottier or one of the other NHL legends is also expected to give a speech at Fundy High School Wednesday afternoon.

HEADLINES for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009

2009-02-24T11:45:00.003-04:00

John Gardner/Courier
Emergency crews respond to an overturned ambulance on Highway 1 in Waweig on Friday, Feb. 20. The ambulance was being used to transport a patient to Charlotte County Hospital from Saint John Regional Hospital. One paramedic suffered minor injuries in the crash, however the driver and patient escaped unharmed.

To subscribe to the Courier and Courier Weekend, call 466-3220

LOCAL NEWS
Ambulance crashes en route to hospital
Okay winter, we give up -- Neither rain, nor sleet will stop the mail... but Monday’s snowstorm sure did
Long hours taking toll on snow plow crews
Council okays civic centre land purchase
Business leaders applaud civic centre location
Teacher accused of Internet luring asks for trial delay
‘It has been a rough winter’
LNG project a bright spot, says economist
Kiwanis pool will open
Barrys celebrate 70th anniversary

COLUMNISTS
Chuck Brown - A style guide for real guys
Mark Taylor - Book of Leafs heroes a short read
Gerald McEachern - Sorry Madonna, it's not a material world anymore

SPORTS
Phantoms best Vikings for NB title
Spartans boys title hopes dashed

CIVIC CENTRE POLL UPDATE

2009-02-24T11:37:00.003-04:00

At stcroixcourier.ca we're asking what you think about the site of the new Charlotte County Civic Centre. So far the majority of voters say the civic centre should not be built at all.
Have your say NOW. Visit www.stcroixcourier.ca

VOTING AS OF TUESDAY MORNING

Where should the Charlotte County Civic Centre be built?
St. Stephen waterfront/Budd Ave.	34.2%
Near the highway	10.5%
Milltown/Industrial Park area	5.3%
Boundary Street	5.26%
It shouldn't be built at all	44.7%

Civic Centre going to Budd Ave.

2009-02-19T14:32:00.001-04:00

Read the press release HERE

In the Courier Weekend, Feb. 20, 2009

2009-02-19T14:23:00.003-04:00

Kathy Bockus/Courier
Charlotte County Civic Centre board president, Richard Fulton, left, and site selection committee chair, Bob Coates, right, announce Thursday that the $15-million complex will be built here, at Budd Avenue in St. Stephen.

DOWNTOWN BOUND - Civic Centre to be built on St. Stephen waterfront at Budd Avenue
Business as usual - NB salmon industry reviews landmark BC court ruling on aquaculture
Charlotte County gets hit again
Bayside LSD rejects quarry meeting
Woman charged with defrauding Quick Set Foundations
Fat bank account costly to teen
Drug trafficking case delayed a week
Fiddle legends expected at championship
Chamber elects new executive
Jail release short lived
Flu closes nursing home

DOWNTOWN BOUND
Civic Centre to be built on St. Stephen waterfront at Budd Avenue

By KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – A site long favoured by the Charlotte County Civic Centre committee and the town has been chosen as the future home of the $15-million recreational, retail and business complex.
“We are very pleased to announce that we have selected Budd Avenue as the site for our civic centre,” said Richard Fulton, president of the CCCC board of directors, as he made public the long-anticipated location for the civic centre in a press release Thursday, Feb. 19.
“After extensive analysis of several possible sites, our committee feels we have definitely made the right choice,” said Bob Coates, chair of the CCCC board’s site selection committee.
Budd Avenue is located along the St. Croix River and near the Visitor Information Centre, the Town Square and the St. Croix Public Library.

For details, see the Courier Weekend, on newsstands Thursday evening.

In the Saint Croix Courier, Tuesday, Feb. 17

2009-02-18T09:10:00.000-04:00

Rosetta Gallant displays a selection of chocolates that will be available at the new Ganong Chocolatier, expected to open in Riverview June 1.

Ganong is growing
Civic Centre project poised to take big leap
Dialysis unit on hold
Speedo-clad joggers chill out for charity
Passamaquoddy lovers unite
Legion seeks military photos
Lobster on menu for ministers meeting
St. Andrews performer up for ECMA
LNG developer faces lawsuit
General public yawns over marine planning opportunity
Brad Henderson and three Seahawks take aim at World Pond Hockey Cup

GANONG IS GROWING
Despite recession, St. Stephen's famed candy maker is opening a new shop in Riverview

