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.

Windsor Road in Rough Shape

The Municipality of Chester is asking its residents to take their concerns surrounding the condition of the Windsor road to their MLA. The municipality has been trying to get sections of Highway 14 re-paved for years with no success. Warden Allen Webber says council has written numerous letters to the province indicating the poor condition of the road. He says its now up to residents to individually contact their MLA. "We don't mind taking the calls, but people have to understand that we are not the authority responsible for road maintenance, road construction, repaving, snow removal and that they are way better served by calling their local MLA themselves because the more she hears in this case from them personally, the better chance of action," Webber says the road has been high on the municipalities priority for as long as he can remember.

Mining & Forestry Need Government Promotion: Baillie

We told you a few days ago a quartz mine in Shelburne County has been forced to cease operations because of poor world market conditions. Black Bull Resources owns the White Rock Mine and has been losing money. Now, the province's Conservative leader Jamie Baillie says there's been little support from the Dexter government for resource industries. He's calling on the government to provide breaks on taxes and power rates for rural industries in general. Ballie would also like to see increased government promotion of the mining and forestry sectors on the South Shore and elsewhere in the province.

New Head Officer At Barrington RCMP Is A First For Province

   There's a new head of operations at the Barrington District RCMP. What's special about it is the fact Sgt. M.J. DeLuco is the first woman to command an RCMP district in the province, in charge of finances, the budget and being the face of the Mounties in the area. DeLuco has already headed up the RCMP office in Windsor Town and Windsor Rural and she's also been based in Nunavut. She takes on her new role beginning today at the Barrington District RCMP office.

Play-off Bound: Mustangs Lock-Up Third Seed

Shaun McEachern's big game helped the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs earn a 6-4 win in Cole Harbour in their regular season finale yesterday. McEachern notched four goals as the Stangs locked up third place in the League standings. The Stangs tied the franchise record for most wins and most points in a season with 19 and 41. The Mustangs will open the Nova Scotia Major Midget playoffs this weekend against the Valley Wildcats. The best of five series opens with games Saturday night at 8 and Sunday morning at 10:30 at the Bridgewater Arena.  

High Liner Boss to chair National Fisheries Institute

Henry Demone

A little bit of history made for the top dog at High Liner Foods. The president and CEO of the Lunenburg-based business, Henry Demone, has become the first ever Canadian to chair the National Fisheries Institute. The Institute is the largest seafood trade association in the U.S. Demone says the association can help draw resources from top performers inside multiple companies. He says becoming chair is a chance for the entire seafood industry to come together and evolve as a group.

Adult High School offered in Chester

An Adult High School course is once again being offered in Chester. South Shore SchoolsPlus are offering a free English course to people over 19-years-old and trying to earn their high school graduation certificate. The facilitator for SchoolsPlus, Shirley Burris, says the course offers a fairly flexible schedule.

"I think the beauty of this program is we gear it to the schedules of people who may be parents and so, the course begins after elementary schools go in, after their children may be in school, they're finished by noon time and so that allows them not to have to take family time away."

The course is offered at no charge and the first class will be held February 7 at Chester District Elementary School. If people are interested in being a part of the class, you can contact Shirley at (902)521-6360 or email her at sburris@ssrsb.ca .

Mustangs look to clinch third against Dartmouth

A huge game with playoff implications Saturday night for the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs. The local major midget club can wrap up third place with a win against Dartmouth. A victory would secure a first round playoff match up against either Cape Breton West or Valley. A loss Saturday night would mean they would have to win against Cole Harbour Sunday in order to finish third. Puck drop at 7:30 at the Dartmouth Sportsplex.

Awards For Local Architects & Their Designs



Two Hulls


A pair of South Shore homes and their architects have won some prestigious, international acclaim. Two Hulls, built on the rocky shoreline in Port Mouton and Shobac Campus, a collection of several buildings in Upper Kingsburg, have been recognized for their excellence in design.
Two Hulls has picked up a North American citation for innovative wood design and a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.
Shobac Campus has been given the North American Wood Design Program's Ron Thom Award for outstanding creative talent and design.
It has also received the American Institute of Architects Honor Award for building design. Both projects are the creations of architects Brian MacKay-Lyons and Talbot Sweetapple who say they were designed to meet the challenges of their coastal surroundings.

