Tories will host Town Hall Meeting in Bridgewater

The high cost of living will be the focus of a town hall meeting in Bridgewater this week. Conservative leader Jamie Baillie will host the meeting that will focus on issues such as jobs, power rates and daycare. In an interview with CKBW/HANK FM, Baillie says he wants to hear from South Shore residents on what needs to change to make life more affordable. "We need to look very closely with the way electricity prices are set...I don't know about you but I got my power bill this week and holy smokes, what a shock. So if there was ever an argument to go back to the drawing board on a electricity policy its that," Baillie says fundamental changes such as balanced budgets and lower taxes are needed in order to help people make ends meet. The meeting will be held Thursday night at the Bridgewater Fire Hall at 7 o'clock.

White Point: Virtual Design of Main Lodge Unveiled

The owner of a popular beach resort in White Point says the new lodge will serve as a perfect tribute. Robert Risley made the comment as officials unveiled the new design plan for the main lodge yesterday. The designs were released only three months after a devastating fire destroyed the White Point Beach Resort's Main Lodge. The new lodge will be constructed with local material, such as wood and stone with modern windows and energy efficient components. The new lodge will feature a pool, hot tub and sauna in addition to wood burning fire places, a lounge and meeting space. The lodge will be constructed over the next few months and be ready to re-open in the fall.  For a virtual tour of the lodge - click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6a8CsNJrY4

VIDEO: Downe rejects takeover of Centre Consolidated

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has learned it will take over Centre Consolidated at the end of March. The province informed Don Downe recently and the mayor isn't too pleased about the situation. He says the Municipality already spent thousands of dollars on demolishing the Centre Jail, and they've inherited the Blockhouse School and Riverport Community School. Downe says inheriting Centre Consolidated would be a burden on the Municipality.

"That is a huge liability to this council. On top of the millions we've talked about, this school alone, to put into a condition for a sale, would be around $2-million of repairs that need to be dealt with immediately."

Downe says they're not accepting the takeover and wants the province to put a moratorium on it. He says the Municipality can't afford to pay for Centre and he plans to write detailed letters to local MLAs, the Minister responsible and the Premier about the situation.

Sports: Mustangs drop game one to Valley

The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs let a two-goal lead slip away, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Valley Wildcats in game one of their best of five playoff series. The Mustangs led 2-0 midway through the first period when an apparent missed icing call happened, resulting in the Valley's first goal. Mustangs Head Coach Tim Boyce says it killed their early momentum.

"We're up 2-0, we're outshooting them 17-1, they clearly ice the puck, nobody is even around it, everybody in the rink thinks its icing and it doesn't get blown down and then after the fact they tell us that it was tipped, but it couldn't of been tipped, nobody was around the puck."

Despite the early loss, Boyce says he isn't ringing the alarm bells just yet.

"I didn't expect to beat these guys three straight. They're just as hungry as us to get a playoff win. We're ok. Like I said, we come back Thursday, and hope to even it up. We played very well in the Valley this year, we haven't lost a game down there this year, so, we'll just focus on Thursday and take it from there."

Connor Hirtle, Stone Harnish and Jamie Blair scored for the Mustangs while Cole Skinner stopped 20 shots in the loss. Game two goes Thursday night at 7:30 at the Bridgewater Arena.

RCMP: Angry Pit Bull Greets Officer

An RCMP officer in Queens County had to fire off a warning shot to scare away an aggressive pit bull while making an arrest in Liverpool this weekend. Police were executing a search warrant on Sunday at a home in Mersey Point when they were greeted at the door by the large dog. According to police, the pet was not harmed and the officer only fired his revolver to scare away the dog. Meanwhile, police arrested a 24 year-old man in relation to an alleged break and enter in the area. The man has been charged with possession of stolen property, break and enter and two counts of breach of probation.  The accused was scheduled to appear in Liverpool Provincial Court today.

Bayport Fisherman Guilty of Avoiding DFO Inspection

A Lunenburg County fisherman has been fined after being convicted in Bridgewater court this week on a charge laid by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Bernard Selig of Bayport was found guilty of off-loading 5-thousand pounds of groundfish from his boat last year and avoiding inspection by DFO officers. He's been fined 500-dollars and ordered by the judge to forfeit the value of more than 3-thousand dollars worth of groundfish. Selig has not received a fishing license-suspension.

SSRSB Superintendent: "To early to speculate on cuts"

Nancy Pynch-Worthylake

There's more than the announced budget cuts coming for the South Shore Regional School Board. Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake says they will be facing an estimated $1.4-million in cuts, as well as roughly $660-thousand to $1.3-million in cost of living setbacks. The School Board reduced 19 positions from its regional office last year, along with 11 teachers and 32 school-based support workers. Pynch-Worthylake says its too early to tell what cuts they will make this year.

