N.S. Senator Dickson passes away at 74

Fred Dickson, left, with Gerald Keddy, right, at an announcement in Chester in January 2011

The MP for South Shore-St. Margaret's says the province lost a great man Thursday in Fred Dickson. The Nova Scotia Senator passed away early Thursday morning after a four-year fight with colon cancer. He was 74. Gerald Keddy says Dickson played a key role in provincial and federal projects including Nova Scotia's oil and gas agreements with Ottawa in the early 1980s. Keddy says Dickson was well known on the South Shore, particularly for his involvement with Chester Race Week. He adds, Dickson was well-respected by his peers.

"I can tell you, in caucus, Fred was one of those guys that when he had something to say, he said it and everyone listened. A real asset and a great advocate right to the end for Nova Scotia."

Dickson was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in late 2008. He is survived by his wife Kay, children Kathryn, Ian and Colin and many grandchildren.

Tankard: Stevens falls in Draw Four

A steal of two in the eighth and one in the ninth gave Jamie Murphy's rink enough to upend Chester's Chad Stevens in draw four of the Molson Tankard. Sitting tied at five after six ends, Murphy managed to score one in the seventh before stealing the final two ends for a 9-5 win. The win moves Murphy to 3-1 and in a first-place tie with Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc and Mark Dacey. Stevens is in a fourth place tie with Kent Smith and Peter Burgess. The Chester squad looks to rebound against Dacey in draw 5 Thursday night at 7pm at the Bridgewater Curling club.

Standings


Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc 3-1

Jamie Murphy 3-1

Mark Dacey 3-1

Chad Stevens 2-2

Kent Smith 2-2

Peter Burgess 2-2

Brent MacDougall 1-3

Ian Juurlink 0-4

Chester, Bridgewater Mayors react to Census

The town of Bridgewater's population grew by 297 people from 2006 to 2011. The latest census figures, released Wednesday, indicate Bridgewater had a 3.7 percent spike. Mayor Carroll Publicover says its important for the town to keep growing.

"That's our sole source of income. When communities don't grow, when their assessment base doesn't grow, then you are facing a reduced revenue base on which to provide services. So, if we want to expand our services and offer more to our residents, growth is really important."

In Chester, the communities population decreased by 142 people over the last five years. Warden Allen Webber says lack of jobs, an aging population and the draw to move out West are all significant factors.

"We just aren't creating enough jobs here. Hopefully in the future, we can address that issue because that's what it takes to keep people here, that's what it takes to bring people here. I just don't think we're doing a good enough job of that and on the immigration front, of course, we're falling short.

Webber says Chester's population has remained pretty stable over the past 10 years with no sharp increases or decreases in population. He notes the community will soon see some benefits from the province's ship building contract. Elsewhere on the South Shore, the town of Lunenburg lost four residents from 2006 to 2011.

Final Joint Services Meeting held in Petite Riviere

The last public meeting exploring joint services between the towns of Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the Municipality of Lunenburg goes Thursday night in Petite Riviere. After this evening's meeting, the issue will go back to each of the respective councils for members to decide on the report's recommendations. Each council is expected to make a decision over the next few weeks. Thursday night's meeting gets underway at 7pm at the Petite Riviere Fire Hall.

Tankard: Stevens rink in first-place tie after draw 3

Chester's Chad Stevens has jumped to the top of the leaderboard after draw 3 of the Molson Tankard. Stevens' rink dumped Peter Burgess 8-3 Thursday morning to move to 2-1 and a first place tie with Mark Dacey, Kent Smith, Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc and Jamie Murphy. The Chester club will take on Murphy in the next draw, which gets started at 2pm at the Bridgewater Curling Club.

Standings


Chad Stevens 2-1

Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc 2-1

Jamie Murphy 2-1

Kent Smith 2-1

Mark Dacey 2-1

Brent MacDougall 1-2

Peter Burgess 1-2

Ian Juurlink 0-3

Cats found in Abandoned Rockland home

Up to 30 cats have been found at an abandoned house in an area just outside Lockeport. Members of the Beulah Burman Memorial Animal Shelter were notified recently about the problem in Rockland. Shelter Director Shelly Hipson says a situation like dumping pets isn't out of the ordinary.

"It's an easy way to get rid of a problem. They don't get their cats spayed or neutered, so often they end up with batches of kittens and they're unable to find homes and this is what is seen as an easy solution is to dump them by roadside or at wharfs or in this instance, an abandoned home."

Hipson adds, some of the cats look fine while others need medical attention.

"One has so much infection and frostbite in its ears that they weren't recognizable when we brought him in. We've taken him to the vet and they have been flushed but he was too thin to actually be put under to do the proper surgery, so were just waiting to heal him a bit. Another cat as well, we're looking at an eye removal, there's just so much infection."

Hipson says they are hoping people will adopt the cats and help make a difference. She is also part of group called Pet Projects, which is hoping to raise money to have all the cats spayed or neutered, as well as other surgeries. Donations can be mailed to PET Projects PO Box 267 Shelburne, NS BOT 1W0 or go online to www.petprojects.ca/ . You can also contact Shelly Hipson to see how you can help at (902) 875-2367.

