Liverpool School Teacher Jailed

A Queens County teacher has been sentenced to six months in jail for having sex with his teenage student. Forty-three year old Derrick Joseph Redden was also placed on probation for six months after pleading guilty to a charge of sexual exploitation. Court was told that the relationship between the Liverpool Regional High School teacher and the girl, began on February 18th of 2009 when the girl was 16. Her father found sexually explicit text messages which had been exchanged between the two when he was tipped off by an anonymous caller that he should investigate the relationship. Redden and the teen admitted to having sex four to five times a month. The relationship ended when Redden was arrested in March and the girl was 17
The South Shore Regional School Board placed Redden on leave with pay pending the outcome of his court case, however, he resigned his teaching position the first week of June. The Board says it has no comment on the outcome of the trial as Redden is no longer their employee.

Smile...You're on Camera!

You could soon be caught on camera in certain areas of downtown Bridgewater. Town Council approved the purchase of video surveillance equipment from Maritect Investigations and Security Ltd., at a cost of 29 thousand dollars. Mayor Carroll Publicover says there was 40 thousand put in this years budget for a surveillance program to update primarily the security in the downtown area. The sites to be surveilled include the area around the Tavern, corner of King Street and Victoria Road, the parking lot area at the Bridgewater Mall servicing the lounge and on King Street in front of King of Donair. Police currently have the capability of monitoring both high schools, Brookside Cemetery and the Veteran's park area.

Sustainability Festival 2010

Growing Green...is the theme of a Sustainability Festival being hosted by the Town of Bridgewater this fall. The festival was a key recommendation of the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan. Together with the Farmer's Market and the Bridgewater Century Ride, the Festival is planning activities and entertainment.
It will be a "Family Friendly" sustainable event which hopes to leave a lasting positive "green" impression on the community long after it is over.
The Sustainability Festival is set for Saturday,August 21st from 8:30 am to 3:30 p.m.

Student Scholarship

A Park View High School student has received a scholarship from the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation.

Janine Bressmer won a $10,000 award for her essay entitled: Population-Based Health Research Conducted in Nova Scotia.

One scholarship was presented to a student in each of the nine school districts in the province.

This is the 10th year the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation has provided scholarships to students preparing to study health-related fields at a post-secondary institution.