YMCA expanding King Street location for youth centre

Emma Sutherland

The YMCA Lunenburg County is offering more programming to youth. The organization is expanding its King Street location in Bridgewater to include a youth centre. The spot offers an after school program at the moment from 3-6pm daily. The new youth centre would offer more programs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings along with weekends. A member of the YMCA's youth leadership program, Emma Sutherland, says the inclusion of a centre would be beneficial for local youth.

"A youth centre connects us to the local community engaging us to volunteer and make a difference in our neighbourhood. A youth centre can assist us in developing positive friendships and growing up healthy. A youth centre can provide us with a place to gather and be ourselves."

The YMCA has asked both the town of Bridgewater and Municipality of Lunenburg to consider setting aside $22,000 in their upcoming budgets to support the centre. Bridgewater Mayor Carroll Publicover says its a lot of money, but adds, council will determine what they can manage. The YMCA says they will start working on the new centre as of April 1.

Suspect Salmon Virus Pinpointed to Shelburne Harbour

Cooke Aquaculture says fish samples from Shelburne Harbour are being tested for a deadly salmon virus. The company confirmed the location to remove suspicions cast by opponents of another farming site in St. Mary's Bay. Spokeswoman Nell Halse says no signs of ISA is present at any of its other nine fish farms in the province. Thousands of fish from Shelburne Harbour were destroyed after routine testing suspected the virus on February 10th. Meanwhile, the federal agency has yet to release the test results after samples were sent to Moncton earlier this month. The agency says it will take weeks to confirm the results. ISA is not harmful to humans but is considered the more feared virus within the industry.

Update: Tips Wanted in Armed Robbery Investigation

Police have some leads, but are asking the public to help with the investigation into an armed robbery in Hebbville. Mounties say a masked man, armed with a gun, walked into an Irving gas station on Friday night and demanded cash. The robbery took place just before 10 o'clock but wittnesses inside the store weren't able to identify the suspect or the get away car. The man was able to take an undisclosed amount on money from the cash register and sped off in a vehicle left running outside the gas station. Police are hoping to hear from anyone who may have seen something around the time of the incident. Tips should be directed to the Lunenburg County RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Bridgewater Council supports Minor Football

Minor football is coming to the South Shore. Bridgewater council awarded a one-time commitment and pre-budget approval of $7,816.55 for the South Shore Seahawks to start playing this summer. The cost to the town is expected to drop with an in-kind donation of $1,500 and the towns implication to apply for a provincial Health and Wellness grant worth $2,243. Mayor Carroll Publicover says he would like other municipal units to chip-in funding.

"It should be 50/50 because these kids are going to come from the entire South Shore area, no way half of them will come from Bridgewater; can't happen, there won't be enough with a focused attention on football, they'll come from Chester right through to Queens County."

The Seahawks' team plan indicates the club would like to recruit players and hold identification camps as early as next month or April. Goal posts are expected to be installed at Kinsmen field in the next few months. Tryouts would then be held in August with league play starting in September. The Seahawks are hoping to attract at least 60 players to field two teams.

Mahone Bay recognizes volunteer of the year for 2012

A nice way to honour a long-time volunteer. Charles Uhlman has been named Mahone Bay's volunteer of the year for 2012 for his 43 years of service with the Lions Club and constant work in the town. Uhlman coached and mentored students at the former Mahone Bay school and also volunteers with the Victorian Order of Nurses. He says it was never his intention to be recognized for an award. Uhlman says he likes being involved in the town.

"The rewards that you get are the good feeling that you have when you're doing things for your community, you know, you're doing things for people, you're trying to make the place a better place in which to live."

Uhlman will represent Mahone Bay in Halifax at a provincial awards ceremony for volunteers in April.

Brookside Cemetery should be heritage property: Historian

Photo Courtesy of George Newbury

A South Shore historian is trying to get Brookside Cemetery in Bridgewater registered as a municipal heritage property. Brookside Cemetery was opened in 1879 by Dean Wile, who was manager of the local carding mill. He conveyed the property to the town in 1902. Peter Oickle says a cemetery provides a community with a sense of itself.

"When you look at the historical and cultural value of them, people want to make sure they're preserved and they're protected. When you look at it, you'll see names that we would recognize immediately like the Dawson family, the Davison family, the Gow's; each of these people made Bridgewater what it is today and contributed to the development of the town."