By JOHN GARDNER
john@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – Ganong Bros. has made St. Stephen famous as Canada’s “Chocolate Town” and now, despite the recession, the company is expanding and opening a new retail shop on the Chocolate River.
The town of Riverview is creating a new tourist destination called Fundy Gateway and Ganong Bros. is making plans to be part of the development. The old firehouse on the shores of the Peticodiac River (also known as the Chocolate River) is part of this project and will house three prominent retailers. In addition to a Ganong Chocolatier, the facility will feature Rocky Mountain Maple and local soap manufacturer, Olivier.
Don’t expect to find the usual Delecto label at this new location, said Ganong Chocolatier Manager Jeff McShane.
“The shop will exclusively showcase our handcrafted products We will definitely do the boxes that are exclusive to the store here, and the pieces out of the showcase that are exclusive to the store,” he said.
“Riverview is the start of the Fundy experience so we positioned ourselves there for the tourist market as well as the Moncton – Riverview population.”
It is expected the new operation will open June 1, just in time for the tourist season. Bryana Ganong has been instrumental in establishing the new outlet.
The Chocolatier, at approximately 84 square metres, will be significantly smaller in size than the shop in St. Stephen, and just a small part of the 1,000 square-metre Fundy Gateway complex.
Dave Muire, the Chief Administrative Officer of the town of Riverview, said the fire station is ideally suited for the $2.2 million project. The structure, built in the early 1970s, has sat unused for the past three years.
“Over the last few years we have tried to find methods to develop it and we had some projects come forward we weren’t really keen on. And then this project came forward from a local entrepreneur with a proposal and worked on with my economic development officer,” says Muire.
“The theme is chocolate and tempting your senses so it should be a good fit.”
The exterior of the cement block structure is being resurfaced and the interior is being gutted.
Special events and demonstrations are going to be a part of the business, McShane said.
“The other facilities are actually demonstrating their products. The soapery is going to make soap on the premises. The Rocky Mountain Maple is actually going to make maple syrup, it’s done behind plexiglass. So we are in the process of actually adding something in the store that we are actually going to be making on site, whether it be fudge or things with chocolate. We are definitely leaning toward parties there, such as birthday parties or private events,” says McShane.
The complex is also expected to house artisans and there will be a restaurant there.
“Our part is that we are going to have another exclusive store in that part of the Maritimes,” says McShane.
Although a big part of the business is expected to be tourism based, the facility will be open year round, and employ four or five people at that location. McShane is responsible for setting up this new operation and will manage the Riverview location while continuing in his role as manager of the retail store in St. Stephen.
“We will have someone on site as a supervisor,” says McShane.

Animal shelter needs volunteers

2009-02-16T13:17:00.001-04:00

The Charlotte County Animal Shelter is looking for some new ‘Friends’!

Join us for the first meeting of the “Friends of the Charlotte County Animal Shelter”, a new group for people interested in helping raise money for the shelter. We are looking for people to help organize and work at a variety of old and new fundraising events throughout the year. All are welcome on Thursday, February 26th at 7 PM at the St. Stephen Superstore upstairs meeting room.

School bans sweatpants

2009-02-13T15:50:00.002-04:00

A Moncton high school principal has outlawed sweatpants in his school.
Are sweatpants a problem in your school? Let us know.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/02/12/nb-sweats-suspended.html

Are sweatpants a problem in your school? Let us know.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/02/12/nb-sweats-suspended.html

SALUTE YOUR SWEATPANTS

Moving Day at St. Stephen Town Hall

2009-02-13T15:30:00.004-04:00

Photos By JOHN GARDNER

This Week on DVD

2009-02-13T14:51:00.004-04:00

Frozen River
3.5 Stars out of 5
Courier Review
By CHUCK BROWN

Frozen River might be one of the best movies of 2008 you've never heard of (unless you're an independent film fan or festival follower – it won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival).
Set along the Canada-U.S. border in bleak communities where the biggest of dreams include striking it rich at high-stakes bingo and saving up to buy a new double-wide, Frozen River is a chilling exploration of a border town’s dark side – something those of us who live here and read the news have been learning about recently.
Life is harsh in Massena, N.Y., but this story could just as easily have been set in St. Stephen-Calais. It is dark, it is tense and it is real -- not exactly a good escape from what has been a depressing, at times horrifying, winter here in Charlotte County. No, this is certainly no National Treasure or Journey to the Center of the Earth. Frozen River is real life and in the worst way, a story about the impoverished and their desperate struggle to earn enough money to simply survive. It is a story about women, about race and about how morals shift depending on perspective and how doing the “right thing” can be so different, depending on a person’s station in life.
This is the story of two single mothers, one white, one native. Ray Eddy (played by Melissa Leo, who is nominated for an Oscar for this role) plays a mother of two boys, aged 5 and 15, who, in the film's opening scenes, learns her gambling addicted husband has deserted the family and taken, or lost, the down payment for their new double-wide trailer home. Ray’s is a life of repo men, scrounging change for her kids’ school lunches and even, between paychecks, serving popcorn and Tang for dinner.
In her half-hearted search for her husband at the Mohawk-run bingo parlour, she encounters Lila (Misty Upham), a Mohawk widow whose mother-in-law "stole" her baby. The first meeting wasn’t a positive one – Ray sees Lila driving off in her husband's car. She follows Lila through snowy woods roads to her tiny trailer home and, in a tense confrontation, makes it clear Lila won't be keeping what belongs to Ray.
But Lila has an intriguing offer – she tells Ray she can sell one of her cars to a smuggler, who she knows will pay more than its worth.
Lila is known to authorities, on and off the reservation, as a smuggler - at one time of cigarettes when, she said, everyone was in on it, even the troopers. But now her cargo is human. Lila takes Ray on a tense journey across the frozen river into Mohawk territory in Canada. There is no border, Lila tells Ray. This is Mohawk country. This is free trade.
They pick up their passengers - two Chinese men - who climb into the trunk. The women are handed an envelope of cash and we later learn that "snakeheads" pay to bring the immigrants illegally to the U.S. at a cost of $50,000 then make them work it off doing who-knows-what. The women's cut for each pair they transport is $2,400 and, while protesting the legality of the operation initially, Ray can't resist the cash and the dream of making the payment on that trailer. It's something she'd never be able to do the honest way at her part-time job at the dollar store where she has to beg, unsuccessfully, a smarmy young manager to give her full-time hours.
After a few relatively easy scores, Lila decides she has to give up the smuggling life but Ray, desperate to make the trailer payment, convinces her to do one last run. Their final cargo is a couple from Pakistan - "Where's that?" Ray asks. She also becomes suspicious of a duffle bag placed in her back seat and wonders if it contains explosives, if her cargo is a couple of terrorists. Lila doesn’t care. A job’s a job. Scary. But Ray dumps the cargo on the middle of the frozen river and is later shocked to learn what she left behind. I won't give it away.
Frozen River is a bleak and depressing tale that illustrates how desperation, strength and a love for their children will drive these two women. It is pretty much a perfect indie movie and would warrant four stars or better on that merit. I’m giving it 3.5 out of five only because I know this is not a film for everyone and I like to save scores of four or higher for movies I think most anyone would enjoy.

