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Caithness News Bulletins January 2003

Caithness.org News 2002

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Christmas 2002

PUBLIC CONSULTATION A9 Trunk Road
Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness Improvements

Phase 2 Route Options Mon 3rd to Fri 14th Feb 2003
The Scottish Executive is extending consultation on the A9 Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness Improvements Phase 2 Route Options. The Exhibition material shown at the Exhibitions held in Helmsdale and Latheron on 27th and 28th November 2002 will be displayed in an A3 booklet at Wick and Thurso Libraries between 3 and 14 Feb.   A questionnaire will be available for people to send in their views.

29 January 03
Forss House Hotel New Web Site From Scorrie Internet
 
Scorrie Internet Services the business arm of Caithness.org launches another local web site.

 29 January 03
More History Comes To Life At Laidhay Croft

Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) is giving history a helping hand with a grant for the Laidhay Croft Museum at Dunbeath.  The Laidhay Preservation Trust has been awarded �5,700 via the Community Economic Development (CED) programme - administered by the development agency - to build a shed in which to display historic crofting tools.

28 January 03
New Computer Games Place In Thurso
Computer game enthusiasts in the far north are all rushing to Thurso, with the opening of a dedicated computer gaming centre in the town.

 

28 January 03
DEBUT PLANNED FOR HIGHLAND GROUP IN
CAPE BRETON MUSIC FESTIVAL

Plans are being made for a Highland debut in the prestigious Cape Breton Celtic Colours Musical Festival. The proposed visit in October has emerged from the co-operative agreement recently signed by The Highland Council and the Nova Scotia Provincial Government, which aims to encourage exchanges of young people as well establish joint working on Gaelic language and culture; tourism; economic and social development and education.

27 January 03
There Is Life After Birth
Lorna and Christine met each other in Craig Dunain where they were both being treated for Post Natal depression. They clicked with each other in the way that only women can do when they share similar experiences and problems.........

Air Services In Highland Get Extra Support 24 January 03
The Route Development fund for Highland airports is to receive �300,000 from Highlands and Islands enterprise in a bid to encourage more flights to and from the 10 Highlands and Islands airports.     The fund was started with a �1.2million grant from the Scottish Executive and part of the aim is to increase the frequency of flights.

24 January 03
Wick West Councillor Deirdre Steven Sets Out For A Seat In Scottish Parliament

Deirdre Steven currently the local Highland Council member for Wick West will not stand again in the ward as she intends to stand as the Labour candidate for the Scottish Parliament in the Caithness, Sutherland and North Ross-shire seat.  Four candidates now declared and include Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat) the sitting MSP,  Alan MacLeod (Conservative) and  Rob Gibson (Scottish National Party).

24 January 03
DIRECTOR RENEWS PLEA TO PARENTS
The Highland Council�s Director of Education Culture and Sport Bruce Robertson has renewed his plea to parents of all Highland pupils to urge them not to take holidays during the school term so the council can raise standards of achievement, part of which is targeted at reducing absences from schools.

22 January 03
COUNCIL HOUSE RENT INCREASES Average 3.8%
When The Highland Council sets council house rents for the new financial year on Thursday 13 February, it is being recommended to confirm an average increase of 3.8 %.  This will increase the average weekly rent (over 48 weeks) from �47.98 to �49.80, a rise of  �1.82.

22 January 03
The Scottish Food Challenge - For All Secondary Schools

The Scottish Food Challenge 2003, endorsed by the Executive's Healthyliving campaign, was launched today.  The Challenge, part of Sainsbury�s Taste of Success scheme, is open to all secondary schools and sets pupils the task of developing an inspiring recipe with the winning dish being developed into a new food product or recipe card available exclusively in Sainsbury�s stores.

