IT'S HALLOWEEN IN CHESTER,COME ON DOWN FOR SOME GREAT ENTERTAINMENT

For adults there is this evening's fund-raising variety show brought to you by chesterns.ca and The Chester Playhouse. It's soooo gooood it's SCARY !

Afterwards, check out the Rope Loft's annual Halloween party and benefit for Madison Burch.


For the kids, there is the BOO HOO show this afternoon at the Chester Playhouse.

CHESTER SUNRISE OCT. 30'TH,WHAT A MORNING !!!!

From the Bandstand overlooking Chester Yacht Club.

Above and below: The schooner Endeavor basks in the sunlight as seen from the Peninsula Canal Bridge.

THINGS GO SWIMMINGLY FOR THE CHESTER LIDO

The meeting. Commission Chair Bill Zinck Jr. conducts the presentation on the Lido facility.

The numbers.

The Lido pool and the pump house/change rooms.

A closer look at the building and wharf.

The change rooms and pump house building as seen from the edge of the pool.

Oct.28'th,Chester----------------The following excerpt is from the minutes of The Village of Chester special meeting for Lido improvements on Oct.27'th:

Brenda Mulrooney made a motion to:"proceed with the building of the public washrooms and Lido pool for the best negotiated term of up to 5 years with a fixed rate,up to a maximum of $170,000.00."
The motion was seconded by Jo-Ann Grant and the motion carried.

And so it was after a fairly lengthy discussion and question period between the Commissioners and ratepayers who were present. Since the late 1990's the need for public washrooms has been an issue in Chester. In recent years the state of the Lido change rooms and washrooms has also become a concern. With these factors in mind, the timing was perfect to make a compromise and "kill two birds with one stone" so to speak.
The Municipality will contribute up to $60,000.00 to the project for the public washroom component while the Commission will pay for the rest of the facility. The Municipality will take care of some of the maintenance and cleaning of the washrooms as well.
There were 21 ratepayers and 4 Commissioners present. The vote was unanimous with all present voting in favour of the project. Early this morning tenders were being called for the demolition of the old building to make way for the new construction. Plans are to have the new building operational by June 2010.

ARMSTRONG ? PARK

The little observation and rest area by The Peninsula Canal has been completed for a while now and is a great spot for a break on a sunny afternoon. Councilor Brad Armstrong was instrumental in the development of this project.

SUNRISE: OCTOBER 28'th 2009

The silhouette of the schooner Endeavour floats in a sea of orange.

Ken's sunrise.

Local flavour - Think Global, eat Local by Phil Ellwood

A Taste of Lincolnshire, Land of Hops and Glory

Ay Up! Local Flavour is back after a summer rest. I am just back from a trip to the homeland, Hampshire, Dorset, Shropshire, Lincolnshire and London. This column, we feature the tastes of Lincolnshire; the real England. Coal mining, steel making, oil refining, pub fighting and generally just representative of the spirit that conquered the world.

We start off in Scunthorpe, "Scunny" to the locals. A northern town of myth and legend, where local legend says, "if you consume too much product from the shop below, you will end up in a fight".


Off to Barton on Humber for a view of a similar shop:


Okay, enough tourism from Humberside. Down to the appetizers. Pork scratchings; basically rendered pork skin with salt. I have eaten it in pubs in near every shire in England. Up North though, they have the real stuff, complete with hair still attached. Served in a clear bag, it is just wonderful. Not good for you but such a treat with a pint of beer or cider.

My bag of scratchings with cider in Barton.


The glass pictured above, the classic British pint glass, is the weapon of choice in these parts. Pubs here are known for their glassings. 5000 glassing events in England a year. You look at a bloke's (guy's) bird (girlfriend) and you may get glassed, meaning you get a glass in the face. Charming local custom.

So, we move on to recreate this escargot of Lincolnshire, pork scratching. Of course you start with pork rind. This slab so generously given to me to me from Oulton's Meats near Windsor , Nova Scotia. This is by far, the best butcher's shop in Atlantic Canada.


