Hockey: Bantam 'AA' Ice Sharks Open Provincials With Win

The South Shore Ice Sharks Bantam 'AA' hockey team scored a 2-1 win over Glace Bay this afternoon in Amherst to open up provincials. Cooper Stuart and Alex Miller scored the goals while Parker Rowter got the win in nets They will play Chebucto at 8 tomorrow morning.

Little Change Likely In Gas Prices

Don't expect much change at South Shore gas pumps tomorrow. The utility and review board will set the coming week's prices at midnight and will likely follow New Brunswick's lead today. There's little price change at the gas pumps in New Brunswick. Those who use diesel and furnace oil are seeing some savings though. The Energy and Utilities Board has lowered the maximum prices of those fuels by two cents per litre. Regular and high-test gas prices dropped by less than half-a-cent overnight in New Brunswick.

Mixed Feelings Over Proposed Development Networks

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says re-establishing regional development agencies or creating new networks in Nova Scotia would be a waste of money. Regional director Kevin Lacey says the provincial government doesn't seem to have learned from its experience with the Southwest Development Authority. It was disbanded a couple of years ago over money mismanagement issues.



The mayor of the Region of Queens is among those favoring establishment of such a development agency for this area. Christopher Clarke says if managed properly, they would benefit Lunenburg, Queens and Shelburne by focussing on attracting business and jobs.

School Board: Finance Director Feels Schools Need To Close

The school board's director of finance believes there needs to be some school closures this year to help balance the budget. The board is facing a 1.5 per cent funding reduction from the province for their 2013-14 budget, an almost $1-million loss. There is also expected to be an $850,000 cut for wage and cost of living increases. Wade Tattrie feels there's not too many other options to consider.



Tattrie says they're in a serious financial state right now and adds a school closure would help because it would impact their budget going forward. He urges the board to consider all options before they make their decision next week.

Queens Food Bank Holds Volunteer Recruitment Meeting

A critical stage has been reached with a shortage of volunteers for the Queens County Food Bank. The secretary-treasurer says a volunteer recruitment drive will be held this evening to bring in a fresh group of people. Craig Condon says they have roughly 18 volunteers, and he would love to see another 18 people donate some time. He says the current crop of volunteers have put in their time and a new group is needed.



Condon says if they can't recruit enough volunteers, a decision would then be made by the food bank's board of directors on its future. The meeting starts at 6:30 tonight in the community room at Queens Place Emera Centre.

Bridgewater Group Exploring Options Other Than Library Space

The president of a Bridgewater company confirms he's looking beyond a King Street property to move his business. Swain and Associates along with Cafe 12 are the two groups under consideration for the library building space, once the public library moves into their new home near the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. John Swain says they have been growing for the past few years and are in need of a new spot. He says they had to explore other opportunities.



Swain says the library building has always caught his eye, but he's ready to expand the company sooner rather than later. He expects to know more about moving into another property by the end of the month.

New Direction For South Shore Jobs Growth: Baillie

A change in political direction is whats needed to improve the job climate on the South Shore. Thats the message delivered to the Bridgewater Chamber of Commerce by the province's PC leader Jamie Baillie. Addressing the business crowd, Baillie said the economy here has become stagnant and new ideas and direction are needed.



Baillie is travelling the province these days in the lead-up to a possible spring election.

Horse Pull Yanked From "The Big Ex"

The South Shore Exhibition is losing another popular attraction. The "International Horse Pull" competition will not be held this year as a result of government funding being pulled from the Cumberland, Maine-based group. South Shore Ex Manager Christine Sarty says the loss will be felt.



The horse pull competition has been an attraction at the exhibition for close to half a century. A few years ago, the "International Ox Pull" was scrapped because of the mad cow scare and its never returned to the Ex. This year's South Shore Exhibition runs July 23rd to July 28th.

MODL: Offers Funding For Bridgewater Skate Park

The Municipality of Lunenburg has tentatively approved funding towards a skate park near the LCLC. The vote to give the local skateboard park group $10,000 each year until 2016 was mixed but received enough votes to send the matter to council for final decision. The group was asking for $100,000 from both the municipality and town of Bridgewater. CAO Tammy Wilson says the decision was a bit of a switch from what was recommended by the audit-finance committee.



Council members have put conditions on the matter including Bridgewater match the municipality's funding committment. A formal approval is expected to be made March 26.

Shelburne Kayak Festival Looking For Volunteers

The Shelburne Kayak Festival is back for another year and officials are in search of volunteers. The event is entering its second year and will feature a series of instructional activities for people who already kayak, or may be interested in getting started. Volunteers are needed to help the group that is returning from last year. Manager of Community and Economic Development, Jerry Locke, says they're looking for help right away.



The festival will be held in mid-August around Islands Park. People who are interested in helping can contact the Town of Shelburne or go here .

