WE WERE CRIPPLED BY GOOGLE

chesterns.ca will give you more details and news shortly. Stay tuned.

CHESTER THE LOBSTER AUCTION NOW AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEST

With a bid of $85.00,the Ontario bidder has successfully taken Chester The Lobster back in Canadian hands.
He has directed that the proceeds go to The Chester Arts Centre should he be successful.
There are only 3 DAYS left in the auction.

email your bid to chesterns@gmail.com and don't forget to specify which charity you would like your bid to go to.
We would also like to say a big thank-you to local Fisherman Blaine Bond for his generosity.

CHESTER THE LOBSTER AUCTION UPDATE

Dec.27,Chester-----------------The latest high bid came in last night at $65.00 from an Ontario bidder. email your bid to chesterns@gmail .com if you would like "Chester The Lobster".

HOLIDAY WEEKENDER :AROUND CHESTER AND AREA

Gold River Marina hibernates for the winter.

The Christmas colours of Redden's can.

Looking up Queen St. on a snowy day.

The Peninsula Bridge with the last sail boat still in the water just visible through the canal.

Above and below: Looking out Mountain Cove on two different mornings.



Winter wharf.

A Classic Chester look.

Robin's rowboat.

Here is a virtual holiday greeting card from chesterns.ca to show you more of the beauty in and around our community. Happy holidays to all our regulars and anyone else who finds the site interesting and enjoys it.

MALLEGANS PROGRESS - DAY 4 Christmas Day

.......I saw a ship aground on Christmas day in the morning (sic). Inch by inch things are slowly improving in the effort to move Mallegans.

A closer view.

CHRISTMAS DAY CHESTER

9:00 A.M. looking southwest from Nauss Point on the left to The Peninsula (background right) and Creighton's wharf (foreground right).

Looking up the Front Harbour from the Government Wharf with Blain's wharf (foreground) and The Rope Loft behind it.

A close up aboard one of the lobster boats that tie up at The Government wharf.

Christmas Day,2008,Chester--------------------We present a few photos from Chester for any of the folks who wish they could be here for Christmas. We wish you a belated Merry Christmas thanks to a Firefox/Blogger problem. Onward and upward !

MALLEGANS PROGRESS - DAY 3

Things are turning around.

Inching toward the open sea.
Heeled over but not in the good way.

A SAD DAY IN THE VILLAGE

Dec.23'rd,King St.----------------------Two RCMP cruisers are discreetly parked away from the scene of a death in the community. While there are times when police work can be exciting,there are also the sombre moments when they must be the ones to deal with tragic situations such as this. While we may be angered by traffic tickets or other indiscretions where we must deal with the face of the law, we must remember that they are only doing their job and there are times when they must do the work that most others would be uncomfortable doing. If you have the opportunity over this Holiday season,thank a police officer.

MALLEGANS PROGRESS - DAY 2

Sitting on an even keel. The ducks do not seem to mind a usual visitor in an unusual spot.

A closer view showing details of The Old Stone Bridge.

Dec.23'rd,Victoria St.------------------- With all the concern over preserving and protecting The Old Stone Bridge,we were lucky that no serious harm came to the structure. Along with the boat getting dinged up,the neighboring house suffered some minor damage.

THE STORM POST

Duke St. 4:30 A.M. ,a large pine limb is down and across the street.


East River,daybreak: several large trees are uprooted and across Highway #329.


Big ones.


With D.O.T. staff maxed out, there was 1 man,1 saw and 1 truck taking care of this problem.

The ocean looked like it was was boiling due to the high winds along the coast.

Eastlink crews were out attempting to restore phone,cable and internet service.

This little carved wooden angel was somehow able to hang on during the high winds that blew through the night.

What is this unusual scene?

This old sailboat escaped its mooring and was blown up against The Old Stone Bridge at the head of Mill Cove.

A closer view.

Extreme close-up.Tossed up on the hard like a toy.

Deja vu,this happenned with another limb at the same spot in a previous storm.

This little sailboat finally lost its rudder due to the high winds and pounding waves.

On Union St.,Municipal Public Works staff were also performing clean up duties.

This large spruce tree came down on a lane off Victoria St.

Dec.21'st-22'nd,Chester and area----------------------- Winter came in like a ferocious lion,causing power outages and much property damage. Roofs,trees,boats,buildings and even patio stones were effected by high winds,snow,rain and a storm surge on a high tide along shoreline properties. From Eastlink to no link,email to no mail. There was no internet,Google was gagged.And no T.V. For many there was no heat,lights or running water. Those fortunate enough to be heating with wood did not fare to badly. If you had a propane cook stove,you could still survive in relative comfort with a hot meal and drink. Some folks had generators. It was a rather long haul to be with out power and all the modern conveniences that it allows us and that many of us take for granted. There is a lot more to this story and in the near future chesterns.ca will bring you more on the concerns and problems that many feel should be addressed. Fortunately all areas of the Village had power restored by the 23'rd in time for a relatively stress free and comfortable Christmas.

