Queens County Update: $47-M Bypass Project

The province will begin work on the $47-million dollar Port Mouton-Port Joli bypass this summer. A total of four bridges will either be replaced or constructed in the bypass area in preparation for the project. Department of Transportation Arena Manager Matt Covey says the "Wagner Bridge" and "Pawn Bridge" in the Port Mouton area will be replaced in the coming months. They are actively used and traffic delays should be expected when work begins. Covey says the province will spend $8 million dollar on the project this year with the remaining costs spread out over the next two fiscal years. "Paving is going to be very expensive, sub grade is expensive and the Broad River Crossing is going to be quite a span so that bridge will probably be around $5-6 million dollars," Work tenders will go out in coming weeks in hopes the bridge work will be finished by September 30th. The multi-year bypass project should be ready in the fall of 2014.

Judge Lenehan: Enisor Fit to Stand Trial

A judge has ruled that a New Germany man accused of fatally shooting his wife before turning the gun on himself is mentally fit to stand trial. Judge Gregory Lenehan render a decision in Bridgewater Provincial Court this morning. Wayne Eisnor faces a charge of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Tina Eisnor in a parking lot in June 2010. The 49 year-old is accused of shooting the woman twice as she sat in her car near a grocery store before shooting himself in the head. He was found unfit to stand trial in October 2010 because of a mental impairment caused by the self-inflicted gunshot wound. Eisnor has been staying at the East Coast Forensic Hospital in Darmouth since being released from hospital. However, he will be remanded into custody while he awaits trial. Dates for a preliminary hearing will be set on April 18th.

Chester-Municipal Chamber Needs Grant Money Swiftly

The Chester-Municipal Chamber of Commerce is looking for its grant money from the municipality in a more timely fashion. The funds are used to operate the Visitor Information Centre in the summer and have been transferred from the municipality in August. However, President Ben Wiper says he'd like to see the money come through by the end May. He says the organization has been forced to use it membership dues to operate the VIC until the grant money is available. "Because otherwise we end up operating the VIC for three or four months without knowing the money is coming and yet we are already spending money we don't have. We're using the membership dues for our chamber and not all of our members agree with that - it's already been a bit of a contentious issue for us - not overly but for some members it is," The chamber is also asking for a multi year funding commitment from the municipality in addition to an increase in its grant funding to $25,000 - an increase of $4,000 compared to last year. Chester Council deferred the decision to its budget deliberations and will re-visit the request in the coming weeks.

Busy Intersection in Lunenburg Needs Upgrades

The Town of Lunenburg is hoping the province will anti up some money to widen a busy intersection near Bluenose Academy. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says he's met with MLA Pam Birdsall to discuss the Green Street-Tannery Road intersection. Council is concerned the intersection isn't wide enough to handle buses, trucks or 18 wheelers. Mawhinney says the intersection is so narrow, big rigs need to cross over into the centre line when they attempt to make a turn."As we've talked here at council, we may have to expand the road width towards the water so there is more space for trucks, buses and large vehicles to pass each other," Mawhinney says something needs to be done to improve the intersection. He admits the town may have to foot the entire cost to widen the road.

LaHave Manor & Town of Bridgewater Find Common Ground

The LaHave Manor Corporation and Town of Bridgewater found common ground for a new group home for disabled people on Evergreen Road. The two sides met today to discuss the future of the property. Following the meeting, the corporation announced they will proceed with plans to buy the home after the town agreed to tweak some of their bylaws to allow for the development. The town states it will consider amending its Land-Use Bylaw to allow for five occupants of the home in that neighbourhood. Currently, their bylaw allows for three disabled people to occupy a residence. Both sides aren't saying much and declined interview requests. The property on Evergreen Road is owned by a World War II Veteran and already features a wheel chair ramp and can accommodate people with disabilities.  The LaHave Manor would not disclose the cost of purchasing the home.

On Tap: Judge in Eisnor Case to Issue Decision on Tuesday

A decision is expected to come tomorrow on whether a New Germany man is fit to stand trial on a charge of first degree murder. Forty-nine year-old Wayne Paul Eisnor is accused of shooting and killing his wife before turning the gun on himself in June of 2010. He was originally deemed unfit to stand trial because of a mental impairment caused by the self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, during a two-day fitness hearing last month, Crown lawyer Alonzo Wright argued Eisnor's condition had improved significantly since the shooting. Judge Gregory Lenehan will issue the decision in Bridgewater Provincial Court Tuesday morning. Eisnor is being held in the East Coast Forensic Hospital, pending a determination by the court.

