Town of Berwick, Nova Scotia

This month's Committee of the Whole meeting takes place:

Monday May 25th

Starts 9am

Main agenda item: Operating Budget 2009-10 (2nd draft)

Public is always welcome to attend this or any other Town meetings. You can download a copy of the Draft Operating Budget 2009-10 (660.18 kB).

The Pace Car program helps stop speeding on enighbourhood streets.  It's simple - drivers sign the Pace Car Pledge, and then proudly display the official Pace Car emblems on your car.  For more information, call The Berwick Recreation Department at 538-8616/4016.

Come on out and help design Berwick's Northern Gateway. The Northern Gateway represents the point where we welcome visitors into our Town. This project is a critical opportunity to build on Berwick's strengths by using design elements to create a memorable and welcoming experience for residents and visitors. 

Interactive, fun and all ages welcome! 

Where: Berwick Fire Station (new)

When: Saturday, May 2, 10am-3pm

For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

The Town of Berwick will be providing a yard waste pick up service during the period of Monday, Apri 20, 2009 to Friday, May 1, 2009.

...Place brush at curb-side no earlier than the evening of April 19th for Zone A and the Evening of April 26th for Zone B.

...The Town will not be collecting anything other than organic yard waste at this time.

...Burning of leaves and yard waste is prohibited in the Town of Berwick.

Zone A - April 20, 2009 to April 24, 2009

Zone B - April 27, 2009 to May 1, 2009

**Zone A includes all properties west of, and including Commercial Street.  Zone B includes all properties east of Commercial Street.

Valley Waste Resource Management will be providing a Spring Clean up in the Town on Friday, May 1, 2009.  Articles for pick-up include:  Old furniture, appliances, carpets, construction and demolition waste and empty paint cans.

For more information, contact Gary Gould, Public Works Superintendent @ 538-8717.

Tuesday April 7th, 2009 marks a major milestone for the Kings Mutual Century Centre project-- the opening of the first Apple Dome tenders for site preparation. Ten submissions were received and the contract will be officially awarded by the Berwick and District Community Association on April 16^th.  Pictured (left) is Mike Mason, President of the Berwick and District Community Association; George Moody (centre), Chairman of the Apple Dome Committee and Mark Bouter (right), Consultant with A.B.L. Environmental, Kentville over looked the official opening of tenders.Meanwhile, WHW Architects is putting the final touches on construction specifications for the building tender scheduled to open May 7, 2009.

Berwick's Apple Blossom Princess Tea will be held on Saturday, April 18th from 2-4 pm at The Berwick Lions Hall.  Cost is $6 for adults, $3 for seniors and students and pre-schoolers are free.  There will be refreshments and entertainment.  Everyone is welcome to come out and meet Melody Sanford, Taylor Fancey and Katie Belliveau, Candidates for Apple Blossom Princess Berwick 2009.  For more information, contact The Berwick Recreation Department at 538-8616/4016.

Introduction

The Berwick Energy Future (BEF) began in November 2006 as a Town of Berwick initiative aimed at establishing the Town as the leading community in Nova Scotia in terms of the generation and management of energy resources.  The BEF has become the overall concept that encompasses all of the town energy related projects that are helping the Town of Berwick to progress towards this goal.  
First proposed in the autumn of 2006, there are a number of energy related projects under the BEF banner, in various stages of development and implementation and a number that have been successfully completed.  The overall objective is to engage the entire community in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cost by participating in conservation and alternative generation activities.
The Town has engaged Acadia Management Group Inc. (AMG) as an energy advisor and as a project implementer for many of the BEF activities both past and present.  The Town of Berwick and Acadia Management Group continue to work closely to construct actionable projects with real benefits in terms of cost and GHG reductions – all aimed at creating the optimal energy management and conservation strategy in the town.

The regular meetings of the Planning Advisory Committee now have a new start time--6:30pm. All PAC meetings are open to the public. Please note that if you want to make a presentation to PAC, notice must be given to the CAO no later than the Friday at noon in the week before the date of the meeting.

The Town of Berwick's Echo Friends and the After School Program have teamed up for a demonstration on how to worm compost. Anyone interested in recycling kitchen food waste, saving energy or starting their own worm composting system at home is welcome to join us. We purchased 1/2 pound of Red Wiggler Worms in March of 2007 and our worm family has grow to the point that we would like to help others try this form of composting. Vermicomposting!

Just meet us in the Multi purpose room and help us sort.  If we have enough people (who can pick up worms) to help process our two bins it wonÂ’t take long and then we can then start new ones.  Depending on how many pounds of worms we have, we should be able to start at least 2 new bins.   We will have everything you need, just bring a strong stomach.

Wed. Feb. 18th, 3pm

The 11th Annual Berwick Sports Hall of Fame Induction and Recognition Ceremony is set to take place at the Jack Spindler Memorial Gymnasium at The Berwick School on Saturday, June 6th at 7 pm.  The Committee is looking for nominations and forms are available at The Recreation Department or by calling 538-8616/4016.  The Committee is also looking for local athletes who have done well at the national/provincial level or made a significant contribution to their sport and those individuals will be recognized as well.  Sports Hall of Fame Committee members include:  Mike Trinacty, Chair, Connie Archer, Dale Lloyd, Earle Fuller, Dave Johnson, Bill Walsh, Rod Dorey, Ashlyn Sulis and Carol Boylan-Hartling. 

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2009

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board has approved increases in the rates Nova Scotia Power charges its customers effective January 1, 2009.  The increase is approved chiefly to cover higher costs for coal and petroleum coke, which make up the bulk of NSPI's fuel mix.  Increases of 9.4% are ordered for almost all rate classes, including the Municipal rate that your Utility buys under.  Berwick Electric purchases about 93% of the energy we provide to our customers from NSPI and purchased energy is about  72% of the operating budget.

To recover the increased cost of purchased electricity, the Berwick Electric Commission has applied for and been granted an across the board increase of 6.758%, also effective January1, 2009.  This solely offsets the increased cost.

Domestic billings on January 16 and February 16 will incorporate a prorated increase, since some of the energy billed on those dates will have been used prior to the rate increase.  Commercial and Industrial bills of January 31, 2009 will reflect the 6.758%. 

Download the Utility and Review Board document (42 kB) for more details. 

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Best Decorated Home Contest:  1st Place:  Garnet & Vi Francis, 24 Daniel Drive, 2nd Place:  Elsie and Jim Sherrard, 100 Commercial Street and 3rd Place:  Wayne and Gail Murray, 285 Main Street.  Thanks to the many residents of Berwick who decorated their homes and showed their holiday spirit!  

Thanks also to the many Berwick Businesses who decorated for the holidays.  Winner of this year's Best Decorated Business was the Apple Capital Museum located on Commercial Street.