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Nwicker60
01-Feb-12, 10:59
Caithness Courier review: February 1, 2012

THE consultation over the future of primary schools in Wick is under investigation by Scottish ministers for using “an exact copy” of a statement relating to a school in North Tayside. The use of the same statement was discovered by a parent of a child at Hillhead Primary School, who typed extracts into Google after noting unfamiliair material in the Highland Council’s educational benefits statement. However, the council has defended its use of Angus Council’s document for the Arbroath schools project, claiming it is only a generic framework and presents “a model template of good practice” that sets out features that would appear in any new primary school in Scotland.

ALSO on the front page...sophisticated 3D technology is now being used by council planners during public meetings to “swoop” from afar into proposed sites for new houses or other developments anywhere in the Highlands. Google Earth –a free computer program which can map the Earth from satellite and aerial images- is bringing locations around the region to life in the newly-launched pilot. The virtual technology offers advanced images and a variety of different views and angles. Planners have started using it on a large screen when discussing applications during Highland Council’s planning meetings in Inverness.

ACCOMMODATION providers in Caithness have maintained their quality ratings in a national guidebook. Two hotels and a bed-and-breakfast establishment held on to their previously awarded in this year’s AA Where to Stay and Eat in Scotland Guide 2012. A four-star highly commended rating was maintained at Wick bed and breakfast, the Clachan, for the fourth year running. Owner Elspeth Bremner explained it has been catering for guests at Randolph Place, South Road, since 1986.

A WOMAN in Wick, attacked while walking her dog, has told police the incident has left her a nervous wreck. Northern Constabulary has issued an urgent appeal for witnesses after the 50-year-old was assaulted by a man in Macrae Street, Wick, on Saturday. The woman, who has not been named by police, was taking her dog a walk at 2.15am when a man came running up to her and carried out the unprovoked attacked. It is alleged he punched her across the face, knocking her unconscious to the ground. The attacker ran off, leaving the woman to stagger back to her home injured and disorientated.

ENERGY representatives are expected to meet in Caithness this summer with a view to establishing the Pentland Firth as Scotland’s first marine energy park. Local MP John Thurso has been asked to host a meeting of the Marine Energy Programme Board which advises ministers on developing the industry. Speaking in the House of Commons last week, John Thurso quizzed energy minister Greg Barker on progress the Government is making on turning the Pentland Firth into a renewable energy park. after he congratulated him on establishing the first renewable energy park in the south-west of England. The minister said he recognises the Pentland Firth has a major role to play in providing energy for the UK and asked the Lib Dem MP to help the project get the go-ahead.

A LOCAL monitor farm has joined the fight against a pernicious cattle-wasting disease. Westfield Farm, near Thurso, is the last of nine holdings to become involved in the national research project the PARABAN initiative. Co-ordinated by the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) the initiative aims to shed more light on how Johne’s disease takes root and to advise on how it can best be controlled. The chronic bacterial condition was discovered over a century ago but remains one of the least understood livestock maladies. It takes an increasingly heavy annual toll on agriculture with a recent Government-sponsored survey indicating that 42.5 per cent of dairy farms could be affected.
A volume of books ,which once belonged to a former lord-lieutenant of Caithness, fetched more than £5 million when it went to auction in New York. A full-size complete first edition of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America sold for $7.9 million when it went under the hammer at world-famous auctioneers, Christie’s recently. The book was once owned by the sixth Duke of Portland, William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, who was lord-lieutenant of Caithness for 30 years during the 19th and 20th centuries.

IT’S probably the poorest we’ve played all season”...that’s the view of Wick Academy manager Davie Kirkwood despite his team taking all three points against Fort William on Saturday. The negative vibes over the 1-3 victory at Claggan Park, comes only two weeks after he was praising the talent on offer at the club. Kirkwood said that although he is please ot come home with a win, his players were lacking their usual fluency of passing and fine touch at the start of the game. The manager added: “As I’ve said before, we’ve actually played better in worse games”.