Province and Teacher's Federation Reach A New Deal

The province and the Teacher's federation have a new deal.

The new collective agreement applies to more than 9,000 teachers, supply teachers, vice-principals and principals.

The four-year deal provides for two years of zero-per-cent increases, followed by one-per-cent increases every six months.

Search Library Books From Your Phone

Just in time for the school year...

The province spending just over $15K so you can download an app that lets you scroll through the 2 million titles in provincial libraries.

BiblioNB will help you find titles, place holds, renew items, check the hours of your library or bookmobile and download audiobooks and Ebooks.

The app is available for Apple and Android devices.

For more info, click here

Cardy Wants Clarity On Potential Education Cuts

Potential cuts to gym teachers and music programs has the Provincial NDP leader upset and asking questions.
 
Dominic Cardy tells CHSJ News no one knows when and if it will happen and based on a Twitter discussion between NDP policy advisor Kelly Lamrock and Education Minister Jody Carr..no one will own the decision.

Cardy says Carr claims it isn't his fault blaming potential cuts on staffers while the education chair also deflected blame.

Cardy says we have to stop putting the teachers on the chopping block and giving the kids the resources they need.

Rare Plant Found In Dipper Harbour

The Nature Conservancy of Canada and J.D.I. uncovering a rare plant considered a species at risk in Canada. 

A joint effort by biologists with both organizations revealed the presence of Van Brunt’s Jacob’s-ladder during a plant survey on JDI  property along a tributary of Dipper Harbour Creek in south western New Brunswick.
 
It's a delicate flowering plant that produces showy purple flowers in sprint and summer.

It's only know to exist in a few places in the country so this discovery is a new sub population of the plant growing at only two sites in the province.

For more information, e-mail atlantic@natureconservancy.ca or by phone at 1-877-231-4400.

First Fringe Fest A Success

You might say the Fundy Fringe Festival was a success.     

Sandra Bell tells CHSJ News more than 1800 came out to the inaugural event watching 5 days of performances at 5 different uptown venues.
 
Bell says the feedback from the performers was very positive adding they loved the proximity to all the venues and she says it helps that they had 5 days of glorious weather.

Bell says they have a good organization in place and they are asking the performers for feedback on how to make the next Fringe fest more efficient and successful.

Common Councillor Not Happy On What's Happening With Signs

At least one member of Common Council doesn't mind the proliferation of signs around town. 

Ray Strowbridge from Ward 4 says the move to get rid of all signs from city owned land has opened up a can of worms and turned into a real mess.
 
Both Strowbridge and the other councillor from Ward 4, David Merrithew disagree with the sandwich board signs being allowed in the uptown but not in other parts of the city. They're calling it favourtism.


Strowbridge sees the proliferation of signs as an indication that a city is alive while others see them as cheap and junky.

Fire Crews Called To The Port

City fire crews making repeated trips to the port on the west side through the night, answering alarms without finding anything that was ablaze. 

They finally got a call about something glowing in the dark and found one box car on fire in the area of the scrap metal yard with another one smouldering.

Signs, Signs......Everywhere A Sign

If your business has a signboard placed out on the street, you're going to want to move it to your own property, post-haste.
 
Business owners and others who have signage on street right-of-ways must remove them before noon on Friday or risk getting them taken by City Works crews.
 
The confiscated signs will be taken to 175 Rothesay Avenue were the owners can get them back for a $40 fee. 

The only exception will be the sandwich board signs in the uptown. They're getting an exemption for the time being.

City Moving Ahead With Pedestrian Only Street Idea

The city will be moving ahead with establishing at least one pedestrian only street in the uptown with Common Council giving unanimous support. 

Councillor Gerry Lowe says, to be a success, there has to be more than one street. Lowe says this was tried years ago on South Market Street but the sun was blocked by nearby buildings and having sunlight is important for outdoor patios.

Mayor Mel Norton calls his proposal a conversation starter and points to one city in England where they started on a small scale on Sundays and then grew from there.

Councillor David Merrithew says he wants to hear what the business owners think about this.

Skateboarding Law Passed

Common Council has passed a new bylaw requiring all skateboarders on designated city owned properties to wear helmets. 

Mayor Mel Norton had to break a deadlock for the first time when an amendment requiring only skateboarders 16 and under to wear helmets was introduced. The Mayor deciding all skateboarders should be donning head protection. 

Common Councillor Greg Norton says Police Chief Bill Reid has endorsed the measure. Norton also wonders if hockey players have to wear helmets then why not skateboarders.

22 year old Scott Childs, who argued against the all encompassing bylaw, warns skateboarding in the city is going to take a hit.
 
He also predicts you're going to see more skateboarders take to the streets again and those skilled skateboarders who are looking for professional careers in the sport may even move out of the city.

Community Centre Will Be Demolished

Common Council voting in favour of demolishing the now closed Loch Lomand Community Centre but whether a new building will be constructed is another matter. Councillor Susan Fullerton isn't all that enthused about doing that.

She says when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars, you have to cut your sail to fit your cloth and, right now, the city's cloth is pretty thin.

Fullerton is hoping all the groups that used the Community Centre, which is considered unsafe, can be relocated elsewhere, get settled in and the issue will simply go away.