Community News Archives » Page 38 of 178 » CHMA, Voice of the Marshes

‘He’s absolutely exceptional’: Michael Beal appointed treasurer of Tantramar

Michael Beal at committee of the whole meeting on January 24, 2023. Image: Youtube/Town of Tantramar

Tantramar has a new treasurer, and it’s the old treasurer.

Former Sackville treasurer Michael Beal has been serving as acting treasurer for Tantramar since the amalgamation, even though his official job title in the town’s new organizational structure has been director of corporate compliance.

In a brief, two-minute long public session following a closed meeting on Tuesday, Tantramar council approved Beal’s appointment as treasurer. (The appointment is one of three that requires council approval, along with clerk and CAO.)

CHMA called up CAO Jennifer Borne on Thursday to hear more about the decision to appoint Beal.

“I think anyone that’s ever been in council chambers or watched one of Sackville meetings knows that that Mr. Beal is certainly the right guy for the position,” says Borne. “The years of experience and expertise that he comes with is just, you know, outstanding.”

Beal has been in municipal government for three decades, and served as Sackville treasurer from 1999 through to 2022, sometimes stepping in as acting CAO during that time. He will now take the helm as director of financial services, and Borne says there will be re-organization regarding his compliance duties.

“We always knew that there was going to be tweaks and adjustments to the org chart that would happen at any time,” says Borne. “We don’t want to be over-resourced, we don’t want to be under-resourced.… Continue

Fake profiles, con artists and blackmail: Online scams proliferate in troubled times, says prof

*A fake account initiates a conversation about the “gradient community outreach support program” in a chat via Facebook Messenger.* *Screengrab: CHMA*

A Sackville resident’s Facebook profile was recently duplicated, or spoofed, in an apparent failed attempt at a confidence scam.

The social media platform soon removed the fake account, after users reported the case of identity theft to Facebook.

But it’s just one of the online scams that proliferate during troubled times, according to an expert in identity theft and fraud.

“So often they’re playing on people’s emotions in their darkest hours,” said William Kresse, a professor at the Governors State University near Chicago, Ill.

Listen to the report from CHMA:

CHMA News has agreed not to disclose the identity of the man whose identity was fraudulently duplicated in the attempted scam.

The fake account appeared to be an exact double of the original, using his name, profile picture and banner photo: a picture of his grandchildren.

The spoofed account attempted to add at least some of the man’s contacts as friends. This reporter was among those who received a friend request. The spoofed account then initiated a chat using Facebook Messenger.

‘Gradient community outreach’

It started out with small talk, but the conversation quickly took a strange turn when the scamster asked about something called the “gradient community outreach support program.”

This kind of scam is well-documented online.

Typically the fake account claims that the intended victim is eligible for a large financial assistance grant worth tens of thousands of dollars, but they have to pay a fee. … Continue

Concerned citizens found Leard’s remains, even after information on whereabouts shared with police

The jury in the ongoing first degree murder trial of Henry Pottie heard evidence on Tuesday about how Jamie Leard’s body was eventually found by concerned citizens, and what happened to three rifles that were turned over to police in connection with his murder.

The trial which started on April 17 continued this week in a Moncton courtroom.

Pottie is accused of first degree murder of Jamie Leard, who was last seen on May 25, 2021, the day crown attorneys believe he was shot and killed in his home in Upper Cape.

A publication ban limits reporting on the trial to only what the jury hears, which excludes discussions in court over the acceptability of testimony and lines of questioning of witnesses.

On Tuesday the jury heard from Jeff Trenholm of Port Elgin, who testified that he found the remains of Jamie Leard on June 3, along with Leard’s friend and neighbour Shannon Wall.

Trenholm told the court he had learned of the whereabouts of Leard’s remains from Colt Leblanc, and had given the information to the police about 24 hours before he and Wall located Leard’s remains.

Trenholm said he had been trying to find out what happened to Leard, who went to school with his younger brother, and also grew up in Port Elgin. Under cross examination from defense lawyer Nathan Gorham, Trenholm said his motivation was simply to help in “finding this woman’s son,” in reference to Doris Leard, Jamie’s mother.… Continue

Sackville’s Matteo Mann takes hockey’s next big step as he prepares for NHL draft

Matteo Mann playing for Les Saguenéens. Photo: Contributed

It’s almost certain that Sackville’s Matteo Mann will be one of the 217 young hockey players drafted into the NHL this year, but Mann himself is not counting his chickens before they’re hatched.

