A large group of Rothesay residents walking home furious from Town Hall after losing their fight to stop a by-law that will see a new apartment building at 11-13 Sierra Avenue.
Their objections were heard at a public meeting for a proposed 15 unit, high quality apartment building with 24 parking spaces. The Public Advisory Committee was not in favour of the project but after council heard from both the public and developer it voted to put it through for a final decision with one Councillor against.
Resident Diane Riley says she feels sold out for taxes and council's decision has put "a nail in her coffin." She fears the apartment complex will be too close to their homes, bring too much noise and car headlights will shine in her windows.
Gary Corscadden says the apartments will decrease their property values and create too much traffic on their street that's 1/2 a kilometer long.
Developer Stephen Perry, from Brunswick Enginering and Consulting, explained to council they would build a barrier fence to block any headlights that would bug residents.
When it comes to worrying about flooding, Perry says they have a storm water management plan and will put in a stormceptor to remove pollutants.
Perry tells CHSJ news it's unfortunate residents are upset but with other apartments nearby it's not a detriment to the area. He says the building will also create 70 new jobs.
Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ news when the P-A-C voted the proposal down it was because it didn't have answers to noise and flooding issues, which was addressed in the meeting. Bishop admits there was deviation to the municipal plan, but says as things develop the town must have the ability to make changes. He says it's not too much of a deviation, since the area is not zoned as a single family location but as a residential, duplex, multi-housing area.
The final decision will be made at the next Rothesay council meeting on January 14th.
Things are now moving along quickly as the Mayor and the rest of Common Council work to cobble together the city's 2013 budget.
A draft budget was discussed which depends on both pension reform and the deferral of pension payments. If both are successful, roughly 4.3 million dollars in funds would be freed up to bring back city services reduced by the previous Council. Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News it's a better picture than last year when many core city services were slashed to the outrage of many Saint Johnners.
The fire department isn't so pleased with a propsed cut of half a million dollars. City Transit would get a 1.2 million dollar boost and roads remain the number one priority.
City Manager Pat Woods says creating a better city for people is essential, because even the best infrastructure in the world doesn't make Saint John a vibrant, thriving community.
Council meets again Thursday to see whether it's satisfied with a Memorandum of Understanding which outlines the potential future direction of the pension plan. The budget could be finalized as soon as next week.
We do know what you'll be paying for your water next year and it won't be as much as proposed by Saint John Water. There will be an increase of 3.7 per cent, half of what was on the table, and the flat rate will be increasing next year by 36 dollars.
Police Chief Bill Reid wants Saint Johners to know despite the buzz on the streets, Saint John isn't a dangerous place to live and work.
He tells CHSJ News a lot of the violent crime we've been seeing are actually just isolated incidents, because we really don't have much in the way of gang activity or turf wars. He says the "one off" crimes are by nature hard to predict.
Still, Reid points out there's been only one murder in 2012 despite a number of suspicious deaths.
A 51 year old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, minus remand time of almost a year, for killing a 70 year old man in the north end almost a year ago and then setting him on fire.
Stephen Wallace Martin, who has a long criminal record with 35 convictions, 17 for violence, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a brutal attack on Robert Ryan in December of 2011. Ryan's body was found after a fire in his home at 374 Mount Pleasant Avenue North. Martin had been staying there after his release from prison.
Mr. Justice Hugh McLellen accepted the joint recommendation from the defense and prosecution.
The court was told Martin had been abusing crack cocaine in the days leading to Ryan's death. He will have to serve half of the sentence before being eligible for parole.
Martin addressed Ryan's family saying he was sorry for what happened but two of the family members then stormed out of the courtroom. Ryan was beaten to death and then set on fire.
The court was told by the defense that Martin had been abused growing up and lost his temper when he woke up and found Ryan touching him inappropriately. Ryan, though, was described in victim impact statements as kind, thoughtful and generous, who helped people out financially and had an aversion to violence.
Slippery roads in Saint John keeping the fire, police and ambulance services busy today with collisions around the city.
