A room full of Colchester-East Hants Health Authority volunteers were recently honoured during a week that aims to celebrate volunteers across the county.

The volunteers were the guests at a special volunteer tea hosted at the Best Western Glengarry in Truro.

“This year’s Volunteer Week theme is, ‘Volunteers cast a beautiful shadow,’” said Wendy Mosher, Volunteer Resources Manager. “I thought that was a very fitting theme for our volunteers with the health authority. Their commitment over the past year has been outstanding. Each and every one of them has gone above and beyond.”

While the health authority is thankful for each and every one of its volunteers, 2012 was a special year. It involved the closure of the Colchester Regional Hospital and the subsequent opening of the Colchester-East Hants Health Centre.

Health authority CEO Peter MacKinnon says it was a time when volunteers stepped up and delivered.

“Moving an entire hospital is no small task,” he said. “We knew it was something we had to get right and I’m not talking about just getting ready for the move. I’m talking about everything that went along with the move including the transferring of patients. We were really fortunate to have our volunteers involved right from the start.”

According to MacKinnon, the in-hospital volunteer program contributed more than 5,500 hours of service along. Volunteers with the Colchester Regional Hospital Auxiliary followed that up contributing more than 60,000 hours.

“I could go on about our volunteers and what they mean to our organization but I still couldn’t cover it adequately or find the right words to express our gratitude,” he said. “They are all such a strong part of the fabric that makes up our health care team.”

Debbie Green, Fran Fiddes and Elaine Lintaman were three of the volunteers in attendance. Both Green and Fiddes volunteer at the information desk while Lintaman is in the emergency department.

Green has been at the hospital for three years. Her mother used to volunteer at the hospital in Moncton and with a little time on her hands, she wanted to give back.

“I’m here every Wednesday afternoon from 12 to 4 p.m.,” she said. “I really enjoy it. I love meeting people and having the opportunity to help them out when they come into the hospital. We are, for most people coming in, the first face they see.”

She enjoyed her time at the hospital so much; she actually encouraged Lintaman to start volunteering. The two were neighbours and after losing her husband, Lintaman thought it was worth a try.

Green went so far as to even bring home the volunteer application to Lintaman.

“She was quite a sales person,” Lintaman said with a laugh. “I spent my working career in hospitals so it was something I knew and was familiar with. I came in and spoke with Wendy Mosher and she asked me if I would consider volunteering in the emergency department. I had no issue with it and certainly welcomed the challenges that would go along with it.”

Lintaman mans the information desk in the emergency department every Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. She says the role of volunteers there is to liaise between the department, patients and the families of patients who coming in looking for information.

“If they come in and ask us where a loved one is, it’s my job to find out where they are and direct the family to them,” she continued. “Sometimes when we call in, we’re not allowed to take them down because the patient is being worked on. If a patient comes in and it’s the first time they’ve been to the hospital, I’ll show them the seating area for triage and explain to them the triage nurse will be with them shortly.”

Fiddes, much like Lintaman, lost her husband and as a result, found the days long. During his poor health, she spent a lot of time at the hospital and knowing what it was like, wanted to be able to at least give back in some form to people dealing with similar experiences like hers.

Volunteering at the front desk allows her to interact with many people and give them directions to specific areas in the hospital. She volunteers twice a week – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday and Wednesday.

“I’m a people person. I knew exactly where I wanted to volunteer,” she said. “The information desk was the place for me. We see a lot of people here. It can get hectic at times, but I expected that, especially with the new hospital opening.”

All three volunteers played a role in the move from the old facility to the new. Green and Fiddes maintained their roles at the information desk – a very important role in the first weeks the new facility was open – while Lintaman extended to responsibilities and helped in the Intensive Care Unit on the day of the move.

“There was a lot going on,” said Green. “We were faced with a few challenges but everyone for the most part was patient and we got through it. We still have some bumps every now and then, but it’s such a beautiful facility and most people feel that way when they come in.”

One thing is for certain; all three would miss volunteering at the hospital if something ever happened.