Movies for This Week on DVD are provided by Movie Gallery in St. Stephen.

WIN NHL LEGENDS TIX

2009-02-11T15:28:00.003-04:00

THE NHL LEGENDS ARE COMING TO ST. STEPHEN...

And the Saint Croix Courier has 5 pairs of tickets to give away!

On March 11, at the Border Arena at 7 p.m. see the NHL Legends face off against some of Charlotte County's finest rink rats.

Bryan Trottier
Butch Goring
Battlin’ Billy Smith
Terry (Taz) O’Reilly
Rick (Nifty) Middleton
Glenn Anderson
Gary Leeman (from the Leafs famed Hound Line)

WATCH THE SAINT CROIX COURIER AND COURIER WEEKEND FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO WIN!

Fundy Bay department gets new fire truck

2009-02-11T10:05:00.000-04:00

On Monday, Feb. 9, the Fundy Bay Fire Hall held an open house to show visitors the department’s new fire truck. The event was organized by the Fundy Bay Local Service District (FBLSD) and the Fundy Bay Fire Department (FBFD). Refreshments were made available for those in attendance. Pictured in front of the new fire truck, from left, are FBLSD members, Carl Leeman, Ella Mae Hanley and Heather Hatt, FBFD Fire Chief Jason Hatt, MLA for Charlotte-The Isles and provincial Minister of Fisheries Rick Doucet, and FBFD member Geoff Hatt.

NEWS ALERT - MILLTOWN BOULEVARD CLOSED WEDNESDAY

2009-02-10T16:56:00.000-04:00

St. Stephen Town Hall is on the move, but traffic may be snarled.
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, town hall will be moving to the new location in the Ganong Complex. This move will require two large moving vans on Milltown Blvd. As a result traffic will be blocked in the area of the town hall at 34 Milltown Blvd. beginning at approximately 7 a.m. This is expected to remain blocked for most of the morning.

Battle of Charlotte County resumes

2009-02-10T15:56:00.002-04:00

Jeremy Townes/Courier photos
Blacks Harbour Silverkings Nick Theriault, left, is all smiles during a bout with St. Stephen Seahawk Brad Burns Friday night at the Border Arena. Blacks Harbour won 11-5.

Playoff pieces falling into place

By JEREMY TOWNES
sports@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – The final week of the SHL season has arrived following another busy weekend of hockey action that saw all five teams on the ice.
Currently holding down first place with 42 points, the Blacks Harbour Silverkings have a one-point lead over the second place St. Andrews Thrashers with one game remaining in their schedule. But with two games to play this weekend, the Thrashers stand a chance of finishing in first place once again. The final outcome for first and second will be decided Feb. 14 at the W.C. O’Neill Arena in St. Andrews with the victor claiming top spot for the 2008/2009 season.
Despite the narrow points gap between first and second place, the same can’t be said for second and third. The Thrashers have a 20-point lead over the St. Stephen Seahawks, who sit in third and hope to retain that position after this weekend’s games. With 21 points in the standings, St. Stephen is three up on the Nackawic Hawks with 18, and four points up on fifth place Fredericton with 17. The slumping Hilltop Bud Lights will host the Hawks Thursday night. St. Stephen will play St. Andrews Friday night and baring a small miracle it’s unlikely the Seahawks will earn a point, meaning a Feb. 14 meeting between Nackawic and St. Stephen will likely be a battle for third place and a chance to avoid an opening round quarter-final series against Fredericton. The third place finisher advances directly to the semi-final against the second place finisher.
In a recap of last week’s games, St. Andrews thumped Fredericton 6-1 at the York Arena in the capitol city on Thursday night. League scoring leader Craig Soke had a three-goal evening for the Thrashers while Kyle Werner, Kevin Werner, and Warren Toole filled the net for the other three goals. Reg Bourcier made 22 of 23 saves as the winning goalie. Jeff Piercy had the single marker for the Hilltop Bud Lights and Martin Speer saved 42 of the 48 shots he faced in a losing effort.
On Friday, Feb. 6, the Border Arena was the site for the last regular season meeting between long time rivals St. Stephen and Blacks Harbour and it was undoubtedly the worst showing the Seahawks have made all season after winning four of their last five games. 111 penalty minutes were handed out during the game, 60 going toward the Silverkings, but the visiting team still managed to outshoot St. Stephen 52 to 43 en route to an 11-5 trouncing. Anton Mikhailov led the Blacks Harbour attack with a hat trick, while Robbie George and Dave Reynolds each scored a pair of goals. Ryan Locke, Eric Jean, Thatcher Bell, and Rene George all added solo markers for the Silverkings. Aaron Molnar made 38 saves for the win between the pipes. Sean Turner led the Seahawks scoring with a pair of goals. Dave Geris, Fred Walsh and Neil Dalton also found the net. Nick Nozzolillo made 41 saves in the loss.
On Saturday St. Andrews was back at it again, this time at home against Nackawic. Craig Soke scored four times to lead the Thrashers to an 11-4 dumping of the Hawks who have been struggling since the mid-season draft. Tyler Deitrich and Jeff Wilson each had a pair of goals for the winners while Kyle Werner, Kevin Werner, and Andy Diduch picked up solo markers. Mike Vaughan earned the win in goal making 17 saves. Matt Seymour had a pair of goals for Nackawic while Steve Pierce and Kyle Gailey added single markers. Jordan Mean suffered the loss in goal making 29 saves.

