Wolfville weekends continue to be loud, foul, out of control

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

Kings County Register

There were 10 noise complaints in Wolfville in the last week, which many claim is typical in early September.

The most remarkable incident is the first conviction under the municipal noise bylaw.

Winter St. property owner Brody James Todd, 24, pleaded guilty Sept. 3 to disturbing peace and tranquility, contrary to the town’s bylaw. Judge Claudine MacDonald fined Todd $150. He had committed the infraction Oct. 23, 2007.

Over this past weekend, there were two more noisy incidents on Winter St.

RCMP Sgt. Ron Smith says there were 10 open liquor charges laid on each of the last two weekends.

Smith has been very proactive this month, his second September in Wolfville, about tackling noisy parties and liquor offenses.

“You break the law and you’ll get charged.”

The fine for open liquor is $452, while the ordinary fine for noise under the town bylaw is $222.

Complainant Margie Tuttle, also a Winter St. resident, says she was glad to have an opportunity, thanks to lawyer David Daniels’ intervention, to offer a victim impact statement.

“Honestly, it’s a nightmare,” she says of the late night noise. “I got so upset when I got on the stand, I cried.”

Recent noise complaints occurred on Winter St. early Sept. 6 and then at 7:56 p.m., with a party on a deck.

Tuttle says the sheer volume of noise concerns her, but also the fact filthy language floats through a neighbourhood where young children live.

Mayor Bob Stead thinks the town should look at asking the guilty to pay costs if they go to court.

“We’ll need to do some consulting,” he says. Stead adds he was glad the first case had been prosecuted to success, and he is hopeful others will be “uniformly, but firmly, dealt with.”

This past weekend there was another charge laid under the noise bylaw when a party on Summer St. got out of control. Urinating was reported on adjacent property.

Other party situations took place on Gaspereau Ave., where footballers were holding a rookie party; Highland Ave., Woodland Dr. Ext. and Catherine Crt.