"We don't yet know what the exact implications will be. It will be very difficult and we will present the board with options for a balanced budget but it would be premature to speculate on what that will look like."

Last year, the Board was forced to trim $2.7-million from its budget because of a reduction in provincial funding and an increase in cost pressures. Pynch-Worthylake says they won't know for sure what they will have to cut until the province releases its final budget for 2012-13. Once that happens, the board has 60 days to release its budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Bridgewater turns 113-years-old

Happy belated birthday to Bridgewater. Mayor Carroll Publicover released the information during the opening announcements of Monday night's town council meeting. February 13 was Bridgewater's 113th birthday. Publicover says no celebration was held this year.

"We have been celebrating it, in every fifth year, like this is 113, on 115 there will probably be cake and cookies and lemonade and all kinds of wonderful festivities, but it's not something you do every year, but you acknowledge it."

History tells us in January 1899, an event known as the "Big Fire" completely destroyed the downtown core of Bridgewater.  One month later, the community came together as an Incorporated Town.

Minor injuries after head-on collision in Hebbs Cross

A head-on collision in Hebbs Cross Monday afternoon has left one person with minor injuries. The accident happened along highway 103 just before 3:30pm near the Blarney Stone Restaurant and Naugler Auto. Hebbs Cross Deputy Fire Chief Charles Meisner describes what happened.

"There was a Jeep coming from Liverpool. There was a gentleman that was coming out of Naugler's Service Centre and the Jeep lost control of the road conditions and hit the gentleman that was leaving Naugler's."

Meisner says an older man leaving Naugler Auto in a Chevrolet Lumina van suffered a few cuts to his face and did not believe to have any damage to his legs after they were trapped because of the accident. Officials with the Bridgewater Fire Department were called-in with the Jaws of Life to free the man. He was then taken to hospital while a younger man in the Jeep walked away with no injuries.  Meisner says weather is believed to be the main reason for the accident. The highway was shut down as a result of the accident for roughly an hour.

Suspicious Fire on Big Tancook Island

An investigation is underway into a suspicious fire at a cottage on Big Tancook Island. Chester RCMP and the Fire Marshal's office are looking into what caused the blaze and who may be responsible. The fire broke out last Monday and completely destroyed the cottage. Anyone with information is being asked to contact police in Chester or crime stoppers.

Dexter: Bowater Working on Efficiency Upgrades

Premier Darrell Dexter isn't surprised by the upcoming shutdown at Bowater Mersey. He says the market for paper across the continent remains extremely soft and periodic downtime has to be expected. Dexter says taxpayers shouldn't worry about the province's decision to offer a $50 million dollar rescue package for the mill.  He says the mill will remain in operation and officials at Bowater are still working on installing more efficient machinery. Dexter says those upgrades will help make the mill more competitive and avoid lengthy shutdowns in the future. Resolute Forest Products announced on Friday it will temporarily shut down a number of its operations next month due to poor market conditions.  The Liverpool area mill will shut down for three weeks beginning March 11th.

SSRSB Reviewing Electoral Districts

The South Shore Regional School Board is reviewing its electoral districts. Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake says the review is necessary after the approved and potential municipality district changes in the South Shore region.

"There have been changes, approved changes, to the Municipality of the District of Queens and the District of Lunenburg has applied for some changes. Our electoral districts are determined, in part, by theirs. Once they have changes to theirs, we need to look at ours."

The School Board is made up of ten district members and two at-large members-one elected African Nova Scotian and one appointed First Nations representative. Pynch-Worthylake says the review will consider lowering the district members between five and 10. The first of three public meetings will be held February 20 from 6-7pm at the School Board Office. Other public meetings will be held Wednesday February 22 from 6-7pm at Forest Heights Community School and Thursday February 23 from 6-7pm at Dr. John C. Wickwire Elementary School. After public consultations are complete, it's expected School Board Member Judith Sullivan Corney will make a decision regarding the number and composition of districts at a Special Meeting Wednesday March 7 at 6:30pm at the School Board Office. A proposal will be made to the Utility and Review Board, who will hold a public consultation and make the final decision.

Health Services Foundation ready for 2nd Annual Radiothon

South Shore's Health Services Foundation 2nd annual Gift for the Heart Radiothon gets underway Tuesday. It will be held on CKBW and HANK-FM this year, in order to raise $244-thousand for a new Echo System. Bernadette Jordan with the Foundation talks about the importance of the system.

