Parking lot lights

11:38 2009-03-31

Bright lights and a big glare from a business just off Highway 103 at Exit 12 are catching driver's eyes. And they've also caught the attention of the D-O-T's District Traffic Supervisor after people started complaining about them. Joe Crowell says under the Motor Vehicle Act you're not allowed to put up a light that creates a glare on the highway. The area manager is asking the owner of Bluenose RV to have the lights in their lot adjusted to change that. Joe Crowell says this type of issue doesn't come up often, but he says the business happens to sit at the top of the hill. He adds they are at a perfect level to mimic a vehicle coming at you down the highway but slightly offset.Crowell says they don't want people thinking the 103 was in a different locations. And with a less than perfect night, he says it does create quite a bit of glare. The area manager is sending a letter to the owners of Bluenose RV asking them to adjust the lights away from the highway.

Provincial Mixed Curling

5:58 2009-03-31

The Provincial Mixed Curling championship will be handed out today in Liverpool with three teams still in contention. In the 1-2 page playoff last night Mayflower's Paul Flemming stole three in the final end to top clubmate Mark Dacey 7-3. In the 3-4 contest it was Windsor's Ricahard Barker ousting Mark Kehoe 6-3. This morning's sudden-death semi final at 10 o'clock pits Dacey against Barker. The winner will advance to this afternoon's championship final at 3 against Flemming. The winners will earn a trip to the Canadian Mixed championship next fall in Burlington, Ontario. All of today's action takes place in Liverpool.

Conrad pleased

05:45 2009-03-31

Queens MLA, Vicki Conrad, the NDP's Transportation critic  is pleased the Transportation Minister  has reconsidered laying off road workers. Conrad says its great news for the workers and their families. She says retaining the workers is a good first step, but Premier Rodney MacDonald still has an obligation to unveil details of his infrastructure spending plan.  Conrad says the premier intends to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on highway and roadway work but the Department of Transportation workers, and all Nova Scotians, have been kept in the dark. She says the Premier refuses to call back the legislature, refuses to introduce a timely budget and refuses to give Nova Scotians the details they expect on the infrastructure spending plan. Approximately 200 Department of Transportation employees will avoid being laid off during the transition from winter to summer seasons.

Virus outbreak

12:22 2009-03-30

A gastrointestinal illness is making the rounds at Queens General Hospital.   And because of the outbreak among staff and patients, South Shore Health is trying to stop the spread by restricting visitation.  No one is being allowed to the Medical floor of the Liverpool hospital until further notice.  They say there might be some exceptions for immediate family of critically ill patients.   Hospital administrators say all regular outpatient services are available, they're just asking you to avoid visiting patients if you come to the hospital.

Grow op seize

11:24

 Another search and more drug charges laid by members of the South Shore Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit.
 A search warrant was issued last Friday and a team of officers headed into a home on Beech Hill Road in Gold River.
 Bridgewater police, Lunenburg county RCMP and a police services dog were involved in the raid.
 Constable Bill Wilcox says they seized an indoor marihuana grow operation with 18 pot plants, lights and marihuana. They also took a gun that was not stored safely.
 A Beach Hill resident is facing charges of production and possession of marihuana and unsafe storage of a firearm.
 The suspect still has to get a court date.

Critic criticism

06:20am

Shelburne's MLA is getting blasted by the Fisheries Minister for what is being described as the final exam in hypocrisy.
Ron Chisolm chastises Sterling Belliveau for saying he was extremely happy for fishermen who will benefit from the MacDonald government's plan for a new fishery license loan program.
Chisolm is asking the NDP member to explain why he voted against the fisheries loan program in the first place when it was part of last year's budget.
The new license loan program, introduced in the 2008-2009 budget will help young people get into the commercial fishery and current license holders wanting to buy licenses for new species get access to financial capital. 

Milton closure

2009-03-30 - 06:10am

The chair of the Milton School Advisory Committee says they are comfortable with the board's decision to close the school.
Margo Walsh-Leaman says they knew the time would come when Miilton school would close but they wanted to make sure there was a plan in place.
She adds they have to remember they are there for the best interest of the kids.
Walsh-Leaman says her only concern was the mandatory closing period, but the school board addressed it during the meeting.
Under current regulations, when a board decides to close a school it must be within two years. The Department of Education is expected to change this rule, and allow the school board to set the timeline.
If the regulation does not change, the board will retract the motion to close Milton.
When a new middle school is built, Dr. John C. Wickwire will change to Grades Primary-5, the new school as Grades 6-8, and the senior high as Grades 9-12. The province has yet to announce a new school though. 

 

Michelin Plan

2009-03-27

Some previously announced layoffs in Waterville have been avoided now that Michelin's Work-sharing program application has been approved.   The Service Canada program goes into effect April 5th.  And Michelin officials say that means they won't have to move forward with the planned layoff of 95 flexible workforce employees.  Over 500 Michelin regular and flexible workforce employees elected to participate in the program that will run for 18 weeks. It can be re-evaluated based on market fluctuations.  Under Work-Sharing, Michelin Waterville employees will work reduced hours with the remainder of their hours covered by Employment Insurance.  Earlier this month, the company announced 9 layoffs at the plant in Bridgewater and 33 at the Granton operation.

