Lumberjacks Heating up at Home

The captain led the way as the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks edged the Campbelton Tigers 5-4 last night in Bridgewater. Jake Bullen had three goals, plus an assist, as the Jacks won for the third time in four home starts. The clubs were tied at 3 entering the third period before Bullen potted a pair to clinch the victory. Tonight the Jacks head to Amherst to face the first place Ramblers before a date in Woodstock tomorrow against the league-leading Slammers.
 
Tonight in Bridgewater there's Major Midget hockey when the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs host the first place Halifax Titans. Gametime is 8 o'clock.

Despite Balmy Temps Normal Ski Season Expected

Ski operators in Nova Scotia aren't panicking over the spring-like temperatures we've been experiencing. Temperatures have been balmy with highs reaching 16 degrees in recent days in the South Shore. Andy MacLean of Ski Martock says he' s confident the hill will still have a good season. Officials at Martock are hoping to open before Christmas again this year but MacLean says they'll need temperatures to dip below freezing for a few days in a row. He says some snow wouldn't hurt either.

"Car Shopping": Not just a Holiday Crime for Bridgewater Police

Bridgewater's police chief is stressing the need for residents shopping or browsing downtown stores to lock their vehicles. A number of cases have been reported in the past few weeks where items - including cash - have been taken from unlocked vehicles. John Collyer says police deal with these issues all the time and the holiday rush is no different.  He advising residents to lock their doors, take valuables inside and keep important items out of sight. Collyer says the street word for the crime is called "car shopping". Cash has been taken from unlocked vehicles at least twice in recent days. Other items targeted include Ipod's, camera's and cell phones.

Conrad: Fires back at Liberals and Tories over Bowater Package

The MLA for Queens took a shot at the Liberals and Conservatives this week for their stance on the NDP's plan for Bowater Mersey. New Democrat Vicki Conrad says their opposition to the $50 million dollar deal won't be forgotten by the people of the South Shore. Conrad made the comments after Liberal MLA Manning MacDonald called the pulp and paper industry a "dinosaur industry" during question period. Hundreds of families in Queens, Lunenburg, Shelburne, Digby, Annapolis and Halifax depend on the mill for their livelihood. The life-line from the NDP earlier this month assures the mill will remain in operation for at least five years.

Chester Warden: Big Decision Looms on Wild Rose Park

Councillors in Chester are set to debate the future of Wild Rose Park in Western Shore later this month. The Municipality of the District of Chester is faced with a decision on whether or not to engage itself in keeping the park fully accessible for public use. Large parts of the park are located on Crown Land while other areas are privately owned and divided into 12 separate parcels of land. Warden Allen Webber says council has been keeping an eye on the situation for more than a year and now have to decide whether or not to inject in the situation. "I've been here for 30 years, and never, have we ever, expropriated anybody's property and for good reason - it's a very extreme measure. However, extreme circumstances sometimes call for extreme action. It's an available tool for us, whether we use it or not remains to be seen, but let me be clear - we'll negotiate with land owners on a case by case basis to acquire their interests. Should we go down that path"  Webber is urging the residents of Chester and the surrounding area to attend a meeting on the mater on December 22nd. The meeting will begin at 8:45AM. Information packages are available at the Municipal office in Chester.

Phone Scams around the South Shore

Shelburne RCMP are looking into a telephone scam involving computers. Numerous residents have been getting calls regarding this scam for weeks. Mounties says those behind it claim to be a computer consultant who require access to the persons computer because it was attacked by a virus. From there, the fraudsters proceed to erase the victims hard drive but police says it's unclear if any personal information is obtained. In another case, residents are being offered a service keeps personal computers or laptops secure from viruses at a cost of $120 per year.  Mounties says the consultant told people they were based out of New York and were of East Indian decent. The RCMP is reminding the public not to give out any personal information over the phone and to report any suspicious calls to your local police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre Phonebusters at 1-888-495-8501 or http://www.phonebusters.com/

Power Outages across South Shore

Thousands of South Shore residents are without power at this time due to the high winds. About 400 households and businesses in Queens County lost power between 9-10 Thursday morning. Close to 2,000 residents in Shelburne County are also without electricity. Around 1,000 homes in Lunenburg County have lost their power as well. Nova Scotia Power says service should be restored to those areas no later than 3:15 this afternoon. The NSCC campus in Shelburne has been closed for the day after losing its power. The Tancook Ferry is out of service until further notice Thursday because of extreme high winds and waves.

