Golf: Gallupe, Nowe In Contention At Junior Championship

A pair of local golfers remain in the hunt after round one at the Canadian Junior Boys Golf Championship at Osprey Ridge. Matt Gallupe and Ryan Nowe each shot three-over-par 74, leaving them four shots back of three players who tied for the overnight lead at one-under-par including defending champion Kevin Kwon of B.C. Matt Flinn shot nine-over while Liam Fullerton ended up 12-over-par. All four local golfers tee off Wednesday morning in the second round. More details can be found at http://golfcanada.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/rcga12/event/rcga1216/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

Officials Dub Big Ex 'Success' For 2012

It's been dubbed a successful year for the South Shore Exhibition. The annual summer showcase brought in 42,198 people this year, up more than 2,000 people from 2011. Manager Christine Sarty says Dean Brody's concert helped make up for lost attendance due to rainy weather. She says the weather played a factor again this year.



Sarty says Brody's concert was a record-setter since she's been involved, with over 12,000 people attending the show. There have been no indications yet on who could be next year's headliners.

Chester: Webber Seeks Re-Election

The long-time warden and councillor for District 4 in Chester still enjoys political life and believes he has more to offer at the local level. In an interview with CKBW/HANK FM news, Allen Webber re-affirmed his decision to run in this fall's municipal elections. He says experience and life lessons over the years in municipality politics makes him a good candidate to continue his role on council.



Webber says he'll focus on winning his district and is hopeful he will maintain his role as warden following the election. Webber has spent the last 18 years as warden and has served on council for a total of 30 years. In a warden style governance system, the newly elected council selects who will serve in the position via secret ballot. The entire interview with Webber will air this Sunday on South Shore Sunday Morning on CKBW & HANK FM.

Two Injured After Highway 10 Crash In Cookville

Two people were taken to hospital Monday after a two vehicle mix-up on highway 10 in Cookville. The collision happened shortly after 3pm by the traffic lights near McCulloch Road. RCMP say a car was rear ended by a truck. The driver and passenger in the car were taken to hospital. The extent of their injuries are not known at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Town Planning To Show Jenna Martin Run

Final details are still being worked out to open up town hall Friday to watch Jenna Martin run at the Olympics. Council members agreed to the initiative but there are a few obstacles standing in their way. Councillor Patrick Hirtle says there's uncertainty around whether the event will be shown live or not.




Hirtle says he plans to speak with a representatives from CTV and Rogers Sportsnet to confirm their broadcast schedule. Jenna Martin is scheduled to run her qualifying round at 8am Friday morning.

Local Golfers Ready For National Test

Four local golfers begin the tough task of trying to win a national golf tournament Tuesday at Osprey Ridge. The Canadian Junior Boys championship opens up its first round of play with 7:30am tee times. 17-year-old Liam Fullerton of Riverport will play with defending champion Kevin Kwon. He says it should be a good learning experience.



All four local golfers including Matt Gallupe, Matt Flinn and Ryan Nowe have afternoon tee times Tuesday. Nowe, a member of team Nova Scotia, says he's feeling a bit of pressure playing the championship on his home course. He says he wants to focus on playing smart and open with a good score.



One hundred and fifty-six golfers are in the field for this week's event. A live scoreboard can be found at http://golfcanada.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/rcga12/event/rcga1216/contest/1/leaderboard.htm .

VIDEO: Conservancy Group Acquires Sandy Bay Land

Photo Courtesy of Mike Dembeck

Three families have come together to donate a parcel of land to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The Worrall, Van Loon and Carver families of Sandy Bay have donated 171-acres of beach, wetland and forest along the South Shore's coastline. A daughter for one of the families, Deborah Carver, says each family bought the land in order to protect it.



Carver says the three families owned the land since 1971. A regional vice-president with the group, Linda Stephenson, says the beach and nearby wetlands provide habitat for the endangered piping plover and other shorebirds. The Nature Conservancy of Canada spent over $500,000 for the land with financial help from the federal and provincial governments and private donors.

