Town of Bridgewater financially supports Jenna Martin

Jenna Martin

The town of Bridgewater is helping Jenna Martin get to the 2012 London Olympics. Council approved a motion Monday night to give Martin $2,000 unbudgeted towards her funding goal. Mayor Carroll Publicover says Martin is a good role model for young athletes, good student and well-deserving of their donation. Councillor Jim Bell opposed the motion, saying taxpayers shouldn't be on the hook for $2,000 unbudgeted. Council's contribution represents 1.5% of the money Martin needs to raise to help her qualify for Canada's Olympic team.

Health Care Professional Student Sponsorship Program

The Municipality of Shelburne will financially support a Shelburne County health care professional student sponsorship program. The Municipality will provide 3 thousand 110 dollars to each local student who chooses to train in the health care field and return to provide services to the residents of the Muncicpality. The investment is in addition to the monies Council spent to recruit a physician last year, and recruitment efforts this year. The Municipality has also committed 200 thousand dollars for a new community health clinic. Provincial funding partners have yet to make a commitment.

Minister MacDonell Meets With South Shore Councils

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister John MacDonell spent yesterday meeting with South Shore Councils. The Minister says when he took over the portfolio in January he made a commitment he wanted to get out and meet all the municipal councils around the province. MacDonell says he was pleased and surprised at the interest around projects for energy and their ability to generate revenue through the province's COMFIT program. One general theme was to consult and keep the lines of communication open when government makes decisions policy wise that impact the municipal units.  The Minister met with Councils from Bridgewater, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Chester and the Municipality of Lunenburg. He plans to meet with the Region of Queens in the near future.

Finalists Selected for 2011 Business Excellence Awards

Nineteen businesses in Lunenburg and Queens have been selected as finalists for the 2011 Lunenburg Queens Business Excellence Awards. More than 100 nominations were received. In addition to the honour of being deemed a business leader in their category, the finalists will be vying for a beautiful plaque crafted by Amos Pewter of Mahone Bay. Category winners will be announced at the Gala Awards Dinner being held this year at the Best Western Plus Bridgewater Hotel and Convention Centre on Tuesday, October 18. Guest speaker at the awards ceremony is John Steele of Covey Island Boatworks and the Lunenburg Shipyard Alliance.

The finalists in their respective categories are:

Entrepreneurial Award:
Helping Nature Heal Inc, Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet Ltd.,
Van Dyk's Health Juice Products Ltd.

Export Achievement Award:
Pro-Oceanus Systems Inc., TecBox International Ltd., RuSafe Inc.,
 DPM Solutions

Hospitality Award:
Atlantica Hotel & Marina Oak Island, Comfort Inn -Bridgewater,
 Best Coast Coffee Gallery

Large Business Award:
Mahone Auto , Kelley & Oickle Enterprises Ltd. (Swiss Chalet),
Brady Home Building Centre

New Business Award:
Best Western Plus Bridgewater Hotel & Convention Centre,
LaHave River Chiropractic and Health Centre, Ironworks Distillery

Small Business Award:
Helping Nature Heal Inc., New Germany Building Supplies (2004) Ltd., Chester Pharmasave

Tickets for the event are already over 50 per cent sold. To purchase tickets or for additional information, please visit the event's website at http://www.lqbusinessawards.ca/ or email tickets@lqbusinessawards.ca.

Tick Surveillance Program







Top row: nymph, male and female Blacklegged ticks.

Bottom row: male and female dog ticks.

The Blacklegged tick does not always have black coloured legs. Dog ticks usually have white or silver coloured spots.
Photo: Public Health Agency of Canada

A change is coming this week to the province's tick surveillance program. Starting Friday (September 30th), the public, veterinarians and physicians will no longer be asked to  submit ticks to the Department of Natural Resources or the Museum of Natural History for identification and testing. The tick surveillance program will now focus on active field work to identify areas where the tick population is expanding.  Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald says there now is enough data to focus on more work in the field.   Blacklegged ticks, the only ticks that carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease, can be found throughout Nova Scotia, but risk of contracting the disease remains low. The following precautions are recommended in areas where blacklegged ticks and Lyme disease are known to be established:
-- wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants (so ticks are more visible), light-coloured socks, and enclosed shoes while working or playing outside or hiking in the woods
-- pull socks up over pant legs and tuck in shirts
-- spray clothing and exposed skin with an insect repellant containing DEET
-- check clothing and exposed skin for ticks after working or playing outside or in the bushes or tall grass and remove any ticks attached to the skin
-- keep grass well cut to minimize suitable habitat for ticks on your property.


