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Westminster Elections 2005
Caithness Sutherland Easter Ross

HUGH ROSS
Longest Serving Employee Retires From UKAEA
When Hugh Ross retires from UKAEA, Dounreay, 28 April 2005, he will have spent just four months short of forty-nine years on site, its longest serving employee.  It is a proud record, and one of which his late parents would have been equally proud. Hugh grew up in Reay, where he received his primary education. His father was gamekeeper on Sandside estate. His mother�s ancestors can be traced back to having worked in the early 1900s on Lower Dounreay farm, the site of the future fast reactor project.

Thurso Business Takes Whisky Range Online 
A small family owned and run grocers in Thurso, J A Mackay, has recently launched a new e-commerce website to market their products.  As the domain name of the website suggests - www.getwhisky.com  the emphasis is on their amazing selection of whisky, ranging from highly sought after Scottish malts to unusual brands from faraway places like New Zealand.

Beckett On Tour -
Mill Theatre this Thursday 28th April 2005
Arches Theatre Company - Beckett on Tour
Two short Samuel Beckett plays in one evening.
Rockaby
A lonely old woman, enshrouded in a black dress and surrounded by darkness, lurches back and forth in a rocking chair as a disembodied narrative speaks over her.
Krapp's Last Tape
Resonating and pulsing with sound - keys jingle, corks pop, hands rub, feet shuffle, a banana peel slithers to the floor and an old man remembers.

HABITAT SQUAD ENHANCES SOUTH HEAD
A mixture of young and older local volunteers turned out in force on Sunday to assist with a habitat enhancement scheme at South Head Quarries, Wick harbour. The project was organised by The Highland Council Planning and Development Service local countryside ranger and was funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and Community Service Volunteer Action Earth Awards. Kind permission for the project was granted by Malcolm Bremner on behalf of the Wick Harbour Trust. The youngest volunteers, members of the Caithness Critters, planted a mixture of wildflower plugs around the recently created picnic areas. The attractive range of coastal plants such as birds foot trefoil, harebell and kidney vetch will produce bright colours over the summer months and attract insects into the area.

Thurso Bowling Club Starts 2005 Season
In Glorious Sunshine
Members and guests of Thurso Bowling Club welcomed the new bowling season on Saturday 23rd April at the Millbank Road club amidst glorious Opening Day sunshine.  Club President Vic Dable in his opening speech thanked the excellent work of the green keeping staff and the dedication given by the few volunteers that gave their time to the maintenance of the club over the closed season. The President's wife Carmen Dable was then presented with a bouquet of flowers donated by Noble's of Thurso before throwing the opening jack of the 2005 season. The afternoon Helter Skelter was keenly contested over 5 rinks but the 6th rink of Harry Cormack, Bob Campbell, Judy Mowat and Colin Mackintosh won easily and received a bottle of wine each. Liz Rhodes picked up a bottle of Bucks Fizz after getting the first toucher of the afternoon.

UKAEA PENSIONS SERVICE TO ADMINISTER
RWE NUKEM PENSION SCHEME
UKAEA�s Pensions Administration Service, based at Thurso, Caithness, has been awarded a five-year contract by the Trustees of the RWE NUKEM Limited Employees Pension Scheme to carry out the administration of the Scheme. The RWE NUKEM Scheme has a membership of around 800 with 650 active members based at Dounreay, Risley, Windscale, Winfrith and Harwell.  UKAEA�s pension service currently administers nuclear sector pension schemes which cover 47,000 members across a number of employers � BNFL, UKAEA, the Radiation Division of the Health Protection Agency (formerly the National Radiological Protection Board), the Ministry of Defence, and some research councils.

North Highland Forest Trust Annual Forum - Huts, Hides and Homes
Lyth Arts Centre, by Wick - Saturday 23rd April 2005
The North Highland Forest Trust is organising a free Community Forestry event, to be held this year in and around the wonderful setting of the Lyth Arts Centre in Caithness. The aim of our Annual Forum is to provide an opportunity for those interested in Community Forestry from across the North of Scotland to meet up, exchange ideas and to celebrate some of the tremendous achievements happening within this area of community and woodland development. In an informal setting we hope to attract a wide range of individuals from both established Community Woodland Groups and other groups/individuals interested in finding out more about how Community Woods might work for them. We also hope to attract many individuals representing organisations working across the field of Community Forestry.

Wick Rotary To Raise Funds For Caithness MS
Can you help?
Do you have books, CD�s, and videos you no longer need?
You can help Caithness MS sufferers receive treatment and therapies!
All you need do is drop your books, CD�s, and videos off at the one of the following:-
Georgesons, Solicitors, 22, Bridge Street, Wick
Georgesons, Solicitors 19, Traill Street, Thurso
Reids the Chemists, High Street, Wick
Macgregors, Vets, Wick Airport Estate.
then Come along to the Sale
Friday and Saturday, 27/28th May, 2005 at the Wick Bridge Street Church Hall.

Broadband offers new opportunities for work in Caithness and Sutherland
Are You Interested In Working Online From Home?
As the availability of broadband spreads across Caithness & Sutherland more and more people will be wondering how to use this new resource for personal gain. How about being able to do a proper job working from home?
In 2005, you will be able to begin to make good use of your broadband and internet service by joining the new ki work networked project team. Using suitable IT and broadband connections ki workers will form teams to fulfil projects for clients by operating from their own homes, their home-offices or from a nearby small office.

UKAEA Assists Caithness Badminton Tournament
UKAEA Dounreay have recently made a donation towards the Caithness Badminton Tournament. Pictured are the winners and runners-up receiving their trophies and sponsorship at a presentation held in the Royal Hotel on Saturday 9th April:
 

THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL TOWNS
HIGHLIGHTED AT CONFERENCE
The importance of small towns to the well-being of the Highlands was highlighted at a European conference which opened at Dornoch today (Monday 18 April 2005). Delegates, 60 of whom come from Iceland, Sweden and Finland, were told that membership of the Highland Small Towns Network had grown from 7 to 12 in recognition of the benefits being enjoyed by communities as they deliver local projects which contribute to the development and well-being of their towns. Formed as part of a European Northern Periphery Programme Project, the network comprises members from Nairn, Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon, Tain, Bonar Bridge, Ardgay, Lairg, Rogart, Dornoch and Golspie, as well as Inverness. Groups have already promoted 90 local projects at a cost of �500,000. Funding from a Community Chest, has been particularly helpful in enabling community groups to lever in other funding.

NINE IN A ROW FOR THE HIGHLAND COUNCIL ON COUNCIL TAX COLLECTION
For the ninth year in a row, Council Tax "in year" collections in Highland have shown an improvement. Figures just released by The Highland Council reveal that 94.14% of the tax that was billed for the year 2004/2005 was received by 31 March 2005. This generated almost �500,000 of additional income within the year.