Budget for Bluenose II rebuild jumps by $1-million

The cost of rebuilding the Bluenose II has jumped by $1-million. Sources say the province has agreed to increase the project's budget to $15.9-million on advice from an international regulatory agency. Project manager Craig Chisholm says the shipbuilding agency called for changes to make sure the schooner is safe, including a requirement for steel reinforcements in the deck. The $14.8-million project, funded by the provincial and federal governments, began last fall. It was expected to be completed this spring, but the province now says the replica will set sail next summer. The last plank was attached to the ship's hull last month.

Mustangs President upset by lack of communication from Bridgewater Council

The president of the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs is firing back at the Town of Bridgewater. Lionel Haughn says he's received no word from Town Council about what the Mustangs should be doing to be considered for free ice time. He says he should be told the next step in the process.

"I think somebody should have the courtesy from the town or from the town council, to send me some sort of letter or communicate some way. I mean this is crazy, I'm not going to act on what I've heard, like I said before, in the parking lot."

The team is looking to have the cost of its Friday morning practice time waived. Town Council is looking for the club to present a business plan, comparing them with other teams in the Major Midget hockey league.

South Shore Health trimming 3% from 2012-13 budget

South Shore Health has been asked to cut spending in 2012-13. The provincial government is looking to trim three per cent of health care costs for the nine district health authorities and the IWK Health Centre in Halifax. The director of communications with South Shore Health, Theresa Hawkesworth, says they will be working with other health authorities and the IWK on ways to trim their budget. She says a three per cent budget cut represents over $2.1-million. Hawkesworth says none of the money is expected to be taken from patient care.

Playground Equipment to be Removed

It's a short term solution until the Municipality of Lunenburg decides what to do with the former Riverport Elementary School. Deputy-Mayor Lee Nauss says Council has authorized staff to remove the playground equipment that is considered to be dangerous and unsafe. Nauss says with the closing of the school it reverted back to the ownership of the Municipality and even though the community wants the playground equipment to remain, there's a liability issue at stake. Council will maintain the other playground equipment and grounds of the school until a final decision is made on the reassessment or disposal of the property. The school board formally returned the school to the Municipality in July.

Foster Family Appreciation Week Celebrated

Nearly 800 foster families are being recognized this week for opening their hearts to children in need of a loving stable home in Nova Scotia. The province is celebrating Foster Family Appreciation Week held annually on the third week of October.
      Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse thanks all foster families for providing children with the safe and nurturing home they deserve. At celebrations across the province this week certificates of recognition will be presented to foster families for the difference they have made to a child in need.

Best in Business to be honoured

The best in South Shore business will be honoured Tuesday night in Bridgewater. The Lunenburg-Queens Business Excellence awards get underway at 6pm at the Bridgewater Best Western Hotel and Convention Centre. The executive director of the Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Agency, Andrew Button, says the night highlights the quality of business on the South Shore. Here are the finalists in each of the six award categories.

Entrepreneurial Award :

Helping Nature Heal Inc
School House Gluten-Free Gourmet Ltd.
Van Dyk's Health Juice Products Ltd

Hospitality Award :

Atlantica Hotel and Marina Oak Island
Comfort Inn Bridgewater
Best Coast Coffee Gallery

Large Business Award : 

Mahone Auto
Kelly Oickle Enterprises Ltd. (Swiss Chalet)
Brady Home Building Centre

Export Achievement Award :

DPM Solutions
PRO Oceanus Systems Inc
TecBox
RU Safe Inc.

New Business Award :

Best Western Plus Bridgewater
Lahave River Chiropractic and Health Centre
Ironworks Distillery

Small Business Award :

Helping Nature Heal Inc.
New Germany Building Supplies (2004) Ltd.
Chester Pharmasave

School Bus Safety

Bridgewater Police want drivers to be extra cautious when approaching school buses. School Bus Safety Awareness Week begins Monday and Police are asking motorists to stop for a school bus when it displays its flashing red lights. Drivers who don't could faces fines beginning at $397.71 and up to $1260.21 for a third offence. Bridgewater Police are also asking students to remain in the drivers sight and cross in front of the bus. Roughly 33 school buses transport more than 1,200 students in Bridgewater every day. "Be Aware: Know the Danger Zone" is this year's theme when it comes to school bus safety in the town.

Missing 10-year-old found

South Shore RCMP say they have found a 10-year-old boy who wandered away from a children's centre. Police say the boy was found about 10 kilometres from the Dayspring Children's Centre in Lunenburg County at about 2pm Sunday. They said he left the facility without permission at about 10:25pm Saturday. Police say he was in good health.

RCMP looking for missing 10-year-old

Lunenburg RCMP is asking for the public's assistance in locating a 10-year-old boy who left the Dayspring Children's Centre Saturday morning without permission. The boy is described as a young male of First Nations descent, approximately 4'7" tall, 78 pounds, with short brown hair and green eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue button up shirt and grey pyjama pants, with no shoes. RCMP believe he may be heading to Cape Breton. If you have any information, please contact the RCMP at 634-8674.

Grand Opening of Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute Expansion

The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute is holding a grand opening this weekend to show off the new expansion.  Senator Kelvin Ogilvie will be on hand for the ceremonies slated for Saturday, October 15th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The grand opening will give the public a chance to see the improvements to the field station and observe green technology being used. The improvements to the field station were designed for it to be a carbon neutral building within the Southwest Nova Scotia Biosphere Reserve in rural Queens County. The 200 thousand dollar project received funding from ACOA, the ECO-Nova Scotia Environmental Technology program and through private donations.

