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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...........
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.
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.
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).................
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. |