Among the notables buried at the cemetery is Mather Byles DesBrisay; a judge, politician and author who founded the local museum. Its also the resting place of Victoria Ernst, who became the first female doctor in Bridgewater.

Liberals: NS Gov't Should Reveal All Information on ISA Scare

It could be a few more weeks before the Canada Food Inspection Agency can confirm or dismiss a suspected virus affecting salmon at a Shelburne County aquaculture operation. The Provincial fisheries and environment departments have released little information. Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says the government has been too quiet. "When government withholds the kind of information that they have it just allows the misinformation or quite frankly the growing concerning about potential cross over from aquaculture into the regular fishery,"  Cooke Aquaculture operates nine of the provinces 13 salmon farming operations with four of them located in the Shelburne Harbour and McNutt Island areas. The operation in question is believed to be one in Shelburne Harbour.

VIDEO: Resource Bag Encourages Education at Home

The Department of Education is putting more focus on childhood learning within the household. Lunenburg MLA Pam Birdsall announced a new resource initiative this morning in Mahone Bay called the Play-Talk-Learn resource bag. The tools inside the bag include hands on items like books, crayons, letters and numbers and is designed to assist primary aged students with their language, writing and reading development. Early Learning Coordinator Nancy Taylor says it's important to make learning for young children entertaining both in the home and the classroom.

"And we also know when parents are well connected with their children education then their children are going to be more successful. This resource that we've put together with learning activities is designed to encourage children and their families to play together,"

The resource bags are being introduced to primary students in the South Shore, Annapolis Valley, Cape Breton-Victoria and Strait Regional school boards. Province wide distribution is set for September.

Ramey wins fifth shotput title at AUS Championship

Bridgewater's Garrett Ramey has won gold at the Atlantic University Sports Championship in Moncton. It's the fifth year in a row he's won the shot-put event. His winning numbers were 7.26 kilograms (16 pounds) and throwing 15.18 meters. Ramey also won a bronze in the 35-pound weight toss with a personal best of 13.27 meters. He now heads to the CIS Championships in Alberta in two weeks.

Curl for a Cause raises over $35,000 for Fisherman's Memorial

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore exceeded their fundraising goal for Curl for a Cause. The event, held over the weekend at the Lunenburg Curling Club, raised $35,660 for Fisherman's Memorial Hospital. Managing director for the Foundation, Arlene Stevens, says she's happy they raised enough money with equipment costs on the rise.

"It's interesting. When I look at the list of the pieces of equipment that we committed to purchase this year, we surpassed what we needed by about $35 so we were right on the mark as far as what we had agreed to buy and the money we had raised."

The money will be put towards nine pieces of equipment including a specialized stretcher, overbed tables for the veterans' unit, vitals monitor and ultrasound. Stevens says the 12th annual event was a huge success with non-stop curling from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening.

South Shore Ventures Co-op leasing Blockhouse school

The abandoned Blockhouse school is getting new life from the South Shore Ventures Co-op. The group will hold an open house after agreeing to a three-year lease with the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg. Councillors came to terms with the agreement during their February 14 meeting. The South Shore Ventures Co-op is hoping to transform the old school into a model for how to become more self-sufficient and sustainable in areas including food, shelter and employment, according to their website. The open house will be held Wednesday from 3:30-5pm at the Blockhouse Fire Hall. Mayor Don Downe and other District of Lunenburg councillors are expected to be on-hand to officially sign the lease on the old school. It will be followed by an evening of celebration featuring musical acts, supper and door prizes. More information can be found at http://www.theblockhouseschool.org/ .

Park View J.V. Boys win provincial basketball bronze

A bronze medal finish for the Park View Panthers JV boys basketball team. The local club wrapped up third place at provincials with a 77-46 victory over Sydney Academy.  C.P. Allen outscored Citadel in the final to become provincial champions.

Minor football coming to Bridgewater?

Minor football could soon be a reality in Bridgewater. Town council put its support behind the idea after a presentation by the South Shore Seahawks minor football club earlier this month. There were no financial commitments but an agreement in principle that the group would submit a letter with funding indications to council. The group, led by Gary Linthorne and John Peters, is hoping to base the team out of Bridgewater and play games at the Kinsmen Field. The Seahawks are hoping to have 60 kids play for two teams in different age groups. Peters says football would get more kids active in the community. The Seahawks are projecting to spend close to $30,000 on equipment including pads, jerseys, pants, helmets and insurance. Mayor Carroll Publicover says he's concerned about the timing because its close to budget, but would like to see other municipal units get involved. Minor football is in every region across Nova Scotia except the South Shore.

