Monday, December 13, 2010

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES TO BE AFFECTED BY SCHOOL BUDGET CUTS

A South Shore woman involved in the education system says students with learning disabilities will be the first to suffer from proposed provincial funding cuts.

Cathy Croft of the South Shore regional school board is a learning facilitator for students with severe learning disabilities.
She says if the province cuts 120 million dollars (over the next three years) to education on the south shore, some students will be excluded from the classroom.
Croft says the inclusive classroom model adopted in Nova Scotia will be dismantled when teacher's assistants and specialized programs are cut.
If the proposed cuts become a reality, the South Shore Regional School Board will try to cope by increasing classroom size, and decreasing in-class support and therapies for students with autism, learning disabilities and other behavioural needs.

FINAL DECISION ON SCHOOL "GRAY ZONES" COMING IN NEW YEAR

The South Shore Regional School Board will wait until the new year to make a final decision on student .. gray zones.

The board is hoping to eliminate areas from which students are attending more than one school.
A number of information sessions took place as school officials sought feedback from parents, students and citizens.
The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for January 26th.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Car Fire on Aberdeen Road


A car fire on Aberdeen road  this afternoon played havoc with traffic.  The call came in around 1:30.  A car was on fire in front of 129 Aberdeen Road in front of the building which houses MP Gerald Keddy's office.  Smoke was seen billowing from under the engine bonnet and the car was fully engulfed in flames.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

New Crown Attorney for Bridgewater

Susan Bour is the new senior Crown attorney in Bridgewater. Her appointment was announced  today,
Thursday, December 9th by Director of Public Prosecutions Martin Herschorn . Bour is originally from the United States. She is a 1989 graduate of the University of New Brunswick law school and articled with an Ottawa law firm. Since 1995 she has been in Halifax with the Atlantic regional office of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada conducting federal statute prosecutions in Nova Scotia, primarily under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

New Access Ramp at South Shore Regional Hospital

  
Area residents now have easier access to South Shore Regional Hospital with the installation of a ramp. The 55 thousand dollar project officially opened yesterday, was funded by the Hospital Auxilliary. The ramp will make it easier for people using wheelchairs, pushing strollers or carts or who have difficultly using stairs to access the building. Over the past 10 years, Auxiliary members have raised and contributed over $1.6 million to help improve the care and comfort of patients at South Shore Regional Hospital. The Auxiliary's fundraising efforts include the Daisy, Gift Shop, and ShoreLines Gallery.

Fishermen's Memorial in Dr. Ross ER Report

The Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg is one recommended to be used as a collaborative assessment room for emergency (CARE) centre. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says  the report on emergency care by Dr. John Ross is a very positive document. He says in a sense, to some extent they may already be doing some of the things in Lunenburg recommended by Dr. Ross. Mawhinney says the report seemed to be very positive about what was going on at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital, but as council they have not sat down and talked about it.

HOLIDAZED

The Bridgewater and Area Performing Arts Society takes to the stage in an off-beat Christmas musical comedy on Wednesday, December 15th. Holidazed is performed as a radio play in front of a live audience, much the way radio's Vinyl Cafe or television's This Hour has 22 Minutes do their shows.  Song titles include "The 12 Pains of Christmas", "Wreck the Malls", and "It's the Most Fattening Time of the Year". The performance takes place at the Best Western Bridgewater Hotel & Convention Centre at 7:30pm.The production is the first annual fund raiser for BAPAS, dedicated to promoting the performing arts in and around Bridgewater.

Slim Town

Liverpool could be the star of an upcoming CBC series.

The town is now in the top three locations selected for the TV show 'Village on a Diet"

The series documents a community over the course of ten weeks as residents work to slim their waistlines and improve their health.

Economic Development Officer for the Region of Queens Municipality, Phaedra Charlton-Huskins says Liverpool fits the criteria well: town residents town may struggle with physical fitness but their sense of community is strong and healthy.

South Shore Schools Brace for Funding Cuts

The South Shore Regional School Board is bracing for provincial budget cuts.


Fiscal planning for next year will account for provincial deductions of three percent.

Board Chair, Elliott Payzant says school officials to need prepare for the severe ramifications of funding reductions.

"If there are additional cuts, then I'm looking to the government or the Department of Education to tell us where to make those cuts because they'd be made in programs that are so worth while that I cant see how a decision could be made without being devastating to the whole system," says Payzant.

Approximately twelve million dollars could be cut from South Shore schools over the next three years.

