Fredericton Police Force Welcomes New Four Legged Recruit

Endzo is the newest member of the Fredericton Police Force’s K-9 Unit.

The Fredericton Police Force has a new four-legged recruit, and he’s sniffing out crime around the city.

Endzo is the newest member of the force’s K-9 Unit. The two-year-old purebred dark sable German Shepherd was born at the RCMP Police Service Dog Training Center in Innisfail, AB. He is trained to track people, detect drugs, find guns and spent shell casings. He can also track down anything with a human scent.

Endzo’s partner, Cst. Allie Yerxa, said he hasn’t been with the force very long, but he’s already seen a lot of action.

“He has been extremely busy,” Yerxa said. “There haven’t been a lot of nights when we haven’t been called out.”

Yerxa and Endzo are on call at all times, so they have to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Since he came to Fredericton, Endzo has successfully tracked two elderly people who went missing from their homes. He has also sniffed out guns and drugs in the city.

The German Shepherd got his name at the RCMP training center in Alberta. At their kennel, the pups are named after a letter from the alphabet depending on their year of birth. The letter ‘E’ was used to name all of the seven pups in Endzo’s litter.

Cst. Yerxa says Endzo is very obedient like most police dogs, but like humans, each dog has their own personality.

“We look at him like a big goofball,” she said. “He’s long-legged and gangly – but he’s really good at his job and he likes to work.”

Endzo hasn’t been with the police force for long, but he has already seen a lot of action.

Even when he’s not technically on the job, Endzo is always working. Yerxa noticed this specifically when she was walking Endzo the other day. He was walking ahead of Yerxa when he suddenly laid down. When his handler got in front of him, she saw he had a quarter underneath his snout.

“The quarter wasn’t frozen, so somebody must have just dropped it,” Yerxa said.

Endzo weighs 82 pounds, but German Shepherds grow until they’re about two and a half years old. Yerxa thinks he will finish growing over the next year.

K-9 units are an important aspect of the police force. Dogs are able to notice things humans can’t. Yerxa says that Endzo can pick up a human scent on something as small as a dime. Certain situations like a missing person require Endzo’s exceptional snout.

“Our nose does not have the same capability that his does,” Yerxa said.

Endzo has been getting a lot of experience around town. But according to his partner, he doesn’t mind being so busy. Yerxa says that Endzo isn’t rolling over for crime. The dynamic duo is doing their best to keep Fredericton safe – and Endzo is doing his best to put criminals in the doghouse.

“It’s incredible what those dogs can do,” Yerxa said. “Endzo and I aim to train above the regular standards so we can help out the citizens of Fredericton and make it a safer place.”

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STU Men’s Rugby Team Lending A Helping Hand In Community

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Satirical news website The Manatee making waves in New Brunswick

Johnny Cullen/NB Beacon – IMG 9186 260×300 Satirical news website The Manatee making waves in New Brunswick 

It started as an inside joke between friends. Now the whole province is in on it.

Alex Vietinghoff and Shauna Chase launched The Manatee – a satirical news website about New Brunswick – less than a month ago. Like their stories, the site’s name has an underlying significance – the manatee is an endangered aquatic mammal.

Vietinghoff crafted the slogan, “saving the endangered truth”, because, like the manatee, the truth can be hard to find.

Over the summer, Vietinghoff and Chase shared articles with each other from The Onion, a popular satirical news site based in the United States. That’s when they got the idea for The Manatee.

They believe satire is important because it provides a different angle on issues in society – one that uses humour. They realized New Brunswick didn’t have a source of satirical news, so they put pen to paper and got to work.

Now, three weeks after launch, The Manatee is gaining popularity in the province. To date it has more than 141, 000 views. Vietinghoff thinks the launch was successful because he didn’t tell people about the site, he showed them.

“It was kind of a soft launch,” he said. “Instead of announcing what the Manatee was, we were just writing our articles and sharing them on our own Facebook page.”

He didn’t have to explain. At a glance, The Manatee looks like other news sources -complete with sections for hard news, sports, features, science/technology and entertainment. The difference is, their articles have a fictional twist.

Last week, CBC broke a story on a man who found a dead mouse in his McDonald’s coffee cup. A few days later, The Manatee responded to the piece with an article saying a McDonald’s employee was looking for help finding his lost pet mouse.