Blacklegged ticks can only transmit the bacterial infection after they have been attached to the skin for about 24 hours.   There have been 67 cases of Lyme disease reported in Nova Scotia since 2002. Images of the blacklegged tick, instructions to remove ticks and general information on Lyme disease are available at http://www.gov.ns.ca/dhw.








South Shore Weather -- Tuesday, September 27, 2011

TODAY
Sunny. High 21. (((**UV index 5 or moderate**))).

TONIGHT
Clear. Low 6.

TOMORROW
Sunny. High 16.



THE FIVE DAY FORECAST

Thursday
Sunny. Low 9. High 20.

Friday
Cloudy and showers. Low 14. High 20.

Saturday
Cloudy and showers. Low 16. High 20.

Sunday
Cloudy with a chance of showers. Low 14. High 17.

Monday
A mix of sun and cloud. Low 12. High 16.



THE TIDES

High- 8:30am
Low- 3:00pm
High- 8:50pm

Autism discussion held on Skype

A psychologist specializing in autism spectrum disorders is available on Skype Tuesday night.


Dr. Tony Attwood will make an online presentation about managing feelings.

The presentation is expected to explain why children and adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are more prone to develop mood disorders.

It will also explain strategies that can help such individuals learn about and manage emotions.

It gets started at 7pm at Hebbville Academy.

The event is being held by the Autism Centre Society of the South Shore.

Man released from custody after armed standoff

A man charged after an armed standoff in Chester Basin last month has been released from custody.


Nelson Frederick Bond of New Minas had been in jail since the incident after the prosecutor asked for a forensic psychiatric assessment.

The 47-year-old accused appeared Monday in Bridgewater provincial court.

The Crown agreed to his release under certain conditions, including paying a $10,000 surety and agreed to stay with his brother and sister-in-law.

Bond is not allowed to drink alcohol or take illegal drugs and must stay away from his alleged victim.

Bond faces numerous charges, including three counts of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, one count of pointing a firearm and one count each of forcible confinement and assault.

Bridgewater mayor sounds off on Fairview Inn

The mayor of Bridgewater says he's worried about the safety of the Fairview Inn.


Carroll Publicover says though the building has survey tape surrounding it, kids could still wander inside and injure themselves.

He says he wants round-the-clock security at the Fairview Inn until its demolished, or demolished in a timely fashion.

Publicover also hopes changes can be made to the former car dealership at 99 Aberdeen Road, calling it a blight in the community.

He says he's felt this way for months but decided to make his feelings public during Monday night's council meeting.

White back to school following major brain surgery

A Bridgewater girl is back to class at Hebbville Academy after undergoing major brain surgery in the U.S.


Six-year-old Chelsea White returned to school after post-surgical problems kept her in hospitals in California and Halifax until mid-August.

Chelsea's mother, Shannon Price, says her daughter has been active and in great spirits since coming home.

Price says doctors have told her it could take up to two years for Chelsea's brain to completely heal from the surgery.

She says Chelsea will have to visit neurosurgeons and cardiologists in October, to see if her heart is still enlarged because of extra blood flow.

Medical Unit at South Shore Regional Hospital reopens

The Medical Unit at South Shore Regional Hospital has reopened to visitors.


Visitation has been restricted on the 4th floor since September 6 due to an increased number of patients testing positive for the antibiotic-resistant organism MRSA.

Visitors are asked to check in at the nursing station before visiting and to wash their hands when entering and leaving the hospital, and before and after visiting patients.

Regular and thorough hand washing can help prevent the spread of illness.

Motor Vehicle Collision Involving Pedestrian

Queen's RCMP are asking for public assistance in identifying the driver of a vehicle involved in a collision with a pedestrian. A woman was struck by a grey Chrysler Sunday evening around 6:45 p.m. (September 25th), The pedestrian was walking on the sidewalk adjacent to the parking lot at Lane's Privateer Inn. The suspect vehicle was exiting the parking lot and eventually headed toward downtown Liverpool.   The male driver of the car is described as approximately 55 to 60 years old with short grey hair. He spoke with an accent, possibly British and was travelling with a female companion.

Illegal Drug Seizure

A bail hearing is being held this afternoon for a Yarmouth man facing charges following a seizure of illegal prescription pills and drugs. Fifty-two year old Charles Raymond Blades is facing charges of Possession for the Purpose for Trafficking in Hydromorphone, (commonly known as Dilaudid), Possession of Cannabis Marihuana and Breach of an Undertaking. RCMP Southwest Nova Federal Drug Section assisted by the Shelburne Street Crime Enforcement Unit seized the contraband near Barrington on Friday. (September 23rd)

Minimum Wage to Increase October 1st

You might soon see a difference in your paycheck. As of Saturday, October 1st, the minimum wage is increasing to $10 per hour . This is a 3.6 per cent increase from the present rate of $9.65. The minimum wage for inexperienced workers, with less than three months' experience in the work for which they were hired, will rise to $9.50. After the increase Saturday, future increases will occur in April, beginning in 2012, indexing the minimum wage to the Low Income Cut Off, a figure set by Statistics Canada where people are devoting a significantly larger than average percentage of their income to the basic necessities of food, shelter and clothing. Increases will be based on the national Consumer Price Index from the previous calendar year.

