Shipyard Alliance Named Finalist For Boatyard Of The Year

The three groups that make up the Lunenburg Shipyard Alliance are finalists for boatyard of the year from a magazine in the United Kingdom. Classic Boat named the Alliance as one of five finalists. The magazine recognized the group for their work on Bluenose II, stating "the 200 years of experience shared by the Lunenburg Industrial Foundry, Snyder's Shipyard and Covey Island Boatworks, culminated on September 29 with a relaunch that was watched by thousands of proud Canadians." President of Covey Island Boatworks, Al Hutchinson, says he's proud of being nominated.



Hutchinson believes the winner will be announced in early April.

School Board: More Cuts Coming Over Next Few Years

The next few years are shaping up to be difficult for the South Shore Regional School Board. Finance Director Wade Tattrie revealed recently they are expected to cut another $2.2-million from their budget between 2014 and 2016. Tattrie says the cuts recognize the full transition of the Department of Education's HOGG funding formula. He expects the cuts will get worse.



The HOGG funding formula is a model used to distribute money for education among school boards. The board will get a better indication of what the next few years look like after additional details are provided by the province. Meanwhile, board members will make a decision on how to move forward on six schools in the region currently under review on Wednesday.

Lumberjacks Defenseman Joins 'Q' Team For Playoff Run

The Sherbrooke Phoenix have called-up CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks defenseman Brendan Nickerson for the rest of the playoffs. The 16-year-old is expected to join the team for game three of their opening round series against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Baie-Comeau leads the series two games to none. Nickerson was selected 38th overall by the Phoenix in last year's league draft. He had three points in 41 games with the Lumberjacks during the regular season.

Peterson-Rafuse Nominated In Chester-St.Margarets

A South Shore member of the legislature has been nominated to again carry the NDP flag in the next provincial election. Denise Peterson-Rafuse of Chester-St. Margaret's was elected in 2009 and has served in the Dexter cabinet as minister of Community Services and Seniors. She's also chair of the Senior Citizens Secretariat. Peterson-Rafuse's nomination meeting was held over the weekend. Peterson-Rafuse said at her nominating session: “I am eager to continue making a positive difference for seniors, working poor and our most vulnerable citizens. This is important to me both as the Minister of Community Services and for the people I represent in Chester-St. Margaret’s".

Bantam 'AA' Ice Sharks Bring Home Bronze From Provincials

The South Shore Bantam 'AA' Ice Sharks brought home bronze from the provincials over the weekend. The hockey club finished second after the round robin and had to play Sackville for a spot in the final. Sackville shutout the Ice Sharks 4-0, relegating the local club to a third place finish. Sydney beat Sackville in the final to win the provincial crown.

Program Aims To Bring Youth And Seniors Together

A four-week program designed for seniors and youth to engage in physical activity is beginning this week in Bridgewater. 'Game Day' is bringing the two age groups together to help learn more about people in the community while also participating in activities like badminton, washer toss, yoga and pickle ball. The Seniors Safety Coordinator in Lunenburg County, Beth George, says they want to see youth and seniors doing more together.



The hour-and-a-half sessions will start this Wednesday and run until April 17 at Bridgewater Junior-Senior High. To register, contact Beth George at the Bridgewater Police Service.

Parking Space Limited At Liverpool Hospital

There will be limited parking available at Queens General Hospital this week. Officials with South Shore Health say the lower parking lot will be closed beginning Tuesday. Workers will be installing the main sewer line as part of the 16 million dollar hospital project. They should be finished on Friday when the parking lot is expected to re-open. During construction, parking will be available next to the nurses residence in Liverpool. The health authority is asking staff and the public to either car pool or use drop off and pick up over the next few days. The Queens General Health project will feature a new collaborative health care clinic and the redevelopment of 22 inpatient units. It's expected to be ready in the spring of 2014.

Clippers Win Second Straight Provincial Junior 'C' Hockey Title

The Chester Clippers are once again provincial hockey champions. Alex Armstrong scored 38 seconds into double overtime to give the Clippers a 9-8 win over the Barrington Ice Dogs Sunday night in Bridgewater. The 4-1 series win gives the Clippers a provincial title for the second year in a row. Chester's Kyle Dilosa received the playoff MVP award, recording 29 points in 12 games. The Clippers will represent Nova Scotia at the Atlantic Junior 'C' Championships in Hampton, New Brunswick from April 4th to 7th.

Belliveau Calls For Federal Help In Reestablishing Ferry Service

The province's fisheries minister and Shelburne area MLA is calling upon Ottawa to become an active participant in the campaign to restore ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine. Sterling Belliveau says the feds need to be involved to turn the concept into a reality.



The province has committed 21 million dollars over seven years to the service and Belliveau says Ottawa needs to at least match that! Meanwhile, he is running for re-election. However, he doesn't know yet where he will run. Belliveau's Shelburne riding has been cut in half with one half becoming part of the new Argyle-Barrington and the other part of Queens-Shelburne. He says the issues haven't changed all that much since the last time he ran an election campaign. The economy, health care and transportation still dominate.

High School Hockey Game Raises Money For "Miss Ally" Crew Families

The Park View and Barrington High ladies hockey teams and the community of Lunenburg raised a thousand dollars yesterday for the families of the 5 crewmen who were lost at sea in February aboard the fishing vessel, Miss Ally. The referees donated their time, the winner of the 50-50 donated his take back to the cause, and there was a teriffic afternoon of hockey. ParkView came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the game 5-3. Top scorers were Janaya Nickerson for Barrington and Morgan Greek for Park View, each scoring two goals for their teams.