Update: Chester Rink Eyes Provincial Title

Chester's Mary Fay is just one win away from the Provincial Junior Women's Curling Championship. In semi final action this morning the Fay rink stole three points in the fourth end on their way to a 9-2 victory over Mayflower's Emily Dwyer. Fay meets defending champ Mary Myketen-Driscoll of Truro in the 2 o'clock final at the Lakeshore Curling Club. In their only meeting this week Fay scored a 10-3 win. Meantime Robert Mayhew of Windsor captured the Junior Men's title with an 8-3 decision over Matthew Manuel of Mayflower. Mayhew won seven of eight games at the Lower Sackville event. He'll represent the Province at the M & M Meat Shops Canadian Junior championships in Liverpool next month.

2014=More Taxes!

2014 is bringing with it even more taxes to be paid by South Shore residents and others in the province. Kevin Lacey of the watchdog group, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, says life won't be any cheaper for residents here when you factor-in increased EI and CPP premiums and bracket creep. Thats when you earn a bit more than usual and the taxman grabs most of it.



Lacey says what the new increases mean is a South Shore family of 4, including 2 kids, earning $60,000. a year, will pay about $130. more in taxes in the new year than in 2013. Thats in addition to high gas taxes, income tax and the HST at 15 percent.

"Our Health Centre" Looks For 2014 Opening

The multi-millon dollar health centre project in Chester is moving forward with a vigorous fundraising campaign. Officials with "Our Health Centre" are looking to raise $6 million dollars to fund construction, equipment and start up costs for project. In addition to public and private donations, they've received $500,000 through the Nova Scotia government over the past year. In a year end interview, Chester Warden Allen Webber says council is still mulling over what kind of support they can offer the project.



The collaborative health centre is expected to be open late in 2014. According to its web site, they want to raise between $3.5 to $4 million before construction begins on the project. It would be located in Shoreham Village.

Winter Sport Fishing Begins

Get your rods and reels ready because the winter sportfishing season kicks off tomorrow (New Years Day). Selected lakes on the South Shore and elsewhere will open for rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, chain pickerel or perch. Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell says winter sportfishing is a great way for Nova Scotians of any age to enjoy the outdoors and he encourages anglers to use caution when fishing in boats, on the ice or from shore. A 2013 general fishing licence is required to winter fish and can be purchased at Department of Natural Resources offices. More information is available on the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture website.

For Review: MLA's Pension, Salary & Travel

A three member panel set up to review MLA compensation has been finalized. Roy Salmon, Janet Hazelton, and John Merrick were appointed to the panel.They will review salaries, benefits, pensions, travel and constituency allowances for MLAs. Salmon served as auditor general of Nova Scotia for 14 years will be the panel's chair. Hazelton has served as president of the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union since 2002. Merrick previously worked on the public inquiry into the Westray Mine Disaster. The panel will begin its deliberations early in the New Year and will present its findings by March 31.

New Doctor Accepting Patients In Yarmouth County

A new family doctor working in Pubnico will begin accepting patients next month. South West Health says Dr. Asif Sardar will accept 100 patients during the first intake with priority given to residents of Yarmouth County. The intake process will be done over the phone on January 4. It is expected the new doctor will be able to accept a maximum of 1,000 patients over time.


Contact Information:

Patients will only be accepted by phone on Saturday, Jan. 4, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The number to call for telephone registrations is 902-742-9538.

When calling in to register, people are asked to have their MSI number, date of birth, civic address and current phone number available. People will only be considered who do not now have a primary health provider (a family physician or nurse practitioner) in South West Health ( Yarmouth, Digby or Shelburne counties.) First priority will be given to the residents of Yarmouth County.

People are asked not to phone in with a list of friends or extended family members. Dr. Asif will only consider a person and their immediate family members (spouse, parent or children) as patients.

Update: Fay Rink Improves to 4-1

Mary Fay of Chester leads the way at the AMJ Campbell Provincial Junior Curling Championships. The Fay foursome improved to 4-1, and clinched a playoff spot, with a 7-0 win this morning over Emily Manuel of Mayflower. Micayla Dorey from Chester was eliminated after a 10-2 loss to Mayflower's Hayley McCabe. McCabe and Fay battle this afternoon for a spot in the "C" division final. Three other girls' teams are still alive. The winning squad will head to the Canadian Junior championships in Liverpool next month.

Lunenburg County Salvation Army Reaches "Kettle" Goal

The Lunenburg County Salvation Army has reached its target with its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign. Ten days ago, it was 19-thousand dollars short. An appeal to the public helped in surpassing the goal.
Salvation Army Captain Felipe Vega is astounded by the success.



The final total was $57,149. It will be used to fund the children and family support programs offered through the year in the area by the Salvation Army.

Greenfield Airport Targetted By Thieves

For the second time in eight months, there has been a breakin and theft at the airport in Greenfield. Over the weekend, someone pried-open a locked door on a hanger, smashed out a window on a Cesna 172 aircraft, stole earphones, a GPS unit and welding gear and also damaged an ultra-light aircraft. Bluenose Flying Club member and hanger co-owner Barry Mercer says he's feeling frustrated by it all and he's going to take action.



The most expensive piece of gear taken was a GPS unit. Mercer says no one else can use it except pilots.



Mercer say the estimated cost of the lost gear and damage is close to 4-thousand dollars. The RCMP is investigating.