Liberal Leader Calls For More Daycare Space In Schools

As changes are made to education, some people fear education budgets will be cut again and schools closed. In a CKBW News (Hank-fm News) interview, Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says the growing amount of space in schools still operating and those facilities that close should be used for daycare.
He says: "On the South Shore, we've talked an awful lot about school closures. They're happening in many rural areas. There's a wonderful opportunity inside of that debate to ask .. can we create a public daycare space, not making it a part of the education system, but allowing that public space to be used by community and daycare operators."
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Jamie Baillie says the government is saying one day its going to phase out day care subsidies and the next day, its telling parents not to worry, subsidies won't be cut.
He says the mixed messages surrounding whats an essential service for many South Shore parents is becoming very upsetting for them.
Baillie is calling on the Premier to reaffirm support for working parents.

Low Turnout at 1688 Lobster Meeting in Liverpool

Only a small turnout took-in a meeting to learn more about a new fisherman's group along the South Shore. Roughly 15 people attended the "1688 Professional Lobster Fishermen Association" gathering in Liverpool Thursday. The group's chair, James Mood, says they have signed up approximately 650 members since establishing over three weeks ago. He says they haven't lost momentum, despite low numbers at their recent meetings.

"Fisherman are waiting to see what this Association can do for them. I don't blame them. Some people joined up instantly, some people want to wait and see if this Association is going to stay and we are going to stay and keep the course."

Mood is hoping to see at least 80 percent of lobster fishermen in LFA's 33 and 34 district join the association. He expects meetings to be scheduled in Sambro and Lockeport in the next few weeks.

LCLC Tender Process extended until February 9

The tender process for the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre has been extended until February 9. The deadline was supposed to be February 2. But, the chair of the Lunenburg County Multipurpose Centre Corporation, Paul Belliveau, says changes to the tender have pushed the deadline to next Thursday.

"Contractors review the tender documents and if they come up with questions about changes or suggest changes or difference of materials and things like that within the tender documents then it will cause an addendum if the design team feels appropriate to make those changes. So, it's the time that's required to make those changes and inform all the contractors that the changes have been made."

Belliveau says he estimates around eight contractors have submitted bids so far to build the LCLC. The project is expected to include an NHL sized ice surface, an aquatic centre and library and is scheduled to be complete by March 2013.

Mariners drop Lumberjacks at Queens Place-Emera Centre

Andrew Wigg haunted his old club in Queens County Thursday night. The former Lumberjack scored once and added two assists as the Yarmouth Mariners dumped the Jacks 6-2. Head Coach Terry Rhindress says his club gave Wigg too much respect early in the game. Shawn Boudreau and Michael Crawley scored for the Jacks while Billy Clarke stopped 24 shots in the loss. A crowd of 1,120 took in the game at the new Queens Place-Emera Centre in Liverpool. The Lumberjacks get back on the ice Friday night when they host the Amherst Ramblers at 7pm at the Bridgewater Memorial Arena.

Webber: Residents Often Unaware of Bylaw Changes

The Warden in Chester is hoping to close a communication gap between the municipality and its residents. Allen Webber says there seems to be a disconnect when changes are made to existing bylaws or new ones are developed. He says most times when bylaws are modified or new ones passed, residents are often unaware. "We end up with a bylaw that doesn't particularly in their view meet the communities needs, but yet, its been adopted and they didn't know anything about it. Now, we make our attempts - just like everybody else to inform them, but what's become clear to me and most of council is that no matter what we may think we're doing....it isn't working," Webber says council wants to give residents more opportunity to become engaged in the bylaw process. The municipality is currently reviewing its bylaw and that issue is something they want to address.

SPORTS: Lumberjacks battle Mariners in Liverpool

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks and Yarmouth Mariners square off at the new Queens Place-Emera Centre Thursday night in Liverpool. The Lumberjacks come into the game riding a two game winning streak while the Mariners snapped a two game skid with a win Sunday. The two teams had an offensive flurry the last time they met, exploding for 16 goals in a 10-6 win for Yarmouth. Game time is 7:30 in Liverpool.

Municipality of Shelburne frustrated over Internet delay

It's been four years and the Municipality of Shelburne is still waiting for its high speed Internet. The provincial government awarded a contract to Eastlink in 2007 on the basis that rural areas of Shelburne and Queens County would have high speed at the end of the four year agreement. But, pockets of people continue to complain to the local government regarding the state of their Internet. CAO of the Municipality of Shelburne, Kirk Cox, says he doesn't blame them.

