Rants & Raves
We discuss early departures, heavy garbage, the Olympics and more
RANT: For early departures. OK, the next time the Cape Breton Regional Municipality makes a key hire can something be put in place that places a cap on vacation credits to, say, one month at any given time if the position calls for three months notice of departure? Kind of puts the municipality in a bind when someone as important as a chief administrative officer can work his last shift within two weeks of announcing his departure.
RAVE: For reprieves. Good to see residential heavy garbage collection live to see another day in the CBRM. This was the second year in a row the collection, which made its debut hereabouts in 2004, found itself listed as a potential budget cut but council seems to have found the $250,000 required to do the job and still balance its $149-million operating budget. Make sure your major trash items are placed curbside by May 1. The snow will be gone by then, right?
RANT: For missed opportunity. OK, it’s easy to criticize NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and team owners for deciding not to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. They are taking away our fun, after all. But here’s the thing: the league did offer to take part IF the NHL Players’ Association would agree to extend its current collective bargaining agreement by three years – an agreement which, by the way, offers each side 50 per cent of the overall profits. But the Players’ Association turned it down. Kind of takes the wind out of the sails of players who are criticizing the league’s decision. Maybe they’ll talk some more and reach some sort of compromise. Let’s hope so.
RAVE: For fine hockey performances. Let’s hear it for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and, while we’re at it, the Cape Breton West Islanders, too. In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the Eagles exceeded expectations with a strong regular season performance, despite trading their top pro prospect midway through the campaign. They then advanced past the first round of the playoffs with a thrilling Game 7 win in overtime over Gatineau. It might be asking too much for Cape Breton to defeat a very good Charlottetown Islanders team in round two but don’t sell them short. The Cape Breton West Islanders, meanwhile, recently became the first Cape Breton-based team to win a provincial major midget championship in 26 years by capturing the Atlantic title last weekend. Next stop is the nationals in Prince George, B.C. Go teams, go.
RANT: For car scratchers. What blockhead goes around town with nothing better to do than to scratch big X’s in cars? It happened in Sydney this week and it has happened before – in CBRM and elsewhere. Hopefully, the guilty party(ies) will be caught and be required to pay for the damage they have caused.