"Yarmouth Has Won, No Matter How You Look At It!" : Mayor

The community of Stirling-Rawdon, Ontario is the winner of this year's Kraft Hockeyville competition.  Yarmouth was in the running for it too.  Even though it lost in the final voting, mayor Phil Mooney says the town won as far as community spirit is concerned.  The town's "Mariner Centre" also picked up a prize.  Mayor Mooney says:  "We have picked up a cheque for 25 thousand dollars. Hopefully, we will have some community input on what they want to do with it. They're looking at a variety of things pertaining to the management board. It will be well used and well needed!"  Three other Canadian communities were also in the competition ... Kelowna, BC; Amos, Quebec and Ducklake, Alberta.  By the way, Yarmouth garnered more than 1-million-600 votes in the competition, about 2.5 million less than the winner.

Two Lunenburg County Residents Charged In Recent B & E Spree

There have been arrests and charges laid in connection with numerous break and enters in a Lunenburg County community.  A 27 year old man from the Pleasantville area faces 12 charges and appears in court this week.  A 20 year old woman from Chester has also been charged, released on conditions and will be in Bridgewater court in May.  Over the past several weeks .... homes, seasonal residences, cottages and garages in Pleasantville have been broken into.  Tools, electronics, jewellery, gaming systems and exercise equipment have been stolen.  Police say they have recovered few of the items.

MHL Final: Mariners set to face Slammers

The Yarmouth Mariners are headed to the finals of the Maritime Hockey League. Before a home town crowd, the team shutout the Amherst Ramblers 2-nothing over the weekend to win the 7th and deciding game of their Bent division series. Matt Tomah and Colin Campbell were the goal scorers. Charles Grant stopped all 23 shots he faced. Yarmouth will now face the Woodstock Slammers in the MHL final series.

Municipality of Lunenburg: No More Dog Tax

It's good news for dog owners. The Municipality of Lunenburg voted in favour of eliminating a yearly dog tax and are allowing a one time tag purchase for the life of a dog. However, councillor Lee Nauss says the move doesn't make sense. "I think we are going way back and there's no way I could support this because it's a backwards step,"  Council agreed the dog tag purchase would be implemented as a voluntary system. The existing by-law will now be amended and a communication strategy will be developed to inform the public of the change.

Bridgewater: Town & LaHave Manor set to Meet

Bridgewater's mayor is chiming in on LaHave Manor's potential move to Evergreen Road. Carroll Publicover says council hasn't been called on to make a decision on the issue. He believes the town has demonstrated it is an inclusive community. 'We've gone out of way to find ways to include the poor, marginalized and the people who need help. We've lifted up people whenever we can, you know, this is another case, we have group home and small options apartments throughout the town and lots of very nice neighborhoods they could be accommodated,"   The two sides are in disagreement over the Evergreen property. The town says it can't be turned into a group home because of its location in Bridgewater. A meeting between the town and Manor is scheduled to take place later today.

Municipal Elections: Chester to Introduce Evoting

Chester will move towards evoting when residents head to the polls during municipal elections this fall. Residents will be able to vote over the phone or by computer for the advance poll only. Warden Allen Webber says the municipality is very traditional and council wanted to maintain the paper ballot in some capacity. "As much as we like to be forward thinking, we are also very traditional in this municipality. The older population is used to going to the polls - we may reduce the number of polls in future years, but its unlikely it will be anything we will completely eliminate," Webber says the ultimate goal is to increase voter turnout and he hopes the change will appeal to younger voters.

Mawhinney: Schools Need More Maintenance Funds

The South Shore Regional School Board will hand the keys to Lunenburg Academy back to the town at the end of the month. Town staff and school board officials have completed a walk through of the historic building in an effort to survey the condition of the facility. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says the building will need some maintenance work and during council this week, had some sharp criticism for past provincial governments. He says regardless of the political stripe - school boards have been grossly under funded to keep up maintenance at schools across the province. "The monies being provided to look after the 27 or 28 buildings operated by the school board in Lunenburg county was just not adequate to keep them in a state that was going to carry them forward. Anyone who owns a home and looks after it properly knows you have to do maintenance every year. That was not happening at our school properties - the academy is but one,"  Mawhinney stresses he's not blaming the Regional School Board. However, with a number of new schools opening across the province - he's is hoping the trend will be reversed. The 117 year-old Academy, owned by the Town, housed grades one through twelve until 1965 when a new high school was built. It was home to elementary students up until this month when the new Bluenose Academy opened in Lunenburg.

