Municipality of Lunenburg Sets Tax Rates

The Municipality of Lunenburg is holding the line on their residential tax rate. Council approved its 2012-13 budget Tuesday night. The residential rate remains at $0.81 cents per 100 of assessment while the commercial tax rate dropped $0.10 cents from $2.05 to $1.95. Mayor Don Downe says they plan to stay the course.



Residents will also continue to be taxed the two-and-a-half cents for the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. The municipality has a capital budget of just over $3.4-million while its operating budget is $29.8-million.

600 New Patients For Nurse Practitioners

Bridgewater's two new nurse practitioner's had a busy first week. They've accepted over 600 new patients. Spokesperson for South Shore Health Liz Finney says that even though the phone lines were busy, the first week has gone very well.




New patients will only be accepted after July 16th if they don't have a family physician. This will give the nurse practitioners time to intake their current new patients and arrange follow up appointments. The new hires are the first step towards Bridgewater's proposed Collaborative Health Centre.

Its Tick Time!

'Tis the season for ticks ... lots of ticks .... all the way from Yarmouth to the central part of the province.  There are various variations ... wood ticks, dog ticks and in some places .... black-legged ticks.
Museum of Natural History entomologist Andrew Hepda tells us, there is little you can do about them, except grin and bear it and take precautions.  He says its important to dress properly and to check for ticks when you get home.

"When you come back in just do a top to bottom check to see if there is "anybody" on you. It usually takes about 24 hours to get up into a feeding position so they're still crawling around for that first 24 hours. Once they start feeding (on your blood), it still takes them a good 48 hours to get that full feed. So, you've got lots of time to check."

Black legged ticks are the ones that can be potential carriers of lyme disease.  They have been confirmed to exist in some parts of the region.  Last year, a couple of black-legged ticks were found in Yarmouth County and confirmed to be carriers of the virus that causes Lyme disease.

Tipping Fees Going Up At Whynott Settlement Landfill

It will soon cost more to dump items at the Whynott Settlement landfill. Bridgewater council has agreed to recommendations from the waste management committee to raise the price of tipping fees to help recover costs. The biggest increase will see commercial haulers charged $141 to drop their waste, up from $60. Councillor Bill McInnis says the cost increases will mainly affect businesses and some residents.



Compost fees will be $100, increasing by $25, and rural septic users will pay just over $31. Blue bags remain at no charge. The price changes are effective August 1.

Potential For More Products From Forestry

There is great potential for expanding the forest industry in Lunenburg, Queens, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties.  Thats the belief of Argyle MLA Chris D'Entremont. He points to the many products that can be produced, aside from the traditional paper and building products.

"The minerals, the extract and those kinds of things. Lets do some research. Lets see where we can go on that one and bring that forward. We know that when it comes to bio-medicine, there's a lot of money available in that, that might be able to take a piece of what that industry is and keep it alive."

D'Entremont says the forest industry needs to be more self-sufficient and not reliant on the large pulp and paper mills, like Bowater-Mersey.

Long-Service Awards For South Shore Paramedics

A trio of South Shore paramedics will receive long service medals during a ceremony in Halifax today. Bruce Leaman of Liverpool along with Crystal Larkin and James Currie of Shelburne will receive the prestigious award this year.  The Paramedic Long Service Award is based on five-year increments of service of 20 years and more. Paramedics with 20 years of service receive a medal for their dress uniform. For each additional five-year increment, paramedics receive a service bar pinned on the medal. The awards have been given out every year since 2010 in conjunction with Emergency Medical Services week in the province. The award is in the shape of the Star of Life, which is internationally recognized as the symbol for paramedic service. It also has the Nova Scotia Coat of Arms along with the EHS logo and is worn on the Paramedic dress uniform.

Man Charged In April ATV Incident

A Lunenburg County man is facing charges in relation to an incident in First South back in April.  The driver of an ATV was injured when he and his vehicle ran into barbed wire strung between two trees.  After an investigation, the RCMP have now charged a 65 year old man with criminal negligence and setting a trap that likely will cause bodily harm.  A court appearance is expected in a few days.

Mitchell Receives PC Nod For Lunenburg West

Lunenburg West has its PC candidate for the next provincial election. Current Bridgewater councillor David Mitchell got the nod after there were no other nominations received by the Tory Party. He replaces Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, who chose not to seek the nomination after battling health issues. Mitchell says he hopes to start a new chapter of his life as a provincial politician.



Mitchell says he's undecided about running for Bridgewater council now that he's running for MLA. He says he's not bothered by the wave of NDP orange covering every constituency on the South Shore.



Mitchell says school review and power rates are the biggest issues concerning South Shore residents. A meeting to announce Mitchell as the official Progressive Conservative candidate for Lunenburg West will be held Thursday evening at the Bridgewater Legion.