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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Unity Park Hosts Music Performances

From Jinx the Cat to Living Water...music fans in Grand Bay-Westfield can enjoy a free concert series at Unity Park.
 
Recreation Director Gary Clark tells CHSJ News a volunteer committee selects the performers and it continues until the end of summer rain or shine every Wednesday night.

He says it's very well attended every Wednesday even when the weather is poor they still come out.

It all begins tonight at 8pm in Unity Park in Grand Bay-Westfield with a performance by the Simonds Lions Caledonian Pipe Band.

Free Whale Watching Trips Help Save Seas

The Fundy Baykeeper monitors pollution and debris from the Bay of Fundy.

And he's getting a helping hand from a whale watching business. The whale watching cruiser Quoddy Link Marine is offering a "Sponsor A Patrol Campaign".  Baykeeper Matt Abbott tells CHSJ Quoddy will be handing out deals for whale watching to people who donate to help preserve the post.

"We were looking for ways to get our patrol work supported and through our relationship with Quoddy Link they offered to provide some incentive."

The Fundy Baykeeper has been protecting the Bay of Fundy from environmental threats since 2003.

For more information,   click here.

MBS Strikers Rally

Maritime Broadcasting radio employees holding a rally in Kings Square. Seven members from three MBS local stations are continuing their strike after the companies latest offering of $12.98 for maximum wage. Karen Wirsig of the Canadian Media Guild tells CHSJ news the picketers want between $12 to $17.21 an hour.
 
"We would be eager to get back to the table if Robert Pace (President of MBS) is prepared to negotiate a fair deal, we don't want this to drag out."

Wirsig says one MBS advertiser has pulled it's ads on their stations in support of the picketers. Meanwhile MBS has been using replacement workers to cover strikers jobs.

Rothesay Field House Open House Tonight

You can attend an open house tonight on the proposed new field house complex and renovations to the Rothesay Arena.
Charles Jensen is the Director of Parks and Recreation for the Town of Rothesay.

He says they are not in the final stages yet but they have consulted many user groups in the Kennebecasis Valley and the open house is being held to gather feedback.

The open house runs from 7-9pm tonight at the Bill McGuire Centre where you can see diagrams of the proposed new field house complex and renovations to the Rothesay Arena.

Pension Reform Criticised as Tepid

Too timid........That criticism being levelled at the attempts on reforming pension plans by the provincial government and the city with the made in Europe, shared risk model by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. 

The Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News Premier David Alward didn't want to get into a big fight with the unions.
 
Lacey concedes the reforms will lessen the unfunded liabilities but, as he sees it, will not eliminate the pension deficits altogether. The Federation is suggesting moving from a defined benefits to a defined contributions plan for new government employees would have been better for taxpayers.
 
Lacey says it is inherently unfair for taxpayers, who don't have pensions, being called on to bail out government workers who will wind up having more money to live on when they retire than those who are paying up with their tax dollars and getting fewer government services in return.

Body Of Missing Man Found

The body of a missing 60 year old man was found in woods less than a kilometre from his home.

Jeffrey Ingalls was last seen on Friday and reported missing late Monday and a ground search began early Tuesday morning.
 
Search volunteers found his body just after 3:30 p.m not far from his home on Route 760.

Foul play is not suspected but an autopsy is being conducted to find out how he died.

New Police Headquarters And Parking Garage Within Budget

The Police Commission will be announcing at its next meeting when the Police Department will be moving into its new headquarters at Peel Plaza but it's expected to be sometime between mid and late July. 

Project Manager Bill Edwards has also told Common Council there have been 160 proposed changes to the police headquarters building which would add almost another million dollars to the final cost but that's still within what was budgeted for. 

The new parking garage is scheduled to be finished sometime between mid to late October and within the budget set by the Parking Commission.