Scottish Roads Weather Problems Bulletin Board

31 August 03
FORSS BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY PARK
 
The first tenants of the newly refurbished accommodation at Forss Business and Technology Park have completed the three-mile journey from Dounreay.  Staff from the Major Projects Engineering Division, UKAEA have begun to populate the former derelict Naval Base at Forss bringing it back to life.........

30 August 03
Marymas Fair At Dunnet

26 August 03
The Green Machine Means Calmer Kids
The Green Machine, created by the Organic and Natural Food Company, is the first healthy food and drink vending machine for schools. Introduced in January, it’s been a massive hit - with children and parents wanting more. The Green Machine offers a wide range of healthier snacks and drinks, with no artificial additives, colourings or flavours.......

26 August 03
NEW TODDLERS BOOK LAUNCHED
Toddlers in Caithness will soon be getting an extra 1st birthday present from NHS Highland and The Highland Council.  As children born in the area from last August reach one year old, each family will receive a free copy of the play @ home toddler booklet.  The easy-to-use guide has hundreds of ideas for active games that are fun to play and help children's development.   The booklet also includes advice on infant massage techniques, recipes for play materials, songs and rhymes.  To mark the occasion, toddlers and their families, together with representatives from NHS Highland and The Highland Council held a birthday celebration at Wick Medical Centre earlier today...............

 24 August 03
Thurso Horticultural Show 2003

24 August 03
Staxigoe Sea Angling Competition Is A Huge Success
The Staxigoe Harbour committee organised the sea angling competition that turned out to be highly successful.  With competitions for biggest fish and highest weight of catch from both rocks and boats.  the boats that put out to sea from the harbour were rewarded with the highest catches anyone could remember fishing in just two hours.  Two boats in particular were catching fish as fast as they could rebait the hooks with the winner pulling in over 130 fish - mainly mackerel in the time allowed.

24 August 03
Exciting Finds At The Battlemoss Archaeological Dig At Yarrows  - Open Day
 
A cairn near the stone rows the main reason for the archaeological dig has revealed pottery pieces believed to have been burial urns containing human remains surrounding at least one kist.   A kist will be opened on Monday to see what it contains.  The team leave on Thursday but are happy to see more visitors on Monday to Wednesday.  This may be the last chance to see a Caithness stone row revealed to its foundations for many years to come.  the site will be returned to its original state on Thursday.
Battlemoss Index

24 August 03
Knotty Player Hurts Back  - Taken To Caithness General
 One of the players hurt his back during one of the games .  the lifeboat crew attended having just arrived in the harbour before the ambulance arrived to take the player to Caithness General.  We have not heard how he got on as yet.

23 August 03
Newtonhill Woodland, Wick Is Awarded
£45,00 For Paths Upgrade
Grant Aid For Communities Affected By Quarrying
More than £550,000 in grants is to be paid out to 24 community projects addressing the environmental impact of quarrying in local areas.   Newtonhill Woodland, Wick is one of the beneficiaries to the tune of £45,000.  The old quarry was until a few years ago one of the county dumps for household waste. 

22 August 03
Exercise  - Incident - "Red Tide" Wick Airport - Staxigoe


On Friday evening one of the biggest exercises involving all of the emergency services, volunteers from Red Cross and the Caithness General Hospital took place.   The exercise involved an imaginary plane crash following its engines being on fire trying to land at Wick airport and crashing at Staxigoe.  Apart from the plane which had survivors and dead strewn across the area the plane was also supposed to have hit a car causing injuries and trapping the driver.  Casualties were dealt with at the scene and moved into the emergency centre at the village hall and then to Caithness General with a wide variety of injuries that might have happened.  The exercise was deemed to be a great success with only minor points requiring to amend the standing instructions of the services involved suggested at the debriefing afterwards.  About 130 people were involved in the exercise.
Pictures From The Exercise "Red Tide"  -  22 August

18 August 03
CASE Monthly Report - July
Unemployment stats for Caithness & Sutherland and grants and funding to business and community groups

17 August 03
Constructive Dialogue on Proposed
Wick to Glasgow Air Link
Commercial discussions on the introduction of a new air service linking Wick and Glasgow are progressing.  Talks between Highlands and Islands Airports Limited and Highland Airways have moved forward in recent weeks and the airline is now finalising its operational and commercial plans for the proposed route.

