VIDEO: Tattoo's New Events & Performers 2012

The Royal International Tattoo will feature more than national and international performers this year. They will host a new Nova Scotia Webcam to give fans a backstage peek of rehearsals and set up of the Halifax Metro Centre. On Canada Day, Tattoo events will air on PBS, and former Tattoo members are set to get married during the show. Artistic Director Ian Fraser says they put the event together as a fast moving package with lots of variety.



The show will also feature 3 sub themes: The Titanic, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the War of 1812. And after 12 years, the Naval Gun Race will return. There will also be free pipe and drum workshops. The annual Tattoo hits the stage on July 1st.

Jennex Nixes Moratorium On School Closures

The province's Education Minister is saying "no" to a moratorium on school closures in Nova Scotia. Ramona Jennex turned down the request during a meeting with District of Lunenburg mayor Don Downe Tuesday in Halifax. Downe was hoping for a moratorium because three schools have been closed in the municipality and are now their responsibility. He's calling on the government to take action.




Downe presented three options to the minister which includes a provincial position on the impact of school closures in rural communities, reviewing and revising the 1982 agreement between the Department of Education and Municipalities to transfer ownership of schools to the province to reflect the change in municipal units borrowing powers and reviewing the school review process. The two sides are expected to come together in the next few weeks.

PC Leader Embarks On South Shore & Valley Tour

Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative Leader has embarked on a two day tour of the western part of the province.  Jamie Baillie is concentrating on the South Shore, Yarmouth and the Valley as he prepares for a provincial election, which could happen next spring.  His tour is aimed at the fishing, farming, forestry and tourism industries. 

He tells us South Shore residents deserve to know his beliefs and his party stands.

Baillie has meetings lined up with business and community leaders and citizens at large. He will be touring fish plants, the Shelburne ship repair facility and the restoration project at White Point Beach resort.



Baillie will wrap up his swing through the area when he speaks Thursday night at the nomination meeting in Bridgewater for new-minted Lunenburg-West PC candidate David Mitchell.

Staying The Course: MODL Says "No" To E-Voting

The Municipality of Lunenburg is sticking to their guns when it comes to voting. Council members decided against a motion to watch a presentation on e-voting for the upcoming municipal elections. Deputy Mayor Frank Fawson attended a meeting recently with the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities and says roughly 70% of municipalities in the province will be using some form of e-voting. Councillor Martin Bell says its too late to try and establish e-voting with only four months before the October elections. Bridgewater and Chester have both indicated they will use electronic voting for their advance polls.

South Shore: Bogus Money Floating Around

Police are trying to figure out if there is a connection between phony money floating around Halifax and the South Shore. Three cases have been reported in Bridgewater and Lunenburg in the last week where counterfeit bills were passed. Three other cases were spotted over the last week in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The bills seized were mainly $50's and $20's and are the older series paper currency as opposed to the new polymer banknotes. Constable Will Creamer of the Bridgewater Police Service says his office is working with the Financial Crime Unit in Halifax to see if the cases are connected. A Dartmouth man has been charged in relation to the incidents in Halifax. Counterfeit bills have also turned up recently in Windsor and Amherst.

Municipality of Lunenburg Sets Tax Rates

The Municipality of Lunenburg is holding the line on their residential tax rate. Council approved its 2012-13 budget Tuesday night. The residential rate remains at $0.81 cents per 100 of assessment while the commercial tax rate dropped $0.10 cents from $2.05 to $1.95. Mayor Don Downe says they plan to stay the course.



Residents will also continue to be taxed the two-and-a-half cents for the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. The municipality has a capital budget of just over $3.4-million while its operating budget is $29.8-million.

600 New Patients For Nurse Practitioners

Bridgewater's two new nurse practitioner's had a busy first week. They've accepted over 600 new patients. Spokesperson for South Shore Health Liz Finney says that even though the phone lines were busy, the first week has gone very well.




New patients will only be accepted after July 16th if they don't have a family physician. This will give the nurse practitioners time to intake their current new patients and arrange follow up appointments. The new hires are the first step towards Bridgewater's proposed Collaborative Health Centre.

