Gas Cash

The NDP is handing out almost 900-thousand-dollars over the next several days for projects that will help reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau was in Lunenburg today (September 11th) where he announced 85-thousand dollars for six projects along the South Shore. There is a $40,834 grant for an energy-savings project by the Town of Lunenburg to help reduce energy consumption in seven of the town's buildings. That will happen through energy-efficient lighting and upgrades to insulation, and building system and heating systems. Funding will also allow the Dayspring and District Fire Hall to be fitted with solar panels and Lockeport, Mahone Bay and the town and municipality of Shelburne to conduct an energy inventory and audit of municipal infrastructure. The Dayspring project will receive $8,694, while Lockeport will get $4,160, Mahone Bay $10,000, the Municipality of the District of Shelburne $9,487 and the Town of Shelburne $9,930. Belliveau says government wants Nova Scotia to be one of the cleanest and greenest places in the world. He says the projects announced today will each play a part in helping achieve that goal.

Schooner Launch

It's a page out of the history of Lunenburg Harbour. But this weekend it's living history. For the first time in nearly four decades, a newly-built wooden schooner is being launched. The Dory Shop has been building watercraft in Lunenburg since 1917 at the east end of Bluenose Drive. Tomorrow (Saturday) around noon as the tide is coming in, they'll be launching Kitty Cochran from the shop. David Westergaard is the builder and the owner and captain is Duncan Veasey. A ceremony will be taking place and people are being invited to take it all in. This weekend is also when the Lunenburg Waterfront Seafood Festival is happening with International Dory Races, greased pole and the celebrity shucking contest featuring CKBW's Joan Fillmore.

Chamber Executive

A returning President and a few new faces around the table on the executive for the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce. Craig Collins of the NSCC's Lunenburg campus is back as the head of the business advocacy group. Glen Hall, Shawn O'Hara and Aidan Matchett were also elected. And retired CKBW Sales Manager Barry Smith is the Chamber's new treasurer. Cy Mayo is the 1st Vice President and Judy Koster is Past President. The positions were filled at the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting this week.

Shelburne Pot

Two Shelburne county men with green thumbs have been caught red-handed by RCMP. Police say they arrested the two and seized 61 mature marihuana plants at an outdoor grow-op in the Upper Ohio area of the county. Corporal Nancy Mason says the 45 and 51-year old men were caught as they were tending their crop yesterday. Both are facing charges of production of marihuana and their court date is set for December 16th in Shelburne. Corporal Mason says the Street Crime Unit continues its work to eradicate outdoor grows throughout the county. But she says they can't always do it alone and they are asking the public to report suspicious activity to the RCMP or Crimestoppers.

Lunenburg Exercise

Just before ten this morning a sailboat inbound to Lunenburg is going to report an engine room fire and that it's listing heavily to starboard before rolling over. We know this, because it's part of a Search and Rescue Exercise in Lunenburg's Front Harbour. Bill Towndrow says they do a lot of work to get ready for real emergencies. The exercise will involve divers from a rescue helicopter along with a Canadian Coast Guard lifeboat, and a US Coast Guard cutter from Gloucester.

Opening Scenario provided by RCC:

At 1000/11(Local), Halifax Coast Guard radio receives a broken mayday message from the F/V Paul’s Pride. The vessel is inbound Lunenburg Hrb. with a reported engine room fire and listing heavily to starboard. Vessel is described as a 25’ orange and white open style fishing vessel with 3 POB’s

JRCC Halifax tasks CCGC Sambro , USCG Grand Isle,&413 Squad.

More info:

413 Squad to lower sartecs to overturned vessel (RIB) and transfer casualties to Grand Isle & Sambro for first-aid. Hoisting ops. from Grand Isle and Sambro.

Boat Fire

A man had to be rescued from a pleasure boat that caught fire in Mahone Bay. He was pulled from the eight-metre fibreglass craft by other boaters in the Clay Island area. There were no injuries. The boat was towed ashore where it burned to the waterline. There's no word on what caused the fire before noon yesterday (Thursday).