Primary Care Is Primary Focus For South Shore Health

Improving access to doctors and primary care will be a key focus for South Shore Health heading into 2014. President Dr. Peter Vaughan says they welcomed five new physicians over the past year. They've also hired four nurse practitioners and a geriatrician. Vaughan says the health authority will continue to work on attracting new staff while focusing on keeping the professionals they already have in place.



Vaughan believes the new family health centre in Bridgewater and collaborative clinic in Liverpool will improve access and help bring new doctors to the area. Both of those facilities are expected to open in the new year.

Curling: Chester Rink Nears Provincial Title

Chester's Mary Fay is one win away from the playoffs at the AMJ Campbell Provincial Junior Curling Championships in Lower Sackville. Fay faces Mayflower's Emily Manuel this morning at 9 in the "B" division qualifier. Both rinks are 3-1. Defending champ Mary Myketyn-Driscoll of Truro has already earned a playoff spot. Micayla Dorey of Chester, with a 2-2 record, is also still alive. In the boys division, Matthew Manuel of Mayflower and Robert Mayhew of Windsor lead the way with 4-1 marks. All three South Shore teams have been eliminated. This week's winners will advance to the M & M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Championships in Liverpool in mid-January.

Local Chamber Of Commerce Ready For 2014

The new year will see the beginning of major changes in the town of Bridgewater and the area Chamber of Commerce intends to be front and centre. Manager Dan Hennessey says his organization is changing to meet the times. He says 2014 will be a busy year.



Hennessey says the past year has been one of transition for the Bridgewater Area Chamber of Commerce. He says its expanding to become more community and business oriented.

Hockey: Mustangs Look To Rebound

In "Q" League action last night at the Metro Centre the Halifax Mooseheads scored four third-period goals to top Cape Breton 5-3. The same two clubs meets again tonight in Sydney. In Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League action in Bridgewater last night the Valley Wildcats shutout the Charlie's Pizza South Shore Mustangs 3-0. The Stangs head to Halifax to face the MacDonalds tonight at 6:30pm.

South Shore: Heavy Rain Expected

Rainfall warnings have been issued for the South Shore. Environment Canada has issued weather warnings for Yarmouth, Queens and Shelburne counties. The weather agency is predicting varied snowfall amounts and up to 30 millimetres of rain for those regions. For Lunenburg county, up to four centimeters of snow is in the forecast before it changes over to rain (20mm). There is also a risk of freezing rain along the South Shore. Wind will gust up to 70 kilometres per hour in some counties. Environment Canada says the highest snowfall amounts will occur in Cumberland County and parts of Cape Breton.

Chester: Warden Concerned About 2014-15 Budget

Municipality of Chester Warden Allen Webber says 2013 was a good but challenging year. In a year-end interview, Webber points to issues including the South Canoe Wind project and Our Health Centre that were significant for the area. He says he's optimistic both projects will continue to move forward in 2014. Webber says one of his major concerns next year is the budget.



Webber adds they also need to develop more effective ways to generate public interest in issues concerning the municipality.

Bridgewater: Coordinator Needed For Outdoor Rink

The future of the outdoor rink near Kinsmen Field in Bridgewater might be on thin ice. The coordinator for the last few years has fulfilled his duties and is looking to pass the torch. Town councillor Andrew Tanner says they need to have someone in place to help schedule volunteers for certain tasks. He says there is very little work for the coordinator.



Tanner says there is a group of 15 volunteers ready to help build and maintain the outdoor rink. However, he says work won't be done until a coordinator is found.

Queens County Comeback Impresses Labour Leader

Whats viewed as federal anti-union legislation, proposed cutting of postal services and changes to EI affecting seasonal workers. Those are among the many issues the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour is aiming-at in reviewing developments in the past year. On a positive note, President Rick Clarke says he's impressed with the way job losses in Queens County have been handled since the closure of Bowater.



Clarke says its something like the "Ships R Us" campaign where the province was promoted to the feds as not just deserving it but instead, very capable of building world-class ships. Meanwhile, Clarke is pleased with efforts by the province to improve workplace safety and the planned easing of restrictions by the first contract arbitration law implemented by the previous NDP government.

Let the Boxing Week Sales Begin!

The stores are all open today ... the first time since Christmas Eve day! Lineups outside HRM stores this morning are said to have been small though. Its the start of Boxing Week with most stores offering-up bargains to help them through the post-Christmas Season. There were all kinds of line-ups and heavy traffic in stores across the rest of Canada on Thursday. This week’s ice storm did little to deter shoppers in southern Ontario. They were out in force. On the west coast in Vancouver, a Future Shop owner there says business boomed in his store as people snapped up deals on TV`s, computers and other electronic gadgets.

Grinch Does His Best At Gas Pumps

The Christmas grinch was late showing up at South Shore gas pumps. He made a stop overnight though with the help of the province's utility and review board. As a result, the price of gas was jacked up overnight to the tune of almost 5 cents a litre. The increase means that a 50 litre fill up will cost you $2.40 more today than it would have yesterday. Diesel prices have also increased by nearly 4 cents a litre.

Coffee Shop Workers Unionize. Who's Next?

Workers at a coffee shop in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley have become the first in Canada to be unionized. The workers and owners of "Just Us!" in Wolfville have come to terms on their first contract after protests and firings over the summer months. The collective agreement covers wages, the number of full-time positions and the stability of shifts at the university town java outlet. An official with the Services Employees International Union Local 2 says bigger coffee chains will eventually be forced to accept unionizing of their workers too. He says its only a matter of time.