Fredericton, NB – The City of Fredericton Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) is actively monitoring the effects that Hurricane Kyle could have on the Fredericton area and asking residents to be prepared for the storm’s possible impact on the region.

Local residents are asked to secure items that could blow around in the wind and prepare for possible power outages.  Some localized flooding could occur in low lying areas along waterways, so residents are asked to be aware and take necessary precautions.

“Despite reports that the centre of the storm could touch land along the Bay of Fundy coast, it is a large system and is expected to impact much of southern New Brunswick,” says Fredericton Fire Chief Philip Toole and director of the City’s Emergency Measures Organization.  “We are asking residents to take time to get prepared for heavy rains and high winds.”

The New Brunswick Department of Public Safety's Emergency Measures Organization has issued a severe weather advisory, which indicates that Hurricane Kyle will bring wind and heavy rain to Atlantic Canada on Sunday night and Monday, Sept. 28 and 29.

Environment Canada advises that total rainfall of up to 100 mm (four inches) is expected, and local amounts in excess of that are possible.  Strong winds sustained at 65 km and gusting to 120 km per hour are expected over southern New Brunswick Sunday night as Kyle crosses the area.

“Staff from our roads & streets division, as well as our parks & trees division are prepared to respond, and our EMO committee is ready to take action if needed,” adds Fire Chief Toole.

For more on Hurricane Kyle’s possible impact on New Brunswick, visit the Province’s Public Alerts web page at http://www.gnb.ca/public/info-e.asp.  Residents wanting to know about being prepared for storms, etc., should visit Public Safety Canada’s Get Prepared website at http://www.getprepared.ca/index_e.asp.

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We've been playing around with the Flip Video Ultra for a couple of weeks now, so it's time to start the comprehensive review of what we've learned so far.

First of all, thanks to Miranda McCurlie at The iPR Group - the Canadian communications company that represents Flip video camera makers, Pure Digital Solutions - for providing the camera.

What we have is the 5.2 ounce Flip Ultra - the mid-range version that retails for $149.99. There's also the Flip Video - now called 'The Original' for $129.99 and the new Flip Mino (sounds faintly Apple-ish to me, too...) that tops the trio at $179.99 and comes with

The easiest way to compare the three units is to pay a visit to the specs page on the Flip.com web site:

http://flipvideo.com/products_flip_ultra_specs.II.shtml">http://flipvideo.com/products_flip_ultra_specs.II.shtml

The basic layout

The video screen - while relatively tiny at 1.5 inches - is also surprisingly rich. A power button is prominent on one side, and the pop-out USB connector is on the other. On the bottom is the release for the battery compartment - it runs on a pair of AA's - and a standard female camera mount.

There's a four-way button plate (about 1 inch square) centered beneath the screen and there's a big red button right smack on the middle of the plate. You don't need a manual to figure out what that's for. There are two other smaller buttons - one beneath each corner of the screen. On the left, an arrow. On the right, a trash can. One's for navigating, and the other's for eliminating. The lens is on the front - it's about the size of a large bottle cap. Next to it is a grid of holes in front of the microphone. Besides the USB 2 connector, there's a single socket: TV out.

It's slick. It's lightweight. It's easy to use. You turn it on, point it, push the red button, and start recording.

First Pros and Cons

The camera is light. Fits into a pocket or a purse, so it's not a chore to pack up and carry along, unlike our large camera kit with wireless mic/transmitter, tripod, tapes, cables, batteries. But the light weight also makes it difficult to keep steady. Mounted on a tripod, the image quality is more than acceptable. We even mounted it on our large fluid head tripod for a test. (You'll see that one later.)

The microphone is unidirectional. If you're using it to record someone speaking, and point the camera away from the speaker, the sound level drops noticeably. Sound is one of those things that a I'd trade that TV-out link for an audio input in a second. To be fair, the audio is surprisingly good. We've taken and posted acceptable videos of a professional string quartet and individual musicians.

We realize this camera wasn't built for professional use, but it doesn't have to stay that way.

The biggest plus with this camera is the speed at which you can go from shooting to editing to posting, whether that's to your own web site, blog or personal social network page. This sucker is fast. On a Mac.

We have both Mac and PC computers available, so tend to take the path of least resistance. Five minutes of frustration on the PC led directly to a MacBook. With the USB port popped out of its hiding place and plugged into the computer, the Flip appears on the desktop as a portable drive. Software installed. Opened the Flip folder,  find the folder labelled 'DCIM' (Digical Camera IMages folder). Inside that, you'll see one or more .avi files. You can play them as is, or drag them into iMovie.

The image quality is good - certainly better than most of what you'll find on YouTube.

Next, we'll tell you about how we took it down to the railway tracks with some tape...

Cheers,

George

justFRED.ca

Fredericton, NB – The City of Fredericton has approved a bylaw amendment that will see dogs banned from municipally owned and operated sports / athletic fields, playgrounds and swimming areas.  The “dog free areas” will be clearly identified by signage, and will still allow dogs and their owners to use the rest of city parks, green spaces and trails.