You just carve it up into squares, coat with salt, put aside for 24 hours, then render out slowly in a pot. Final product looks like this:


These things really do taste good, seasoned with salt and pepper, a heart attack on a plate I am afraid though.

Next column (in 2 weeks) , we will move beyond the escargot of Scunthorpe to the main course.

In the meantime, I find myself in uncharted territory:


See you again in two weeks as we continue with the tastes of Lincolnshire. I have a geat main dish I would like to share.

Cheers,

Phil

NO TRICK........JUST TREATS

(click on poster to enlarge)


COME ON OUT AND SEE SOME GREAT ENTERTAINMENT AND SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS AT THE chesterns.ca 2'nd ANNUAL BIRTHDAY PARTY.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON OUR POLL FOR THE READERS CHOICE RECIPIENT.

INTRODUCING EAST RIVER MARINE-AN ADVERTORIAL

East River Marine is nicely tucked-in on the eastern side of East River Bay.

The welcoming view from the water.

The large gangway is sturdy and inviting as you head for shore after tying up alongside.

An old classic cabin cruiser is about to be hauled for a hull inspection.

She is a beautiful boat.

The Caprice is actually the flagship of East River Marine.

Suspended in the Travel Lift.

Caprice is an old Pinaud built at the Baddeck Yacht Yard. She was fully restored at ERM.

Caprice has her original engines and other equipment still in operating condition.

It is like sailing back to another era.

The old compass works great.

The quality and attention to detail is impeccable.

From the Captain's seat.............



To the galley and accommodation area,Caprice is a fine craft.

Detail of the dining area.

A close up of the galley opposite.

East River,Nova Scotia----------------Philip Young is a young sailor realizing a dream of owning a full service marina. East River Marine is Eastern Canada's newest Marina and Boatyard. It is located at the end of Endeavour Drive in East River,Lunenburg County,Nova Scotia. (Civic #123)

The folks behind East River Marine feel that there is a major need for a high end, full service marine facility in this area. With a 70 metric tonne travel lift and brand new wharf and dock system, they can haul all sizes of boats up to 80 feet long and a 20 foot beam with ease.
On the water, the site is protected by a new 425 foot breakwater. With 15 feet of water at low tide, ERM can all your boat at any time of day.
An 8000 square foot heated indoor storage and repair shed is usable year round. An on-site marine retail store and offices are planned to be in place by early spring 2010. There will be shower and restroom facilities for customers and visiting sailors.
In keeping with the new Federal environmental regulations,plans are in the works to install a pump out station for sewage and bilge waste.

ERM is a non-smoking facility (staff and customers). Going GREEN is an important aspect of their business,ensuring that waste is either recycled or properly disposed of for safety and environmental reasons.

Along with their Travel Lift, ERM also have a self-loading 20 ton hydraulic lift trailer to move boats around the yard. From haul to launch, maintenance and repairs and year round storage,East River Marine can care for your boat.
Local marine and diving expert Wynand (Dutch)Baerken has joined the ERM team for marketing and customer service.
There are still a lot of boats in the water. Don't be caught in the rush to haul out. East river Marine has the space and equipment to haul your boat and store it efficiently and safely.

Contact Dutch at 1-902-277-1182 or East River Marine at 1-902-476-0756.
Website : http://www.eastrivermarine.ca/

LOUISIANA PACIFIC EAST RIVER MILL PRESS FIRE

The LP East River hardboard mill on the morning of Sept. 27'th 2009 is running smoothly a few hours after sunrise.

In this photo taken by Matthew Willoughby of Blandford,N.S. ,we see the early efforts of the Chester Volunteer Fire Department to knock out the flames on the roof and in the wall of the facility. If you look closely between the large windows you can see that the wall is darkened from the effect of the fire burning inside it.


Above and below: These photos by chesterns.ca give some idea of the scale of the fire. Each bundle of siding in the foreground is approximately 3 feet high,making the stacks about 20 feet high. Behind them can be seen utility poles. A flume of water can be seen attacking the fire well above them in the smoke of the fire and the steam from the press inside the mill.