"It takes pictures of the heart, it's a non-invasive procedure, so its like an ultrasound but it's strictly cardiac and it will look at valves as well as the heart, and anyone who has any kind of heart issues, or valve issues, the echo is the system they go on."

Jordan is encouraging businesses to challenge each other to see who can donate more, or gather pocket change and donate that way.

"Throw it in a jar and drop it off the day of the event and you know, sometimes people don't realize how much change adds up and it can add up quite quickly and anybody can collect change, I mean, we're talking kids, schools, community groups, everybody can do the change thing quite easily."

South Shore Regional Hospital has the lone echo system from Halifax to Yarmouth. Both radio stations will air the Radiothon from 8am-6pm Tuesday.

Sports: Murphy wins Tankard title over Dacey

There's a new provincial curling champion on the block. Jamie Murphy's club from CFB Halifax got by Mark Dacey 7-5 in the final of the 2012 Molson Tankard Sunday at the Bridgewater Curling Club. Murphy says its a big thrill to win the title.

"It's just been awesome. We've had an awesome week and just can't put it into words, it's just been an awesome day."

Murphy's team came out firing, building up a 5-0 lead after two ends before Dacey fought back to within two after the seventh end. But the two teams just traded singles in the next two ends before Murphy ran Dacey out of rocks in the 10th to seal the victory. Murphy says it's a big win to beat Dacey for the championship.

"It's huge. Mark has was a great competitor all week, extremely supportive of us and a true professional."

Murphy also wins the first provincial title for CFB Halifax since Dave Joens won it in 1992. The Murphy team will now represent Nova Scotia at the 2012 Brier in Saskatoon, beginning the weekend of March.

Sports: Mustangs begin playoffs against Valley

Playoff hockey hits Bridgewater Saturday night as the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs battle the Valley Wildcats. It's the opener of the best of five series between the two clubs. The two teams are no stranger to each other, squaring off five times in the regular season with the Mustangs winning four of the games. Head Coach Tim Boyce says his team needs to put a lot of pucks towards the net while shutting down the top offensive weapons for the Wildcats. Game one begins at 8pm Saturday night at the Bridgewater Arena.

South Canoe Wind Project: Consultations Begin

Public consultations begin today on a large wind farm between Chester and Windsor. A public meeting will be held this afternoon in Vaughan at the Fire Hall. Three Nova Scotia companies are hoping to win the rights to build the South Canoe Wind Project. The wind farm would feature up to 50 turbines spread over 6,400 hectares of land between Chester and Windsor. Oxford Frozen Food, Minas Basin Pulp and Paper and Nova Scotia power are the proponents behind the project. Today's meeting begins at 2 o'clock. Another public meeting will be held in Chester on Monday night at the Legion.

RCMP find body of missing Shelburne County woman

RCMP have found the body of a missing Shelburne County woman. Police say in a news release that foul play is not suspected in the death of Chelsea Hopkins. The 23-year-old's body was found in a wooded area near her home shortly before 4pm Friday afternoon. She was reported missing on Thursday afternoon. In a news release, the Mounties thanked the public for its assistance in providing information about the missing woman.

Sports: Crushers top Lumberjacks

Devan Gunn scored a powerplay marker midway through the third period, lifting the Pictou County Weeks Crushers to a 4-3 win over the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks. Cody Coffin, Brennan Saulnier and Jake Bullen scored for the Jacks while Dylan McQuaid turned aside 31 shots on the loss. Head Coach Terry Rhindress says his club put in a good effort, in a losing cause. The Jacks went 0 for 3 on the powerplay while Pictou went 1 for 3 with the man advantage. The Lumberjacks next game goes in Summerside Sunday against the Capitals.

McNeil: Questions Bowater $50-M Bailout

Some more uncertainty for workers at Bowater-Mersey. Resolute Forest Products says it will temporarily cease operations at its Bowater Mersey mill in Brooklyn on March 11th. The Nova Scotia government recently gave the company a 50-million dollar rescue package and Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil is questioning that decision. "We like everyone want to see the people of Queen County and the entire province go to work. Just imagine what could happen if that $50 million was invested into small business in Lunenburg and Queens County...The long-term sustainability of those jobs may be greater," The company says world paper markets are saturated and there is a shortage of new orders.