         The government is also investing an additional $18.25 million this year to help income assistance clients and low-income Nova Scotians make ends meet. These include a 22 per cent increase per child, per month, to the Nova Scotia Child Benefit, a $15 per month increase in the Income Assistance Personal Allowance, indexing the Affordable Living Tax Credit and the Poverty Reduction Credit to keep up with inflation, and allowing working income assistance clients to keep more money each month.

Residents Seek Less Government Connection to Freedom of Information Office

**Dulcie McCallum**
FOIPOP Information Officer




Residents of St. Margarets Bay are calling for less government control over the provincial Freedom of Information Office. Currently, government employees who process F.O.I. requests work for the departments whose information is being disclosed. Residents' spokesman Sean Kirby says departments shouldn't be able to pick and choose what they release to the public. He says: "The St. Margarets Bay connector road censorship case I think was a real eye-opener for us and a lot of people. Its a terrible example of the government breaking its own Freedom of Information law in order to hide information from residents about the connector road. Our concern is if the government is doing this on our little issue, clearly it must be taking place on other issues as well."  The Freedom of Information review officer issued a scathing report back in June which criticized the government for censoring documents about the St. Margarets Bay connector road. Residents have taken their case to the provincial supreme court and a hearing will be held in mid-January.

South Shore Weather -- Monday, September 26, 2011

TODAY
Sunny. High 24. (((**UV index 6 or high**))).

TONIGHT
Clear. Low 13.

TOMORROW
Sunny. High 20.



THE FIVE DAY FORECAST

Wednesday
Sunny. Low 6. High 16.

Thursday
Sunny. Low 11. High 20.

Friday
Cloudy with a chance of showers. Low 15. High 21.

Saturday
Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Low 15. High 17.

Sunday
Cloudy with a chance of showers. Low 12. High 15.



THE TIDES

High- 7:45am
Low- 2:10pm
High- 8:00pm

Lumberjacks get first win, top Campbellton 5-1

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks finally have a notch in the win column.


Michael Crawley led the Jacks with two goals while Billy Clarke made 31 saves as the hometown club earned a 5-1 victory over the Campbellton Tigers.

Head Coach Terry Rhindress says it's a great feeling to get the first win.

"The kids played well today, they stuck together and played another complete 60 minutes. It's nice to get the monkey off our back, a little later than we expected, you know, couple games earlier we should've had a 'W' but we'll take it tonight and we'll move on."

Brad Donaldson, Jake Bullen and Brennan Saulnier also scored for the Jacks.

The Lumberjacks take on the Yarmouth Mariners Thursday night at 7pm in Bridgewater.

Last week for sales at Bridgewater Blockbuster

It's your last week to take advantage of good buys at Blockbuster.


The Bridgewater store is listed to close September 30 and is offering 50-70% off all its stock.

The Bridgewater location is one of 253 remaining stores in Canada that are expected to close their doors by the end of the month.

Up to 10 people are expected to lose their jobs.

Bridgewater Zellers remains unaffected by TARGET sale

Bridgewater Zellers is staying put, for now.


Target Corporation has identified 84 Zellers locations it will take over, as part of an agreement announced in January.

The External Communications Manager for Hudson's Bay Company, Tiffany Bourré, says the Bridgewater Zellers is one of 84 remaining stores continuing to operate while the company reviews its options.

Target has purchased 189 stores from Zellers.

The agreement with Zellers allows Target to buy up to 220 stores for $1.825-billion.

They expect to have their first stores to open in Spring 2013.

Banner Year for VIC

The numbers are in and it was a banner year for the Bridgewater and area Visitor Information Centre at Exit 12. The VIC opened in June and the last day of operation was Friday, September 23rd. Manager Dan Hennessey says it has been a tremendous year for visitors with 4 thousand 750 people coming through the doors, almost twice the number of the year before.  Hennessey says there are two keys to success for a Visitor Information Centre, accessibility and visibility.   The Town of Bridgewater and Municipality of the District of Lunenburg jointly funded the temporary centre for two seasons while they work to finding a long term solution. A regional partnership is one of the options being discussed