If the reductions are real, Payzant says student success will be sacrificed for the sake of a deficit.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

School Locations Kept Secret

The Department of Transportation is considering three secret locations for Liverpool's new school.

The South shore Regional School Board's "The School Steering Team" made the recommendations this week.

The committee was established to help a new school location, layout and design.
Chairman Elliot Payzant says the team is keeping the three spots secret for now.

"The value of private land if it's being looked as a school all of a sudden escalates tremendously, so that's the reason those kinds of things are not made public until such time the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal has had a chance to look at them because they make the final decisions on those," says Payzant.

The new facility will replace the aging South Queens Junior High.

The design, completion date and cost of the project will be determined during the early phases of planning.

Police Chase

Police were in hot pursuit of one South Shore driver late last night.


The male driver was heading towards Northfield Road when he failed to pull over for an officer.

The driver then ditched and totalled his car at 1311 Pine Grove Road

The grey 2004 Taurus station wagon was allegedly stolen from New Germany .

Police were unable to find the male suspect after fled into the woods.

Christmas Trees Donated

The province is promoting its Christmas tree industry in an annual tradition where three donated trees from the Lunenburg County Christmas Tree Producers Association are given to local  charitable organizations. Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis donated her tree to the Mission of Seafarers, Premier Darrell Dexter donated his to the Home of the Guardian Angel - Single Parent Centre and John MacDonell, Minister of Natural Resources, donated his tree to Adsum House, a temporary emergency shelter for women and their children.
Natural Resources Minister John MacDonell says Christmas trees are an important part of the festive tradition for many Nova Scotian families. More than 1.5 million trees are exported annually to other provinces, the United States and overseas, providing $30 million to the economy and about 500 full-time and 2,500 seasonal jobs.

Aquaculture Award

A Shelburne area crew is this years recipient of the Platinum Scale Award, the highest honour that Cooke Aquaculture awards to its salmon growers . The Platinum Scale Trophy represents excellence and dedication to both the farm and the environment.   It also takes into account factors such as fish health, fish quality, growth rates, feed conversion efficiency and environmental performance. In Nova Scotia, Cooke operates nine salmon farms, six of which are currently active. The company is working on expansion plans in the province that include additional marine sites, a processing plant and a new fish hatchery.

Major Development for Town of Lunenburg

One of the most ambitious development projects for the Town of Lunenburg has been give the go-ahead by Council. Stellar Investments is proposing a major hotel/condo/apartment complex on Mason's Beach Road next to the Bluenose Golf Club. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says Council approved the development agreement with a number of amendments including landscaping changes and a reduction from 15 to 10 years as the limit for termination of the agreement. The project to be developed in phases includes 60 condominiums, 30 apartments and a 120 bed hotel along with a convention centre and spa.

Rachel Bailey Elected Deputy-Mayor

She's only the second woman to serve as the Deputy-Mayor of the Town of Lunenburg. Rachel Bailey was unanimously elected to the position at Tuesday night's council meeting. Bailey was first elected to council in the October 2008 municipal election. Previously Councillors elected a deputy mayor who would serve the full term, however, it was decided to change the position annually to give all members a chance to share and learn the responsibility. The first every female deputy-mayor for the Town was Judy Cook who served in the position in the 1980's.

School Bus Accident

Some students were shaken up when their school bus was rear-ended by a car this afternoon. The accident happened  around 3:15 near the Hebbville Tastee-Freeze .  Three middle school aged boys were on the bus at the time of the accident but were not injured., The rest of the students had already been dropped off. The vehicle was lodged underneath the bus and had to be extricated. Passengers in the vehicle were injured but the extent of their injuries was unknown.

Seatbelt Safety

The wail of sirens could drown out the sound of your favourite Christmas carol if you're caught driving without your seatbelt this holiday season.


Police are reminding South Shore motorists to buckle-up and use extra caution on roadways during the busy festive season.

RCMP say wearing a safety restraint is the number one way to survive a motor vehicle accident.

Nova Scotia drivers caught without their seatbelt-buckled will lose two demerit points from their licence.

Community Rallies Around Sick Student

Sam Bond may be too sick to attend school but his presence at Pentz Elementary is stronger than ever.


School staff, students and numerous community members are rallying around the ten-year-old as he battles leukemia.

More than three hundred people attended a benefit breakfast at the Pleasantville Fire Hall last weekend to help raise funds for the Bond family during this difficult time.

Sherry Doucet School Advisory Council Supervisor with Pentz Elementary says more than ten-thousand dollars in donations flooded for Sam in so far.