Gasoline Prices Rise Again

The price of regular gasoline at South Shore pumps has taken another overnight jump. A litre of self serve regular is selling today for $1.43.5.  Thats a little over 3.5 cents more than yesterday.  The increase, granted by the Utilities & Review Board, follows a similar increase in New Brunswick yesterday.

Common Ground: Changes to "Race Week" Pub Nights

Some noise complaints have forced the Municipality of Chester and organizers of "Race Week" to find some common ground. The traditional pub nights at the Yatch Club will continue, however, live music will be shut down at 1AM. The change was in response to numerous concerns raised by people who reside near the Yatch Club. Chester Council made the decision during their meeting on Thursday. Randy Stevens is Commodore of the facility. "It works for both parities, it works for us as the Yatch Club and it works for the Municipality. We are an integral part of the community as I mentioned to council and we certainly want to make everybody as happy as we can - I think it was a good compromise," The organization will still allow guests to remain on the property until 2AM as normal. Warden Allen Webber also thought it was a fair decision as well."The neighbors that live in the area have a legitimate concern with the noise. We found a compromise but we need the live music shut down at 1 o'clock. They can keep the bar open and they will be some noise associated with that but it's a reasonable compromise," Chester Race Week is held August 15-18.

Queens County Woman Charged with Public Mischief

An 18 year-old Queens County woman charged with public mischief will appear in court next month in relation to the death of the Brandon Wentzell.  The 19 year-old died February 5th from a lethal combination of the painkiller Dilaudid and vodka. Charges were laid following an extensive police investigation surrounding a bogus relationship between Wentzell and a girl named Clarissa. Their relationship was built through an online dating website, however, the girl never existed and the relationship was a hoax. It's believed the women charged was behind the hoax. The pair had made numerous attempts to meet but each time their date was cancelled at the last minute. The last time a meeting was supposed to happen was Super Bowl Sunday. Later that night, Wentzell began drinking and taking drugs. Soon after his death, Wentzell's mother received multiple text messages from someone claiming to be Clarissa's mother. The texts stated Clarissa had committed suicide after learning of Brandon's death. That led Bridgewater police to expand their investigation. The woman accused of being behind the hoax will enter a plea to the charges on April 18th in Bridgewater.

Changes in Mandatory Hemelt Use at Lunenburg Arena

Helmets will be mandatory next year for anyone under the age of 12 who is skating at the Lunenburg Arena. The age is being bumped up by two years. Town of Lunenburg councillor Jamie Myra says it's a safety issue and a proactive change. "We've always said that there has been times at public skate or at other times over there where we were surprised nothings ever happened and to my knowledge there really hasn't been any incident that has brought this forward. We just felt we should be proactive and put this into place,"  Myra says he would not be surprised to see helmet use mandatory for all ages at the arena down the road. The town will promote the change more in the fall in hopes it will give skaters time to buy some head gear if they don't already own a helmet.

Town approves amendments for off-leash Dog Park

Now that one is all but confirmed, Bridgewater's mayor says there's room for another. Town council approved amendments to its municipal planning strategy and land use by-law to permit leash-free dog spaces in certain areas of Bridgewater. The move is the next step to building a leash-free space in Generations Active Park. Carroll Publicover believes another leash-free park could be built in the Municipality of Lunenburg. He says there are a number of potential locations.

"There's lands around the MARC that I think might be suitable, Miller Peace Park; I don't know how big it is, but maybe, and maybe there's certain times when that could be a leash-free park and the rest of the time a place to walk, and you know, we have the other side of the 103, our lands, former industrial lands that are there, I think there are sites all over the place."

Councillor David Mitchell says the off-leash space at Generations Active Park could be ready sometime this summer if its grubbed and has proper signage.

Former SSRSB member pursuades MODL to support nine-seat board

A former school board member is persuading the Municipality of Lunenburg to endorse a nine-seat option for the boards electoral boundaries. Karen Reinhardt spoke with council members Tuesday explaining a nine-seat choice would be the best practice to follow; losing only one seat from the previous school board and allowing for wide representation through the region. The school board has endorsed a six seat option as their first choice, plus two seats for the the African and Mik'maq representatives. Reinhardt says that option would create problems including increased workloads for members.

"With those few members, you're not going to have a lot of different viewpoints, a lot of different experience, a lot of different expertise around the board table which is really important for the kind of decisions and discussion that go on there."

The Municipality has deferred a decision until their next committee meeting. Meanwhile, the Utility and Review Board will hold a public hearing on electoral boundaries May 2 at the school board office.