In the Saint Croix Courier, Tuesday, Feb. 10

2009-02-10T15:42:00.002-04:00

Couple offers support online - Community in shock turns to Facebook group for help... and some venting
Man killed in snowmobile crash
CLASS ACT - St. Stephen principal named one of Canada's best
St. Andrews mayor won’t meet with quarry operator
Economy knocks wind out of project’s sails
Cooke Aquaculture named one of 50 Best Managed Companies
Salmon Growers’ GM migrates to DFO
Town on the move

SPORTS
SHL Playoff pieces falling into place
Fundy hosts Groundhog Jamboree

Couple offers support online

2009-02-10T15:19:00.003-04:00

KATHY BOCKUS/COURIER Jennifer and Wayne Fraser founded a Facebook group in
the wake of the alleged murder of an infant near St. Stephen.

By KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – Jennifer and Wayne Fraser want to make something perfectly clear.
They did not create their Facebook page, “A Child is a Child” as a forum for people to hurl insults or threats against anyone.
“We want people to know that this group was not set up intentionally to hurt anyone in any way,” said Jennifer Fraser.
“People just started bashing,” she said.
They say the website was, and still is, intended as a memorial for the innocent victims of violence and death, not only in Charlotte County, but in other communities. The Frasers want their site to be a place where people can pressure the government to expand sex education classes currently offered in schools to include discussions on options available to parents deciding the future of their unborn children.
On the Facebook site, the Frasers’ group is described as:
“For anyone who wants to help stop these killings to newborn babies. Please sign the petition so we can let the judge know that we would like to see a stiffer sentencing than just a slap on the wrist!! Also please send any ideas that you have to help us put an end to this.”
As of late Monday, the group had 723 members and almost 200 people had signed the petition.
Wayne created the group on the day the RCMP arrested Rodney Miller and Sarah Russell and charged them with concealing the birth of their child.
The body of a newborn infant was found in a wooded area near the couple’s Moore Mills home on Jan. 29. Miller has since been charged with first degree murder, Russell with manslaughter and as an accessory after the fact.
The couple has been sent away for psychiatric examinations to determine if they are fit to stand trial and are scheduled to return to court on March 17.
Jennifer said people took their Facebook page the wrong way.
The couple wanted it to be used as an online support group for people who were feeling sad and upset about the baby’s death. Instead, people let loose with comments Jennifer calls “horrible” against the two accused, and bringing up the name of another local woman who was found guilty two years ago of concealing the birth of her child.
“We’re not here to condemn,” said Wayne, 34.
“Or to judge,” said Jennifer, 32.
Both said they were concerned about the families of Miller and Russell. Having to go through this ordeal is bad enough, they said, without having to hear about or read the vicious comments being left on the Internet.
The Frasers think that if the accused are found guilty or plead guilty, it would be up to the judicial system as to what their sentences will be and not the court of public opinion.
Yet they have started an online, as yet unworded petition, that already had 199 names as of Tuesday morning, that they plan to send with a letter to the judge in this case asking him to hand down the stiffest sentence possible in the event the accused are guilty.
They also plan to send a copy of the petition to Charlotte-Campobello MLA Tony Huntjens and New Brunswick Southwest MP Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, asking them to use their influence to create outreach programs to benefit pregnant teens.
The Frasers have been married for 14 years. They chose adoption for the two children born to them when Jennifer was a teenager.
They say they’d like to see drop off points, maybe at the local fire hall or hospital, made available for people who have babies, but don’t want to keep them, as an alternative to dead babies.
“No questions asked,” said Jennifer.
They both would like to see a greater effort by Social Services to look into individual cases more closely, especially where children have been involved previously.
Even though the couple feels education of teens is the key to preventing any future situations like the one police are investigating in Moores Mills, they don’t believe it will put an end to these sad and horrific circumstances.
But the Frasers believe that doesn’t mean people like them have to stop trying to make the public more aware of what programs are needed in the community.
“You can’t end drinking and driving, but they have MADD groups,” said Wayne, referring to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Plans are underway to hold a public meeting some time in March in St. Stephen.
“We want to get everyone’s ideas and points of view on what should take place,” said Jennifer.
“These children are so innocent; they never asked to be conceived.”
Jennifer stresses that people should consider options other than death for their children.
“There are options. Adoption for one,” she said. “And there’s condoms, contraceptives. If you don’t want the child, get on the friggin’ pill or use a condom. That’s what they’re there for.”