"He's one of the sweetest kids I think we've ever met. He's just absolutely wonderful. And when this happened we started talking right away about what we could do to alleviate some of the stresses on the family to give them time to focus on Sam getting better and not have to worry about the mundane things in life, ' says Doucet.

For more information on how you can contribute to the Bond family contact the Pentz Elementary School at 688-3210 or pes@ssrsb.ca.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Town Diet Plans

The town of Liverpool is one of six finalists for the CBC series "Village on a Diet'


The program will have residents trimming inches, changes diets and exercising as they work toward a community fitness goal, over the course of ten weeks.

Economic Development officer for the Region of Queens Municipality, Phaedra Charlton-Huskins says the tight-knit community could be an inspiring subject for the series.

" I think this will really show the world, or show Canada at least, how galvanized this community can be, and when we put our minds to something, we can really make things happen," says Charlton-Huskins

Charlton-Huskins says show producers will make another round of candidate cuts tomorrow morning.

Those interested in becoming a featured character in the series, should Liverpool be selected, are encouraged to contact the Region of Queens Municipality.

Shop Safe

Buying gifts "on-line" this holiday season could leave you feeling less than festive if you become the victim of fraud.


Police are reminding South Shore shoppers of the risks associated with Internet purchases.

RCMP Counterfeit Coordinator, Sgt. Tom Murdock says once your personal information is in the wrong hands its hard to get back

"Once you've sent the information, whether it be credit card or payment card information, over the Internet its kind of hard to actually retract it but the best thing to do is to deal with reputable companies and to ensure that the padlock on your web browser is on... and that everything is safe," says Murdock.

Murdock says you can protect yourself from fraud and identity theft by shopping only from your home computer and monitoring your banking and credit card statements for any unusual activity.

LOCK-UP

Unlocked vehicles have been the target of still more thefts in Lunenburg County.


The RCMP is seeking the public's help in tracking down potential suspects.

Between Friday night and Saturday morning, thieves got into two unlocked vehicles in West LaHave and Pleasantville and stole a number of small items.

On Friday night, someone got into an unlocked vehicle along New Cumberland Road.

Items were also stolen from a vehicle in River Lane, Pleasantville on Friday.

Anyone with information on the crimes is asked to contact Lunenburg County RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Outage Update

Strong winds and driving rain is causing numerous power outages across the province.


Here on the South Shore Nova Scotia Power hundreds of customers in Liverpool are still without electricity.

Residents in Port Mouton, Broad River, Along Hwy #103 To Carter's Beach, Stewart's Lake, Port Joli, Robinsons's Lake, Granite Village and surrounding areas are without power this hour.

As of 1pm this afternoon, more than 68 hundred Nova Scotians have lost electricity.

Small Lobster, Big Trouble

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is charging a Riverport man with possession of undersized lobster.


Fisheries officials say they discovered the prohibited catch during routine patrols.

Bill Wolfe, Conservation and Protection officer for Liverpool DFO, says the investigation continues.

Wolfe says the 41 year old accused will appear in Bridgewater court early next year.

Outage Update

Strong winds, driving snow and heavy rain are causing power outages across the South Shore.

Nova Scotia Power customers in Chester from Hwy 3 from Simms Settlement to East Chester Recreation centre and Hwy 329 from East River to Blandford Fire Hall are experienceing outages this morning.

In Liverpool customers in Port Mouton, Broad River, Port Joli, Robinsons's Lake, Granite Village and surrounding areas have lost power.

Yarmouth Industrial Park is also expercing outages at this hour.

As of 11 o'clock this morning more than 24000 Nova Scotia Power customers are wthout power.

Shoveling for Seniors

The local 3rd Bridgewater Scout Group is set to dig out local seniors this winter with a program called operation S.O.S.
The "Shovel Out Seniors" service is for people who do not have the means to clear their walks or driveways during the winter months.

Peter Biddle is the Commissioner for Scouting on the South Shore.

"There's alot of seniors out there today that don't have the resources that, when there is a snow storm they get storm stayed...but it also gives opportunity for the youth to get involved with the seniors but yet do some community service to help them and show their support for the seniors in our area," says Biddle.

Biddle says seniors can access the service by contacting Beth George, Seniors Safety Coordinator for the Bridgewater Police Service.

Please contact Beth George at 543-3567 or  at bgeorge@bridgewaterpolice.ca

POWER'S BACK IN SHELBURNE/PART OF QUEENS COUNTY

The power has been restored to residents and businesses in Queens County and Shelburne county where the power was out for several hours this morning.

