Scottish
Roads Weather Problems Bulletin Board
Elections
May 2003
Who's
Standing & What Do They Say?
27 February 03
Heritage Lottery Award Of �1.19 Million For
Wick
Heritage Lottery Fund is about to sign the contract confirming the
award of �1.19M towards the Lower Pulteneytown Townscape Heritage
Initiative. It is believed that matched funding
from Highland Council, Communities Scotland and Caithness and Sutherland
Enterprise will take the figure to nearly �2 million......
27 February 03
Another Health Service Shake Up
White Paper on Scotland's Health
A blueprint to transform Scotland�s health and its health services was
outlined today. Key points in the White Paper Partnership
for Care include the abolition of NHS Trusts, and a new guarantee
of treatment on time...................
26 February 03
STONE WELCOMES GRANTS FOR CAITHNESS
AND SUTHERLAND TRANSPORT PROJECTS
Local MSP Jamie Stone has given a warm welcome to the news that two
community transport schemes in the Far North have won financial support
from the latest round of grants from the Scottish Executive's Rural
Community Transport Initiative. The Caithness Voluntary Group has
been awarded �94,929. This will allow them to purchase a new vehicle,
pilot a car-sharing scheme and continue their Dial-a-Ride service.
The Sutherland Partnership will receive �82,234 to continue employing a
transport co-ordinator to co-ordinate projects throughout Sutherland.
26
February 03
PARTICLE FIND ON
SANDSIDE BEACH
A suspected radioactive particle resulting from historical operations at
Dounreay was found during routine monitoring of Sandside Beach today.
The particle was removed from the beach and taken to the site for
analysis.
26 February 03
High Life Card
Success
September
to December 2002, usage at Wick swimming pool had increased by 3,429 and
by 3,999 at the pool in Thurso compared to the same period
the year before. Both facilities, which are run by The Highland Council's
Education, Culture and Sport Service, also showed a combined increase in
income of �12,101 since the scheme had been introduced.
25
February 03
THURSO EMBRACES TELE-MEDICINE
The new Telemedicine Accident and Emergency service opens in Dunbar
Hospital, Thurso on Friday 28th February at 08:30am. The hospital provides
a 24 hour A&E service. The new service was launched by an open day
for the public on Friday 21st February, at which there was a good turn out
of local people.
25 February 03
Special Offer Golf St Andrews
25 February 03
SKIBO CASTLE OPENS DOORS TO YOUNG GOLFERS
The Carnegie Club Golf Course at Skibo Castle, Sutherland is to be the
magnificent setting for the first Highland Junior Golf Championships on
Tuesday 15th April. No entry Fee but restricted to 75
golfers. Handicaps will be used if entries exceed 75. Young
golfers under 18 years old from the Highlands, Islands (including the
Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland) and Morayshire, with a golf handicap
of 24 and under for boys or 36 and under for girls are entitled to enter,
free of charge.
25 February 03
Business Opportunities At Dounreay
At a special seminar organised by Orkney Enterprise, companies and
organisations from the islands were invited to register an interest in
finding out if the massive Dounreay project could become an important
source of income in the future. It was stressed that many
non-specialist skills and supplies will be needed - everything from civil
engineering and construction work to day-to-day goods like the food
required for the 2,500-plus workforce at the Caithness site.
24 February 03
FUNDING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN CAITHNESS TO CREATE
PUBLIC ART
Young people in Caithness will have the opportunity to change the look
of their local communities due to a new grant from the Scottish Arts
Council. The Highland Council has been awarded �40,000 to encourage young
people who live within Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) areas of the
Highlands to work together with their peers, artists and voluntary
organisations to create public artworks...................
24 February
03
OSSIAN COMES HOME TO THE HIGHLANDS
A new partnership between the National Galleries of Scotland and The
Highland Council will be launched in the Highlands this week when the
'Ossian - Fragments Of Poetry' exhibition by artist Calum Colvin comes to
the Iona Gallery, Kingussie on the first leg of its Highland tour.
After Kingussie the exhibition heads for Thurso, Portree, Helmsdale, Wick
and finally Inverness......................
22 February 03
Thurso FC North Caledonian League
Champions 2002/2003
21 February 03
Wick Lifeboat Tows Southards From Trinkie Rocks
The Wick
Lifeboat went to the rescue to tow in the fishing boat Southards after she
suffered a gear-box failure shortly after having left Wick.
The lifeboat towed the vessel back to Wick and away from the rocks near
the Trinkie pool where she might have run aground.
20 February 03
Fireworks Restrictions Appeal
On behalf of The Guide Dogs For The Blind Association I would like to
appeal to your readers to support our Fireworks campaign, which calls for
an end to the disruption and distress caused to dogs and their owners by
fireworks.
20 February 03
MUIRBURNING - Highlands And Islands Fire
Brigade
Since Monday 17th February 2003 the Brigade has attended 97 incidents
involving 271 separate appliance mobilisations from 60 different stations.