Local Champion Log-Roller Flattens The Competition

Champion South Shore log roller, Darren Hudson of Barrington, has won his 6th World Log-Rolling Championship in Hayward, Wisconsin. Hudson competed at the Lumberjack World Championships held over three days this past weekend, winning all 3 of his matches which took him to the finals. He rolled long-time competitor, J.R. Salzman, in a 3-1 match to take home the title. Hudson is the nephew of 9 time World Log-rolling Champion, Phil Scott. Also competing at the weekend championships was Hudson's cousin Marcel Scott. He took home 2nd place in the Boom-Run Championships and placed 7th in Log-rolling.

RCMP Search For Those Involved In Home Invasion

RCMP have one man in custody and are looking for three others after a home invasion over the weekend. In a release, police say four individuals forced their way into a home in Lunenburg County shortly after 4 o'clock on Saturday morning. The suspects allegedly used bear spray and baseball bats to attack those inside the home. Police say the victims are known to each other and the incident is not considered random. Two men were taken to hospital in Bridgewater, treated and released.

DNR: Province-Wide Fire Ban Still In Effect

Photo from DNR Website

A ban on all open fires continues to be in effect across Nova Scotia. Most of the province including the South Shore is considered a low threat for wildfires, with other areas marked moderate or high. An official with the Department of Natural Resources says an update on the ban could come later this week. A province-wide ban went into effect July 12.

Norman Bows Out Of Queens Mayor Race

She was considered a front-runner in the race for mayor in the District of Queens in this fall's municipal elections. However, District 1 councillor Darlene Norman has withdrawn. She tells us she wants to continue her work with the group "Friends of Port Mouton Bay". Norman also says her family life could soon change dramatically with her husband working out of province. She says she's just as happy to re-offer for councillor.



Norman has been a councillor for district 1 for 12 years.  The mayors race now has four people including Christopher Clarke, David Dagley, Owen Hamlin and Mervin Hartlen.

McNeil: Ferry Link 'No-Brainer' For The Province

Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil says a ferry service is needed sooner rather than later. McNeil recently met with residents and politicians in Yarmouth and heard renewed calls for a ferry link between the community and Maine. Municipal governments completed a transportation study recently on western Nova Scotia. He says recommendations include a ferry service be seasonal rather than year long.




The premier has said the ferry needs to be viable and sustainable over the long term in order to run again. An independent panel studying the viability of a ferry service is expected to release a report sometime this fall.

Porn Charges Laid In Lunenburg County

A 62 year old Lunenburg County man is facing charges of accessing and possessing child pornography. The charges were laid after RCMP officers carried out a search warrant last week at a home in Lilydale. The man was later released on numerous conditions including he stay within the province and not possess any form of pornography.  He's also prohibited from being in the presence of anyone under the age of 18, unless they are with a parent or guardian.  The accused, whose name hasn't been released, is due to appear in Bridgewater court on December 19th.

Top Canadian Junior Golfers Tee Off At Osprey Ridge

One hundred and fifty-six golfers are embarking on Osprey Ridge for the start of the Canadian Junior Boys Golf Championship. A practice round will be held Monday for all golfers before the first day of competition gets underway Tuesday. Four Osprey Ridge golfers are in the field including Ryan Nowe, Matt Gallupe, Liam Fullerton and Matt Flinn. Director of Golf at Osprey Ridge, Jared Lohnes, believes one of the four locals could walk away with the title.



Last year's champion Kevin Kwon of B.C. is also in the field to defend his title. A full schedule of events is listed below.


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Tuesday, July 31


7:30 am – 9:42 am/12:30 pm - 2:42 pm         Round 1 (156 players) - #1 & #10 tees

Wednesday, August 1

7:30 am – 9:42 am/12:30 pm – 2:42 pm        Round 2 (156 players) - #1 & #10 tees

Thursday, August 2


7:30 am – 9:42 am                                          Round 3 (low 70 and ties) - #1 & #10 tees     

Friday, August 3


7:30 am - 9:42 am                                          Final Round (low 70 and ties) - #1 & #10 tees
3:30 pm (time approximate)                           Awards Ceremony for individual and team competitions

Updated: Bayswater Beach Re-Opens

The Department of Health has reopened Bayswater Beach in Lunenburg County to swimming today, July 28. The oil sheen has dissipated and the water has been determined safe for swimming. Lifeguards will continue to monitor the water.

