VIDEO: Four Schools Removed From Review Process

Four schools have been taken off the school review list. Bridgewater Junior-Senior High, New Germany Rural High School, New Germany Elementary and Newcombville Elementary will no longer be reviewed after Wednesday night's special school board meeting. Board member Judith Sullivan-Corney says there were a number of options that went into her decision.



The result means six schools are still up for review. She says it wasn't a surprising decision.



Sullivan-Corney also made a motion to take the transfer of grade 6-9 students from Hebbville Academy to Bridgewater High off the option list. She also chose to eliminate the option of sending students from Gold River-Western Shore Elementary to Bayview Community School.

BREAKING: Bluenose II Re-Launch Update

The Nova Scotia government will announce the re-launch date for the Bluenose II later this month. The historic sailing vessel is undergoing a $15.9 million dollar refit on Lunenburg's waterfront. In a release, the province's department of community, culture and heritage says workers will begin dismantling the temporary shelter enclosing the vessel tomorrow. The department also says tracks to move the boat into position for launch will be installed in the coming weeks. The schooner is expected to return to the water in early July, though no public sailing is scheduled for this year. Once the vessel hits the water, it will take another three months to install the masts, sails and boom upon completion. Bluenose II was built in 1963 and transferred to the province in 1971.

Queens: Hospital Fundraising Enters Home Stretch

The community fundraising campaign in Queens County is entering the home stretch. The fundraising team has raised just over $1.24 million dollars towards their overall goal of $1.5 million. The money is needed to cover the remaining estimated costs for construction on the Queen General Health Project. Chair of the fundraising committee, Christopher Clarke says the campaign has brought the community closer together.



A work tender for the $16 million dollar project is expected to be awarded in July with construction scheduled to begin in August. The project includes a new primary care clinic and the redevelopment of the 22-bed in-patient unit at the hospital in Liverpool.

Property Taxes Hold Steady in Lunenburg

Residents of Lunenburg don't have to worry about a heavier tax bill this year. The town will maintain its tax rate despite absorbing the cost of maintaining Lunenburg Academy. The residential rate has been set at $1.27 per hundred of assessment while the commercial rate is $3.26 cents. Overall, the town will operate with a budget of $12 million dollars which includes its electric and water utilities. Just over $3.1 million dollars will be spent on capital projects this year.

Bus Service Coming To Shelburne County

A Shelburne County organization is close to bringing a bus service to its residents. The Sou'west Nova Transit Association's application to the province's Utility and Review Board has been approved. Now, they just need to train bus drivers before they can begin offering the service. Co-chair of the Association's board of directors, David Meyer, believes a bus would be frequently used by residents.



Meyer says they hope to start training drivers in the next week. He expects the bus service to be up and running by the end of the month. For more information, head to http://www.souwestnovatransit.ca/ or call Renata Tweedy at (902) 637-2592.

Lunenburg: Council Baffled By Bluenose II Secrecy

 

Members of town council in Lunenburg are calling for more transparency surrounding the launch of the Bluenose II. The historic sailing vessel is expected to reach the water in July. However, the provincial government is releasing few details on its launch official launch. Councillor Jamie Myra says he can't understand why the province is holding back information surrounding it's launch.



Meanwhile, mayor Laurence Mawhinney says the launch of the schooner will garner international attention and he wants the milestone event to get the attention it deserves.



The historic sailing vessel is undergoing a $15.9 million dollar refit Lunenburg's waterfront. Once the vessel hits the water, it will take another three months to install the masts, sails and boom upon completion. The schooner will feature a crew of 20 people when it resumes sailing in 2013.

School Board: Special Meeting on Review Process

Its providing information as early as possible in a transparent way according to Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake. A special school board meeting will be held Wednesday night to give the public an update on work completed by consultants on school review and impact assessment reports. Deloitte Inc. was hired by the board to help them through the review process. Pynch-Worthylake says they're hoping to shed light on the consultants findings so far.



The public meeting will be held at 7pm Wednesday night at the board's office in Bridgewater.

Nine Year Old Raises Money And Hope For Diabetes Cure

Regan Howard

She's only 9 years old but she is very "grown-up" in her outlook on life!  What makes Regan Howard stand-out too is the fact she is a ... diabetic.  The Saint John resident who would like to be a ballet dancer has Type-1 diabetes, also known as Juvenile Diabetes.  However, Regan doesn't flinch a bit about special diets, exercise, insulin pumps and needles.  She's had the disease since age 5 and she's not about to let it get the best of her!



Regan is giving back ... raising nearly 40-thousand dollars for diabetes awareness and research. She even has her own fund-raising website and this year she's 94 percent on the way to raising another 10-thousand.  Her father, Gary, says every contribution makes a difference.



For more information and how to make a contribution, ... google "Regan's Dream Team". By the way, the annual Walk To Cure Diabetes takes place this month in many Canadian cities.  Halifax next Tuesday and Saint John on Sunday.