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There's nothing quite like the sound of sweet music and it is clear there will be plenty of it over the next six months in Moncton.

There have been years -- not long ago -- when music fans bemoaned the utter lack of anything worth attending at the Coliseum. But times have changed. Sleuth could even suggest ol' Metro is now the music capital of the East Coast!

Confirmed to play in our not-so-sleepy little borough over the next six months are such music stars as: Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, George Thorogood, Simple Plan, Avril Lavigne, Alice Cooper and The Blue Man Group. And that doesn't even count the big Magnetic Hill Music Festival on Aug. 2 featuring The Eagles, John Fogerty, K.T. Tunstall and the Sam Roberts Band.

That impressive slate comes on the heels of an already good year which has featured Ozzy Osborne, Michael Bublé, Blue Rodeo, Anne Murray and George Jones.

While some in the know may be worried whether the Metro market can sustain such a pace, Sleuth hears that ticket sales for the shows already on sale are going well. And the big Eagles' show has already hit the 50,000 ticket mark with three months to go. What could possibly top such a blockbuster year? Well, Sleuth was let in on a secret this week that will have music fans blinking their eyes in disbelief soon.

This old gumshoe hears that a concert will soon be announced for the fall featuring one of pop music's all-time biggest stars. Sleuth hears the deal has been signed, spotlights ordered, grand piano booked and glitter readied. Get ready for news any day now on a concert by a performer with the initials E.J., a man who will rocket local fans to the moon!

***

In political gossip, Sleuth's spies inside the Liberal Party of New Brunswick report that there was a meeting in Moncton earlier this week of behind the scenes members, such as riding presidents and fundraisers, as well as the party's president and executive-director.

And what was one of the hottest topics du jour? French Immersion!

Sleuth's informant indicates the heat is on "high" in the kitchen, and although nobody has been seen vacating it yet, the grassroots are mightily worried about Premier Shawn Graham's refusal to date to abandon or alter Education Minister Kelly (I've got a Report) Lamrock's changes to second language training.

While the premier and education minister are still insisting there is a large "silent majority" among the public that supports the controversial changes, the grassroots members apparently aren't so sure. Of 10 party supporters from Moncton at this week's meeting, your gumshoe hears, only three support staying the course.Seven want changes.

And at least one Liberal backroom person told Sleuth, in worried tones, that this battle "isn't partisan". In fact, he noted, it is both small- and large-L liberals who are most against the government's plan. Could be a very hot summer on the barbeque circuit for Shawn.

***

Speaking of politics, while it seems as if Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion continue to do the Parliament Hill Two-Step to avoid going to the polls, local Conservative organizers aren't waiting to prepare.

While most of the focus on a potential Metro Moncton candidate has stayed on Bernard Lord -- who has said 99 times he isn't running -- someone once affiliated with Lord is quietly making plans for the nomination, Sleuth hears.

Daniel Allain, the smooth-talking general manager of Downtown Moncton Inc., is rumoured to be eyeing the Conservative nomination for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe. Allain is a long-time buddy of Lord's and knows the local and provincial political scene well. If this turns out to be true, Sleuth can't wait for a candidates' debate featuring Dandy Dan and Smilin' Brian Murphy!

***

We all know there's a municipal election going on and candidates are doing their best to be seen, but the scene at a minor funding announcement this week bordered on the ridiculous.

Fundy-Royal MP Rob Moore showed up in Riverview to announce that a seniors' group would receive a whopping $7,750 from Ottawa. Now before you can say "don't spend it all in one place," they won't! The money will be used to buy stuff like card tables and a dishwasher for the old folks' parties. All well and good, but the presentation was overkill.

The honourable MP was accompanied by a gaggle of professional Ottawa handlers and a pack of vote-hungry local politicians from all three levels of government (a Moncton MLA in Riverview, imagine!?) eager to smile for the cameras, make their own speeches and shake hands with any voter in sight as they made their way to the table with those yummy egg salad sandwiches. Imagine the turnout if the feds had something really big to announce . . .

***

The City of Moncton ran over budget by about $350,000 in 2007, which is not so bad when you consider they were out that much on an almost $100 million budget. Run a city this size and some unanticipated expenses are bound to come up.

But one of the places where the city failed to budget enough was one every Moncton homeowner can relate to. Rising property assessments meant the City of Moncton had to come up with $30,000 more than it had budgeted for paying property taxes on its own numerous properties in the city.

Hurts, doesn't it?

* Have you heard the latest gossip? Do you know some juicy rumours? Sleuth wants to know. Send your best info to sleuth@timestranscript.com, fax it to 859-4904, or drop it off to Sleuth c/o The Times & Transcript, 939 Main St., Moncton.