Courier Weekend, Feb. 6 Photo Album

2009-02-05T16:34:00.003-04:00

LADIES BONSPIEL AIDS CHARLOTTE COUNTY CANCER

Rotarians donate to food bank

CHEF FOR UNICEF

PLOWS AT THE READY

BHES Rock-a-Thon

Scenes from the courthouse

2009-02-05T16:30:00.004-04:00

Tuesday, Feb. 3
St. Stephen Provincial Court

Nason

Russell

Miller

RCMP Sgt. Greg MacAvoy talks to reporters

Connell and granddaughter

Father charged with murder

By KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca

ST. STEPHEN – A Moores Mills couple has been remanded to custody and ordered to each undergo a psychiatric evaluation after the charges against them were upgraded to first degree murder and manslaughter following the discovery Jan. 29 of a newborn baby’s body in the woods near their home.
Amid unprecedented security at the St. Stephen Provincial Court Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 3, Rodney Stuart Miller, 27, stood and showed no emotion while Judge David C. Walker read a charge alleging that between Jan. 15 and Jan. 23, at Moore Mills, Miller had committed first degree murder on a newborn infant the court is calling Baby Russell.
Likewise showing no emotion, Sarah Marie Russell, 19, stood and was charged that between Oct. 1, 2008 and Jan. 23, 2009, she committed criminal negligence to cause death to Baby Russell, thereby committing manslaughter.
Russell was also charged as an accessory after the fact to the murder of Baby Russell.
After the couple’s court appearance, RCMP Sgt. Greg MacAvoy said Russell and Miller are still facing charges of disposing of a body in an attempt to conceal the birth of a child.
Miller is also facing an aggravated assault charge involving another child and dating back to 2007.
Miller and Russell were remanded to jail Tuesday for 42 days during which time the 30-day psychiatric assessments will be carried out. Miller and Russell will be returned to court on March 17 at 1:30 p.m.
At that time, Judge Walker will review the reports from doctors at the Restigouche Hospital, which will offer opinions as to whether Miller and Russell are fit to stand trial and whether they were suffering from any mental disorder at the time of the alleged offence to make them not criminally responsible.
The doctors will also offer a further determination as to whether Russell’s balance of mind was disturbed due to childbirth at the time of the commission of the alleged offence.
Defence lawyer Joel Hansen, representing Miller, told Judge Walker that he had serious concerns over his client’s mental state and did not feel Miller was in a position to properly instruct him. He asked for the psychiatric evaluation to be conducted on his client.
Defence lawyer Randy Wilson, representing Russell, also requested that his client undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine her mental condition.
Both Miller and Russell spoke quietly, answering yes, when the judge asked if they understood the charges and the requests for the assessments.
Prior to the beginning of the court proceedings before a packed courtroom, the two sat between sheriff’s deputies in the prisoner’s docket. Miller shifted between sitting forward on the bench with his arms resting on the half wall before him or his head propped up on his hands with elbows braced on his knees.
Russell barely moved as she sat staring straight ahead, except for the times she glanced briefly at the defence lawyers who were in conversation before her. Once or twice she looked past the female sheriff beside her in Miller’s direction.
Russell mouthed words to an older woman with two younger companions sitting in the front row of the courtroom gallery and one of the sheriffs took something from Miller and gave it to the woman.
It was not apparent if anyone from Russell’s family was in the courtroom.
When Hansen asked the judge to consider more than an in-jail mental assessment of Miller, Miller sat through the ensuing discussion with a set jaw and a sullen expression on his face. Russell showed no visible emotion during a similar discussion of her situation.
Besides members of the media, a probation officer and a large number of employees from child protection services, the rest of the courtroom seats seemed to be filled with people who were curious about the case. There were those who appeared to be acquainted with the accused, who were laughing and talking amongst themselves waiting for the court proceedings to begin.
Outside in the hallway, at least four people with babies or young children were refused admittance to the court along with a man who had shouted obscenities and called Miller and Russell “baby killers” outside the building as they got out of the sheriff’s van and entered the lock up area housing jail cells in the basement.
A sheriff’s deputy used a metal detector to frisk each person entering the courtroom Tuesday afternoon and searched men’s pockets and women’s purses. At least seven RCMP officers were present during the proceedings that saw about a dozen people stage a mildly vocal protest in the hallway outside the courtroom.
Crown prosecutors in the case are Jim McAvity and Randy DiPaolo.

MICHENER CARTOON

2009-02-05T16:15:00.002-04:00

Ted Michener is the Courier's award-winning cartoonist from St. Andrews.