According to Vietinghoff, it’s stories like this that have been grabbing people’s attention.

“Our most popular stories so far have been the ones people see that are relevant to something that just happened,” he said.

Social media spreads information like wildfire. Facebook in particular has helped the Manatee gain popularity – people either share stories because they think they’re funny, or because they think they’re real. With the help of the jokesters and news junkies sharing these stories, the site is getting a lot of publicity.

On its biggest day The Manatee received 30,000 views.

Vietinghoff says satire is important because it uses humour to draw attention to important issues in a society. That’s one of the site’s main objectives. But sometimes, they write a story just for the laugh.

One of its articles looks at Humans of Fredericton – started this past summer by photographer and fourth year St. Thomas University Journalism student Jon Munn.

He created the page after being influenced by a similar concept, Humans of New York. Munn photographs interesting people around the city and interviews them, posts the pictures on Facebook and tells the person’s story in the caption.

The Manatee recently poked fun at Munn’s project in a post called “Humans of Millville”.

They satire his style and content, but in a comical way. Instead of being offended, Munn was amused.

“It’s all in good fun,” he said. “It was a well-written article, and the majority of what they said was true, like the way people are approached and the way people act when I approach them.”

Although The Manatee parodies certain topics, like choosing Baxter milk over Northumberland, Munn says it’s a news source in its own way. Satire or not, the website draws attention to local businesses and groups.

“Jon Munn Interview Part 2 ”

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“It’s a neat way to look at news,” he said. “You look on The Manatee and read a story and laugh at it. But then you think, ‘what’s the real story here?’ ”

Right now The Manatee is a hobby for Vietinghoff and Chase. They have full-time jobs, so they usually only write satire in the evenings or on weekends. Once the site gets more followers, Vietinghoff hopes to sell advertisement space to companies so he can off set costs and pay his writers. If The Manatee continues to gain popularity, he wants to cover more than just New Brunswick.

“It feels really good to have this idea come to fruition,” he said.

“It’s nice to know work we’re passionate about and doing for our own enjoyment is enjoyable for other people as well.”

 

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International Students on International Waters

Photo: Laura Fraser – Fraser and her peers carrying on a tradition on the MV Explorer: girls paint the flags of the countries visited on their backs.

Some students just sail their way through school.

At least, that’s what Laura Fraser did last semester.

Fraser, a fourth year student at St. Thomas University, was looking for something different when she heard about an exchange program called Semester At Sea.

“I always knew I wanted to study abroad,” she said.

With several different programs available, it was difficult for Fraser to decide where to go.

Most exchanges involve students travelling to one country and staying there for a number of months. But according to Fraser, Semester At Sea isn’t your typical exchange.

“It was exciting to me to be able to circumnavigate the globe all while earning transfer credits,” she said.

Fraser was the first student from St. Thomas to participate in this program.

In just 114 days, the ship, called the MV Explorer, visited 12 countries stopping at historical ports along the way.

The Explorer was a small university, complete with classrooms, a library, professors and about 500 students.

In fact, this nautical institution is similar to Canadian universities in a lot of ways.

Students enroll in courses, go to class, and do their homework – even if it is on the deck of the ship.

Except in this program, going to class doesn’t always mean sitting in a room and listening to a lecture.

“For our field lab in our East Asia in the Modern World class, we went to China Town in Singapore to discuss how Chinese culture has influenced the people of Singapore,” she said.

A photo Fraser snapped while on a safari in the bush of South Africa.

For these students, experiences like this were an everyday thing.
Semester At Sea is based on experiential learning. In this style of education, students learn certain aspects of cultures, then immerse themselves in those cultures to experience what they’re learning in the classroom.

From Hawaii to England and everywhere in between, Fraser experienced a lot of different cultures during her four months abroad.

Before they embarked on their journey through Asia, Fraser and her classmates studied different styles of Buddhism.

Not long after that, she found herself in Buddhist temples in Myanmar, China and Japan meditating with monks and learning the ways of this ancient religion.

Photo: Laura Fraser – Fraser hiking a section of the Great Wall of China outside Beijing.

 

For her, that was something that made the experience so valuable. Each subject they studied in class, they got to experience first hand on field trips.