“I don’t know what I would do with my Friday afternoons,” said Lintaman. “It’s become such a part of my routine now, I look forward to it.”

Records are made to be broken and during this year’s Colchester Home Show, that happened all three days.

“It was a record attendance for us,” said Scott Sprague of Master Promotions. “Our numbers just about doubled over last year on the Friday and were more than double on Saturday and Sunday. We’re extremely pleased with that.”

The annual Colchester Home Show is put on by Master Promotions in partnership with the Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce. This marked the first year it was held at the Rath-Eastlink Community Centre. The last 21 years, it’s been held at the Colchester Legion Stadium.

While he was excited about the change in venue, Sprague says it’s important to remember the role the Colchester Legion Stadium played in the show’s success over the last two decades.

“The staff members at Colchester Legion Stadium have always been real good to us,” said Sprague. “It’s a great group of people down there and the show always had a down-home type fee to it when it was held there. Although we’re sad to leave that stadium, the business side says our best move is to go to the new centre and take the show to the next level.”

Hosting the show for the first time at RECC, Sprague expected to see an increase in attendance. He says it’s no secret the community had been anxiously awaiting the opening of the facility.

Because it’s still very fresh, he says many people took advantage of the chance to see the facility for the first time while taking in the annual home show. In the end, it led to a lot of positive comments.

“The feedback we’re received often referred to the facility and how good the show looked in this building,” he said. “It’s well lit, has impressive natural lighting and provides a great atmosphere.”

RECC also presented an opportunity to do something the Colchester Home Show hasn’t been able to do effectively in the past number of years.

“We had a lot of additional space at our disposal this year,” Sprague continued. “With those additional spaces, it allowed us to look outside a little bit. On the main show floor, we had our hard core home show that we’ve always had but the spaces on the upper level allowed us to add a new feature and that was the small home-based businesses. We know that home-based businesses are booming right now and a lot of people are going in that director. A quick look around the local farmers’ market will prove that and it’s an element we wanted to incorporate into the show.”

Sprague wasn’t the only one receiving positive feedback about this year’s Colchester Home Show. Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Alan Johnson says many members were pleased with the result of this year’s show.

He says the Chamber encourages its members to get out and take advantage of opportunities that put them face-to-face with current and potential clients.

“This is one of the larger opportunities we have in our community and I’ve had nothing but positive comments coming in,” said Johnson. “Every single chamber member who was there and had products on display made a lot of connections. I spoke to a key member of our organization, someone who has been a member for a very long time and he told me business at the show on Saturday alone and the number of people the spoke with was more than entire weekends at previous shows. This tells you the new venue has brought people out.”

During the three-day event, held August 12 to 14, the Chamber took the time to spread its Live Local message. Johnson says they gave away hundreds of Live Local stickers and shared information about the benefits of becoming a chamber member.

“I think the Colchester Home Show has arrived on the next level,” said Johnson. “I think it’s safe to say that by next year we’re going to see even more improvement and growth. Some suggestions have already been made and they will add to the show. It’s a draw for our area. It brings people in from East Hants, Amherst and Pictou County.”

At this point, Sprague wouldn’t rule out adding even more businesses next year. Looking at the footprint of the building, he admits there’s still some key space that can be used more efficiently.

A group of junior high school students is making sure their voice is heard and they’ve done it through the arts.

The group of approximately 20 youth, all members of the Truro Boys and Girls Club and students at Truro Junior High, recently participated in a program through the club called Creation Nation. Funded by the federal government, clubs from across Canada were eligible to apply to the program that endeavours to connect youth to their communities through arts and service

Truro Boys and Girls Club Youth Co-ordinator Sonya Chisholm says only 16 clubs across the country received a grant for $6,000 to host the program.

“Creation Nation was our big thing this year,” she said. “We’re the only club that received this grant in Nova Scotia. As part of the program, each club does a different artistic piece or series that reflects their perspective on a Canadian culture or social issue.”