CHESTER THE LOBSTER AUCTION UPDATE

After a starting bid of $10.00 we are now up to $50.00 with the latest bidder's wish to have the proceeds to go to the CAFRC. cesterns.ca apologizes for the delay but there were internet technical difficulties and also the power outages to deal with. But blogger is working fine and we are back on The World Wide Web.Keep the bids coming.The auction ends on the morning of the 30'th of December. See the story a few posts back.

Blaine Bond and the staff at chesterns.ca

C.V.F.D. WISHES YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

Back row(L-R) Chris McDonald,George Bremner,Willie Rhyno,Philip Stevens,Jared MacDonald,Terri Demont,Tony Jans,Candice Heisler,Morgan Stevens,Brad Chambers,Everett Hiltz,Emma Demont,Grant Payne,David Payne,Steven Wagner.

Front row (L-R) Barry Schnare,Dave Richardson,Blake Corkum,Ross MacDonald,Doug Morash,Bill Zinck,Duke Chafe,Mike Jennings.

Missing from photo: Dennis Stevens,Garry Morash,Hazen Emms,Wayne Payne,Danny Nauss,Duncan MacDonald,Chad Stevens,Mike Grist,Carl Bond,Jason Morash,Nancy Richardson,Marsha Grist,Martin Hiltz,Bill Marshall,Andy Heisler,Danielle Nauss,Jesse DemontBryan Collicutt,Jerry Demont.

SAFETY MESSAGE FROM THE FIRE CHIEF

On behalf of the Officers and Firefighters of The Chester Volunteer Fire Department I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and also remind everyone about the importance of safety at Christmas time.Fresh cut Christmas trees need a lot of water and must be watered every day so the butt does not go dry,as it will stop taking water if it is allowed to dry out.Also,do not leave the lights lit on the tree if you are not home.Another safety hazard is unattended candles;these are very dangerous and should always be completely extinguished before leaving the room.Please keep in mind that emergency vehicles ned a 12' by 12' right of way into your property,so keeping driveways plowed and trees trimmed is essential to insure you receive proper fire protection.

Respectively Yours,
Leo (Duke) Chafe
Chester Fire Chief

MUSIC IN CHESTER FOR BREAKFAST,BRUNCH OR LUNCH

In case you need an excuse other than great food,coffee or other goodies to get out of the house,then perhaps some great music will get you out to either of two of Chester's excellent eateries. Some of you may have heard these performers at chesterns.ca's Birthday Party back in October or at other venues and events. So come on out and support local talent and local establishments and enjoy the sounds,the food and the hospitality.

CHESTER IS FOR SALE (The Lobster,That Is)

Jennifer Fraser displays Chester The Lobster for his second appearance on the world wide web.

Dec19'th,Chester----------------------Local Fisherman Blaine Bond still has the 8 lb. crustacean that we named Chester last week. It seems that Chester The Lobster has garnered a little fame from being on chesterns.ca as Blaine is being asked all kinds of questions about him.It appears that Blaine is getting a little attached to Chester.Whether due to his size or his popularity,Blaine has been hanging on to him.While we were aboard the good ship Little Peanut this afternoon,Blaine had a great idea.
YOU CAN BUY CHESTER THE LOBSTER THROUGH AN AUCTION !
This will be an online only event.The highest bid wins Chester The Lobster and the proceeds from the winning bid will be DONATED TO THE CHARITY OF THE BUYER'S CHOICE.
How to bid.
e-mail your bids to chesterns@gmail.com.
At the end of each day we will post the latest high bid under a photo of Chester The Lobster.
Bidding will close on Dec.30'th in time for New Year's Eve. We will name the winner and the benefactor on our site. If the winner wishes,they may remain anonymous but we would like to name the charity receiving the donation.

What will you do with Chester The Lobster ? Make a meal,give him to a friend or set him free. If you win,you decide his ultimate fate.
AND SO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY,LET'S GET THE BIDDING UNDERWAY !

BUYING LOBSTERS WHARF SIDE

Above and below: Jennifer Fraser happily selects her order of fresh lobsters with local fisherman Blaine Bond.



Dec.19'th,Chester Government Wharf------------As folks were lining up to buy lobsters from local fishermen at the end of the day,chesterns.ca caught up with seasonal resident Jennifer Fraser who walked to the wharf with her father to buy the locally caught delicacy. She commented that many people were by-passing super-markets and other retailers to help support the fishers by buying directly from them.As a bonus,Blaine had fresh mussels available for sale today.
We also understand that another local aquaculturalist may have some fresh scallops available tomorrow (in the shell).

TRIMMING AND LIMBING

This bucket truck was just finishing up work at the entrance to Walker Rd.