22 January 03
COUNCIL EAGER TO MAXIMISE COMMUNITY BENEFIT AND ENVIRONMENTAL TAXATION
The Highland Council is developing a strategy for maximising community benefit from large-scale renewable energy developments that have a long-term impact on the local environment. It believes it can be a model for other local councils throughout Scotland to adopt.  The Council is in the forefront of interest in wind farm developments and small scale hydro schemes and is anxious that developers are made aware from their first contact of the Council' s expectation that local communities should benefit.  It is also to lobby hard to ensure that communities benefit more from the distribution of the Aggregates Levy and the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.

22 January 03
BUCKING THE NATIONAL TREND IN HIGHLAND WITH SOCIAL WORK TRAINEE SCHEME
The Highland Council has recorded a recruitment success, which could prove an inspiration to other councils facing the difficulty of recruiting qualified social workers.  Through its Social Work Service, the Council has introduced a new trainee scheme, which gives staff the security of a job and the benefits of on-the-job training for a professional qualification.  The Council was delighted with the response to its advert for its new trainee scheme. .....

22 January 03
HIGHLAND COUNCIL WELCOMES EXTENSION OF GAELIC TRUNK ROAD SIGNAGE
The Highland Council has warmly welcomed the Scottish Executive�s decision to extend the use of bilingual Gaelic-English signage on trunk roads in the West Highlands..........

22 January 03
Winners Of Visitor Centre Drawing Competitions
Dounreay recently presented three talented local children with prizes that were awarded for drawing competitions and a junior quiz, all of  which were held throughout the 2002 season in the Dounreay Visitor Centre.  There were also three other  winners from various parts of the UK who received their prizes through the post.

 21 January 03
Turning On The internet Tap
The campaign to convert internet access in the Highlands and Islands from a luxury that ties up your telephone line to a utility that doesn't, is to receive another major boost.  Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is to invest almost �750,000 in two major projects to promote the benefits of broadband and encourage people to register their interest in receiving it..................

21 December 03
CASE December 2002 Report

21 January 03
�16  MILLION FACILITY WILL ENABLE FOREIGN WASTE
TO BE RETURNED TO CUSTOMERS

The  UK  Atomic  Energy  Authority  has  applied for planning permission to construct   a   new  facility  for  the  management  of  intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW) at Dounreay.  The  proposed  waste  transfer  facility is designed to increase the site's capacity  for  storage  of  waste  from  the  decommissioning  programme at Dounreay.  It  will  also  enable  the long-term management of liquid waste after  it  has  been  conditioned  in cement. The new facility will allow a small proportion of this cemented waste to be returned to foreign customers from 2008 under the terms of historical reprocessing contracts.
50 New Jobs
Subject to planning and regulatory consent, the new facility is expected to create  50 jobs during its two-year construction and a further five when it comes  into  operation. It is expected to cost in the region of �16 million to design and build............

21 January 03
KEISS PRIMARY SCHOOL REPORT
School gets great report from schools Inspectors

21 January 03
TAXI FARE INCREASES TAKE EFFECT FROM 3 FEB 2003
New taxi fares will come into effect throughout the Highlands from 3 February. Following consultation with the trade, it has been agreed that a �1.80 initial fare on tariff 1 be introduced and increases across the board be set at 10%. It has also been agreed that a soiling charge of �50 be introduced as compensation to a driver when a passenger causes the vehicle to be put off the road for cleaning.

21 January 03
DUNBAR HOSPITAL ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICE
TO RE-OPEN ON 28TH FEBRUARY 2003

A new and improved Accident and Emergency (A&E) service at Dunbar Hospital in Thurso will be re-open on 28th February 2003.  The A&E service has been temporarily closed since May 2002 when the service provided at Dunbar Hospital was transferred to the A & E Department at Caithness General Hospital in Wick...........