For the Truro group, they decided to perform a play consisting of several skits at the Truro Fire Hall on March 30. The production featured the theme ‘Junior High.’

Chisholm says it was a way for the young participants to share with the community that they have a bigger voice.

“They believe junior high students can be over looked here in Truro because we have a limited number of resources for youth,” said Chisholm. “The skits basically took people through the day-to-day lives of a typical junior high student. That includes someone dealing with anxiety, someone who is gay and scared to come out, someone with a poor home life, or selling drugs. During the each scene, other group members would share statistics on things like cyber bullying, gangs, smoking and drinking.”

Lauren McQuaid and Nigel Williams, both Grade 9 students, were two of the participants. They were both pleased to learn the local club had received the Creation Nation grant.

McQuaid was also selected along with Jayden Menhennett to travel to Toronto with Chisholm for a workshop on Creation Nation and its goals. It also provided them with the tools needed to come back and lead the program in Truro. While in Toronto, they had the opportunity to meet with the other clubs that received the funding as well.

Menhennett was one of the students who suggested the idea of a play.

“We hear lots about the elementary schools and the programs they have like CYBER, then you have CEC and they’re always doing some pretty big things so they need support from the community for those,” said McQuaid. “We’re kind of in the middle right now. We have all the same issues and maybe a few more and it can be difficult. It can be a rough time in life as it is, then you add bullying, depression and other things on top of that it can be overwhelming.”

Williams has dealt issues himself. He was proud the group decided to tackle the issues and share them with the community.

“I think it showed people in our community we have a voice,” he said. “Some people automatically write us off and think that just because we’re teenagers, we’re going to do bad things. Not all of us do bad things and if we do, we try and make up for our mistakes. Without a place to go, we could just as easily be on the streets or doing drugs.”

The group of teens met every Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. Creation officially started in November and concluded with the gala event at the fire hall. They would enjoy supper while working on the skits, speeches and slide show presentation aimed at showing the community what goes on from day to day at the club.

Chisholm couldn’t be prouder of how the group came together and shared their message through art.

“They were so happy to be a part of something like this,” she said. “They were definitely going in, but for many of them, it was the first time they had done anything like this. There were at least 60 or 70 people in attendance so it was a big deal. You could clearly see the pride they had. They wanted to get their message out. It is different growing up today, especially in junior high. This was a way for them to show they have the power to change things. They are standing up to bullying, they’re leaders and they’re developing the skills now that will allow them to have a healthy life.”

McQuaid adds it also helped to open the lines of communication with parents as well.

“When you’re this age, it’s hard to go up to your mom and dad and tell them what’s happening, how you feel and that you want to talk about it,” she said. “A lot of the time, you don’t want your parents to know things and the last thing you want to do is talk about it with them. Putting it out there in this form shows them what we go through and that sometimes it’s difficult. After the gala, I went home and talked to my mom about it and I think it already gave her a different outlook on these types of issues. It was a chance for her to share with me how she feels about things and what she worries about.”

Not every student took an acting role. Those who didn’t want to be part of the skits, worked on the other projects, helped find props, did backstage work and helped others with their cues.

Williams said it’s like that every day at the club and more people need to know just how important it is.

“Every day, coming here and being here is a great experience. We’re with other people and I’m not talking about family. It’s other people our age and it’s a chance to interact with different people. We all hang out and have our own social groups but when you come to the club, you’re just one group. No one is better than anyone else,” he said. “We’re all equals here. If someone is having a problem, everyone chips in to help that person out. We’re there for each other and to go home after being at the club and think, ‘man, I had a great day.’ That’s me every day.”