Sometimes a bunch of fellers can do more work than a fellerbuncher.


This large work crew allowed for a fast clean up with mimimal traffic tie-ups on the narrow Walker Rd.

Dec.19'th,Walker Rd.------------------The threat of power outages will be greatly reduced for residents along the shore of Mill Cove on Walker Road this winter. Arborists were busy for the past few days clearing brush and limbs from the hydro right of way to lessen the threat from heavy snow and ice storms. Speaking with one of the workers,they mentioned the traffic flow issue and were glad they weren't doing this work in the summer months. Most drivers were cooperative and understanding with the exception of one individual. A short wait in a warm vehicle is better than a long wait in a cold house if your power goes out due to a transmission line failure caused by a stray limb contacting it.
Note: For all you city slickers,a fellerbuncher is a specialized piece of logging eqiupment that can cut down and process several trees at once.

WHY PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS SHOULD BE BANNED

Out of the corner of your eye,it jumps right out at you.


Spoiling an otherwise pleasant view.

Dec.19'th Queen St.----------------No need to comment further on this scene as the pictures say it all.Just don't litter !

CYC IN THE SNOW

Ol' Captainkdd caught this image of one of Chester's favourite summer haunts during the start of the 3'rd major snowfall of the season.Even in the snow it's a great day on the waters off Chester.

Chester Art Centre has New Web Site

The Chester Art Centre recently launched a new web site. We encourage our readers to check it out and see what the centre has to offer.

ChesterNS.ca welcomes the Chester Art Centre to the Chester community of web sites.

We also want to commend the Chester Art Centre for shopping local - the web site, the development, the graphics and graphic art were all provided by local businesses.

You can visit their site at http://www.chesterartcentre.ca

Cheers,
Ben

SANTA CLAUS SPOTTED IN CHESTER

Santa before his Christmas trim.


First the hair.


And then the beard.


A neat and tidy Santa poses with barber,Gwen Hamm.


With all the rain and warm weather we are having Santa is ready.The truck and canoe will guarantee that he will get the presents out if the sleigh is grounded due to no snow.

Dec.15'th,Queen St.,Chester---------------------While striving to keep you up to date on all the news and events happening in Chester,chesterns.ca received a very credible tip that Santa Claus may be in town on a different sort of mission. Perhaps a little R and R before his big trip around the world on Christmas Eve. Mondays are a slow day after busy pre-Christmas weekends for Santa. We caught up with him at a local barber shop. We asked for a little interview and Santa graciously allowed us to sit in while he got a before Christmas hair cut.Upon talking to Santa,the barber shop stop is not all about vanity and looking good. It turns out there is some science involved here as well.
Beard drag. In these days of Global Warming,Carbon Footprints and typically rising energy costs even The Jolly Elf himself is going green. With a neat and tidy beard there will be less wind resistance allowing the reindeer to function at peak performance levels and not get tired hauling Santa and the toys.The reindeer do not require as much fuel either.This saves Santa about 3 bales of hay and 2 bags of Reindeer Chow.Not just about fuel economy,this is healthier for the team and reduces their gross weight allowing for any last minute minor payload increases. The good news here is that the kids get their presents faster and ol'Santa gets finished about 23 minutes sooner so that he can begin a well deserved rest.
Which brings us back to the canoe and truck. Whether he needs them on the job or not,he keeps them ready this time of year because after Christmas,Santa takes what is perhaps the ultimate break by going fishing.Ah yes,paddling around in a canoe and casting a line over the water is certainly relaxing,whether you are fishing or catching.

OUT OF SEASON VISITOR

Even though it's tiny,this creature really stood out this time of year in Chester.With the daytime high of 14.1 degrees Celsius even a caterpillar gets tired of waiting for winter.Even some plants are budding up and looking like they are getting ready to grow.Remember to click on the photo for a closer look.

INVASION OF THE LOBSTER CATCHERS

Part of the Tancook lobster fleet tied up at the ferry's usual berth.


The lobster buyers finish up and load one of their trucks.


Local area fisherman Brad Heisler holds his head after selling his catch.With the low price being offered you would hold your head too.


The rest of the fleet. Brad's boat is on the far left.

Dec.15'th,Chester Government Wharf-----------------------The wharf was bustling with more activity than usual today as the Tancook lobster fishing fleet arrived to sell their catch to waiting commercial buyers. As the last truck was being loaded,chesterns.ca spoke with fisherman Brad Heisler after he sold his catch. At $3.25/lb,it is somewhat disheartening for the fishermen to see so little dollars for all their hard work and expenses required to catch this popular shellfish delicacy. Mr.Heisler is considering taking a load of lobsters to the Annapolis Valley this weekend and peddling them from the back of his truck. He said he has never done this before but other fishermen are doing it in the city and getting $5.00 to $6.00 per pound. There is something wrong with the system when buyers offer $3.25/lb to the fishermen and the large grocery chains and specialty seafood shops are selling at $7.99 to $8.99 per pound. ol' captainkidd always offers a hardworking fisherman at least $5.00/lb wharf side unless the going rate is higher. So if you want a feed of lobsters this week,head down to your local wharf and look for the fishing boats near the end of the day or head to the mall parking lots or road sides and look for a fisherman selling directly from his truck. chesterns.ca reminds you to always shop local.

