This year the school’s graduation committee chose Emily Sheen of Beaver Bank. Emily’s commitment to social inequity was cited as outstanding by the teachers and staff at Lockview High. Emily plans to study International Development Studies at St. Thomas University in Fredericton in the fall. Congratulations to Emily and her parents.

Summer may mean vacation time for many working people, but for the unemployed, it is an ideal time to focus their job hunt on getting a foot in the door to cover holidays for others.  As always, my constituency office is able to help you a little with your job hunt. My assistant, Megan, is happy to make copies of your resume, you can send and receive local faxes, and use my computer for your on-line job search.  Please phone the office for more details on these services. We’re here to help.

The Harper government recently announced that they want to rid themselves of 1,000 lighthouses across the country by declaring them surplus property as they no longer want to be responsible for their maintenance and care.  The decision will affect communities with lighthouses in every region of the country, including Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Quebec, British Colombia and the Arctic.

The government announced this plan quietly.  In late May, they posted the closures on a website of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans as part of an announcement on the implementation of the so-called Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act.  They did not consult with communities and other stakeholders about this plan.

How hypocritical of this Conservative government to turn their backs on a commitment they made to support the retention of lightstations and to those who worked so hard to push for legislation to protect heritage lighthouses.

New Democrats have called for a dollar for dollar comparison of maintaining the existing lighthouses and replacing them with a steel tower and solar light.  We are not convinced that the divestiture of these lighthouses is the most cost-effective option.
We are also concerned that community groups will not be able to afford to maintain the lighthouses if they agree to take over ownership.  This happened to community groups who became responsible for wharves divested by the federal government a few years ago.

We have urged the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to reverse this decision and consult with affected communities and citizens.  The public deserves to have a say into the future of these structures.

Spiralling G8/G20 Costs

Canadians are outraged by the Harper government’s excessive spending of $1.2 billion dollars in preparation for the G8 and G20 meetings in Ontario in June.  Costs have spiralled out of control, including money spent on a fake lake, fake lighthouses, and costly washrooms.  For comparison, the cost for security at last year’s G20 meeting in London, England taxpayers was $30 million.  This is a very expensive photo op for Harper and it is outrageous that taxpayers are saddled with this bill.

I think most Canadians have imagined much better ways we could spend this amount of money.  I know I have.  This amount of money could be spent on health care, education, the environment, poverty reduction, an increase in pensions for seniors, better services for CF and RCMP veterans and their families, and many more positive initiatives.

Comments on Government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy

After years of advocating for a national shipbuilding strategy, I am pleased that the federal government finally announced a plan in early June. I have long championed for assistance to revitalize this industry.  The government will spend over $35 billion over the next thirty years on over 130 vessels that will be built in Canadian yards.  These include new ships for the Navy and Coast Guard to replace aging vessels.  The federal government will select two shipyards to coordinate the large projects but are required to find ways to share these economic benefits with other regions by subcontracting out some of the work.

While I am pleased that the government has finally announced a plan, I have urged the government to move much more quickly on implementing their strategy.  They should forgo their plan for a `two year delay` before any contracts are awarded to shipyards.

As always, please contact my office if you have any concerns or questions at (902) 861-2311.

Unfortunately, a couple of things have evolved that has thrown this valuable “educational tool” out the window, and we can’t blame the children for the problem it has created.

Who can we blame? Well, we can blame parents who have morphed into a society of bleeding hearts, as well as the growth of a socialist, politically correct, weak kneed political system. Too many parents today have adopted the new “time” out method of discipline that “spares the rod and spoils the child.”

I am sure that by now many of you are speculating that I am suggesting that parents beat their children every time they perform an act of defiance or mischief – that is not what I am advocating. However I can tell you that a tap on the bare bottom or a few strokes of the razor strap will impress right from wrong more quickly in a child’s mind, than a half hour time out followed by a shower of hugs and kisses because mommy feels guilty.

Time out is then followed by a progression of failures to instill an understanding that parents are an influential component of growing up; eventually they lose control, and respect for right and wrong goes out the window.When this happens, kids lose respect, parents lose control, and the charade of political correctness takes over.

