This is the last edition of the Pulse, news wise, until September 1st.
After nearly four-years of doing the Pulse of Queens County we are taking the summer off.
The Pulse however will continue with two features.
We are going to continue the PSA’s (Public Service Announcements) so keep those coming in.
Also I will try to daily put one reason that I’ve so enjoyed living in Summerville Centre for nearly seven years.
I’ve immensely enjoyed my near seven years of living on the ocean in Summerville Centre and that ocean view and location I will miss very much but due to a health issue of a family member I feel I belong close to this person who lives around Halifax and that is the right thing to do.
I have totally and thoroughly enjoyed being in Queens.It is way more than I expected.
It is certainly the smallest place (population wise) that I have ever lived. The closest one, population wise, was a year, my only year, in Western Canada where I spent 12 months managing a radio station in Swift Current, , SK.
The population of Liverpool and area might hit 4-or-5 thousand while Swift Current itself is over 16,000.
Other than that I spent two years in Woodstock, Ont (population in 1969-70 was 27,000. and there are so many cities around there), Halifax was my home for the past 25 years prior to coming down here. I spent 9 years in Corner Brook, NL and that city was nearly 30.000.
So this part of the world is the smallest that I lived.
I grew up in Quebec City (fluent in English and French) in fact French was my first language and I didn’t know a word of anglaise until my seventh birthday.
My first day in Queens was September 15th, 2008 and I didn’t know a soul and no one know me, or so I thought.
On that day then Premier Rodney MacDonald came down and presented Mayor John Leefe one of those great big cheques for six-million bucks for the new Queens Place.
I walked into council chambers for the first time and three of Rodney’s crew came over to say hi. They were all former media guys that I knew from Halifax. So much for being incognito and I believe that Mayor Leefe recognized me from television.
Susan MacLeod probably wondered what the fuss was all about, who was this guy and as soon as the presentation was done came over and said “who are you?”.
I told her I was here to set up a community radio station of which a few years later she played an incredible part in the first ever QCCR fundraising telethon. Thank you Susan you did a great job in organizing it.
Then I went over to Superstore and the manager Wayne recognized me from my TV days at MITV/GLOBAL and my 12 years with TSN. So much for being incognito.
From that point I have met hundreds and I thank you.
I was pleased to set up QCCR and hope it continues to be a community station. All they are missing to be a dynamite daily force is more power.
QCCR launch June 20th 2008, the Mayor and editor of the Pulse
Four years ago I started the Pulse on a whim never expecting it to be as popular as it has become.
The daily on-line newspaper is read by so many for its daily dose of news, controversy, editorials, photos and maybe the strongest part of this website the replies and remarks to items posted.
And they come in droves on stories and comments written here. From “Tims not having sweetener”, to “Schools being closed,” to the “Old Town Hall/Sherman Hines” to the recent “Chandler’s Crematorium issue,” reader’s make their views well-known and that’s not a bad thing.
Here are the tentative plans for the Pulse.
The Pulse will end for the summer months on July 1st. It will shut down for the summer and I have all intentions of coming back. As the song says “See you in September.”
Before the internet it would be very hard to do such an on-line paper but these days with the internet, Facebook, email and the use of my favourite tool for the last 50 years, the telephone, I can get most stories. Also photography is not really an issue with so many photos emailed to the Pulse.
I have a photo bank of over 25,000 (that’s thousand) pictures of the area. So if I think I can do the same job from Halifax then I will continue. If not the Pulse will not re-open.
Vern Oickle
It would be nice if someone could take it over.
It takes someone who knows and understands journalism, preferably if they have worked in the field, he/she is not afraid of doing interviews,live or by phone and it would be nice if they can handle a website.
There are many who possess some of those skills but to my knowledge one person who possess them all, is Vern Oickle.(hint, hint Vern).
The setting up of a community radio station (QCCR) and doing this daily on-line paper has been a blast.
Thank You and enjoy the summer.
Alex J. Walling
Pulse of Queens County 
What !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!You can’t leave Alex but I DO understand . Checking out the Pulse is my morning ritual along with numerous times through the day ….Hopefully if someone does take it over , he or she won’t be afraid to voice his or her opinions .They will certainly have to have broad shoulders ….I hope everything works out for you Alex ,good luck …..
