Drugs and Ruckus in Rothesay

A quantity of marijuana was seized after a traffic stop on the Gondola Point arterial. The Rothesay Police pulled over a man driving with a female passenger, and noticed there appeared to be marijuana laying on the floor of the car. Both were arrested and the car was searched. The woman admitted to owning the drugs and was booked for possession of a controlled substance, then released.

Police also responded to a call from the McDonald's on Hampton Road, where some young men were causing a ruckus by screaming and swearing inside the restaurant. They were trespassed from the restaurant and taken home to be dealt with by their parents.

MP Gives Kudos to Federal Budget

The federal budget is in line with protecting social programs, balancing the budget, finding efficiencies in government, and boosting the economy--that from John Williamson, the MP for Southwest New Brunswick. He says the best way to achieve those mandates is to keep taxes low and debt down.

CHSJ News asked Williamson if he's heard any concerns over changes to the age requirements for Old Age Security. He tells us its such a long-range time-frame that a lot of the backlash has quieted down. The changes won't be phased in until 2023-2029--and the demographic who was most concerned were people currently on the edge of retirement.
 

Regarding another high-profile decision--to phase out the penny--Williamson said he's heard mostly positive feedback.

Nugent Says Ferguson Compared Him To Martha Stewart

The defamation trial of former Common Councillor - and current St. Stephen Town Manager - John Ferguson hears how angry and outraged City Solicitor John Nugent was at what he calls sensational assertions that were left hanging without any proof being offered to back them up.


Nugent testifies his anger was ratcheted up when Ferguson compared accepting legal advice from him to Martha Stewart whom everyone knew had been charged with illegal insider stock trading. He was already incredibly offended at Ferguson claiming senior city staff were blocking him from getting outside advice on the pension plan which Nugent maintains was not the case. Nugent also telling the jury he found it puzzling Ferguson would not identify who was giving him legal advice.

The Pros & Cons Of East-West Corridor On Milltown Blvd

 The East-West Corridor being the big topic in St. Stephen.


President and CEO of Cianbro Corporation Peter Vigue tells Tide News the proposed highway will connect Calais to Coburn Gore -- another border town -- making travel more covenient between here, and big cities like Montreal, Chicago and Detroit.

Meanwhile...


Not everyone is happy about the East-West Corridor Project.

Sidney Mitchell, seen protesting on Milltown Blvd in St. Stephen tells Tide News she is with the group "Friends of Piscadaquis Valley".

She says they are concerned about the possible pipelines and trucking routes disrupting rivers, watersheds, and wildlife.

Mitchell adds Maine has the means to become an eco-tourist area, and the East-West corridor will ruin that opportunity.

Earth Hour on Saturday

A chance to do your part to save the earth.
Tomorrow night between 8:30 and 9:30 your invited to join the hundreds of Millions of people , businesses and governments around the world as we unite each year to support the largest environmental event in history....Earth Hour.
More than 5200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide will be switching off their lights, sending a powerfull message for action on climate change.  The Algonquin Hotel in Saint Andrews will be participating in this event.  The lights will go out for an hour starting at 8:30 tomorrow night.

Saint John Mayor Wants Respect From Ferguson Lawyer

Saint John Mayor Ivan Court clashed with the lawyer for John Ferguson at the former Common Councillor -- and current St. Stephen Town Manager's trial for defamation.

Court admonished Gillis to show him some respect as Mayor and member of Common Council. Gillis was pressing Court on whether he had an obligation to the taxpayer in 2003 to make changes to the city's pension plan. Court told the jury the city received actuarial advice in 2006 not to make any changes because the plan was in good shape but then the financial collapse happened in 2008.

Court maintains there was no mismanagement on the part of the pension board even with a deficit exceeding 190 million dollars.

Ferguson's lawyer, Rod Gillis told Court the only people who are losing are the taxpayers but the Mayor disagreed with the suggestion that the pension plans financial woes will drive the city into bankruptcy.

Court admits he was never comfortable with the early retirement buyouts but told the jury Ferguson went down a dangerous road and was reckless.

