SPORTS: Lohnes adds silver to medal collection in Wales

Whitney Lohnes, left, picked up a silver medal Wednesday  in 48kg seniors division at the 2012 Commonwealth Judo Championships in Cardiff, Wales

Bridgewater's Whitney Lohnes now has a silver medal in Cardiff, Wales. Lohnes lost in the 48kg seniors division final Wednesday afternoon to her opponent from England at the 2012 Commonwealth Judo Championships. The silver will be added to her gold she picked up Tuesday after winning the 48kg junior division. Lohnes is now expected to head to Belgium for another tournament this weekend.

VIDEO: Mustangs to get free ice time from Town

Bridgewater town council is awarding the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs with a free ice time. The town is drafting an agreement with the Mustangs to give the team a Friday morning practice from 6:30-8 at no cost. Mayor Carroll Publicover says the club is well-deserving of a free ice time. Publicover says the Mustangs have been in Bridgewater for 27 years and could use the break because of the cost to run the team. Council deferred the team's request in October after requesting the club to make a presentation about the organization and its finances.

SPORTS: Lohnes goes for double gold in Wales

Bridgewater's Whitney Lohnes is going for gold again. She reached the final of the 48 kg senior division at the Commonwealth Judo Championships in Cardiff, Wales. It's not known who she will be competing against. Lohnes took home gold last night in the 48kg under-20 division. The final will be held at 2pm local time and to watch her online, go to http://cardiff2012judo.org/live-video/ .

Support Growing for Lobster Fishermen

The Municipality of Shelburne is rallying behind area fishermen and the lobster industry. Council unanimously passed a motion indicating their support for the industry during a meeting on Monday. CAO Kirk Cox says the municipality wants to work with stakeholders to ensure the long term sustainability of the industry. "A lot of work needs to be done to strengthen the domestic and export markets for the industry. There are also some structural questions within the industry, whether there is too much effort or other aspects of the supply chain. We want to take some time to sit down with the industry and see what they would like us to do,"  He says the municipality could also help as an advocate for the industry on behalf of fishermen. Cox says council also supports the newly formed Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association in their bid to strengthen market prices. The PLFA will host their first meeting in Lunenburg County this afternoon in Chester. The meeting begins at the Legion at 1:30PM.

Shelburne: Public Meeting on Council Size Confirmed

The number of council seats in Shelburne will be the subject of a public meeting next month.  The town wants to reduced the number of seats from six to four plus the mayor. Mayor Al Delaney says the town will need to consult with its residents before re-submitting an application to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. A declining population and tax base is the main reason behind the application to reduce the size of council. The public meeting will be held at the Shelburne Community Club on February 7th. It begins at 7:00PM.

VIDEO: Skateboard park lease agreement approved

Bridgewater town council has approved a lease agreement for a new skateboard park on site at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. The town, along with the Bridgewater Development Association and the Lunenburg County Multipurpose Centre Corporation have all signed off on the lease agreement. Town council voted in favour during Monday night's meeting, with a few members not happy about an addition made to the agreement. A clause now states "after 20 years, the LCMPCC can request the town to dismantle the skateboard park." Mayor Carroll Publicover says the clause doesn't make much sense.

Councillor David Mitchell echoed the mayor's comments, saying he doesn't like the added clause.

"I don't know why you would need that in there, if it's in good condition and being used, why do you need that clause?"

The BDA's Youth Action team is currently fundraising to have the skateboard park built. Construction of the park won't happen until after the LCLC is completed.

Third Joint Services Meeting held in Riverport

Riverport will host the third meeting for three municipal units to discuss potentially sharing services. The meeting offers the public a chance to see the report and ask questions. Council members from Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg are also expected to be in attendance. The meeting gets underway at 7pm Wednesday night at the Riverport Community Centre.

PLFA Gaining Steam and Memberships

The Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association continues its bid to build its membership from the ground up. Approximately 30 fishermen attended a meeting in Chester yesterday afternoon with a majority satisfied with the direction the group is headed. Fisherman Troy Nickerson spoke with CKBW/HANK FM following the meeting. "The big goal is we're looking toward next year, for that next season. We don't want $3.25 next season and its pretty well known that if we don't get our act together that's what is going to happen - we've pretty much been told that by the other side. The old saying "take the land back step-by-step" well, we're taking the sea back step by step," The movement began almost three weeks ago following a meeting in Barrington. Since the PFLA formed on January 4th lobster prices at the wharf have jumped from $3.25 to $5.50 per pound. The association now sports close to 600 members and plan to meet again in Liverpool next week.