“The intent of the bylaw amendment was never to ban dogs from city parks and trails,” said Coun. David Kelly, chair of the City’s Community Services Committee.  “The majority of dog owners in the city are very responsible.  This bylaw gives us the tools we need to protect our citizens and deal with problem areas.”

The bylaw amendment was first presented at a Council in Committee meeting on July 28, 2008 and addressed in an administrative report entitled “Animals on Sports Fields.”   Over time, City staff have received a number of complaints about dog feces on sport fields.

In addition to the mess that occurs when sports players or children on playgrounds slide through dog feces, an even greater concern is that animal feces and urine can transmit disease to people, possibly resulting in serious illness.  Similar “dog free areas” exist in other municipalities.  The bylaw does not apply to service dogs used by persons with disabilities.

Dogs in the City of Fredericton must be licensed and be on a leash when in public.  Dog owners must pick up after their pets.

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Media Contact:  Wayne Knorr, Communications, City of Fredericton, 506-460-2181.

If you want to see wet and sloppy, check out the Dragon Boat Festival
photos from Sunday morning...hats off to the participants for taking
the wind, rain and mud in stride...we also posted the first few
photos from our afternoon visit to the Feast in the Field, the annual
fundraiser for the Canadian Paraplegic Association's NB chapter, plus
the remaining shots from the Freeedom of the City of Fredericton
granted to about 500 soldiers from CFB Gagetown on Saturday, the
final photos - including some eerie night shots - of the FREX 2008,
and more.

http://justFRED.ca/

The calendar is looking a bit slim today compared with the weekend -
and we have the final schedule for the 2008 Harvest Jazz & Blues
Festival to add (it starts this week). You can see the preview of
events on our home page or you can go directly to the calendar page
to see more detail.

http://justFRED.ca/calendar.php

A tough weekend on equipment...we're still drying it out getting
ready for what we hope with be a bit less rainy musical week in
Freddy Beach.

Cheers,

George

justFRED.ca

2:03 PM Sunday 7 September 2008 The following flash flood http://blogs.justfred.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/nbimage.png">http://blogs.justfred.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/nbimage-300x190.png" alt="Flood Warning issued for Southern New Brunswick" width="300" height="190" /> warning is issued by the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization. Environment Canada advises that rainfall of up to 90 mm (three inches) has fallen and local amounts of over 130 mm (four inches) are possible. Rainfall in these amounts can result in rapid water level increases in streams and rivers and localized flash flooding. Power outages are also possible. People living or working along watercourses or the southern and eastern coastlines of the province should take steps to protect their property and remain on alert until the storm has passed and water levels have returned to normal. The following flash flood warning is issued by the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization. Environment Canada advises that rainfall of up to 90 mm (three inches) has fallen and local amounts of over 130 mm (four inches) are possible. Rainfall in these amounts can result in rapid water level increases in streams and rivers and localized flash flooding. Power outages are also possible. People living or working along watercourses or the southern and eastern coastlines of the province should take steps to protect their property and remain on alert until the storm has passed and water levels have returned to normal.

Hundreds of post-secondary students marched on the downtown core of
Fredericton last night to take part in the annual Freddy Beach
Welcome Back BBQ and concert in Officers Square, Kathleen
Gorey-McSorley draw a full-house for the launch of her new CD, the
FREX continues, we visit painter Sarah Petite in the Barracks...and
today's events are on the home page.

http://justFRED.ca/

Lots to do in the calendar for today and the weekend - including
Motion Ensemble's 10th anniversary 10-hour marathon, the last two
days of the FREX, Saturday's Freedom of the City granted to the
troops from CFB Gagetown, the annual Dragon Boat Festival, and more.
See for yourself...

http://justFRED.ca/calendar.php

Guess we better polish up the cameras...this looks like another busy
weekend of asking people to Say Cheese, Please...

Cheers,

George

justFRED.ca

University students are returning, Cindi visits the FREX, we bring you
some photos from the road (a musuem in Ottawa and a hurricane in
Mississippi), a video from Tuesday's concert in the park with Brent
Rickard, and more.

http://justFRED.ca/

In the calendar today, the city officially welcomes students back to
town today, a new exhibit opens at city hall to kick off the last
culture crawl of the season, fiddler Kathleen Gorey-McSorley releases
her first CD, the FREX continues, and much more.

http://justFRED.ca/calendar.php

So what else can you do with the new calendar? You can add any of the
events to your own calendars - on Google, Yahoo, Outlook, MSN Hotmail,
AOL Calendar or Apple iCal - by clicking on the 'Add To My Calendar'
link on that event. Or click the check box beside several events, and
add them all.

Want to remind yourself about an event? By email or text messaging?
Or download the event details? Click on the 'Other Event Actions' box
and choose the appropriate action.

Lots going on today, tho', so we'd better get busy.

Cheers,

George

justFRED.ca

Fredericton, NB – Approximately 500 soldiers from CFB Gagetown will march through Fredericton’s downtown core on Saturday, September 6 as the military base – celebrating its 50th anniversary this year - is granted Freedom of the City.