BREAKING: SSRSB facing 2.1% budget cut

The South Shore Regional School Board is tasked with a 2.1 per cent budget cut for fiscal 2012-13. Education Minister Ramona Jennex released the information during a teleconference Friday afternoon. The cut represents just over $1.4-million in the South Shore Regional School Board's budget. Jennex recently said budgets have to reflect the reality of dropping enrolments over the past year. In total, the province is reducing funding to all eight school boards by 1.3 per cent, totalling $13.4-million. Last year, the province reduced funding to school boards by 1.65 per cent. In a letter to board chairs, the minister outlined conditions for boards as they plan their budgets:


-- The province is increasing the allocation for special education, including supports for children with autism, by $12.2 million

-- School boards will achieve reductions in teaching positions through enrolment decline and retirements. This is expected to keep the student-teacher ratio at its current rate of 12.9-1, which is the lowest in a generation

-- The province is maintaining the cap on class size from Primary to Grade 3. Boards will have the flexibility to adjust the cap by two students per class, compared to the cap in 2011-12, to avoid combined classes when appropriate

-- Savings in administration continue to be the priority. Boards must continue efforts to reduce board consultants by 50 per cent by 2013-14

Individual school board allocations will vary depending on their enrolment decline and the funding formula. The province is protecting boards with the sharpest enrolment drops by capping reductions at 2.1 per cent. Boards, like all departments and agencies, must manage wage and inflation costs.

RCMP search for missing Shelburne County woman

RCMP are looking for the public's help in locating a missing woman  Barrington RCMP say 23-year-old Chelsea Justice Anne Hopkins of Shelburne County was reported missing Thursday afternoon. Police say Hopkins left her residence on Oak Park Road Wednesday morning and has not been seen or heard from since. Hopkins is described as 5 foot 3 inches tall, 125 lbs, blonde hair, and blue eyes. She may be wearing a man's brown camouflage coat, and tall orange rubber boots with a blue sole. Police are asking anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact Barrington RCMP.

Baillie: Concerned for Workers/Future at Bowater

An unexpected shutdown of operations is coming at Bowater-Mersey. The paper-machines at the Liverpool-area mill will cease operating for three weeks starting March 11th. The parent company Resolute Forest Products says world paper markets are saturated with the product right now and there is a shortage of new orders. Its the second shutdown at Bowater mill since before Christmas when it was closed for three weeks for the same reasons. Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie says two shutdowns within three months after a $50-million dollar provincial and local government bailout is a dubious sign of trouble. "The right way for Nova Scotia to proceed for the forest industry - for all industry - is to focus on getting the basics right...Having power rates that are affordable, having a tax structure that is fair and I think a better way forward is to try and move away from these band-aid bail outs in the future and focus on getting the fundamentals right,"  During the shutdown next month, only a skeleton crew of staff will remain. Everyone else will be temporarily laid-off.

BREAKING: Three Week Shut-Down Planned at Bowater

An unexpected shutdown of operations is planned at Bowater-Mersey. The Brooklyn based mill will cease operations for three weeks starting March 11th. The mill's parent company - Resolute Forest Products says world paper markets are saturated with the product right now and there is a shortage of new orders. It's the second shutdown at Bowater mill since before Christmas when it was closed for three weeks for the same reasons.

Lunenburg Academy: Town Takes Ownership on March 30

Lunenburg Academy will be back under the town's control by the end of March. However, the future use of the historic school building is still up in the air. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says the town is still looking at a number of options. Among them, a culture, arts and education centre and maybe an interpretive centre for the town's UNESCO designation. The mayor says the town will be meeting with representatives from the South Shore Regional School board in the coming weeks to ensure the transition is smooth. The new Bluenose Academy will hold its first classes on March 21st and be home to students from Centre Consolidated, Lunenburg Academy and Riverport schools.

Council in Chester Pleased with Highway 14 Upgrades

A councillor in Chester is pleased a rough section of Highway 14 will see some new pavement this summer. The Nova Scotia government made the decision to pave a nine kilometre stretch of the Windsor Road late last year. Tenders to pave the stretch between Canaan Road and Kaizer Meadows went out earlier this month. District 7 councillor Sharon Church-Cornelius says she was pleasantly surprised to hear the news. "We were just as surprised as everyone else when we heard the story on the radio (CKBW/HANK FM) last week. The road is in desperate need of repair and we are hoping in the near future the rest of it gets done, it certainly needs it," Church-Cornelius says she's been hearing concerns surrounding Highway 14 for as long as she's been on council. It's also a victory for residents of the area who have been circulating petitions over the years in hopes of getting the road re-paved.

