Our listeners offering their thoughts via social media on a newly-minded bylaw. "Josh's Law" was passed last night and stipulates that skateboarders in Saint John wear helmets.
Beca Steeves says "This is the most stupid thing since they made helmets mandatory for bike riders! All it is doing is teaching kids not to have common sense! Grow up people and stop making laws to protect idiots."
According to Wendy & Dwayne Lindsay "It's the parents that are going to get stuck paying the fine for the underage skaters.The citypPolice have enough on their plates with real crime."
While Murray Goguen has a theory: "The Government wants money 'cause they wasted over 5.2 million dollars on an oversized police station we don't even need."
Skateboarder Andre Veinot argues "Skateboarders fall down a dozen times a day. We are very good at it. 90% of falls do not even hurt. Falling becomes just as much of a skill as landing the tricks themselves."
But Eric Bailey says: " You think you have the right to not wear it....but I wish I had the right to not pay into healthcare for acts of Darwinism."'
The by-law is named Josh's Law after a local teen who sustained a major brain injury while skating without a helmet.
The Saint John Regional Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit getting a big boost from Canaport LNG.
The company donated $65,000 to buy top-notch equipment for the facility.
Dr. Luis Monterossa tells us the equipment is sophisticated and will make both the babies and parents more comfortable during a stressful time. The donation will purchase a respiratory device which is less aggressive on the babies, an on-site micro sampling methods chemical and metabolic device, a newborn symposium and a new audiovisual family library material. The family library material will help parents cope by offering e-readers to pass time and a video conference and multipurpose room so they can share and connect with parents going through the same experience from across the globe. Canaport LNG GM Adolfo José Azcárraga Gomis say the decision to support the NICU was an easy one, and it was Dr. Monterossa who approached him. The NICU is one of three units that cares for sick or premature babies from across the province.
It's a wake-up call for businesses who take credit card numbers over the phone...a car dealership has been hit with a double-whammy after a scam.
According to police, a car dealership received a call from someone looking to buy a vehicle over the phone with a fake name and stolen credit card information. When the card holder reported the fraud, the dealership both lost the vehicle and had to pay back both the cost of the transaction to the bank.
The vehicles were traced to ports in Halifax and Toronto where they were being shipped overseas. Police are urging merchants to exercise extreme caution when it comes to credit card information whose owner can't be identified.
A teenager from Wards Creek is scheduled to re-appear in Hampton Provincial Court later this month to face an additional 22 charges for a rash of car thefts and thefts from vehicles.
Five vehicles in Charlotte, Kings and Saint John Counties were reported stolen between September 11-15. There were also a number of thefts from vehicles and break and enters around the same time. It's believed the teen was stealing cars in order to travel around committing more thefts.
All of the vehicles had their doors unlocked and keys inside, say Corporal Pat Cole--which should be a lesson to drivers.
Enquiring minds want to know....... Where is the Marco Polo replica tall ship and where will it be docked along the waterfront?
Marco Polo organiser Barry Ogden tells CHSJ News all the work is pretty much done......All that awaits is a permanent home and he remains hopeful about finding a place as meetings continue. In the meantime, the ship remains wrapped up in storage on the west side.
Ogden believes it would be a great asset for tourism in the city and be the lift Saint John needs. He also reveals the Marco Polo website has attacted 600 thousand hits and he gets asked about it everyday.
The independent M-L-A for Fundy River Valley, Dr. Jim Parrot says he wouldn't join the Liberals even if they called him and will remain a Tory until they throw dirt on him.
Dr. Parrot tells CHSJ News he was told of his expulsion from the Conservative caucus by the Premier over the phone and as for the reaction he's getting, it's been overwhelming which indicates a large number of people are getting fed up with a government that doesn't listen. Dr. Parrot denies the Premier's accusations of taking cheap shots at the government and not speaking up about healthcare vowing he will continue to make his views known publicly.
Helmets are the wave of the future at your local skate park, with common council voting last night to make helmets mandatory just as they are for cyclists.
The city's previous skateboard law hadn't been changed for 50 years, according to city solicitor John Nugent, which makes you think about how long skateboards and the issues associated with them have been around. Councillor Greg Norton tells CHSJ News the bill is called "Josh's Law," after local teen Josh Dylan who sustained a horrific brain injury while riding without a helmet.
Councillor John Mackenzie says he hopes the city will work with community groups to provide helmets to disadvantaged kids.
Bigger fines for animal by-law violations, "poop and scoop" laws, and education on responsible pet ownership are just some provisions of the city's new service agreement with the SPCA. Amy Poffenroth says while ideally every animal would be cared for, stray cats that are severely diseased or hurt will not suffer needlessly under the new agreement, but rather be humanely euthanized where needed. But Councillor Ray Strowbridge tells CHSJ News it's not clear how the new bylaws would be enforced, saying the municipality can't give its by-law enforcement officers that kind of power.Poffenroth says it will be necessary to iron out some details.
Common council also agreed to provide a grant of $18,000 to the SPCA after it tears down its dilapidated buildings on Taylor Avenue.
Two separate collisions on the west side last night are being investigated by City Police.
The first one was between a car anda motorcycle on Bridge Street West by the pulp mill. The 60 year old motorcyclist is in serious but stable condition at hospital.
A half an hour or so after that one, there was another collision on the west side along Manawagonish Road at Mahogany Island Court. One person was sent to hospital for observation.
