Nwicker60
28-Dec-11, 21:37
Caithness Courier review: December 28, 2011
THE paper’s front page lead story reports that almost £10,000 was raised by around 70 hardy adults and children who took part in the second Dip-with-a-Nip charity event in Thurso on Boxing Day. The event, which raised money for CLIC Sargent –the UK’s leading childrens’s cancer charity – attracted a host of people in a variety of unusual and unseasonal costumes. They had an initial warm-up before four-year-old Faith Marshall, from Thurso, and Cameron Armstrong of Halkirk, who have both had battles with cancer, set them on their way towards Thurso Bay. Afterwards, the participants got a warming nip on the beach, courtesy of Wick=based Pulteney Distillery.
COUNCIL tax should be increased to maintain services at their current level in the Far North and save jobs. That was the view of some councillors in Caithness, who have hit out, following news that the council tax is set to be frozen for the fifth year running. It was announced by finance secretary, John Swinney, that all 32 councils in Scotland have agreed to keep the same rate of council tax for the financial year between 2012/13. But as Highland Council continues to investigate ways to reduce its budget, Landward Caithness councillor, Willie Mackay, believes that it is inevitable that charges will have to rise. He predicted that, after next year, the freeze would be removed and that rates will go up, to meet the council’s costs.
A CAITHNESS pupil has become the first student at his school for almost a decade, to receive a place at one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Wick High’s Marius Ramsay, from Mid Clyth has been offered a conditional place at Hertford College at Oxford University. The 17-year-old applied to study physics at the institution and last month was invited to take part in a university entrance exam over the course of three days. Following this, Marius received a letter with the conditional offer, much to his delight. He said: “All of the teachers at Wick High School were very supportive when I first suggested that I was going to apply. Oxford is the best university in the UK and it is somewhere I have always thought about studying, after school.”
THERE’s a selection of photos on page two of the folk who braved the icy waters in the Dip-with-a Nip fundraiser and still managed to look happy and the main story on the following page, is another happy one. A Caithness youngster got an early Christmas surprise when he received a visit from the Scottish League champions. Six-year-old Cameron Armstrong from Halkirk was delighted to meet members of the first-team squad from Rangers F.C. while receiving treatment for leukaemia at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow. The Ibrox side made its annual trip to the wards as the hospital is one of the charities which the club supports. During the visit, Cameron got the opportunity to speak to Rangers stars such as Carols Bocanegre, Sone Aluko and Steven Davis, who took the time to chat to him as well as give him some presents and a goody bag.
CAITHNESS parents, who are concerned about the future of rural education, have an opportunity to express their views to a special commission over the next two weeks. The commission on Rural Education was set up in July by the Scottish Government and already has received an impressive number of responses. But its chairman–former Wick Sheriff David Sutherland – has urged those who have not yet taken part, to do so before the deadline of January 12.
PUPILS in Papigoe on the outskirts of Wick, look set to lose out on free travel to school. Highland Council currently provides a free bus service from Noss Head, through Staxigoe and Papigoe into Wick. But, as of next month, the youngsters in Papigoe will have to pay to use a public service bus to get to school. A local authority spokeswoman said that due to a retender of school transport, the council can only provide for those entitled to free travel. It is required by law to arrange transport for pupils to and from school so they do not have to walk more than two miles if aged under eight, and three miles if aged eight or over.
THE team cleaning up the Dounreay prototype fast reactor has achieved a seven-years record of safety. It has clocked up just over two million man hours without an accident which has caused an employee to take three days or more off work. The achievement comes at a time when work is going on to remove large items of redundant equipment from the old reactor building. Reactor decommissioning manager, Mike Brown, praised his Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd team and contractor staff.
THE paper’s front page lead story reports that almost £10,000 was raised by around 70 hardy adults and children who took part in the second Dip-with-a-Nip charity event in Thurso on Boxing Day. The event, which raised money for CLIC Sargent –the UK’s leading childrens’s cancer charity – attracted a host of people in a variety of unusual and unseasonal costumes. They had an initial warm-up before four-year-old Faith Marshall, from Thurso, and Cameron Armstrong of Halkirk, who have both had battles with cancer, set them on their way towards Thurso Bay. Afterwards, the participants got a warming nip on the beach, courtesy of Wick=based Pulteney Distillery.
COUNCIL tax should be increased to maintain services at their current level in the Far North and save jobs. That was the view of some councillors in Caithness, who have hit out, following news that the council tax is set to be frozen for the fifth year running. It was announced by finance secretary, John Swinney, that all 32 councils in Scotland have agreed to keep the same rate of council tax for the financial year between 2012/13. But as Highland Council continues to investigate ways to reduce its budget, Landward Caithness councillor, Willie Mackay, believes that it is inevitable that charges will have to rise. He predicted that, after next year, the freeze would be removed and that rates will go up, to meet the council’s costs.
A CAITHNESS pupil has become the first student at his school for almost a decade, to receive a place at one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Wick High’s Marius Ramsay, from Mid Clyth has been offered a conditional place at Hertford College at Oxford University. The 17-year-old applied to study physics at the institution and last month was invited to take part in a university entrance exam over the course of three days. Following this, Marius received a letter with the conditional offer, much to his delight. He said: “All of the teachers at Wick High School were very supportive when I first suggested that I was going to apply. Oxford is the best university in the UK and it is somewhere I have always thought about studying, after school.”
THERE’s a selection of photos on page two of the folk who braved the icy waters in the Dip-with-a Nip fundraiser and still managed to look happy and the main story on the following page, is another happy one. A Caithness youngster got an early Christmas surprise when he received a visit from the Scottish League champions. Six-year-old Cameron Armstrong from Halkirk was delighted to meet members of the first-team squad from Rangers F.C. while receiving treatment for leukaemia at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow. The Ibrox side made its annual trip to the wards as the hospital is one of the charities which the club supports. During the visit, Cameron got the opportunity to speak to Rangers stars such as Carols Bocanegre, Sone Aluko and Steven Davis, who took the time to chat to him as well as give him some presents and a goody bag.
CAITHNESS parents, who are concerned about the future of rural education, have an opportunity to express their views to a special commission over the next two weeks. The commission on Rural Education was set up in July by the Scottish Government and already has received an impressive number of responses. But its chairman–former Wick Sheriff David Sutherland – has urged those who have not yet taken part, to do so before the deadline of January 12.
PUPILS in Papigoe on the outskirts of Wick, look set to lose out on free travel to school. Highland Council currently provides a free bus service from Noss Head, through Staxigoe and Papigoe into Wick. But, as of next month, the youngsters in Papigoe will have to pay to use a public service bus to get to school. A local authority spokeswoman said that due to a retender of school transport, the council can only provide for those entitled to free travel. It is required by law to arrange transport for pupils to and from school so they do not have to walk more than two miles if aged under eight, and three miles if aged eight or over.
THE team cleaning up the Dounreay prototype fast reactor has achieved a seven-years record of safety. It has clocked up just over two million man hours without an accident which has caused an employee to take three days or more off work. The achievement comes at a time when work is going on to remove large items of redundant equipment from the old reactor building. Reactor decommissioning manager, Mike Brown, praised his Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd team and contractor staff.