Monday, November 1, 2010

Literacy Action Week- Book Launch

To celebrate Literacy Action Week, the Community College's Lunenburg Campus is hosting a book launch and signing this Friday. The Way it Works is the sixth and latest novel by William Kowalshi, established author and NSCC faculty member for the School of Access and School of Trades & Technology. The launch will take place at NSCC's Lunenburg Campus, 75 High Street in Bridgewater, on Friday, Nov. 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Mr. Kowalshi will be on hand for a reading and book signing. The Way it Works is a short novel for adults and has recently been nominated for the Ontario Library Association's reader's choice award, the Golden Oak Award.  Literacy Action week is held the first week of November each year. It is the time when Literacy Nova Scotia and individuals and organizations who have an interest in supporting adult literacy concentrate on ways to inform governments and the public about literacy in their community.

CYBER-Safety Program

An anti-cyberbullying program will be unveiled this Friday by Bridgewater Police. "CYBER: Programmed for Safety" teaches children the problems of bullying behaviour and how to protect themselves when on the Internet. According to statistics

- 50% of Canadian children say that they are online most of the time.
- 25% of young Canadian Internet users say that someone has sent them messages that have said hateful things about others.
- 42% of kids have been targeted while online.
- Only 10% of those kids who were bullied told their parents about the incident.
- A mere 18% of the cases were reported to a law enforcement agency.

The public event to launch the new program takes place Friday, November 5th at the Bridgewater Elementary School at 11:15 a.m.

Lunenburg Pair Face Drug/Weapons Charges

Two residents of Lunenburg are facing drug allegations following a search of their residence on Pelham Street. Members of the South Shore Integrated Street Squad along with Bridgewater Police and Lunenburg County RCMP conducted the search on Friday, October 29th. Police seized cocaine, processed marihuana, "magic mushrooms", prohibited weapons and stolen property. A 26 year old man and 24 year old woman from Lunenburg have been charged with possessing cocaine, marihuana and "magic mushrooms" for the purposes of trafficking. The pair also face charges for for possessing prohibited weapons and stolen property under the Criminal Code. A date of January 12th has been set for plea in Bridgewater Provincial Court.

PREMIER MAKES IT OFFICIAL, ANNOUNCING NEW SCHOOL FOR LIVERPOOL

A new school will be built in Liverpool.

Premier Darrell Dexter made the announcement this morning in the South Shore town.
The new facility will replace the aging South Queens Junior High.
The Premier says he attended South Queens Junior High so it holds a special place in his heart and he knows the replacement will be an excellent addition to the community.
South Queens Junior High School has an enrollment of about 300 students in grades 7 to 9.
A study determined it was better value to build a new school rather than renovate the existing one.
Planning will begin immediately, starting with the site-selection process.
The design, completion date and cost of the project will be determined during the early phases of planning.

School Board Modifies Transfer Policy

The South Shore Regional School Board has modified its transfer-policy.
Students are sometimes granted special permission to attend a school, based on their participation in an "advanced" or "immersion" program.
With the new policy in place, students who then withdraw from that program will have to return to their regional school.
Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake says transfers are seldom requested and rarely granted.
Students denied a transfer can fight the decision with the regional Appeal Committee.

Downtown Bridgewater Traffic Disruptions

The downtown section of Bridgewater continues to present problems for motorists.
Because of infrastructure upgrades, traffic is being disrupted at the York St. / Alexandra Ave. / Dufferin St. intersection.
The work will continue until Friday and motorists are advised to use an alternate route.
King Street will remain open to two-way traffic.
Dufferin Street will remain closed from King Street access.
All businesses and residences in the construction-area will continue to be accessible by local-traffic.

Veterans Protest Their Treatment by Federal Government

As Remembrance Day approaches, veterans across the country are protesting.
Retired members of the Canadian armed forces have expressed renewed outrage at the conservative government's decision to not re-appoint the outspoken Pat Stogran as veterans' ombudsman.
Craig Leonard -- a retired veteran who suffers from post traumatic distress disorder -- says the government was not listening to what Stogran had to say.
Leonard -- who served in Manitoba, New Brunswick and in the Golan Heights along the disputed-border between Israel and Syria -- says the benefits offered under the 2006 Federal Veterans charter are unacceptable for those who served.  
A nation-wide Day of Protest is taking place on November 6th.
Local picketers will gather at the office of Member-of-Parliament Gerald Keddy on Aberdeen Road in Bridgewater at 11:00 o'clock on Saturday.