It’s Wednesday morning, and the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus bustles with activity as members of the “Friends of the Garden” gear up with their tools of the trade - dandelion-diggers, clippers, and kneepads - and head for that little-known gem, the rock garden, just as they have been doing every Wednesday morning for more than a decade.
The “Friends” are all volunteers, mostly retired individuals, whose interests lie in plants and gardens in general, rock gardening in particular.
Back in 2002, a grassy slope on the campus of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College was transformed into an area encompassing tons of pink granite placed in such a way as to form cliffs, ravines, and crevices where a wide spectrum of plants was introduced and which thrive to this day. Pathways were installed, winding through the rocks and greenery, leading visitors over bridges, up stone steps, and under trees. As is the case with many successful endeavours, this exceptional retreat grew from modest beginnings.
The idea for a substantial rock garden on the NSAC campus germinated with Carol Goodwin, professor of environmental sciences, when a tiny rockery was to be renovated. Goodwin looked around for knowledgeable advice and found Bernard S. Jackson, recently retired Director of Memorial University’s Botanical Garden. Dr. Jackson was asked to help and the project took off.
The natural contours of the land made it possible to create dry stream beds and mountainous terrain, while the presence of mature trees added shady areas. With a grant from the North American Rock Garden Society, the welcoming courtyard at the entrance was formed.
The variety of environments on the site enables the growth of diverse plant species, from spring bulbs to shade-loving woodland plants, to the main feature, alpine plants, whose ancestors learned to thrive on mountainsides in full sun with not much more than gravel around their roots.
The Friends of the Garden hold their annual plant sale on the first Saturday in June. Plans and preparations are already underway for this year’s sale on June 1. You can select from a broad variety of plants on offer, and in addition, take home free gardening tips and suggestions.
Whether you enjoy a garden for its beauty, its bird life, its photo opportunities, or as a place of sanctuary, you are welcome in the Rock Garden on Dal’s Bible Hill campus. And if you come on a Wednesday morning, you could be touched by the friendly atmosphere, borrow a dandelion-digger, and join the action.

TRURO: To find out, come to St. Andrew’s United Church where the Maritime Marionettes will be putting on two shows of “Molly and the Oak Island Treasure” at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 7 and 2 p.m., on Saturday, June 8.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Clay Cafe, in the St. Andrew’s church office between 9 a.m. and noon Monday to Friday, and at the door.
Darryll Taylor wrote the story about Molly and the Oak Island Treasure and combines local folklore with fantasy in this musical play. Heather, Taylor’s partner in the Maritime Marionettes, developed an interest in Marionettes at age 11.
The two skilled artists, who are dressed in black and moving about seamlessly, have the ability to bring the story of Molly to life by manipulating their carefully designed string puppets.
The audience will also see the transformation to working shadow figures on a warmly lit cotton screen. This brings an additional enchanting dimension of puppetry to enhance the story. The 45 minute story includes eight marionettes and a dozen shadow people.
The play is a story about Molly and Pixie, her little fairy friend.  The two set out on a marvelous adventure in search of buried treasure. Along the way Molly meets friends who help her in completing her wondrous journey. This show features the music of the Barra MacNeils and has a rich maritime theme.
The Maritime Marionettes, founded by partners Heather and Darryl Taylor who live in Truro, have been entertaining families in Canada and abroad for 25 years.
The Taylors bring traditional songs and stories to life with exquisitely made and skillfully manipulated wooden marionettes.

