Bridgewater Man Fined for Poaching

A Bridgewater man has been fined almost 3 thousand dollars for poaching deer out of season. Fifty-six year old Michael Rex Oickle was initially charged with 18 counts under the wildlife regulations and criminal code but pleaded guilty to three offences while the remainder were withdrawn by the Crown. Oickle was fined a little over 24 hundred dollars fro hunting deer during the closed season, 225 dollars for possessing deer parts and 340 dollars for unlawfully having a rifle in a wildlife habitat. Along with the fines Oickle is banned from having a hunting licence for at least five years.

Own Your Own Courthouse

A hundred and 50 thousand dollars will buy you your own courthouse. That's the asking price for the former justice centre on Pleasant Street. The building is owned by the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, and a realtors sign has gone up on the property. The title was transferred back to the Municipality in January. The Municipality declared the property surplus and offered to sell it to the Town of Bridgewater, but there was no interest in a purchase. The former court house was replaced by the new Bridgewater Justice Centre on High Street which officially opened last July 30th.

Inn from the Cold

Depending on how you measure success, the Inn from the Cold Bridgewater program hosted 100 overnight stays to 15 individuals ranging from 13 to 75 years of age. Eighty volunteers participated with 8 different churches for the first season of operation of the Inn from the Cold Shelter in Bridgewater.The Bridgewater Police and the RCMP also provided partnership and support. Support and food was provided by Bridgewater Baptist Ministerial, 10 businesses, Bridgewater Town Council, Community College, teachers and many individuals. The program ran from December 1st to until April. Baptist Minister, Reverend Eric Campbell who organized the program says one large gap in assistance that became obvious throughout the season is for those aged 16 - 18 years old, no longer children, but not yet adults. He says It would be wonderful to see more proactive help - to keep those on the 'edge' from falling off. Too many live each month on inadequate Social Assistance - leaving them permanently at risk."

Commuity Demands New School

Nothing less than a new school to replace South Queens Jr./High will satisfy the South Shore Regional School Board and community at large. Vernon Oickle is chair of the SAC of Liverpool Regional High and a member of South Queens SAC. He says the Junior High was listed as a priority to be replaced several years ago . Oickle says the SAC supports the Boards push for a new stand alone building saying renovations are not economically sound . Oickle says it's an important issue for the community. They're not asking for a new school because they want it, they need it and it's the right thing to do for the community and the kids. Board Chairman, Elliott Payzant says a renovation and not having a school that meets 2010 standards is just sentencing the students in the Junior High in South Queens to second class citizens for the next 10 to 15 years and that's simply not acceptable