Caithness Moto Cross Winners 19 January

Cabrelli's Closing After 110 Years 17 January 03

You only have a few days left to sample the food at one of Wick's oldest cafes.  After 110 years the cafe will change hands on Tuesday and become a Chinese restaurant.  From 1893 - 2003 is quite a record to be in business.  The only gap was during the war years when many people of Italian extraction were interned.  The names of Iacherri, Cardosi and Cabrelli - the names of the owners are well known to many Caithness folk and how many have passed through the doors for an ice cream, smokes, sweets, snacks or a full meal.

Bellhaven Brewery To Take Over Carters Bar 17 January 03
The famous Scottish Real Ale firm of Bellhaven Brewery based in Dunbar is set to take over Carter's Bar in Wick if the final hurdle of the licence transfer next week.

 

Sale Report Quoybrae 15 January 03
Caithness Livestock Centre - Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 32 cattle and 432 sheep at their special sale at Quoybrae. 

CASE Helps With A Face-Lift For Forss 15 January 03
Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) is committing over �600,000 towards environmental renewal works aimed at improving the external surroundings of the Forss Business and Technology Park, which is under development near Thurso.

New Education Service 15 January 03
A new education service in Highland - to help better involve children with additional support needs in mainstream education  was launched today (Wednesday 15 January 2003).................

�Balancing work and family life: enhancing choice and support for parents� Tax Credit changes
Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown at a press conference at the Treasury today announced the changes being made to tax credits in the UK.  April this year brings the biggest change in children�s benefits for decades.................

COUNCIL CAMPAIGN  ON TAX COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT
The Highland Council is one of seven councils in Scotland, which have been commended by the Accounts Commission for making a notable improvement in their level of collection of the Council Tax. The rate in Highland has risen to 92.2%, an increase of 7.1% since 1996/97, when the Commission began tracking performance information................

New Renal Unit Visit 14 January 03

New Schools In Caithness For Thrill Seekers 14 January 03

Whether you like being in the water or up in the air, two new schools are opening in Caithness for those with a sense of adventure...............

CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK ELECTIONS 13 January
The 13,000 residents, who live within Britain�s largest national park at the Cairngorms, will be asked soon to vote for the five community representatives, who will serve on the 25-strong Park Authority from its inception on 25 March.

Drive & Survive Courses For Taxi Firms 10 January

�800 Donation For Caithness Talking Newspapers
Staff at Dounreay have united their resources and donated over �800 to help Caithness  Talking  Newspapers  spread the news to locals and exiles across the UK.
 

Pulteneytown Church New Porch 10 January
The new porch at Pulteneytown church designed to protect parishioners from the wet and windy days we have at times in Caithness has met with mixed reception from locals.  It all depends on your point of view.........................

PROMOTING CIVIC PRIDE IN CAITHNESS 9 January
Community groups throughout Caithness are being invited to a meeting next week when an attempt will be made to cultivate interest in promoting civic pride through floral and other activities.   Caithness Floral Activities Working Group, formed by The Highland Councils Caithness Area Committee, has called a public meeting at Watten Hall, Watten, on Tuesday (14 January) commencing at 7.30 pm to identify interest in joint working and to discuss funding opportunities.

COUNCIL WELCOMES EXECUTIVE�S CITY GROWTH FUND
The Highland Council has welcomed the allocation of �3.1 million over the next three years to Inverness as the result of review of Scotland�s six cities by the Scottish Executive. The money comes from a City Growth Fund, totalling �90 million, which is aimed at helping boost the economies of Scotland�s six cities.

New Bench Seats For Crimea Monument 9 January
David Morrison as Chairman of the Footpaths Committee of Wick Community Council has received good news from Scottish Water with regard to the bench seating around the monument.  Scottish Water has confirmed that as part of the work at the new Waste Water Treatment Plant currently under construction outside wick they will replace the bench seating at the Crimea monument. 

Waste Water Treatment Works Progress 9 January
Contractors Morrisons are pleased that the work at Wick is well ahead for handover of the site later this year to Scottish Water.

 

Lidl Supermarket Making Good Progress 9 January
The new supermarket in Wick is moving fast and even as we take the pictures we are behind as the roof sis already being put in place.

