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Footnotes
News
1. Daycare safety
These are the things that drive reporters crazy. The CBC’s Catharine Tunney reports:
Documents obtained under Freedom of Information suggest the Nova Scotia government violated its own rules surrounding a CBC request about safety in daycares.
The request for information sat in the queue for months, awaiting an official response from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The department reneged on a commitment to respond by mid-August.
In the end, a package of information landed in the reporter’s inbox two hours after a government release announcing significant changes in policy. Those changes were in response to a review of background checks.
It turns out, the review was prompted by the original request by CBC News.
Tunney has done good work on this story, and it’s good to see she has been given a byline. Unfortunately, that’s not normal practice at the CBC, which is making an awkward transition from broadcast to the web. Reporters doing original work should be properly credited, but bylines are rarely put on CBC articles, and when they are it seems almost random—for example, whoever broke the Dal Dentistry story wasn’t credited. And even when there are bylines, you need a microscope to read them—the bylines are in what looks like 8 point font, and in a light colour that’s hard to distinguish from the white background page.
Bylines matter. Readers should know who wrote a story so we can determine if there are potential conflicts of interest. We should know whom to praise, or whom to criticize. And published articles are reporters’ work product, which they should be able to cite in their resumes to build a career on.
2. The 109 Bucks a Month For TV that Used to be Free Community Centre
The 109 Buck a Month for TV That Used to be Free Community Centre
Truro has something called the Rath Eastlnk Community Centre. I don’t know who Rath is, but apparently Eastlink bought naming rights to the place, no doubt for pennies on the dollar. You’d think that the people who actually paid for the place—taxpayers—would get to name it, but whatever. Anyway, the Truro Daily News has a laughable editorial trying to put the best spin possible on a financial black hole:
We are also very fortunate to have a centre of this caliber in our community. It has so much to offer but its full potential as an economic, community driver has not yet been fully met.
It was a $48-million project, which was not completed on time, or on budget. On top of that are operation deficits for the past two years of more than $700,000, also shared between the town and county.
In September, days ahead of the Truro Bearcats scheduled opening home game, there was no ice.
The reason for this issue, which lasted weeks, has never been clearly explained to the general public who fund the facility with their tax dollars. Understandably there is an air of frustration with a lack of transparency.
Good things are happening there. The number of big name entertainers, tradeshows and sport events has increased and more will come.
Last week the RECC’s manager Jim Lambert resigned. While challenges arise when a key person in any organization leaves their post, this vacancy should be seen as opportunity. A new manager may be able to boost public engagement at the facility. Its future depends up [sic] it. Without an increase in participation and revenue, deficits are destined to continue.
It should be a place that instills pride not one that is cause for concern.
3. Chrisma Denny
Chrisma Denny, the Eskasoni woman who had been reported missing in November, has been found alive and well at a Knoxville, Tennessee women’s shelter. Her family hopes to reunite with her by Christmas.
4. Talking Christmas Tree
Here’s the schedule to, er, talk to? the Talking Christmas Tree. Apparently, the tree takes lunch breaks.
5. Wild Kingdom
Kangaroos! Says Frankie:
Attention Citizens of Queensland, Attention Citizens of Victoria, Attention Citizens of Northeastern Australia and Attention Citizens of Perth Australia Kangaroo Warning has been Issued for Australia and it will be a lot of Kangaroos Will be Running around Especially outside of the Cities of Australia and there will be Some Kangaroos will be Running in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney Australia Including Darwin and Perth Australia and People in Australia you have to be prepared for the Kangaroo there will be a ton of Kangaroos in Australia and the Kangaroos will be So Powerful in Australia and it may be running in the Countryside and it will be Kangaroos running into cities too such as Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin and Perth and when you are going outside Watch out for Kangaroos in Australia Especially in Queensland, Victoria, Northeastern Australia and Perth Australia including the Desert and the Kangaroos will be So Powerful in Australia it will run into the cities and countryside too and if you have anybody living in Australia Be Prepared for the Kangaroos Take Care and Stay Safe and Don’t Go Near the Kangaroos Be Safe.
Views
1. Archibald Park
Photo: Stephen Archibald
“A Rapunzel Festival could be a thing,” says Stephen Archibald, of the nearly eponymously named park in North Sydney.
2. Sexual assault
“Yes, 2014 was The Year The Conversation Changed,” notes Stephen Kimber. “About gender, sex, private, public, personal, political …”
3. Restorative justice
“So just what is ‘restorative justice’?” asks Matt Semansky, who then goes on to answer the question.
4. Dentistry
“Being a dentist is not a right,” writes El Jones. “If someone is not appropriate to be a professional society is not obligated towards them in some way. Bright caring people are rejected from Dentistry/Medical school every year.”
Government
No public meetings today.
On campus
No public events today.
Noticed
In the harbour
The seas around Nova Scotia, 7:45am Monday. Map: marinetraffic.com
Elektra, car carrier, Southampton, England to Pier 31
Sanderling Ace, car carrier, to Autoport
Footnotes
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Stu Rath, mentioned in the piece about Rath Eastlink Community Centre, started what would eventually become Eastlink. The original company was called Eastern Cablevision and was based in Truro. I believe they owned, or partially owned Halifax Cablevision too.
In reference to Santa and Lucky Strike picture. Here is a link to the new “Canadian” version of “A Visit From St. Nicholas” http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/oct/24/santa-pipe-new-night-before-christmas?newsfeed=true Where does it stop? Do they really believe the under 10 kids are thinking about taking up the pipe because a poem references it? Good grief!