| Third place for Orkney artist in Shell awards |
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Orphir artist Steven MacIver has been announced as one of the winners of the Shell awards in this year’s Aberdeen Artists Society exhibition.
The winners were announced at the Civic Reception at Aberdeen Art Gallery last night, Friday.
Steven took third prize for his oil on canvas “Sant’ Agnese”.
Judging was Professor Stuart MacDonald, Head of Gray¹s School of Art, who commented: “the work says a lot about the versatility of painting that it can still communicate new and interesting things about very old subjects.” |
| Orkney prepares for Norwegian Constitution Day |
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Orkney is preparing to host the annual celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day on May 17.
Visitors from Norway will travel to the county to take part in the celebrations, arranged by the Orkney Norway Friendship Association and Orkney Islands Council.
The day will begin with a short memorial service at the Norwegian war graves in St Olaf's Cemetery before a lunch-time recital in St Magnus Cathedral.
The Tog will leave Kirkwall pier at 2.30pm and make its way to the Cathedral for a short programme of speeches and entertainment.
Constitution Day will end with a dinner dance in the Ayre Hotel, organised by the Orkney Norway Friendship Association. |
| Honorary degree for Orkney naturalist |
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Orkney naturalist Elaine R. Bullard is to be awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science at a ceremony in Kirkwall later this month.
Ms Bullard, who contributed her weekly Planticru column in The Orcadian for many years, is a recognised expert in her field and is now being honoured by Heriot Watt University.
The degree will be conferred at a ceremony in the Orkney Islands Council chambers on May 28. |
| Orkney's Liberal Democrats' allegiance continues with an increased majority |
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 Liam McArthur (pictured right) is Orkney's new MSP. The Liberal Democrat representative was elected with 4,113 votes, an increase of 454 on the previous election.
When the result was announced at the Pickaquoy Centre about 4am on Friday morning, Mr McArthur said the campaign had reminded him how privileged he was to have been brought up in Orkney.
Second in the vote was John Mowat, for the SNP, with 1,637, just five votes ahead of Helen Gardiner, the Conservative candidate on 1,632.
For the Labour Party, Iain MacDonald secured 1,134 votes. Independent candidate Barrie Jones received 137.
A total of 285 voting papers were rejected for a variety of reasons.
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| One existing councillor loses out in election |
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Former Orkney Islands Councillor Ian MacDonald was not re-elected in Thursday's election.
Mr MacDonald was the only councillor not re-elected in an election which saw nine councillors stand down.
Councillors elected were: Bobby Leslie, Janice Annal, Mike Drever, Steven Heddle (all Kirkwall East ward), Alan Leslie, David Tullock, Jack Moodie, Roderick McLeod (Kirkwall West & Orphir), Ian Johnstone, James Stockan, John Eccles (Stromness & South Isles), Alistair Gordon, Eoin Scott, Jimmy Moar, Rob Crichton (West Mainland), Andrew Drever, Jim Foubister, Russ Madge (East Mainland, South Ronaldsay & Burray), Graham Sinclair, Sam Harcus, Stephen Hagan (North Isles)
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| Upgrade work at NHS Orkney |
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NHS Orkney has carried out a major facelift on the Balfour Hospital’s Piper Ward and work has now begun on the St Ninian Ward.
The Piper Ward was closed for three weeks for refurbishment, which includes redecoration, new floor coverings and a shower room transformed into a wet room.
The Health Board has also invested £10,000 installing a series of induction loop systems in waiting areas and GP and dental practices across Orkney to benefit patients who have hearing difficulties. |
| Buyorkney.com's online shop goes live |
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The county’s latest online shop has gone live.
Behind www.buyorkney.com is Pat Long, who has been busy speaking to suppliers and putting over 400 products and descriptions on the site’s new shop.
But, she stressed, the site is more than just a shop and features an online version of Charles Tait’s Orkney Guidebook as well as local information, such as webcam links, biographies and intends to include accommodation directory in the near future. |
| The Spy in Black weekend celebrations |
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A weekend of events celebrating the 90th anniversary of the publication of The Spy in Black kicks off on Friday.