Still No Sign Of Missing St. Stephen Man

Local police say there are many concerned citizens asking about a missing St. Stephen man.


60-year-old Kenneth Lee has been missing since Sunday, March 18th.

District 1 RCMP Sgt. Bob MacKnight says an RCMP helicopter searched isolated areas and points of interest for Lee this past weekend, with negative results.

Lee is 5'9, 175 lbs, wth a full beard and ponytail.

Police say he is driving a green 1993 Toyota Camry, with New Brunswick license plate BPN 513.
He was last seen wearing a beige, long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans.

If you have any information on Lee's whereabouts, please contact St. Stephen District 1 RCMP at 466-7030.

Mayor Thinks Ferguson "Just Didn't Like City Management"

Saint John Mayor Ivan Court has told the defamation trial of former Common Councillor John Ferguson, the city pension plan's deficit was like an iceberg coming towards the city and he was concerned about the cost of the early retirement packages.

Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.


Court says he became friends with Ferguson in 2004 but disillusionment set in when Ferguson wouldn't share pertinent information with Common Council or offer up any proof to back his accusations of gross negligence.
 
Court testified he believes Ferguson's real problem was that he just didn't like city management for some reason.
 
He also told the jury the accusations were defamatory because members of the public started to believe pension board members did something wrong or illegal.

Door Not Slammed Shut On More Powerful Imaging Unit

The Health Minister is downplaying any suggestion politics are involved in a decision to move forward with a less powerful M-R-I machine for the Regional Hospital.
Madeleine Dube says it's about providing a standard level of service to all New Brunswickers.
But -- Dube says her department will monitor ongoing upgrades to units that are available and she's not closing the door to upgrading the Regional to the higher powered unit at some point in the future.
The Alward government is taking heat for refusing a million dollar donation from the Regional Hospital Foundation to upgrade the new M-R-I machine to the more powerful unit.


Attempts In Preventing The Lawsuit From Happening

The defamation trial of former Saint John Common Councillor John Ferguson was told he made three attempts to prevent the lawsuit from proceeding.


Pension Board lawyer Hugh Wright agreed with Ferguson's lawyer, Rod Gillis the costs would have been substantially lower had he been successful. Common Councillor and former Pension Board trustee, Chris Titus wrote a letter saying questions were being raised about the city's pension plan with good intentions but without a full understanding of the facts. Another letter written by then Councillor Ivan Court in 2007 warned going ahead with the lawsuit against Ferguson would set a dangerous precedent.
 
Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.

ATV Causes Serious Injuries After Landing On Local Man

Local police were called to an accident over the weekend in Flume Ridge.


District 1 RCMP say the call came around 2:30 Saturday afternoon, of a man who was seriously injured while driving an ATV.

Sgt. Bob MacKnight says it appears the ATV went end over end, landing on top of the man.

Paramedics arrived via all-terrained-vehicle, and the man was taken to a hospital in Fredericton.

MacKnight says this is the second incident, within the past 10 days, of an AVT operator being seriously injured.

Another Telephone Scam Involving Power Bills

St Martins residents are the latest to be hit by yet another telephone scam - this one claiming to represent N-B Power and it deals with a change in billing procedures.
One resident who received the call tells us it came from a California area code.
N-B Power spokesperson Melissa Morton says it's part of the ongoing telephone scams with callers claiming to represent the utility.
She says if you receive one of these calls - don't give any information and contact your local police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre - contact the centre at 1-888-495-8501or click here.

Who Cracked The Cheese?!

The St. Stephen Superstore, St. George Save-Easy, along with over 250 other select Loblaw banner stores across Canada, simultaneously broke 305 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for world record Saturday afternoon, March 24th.


Loblaw Companies became the new official world record holder for the most wheels of cheese cracked simultaneously.

It was declared by Guinness World Records.

Northumberland Teams Up With NCC

Milk cartons here in the province are getting a temporary makeover--Nothumberland Dairies is partnering up with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to promote conserving the province's wetlands, forests, and coastal habitats. The limited-edition white cartons feature a sketch of a sandpiper by Sackville artist Robert Lyon.

