Bright Ideas Abound
Last week the Annapolis Valley Campus (AVC) of the Nova Scotia Community College announced the winners of its annual Innovative Business Ideas Competition. Understandably, given the AVC’s pioneering programs, the winning ideas focused on new technology and energy management. Whether you’re turning on your lights or turning on your ignition, you have to admire these young entrepreneurial initiatives. And the bright minds that have chosen to learn here.
Ici On Parle Français
Innovative new learning is only one part of the Annapolis Digby educational equation, as demonstrated by students from Digby last week. This is a region that prides itself on preserving its multi-cultural heritage, and that’s evident in the traditional academic excellence displayed by the four students, who were among regional winners in the recent Concours d’art oratoire. Next stop is the provincial French speaking competition. Bonne chance.
Weymouth Gets the Butterflies
But that’s not a bad thing - as a matter of fact, it’s sort of what they’re hoping for. Not to be outdone by their older peers, these younger students decided to focus on their environmental prowess as Annapolis Digby celebrated Earth Day.
No Idle Chatter
OK – it may give pause for thought to town employees who may want to nip over to a local drive-through for their lunch break. But Digby’s walking a sustainable path these days, and proving that sometimes an environmental “turn off” is a good thing.
Always Ready To Raise Their Hands
Sometimes the fun stuff for we newsletter editors is to focus on the new, the innovative, the groundbreaking, etc. ...yadayada...But let’s face it, what makes Annapolis Digby truly great is the continuing steadfastness of folks here to our traditional values of mutual caring, selfless enterprise and total commitment to this community. And a number of Annapolis area residents were deservedly recognized recently by the province’s Premier for those intrinsic values.
Sustainable Agriculture Becoming a Capital Idea
Annapolis Digby has long been a regional hotbed for advocates and adherents of community sustainable agriculture. Now it looks like the idea is finally catching the eyes – and the resources – of enlightened investors globally.
Finally, if you spent the weekend watching the Kentucky Derby with a Mint Julep in hand, you can continue in that languorous ambiance this weekend as everyone will be “Celebrating Magnolias in Annapolis Royal”, which rightly bills itself as Nova Scotia’s Magnolia Capital. You can take advantage of garden tours, gardening demonstrations, related community events – or just stand and sniff the air. Check things out at www.celebratingmagnolias.wordpress.com. OK– I have a white linen suit, can do a passable Rhett Butler impersonation (frankly Scarlett...), now if I can just find one of those neat Colonel Sanders ties...
Monday, May 3, 2010
UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve 12 Principles of Community Change [read decision-making processes] developed by the Berkana Institute (www.berkana.org).
1. People support what they create.Are all the stakeholders engaged? - invite them to co-create
2. People act most responsibly when they care. Do people care about the issue being wo...rked on? How do we know?
3. Conversation is the way humans think together. What if conversation was the real work?
4. To change the conversation, change who is in the conversation. What new voices can be invited who haven’t been heard before?
5. Expect leadership to come from anywhere. Be open to being surprised by who steps forward.
6. Focus on what is possible and what works, not on what went wrong. What energizes you?
7. The wisdom lies within us. What is the next level of growing? Look within communities to find the answers.
8. How do we react in time of failure? Be curious.
9. Learning is the only way to become smarter about what we do. What do we learn from our experiences?
10. Meaningful work is a powerful motivator.
11. Power is in staying together. Are we paying enough attention to each other?
Whatever the problem, the community is the answer www.berkana.org
1. People support what they create.Are all the stakeholders engaged? - invite them to co-create
2. People act most responsibly when they care. Do people care about the issue being wo...rked on? How do we know?
3. Conversation is the way humans think together. What if conversation was the real work?
4. To change the conversation, change who is in the conversation. What new voices can be invited who haven’t been heard before?
5. Expect leadership to come from anywhere. Be open to being surprised by who steps forward.
6. Focus on what is possible and what works, not on what went wrong. What energizes you?
7. The wisdom lies within us. What is the next level of growing? Look within communities to find the answers.
8. How do we react in time of failure? Be curious.
9. Learning is the only way to become smarter about what we do. What do we learn from our experiences?
10. Meaningful work is a powerful motivator.
11. Power is in staying together. Are we paying enough attention to each other?
Whatever the problem, the community is the answer www.berkana.org
Labels:
Community change
The Feds Fund Maritime Harbour Upgrades
Maritime harbours get federal upgrade funds
Last Updated: Sunday, May 2, 2010 | 1:18 PM AT Comments84Recommend28CBC News
Small craft harbours across the Maritimes are getting $30 million for upgrade and repair work.
Peter McKay, the federal cabinet minister responsible for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, announced $12 million in funding for N.S. harbours Saturday at Fisherman's Cove, just outside Halifax.
Another $15 million will go to New Brunswick, while $3 million is allocated for P.E.I. The money is part of a national program that provides $67 million for the more than 1,000 small craft harbours in Canada.
"You see the wharf here — where it's all caved in over here? It's breaking away here and if you look from here, she's parting here," said Pherne Barkhouse, of Fisherman's Cove Harbour Authority, providing a tour and explaining why the funding is needed.
Fisherman's Cove attracts fishermen from across the Maritimes during the herring and tuna seasons, said Barkhouse.
At peak times the boats are tied up 10 vessels side-by-side along the dock, he said.
Pleasure boating is also growing as development in Nova Scotia's Eastern Passage expands.
"See, these people live in the community and it's hard to say they can't bring their boat here and tie up at the wharf. It's not fair really," said harbour authority president John Silver.