"Those people who don't have access to that service are still unfortunately left with just dial-up and that, I think, for most communities in Nova Scotia would be very obsolete technology."

Cox has sent a letter to Minister of Economic Development, Percy Paris, in hopes the government can intervene and ensure Eastlink's commitment is fulfilled. Meanwhile, Bell Aliant recently announced Bridgewater will be getting FibreOp Internet service sometime this month.  

Mustangs Captain breaks second team record

Brennan Bailey

South Shore Mustangs captain Brennan Bailey has broken another team record. Bailey's overtime goal Tuesday night gives him 14 on the season, surpassing Pete LeCain's previous mark of 13 by a defenseman set in 1997-98. Bailey says although he's in the hunt for a third team record, he's more worried about finishing strong with only two games left in the regular season. Bailey broke his first team record in December when the third-year Mustang became the teams all-time leading scoring defenseman. He's tied with Pete LeCain for most points in a season with 34 and has two games remaining this weekend to best that mark.

Local Businesses win awards in Halifax

A pair of local businesses have been awarded by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet in Mahone Bay took gold in the New Business of the Year award and Cedar Bay Grilling Company in Blandford also received gold for Small Business of the Year. A news  release says "the awards recognize those who are willing to take chances, push the boundaries and stretch the limits for success." The awards were handed out Thursday January 26.

1688 Lobster Association in Liverpool on Thursday

The 1688 Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association are taking their movement to Queens. The PLFA will host their second meeting within the South Shore this afternoon at the Liverpool Fire Department. President James Mood will lead the discussion. The meeting will focus on the recent formation of the association, price and industry related issues. Approximately 30 fishermen attended a similar event hosted in Chester last week. The meeting in Liverpool begins at 1:30PM.

Breaking: Electric Co-op Extend Negotiations with Power Suppliers

The five municipal units involved in the province's electric co-op are still trying to hammer out a new energy deal for their customers. The municipal electric co-op formed in 1997 and its members include the town's of Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Riverport, Berwick and Antigonish. The co-op has been involved in serious negotiations for the few past months with two unidentified energy suppliers. In a CKBW/HANK interview, Mahone Bay Mayor Joe Feeney says the parties involved are close to a deal and have agreed to extend negotiations until the end of this month. "We're being...I don't think overly cautious...but we're being very cautious, but if we can get the final few stumbling blocks sorted out here...I'm confident we're going to be able to make a pretty good deal here for our customers spanning the next 20 years,"  The municipal units operate their own electric utilities and buy their power in bulk from Nova Scotia Power. However, the co-op announced an MOU between two new power suppliers last month that will bring cleaner, cheaper energy to their customers.

South Canoe Wind Project: Public Consultation this Month

The three proponents behind the South Canoe Wind project will begin public consultations this month. Oxford Frozen Foods along with Minas Basin Pulp and Paper have partnered with Nova Scotia Power on the proposed wind farm. The South Canoe Wind Project would feature up to 50 wind turbines spread over 6,400 hectares between Chester and Windsor. President of Energy Development for Minas Basin John Woods says public meetings will be held in Vaughan and Chester. "We're coming to the end of the competitive process, so it's time to involve the public and engage in public consultations so we're on schedule and we hope to be successful in several months time," The Vaughan meeting goes on February 11th, while the meeting in Chester will be held on Feb 13th at the Legion. The successful bid will be announced in April or May.

VIDEO: Finance Minister speaks to Bridgewater Rotary Club

Nova Scotia Finance Minister Graham Steele was one of three guest speakers to talk with prospective andcurrent members of the Rotary Club of Bridgewater and District. Steele spoke about his involvement in Rotary and other topics during the clubs open house at the Bridgewater Days Inn Tuesday night.

South Shore Regional working on Safety Violations

South Shore Health is well on their way to becoming fully compliant with the province's fire inspectors. The fire marshal's office noted 59 violations at South Shore Shore Regional Hospital in its inspections last November. The communications director with South Shore Health, Barb Johnson, mentions some of the 59 recommendations that were made.