Fairview Inn set to be demolished; Police say no charges will be laid

**Pictures taken of the Fairview Inn Wednesday December 7**

A Conquerall Mills company begins work Thursday morning on tearing down one of the oldest Inns in NovaScotia. C & T Construction is expected to have two excavators on site of the Fairview Inn on Queen Street. The company's owner, Craig Fancy, says they've already removed most of the metal from inside the building. He says it's just a matter of time before the building is demolished and the site is clear.

"Once we get it on the ground, I think it will go pretty quick. We have to get the trucks to haul it away to Chester, so it does take time."

The building's ruins will be taken to the Kaizer Meadow Landfill in the Municipality of Chester. Fancy is asking residents to remain away from the Fairview Inn site while its being demolished because of safety concerns. Meanwhile, Bridgewater Police Chief John Collyer says no charges will be laid after fire destroyed the Inn June 4. Collyer said in a release Wednesday that the fire marshal has concluded he cannot determine the exact cause of the fire.

Mayor unaware of Tethering issue in Municipality

The mayor of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg says he's not aware of a tethering issue with dogs in the area. The Nova Scotia SPCA is pressuring municipalities to protect pets from being tied up outside too long. Downe says he would like the SPCA to make a presentation to council on the issue. He says the municipality's current bylaw deals with dangerous dogs, dogs at large and dogs that constantly bark. The SPCA is claiming municipal bylaws don't do enough to protect the pets. They are asking for chains to be at least five metres long and away from trees and bushes to prevent dogs from getting tangled.

Decent Catch - Low Prices

Analysts, government and industry officials are calling this ... one of the best lobster fishing seasons in years. However, one of the ironies is ... while catches are as good, if not better than last year, market prices are lower. Provincial Fisheries Minister Sterling Belliveau says there's concern. Lobster is selling for about 3 dollars and 25 cents a pound. Some fishermen have resorted to selling their catches roadside where they can easily get a couple of dollars more per pound. The season opened a week ago and ends next May.

Chapter Ends at Sagor's Bookstore

Its been a fixture of the downtown commercial landscape of Bridgewater for decades. Now though, after 40 years, Sagor's Bookstore is closing. Owners Ron Topp and Susan Goodwin say times have changed, hi-technology is taking over and sales are dwindling for book sellers in general. Topp says after 4 decades, life is going to be very different for the two of them. "It's a big part of our social life actually and that's going to be quite a chance. It's going to be a relief in some ways to get out of the pressures of the business but yes, going to be a big change. We hope to keep in touch with people of course," Topp says inventory will be sold-off over the coming couple of weeks. Sagor's is Bridgewater's first bookstore and its the oldest one in the Maritimes.

Ski Martock: Helmet Law Makes Sense

The operator of a Windsor-based ski hill says mandatory helmet use for skiers and snowboarders makes sense. Andy MacLean has been overseeing operations at Ski Martock for more than 25 years says he's not surprised by the move. MacLean expects a smooth transition for many ski enthusiasts who visit Martock. He says around 90 % of guests who visit the ski hill already wear helmets on the slopes and that's tops in Canada. "We always been big promoters and big advocates of helmet use here at Martock. So, I think people know the law and it's top of mind right now that's for sure. I think between the three resorts in the province, we'll make it a smooth transition," Under the legislation, inspectors would be hired to enforce the law, which could result in a stiff $250 fine for each offense. The government says it intends to have the legislation in effect next November if passed.

Vote For Glo

Voting is underway for a Lunenburg County woman trying to win $250,000 for her 'Lucious Lemon Pudding.' Glo McNeill has become a popular fixture in the South Shore region after winning the first episode of the Food Network's TV show 'Recipe to Riches'. Now, the 82-year-old is looking for your help to make her the grande prize winner. McNeill says she's looking for people to cast their vote at http://www.recipetoriches.ca/ . Voting starts at 1:01 Wednesday morning and ends at 12:59am on Friday December 9. She says people can vote once a day, for three days. The voting results will be released during the final episode of 'Recipe to Riches', to be aired December 14 at 10pm on the Food Network.