Tankard: Chester's Stevens 1-1 after Day 1

Chester's Chad Stevens is now 1-1 after defeating Brent MacDougall 6-2 in draw 2 of the Molson Tankard. Stevens' rink never trailed, scoring one in the 2nd end before stealing singles in the 4th and 5th ends on route to the convincing win. Meanwhile, Kent Smith leads the way after day one with a 2-0 record while six teams are tied at 1-1. Opening ceremonies will be held Wednesday night. Draw 3 gets started at 9am Thursday morning.

Standings


Kent Smith 2-0

Brent MacDougall 1-1

Chad Stevens 1-1

Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc 1-1

Jamie Murphy 1-1

Mark Dacey 1-1

Peter Burgess 1-1

Ian Juurlink 0-2

Police, Town reach agreement on Pension and Wage

It's been four long years but the town of Bridgewater and its Police Association have finally reached a collective agreement. The six-year agreement includes a wage increase that will see a police officer's salary jump to $74,700 a year from $70,807 on April 1. The police will also contribute nine percent of their base salary towards the pension plan, with the town matching that figure. Chief John Collyer says the agreement keeps Bridgewater competitive with similar sized police departments. Collyer says there are 23 officers and eight civilians with the department that fall under the agreement. He says the new agreement provides long-term stability for policing in the town of Bridgewater. Wage increases for Bridgewater Police are as followed :

• April 1, 2008 - $63,558
• April 1, 2009 - $66,100
• April 1, 2010 - $68,744
• April 1, 2011 - $70,807
• April 1, 2012 - $74,700
• April 1, 2013 - $76,941

The new collective agreement is retroactive to April 1, 2008, and expires March 31, 2014.

Lunenburg: Town Creates Heritage Manager Position

The Town of Lunenburg is set to hire a Heritage Project Manager. It's a two-year term position and will assist the town with duties related to the town's UNESCO designation and its role as a world heritage site. The successful applicant will also play a key role in the future of Lunenburg Academy. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says the work load associated with the town's UNESCO designation isn't getting any easier. " Mawhinney says the town is prepared to pay for the position but would like to explore cost sharing with Parks Canada. He says the town will begin advertising for the new job soon and hopes the position will be filled before the spring.

Sports: Chester curling team falls in Molson Tankard opener

It was a hard fought battle but in the end Chester's Chad Stevens fell just short. Stevens stole one in the 7th end and one in the 9th end before 2010 Tankard Champ Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc scored one in the 10th end to win 7-6 in draw one of the Molson Tankard in Bridgewater. Elsewhere, Mark Dacey moved to 1-0 with an 8-4 win over Ian Juurlink, Kent Smith upended Jamie Murphy 9-5 and Brent MacDougall got by Peter Burgess 9-8. Draw 2 will be held at 2pm Wednesday afternoon at the Bridgewater Curling Club.

Recreational Zone changes call for Public Meeting

A meeting to discuss changes to Bridgewater's recreational zones to allow leash-free dog parks will be held Wednesday night. The town's Planning Department is looking to discuss proposed amendments to its Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use by-law. Director of Planning, Eric Shaw, says they need to make adjustments to allow a space for a leash-free dog area in Generations Active Park.

"Before we move forward with any sort of construction to make that happen, we have to make sure that our statutory planning documents allow for that use to exist on that piece of land."

Shaw says people who live 100 feet from any recreational zone in the town have been notified about the meeting. He says it helps keep things open and transparent so the public is aware of the potential changes. The meeting gets underway at 6pm Wednesday night in Council Chambers.

Molson Tankard gets underway

The provincial men's curling tournament gets underway Wednesday morning in Bridgewater. The first draw starts at 9am and features matches between Chester's Chad Stevens and Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc, Peter Burgess and Brent MacDougall, Jamie Murphy and Kent Smith, and Mark Dacey and Ian Juurlink. The second draw will be held at 2pm Wednesday afternoon. Opening ceremonies will also be held this evening at the Bridgewater Curling Club. The eight-team tourney will play a round-robin format before a page playoff system Saturday and Sunday.

Chester: Kaizer Meadow Wind Project

The Municipality of Chester is set to move ahead with a wind project at its Kaizer Meadow Landfill Facility. The $5.5 million dollar project will be fully owned by the municipality and will feature a large 2.3 megawatt turbine. The project was approved in December but was officially announced by Energy Minister Charlie Parker this morning. Warden Allen Webber called it a good investment for everyone involved. "It's about doing your part to reduce our carbon footprint by producing energy from a renewable resource such as the wind, that can be used locally by our own residents so they can feel good...they're doing their part. But, there's a economic side of this too, and once the switch is turned on this will be a positive revenue generator right from the first year," Minas Basin Pulp and Power of Hantsport has been contracted for project management, operation and maintenance. Webber expects the turbine will be operational early in 2013.

