Nwicker60
11-Apr-12, 11:46
Caithness Courier review: April 11, 2012
CASH, which could become available to build a new fire station in Thurso – or upgrade it – should be pulled to pooled to replace the facility in Wick. That’s according to a former Highland and Islands Fire and Rescue Service North depute area commander, who said the building in the east of the county is in a far more dilapidated state. Jim Haggarty argued there is a greater need to replace facilities in Wick. Mr Haggarty, who retired from the fire service in 2006, first made his claims online at www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk (http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/) after it was revealed in a report in the Highland and Islands Fire Board that Thurso –along with Stornoway- could be in line to share over £2million to improve facilities.
COUNTRY music fans from across the world descended on Halkirk at the weekend as a sellout crowd enjoyed the biggest music festival in the Far North. Over 25000 people danced the night away to some of the genre’s biggest names, at the Northern Nashville Caithness Country Music Festival. Halkirk’s indoor riding centre was turned into the county’s version of the Grand Ole Opry as some of Nashville’s biggest names wowed the crowds. Organisers were astounded by the response, saying the festival continues to get bigger and better every year. Festival chairwoman, Christine Gray, said each of the three nights was a huge success and all the acts blew everyone away.
PLANS to change the design of wind turbines at a site in Caithness after the initial application was given the go-ahead, have been described as “unfair” by a landward councillor. Willie Mackay is disappointed E.ON has asked the Highland Council to change the design of 11 of the 25 turbines it proposed to build at Camster, by extending their height by more than three feet. The issue arose when the developer announced it wanted to change the design of the foundations so that 11 of the turbines would be sitting on top of the land rather than embedded in the soil. It was discovered that peat in parts of the site is deeper than first thought and E.ON now wants to pile some of the foundations.
THURSO could become the training centre for hundreds of young workers from across the Highlands, it has emerged. The Engineering, Technology and Energy Centre at North Highland College is set to be involved in training apprentices who are signed up with the Nigg Skills Academy in Ross-shire. The academy has been established as a pilot project and aims to run 290 modern apprenticeships in its first year, providing both modern apprenticeships and general training for 3000 people by 2015. But, in delivering its training it is proposed to send a number of workers to ETEC as part of their apprenticeship.
TWO directors of a Caithness housing association have quite their roles it has emerged. The Caithness Courier was made aware of the news in an anonymous phone call in which it was alleged the pair had resigned because they were unhappy about planned changes in how the Thurso-based Pentland Housing Association is being run. However these claims have not been verified and the organisation’s chief executive, David Brookfield, could not reveal the reasons behind the resignations. He said however the organisation is looking at ways it can improve services at a lower cost.
THE Paralympic dream of a young Thurso man has been crushed after his spinal condition was deemed not significant enough for him to be classed as a disabled. Jason Ridgley learned the bad news after making the marathon 12-hour rail trip to Sheffied for the British Disability Swimming Championships at the weekend. After the pre-competition ruling, he and his father, Anthony, caught the next train home. The 18-year-old had been primed to have a crack at meeting the demanding qualification times for this summer’s Paralympics in London. But the ruling leaves him unable to take part in any disability competition. While “gutted” at the outcome, he intends to carry on with the sport.
LIFEBOAT crews from both Thurso and Wick were called out to attend separate incidents over the weekend. Thurso was called into action on Saturday night after the Aberdeen coastguard requested its assistance at 7.30. The 12-metre vessel, Inga, sent out a distress signal to the emergency services after it developed engine problems, a mile off the coast at Dounreay. RNLI staff aboard The Taylors were at the scene within 30 minutes of launching from Scrabster. The crew established a tow and dragged the vessel safely back to port in force three to four conditions. At the other end of the county, five members of the Wick lifeboat crew launched after the Danish-registered Happy Daze reported it had engine trouble, on route from Denmark to Kirkwall. The lifeboat towed her to Wick Bay where she underwent repairs.
CASH, which could become available to build a new fire station in Thurso – or upgrade it – should be pulled to pooled to replace the facility in Wick. That’s according to a former Highland and Islands Fire and Rescue Service North depute area commander, who said the building in the east of the county is in a far more dilapidated state. Jim Haggarty argued there is a greater need to replace facilities in Wick. Mr Haggarty, who retired from the fire service in 2006, first made his claims online at www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk (http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/) after it was revealed in a report in the Highland and Islands Fire Board that Thurso –along with Stornoway- could be in line to share over £2million to improve facilities.
COUNTRY music fans from across the world descended on Halkirk at the weekend as a sellout crowd enjoyed the biggest music festival in the Far North. Over 25000 people danced the night away to some of the genre’s biggest names, at the Northern Nashville Caithness Country Music Festival. Halkirk’s indoor riding centre was turned into the county’s version of the Grand Ole Opry as some of Nashville’s biggest names wowed the crowds. Organisers were astounded by the response, saying the festival continues to get bigger and better every year. Festival chairwoman, Christine Gray, said each of the three nights was a huge success and all the acts blew everyone away.
PLANS to change the design of wind turbines at a site in Caithness after the initial application was given the go-ahead, have been described as “unfair” by a landward councillor. Willie Mackay is disappointed E.ON has asked the Highland Council to change the design of 11 of the 25 turbines it proposed to build at Camster, by extending their height by more than three feet. The issue arose when the developer announced it wanted to change the design of the foundations so that 11 of the turbines would be sitting on top of the land rather than embedded in the soil. It was discovered that peat in parts of the site is deeper than first thought and E.ON now wants to pile some of the foundations.
THURSO could become the training centre for hundreds of young workers from across the Highlands, it has emerged. The Engineering, Technology and Energy Centre at North Highland College is set to be involved in training apprentices who are signed up with the Nigg Skills Academy in Ross-shire. The academy has been established as a pilot project and aims to run 290 modern apprenticeships in its first year, providing both modern apprenticeships and general training for 3000 people by 2015. But, in delivering its training it is proposed to send a number of workers to ETEC as part of their apprenticeship.
TWO directors of a Caithness housing association have quite their roles it has emerged. The Caithness Courier was made aware of the news in an anonymous phone call in which it was alleged the pair had resigned because they were unhappy about planned changes in how the Thurso-based Pentland Housing Association is being run. However these claims have not been verified and the organisation’s chief executive, David Brookfield, could not reveal the reasons behind the resignations. He said however the organisation is looking at ways it can improve services at a lower cost.
THE Paralympic dream of a young Thurso man has been crushed after his spinal condition was deemed not significant enough for him to be classed as a disabled. Jason Ridgley learned the bad news after making the marathon 12-hour rail trip to Sheffied for the British Disability Swimming Championships at the weekend. After the pre-competition ruling, he and his father, Anthony, caught the next train home. The 18-year-old had been primed to have a crack at meeting the demanding qualification times for this summer’s Paralympics in London. But the ruling leaves him unable to take part in any disability competition. While “gutted” at the outcome, he intends to carry on with the sport.
LIFEBOAT crews from both Thurso and Wick were called out to attend separate incidents over the weekend. Thurso was called into action on Saturday night after the Aberdeen coastguard requested its assistance at 7.30. The 12-metre vessel, Inga, sent out a distress signal to the emergency services after it developed engine problems, a mile off the coast at Dounreay. RNLI staff aboard The Taylors were at the scene within 30 minutes of launching from Scrabster. The crew established a tow and dragged the vessel safely back to port in force three to four conditions. At the other end of the county, five members of the Wick lifeboat crew launched after the Danish-registered Happy Daze reported it had engine trouble, on route from Denmark to Kirkwall. The lifeboat towed her to Wick Bay where she underwent repairs.