Two crackups on Samuel Davis Drive has police busy directing traffic and one vehicle struck a police cruiser.
One motorist did a 360 turn on the causeway but managed to get out if it allright.
Crews were involved in a rescue on the Peninsula where a woman was trapped in her vehicle.
Our listeners telling us Highway 7 was slick earlier along with roads in Prince of Wales and Musquash.
Efficiency NB and Saint John Energy teaming up to "Re-Light Saint John" with energy-saving LED Lights.
Tracey Somers of Efficiency NB tells CHSJ News at their first stop today, 200 Mount Pleasant Avenue, they replaced 10 strings of lights.
She says they estimate the homeowners will save $60 this season and potentially $600 if the lights last about 10 years.
Two more homes on Loch Lomond Road and then Chapel Street on the west side will also get the lighting makeover today.
A 50 year old man is back in court today regarding the death of 70 year old Robert Ryan last December at his Mount Pleasant Avenue North home.
Stephen Wallace Martin plead guilty to manslaughter in court last month.
Ryan's body was found December 20th after a fire at his home. He died from blunt force trauma to the head and had a broken jaw, two black eyes and other injuries.
Victim impact statements and a pre-sentence report are due to read in court today.
A celebrity chef is coming to town tomorrow and his destination is St. Patrick's School on the west side. Chuck Hughes of the Food Network is coming with a 15 thousand dollar grant as part of the real food campaign.
Hughes tells CHSJ News his mission is to get families and young people to eat less processed foods which use the cheapest ingredients and more fruits and vegetables.
Hughes says the more young people know about real food, the better they enjoy it and sometimes parents are a barrier when they automatically assume their children won't like a certain food.
He adds there's nothing wrong with chicken fingers but why do they have to be fried.
A 29 year old man from Waterborough was killed over the weekend in a highway collision near Sussex.
The RCMP say alcohol and not wearing a seat belt were factors in the fatality which occurred on Highway 10 in Long Creek when a vehicle travelling east crossed the centre line and hit an oncoming car.
Four other people were injured and taken to hospital including a mother and her two children.
Snow, freezing rain and then alot of rain coming our way today.
Jean-Marc Couturier of Environment Canada tells CHSJ News you can expect a burst of snow beginning around 9 this morning which will last from two to three hours with 5 centimeters expected in Saint John and up to ten the further inland you are. The worst of the weather is expected around lunchtime.
This will be followed by some freezing rain and then from 30 to 40 millimeters of rain through tonight with gusty winds.
Couturier says the temperature will be rising to 12 degrees tonight but all that rain will wash away the snow.
Some Saint John houses are going to get a holiday makeover.
Efficiency NB and Saint John Energy will surprise and decorate three Saint John homes with LED holiday lighting makeovers this morning to promote the benefits of LED holiday lights which are more energy efficient.
The randomly chosen homes are on Mount Pleasant Avenue out east, Loch Lomond Road and Chapel Street.
Reinstating spring cleanup in the city will cost an estimated 380 thousand dollars next year. That word being delivered in response to a request from Common Council last month about what it would take to bring it back.
The head of Municipal Operations, Kevin Rice is not staking out a position one way or the other.
He does say if Council decides to go with it, Rice is recommending it be held later in the year.
Council is also being told there have been savings this year in solid waste management and even though spring cleanup was popular, some homeowners abused the programme.
It looks like the Somerset Community Centre will be closing down once the new YM-YWCA is up and running in Crescent Valley.
Discussions are underway according to Parks Manager Micheal Hugenholtz who says community organisations will be taking over the day to day running of community centres.
Hugenholtz says these agreements will spell out what the city expects in terms of programming and hours of operation so taxpayers get value for their money.
There will also be changes coming in what arenas in the city offer during the day, Monday through Friday, because of a lack of demand.
City Manager Pat Woods will be presenting Common Council with a draft budget for next year and has already said he will not be recommending an increase in the tax rate.
Common Councillor David Merrithew says it should not be just about cutting back. He would like to see more money spent on roads, vacant and dangerous buildings along with City Transit.