HIGH AND LOW TIDES

High and dry under The Peninsula Bridge.


Above and below:The Cove Garden



Two views of The Rope Loft.



High and low at Winfield's Wharf.



Less beach and more beach at Freda's Beach.



The Lido and The Municipal Wharf.


Dec.14'th,Chester--------------------Today we saw some of the most extreme differences in sea level around The Village shoreline. While today's high tide was not the highest we have seen in these parts,it was certainly about the lowest. Typically,low tides range from about .18 m to .5 m or so. Today it was -.08 m. The lowest tides are especially noticeable at The Peninsula Bridge where at high to half tide,small to medium sized boats have no problem traveling other than to be careful of clearing the bridge beams.

THE MAGIC OF THEATRE IN CHESTER

It's a good thing we pre-ordered tickets.


The house fills up.


The finale.(l to r)Cynthia Myers,Claudette Sapp,Brian Crocker,Sylvia Swinimer,Lisa Aiken,Tom Myers,Doug Ross,John Speirs,Charles Barkhouse,Catherine Hollett,Barry Redmond,and Malcolm Callaway. Missing in action,Ron Leitold.


The backstage gang.(l to r)Next to actor Tom Myers: assistant stage manager Dolly Hancock,on makeup and hair are Donna Whitford and Susan Bathurst,on costumes are Anika Junger and Erin Gore,and the other assistant stage manager,Bunch Fraser.


Brian Crocker as Sherman Crump humbly accepts a token of appreciation.


Malcolm Callaway takes a bow.

Dec.13'th,The Chester Playhouse---------------------Well another Chester Drama Society Christmas production has come and gone with great success. Two shows were sold out. For a group of volunteers with various levels of theatrical experience it was a fantastic run. Usually classified as a farce and not a proper play,writer Malcolm Callaway has a lot of fun with these productions and gets away with murder in terms of writing cliches and other no-no's. He also takes liberty with the characters he creates and the actors who play these characters. All involved check much of their egos and personalities at the door and prepare themselves to be thrown at the mercy of Callaway and his twisted sense of humour. Besides Callaway's writing and humour,the talent of the actors makes the production a success. These folk really get along well together and throw themselves headfirst into their roles with mutual respect. Along with the acting,the work of the makeup artists,stage managers,prop master,set workers and lighting technician greatly add to the quality of the show. It is very much like an old school play you were in years ago where everyone is in the same groove,having a ball and getting their parts right. While these plays for the most part may not have a large part of their story devoted to Christmas,playwright Callaway always manages to twist a Christmas message into the work somewhere. If one looks deeper into his work there is not much difference between these plays and the British tradition of mumming. In Canada,it is more of a Newfoundland tradition. Mummers performed seasonal plays typically around Christmas.
On a more serious note,chesterns.ca must mention Callaway's latest work.It is a play commissioned for Chester's 250'th anniversary. It has been a few years since Malcolm has written a serious theatre piece. We hear it should be coming to the stage in Chester sometime in July 2009. Book your tickets now for one of the center pieces of Chester's 250'th birthday party.

CHESTER THE LOBSTER GETS CAUGHT

Local fisherman and aquaculturalist Blaine Bond displays an 8 pound lobster caught off Chester.We named him Chester.


The nice catch.


The not so nice bait.


The classic Cape Islander fishing boat.


Chester the lobster waves good-bye to chesterns.ca readers.

Dec.11'th,Chester Government Wharf-------------------Even though prices are low,the lobster season in our area appears to be going fairly well. We thought we would check in with local fisherman Blaine Bond and see some of the results of the labour intensive lobster fishery. Warm weather and calm seas have certainly been helpful to all the fishers. The lobsters we have tried taste great and have lots of meat. There has been a good size variety. Anything from about 1 1/2 pounders on up to 8 pounders like ol' Chester in the photos above. We lucked out the following day and got a few pounds of mussels from Blaine. If all goes well he may even have some fresh scallops in the shell for Christmas. Any of you summer folk who may be in Chester for Christmas may want to check that out. Three kinds of shellfish fresh off the boat! It doesn't get much better than that.

HIGHWAY #3 MARRIOTT'S COVE MVA

A Chester firefighter clears up debris from around this car that rear ended.....


...this car near the entrance to South Shore Marine. In this photo a Mountie is attending to an occupant of the vehicle.


