A “Uniform Services Open Day” was held in Kirkwall’s Bignold Park on Sunday.

The event was used to generate funds for a number of local charities, while also raising awareness of what the emergency workers do in the county.

Representatives from the police, fire brigade, ambulance, coastguard, RNLI, Territorial Army and Flotta fire and rescue team were involved.

Thirteen Orkney fire stations took part in a national car wash event on Saturday to raise money for the Fire Services Benevolent Fund.

The Kirkwall lifeboat was called to transfer a patient from Sanday to Kirkwall on Thursday afternoon, after fog meant the air ambulance helicopter was unable to fly.

According to an RNLI spokesman, the lifeboat was launched shortly after midday because fog and poor visibility meant it would be at least three hours before a helicopter could be used.  

A planning framework for wind farms wont be in place until January at the earliest.

The document, which aims to give councillors guidance on wind farm applications, has been out to public consultation and was amended to take those views into account before being presented to a special meeting of the OIC’s environment, planning and protective services committee on Friday.

It was agreed that the revised document should now go out for further public consultation before coming back to the committee in January for approval.

Plans for an Orkney Boat Museum have received another boost, with the donation of the North Isles yole, Foam.

The vessel, donated by Bertie Cromarty, from Toab, was built by Sam Gray in Eday in 1922 and is in excellent condition.

Len Wilson, a trustee of the Orkney Boat Museum, said: “Foam has got everything from original barked sails right down to the original thole pins.

"Bertie has owned her since 1969 and he recognised the importance of saving this unique piece of North Isles heritage. We are greatly indebted to him for presenting her to the Orkney Boat Museum collection.”

Scotland’s culture minister, Patricia Ferguson has wished the North Ronaldsay Old Beacon and the Cromarty East Church - the two Scottish finalists in BBC’s Restoration Village - every success.

She said: “I believe that our historic buildings play a key role in creating local distinctiveness and local identity and this is demonstrated by both the finalists from Scotland; Dennis Head Lighthouse on North Ronaldsay and Cromarty East Church.

 “I hope that viewers from across the country will show their support for both these community projects. I’ve got my fingers crossed that this year we’ll have a Scottish winner.”

The OIC is looking for six new companies to join those returning to the Scotland International Trade Fair in January, 2007.

The council will meet some of each company’s transportation costs and use a budget of £11,000 to give them free stand space.

For more information on Scotland’s International Trade Fair or if you’re interested in attending, contact Robbie Balfour, Development Services, Orkney Islands Council on 01856 873535.

After three years in the post, NHS Orkney’s chief executive, Steve Conway has resigned.

The health board announced the resignation on Friday morning, four days before Mr Conway is due to leave the organisation.

The board has agreed to allow Mr Conway to work his notice with NHS 24 to allow him to complete the work he is currently undertaking on secondment.

Mr Iain Crozier will be interim chief executive for the next three months, while the post is advertised.

Archive story: New role for NHS Orkney chief executive

Opinions in Hoy are mixed on the proposed Lyness container hub – although the overall feeling was positive.

Around 100 people, a mix of young and old, turned up for a public meeting in the North Walls school on Thursday night which explained details of plans by Maltese company, Hili, to build a hub in Hoy.

The audience heard that 550 metres of solid quay at Golden Wharf would be required to accommodate the container ships coming in. The estimated cost of building the hub is $190 million, which would be paid by the Hili Company.

Councillor Ann Sutherland said: “It was a good meeting with a lot of interesting questions. We will have to wait and see what the future holds for us.”

Jim Seatter, of Farewell, South Ronaldsay, is the new chairman of Orkney Auction Mart Ltd.

Mr Seatter was elected by the directors at a meeting following Thursday's AGM. The former vice-chairman replaces Michael Cursiter as chairman.

The new vice-chairman is Stevie Hay, Eversti, Birsay.

Members were told at the AGM that the mart profit after tax was £8,697. Mr Cursiter said this was a pleasing result considering a loss had been forecast. "This time last year we were preaching doom and gloom, but fortunately it's turned out better than I expected."

Scottish Executive officials are to meet with the OIC to discuss the additional financial burden placed on the inter-island air services following changes to the air ambulance contract.

Orkney MSP Jim Wallace has written to ministers highlighting that the cost of running the service has risen substantially because of the loss of air ambulance funding resulting from the change in the contract earlier this year.

Jim Wallace said that the change, which has left Orkney with a “poorer air ambulance service has also been a change made at the expense of the public purse.”

This week's meeting between the GMB union and Orkney Islands Council has been described as "productive".

At the request of the GMB, the local authority has agreed to consider a joint working group to look at the outstanding grievances at St Rognvald House, Kirkwall, and the wider issues of staffing in care work.

Bruce Crabtree of the GMB said: “The issues raised in relation to St Rognvald House are of concern to everyone and mirror problems elsewhere, however we are confident that a working group will have a positive effect on resolving matters in a constructive way.”

A pressure group intent on battling for better care services for the elderly in Orkney was formed in Kirkwall this week.

The group, which has no name yet, is made up of seven people, including retired social worker Ernie Donaldson, looks set to become the voice of hundreds of other people in Orkney enraged at the lack of facilities that has led to old folk from Orkney transferred to the Scottish mainland.

The group is keen to hear from anyone else with an interest to come forward to a planned public meeting, the date of which has yet to be confirmed.

It looks unlikely that Orkney will field a football team at the 2007 Island Games in Greece.