Jack Christie of Nothumberland Dairies tells CHSJ News teaming up with the NCC was a natural choice because they represent what farmers stand for: living responsibly off the land.


Over 6 hundred thousand cartons are now being distributed all over New Brunswick.

Down's Syndrome Society Recognized

The Saint John Down Syndrome Society has been recognized with a national award. The society was nominated by Michelle Boutilier (Boo tell yay), a mother of a 5 year old with the disorder. In her nomination letter, she said they've been a major support to her and done a lot of help her and her son.

Sharon Gerrits of the Saint John Down Syndrome Society tells CHSJ News the organization aims to help our families of people with Down Syndrome by providing a place for their loved ones to socialize with peers, planning activities, and making sure people have access to proper care.

One out of every 800 babies has Down syndrome. The SJDSS will be featured in the Spring issues of 21 Magazine and Voices.

To contact the society email saintjohndss@hotmail.com. You can visit the national association at www.cdss.ca/

Motel Fire in Saint John

A fire this morning at a motel on Manawoganish Road. Officials responded to the call around 8:30am that there was smoke issuing from the second floor of the building.

When they arrived they found a verandah on fire--the blaze was threatening to spread to the inside of the motel. They quickly knocked it down. Only a couple of units in the 19-unit motel were occupied at the time of the blaze.

The fire department also responded to a call on Carmarthen Street around 9pm--a smoke alarm was going off in the building, but no one was at home. Fire officials broke into the home but there was no damage.

Fairmont To Marriott

More details in the sale of the historic Algonquin Hotel in St Andrews after a news conference held at the resort today.

Tourism Minister Trevor Holder tells Tide News it's a solid agreement that will protect the iconic value of the hotel.

Provincial officials have been hammering out the agreement with a partnership made up of New Castle Hotels and Resorts - and - Southwest Properties.

Holder says the government will collect 20 per cent of profits from the hotel within 30 years, and the province will provide the new owners with a $21 million loan, to be repaid within the same amount of time.


The new owners plan to operate the Algonquin under the Marriott banner.

St. Stephen Man Missing

District 1 RCMP is asking for help from the public in locating a missing 60-year-old St. Stephen man.
Kenneth James Lee has been missing since Sunday, March 18.


Police say Lee borrowed his mother's car to go to a local convenience store, but he never made it that far.

He is driving a green 1993 Toyota Camry with New Brunswick license plate BPN 513.

Lee is 5' 9' tall (175 cms) and weighs 175 lbs (79 kg). He has a full beard and a ponytail. He was last seen wearing a beige, long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans. He is also known to wear a beige baseball-style hat with the word 'FLAKEBOARD' on it.

Anyone with information about where Kenneth James Lee may be is asked to contact the District 1 RCMP at 506-466-7030 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Civic Center Is On Schedule

We've got the latest update on the Garcelon Civic Center.


Chief Administrative Officer for St. Stephen, John Ferguson says the surcharge and compression of soil for the pool is keeping good time.

He says Dora Construction giving their worst case scenario cost estimate, which is within the town's budget.

Ferguson adds the project remains on schedule, and with the warmer weather we will see lots of activity in the coming months.

We Want More Candidates!

Don't just Talk -- Run!


Chief Electoral Officer for the province, Michael Quinn, creating awareness of the upcoming municipal elections to the St. Stephen Chamber of Commerce.

He says the more candidates you get, the more debates you have, leads to more public interest and a higher voter turn-out.
Quinn says the best part of democracy is alot of public involvement.
 
For more information on becoming a candidate, go to the Elections NB website: http://www.gnb.ca/elections/index-e.asp
 
The deadline to file your nomination papers is April 13th, at 2pm.
 
(Picture: (left) Chamber President Dale Weeks and (right) Chief Electoral Officer for NB Michael Quinn)

Man trapped by train rail in Harvey

The Harvey Volunteer Fire Department rescured for a man trapped beneath a piece of train rail. 
The Nackawic area man had been using a crane to load train rails from a tractor trailer to a train boxcar when a mechanical failure occurred. 
The operator was pinned in to the controls of the crane by a piece of rail, yet was able to dial 911 for assistance. 
The Jaws of Life was used to free the man who was then taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Maxwell Announces Re-Offer For St. Stephen Town Council

Current Deputy Mayor Jim Maxwell has announced his re-offer for St. Stephen Town Council.