"Some of the issues were around recommendations of a different type of fire extinguisher, 23 of the recommendations were around clutter or storage, items that we had to move out of hallways or in some cases, for example, staff had items stored on top of lockers."

But, as of this week, only five deficiencies remain in the hospital including the need for fire doors in specific areas, changes to power sources for ovens, and the need for better storage. Johnson says the Fire Marshal returned a few weeks ago and was very pleased with the changes already made. She says they've ordered the necessary supplies and hope to have all issues sorted out by the end of February.

Bailey knots OT winner as Mustangs beat Valley

The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs earned a hard-fought 4-3 overtime win over the Valley Wildcats Tuesday night. The club battled back from an early 2-0 deficit, improving their position in the league standings to 3rd place with only two games remaining. Head Coach Tim Boyce says it was a big win for his club because it gave them some confidence after losing two straight over the weekend. Captain Brennan Bailey scored the overtime winner for the Stangs while Cole Skinner got the 'W' between the pipes. The Mustangs are back on the road Saturday and Sunday against Dartmouth and Cole Harbour to close out the regular season.

MLA Birdsall endorses Nash as next Federal NDP Leader

Pam Birdsall

The MLA for Lunenburg is throwing her support behind Peggy Nash as the future leader of the Federal NDP party. Pam Birdsall says she chose the Toronto MP because she believes she has all the qualities of a leader.

"She's one of those people, in my mind, who can bring people together, a real consensus builder and I think that's exactly like Jack (Layton) was. He was a man that worked with his team and any of us who knew Jack and knew the way he worked, that was what he was known for and Peggy is very much like that."

Birdsall says Nash would have no problems bucking heads with Prime Minister Stephen Harper because she's a former hard-nosed labour negotiator.

"She was the first female labour union negotiator in North America, you know I mean, that speaks volumes if you know what labour negotiation is all about. So, I mean this is someone who doesn't just say oh well, ok, whatever you say and I think that's a real quality of being able to be not easily provoked and calm under pressure."

Queens MLA Vicki Conrad also announced her endorsement of Nash. The party's leadership convention is slated for March 23-24 in Toronto.

Bridgewater: Huge Support for Cook's Cancer Battle

A benefit breakfast held over the weekend for a resident of Bridgewater was an overwhelming success. The fundraiser at the Bridgewater Fire Hall on Saturday was organized for 35 year-old Jody Cook who is fighting breast cancer. More $8,800 dollars was raised through the sale of 600 breakfast plates in addition to cash donations and tickets sales. Food was donated by local businesses while members of the Bridgewater Fire Department volunteered their time to help out with the breakfast.

Black Bull Resources Report Net Losses in 2011

The future of a Nova Scotia company is unclear following another year of poor market conditions. Black Bull Resources is reporting net losses  exceeding $380,000 for the year ending September 30th. The company owns the White Rock Mine near Shelburne and officials say the company will be placed into hibernation mode until further notice. CEO Joseph MacDonald says the company's focus is to reserve cash by reducing overall expenses. A handful of part-time employees remain at the mine for routine care and maintenance. The White Rock Mine produces a unique, bright white high purity quartz marketed under Scotia White.

Phone Survey planned for town and municipality of Shelburne

The town and municipality of Shelburne are conducting a phone survey to see how physically active members of the community were over the last two years. The survey, conducted by IPSOS Reid Research, will be conducted beginning February 1 until February 13. The physical activity and community school coordinator, Lisa Landry, says the survey will help gather information for the community's physical activity strategy.

"It's a way for us to get input from the community and it's also a follow-up from the survey we did in 2009, so this will give us comparative information so we can gauge the changes in physical activity levels since then."

Landry says they have created more opportunities for people to become active in leisure programs or sports since 2009. She says 300 people will be polled during the phone survey and expects the results to be released by mid-March.

Finance Minister among guests at Rotary Open House

Graham Steele

The Bridgewater Rotary Club is holding an open house Tuesday night to offer people a chance to learn more about the volunteer organization. Current and past members are expected to meet at the Bridgewater Days Inn at 6pm. Nova Scotia Finance Minister Graham Steele is among the guest speakers, as well as incoming District Governor Greg Caldwell and Windsor Rotary Club President Jonathan DeMont.

