Caithness Courier headlines for September 4, 2013

THE wrecking of a small wind turbine near Thurso, has led to renewed calls for the removal of similar devices erected in school playgrounds. The 60 kilowatt turbine at Dunhobby, on Scrabster Hill, fell victim to a 40mph wind on Friday evening. Two of the blades were ripped off while the other was buckled. One piece of debris was estimated to have been thrown about 60 yards.
GERMAN tourists looking for their very own piece of Scotland, are being sold plots of land at John O’ Groats, in a bid to “save the environment”. People are being offered the chance to buy a foot-square plot of land for 57 euros and become a laird or lady, in a scheme that has apparently been going on for years.
PARENTS have expressed their dismay at plans which will lead to a new primary school in Wick having 50 per cent less green space than the current area at one of the schools which is due to be merged. Councillors are disappointed they were not consulted about the reduced size of green areas at the new North Primary, which will amount to only half of what is currently available at Hillhead school.
BILINGUAL signs have their critics in the far north but the opposition was taken to a different level after one was found to have been used for target practice less than 24 hours after being erected. The English/Gaelic sign was put up at the junction of the A99 with Wick Industrial Estate, on Thursday and it was found to have been peppered with three bullet or pellet holes the following day.
YELLOW lines are to be painted on a section of the main road in Castletown in a bid to stop motorists parking outside the village shops. That is the welcome, if overdue news, for village representatives who have long campaigned for the safety measure. They have highlighted the potential for accidents at the busy junction, due to inconsiderate parking.
A UNION leader has urged Caithness to get behind “one or two major proposals” to replace the jobs being lost at Dounreay. That was the view of Mike Clancy, the general secretary of the Prospect union, during a visit to the nuclear site last week.
CASTLETOWN people should complain in the strongest terms about the “terrible” bus service from the village to Wick, according to a community council member. Part-time village officers Innes Moodie has taken Stagecoach to task for what he claims is poor service with few buses running between Castletown and the town.