17 August 03
Thurso Surf School Targets New Shop In Thurso
Thurso Surf School has been doing well since opening on 1st March 2003.  The school is run by Andy Bain and  Natalie Palmer who have combined a passion for surfing with a business idea.  They also sell surf equipment including surf boards, wetsuits and accessories.  The reason they are not a proper surf shop yet is because they are still awaiting premises in Thurso.   But anyone interested in surfing can go along and get advice on what gear to get before they book lessons from the school.  With the fantastic summer on Caithness beaches interest has increased. 

17 August 03
UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN LAUNCHES UNIQUE
TEACHER TRAINING INITIATIVE
Education Minister Peter Peacock Launched The Drive To Increase Gaelic Medium Teachers.  A pioneering new programme for primary English-medium and Gaelic-medium teachers received official recognition on Friday August 15 with the formal launch of a new teacher training programme developed by the University of Aberdeen in collaboration with Highland Council.

15 August 2003
PRE SCHOOL GYMNASTICS
Wednesday 20 and 27 August and 4 September
3.30 - 4.20pm or 5.30 - 6.20pm- Wick High School Gym
£2 per session
Tel 609476 to book or for more details.

12 August
GAELIC SONG FELLOW TO SING FOR HER SUPPER
IN NOVA SCOTIA
The Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellow for The Highland Council, Fiona Mackenzie of Dingwall will shortly be teaching Gaelic Songs to teenagers a little further field than usual. She will be participating in this year’s Feis an Eilein, on Christmas Island, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

9 August 03
Mey Highland Games

8 August 03
Greens New Web Site Urges The Highlands
To Say Yes To Wind
Wind Wars Breaking Out On Web Sites  - Greens Line Up Against NIMBY's
Highlands Asked To Log On As Campaigners Fight For Clean Energy.  Green groups have launched a website that calls on people to join the campaign to increase the amount of energy supplied by wind power in the UK.  The groups are so concerned by misinformation about wind power which is circulating on the internet that they have joined forces to launch www.yes2wind.com.  Environmentalists say the technology can boost jobs and tourism while fighting climate change - the world's biggest environmental problem.  Greenpeace, Friends of The Earth and WWF-UK are partners in the new web site.......
With rapidly increasing wind farm applications in Caithness the area may become a battleground for campaigners on both sides.

Recruit Wick - More Help For Local Employers 7 August
Recruit Wick is a labour market initiative designed to encourage business expansion through employment growth.  Call the Recruit Wick helpline for expert advice on a range of matters from recruitment, PAYE, and assistance in tracking down financial assistance with recruitment costs.  Fin them easily in the Caithness Business Index any time.............

5 August 03
Dental Think Tank Latest

4 August 03
Elections Expert To Brief Councillors On Proposals
For Election Reforms
The Highland Council will, this week, begin its debate on the implications of the Scottish Executive’s plans to create larger ‘multi-member’ Local Authority wards, with members elected by a proportional representation system (single transferable vote) rather than the present ‘first past the post’ method.  The Council has already expressed particular concern at the effects of the proposal on the representation of sparsely populated areas of the Highlands.  John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, will outline the implications of the new system at a meeting of the Council’s Renewing Democracy & Community Planning Select Committee.

Wick Gala Week Ends With A Bang 4 August
 
The traditional Riverside Barbecue of Kippers or Hamburgers with Bonfire and Fireworks brought Wick Gala Week to an end on Saturday night just as Thurso was getting going with the fun on the other side of the county.   With a record breaking £7100 collected on the opening night things are looking very good for a final total of fund raising from the week.  A few straggler pictures yet to come from Wick Gala.....

4 August 03
Millennium Dyke

3 August 03
Thurso Gala Night Pictures

1 August 03
Glasgow Woman Gets Full Rescue Treatment
After Fall In Thurso
A woman aged 50 from Glasgow fell on the steps at Victoria Walk, Thurso around 4.40pm today.  Fire Brigade, Police and Ambulances services attended and the woman, who suffered a badly broken ankle, was taken away to hospital.