Support for Yarmouth-Maine Ferry Growing in South Shore

The Town of Lunenburg will explore making a one-time contribution to help support efforts to re-establish the Yarmouth to Maine ferry. A campaign is underway to have the service restored but organizers say it will require government funding for the first couple of years. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says council received a funding request from an advocacy group in Yarmouth hoping to build momentum to restore the ferry service. "They've come forward and said 'can we count on you' and 'can we also ask for your support' and I think it's a reasonable request because I do think Nova Scotia's attractiveness has been diminished without the ferry service," Mawhinney says it's no secret tourism operators across the South Shore took a hit when the ferry ceased operation more than three years ago. He says if municipal units rally behind the ferry it might encourage the province to get involved.

Mawhinney: Seeks Another Term in Lunenburg

A long time political figure in the South Shore says his health is good and he will seek another term in office. Laurence Mawhinney has held the mayoral seat in the Town of Lunenburg for more than three decades. He was first elected in 1976 and has been a member of council for 36 years. Even after another lengthy council meeting last night, Mawhinney says he still find the job both interesting and challenging. "We've got a number of challenging issues before us as a community, not the least of which is what happens with the future of Lunenburg Academy, how do we continue the restoration of the waterfront and how do we continue to build this UNESCO site - there are things that are still not yet complete," Mawhinney says his spirit is strong and adds there are many projects he'd like to see through before retiring. Municipal and school board elections will be held province wide this October.

Search "Scaled Back" For Missing Men Off Cape Sable Island

The search for three men missing from a yacht disabled off Cape Sable Island has been turned over to the R-C-M-P as a missing persons case.  Officials at the rescue centre in Halifax decided late last night to withdraw a Hercules aircraft and two Cormorant helicopters from an area about 150 kilometres south of the Island.  The missing men were not wearing survival suits when they went into the frigid waters early yesterday. Ottawa says the tragedy may be a failed attempt at human smuggling.  Public Safety Minister Vic Toews (TAVES) says some of the five men rescued are claiming refugee status -- and are said to be from Russia, Ukraine and Georgia.

Bridgewater council unsure about Healthy Eating Policy

It's an initiative to make healthy foods more available in recreation and municipal settings across the South Shore. A partnership featuring a number of groups including Lunenburg Queens Recreation, Public Health Services and Health and Wellness are trying to implement a healthy eating policy to have more nutritious foods at arenas or municipally-organized special events. The group was looking to target such local festivals in Bridgewater including the Canada Day and Christmas on the LaHave events. Mayor Carroll Publicover says council isn't quite convinced about the idea. He says they want to consult with committee members from the two local festivals, exchange thoughts and discuss the policy at their next meeting. The Municipality of Chester has approved the policy while the District of Lunenburg is discussing it further.

Business as usual for Bridgewater Zellers

Its business as usual for the time being at Bridgewater Zellers. The local store is one of about 60 in Canada that has not been purchased by Target. External communications manager for Hudson Bay company, Tiffany Bourre, says they are reviewing there options and hope to have a strategy in place later this spring. Bourre could not confirm what would happen to the store once the strategy is determined but can confirm workers have not received notices saying the store is closing because they don't have a closure date. Roughly 40 full and part-time employees work at the local retail store.

Josephson, Team NS lead at Canadian Masters

Team Nova Scotia keeps rolling at the Canadian Masters curling championship in Quebec. The Dartmouth club featuring Bridgewater's Glenn Josephson notched two more wins Tuesday to improve their record to 3-0. The team beat New Brunswick 5-4 and British Columbia 9-3 to move into first place in the competition. The Nova Scotia squad will play Manitoba and Yukon Wednesday.

Hockey game raises over $2,000 for echo system

Another successful fundraiser for the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore. The Health Care Hustlers narrowly beat the Park View Lady Panthers 21-20 in a shootout to win the 3rd annual Head to Head for Health hockey game last Friday night. Bernadette Jordan says this year's event raised roughly $2,100 to go towards the Health Foundations campaign for a new Echo system. She says they are still in need of about $40,000 to reach their goal for the new Echo. Jordan adds, they don't anticipate any changes for next year, but its still early.