39 of these incidents were countryside fires and 24 of these appear to
have started as muirburning that got out of control. 3 further incidents
involved damage to buildings resulting from muirburning out of control.
19 February 03
HMS Sutherland Visits Sutherland
The
Type 23 Frigate HMS Sutherland has been in Loch Eriboll, Sutherland and
was leaving today to go to Kinlochbervie. It was the first
time the Sutherland had been to Sutherland, and wanted to foster better
relations................
19 February 03
Free Fruit For First Two Years Of Primary School
In Scotland
�2 Million per year for next three years. Healthier
school meals are on the menu while children in the first two years of
primary will enjoy free fruit thanks to new measures and investment
announced today. A package of improvements, backed by an additional
�63.5 million, aims to drive up nutritional standards, improve the health
of young people, and tackle child poverty.
18 February 03
Smith Is Most Common Surname In Scotland
Smith, Brown and Wilson are the top three surnames in Scotland,
according to a survey published today. The survey, carried out by
the General Register Office for Scotland for the years 1999-2001, found
that there has been little change in surnames over the last 140
years.................
17 February 03
Access For All at Caithness
Castlehill Flagstone Trail
Regular users of the Castlehill Flagstone Trail in Caithness will be
pleased to know that The Highland Council Planning and Development Service
are upgrading the trail to allow All-Abilities access. The repair
has been enabled by the award of �30,000 funding from the Aggregates Levy
Grant Fund. The works will improve the path with the use of natural
materials, and especially flagstone, given the focus of the trail.
17 February 03
Letter In Response To Speculation About Wick
Airport
I write regarding local speculation concerning the future of Wick Airport,
fuelled by a factually inaccurate report recently produced by The Highland
Council. Since this report received widespread press coverage I would like
to place the facts relating to Wick�s future, as one of 10 airports
operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, on the record....................................
Wick Airport is deemed by the board of this company to
be fit for purpose and it certainly faces no threat of closure.
17 February 03
Ted And Ida Nicholas Celebrate 60 Years Married
Ted and Ida Nicholas celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary (Diamond)
in the Pentland Hotel on 8th February. They were married on 10th February
1943 in St Stephen's Church, Preston. Ted came to Caithness in 1955 to
assist in the commissioning of the D1201 and D1202 fuel fabrication plants
in Dounreay, followed by his wife and family two years later..........
15 February 03
No War Protestors Out In Thurso
A spontaneous protest to speak to passers by took place in Thurso.
There aim was to get people to send postcards objecting to a war to Tony
Blair at 10 Downing Street
14 February 03
Final Repairs At North Pier
The
weather finally settled down to allow the final concrete to be laid at the
temporary repair to the North Pier at Wick harbour
14 February 03
Ploughing Match Winners
Winners from
the competitions at Stemster Farm.
Pictures from
www.johnbaikie.co.uk
13 February 03
More Sports Coaching Courses
Badminton Instructors Course, Introductory Coaching Award Course,
Community Sports Leader Award, Level 1&2 Wheelchair Basketball Coaching
Award, Pre-School Asst, Gymnastics Coaching Award,
13 February
03
New Command Centre For
UKAEA Police
�4 Million Contract Awarded 60
New Construction Jobs
The first major construction project for the newly
formed Major Projects and Engineering Division of UKAEA has been awarded
to Highland-based, R J McLeod (Contractors) Ltd for the construction of a
new police command and control building at Dounreay.
Building Starts in March 2003 with completion by March 2004.
13 February 03
COUNCIL
CONFIRM COUNCIL TAX LEVELS FOR 2003 - 2004
12 February 03
Windmills Go Up At Forss
Wasting not time the newly arrived windmill. The blades are being
transported by road.
12 February 03
Wick Play Areas Community Group Gains Lottery
Award
The proposed major refurbishment of the Bignold Park play area in Wick
took a huge step forward when Wick Play Areas Community Group were awarded
a grant of �67,381 from the National Lottery�s Community Fund.
10 February
03
SNP Candidate Attacks Lack Of Dentists In Rural
Areas
Rob Gibson the SNP parliamentary candidate for the May 2003
elections for the Scottish Parliament in Caithness Sutherland and East
Ross wasted no time in attacking the latest report on lack of dentists in
the far north.
10 February 03
Forss Windmills Arrive
7 February 03
Caithness.org Announces
2003 Kite
Buggy Courses In Caithness
We are happy to
announce another set of Kite Buggy courses from one of Scotland's few
qualified instructors and leading exponents of this fast growing sport.
Grant Golding who runs courses in the central belt of Scotland especially
on the west coast returns for a second year with much new equipment and
specialist kites for his classes to try out. So if you want to
get first class tuition from one of the few qualified instructors in
Scotland check out the information to book up.............................
7 February 03
COSLA DEBATE
The Highland Council is to seek a report from its Chief
Executive on the work of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Colsa)
and how it represents the Council�s interests and at the same time invite
senior representatives of Cosla to address them a meeting of the new
Council following the 1 May elections.