Bridgewater council becoming Electronically Advanced

Bridgewater council is moving to a more technical way of doing business. Council recently discussed options of online voting during 2012 elections and issuing laptops for councillors to cut down on paper costs. Mayor Carroll Publicover says it should improve the way council works. Publicover says he expects council will move to e-voting and e-council around the October 2012 elections. He says the new initiative is covered in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 budgets.

MLA Parker introduces bill to enact Pulp and Paper Mill Agreement

Charlie Parker

Legislation was introduced Wednesday implementing a provincial investment in jobs, land purchases and innovation at the Bowater Mersey Pulp and Paper Mill near Liverpool. Natural Resources Minister Charlie Parker says the bill is a strong statement of the province's commitment to support good jobs, strong rural communities and a sustainable pulp and paper industry that is an integral part of the provincial economy. The Bowater Mersey Investment Act will give legal authority to enact a multi-year agreement, outlined by Premier Darrell Dexter on December 2nd, that includes a capital investment, land acquisition and worker skills training. Highlights of the agreement include:


- $25 million in capital improvements to help reduce electricity consumption and also produce additional renewable energy.
- $23.7 million to buy 25,000 acres of company-owned land, some of which could be used towards the province's goal of 12 per cent protected lands by 2015.
- $1.5 million for skills training through the Productivity Investment Program.

Long Standing Bridgewater Business has New Ownership

A familiar Bridgewater business is changing hands. Gow's Home Hardware has been in the Gow family for several generations. Now, its been purchased by a long-time employee of the firm. New owner Amanda Fancy is a Lunenburg County native and she says the values and community-spirit of Gow's that's traditional with the company will continue. There will be no company name-change and the now-former owner Peter Gow will remain on staff. The change takes effect January 1st.

Vigil marks need to end Violence Against Women

The South Shore Labour Council is recognizing the need to stop violence against women. The group is holding a candlelight vigil Tuesday night at the Masonic Hall at 216 North Street in Bridgewater. A delegate for the council, Melissa Dorey, says the event helps create awareness about the issue. She says there are lots of places along the South Shore that can help including Harbour House. The event gets underway at 7pm Tuesday night and is expected to include a few guest speakers and prayer.

Bill 102: Grits & Tories Make Final Pitch

Opposition Leaders in Nova Scotia are pushing South Shore MLA's to break party ranks and vote against a controversial labour law. The NDP government is set to introduce a first contract arbitration bill that would allow for a third party arbitrator to decide the terms of employment in a newly unionized workplace. Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil is hoping to see amendments to Bill 102 so unions and management have more time to negotiate before the arbitration process. "What we're asking them to do is move away from the Manitoba model which is the most offensive - it's the one that Michelin, Sobeys and Clearwater have all express major concerns about - we're asking government to move closer to the Ontario model or quite frankly the model that the federal government uses which means you have to prove someone is bargaining in bad faith before going to arbitration," Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Jamie Bailie is calling on South Shore MLA's Gary Ramey and Pam Birdsall to oppose the bill. Ballie admits its a long-shot but is hoping to get support of five members from the NDP to vote against the legislation. The bill could come up for a vote as early as Thursday.

Big Brothers Big Sisters looking for Board Members

South Shore Big Brothers Big Sisters is looking for board members. The non-profit group for Lunenburg and Queens Counties is searching for energetic people with drive and interest in promoting youth. The president of South Shore Big Brothers Big Sisters, John Collyer, says its a rewarding experience.

"Anybody who has been involved in mentoring youth would understand that it is a very rewarding activity and it brings so much to the quality of life for these young people."

Collyer says people interested would have to participate in a screening process with a criminal records check and search of the child abuse registry. He urges everyone to get involved by contacting South Shore Big Brothers Big Sisters at 543-4435.

Giant Tiger Donating Dollars to Food Bank

A Bridgewater business is doing their part to stock up a local food bank. Giant Tiger is donating one dollar from every transaction Tuesday to the Bridgewater Interchurch Food Bank. The manager of Giant Tiger, Shane Demmings, says the purchase can be anything from a chocolate bar to clothing. Demmings says the food bank is in desperate need to fill their shelves, especially during the holiday season. He hopes the store can raise at least $2,000 for the food bank.