Flood Money Flows

The Town of Bridgewater will be receiving a little more than $208,000 as a final payment for flood damage sustained in March 2003, The town was one of several communities affected as a result of unprecedented rainfall combined with spring runoff. Floodwaters washed out roads and severely damaged a number of bridges. The damage expenses were claimed by the province on behalf of the towns and municipalities affected by the flooding. The federal Minister of Public Safety, Peter Van Loan announced a final payment of $7.5 million to the Province of Nova Scotia under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. The Minister made the announcement following a visit to Truro Fire Service, whose firefighters helped with flood relief efforts in 2003.

Clamming Pickle

A Port Mouton man is facing a charge for selling clams without a commercial license. DFO officers from Liverpool arrested the man on August 16th in the Port Mouton area. He's accused of digging clams recreationally but then offering them for sale. He will be appearing in Liverpool Court on October 6th.

Pink Shirt Day

Students across the province are wearing pink today (September 10th) as they mark the second annual Stand Up Against Bullying Day. Education Minister Marilyn More says that bullying is unacceptable and she wants any student who is being bullied or knows of someone being bullied to tell a parent, teacher,counsellor, vice-principal or principal. Stand Up Against Bullying Day is marked on the second Thursday in September. Schools across the province hold anti-bullying events and students wear pink. The inspiration came from the actions of two Grade 12 students from Central Kings Rural High School in Kings County. Travis Price and David Shepherd rallied behind a new student to the school who was being bullied simply for wearing a pink shirt. They brought pink shirts to school and handed them out to classmates to wear in solidarity with the new student. Their efforts sparked similar initiatives around the world, and wear pink has become the symbol and slogan of the anti-bullying movement.

New Chambers?

It's not in the near future but Lunenburg Municipal Council will explore options for a budget timeline and financing for the construction of a new administration building. Mayor Don Downe says they're looking at putting money aside if they decide to move forward. Downe says a study shows staff have outgrown the current administration building at 210 Aberdeen Road. Former C-A-O Doug Quinn brought the issue to council's attention in his 2004 annual report. At that time he said the three decade old building was overcrowded . Council did set aside over $100 thousand dollars in that year's budget for repairs and renovations.

Youden Holding

It was first proposed back in May of 2007, now a housing development for Mahone Bay is on indefinate hold. Mayor Joe Feeney says Council is discussing a letter of intent to continue persuing the development with developer Bob Youden. However, Feeney says indicators are the development is not going to go ahead in the near future because of the economic environment. Youden's proposal for a 24 million dollar housing development on the Old School Lands, and the loss of a soccer field and nearby woods became the centre of a controversy that rocked the town. A Group of residents filed an appeal with the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board over Council's decision refusing to rezone the property from residential to recreational use.

Former Jail Idle

The former jail in Centre still sets idle eight years after it was closed for good. The last inmates left the facility in May 2001 and the building reverted to the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg. Mayor Don Downe says a recent proposal for the property was not supported by Council and there's nothing concrete in the works. The Lunenburg County Correctional Centre better known as the Centre Jail first opened in 1950.

Postal Protest

About 150 people were at the Oakhill Fire Hall last night at a meeting hosted by the Municipality of Lunenburg to discuss Canada Post's rural mailbox review. Mayor Don Downe says it's a federal issue but Council is advocating on behalf of its residents. Downe says it was delinquent of Canada Post not to attend last night's meeting to hear the residents concerns. Union representatives were in attendance at last nights meeting along with M-P Gerald Keddy and M-L-A's Pam Birdsall, Gary Ramey and Vicki Conrad.

Lock Your Car

Another reminder to keep your vehicles locked. Over the long weekend, on the night of Saturday September 5th or the early morning hours of September 6th a number of vehicles parked in the Glen Allan subdivision were entered. The vehicles were rummaged through and various personal items and change were taken. Police are also looking into an incident from late last month. Sometime between 11 p.m. August 26th and 7 a.m. August 27th, a Ford Ranger was entered and a number of items including a quantity of change was stolen from the unlocked vehicle. Police are also looking out for a red Sport Tech Mountain bike taken from a yard on Desbrisay Drive in the overnight hours of September 6th.

