Take the Bus or Scooter

"I have a limo that's 40-feet long". Go ahead... sing the rest of it. I know you know that jingle. I took the new Commuter Express Bus into the city the other day for the first time. It was the 8:40 morning run and there were six of us on the bus. I know it's summer but I expected a bigger crowd, especially considering the price we're paying for gas. First let me say I'm not going to lecture anyone because I don't use the Comex either. I know I should but I don't, unless I'm forced to. That morning one of the cars was in the garage and I had no other way of getting into the city. It's perfect if you don't have a car or if you're tired of filling the tank of your SUV or if you have to pay big bucks for parking. These circumstances don't apply to me so I'll probably continue driving my old, not so bad on gas consumption, Saturn to my free parking spot in town. But the Grand Bay-Westfield numbers don't look good.

During one week in June, 347 rides were counted from Grand Bay-Westfield to and from Saint John. That's way down compared to 1019 rides on the KV Express and 931 from Hampton. But all ridership on the Comex service is up over the last three months by about 25% and that's good news for Saint John Transit. But the skyrocketing gas price that is forcing people on the bus is also driving up operating costs for public transit. It's already $300,000 over budget for fuel this year and if this continues it could be half a million in the hole by Christmas. If that happens what options does Saint John Transit have? It doesn't want to do it but it could raise the bus fare. Right now at $3.00 a pop it's the best transportation deal going. Or maybe they'd look at all the routes and cut out the weakest one to save money, the one with the least passengers, the Grand Bay-Westfield Express. No one has said this or even hinted at it but given the amount of money involved you have to think it might be an option they'd look at. Like I said, I'm not preaching here because I'm guilty too of driving my car every day but I sure wish more of us would take the bus because in the long term we just can't afford to lose it.

Everywhere you look people are doing what they can to beat the high fuel prices. Gas-busting scooters are selling like hot cakes. I went over to see Mark Anderson and Wendy Spencer at Cruisers Custom Cycle in Martinon. They carry a line of made in China scooters that range from the 'no motorcycle license required' 49 cc model to the more powerful 150 cc. I took a little one for a test drive and found it fairly peppy and a whole lot of fun. They start at under $2000 and have a top speed of about 70 kph, great for running around town but not meant for the highway. A few dollars will fill the tank and keep you going for miles and miles. But these scooters are not toys. Even though you're allowed to operate the 49 cc model with just your regular drivers license you should still take a safety course. These are after all, low powered motorcycles that share the road with big trucks and you should know how to protect yourself.

People are even riding electric bicycles these days. I was kidding a friend of mine who has one because he also runs and does long distance cycling on a road bike. But I saw him half peddling-half letting the electric motor carry him along on this high tech looking bike and kidding aside, I liked it immediately. I haven't had a chance to try it yet but given the ever increasing price of gas, I'm sure I will soon.

A Warm Summer Run

I had a topic for this column in mind but that all changed when I went for a run on a warm summer evening in July. It's funny how that happens sometimes. I knew what I wanted to write about but on that run I saw some things that reminded of other things and by the time I got back I started putting together a completely different piece.

It was actually the third evening in a row that I was out running and when I passed by the fields at River Valley Middle School they were packed with people as they had been the previous nights. What must have been about a hundred kids were on the field for soccer practice. Parents were either helping out or sitting on the sidelines watching. There was a lone runner using the track. The ball field next door was equally as busy with a girl's team playing and a men's softball team waiting for their turn. Cars were parked everywhere. Some had music playing. People were gathering in small groups and talking. It was a hive of activity and great to see. This is what an active community should look like.

As I continued on to the trail, I got thinking again about the track and how great an addition it is. Just a few days earlier Grand Bay-Westfield had been the site of another successful Canada Day Run with all the proceeds again going to support the new track. The event was different this year. The half marathon was replaced by a 10 Mile Race and the 10 km run was dropped. The feedback from all the participants was very positive but the number of runners was down this year by a little more than a hundred. The event went off without a hitch and everyone said it was well organized and a lot of fun, thanks in large part to the many sponsors, supporters and volunteers including the RCMP and the River Valley Community Centre. The organizers are looking at some changes for next year including a possible return of the popular 10 km event.

