The numbers are up locally for those that are apart of the so called Sunshine List. Those making 100-thousand dollars plus over 2010 with the Algoma District School Board has reached 59——that’s only one more than the year previous. The Huron Superior Catholic District School Board list numbers 37 which is two more than the year previous. Algoma District School Board Director Mario Turco made just under 178-thousand dollars while the Board Director for the Catholic Board John Stadnyk made just under 173-thousand dollars.

The list of Sunshiners at Algoma University came in at 16 with past President Celia Ross making almost 174-thousand dollars. At Sault College, the list reached 40 with College President Ron Common making over 266-thousand dollars.

The number of Sault Ste. Marie municipal workers to be apart of the so called sunshine list comes in at 75—that’s up from 52 the year before. Among some of the top city earners is CAO Joe Fratesi at over 178-thousand dollars. That’s less than Police Chief Bob Davies who made more than 182-thousand dollars. Fire Chief Marcel Provenzano made over 133-thousand dollars.

The list of Sault Area Hospital Workers to make over 100-thousand dollars and be apart of the so-called sunshine list now numbers 56—-that’s up from 33 that were apart of the list covering the year 2009. Almost half of the Sault Area Hospital workers on the list were registered nurses. The highest paid among them is Hospital President Ron Gagnon at over 314-thousand dollars.

Sault MPP David Orazietti says he is quite surprised at the criticism he is facing over public consultations for the government’s Forest Tenure Bill. The Bill is past 2nd reading and is in the committee stage and two public hearings are planned for Toronto. PC critic for Northern Development Randy Hillier accused government members on the committee of refusing to face northerners directly in consultation meetings in the north. Orazietti says when the PC’s were in power they had virtually no consultation for their bills. He adds this has been a two year process that has involved extensive consulations with northerners. The ministry held consultation hearings in a half dozen northern communities earlier in the process.

City police news release…

DATE: March 31, 2011

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is committed to improving road safety for the City of Sault Ste. Marie and Prince Township. Seat belts are important part of a vehicle’s safety system, and are the single most effective way to reduce the chance of injury or death in a motor vehicle collision. The Ministry of Transportation advises “over 92 percent of Ontarians wear their seat belt regularly. However the 8 percent who do not wear them represent 600,000 people. It is easy to see the difference wearing a seat belt makes-for every one percent increase in seatbelt use five lives are saved”.

With this in mind, during the month of April 2011, officers from Patrol and Traffic Services with the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service will be conducting seatbelt checks throughout the City of Sault Ste Marie and Prince Township.

Motorist and passengers found to be in contravention of the Highway Traffic Act will be charged and face a fine of $240.00 and 2 demerit points. Drivers are further advised they are responsible for anyone under 16 who is not wearing a seatbelt.

Officers will not only be checking for persons wearing their seatbelts but also that belts are being worn properly.
Here are some points to remember:
“Seat belts must be in proper working condition.
“A seat belt won’t protect you if it is not worn properly. Take a few seconds to position the lap portion of your seat belt snug to your body and low on the hips. Never wear the shoulder strap under the arm where it could damage your ribs.
“A seat belt keeps the driver behind the wheel and in control in a collision. It helps keep your head and body from hitting the inside of the vehicle.
“A seat belt keeps you inside the vehicle during a collision, rather than being thrown through a windshield or door onto the roadway.
“Without a seatbelt, passengers become high-speed projectiles in a collision.

REMEMBER SEATBELTS SAVE LIVES.

Algoma University Media Release

(SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – March 31, 2011): “The RBC Foundation has made a strong statement of support for Algoma University and the future of Sault Ste. Marie,” says Mr. Brian Curran, volunteer Chair of the Essential Elements Campaign. Curran was at Algoma University today to acknowledge a generous donation from the RBC Foundation to support Algoma University’s outreach to Anishinaabe students.

This generous donation of $50,000, will be used to continue Algoma U’s successful efforts to encourage Anishinaabe students to attend university. “Many Anishinaabe students face additional barriers when considering a university education,” says Curran, “And many of these students are the first in their families to attend university. This donation will help Algoma University continue its program to reach out to these students and assist them in reaching their goals.”

Caroline Kelly, Vice President Branch Manager, Anthony Pucci, Vice President Investment Advisor and Les Dunbar, Investment Advisor from RBC Securities and Beverley Szatanski Branch Manager, Mimi Silk Branch Manager, Tony Corallo Vice President Commercial Markets, and Greg Defelice Commercial Account Manager from RBC joined Curran and representatives from the Shingwauk Anishinaabe Students Association for the presentation of this generous donation.