Its Tick Time!

'Tis the season for ticks ... lots of ticks .... all the way from Yarmouth to the central part of the province.  There are various variations ... wood ticks, dog ticks and in some places .... black-legged ticks.
Museum of Natural History entomologist Andrew Hepda tells us, there is little you can do about them, except grin and bear it and take precautions.  He says its important to dress properly and to check for ticks when you get home.

"When you come back in just do a top to bottom check to see if there is "anybody" on you. It usually takes about 24 hours to get up into a feeding position so they're still crawling around for that first 24 hours. Once they start feeding (on your blood), it still takes them a good 48 hours to get that full feed. So, you've got lots of time to check."

Black legged ticks are the ones that can be potential carriers of lyme disease.  They have been confirmed to exist in some parts of the region.  Last year, a couple of black-legged ticks were found in Yarmouth County and confirmed to be carriers of the virus that causes Lyme disease.

Tipping Fees Going Up At Whynott Settlement Landfill

It will soon cost more to dump items at the Whynott Settlement landfill. Bridgewater council has agreed to recommendations from the waste management committee to raise the price of tipping fees to help recover costs. The biggest increase will see commercial haulers charged $141 to drop their waste, up from $60. Councillor Bill McInnis says the cost increases will mainly affect businesses and some residents.



Compost fees will be $100, increasing by $25, and rural septic users will pay just over $31. Blue bags remain at no charge. The price changes are effective August 1.

Potential For More Products From Forestry

There is great potential for expanding the forest industry in Lunenburg, Queens, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties.  Thats the belief of Argyle MLA Chris D'Entremont. He points to the many products that can be produced, aside from the traditional paper and building products.

"The minerals, the extract and those kinds of things. Lets do some research. Lets see where we can go on that one and bring that forward. We know that when it comes to bio-medicine, there's a lot of money available in that, that might be able to take a piece of what that industry is and keep it alive."

D'Entremont says the forest industry needs to be more self-sufficient and not reliant on the large pulp and paper mills, like Bowater-Mersey.

Long-Service Awards For South Shore Paramedics

A trio of South Shore paramedics will receive long service medals during a ceremony in Halifax today. Bruce Leaman of Liverpool along with Crystal Larkin and James Currie of Shelburne will receive the prestigious award this year.  The Paramedic Long Service Award is based on five-year increments of service of 20 years and more. Paramedics with 20 years of service receive a medal for their dress uniform. For each additional five-year increment, paramedics receive a service bar pinned on the medal. The awards have been given out every year since 2010 in conjunction with Emergency Medical Services week in the province. The award is in the shape of the Star of Life, which is internationally recognized as the symbol for paramedic service. It also has the Nova Scotia Coat of Arms along with the EHS logo and is worn on the Paramedic dress uniform.

Man Charged In April ATV Incident

A Lunenburg County man is facing charges in relation to an incident in First South back in April.  The driver of an ATV was injured when he and his vehicle ran into barbed wire strung between two trees.  After an investigation, the RCMP have now charged a 65 year old man with criminal negligence and setting a trap that likely will cause bodily harm.  A court appearance is expected in a few days.

Mitchell Receives PC Nod For Lunenburg West

Lunenburg West has its PC candidate for the next provincial election. Current Bridgewater councillor David Mitchell got the nod after there were no other nominations received by the Tory Party. He replaces Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, who chose not to seek the nomination after battling health issues. Mitchell says he hopes to start a new chapter of his life as a provincial politician.



Mitchell says he's undecided about running for Bridgewater council now that he's running for MLA. He says he's not bothered by the wave of NDP orange covering every constituency on the South Shore.



Mitchell says school review and power rates are the biggest issues concerning South Shore residents. A meeting to announce Mitchell as the official Progressive Conservative candidate for Lunenburg West will be held Thursday evening at the Bridgewater Legion.