RCMP and EHS responed to the scene along with CVFD.There appeared to be no serious injuries.

Dec.11'th,Hwy #3,Marriott's Cove..............It is late on a rainy afternoon as many are just leaving work or are almost ready for the commute home. Perhaps you are thinking about what to buy or cook for dinner,what's on T.V. tonight or perhaps heading out to a Christmas party. When automobile crashes happen it is all part of the regular job for EHS and RCMP personnel.
If you are a volunteer firefighter you have to drop your regular work activities or your leisure time and leap into action to help people in danger. Your life gets tied up in a call-out for anywhere from several minutes to many long hours depending on the situation.
Just something to think about. Be careful at all times. Besides inconveniencing yourself and/or your family and friends,you are also tying up emergency services and volunteers along with other motorists. An honest accident or fire can be hard to prevent. Most times,if folks are careful and keep safety in mind and use common sense,accidents can be prevented.

ChesterNS.ca Goes Mobile!

Hello ChesterNS.ca Readers,

In an attempt to meet the evolving demands of internet users, ChesterNS.ca has created a "mobile" edition of our homepage. The mobile version includes the weather and our 2 latest news stories. This page is optimized for mobile viewing on your smartphone or PDA. You can now keep up to date on Chester from your phone, and not have to incur huge bandwidth charges or deal with pages that don't appear properly.

Bookmark it now on your phone at http://mobile.chesterns.ca/

Cheers,
Ben

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AT WORK

What is this work crew doing ?


There shouldn't be water this high up in this manhole.


Private contractor Bobby Rhuland can save some folks a lot of grief with his service.

Dec.11'th,Chester-------------------chesterns.ca caught some of the unsung heroes of The Municipal Public Works Department hard at work. Already off work for the day,
they received an emergency call for a backed up drain affecting 4 residences in the Village. They are on call for the other 16 hours of the day besides their regular work hours,if problems arise with certain Municipal infrastructure systems. While at times it may not be the most glorious job in the world,someone has to do it and these guys are good at it. The next time you have a problem involving sewer and certain other drainage issues remember that these are the guys keeping things working through maintenance and repairs. Another thing to remember is that these problems may take time and materials that are not readily available,especially after normal business hours.While many of us take most of our Municipal services for granted and are happy when everything is working well,remember to be patient while while personally inconvenient repairs and maintenance operations are being carried out. The above problem was solved in a few hours and to be sure everything is o.k. in the main line to the street,a video inspection of the pipe will be carried out.

THE THING IS THE PLAY (APOLOGIES TO BILL S.)

The show poster.

You won't believe who's playing this part.


To find out what's going on here,go to the show.


What are they looking at? Get a ticket and go find out!


We will tell you that the playright himself is in this scene.


Here's another monstrous scene.

Dec.10'th to 13'th,The Chester Playhouse-----------------The Chester Drama Society is once again putting on a Christmas production with another in the series of playwright Malcolm Calloway's farces. These bizarre productions bring out the best (and sometimes the worst,in a nice way) in the characters and players performing in the piece. At first glance it may not seem very Christmassy but in the end,Calloway somehow manages to get the message out. Besides the entertainment value,you are always guaranteed a quality show courtesy of the hard work and passion of the members of The Chester Drama Society. From the acting,directing,set design and props,lighting and sound,there is talent galore in this little volunteer theatre troupe. The first show is a pay as you can benefit for our local food bank.Cash and non-perishable food items gladly accepted.
Call The Playhouse at 902-275-3933 to get your tickets or take a chance and get them at the door if the show isn't sold-out. Scary Christmas everybody.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHRISTMAS SOCIAL

Meet the new C of C President,Ben Wiper of Nerds On Site and chesterns.ca.


The friendly and photogenic 1'st VP and Marketing and Communications Chair,Amanda Gwynne-Timothy.


Either Santa needs to get the beard program underway in a hurry or it's C of C member Rod Buell.

Dec.9'th,Nicki's Inn------------------The Chester Municipal Chamber of Commerce held it's monthly Business After Hours social at Nicki's Inn on Pleasant Street. Non perishable food items and cash were accepted on behalf of the local food bank. Members and guests exchanged Christmas greetings and caught up on the latest business news. It was also an opportunity to meet the new Board of Directors and the Executive.
This event was sponsored by Nicki's Inn and Chester Pharmasave. Thank you Nicki and Kim. Find out more about their businesses by clicking on their ads in chesterns.ca's right hand scrolling ad column. You can find out more about the Chamber of Commerce by clicking on their link in our handy dandy links section at the top of our homepage.

STORM DAMAGE AND PROBLEMS THUS CREATED

With no sand being applied to Village streets,scenes like this were bound to happen.


Efforts from a passerby didn't help. After an hour or so wait,a wrecker finally got this guy on his way.