Above and below: On a sunny Sunday morning, a firefighter's work is never done. Here, Chester's Fire Chief,Leo (Duke) Chafe cleans up the Department's Thermal Imaging Camera after last night's call-out. This was one of the most important pieces of equipment used in fighting the LP East River incident.


Oct.24'th,East River-------------------On a windy,rain soaked evening,the Chester Volunteer Fire Department answered an alarm to the LP East River plant for a press fire. The fire started in Plant equipment (a large press) and quickly moved to the building structure involving mainly the roof and then moving down a wall. LP's fire crew could not contain the blaze so CVFD were called in to supply more water and finally put out the flames.
According to Chester's Fire Chief,Duke Chafe,it was a serious fire. When they arrived there were flames as high as 12 feet engulfing the roof structure. A chesterns.ca fan called the story in to us and verified the Chief's figures.) The roof is a combination of rubber or bituminous membranes and tar and gravel. These types of material are the perfect fuel for flames.

CVFD responded with 23 firefighters in 5 trucks. They were engaged for approximately 4 hours at the site. In the photos above you are seeing smoke from the fire and steam from the press as the press could not be shut down until the fire was out. If not, there would be the risk of a more serious fire as the hardboard being processed in the press would add more fuel to the fire.
Fire Chief Chafe said there was a lot of internal damage to the roof/ceiling structure.

Plant Manager Phil Ellwood anticipates that the line will be down for approximately a week at least. Another employee at the scene commented that it was indeed a bad fire. Chief Chafe couldn't recall a more serious fire at the plant in all the years he served with CVFD. Fortunately there were no injuries to mill workers or firefighters.

When CVFD responds to alarms like this one,the topic of the requirement for an aerial platform truck comes up. Here are a few points to consider :

The LP East River plant is the area's largest employer both directly and in hundreds of spin-off jobs. They are also a substantial taxpayer. Many of their employees live in and around Chester, spending their earnings and paying taxes. Even those outside of the Municipality invariably contribute to our economy directly or indirectly. These figures easily combine to form an economical contribution in the millions of dollars.
There are many other large building structures in the Municipality. From Churches to apartment buildings. And barns to large homes. Many are in tight spots. Even with insurance,who wants to lose a building or lives or risk a major fire spreading ?
Perhaps it is time that Chester seriously considers obtaining their own aerial apparatus. Last night,Chief Chafe had to consider calling in the Windsor Fire Department's aerial apparatus under the Mutual Aid agreement with other Municipalities and Fire Departments. Even with a 40 to 60 minute response time it may have been too late.
Because of last night's fire,LP East River will suffer a six figure loss in repairs,downtime and lost revenue. Many employees may lose or have their income seriously delayed. Weigh this against the cost of a $750,000-$1,000,000 aerial rescue/firefighting apparatus and perhaps it becomes a very worthwhile investment indeed. It may also save lives and reduce insurance costs for all residents of our fair Municipality.

Finally,we bring you our last photos to show that the work of a firefighter, especially a volunteer firefighter , is not over after the flames are out or a life is saved. There are reports to be filed and equipment to be cleaned or repaired.

CWF HOLDS RECEPTION AND DISCUSSION IN CHESTER, AND CASSIE'S STORY

CWF National Director,Natasha Jackson addresses the group.

Cassie Myra gave the most moving presentation of the evening as she told how CWF programs helped her get her life together.

L to R : Jo-Ann Grant,Hon. Myra Freeman,Natasha Jackson,Cassie Myra,Nan Amour,Leigh Naturkach,Jeannie Eisnor.Lili Litwin,Ruth Goldbloom and Doreen Parsons.

Oct.19'th,Chester---------------The Chester Yacht Club was the venue for a meeting of some of the most powerful and successful women in the Province and the Country. The Canadian Women's Foundation is Canada's only National foundation dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls. It is a fund-raising organization that sponsors existing programs to end violence against women,move low-income women out of poverty and to empower and inspire all women with confidence in their career and lifestyle development.

