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Monday, November 12, 2012

Quispam Town Website Getting A Face Lift

The town of Quispamsis is going to beef up their website.

Deputy Mayor Libby O'Hara tells CHSJ news she received a phone call from a resident who said they sometimes have trouble finding information on the site. She says they're going to fix some details so residences are more informed on what the town is undertaking. The change will have improved accessibility and have a better display of information as well.

Staff will now take a look to see what specifically needs to be changed.

New & Old Saint Johners Remember

People from across Saint John coming out in droves and filling Harbour Station with gratefulness, respect and remembrance for our veterans.


10-year-old girl guide Rebecca Crosby tells CHSJ news she earned a Remembrance Day badge for helping in the ceremonies. She says through girl guides she's met and talked to veterans, and her great-great grandparents fought for Canada

Lynn Stevens tells CHSJ news her father and uncles were vets, and her mother was a war bride who immigrated to Canada from England while the war was happening. She was on a boat with two young children while her husband was fighting. Stevens says if you think about everybody from that time, there's so many examples of courage.

Saint Johner Stephen Duggan has been going to cenotaphs all of his life, and tells CHSJ news he's always had an inner conflict that we might be glorifying war, but know it's to support our veterans. He says Remembrance Day is also a way to celebrate and keep world peace.

Sue Murray's parents were veterans who served over in England and her son served in Afghanistan. She says she does miss outdoor services but loved the ceremony at Harbour Station, saying it's better for people who are getting older and it brings more people out.

Sisters Madeline and Theresa Frauley have been attending Remembrance Day ceremonies for over 60 years. They say they first hated when the ceremony moved inside, but now say it's the best thing they could've ever done. They say it brings in more crowds and it's more comfortable for people both young and old.

Foreign students also experiencing their first Remembrance Day at Harbour Station. 16-year-olds Kwang Cho from Jamaica and Minhquan from Vietnam came with their school friend Adam Teskey. Teskey tells CHSJ news they're staying at his house over the long weekend and brought them out to the ceremony. Minhquan says in Vietnam their Independence Day remembers their vets. But no matter when or where the ceremony is, it's important for the younger generations to know their soldiers who fought for their freedom.

Ceremonies were also held in the KV at the Island View Lions Club and the Rothesay Common.

TV Star And Comedian Talks About Teaching

Comedian Gerry Dee recently put on a show at the Imperial Theatre and you might remember him from his TV show "Mr. Dee" where he plays a teacher. 

It shouldn't be that much of a stretch since Dee worked as a teacher and lived to write about it in a book entitled "Teaching.......It's Harder Than It Looks" and parents need to learn your kids are not angels.

Dee tells CHSJ News he was bullied at school and he just laughed it off which left his tormentor with nowhere else to go but there are alot of mean kids out there.
 

Dee has another message for parents.......Don't expect your child's teacher to be a superhero. Keep your expectations low and you might be pleasantly surprised.

As a teacher, Dee says he always tried to make the students laugh while knowing the subject matter well and maintaining order in the classroom. That, to him, is about as good as it gets.

Premier Says Lepreau Compensation Is Not Forgotten

Even though the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant is on the verge of generating power again, Premier David Alward has not given up the quest to get compensation from Atomic Energy of Canada for the billion dollars in cost overruns. 

He calls it a high priority and brings the subject up whenever he meets with the Prime Minister.  

When asked about the likelihood of Ottawa going along with compensating the province, Alward says he doesn't answer hypothetical questions but the number one priority right now is to ensure Point Lepreau returns online without any more problems.      

Warning About Unemployment In Province

Unemployment in the province won't get any better if the provincial government cuts spending in an effort to reduce the burgeoning deficit which has doubled from the previous estimate. 

That warning from U-N-B Economics Professor Rod Hill who tells CHSJ News the Conservatives have backed themselves into a corner by their refusal to raise taxes and there has to be a discussion about raising more revenues. 

There has been talk about cuts coming to healthcare and Municipal leaders are worried about what the provincial government is going to do with their unconditional grants which constitute a large part of their budgets.

Hill argues there is no evidence to suggest the tax cuts implemented in 2008 by the previous Liberal Government stimulated economic activity and the provincial government has lost more than 730 million dollars in revenue but the Canadian Taxpayers Federation warns it would be a mistake to raise taxes at this point.