This was the scene earlier on a section of Main St. A decayed tree finally succumbed to the winds and wet snow.


Nova Scotia Power arrived in a reasonable time to repair damaged wires.


Chester Electrical,Plumbing and Heating arrived to make emergency repairs to the building's electrical service.


The tree is down and the wires are up.


The debris and mess is left for others to clean up.

Dec.8'th,Central St. and Main St.------------------Well here we go again! The second storm of the premature Winter season. And once again,Chester is a victim of shoddy and mediocre services by those responsible for maintaining our roads and infrastructure. Most of the Village roads and streets were once again not plowed in a timely fashion. When the streets were eventually ploughed,the equipment destroyed pavement and road surfaces along with the gravel shoulders and sodded areas. It was 12 to 14 hours before icy Village streets saw any sand applied to them. There were several near collisions and accidents on the slick road surfaces. Especially on the hills.
And then there was the tree blown down on Main St. It left an apartment building without power. In this case Nova Scotia Power and a private contractor responded in a timely fashion. The real problem here is that the power company had scoped out the area earlier in the year and then pruned and removed trees and limbs that were deemed to be hazardous or a threat to electrical service. Somehow this long dead tree was overlooked.The tree was also in the street right-of-way and was also a hazard-in- waiting to traffic and pedestrians. A bit of a Catch 22 with regards as to who is responsible for dealing with it. In the case of this old spruce,there was a 3 level buck passing scenario going on. Nova Scotia Power removed enough to get their service operating again and left the debris in the street. With Department of Transportation and Infrastructure not showing up to deal with it,The Municipality's Public Works Department cleaned some of it up. The rest still lies by the roadside.
Now let's summarize and take a closer look. The contractor responsible for The Village sidewalks came out and completed his work in a reasonable and timely fashion. When he tries to leave The Village,many of the sreets were not ploughed or sanded.He gets stuck for over an hour and risked damaging his equipment unnecessarily on Central St. as shown in the photos above. This kept him from getting to other areas of the Municipality where he is responsible for snow removal and sanding. Who pays for this ?
Concerning the tree incident. We pay hefty power bills that should pay for full service delivery,maintenance and repairs included. We pay fuel and other Provincial taxes for road repair and maintenance that could also cover the dead tree and brush problems along many of our streets. Thirdly we are paying Municipal taxes for certain services as well. Will the Municipality bill the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure who will in turn bill Nova Scotia Power for the tree problem? Not likely.Somewhere in this complex chain of events our money is disappearing in to the bureaucratic ether. If the majority of this work is is planned for and proactively carried out we would not be suffering from the effect of neglect and poor maintenance procedures.
According to our Commissioners and Councilor,our MLA is aware of the problems and concerns and is apparently dealing with it. Hopefully it will not take long to see and enjoy the results of their efforts. Hopefully we will not end up down at the local Legion or Fire Hall as an angry,yelling mob looking for results. Historically,if you want results in Chester,that is what it seems to take.

COMMUNITY TREE LIGHTING AT THE EAST END OF THE VILLAGE

What is Chester's Fire Chief Duke Chafe looking at ?


Ah,the Community Tree Lighting event by Chester Biulding Supplies and Lesley's Pantry.


There were The Studio Singers caroling while Santa Claus spoke with his fans.


The cookie girls,Helen Corkum and Lesley Tanton of Lesley's Pantry.


This wee lad did not seem too concerned about Christmas.He just wanted to sit in Chester's newest fire truck and.........


The Community tree after the lighting.Come by and see it in person for an even better effect.

Dec.5'th,Chester-----------Two businesses at the east end of the Village sponsored a Community Christmas Tree event. Activities included caroling,Santa Clause for the kids,cookies and hot chocolate or cider,fireworks and the tree lighting. Groups present included the sponsors,Chester Building Supplies and Lesley's Pantry along with The Studio Singers and members of The Chester Volunteer Fire Department.
chesterns.ca admires the enthusiasm and effort of the sponsors of this event and we encourage you to shop at Lesley's Pantry and Chester Building Supplies for your own needs and also for Christmas gift ideas. We need to support local business and commerce,especially when they give back to the community through such events as this one.

OPEN LATE... FIRST NIGHT

The tree in the window at Chez Glass Lass.


At Light My Fire the candles were stacked in the window with care....


A little tree in the shop window at Wayward Books.


The tree on the deck at Nicki's Inn.


The Chester Playhouse wreath has a nautical flair.


One of the windows at Amicus.


The Village Emporium's tree.


Gwen Hamm displays a festive poinsettia that she will decorate her salon and barber shop with.


This lovely wreath welcomes you at the entrance to Chester Organics.


Two of the wonderfully decorated trees at Fiasco.


Another creative display in Fiasco.


This real tree is in the window at Slipcovers,etc. and Mary MacInnis CGA.

