Charlotte County's News Story of the Year 2008

It’s the stupid economy
EDITORIAL

Want to know what kind of year 2008 was? If we were smart, we could have seen it coming almost a full year ago, back in January, when CEOs from New Brunswick’s own forestry industry toured the province lobbying for help.
Kelly Shotbolt, from Flakeboard, joined Fraser Papers’ Peter Gordon and James Irving from JDI to meet with community leaders all over the province to explain their plight.
The three CEOs represent three-quarters of what’s left of the province’s forest products industry and they said they needed help. Who know then that “bailout” would become the buzz word of 2008. But they weren’t asking for the type of help that has become so popular in the last quarter of 2008. They weren’t asking for cash to keep them afloat like the auto makers and the housing markets have asked for – and received. They asked for fair energy rates and a steady supply of raw materials. They wanted government and the public to realize they were under pressure.
We certainly know now. And that’s why our choice for news story of the year in 2008 is The Economy.
The collapse in American markets has had a huge impact here in Charlotte County. Manufacturers of wood products, such as Flakeboard and SWP Industries have felt the sting as new home starts have withered and foreclosures have boomed. With no one building new homes, the orders for melamine furniture aren’t piling up. There have been layoffs and shutdowns but so far Flakeboard has managed to keep the St. Stephen mill open.
The economy is also affecting another major industry in Charlotte County – the lobster fishery. Prices have hit a 30-year low and lobster fishermen have to seriously think about whether it’s even worth their while to head out on the water. As 2009 dawns, Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet is on a mission to find new markets, reducing our dependence on American seafood lovers who currently account for 85 per cent of New Brunswick seafood sales.
The Economy could well be our story of the year in 2009 as well as economists predict we have not yet seen the worst.
Here, in no particular order, are some of 2008’s other headline grabbers – some of which will continue to play out across the front pages over the next year and beyond…

LNG FAILURES
While Passamaquoddy Bay has not been abandoned by American liquefied natural gas developers, a handful of proposed projects have had the legs kicked out from under them. The American Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has dismissed Quoddy Bay LNG’s permit applications to import LNG into a proposed terminal on the Maine shore of Passamaquoddy Bay while Downeast LNG remains active but has withdrawn its state permit application. Calais LNG continues to work through the process to win approval to bring the LNG industry to Washington County.
Across the bay in Canada, opposition to the developments remains firm. That opposition extends from seaside communities such as St. Andrews all the way to Sussex Drive in Ottawa. The developments of the past year are encouraging to LNG’s opponents – and there are many – but this story is far from over.

JAMER EXPANSION
Late in 2008 the granite quarrying company Jamer Materials dropped a bomb. It has applied to expand from the Bayside Port area across Highway 127.
The announcement wasn’t a complete surprise. People who live in the area and in the nearby town of St. Andrews knew full well that the company owns the land and that there are indeed rocks in them there hills. Still, when word came down that the application process was officially in motion, quarry opponents were dismayed.
The quarry’s operators insist they can excavate granite from the area without destroying it for other uses. Those uses include drinking water as the Town of St. Andrews gets its water from Chamcook Lake. Mayor John Craig insists quarry expansion will destroy the water supply and harm the town irrevocably.
Opponents lined up against the quarry expansion also include Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson, who lives on Chamcook Lake, and a group of residents and outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking the hills.
This is another big newsmaker of 2008 that will continue to be a major story in 2009.

UNEXPLAINABLE
The vicious beating of war veteran Herbert Matthews shocked and saddened us. This story captured widespread attention for its senselessness and its impact. A young man was sent to prison for kicking and punching Matthews to the ground, causing injuries that have changed his life.
Matthews, who was waiting at the L’Etete ferry dock as he so often did, was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he encountered a drunk young man who harassed him then beat him down.

THE WAR HITS HOME
Just this month the St. Stephen community felt first-hand what so many other Canadian communities and families have felt as the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq continue.
Regardless of where you stand on the war, you had to feel for the Deering family when they learned their boy, Pte. Chris Deering, had been involved in a bombing while patrolling outside Kandahar.
It was a tense few days as Deering was being treated in Germany. The other three soldiers in the vehicle he was riding in died in the blast and his survival was uncertain. He has since rebounded and is recovering at home.

TRANSPORTATION
It’s been good news all around in terms of transportation infrastructure in Charlotte County.
Islanders are happy over the prospect of a new ferry coming online for Grand Manan, likely by 2010.
A new section of four-land highway has opened between St. Stephen and Waweig, giving motorists a taste of what’s to come as the highway twinning continues on through places like Pennfield all the way to Saint John.
Highway twinning and the opening of the new international border crossing will continue to be a newsmaker in 2009 as life in the St. Stephen area is about to change forever.