The Chester event mainly centered around the Women Moving Women movement in Canada and more specifically at the local level. Enter Cassie Myra. A young single mother who was struggling with life's challenges. The biggest thing she wanted in life was a successful career to sustain herself and her son. She discovered the WEE (Women's Economic Empowerment) program and that guided her to the Nova Scotia Community College Women Unlimited program,see http://weesociety.ca/index.php/site/womenunlimited/

Cassie took basic first aid,safety and trade workshops and liked the electrical construction field as a possible career.She went through 4 job shadowing programs and set her goal to become an electrician. Through Women Moving Women she received guidance and assistance.
Jeannie Eisnor is the Co-ordinator of the Women Unlimited Bridgewater site and she became Cassie's mentor. Through this process,Cassie was able to access various sources of awards, bursaries and other assistance for her studies. Cassie successfully graduated in June of this year and is employed with South Shore Health Authority.

To put the CWF's contribution in perspective as to how it helps women locally here is a short summary:
One of the National economic development programs that is supported by CWF in Nova Scotia is through a $365,000 5-year grant issued to the Women's CED Network Society/WEE Society,Women Unlimited activities in Halifax,Lunenburg and Queens Counties.
Nan Armour is the Executive Director of The Hypatia Association.
Doreen Parsons manages the WEE Society. The two groups co-sponsor Women Unlimited and that's how the CWF is helping women like Cassie in our area.
The Chester function was co-hosted by The Hon. Margaret Norrie McCain,Director,Canadian Women's Foundation and Jo-Ann Grant,National Committee Member,Women Moving Women.

LINKS : http://www.cdnwomen.org/EN/index.html

http://www.womenmovingwomen.ca/

chesterns.ca's 2'nd BIRTHDAY AT THE CHESTER PLAYHOUSE

(Click on poster to enlarge.)


Oct 20'th,Chester-------------------It's that time of year again. chesterns.ca is another year older and we are going to celebrate with a Birthday Party at the best little Playhouse in the Village on October 31'st from 8:00 to 10:00 P.M.
This year the beneficiaries are : The Chester Playhouse (Co-Sponsor),The Chester Art Centre,The Lighthouse Food Bank and a chesterns.ca viewer's choice recipient. Simply click on our latest poll header at the top of the page and vote from the selection. Poll closes October 30'th.
You can click here also.
http://www.chesterns.ca/poll.shtml
Come on out and support some great community institutions and enjoy fantastic local and guest talent. There will be a few special surprises as well.
chesterns.ca is unveiling a special song for Chester's 250'th Birthday as well.

GERALD KEDDY PHOTO ON chesterns.ca GOES NATIONAL

South Shore-St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy poses with "his" infamous cheque for his Government's contribution to Chester's Church Memorial Park.

Oct.15,Chester------------------------------From gaff to gaffe. Our esteemed MP seems to have hooked himself with his own bait in this case. Not to be outdone, it appears that other Conservative Members Of Parliament are up to the same antics. Honest mistakes or deliberate acts of self and Party promotion ?

The fact is that the moneys being handed over through these cheques are the taxpaying public's hard earned contributions to help keep our country and society functioning. Partisan politics have no place here. Mr. Keddy needs to take the high road and figure out a way to come clean on this one. Perhaps he needs to remember that it is his constituents that he needs to represent and not his leader and Party. That is how the system used to work.
Joseph Howe must be spinning in his grave if his spirit is aware of the antics of many of today's politicians.

And now getting back to our headline. chesterns.ca thanks Mr. Keddy for all the attention and interest his photo has garnered for us. Numerous local and national media have been using our photo of Gerald presenting THE cheque. Some just grabbed it and ran. A few of the more credible outlets contacted us for permission and more details.Special thanks to The The National Post (Mary Vallis) and The Chronicle Herald. CBC gets a thank you in the spirit of Gonzo Journalism as they obtained permission after the fact. chesterns.ca is cool with that. For a little website from Chester,Nova Scotia to have been at the right place at the right time to get an otherwise innocuous photograph of a Politician handing out some money and have it go National in the Canadian media is good for business and good for Chester. Even if it is not the most positive of stories.
If you google the subject,you will find numerous articles, and if a photo is included, odds are it is our photograph. We would also like to thank our dedicated and hardcore fans from one end of Canada to the other for sending in comments and compliments on this particular story.