He says he is not running for mayor because he enjoys doing volunteer work, such as benefit Pool tournaments, and the Mayor position wouldn't allow much time for that.

This morning, another re-offer was announced, this time on Facebook.

Mayor of Blacks Harbour Terry James made it official to the internet community she will be running again for Mayor.

St. Stephen Residents Angry Over Ferguson's Paid Leave

"As a taxpayer, I'm not happy."

That word from St. Stephen resident Margaret Harding after Town Council approved a 6 week paid leave of absence for Chief Administrative Officer, John Ferguson.

The approval comes 3 weeks into his defamation trial with the Saint John Pension Board.

Resident Margaret Harding singled out Mayor Jed Purcell, asking why he would pay Ferguson out of the Town's pocket while he went to court.


Mayor Jed Purcell responding "it was not a result of something Ferguson has done, and he deserves the support of the town."
Councillor Ralph Williams responding, "Ferguson was called to court, he did not instigate this. If you were called to jury duty, the same rules would apply."

Councillor Robert Tinker said, "When we hired John, we knew the courtdate was looming, it's a matter of principle. Had this come up after, the outcome would be different."
 
The Mayor says he is unsure if he would grant more paid leave to Ferguson if the trial lasted more than the estimated 6 weeks.

Former Mayor Takes The Stand At Defamation Trial

Former Saint John Mayor Norm McFarlane, who chaired the Pension Board from 2004 to 2008, says the obligation of the trustees is to members of the city's pension plan when pressed on whether any recommendations were made to Common Council to make changes in light of a rising deficit.


McFarlane says it was not up to the Pension Board to make any such recommendations. It would have been up to the City Manager who's also a member of the Pension Board.
 
One option looked at was a sick plan with health and benefits to replace the disability pension.
 
McFarlane was asked about a motion by Common Council asking the Pension Board for alternatives to tackle the unfunded liability, but he couldn't say if the pension board ever gave a response.
 
He concedes no trustee wanted to reduce benefits.
 
Yesterday, MacFarlane testified that he had to stop going to the market and for walks on the Harbour Passage after John Ferguson's comments to avoid being harassed. He said voters always asked him about the pension board—never about city business or the LNG controversy.


MacFarlane said “If there's anyone on the pension board that didn't have a conflict of interests, it's me—because I wasn't receiving a pension.”

The former mayor testified as recently as last Saturday a stranger got in his face and said “I don't believe a word you say, you're a liar.” He testified he's a 76 year old churchgoer and John Ferguson's statements were a black mark against his name.

MacFarlane said Ferguson falsely claimed he was warned to keep his mouth shut for the sake of his career. He further said Ferguson had every opportunity to either prove his statements or apologize—but didn't do either.

Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.

Online Safety At SSES

With all the new gadgets out there, protecting your child online is a challenge.


RCMP Community Programs Officer Lisa Williams will be speaking about strategies for keeping your child safe online, at a meeting for parents at the St. Stephen Elementary School.

Topics range from cyber-bullying, police involvment, school policies, facebook, and how parents can get involved.

The meeting gets underway tomorrow night at 6pm in the Library.

Either Honor Your Promises, Or Admit You Lied

How will the government stimulate the economy?


That's the question from local MLAfor Charlotte The Isles, with the government dropping the new provincial budget next week.

Liberal Rick Doucet tells Tide News so far with our current government, job creation has been off the map.
He says Premier David Alward has some big ticket promiseson the table, and Alward should either start to honor them or admit to New Brunswickers that you lied to them.

Doucet points out Premier David Alward said there would be no new taxes, and yet rural New Brunswick is being driven down because of gas taxes.

Saint Andrews Gets Cut

St. Andrews has been dropped.


The Kraft Hockeyville competition has been narrowed down to the Top 5 Finalists, and the town by-the-sea didn't make it.
St. Andrews had been the last New Brunswick contender in the Top 15.