In a politically correct society such as ours, parents no longer have the right to challenge children when they have practised acts of defiance – and children darned well know it. Today, all around us children are committing crimes against individuals, properties, and communities, and parents no longer know where or what “little Johnnie” is doing. When ‘little Johnnie” is subsequently accused or charged, parents then almost always declare him innocent, and exhaust all means to supply a defence, both publicly and in court. They have “spared the rod and spoiled the child ” and nine times out of ten someone has been a victim of a criminal act that could have been avoided with proper parenting.

I get incensed every time I hear some child psychologist, social worker, politician, or anyone for that matter, who suggests that poor parenting is a defence for the commission of irresponsible acts against society. I do not for one minute believe the suggestion that eleven and twelve year old children do not know right from wrong, is valid – not if good parenting has been practised in the up bringing of a child.

Why am I angry? Because I am sick and tired of acts of vandalism that are occurring daily in our neighbourhoods. Garbage bins upset and dragged down the road, tires slashed, windows broken from cars and trailers along our streets, and most recently -  five foot slashes in the side of the Rocky Lake Dome -  all because we would not allow the drug culture to use our property as a smoke zone.

I hope the parents of these children are happy with the success they have had in raising these inconsiderate, unappreciative brats, and I hope those who have endorsed our politically correct society are pleased that we are slowly losing control. I am not asking for extreme measures – I am only asking for parents to begin parenting at an early age, with a little good old-fashioned application of the rod .

Gary Hines is a long serving member to the District 2 community. The views expressed here are his own.

After the Auditor General’s report was issued in early February, MLAs were severely restricted in the amount we could spend on advertising and donations. I have had a ton of calls since then  from disappointed constituents who were hoping to receive a donation to their club, team or organization. Many of you also took the time to contact the Speaker’s Office to let him know how this change was affecting you personally.

By the time this letter goes to print, the new House of Assembly Management Commission will have met to establish new rules for MLA donations. This Commission replaces the old Board of Internal Economy. It is my hope that the belt will be loosened up a bit so that I can return to providing some small funding for local groups as I have done in the past. Their report is due on June 9th.

For those of you who have not yet filed your 2009 income taxes, I urge you to do so. Every year people miss out on their GST rebate, child subsidies and other cash benefits. Every year people are delayed in getting other government benefits and services because they do not have their latest Notice of Assessment. If your total household income was less than $25,000 last year, you can complete your return free of charge at my office. The Quick Tax software is available for any low-income constituent. Just phone my assistant, Megan, to make an appointment. We’ll walk you through it. 860-4004.

In mid May, news broke that budgetary shortfalls were forcing the Navy to take three coastal patrol vessels at CFB Halifax and three vessels based at CFB Esquimalt out of service.  Rear Admiral McFadden, Commander of Canada’s Navy, had written a letter in April to navy officials on the East and West Coast, officials with DND, and the Chief of Defence Staff, outlining the plans to reduce the number of vessels in service.

I was very concerned that a shortage of operating funds had forced the Navy to reduce their coastal patrol vessels on the East and West Coast.  I issued a press release asking the Defence Minister to review this decision.  This decision would impact both Halifax and Victoria’s local economy and diminish the coastal patrol capabilities and surveillance of our waters.   Many sailors and their families would be also affected by this decision.
Surprisingly, less than 24 hours later, Minister MacKay denied that the decision was finalized and Chief of Defence Staff, General Walter Natynczyk, ordered that these cuts be rescinded.  Although I am very pleased with this turnaround, we will be watching this situation very carefully and awaiting the federal government’s national shipbuilding policy.

New Rules for MP Public Spending Announcements and Mailings

The Ethics Commissioner recently reported that the use of partisan or personal names on ceremonial cheques for federal funding announcements goes too far.  She suggests that this practise has the “potential to diminish public confidence in the integrity of Members and the governing institutions they represent.”  You may recall that dozens of Conservative MPs, including Nova Scotia MP Gerald Keddy, used ceremonial cheques with political logos and their personal names for Government of Canada public funding announcements.  This gave the impression that the money came from these members or the political party they belonged to, rather than from public funds.  I am pleased that the Ethics Commissioner has ruled on this matter as I felt it violated the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons.  Several MPs, including myself, made requests to the Ethics Commissioner for an investigation into these practises.