Silver wants to build floating docks that will form a "T" off the main wharf, to accommodate pleasure craft. It's not known how much that project would cost or how much of the federal funding Fisherman's Cove might receive.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/05/02/ns-small-harbours-money.html#ixzz0mufwPKuW
Last Updated: Sunday, May 2, 2010 | 1:18 PM AT Comments84Recommend28CBC News
Small craft harbours across the Maritimes are getting $30 million for upgrade and repair work.
Peter McKay, the federal cabinet minister responsible for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, announced $12 million in funding for N.S. harbours Saturday at Fisherman's Cove, just outside Halifax.
Another $15 million will go to New Brunswick, while $3 million is allocated for P.E.I. The money is part of a national program that provides $67 million for the more than 1,000 small craft harbours in Canada.
"You see the wharf here — where it's all caved in over here? It's breaking away here and if you look from here, she's parting here," said Pherne Barkhouse, of Fisherman's Cove Harbour Authority, providing a tour and explaining why the funding is needed.
Fisherman's Cove attracts fishermen from across the Maritimes during the herring and tuna seasons, said Barkhouse.
At peak times the boats are tied up 10 vessels side-by-side along the dock, he said.
Pleasure boating is also growing as development in Nova Scotia's Eastern Passage expands.
"See, these people live in the community and it's hard to say they can't bring their boat here and tie up at the wharf. It's not fair really," said harbour authority president John Silver.
Silver wants to build floating docks that will form a "T" off the main wharf, to accommodate pleasure craft. It's not known how much that project would cost or how much of the federal funding Fisherman's Cove might receive.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/05/02/ns-small-harbours-money.html#ixzz0mufwPKuW
Apple Crops Deal with Cold Nights
NS: Don’t panic: Kings crop should be fine
By Jennifer Hoegg, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Kings County Advertiser, May 3/10
Topics: Aylesford, Kingston, Port Williams
[AYLESFORD, NS] – A mild winter and early spring weather have buds bursting much earlier than usual. Early bloomers ran into trouble recently when frost hit low-lying orchards.
Bill Craig, tree fruit specialist with AgraPoint, says lows overnight April 13 and 14 damaged fruit trees in several areas. Temperatures stayed as low as -3.5 for several hours and “most orchards have some damage” – the worst he has seen since 1986.
The extent depends on location and cultivar: crops vary in timing and hardiness, Craig says. Damage is reported in Kingston, Aylesford, Woodville, Grafton and Port Williams.
“Most of the damage has happened in Gravensteins. There is quite a bit in McIntosh, which I was surprised to see, as I consider those hardy; some in Cortland and some in Jona Gold.”
The newer Honeycrisp, a popular export to U.S. markets, is just fine and Scotian Gold’s brand new SweeTango had no damage.
“I haven’t seen any damage in peaches or plums, but I have seen some in cherries. Very little in pears,” Craig says.
He points out the temperatures were normal for April, but “what isn’t ordinary is our trees are further along than they should be.”
Before mid-month cooler temperatures, trees were three or more weeks ahead. Blossoms are still two weeks ahead of schedule.
“On Thursday and Friday, I drove from one end of the Valley to the other,” Larry Lutz, crop specialist at Scotian Gold. “In one block in Aylesford, the Macintosh suffered quite a bit, the Cortlands had some, Ida Red had none.”
Don’t panic, Lutz says. As only one to two per cent of blossoms need to set fruit for a good crop, it’s “nowhere near a disaster.” Although he has seen 85 per cent damage in one block, most damage is lighter.
“It may look very bad starting out and still give you a full crop,” Lutz says.
“Some growers will notice a difference,” Craig says. “We won’t know the total impact of that frost until fruit set, sometime in late-May.”
By Jennifer Hoegg, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Kings County Advertiser, May 3/10
Topics: Aylesford, Kingston, Port Williams
[AYLESFORD, NS] – A mild winter and early spring weather have buds bursting much earlier than usual. Early bloomers ran into trouble recently when frost hit low-lying orchards.
Bill Craig, tree fruit specialist with AgraPoint, says lows overnight April 13 and 14 damaged fruit trees in several areas. Temperatures stayed as low as -3.5 for several hours and “most orchards have some damage” – the worst he has seen since 1986.
The extent depends on location and cultivar: crops vary in timing and hardiness, Craig says. Damage is reported in Kingston, Aylesford, Woodville, Grafton and Port Williams.
“Most of the damage has happened in Gravensteins. There is quite a bit in McIntosh, which I was surprised to see, as I consider those hardy; some in Cortland and some in Jona Gold.”
The newer Honeycrisp, a popular export to U.S. markets, is just fine and Scotian Gold’s brand new SweeTango had no damage.
“I haven’t seen any damage in peaches or plums, but I have seen some in cherries. Very little in pears,” Craig says.
He points out the temperatures were normal for April, but “what isn’t ordinary is our trees are further along than they should be.”
Before mid-month cooler temperatures, trees were three or more weeks ahead. Blossoms are still two weeks ahead of schedule.
“On Thursday and Friday, I drove from one end of the Valley to the other,” Larry Lutz, crop specialist at Scotian Gold. “In one block in Aylesford, the Macintosh suffered quite a bit, the Cortlands had some, Ida Red had none.”
Don’t panic, Lutz says. As only one to two per cent of blossoms need to set fruit for a good crop, it’s “nowhere near a disaster.” Although he has seen 85 per cent damage in one block, most damage is lighter.
“It may look very bad starting out and still give you a full crop,” Lutz says.
“Some growers will notice a difference,” Craig says. “We won’t know the total impact of that frost until fruit set, sometime in late-May.”
Labels:
apples nova scotia
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