I'm on the Run committee and I know there was one big disappointment we all expressed. Again this year as in past years, the event seems to have been overlooked as a major Canada Day activity in town. It was never mentioned in a write up of Grand Bay-Westfield Canada Day events in the Saint John paper. And just before my run that evening I picked up a flyer from the town that had arrived in the mail that day thanking all the Canada Day volunteers, participants and sponsors who made possible a wonderful day of activities at Brundage Point but there wasn't a single mention of the Canada Day Run. It was signed by the Mayor and all of council. I know the town supports the event because it is a regular sponsor. This annual run has been raising money for charity and bringing a lot of people into the community every Canada Day for the last 7 years. Maybe if it was included in the promotion of events our numbers wouldn't have dipped this year. All the members of the committee are hoping we'll be included next year.

As I continued my run I got thinking about Brundage Point and the great facility it is. Just that morning I had been to the other new River Centre in our region in Hampton. It too is an attractive building, a little bigger than ours I think and just as important an asset to their community. They have meeting facilities and a boat launch site, much the same as we do but they have one attraction that we don't. Rafe Hooper and his local outfitting company 'Osprey Adventures' is operating in the lower level of the centre. He offers canoe and kayak rentals as well as guided tours of the Kennebecasis and Hampton Marsh. Rafe tells me he's been pretty busy since he opened about a month ago. I know the Kennebecasis River in Hampton is more suited for that kind of operation. The river is calm, protected and not prone to the tides, waves and current that we experience in Westfield. They also don't have a cable ferry to contend with when they launch their kayaks. But I think it would be a terrific addition to Brundage Point if somehow down the road we could figure out a way to offer a similar outfitting service here.

I went for a kayak paddle myself just a few days before my run that evening. The weather was perfect and I've never seen the River Centre or the river in general so busy with traffic. Boats were everywhere and people were busy in almost every cottage and camp along the shore. I was disappointed however to discover a new chain gate across the road to Westfield Wharf and the beach. I don't know why it was there and locked on one of the busiest days of the summer. For years kayakers like myself have been able to drive right to the waters edge to unload our boats and then park the car out of the way beyond the gate. It was easy for a number of kayakers to unload at the same time and launch from a sandy beach in protected water. Now it's a lot more difficult to do. I had to pull up to the locked gate, unload my kayak and carry it by myself through a narrow gap in the gate and all the way down to he water. With two people it might be OK, but if you're on your own it means a lot more work, if you're able to do it at all. The only other alternative is to put in at the boat launch on the other side of the ferry. But it's meant for power boats on trailers and it's all concrete, pavement and rocks, not the kind of surface that is kind to a wooden kayak like I have. If the locked chain across the gate remains, I'll have no choice but to launch by the government garage on the Nerepis River. I'm sure many other kayakers will do the same. I spoke to the town manager about the situation and was told the chain is there to prevent people from launching boats on the old ramp because it isn't safe anymore. The town wants everyone to use the new boat launch on the other side of the ferry. I can understand that. I was thanked for my call and told they would look at the situation. I hope something can be done because blocking off access to the water doesn't make any sense when you're trying to attract more people to the river centre.

As I continued my run that evening I witnessed an event that I knew I had to write about. It was one of the most ridiculous, dangerous and careless things I've seen in a long time. An ATV with two people on it was tearing along at high speed on the railway tracks. That's right.... on the tracks. From my vantage point it looked like the tires were right on the rails, if that's possible. Either way they were going fast. With helmets on and the engine noise, I suspect it would have been difficult or impossible to hear a train coming. And at that speed they could have easily slid off the rail or hit it and tumble down the embankment. From what I witnessed I think these two idiots are lucky to be alive. Kings County has already experienced five fatalities this summer in motor vehicle accidents. We don't want anymore.