SPORTS: Lohnes wins judo gold in Wales

Whitney Lohnes, far left, with teammates after competing in Cardiff, Wales Tuesday

It was a gold medal performance for Whitney Lohnes. The Bridgewater native took 1st place in the 48kg  under-20 division at the Commonwealth Judo Championships is Cardiff, Wales. Lohnes defeated an Australian women in the final. Her father, Tim Lohnes, watched the fight online and says he's proud of his daughter.

"She's on the mat all the time, she loves it, so to see her actually get on the podium at an international event is just excellent."

Lohnes says his daughter has been training hard since moving to Montreal to go to school at Concordia. Next up for Whitney will be the seniors category Wednesday followed up by a tournament in Belgium this weekend.

Cash Stolen from Lahave Bakery

Thieves are believed to have taken some cash from a bakery shop in Mahone Bay. The Lahave Bakery on Edgewater Street was broken into sometime overnight on Sunday. RCMP are investigating the incident and are asking the public for tips. Mounties believe the break in occurred between 6PM on Sunday night and 8:30AM Monday morning.

South Shore Housing Numbers Jump in 2011

Gary Mailman

More homes were sold on the South Shore last year than in 2010. Stats from the Multiple Listing Service show 895 homes were sold in 2011, a 9.5% increase from the previous year. The vice-president of the Nova Scotia Association of Realtors, Gary Mailman, says he's not surprised by the figures. He believes people are changing the way they sell their homes.

"It could have been in 2010, there could have been more private sales gone through where in 2011, there may have been less private sales and those people who used private means in the past or for sale by owner companies may have chosen to use the realtor route."

MLS stats also show 3,020 homes were listed in 2011, compared to 2,871 in 2010; an increase of 5.2%. The average price for a South Shore home in 2011 also jumped by 7.8%, to sit at $174,785. Mailman says he's not sure why the price went up. But, he says the area's waterfront properties could be helping the spike.

"The South Shore does have a number of high-priced waterfront properties and a few of those had sold in 2011 and that would help drive the price upwards as well because it is an average of all the sales on the South Shore."

Mailman says the South Shore stats affect homes from Hubbards to Shelburne.

New Lobster Association to hold meeting in Chester

Lobster fishermen, business officials and the public are invited to a meeting in Chester Wednesday. The newly-formed Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association will be moving its recruiting campaign east from Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby Counties. The group's goal is to force an increase in prices. South Shore lobster fisherman Kevin Ernst says years of low prices at the wharf have created hardship for many.

"You can't go to sea and catch lobsters for $3.25 or $3.50 a pound, even at $5.00 a pound, we're only breaking even and nobody is making a profit out of that, and I know we all go to work each day in order to make money and support our families and its been a tough go."

Prices have risen from $3.25 a pound earlier this month to about $5.00 now. Wednesday's meeting of the Lobster Fishermen's Association runs between 1:30 and 2:30pm at the Chester Legion Hall.

VIDEO: Parking Meter by-law heads to second reading

Bridgewater town council has pushed their proposed parking meter by-law to second reading. Members voted unanimously in favour of going ahead but not without some clarifications. Councillor Bill McInnis was concerned with enforcement if a parking ticket isn't paid after seven days. There was nothing in the proposed by-law saying residents would face a higher fine if the ticket wasn't paid. Mayor Carroll Publicover says it's a change that needs to be made.

Members also clarified another clause that states 'Parking in excess of time allowed.' Publicover says the rule suggests parking meter users would no longer be able to feed the meters.

"If I put $0.50 an hour in the metre over the course of a day, I'm going to spend less than I would to rent a parking spot somewhere and that's taking up a spot that would be used by shoppers and people that want to do business downtown. I can't imagine it, but I guess there are people that would do that and so that has to be prevented."

Publicover says people who studied the by-law made the recommendation to put the clause in place. Council will proceed with second reading of the proposed by-law at their February 27 council meeting.

Broken Sprinkler Head causes evacuation at Bridgewater High

Students at Bridgewater High had a chance to take in some of Monday afternoon's nice weather. Members of the Bridgewater Fire Department were called in after a fire alarm went off shortly before 2pm. Fire Chief Wayne Thorburne says it was a minor mishap.

"When I got on scene, I found that the sprinkler system was activated. It appears somebody broke a sprinkler head under the stairwell on the front of the building and charged the system...and the building was completely evacuated."

