Hanging up the Holster

It's time to hang up the holster for the top Mountie in the Region of Queens. Staff Sgt. Bruno Deveau is retiring at the end of this month after some 35 plus years of service with the RCMP. He says its time to move on and let someone else to take over the seat. Staff Sgt. Deveau has headed up the Queens detachment for the past 3 and a-half years. Opening the lines of communication with Council and the community has been rewarding. They've also opened a community policing office in Caledonia. Staff Sgt. Deveau says he'll miss the employees and the challenges associated with the job but is looking forward to doing some travelling. with his wife Wanda. Sgt. Jeff Wells formerly with the South Shore Traffic Services will be the new commander of the Queens detachment

Municipal Auditor General

The Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities is seeking input on the potential workplan for the Municipal Auditor General. The province announced two years ago it would appoint a Municipal Auditor General to perform value for money audits. The positron was to be appointed by this April 1st, but the Minister has granted an extension.
Region of Queens Mayor John Leefe says its absolutely essential to get it right the first time. He says there has been some suggestion the UNSM would dictate the areas in which the Auditor General would undertake his reviews. Leefe says Queens supports the model whereby the Municipal Auditor General would have a small staff and farm out audits to the private sector, rather than creating a whole new bureaucracy that would be the equivalent to the operation that the Provincial Auditor General supports

Tourism Kiosks

Finding a location for a third tourism kiosk is proving a bit of a challenge for the Municipality of Lunenburg. Deputy-Mayor Martin Bell says initially they agreed to place one centrally, one on the east side of the LaHave River, and one on the west side of the river. A chosen location in Bayport had to be scrapped because a restaurant where the panel was to be placed has closed. Councillors couldn't reach agreement where the third panel should be relocated. Bell says the Tourism Focus Group has been given 30 days to bring back a recommendation to Council.
The two sites already selected for the kiosks are near the Best Western Hotel under construction in Cookville, and Mosher's look-off in Dublin Shore. The kiosks are being erected as a temporary measure for the 2010 tourism season, while a determination is made on a permanent Visitor Information Centre.

Counterfeit Cash

Next time your handed a twenty dollar bill you better make sure it's real. Shelburne RCMP recently received a complaint from a local business who believed they received counterfeit twenty dollar bills. Two 18 year old residents were arrested and are set to appear in court at a later date on counterfeit charges. Six twenty counterfeit bills were seized.

Things to check:

1. Feel the texture of the bill.
2. Compare the bill with another of the same denomination and series.
3. Look carefully at the printing quality.
4. Look for coloured strands in the paper.
5. Hold it up to the light and look at the watermark.
6. Examine the serial numbers.

Possible salmonella in Lay's Potato Chips

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume certain sized bags of Lay's Smokey Bacon flavour Potato Chips. The chips contain tainted ingredients which have been recalled in the U-S and Canada by Basic Food Flavours.

*Information from The Canadian Press.