I am also pleased that the House of Commons has curtailed the use of ‘out of riding’ mailings by Members of Parliament.  MPs were mailing pamphlets, called 10%,  into ridings that they did not represent, often with very partisan messages.  The Speaker has determined that MPs can no longer mail these pamphlets to other ridings as a result of an investigation into the misuse of these mailings.  I had filed a complaint to the Speaker, along with my Liberal colleague Irwin Cotler, after several inappropriate and misleading pamphlets were mailed into our ridings.  This change in mailing rules will save approximately $5-8 million of taxpayers’ money per year.

Status of Bill C-201

Unfortunately Bill C-201, was recently killed by the Conservative government at third reading. This bill aimed to eliminate the annuity deduction (clawback) from Canadian Forces and RCMP service and disability pensions.  While the bill is defeated for now, I plan to reintroduce this bill in the next Parliament and will continue to press the government to fix this injustice.  This would help alleviate the financial pressure on many disabled and retired CF and RCMP veterans.   Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to move this bill forward, especially John Labelle, Roger Boutin, and Mel Pittman.  These three individuals, who live in Sackville, gained the support of thousands of people across the country.

Congratulations to All Graduates

Congratulations to all high-school and post-secondary graduates in our riding.  I wish you every success in your future endeavours.
As always, please contact my office if you have any concerns or questions at (902) 861-2311.

1. Invite: Call some friends, neighbours, teammates and invite them to join a reading club. Their ages and reading levels do not need to be the same. This club is based on interests rather than specific books.
2. Survey: Have each person in the group take an “interest” survey. Find out what kinds of books they like to read. For example: vampires, fairies, mystery, animals, etc. This will help even the pickiest reader to step outside their comfort zone.
3. Decision: Have the group decide on their first topic. Once decided (i.e. Vampires) everyone in the “reading group” picks a book at their reading level about vampires. Remember, it doesn’t matter what they read, as long as they are reading.
4. Schedule next meeting: Choose a time/place to meet each week. Remember to set aside a number of minutes every day to read your chosen book. Once you are finished your book, write down what you liked or didn’t like about this book. Also think if you would recommend the book to a friend.
5. Meet/Discuss: this is when you discuss your thoughts/ideas about the book. Each person takes a turn to discuss. This is when your notes come in handy, especially if you are not comfortable talking to a group.
6. Snacks! Don’t forget to pick a topic for next week’s meeting. Parents, you can offer to supply snacks and drinks.

Parents, this group should above all be FUN! There should be no pressure, no formal teaching or testing. Allowing children to discuss and enjoy these groups should teach a child to love reading for reading, not because they are forced to.

Great Resources:
Public Library – Did you know that the Mobile Library comes to the Sobeys Parking lot in Fall River?

Visit their website for times. (http://www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/branches/locations/mobile-library.html)


Chapter’s/Indigo Books have a great website. You can search for book by category; this will help you find a “just right” for your new Book Club member! (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca)


Call us, we would be more than happy to discuss ways to help your child succeed in learning! (http://www.millerlakelearning.com)

Almost 30 Volunteers were recognized at the District 2 Awards Dinner and their names have been in the Laker and District 2 News so I won’t try to list them all here, but certainly wish to thank and congratulate all of you and this years Volunteer of the Year, R.J. (Bob) McDonald of Waverley for his many years of service to our community.    I also want to thank the Volunteer Board members of the District 2 Committee that raise the funds, organize the event and put on the special evening to honor our volunteers, there is no question it is all of you that make our communities very special.
In late March I was honored to again take part in the 2nd Annual “Trek for Tourettes” in Point Pleasant Park and organizers were thrilled that this years event was bigger and better than last year.  This event was held in 13 cities across the Country and HRM’s residents raised the 3rd most funds of all, so thank you to the many sponsors and participants – well done.

