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Boo! EEEEEEEK! Run folks, 'tis Halloween and the grapevine's humming with all kinds of odd noises, sounds and frights. It's time for Sleuth to . . . ahem. . . dig a little deeper to see what kind of ghostly (or is that ghastly?) bones he turns up. . . .

If you'll all forgive Sleuth's terrible pun, you might say things are powering up on the political scene these days with Thursday's confirmation a tentative agreement has been reached to sell NB Power to Hydro Quebec. Looks like we're in for a good ol' fashioned knock-down, drag 'em out New Brunswick political controversy! A public relations expert tells Sleuth he thinks Premier Shawn Graham is getting bad advice in terms of selling his deal to voters and it will hurt him if he keeps insisting on saying residential power rates will come down, when in fact they are just being frozen for five years. That may be a good thing and it is undoubtedly true that without the deal power rates would continue to escalate over the same period by 15 per cent or more, so people will save significantly, but that's not the same thing. As the PR expert explains it to Sleuth, when people hear their rates will come down, they expect to see a lower "total due" on their bills and when that doesn't happen, the old cynicism about politicians will kick in. In short, even from the premier's point of view, which is to sell this as a good deal, it's not a good strategy to be using that specific phrase. It makes it look like he's hiding something, even when he isn't!

***

Sleuth is still watching the Petitcodiac riding in the provincial legislature, what with next fall's election drawing intense interest in Tory circles. The PC's to date have four high-profile and well-known candidates vying for the party's nomination. And the winner will get the chance to play the role of potential dragon slayer versus the riding's sitting Liberal MLA Wally Stiles, who is a particularly enticing target for the Tories since he was last elected carrying their banner, but then crossed the floor. Or, since this is Halloween, we can say the Tories are out for blood.

But what of the view from the other side? Sleuth previously reported talk in some circles that Mr. Stiles might decide not to run in next year's election, thus spoiling the Tory fun by removing the dragon. Now, Sleuth has it on really good authority -- Mr. Stiles himself, who during last weekend's Liberal nomination of Roger Melanson in the Dieppe Centre-Lewisville riding asked a mutual acquaintance to pass on the message -- that he has every intention of running, and winning, in Petitcodiac next fall.

Your gumshoe thus concludes the riding will be watched closely indeed. It has potential to be an election night cliff-hanger!

***

Sleuth is getting feedback from teachers still displeased that School District 2 has rented the Wesleyan Church's 2,000-seat auditorium for some professional development day events. Contrary to news reports, the concern isn't entirely that a public, non-denominational school system is using a church facility, although that has stuck in the craw of a few teachers, but rather that public monies are being spent when the system has its own auditoriums. One figure cited to Sleuth for the Sept. 3 rental of the church auditorium was $6,100. Of course, District 2 Superintendent Karen Branscombe is on record as saying it is the only facility that can handle the district's 1,200 teachers and if you add in teacher's aides, the number climbs to 1,500. Yet teachers are telling your gumshoe that they and teacher's aides have only met jointly like that once in the past nine years. And they say the Sept. 3 event's actual crowd was only in the 800 to 900 range for attendance. Hmmm. . . if that's accurate, where were the other 300 to 400 teachers, not to mention 300 TAs? Isn't attendance at PD activities mandatory without a good excuse? And if this is a typical absentee rate, why not use the Moncton High School auditorium, for free? It can hold 1,200.

***

Meanwhile, Sleuth is also hearing some teachers questioning the value of many of these PD days. "Sure," one says, "they can be interesting and boost teachers' enthusiasm and morale, but it only lasts a few days and everything goes back to normal." Even more searching are questions your gumshoe is hearing concern the wisdom of bringing in outside 'experts' -- often at great expense to promote self-created educational fads. Some consider it more hype than help. Many such 'experts' make their living giving such presentations, and often the messages are questionable. Eric Jensen, featured at the Sept. 3 meeting, has a corporation that sells DVDs, his 26 books, and other services or products, including holding workshops. His website, which looks like one of those cheesy old K-Tel TV ads, trumpets "The Amazing and Original Brain-Based Teaching and Training Workshops." Imagine! Education is brain based! Who'd have thought? He was also cofounder of a summer learning camp now called 'Quantum Learning,' whatever that is supposed to mean. Everything 'quantum' is hip these days, but most of it has nothing to do with the real science, which in turn has nothing to do with teaching. Ah. . . but it's a 'new age,' in educational theory, isn't it?

***

Finally, the tale of the Good Samaritan: Thursday a car broke down on the side of the TCH near Mapleton Road. Soon the RCMP got a Good Samaritan's call reporting an accident at that spot. The caller apparently was just driving by the scene. The RCMP responded promptly, finding the stalled car on the shoulder and another in the ditch. 'What happened?' Good Samaritan II stopped to see if he could help, but he forgot to take his car out of gear. So he ended up watching it gently roll into the ditch!

* Heard any good rumours or gossip? Sleuth wants to know. Send all your best to Sleuth via e-mail at sleuth@timestranscript.com or fax him at 859-4904. He'll check it out and report back here next Saturday.