The message was clear as Community Credit Union hosted its annual general meeting – it’s time to put a stop to bullying.
Held at the Best Western Glengarry, the room was a sea of pink as the majority of Community Credit Union members who attended the AGM wore pink shirts in support of the organization’s efforts to take a stand against bullying.
Right from the very beginning, Darrell Kuhn, the organization’s CEO said this year’s AGM had a different feel to it because of the anti-bullying theme. That’s because in addition to conducting normal business, two donations of $2,500 were made to the CYBER Internet Safety Society and Team Courtney.
“We started this anti-bullying campaign close to two years ago and it’s really taken on a life of its own,” said Kuhn. “It just seems to continually pick up speed. For us, it culminated at our AGM. We’ve all heard about the bad things that are happening to some of the youth in our communities. We thought this was a good time to stand behind the efforts of those in our community who are trying to prevent these bad things from happening.”
Barry Mingo, Executive Director of CISS also gave a brief presentation on the CYBER program and how it has evolved over the years. It concluded with a special appearance by CYBER himself.
By the end of June, CISS will have made presentations in 45 schools around the province to more than 25,000 students.
“It’s still not enough,” Mingo told the crowd. “The awareness lasts approximately a week-and-a-half to two weeks. They lose the message after that. But if we’re going to have an effect on this issue, we need to start young. We have to make bullying and cyber-bullying socially unacceptable.”
Mingo also told the crowd a pilot program will be launched this fall and has been designed in a way to tie in with the current curriculum being taught.
Tom and Sharon Brown were representing their daughter Courtney and the team that bears her name in the annual Walk So Kids Can Talk in support of the Kids Help Phone. Courtney committed suicide in 2011 when she was 17 years old after being bullied at school and online.
The tragedy is still something the Browns struggle to deal with on a daily basis.
“This is hard to talk about,” said Tom. “I’m able to spit out a few more words now before everything comes back and the emotion takes over. But I know the only way to keep this going is to talk about it whether it’s in the newspaper or at events like this. It’s about awareness and that’s what we need. We’ve seen and felt what bullying can do. We lost our daughter because of it. She would have been 20.”
Neither Tom nor Sharon expected a call from Community Credit Union and an invitation to attend the AGM. They were joined by Pam Murchison, who lost her daughter Jenna Bowers-Bryanton to suicide as well.
“For the Credit Union, being a community-based organization, to stand up like this and show their support in the fight against bullying is a real big thing,” continued Tom. “To get a call like this from the Credit Union and have them show their support for Team Courtney and have us here means a lot for us.”
Kuhn says the issue of bullying extends beyond the parameters of business and has reached a point where everyone needs to step up and take a stance.
He says both groups that received donations are continuing to raise awareness not only in Colchester County but around the province and that’s something that needs to be commended.
“When our board looked at where we wanted to put our money in the community, it was unanimous. Our board wasted little time in saying this is where our money needs to go,” he said. “Our members were just taken back by the stories they heard and they felt the emotion and pain that goes right along with it. We don’t want to hear any more stories like this. No parent should have to stand up in front of a crowd and talk about how their child ended their life because of bullying. This isn’t about Community Credit Union or any other business. It’s about our communities and our young people and addressing an issue that rapidly spun out of control.”
Kuhn commended Mingo and the CYBER Program for all they do as well as the Brown’s and Murchison for continuing to do what they do despite all they’ve been through.
“They’re out there, fighting this issue every day,” continue Kuhn. “When you look at Barry, he’s out there trying to make a difference. You can see his passion but we need more Barrys. We need hundreds of Barrys to continue driving this message home. We’re challenging the business community to step up and take a stand. The more money and support we can give these initiatives, the more kids we’re going to be able to reach and help. They can’t do it alone and our society has reached a point where we have to stop losing our youth over this issue. We need everyone at every level to be a part of the solution. This is just the beginning for us. We want to be even more involved.”
This year’s Walk So Kids Can Talk was held May 5. Sharon was the top pledge earner while Team Courtney was this year’s top team.