On March 24th the Waverley Sports Park Board held an open Public Meeting at the Legion to update progress on the new ballfield that is under construction, partnerships with Cheema and the Shubenacadie Canal Commission, and a presentation from the Cobequid Health Board on a major new fundraiser to be held in Grand Lake on June 26th.  I was thrilled to hand out cheques to 13 area Sports & Recreation groups totaling $12,000.00 and then the highlight of the night was a presentation from a group called TreeGo about their interest in bringing their operation to the Park.
The last week of March I attended various AGM’s such as Lakeview Homeowners Association, LWF Community Hall, LARA & Riverbend/River Court Association.  To all outgoing Board and Executive members who have served us so well and to all new enthusiastic members a huge thanks for caring and for taking the time to be involved.

April has been an extremely busy month for the District. The new guard rails along Lake Fletcher have been installed and I appreciate our Department going out and working with local residents to address concerns; thanks also to all of you that emailed or called with your notes of appreciation for a long overdue project.

Tenders for the Designing of the new Beaver Bank Kinsac Community Centre have gone out and the winning bid is in the process of being accepted.  Tenders for the installation of the water system in Monarch/Rivendale subdivision has also gone out and closes by the end of May putting us in line for a summer project.  We have also received some extremely hopeful news on this water project, I promised you that we would not give up looking for funding partners and we have not.  The Halifax Water Board has accepted our funding request and have submitted an approval request to the URB Board to fund up to 8% or about $450,000.  I stress that this is not a final approval but we are very hopeful this will be accepted; we continue to look for other funding partners.

Tenders for the next phase of sidewalk along the Beaver Bank Road & for street paving in Brookhill Estates (Grand Lake) are expected to go out within the next 3-4 weeks as well as the complete re-paving of the first part of Jamison Drive in Fall River.
As many of you know by now, Sobeys has been meeting with the HRM Planning Dept, myself, and the Fall River Vision Committee, and have now submitted an application for an expansion of their existing store in Fall River and the construction of two more business buildings on the existing lot.  A Public Meeting was held at Ash Lee Jefferson School and they have made presentation to the Vision Committee, this is now at the Development Agreement stage with HRM Planners and if an agreement is reached a Fall start to construction is possible.

Throughout April the HRM’s Boundary Review Committee has been meeting. I applied for and joined that Committee as I feel the future size of Council and to our Boundary lines is crucial to the future of this District.  Under current projections, by 2012 this District will be the 2nd highest populated Dsitrict in the HRM and the 2nd largest in overall size – in fact four of the five  largest Districts are the suburban/rural ones out here.  You have told me loud and clear that Rural Districts of 21,000 people is not equal and fair representation to Urban ones of 14,000 and after attending all of the Public Meetings and from reading submissions and talking to residents I now fully support a slightly smaller Council with a couple of urban Districts being eliminated and I will endorse that idea at future Committee meetings.

Another significant event that has been going on these past couple of months has been the process of selecting a Volunteer Community Board to take over the running & operations of the new Fall River Rec Centre come January 1st.  The first step was to pick a Selection Committee made up of myself, three HRM and three Community residents. This group then formed the process for picking the new Board and applications were advertised about six weeks ago.  I know I can speak for the entire Committee when I say we were blown away by the number of applications received for the Board and by the tremendous quality of resumes; a huge thank you to everyone who applied.  The scoring and selections were very difficult but a Board of 12 has been picked and will meet for the first time on May 20th after which time the members names will be made public.  I can assure residents that this is a strong and very community minded group and I have complete faith it will serve us well. They will be a very busy group getting things ready for them to take over on January 1st, 2011.

On April 11th the LWF Ladies Auxiliary came together one last time for a Dinner & Appreciation Night at the LWF Community Hall.  After 45 wonderful years of service to our communities, the Ladies Auxiliary has disbanded, I was very pleased to present them with a plaque of thanks from the HRM that will be hung in the Hall in recognition of their services.