Queens Mayor Lauds Water Power

As many parts of the province, including Chester, move forward with alternative methods of power generation, the District of Queens is sticking with its own version of generating electricity.
The county has been somewhat of a leader in alternative energy, long before wind power or tidal power were even being considered. For almost a century, turbines have been generating power from dams along the county's two main rivers. District of Queens Mayor John Leefe says the dams make a significant contribution. He says: "We could argue that Queens has the greenest energy in the province with six dams on the Mersey and one of the Medway. They produce a tremendous amount of electrical energy. Its all renewable energy." Meanwhile, studies have been done on the potential for producing ... wind ... power in Queens. However, tests have shown the area does not have significant wind potential and proposed projects over the years have been scrapped. The mayor says unless the rivers dry up, there will be no lapse in water power production. Despite that, the District of Queens does have a planning strategy for wind power. Mayor Leefe says it might be useful ... some day!

Tankard: Stevens beats Dacey, tied for third

A pick in the 4th end was the turning point of the game between Mark Dacey and Chad Stevens at the Molson Tankard. Up 2-1 in the 4th, Stevens was lying four with the hammer when Dacey's final rock picked, leaving Stevens with an easy draw for five and a 7-1 lead. Stevens says it was a huge point in the game, and allowed the Chester club to pick up their third victory in the 7-2 win over the five-time provincial champ. Stevens sits in a tie for third at the moment, but isn't feeling too much pressure to play well in front of the local crowd.

"Actually, it's a little comforting to have some people here from home and people supporting you all the way, but yeah, it throws a little added pressure at times but we enjoy it."

Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc and Jamie Murphy are tied for first with 4-1 records. Play gets underway Friday afternoon as the round robin comes to a close.

Standings


Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc 4-1

Jamie Murphy 4-1

Chad Stevens 3-2

Mark Dacey 3-2

Peter Burgess 3-2

Kent Smith 2-3

Brent MacDougall 1-4

Ian Juurlink 0-5


Friday Schedule

2pm

Mark Dacey vs. Peter Burgess 

Ian Juurlink vs. Chad Stevens
Brent MacDougall vs. Kent Smith 
Jamie Murphy vs. Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc

7pm

Kent Smith vs. Chad Stevens 

Mark Dacey vs. Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc 
Peter Burgess vs. Jamie Murphy 
Ian Juurlink vs. Brent MacDougall

N.S. Senator Dickson passes away at 74

Fred Dickson, left, with Gerald Keddy, right, at an announcement in Chester in January 2011

The MP for South Shore-St. Margaret's says the province lost a great man Thursday in Fred Dickson. The Nova Scotia Senator passed away early Thursday morning after a four-year fight with colon cancer. He was 74. Gerald Keddy says Dickson played a key role in provincial and federal projects including Nova Scotia's oil and gas agreements with Ottawa in the early 1980s. Keddy says Dickson was well known on the South Shore, particularly for his involvement with Chester Race Week. He adds, Dickson was well-respected by his peers.

"I can tell you, in caucus, Fred was one of those guys that when he had something to say, he said it and everyone listened. A real asset and a great advocate right to the end for Nova Scotia."

Dickson was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in late 2008. He is survived by his wife Kay, children Kathryn, Ian and Colin and many grandchildren.

Tankard: Stevens falls in Draw Four

A steal of two in the eighth and one in the ninth gave Jamie Murphy's rink enough to upend Chester's Chad Stevens in draw four of the Molson Tankard. Sitting tied at five after six ends, Murphy managed to score one in the seventh before stealing the final two ends for a 9-5 win. The win moves Murphy to 3-1 and in a first-place tie with Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc and Mark Dacey. Stevens is in a fourth place tie with Kent Smith and Peter Burgess. The Chester squad looks to rebound against Dacey in draw 5 Thursday night at 7pm at the Bridgewater Curling club.

Standings


Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc 3-1

Jamie Murphy 3-1

Mark Dacey 3-1

Chad Stevens 2-2

Kent Smith 2-2

Peter Burgess 2-2

Brent MacDougall 1-3

Ian Juurlink 0-4

Chester, Bridgewater Mayors react to Census

The town of Bridgewater's population grew by 297 people from 2006 to 2011. The latest census figures, released Wednesday, indicate Bridgewater had a 3.7 percent spike. Mayor Carroll Publicover says its important for the town to keep growing.

"That's our sole source of income. When communities don't grow, when their assessment base doesn't grow, then you are facing a reduced revenue base on which to provide services. So, if we want to expand our services and offer more to our residents, growth is really important."

In Chester, the communities population decreased by 142 people over the last five years. Warden Allen Webber says lack of jobs, an aging population and the draw to move out West are all significant factors.

"We just aren't creating enough jobs here. Hopefully in the future, we can address that issue because that's what it takes to keep people here, that's what it takes to bring people here. I just don't think we're doing a good enough job of that and on the immigration front, of course, we're falling short.

