Giant Tiger donates $2,500 to Bridgewater Interchurch Food Bank

Giant Tiger in Bridgewater has given a major donation to a local food bank. The store raised $2,500 for the Bridgewater Interchurch Food Bank last Tuesday. The store gave one dollar from each sale towards the food bank. Store Manager Shane Demmings says they sold a variety of items to help raise the money. He urges people to continue to donate to food banks in the area. A cheque presentation was held Tuesday at the Bridgewater Interchurch Food Bank.

Whynott's Settlement: Accident

A South Shore man is in good condition despite an unusual accident this morning in Whynott's Settlement. His vehicle skidded off an icy highway 325 just before daybreak and landed, partially-submerged, in a brook. Lunenburg RCMP officers found the back-window had been kicked out but the driver couldn't be found. Staff Sergeant Bruce Hill says they feared he might have been swept downstream. "Oak Hill and Dayspring Fire Department were on the scene and they had a boat - so as a precaution we had them search the river in case someone had been in the water or if there was any evidence. About 45 minutes later we found the gentleman had got out of the car and was at a friends residence,"  He was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. This was one of several accidents on Queens and Lunenburg County roads this morning caused by black ice. No serious injuries were reported.

GAP final plan receives in principle approval

Generations Active Park has been given a preliminary go-ahead. Bridgewater town council approved the Ekistics Planning and Design final plan in principle during Monday night's meeting. Mayor Carroll Publicover says he's pleased that the plan will not only attract Bridgewater residents but other visitors from across the region. The park's plan includes a leash free dog space, a splash pad, over eight kilometres of trail and multi-use courts. The plan would cost the town approximately $3.1-million over 12 years. The Department of Parks and Recreation will study the Generations Active Park plan over the next month before the issue is expected to be back in front of council in January.

Fryday Dorey running for provincial PC party presidency

The first name has been thrown into the hat to become the new president of the Nova Scotia PC party. The current executive vice-president, Janet Fryday Dorey, announced her decision to run late last week. Fryday Dorey says she believes in helping party leader Jamie Baillie form the next provincial government. She has served the party in many roles including manager for South Shore - St. Margaret's and Chester - St. Margaret's campaigns. Fryday Dorey is looking to replace current PC party president Robert Batherson, who recently said he's stepping down to spend more time with his family.

South West Health: Tick Update in Yarmouth Co

Those ticks collected from wooded areas in Gavelton in Yarmouth County carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Officials at South West Health says there's no reason for alarm if people keep protection in mind when outdoors during the mild temperatures. Wearing light-colored, long sleeve shirts, pants and socks so the ticks show up, checking clothing and exposed skin after being outside and making sure grass is kept well trimmed are among suggestions. The Black-Legged tick has also been found recently in parts of Lunenburg County, Blue Rocks, Garden Lots, Heckman's Island and First Peninsula. The unusually mild weather this fall has been keeping ticks active. Usually they die-off in cold conditions.

Acadian Lines Hoping for an end to Lockout

A lockout of Acadian Lines bus drivers is at a standstill with Christmas only two weeks away. It's the busiest time of the year for the bus company as people are shipping packages and trying to get home for the holidays. The labour dispute isn't disrupting service within Nova Scotia but those hoping to get back home from either New Brunswick or PEI are out of luck. Company spokesperson Marc Varin says they are hoping for a resolution soon. "We realize this is a very bad time of year, not only for passengers but we also carry parcels and envelopes as part of our express service and that's also a busy part of our operation but right now unfortunately we're can't ship in those two provinces," Buses are still running in Nova Scotia because the company's employees are part of a different union. However, packages can only be shipped as far as Amherst.

Baillie Disappointed with First Contract decision

Nova Scotia PC Leader Jamie Baillie

The leader of Nova Scotia's PC party says South Shore MLAs have let their constituents down. Jamie Baillie says Gary Ramey, Pam Birdsall, Vicki Conrad and Denise Peterson-Rafuse decided not to listen to resident concerns after voting in favour of First Contract Arbitration. The bill passed by a 27-18 vote in the legislature late last week. Baillie says it's a bad decision because it could kill future investment in the province by local companies like Michelin, Sobeys and Clearwater. The NDP government believes the legislation will increase productivity by avoiding strikes or lockouts.

Man Charged with Child Luring

A Lower Northfield man has been arrested following an investigation into luring a child over the internet. The 30-year-old appeared in court Friday afternoon and was remanded in custody until December 14. The man has been charged with three counts each of luring a child, invitation of sexual touching and sexual interference. He's also been charged with two counts of trafficking a controlled substance and one count each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of a prohibited weapon.

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.