Pet Food Drive raises over $2,000 for Queens SPCA

Karissa Boudreau

The people came out in droves Saturday to help raise money for the Queens County SPCA. The 4th annual Karissa Boudreau Memorial Pet Food Drive raised $2,048 in cash and an estimated 12-14 shopping carts full of supplies. The president of the Queens County SPCA, Martin Hilliard, says they received a variety of different items.

"Hundreds of pounds of dog food, cat food, toys, treats, all kinds of stuff, it was absolutely overwhelming."

Hilliard says the fundraiser is a huge help because a busy summer and fall season has left a big strain on their finances. One of the organizers, Wendy Whalen, says after four years, it was nice to see people still care so much.The 12-year-old Boudreau will always be remembered as a young girl who loved animals, with aspirations of being a veterinarian. It's expected the last pet food drive will be held next year before organizers move on.

Town of Lunenburg: Not Interested in Shared Services Review

The Town of Lunenburg says its not opposed to sharing some services but council isn't interested in regional governance. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney made the comments as Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the District of Lunenburg move forward with a detailed review of regional governance and shared services. Mawhinney says he wanted to clear the air because residents have been asking why the town isn't part of the review. "We certainly wish the other three well as they continue their review and discussion, but we were not looking at regional governance per say. We're happy to look at shared services, yes. But a review focused on regional governance as the first step, in our opinion, was not the way He notes the town recently withdrew from a partnership with the three municipal units on the Waste Management Committee. Mawhinney called the venture less than satisfactory and felt the towns views were not considered seriously. The town is currently negotiating with the Municipality of Chester on a new waste disposal agreement at Kaizer Meadow.

Composites Atlantic: Calls Back Some Laid-Off Workers

Composites Atlantic has re-hired five employees that were victims of a mid-November lay-off. At the time, 37 employees were laid off as the result of an unexpected change in delivery schedules from several major customers. President and CEO Claude Baril says their market has picked up over the past few weeks. "Actually when we did lay-off...we had not underestimated but maybe went a bit too far and we re-hired some more people because we were late on some programs and dealing with overtime, so we adjusted," Baril says work orders at the plant will be stable for at least the first six months of this year and the company will re-evaluate later in the summer. The Lunenburg based aerospace plant employs more than 300 people and manufactures lightweight aircraft parts.

Final "Shared Services" Meeting Goes Tonight

Don Downe

The last of 5 public meetings in Lunenburg County discussing the sharing of some services will be held tonight. A report on the feasibility of sharing some municipal services among Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has recommended .... in favor. The meetings have been designed to get public feedback and help councillors in the communities make their decisions on the proposal. District of Lunenburg Mayor Don Downe says that's important. He says: "We need to make sure we consult and get an idea on how our community feels about it. At the same, we are prepared to show leadership. But I think its important to have them come forward with some very interesting questions that they have about the report and we need to give them the answers." Tonight's meeting begins at 7 o'clock at the Petite Riviere Fire Hall.

Queens County Adds More Protected Lands

Queens County has aquired another 22-hundred hectares of protected land.
Its a gift from Bowater Mersey, part of the rescue package for the mill back in December. District of Queens Mayor John Leefe says saving pristine areas from development is important. About 19 percent, or 44-thousand hectares, of Queens County's total land mass .... is now protected under the World Wildlife Federation's "Endangered Spaces Program". That figure is well above the 12 percent required under the program.

Shelburne Arena ready for next stage of upgrades

Tony Mahaney

The Shelburne Arena is entering phase two of its upgrade stage. The rink is getting roughly $453,000 worth of work done including repairs and replacement of refrigeration equipment, structural upgrades and accessibility issues. The chair of the Shelburne County Arena Association, Tony Mahaney, says they're moving ahead with their next step of renovations.

"We just finished phase one that did $500,000 worth of improvements that took care of a number of issues concerning lighting and part of the refrigeration, as well as upgrading the players' dressing rooms and washrooms. So, this phase is to accommodate the people viewing the games."

Mahaney adds, one way to help people view the games is by making the rink more accessible including building a ramp to get into the main entrance.

"Once you get into the facility, there's some upgrades that are required for the washroom facilities so that they can easily access the washrooms, as well as a small section that will be set aside for a viewing stage or viewing platform for anybody that is requiring accessibility."

Mahaney says he hopes all the upgrades will help give the arena 20-25 years of use before a new rink will be needed. He says he expects phase two will be complete by 2015.