 

New Renal Unit Opens At Caithness General Hospital
The new renal unit opened at Caithness General with staff having undergone full training.  the new unit means an end for many patients who had previously to travel overt two hundred miles round trip to Raigmore hospital in Inverness up to three times a week.
 

LIST OF OPTIONS FOR MANAGING PARTICLES LEGACY 8 Jan
The  UK  Atomic  Energy  Authority  today  published  a preliminary list of options  for  managing  the legacy of radioactive particles in the offshore sediment near Dounreay.
The  preliminary options are identified in the latest edition of Dounreay's Public  Participation Newsletter for stakeholders, published on the opening day  of  an  exhibition  in  Caithness  and  Sutherland about the particles legacy..............

Training Opportunities In Tourism And Hospitality 8 Jan
People in Caithness and Sutherland considering working in the tourism and hospitality industry are to be given an ideal opportunity to acquire the essential skills required to gain employment in that sector.   A limited number of places are available on three separate pre-season training courses, which are to be funded by Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) via their ESF assisted Tourism Training initiative, are to be delivered at venues in Wick, Durness and Dornoch.  The courses, which are free of charge, will run from 17th February - 5th March.

Highland Council Winter Emergency Information
Handy telephone numbers and information.

CAMPAIGN FOR INVESTMENT IN LIFELINE RURAL ROADS
A campaign has been launched in the Highlands and Islands to make greater progress in transforming 1,700 km of lifeline single track roads to modern standards, at an estimated cost of �400 million.  HITRANS, the strategic transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands, is enlisting the support of a wide range of public agencies and businesses to argue for the annual funding for the upgrading of single track roads to be significantly increased to ensure improvements are made within the 20-year period of its strategy.

HIGHLAND COUNCIL TWO TARGETS FOR THE NEW YEAR
The Highland Council hopes to make progress on two campaigning issues in the New Year. The Council is arguing strongly for the Scottish Executive to: -
remove the 50% Council Tax discount offered to the owners of second homes and long-term empty homes; and Enter into early negotiations with Skye Bridge Ltd to buy out the toll regime, thereby "unlocking the potential of Skye and Lochalsh".

SUSPECTED GAS LEAK- THURSO 7 January
About 1712 hours on Monday, 6th January, 2002, Police at Thurso received reports of a smell of gas and a visible haze near to the Gasworks at Janetstown, near Thurso.

Berriedale Post Office Needs New Postmaster Urgently
The Post Office is launching an appeal for a local person to come forward and take over running the Post Office service for the community of Berriedale from March 2003.

Be Prepared For Cold Weather If Driving 6 January
Scotland is lined up for some very cold weather in the next few weeks if the forecasts prove correct.  Here in the Highlands most folk are used to some years being far worse than others but it is as well to remember to make sure that some things are looked at especially if you are travelling far in your car.

FIRE - WICK 6 January
About 0615 hours on Saturday 4th January 2003 the occupant of No 23 Henrietta Street, Wick, discovered a fire within the hallway of his house. The fire was quickly extinguished and nobody was injured as a result, with only minor damage to the house.  Police are treating the fire as suspicious and are appealing for witnesses and/or information on this incident.

WARNING TO B & B OWNERS 6 January
Police in Inverness are warning Bed and Breakfast owners to be wary of a couple who left their B & B yesterday taking their key but leaving no money.

Particles Exhibition 2 January 2003
A number of preliminary options for managing radioactive particles in the offshore sediment near Dounreay will be published next week on the opening day of an exhibition intended to inform and stimulate debate about the issue.
The exhibitions will take place on:
Wed, Jan 8th  4pm to 8pm at the Victoria Hall, Reay.
Thur, Jan 9th  11am to 3pm and 6pm to 8pm at Thurso Town Hall.
Friday, January 10th   11am to 3pm at Thurso Town Hall.

 

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