Nwicker60
12-Sep-12, 09:17
Caithness Courier headlines for September 12, 2012
WICK Academy feel that they have been badly let down by manager Davie Kirkwood over his behaviour in his impending move to Brora Rangers as the sides prepared to meet in the North of Scotland Cup semi-final tonight. Chairman Colin Stewart said that a lack of respect has been shown to the committee players and fans of the club in the way he has handled the situation.
THE parents of Wick High School pupils have been reassured that their children will continue to receive practical lessons in home economics for free, despite receiving letter that they would have to pay for ingredients to take part. Rector Thomas McIntyre said, yesterday, that a letter from the school, which indicated that pupils were facing charges of up to £45 a year to take part, had been worded wrongly.
OVER the past 55 years, she has taught thousands of Highland dancers from across Caithness who have gone on to win countless awards in major competitions. But on Saturday, everybody was dancing for instructor Mina Mackay, when a special celebration was held in honour of her receiving the British Empire Medal.
A PLAN to get the Traill Hall in Castletown, back into public use, has been given a boost with funding being made available for a feasibility study. Over £30,000 has been awarded for the work which will involve a design team of architects, surveyors and engineers looking at the structure of the 19th century building and what it will cost to refurbish it. An economic study will be undertaken to assess how the hall could be made viable. A public consultation is also proposed and is expected to take place next month.
THE multi-million pound redevelopment of Highland Council’s Wick town centre offices is unlikely to get started before Christmas, despite initial estimates suggesting a start date of next month. Caithness ward manager and project manager, David Sutherland, explained yesterday that the lengthy delay is due to a hold-up in leasing the Department of Work and Pensions building where staff are to be relocated during the two-year demolition and rebuild.
MOMENTUM is gathering behind the retention of the midnight limit on admission to two popular Thurso nightspots. Support for the so-called Cinderella curfew was voiced at a Highland Council ward forum on Monday evening, when police reported that problems with late-night anti-social behaviour have significantly dropped since its introduction. The prevailing view is endorsed by Thurso councillors John Rosie and Donnie Mackay, who believe the curfew deters trouble in the town at weekends. Some of their Caithness colleagues last month voted to scrap the curfew in Thurso and elsewhere in the Highlands, arguing that it had no positive impact on anti-social behaviour.
CAITHNESS may be currently be lagging behind Orkney’s booming offshore renewable business, but things may soon change according to the county’s regeneration chief. The prediction comes from Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership’s programme manager, Eann Sinclair, as Marine Scotland kicks off a month of meetings around Scotland Holyrood’s ambitious plans for offshore renewable energy. Noticeably absent from the list of venues is Caithness, despite First Minister Alex Salmond claiming last week that the far north will play a huge part in the programme.
TWO enterprising equestrian lovers are opening a new stable and horse care centre in Caithness. North Highland College UHI graduates Steph Cowe (22) and Stacey Claxson (21) have started up Achavrole Livery, near Halkirk on the site of the former college equestrian centre. The girls took advantage of the college moving to new premises and seized the opportunity to start up their own business.
FERRY services between Caithness and Orkney will not be affected this winter, avoiding the disruption which occurred during the drydock period, earlier this year, according to the Scottish Transport Minister. Keith Brown said that services would run as normal between Scrabster and Stromness during the off-peak season, when questioned about the decision to award Serco the contract to run services between the mainland and the Northern Isles, at Holyrood last week. Between January and March, services between the two ports were affected while Northlink carried out it statutory inspection on its three vessels.
A PRIVATELY-RUN Highland breast cancer screening service has been officially re-launched following a two-year closure for building repair work. Caithness couple John and Liz Sinclair, of Wick-based firm Sinclair Windows Ltd, answered an appeal for help in March 2010 As a user of the service, Mrs Sinclair said at the time, that she wanted to “give something back”. Thanks to the Sinclairs the dormer windows have now been replaced and the roof repaired at a cost of over £5000.