April 24th was a very special day in the District as a number of community clean ups were completed.  In Lakeview the Search & Rescue had over 50 of its members show up in appreciation of the community’s support for their new building. They were supported by more than 50 local residents who joined together to clean up the area, when they were done the S & R members put on a barbecue for the whole community.  In Lake Fletcher the congregation and residents of St Thomas Church joined and did a clean up and revitalization of the cemetery and (they) did a terrific job.  Down the road the Fall River Lions Club partnered with Sobeys to put on a barbecue for over 100 Pathfinders, Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Cubs and Beavers and their leaders, for them doing a clean up all over the Fall River area and also up at the Wellington locks to assist the Shubie Canal Commission.  Lions members cooked hot dogs and supplied drinks while Sobeys provided the food and Steve at Tim Hortons supplied treats and coffee in a true display of community partnership.

I would ask that any community group, sub/div organization etc that would like to do an area clean up next spring please contact me two months in advance.  We will arrange through Clean Nova Scotia to get you garbage bags, gloves and special garbage pick up and I have offers of businesses and local Halls that will help supply food and areas for a barbecue to go with it – lets all keep our community clean!!

That afternoon I was pleased to have been invited to the Wellington Driftclimbers Annual Auction and Dinner in Enfield and to cut the ribbon for more trails and equipment; a sold out audience raised over $10,000.00, thanks to all.

Also in April the Union Cemetery Group has started back up and are looking for volunteer help.  Anyone driving by the cemetary on the Cobequid Road will agree the work and transformation there over the past 2 years is simply amazing.  Councillor Harvey of Sackville and myself have been helping the group financially but it is the volunteer work on the grounds that is special, they will be there every Wednesday at 7:00 pm clearing brush, clearing stones and working the grounds.  Anyone interested in a little work, lots of camaraderie, and free exercise is welcome to just drop by.

We brought May in with style – Mayor Peter Kelly and I attended the Friends of Ivy Meadows Annual Desert and Fashion Show which was a complete sell out.  The event was a huge success due to a great effort by the organizers and workers, and on top of the funds raised from the event the Mayor and I presented them with a cheque for over $4,400 towards the purchase of a new bus for the Seniors of Ivy Meadows.  That same evening the Harmony Choir performed at the St John Viennay Church in Sackville, also to a Sold Out audience and did their magic by bringing us music from the 50’s and 60’s. They were kind enough to donate all proceeds to the rebuilding of the Beaver Bank Kinsac Community Centre.

I was also pleased in early May to bring resolution to long time road maintenance isues for the River Bend/River Court private roads in Enfield.  After two Public Meetings and a  community vote, I brought forward a Motion to HRM Council to have the roads put under the HRM Private Road Maintenance Fee and this was unanimously passed at Council.

In early May the HRM Grants Committee had two signifigent issues on its agenda for this District and as Vice Chair of that Committee I am very pleased that after much debate both items passed unanimously:
1) to lease for $1.00 the Old Fall River Fire Station on Hwy Two near Sobeys to a dedicated group of retired and veteran Fire Fighters that will turn it into an HRM Regional Fire Interpretive Centre/Museum
2) to short term lease the Old Fall River Rec Centre on Hwy Two to the Open Gate Church to use as a storage facility to collect and ship relief supplies to Haiti.
Both of these items now go to HRM Regional Council on May 18th for final approval.

On May 6th the Halifax Stanfield Airport had its AGM and they presented all the new work and projects going on there. The Airport continues to be an economic engine for the Municipality and indeed the entire Province.  Just one example of the success there is the new Emergency Ops building that is nearing completion and will obtain a full LEEDS certification which is great news for our environment.

I also attended our HRM Planning offices with members of the Beaver Bank Kinsac Lions Club, and started the Development Agreement process of expanding their clubhouse which is greatly needed.  Just one example of the terrific work they do in our area was last week at the Beaver Bank Town Hall meeting. They presented a cheque for $3,000 to the Friends of Ivy Meadows, towards their new bus; funds were raised from the recent Road Toll.

I would also like to commend all those volunteers who help make our School Auctions and Fairs such a success. Recently both Holland Road and Ash Lee held very successful Spring Fairs while the Ash Lee Auction and HT Barrett Comedy Night were big draws.  George P Vanier also held a giant yard sale and I would like to commend teachers and staff for the job they did with our three teams that performed so well in competition and have earned the right to represent us Internationally in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Thanks to Principle Beth who is so rightfully proud of these students for arranging a school visit; I have no doubt you will make us proud.