Riverport: New Fire Hall has Community Support

A new fire hall has strong support among residents of Riverport. A community group is leading efforts to develop the former Riverport Elementary School property. The Riverport School Site Committee met with about 50 residents last night to discuss potential future use for the old school property. Spokeswoman Debra Hofrichter says their proposal has enough support to move forward and submit the draft plan to the municipality. The group is also pitching the idea of a constructing a skilled trade facility, multi-use civic centre or creating greenspace. Hofrichter says the committee will send out surveys in the near future to gauge which proposal has the most support. The group would need to acquire the property from the municipality and the school would then be demolished. However, she says the entire plan is contingent on an environmental assessment of the property.

Casey Calls For Education Review

Liberal MLA Karen Casey

Nova Scotia's education system is in dire need of over-hauling and not for the sake of finding ways of cutting back.  Thats how Liberal education critic Karen Casey sums up the situation and the impact of budget cuts following a public meeting in Bridgewater last night.  Casey, Liberal leader Stephen McNeil and health critic Leo Glavine hosted the event.  Following the session last night, Casey tells CKBW/Hank-FM News, she's more determined than ever to strive for a better way of making the system more affordable.  She says: " we have a situation where we need to look at a review of the whole public education system: what we deliver, how we deliver it, the models that we use and make sure that we protect what is working and protect what is necessary for our students to be successful."  Liberal leader McNeil says his party wants to formulate a strong education plan, geared more toward students and their families.  The meeting last night in Bridgewater was the first of several the Liberals are holding around the province in the coming weeks.

One Dead, Three Injured In Yachting Incident Off Cape Sable Isle



One person is dead and two injured after a yacht broke down and was drifting about 128 kilometres south of Cape Sable Island.  A Cormorant helicopter is looking for three other people who are in the water.
Three other people were taken off the vessel by a passing tanker and are en route to Saint John, New Brunswick.  The rescue centre says nine people were on board the vessel and early indications are they are foreign nationals.  There is no information on whether the three missing people are in a life-raft. The two injured and the body of the dead person were being airlifted to a hospital in Yarmouth.

Men Rescued From Yarmouth County Lake

Five men were plucked last night from the cold waters of a lake in Yarmouth County.  The Halifax search-and-rescue co-ordination centre says a Cormorant helicopter flew to Great Pubnico Lake after receiving a call at 9:30 last evening that the men were in the water.  The helicopter reached the scene in about 25 minutes.  The men were hoisted out of the water and treated for hypothermia. The rescue centre says they're in good condition despite their ordeal.  The boat they were in ...sank.

Bridgewater Woman Found Guilty of Aggravated Assault

A Bridgewater woman has been found guilty of stabbing her former boyfriend ... a dozen times on New Years Day 2011.  Although Katelyn Leigh Whitney-Joudrey claimed self-defence, saying she feared for her life, Judge Jim Burrill found she was not under threat of grievously bodily harm or death when she drove a knife into Kiel Naugler's neck so deeply it went into his vertebrae.  The 22-year-old Whitney-Joudrey was found guilty yesterday of aggravated assault by trying to end Naugler's life, aggravated assault for wounding him and assault with a knife, though the judge will consider staying the last two charges during sentencing in June.  The judge described the couple's relationship as one of "co-existence with one another in scoring their next hit of drugs.''  Whitney-Joudrey will be sentenced June 4th.

Liberals Formulate Education Plan, Starting On South Shore

The state of our education system was front and centre last night at a public meeting in Bridgewater.  Nova Scotia Liberal Leader Stephen MacNeil, education critic Karen Casey and health critic Leo Glavine were hosts.  McNeil says his party wants to formulate an education plan thats geared more toward students and their families.  In a CKBW and Hank-FM News interview, McNeil says: "as we've had successive budgets where this government has been cutting from education, we want people to express how thats been impacting on their children and schools and also help us form a plan for the future of education in Nova Scotia."  Similar meetings are planned right across the province.
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Meanwhile, getting back to last night's meeting, education critic Karen Casey says she has found in talking with many South Shore parents they are still smarting from the elimination last year of the reading recovery program in area schools. She tells us: "(They feel) there did not seem to be any rationale for taking away a program that had already been researched based proven as one-on-one intense instruction to help our struggling readers learn to read."

Zellers leaving Bridgewater?

If Zellers is leaving Bridgewater, its news to the property manager of the Eastside Plaza. Jim Chambers of Chambers Developments says Zellers has approximately 10 years left on their lease. Chambers says nothing has been said to indicate Zellers is leaving.

"We have no information whatsoever that they intend to leave. It's their lease, they will tell us if that's what they want to do, but we have had no information to that effect whatsoever. They have an operating clause that says they're going to operate, so this could go on for a long time."

He says there are many rumours floating around the town.