Thorburne says he's not sure how the sprinkler head was broken. He says staff on-hand did a quick job cleaning up the water and Principal Chuck MacLellan says students were back inside the building within 10-15 minutes.

Fauxburg car accident sends one person to hospital

A two vehicle accident in Lunenburg County Monday afternoon has left a pair of people with minor bumps and bruises. The collision occurred around 1488 Northwest Road in Fauxburg, just before 1:20pm. Lieutenant Tony Hunt with the Lunenburg and District Fire Department says one person was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital to get checked out. He says it appears one person wasn't paying attention behind the wheel and rear-ended another vehicle.

Welcome Home gathering planned for Youth Olympian Nickerson

Residents of Cape Sable Island and surrounding areas are preparing to welcome home Youth Olympian bronze medalist Brendan Nickerson Tuesday. Nickerson, who hails from South Side, Cape Sable Island was one of 17 hockey players under the age of 16 chosen to play on Team Canada’s men’s ice hockey team, which competed at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. The young Canucks defeated the U.S.A. 7-5 Saturday for the bronze medal. Well wishers are planning to line the route through the business district to the Cape Sable Island Causeway with flags and signs to welcome Brendan and his mom Candace home and to show their pride for the hometown boy. All are welcome to attend and show their support Tuesday. A time has yet to be announced. Local hockey players are encouraged to wear their jerseys. Brendan Nickerson was the only athlete from Nova Scotia to compete at the Youth Olympic Games, which attracted more than 1,000 athletes from over 70 nations.

Mahone Bay hosts first Joint Services public meeting

The first of five public meetings around a Joint Services report will be held Monday night. The towns of Bridgewater, Mahone Bay and Municipality of Lunenburg agreed to receive the report January 16, with hopes that the public would provide feedback either online or through the meetings. Mahone Bay CAO Jim Wentzell says the public is urged to give their input.

"The difficulty for council would be is if they don't get a lot of feedback from the public, it makes councils job harder to make decisions on the recommendations."

Wentzell says representatives from Marathon Human Resources Consulting Group Ltd. will make a presentation to council members and the public, then people will have a chance to ask questions. The meeting will be held at the Mahone Bay Fire Hall at 7pm and is open to anyone. Meanwhile, the executive director of the Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Agency welcomes the report. Andrew Button says it's early but he's happy to see the three municipal units working together.

"I mean, the devil is in the details and how they decide to implement some of those recommendations and if they decide to implement them, I mean, at this stage of the game, they've really only accepted the report and are considering those recommendations. But, anytime you can get a group of people and municipal units together working on things, I think it's a positive thing."

He says people need to attend the five public meetings and ask questions to help the local councils make their decisions on the report.

SPORTS: Weekend Wrap

Lumberjacks

Jake Bullen's highlight-reel overtime goal gave the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks a 5-4 win over Amherst Sunday night in Bridgewater. Bullen's fourth marker of the game gave the Jacks their second straight home win in one of the most entertaining tilts of the season. The Power Dempsey Leefe and Ready 3 stars for the game against Amherst were:


1st star - Jake Bullen
2nd star - Jordan Escott
3rd star - Shawn Boudreau

Mustangs

Shaun McEachern's first period goal held up as the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs edged the Cape Breton Tradesmen 1-0 in Major Midget hockey action Sunday in Sydney. Corey Peterson made 31 saves to earn the shutout.


Nickerson earns Bronze at Youth Winter Olympic Games

A Shelburne hockey player has returned to Nova Scotia with a bronze medal from the 2012 Youth Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. Brendan Nickerson, a defenseman with the South Shore Mustangs, helped Canada beat the U.S. 7-5 in Saturday's third place game. The 15-year old Nickerson was the only Nova Scotian on the Canadian team.


Whalen breaks Nova Scotia record

Chelsea Whalen of Liverpool erased a 10-year-old Nova Scotia senior womens shotput record with a throw of 15.02 meters. She set the mark in Birmingham, Alabama Saturday. Whalen is the first female shot putter in Nova Scotia Track and Field history to break the 15 meter mark. She did this on the same day she was named the 2011 junior female track and field athlete of the year. Whalen who attends Florida State University is currently ranked 1st in Canada and 1st in the ACC Divison with that throw.


Stevens qualifys for Tankard

There will be a South Shore team at next month's Molson Mens Tankard. Chester's Chad Stevens earned the final spot with a 9-4 win over Kyle Schmeisser Sunday night in Dartmouth. Ian Fitzner-Leblanc and Brent MacDougall of Mayflower also advanced over the weekend. They'll join five other rinks at the Provincial Mens Curling championships starting February 8th at the Bridgewater Curling Club.