This Week on DVD

2009-02-05T15:33:00.001-04:00

JOHN GARDNER reviews Passchendaele

Passchendaele was written, directed and starred Canadian actor, Paul Gross. From the opening scene Gross, pours himself into this production. That scene, set in the First World War, has Sgt. Michael Joseph Dunne (played by real life grandson, Gross) taking out a machine gun nest and is based on a real life incident his grandfather related to him. It is in his memory that the film was made.
The side story is one of love involving Dunne and the pretty Nurse Mann (played by Caroline Dhavernas). Sent back to Calgary to recover from the injuries he receives - both physical and emotional - Dunne is nursed back to health by Nurse Mann. He falls for her without even knowing her first name. It is not until he is leaving the hospital that he learns her name is Sarah.
Mann is tragically flawed in more ways than one. Her father has died on Vimy Ridge. Her young brother, David (played by Joe Dinicol), is old enough for service, but asthma keeps him home. She deals with the pressures of the men around her dying in her own secret way.
At every turn, David feels pressure to help out the war effort. When David has a problem trying to figure out how he can help more, the mayor of Calgary challenges him to “use your imagination.” David’s attempts to enlist are rejected by now recruiter Dunne. When he does succeed in enlisting, Dunne follows him back to the battlefields of Europe because of a need to atone for past sins, (and of course looking after the baby brother is going to win points with the girl).
Gross is known for a wide variety of work, including Const. Benton Fraser in Due South, and Kevin Black on The Red Green Show, and throws in a subtle bit of humour with the inclusion of the Calgary neighbour who David greets with a cheery “Hello there Mr. Harper.”
But war is not pretty, and in Passchendaele no attempt is made to make it so.
The battlefield scenes are desolate and wet. Each day shooting required 15 tankers of water raining down on the crew and set. It took two weeks just to create the battlefield, digging up a field on a hill overlooking the city of Calgary, planting broken tree trunks and turning it into a water-logged mire, complete with bits and pieces of a broken civilization that was the Belgian town of Passchendaele. All this water made it incredibly hard to “keep your matches dry.” When still photos shot during the movie are mixed with historical photos, it is hard to tell the difference.
The Dunne - Mann side story was not entirely necessary, and takes away from the film as a true war movie, giving it a tendency to move it into the whole girl finds (or loses) boy genre and had me checking the jacket to make sure the title was not “Passiondale.”
Because of the historical nature of the film, it is hard to fit in a really unbelievable firefight that sees the hero in a muscle shirt kill off half a platoon single-handedly, Rambo style. Gross’s character is of average build, is capable of complete sentences and has human failings. In a word - believable. Thankfully this movie is a cut above Rambo.
It was shot in Canada with a Canadian crew concerning a subject that still strikes a cord with Canadians over 90 years after the events. The movie shows that Canadians are not just able to make Toronto look like an American city (after you throw a bit of garbage around for set decoration). Canadians can make great movies. Because of its northern roots, this movie is not a huge blockbuster. Nor does it have the star power of a Tom Hanks or Will Smith. If it had had a major studio behind it, it would have been another Bridge over the River Kwai.
Although I enjoyed the movie, it is not one I would recommend to everyone. There are a few love scenes that, while tame by modern standards, may offend some. The battlefield scenes make no effort to hide the horror of war and the movie probably used almost as much blood as it did rain.
I am giving this movie four stars and that is only because the love sub-plot took away from the battlefield action. If you are a history buff, get the DVD and watch the movie, but then be sure to watch the extras. This is the first movie I was able to get through the “making of” without falling asleep.
“Kings may fall, and countries may crumble, but if people look close enough they just might find something to believe in.” - Dunne

DVDs for This Week on DVD are provided by Movie Gallery, St. Stephen.

In the Courier Weekend, Feb. 6, 2009

2009-02-05T15:26:00.003-04:00

John Gardner/Courier

Rodney Stuart Miller, 27, of Moores Mills, is led from court after his appearance on Feb. 3. Miller is charged with first degree murder after the death of his son in addition to a charge of concealing a body of a newborn baby and an unrelated charge of aggravated assault.

UP FRONT
Father charged with murder
Security tight for couple’s court appearance
Outside the courtroom, emotions run high
Chefs serving up help for UNICEF
Cabinet maker still assessing fire damage
Route 1 twinning moving right along
Trafficking case delayed
Low tides may cause ferry delays

SPORTS
Canada’s Best Speed Skating Story might be in St. Andrews
Playoff buzz begins in SHL
Finding puck brings back childhood memories

To subscribe, call 466-3220.

BREAKING NEWS - Murder, manslaughter charges laid

2009-02-03T16:18:00.002-04:00

UPDATE
Feb. 3, 4:15 p..m.

ST. STEPHEN – Charges against a Moores Mills couple in connection with the death of their baby have been upgraded from the earlier charge of concealing a body of a newborn baby.

27-year old Rodney Miller has been charged with first degree murder. 19-year old Sarah Russell has been charged with manslaughter and accessory after the fact.

The police have been able to determine that the baby boy was born sometime between January 5 and January 22, 2009. The RCMP have determined the baby was killed and the body was then hidden. Police have retrieved the body and are continuing to gather evidence as part of the investigation. Further details will be revealed as the case proceeds through the court system.

Both Mr. Miller and Ms. Russell were sent for psychiatric evaluation. They are scheduled to appear again in St. Stephen Provincial Court on March 17, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.