Merrithew also says there are alot of little fixes that could be done to save the city money and he would be disappointed if they weren't followed up on in 2013.
Councillor at Large Shirley McAlary would like more money allocated for roads but also would like the City Manager investigate whether it would be cheaper for some city operations to be moved out of the City Hall building.
A new road being constructed on the West side near the Harbour Bridge will be good news for truckers, the Port of Saint John and the Province.
Capt John McCann, VP of Operations at the Port, tells CHSJ News longer loads do not currently have access to the Port.
He says the tolls booths served as a natural barrier that stopped traffic but when the highway was restructured the road was raised up and wide loads cannot go up and make the turn on the new highway system.
McCann says eastbound trucks must drive to Lorneville and turn around but under Phase 2 of the project next year, the fixed medians will be moved allowing the eastbound trucks to swing right in.
People who live in Red Head are furious and hurt over a proposal to expand a quarry from Bayside drive up to the Crown Reserve road.
Deborah Kneeland is chair of the Red Head Community Association, and she tells CHSJ news only a few people were told last Monday they had until this Tuesday to write an objection... which she says is not enough time.
Kneeland says they've all been caught off guard with the proposal and the lack of information shared with them. She says the plans would put the quarry within 50 meters of peoples homes, tear down trees and could effect water wells.
The application comes before the Planning Advisory Committee Tuesday night at 7:00 pm and Kneeland says the residents will be out in full force.
A piece of history is being brought to life in a pretty unique way.
New Brunswickers are geocaching to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the March of New Brunswick’s 104th Regiment.
Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting activity that uses GPS coordinates to find hidden containers or iteams of any shape or size. Geocacher and retired military Major Randall Haslett tells CHSJ news they'll use replicated soldiers backpacks as the caches. They'll be hidden along the route and at outpost locations used by the 104th Regiment.
These geocaches will be installed over the next several months and will be activated during the 200th Anniversary activities in March.
In February and March 1813, New Brunswick’s 104th Regiment of Foot marched up the St. John River to Upper Canada in support of the military efforts underway as part of the War of 1812.
Cuts, bruises and some broken bones were among the injuries of about a dozen people involved in a bus crash on a highway yesterday.
RCMP say the crash happened on Highway 11 near Sainte-Anne-de-Kent.
They say a bus carrying about 20 people from a senior men's hockey team from Cap-Pele was driving home from a game in northern New Brunswick when the driver lost control of the bus.
Police say road conditions were icy at the time of the crash.
(Courtesy of the Canadian Press).
Key Industries is hoping Quispamsis Council can spare $5,000 in their 2013 budget for the social development group.
For almost 40 years Key Industries has been providing services to adults with intellectual disabilities. President and CEO Christine Evans tells CHSJ news the money would expand their existing programs and help with outreach projects like employ-ability. She says their employ-ability work skills program gives extra support to people who want to work in the community.
Evans says they do receive some government funding, but it's not enough for their needs. She says to date the town of Quispmasis has been excellent, giving $15,000 to the group over the years.
Quispamsis Council has refereed the request to their finance committee.
Giving the gift of a forever home during the holiday season.
The Saint John SPCA Animal Rescue League is teaming up with Iams and over 4,000 animal rescue groups across North America to give animals a "Home 4 The Holidays".
To encourage adoptions, the SPCA will give a hand painted SPCA Christmas ornament to whoever adopts a pet with mistletoe on their cage or if you donate to the shelter. If you donate food or a new toy for the animals, your name will be entered in a draw for a gift basket.
Californian Mike Arms is the creator of Iams Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaign, and he encourages people to give an orphan a chance rather than supporting a puppy mill. He tells CHSJ news there's a myth that there's something wrong with animals that are up for adoption, but it's usually just that the previous owner couldn't keep them.
Arms says you need to think seriously before getting a pet, knowing they're a 15 to 16 year commitment. He says people often buy the puppy in the window on impulse, but a shelter will match the right pet for your family lifestyle.
Since the Iam Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaign started 13 years ago, over 7 million orphaned pets have been adopted.