18-year-old Mann just finished his third season with Les Sageuenéens in Chicoutimi, part of the Quebec Major Junior League, also known as the Q, one of the big three major junior leagues in the country. And now he’s being written about as an NHL draft prospect for 2023.

CHMA spoke to Mann last week from Ottawa, where he was starting his training in preparation for the NHL Combine, the big draft event that takes place in June.

Now that his season is over, Mann’s attitude is calm and even keeled. “Where I go, or if I go, is kind of out of my hands at this point,” says Mann. “Whatever happens, I’m kind of just waiting for the next steps, really.”

Yanick Jean says it’s almost certain Mann will be drafted this year. The head coach and general manager of Les Saguenéens says Mann is the type of player sought after by the NHL in recent years.

Jean describes Mann as a “big, stay-home defenseman, who is really efficient when he gets physical… He’s a good skater for a big guy, and this is what a lot of the NHL teams are looking for,” says Mann. “NHL teams want bigger guys playing on defense.… Continue

Two local authors up for NB Book Awards, plus Frye Festival kicks off Friday

Ellen Pickle stands at the Frye Fest display at TIdewater Books, holding a copy of Jon Claytor’s Take the Long Way Home, one of two local books nominated for NB Book Awards this year. Photo: Erica Butler

Tidewater Books owner Ellen Pickle has lots of literary news to share. Not only are two local authors up for book awards right now, but today also marks the beginning of the 24th annual Frye Festival, the Moncton-based, bilingual literary festival which brings ten days of literary events to the region.

CHMA stopped by to catch up with Pickle:

“It’s really exciting news,” says Pickle, of two local nominations for New Brunswick Book Awards. Jon Claytor is up for a Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick Nonfiction Award for Take the Long Way Home, published by Conundrum Press. The graphic novel is a “nonfiction account of some of his travels and his struggles with some of his demons,” says Pickle.

Claytor is a painter, graphic artist, father of five and longtime on-and-off Sackvillian. He’s one of the founders of Sappyfest and of the Thunder and Lightning Pub that once graced Bridge Street.

Another local, Meghan Rose Allen, is up for the Mrs. Dunsters Award for Fiction for The Summer the School Burned Down, a collection of fifteen short stories. “We’re still waiting for it because it’s independently published,” says Pickle, “but we’re eagerly awaiting getting it in the store.”… Continue

New town communications officer is first of four new positions coming for Tantramar

Tantramar is hiring a new communications officer. The posting for the new position is up on the town’s website, the first of four new postings expected to go up as a result of Tantramar’s post-amalgamation restructuring.

A municipal makeover for Tantramar: new town departments and four new positions coming in January

The town also plans to hire a new director of human resources, a new director of protective services, and a new director of finance/treasurer. Former Sackville treasurer Michael Beal is currently serving as acting treasurer, but he was named director of a new department of corporate compliance when CAO Jennifer Borne announced the new structure in December.

“Staff are actually really excited to see this position added within the org chart for the new Tantramar,” says Borne. The communications officer will work under Corporate Services director Kieran Miller, and be dedicated to internal and external communications, something that previous staff had done “off the corner of their desks,” says Borne.

The new person will be working on the municipality’s branding exercise, for which the town is in the process of contracting a consultant. Borne says the officer will work on community engagement, “reaching out to, introducing ourselves to former LSD areas, as well as reintroducing ourselves to our former governments of Dorchester and Sackville areas,” says Borne. The goal will be to highlight, “what it is that local government does, and how we can connect and engage and work with residents of Tantramar,” says Borne.… Continue

Renovated and expanded Bagtown set to reopen on May 6

Bagtown owner Anthony Maddelena stands outside the renovated shop window. The tap room will reopen May 6, 2023. Photo: Erica Butler

Renovations have taken a little longer than originally predicted, but Sackville’s Bagtown Brewery has announced it will reopen on May 6 in an expanded space at its Main Street location.

CHMA stopped by Bagtown to hear the news from owner Anthony Maddelena:

Maddelena is calling May 6 a ‘soft’ reopening, as the full concept of the new space won’t be in place. A mystery partner is in line to take over the kitchen and start offering food, but Maddelena is holding out on details except to say, “burgers and tacos” might be on offer.

For the soft reopening, Maddelena says he will have “a good handful of Bagtown beers back on tap,” along with some guest taps. Bagtown’s ‘To Go’ fridge will also be stocked with Bagtown products and “lots of new things from around the province.”

It will take some time to get fully stocked on beers as Maddelena turns his attention from construction and renovations back to brewing in May. He says there will be some new drinks rolling out, including beers, ciders, and some new non-alcoholic beverages.