A combinations of costs, squad limitations and the extreme heat look likely to rule the county side out of its fourth appearance in the games, which are being held in the Greek island of Rhodes.

NFU Scotland President John Kinnaird has been in London arguing for a change to the new “gangmaster” laws to ensure they do not hit unintended targets.

Of particular concern is the “20 per cent rule” in which any farmer who permits an employee to work for another business for more than 20 per cent of his working time in any three-month period comes into the scope of the gangmaster legislation.  

Orkney schools are preparing to get parents more involved in their children's learning.

Passed in May, the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act makes it a priority for education authorities to give parents information on how to help their child's learning at home and provide opportunities to contribute to school life.

Parents are now automatically members of their child’s school’s parent forum, which will set up the parent councils to replace the current school boards in August 2007.  

Orkney households should be wary of telephone sales campaigns offering free mobile phones.

That’s the message from the OIC trading standards department, who stress that bank details should not be given to random callers.

The caller promises an “absolutely free top-of-the-range mobile”, all the while stressing it’s a “no-strings-attached offer”. However, the individual’s bank details are soon requested as well as telephone numbers of friends and family “who might be interested”.

The project to install the first tidal turbine at a test facility off Eday has suffered a series of setbacks.

First, the jack-up barge, Octopus, was damaged on Friday en route to the Fall of Warness. The vessel is believed to have grounded in shallow water south west of the Little Green Holm. It was eventually refloated and returned to Kirkwall, where it awaits a damage assessment.

Meanwhile, because the barge could not complete the installation of steel piles on site, the temporary structure previously installed collapsed on Saturday. It now lies on the seabed in 15m of water, while plans are made for recovery.

EMEC’s Neil Kermode said: “This has been a setback. Works were progressing well, and of course we are all bitterly disappointed. But this has only delayed the installation, not stopped it.”

NorthLink Ferries is to invest £50,000 over the next six months to support charities, events and athletes in the Northern Isles.

The sponsorship funding will take the form of free travel and discounted fares, and will benefit local sport stars and charity organisations.

NorthLink is currently accepting applications for the next sponsorship tranche, which will run from October 1, 2006 until March 31, 2007.

For more information, contact the company’s marketing department on 01856 885500.

A new website to support the work of Papadale Primary Schools artist in residence project has gone live.

The site, which contains information on how the project as well as a gallery of artwork can be viewed at www.papdaletrumpets.co.uk 

This week sees the start of the annual canvass for the Register of Electors.

The Electoral Registration Officer has issued a canvass form to every household in Orkney, along with an information leaflet from the Returning Officer giving details of the new voting procedures which will be in place for next year's council elections.

May 2007 sees elections to both the Scottish Parliament and Orkney Islands Council and it is essential that all forms are returned as quickly as possible.

Deputy Justice Minister, Hugh Henry has announced developments which should make access to both civil and criminal legal aid easier in Orkney.

Orkney MSP Jim Wallace had raised the issue of the availability of criminal legal aid in Orkney in the Scottish Parliament last week - citing the example of a constituent had to get a solicitor from Aberdeen, who, in the end, was not able to travel to Orkney for the case.

The Minister confirmed that the proposed development of a network of publicly employed solicitors to provide extra help in matters of civil law in areas where there may be unmet demand.

A Naval bomb disposal team travelled north at the weekend after the discovery of a suspected explosive in a garden in Hoy.

The team from Faslane made their way to the house in Lyness, but the object was found to be an inert training shell from the Second World War.

The OIC are appealing for a lollipop man or woman to cover a busy crossing in Kirkwall.

Because of a shortage of crossing officers, the junction at the top of the Clay Loan and King Haakon Street is currently unmanned, with temporary cover being provided by community wardens in the afternoons. This, however, is due to end in a fortnight's time.

Kirsty Winterburn, of the OIC’s education and recreation department, said: “With the dark nights coming in, this is a big worry for the education department and we would like people to come forward and apply for the post.”

The Longhope lifeboat was launched on Sunday morning after a reported fire on board a chartered fishing vessel.

The Karen, was off Dunnet Head, Caithness, with 12 passengers and two crew on board.

The alarm was raised when smoke was seen coming from the vessel’s engine room around 11.30am. The Thurso and Longhope lifeboats, as well as an RAF helicopter from Lossiemouth, rushed to the rescue scene.

A woman involved in the South Ronaldsay child abuse case is to sue the OIC, according to a report in The Scotsman newspaper.

According to the article, May Willsher, who was eight-years-old at the time and now lives in England, is to sue the council for £100,000, claiming her childhood was destroyed when she was placed in care.

At dawn on the February 27, 1991, police and social workers raided the homes of four families in South Ronaldsay after claims involving non-existent Satanic child abuse.

The Kirkwall lifeboat was launched on Saturday afternoon to assist a yacht in trouble off Eynhallow.

The 30-foot Mohican suffered a steering failure while passing through the roost in Eynhallow Sound. After being thrown around violently in the tidal race, her steering shaft sheered under the pressure.

While the lifeboat was on its way, the fishing boat Mairi Bheag responded to the distress call and took the yacht in tow.

What was it like to live in Orkney and Shetland nearly 400 years ago?

The launch of Blaeu's Orkneys and Shetland, edited by James M. Irvine, provides an opportunity to read eight texts which were translated for the first time only two years ago.

The book reproduces enlargements of the well-known map by Timothy Pont, the survey for which has been dated to 1592, and which includes more place-names than any subsequent map until the Ordnance Survey of the 19th century.

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