On May 15 the Windsor Jct/Fall River Historical Society held the Grand Opening of its new Archives Centre in the LWF Community Hall.  The announcement and tour came to an overflowing Hall packed with well wishers and those wanting to see our local history being preserved and promoted.  This project has been just over a year in the making and we want to thank the Hall Board, local businesses and sponsors, and the Historical Societies organizing Committee, for making it happen.
There are so many exciting projects and events in the works all over the District, some qjuick updates are as follows:
* Delany Park, Beaver bank  -  design of the park and playground is being done and equipment is ordered, for this summers construction.
* Beaver Bank Ballfields – design of the new bike park is done and material is ordered; construction to start asap.  New equipment is ordered for the SkateBoard park and installation to be done as soon as it arrives.
* Bike Parks in Wellington and Fall River Road – re-design plans are complete and upgrading of parks scheduled for week of May 17 – 24th.
* Playground for Beaver Bank Monarch Elementary School – funding plans almost complete and hoping for fall construction
* Multi use Outdoor Facility at HT Barrett – fundraising and HRM funding being put into place, hoping for summer of 2011 construction.
Some upcoming events for your interest and community support:

- June 11th, 12th and 13th  Community Mixed Slo-Pitch ball tournament at Beaver Bank ballfields.  $200 per team, three games guaranteed and all proceeds to rebuilding the Centre, call or email Jessica at the BBKCC or email myself at lwfbaseball@hotmail.com

- Grand Day, Grand Lake.  Our Cobequid Health Board is having its first ever Grand Days fundraiser on Sat, June 26th.  There are huge sponsors and prizes and we need volunteers to help, email me if interested.  All kayakers and canoeists are encouraged to sign up and win great prizes, go to  www.pledge.cobequidfoundation.ca

- July 1st Canada Days @ Lakeview Park  -  11:00 flag raising, cake and BBQ
- July 1st Canada Days @ Beaver Bank  -  starts with pancake breakfast under the tent at BBK Elementary School, events all day and fireworks that night at the ballfields.
- July 1st Canal Fest @ Fall River – starts with pancake breakfast at St Johns United, events on Lake Thomas and music in afternoon and evening at Rec Centre and fireworks from island in Lake Thomas at night.

Details in next issue, of Keloose Fair in Windsor Jct in August and Waverley Gold Rush in September.

Finally, this coming week HRM Council begins its 2010 budget deliberations.  We have a 30 million dollar funding gap to overcome and our Depts and Staff have been working for months to eliminate this gap while trying desperately to have no increase in the tax rate.  I do believe this can be done and will represent your comments to me that this is your wish.  I do ask that for the next couple of weeks that more than ever you direct calls fro HRM services (potholes, parks etc) to the HRM Service Line # 490-4000, it is open from 7am to 11pm 7 days a week.

Again, congratulations to the new Fall River Rec Centre Board members and a special thanks to all of our community volunteers.  Have a safe and enjoyable summer but please remember, its our kids out there  -  Please Slow Down!!

REAL ESTATE MATTERS©

FALL RIVER AREA APRIL AVERAGE SALE PRICE $353,359

Hello Fall River!  My home town!  I am really excited to write this particular column – my first as a REALTOR® with A&HGMAC.  Our office is in the Sobeys Plaza, right in the heart of the community I hold so dear.  As a child growing up on Miller Lake Road in the 60’s I used to walk through the woods to the BA station (now Gerald Burgess’s Ultramar) and up the dirt sidewalk along Highway #2 to buy bread for my mom at Neil Miller’s Red and White Store…..For a quarter!!!   Now here I am working for you in the very same spot.  How cool is that!

I have watched this community flourish from a series of small villages where everyone knew each other; to this wonderful community it is today – a place where people still DO know each other. Fall River, Waverley, Wellington, or Fletchers Lake – the locals are proud to welcome newcomers to their hometown, and newcomers quickly become locals.

At the same time, there are families here who, though I have known them all my life, might still consider me a newcomer.  Names like Carr, Burgess, and Brimicombe, go back to the earliest settlements of the land.   There is a lot of pride in those families, which is evident in the participation and interest they take in their community.  What is not to love – framed by rivers and lakes at every turn, it is no wonder that people want to be here.

