Affordable Housing Committee Formed

The Municipality of Lunenburg is forming a committee to tackle the issue of affordable housing. Mayor Don Downe says  their own statistics prove there's approximately 20 percent of people in situations where they can't afford housing. Following a presentation to Council, Downe says it was clear this issue is real.. Council has agreed to establish a committee to look into the matter. The Affordable Housing Committee will be made up of various housing stakeholders, and the Committee will be tasked with developing a Housing Action Plan.

New Use for Former Fox Point School

Looks like the former Fox Point School won't be sold afterall. The school was declarded surplus and the Municipality of Chester was considering putting it for sale on the market. Warden Alan Webber says that changed following a presentation from a community group that wants to take over the building for a family resource centre. Council has decided to lease the building to the group for a year and see if they can make it work. Council also approved a grant of 10 thousand dollars dollars to help fund the facility. The former school was replaced with the Aspotogan Community Elementary about 10 years ago.

Hunters Help the Hungry

Hunters are helping to feed the hungry by giving to food banks across the province. This is the fifth year for the Hunters Helping the Hungry program, through which hunters help feed hungry families in Nova Scotia by donating deer and moose meat. Since the program was first introduced , hunters have donated 2,800 kilograms of meat.  After registering a moose or deer, hunters take the carcass to one of 18 participating, registered meat cutters throughout the province and indicate the amount of meat they would like to donate. Feed Nova Scotia then distributes the meat to 150 member food banks provincewide.  For more information on this program and other ways Feed Nova Scotia is helping hungry families, visit www.feednovascotia.ca .

Bridgewater Robots

Future scientists and engineers will put their LEGO robotic creations to the test as part of the third annual "First Lego League Challenge" being held at Nova Scotia Community College Lunenburg Campus this Friday,


Four teams from schools in the South Shore Regional School Board and one team from Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial have been preparing for the event since September with support from teacher advisors and NSCC faculty mentors.

Each team has built a working robot using a "Lego Mindstorms" kit and prepared research on this year's theme, "Body Forward".

This year, team will look at ways to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions and maximize the human body's potential, with the intended purpose of leading happier and healthier lives.

The public portion of the event gets underway at 1 p.m.

RCMP Investigate Break and Enter

Lunenburg County RCMP are investigating after a Camperdown body shop was broken into on Tuesday evening.


Police say the culprits stole four 15 inch VW aluminium rims and tires.

The estimated cost for the stolen items is upwards of four-hundred dollars.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact Lunenburg RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Gingerbread Festival in Chester

The Chester Merchants Association getting a bit of dough to help with their Gingerbread Festival. Municipal Council has approved a grant of 500 dollars to help with costs. The Festival involves workshops on making Gingerbread cookies, houses and ornaments. A Gingerbread House competition will also be held with the houses being auctioned on December 19th with the proceeds going to the Foodbank.

The Merchant Group has recently registered as a Not-for Profit Association..

Chester Council Approves Engineering Design for Duke Street Project

It's a step forward for the Duke Street Sidewalk Project in Chester. Warden Alan Webber says Municipal Council has agreed to proceed with the engineering design estimated at approximately 50 thousand dollars for the project to be completed in three phases over the next several years. Webber says there doesn't appear to be any cost sharing available as in the past, so they wanted to break the project into phases to make it more manageable. Webber says since they are proceeding with the engineering it's more than likely they will proceed with some portion of the project next Spring.  Completion of the Duke Street sidewalk was one of the top five priorities identified in a 10 year village improvement plan by the Village of Chester Tourism and Development Association .

Prenatal Group in Shelburne

A new Shelburne County committee wants to talk to local families about their prenatal experience. Families that are expecting a new baby or those with infants 12 months and younger are being sought so the committee can learn what supports the families most appreciated or valued during their prenatal experience.