Webber says Chester's population has remained pretty stable over the past 10 years with no sharp increases or decreases in population. He notes the community will soon see some benefits from the province's ship building contract. Elsewhere on the South Shore, the town of Lunenburg lost four residents from 2006 to 2011.

Final Joint Services Meeting held in Petite Riviere

The last public meeting exploring joint services between the towns of Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the Municipality of Lunenburg goes Thursday night in Petite Riviere. After this evening's meeting, the issue will go back to each of the respective councils for members to decide on the report's recommendations. Each council is expected to make a decision over the next few weeks. Thursday night's meeting gets underway at 7pm at the Petite Riviere Fire Hall.

Tankard: Stevens rink in first-place tie after draw 3

Chester's Chad Stevens has jumped to the top of the leaderboard after draw 3 of the Molson Tankard. Stevens' rink dumped Peter Burgess 8-3 Thursday morning to move to 2-1 and a first place tie with Mark Dacey, Kent Smith, Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc and Jamie Murphy. The Chester club will take on Murphy in the next draw, which gets started at 2pm at the Bridgewater Curling Club.

Standings


Chad Stevens 2-1

Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc 2-1

Jamie Murphy 2-1

Kent Smith 2-1

Mark Dacey 2-1

Brent MacDougall 1-2

Peter Burgess 1-2

Ian Juurlink 0-3

Cats found in Abandoned Rockland home

Up to 30 cats have been found at an abandoned house in an area just outside Lockeport. Members of the Beulah Burman Memorial Animal Shelter were notified recently about the problem in Rockland. Shelter Director Shelly Hipson says a situation like dumping pets isn't out of the ordinary.

"It's an easy way to get rid of a problem. They don't get their cats spayed or neutered, so often they end up with batches of kittens and they're unable to find homes and this is what is seen as an easy solution is to dump them by roadside or at wharfs or in this instance, an abandoned home."

Hipson adds, some of the cats look fine while others need medical attention.

"One has so much infection and frostbite in its ears that they weren't recognizable when we brought him in. We've taken him to the vet and they have been flushed but he was too thin to actually be put under to do the proper surgery, so were just waiting to heal him a bit. Another cat as well, we're looking at an eye removal, there's just so much infection."

Hipson says they are hoping people will adopt the cats and help make a difference. She is also part of group called Pet Projects, which is hoping to raise money to have all the cats spayed or neutered, as well as other surgeries. Donations can be mailed to PET Projects PO Box 267 Shelburne, NS BOT 1W0 or go online to www.petprojects.ca/ . You can also contact Shelly Hipson to see how you can help at (902) 875-2367.

Tankard: Chester's Stevens 1-1 after Day 1

Chester's Chad Stevens is now 1-1 after defeating Brent MacDougall 6-2 in draw 2 of the Molson Tankard. Stevens' rink never trailed, scoring one in the 2nd end before stealing singles in the 4th and 5th ends on route to the convincing win. Meanwhile, Kent Smith leads the way after day one with a 2-0 record while six teams are tied at 1-1. Opening ceremonies will be held Wednesday night. Draw 3 gets started at 9am Thursday morning.

Standings


Kent Smith 2-0

Brent MacDougall 1-1

Chad Stevens 1-1

Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc 1-1

Jamie Murphy 1-1

Mark Dacey 1-1

Peter Burgess 1-1

Ian Juurlink 0-2

Police, Town reach agreement on Pension and Wage

It's been four long years but the town of Bridgewater and its Police Association have finally reached a collective agreement. The six-year agreement includes a wage increase that will see a police officer's salary jump to $74,700 a year from $70,807 on April 1. The police will also contribute nine percent of their base salary towards the pension plan, with the town matching that figure. Chief John Collyer says the agreement keeps Bridgewater competitive with similar sized police departments. Collyer says there are 23 officers and eight civilians with the department that fall under the agreement. He says the new agreement provides long-term stability for policing in the town of Bridgewater. Wage increases for Bridgewater Police are as followed :

• April 1, 2008 - $63,558
• April 1, 2009 - $66,100
• April 1, 2010 - $68,744
• April 1, 2011 - $70,807
• April 1, 2012 - $74,700
• April 1, 2013 - $76,941

The new collective agreement is retroactive to April 1, 2008, and expires March 31, 2014.

Lunenburg: Town Creates Heritage Manager Position

The Town of Lunenburg is set to hire a Heritage Project Manager. It's a two-year term position and will assist the town with duties related to the town's UNESCO designation and its role as a world heritage site. The successful applicant will also play a key role in the future of Lunenburg Academy. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says the work load associated with the town's UNESCO designation isn't getting any easier. " Mawhinney says the town is prepared to pay for the position but would like to explore cost sharing with Parks Canada. He says the town will begin advertising for the new job soon and hopes the position will be filled before the spring.