Race On: Bailey Seeks Mayor's Job In Lunenburg

 It didn't take long for a Lunenburg councillor to declare her intentions to seek the mayors seat in October. Rachel Bailey announced her intentions to run for the seat shortly after the town's long time mayor announced he wouldn't seek re-election this fall. Bailey was elected in 2008 and is completing her first term on council. In a media release, she states that finding a new, sustainable use for the Lunenburg Academy will be a priority issue. Bailey has a Bachelor of Public Relations degree from Mount Saint Vincent University and her resume includes being the first coordinator of Lunenburg’s Folk Harbour Festival and being the first executive director of the South Shore Regional Hospital Foundation.  She currently works part-time as a Clinical Research Coordinator while serving on Town Council. Labour and employment lawyer Ron Stockton has already declared his intention to seek the mayors seat.

Adult Store Moving Back To Aberdeen Road

The mayor of Bridgewater isn't too concerned about an adult store moving back to its former location. Sister Sarah's will leave its current address Sunday along highway 10 in Cookville and return to 99 Aberdeen Road. The store is one of several commercial units planned by the building's owner. Carroll Publicover says he's not pleased about the move.



However, Publicover is happy about the work done to improve the building's look. Sister Sarah's is expected to open at its Aberdeen Road location on Tuesday. The location in Cookville is expected to close.

Reaction: Lunenburg Mayor Won't Re-Offer

Lunenburg Mayor Laurence Mawhinney

After nearly four decades in municipal politics - and 33 years as Mayor of Lunenburg - Laurence Mawhinney will not re-offer in this fall's elections. He says after talking with his family, he believes its time for someone else to step up to the plate. Mawhinney says he's comfortable with what he's achieved and he's leaving, feeling the town has a bright and vibrant future. The mayor of the District of Lunenburg says he was surprised to learn his counterpart and friend in Lunenburg will not run again. Don Downe says Mawhinney is one of the most outstanding leaders he's ever met and he's leaving with a great legacy.



Meanwhile, the mayor of the District of Queens, who is also retiring this fall after 12 years, says Laurence Mawhinney's departure is a surprise to him as well. John Leefe says Mawhinney has been a shining light in Lunenburg and he will have a lasting impact from one end of the country to the other.



Over the years, in addition to his mayoral duties, Mawhinney has also been the president of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities and the federal equivalent. He feels his biggest accomplishment was the successful campaign to have Lunenburg designated a UNESCO world heritage site in the mid 1990's. Both Mayor Leefe and Mayor Downe strongly agree. Mayor Downe adds .. through all the year's, Mawhinney has never lost his sense of humour.



Mawhinney says he will continue as mayor until after the elections in October.

Tall Ships Head To Shelburne

Big crowds are expected this weekend in Shelburne as Tall Ships sail into the harbour. Some of the ships are making their way down from Lunenburg after a two day stay. Eight of the vessels will dock in Shelburne and are available for public viewing from 10am until 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Director of community and economic development, Jerry Locke, says plenty of parking will be available.



Locke says there may be a small fee for parking in certain areas. There will be a shuttle provided for people with mobility issues who park at the government wharf. The ships that will be in Shelburne include the Amistad, the Harvey Gamage, the Lynx, the USS Providence, the Pride of Baltimore II, the Roseway, the Unicorn and the Larinda. More details are available at http://my-waterfront.ca/tallships/the-ports/shelburne .

VIDEO: 'Slam' Raises Money For Big Brothers Big Sisters

It was the "weather man" versus the "Dog Faced Gremlin" Thursday night at the Big Ex as CKBW/HANK-FM reporter Nick Yorston met UCW professional wrestler Rick Steiner. On Tuesday night while on-air, Yorston challenged Steiner to body slam him if the public could raise over $520 for Big Brothers Big Sisters. People responded by purchasing tickets and helped raise $1,000 Thursday for the South Shore Organization. The rest they say is history.