Armed Robbery at Hebbville Irving

Some tense moments for an employee at the Irving gas station in Hebbville Friday night. Mounties say a masked man armed with a gun walked into the store demanding money. The suspect was able to get an undetermined amount out of the cash register and got away in a car left running outside the gas station. Mounties describe the man as Caucasian, about 5'8 with brown eyes. He was wearing a checkered hoodie and black gloves at the time of the robbery. RCMP are asking anyone with information to contact the Chester detachment.

Fishermen's Memorial ED Closure

The Emergency Department at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg will temporarily close this weekend. The closure begins at 2:30PM this afternoon until 7:30AM Sunday morning. Residents needing emergency care during these hours should call 911 or visit South Shore Regional in Bridgewater.

'Jacks Host Season Finale in Bridgewater

Its been a disappointing season for the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks and tonight the team plays its season finale on home ice. They will host the Yarmouth Mariners. Lumberjacks Head Coach Terry Rhindress says tonight ... it will be all about the fans. "Tonight we want to show the fans that we appreciate their support throughout the season so we want to come away with a "W" we want to play that physical style that we have been playing at home, we want to play the simple game but we want to be relentless. Overall, we want to show the fans what they can expect next season," game at home Game time tonight is 7 o'clock at the Bridgewater Arena.

Dexter Construction: Will Pave Windsor Road for $1.8 M

Dexter Construction will pave a section of the Windsor Road for $1.8 million. The company submitted the low bid for work on a nine kilometre stretch between Canaan Road and Kaizer Meadow Road. The tender process closed yesterday with a total of six bids. Area Manager Matt Covey says the bids were extremely close with the highest coming in at $2.1 million.  The paving is planned for this summer.

Town of Lockeport Celebrates 105th Birthday

The Town of Lockeport will receive a special gift as part of its 105th birthday celebrations. The photography class from the NSCC Waterfront Campus in Dartmouth will present council with a collection of photos from the community during a presentation this afternoon. The photos were taken last April when 40 students from the class traveled to the seaside town in hopes of capturing the heart of the community. They compiled their work into a 116 page photo book that includes a collection of people, places and beauty of Lockeport. The town was incorporated on February 26th in 1907 and will celebrate its 105th birthday on Sunday. www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2988940

Health care meeting in Mahone Bay

Kyle Buott

A Nova Scotia solution for a National Dilemma. That's the focus for Friday night's health meeting in Mahone Bay hosted by the South Shore Chapter of the Council of Canadians. The group is particularly focused on the 2014 Health Accord. The current accord that sets funding and health care agreements between the provincial, territorial and federal governments expires in 2014 and needs to be renegotiated. Guest speaker, Kyle Buott, of the Nova Scotia Citizens' Health Care Network says the meeting will also talk about solutions being generated across the province.

"Often time when we talk about public health care, we often talk about all the problems that we're facing, the challenges we see, but tonight its going to be about some of the solutions that are happening across the country. So, it should be a little bit more a positive and uplifting meeting."

The meeting will be held at the Mahone Bay Centre at 7:30pm.

Park View ready to host JV Basketball provincials

It's provincial basketball time in Bridgewater. The Park View Panthers Junior Varsity boys host the championships beginning at 2pm Friday afternoon. The six team tournament includes Citadel, C.P. Allen, Sydney Academy, Riverview and Cobequid. Play will held Friday night and Saturday in the Park View gym. Tournament schedule is below.








Pool A                                         Pool B


Team A - Citadel            Team B - C.P. Allen

Team D - C.E.C.            Team C - Park View

Team E - Sydney Academy   Team F - Riverview


Friday:

2pm Citadel vs. CEC

4pm CP Allen vs. Park View

5:30pm Opening Ceremonies

6:15pm Citadel vs. Sydney Academy

8:15pm CP Allen vs. Riverview


Saturday:

9am CEC vs. Sydney Academy

11am Park View vs. Riverview

1pm 3rd Pool A vs. 3rd Pool B

3pm Bronze Medal Game
       2nd Pool A vs 2nd Pool B

5pm CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
        1st Pool A vs 1st Pool B