Bantam Hurricanes

The BMO Western Hurricanes Major Bantam Hockey Club won both their Nova Scotia Major Bantam Hockey League weekend games against the Cole Harbour Storm. With a 5-1 victory Saturday evening in Liverpool and a 4-2 road win on Sunday afternoon, the Hurricanes have increased their first place lead in the Nova Scotia Major Bantam Hockey League. The Hurricanes now lead the league with a record of 23 wins and only 4 loses.

Blast of Winter before Weekend Arrives

A blast of winter made for some tricky driving conditons today for at least a few hours. A couple of single vehicle accidents this afternoon, the first was near Robinson's Corner in the Chester area while emergency responders were called to a minor accident in Whynott's Settlement. Things should be clear for the rest of the night. A few flurries are expected Saturday afternoon.

SPORTS: Mustangs/Valley game postponed

The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs won't be heading to Kentville Friday night. The major midget hockey game against the Valley Wildcats has been postponed because of weather conditions. No makeup date has been announced. The Mustangs are expected to hit the road Saturday for back-to-back games against the Cape Breton Tradesman. Games will be played Saturday night and Sunday morning.

SPORTS: Fever Postponed

All Fever Weekend basketball games that were scheduled for Friday night have been cancelled because of the weather. Saturday's schedule will remain the same; however the "seniors presentation" will be made before the Park View/Shelburne game at 4:30.  See remaining schedule below.
 







FRIDAY JANUARY 20th

CANCELLED - Park View J.V. vs Bridgewater

CANCELLED - Park View Senior Night Presentations

CANCELLED -  Park View D1 vs Sir John A. MacDonald


SATURDAY January 21st

10:00am Sir John A. MacDonald vs SHELBURNE

12:00pm Sir John A. J.V. vs Park View J.V.

1:45pm Printer?s Corner 2 Ball Contest

2:30pm Bridgewater vs Sir John A. MacDonald

Park View Senior Night Presentations

4:30pm SHELBURNE vs PARK VIEW D1

Council Size Reduced in Barrington

The next municipal council in Barrington will have a heavier work-load and more constituents to represent. The Nova Scotia Utility and Review board has given the green light on a request from the municipality to reduce the number of seats on its council from seven to five. The URB application deals primarily with the number of polling districts within the municipality.  The number of voters in each of the five new polling districts range from 1,200 to 1,500 residents. The new boundary changes will be in effect when residents head to the polls in October for this fall’s municipal elections.

LaHave River nominated as Great Neighbourhood

LaHave River

The LaHave River has been nominated as a great neighbourhood in Canada. The river which runs through Bridgewater was nominated along with nine other locations across the country. Ken Forrest with the Great Places in Canada contest says winners will be announced at the end of April. He says winners receive a plaque and raise their community profile across Canada.

"What it does, as well, is it creates a lot of awareness for people across the country that the place exists and we've actually found, after the fact, that people were using the website as a way to kind of plan different stops on peoples summer vacations, so, good for tourism, good for community pride."

The LaHave River is the lone Nova Scotia location in the contest so far. Nominations can be made until January 31, with voting taking place until February 29. To nominate, vote or get more information on the contest, visit www.GreatPlacesInCanada.com .

Military action figure sells out in Bridgewater

A popular Canadian Forces action figure has sold out in Bridgewater. Miller Optical was carrying a few hundred of the collectibles, but sold their last one last week. Owner Tom Burlock says it only took a few weeks to sell the action figures, which honour the army, navy and air force. One of the creators of the figure, John Alan Sperry, says they're close to selling all 6,000 they originally made. Once they sell out, Sperry says a presentation will be made to give part of the proceeds to the 'Soldier On Fund' for military personnel and families of injured members. He hopes a new batch of action figures will be ready to sell by the early spring.

Crawley, Bullen shine in Lumberjacks win over Miramichi

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks have their first win of 2012. The Jacks ended a nine game winless streak with a 6-4 victory Thursday night over the Miramichi Timberwolves. Michael Crawley scored a hat-trick and added an assist while Jake Bullen scored once and also had three assists to pace the Jacks offensively. Head Coach Terry Rhindress says he's happy the losing streak is over. He says his team never gave up and doesn't plan to stop playing hard for the rest of the season. Bullen also notched his 100th point with the Lumberjacks over two seasons while Billy Clarke stopped 33 shots in the win. Nick Smith and Cody Coffin scored the other goals for the Jacks. Next up, the Lumberjacks head to Yarmouth Saturday night to take on the Mariners.