The winner taking a one-hundred-thousand-dollar grand prize in upgrades for their arena, and an opportunity to host an N-H-L pre-season game.

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia is the only Atlantic Canadian town left vying for the prize.

Voting closes on March 20.

St Patty's Uneventful for Saint John Cops

With the green beer flowing throughout the city yesterday, you might think city police had their work cut out for them last night. But according to Sergeant Callan of the Saint John Police force, people were surprisingly well behaved this year.

Callan tells Tide news that although there were drunks everywhere, there weren't any incidents apart from a few fights and one impaired driver pulled over on Garden Street. He says that's basically a regular Saturday night. Other Canadian cities weren't so lucky, with reports of fires and rioting in London, Ontario.

Callan also said that people should always be aware that drunk driving is a dangerous crime whether it's a holiday or not.

90lbs of Weed Seized From Secret Compartment

A man from Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia man has been arrested after his pick-up truck was pulled over near Edmundston. Inside a secret compartment in the truck, police discovered more than 40 kilograms, or 90 pounds, of marijuana.

The discovery was made on Highway 2, where the vehicle was seized and 28-year-old Micheal McNaughton was arrested.

McNaughton was charged at the Grand Falls provincial Court and then released on bail and numerous conditions. 

Photo: RCMP

Woman From Blacks Harbour Says She Is Alive Because Of Health Clinic

After a similar situation in McAdam, a woman from Blacks Harbour is telling her story.


Donna Moses says she had a brain aneurysm back in 1999, and she was taken to the Fundy Health Centre to be stabalized, before heading to the Saint John Regional Hospital.

She says her neurosurgeon called her his "miracle of '99", but she believes that that miracle wouldn't have happened if she had not been brought to the Fundy Health Clinic first.
In February, 4 fire victims in McAdam -- who were only 700 feet away from the McAdam Health Centre -- were made to wait over an hour for enough ambulances, because it is against Ambulance NB policy to take patients to a Health clinic, without a 24 hour emergency room.

A spokesperson for Madeline Dube says the Health Minister will be notified of the situation.

That's A Lot Of Lawyers...

The defamation trial of former Saint John Common Councillor -- and current St. Stephen Town Manager -- John Ferguson has been told the Pension Board's legal fees from 2006 to the end of 2010 surpassed 1.8 million dollars.


Pension Board trustee Bill Buckley of the Canadian Union of Public Employees argues not all of those legal fees are because of the lawsuit.

He told the court it was launched to stop what he calls the slander... It's not about money... It's about knowing we're not crooks.

Buckley also argues the city doesn't have a Cadillac pension plan and testified no one suggested reducing benefits or switching to a defined contributions plan and Ferguson's lawyer Rod Gillis pointed out most of the pension board members are receiving or will be getting city pensions.

Local MLA Believes Rural Areas Should Have Exceptions

A local MLA is throwing his support behind McAdam Mayor Frank Carroll in hopes of changing an Ambulance NB policy.

The ANB policy states ambulances can only take patients to destination hospitals, not health clinics.

But, after four fire victims -- including a baby -- were made to wait over an hour for enough ambulances to arrive, while only 700 feet away from the McAdam Health Care Centre, residents want the policy changed.

MLA for Charlotte and The Isles Liberal Rick Doucet tells Tide News the situation at hand, makes it clear "we can't put a round peg in a square hole."

He says, "If someone is in serious condition, and there is a doctor available on call, then let's take advantage of it."

Doucet adds there should definately be exceptions to the policy in rural areas, like McAdam, Blacks Harbour, or the Isles, where a health clinic is all they have.

Information Meeting For French Immersion

Are you looking into French Immersion for your child?


There will be a parent information meeting for the SSMS Grade 6 late french immersion program for 2012-2013.

The meeting is for parents of grade 5 students from St. Stephen Elementary, Milltown Elementary , Lawrence Station Elementary, and Vincent Massey.

The meeting gets underway tomorrow night at St. Stephen Middle School, starting at 6:30.

Lawyer Scoffed At Saint John City Manager

Saint John City Manager Pat Woods maintains criticism voiced about the city's pension plan by former Common Councillor John Ferguson implied something was amiss on the Pension Board.