Portraits of Honour in Bridgewater

The Portraits of Honour  mural depicts the 157  fallen Canadian service men and women in Afghanistan. It arrived in Bridgewater over the noon hour and will be open for public viewing until 9 p.m. tonight (Fri. Oct. 14th) in the parking lot of the Bridgewater Legion Branch # 24, Churchill Street.

Gasoline Price Hike

Gasoline prices have taken another jump.

The price of a litre of self serve regular has shot up by six cents overnite.
Its selling at South Shore pumps today for $1.31.1 per litre.
Thats a ten cent increase in a week.

Freedom Riders raising money for stroke victim

Mar Croft, President of Freedom Riders

Members of a South Shore bike club are gearing up for a halloween-based fundraiser. The Freedom Riders Motorcycle Club will be on the road Saturday in support of Chester's Christopher Simms, who suffered a stroke. The president of Freedom Riders, Mar Croft, says all donations raised will go towards Simms. The event starts at 1pm Saturday at the Tim Hortons on the corner of Dominion and High Street in Bridgewater.The ride will be escorted through town by the Bridgewater Police and will make stops to collect donations. Riders are encouraged to dress up in costume or decorate their bikes.

Council mulls free ice decision; ask Mustangs for presentation

Bridgewater Mayor Carroll Publicover

Bridgewater town council is looking to hear from the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs. The Mustangs are looking to acquire some free ice time, but Mayor Carroll Publicover says council wants a formal proposal from the local 'AAA' hockey club.

"The Mustangs need to come and make a case for us if they believe that other teams that play 'AAA' hockey are given certain privileges and concessions by their communities to help them, we'd like to hear that, and maybe we'll step up and do the same thing."

The Mustangs are looking to waive the cost of their Friday morning practice time. Town council previously waived practice time for the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks, on the condition the full team relocated to Lunenburg County. The request would cost taxpayers roughly $2,500 for the season.

Bridgewater Councillor frustrated with Jo-Lo Development

Councillor David Mitchell

It looks like there may be another delay for the The Village at Glen Allan project. Bridgewater town councillor David Mitchell says Jo-Lo Development hasn't installed a fence, which was part of the non-substantive amendment to the development agreement in June. Mitchell says the developer has until October 15.

"It's beyong frustrating because as a council, we pride ourselves on our whole town; the staff, the planning department, engineering, on being so proactive with developers and yet I feel that we've been taken advantage with a developer that keeps pushing and pushing and pushing."

Mitchell says he expects council will debate extending or discharging the development agreement if the fence isn't installed after Saturday.

Dates Set for Murder Trial

Eleven days have been set aside beginning next May 7th for the Supreme Court trial of a Liverpool man accused of killing his fiancee . Thirty-two year old James Leroy Leopold pleaded not guilty when he was formally arraigned today (Thursday, October 13) on a charge of second degree murder in the death of 47 year old Laura Lee Robertson. She was reported missing on April 14th. Her remains were found off Highway 210 outside Greenfield, Queens County almost two weeks later. Leopold who has been in custody since his arrest in April was committed to stand trial following a preliminary hearing earlier this month.

Tallship Columbia Announcement

A Lunenburg County company will be making history by making a full set of sails for the replica of the schooner Columbia. Michele Stevens Sailloft of Second Peninsula is partnering with the Eastern Shipbuilding Group and Covey Island Boatworks in the new construction of the replica. Stevens is a fourth generation sailmaker whose work includes the construction of the largest working mail sail in the world for the Bluenose ll and several sails for the Concordia. Covey Island Boatworks will oversee the project and provide the spars and rigging for the new vessel.
            The Columbia, a 140 foot Gloucester fishing schooner was originally launched in April 1923 and participated in the International Schooner Races.

Vital Initiatives Coordinator Appointed

The Lunenburg County Community Fund has appointed a Vital Initiatives Coordinator. Joel Stoddart who grew up in Clarks Harbour, will work with the LCCF Board to further the development of projects that were identified by volunteers and community meetings over the last year. Stoddart who has extensive experience working in rural communities has worked on economic development projects and has good connections in the sector within Lunenburg County.  Vital Initiatives was born from the report Vital Signs of Lunenburg County, and reflects the action plans and projects that have emerged since the release of the report in October 2010. Four key areas were identified in the report as impacting on the long term sustainability of Lunenburg County.  The economy, literacy, health and wellness and youth are target areas. For more information on the report you can visit
http://lunenburgcountycommunityfund.ca/

Composites Atlantic Senior V-P excited about $10-million provincial investment



Premier Darrell Dexter (left) and Derek Kinsman, senior vice-president and chief operating officer at Composites Atlantic, chat after an announcement in Lunenburg.



The senior vice-president and chief operating officer of Composites Atlantic says it's an announcement his company plans to take advantage of. The Lunenburg business welcomed a $10-million announcement for aerospace and defence companies and suppliers from the provincial government. Derek Kinsman says it's a positive situation for Composites Atlantic to be in.

"Packages, such as this, which give you an ability to bring financing into play, and when you're successful you pay it back, I mean, that's a perfect win-win situation from our perspective."

Kinsman says Composites have a number of projects that could qualify to access some of the $10-million available. He says the company is competing against others worldwide, and are challenged by emerging economy countries such as Mexico, China and India.

Utilization Meetings start at CAMS

The South Shore Regional School Board will hold its first utilization meeting Thursday night at Chester Area Middle School. The meeting will look at utilization of schools including Chester District Elementary, New Ross Consolidated and Forest Heights. The chair of the South Shore Regional School Board, Elliott Payzant, says its a chance to explore each schools needs or if its meeting all regulations. Members of the school community, including Principals, Student Advisory Councils and Student Leaders have been invited to attend. The meeting is not open to the general public.