Park View's Fever Weekend underway

Park Views annual Fever weekend kicked off Thursday night with both of Park Views boys team in action. The JV boys started the tournament with a good battle against North Queens. The game was tight throughout but it was Park View who held on for an 86-77 win. Up next was the " Printers Corner 3 point contest", which saw shooters from each team showcase their shooting ability. Park Views Division 1 guard, Catlin Garber came away with a total of 15 threes in the final round. The night was capped off with town rival Bridgewater Vikings taking on the Division 1 Park View Panthers. Park View held on for a 65-57 win after a late Bridgewater run came up short. Game star for Bridgewater was Brandon Minard and for Park View Chris Banfield. Fever weekend continues Friday night with both Park View teams in action. The JV boys play Bridgewater at 5:30 followed by the D1 boys taking on Sir John A MacDonald.

Nova Scotia MP's in line to collect Massive Pension's

The member of parliament for the South Shore will be among the highest paid federal politicians in the province if he retires on or after 2015. Gerald Keddy of South Shore-St. Margarets will receive the 4th highest annual pension. Canadian Taxpayers Federation Atlantic President Kevin Lacey says with pensions like Keddy's, its little wonder the pension program for MP's and Senators is on a fast track to go bust. "He will eligible to receive by 2015 just over $94,000 a year. That's over double most Nova Scotian's salary this year," Keddy's pension will only be lower than defence minister Peter McKay, who will receive the highest pension of all Nova Scotia MP's at $117,200 dollars a year; Liberal Geoff Regan at $105,000; and Liberal Scott Brison at 96,000.

VIDEO: Ashes in compost bin cause minor fire in Dayspring

A bit of a scare Thursday morning for a Dayspring family. Ashes were put into a compost bin which caused a minor fire at 213 Larry Fraser Road just after 11am. Dayspring and District Fire Department official Kevin Corkum confirmed there was no working fire when crews arrived after the family put the flames out themselves. Fire department members cleared the scene in less than hour.

Chester Explores E-Voting

Residents of Chester may have the option to cast an electronic vote during municipal elections in October. Council tossed around the idea during their meeting this morning. The municipality is hoping the switch may appeal to younger voters and increase overall voter turnout. Councillor Marshall Hector says its a great idea and he would support the move. The municipality is considering offering electronic voting via phone or online during advanced polls while maintaining the traditional paper ballot system for election day. Council decided to investigate the matter further and look to other jurisdictions who have already introduced the practice.

Town supports disabled teen despite denied request

Carroll Publicover

The Town of Bridgewater says it backs the efforts of a disabled teen who is trying to add an accessible suite onto his mothers home. Dylan Robar and Bonnie Meisner are hoping to access funds through a $50,000 provincial grant but a town bylaw requires her to apply to rezone her property in order to meet the grants requirements. Council turned down a request to waive an $800 fee attached with rezoning their property earlier this month. However, Mayor Carroll Publicover says that doesn't mean the town's planning department didn't try and help.

"They've sought information on their behalf, went to other levels of government to understand what sort of funding arrangements were in place for them and how our Land Use by-law dovetailed or didn't dovetail with them, what changes we might need to make to accommodate their needs to other levels of government for grants and so on. It was eminently fair and above and beyond the call of duty."

Meisner now has to apply to either have her property rezoned at her own cost or have the province revise wording in the grant. Publicover hopes she will take the necessary action soon and resolve the matter.

"Twin Schooners" Near Completion in Lunenburg

The Town of Lunenburg will turn the clocks back this weekend and re-visit its historic shipbuilding past. The last plank will be fitted onto the hulls of the "Twin Schooners" on Saturday afternoon. Known as a shutter or whiskey plank, the occasion is traditionally marked by the captain or builders pouring a glass of their favourite drink over the plank. Construction of the two 48 foot wooden schooners began in December of 2009. At the time, it marked the first large scale boat building on the Lunenburg waterfront in 30 years. The ceremony get underway outside the historic Lunenburg Dory Shop on Saturday at 2PM. Actor Billy Campbell of AMC's "The Killing" will own one of the schooners and will be in attendence

Town Hall Meeting on 2014 Health Accord

Kyle Buott

A town hall meeting will be held in Bridgewater Thursday night to talk about health care. The Nova Scotia Citizens' Health Network and CUPE 1933 are giving the public a chance to learn more about the 2014 Health Accord. The coordinator, Kyle Buott, says the meeting will allow residents to give feedback on what public health care should look like.