Sports: Chester curling team falls in Molson Tankard opener

It was a hard fought battle but in the end Chester's Chad Stevens fell just short. Stevens stole one in the 7th end and one in the 9th end before 2010 Tankard Champ Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc scored one in the 10th end to win 7-6 in draw one of the Molson Tankard in Bridgewater. Elsewhere, Mark Dacey moved to 1-0 with an 8-4 win over Ian Juurlink, Kent Smith upended Jamie Murphy 9-5 and Brent MacDougall got by Peter Burgess 9-8. Draw 2 will be held at 2pm Wednesday afternoon at the Bridgewater Curling Club.

Recreational Zone changes call for Public Meeting

A meeting to discuss changes to Bridgewater's recreational zones to allow leash-free dog parks will be held Wednesday night. The town's Planning Department is looking to discuss proposed amendments to its Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use by-law. Director of Planning, Eric Shaw, says they need to make adjustments to allow a space for a leash-free dog area in Generations Active Park.

"Before we move forward with any sort of construction to make that happen, we have to make sure that our statutory planning documents allow for that use to exist on that piece of land."

Shaw says people who live 100 feet from any recreational zone in the town have been notified about the meeting. He says it helps keep things open and transparent so the public is aware of the potential changes. The meeting gets underway at 6pm Wednesday night in Council Chambers.

Molson Tankard gets underway

The provincial men's curling tournament gets underway Wednesday morning in Bridgewater. The first draw starts at 9am and features matches between Chester's Chad Stevens and Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc, Peter Burgess and Brent MacDougall, Jamie Murphy and Kent Smith, and Mark Dacey and Ian Juurlink. The second draw will be held at 2pm Wednesday afternoon. Opening ceremonies will also be held this evening at the Bridgewater Curling Club. The eight-team tourney will play a round-robin format before a page playoff system Saturday and Sunday.

Chester: Kaizer Meadow Wind Project

The Municipality of Chester is set to move ahead with a wind project at its Kaizer Meadow Landfill Facility. The $5.5 million dollar project will be fully owned by the municipality and will feature a large 2.3 megawatt turbine. The project was approved in December but was officially announced by Energy Minister Charlie Parker this morning. Warden Allen Webber called it a good investment for everyone involved. "It's about doing your part to reduce our carbon footprint by producing energy from a renewable resource such as the wind, that can be used locally by our own residents so they can feel good...they're doing their part. But, there's a economic side of this too, and once the switch is turned on this will be a positive revenue generator right from the first year," Minas Basin Pulp and Power of Hantsport has been contracted for project management, operation and maintenance. Webber expects the turbine will be operational early in 2013.

Bowater Mersey Plans Biomass Project

Bowater Mersey is one of four successful applicants under the province's COMFIT program. Officials at the Brooklyn based-mill are planning a 3.3 megawatt combined heat and power biomass project. The company will install a turbine and generator to improve waste heat recovery from steam generated at the facility. The captured steam would then be turned into electricity. Energy Minister Charlie Parker made the announcement near Chester this morning. He also announced Community Feed-in Tariff approvals for the Halifax Regional Water Commission, Town of New Glasgow and Celtic Current of Mulgrave. Each individual project must go through environmental assessments but today's announcement will allow each group to proceed to the next stage of development. The water commission is proposing an 11.5 megawatt large-wind project in Lake Major, near Preston. Nine projects in total have been approved so far under the COMFIT program, generating about 25 megawatts of electricity.

Soccer club concerned about losing Centre fields

The impending shutdown of Centre Consolidated School is creating concern for a local soccer organization. The West Nova Fuels/Lunenburg United Soccer club is worried the school's closure in March, could affect their use of its two soccer fields. The club has approached the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg proposing the two enter into a long-term agreement to operate the fields. Instead, council has decided to move ahead by establishing an ad hoc committee to look into the issue. Mayor Don Downe says the committee is the best option at the moment.

"The committee would be a representative of our council and their soccer association and taking a look at the short-term requirements that will be there and also, looking at the more important issue, the long-term aspect of how do we retain that soccer pitch."

Deputy Mayor Frank Fawson, Councillor Basil Oickle and Councillor Cathy Moore have shown their support to be part of the ad hoc committee. The nominating committee is expected to make its recommendations for the ad hoc group by next Tuesday's council meeting. The two Centre fields are roughly 25 and 50-years-old and the original lower turf is considered to be one of the best natural fields in the province.