April 15 will be a day Mike Hennessey and his family remembers for the rest of their lives.
It was the day two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. But Hennessey, who had crossed the finish line moments prior to the explosions, refuses to let that be the reason he remembers his first Boston Marathon.
“This one instance was very tragic but I’m learning to look past that and realize I just participated in the Boston Marathon and completed it. A lot of people didn’t get the opportunity to do that this year,” said Hennessey. “The reality is, yes I finished the marathon which is a huge accomplishment and what happened did take something away from the experience, but that is even more so for the people who were unable to finish. As cliché as it sounds, I want to go back just to show that this is an event people are still going to support regardless of what happened.”
Hennessey first started competing in marathons in 2000. He jumped in with both feet and through a random draw found himself running the New York City Marathon. Without a real plan heading into the event, he says he half-trained, ran it and was left humbled.
After telling himself he had run his first and last marathon, two days later he was already planning to run another one. It was at that point thoughts of the Boston Marathon started creeping into his head.
“For me, it stands out as the pinnacle of marathons. It’s the oldest marathon and one of the fastest,” he said. “Over the next decade, I ran close to a dozen races but it wasn’t until 2011 I was finally able to qualify for Boston.”
Although he qualified, it wouldn’t be until 2013 when Hennessey would finally head down to Boston. He made the trip with training partners Jody Mattie and Ian Johnstone who were also running in the marathon.
Hennessey’s wife Allison, their children and other family members went to Boston to cheer him on. They arrived in Boston the Saturday before the race to take part in some of the festivities while trying to enjoy some down time before the big race on Sunday.
“There was such a fantastic buzz in the air,” he said. “The Boston Marathon has very unique colours and you can see all the jackets around town. It’s almost like you’re a celebrity. People acknowledge you when they see you wearing the jacket and they recognize you’re going to be running in the Boston Marathon. It’s a huge event in Boston.”
When arriving near the start line, he was surprised to see how everything was set up.
“It was like an athlete’s village of sorts,” he said. “They had coffee, cereal and energy bars for all the runners. It was a good thing because it was a long morning.”
Despite failing to get a good night’s sleep the night before, the adrenaline running through Hennessey’s body was more than enough to keep him pumped up.
After the race started, he found himself reflecting while trying to find his pace with so many runners around him. He’s still amazed at how everything went off without a hitch.
“With the starting positions based on times, everyone around me was pretty well running very much the same,” he said. “I just remember rounding the first corner and as I did, I looked up and all you could see was a sea of runners and fans ahead. At one point, I shared my awe out loud and a guy running beside me said, ‘man, it’s like this the whole way, enjoy the ride.’ At another point in the race, you hit a long straight stretch with a few hills and I was in a place where I could look back and when I did, the street was just covered in runners as far as you can see. I tried to take in some of that while maintaining focus on my running.”
Hennessey had a goal of three hours in mind for the marathon and around the 17-mile mark, was still on pace for that. However, feeling himself fading quickly and after running downhill for so long, he could feel the cramps starting in his quads.
“I quickly switched my expectations and started to enjoy it. A few times where I knew I was struggling, I just kept telling myself I was going to finish this,” he said.
After 20-miles in, Hennessey began his ascent up Heartbreak Hill. The stretch is well-known to runners and is often described as the most difficult stretch of the marathon. He said it absolutely lived up to its name but he had no intentions of stopping or walking up it.
Finally, the finish line was in sight and after several more strides he coasted over it with a number of thoughts running through his mind.
“The first was, ‘thank goodness this is over,’” he said with a laugh. “My brother actually saw me on television crossing the line and he sent Allison a text message shortly after. It was cool just to stop and soak in the thousands of people at the finish line and the whole production of it all. I made my way from the finish line to the family meeting area where I could meet up with Allison, the kids and everyone else. It took me a good 30 minutes to get there because I had to get my water, medal and other goodies before moving on.”
After several minutes and the arrival of Johnstone to the family area, that’s when the first explosion was heard and felt. Seven seconds later, a second explosion.
“There were thousands of people on the street and everyone just went silent,” said Hennessey. “You could hear a pin drop at that point.”
Following the second explosion, most people on the street carried on as normal, not realizing the tragedy that was unfolding at the finish line. After finding out Mattie was in the medical tent getting re-hydrated, Hennessey and Johnson started to head in the direction of their friend.
As they were walking toward the finish line, they met people running the other way telling them not to head in that direction because of two explosions. Hennessey says it immediately changed the tone of the event.
“At that point, there was very little communication,” he said. “We found out that Jody was still in the tent, which was impressive given the fact, everything else that was going on. We stuck around for a few minutes then Allison, the kids and a few other people we were with decided to go back to the hotel. My stepfather and I stayed behind to wait for Jody.”
Moments after the explosion, communication became even more difficult. Texting was very intermittent and cell phones were constantly losing their signal. After parting ways, Hennessey finally received a text from his wife letting him know that the subway had been brought to a standstill but they managed to make it to a nearby hotel.
After re-connecting with Jody, everyone met up at the hotel and planned to return to their accommodations. It ended up costing them $150 for a 20-minute cab ride.
“We would have paid $500,” said Allison. “When we made it back, we pretty well shut everything off. We didn’t want to get swept up in everything that was taking place. We have young kids and we wanted to protect them from that.”
The explosions also altered family vacation plans for the Hennesseys. They had planned to spend a week, celebrating as a family and travelling back into Boston to attractions like the New England Aquarium.
To avoid the chaos, they avoided Boston the following two days, but on Thursday while heading out of town, they did manage to pay a visit to the aquarium. That evening, after they were on their way home, Boston and the surrounding communities were shut down as a massive manhunt was carried out.
“For Mike and me, we saw a real change in how people were,” continued Allison. “Usually when you told someone you were running or had run the Boston Marathon, they’re excited to hear now, they would say, ‘Oh, sorry.’ It took away from the fact he had qualified to run this marathon and it was almost as though those people now had a sense of pity that replaced all the excitement.”
Knowing there is more to the Boston Marathon than the explosions, Hennessey plans to go back. In order to do so, however, he’ll have to qualify again.
He also wants the opportunity to partake in a number of celebrations he missed out afterward.
“I’d definitely like to go back,” he said. “It is my goal and more so after the events that followed the marathon makes me want to go back even more. I got my medal but a lot of people didn’t finish or get their medal. They also have an awards ceremony and post-run celebration that night which was cancelled.”
Hennessey believes the 2014 installment of the marathon will be the largest yet as people rise up against what took place.
“If you’re a marathon runner, in my opinion it’s something you have to do,” he said. “Just the camaraderie that’s in Boston at the time, it’s tough to describe. I’ll train a little better too and incorporate some downhill into my training because that probably hit me the hardest. Also know what to expect of the course firsthand is also something I’m hoping I can take advantage of.”