For your information all our content is copyright. We do not wish others to profit from our content financially. The simple act of courtesy in requesting to use our content and giving photo/writing credit is usually payment enough. The site exists to promote Chester and it's lifestyle,people and businesses.

In case you were wondering...........chesterns.ca thought the cheque was a little hokey and suspicious. Chester is a small community . Church Memorial Park and The Eleanor Pew Morris Memorial Arena is an important recreational,social and economic icon in our Village. It brings people from all over to our wonderful little Village.
The day of Gerald's presentation was not the day to question the integrity of The Government's contribution. A few years ago,a former resident of the area once said that in Lunenburg County,nickels were like manhole covers. In these even tougher economic times that line still rings true. The important thing to remember here is that a very popular community facility has benefited from much needed and appreciated Government assistance. Regardless of a ruling Government's shameless and twisted antics of self promotion and manipulation of the citizens who put it in control.

Skate careful and keep your stick on the ice.

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK OCT. 4'TH TO OCT.10'TH

Top row, L to R: Everett Hiltz,Blake Corkum,Bill Marshall and Steve Wagner.
Bottom row,L to R: Grant Payne,Doug Morash,Chief Duke Chafe, Deputy Chief Dave Richardson and Brianna MacDonald. (click on image to enlarge)

Oct.5'th,Chester------------------------It's Fire Prevention Week and we find the officers of the Chester Volunteer Fire Department taking a break from their regular meeting to promote this important safety reminder. They were joined by a very surprised and excited Brianna MacDonald who was practicing her bicycle riding at the Municipal Building parking lot where the Fire Safety banner is on display. She got to meet the officers face to face. Especially Deputy Chief Dave Richardson,who will be at Brianna's school Wednesday morning to talk about fire safety with the kids.
Other events for the week are:
Wednesday,meet with the staff and kids at CAFRC Daycare at Church Memorial Park,Wednesday evening parade in Lunenburg with County Fire Departments and an Open House at The Chester Fire Hall Saturday from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. The public is invited to attend the Lunenburg and Chester Open Hall events.
And remember to thank a firefighter. Your life may depend on it.

Chester Harvestfest Promises Spooky Fun!

The nights are getting longer, and the air is getting colder which can only mean that the Chester Harvestfest is right around the corner. As in the past six years, this great event has always been held over two days and held at the Chester Fire Hall, Lordly House, and Lordly Park, although this year our times and venue have changed. As you all are aware of the must needed renovations going on at Lordly House, we have moved our event to the Chester Train Station, along with the venue change this year the Chester Harvestfest will also be held on one day instead of the two days as in prior years.
Come on out Saturday, October 17th from 5-9pm to enjoy all the fun planned!! The Costume Parade will begin at 5pm, so make sure to dress the children in their best costumes as there will be prizes awarded in two different age groups ( 0-6yrs & 7-12yrs), and in three different categories, Most Spooky, Best Traditional, and Best Homemade. Let's see how creative everyone can get!
After the Costume Parade, we invite everyone to stay for some fun at the Treasure Hunt, Witches Cauldron, Sucker Pull, Bounce Around, Cotton Candy, Candy Apples, Ghost Stories, Gourd Bowling, Bake Table, and much much more!!
Everyone is also invited to bring along their best carved pumpkin to be judged for great prizes! Drop your pumpkin off at the Train Station as judging will begin at 8:30pm, and we want all to come see and vote for the Crowd Favourite for a prize!
Now if you think you can't handle a good scare, this is where you should pack up your things and head on home, although if you think you can we dare you to prove it and take a walk through the Haunted Train Station! Visit the spirits of all who have purchased a train ticket but never made the conductors last call of "All Aboard"!!!! Admission to the Haunted Train Station is $1.00/person.
Watch out also for the colouring contest entries throughout the village, or you can pick one up from the contest sponsor The Duke Street Eatery.
We hope to see all the ghosts, goblins, witches and sorceresses out that night to enjoy in some spooky Halloween fun!
Any questions or if you are interested in helping out in haunted the train station, please contact Lisa Rhyno at 275-2475 or Marsha Grist at 275-4908!
Happy Halloween!!