The Freedom of the City entitles CFB Gagetown the rights, privileges, honour and distinction of marching within the bounds of the City of Fredericton with “colours flying, bayonets fixed and drums beating.”

“In granting this honour, City Council is recognizing the important role that CFB Gagetown plays in the economic well-being of our community and the fundamental role it plays in the defence of the freedoms we enjoy,” said Mayor Brad Woodside. “We also honour and recognize the sacrifice of the soldiers from Base Gagetown who have lost their lives or been wounded in Afghanistan and other conflicts. We mourn their loss and we share their families’ pain.”

The granting of the Freedom of the City is the highest honour a municipality can bestow upon a military unit, and is extended very selectively for conspicuous service to the community or the nation.

“This ceremony truly speaks to the unique relationship that CFB Gagetown has with the City of Fredericton and surrounding communities,” said Col. Ken Chadder, Commander of 3 Area Support Group / CFB Gagetown. “Being given the privilege of marching Canadian Forces troops through the city is a very concrete way for Frederictonians to pay tribute to the men and women in uniform, and we certainly consider this parade as our way of saying thanks to you for such strong support. Our members and their families are very fortunate to live in a place where mutual respect and support are so evident.”

The parade will form up around 9:30 a.m. near the Royal Canadian Legion on upper Queen Street before marching along Pointe-Sainte-Anne Boulevard to Regent Street and along Queen Street. It will halt at the intersection of Queen and York streets near the front steps of City Hall for the official Freedom of the City ceremony at approximately 10:15 a.m.

The public is invited to view the parade and the official Freedom of the City ceremony at City Hall.

The parade will necessitate the closure of several city streets along the parade route. The east bound lanes of Pointe-Sainte-Anne Boulevard from Smythe Street to Regent Street will be closed briefly while the parade passes en route to City Hall.

Queen Street will be closed to all traffic between the intersections of Regent Street and York Street for two hours starting at 9 a.m.  Also, York Street, Wilmot Alley and Carleton Street will be closed to traffic between the intersections of King Street and Queen Street.  All traffic will be required to detour around Queen Street using King Street. Detour signs will be in place to warn motorists of the closure and to guide motorists through the detour route.

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Media Contacts:  John White, Communications, City of Fredericton, 506-460-2227. Stéphanie Duchesne, Public Affairs Officer, CFB Gagetown (506) 422-2000 ext 2466.

The annual return to classes is underway, the concerts in the park are
winding down, the FREX is going full blast, the changing of the guards
is but a photo memory, and we pay a final visit to the NB Fine Craft
Festival. Plus the home page calendar preview is starting to fill
up...

http://justFRED.ca/

Speaking of the calendars - since that's consumed much of our effort
in the past few days and weeks - there's a lot going on this week,
from the FREX to Yoga classes to Cadets. See for yourself...

http://justfred.ca/calendar.php

We're continuing to migrate content from the old calendar to the new
one. It's a laborious job, but we'll get there. Meantime, there are
some features justFRED members requested that are now availalbe. For
instance, you can request an RSS feed. That gives you instant
notification whenever a new event is added to the calendar. And you
don't have to log in to post an event. (To prevent spammers filling
up the calendar with irrelevant junk, we are monitoring event entries
before they go online.)

And we would like to hear from you about any suggestions, criticisms
or upcoming events we may have overlooked.

Cheers,

George

justFRED.ca

Fredericton, NB – The City of Fredericton will roll out the red carpet on Thursday, September 4, 2008 to herald the annual return of students to the University of New Brunswick, St. Thomas University and the city’s community colleges.

Hosted by the City of Fredericton in partnership with Downtown Fredericton Inc., and the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University, the 11th annual Freddy Beach Welcome Barbecue will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Officers Square. A large tent will be set up in the Square in the event of inclement weather.

“It’s our way of saying how much we appreciate having post-secondary students from our universities and colleges as part of our community,” said Mayor Brad Woodside. “We especially want those who are new to our city to know that this is a special place and we want them to feel at home here.”

Entertainment at the Square will include one of Fredericton’s popular bands, the one and only ‘Chillin’ Room.’  There will also be airbrush tattoo artists and of course, free hamburgers and hot dogs served up by the Knights of Columbus.

Booths will be set up through the Square by Downtown Fredericton, the Small Craft Aquatic Centre, the City's Green Matters committee, and others to provide information to students about their products and services. City Transit buses will be on hand to transport students back to their campus following the festivities.

The students will march to Officers Square where they will be piped down a red carpet and greeted by Mayor Woodside, members of City Council and other public and academic officials.

“This fun night gives students and members of the community a chance to meet and get to know each other, said Mayor Woodside. The public is welcome to come out and make the ‘Freddy Beach Welcome Barbeque’ a night to remember.”

Last year, about 2,000 students and residents attended the party. The event has become an important part of Orientation Week activities, which take place annually on the UNB and STU campus.  Queen Street, between Carleton and Regent streets, will be closed to traffic from 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

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Media Contact:  John White, Communications, City of Fredericton, 506-460-2227.