WICK Academy feel that they have been badly let down by manager Davie Kirkwood over his behaviour in his impending move to Brora Rangers as the sides prepared to meet in the North of Scotland Cup semi-final tonight. Chairman Colin Stewart said that a lack of respect has been shown to the committee players and fans of the club in the way he has handled the situation.
THE parents of Wick High School pupils have been reassured that their children will continue to receive practical lessons in home economics for free, despite receiving letter that they would have to pay for ingredients to take part. Rector Thomas McIntyre said, yesterday, that a letter from the school, which indicated that pupils were facing charges of up to £45 a year to take part, had been worded wrongly.
OVER the past 55 years, she has taught thousands of Highland dancers from across Caithness who have gone on to win countless awards in major competitions. But on Saturday, everybody was dancing for instructor Mina Mackay, when a special celebration was held in honour of her receiving the British Empire Medal.
A PLAN to get the Traill Hall in Castletown, back into public use, has been given a boost with funding being made available for a feasibility study. Over £30,000 has been awarded for the work which will involve a design team of architects, surveyors and engineers looking at the structure of the 19th century building and what it will cost to refurbish it. An economic study will be undertaken to assess how the hall could be made viable. A public consultation is also proposed and is expected to take place next month.
THE multi-million pound redevelopment of Highland Council’s Wick town centre offices is unlikely to get started before Christmas, despite initial estimates suggesting a start date of next month. Caithness ward manager and project manager, David Sutherland, explained yesterday that the lengthy delay is due to a hold-up in leasing the Department of Work and Pensions building where staff are to be relocated during the two-year demolition and rebuild.
MOMENTUM is gathering behind the retention of the midnight limit on admission to two popular Thurso nightspots. Support for the so-called Cinderella curfew was voiced at a Highland Council ward forum on Monday evening, when police reported that problems with late-night anti-social behaviour have significantly dropped since its introduction. The prevailing view is endorsed by Thurso councillors John Rosie and Donnie Mackay, who believe the curfew deters trouble in the town at weekends. Some of their Caithness colleagues last month voted to scrap the curfew in Thurso and elsewhere in the Highlands, arguing that it had no positive impact on anti-social behaviour.
CAITHNESS may be currently be lagging behind Orkney’s booming offshore renewable business, but things may soon change according to the county’s regeneration chief. The prediction comes from Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership’s programme manager, Eann Sinclair, as Marine Scotland kicks off a month of meetings around Scotland Holyrood’s ambitious plans for offshore renewable energy. Noticeably absent from the list of venues is Caithness, despite First Minister Alex Salmond claiming last week that the far north will play a huge part in the programme.
TWO enterprising equestrian lovers are opening a new stable and horse care centre in Caithness. North Highland College UHI graduates Steph Cowe (22) and Stacey Claxson (21) have started up Achavrole Livery, near Halkirk on the site of the former college equestrian centre. The girls took advantage of the college moving to new premises and seized the opportunity to start up their own business.
FERRY services between Caithness and Orkney will not be affected this winter, avoiding the disruption which occurred during the drydock period, earlier this year, according to the Scottish Transport Minister. Keith Brown said that services would run as normal between Scrabster and Stromness during the off-peak season, when questioned about the decision to award Serco the contract to run services between the mainland and the Northern Isles, at Holyrood last week. Between January and March, services between the two ports were affected while Northlink carried out it statutory inspection on its three vessels.
A PRIVATELY-RUN Highland breast cancer screening service has been officially re-launched following a two-year closure for building repair work. Caithness couple John and Liz Sinclair, of Wick-based firm Sinclair Windows Ltd, answered an appeal for help in March 2010 As a user of the service, Mrs Sinclair said at the time, that she wanted to “give something back”. Thanks to the Sinclairs the dormer windows have now been replaced and the roof repaired at a cost of over £5000.