That’s because each class had a field lab component. On days when the boat was in port, the professor would take their class into cities or towns for a lesson. Whether they were taking in lectures in a hospital, or touring the streets with locals, the field trips were always an eye-opening experience.

Aside from schoolwork, students had time to travel independently. This was also a large part of Fraser’s learning experience.

“What we learned when we were off the boat travelling by ourselves is a lot different than what we would learn in a class,” she said.

When the ship docked, students were free to explore on their own. They had the choice of either returning to the ship to travel to the next port, or finding their own way by plane, train, or another means of transportation.

Photo: Laura Fraser – Fraser on a camel trek to a nomad camp in the middle of the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

 

This is where the students did most of their travelling. While on the ship, they were often busy with homework. Fraser explains that the ship was usually in port for a few days, depending on the location.

On the first day, students would usually have to stick with their professor for a field lab. But after that, they could travel on their own or with a group of friends.

Like any university, the people who surround you shape your experience. Fraser says that different groups of people had different motivations when they were off the boat. While some wanted to find the nearest Holiday Inn and party the whole time, others were more concerned with learning about different cultures.

Lucky for her, she found friends that shared her curiosity and sense of adventure.

While travelling in South Africa, Fraser and her friends accidentally ate at a restaurant where Nelson Mandela’s Great Grandson was celebrating his birthday party.

Not only did Fraser gain academic credits, but she also learned valuable life lessons along the way.

“It’s about gaining your independence,” she said. “If things go wrong, you can’t just call your parents for help.”

But Fraser didn’t focus on things going wrong.

Perhaps the most valuable thing she learned on the voyage was how a human connection can bridge all borders and languages.

“My favourite part was talking to people and learning about their culture,” she said.

“People were eager to learn about my culture when they realized I wanted to learn about theirs. It was amazing to see how genuinely nice people were in every country.”

For more information on Semester At Sea, visit their website: http://www.semesteratsea.org

Fredericton Opens First Hookah Lounge

Going against the grain has its perks – something Shokooh Mostafaie, 52, knows first hand.

Mostafaie is the owner of Cinnamon Café, a new coffee shop on King Street in Fredericton’s downtown center. At first glance, the café seems like an ordinary place where people gather to drink tea, nibble on snacks, and talk about their day.

But it has another element.

In addition to Persian Tea and baked goods, the Cinnamon Café has something that sets it apart from other cafés in the city: a hookah lounge.

“I didn’t expect business to go well because there are a lot of other coffee shops around,” Mostafaie said. “But business has been very good.”

The owner, previously a dentist for 28 years in her native country of Iran, thinks access to the hookah lounge is what attracts many customers to her business.

A hookah is a traditional Middle Eastern water pipe used to smoke flavoured tobacco. It is made of three layers of decorated glass. Heated charcoals are placed on top of the bowl containing the tobacco, creating smoke that travels from the water-filled chamber to the smoker’s mouth.

Mostafaie has noticed her customers use the hookahs as they socialize.

“It’s fun for them,” she says “young and older customers love my service and my location.”

But smoking tobacco is not as popular in New Brunswick as it once was. In October of 2004, the provincial government banned smoking in public spaces and workplaces.

That’s why Mostafaie had to take certain precautions in order to open her café.

“We have a license, but it was very difficult to get,” she said.

For many, the thought of smoking indoors seems distasteful. But the tobacco smoked out of hookahs in Mostafaie’s shop is not the same tobacco that is used in cigarettes.

“Our tobacco doesn’t contain nicotine like cigarettes. It’s flavoured, herbal tobacco,” she said.

No nicotine means the tobacco smoked in the Cinnamon Café is non-addictive.

Mostafaie’s business is the first of its kind in Fredericton. She thinks her café will draw in curious customers who want to experience an interesting aspect of Middle Eastern culture.

Customers may choose from eight flavours of herbal tobacco, order a hookah along with their tea or cookie, and enjoy the comfortable atmosphere the café has to offer.

The cost of a hookah is $9, a price the storeowner thinks is affordable for her customers.

“$9 between three people is only $3 each,” she said. “It is a good price for our customers, and for us too.”

Tyler Mullin, 19, and Ian MacIsaac, 21, two first-time customers, think smoking a hookah while sipping on Persian Tea is a very enjoyable experience.

“It’s very relaxing,” Mullin said.