Missing Kids Return

All four kids are now back at the Dayspring Adolescent Treatment Centre after staying out all night. The two boys - 12 and 9, and two girls - 12 and 11, were last seen between 8:30 and 9 last night. RCMP were called and the search started for the kids. They were all wearing pajamas and weren't really dressed to be outside all night. A police dog along with members of the Lunenburg County Ground Search and Rescue team were called in to help look for them. The call came in just before 6:30 this morning that the four kids had returned. RCMP Corporal Jamie Vacon is still speaking with them. Few other details are known right now. The facility is run by Family and Children's Services of Lunenburg County.

Schooner Gift

A small schooner designed by William J. Roue, who designed the historic schooner Bluenose, has been donated to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. A small reception today (September 4th) marked the gift of the 11.3-metre (37-foot) Hebridee II by the family of the late Edward Murphy of Halifax. The Roue-designed schooner, which was built, owned, and sailed locally, has a long relationship with the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron and the Nova Scotia Schooner Association and is a significant addition to the museum's small-craftcollection. Ater a condition assessment and appropriate restoration work, museum staff plan to re-establish Hebridee II's sailing relationship with the NSSA.

Paramedic Awards

A Lunenburg County man will be among 14 paramedics receiving an Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal today. Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis will present the honour to Jay Albert Walker of Hubbards at a ceremony at Province house this afternoon. The lieutenant-governor will be joined by Health Minister Maureen MacDonald. The award honours years of service and for performance above and beyond the call of duty.

Medal recipients are:
--Albert Walker, Hubbards, Lunenburg Co.
--Glen Diggdon, Pubnico, Yarmouth Co.
--Darrell Bardua, Dartmouth
--Mark Turner, Kentville
--Terry Muise, Yarmouth
--Dean Vokey, Bellville, Yarmouth Co.
--Gary Galley, Berwick
--Frank McPhee, Halifax
--Franklin Johnston, Goodwood, Halifax Regional Municipality --Prema Cooper, Whites Lake, Halifax Regional Municipality --Dwayne Semple, Tatamagouche --Steve Connell, Kentville --Brian Joseph Bunch, New Minas --Joseph MacDonald, Inverness

Eat Local

Agriculture Minister John MacDonell is enjoying a day of eating locally produced food as part of his pledge to Eat Atlantic today (September 4th). The minister started his day with a Nova Scotian breakfast of scrambled eggs from his daughter's 4H chicken, locally made toasted bread and a cup of fair trade coffee, along with wild blueberries and a peach. He then visited a farmers' market at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, VG site this morning to pick up some fresh produce for supper. He says health applies to everything when eating local -- health of our communities, our environment, our economy and our people. He is joined by Atlantic ministers from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Almost 2,000 Nova Scotians have made the pledge to Eat Atlantic, more than any other Atlantic province. To sign up for the Eat Atlantic Challenge, visit www.eatatlantic.ca .

Biker Critical

A 56 year old man is in critical condition at the QE-2 in Halifax (as of the last update given to police yesterday afternoon around four). The man was involved in a car/bicycle collision Thursday morning. The cyclist, from Garden Lots was struck by a car around 7:40 in the morning on Route 3 in front of Center Consolidated School. The driver of the car is a 35 year old man from Bridgewater. He is an employee with the South Shore Regional School Board. RCMP say the vehicle was pulling into the driveway at the school when it collided with the cyclist. The driver told police he was blinded by the sun and didn't see the bicycle. Police say they are still investigating.

Dog Back Home

A dog shot by police in a residential neighbourhood as it was ravaging a live baby deer is back home with its owner. Bridgewater's Deputy Police Chief says the animal made it's way home sometime yesterday. John Collyer says the owner then took it to a veterinarian who treated it for a gunshot wound. The bullet apparently passed through the animal without hitting any vital organs. Collyer says the husky doesn't have rabies and police are still looking into the incident. They will involve wildlife experts and animal control officials to see what their assessment of the situation. The dog had taken off after a cat when it picked up the scent of the fawn in the area of Olympiad Avenue. It was in the middle of a "killing frenzy" and officers were concerned for the people who were trying to help the deer when they made the decision to shoot the dog. There were two gunshots. The second round missed the husky and it took off into the woods.