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.
------
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.