Town of Shelburne Looks to Downsize Council

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board has rejected a request from the Town of Shelburne to downsize the number of members on council from six to four. In a decision released earlier this week, the regulatory board says more public consultation is needed before making such a move. Mayor Al Delaney says a declining population in Shelburne is the main reason behind the request. "With our declining population and our decline tax base, four councilors would be more than adequate to govern the town and with the mayor it would be five election official governing just over 1,800 people," He says the town will meet the boards request and set dates for some public meeting on the matter in the near future. The URB has asked the town to re-submit its application before the end of February and have scheduled another hearing on the matter for April 16th.

Update: Wild Rose Park & Western Shore Wharf

Negotiations with affected property owners in Wild Rose Park will begin next month. The municipality voted to expropriate twelve parcels of land within the park shortly before the Holidays and officially acquired the land this week. Warden Allen Webber says the municipality will now begin contacting those property owners before entering into the negotiation process. "I'd like to have it resolved tomorrow, but realistically we're probably entering into a six-month stretch of back and forth negotiation, depending on how things go and how receptive people are to the amount of money that we are prepared to offer," Meanwhile, Webber says upgrades to the wharf within Wild Rose Park will begin in February. The municipality recently signed a lease-purchase agreement with Western Shore Wharf Corporation. The private company will inject $400,000 into its restoration.

BREAKING: Schools in Lunenburg and Queens County closed

South Shore residents should remain cautious behind the wheel this morning as plows cleanup roads from Thursday night's snowfall. Between 5-10cm of snow fell along the South Shore before it turned to freezing rain and eventually to rain and drizzle overnight. Roads are still slick in spots and drivers are urged to stay patient. Meanwhile, the South Shore Regional School Board have informed us that all schools in Lunenburg and Queens County are closed for the day.

Lumberjacks fall to Metro

Three goals in the final two periods were enough to push the Metro Marauders past the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks 5-1 Thursday night in Bridgewater. Cody Coffin scored the lone goal for the Jacks, who dropped their ninth straight game. Metro scored three of their goals with the man advantage and Head Coach Terry Rhindress says that was the difference.

"They're a good hockey team, they have some 20-year-olds there on the back-end that move the puck well, they go defense-to-defense, backdoor, seam pass, I mean they find the seam, so, you know what, that's a good hockey team, we didn't adjust the way we should have and it put us in a position at 4-1."

The Lumberjacks, meanwhile, went 0 for 7 on the powerplay, something Rhindress wasn't too pleased about after the game. Billy Clarke stopped 32 shots in the loss. The Edwards Denture Clinic 3 stars for last nights Lumberjacks game were:

1. Travis Hall - Metro

2. Chris Riguse - Metro

3. Billy Clarke - Lumberjacks

VIDEO: Bridgewater Councillors approve Parking Meter recommendations

Bridgewater council has approved a number of recommendations to update its current draft bylaw on parking meters. The town approved six of the seven suggestions put forward. Mayor Carroll Publicover says now they want to hire an experienced consultant to study parking meters in the town. The draft bylaw is expected to be back in front of council for first reading in the next couple of months. Council approved the following recommendations:

1. That the rate for metered parking in the Town of Bridgewater be increased to $0.50 per hour with a further increase to $1.00 per hour after one year.
2. That all parking meters receive the needed software upgrade and any repair and replacement.
3. That the most outdated or damaged parking meters be replaced each year as revenue from the parking meters in the previous year allows.
4. That the enforcement of parking meters be increased significantly.
5. That the Parking Meter By-Law proceed through the process of adoption.
6. That no new parking meters be installed.