At present, the market in all of HRM is very active.  Nova Scotia Association of Realtors advises that Sales are up across the board over the past six months.  Average sale prices in our area have increased from $309,747 to $319,555 over the past 12 month period.  The average sale price in April was $353,359.  If you are thinking of selling, now is a great time.
Families are willing to pay “just that much more” to enjoy the Fall River area and its conveniences.  We have a fantastic School System.  Shopping is expanding.  We are less than 15 minutes to Halifax, Dartmouth, the Airport, and all points exiting the province.  Take a look at the Nova Scotia map and you will see – we are just about half way there…. to anywhere!  The Fall River area is THE place to be!!  I am so glad to be here with you!!

PS.  Advice to Buyers – If you are contemplating buying a home in the near future, talk to a mortgage specialist right away and ask to be pre-approved for a mortgage and also locked in at the current rate.  This way, as summer approaches, you will benefit with today’s rate, should the rates increase.  Another thought is that you talk to your mortgage specialist about the pitfalls of maxing out your mortgage at today’s rate.  You may need to be prepared to refinance at a higher rate of interest when your term comes due for renewal.
Also, if any one has any real estate questions or topics you would like to see addressed, please stop by the office.  If you prefer, you can send your thoughts to reporter@district2news.com.  Your comments will then be forwarded anonymously to me for addressing in future Real Estate Matters© Columns. I hope you are having a fantastic day!!

LYNNE COOPER has been a REALTOR® since 2002. Lynne works for A&HGMAC in Fall River, Nova Scotia.

I would like to congratulate Bob McDonald, Waverley Amateur Athletic Association nominee for garnering the 2010 Volunteer of the Year Award. This year 27 candidates for the award were honoured by the community at the Waverley Legion.

Secondly, I would like to thank my favourite group of volunteers, the men and women who have served over the last seven years on the awards committee. They have organized the banquet, raised funds, and provided any and all services asked of them leading to the yearly celebration event for the nominees and their respective parties of five.

The key word in recent years is ” fund-raising “, as business constraints and an unstable economy has limited the contributions of our generous sponsors from the business community, personal contributions, and political representation to fund the banquet for the growing number of nominees.

This year has been particularly challenging as two of our elected representatives, for two entirely different reasons, have chosen not to contribute to funding for this years banquet.

First our fund raising request to MLA Percy Paris was responded to by mail from, not him – but by his constituency assistant. Funding was denied because of MLA expense cuts. MLA Paris requested participation with the presentation of Provincial congratulation certificates. Paris did not attend the banquet, but instead provided provincial award pins to the recipients. I would suggest that Paris found the volunteers not worthy of a small contribution from his personal bank account that is presently topped up by some $135,000 from tax payers.

The second ” kick in the ass ” came from MP Peter Stoffer – by e-mail – suggesting that he could contribute only if he had a personal advertisement placed in the banquet program . Our program traditionally includes a back page list of sponsors that includes our elected representatives. We also place a enlarged list of sponsors on respective tables for guest recognition. Stoffer requested, in an e-mail from his office assistant, a personal contact ad, complete with his contact numbers . A receipt was also requested so he could recover the cost of the $150.00 advertisement from Canadian tax payers.

As founder of the volunteer appreciation committee, I was shocked and disappointed that elected representatives making in excess of $135,00 a year would suggest (by not giving) that volunteers in their constituency are not worthy of a personal commitment to a recognition celebration.  This recent denial by our members – and in particularly Stoffer, angers me greatly as I recall a commitment made to constituents in 2001.  At that time, on receipt of a 20% pay raise, Stoffer was quoted:”I’ve decided to set up a fund for the area and I will do what I did the last time in 1987,” “I did environmental scholarships for schools, and now we are able to expand a bit more on that.”

Very disappointing, when one considers that single pay raise committed to our citizens would , today, be in excess of $200,000.00 – not including interest. Denial of $150.00 is purely a slap in the face to our volunteers and the residents they serve.

Gary Hines is a long serving member to the District 2 community. The views expressed here are his own.