The committee, which has been meeting since the summer, is called the Prenatal Support Networking Group and is made up of various community partners from all over Shelburne County from the public and private sectors, as well as community volunteers and new and expectant mothers. They all have an interest in the role the whole community can play in supporting a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby and ultimately a healthy community. The vision of the group is to work together to empower the Shelburne community in assisting families in achieving the prenatal experience they choose and to promote the benefits of early prenatal support.  Interested families can call to confirm their attendance at one of the following focus groups:

November 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the Barrington Library

December 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m, the Lockeport Library

December 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Shelburne's King Street Family Resource Centre

If families would like to attend, need more information, or would like to get involved in the committee, they can contact Krissy Rose-Muise at Public Health Services, 875-2623 or Monica Gosbee at the King Street Family Resource Center, 875-3256.

Charges Laid in Head-on Collision

A driver involved in a head-on collision on Highway 103 near Hubbards November 3rd is now facing charges. RCMP say they have charged a 30 year old man with 3 counts of impaired driving causing bodily injury, along with single counts of impaired driving, driving with a blood alcohol over the legal limit and resisting arrest. All three victims of the collision have been released from hospital. The matter is still under investigation by Chester RCMP.

Lunenburg Businessman, Chair of NSBI

A Lunenburg businessman with more than 30 years of  industry experience has been appointed chairman of Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI), Jim Eisenhauer is the new chair of the agency's private-sector board of directors. Eisenhauer is president and CEO of ABCO Group Limited and is CEO of its subsidiary ABCO Industries Ltd. He is also president of West Nova Fuels Ltd., Nova Wood Products Ltd., and Superline Fuels Ltd. Eisenhauer has served on several boards of directors in the private and public sectors, including his current role on the board at Atlantic Industries Ltd., Composites Atlantic Ltd., and Nova Scotia Power Inc.  Eisenhauer replaces Doug Hall, who has served on NSBI's board since 2003 and as chair since 2007.

(photo..courtesy of NSBI)

Barrington Teen Honoured for Bravery

DANIEL BLINKHORN & his MOTHER

(photo, courtesy of Government of NS)

-- A teenager from Barrington is one of four Nova Scotians to be awarded the medal of bravery today, (Nov. 17,) for putting their lives at risk to help others. : In June 2009, 15-year-old Daniel Blinkhorn escaped from his burning home, then returned to rescue his mother.. Blinkhorn acted quickly and was able to get his mother out safely. In November 2009, Jerome Tracey of  Port Hawkesbury ran into a burning home across the street to wake his neighbours and get them to safety. He then realized the house next door was also on fire and banged on the door to wake everyone up. Steven Wilton of New Waterford ran for help after an Acadian Lines bus he was travelling on crashed into the Tracadie River last January. Wilton got out of the partially submerged bus, ran up a snowy embankment and flagged down passing motorists who called 911, allowing for the rescue of five passengers. In May 2009, Colin Brownell of Pugwash was travelling along Highway 6 in Linden when he pulled the occupant of a burning car to safety.

                Premier Darrell Dexter who awarded the bravery medals praised the recipients for their selfless acts of courage that saved the lives of others. Recipients were selected by an advisory panel chaired by Constance Glube, former Chief Justice of Nova Scotia.

MERRY CHRISTMAS BOSTON

An early Christmas gift to Boston is on it's way from Nova Scotia. This year's tree is a 15-metre white spruce from North Alton owned by Gary and Roseann Misner. The 2010 Boston Tree was cut on Tuesday morning November 16th at 10 a.m . About 160 students from Wolfville School, New Minas Elementary and Kings County Academy attended and author Bruce Nunn read selections from Buddy the Bluenose Reindeer and The Boston Christmas Tree Adventure. The tree will serve as the focal point for the annual tree-lighting ceremony at the Boston Common on December 2. For more than 30 years, Nova Scotia has donated a giant evergreen each year to the people of Boston as a thank you for their assistance following the 1917 Halifax Explosion. The tree's journey to Boston can be followed on Twitter with @novascotialife.

Storm Response

Some residents of the Port Medway Road were left stranded and their belongings destroyed by the more than 200 millimetres of rainfall that pounded the province.

Councillor John Croft says residents were never warned about adjustments to the dam and the rapid increase in water levels it would cause.

Mike Macleod of the Queens County Emergency Measures Organization says residents were not personally contacted about changes in conditions.