Water rates rising

THE TOWN OF ST. STEPHEN is proposing an increase of 13.5 per cent in utility billing, which means the average annual residential water bill of $405 will jump $55 to $460.

In today's LOOKING BACK column we note that 60 years ago the rates jumped from $10 per year to $12.

Do the math - in 2068 your water bill will be approximately one kajillion dollars.

The Play's The Thing opens Friday

SSHS Tackles Lighting Issues In Theatre
This Years Drama Production Part Of Greater Cause



Friday Decmeber 12th will mark the first of three shows of the 2008 Fall Drama Production at St. Stephen High School called "The Play Is The Thing". Written by teacher, Mr. Neil Grant, the play depcits the story of a young man who, after showing up late for auditions to a play, gets trapped in a world of music and theatre and is desperatley looking for a way out.The production is unique this year because in addition to having current students fill roles in the play, alumni are also returning for a few cameo appearances. The performance will happen on Friday Decmeber 12th and Saturday Decmeber 13th, both shows at 7PM and a Sunday matinee at 3PM (Decmeber 14th). The general admission is an $8 minimum donation

This will be the Drama Groups 36th production but this time the production directs it's focus at not only providing the opportunity to the students of the High School to partake in the arts, but is also fundraising for their lightining system and theatre upgrades. Last year the lighting system in the theatre took a turn for worse, as it completely shut down, leaving the tech crew, and directors with very little to work with in terms of lights.Since that incident, a Campaign was initiated to help raise funds for to purchase the new lighting system, and all equipment needed to go along with it.

The Save Our Theatre Campaign was an initiative which was given life last year with its first fundraiser being the successful Charlotte County's Got Talent. More fundraisers will take place and the managers behind the campaign hope to be able to realize their goals of a new lighting system in the near future. Total cost of the upgrades are estimated to cost $50,000.00.

DO NOT ENTER

We're getting reports from the RCMP that drivers are confused by the new four-lane highway and are entering via the off ramps.
Be careful out there...

Santa Claus is Coming to the Border Town

SANTA'S HELPERS BONUS PICS

Protest Protest

Circus draws crowds and critics

By SARI BOUDREAU

ST. STEPHEN – The circus came to St. Stephen Monday, drawing families and protesters to the Border Arena.
The Fabuleux Cirque Estival was in town for two shows and protesters were out on the sidewalk in front of the arena making the case that circuses are cruel to animals.
“I’m here protesting all circuses that use exotic and wild animals,” said protester Lee Ann Haggerty.
“The circus environment can do nothing to provide the social, mental and physical needs of wild and exotic animals.”

COMMENT HERE OR FOR MORE, READ THE SAINT CROIX COURIER, TUESDAY, JUNE 10

Ask a town councillor

I just met with St. Stephen town councillor Ralph Williams who floated the idea of running a new column in the Courier to address concerns of citizens. We don't have a name for it yet but the format would be a Q and A – you provide the Qs and Ralph will supply the As.
As this new project develops, feel free to send questions about the Town of St. Stephen and issues that affect it and its residents to editor@stcroixcourier.ca
As always... we'd love to hear what you think of this idea.
- Chuck

How'd we do?

Kathy Bockus/Courier

New St. Stephen Mayor Designate Jed Purcell celebrates with his wife, Pat, left and his daughter, Aaron Naccarato, right.


You voted, we voted, everyone voted on Monday and the Courier's coverage of the 2008 municipal election night is on newsstands now.

Two reporters, five election races, a few hours of time to work with... so, what do you think? Leave a comment or e-mail editor@stcroixcourier.ca

Election coverage was a little different this year due to automated vote counting - an efficient and awesome innovation that's going to be a standard soon. Normally the press and candidates sweat out election night together at the returning office. Votes are phoned in from the polls and an election worker writes the numbers on a mural in magic marker. We all do the math and hours later a winner emerges.

It was always handy to have most of the candidates in one place on election night but this year the rules changed. The candidates were spread all over Charlotte County but our news team of Kathy Bockus and Barb Rayner tracked them down.

We opted to go with Jed Purcell as our front page photo for a few reasons - 1. St. Stephen is still our biggest reader base; 2. Purcell's win was unique in that he defeated an experienced, veteran incumbent in Allan Gillmor while the rest of the county voted their incumbents back in and 3. It was a great photo that captured the spirit of last night's celebrations.

St. George and its new mayor, Sharon Tucker, became our line story because Tucker (or Ronnie Cousins had she won) made history as the Granite Town's first female mayor.

SPARTANS WIN AT RNS

Photo By Chuck Brown

Kicker Chrissi Nordstrom booted five points - a penalty kick for three and a conversion after a try for two - to help the St. Stephen Spartans down RNS 15-0 in Rothesay on Saturday, May 10. Amanda Stevenson put 10 points on the board as she led the offence with two tries.

MORE PICS HERE