John O’ Journal review: July 15, 2011

THE newspaper’s front page lead story reports concern that Highland Council’s Thurso service point was forced to close on Tuesday. Local councillor, Donnie Mackay is furious that the office was unable to open, as all staff were absent and said his colleague John Rosie, feels the same. The local members were inundated with calls from residents who were angry they were unable to access the facility in Rotterdam Street. The councillors believe the office has been under-staffed for too long and more personnel is required to provide an adequate service. Mr Mackay said the public has been let down by Highland Council and it is unacceptable the temporary closure was allowed to happen.

A CANCER
survivor has committed to print her, childhood memories of life on a croft in Caithness. Marigold Stewart had always wanted to write a book about her experience growing up in the post-World War Two times of austerity. She wanted to let her two children know of the humble existence of her parents, Kenny and Dennie and her seven siblings. The spur for writing Kenny’s Bairns, came after she was diagnosed with cancer in June 2005. Fortunately after treatment, she was given the all-clear. The book is being publicly launched from a stall at the Caithness County Show, in Wick on Saturday.

ALSO
on the front page, reporter Alan Shields reveals that human remains have been found during an excavation of a Thrumster broch. Yarrows Heritage Trust hopes to shed more light on the history of the site after coming across a human skull and other bones between the inner and outer walls of the stone dwelling, which may have been placed there in an Iron Age ritual. One of the AOC archaelogists overseeing the dig, Dr Andy Heald, said the group would now have to radiocarbon date the finds to verify if they predate Christianity or if the bones were a more recent addition to the site.

A CAITHNESS
woman hit the headlines in the last-ever edition of the News of the World , for all the right reasons. Carolyn Piedrpont (33) a native of Wick was highlighting Brain Tumour UK, a charity for which she has raised around £17,5000 since her partner was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour in 2009. The mother to one-year-old Aiden has been nominated charity partnership Bighearted Scotland’s charity volunteer of the year award for raising funds during exceptional circumstances.

A CAITHNESS
mother has urged Highland council to “think long and hard” over its controversial plans to close rural schools. The call came from the chair of Thrumster Primary’s parent council, Linda Malik, who is concerned about the devastating impact the loss of the local school would have on the village. She said: “We have lost our shop, garage and post office in the last few years. If they take away the school, then all we will be left with, will be the pub to drown our sorrows.

THE
first of eight metal plaques to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the completion of Wick’s Thomas Telford-designed inner harbour, was unveiled this week. The panels are large-scale reproductions of a leaflet made by second-year pupils at Wick High which detail the locations they are sited at, with photographs from the Johnston Collecction and relevant narrative. Bathed in glorious sunshine at Harbour Quay, on Wednesday afternoon, the Lord-Lieutenant of Caithness, Anne Dunnett, revealed the first placard and remarked how even the weather was saluting Teleford. She said: “Thomas Telford would be amazed that two centuries later, we are still celebrating his work”, she said.

DOUBT
is being cast on the adequacy of the operation to recover rogue radioactive hot spots on the seabed off Dounreay. Shetlands Islands Council is concerned about the performance of the remot-control device used to detect and recover the off-site pollution. It also fears the pollution may have spread outwith the area which has been subject to monitoring. The authority is further unhappy the current strategy will not return the seabed to the “pristine” state demanded by Scotland’s anti-pollution agency, in 1998. The council claims the end state for Dounreay can be fixed only when agreement is reached on the extent of the recovery work.

THE
eagerly-awaited plans for the new council offices in Market Square are on view as part of the public consultation. The development, which will replace the existing offices, will bring all the local authority’s services under the one roof. The adjoining Stafford Place building will be repaired and refurbished. All the relevant plans are available for members of the public, between 9am and 5pm, Monday-Friday at the area planning and buildings standards office, Market Square, Wick. Written comments should be made to the manager at this office.

A GOAL
by Chris Sutherland is fuelling Castletown’s revival from a miserable start to their county campaign. The 22-year-old frontman bagged four in his side’s 5-3 victory over Staxigoe United in a David Allan Cup first-round on Monday. He has now rattle in 12 of the 16 goals for his team in their last four outings, all won. Against Staxigoe, he twice used his pace to get in behind the opposition back line for fire his team 200 ahead early on.