CHESTER UNITED BAPTIST CHURCH GIVES TO P.R.O. KIDS

Rev. Dan Green presents a cheque to P.R.O. Kids Coordinator Cossette Howlett.

The donation.

Another milestone was Dr. Rev. Allen Gibson's 62'nd year at Chester United Baptist Church. Now retired,he is Minister Emeritus and still sings in the choir and can still give a prayer or blessing at a moment's notice when called upon. Rev. Dan Green congratulates him after the service.

Sept.27'th,Chester----------------------Every year,Chester United Baptist Church holds a fund raising golf tournament. Besides raising money for the Church's Mission work, they have a policy to donate 1/4 of the proceeds to a charitable group in the local community. This year P.R.O. Kids was the recipient.
P.R.O. Kids is a program that provides financial assistance to children and youth from the Municipality of Chester who,due to lack of funds,are not able to participate in sport,recreation and cultural activities.
For more information and to donate call Cossette Howlett at 275-3490 or click on http://www.district.chester.ns.ca

CHESTER RINK GETS COLD HARD CASH FOR ICE AND FACILITY UPGRADES

The banner tells the story.


Bertie Baker smiles proudly as the story of her mothers gift of the Chester Arena is told.

Mrs. Janet Piers leads the applause after her remarks thanking the Pew family for their gift to the community 40 years ago.

MP Gerald Keddy pays tribute to the Pew family and the efforts of the community to keep the Church Memorial Park recreation complex a successful operation.

Warden Allen Webber complimented Church Park on its latest successes in improving this important community resource.

MP Gerald Keddy has a laugh after having trouble getting the numbers out as he announces the Government's contribution to Church Memorial Park.

Gerald Keddy and Debra Reeves pose with the big cheque.

Long time runner Richard Graves gives his remarks after being named to the wall of fame.

Rick Fraughton introduces and presents Louis Page to the wall of fame.

Louis' parents Roy and Dorothy Page are joined by Rick Fraughton in unveiling the photo of Louis.

Former Senior Girls Soccer coach Jack Hatcher smiles proudly at some of his players who were on hand as they were named to the wall of fame.

There was birthday cake.

MP Gerald Keddy and former Church Memorial Park Board Chair Ron Ternoway.

The ice is in and the new refrigeration plant is working great for the free public skate.

Sept.19'th,Chester----------------------The Chester Rink celebrated its 40'th year of providing recreational activities to the surrounding community. The complex was a gift to the community by the Pew Family of Pennsylvania,who summered in Chester for many years.
After a major million dollar fund raising campaign to upgrade the facility with new electrics and a state of the art modern ice making plant it was time to celebrate and show the newly renovated complex to interested members of the community. Aid was realized from all levels of Government (except the the Feds) along with personal and corporate donations.
On Sept. 19'th though,the Federal Government came through as MP Gerald Keddy presented a grant for $302,620.32 under the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program. This money will be used for upgrading the refrigeration system,skating arena/washroom/entrance/mechanical room renovations and accessibility improvements.
While celebrating the improvements and government help is a great thing,perhaps the more important part of the afternoon was recognizing the talents and accomplishments of some outstanding area athletes by putting them on the wall of fame. Their spirit and energy are the lifeblood of sport in our community; whether they be amateur or professionals. Their lives and the life of the community are better off for their efforts. After the speeches folks enjoyed cake and refreshments and could have a free skate on the new ice.