By Craig Westcott
Bay Bulls council has approved the travel costs for Mayor Keith O'Driscoll and Town Manager Ashley Wakeham to participate in the 'Towns in Tune' program in Newberry, South Carolina this summer.
The show, which runs on South Carolina public television, matches towns in South Carolina and Canada for historical and cultural exchanges. It is sponsored by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, tax credits from the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation.
The show features interviews with local residents, business owners, artists, and others. Bay Bulls will see two segments filmed, including a songwriter’s circle and concert at the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre on June 22 which will incorporate two songwriters each and a band each from Newfoundland and South Carolina. The second event, the following day, will be an artists showcase of Newfoundland and South Carolina authors, painters and musicians.
The Town is paying a $15,000 sponsorship fee to participate in the program. The travel expenses are separate to that.
"All travel (costs) and meals will be reimbursed as per the Town of Bay Bulls travel and meal reimbursement policy," said Deputy Mayor Jason O'Brien who made the motion to approve the travel at last week's council meeting. It was seconded by councillor Corey Ronayne.
"We started off with two people – I'm not sure if anybody else is interested or able to go? We'll have to check our schedules," said O'Brien.
"I think it's a good opportunity especially (where) they're sending two representatives from their town to our town in the near future," said Mayor O'Driscoll.
"I believe there's actually four (coming), but there's definitely (at least) two," said Wakeham.
"I think it's fair to say that it's a good opportunity for whomever goes," added O'Driscoll, noting the number of Bay Bulls delegates to South Carolina can be ironed out later.
Newberry is a town of more than 10,000 people. The two episodes featuring Bay Bulls and Newberry will air on PBS late this year or early in 2025.
In other council news:
Harbour Construction of Witless Bay has been awarded the tender to finish phase two of the Long Pond walking rail.
Deputy Mayor O'Brien said the company was the lowest compliant bidder. It will be paid $405,220 plus HST for the work.
Baird's Asphalt Sealing & Line Painting, meanwhile, is getting the contract to paint lines on streets and Town parking lots.
Councillor Ethan Williams said the company was the lowest compliant bidder and will be paid $30,750 plus HST.
Council answered the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department's request for donations for the firefighters' ball by offering free use of the Regional Lifestyle Centre for the event.
The 35th annual ball is scheduled for November 16.
Council also, meanwhile, approved release of the quarterly operating grant to the Regional Lifestyle Centre.
This quarter's amount is $30,000.
"Is there any reason we've gone over the (regular) quarterly amount?" asked Deputy Mayor O'Brien.
Town Manager Wakeham said the Centre gets a total of $100,000 for the year and perhaps after experiencing a slow winter the centre needed a little more than the regular quarterly amount this time around. The Centre also drew down $30,000 of the grant in the first quarter.
"They understand that they only have a limited amount left for (quarters) three and four," she added. "Summer will bring a profit. We're doing really well with registration for both soccer, which is up by 25 children, and there's a number of weeks of the summer program, after just three days of the online system being open, that we're full, at capacity. So, we're doing really well."
And finally, council has deferred approval of the proposed outdoor ice rink for now.
Deputy Mayor O'Brien asked his colleagues to defer the vote until more information is collected.
"I think we're moving in the right direction of getting information," said O'Brien. "I just think there's pieces of this not fully covered to implement this project, some more budgeting and details so that we have a full package for funding overall."