As you saw on the poster earlier,The Downtown Chester Merchants group is going all out to welcome you to shop at their locations. Besides their selection of great gifts,you can see their wonderful Christmas decorating skills in their shop and window displays.
Some of the gift ideas available are paintings,candles,food items,carvings,cushions,pottery,books,jewelry,glass art,folk art,theatre tickets,clothing,and photography. Have lunch or dinner at one of our many fine restaurants. See a show at The Playhouse. Stay overnight at Nicki's or The Mecklenburgh.
For more information,many of these businesses advertise on chesterns.ca. So look to the right and click on their logo or name as it scrolls up to greet you.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN CHESTER

And these shops are open every weekday and on weekends as well. Come on down to Chester for an interesting and unique selection of locally handcrafted goods for those on your gift list. While you are here,have a great meal or a snack at one of our many fine restaurants. To all of you who live here,support your local shops and businesses. And see a performance at the best little theatre in the world. Save gas and time. Shop local,buy local,give local.

I'M FOR GM CANADA ! Who am I ?

Who am I? I am a local General Motors dealer who employs people who live in your neighborhood,shop at your business,stand beside you at the sports field or the hockey rink and volunteer in our community.

Who am I? I am an owner of a business that supports hockey teams,soccer teams,minor sports,school trips,fund raisers,hospitals, and many other charities who come to my door week in and week out every year.This translates into thousands and thousands of dollars each year in support of our community.

Who am I? An owner of a business in your community who pays tens of thousands of dollars in property and business taxes each year;who pays thousands of dollars to workers compensation,health care benefits,employment insurance,and many other costs that support the well being of our community.

Who am I? An owner of a business that spends millions of dollars each year with local suppliers such as news papers,insurance companies,parts suppliers,construction services,hardware stores,landscapers,office supplies,clothing companies,local trades to name but a few.

Who am I? Since 1976,the owner of a company that has proudly represented and distributed fine General Motors vehicles to friends,family and his community;such great brands as Pontiac,Buick,Chevrolet and GMC trucks.


John Carroll,President
Carroll Pontiac Buick Ltd. of Halifax
Carroll South Shore Motors Inc. of Bridgewater
Carroll Tri County Automotive of Liverpool


P.S. -Did you know that Pontiac,Buick,Chevrolet cars and GMC trucks have won and continue to win each year in awards in their respective class around the world?
-Did you know that at my dealerships,we offer more small fuel efficient vehicles and more hybrid models than any other auto manufacturer?
Yes! I am for GM!


Dec.6'th,Chester---------chesterns.ca reprinted this letter at Mr.Carroll's request. With the current state of the economy and our political crisis,it is not just Mr.Carroll's business that is going to suffer. We as Canadians are dependent on mobility for our livelihoods.Both socially and economically. At work or play,a vehicle is a necessity for the majority of us. If by some far fetched,bizarre scenario,General Motors or the other domestic car makers go under,we as Canadians will be the ultimate losers. Our hard earned dollars will benefit other countries and not our own. We will lose a sense of pride in our fellow countrymen's craftsmanship and loyalty to their jobs and the product they make. In terms of trucks,it is very hard to beat the usefulness of the full sized North American pick-up. Asian trucks are smaller. More trips mean more gas consumption and maintenance costs. Let's keep our money in our own country. Let's keep our own workers employed. Let us benefit from all the spin offs that this effort creates. Shop local and buy local. chesterns.ca

CHRISTMAS CHEER FOR CHESTER CHILDREN

CAFRC Executive Director,Becky Scott displays "The Cats Meow" hooked rug being raffled as Nancy Ellwood looks on.


Becky Scott,CAFRC Chair Phil Ellwood and Restaurateur Nicki Butler pose after the dinner.

Dec.4'th,Pleasant St.---------------------Nicki's Inn catered to a sold-out crowd for the Chester Area Family Resource Centre's Mingle Jingle Benefit Dinner. Proceeds from the event benefit programs and services for Chester area families and children. Highlights of the evening included an art auction and a carol sing-a-long lead by talented Chester musician Pam Paton. The auction piece was a painting by Australian native Robyn Joy titled "Rising Dawn".Robyn now resides in Wilmington,North Carolina.The painting was specifically commissioned for the CAFRC benefit event.A lucky Chester resident won the work with the highest bid.
As usual,Nicki's culinary skills were awesome with four menu choices. Her staff were friendly and very professional in their duties,contributing to an enjoyable evening for all.
Also on display was a rug hooked by local artisans. It is a famous historical design called "The Cats Meow". The rug was donated by the local Louisiana Pacific mill in East River. The rug is being raffled and tickets are available through CAFRC until Dec.18'th. Call 902-275-4347 to get yours.
For more information on CAFRC or Nicki's Inn you can click on their logo ads in the right hand column on chesterns.ca's home page.

