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View Full Version : Fit's in 'e Coorier 'e day



Nwicker60
30-Nov-11, 11:35
Caithness Courier review: November 30, 2011

THE paper’s front page lead story is a hard hitting piece about the Wick Fun Day, which was slammed as “a complete joke” and “lacking in atmosphere”. Several shopkeepers were angry at the lack of trade on the one day where they are actively encouraged to promote themselves and keep the town centre thriving. Fingers were pointed at a new seasonal bazaar organised by the Wick Christmas Lights Committee, in the Assembly Rooms as the reason people stayed away from the town centre on Saturday. One trader said that they need to get together with the lights committee and sort something out for next year.

ALSO on page one...a Haster woman has vowed to meet the Highland Council’s social work department with “all guns blazing” in the future, after mistakes were made with her brother’s case. Retired civil servant, Christine Sutherland, has been faced with months of uncertainty after her brother, who has learning difficulties, was allegedly “bullied” into agreeing to move to full-time nursing care. Last week, the local authority social work department put a stop on its apparent backroom decision to move 64-year-old George Davis from sheltered accommodation in Thurso. He has now returned to sheltered housing after a spell in hospital. “We’ll continue to fight for whatever George needs”, said Mrs Sutherland.

RAIN could not dampen the county’s Norse spirit on Friday night. For the first time in many years, an invading force of Vikings marched through Wick, axes and armour lit up by torchlight. However it was a peaceful mission “doon” from Shetland for the Lerwick Jarl Squad as it helped Caithness celebrate Da doonie Day. One of the main organisers, James Simpson, who is the Interact liaison officer for Thurso Rotary club, said there had been “a great reception” for all the activities staged. He said: “I would say we are generally very pleased with how it went. It seemed to be very well received by everyone that I’ve spoken to”.

A CARAVAN at Keiss, containing weather-monitoring equipment, had it roof ripped off in “horrendous” hurricane-strength winds which battered Caithness over the weekend. Gusts of around 80 mph were recorded in the early hours of Sunday morning. resulting in damage to properties and minor travel disruption. Paul Fisher (44) of Caithness Weather, who uses data from the station at Keiss to compile local forecasts, said conditions were “truly horrendous.

AS Caithness General Hospital celebrates 25 years at the beating heart of the community, some staff members can look back at over a quarter-of- a century of service. The main surgical thoroughfare, the Bignold ward-located on the first floor- has had countless patients pass through its doors. Overseeing many of them and putting the best part of 4o years’ experience to good use, has been senior staff nurse, Marjorie Moodie. She said the scope of the work that happens across the ward always keep the 30 or so nurses, as well as doctors and domestic staff, on their toes. She said: “We do a wide range of work. We deal with lots of day cases; a consultant comes up from Inverness to do eye surgery, the girls do chemotherapy, we do pain procedures, and a lot of endoscopy work is done, too. It’s a busy unit- everybody will tell you that a lot goes on in this wing.”

A RENEWED call for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to fund a long-mooted bypass round Thurso has been made by a local councillor. Landward Caithness representative, David Flear, made the comments following the announcement by the nuclear clean-up quango, that spent fuel is to be shipped by train to the Sellafield site in Cumbria for reprocessing. Mr Flear thinks that a legacy fund should be set up as a trade-off for the fuel leaving the Dounreay site. He said: “I think from the Highland Council perspective we feel there should be consultations with the communities where the spend fuel is passing through.”

INDUCTIONS for some Caithness mums-to-be are set to be reintroduced to the local maternity unit in the new year. Women giving birth to second or subsequent babies, who need inductions and are classed as low-risk, could give birth at Caithness General Hospital from January 9. First-time mums requiring a low-risk induction, will still go to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness to have their babies. The service at the Caithness maternity unit was temporary changed in April 2009, due to staff shortages. Since then, pregnant women requiring low-risk inductions, have been transferred to Raigmore.

HIGHLAND COUNCIL is reassuring the public that it is prepared to deal with the very worst of the
winter conditions in Caithness. That assurance came from area and roads safety manager, Campbell Stewart, who was in Wick to give a talk at the Caithness joint ward forum last Tuesday night. He described last year’s winter as one of the worst the council had had to deal with in recent memory. Then, Caithness had to cope with a prolonged spell of subzero temperatures in November and December. He said that, despite the mild temperatures keeping their gritters off the road, so far, this winter, snow is expected later this year and the council is ready to combat the cold weather.

A THURSO woman has praised the local community for backing a national campaign to improve a children’’s respite home. Mother-of-two, Jacqueling Fry, hailed the generosity of Caithness people after raising over £1000 towards a new den at Rachel House, Kinross, which is run by Children’s Hospice Association Scotland. Her 19-year-old son, Michael, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when he was four and the family has been using the respite facility for around seven years. Mrs Fry and her daughter raised the funds by holding a tea and tiara party earlier this year.

A LATE strike by Stevie Cunningham allowed Wick Academy to snatch all three points against Clach at Grant Street Park, on Saturday. The final score was 2-1 to the Scorries.