Yes I did get worked up about a few things on this run but overall the positive outweighed the negative. I came home feeling pretty good about the community and especially good about this wonderful summer weather. And I'm ready for many more evening runs. Next time it's the column I didn't write this time.... about beating the high price of gas and taking the bus.

Tracks, Trails, Tourism and Taking out the Trash

The trail choppers are back at it again. First it was the railroad that cut and slashed trees by the side of the walking trail along River Valley Drive in Grand Bay-Westfield. Now NB Power is cutting down trees along the other side of the trail beside the road. They're clearing trees and branches from under the power line that runs along the side of the road. I know they have to do this. Tree limbs that touch or could easily fall on a line are a hazard. But like NB Southern on the other side, why are they so eager to cut down the trees? Why can't they selectively trim the offending branches around the wires as I've seen them do on many other streets? Has no one bothered to ask them to cut judiciously along that stretch of road because the trees form an important buffer for the trail? On some stretches the trees have been cleared right to the road. We might as well pave the trail and call it a sidewalk. At least the cutters are cleaning up after themselves. Crews are following behind with a wood chipper to grind up the branches. But there is still plenty of downed brush that has to be dealt with.

NB Southern left everything it cut lay by the tracks all winter. In the spring the railway said it was going to clean up the mess and it did, to a point. A clean up was done on the southern section of the trail, for which everyone who uses it is grateful, but there are still tree limbs and branches strewn by the side of the tracks at the north end.

I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in the city the other day. He told me about going to the landfill and asking if you could still drop off old paint. He was told yes you can do it every Saturday but come early to avoid the long lines of people from Grand Bay-Westfield dropping off their weekly trash. He asked why are they doing that... don't they have garbage pickup? My friend couldn't believe it when he was told there was no garbage pick up in the town. He was even more surprised when he found out he was being told this by the new deputy mayor. He asked me how a town this size that always looks so clean doesn't have its own garbage collection. I explained how I can go to the landfill in off peak hours and drop off my trash for just a few dollars. I did tell him however that with this setup it's sometimes difficult to compost on a regular basis. He left me shaking his head.

There was a big crowd at council the other night. An unusually large group of spectators showed up at the June 23 town council meeting. They came to hear a presentation by ADI Limited, a consulting firm reviewing our municipal plan. The parameters of the review and some of the process involved was explained to council and the public. Some people wanted to give their input right away but this wasn't the place. There will be a series of sessions where the public will have input into the plan. These will be scheduled early in the fall. It's good to see so many people are interested in having a say in the new plan.

As well a number of residents gathered at the Brundage Point River Centre to hear a presentation about tourism development in the area. Local resident Laurel Reid, a consultant in the tourism industry prepared a detailed report making about 20 recommendations on how to develop and implement a tourism plan. Again it was great to see so many people interested enough to come out on a beautiful, warm evening to hear the presentation. I think most people left the session excited about the tourism possibilities in Grand Bay-Westfield.

Finally I just want to say how wonderful it is to run on the new track at River Valley Middle School. I've sneaked on there a few times already, usually at the beginning and end of my regular run along the trail. I usually do a couple of laps which translates into half a mile. Even though I'm slow it makes me feel good to know the distance I've traveled. Our new track will feature prominently in the Canada Day 10 Mile and 5 km race. Local runners and walkers as well as visitors will be able to test out the track because it forms part of the race route. About the only time I'll stay off the track is when the field is being used for soccer practice. I don't mind the kids but it's the comments and stares from the soccer moms who are sitting in chairs by the side of the track, that I want to avoid.

Snow in June

We were out walking one warm evening recently and I thought I saw snow gently falling from the sky. I knew it wasn't but if you squinted a little, it could almost be snow. The wind that night was making it 'snow' dandelion seeds. They seemed to be falling everywhere. I was delighted.