New Logo for Bluenose Academy

The logo for Bluenose Academy is out. The school received 30 entries for the contest, which closed January 30. Of the 30 submitted, four were chosen for students to vote on Monday. The voting results are in and Darlene McCarthy's entry was selected as the new logo.

COMFIT: Kaizer Meadow Announcement

The province is set to announce more successful applicants under its COMFIT program this morning. Energy Minister Charlie Parker will make the announcement at the Kaizer Meadow Solid Waste Facility, near Chester. The Community Feed-in Tariff is part of Nova Scotia's Renewable Electricity Plan and will help the province reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The goal of the program is to enable communities to benefit from renewable electricity programs at the local level. The government has set targets of 25% renewable electricity by 2015, and 40% renewable electricity by 2020. COMFIT is one element designed to help the province meet its renewable energy goals. We'll have more details later today.

SSRSB Superintendent supports new Education Plan

Nancy Pynch-Worthylake

The Superintendent of the South Shore Regional School Board is reacting to the Education Minister's new Kids and Learning First plan. Nancy Pynch-Worthylake says its too early to tell how the plan will impact schools because they don't know their upcoming budget yet. Still, Pynch-Worthylake says there are some positives in the plan.

"We're completely supportive of changes in the math curriculum and we've been asking for that for some time. We have a lot of work going on, on the South Shore, in grade nine with inquiry-based learning, so we're very happy to see that. We certainly support attention to school mental health."

The plan, introduced late last week by Ramona Jennex, includes 39 initiatives, totalling a $6.7-million investment over three years to:


-- bring more services for kids and families into schools in every county

-- begin a Discovering Opportunities program for struggling Grade 9 students

-- introduce a manufacturing trades course linked to shipbuilding

-- double the number of schools offering skilled trades courses

-- triple the number of students taking courses through virtual school and double the number of its courses

-- expand career development support, including more career coaching workshops for parents

-- introduce a new grants program to allow more community groups to use schools for physical, cultural and education activities

For more information on the Kids and Learning First plan, visit www.ednet.ns.ca .

NS Gov't will Pave Rough Section of Highway 14

It's some good news for motorists who travel a rugged section of Highway 14 near Chester. A nine kilometre stretch from Canaan Road to Kaizer Meadow Road will see some fresh paving this summer. The section was a late addition to the province's five year highway improvement plan last year. Area Manager for Lunenburg and Queens County Matt Covey speaks on behalf of the Department of Transportation. "It does have very high traffic, as we all know the surface is very poor and those two factors are why we are going there instead of somewhere else," Chester-St. Margaret's MLA Denise Peterson-Rafuse says 1,300 kilometres of roads have been paved over the last two years with another 500 kilometres planned this year. Nova Scotia's first ever five-year paving and highway plan was released in 2010 and is entering its second year.

Bridgewater man wins truck through NFL contest

Nothing like winning a truck while watching the Super Bowl. Bridgewater native Neil Thompson is the new owner of a 2012 Nissan Frontier after it was announced in a commercial break during Sunday's big game. Thompson is the grand prize winner of the Nissan NFL Score More Contest. The truck is valued at over $38,000.

Windsor Road in Rough Shape

The Municipality of Chester is asking its residents to take their concerns surrounding the condition of the Windsor road to their MLA. The municipality has been trying to get sections of Highway 14 re-paved for years with no success. Warden Allen Webber says council has written numerous letters to the province indicating the poor condition of the road. He says its now up to residents to individually contact their MLA. "We don't mind taking the calls, but people have to understand that we are not the authority responsible for road maintenance, road construction, repaving, snow removal and that they are way better served by calling their local MLA themselves because the more she hears in this case from them personally, the better chance of action," Webber says the road has been high on the municipalities priority for as long as he can remember.

Mining & Forestry Need Government Promotion: Baillie

We told you a few days ago a quartz mine in Shelburne County has been forced to cease operations because of poor world market conditions. Black Bull Resources owns the White Rock Mine and has been losing money. Now, the province's Conservative leader Jamie Baillie says there's been little support from the Dexter government for resource industries. He's calling on the government to provide breaks on taxes and power rates for rural industries in general. Ballie would also like to see increased government promotion of the mining and forestry sectors on the South Shore and elsewhere in the province.

New Head Officer At Barrington RCMP Is A First For Province

   There's a new head of operations at the Barrington District RCMP. What's special about it is the fact Sgt. M.J. DeLuco is the first woman to command an RCMP district in the province, in charge of finances, the budget and being the face of the Mounties in the area. DeLuco has already headed up the RCMP office in Windsor Town and Windsor Rural and she's also been based in Nunavut. She takes on her new role beginning today at the Barrington District RCMP office.