"The truth is that out of 280 stores, Zellers has sold the leases to all of them, except for about 50 or 60, so its only allowing us to assume that they may want to sell this lease, but we have had no information whatsoever."

He says Zellers will continue to operate until the tenant and landlord make an alternate agreement.

Bridgewater Mayor welcomes buyer for former Post Office

The mayor of Bridgewater welcomes a new tenant for the old Canada Post building. CKBW and HANK-FM News first reported the potential sale of the property last week after a company spokesperson confirmed negotiations are underway. Carroll Publicover says its good news for the town.

"I think it would be wonderful to see the building put back into use, you know, it's an historical icon; 109-years-old, it's one of the most outstanding visual properties on King Street."

There's been no word on how negotiations are going. Publicover says he doesn't know who the buyer is or if anything will happen to the building.

Martin finishes 4th at Florida event

A solid result for Olympic hopeful Jenna Martin. The defending 400 metre Canadian Champion finished 4th over the weekend at the UCF Invitational in Orlando, Florida. Martin finished less than a second behind Mary Wineburg of USA, who was ranked in the top ten in the world in 2011. The Bridgewater native competes again April 6 and 7 at the Florida Relay's at the University of Florida.

Chair: LaHave Manor has good relationship with Town

The LaHave Manor Corporation and Town of Bridgewater are trying to iron out a location for a proposed group home. The organization is trying to access property on Evergreen Road but the town says its not accessible for a group home. Elmer Garber says the home is their best option, but it would take time to try and change town by-laws or get a development agreement. And Garber says time isn't on their side. He says they are still hoping to meet with officials from the town of Bridgewater to find a solution. He feels the town and LaHave Manor have a good relationship. "It's not a town that has discriminated against our clients in the past. I can't say that they have - it's been a good experience for LaHave Manor and I think it's been good for the town of Bridgewater as well," The corporation has signed a 30-day extension to keep the offer open for the Evergreen home, giving them time to meet with the town. The new group home could accommodate up to five people.

Price of Lobster: Hits 5-year High

The price of lobster is sitting at a five year high. Fishermen in LFA's 33 and 34 are selling their catch for $6.00 per pound after the season opened with prices set at $3.25 in November. James Mood is the president of the 1688 Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association. The PLFA formed in January in an effort to drive wharf prices up to at least $5.50 per pound. He says a combination of factors have helped push the price up - including the formation of their group. "I think the fishermen pushed it up themselves when they stopped selling lobsters - they just stopped. They had lobsters, in tubes and holding facilities they just stopped selling to the dealers. This industry works on supply and demand," The PLFA now boasts more than 800 members and Mood says they are half-way to their membership goal. The association's target is to have 80 percent of 1688 licence holders from Shelburne to Digby signed up before next season.

Anniversary for Historic Bluenose Schooner

The historic Bluenose was launched 91 years ago today in Lunenburg. The schooner is a provincial icon for Nova Scotia as well as important Canadian symbol. The original Bluenose was sold in the 1930s when fishing schooners were replaced with motor schooners and trawlers. The vessel was used as a freighter until it sank in 1946 off the coast of Haiti. It was later commemorated in 1963 by a replica Bluenose II. The name "bluenose" originated as a nickname for Nova Scotians from as early as the late 18th century. Nova Scotia's famous sailing ambassador is currently undergoing a major rebuild at the Lunenburg Shipyard and will be re-launched this summer.

South Shore Health Prepares for Accreditation

South Shore Health will find out next month if it will receive a passing grade for accreditation. The process affirms the authority is meeting national standards in health care. CEO Alice Leverman says staff began intensifying efforts over the past year to ensure they meeting the necessary requirements. "Like any big event, there is always anticipation, some build up and anxiety. But we are very hopeful we will be celebrating next month,"  She says offering high levels of service in every department is a key priority for medical professionals in the South Shore. The health authority is expecting a decision on accreditation on April 20th.

For Debate: Former Riverport Elementary Property

Residents of Riverport will get to hear the latest proposals for the former elementary school property tonight. The school closed last year and several community groups are hoping to turn the property into a gathering place. Some of the options being considered, include building a new fire hall, creating green space or constructing a multi-use civic centre. Riverport School Site Committee spokeswoman Debra Hofrichter says support is for the project is key to moving forward. "It is extremely important to us that we have the support of the community. So, Monday nights meeting is to present this draft proposal to the community and ask for their opinion and to ask for their support," An environmental assessment would need to be carried out on the property and Hofrichter says the group still needs to acquire the property from the municipality. Tonight's meeting will be held at the Riverport Fire Hall beginning at 7 o'clock.

