Nwicker60
09-May-12, 11:47
Caithness Courier review: May 9, 2012
SOUTH Road in Wick is to be resurfaced this summer after all – at a cost of a quarter of a million pounds. But one local resident believes it will be a “complete waste of £250,00” and accused the trunk road operator, Scotland TranServe of “trying to take short cuts” by not addressing the issue of a collapsed water channel lying beneath the road. Transport Scotland and TranServe have made a U-turn on the plan to mothball the much-needed resurfacing work following complaints from the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council and local politicians. That is what local community council members heard at their monthly meeting on Monday night.
ALSO on the front page...police have described the May Day holiday period as “the worst weekend it has experienced this year” with one sergeant calling it “horrendous”. Northern Constabulary reported that its officers were kept extremely busy between Friday and Sunday. This resulted in eight people being arrested and appearing at Wick Sheriff Court yesterday.
TRIBUTE is to be paid to a former Wick man, by a group of soldiers from the British Army’s Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. On May 29, seven soldiers will arrive in the town with their support crew, ready to tackle the John O’Groats to Land’s End challenge over the following eight days. Although the soldiers are based at Thorney Island in Portsmouth, they have a very local connection. The teams has called its fundraising challenge “John’s JOGLE” named after John Robinson, a former Lindsay Place resident and father-in law to the organiser and team member Corporal Craig Thomson-Hay. John was in his late seventies when he passed away suddenly, in April last year, in Perthshire where the family lived after leaving Wick in 1988.
OPERATORS of the Dounreay site have declared that they expect the area to be levelled within 11 years. The Babcock Dounreay Partnership has revealed it wants the entire site to be decommissioned by September 14, 2023. The target was announced by DSRL managing director, Roger Hardy, who is leading the management team. The partnership aims to have flattened all redundant facilities and waste sorted, segregated, and made safe for the long term by that date. Despite admitting that completing the job, within the set timescale, will be a big ask, Mr Hardy said that his team has been delighted by how staff have responded to the challenge.
POLITICAL negotiators were locked in crunch talks in Inverness, on Monday, in an attempt to thrash out a new rainbow administration to run Highland Council. And a new-look alliance between the Independents and Labour has emerged as one possible permutation to control the huge public organisation for the next five years. The authority, which is the biggest employer in the Highlands, and has a £600 million plus budget, is currently in limbo. The power struggle began shortly after Friday’s elections results which returned 35 independent councillors – later to become 36 after veteran Lib Dem Biz Campbell (Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh) defected from her party just hours after the count – as the biggest group on the authority.
CAITHNESS might not be known as the break dancing capital of the world, but a local dance group is to showcase its skills at one of the country’s biggest celebrations of hi-hop culture. Rush Dance, a break and street dancing group based in Thurso and Wick, is heading to Eden Court in Inverness to take part in Breaking Convention 2012. The group which holds weekend classes throughout Caithness, impressed organisers of the show so much, that members were invited to grace the main stage during the event on Wednesday May 23.
EIGHT goals without reply in their last two games have put Wick Academy in pole position to finish seventh in the Highland League and qualify for the Scottish Challenge Cup next season. Despite struggling to overcome a stubborn Lossiemouth side, Davie Kirkwood’s men turned on the style in the final 30 minutes to record a 3-0 win. The team went on to thrash Huntly 5-0 on at home on Monday night. Manager Davie Kirkwood has extended his one-year contract with the Scorries.
SOUTH Road in Wick is to be resurfaced this summer after all – at a cost of a quarter of a million pounds. But one local resident believes it will be a “complete waste of £250,00” and accused the trunk road operator, Scotland TranServe of “trying to take short cuts” by not addressing the issue of a collapsed water channel lying beneath the road. Transport Scotland and TranServe have made a U-turn on the plan to mothball the much-needed resurfacing work following complaints from the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council and local politicians. That is what local community council members heard at their monthly meeting on Monday night.
ALSO on the front page...police have described the May Day holiday period as “the worst weekend it has experienced this year” with one sergeant calling it “horrendous”. Northern Constabulary reported that its officers were kept extremely busy between Friday and Sunday. This resulted in eight people being arrested and appearing at Wick Sheriff Court yesterday.
TRIBUTE is to be paid to a former Wick man, by a group of soldiers from the British Army’s Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. On May 29, seven soldiers will arrive in the town with their support crew, ready to tackle the John O’Groats to Land’s End challenge over the following eight days. Although the soldiers are based at Thorney Island in Portsmouth, they have a very local connection. The teams has called its fundraising challenge “John’s JOGLE” named after John Robinson, a former Lindsay Place resident and father-in law to the organiser and team member Corporal Craig Thomson-Hay. John was in his late seventies when he passed away suddenly, in April last year, in Perthshire where the family lived after leaving Wick in 1988.
OPERATORS of the Dounreay site have declared that they expect the area to be levelled within 11 years. The Babcock Dounreay Partnership has revealed it wants the entire site to be decommissioned by September 14, 2023. The target was announced by DSRL managing director, Roger Hardy, who is leading the management team. The partnership aims to have flattened all redundant facilities and waste sorted, segregated, and made safe for the long term by that date. Despite admitting that completing the job, within the set timescale, will be a big ask, Mr Hardy said that his team has been delighted by how staff have responded to the challenge.
POLITICAL negotiators were locked in crunch talks in Inverness, on Monday, in an attempt to thrash out a new rainbow administration to run Highland Council. And a new-look alliance between the Independents and Labour has emerged as one possible permutation to control the huge public organisation for the next five years. The authority, which is the biggest employer in the Highlands, and has a £600 million plus budget, is currently in limbo. The power struggle began shortly after Friday’s elections results which returned 35 independent councillors – later to become 36 after veteran Lib Dem Biz Campbell (Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh) defected from her party just hours after the count – as the biggest group on the authority.
CAITHNESS might not be known as the break dancing capital of the world, but a local dance group is to showcase its skills at one of the country’s biggest celebrations of hi-hop culture. Rush Dance, a break and street dancing group based in Thurso and Wick, is heading to Eden Court in Inverness to take part in Breaking Convention 2012. The group which holds weekend classes throughout Caithness, impressed organisers of the show so much, that members were invited to grace the main stage during the event on Wednesday May 23.
EIGHT goals without reply in their last two games have put Wick Academy in pole position to finish seventh in the Highland League and qualify for the Scottish Challenge Cup next season. Despite struggling to overcome a stubborn Lossiemouth side, Davie Kirkwood’s men turned on the style in the final 30 minutes to record a 3-0 win. The team went on to thrash Huntly 5-0 on at home on Monday night. Manager Davie Kirkwood has extended his one-year contract with the Scorries.