By Heather Laura Clarke

New Member Profile

Walking along the street, you could pass by someone and never realize they struggle with literacy.
Literacy Nova Scotia Executive Director Jayne Hunter says four in 10 adults in Nova Scotia have real challenges with literacy.
“Years ago, some people left school in Grade 10 because that was all the education they needed, they could work hard and make a good living. Over time, job requirements have changed and workers need to improve their skills,” says Hunter.
“We’re seeing a lot more young people who didn’t do well in traditional school enrolling in adult learning programs. These programs are effective because they focus on the student’s individual learning styles and needs.”
Located in Forrester Hall on the Truro campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, Literacy Nova Scotia (LNS) was formed in 1992 to be a non-governmental umbrella organization with a mission to ensure that all Nova Scotians have equal access to quality literacy, essential skills, and lifelong learning opportunities.
They support adult learners and practitioners and their organizations by sharing information, and providing scholarships, bursaries, and awards for adult learners. They also offer training and certification for practitioners.
Hunter says an important part of Literacy Nova Scotia’s mandate is raising awareness about literacy itself.
“People often have a very narrow definition of literacy and think it’s just reading and writing, but it’s broader than that” says Hunter.
The Government of Canada has identified nine essential skills necessary for the workplace: reading, document use, numeracy, writing, oral communication, working with others, thinking, computer use, and continuous learning. Literacy is the foundation for all these skills.
Local adult learners who are in upgrading programs can apply for a bursary to attend the Colchester Adult Learning Association. After completing their GED or high school, they can also apply for a scholarship to attend the Nova Scotia Community College or university.
“It may be a small bursary of $500 or a scholarship of $1,500, but sometimes that’s what makes the difference and allows someone to return to learning,” says Hunter. “Everyone should be a lifelong learner. It doesn’t matter where we are on the continuum of literacy and essential skills; everyone is always learning.”
Literacy Nova Scotia recently held a celebration for Adult Learners’ Week, and Hunter says it was the highlight of their year.
“We heard four people share their stories on how learning has made a difference in their lives, and it was so inspiring,” says Hunter. “Our belief is that those who have taken steps to improve their literacy are the best ones to encourage others.”
“When you hear these stories, it’s a wonderful reminder that we’re doing important work.”
Literacy Nova Scotia is located in Forrester Hall on Nova Scotia Community College’s Truro campus. For more information, please call (902) 897-2444, visit www.ns.literacy.ca, or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