Queens County Man Sentenced on Child Porn Charges

A Queens County man will spend six months in jail and eighteen months on probation for possessing child pornography.  39 year old Steven John Croft of White Point has been banned by the court from accessing the Internet except for job purposes while he's on probabtion for a year and a half.  After a lengthy on-line investigation, police raided Croft's home with a search warrant last July 26th.  Court testimony shows they found child porn pictures and movies stored on a computer in the home.

Injuries & Charges Result From Bridgewater Bar Fight

A fight at a Bridgewater bar over the weekend has resulted in serious injuries for one man and serious charges for another!  It happened around 1:30 Saturday morning.  A 30 year old man was found bleeding and unconscious by police at a nightspot which they haven't identified.  The victim was rushed to South Shore Regional and then flown to the QE-2 in Halifax.  A 20 year old man was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily harm and being drunk in a public place.  He's been released on conditions and makes a court appearance May 30th.  Investigators are looking for witnesses and are asking anyone to contact them if they saw the fight.

South Shore Health in need of palliative care volunteers

It's deemed as a service to help people refocus their hope. Now, South Shore Health is looking for more volunteers for their palliative care program. They currently have 15 volunteers, but more are needed to cover the region. The bereavement coordinator, Irene Hirtle, says the South Shore has an older demographic and is more prone to life-threatening illnesses.

"And those kind of illnesses that people in our program suffer from could be malignant diagnosis like cancer or they could be respiratory like COPD or kidney failure, cardiac disease, all of those kinds of things and they can all be part of the palliative care program, too."

Palliative care can be provided to people at home, in a hospital or in a long-term care facility. Volunteer Liz Brown says she started volunteering 12 years ago and hasn't looked back.

"It was just a general interest in people I think, and we meet such wonderful people and we get so much back from what we give, so its a caring and sharing opportunity for everybody."

Brown says volunteering is a great way to help people with life-threatening illnesses. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact 634-7015.

Workshop to teach Farming Business

Here's your chance to learn more about starting a farm business. The province is hosting a one day workshop dedicated to teaching people about farming or helping current farmers sharpen their business skills. The workshop will also cover tips and strategies on marketing, as well as trends and technical practices by local farmers and agricultural experts. The local event goes Saturday at the Best Western Plus and Convention Centre in Bridgewater. To register, get more information, see the agenda or look at speaker biographies go to www.gov.ns.ca/agri/thinkfarm/fromthegroundup.shtml  .

Head to Head for Health hits the ice in Bridgewater

It won't be your typical hockey game. The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore and Park View are teaming up to play the Head to Head for Health Hockey Game Friday night at 7pm. The Health Care Hustlers will take on the Park View Lady Panthers. Bernadette Jordan with the Foundation says the event is a fundraiser for the echo system, but goes a little further.

"It's achieving a goal by helping us get youth more involved at the hospital foundation, but also its a great spirit thing for the team here because all of the departments work together and put players in, so they sometimes might not work together in the hospital, but on the ice they'll work together and it's great, it's a lot of fun."

Jordan says the game is expected to include props, special guests and a few more things out of the ordinary. Players hit the ice at 7pm at the Bridgewater Arena.

Local NDP MLA's Attend Federal Convention

New Democrats are in Toronto for today's opening of their leadership convention, where a successor to the late Jack Layton will be chosen.  Tonight there will be a tribute to the former leader. Local MLA's Pam Birdsall, Vicki Conrad and Gary Ramey are attending.  Birdsall tells us, Layton was very familiar with the South Shore and its politics.  She says "he was connected to small communities right across the country.  He was at one point the president of the Canadian Union of Municipalities so he really understood how it all worked and how municipal government plays into provincial government and into federal government. I think thats something a lot of people don't understand."  The perceived front-runner in the race to succeed Layton is Montreal M-P Thomas Mulcair, a former Quebec Liberal who has the most support from the party's caucus.  Critics say though, Mulcair is too abrasive, and wants to move the party from the left to the centre.  About 130-thousand party members are eligible to vote for the new leader, in person, by mail, or by email.

Bridgewater Vikings off to Division-3 provincial hockey championships

The Bridgewater Vikings are off to Yarmouth hoping to bring a provincial banner back home. The Vikings' boys hockey team is competing in the Division-3 championships against five other teams including Inverness, Par-en-Bas and Dalbrae. The Vikings play their first game at 4pm Friday afternoon against Richmond Academy. The tournament goes all weekend in Yarmouth. Full tournament details can be found at http://www.wix.com/jboudrea3/division-3-hockey .

