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28 May 04
70th Anniversary of Commercial Air Mail Services
The 70th anniversary of the first official internal British airmail service will be commemorated on Saturday 29 May at Kirkwall Airport in Orkney.   Captain Ernest Edmund Fresson OBE, the pioneer of flight in the North of Scotland, flew the first airmail service from Inverness to Wick and Kirkwall on 29 May 1933. Earlier in the same month he flew the first scheduled passenger service on the same route and in November of 1934 he operated the first UK air ambulance flight.

�GREEN� CARROTS ON THE MENU AT HIGHLAND SCHOOLS
Following a trial period in schools, The Highland Council will now be solely dishing up organic carrots within all their catering establishments. This follows a change in purchasing policy to ensure organic produce is on the menu.  Members of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee were told that TIO, who supplied the carrots for the trial, have been awarded the contract to supply organic carrots and MacLeod Organics have been awarded the contract to supply organic fruit and vegetables.  The Council's procurement contract worth �2.5 million for all foodstuffs, including fresh fruit and vegetables, recently came up for renewal. Education, Culture and Sports Catering Services actively promoted and raised awareness of the tendering process to encourage more local producers and suppliers to bid.

Good Turnout For Macmillan Challenge Walk At Wick
The Wick Committee of Macmillan Cancer Relief had a good turnout when 45 people arrived for their annual walk on Tuesday 25 May.  The walkers started at Caithness General Hospital, then up Newton Hill, Down by Milton, back to Hospital.  Raising funds and keeping fit - good combination and many will be back again next year.

 Friday 21 May 04
Lesley Riddoch Show At Wick Features Caithness Maternity Issue
The Lesley Riddoch Show on Friday 21 May 2004 featured the problem of cuts to consultant led services at Caithness General Hospital.

Caithness Voluntary Group's New Offices Add To Pultenytown Regeneration
New Offices for Caithness Voluntary Group will be called Telford House after being opened on Thursday evening by Paul white of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.  Ex councillor Bill Mowat who has had a long association with CVG introduced Mr White and said the opening was the culmination of a long held dream to gain new premises for the organisation.

European Elections 10 June - Want To Vote By Post Or Proxy?
The poll will take place between the hours of
7.00am and 10.00pm on Thursday 10 June 2004.
Postal or Proxy Voting
Applications to vote by post or by proxy, and other applications and notices about postal or proxy voting, must reach the appropriate Electoral Registration Officer (see note 4 below) by 5pm on Wednesday 2 June 2004.

Canisbay Playgroup At Dounreay Visitor Centre
Children from Canisbay Playgroup recently had a day out at Dounreay's Visitor Centre where they saw a display by two of UKAEA Constabulary's police dogs and had the opportunity to sit in police vehicles.  A good time was had by all.  The children are pictured here with some of the parents, PC Willie Dunnett with Storm,  Marie Mackay of Dounreay Communications (right) and Visitor Centre guides Carol Spencer (2nd left) and Louise Gibson (2nd right).

Scottish SPCA Thurso and District Branch Dog Walk Success
On Sunday 9 May 2004 The Thurso and District branch of the Scottish SPCa held a fund raising dog walk which was a great success and raised �1250.  At the branch meeting on 9 May 2004 Chairman Iain Pollock said " A really successful event this will help the finances no end - our sincere thanks to all those that took part and to every one who contributed"

Murkle Man Turns His Birthday Into Record Breaking Fund Raiser For Charities
Murkle man Colin Mackay decided to have a 40th Birthday party with a difference recently, where he asked for no presents, but people gave donations for a charity auction and raffle.   The party, which was held last month at the Weigh Inn, was attended by several hundred people, and raised a phenomenal �13575. The money was divided up between five local charities. MacMillan Cancer Relief, Leukemia Research, Riding for the Disabled Association, Enable and REACH all receiving an impressive �2715 each.

Brough Woodturners Trip To South Africa
Brough based couple Liz and Michael O� Donnell, have just returned from a six week trip to South Africa, where they were showing their skills to the locals.  They were invited by the Association of Woodturners of South Africa (AWSA) to attend their annual congress in Durban, to demonstrate their distinctive style of woodturning and decorating to the locals and other visitors to the congress.  Michael, who left Vulcan 30 years ago, to concentrate on his woodturning, turns all his bowls using mainly local sycamore, and Liz, a primary school art teacher until recently taking early retirement, is responsible for the eye-catching decorative artwork.

NEW HOUSING SPOKESMAN
The Highland Council has elected Councillor Sheena Slimon, the representative for Badenoch West, to be its depute chairman of Housing and Social Work Committee, with special responsibility for housing matters.  Councillor Slimon succeeds Councillor Garry Coutts, Beauly and Strathglass, who resigned from the Council on Wednesday 5 May on being appointed Chairman of the NHS Highland Board.  Councillor Coutts was also the Council�s nominee on the NHS Board.  The Council has nominated Vice-Convener Michael Foxley, Ardnamurchan and Morvern, to take his place on the Board.

Allan Cup At Thuso Bowling Club

A great days bowling at Thurso saw Andrew Buttress lifting the Gents Allan Cup following a convincing 21-9 win over Ronnie Bain.  Ronnie never managed to get a look in as Andrew dominated with pin-point precision bowls that thrilled the gallery.

Pentland Model Boat Show 2004

COUNCIL CONVENER JOINS CASE BOARD
Highland Council convener, Alison Magee has joined the board of Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE).  Appointed to the post of convener last May, Mrs Magee is The Highland Council member for Sutherland Central.  Mrs Magee - a first class honours graduate of Cambridge University - lives in Lairg and was elected to Sutherland District Council in 1988 before joining The Highland Council in 1996, following reorganisation.

UKAEA CHAIR TO STAND DOWN
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt today accepted the resignation of Denis Tunnicliffe CBE as Chair of UKAEA.   Mr Tunnicliffe is resigning his position in order to take up his role as a working peer.

Robina Gray Celebrating Her 100th Birthday
Five generations gathered to celebrate the birthday of Robina Sutherland Gray at Westminster Seaview Nursing home.  Mrs Gray was married for 60 years to her late husband William.  She was born at Wellingtpn Street, Wick.  she and her husband had five children and she has 23 grandchildren, 38 grand children and two great-great-grand children.