Couple charged in infant's death appear in court

By KATHY BOCKUS
& JOHN GARDNER
Courier Staff

MOORES MILLS – More charges are expected to be laid in court Tuesday, Feb. 3, in what the RCMP are now calling a homicide in connection with the death of a newborn child.
Sarah Marie Russell, 19, and Rodney Stuart Miller, 27, were expected back in court Tuesday afternoon for a bail hearing and at that time are expected to answer to further charges stemming from the RCMP’s investigation.
On Monday, some St. Stephen area citizens were using the Facebook website to organize a demonstration outside the court. By Tuesday morning, the event was listed on Facebook as cancelled.
The sullen looking couple appeared in custody in St. Stephen Provincial Court on Friday, Jan. 30 where they were both charged with disposing of the body of a dead child in an attempt to conceal its birth.
They were remanded to jail by Provincial Court Judge David C. Walker, who denied duty counsel Randy Wilson’s request for their release. The judge ordered Miller and Russell to return on Feb. 3 at 3 p.m.
Miller and Russell were seated in the prisoners’ box together and neither spoke during the brief court appearance.
Miller was also charged with aggravated assault. This charge also involved a child, but not the same child, as Crown prosecutor James McAvity was quick to point out. He said the assault had occurred over a period of time between June, 2007 and November, 2007.
The small house on the Valley Road in Moores Mills where the couple lived remained cordoned off over the weekend as investigators from the RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit and members from District 1 continued their investigation.
A spokesman for the RCMP says the sex of the deceased baby and its exact age has not yet been confirmed. An autopsy will be conducted. He said the alleged offense occurred between Jan. 5 and Jan. 22.
News of the charges shocked the St. Stephen community and over the weekend some citizens used the Facebook website as a tool to vent their feelings. Russell and Miller both have pages on the popular website and over the weekend several vitriolic comments were posted by visitors to their sites.
Both Russell and Miller have photos posted online of themselves with an older baby in albums with titles such as “our baby boys pics by sarah and rodney.” Visitors to the site have left comments on some of the photos as well.
The demonstration, organized through Facebook, was being called a “protest to protect our children that god created.” There was some discussion on another Facebook group – “a child is a child” – about an organized turnout in the courtroom.
This is not the first time the RCMP has investigated a case of this nature. In March of 2007, a 26-year-old St. Stephen woman was arrested and charged with disposing of the body of her infant son in an attempt to conceal his birth.
Becky Sue Morrow, who burned the body of her baby after giving birth to him in a toilet in her home, went on trial and in February of 2008 was found criminally responsible for her actions. She was given a 14-month conditional sentence, two months of which she had to spend under house arrest.
Evidence presented to the court at the time indicated that while Morrow’s full term baby was likely born alive, the fact could not be determined conclusively.

What we're working on...

2009-02-03T08:57:00.003-04:00

With the press set to run on Tuesday's paper, here's what our reporters are working on

* BREAKING NEWS - Fire at Sticks and Stones causes damage - reporter John Gardner is at the scene
UPDATE: Fortunately owner Tom McKnight estimates he should be cleaned up and back in business in a week or two

* Charges laid in infant's death - couple to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. Courier staff will have a full report Friday but watch here for updates.

Civic Centre - what's in it for me?

2009-02-02T15:03:00.002-04:00

By NORAH HEELIS Charlotte County Civic Centre Project

Sometimes when you’re very involved with a project or community group you become so familiar with the basics that you forget that everyone else isn’t. We pretty much live and breathe Charlotte County Civic Centre these days. In fact, I most likely should apologize to a few of you (you know who you are) who wish we could change the channel just once in awhile! Sorry, but we are just really excited about making this project happen. That being said, our own immersion in and familiarity with the project may have kept us from sharing the big picture as often a we should have. The reason I think this might be true, is that lately more and more people have been asking about what elements will be housed within the facility. So, in this column, I have decided to outline these as they appear in the official brochure and on our website. It is worth noting that there is fine tuning left to do. Your best way to be part of that process is to join the growing team of project supporters. It’s a very exciting project in and of itself. But the excitement and promise of it grows in leaps and bounds as more and more citizens join the ‘Make it Happen Team’.
Indoor Aquatic Facility - $3.1 Million
The new Civic Centre’s aquatic facility will be designed to offer toddlers through seniors the widest range of water activities possible — from swimming and lifeguard instruction, to recreational and competitive pool time, to warm water therapy. The proposed new aquatic centre will feature an eight-lane, 25-metre training pool, including a free-form play and therapeutic section. The facility will also offer a large spectator area with a clear view of the entire pool, as well as a spacious and accommodating family change room and separate men’s and women’s locker rooms.
Indoor Ice Surface - $8.35 Million
Another prime preoccupation of Charlotte County residents over the past decade has been to resolve the age related inadequacies of the Border Arena. Not only has the existing facility become outdated and no longer able to accommodate the needs of its various user communities, it is not ideally suited to host non-ice activities and cultural and commercial events that can serve as a major draw for the benefit of the citizens of the county at large.
The proposed new arena complex will feature an NHL-sized ice surface with a seating capacity_of 1,500, offering excellent, unobstructed views of the ice surface. The facility will be equipped with ample change rooms and will be ideally suited to accommodate both leisure skating and more traditional competitive sports like hockey and figure skating.
In addition, given the size and versatile design of the arena complex, it will be able to meet a number of other community priorities by serving as an excellent venue for a wide range of events of local and regional appeal. These could include concerts and other artistic and cultural events, fairs and festivals, trade and consumer shows, and much more.
Walking/Jogging Track - $50,000
Although Charlotte County boasts a number of attractive outdoor options for citizens interested in walking or jogging, there are no indoor facilities available to meet such training and health needs during the winter months. Such facilities would be of particular benefit to seniors and others who do not feel at ease exercising outdoors, as well as for rehabilitation purposes for individuals with special needs or medical conditions.
Multi-Purpose Space $1.2 Million
In addition to satisfying the leisure, recreational and physical well-being requirements of the population, another important element of the new Charlotte County Civic Centre will be its multi-purpose space. This will encompass a number of comfortable and inviting areas and rooms where meetings, programs and activities can be held for all segments of the population, including youth and seniors. This multi-purpose component will contribute significantly to the "Town Square" environment and atmosphere the new facility will be designed to radiate, making it the ideal place to promote social interaction and enable people to enjoy their favorite pursuits in good company.
Boys and Girls Club $900,000
In order to provide a welcome solution to the shortcomings of the facilities currently occupied by the group in the Border Arena, the Civic Centre will become the new home of the Boys and Girls Club of Charlotte County and the Boys and Girls Club will become the Civic Centre's first paying tenant. Serving some 350 to 400 youths with a variety of enriching programs and activities, the Club will not only be able to enhance its offerings in its new premises, but also to attract and better serve a greater number of young people. Moreover, by taking up residence at the Civic Centre, the Boys and Girls Club will qualify to become a licensed entity, thus making it eligible for a variety of government funding programs that are currently inaccessible.
Administrative, General and Retail Space $1.4 Million
This space is to be allocated for staff offices, washrooms, lounge and concession areas, as well as for various possible retail operations such as a Pro shop, skate sharpening, promotional materials, and the like.