Algoma University has recently launched the Essential Elements Campaign, raising $6 million to increase the Algoma U Foundation’s endowment and support the construction of the Biosciences and Technology Convergence Centre and the Fine Arts and Music Education Centre.

The Conservative critic for Northern Development in Ontario, Randy Hillier, claims the McGuinty Government is cutting out northerners from having their say in the debate on the Forest Tenure bill. He says, in a release, that ‘government members announced they weren’t interested in travelling to the north, preferring to stay cloistered in Toronto, close to their environmental lobbyist friends.”

Shortly after the start of deliberations by the General Government Committee chaired by Sault MPP David Orazetti, Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Brown moved to remove all northern dates from the committee schedule, saying that northerners had been heard enough.

Hillier says the McGuinty Government is “seized with fear at the prospect of facing down people in communities like Sioux Lookout and Iroquois Falls, places where their forestry agenda has cost jobs and livelihoods.” Hillier says he and a PC colleague did manage to get the government to agree to at least one videoconference in the north.

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City fire crews were called to a Clearview Drive apartment around 5:00 yesterday afternoon about a kitchen fire … it turned out to be food burning in the oven. The burnt dinner was removed – the tenant evacuated briefly – until the place was aired out – with no real damage.

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Upon completing their investigation into an internal fraud matter involving a local business and dating back to 2009, City Police have charged 33 year old Sean Kim of Oakville with fraud over $5000.

Police are investigating a breakin to a home on John Street from Tuesday evening – it’s unknown if anything was taken.

More licence plates were reported stolen off vehicles and an unattended purse was stolen from a shopping cart at the Market Mall Metro Store.

There was a multi vehicle accident on Sackville Road last night just after 9:30 where a pickup truck was rearended by a car – sending the truck into a ditch, where it rolled onto it’s side – while the car ended up striking another vehicle in a residential driveway. There were no injuries. All three vehicles suffered major damage. The driver of the car, 19 year old Dylen McLeod of Fourth Line was charged with impaired.

Police were also alerted to someone drinking in a vehicle on MacDonald Avenue around 8:30 last night and caught up with the vehicle in a parking lot, in the 600 block of MacDonald where the driver, 34 year old Jason Whalen turned out to be impaired.

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A presentation from a former student — and now parent of four students — highlighted last night’s Huron-Superior catholic school board meeting. The presentation from civil/environmental engineer Robert Bressan about the proposed consolidation of three high schools into one by 2013 included a plea to not limit faith-based systems and support educators with new equipment rather than build a brand new school in the city. Director of Education John Stadnyk says he has not received any other complaints about the plan to build a new Catholic high school. Bressan added that after the last secondary Accomodation Review Meeting earlier this week, he feels the Ministry of Education does not support the Catholic system — that it’s all about the money. Bressan feels it would be better if current facilities were renovated or expanded to suit the population that is just starting to grow. Stadnyk defended the board leaning towards building a new Catholic secondary school in the Sault, saying that the buildings involved are designed with specs that are out of date when it comes to insulation, heating and windows. Bressan mentioned the example of London Central Secondary School which remains in the same building that it opened in back in 1922 — with some renovations since then. Bressan recently sent a letter expressing questions based on the perspectives of students, the environment and Christian values regarding the consolidation and subsequent construction of the new school. Bressan is not against change that will benefit, but feels this situation should be handled with more vision from trustees than the province. In his presentation, he added that the new school would compromise children’s health, in the form of being bussed rather than walking or cycling to school. He hopes to have his concerns and those of others answered between now and the final secondary Accomodation Review Meeting on May 11th.

The cost estimate for the new Catholic secondary school in Sault Ste. Marie has been corrected. Trustees at last night’s catholic board meeting learned that an earlier cost estimate of 60 million dollars was erroneous — the actual cost estimate is 48 million dollars. The board’s capital plan has also been revised with that correction. The Ministry of Education informed the board of the error that resulted from the ministry’s electronic space template that was used to calculate the cost.

The agenda of last night’s catholic board meeting included a three page report regarding student nutrition programs. Superintendent of Education Maria Esposito mentioned that ‘excellent partnerships’ between the board and various agencies such as Algoma Public Health and Algoma Family Services have been vital in keeping those same programs going. Fundraising has been the method to supplement the programs’ cost, along with financial support from other groups, including Rotary North and the Sault Ste. Marie Insurance Brokers Association. Every catholic school in the city and district has at least one nutrition program operating.