Nwicker60
07-Nov-12, 11:45
Caithness Courier headlines: November 7
THIRTY jobs have been lost at the Icetech freezer firm in Castletown, it emerged yesterday. No-one from the company was available for comment when the Caithness Courier went to press yesterday afternoon. But it is understood about 30 staff were laid off on Friday. The business, which has outlets all over the UK stocked freezers produced at the Castletown plant in Murrayfield. Bill Swanson, vice chairman of Castletown Community Council, was unaware of the jobs losses but said, if true, the news would be “very disappointing”.
A WICK chemist who died just five months after becoming a father “would have made a fantastic dad” according to one of his closest friends. David Dunn’s friend and employer, Colin Clark, described the 40-year-old as “one of life’s true gentlemen” and added that his death, on Friday, had “shocked and saddened” staff and the wider community.
THE COST of hiring Leith’s most famous musical duo, the Proclaimers to play at Wick’s annual music festival, B-fest, this year has left the organiser in the red. Festival founder, Ryan Cook, fell short of breaking even for the event, in August, after shelling out around “five to six times more” than previous headline acts. Anticipating the shortfall, Mr Cook, who also owns the Breadalbane Hotel and Blackstairs bar and lounge in the town, approached Highland Council. Wick councillors since awarded the bar owner £6000 to help cover the loss but that still leaves him having to stump up about £300 himself for the two-day festival, which saw around 2500 people flock to the playing field at the Riverside for a huge variety of musical acts.
CHRISTMAS is looking bright once again, as the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council vows to work with local shopkeepers in keeping the festive spirit alive, after complications threatened to put a dampener on the centrepiece of the yuletide celebrations. A month ago, it seemed that the town would be short of its traditional Christmas tree, after the community councillors believed that the town centre square, at Market Place, would be a building site for the new multi-million pound Highland Council offices. However, with the recent announcement that building work has been unexpectedly pushed back to the new year, it freed up the space.
A SENIOR Highland council official has defended it record on determining major housing schemes in the Highlands, after it emerged that the planning authority is taking more than three years to reach decisions. Figures published by the Scottish Government this week, showed that major housing applications, nationally, take an average of almost 77 weeks to be given the green light or rejected. But the Highland figure is 159 weeks – the time it took to decide six big housing developments which is almost three years more than the four-month target set by the government.
THE new five-star status of one of the most exclusive properties in Caithness, will enable it to market itself to the world as a luxury experience. Ackergill Tower has been rebranded as a five-star hotel to become one of the few properties across Scotland to be given the biggest accolade in the hotel industry.
AFTER months of hard work and sweat to create a play park to be proud of, it eventually all proved too much for chairwoman Vicky Mackay when her village’s dream finally became a reality. Keiss Community Family Project members broke down in tears as they officially opened their £90,000 play park to the public on Saturday.
NEW Wick Academy boss, Barry Wilson is keen to ensure the club do not get carried away with the fact that they are sitting top of the Highland League with a game in hand. But in a first half of football that saw probably one of the finest home performances experienced by Scorries’ fans at Harmsworth Park, the hysteria may be more difficult to contain. Any doubts about the seriousness of Academy title credentials have now been answered after a 5-1 demolition of bogey side Keith.
AND finally...walking out alongside some of the best players in the world has been described as “a dream come true” for Wick youngster Scott Levack. The Hillhead Primary School pupil will be heading onto the famous pitch at Parkhead as a mascot for tonight’s Champions League match between Celtic and Barcelona.
THIRTY jobs have been lost at the Icetech freezer firm in Castletown, it emerged yesterday. No-one from the company was available for comment when the Caithness Courier went to press yesterday afternoon. But it is understood about 30 staff were laid off on Friday. The business, which has outlets all over the UK stocked freezers produced at the Castletown plant in Murrayfield. Bill Swanson, vice chairman of Castletown Community Council, was unaware of the jobs losses but said, if true, the news would be “very disappointing”.
A WICK chemist who died just five months after becoming a father “would have made a fantastic dad” according to one of his closest friends. David Dunn’s friend and employer, Colin Clark, described the 40-year-old as “one of life’s true gentlemen” and added that his death, on Friday, had “shocked and saddened” staff and the wider community.
THE COST of hiring Leith’s most famous musical duo, the Proclaimers to play at Wick’s annual music festival, B-fest, this year has left the organiser in the red. Festival founder, Ryan Cook, fell short of breaking even for the event, in August, after shelling out around “five to six times more” than previous headline acts. Anticipating the shortfall, Mr Cook, who also owns the Breadalbane Hotel and Blackstairs bar and lounge in the town, approached Highland Council. Wick councillors since awarded the bar owner £6000 to help cover the loss but that still leaves him having to stump up about £300 himself for the two-day festival, which saw around 2500 people flock to the playing field at the Riverside for a huge variety of musical acts.
CHRISTMAS is looking bright once again, as the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council vows to work with local shopkeepers in keeping the festive spirit alive, after complications threatened to put a dampener on the centrepiece of the yuletide celebrations. A month ago, it seemed that the town would be short of its traditional Christmas tree, after the community councillors believed that the town centre square, at Market Place, would be a building site for the new multi-million pound Highland Council offices. However, with the recent announcement that building work has been unexpectedly pushed back to the new year, it freed up the space.
A SENIOR Highland council official has defended it record on determining major housing schemes in the Highlands, after it emerged that the planning authority is taking more than three years to reach decisions. Figures published by the Scottish Government this week, showed that major housing applications, nationally, take an average of almost 77 weeks to be given the green light or rejected. But the Highland figure is 159 weeks – the time it took to decide six big housing developments which is almost three years more than the four-month target set by the government.
THE new five-star status of one of the most exclusive properties in Caithness, will enable it to market itself to the world as a luxury experience. Ackergill Tower has been rebranded as a five-star hotel to become one of the few properties across Scotland to be given the biggest accolade in the hotel industry.
AFTER months of hard work and sweat to create a play park to be proud of, it eventually all proved too much for chairwoman Vicky Mackay when her village’s dream finally became a reality. Keiss Community Family Project members broke down in tears as they officially opened their £90,000 play park to the public on Saturday.
NEW Wick Academy boss, Barry Wilson is keen to ensure the club do not get carried away with the fact that they are sitting top of the Highland League with a game in hand. But in a first half of football that saw probably one of the finest home performances experienced by Scorries’ fans at Harmsworth Park, the hysteria may be more difficult to contain. Any doubts about the seriousness of Academy title credentials have now been answered after a 5-1 demolition of bogey side Keith.
AND finally...walking out alongside some of the best players in the world has been described as “a dream come true” for Wick youngster Scott Levack. The Hillhead Primary School pupil will be heading onto the famous pitch at Parkhead as a mascot for tonight’s Champions League match between Celtic and Barcelona.