Thanks Peggy…. but i think I can use the phone from Halifax and a trip to Lovely Liverpool is not that far away.
Sorry to hear you have to leave Liverpool Alex, and to suspend/terminate the publication of The Pulse. We may have not always agreed with your comments and points of view, but I am sure that most people are pleased that you made them, and gave us all something to think about.
You have done your best to keep the residents of Queens county up to date on current events, even when some people would rather sweep them under the table. But more important you have made available to us a “Forum” where we too can express our opinions. You have been completely fair in allowing all aspects of a topic to be printed, and for that I commend you.
I don’t know who will now chase our Mayor and his band of followers around for news concerning the area, for lets face it even CBC doesn’t have much luck with that.
I hope everything works out for you and the relative that you are caring for, and I Hope that we may see you back in Liverpool again publishing The Pulse. You have had a good run.
Thanks Terry…and I will try to re-launch in September.
David and I follow the pluse daily too, and would miss it ,if it was gone for good. You are doing a good job and hope that you can continue….Good luck with the family illness…….
The Nora Hughes comment above hit the nail right on it’s proverbial head, there is little I can add to that comment or the previous comments, except to say there will be many loyal followers of the Pulse disappointed, some others very content with this news. I look forward to the Pulse continuing with you at the helm, although without your attendance at the R.O.Q’s council meetings, very little will be known of the actual happenings at council.
I look forward to your continuance, be it at a distance. I shall never forget the “coffee cup” incident.
Thanks again for your efforts, they never went unnoticed
So sorry to hear you are leaving (for awhile)…I sure will miss The Pulse and I hope you continue at a later date….Good Luck!!!!!
I’m a seasonal member of the community — and I read The Pulse daily from Toronto. I’ll miss my link to Queens! (I guess that I’ll have to phone my neighbours more often :). Best of luck with your family in Halifax — follow your heart…
Good luck Mr. Walling. I was an avid follower of the Pulse and will very much miss it if you no longer continue. I am formally from Liverpool and presently living in Halifax and without the Pulse I would not have known what is going on in town and county.You are a person who can get to the bottom of an issue and I respect that. People may not always agree with each other’s view point but for the short time that I did make my views known they were actually presented in the reply section along with everyone else’s Thanks.
Brian:
I will try to continue the Pulse in September
ajw
Alex J…You will be sorely missed around town! Come back and see us Liverpudlians when you can..take care of yourself and the family! Thank you for all of your help to local service groups and events, you have been an asset to our communities.
Shirley, thanks but I expect to restart the Pulse come Sept 1
I don’t always read The Pulse, maybe once a week but I do so enjoy it. The Mayor must be happy that you are taking a break. Alex I hope you have a good summer break & maybe if you have a few free hours while you are on your break you could find out WHY he is mayor anyway !
Jan
Break starts for summer on July 1st
alex
Bob Quinn says: He is Mayor because the people in Queens County elected him. Less we forget, Mr. Clarke has done a great many good things for this area. Always keep in mind that a Mayor acts on behalf, and represents the wishes of Council which is the actual decision-making body re Municipal matters.
Alex, I wish you nothing less than the best of the months ahead, it’s not easy having a loved one struggling with health issues. Now, in regard to the Pulse, it won’t be the same without your sometimes controversial views reporting the ‘news’. Whether folks liked your opinions and style of journalism is a mote point…because you got people talking and that’s always a good thing. I have always been appreciative of the respect you have provided me over the years. And, today if I were still the MLA for Queens I would be definitely be Honouring you with a Resolution. One of the best things I enjoyed during my time in Politics was the avenue to recognize publicly someone’s accomplishments. You are deserving of that recognition…the Pulse especially QCCR has been so good for Queens so thank you for that vision of a local radio station, and having on board so many talented folks to help move it forward..good on you. Take care and I know we haven’t heard the last of Alex J ! Oh, and I agree wholeheartedly, Vernon Oickle would be such a natural for QCCR! Best regards, Vicki Conrad
Vicki: thank you for your kind words.
The Pulse will be back on Sept 1 and plans to cover your mayoralty race in 2 years time.
ajw
The Pulse always went along with my coffee in the morning and will miss it… i wish your family member good health and you have a great summer and will see you in September… drop by the school if you are in the area over the summer..