The Bagtown patio should be upacked and ready for seating on May 6, says Maddelena. “Will they have a nice crisp, fresh coat of paint on them yet? Probably not,” he laughs. “That’ll be maybe a week or two later.”… Continue

Food insecurity among children ‘an ongoing concern,’ says school district; Provincial, federal initiatives to address hunger in schools too slow, says MLA

The provincial and federal governments have said that they want to make sure kids are getting the nutrition they need during the school day.

But progress is happening too slowly, according to Megan Mitton, the MLA representing Memramcook-Tantramar.

“This is a constant issue that I’ve seen whenever I’ve visited or spoken to teachers,” the Green Party MLA said in an interview on Tuesday.

Listen to the report from CHMA:

“It’s frustrating for things to move so slowly, because what we’re talking about here is about making sure children have eaten.”

The question of school food programs came up Tuesday during a legislative committee meeting in Fredericton, at a time when inflation has put additional pressure on household food budgets.

During a testy exchange with Mitton, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Bill Hogan said the government’s goal is to have a food program in every school. “We know children that are hungry cannot learn,” Hogan said.

*Green Party MLA Megan Mitton speaks at the Standing Committee on Estimates and Fiscal Policy on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Screenshot: legnb.ca*

He indicated that approximately 245 of New Brunswick’s schools have some kind of food program, but that another 50 do not.

There are breakfast programs at “pretty well” all of those 245 schools, with lunch or take-home food at some, depending on what kinds of community partnerships those schools have developed.

He said the provincial government is currently working with the other 50 schools to “make sure that they have a food program.” … Continue

Joey’s chef in legal limbo thanks to federal immigration backlogs

Andres Mendieta and Paola Gonzalez have both been waiting 18 months on permanent residency applications. Photo: Erica Butler

When fire destroyed the Joey’s Pizza and Pasta building on York Street in Sackville on April 7, about a dozen people lost their jobs. And for Andres Mendieta, the Joey’s chef and kitchen manager for the past 4 years, the job he lost is irreplaceable, at least until the Canadian government says it’s not.

Originally from Ecuador, Mendieta has been working in Canada on what’s known as a “closed visa”, meaning he’s legally allowed to work for just the company who made the arrangements for him to come. “I’m only allowed to work for one person,” explains Mendieta, and that’s Joey’s Pizza. “And until [April 7th], it was okay.”

Mendieta is now in a sort of legal limbo, caught waiting on approval of his permanent residency application, or another temporary work visa that could free him up to work elsewhere.

Mendieta is also unsure if he will qualify for EI, because although he’s been paying into it, he can’t legally look for another job, typically a requirement of filing an EI claim.

In order for Mendieta to get his first Canadian work visa back in May 2019, Joey’s owner Leeya Hicks had to first send in a Labour Market Impact Assessment to show that there was a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. Mendieta says since then he’s developed a deep trust with Hicks, and has done well at Joey’s, starting as a cook and eventually being promoted to kitchen manager.… Continue

Crown outlines their case against Henry Pottie, says Leard was shot and killed in his own home

The trial of Henry Pottie for the first degree murder of Jamie Leard got off to a slow start on Tuesday, with the jury dismissed about five minutes after taking their seats.

After Crown attorney Guillaume Rigucci gave his opening statement, Judge Robert Dysart asked the jury to leave the courtroom to allow for discussion of a legal issue. By noon, the jury was dismissed for the day, due to return on Wednesday.

CHMA can’t report on what took place in court while the jury was not present, due to a court-imposed publication ban.

In his brief opening statement, Rigucci outlined the Crown’s theory of what happened to Jamie Leard on May 25, 2021, which has yet to be proven in court.

Rigucci told the jury that Leard was shot and killed by two people shortly after arriving at his home on the evening of May 25, 2021. The attorney said six people were at the Leard residence that evening, including Leard, his roommate Sean Patterson, Henry Pottie, Angel Sears, Amanda Noiles, and her six-year-old child.

According to the Crown’s version of events, Amanda Noiles and her child were in the car with Leard when he arrived home. Rigucci said Noiles followed Leard inside his home, heard shots, and then saw the 38-year-old Leard fall backwards. Noiles then ran back to Leard’s car, followed shortly thereafter by Angel Sears, who had been inside the house.

Rigucci told the jury that Sean Patterson then came outside of the house and told both women to remain in the vehicle until it was safe to come inside.… Continue

Category: Community News