Ferguson's lawyer, Rod Gillis scoffed when Woods told the court the Pension Board knew what it's doing saying how can that be, considering the city's pension plan is running a deficit of 191 million dollars.
 
Woods also testified benefits have not been reduced but worker contributions into the pension plan have increased.
 
Ferguson also was concerned senior staff who receive city pensions would not recommend cutting benefits. Woods concedes the concern is legitimate but unfair.
 
Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.

Aftershocks Confirmed In McAdam

McAdam is shaking and quaking.


The Canadian Earthquakes Centre confirming earthquake aftershocks, felt this morning at 3:28 and 3:44am.

The approximate location of the 2.4 magnitude earthquake was 2 kms south-west from McAdam on Saturday.

One resident says the aftershock was strong enough to knock a picture frame and knick-knacks off of her wall.

To see a recent list of all earthquakes in Canada, go to http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/index-eng.php.

"F" Word Used Often By Saint John Common Councillors

The decorum or lack thereof at Saint John Common Council coming up at the defamation trial of former Common Councillor, and current St. Stephen Town Manager John Ferguson, as City Manager Pat Woods told the jury the language used by Ferguson about the city's pension plan was unusual.

Ferguson's lawyer Rod Gillis quoted Councillor Bruce Court from last night's Council meeting saying alot of the stories about the pension plan are a crock of crap and went on to tell the court Councillors use the "F" word alot in Committee of the Whole.

Gillis used the city's own figures showing 70 thousand dollars was spent in 2000 and 87 thousand in 2001 to send Pension Board trustees to conferences including one in Maui.

Gillis also questioned whether the money was well spent.

Boston Smells Fishy

Fish from the Bay of Fundy are making a fresh impression over the border.

Companies from all over the world are gathering for the International Boston Seafood Show.

Nell Hulse, V-P of Communications for Cooke Aquaculture tells Tide News about the True North Salmon theme this year.

She says when you are talking about fish, freshness is the most important quality, and that is one of the biggest assets from our region.

Hulse also mentioned a chance True North Salmon had to talk with big names such as Premier David Alward and Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Keith Ashfield at the show.

She says it was a great opportunity to talk about common issues like how important seafood is to our area,  how many people work in the sector, and how important that both of those sectors remain healthy.

Aftershocks in McAdam

More rumblings being felt in McAdam over night.
Aftershocks are still being felt from the earthquake that happened on Saturday. 
One McAdam residents telling Tide News, it woke them up out of a dead sleep at around 3:30 this morning.

One Year 100 Men hits half way point

Big Brothers Big Sisters launched the One year 100 men campaign back in September to find mentors for the 88 young boys currently on the waiting list.
As of today the program has matched 48 boys with mentors.
Although One year 100 Men is geared toward male volunteers, Big Brothers Big Sisters is still actively recruiting Big Sisters too.
For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit their website.

http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/saintjohn/en/Home/default.aspx

Earthquake in McAdam

A shock for residents in the McAdam area Saturday as a small earthquake rolled through the area.

The quake was centred about 2-kilometres southwest of the village - and - Earthquakes Canada says it registered a magnitude of 2.4.
Some residents report pictures falling off their walls while others thought something had hit the side of their house.

Woods Says Ferguson Had An Unknown Agenda

Former Saint John Common Councillor -- and current St. Stephen Town Manager -- John Ferguson did not offer any proof to back up allegations of gross negligence on the part of the Pension Board.

That testimony delivered by City Manager Pat Woods, who's also a Pension Board trustee.


Woods telling the jury he felt Ferguson had some sort of agenda, the objective of which was unclear and his constant requests for third party reviews of the city's pension plan left the impression something was amiss, even fraudulent.

Woods says if Ferguson was told by former Pension Board trustee David Gould of illegal activity then he should have passed that along to fellow Council members or City Police. Woods maintains the Pension Board had to take action in the face of Ferguson's allegations.

Spring Ahead

This is the weekend most Canadians switch from standard time to daylight saving time.
Before going to bed tomorrow night, turn your clocks and watches ahead one hour.
   