Higher Gas Prices Fuel Inflation

Gasoline prices are up again at South Shore pumps. If you pull into a station today, you will end up paying 2.5 cents more for a litre than you did yesterday. The price today is $1.39.8 .  This just adds fuel to Stats Canada's report out this morning claiming higher gasoline prices right across the country last month drove up the inflation rate.  The annual inflation rate in February rose to 2.6 per cent -- up a-10th of-a-percentage point from January.  Pump prices last month were 2.6 per cent higher than they were in January, and 8.9 per cent higher than they were in February of last year.  In the past 12 months, food prices jumped 4.1 per cent.  StatsCan says core inflation rose two notches to 2.3 per cent, which is higher than the Bank of Canada's target line of two per cent.

Future unknown for Gorham facility in Liverpool

The mayor of Queens says the region may not want the Gorham facility back. The regional school board revealed Wednesday night it is returning the property back to the municipality. John Leefe says it's not that simple. He says the board can offer the building to the municipality, but they are not obliged to take it. He says he wants to understand the costs before council can make a decision.

"Ultimately, the region's taxpayers are the ones that have to bear any costs that may be associated with receiving ownership. So, their are a lot of T's to be crossed and a lot of I's dotted prior to a final decision being taken."

The school board is revamping its mid-level transition, senior high alternate and adult education programming for 2012-13. All programs are currently held at the Gorham facility, but would be transferred to South Queens Junior High and Liverpool Regional High next year. Leefe says council can't make a decision on the matter until they receive a letter of offer from the school board.

Martin competing at Disney meet in Florida

Its expected to be a good test for South Shore runner Jenna Martin. The Olympic hopeful will compete this weekend in the Walt Disney World Invitational in Florida. She is using the event to help prepare herself for the London Olympics in August. Martin is the defending 400 metre Canadian Champion. She has been in Florida training for the past six weeks.

Bridgewater curler off to Canadian Masters

A Bridgewater curler is representing Nova Scotia at the 2012 Canadian Masters Curling Championships in Montreal. Glenn Josephson will play lead with Alan Darragh, Reid Romkey and John Darragh out of the Mayflower and Dartmouth curling clubs. Josephson is playing in his eighth Canadian championship but first Masters. He says he can draw on experience to help him play well.

"First of all you learn how to win and secondly, you know, when the important shots have to be made and what to do when it's really close at the end of the game and those are the things that just come with experience more than anything else."

 Josephson says this event completes his career...after winning provincial championships at every other age group. The Masters gets underway Monday in Montreal. The club will open up competition against Alberta Tuesday.

Plans for Collaborative Health Care Centre in Bridgewater

Bridgewater could be the next South Shore community in line for a collaborative health care centre. A action team consisting of fifteen medical professionals and business leaders has been assembled to quarterback the initiative. The proposed centre would reduce wait times and greatly benefit people without a family doctor. CEO of South Shore Health Alice Leverman says more and more physicians want the opportunity to work as a team as opposed to setting up a private practice. "We need to provide those types of practice environments to ensure we can not only retain the physicians and other prodivers that we have but to continually be recruiting for health professional in the area," The centre would also offer medical services through nurses, nurse practitioners and other health-care professionals. Collaborative health-care centres already exist in Caledonia, New Germany and Lunenburg.

NS Government Subsidizes Digby Ferry, Ignores Yarmouth: Liberal MLA

Princess of Acadia

The province will help subsidize the Digby-Saint John ferry service, "Princess of Acadia", for three more years to the tune of a million dollars a year.  The New Brunswick government will match the amount.  The decision flies in the faces of those in the Yarmouth area who are campaigning for re-establishment of ferry service to Maine. Yarmouth Liberal MLA Zach Churchill tells us, premier Darrell Dexter is being hypocritical. Churchill says: the premier "is throwing money all around the province. Yet, when it comes to a major economic driver in southwestern Nova Scotia, that feeds the tourism industry across the province, he has consistently said "No" to that!"  A campaign continues to have the Yarmouth-Maine service re-established. Organizers say it will require government funding though for the first couple of years of operating.

No Serious Damage Nor Injuries Resulting From South Shore Grass Fire

Several fire departments were able to bring a raging grass fire under control late yesterday afternoon in Dayspring.  No buildings were lost but there were fears at one point that a strong wind might blow the fire into some homes.  No one was hurt either.  Conditions are becoming tinder-dry as a result of the unusual high temperatures.