"We'll hear from some speakers about what's happening in health care, but we'll also want to hear other peoples opinions on how to build a peoples agenda for public health care and what citizens want their public health care system to look like in the future, so that's kind of the next step is to work on that vision."

Buott says the time is now for people to get engaged and spark change in the way health care is provided. The meeting will be held Thursday night at the Girl Guide Cabin at 93 Dominion Street, beginning at 6:30pm.

Power restored in Bridgewater Area

Roughly 200 people have their power back after an outage Wednesday morning in the Bridgewater area. Dayspring and District Fire Department and Nova Scotia Power responded to a call shortly after 10am about sparks flying from a power pole on Highway 3 in Upper LaHave. Nova Scotia Power spokesman David Rhodenhizer says it was a minor incident and has been cleaned up.

"A tree branch had fallen across the lines in Upper LaHave. It would have impacted about 199 customers, so just under 200 customers lost power and we had the electricity restored in less than an hour."

The outage affected parts of Upper LaHave, Oak Hill, Dayspring and Rhodes Corner.

UPDATED: Woman Faces Fraud Charges

A Lunenburg County woman facing charges of fraud totalling more than $80,000 will appear in court next month. Forty-seven-year-old Sandra Skinner was scheduled to appear in provincial court in Bridgewater today to enter a plea on five counts of fraud over $5,000. She was charged after police were called in by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness to investigate reimbursement claims for capital works projects at Harbour View Haven Nursing Home in Lunenburg. Police alleged that in each instance the work was either not completed, the goods not purchased or the goods purchased were not approved. The case is back in court on February 29th.

SchoolsPlus trying to expand to other South Shore Schools

Scott Patterson

Bridgewater town council is writing a letter of support to the NDP government to try and sway some South Shore Schools to gain much needed programming. Council heard during their January 9th meeting all about kids at risk at Park View, Bridgewater and New Germany High and their feeder schools. The Chair of SchoolsPlus service, Scott Patterson, says there were 692 suspensions last year out of 4,554 students at those schools. Patterson says SchoolsPlus could influence kids to change the way they think.

"What if we could figure out a way to establish relationships with them, build a bridge with them, match them up with programming developers, get some programming in to help them? What if we had support right in the schools? What if we could do that? Empower these kids to be all they can be."

The SchoolsPlus program costs $150-thousand to incorporate into the schools. The NDP government is expected to award four more schools with SchoolsPlus this spring. Six schools in Eastern-Lunenburg County are involved in South Shore SchoolsPlus including Chester Area Middle School, New Ross Consolidated and Forest Heights Community School.

Bridgewater denies disabled man's request

Bonnie Meisner speaks at January 9 town council

It's one big financial headache for a Bridgewater family. Bonnie Meisner is hoping to access funds under a $50,000 provincial/federal grant that would help build a garden suite for her son Dylan Robar, who is suffering from muscular dystrophy. However, Meisner's house was built in 1979 and the town's bylaw prohibits property owners from adding to their homes if they were built after 1975.

"It needs to state a secondary garden suite, so the difference is the word 'unit' or 'suite'.It has to state 'suite' to get the grant, that's the issue."

Meisner was hoping council would waive an $800 rezoning fee but the town turned down the request earlier this month. She now has to apply to either have her property rezoned at her own cost or have the province revise some of the wording in the grant.

Trailer Theft in Wileville

A business in Wileville is on the lookout for its missing trailer. Lunenburg County RCMP are currently investigating the theft of a U-Haul Tow Dolly from Brown's Self Storage. The incident occurred sometime between last Friday evening and Sunday. Anyone with details should contact RCMP.

Mood: Fishermen Won't Tie Up Boats

It's doesn't appear lobster fishermen in Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby will tie up their boats this week in protest over the price of their catch. Head of the Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association, James Mood, says its business as usual in LFA's 33 and 34. However, he says fishermen are still holding their catch unless they get $5.50 a pound. "They have to be accountable and take their industry back in a fair way...and I mean not in an unfair way where they are asking for $10.00 a pound. But a $5.50 price is a fair price for this lobster and let's face it...to pay the fishermen," Mood says the newly formed fishermen's association has made positive gains in its quest to drive up the price of lobster. The price has jumped from $3.50 to around $4.75 per pound since early January.