Now most people would look upon dandelion seeds blowing in the wind and feel much the same as if it were real snow falling in June. They'd see the seeds as a plague, spreading the dreaded weed throughout the community. They'd be right because that's how nature spreads the plant. But I see these seeds floating through the air as proof that people are using less pesticide and herbicide on their lawns and I see that as a good thing. It's not that I love dandelions. I also sometimes get a little annoyed when the stems stick back up above the grass just a couple of days after I've mowed the lawn. But I'm getting better at just accepting that as the natural way my lawn is. I know pesticide is not the answer.

Dr. Robin Walker was speaking in Saint John recently. He's vice president of medicine at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax and a professor of pediatrics at Dalhousie University. He was invited here by the Canadian Cancer Society which is lobbying for a ban on the use and sale of cosmetic pesticides in New Brunswick.

"There is sufficient evidence to conclude that pesticide exposure can be harmful to children," Dr. Walker said. "Research suggests that some of the substances found in pesticides may increase a child's risk of cancer, as well as have neurological and reproductive effects."

The doctor says the science shows a link between pesticide use and a risk of cancer. He isn't opposed to pesticide use when there is some kind of tangible benefit to be gained, such as in some agricultural applications or to control the spread of disease bearing insects. But he draws the live when it comes to purely cosmetic use. He says even if the risk is extremely low it just isn't worth exposing our children to potentially dangerous chemicals just so our lawn is green and dandelion free. It just doesn't make sense.

And people are beginning to realize this. According to a poll commissioned by the Canadian Cancer Society, in November, 2007, 70 per cent of New Brunswickers support a ban on the cosmetic use of pesticides, while 79 per cent believe pesticides used for lawn and garden maintenance have the potential to pose a health risk to people. Ontario and Quebec already have bans on cosmetic pesticide use in place.

Now when I go for a walk around town and I see that perfect, weed free, green lawn I tend to stay clear and cross to the other side of the street. As beautiful as it looks there is a sense that something unhealthy and dangerous is lurking underneath. In fact, those perfect lawns are becoming less attractive to me all the time. I much prefer a lawn with a good mix of grass and clover and yes even the dreaded dandelion. For me it's a sign of a healthy lawn, a place where children and pets and adults too are welcome and safe to play.

Honouring Our Lifeblood

Blood they say, is the gift of life. They also say... we all have it in us to give and many people in our area are generous givers. I saw that first hand last month when I was asked to be the MC for the Canadian Blood Services Donor Awards Ceremony at Lily Lake Pavilion in Saint John. This is an annual event honouring those people who have reached milestone donation levels of 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400 and even 500 blood donations. In addition a bone marrow donor and some of the organization's community partners were also honoured. It was an amazing evening of giving.

These regular, long time donors recognized at the awards are all truly exceptional individuals. You could see that in every one of them who came up to accept their award. The highlight of the evening had to be the presentation to Kenneth Gould, the second New Brunswicker ever to have donated blood an astonishing 500 times. The day he made that 500th donation he showed up at the clinic wearing a tuxedo. Ken received a group hug on awards night from all the staff present. In fact it was clear that all of these long time donors had developed a special kind of relationship with the staff at Blood Services. That only makes sense because to donate that often you make a lot of visits to the centre and you do become, in a sense, part of the family. That was evident at the Lily Lake Pavilion.

I started donating blood again about two years ago. For a long time I was under the impression I couldn't donate because of the medication I was taking for asthma. It turns out that used to be the case but isn't any longer. In fact the rules regarding who can give are changing constantly. The chances are pretty good that you are eligible to give blood. Giving blood isn't easy for everyone. Even for these regular donors it still takes a commitment of time and even if they don't admit it, some personal discomfort. I don't think anyone really enjoys having their finger pricked to test their blood, or answering all those personal health and lifestyle questions required before every donation. And getting a needle put in your vein and bleeding into a bag for the next ten minutes isn't like watching your favorite TV show in an easy chair. Personally I get freaked out by having my blood pressure taken. That tight squeezing feeling of the cuff around my arm drives me crazy and my blood pressure up. Sometimes it takes two or three tries before they get a reading low enough to allow me to donate. The truth is I'm not very good dealing with anything that has to do with blood. It makes me uncomfortable. And yet I'm willing to put up with it on occasion because I know it's the right thing to do. I always feel great after I've given blood.