New After School Program To Promote Physical Activity

The provincial government has announced money for six South Shore communities to develop after-school programming. The 'After the Bell' initiative was designed to provide physical activity in 12 to 15-year-olds. Lunenburg MLA Pam Birdsall announced details recently in Mahone Bay. She says the program can help address some glaring issues that need to change.



The province is providing $23,000 for programs in Argyle, Barrington, Mahone Bay, Shelburne, South Queens and Yarmouth. The World Health Organization recommends kids participate in an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily.

Lunenburg "Smart Metering" Needs Volunteers

Homeowners in Old Town Lunenburg looking for further knowledge into their power usage are being asked to participate in a "Smart Metering Project". The pilot project is being led by the Lunenburg Board of Trade. Coordinator Doug Hodges says those who take part in the project will have their electricity meters swapped with new smart meters. He says there is no charge to participate.



Interested homeowners will then be able to watch their electricity usage and patterns online on a secure website. Those looking to take part in the pilot need to contact the Lunenburg Board of Trade.

Council Sends Budget Message To Finance Director

It was a clear message from Bridgewater council to their finance director. No more debt increase and don't raise the sewer or tax rates. Council members met last night to discuss the 2013-14 budget and a $400,000 surplus in their operating budget. There were many ideas floated around including putting the brakes on big projects for now like the Downtown and Waterfront Plan and LED Lighting project to help balance the capital budget. Mayor David Walker says it's all preliminary talk and nothing is final, just yet.



The director of finance will take the input back to staff to create a draft version of the budget. Another discussion session will be held April 2nd.

Winter Hanging On - Nasty Weather Forecasted

"Old Man Winter" is hanging around and is expected to deliver another blast of nasty weather tonight. Environment Canada has issued a winter storm watch for the region. Flurries are expected to begin this afternoon but the brunt of the storm won't hit until later on. The weather agency predicts the South Shore will be hit with 10-15 centimetres of snow mixed with ice pellets this evening. Winds will be whipping up around 70 kilometres per hour and reduced visibility on highways should be expected. Rain or snow is also expected to hit the region on Wednesday.

Western Hurricanes Captain Sets Sights On Mustangs

The captain of the BMO Western Hurricanes is hoping to take his talent to the next level. Keith Getson says he wants to crack the South Shore Mustangs line-up because he believes he can help the squad get back on the winning track. The 14-year-old is coming off an 81-point season with the Hurricanes, including 50 goals in 29 games. Getson says practicing hard helped him earn his results.



The Bridgewater native has decided not to play baseball this summer and will travel to PEI to train for the upcoming hockey season. Getson says he plans to work on getting faster and stronger to make the transition to major midget. Getson received awards as the Nova Scotia Major Bantam Hockey League's top scorer and top forward. He was also selected as a first team all-star.

Queens: Council Prepares For Tough Budget

Region of Queens Council will soon begin discussions on the 2013-14 budget. Mayor Christopher Clarke says staff is crunching and re-crunching numbers as the municipality deals with a huge shortfall in tax revenue. That's a result of the closure of the Bowater mill in mid 2012. Clarke says it is going to be a challenging year for finances.



Council will likely receive the budget within the next couple of weeks. The mayor says the deliberations will likely be long and arduous.

Bridgewater Council Holds Budget Meeting

The public are invited to a budget meeting Monday evening in Bridgewater council chambers. Council members will discuss the capital and operating portions of the 2013-14 budget. The meeting will begin at 6pm.

Council Mulls ATV Trail Request

Bridgewater council is mulling over a request to allow off-road vehicles along a portion of the Centennial Trail. Council received a letter from the co-owner of the Best Western Plus in Cookville asking members for an informal meeting to explore the option. The hotel property is connected to the trail and the co-owner feels ATV traffic could be a key resource and bring people to the area. Mayor David Walker says he has mixed emotions.



Council has sent the matter to committee for review.

Bourgeois' Double OT Winner Ties Junior 'C' Final 1-1

For the second night in a row, the Chester Clippers and Barrington Ice Dogs needed additional time to finish a game. This time, it would be Chester winning 5-4 in double overtime. Captain Mathieu Bourgeois scored the winning goal, tying the NS Junior 'C' Championship Series at 1-1. Kyle Dilosa had a big night as well, as he scored three goals to help the Clippers get the win. Josh Crouse also added a single goal. Jevon Link, Brent Symonds, Matt Goodwin and Tyler Quinlan each scored a single goal for Barrington. Game three will be played in Barrington on Friday March 22nd at 8pm. Game four will be on Saturday March 23rd at 7:30pm, also in Barrington. The fifth game of the series will be held Sunday, March 24th at 7pm in Bridgewater.

Whalen Wins Shotput, Sets New NS Record

Chelsea Whalen of Liverpool set a new Nova Scotia outdoor woman's shotput record Friday at the University of South Florida Invitational in Tampa, Florida. Whalen's throw of 15.59m took first place in the meet and wiped out her old record of 15.47m. Whalen will be competing next weekend at her home opener the FSU Relays in Tallahassee