Three Lunenburg County Councils exploring Joint Services

It's still very early but a trio of Lunenburg County councils have taken the preliminary step to become one. The representatives of Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the District of Lunenburg have agreed to receive a joint services report so residents can have their say. The three councils won't accept the report until members debate them at council meetings and public consultations are complete. Still, District of Lunenburg Mayor Don Downe says its a big step forward.

"We want to take a look at what we need to do in a cooperative way to provide better services at a less cost to residents of Lunenburg County. Whether it's less cost today or less cost later on, the issue is what's the best formula that we need to put together to provide a good, accountable government to the residents of our Municipality."

Brian Smith with Marathon Human Resources Consulting Group suggested the three councils form a regional services board for three years before deciding to amalgamate. The report recommends the regional service board include members of each of the three councils and provide joint services in solid waste management before expanding to recreation and economic development. Between 15-20 members of the public took-in Monday night's meeting at the Mahone Bay Fire Hall. Bridgewater Mayor Carroll Publicover says he isn't discouraged by a lack of public presence.

"Things could really change. The composition of how their town is governed, how their services are delivered. I think they will become more part of it, more engaged and more interested."

Public information sessions are scheduled to begin next week: Monday January 23- Mahone Bay Fire Hall,

Tuesday January 24 at Pinehurst Community Hall, Wednesday January 25 at Riverport Community Centre
Thursday January 26 at Bridgewater High School and Monday January 30 at Petite Riviere Fire Hall. All meetings start at 7pm.

Shared Services Meeting in Mahone Bay

Three municipal governments are about to find out if its feasible to move ahead with sharing services. Marathon Human Resources Consulting Group completed the report and will release its findings Monday night. The presentation will review recommendations on the best ways to deliver municipal services between Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the Municipality of Lunenburg. Mahone Bay Mayor Joe Feeney says the public should participate in the meeting.

"It will provide an opportunity for the public to see first-hand, the report as it is released to councils for action."

The meeting will be held Monday night at the Mahone Bay Fire Hall at 6pm.

CKBW/HANK FM: News Poll

It appears many South Shore residents are concerned about the growing size of their power bills and want to find ways to save energy. An overwhelming number of respondents to our weekly poll ... 90 percent said they want to get their power costs down. Only ten percent say they aren't looking for ways to save energy. Renewable Energy Expert Wayne Groszko says turning off unused lights and not draining the electric water heater are obvious ways to save. Pulling the plugs on TV's, computers and radios will also do it because even though they may be shut off, they are still draining power unless you pull their cords. Groszko also says the old story about keeping an electric radiator set at one temperature will save energy ... isn't true. "If you have ordinary electric base board heat you're actually going to save a considerable amount if you set the temperature back a few degrees at night and use and extra blanket - it does actually save a significant amount," Groszko says everyone should do a check-list of power-using items in their home and look for ways to cut power bills. He says Clean Nova Scotia can help and so can the Ecology Action Centre.

MODL: Dawson Heights Paving Needs Support

The Municipality of Lunenburg is seeking the province's help to pave Dawson Heights. Mayor Don Downe says they are asking the government to chip-in half the cost to pave the subdivision street. Downe says they also need residents support to move forward with the funding request. "It is contingent on 75 percent of the support from residents because it will be paying the other half of the project, so once we hear their support of that then the project will go forward. It's won't go forward otherwise," Thirty-two residents live on Dawson Heights Road, meaning at least 24 households would have to agree to pay half the estimated $307-thousand. Downe says the issue needs to be sorted before a government deadline or the Municipality would have to wait until next year to pave the street.

Paper Machines Running @ Bowater Mersey

Employees at Bowater Mersey are back to work this morning following an extended shutdown. Paper machines at the mill had been down since Christmas. Operations were set to resume on January 9th but due to poor market conditions in Europe the shut down was extended another week. Earlier this month, Bowater's CEO Brad Pelley told reporters in Liverpool that some of the mill's traditional clients were flooded with paper products. Officials at the mill were hoping an extended shutdown would help create some demand for paper.

Interested in creating logo for Bluenose Academy?

A new design is needed for Bluenose Academy's school logo. The schools official colors are Royal Blue and Black and should be incorporated into the design. The contest is open to people of all ages. Designs must be submitted by email or dropped off at Centre Consolidated School/Lunenburg Academy no later than January 30. The logo will be selected by students February 3.

Mustangs/Titans Clash in Halifax

A great tilt this afternoon in Halifax. The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs face the league-leading Titans at 3:30 at the Halifax Forum. The Mustangs beat the Titans 4-3 to close out 2011. Halifax is currently first overall while the Mustangs sit in third.