Need more info? Give us a call we would be pleased to meet with you.

Submitted by NORAH HEELIS fundraising campaign co-chair. For more information contact the Charlotte County Civic Centre at cccc@nb.aibn.com or call 466-5095.

PRESS POLL

2009-02-02T12:10:00.001-04:00

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The Canadian Press: Death of New Brunswick baby being investigated as possible homicide

2009-01-30T22:00:00.000-04:00

The Canadian Press: Death of New Brunswick baby being investigated as possible homicide

Breaking News

2009-01-30T14:09:00.005-04:00

Moores Mills couple charged with concealing body of newborn baby

John Gardner/Courier

RUSSELL

John Gardner/Courier

MILLER

John Gardner/Courier
The Moores Mills home of 19-year old Sarah Russell and 27-year old Rodney Miller.

ST. STEPHEN – Our reporter is at the St. Stephen provincial court now gathering details. The following is an RCMP news release.

Details to follow.

A couple from Moores Mills, near St. Stephen, has been charged with concealing the body of a newborn baby. The sex of the deceased baby and exact age has not yet been confirmed. An exact date of the birth has not yet been determined.

19-year old Sarah Russell and 27-year old Rodney Miller were arrested by RCMP on January 29, 2009 and appeared in St. Stephen Provincial Court to face the charge today. They were remanded into custody and will appear in court in St. Stephen on February 3, 2009 for 3 p.m. to plea to the charge.

Acting on information received, the RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit South in conjunction with District 1 RCMP began their investigation yesterday. The investigation is being treated as a homicide. Further charges are anticipated as the police continue to gather evidence in the ongoing investigation.

Pride and Glory a suspenseful cop masterpiece

2009-01-29T16:08:00.001-04:00

JEREMY TOWNES
This Week On DVD

**** out of 5

Few police dramas are anything more than cliché narratives and bullet-riddled, two-hour non-refundable tickets.
The Departed broke from the norm and set a standard for what a cop movie should be about in 2006, and Pride and Glory has followed suit in 2008. The movie reveals itself to viewers as a family of New York police officers tears itself apart from the inside dealing with loyalty, family, friendship, and career. Directed by Gavin O’Connor, this two-hour, 10-minute gritty film will have you cursing the villain, hoping for the good guy, and generally satisfied when it’s time to return it.
The cast is led by routinely excellent actor Edward Norton as Ray Tierney, an honest cop caught between father Francis Sr. (Jon Voight), a chief police detective who looks to run from truth rather than accept it, brother Francis Jr. (Noah Emmerich), whose life’s work hangs in the balance between a wife dying of cancer and a corrupt unit he can’t control led by brother-in-law Jimmy Egan (Colin Farrell) whose crooked actions deny all sense of morality and principle.
The plot pivots around the murder of four police officers during a botched drug bust. Francis Jr. was in command of a unit that included Jimmy. When the city is shaken by the tragedy and carnage of the deaths Francis Sr. pulls strings to have son Ray join a special task force to help find a cop killer. Ray, determined to find the murderer, is shaken to the core when a trail of clues and evidence confirm his suspicions that there’s more than meets the eye from this murder scene. He will have to confront his family in their darkest hour to solve this crime.
The movie isn’t without flaws and arguably gets off to a slow start, but as the family drama unfolds and each individual character shares bits and pieces of their lives subsequently explaining why they are headed down their respective paths, it becomes hard for anyone watching the film to not be captivated by what’s happening on the screen.
Easily deserving of four out of five stars, Pride and Glory offers a little bit of everything for viewers. Action, suspense, drama, and mystery. It will keep you on the edge of your seat while you watch four actors perfectly portray characters caught in a battle that may tear them apart.

Movies for This Week On DVD are provided by Movie Gallery, St. Stephen.