My donations are just a drop in the bucket or bag, compared to what these regular donors honoured at the awards ceremony have given over the years. I just can't imagine 500, 300 or even 50 donations. But people do it. We can all do it. Even just giving blood a few times makes a difference. It's all about saving lives and we can play a part in that by just rolling up our sleeve.

So my congratulations and thanks go out to all the blood donors named at the awards. That night I made a public commitment to donate on a regular basis. It used to be easier to do because clinics were held regularly in Grand Bay-Westfield. You got a call to set up an appointment and just showed up at either the legion or the middle school. But that bi-monthly clinic was canceled recently and hasn't been rescheduled. I hope it comes back because that makes it a lot easier to give regularly but even if it doesn't I'm going to try to go to the clinic in Saint John every time I'm eligible to give blood again.

When you really think about it... donating blood on a regular basis is probably the best gift you can give to others.

All About Watches

I got thinking about watches and timepieces recently. It started when I tried to find a new strap for my old Timex watch. It's one of those Ironman digital watches. I've had two or three of them over the years and they're great. They're cheap and just about indestructible. Even the batteries in them don't seem to wear out. As the old commercials used to say, 'They can take a lickin and keep on tickin'. But eventually the watch strap will break and that's what happened to me. I had a difficult time finding the right strap because Timex make a lot of different styles of these watches. I finally found the correct one in a store and tried to attach it to the watch. They had the proper tools and I've done this before. It's usually a simple procedure. But I couldn't get the thing to stay on. The clerk behind the counter tried and failed. I took the new strap to another jewelery store and they attempted it and failed. I don't know why the darn thing won't stay attached but it just won't. I still haven't given up though.

So I had a watch that worked but no strap to keep it on my wrist. I found another watch but the battery was dead. It was then I discovered some old and almost forgotten wind up wrist watches. One was an almost original Mickey Mouse watch. I say 'almost original' because I don't think it dates back to the late 50's or even the 60's but I'm pretty sure I picked it up sometime in the early 70's. I wound it up and amazingly it worked. Old Mickey kept pretty good time too, for about 6 hours and then he got tired and just stopped. I found another old wind up watch too. I got this one in the late 70's and I think it was actually a pretty expensive watch at the time. I'm not sure where this one came from but I remember I picked it up from a guy I worked with for just a few bucks. This is a diving watch made by Orator with all kinds of extra goodies including a stopwatch and it says it has 17 jewels, whatever that means. I did some checking and discovered that the jewels used in watches are usually rubies, sapphires, garnets or diamonds. After 1900 most of the rubies were actually synthetic. Jewels are used because they can be polished and made very smooth and they let metal watch parts slide easily. They're also extremely hard and don't wear down very quickly. Usually the more jewels in a watch the better it is. My old diving watch has only seventeen jewels but it still keeps good time. It's thirty years old and hasn't been used for at least the last twenty years and the thing is still accurate. It's a cool watch and I'm wearing it again. The only problem is it weights a lot compared to my light and battery powered digital wrist watch.

During my search for watches I also discovered two old pocket watches. Unfortunately neither of them still work or at least I can't get them to go. One is probably from the 19th century and when you open the back it says 'Remontoir'. I did some research and that can either be the make of the watch or the French word used to describe a type of Swiss spring mechanism used in the watch. There is also an engraving on the inside cover that I can't quite make out. I have no idea where this watch came from. The other is a newer vintage pocket watch made by Westclox. I found out this particular model was first made in 1932 but I don't know how old this watch actually is. Either way they're great to have and look at even if I don't know the story behind them.