Cash & Smokes stolen from Irving Gas Station in Hubbards

Chester RCMP are looking for two men after a break-in at the Irving Gas Station in Hubbards. The two men involved in the crime got in through the back door and had their faces covered with clothing to hide their identity. Police say they were able to get away with some cash and a large quantity of cigarettes. RCMP say one man was wearing a blue or grey checkered coat with a grey hoodie underneath and beige pants. The theft occurred late last night.

Fishermen's Memorial: Emergency Department Closure

The emergency department at the Fishermens Memorial Hopsital in Lunenburg will be closed this weekend. The closure will begin at 2:30PM Saturday afternoon until 7:30AM Sunday morning. The closure is due to the unavailability of nurses at the hospital. Any residents requiring emergency care is asked to call 9-1-1 or visit the South Shore Regional Hospital.

Town of Shelburne Looks to Downsize Council

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board has rejected a request from the Town of Shelburne to downsize the number of members on council from six to four. In a decision released earlier this week, the regulatory board says more public consultation is needed before making such a move. Mayor Al Delaney says a declining population in Shelburne is the main reason behind the request. "With our declining population and our decline tax base, four councilors would be more than adequate to govern the town and with the mayor it would be five election official governing just over 1,800 people," He says the town will meet the boards request and set dates for some public meeting on the matter in the near future. The URB has asked the town to re-submit its application before the end of February and have scheduled another hearing on the matter for April 16th.

Update: Wild Rose Park & Western Shore Wharf

Negotiations with affected property owners in Wild Rose Park will begin next month. The municipality voted to expropriate twelve parcels of land within the park shortly before the Holidays and officially acquired the land this week. Warden Allen Webber says the municipality will now begin contacting those property owners before entering into the negotiation process. "I'd like to have it resolved tomorrow, but realistically we're probably entering into a six-month stretch of back and forth negotiation, depending on how things go and how receptive people are to the amount of money that we are prepared to offer," Meanwhile, Webber says upgrades to the wharf within Wild Rose Park will begin in February. The municipality recently signed a lease-purchase agreement with Western Shore Wharf Corporation. The private company will inject $400,000 into its restoration.

BREAKING: Schools in Lunenburg and Queens County closed

South Shore residents should remain cautious behind the wheel this morning as plows cleanup roads from Thursday night's snowfall. Between 5-10cm of snow fell along the South Shore before it turned to freezing rain and eventually to rain and drizzle overnight. Roads are still slick in spots and drivers are urged to stay patient. Meanwhile, the South Shore Regional School Board have informed us that all schools in Lunenburg and Queens County are closed for the day.

Lumberjacks fall to Metro

Three goals in the final two periods were enough to push the Metro Marauders past the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks 5-1 Thursday night in Bridgewater. Cody Coffin scored the lone goal for the Jacks, who dropped their ninth straight game. Metro scored three of their goals with the man advantage and Head Coach Terry Rhindress says that was the difference.

"They're a good hockey team, they have some 20-year-olds there on the back-end that move the puck well, they go defense-to-defense, backdoor, seam pass, I mean they find the seam, so, you know what, that's a good hockey team, we didn't adjust the way we should have and it put us in a position at 4-1."

The Lumberjacks, meanwhile, went 0 for 7 on the powerplay, something Rhindress wasn't too pleased about after the game. Billy Clarke stopped 32 shots in the loss. The Edwards Denture Clinic 3 stars for last nights Lumberjacks game were:

1. Travis Hall - Metro

2. Chris Riguse - Metro

3. Billy Clarke - Lumberjacks

VIDEO: Bridgewater Councillors approve Parking Meter recommendations

Bridgewater council has approved a number of recommendations to update its current draft bylaw on parking meters. The town approved six of the seven suggestions put forward. Mayor Carroll Publicover says now they want to hire an experienced consultant to study parking meters in the town. The draft bylaw is expected to be back in front of council for first reading in the next couple of months. Council approved the following recommendations:

1. That the rate for metered parking in the Town of Bridgewater be increased to $0.50 per hour with a further increase to $1.00 per hour after one year.
2. That all parking meters receive the needed software upgrade and any repair and replacement.
3. That the most outdated or damaged parking meters be replaced each year as revenue from the parking meters in the previous year allows.
4. That the enforcement of parking meters be increased significantly.
5. That the Parking Meter By-Law proceed through the process of adoption.
6. That no new parking meters be installed.