Electric Cars Help Reduce Carbon Footprint
In The Highlands Public
agencies in the Highlands are leading the way in reducing carbon
emissions from travel by using electric cars and vans for business use.
In addition, the electric vehicles are expected to generate significant
savings in both running costs when compared to hiring a regular car.
The Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Fire Service, Cairngorms
National Park Authority and Northern Constabulary have formed the
Highland Community Partnership to lease or buy electric vehicles with
low carbon outputs. The Scottish Government provided gap funding to
cover the cost difference between leasing these electric vehicles
compared with standard equivalents through the Low Carbon Vehicle
Procurement Scheme.
The
Highland Council Backs An End To Tenants' Right To Buy The Highland Council is to support an option being considered by
the Scottish Government to end the right that Council house tenants
have to buy their homes. The Council believes that ending the right to
buy will help it meet the growing demand for affordable rented
accommodation as housing waiting lists grow.
In a submission to the Scottish Government's consultation "The Future
of Right to Buy in Scotland", the Council highlights that 57% (15,244
houses) of its housing stock has been sold through right to buy since
1981.
Four
Marine Energy Teams Vie For �10m Saltire Prize
Two tidal energy and two wave power developers have
entered into the race for Scotland's �10 million Saltire Prize as the
competition's Grand Challenge phase begins.
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed senior representatives
of the four teams to a Grand Challenge launch event in Orkney, where
MeyGen was unveiled as the fourth Saltire Prize competitor, joining
Aquamarine Power, Pelamis Wave Power and ScottishPower Renewables.
Three projects will compete in the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters -
MeyGen's tidal energy project in the Inner Sound, Pelamis' wave power
device at Farr Point and ScottishPower Renewables at Ness of Duncansby
with the HS1000 tidal turbine developed by Andritz Hydro Hammerfest.
Aquamarine's Saltire Prize project will see its Oyster wave energy
converter deployed off the Isle of Lewis.
Find Out If Your Business Can Supply
Highland Council
Help is at hand for Caithness businesses to supply The Highland
Council.
A free event aimed at helping Caithness-based businesses to supply The
Highland Council will take place on Wednesday 5 September in Wick.
Members of the Council's Procurement team will be on hand to provide
free information and advice to help businesses through the processes of
tendering for Council contracts.
Caithness-based businesses which already supply, or wish to supply to
the Council are encouraged to come along to talk individually to
Procurement staff.
Saltire Prize Junior Photography
Competition
School
pupils are being invited to capture 'the power of the sea' in a junior
photography competition aimed at highlighting the awesome force and
natural resource of the waters around Scotland.
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launched the competition, being
run under the auspices of the Saltire Prize for marine energy
technology, as she announced that two tidal energy and two wave power
developers are challenging for the main �10 million Prize.
Ms Sturgeon also announced plans for a Saltire Prize-sponsored
doctorate to study how marine energy projects can be designed to
maximise economic energy production while protecting the environment.
The photography competition aims to raise awareness of the natural
environment and the potential of marine energy. Renowned Scots
photographer David Eustace has agreed to judge the entries for the
junior Saltire Prize photography competition.
Castle of Mey Opens Jubilee Rose Garden The
charity which runs The Castle of Mey, the Caithness home of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, celebrated the Diamond Jubilee and
commemorated the 10th anniversary of HM The Queen Mother's passing by
officially opening a new rose garden on Saturday 25th August.
The Diamond Jubilee Rose Garden, with flowers all specifically chosen
by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, is situated in the walled
garden, which was a favourite place of Her Majesty The Queen Mother and
her corgis. She regularly frequented the Shell Garden on her visits to
her Caithness home.
The new garden will be full of blooming roses of all sizes and colours,
and is a fitting tribute of the anniversary of the Gathering of The
Queen Mother as well as the important milestone of the Diamond Jubilee.
27 August 2012
Launch
of the Council's budget blog - should we shorten the school day?
The Highland Council has today (Monday) launched a budget blog
on the home page of its web site: www.highland.gov.uk by asking the
public if they think it is a good idea to save �3.2 million per year by
shortening the school day of Primary 4 - 7 pupils by 30 minutes,
bringing their day in line with Primary 1-3 pupils.
Class hours for pupils in P 4-7 are currently 25 hours per week. The
maximum class contact time for teachers is 22� hours per week and so it
is necessary to employ additional teachers to cover the 2� hours per
week which cannot be covered by the normal class teacher.
Shortening the school day by 30 minutes per day would reduce the
requirement for additional staff to cover those 2� hours teaching per
week. With no additional staff being required for these classes, a
saving of �3.2m per annum could be achieved. This could be achieved by
the school day starting later, finishing earlier or lengthening the
morning break and lunch break.