BOOMING THE MAST

One of SeaLand Industries specialized marine transport trucks delivers a mast for a local mariner.


The view from inside the historic Steven's Boatyard shed as the mast is moved inside for a Winter refit.

Dec.4'th,Tremont St.---------------------While there may not be much nautical activity on the waters of Chester these days,if you look closely you will see related work happening on land as many sailors are hauling,winterizing or preparing for maintenance and repairs to their boats. chesterns.ca caught this scene back at Gerald Steven's former boatshed on the shore of Mill Cove.
While not as busy as it was years ago,latest owner Trond Grenager operates the yard primarily as a marina and storage facility with somewhat reduced repair and boat building activity at the site. A few years ago the yard was booming with the renewed interest in the Bluenose Class racing sloops and a few other wooden boats being built or restored. While we are going through some tough economic times,it is hoped that this facility will again see activity that carries on and promotes Chester's historic marine trades and activities. If you enjoy boating and the water,this icon of Chester's marine heritage is a great spot to see any time of the year but especially in the summer when the maximum number of boats and related activity is at its peak.

THE WREATHS WERE HUNG ON THE TELEGRAPH POLES WITH CARE...NOW THAT THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS IS NEAR

When outside The Clipper without a clatter,we saw a yellow van so stopped to see just what was the matter.

Dec.3'rd,Valley Rd.--------------First of all,our apologies to Clement Clarke Moore for taking liberties with his famous Christmas poem. chesterns.ca caught these hired elves putting up a wreath outside the office of Chester's conventional media.Every year for the past several years The Village of Chester hangs wreaths in the Village for Christmas and puts up hanging flower baskets in the Summer season.

MOVING DAY

A large boom truck and flat bed truck line up to get on The Government Wharf.


Going up.The easy way to move a small building.

Dec.3'rd,Water St.---------------There was a lot going on at the same time on Chester's water front.Just after DFO personnel were wrapping up their operations,two trucks from The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure arrived two remove the shelter sheds used for passengers on the temporary refit barge ferry to The Tancooks.There is now more room on the wharf for fishermen,freight and delivery vehicles.

DFO OFFICERS ON PATROL IN CHESTER WATERS

Fisheries Enforcement Officers stack seized traps on the Chester Government Wharf.


Two Officers aboard their patrol boat.


Here comes the supervisor.


After loading confiscated lobster traps on their truck,the contingent of officers take a break with their boss.

Dec.3'rd,Chester Government Wharf-------------------It hardly seemed like lobstering weather today with the sunshine and warm temperatures but the Chester waterfront was buzzing with related activity.While two of the bigger lobster boats were out fishing,a small army of Department of Fisheries and Oceans Enforcement Officers came ashore after a day of work on our waters.They landed several illegal traps that they seized and then met with their Supervisor.
While there appears to be no great increase in illegal acts,DFO Officers have been busy and the weather has been cooperative allowing them to get out on the water easier and for longer periods than if it was rough and stormy.
It is great to see these men out in the field doing their job.This is helpful to both the licensed fishers and the lobsters they are trying to catch.If you meet these fellows around our shores,stop and have a little chat if they are not too busy.Find out what they do and thank them for their efforts.Their work benefits us all.

DRAIN BRAINS ?

Traffic control workers standby as the vacuum truck crew clean out a drain on Valley Road near the intersection of Duke St.


The sucker truck at work clearing a drain along The Pig Loop Road.

Dec.2'nd,Chester----------------Kudos to the Municipal Public Works Department staff for getting on the ball and taking care of a longstanding problem around the Village. For many years now the drains and culverts in many areas of the Village have been clogged up or plugged by leaves,garbage,sand and debris. This causes flooding and erosion. It also forces excess water into the Village sewage system. This work is supposed to be the responsibility of The Provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure but for some reason they have not been dealing with it. So the Municipality took the proverbial "bull by the horns"and dealt with it this time.
With the latest outcry against the poor snow removal efforts and after a long overdue paving project got underway in the Village,perhaps we will see more of this maintenance carried out on a regular basis by those who are responsible for it. Perhaps we are witnessing a new era in common sense and proper practices in quality maintenance and improvements to Village infrastructure. It only makes sense that if you put down new pavement,you repair and maintain such things as drain pipes and ditches. If not your work is in vain as erosion and frost damage will destroy it.
Is this the result of a new Councilor having been elected in District 3? Is it because people,businesses and community groups are tackling our MLA on the issue? Or is it the case that those responsible or able are finally realizing that this work is a necessity that must be done? Whatever the reason,many folks are glad to see it happen.It is a shame that it has taken this long to have this work done. Costs are higher than ever and the damage and problems caused by neglect and time are about as bad as it can get. Let us hope that Chester has turned the corner and those who are responsible for the improvements can keep up the momentum in their efforts.