Bowater Mersey Plans Biomass Project

Bowater Mersey is one of four successful applicants under the province's COMFIT program. Officials at the Brooklyn based-mill are planning a 3.3 megawatt combined heat and power biomass project. The company will install a turbine and generator to improve waste heat recovery from steam generated at the facility. The captured steam would then be turned into electricity. Energy Minister Charlie Parker made the announcement near Chester this morning. He also announced Community Feed-in Tariff approvals for the Halifax Regional Water Commission, Town of New Glasgow and Celtic Current of Mulgrave. Each individual project must go through environmental assessments but today's announcement will allow each group to proceed to the next stage of development. The water commission is proposing an 11.5 megawatt large-wind project in Lake Major, near Preston. Nine projects in total have been approved so far under the COMFIT program, generating about 25 megawatts of electricity.

Soccer club concerned about losing Centre fields

The impending shutdown of Centre Consolidated School is creating concern for a local soccer organization. The West Nova Fuels/Lunenburg United Soccer club is worried the school's closure in March, could affect their use of its two soccer fields. The club has approached the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg proposing the two enter into a long-term agreement to operate the fields. Instead, council has decided to move ahead by establishing an ad hoc committee to look into the issue. Mayor Don Downe says the committee is the best option at the moment.

"The committee would be a representative of our council and their soccer association and taking a look at the short-term requirements that will be there and also, looking at the more important issue, the long-term aspect of how do we retain that soccer pitch."

Deputy Mayor Frank Fawson, Councillor Basil Oickle and Councillor Cathy Moore have shown their support to be part of the ad hoc committee. The nominating committee is expected to make its recommendations for the ad hoc group by next Tuesday's council meeting. The two Centre fields are roughly 25 and 50-years-old and the original lower turf is considered to be one of the best natural fields in the province.

New Logo for Bluenose Academy

The logo for Bluenose Academy is out. The school received 30 entries for the contest, which closed January 30. Of the 30 submitted, four were chosen for students to vote on Monday. The voting results are in and Darlene McCarthy's entry was selected as the new logo.

COMFIT: Kaizer Meadow Announcement

The province is set to announce more successful applicants under its COMFIT program this morning. Energy Minister Charlie Parker will make the announcement at the Kaizer Meadow Solid Waste Facility, near Chester. The Community Feed-in Tariff is part of Nova Scotia's Renewable Electricity Plan and will help the province reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The goal of the program is to enable communities to benefit from renewable electricity programs at the local level. The government has set targets of 25% renewable electricity by 2015, and 40% renewable electricity by 2020. COMFIT is one element designed to help the province meet its renewable energy goals. We'll have more details later today.

SSRSB Superintendent supports new Education Plan

Nancy Pynch-Worthylake

The Superintendent of the South Shore Regional School Board is reacting to the Education Minister's new Kids and Learning First plan. Nancy Pynch-Worthylake says its too early to tell how the plan will impact schools because they don't know their upcoming budget yet. Still, Pynch-Worthylake says there are some positives in the plan.

"We're completely supportive of changes in the math curriculum and we've been asking for that for some time. We have a lot of work going on, on the South Shore, in grade nine with inquiry-based learning, so we're very happy to see that. We certainly support attention to school mental health."

The plan, introduced late last week by Ramona Jennex, includes 39 initiatives, totalling a $6.7-million investment over three years to:


-- bring more services for kids and families into schools in every county

-- begin a Discovering Opportunities program for struggling Grade 9 students

-- introduce a manufacturing trades course linked to shipbuilding

-- double the number of schools offering skilled trades courses

-- triple the number of students taking courses through virtual school and double the number of its courses

-- expand career development support, including more career coaching workshops for parents

-- introduce a new grants program to allow more community groups to use schools for physical, cultural and education activities

For more information on the Kids and Learning First plan, visit www.ednet.ns.ca .

NS Gov't will Pave Rough Section of Highway 14

It's some good news for motorists who travel a rugged section of Highway 14 near Chester. A nine kilometre stretch from Canaan Road to Kaizer Meadow Road will see some fresh paving this summer. The section was a late addition to the province's five year highway improvement plan last year. Area Manager for Lunenburg and Queens County Matt Covey speaks on behalf of the Department of Transportation. "It does have very high traffic, as we all know the surface is very poor and those two factors are why we are going there instead of somewhere else," Chester-St. Margaret's MLA Denise Peterson-Rafuse says 1,300 kilometres of roads have been paved over the last two years with another 500 kilometres planned this year. Nova Scotia's first ever five-year paving and highway plan was released in 2010 and is entering its second year.

Bridgewater man wins truck through NFL contest

Nothing like winning a truck while watching the Super Bowl. Bridgewater native Neil Thompson is the new owner of a 2012 Nissan Frontier after it was announced in a commercial break during Sunday's big game. Thompson is the grand prize winner of the Nissan NFL Score More Contest. The truck is valued at over $38,000.