26 August 2012
Collecting
Seeds to Save Bumblebees The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is running a
wild flower seed collecting workshop in partnership with Scotia Seeds.
The workshop is free and open to anyone with an interest in learning
how to collect wild flower seeds to help support the Great yellow
bumblebee.
The Great yellow bumblebee is one of the UK's rarest bumblebees and is
now only found in north and west Scotland. The course will take place
on Thursday 30th August in the scenic village of Bettyhill, Sutherland
and will include a trip to Farr Glebe to collect seed and hopefully see
Great yellow bumblebees.
Over
100 Children Get Reading Awards At Wick Library Wick library like other Highland libraries runs
reading programmes in
the summertime. These fun reading programmes for children are very
popular and this year over 100 children received a medal and
certificate. Library Supervisor Robbie Macdonald was joined by local
Highland councillors Neil Macdonald, Willie Mackay, Alex McLeod, Gail
Ross and Bill Fernie came along to congratulate the children and hand
out their certificates and medals.
Wave North Pop Up Art Exhibition
25th October - 3rd November 2012
The Wave North festival is running again in October this year to
coincide with the UK Pro Tour Surfing competition held at Thurso East.
This year as well as the surfing there will be a temporary skate park
at Thurso Harbour providing workshops and demonstrations. There will
also be a varied programme of live music at the harbour and various
venues and lots of children's activities throughout the weekend. The
Wave North Pop-up art exhibition will run again this year throughout
Caithness Horizons and shop windows around town. The exhibition will be
open for submissions from artists and this year will also have a
special category for under 18's.
Caithness
& North Sutherland Fund July 2012 Grant Awards The
Caithness & North Sutherland Fund recently awarded its 3rd round of
grants for 2012 to community projects totalling over �79K.
Six groups in Caithness and two groups in the North Sutherland area
have been awarded funding for projects that help to improve the
attractiveness of their area as a place to live, work and invest. At
the recent assessment meeting, Chairman John Henderson welcomed new
members to the Caithness & North Sutherland Fund Board, Wick Cllr
Gail Ross, Civic Leader Caithness and NW&C Sutherland Cllr Linda
Munro, Highland Children's Champion.
Scottish Independence - Have You Got a View You Want To Share Our forum is hotting up with items on this topic and no doubt
there will be many more as we move towards the referendum that may
change Scotland's position in the Uk for good or ill. Women
For Independence Sir
Chris Tells It As It Is What
Is The SNP If these threads do not cover your angles start a new thread.It
is easy to do and perhaps your views, fears, ambitions for the country
may get other people thinking about the pros and cons of independence.The jury is out and wil
remain so for a long time. Do
you think we will get to the referendum completely clear about all the
issues and possible benefits and losses?Did the jubliee or olympics make you think or change your mind
about Scoltand's place in the UK? Many people are wondering what is best for Scotland.Have
we been too long fed on "It's Scotland's Oil"? Can we run our own
armed forces without the rest of UK to back it up? Taxation up or
down?Is it a
beggar thy neighbour policy that will lead to more and more divisions
down the decades or will it result in a new period of gain for Scottish
people?There are pluses
and minuses in everything - what side do you tink the balance sheet
shows as far as you are concerned?The
Scottish government will be coming out with its papers on all of this
in coming months as we mover nearer to the referendum but you can air
your views now and see it they line up with the thinking oin the papers
yet to come.Let's not
make our mind up too fast on this one. It will affect the country
for generations.
Thurso Cinema In Full Swing Check Out
What's On and See a Movie On the Big Screen
Brave - The Dark Knight Rises - The Expendables - Ice Age 4
University
Of The Philippines Concert - Great Performances At Thurso The Univeristy Of The Philippines was once again visiting Thurso
as part of their 20th International Tour. Thurso Rotary Club
acted as host to the group who had come from Aberdeen. The two
concerts were packed out and they provided a superb range of singing
with many songs having dance routines. Songs were in both English
and Tagalog and ranged over Pop, contemporary Filipino and
international broadway songs. The whole show was fast paced and
two and half hours disappeared fast such was the entertainment.
The choir was set up in 1962 and this is their 50th year. They
have won many awards and competitions. Let's hope they return in
future years. One song from the University of the
Philippines Concert at Thurso Many other samples of the UP Concert Chorus can be found on
Youtube
Brilon
And Thurso Scouts Maintain Twinning Links Brilon Scouts are in Caithness for a few days staying with local
families and joining with Thurso scouts to celebrate 40 years of
twinning arrangements. Brilon is small town in Germany and over
the years there have been a number of exchange visits by the
scout groups in each town. Also various officials and councillors
from Brilon and Thurso have visited each others areas.