"Most of the people that do live in these areas have been through these events before, and they know. But it's certainly no excuse on behalf of Queens E-M-O that communications can't be improved," says Macleod.

Councillor Croft requested that Macleod submit a full report on storm response measures undertook during the recent storm.

Christmas Kettle Campaign Launched

The Salvation Army has launched its national 2010 Annual Christmas Campaign aimed at raising money to support dozens of social services programs. This year, the iconic Salvation Army Christmas kettles will appear on street corners across Canada and on Google Maps through the Army's online "Fill the Kettle" program. Visitors to http://www.fillthekettle.com/ will be able to track donations at nearly 2,000 kettles on-the-street nationwide. Using Google technology, donors will be able to locate and make a secure online donation directly to individual kettles in their community. The Salvation Army's annual Christmas Campaign has grown into one of Canada's most significant and recognizable annual charitable events. Last year, more than 18 million was raised in the kettles nationwide, an all time record.

Liverpool Waterfront Protection

New legislation by the Region of Queens Municipality will keep big business away from the Liverpool waterfront.

Land on the north side of Henry Hensey Drive from Mill Brook, to the west side of the new tourist bureau, is now a designated greenspace.

Mayor John Leefe says the designation will help citizens protect the space from commercial development.

Leefe says after public consultation, the by-law may be amended to allow for a farmer's market on the property.

The recreational designation excludes the Privateer Landings Condos.

Sand Dwellers, Species at Risk

Some sand dwelling creatures are slowly disappearing from the South Shore.

Sue Abbot of Bird Studies Canada says piping Plovers are at a species at risk as flooding, human recreation and development is damaging the creatures seaside habitats.

Abbott says the majority of the birds mate on South Shore beaches.

"This past year we had forty-nine pairs. Our population target is sixty pairs. So were just over ten pairs short of our target. It doesn't sound like alt but its actually quite a significant distance we have to go to reach our target," says Abbott.


Abbot says locals can protect piping plovers and their young by watching for signs, staying off the dry sand and keeping your dog on a leash.

You can also visit http://www.bsc-eoc.org/ if you'd like to get involved with local preservation efforts.

Cellphone Penalties Increase

The province is introducing stronger penalties for those who exhibit risky behaviour on our roads. Amendments introduced today (November 16th) to the Motor Vehicle Act will double fines for those caught using a hand-held cellphone while driving and the loss of four demerit points on a driver's record. A second amendment to the act will increase penalties for street racing or stunt driving. Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Bill Estabrooks says by increasing penalties for those who exhibit dangerous behaviour, the province is making our roads safer.

Seniors Information Sessions

Information sessions for seniors on financial health and safety will be held in the Liverpool area next Monday, November 22nd. The session will teach seniors how to protect themselves from financial abuse- from telemarketing fraud to misspending of their money by well-meaning family and friends. Specific topics covered will include wills, power of attorney, internet fraud, property transfers, and grandparents' rights.

It is one of more than 14 sessions being held across the province to launch It's in Your Hands: Legal Information for Seniors and Their Families, a free publication on financial abuse developed by the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging at Mount Saint Vincent University. The session which lasts about two hours will be held at the Chelsea Fire Hall, , 2667 Chelsea Road, Highway 210 from 10 am to noon. For more information on the publication and info session, please visit http://www.legalinfo.org/ or call 902-454-2198.

New Ross Arrest

A New Ross man earned his day in court, this weekend, after allegedly ramming a car and swinging a metal bar at a young man.

Police say the suspect repeatedly smashed an East River youth's vehicle and then swung a metal bar at the youth in his driveway.

Lunenburg county RCMP arrested the accused on Sunday afternoon.

The man was subsequently released and will appear in Bridgewater Provincial Court on January 12.

Noise is a Nuisance

The Town of Bridgewater is hoping a noise by-law will keep the streets calm and quiet.


Mayor Carroll Publicover says determining what noise is a nuisance will protect landowners and tenants.

"People have the basic and inherent right, by law, to enjoy the peace and quiet of their property," says Publicover.

Publicover says the draft policy is being prepared for a first reading by council.