The outage was caused by high winds bringing down limbs across power lines.
The power is still out in parts of Yarmouth.
Several thousand homes and businesses also without power in the Spryfield area of Halifax and in Dartmouth and in an area between metro Halifax and Truro.
At one point this morning, some 13 thousand Nova Scotians in total were without electricity during the breakfast period.

SLAIN WOMEN REMEMBERED THIS MORNING

The Lunenburg campus of the Nova Scotia Community College will hold a ceremony this morning to remember the 14 women who were slain at L'ecole Polytechnique in Montreal on this date in 1989.
The ceremony will take place in the atrium of NSCC's Lunenburg Campus in Bridgewater 10:30 a.m.
The ceremony is being organized to raise awareness about violence against women and children in this province.
It will include re-presentation from the Women Unlimited Program, Second Story Women's Centre and Harbour House as well as NSCC staff and students.
All participants have been requested to wear a purple ribbon as a sign of remembrance.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Highway 103 Accident- Update

A truck driver is recovering from minor injuries after an accident on highway 103 .


Queens County RCMP, firefighters and EHS personnel responded to the call at approximately 11 am yesterday morning.

A tractor trailer carrying a load of lobster overturned on the highway between exits 21 and 22.

Police say the load shifted in the cargo container causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

The wreckage was cleared from the scene by 3pm that afternoon.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

103 Accident

An apparent accident on Highway 103 has stalled traffic near Port Joli.



The highway has been reduced to one lane between exits 21 and 22.


EHS personnel and police were on the scene this afternoon, but the details of the crash are remain unclear.

Port Latour Theft

Barrington RCMP are investigating the theft of a weight scale from a shed at the Port Latour Wharf. 

The galvanized scale is about one foot in length and height with a digital screen in the front and a hook swivel on both the top and bottom of the unit. 

The scale was stolen sometime back in August.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Province Invests in Greenfield Lumber Mill

A family owned lumber company in Queens County is receiving a 750 thousand dollar repayable loan through the province's Industrial Expansion Fund. The loan to Harry Freeman and Son Limited of Greenfield, was announced Friday by MLA Vicki Conrad. Over the past six years, the company has invested $18 million into modernizing its facility, building one of the most efficient and flexible sawmills in Atlantic Canada. The company provides significant economic spinoffs, purchasing more than $16 million worth of goods and services from local suppliers each year. The company which is 175 years old is one of the oldest family run businesses in Nova Scotia.

Police VS Paramedics

The second annual food bank challenge is set for this afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m.at the Superstore parking lot.. Town Police are taking on EHS paramedics to see who can stuff their vehicles the most with items for the Bridgewater Interchurch Food Bank. Last years competition was declared a draw . Two police cares, an ambulance and van were filled with non-perishable items all donated to the food bank. The competition will be decided at 3:30 p.m.

DEADLINE NEARS FOR COMPLETING DISTRICT OF LUNENBURG SURVEY

Voters in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg are being asked for their opinions on the role of council and how many councillors would best serve their needs.

There are 12 councillors plus the mayor in the municipality right now and the survey that was launched a few weeks ago is seeking input on whether the council is too small or two big and what should be done to improve operations.
The deadline for returning the filled-out survey is December 17th.
To encourage residents to fill it out and return it, there will be a draw for cash prizes of 100, 75, 50 and 25 dollars.
Those who return the completed forms to the municipality by the deadline will be eligible for the draw.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Queens Mayor Wins Tourism Ambassador Award

He's worn many hats, now there's a new feather to add. Region of Queens Mayor John Leefe has been honoured with the Ambassador award by the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia. The Ambassador award is presented each year to a recipient who has impacted Tourism on a national or international basis. As the only municipal leader to consistently participate in industry events, Mayor Leefe was this year’s recipient. Fostering event development while championing the history and culture of the area, the Mayor has always been a strong advocate for the industry in the Region of Queens Municipality. Throughout his career as teacher, MLA and Mayor, Mayor Leefe has recognized the power of tourism and its impact on the economy.

Union Agreement with School Board

Administrative and IT support workers for the South Shore Regional School Board have voted 100 percent to accept a tentative agreement through March 2012. The workers will see wage increases of 2.9% in the first year, 1% in second, 1% in the third year. There will also be an increase from 55 to 65 percent employer paid benefit plan. As well, workers will receive an additional week vacation after 30 years of service. There are approximately 72 members of the Local represented by the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union

Power Rate Increase for Lunenburg

Lunenburg residents could be looking at a power rate increase next year. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says the Electric Utility may have to increase rates because they've been falling behind NSPI cost increases and running close to a deficit.  Mawhinney says a meeting is planned to discuss options for the six municipal owned electrical utilities in the province.  He says Nova Scotia Power has the capacity to do more to assist the small utilities with helping their citizens learn how to conserve energy, and what measures should be adapted in homes and businesses to do that.  Lunenburg, Riverport and Mahone Bay along with  Antigonish, Berwick, and Canso make up Nova Scotia's first ever inter-municipal electrical co-operative.