The storeowner’s son, Mehdi Mostafaie, 19, agrees that smoking out of a hookah is pleasant experience, and says people do it for different reasons.

“It is a social thing,” he said. “And for Middle Eastern people, it is a cultural thing.”

In his native country of Iran, Mostafaie says smoking a hookah is very common for people of all ages.

Shokooh Mostafaie, however, has placed an age restriction on the hookahs in her café. Customers below 16 years of age may enjoy the atmosphere of the lounge and purchase beverages and snacks, but are not permitted to purchase tobacco.

Although she will not sell tobacco to younger children, Mostafaie says she enjoys the age of her customers.

Many adult customers will sit in the front section of the café, which is smoke free. The back section, or hookah lounge, contains some smoke, but is moderated by a powerful ventilation system that purifies the air every few seconds. This is where most of the younger customers typically sit.

Mostafaie likes that her café is a comfortable place for her customers, and enjoys greeting the friendly faces as they come to experience what she has to offer.

“I love all of the young customers like my two boys,” she said.

She is pleased with the reception her business has had locally, and is excited that her idea has sparked interest in Fredericton.

Pioneering a new idea is a difficult thing, but Shokooh Mostafaie is satisfied with her café’s success since its opening last month.

“Anything you want to do, you can do,” she said.

Fredericton Volunteers Begin Planning 2014 Relay For Life

They laughed, smiled, joked and even cried as they decorated their Bristol board posters.

Nearly twenty people and an excited blonde toddler filled the cafeteria of Leo Hayes High School on Sunday to plan out the early stages of the Fredericton Relay For Life set to take place at Leo Hayes on June 14.

The participants gathered around tables and worked in teams to create their masterpieces meant to commemorate those who lost their battle with cancer.

“It’s a good way to memorialize things,” said Mark Kirby. “It’s my first time participating in the event in terms of being on the fundraising side of it.”

Kirby lost his sister to Ovarian cancer 4 years ago, and has been involved with the Relay For Life ever since.

He likes the organization and the reason behind the relay.

“It’s a good way to spread awareness to the different cancers that are out there,” he said.

The Relay for Life is a non-competitive 12-hour event that takes place overnight. Participants take turns walking or running around a track with their teams – rain or shine. Teams raise money while they relay in an attempt to aid Canadian cancer research.

It began in the United States in 1985 when a surgeon from Washington who enjoyed running marathons decided to run around the track at the University of Puget Sound to raise money for cancer research.

Dr. Gordon Klatt walked and ran 83 miles that night, and with the help of others, raised a total of $27,000.

Although the Relay For Life has not been going on since 1985 in Fredericton, according to Andrew Despres, Manager of the Canadian Cancer Society, it has been an annual event in New Brunswick’s capital for the past 14 years.

Despres, having only acquired his new position six months ago, is confident that 2014’s relay will be successful thanks to the hard work and dedication of his event planning team.

“I have a great team behind me of volunteers that come back year after year,” he said. “They believe in the cause, and they know how fun it is.”

A group from Remax Real Estate has been contributing to the cause for the past six summers. They normally have a strong representation at the event – their squad typically consists of 15 members.

“We’re all committed to it,” a member said. “We have two people in our office who have been touched by cancer.”

The group was involved in the Relay before their coworkers were diagnosed, but now it means much more to them.

“As a team we’ve committed to raise $10,000, and we’re almost there – we’re at $8,300,” another team member said.

Although the Relay For Life is a great help, much of the Remax team’s fundraising is done aside from this event.

They hold 50/50 draws and have meals every second week at their office that are sold to coworkers for $10. All of the proceeds of these fundraisers go towards the Relay For Life. One dinner auction they hosted raised $3,500 in an hour.

The volunteers who sacrifice their time and energy are the heart and soul of the Relay. Despres works with the volunteers in the province to hold 32 Relays For Life – something that wouldn’t be possible with the cooperation of many.

“We’re grassroots,” he said. “We’re volunteer driven, we have very few staff and we’re here to support [the volunteers].”

Despres says that as much as the event is about fundraising, it is also about raising cancer awareness in Canada. It is about people banding together and working as a team towards a common goal – a cure for cancer.

The Canadian Cancer Society Manager has high hopes for June, and thinks his team of volunteers will pull through this June.

“If it is a great event and everybody has a good time, it is a successful event,” he said.