TRURO - The Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce says changes announced by the federal government to the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program will mean more red tape and additional costs for small businesses in Colchester and neighbouring counties.
“The TFW program is meant to fill labour shortages in the market,” says Chamber Vice President Stephanie Jones.  “For example, there are minimum wage jobs in agriculture, or jobs requiring late night or overnight hours that many Canadians are unable to, or not willing to work. For many employers, the TFW program is the only way to fill these jobs.”
Before the TFW program was introduced, some businesses had to limit the number of hours they were able to remain open, or produce less product.  Jones and Chamber President Mike Michaud agrees this leads to limited business growth, which leads to a loss of jobs and ultimately less economic growth within the Atlantic Region.
“The recent revelations that the program was being abused are disappointing,” says Michaud.  “However, there are many, many small businesses that use the program and follow all the rules and regulations set out by Service Canada.  And these temporary workers spend a large portion of their earnings here in Central Nova Scotia, which adds another benefit to the local economy.”
The Chamber is urging the federal government to recognize that the Temporary Foreign Worker program allows business to grow, leading to job creation and economic growth.

By Heather Laura Clarke

New Member Profile

Connie Baird has two sons, so she’s never gotten to be the “Mother of the Bride.” But now she gets the fun of helping hundreds of brides pick out linens, tablescapes, and decor -- all as part of her job as the owner of Party Time Rentals.
Baird started her business two years ago, after realizing that Truro lacked a service to rent items for special events.
“When my son got married, I had to keep going to New Glasgow to get everything we needed,” says Baird. “I knew there was nothing like this in Truro, and I had a voice in the back of my head telling me I should be my own boss, so I just went for it.”
Most of Baird’s customers are brides and grooms, but she also rents supplies for birthdays, anniversary parties, holiday gatherings, baptisms, and corporate functions. She’s even rented tables, chairs, dishes, and decorations to a couple who wanted to host their entire family -- a group of more than 30 people -- for Christmas dinner in their attached garage.
Baird also rents tuxedos for weddings and proms, helps to coordinate large functions, and even rents out her showroom for events.
“I hosted a corporate Christmas party here, and did everything -- set up the room, arranged the entertainment, and provided the meal and dessert,” says Baird. “Some people like being able to outsource everything, so I’m happy to do full-service planning.”
Now that the weather is finally warming up, Baird is gearing up for her busiest time of the year: wedding season.
“Outdoor weddings are very popular right now, so tents are in huge demand,” says Baird, who is adding two new tents to her arsenal.
Another one of her rental items is a large barbecue, and Baird says it’s a hot commodity -- especially with corporate clients throwing customer appreciation days.
Some of Baird’s clients come in with the intention of just renting chairs and tables, but change their minds once they see everything in her inventory -- especially when it comes to flatware and china.
“Some people plan to use paper plates at their event, but when I tell them they can rent real dishes and they don’t even have to wash them -- they just return them dirty -- they’re amazed by that,” laughs Baird.
“Nobody wants to wash a mountain of dishes after a party, and there’s nothing worse than being at a nice party and having to use a paper plate.”
As Baird continues to add items to her inventory and build up her client base, she says she’s excited to grow her business and continue giving back to the community. She regularly donates items for church and charity events, including Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraisers and the Relay For Life Survivor Banquet.
“So many people have told me that Truro really needed this. People are very thankful for what we provide, and the level of customer service that comes along with every rental,” says Baird. “I’m always willing to go the extra mile to help someone out.”
Party Time Rentals is located at 103 Highway 311. For more information, please call (902) 843-4433 or visit www.partytimerentalstruro.ca.