TWELVE DAYS OF CRIME PREVENTION UNDERWAY

Making the Christmas shopping period easier and safer for everyone is the goal of a crime prevention campaign thats been launched by South Shore RCMP detachments.
The 12 days of Christmas Crime Prevention campaign is aimed at eliminating crimes of opportunity during the holiday season.
Sgt. Brigdit Leger (bridge-IT la-jeer) is the RCMP's media relations officer for the area.
Among other things, Sgt. Leger says its particularly important to keep your vehicle locked when shopping and keeping your purchases locked up in the trunk and out of sight while going from store to store.
Also, remove GPS systems, cell phones, MP3 players and othetr electronic devices when you are not in your vehicle.

MOVE AFOOT TO REDUCE CLEARCUTTING OF FORESTS

Nova Scotia is looking to reduce clearcutting of provincial forests by 50 per cent over five years.

Natural Resources Minister John MacDonell says such a reduction would be significant in a province where 95 per cent of harvesting is done through clearcutting.
Under the plan all commercial harvesters would have to register with the department and submit annual reports.
MacDonell says violators would face stiff fines.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Oh Christmas Tree !

A 39-year tradition of gratitude and holiday cheer continues today when a Christmas tree from Nova Scotia takes centre stage at the annual tree lighting ceremony in Boston. Every year, since 1971, Nova Scotia sends a Christmas tree to the people of Boston, in recognition for the help provided following the Halifax Explosion on Dec. 6, 1917. This year's tree is a 15-metre white spruce from Gary and Roseann Misner of North Alton, Kings County.  The ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. in Boston) and will be televised to an estimated audience of 300,000 on WCVB Boston Channel 5, an ABC affiliate available in Atlantic Canada on cable.

Lunenburg in Solid Financial Position

An audited statement of Lunenburg. shows the town is in a solid financial position.  Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says the operating surplus was around 17 hundred dollars in a budget of over 4 million.  He says it's worthy of note that as a small community Lunenburg is not at risk as some communities may be as to their financial stability.  Mawhinney says it's very commendable that in a time when others are still looking to  find monies to pay for major capital investment, the Town spent over 7 million dollars this past fiscal year installing a new water treatment plant and only owe one million. The Mayor adds the Town is taking a very prudent and wise approach to fiscal management by waiting to source available provincial and federal funds.

Dog Park Considered for Lunenburg

By next summer there could be an area set aside in the Town of Lunenburg where Fido or Rover will be able to run free.  Council is exploring the feasibility and costs to set up an off-leash dog park.  Three sites have been recommended with one on Blockhouse Hill toward the back harbour being favoured. There have been complaints about some dog owners allowing their dogs to run off-leash on the Back Harbour Trail and on town sidewalks intimidating humans and other animals. Under the current By-law dogs do not need to be leashed but must be under effective control by their owner.

SHELBURNE COUNTY MAN GETS PRISON SENTENCE

Its off to prison for 14 months for a Shelburne County man.

37 year old Jonathan Wade Smith has been sentenced after being convicted earlier of setting fire to his girlfriend's home in January 2009.
Kristie Kaye Brannon was inside the home at the time and managed to escape the flames.
Smith's lawyer attempted to have his client set free, based on time already served but the judge didn't accept it. He did allow 16 months credit for 8 months already spent in jail. Smith also has to pay more than 231-thousand dollars to an insurance company for damages and close to 6-thousand to Brannen.

LUCKY LOTTO WINNERS COLLECT THEIR WINNINGS

Over a month ago, we were the first to let it be known that four people from the Bridgewater area had won a million dollars on a lotto scratch ticket.

Tanya Ernst, Barbara Kelley, Andrew Slauenwhite and Tina Silver all work at the Petro Can gas station on North Street in Bridgewater.
Because of that, they had to wait a month for Atlantic Lotto officials to make sure the win was legitimate.
They checked out OK and yesterday, the happy four travelled to Moncton to collect their winnings ... a cool one million... that they will split four ways.
What do they plan to do with all that money? Well, travel some and buy new vehicles, among other things!
They won the money with a Fortune scratch ticket.