The major Canadian exception is Saskatchewan, which is on standard time year-round.

Lawyer Suggesting City Officials Are Behind Ferguson Lawsuit

The lawyer for former Saint John Councillor John Ferguson is suggesting city officials are behind the Pension Board's defamation lawsuit.

Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.


Rod Gillis went over each of Ferguson's statements asking Pension Board trustee Fred Slipp which words were defamatory. Slipp admitted Ferguson's criticism of the early retirement programme and the the workplace culture was not directed at the Pension Board.
 
Slipp also conceded it's permissible for members of Common Council to criticise city staff and agreed with Gillis there appeared to be a conflict between Ferguson and City Solicitor John Nugent, who's also a member of the pension board.

Financial Skills For Women

Whether you're a woman taking care of elderly relatives or saving for your first home, good personal finance skills are important. A new program called I'm Worth It from the NB Securities Commission is teaching women more about managing their money.


Education Coordinator Marissa Rignanesi says the program is useful to women of all ages and walks of life, because statistics show that many women lack a full understanding of how to make the most of their personal finances.

The free program, which includes interactive worksheets and an online money management guide, is available for download tomorrow.The release coincides with International Women's Day, which is observed on March 8th.

Get your copy of the I'm Worth It materials at www.investinknowingmore.ca

"Who Was Trying To Silence John Ferguson?"

Lawyer Rod Gillis put the question directly to Pension Board trustee Fred Slipp......."Who was trying to silence John Ferguson" as the defamation trial of the former Common Councillor, and current St. Stephen Town Manager continues.


Slipp replied to the question by saying "I don't know".

He was also questioned about whether Ferguson's comparison of what was happening with pension plan in San Diego with the situation in Saint John was defamatory.

Slipp told the jury he didn't know what was going on in San Diego, where there was an investigation into possible fraud, until told by Saint John's former finance commissioner Andrew Beckett.

Slipp couldn't find any direct reference to fraud in Ferguson's statements but still maintains there was the innuendo of wrongdoing.

Damage at the Ganong Nature Park

Crime Stoppers and the St. Stephen RCMP are asking for your assistance in the identification of the person responsable for causing damage to a wooden foot-bridge in the Ganong Nature Park.

Police tell Tide News the person(s) responsible drove a vehicle through the park, then onto the foot-bridge, causing significant damage to the structure.


The incident would have occurred between the evening of the 4th of March, and the earlier hours of the 5th of March.
Any one with knowledge of the offence is asked to contact Crime Stoppers
at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest.

More Testimony From Slipp At Ferguson Trial

“If you're going to make statements, you're going to have to back them up” --that from lawyer Rod Gillis to Pension Board trustee Fred Slipp, who testified former Common Councillor John Ferguson's comments were full of defamatory inferences and innuendo against the board.

Ferguson is currently the Town Manager of St. Stephen.


Slipp testifying comments from Ferguson about three trustees suggested they were creating a paper trail to cover wrong-doing and that harmed the reputation of the whole board.

In an excited back and forth, Gillis said, “Beckett, Nugent and Totten are three members of the pension board--they might also be three members of the YMCA! Are you capable of answering my question?”

Slipp responding Ferguson's comments carried connotations the trustees were quote, "covering their butts", to which Gillis responded it was only reasonable for employees of the city to do that.

More Details On Blaze In Milltown

It was an accidental kitchen fire that took out an entire house in Milltown.
911 was called last night, just shortly after 7 to 36 Church Street.

Fire crews were dispatched from St. Stephen, Calais, Moores Mills, Western Charlotte and Oak Bay.

The St. Stephen Fire Department says there was heavy smoke and fire on arrival.

The homeowner was slightly injured.

Big Donation For Motorcycle Festival

Another big step towards the Rally In The St. Croix Valley.


St. Andrews Town Council passing a motion to donate $1000 to help with the international biker festival scheduled for this summer.

Canadian Chair Bob Hamel says the committee greatly appreciates the generous donation and the funds will go a long way toward making the festival a reality.

The Rally In The St. Croix Valley is set to run from July 1st to the 8th.