Medial pot

2009-03-27 05:56

A Lunenburg County man who claimed he was growing marihuana for his medicinal needs has been fined a thousand dollars and placed on probation for a year.   Sixty-nine year old Anthony Edwin Eisnor was charged after RCMP found 24 marihuana plants growing in a tomato patch at a residence on the Newburne Road last September 5th.  Eisnor suffers from Barker's Syndrome, a form of kidney disease. He told the court he was using marihuana as a necessary medication. His lawyer said Eisnor takes up to 30 separate pills and undergoes dialysis once a week.  Court was told he previously had a medical exemption to use marihuana but his present doctor disagrees with the practice.  Judge Jim Burrill told Eisnor maybe he should be looking for another doctor.

Fisheries Loan

2009-03-27 05:53

Shelburne MLA Sterling Belliveau, the NDP's Fisheries Critic says he's pleased Nova Scotia fishermen will finally have an opportunity to apply for loans to help secure Commercial Fishing Licences.  The new program was announced yesterday and comes into effect April 1st.  Belliveau, a former fisherman himself says when first elected the issue was one of his top priorities and committments to the people of Shelburne and to all fishermen across Nova Scotia.
Belliveau says he's glad the Minister listened to the fishermen and has spread the loan period over 20 years. It makes the program very attractive and beneficial to fishermen and  provides an opportunity for young people to get into the fishery, which will be instrumental to the future of the industry.

Thursday 08:55

2009-03-26

A Gold River man charged with making child pornography and sexual assault did not appear in Bridgewater Provincial Court yesterday to enter pleas, having his legal aid lawyer adjourning the case. 58 year old  John Eldon Myra also faces an additional charge of possessing child pornography.  It's alleged he sexually assaulted a local 12 year old girl and photographed the assault.
  Myra  was arrested March 3rd following a police investigation which began last December.   Lawyer Barry Whynot says he still has to obtain and review a significant amount of disclosure and asked that the case be set over to April 15th.  Meantime, Myra is free on conditions including that he have no contact with children under 14, and stay away from computers.

Thursday 06:00

2009-03-26 Board members call it a compromise solution.  Elliott Payzant, Chair of the South Shore Regional School Board says the decision has been made to permanently close Riverport and District Elementary School .  However, the school will remain open until a new Primary to Grade 9 school is built in the Town of Lunenburg. Payzant says it was a tough decision for the Board members. Along with Riverport, the Board approved permanent closure of four other schools that were placed under review.  They include Centre Consolidated, Lunenburg Academy, Lunenburg Junior/Senior High and Milton Centennial.

Release from South Shore Regional School Board....

South Shore Regional School Board Schedules Five Schools for Closure 

At a meeting of the Board held Wednesday, March 25th at Hebbville Academy in Hebbville, the South Shore Regional School Board voted to close Riverport and District Elementary School when the new Primary to Grade 9 school slated for the Lunenburg area is ready.  The Board also voted to close Milton Centennial School in Queens County when the new capital construction project in the Municipality of Queens provides the opportunity to relocate the students from Milton Centennial.

Last July, the Board voted to close Lunenburg Academy, Lunenburg Junior-Senior High School and Centre consolidated School but had not determined the dates on which the schools would be closed. 

At the Wednesday night meeting, the Board voted to close Lunenburg Junior-Senior High School for high school students in June, 2009.  The high school students will have the choice of attending either Park View Education Centre or Bridgewater High School in Bridgewater.  The junior high students will remain in the current Lunenburg Junior-Senior High School until the new Primary to Grade 9 school planned for the Lunenburg area is ready.

Centre Consolidated School was scheduled for closure, as was the Lunenburg Academy, when the new Lunenburg area school is available for the students.

"The board reviewed all aspects of the issues using the thirteen criteria set out in the Regulations under the Education Act," said Board Chairman Elliott Payzant. "We heard and considered representations from School Advisory Councils, parents, municipal leaders and members of the community.  In the end the Board has made its decisions based on the best interests of our students."

The South Shore Regional School Board has set a new Primary to Grade 9 school for Lunenburg area and a new Middle School for the Municipality of Queens as immediate priorities for new construction.  The Board is awaiting the approval of the capital projects list by Cabinet and an announcement by the Department of Education regarding these schools.

Wednesday 05:30

2009-03-26 The NDP candidate in Lunenburg is asking the South Shore Regional School Board for a stay of execution for the Riverport School.  Pam Birdsall says Riverport, East LaHave and Rose Bay are all thriving communities which are starting to attract new families,and the Board should  stay its decision for a year to let the communities work together to figure out how they can help to keep the school open.   Birdsall points to the Greenfield School in Queens, where businesses, residents, and the Board have worked together on a new model for a small community school and says the Riverport area can accomplish the same. The School Board is expected to announce its decision regarding a number of school closures at its monthly board meeting tonight .

Tuesday 09:21

2009-03-26 A trial on drug trafficking on-going for more than a year has ended with the conviction of a 26 year old Blockhouse man.  Arthur Abdul Mosher has been found guilty of posession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.   He was arrested and harged back in May of 2007.  Mosher was also convicted of two counts of breaching probation, along with possession of marijuana and hashish and will be sentenced May 22nd.