I was reading an article about pocket watches and found out how important they were for railroaders from about 1891 to 1969. The CNR even issued a standard pocket watch to all railroad employees that had to meet a long list of requirements. Each watch had to have at least 17 jewels and was checked for accuracy once a month by the railroad approved watchmaker. This was done of course for safety reasons because train traffic was controlled by a time schedule and two trains traveling on the same track could have disastrous consequences.

So now that I've discovered an old wrist watch that keeps such accurate time I'm doing something again that I haven't done in many years. I'm winding a watch by hand. And you know there's something therapeutic about taking the time every morning and evening to simply wind a watch. I can't explain it but it just feels right. Oh and about that broken watch strap that started all this .... I finally got it replaced. After numerous failed attempts by myself and others to attach the new strap, I took it to a pro, jeweler Mike Hamm on the west side. He had the strap on in about 30 seconds.

Tidy Trails and Turtle Mountain

(This is the latest column in River Valley News. Just today my wife and I were walking along this trail and were almost run over by two older kids on bikes. Bicycles are not allowed on the trail. It's clearly marked as such. These kids were racing as fast as they could up and down the hills and around the bends. We got out of the way just in time. It was around 5:00 pm when the trail starts getting crowded with people walking after supper with young kids and pets. Someone could get seriously hurt. These kids on the bikes are old enough and should know better. )

It's nice that we can once again walk along the River Valley Drive Trail through Grand Bay-Westfield. The wet areas are drying out and the town has added more crushed gravel to parts of the trail, making the base underfoot smoother and more secure. We can witness the approach of summer with every step we take. More leaves are budding every day and plants of all kinds are poking out of the ground. It's one of the nicest places to be in town at this time of year.

That is until you turn your attention toward the train tracks. Those trees and bushes that were needlessly mowed down last fall are still lying where they fell. Now I know the railway has to trim brush along the line for reasons of safety. But it's clear in many places along the trail they overdid it, knocking down fairly large trees standing well back from the tracks. Even if this was the standard sized path they normally clear along the rail line, surely they could have exercised some caution and common sense here. This is an urban area with backyards on one side and a popular walking trail on the other, a trail that already has a limited buffer of trees and brush between it and the tracks. It's sad to look at what they've done, but it's done. We can't put those trees back. It'll take many years for nature to repair the damage.

But some of the harm that was done can be corrected by at least clearing up the mess left behind. And I have some good news on that front. I put a call into the Irving owned NB Southern Railroad to find out if they had any intention of cleaning up the slash. The answer is yes. A company spokesperson got back to me and said they will be sending a crew out to do the work within a few weeks. Now I don't know if this was the company's plan all along or if my inquiry prompted them to take action. Or perhaps someone in authority from the town contacted them and asked for a clean up. I some how doubt that because when I called the town about it last fall, they didn't seem very concerned. Either way, I'm delighted to hear a crew from NB Southern will be coming to pick up the scrub lying on both sides of the track. It'll make the loss of the trees easier to take if we don't see them left strewn about and rotting on the ground.


While we're on the topic of trails, I had a wonderful hike to Turtle Mountain the other day. A group from the Saint John Outdoor Enthusiast's Club was supposed to go but canceled at the last minute because they were told the road was wet and messy. That wasn't the case at all. The road and trail are in great shape, except for a few wet areas that you would expect to find at this time of year. The day was sunny and not too warm, perfect for the long 14 mile hike to and from the mountain. I've done that hike many times and skied the trail in the winter and I've never seen much wildlife. However this time we were treated to a wildlife fiesta. On the way in and again on the way out we saw fresh moose tracks. It turns out we were chasing two moose ahead of us on the trail and we didn't realize it. We were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a big bull and a juvenile. We also got scared by a partridge and saw another one running across the tail and we scared a large snake sunning himself on a rock. The wildlife was a nice bonus to what turned out to be probably the best hike I've ever had to Turtle Mountain. It's a full day hike but well worth the effort, especially if you've never gone.