Queens MLA: Opposition Playing Politics Over Power Rates

The NDP MLA for Queens is calling it a productive session in the house. The Nova Scotia Legislature rose after 34 days Thursday with the government introducing 33 bills. But, it was the issue of Nova Scotia Power and rate increases that caught the most attention. Both Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil and PC Leader Jamie Baillie wanted the government to remain in the house until the issue was resolved. Vicki Conrad says it was a last minute ploy by the opposition.



Conrad says she's looking to get back to her constituency and dealing with local concerns.

Bridgewater, Liverpool Nominated For Kraft Celebration Tour

At least two South Shore towns have been nominated for the Kraft Celebration Tour. The event gives 10 communities across Canada a chance to win $25,000 towards improving active living in your area. Both Liverpool and Bridgewater have been garnering support so far. Queens County resident Joel Zwicker nominated Liverpool. He says the community needs a skate park.



Residents are encouraged to vote for Liverpool and Bridgewater by writing a small testimonial about why they should be chosen. People have until June 10 to show their support before judging begins on the nominated communities.Previous Nova Scotia winners include Amherst, Pictou, Port Hood and Sackville. To have your say go to http://www.kraftcelebrationtour.ca/

Fire Near Chester Under Investigation

No one was hurt as a result of a fire near Chester last night. Although an old garage containing vehicles in Haddon Hill on Highway 3 was destroyed. A century-old residence on the property that was once an inn, known as Haddon Hall, suffered considerable damage. At around 11:30 fire fighters from Chester, Chester Basin, Hubbards, Blandford and Western Shore were involved in battling the blaze. The fire department and police are in the preliminary stages of investigation.

Argyle MLA Says Its The NDP way Or No Way At All

NS Legislature Building

The spring sitting of the Nova Scotia legislature has wrapped up.  Proposed power rate hikes dominated the closing days of the session with both opposition parties saying the Dexter government doesn't want to deal with the issue.  Argyle PC MLA Chris D'Entremont says the government actually refuses to deal with anything that isn't NDP-branded.  He says:

"They don't want to listen to the opposition parties at all. I know how the back rooms tend to work. There's a little bit of trade-off that goes on. Once in a while, an idea gets put into an NDP bill or a government bill or there's a bill that comes forward from the opposition. But, when it comes to something substantive, absolutely nothing! There have been no dealings whatsoever!"

Meanwhile, the just-concluded session produced 34 government bills including one that extends the life of the former NewPage mill workers' pension plans.  Another ensures the utility review board evaluates the Maritime Link, part of the proposed 6.2-billion dollar Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project in Labrador.

Most Wanted: Bridgewater Police Make Arrest

A 22 year-old man listed among Halifax's most wanted has been arrested by police on the South Shore. Members of the Bridgewater Police Service took 22 year-old Matthew Sudds into custody last night after a foot chase in the downtown core. Sudds had outstanding warrants issued by Halifax Regional Police surrounding an assault and failure to appear in court. He has been transferred into the custody of Halifax Regional Police and is due in court later today.

RCMP Seek Public Help In Solving Lunenburg County Break & Enter

It happened well-over a month ago but Lunenburg County RCMP are still puzzled by a break and enter at a home in Cherry Hill.  Someone broke into the home along highway 331 during the afternoon or early evening of April 6th.

Among the haul stolen were two engagement rings, gold rings, watches, necklaces, vintage Beatles and Elvis records, silver coins and the list goes on.  The value is thought to be in the thousands of dollars.

Earlier this month, some of the stolen goods were found scattered in the woods off the Petite Riviere Road in Petite Riviere.

Investigators are seeking the public's help in tracking down the thieves.

Jennex: Former Board Members Can Re-Offer

Education Minister Ramona Jennex says she has no problems with former board members running in the October elections. Jennex fired the 12-member board last November after a scathing report from Deloitte Inc. revealed frequent violations by the board of its own by-laws, persistent cases of conflict of interest and too much focus on individual agendas. Members including Karen Reinhardt, Herb Seymour and Butch MacLeod have indicated they intend to run again while others remain undecided or don't plan to run. Jennex says she isn't concerned about former members getting re-elected.



She says every person has the democratic right to run in municipal, board, or provincial elections.