The tale, by J. Storer Clouston, is a story of espionage set in Orkney during the First World War, and the weekend of celebrations will coincide with a new limited edition of the book.
today, Friday, along with the book launch, Orkney College hosted lectures by Dr Donna Heddle, Dr Sarah Jane Gibbon and Geoffrey Stell.
On Saturday, the Pickaquoy Centre will show the 1939 film version of The Spy in Black, while on Sunday, the Orkney Rangers will lead a guided bus tour, to uncover the locations featured in the book.
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| Two arrested following alleged break-in |
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Two men have been arrested following an alleged break-in at a house in Kirkwall’s Glaitness Park.
Meanwhile, a man has been arrested following alleged theft of a purse from the Peedie Hotel in Kirkwall.
Reports are to be submitted to the procurator fiscal. |
| Information sought on air rifle incident |
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Police are keen to hear from anyone with information after a cat was shot by an air rifle.
The animal was injured after being struck by a pellet sometime last weekend in the area of Station Square, St Mary’s Holm.
Police can be contacted on 872241 or anonymously on 870999. |
| Name change mooted for soap company |
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The Kirkwall branch of the Shetland Soap Company is contemplating changing its name to “Orkney Soap”.
Alexis Odie, manager of the company, said: “The business has been trading for two years and in that time the charity has created employment for six local folk, two of whom have a disability, and training and support placements for a further 12 Orcadians with disabilities.
She added: “It is mooted that in the future, the ownership, of what is to become ‘Orkney Soap’, may pass to an Orkney-based voluntary organisation, and talks have already been entered into with various interested parties. |
| Farmers wanted for levy boards |
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The farmers’ union wants farmers to put their names forward for the restructured levy boards.
The chief executive of the NFU Scotland, Andy Robertson, said it was important farmers were represented on the levy boards because they were the levy payers.
The new boards will replace a number of bodies, including the Milk Development Council and the Horticultural Development Council.
Members will be paid £250 a day for two days’ work a month. Details are available on www.appointments.org.uk, with the reference
number DEF7939. |
| Stromnessian on Scottish School Magazine competition shortlist |
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The Stromnessian, the Stromness Academy magazine, has been shortlisted in four categories in the 2007 Scottish School Magazine of the Year competition.
The magazine, which was revived last year after more than 20 years, has been nominated for awards in four of the competition’s eight categories: Best Title and Cover; Best Editorial Content and Team; Best Written Article (by Rhun Moir), and, finally, Scottish School Magazine of the Year 2007.
The awards ceremony is on June 8 in the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. |
| Chimney fire callouts |
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Kirkwall Fire Brigade attended at a suspected chimney fire in St Catherine’s Place on Tuesday. However, the call-out was a false alarm, a spokesman blaming a blowback from the chimney.
Meanwhile, Rousay’s part-time retained fire crew were also called out to deal with a chimney fire on Tuesday afternoon. The fire at Daisy Cottage was extinguished and there was no damage to the property. |
| Registration reminder to private landlords |
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Orkney Islands Council is reminding private landlords that they must register or face a penalty. To date seven local landlords have been penalised with the £110 late application fee for failing to apply on time.
The Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004 introduced a requirement for all private sector landlords to register with their local authority. It is an offence to rent out private residential property without having made a valid application to register.
So far, 670 landlords and 737 properties have been approved and placed on the Orkney register.
Members of the public can check the register by visiting www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk and using the search facility. |
| Online booking goes live at The Shore |
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The launch of www.theshore.co.uk on Thursday will see another Orkney hotel offering live online accommodation booking.
The launch of the new website for the former Queen’s Hotel in Kirkwall completes the rebranding of the business and puts meaning behind its new name ‘The Shore.co.uk’ .
The hotel was taken over in October 2006 by Karen and Gareth Crichton and after a period of closure and refurbishment was reopened as The Shore Rooms Restaurant & Bar. |
| Inquiries into stolen moped |
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Kirkwall police would like to hear from anyone in connection with the theft of a moped from a house in St Ola.
The moped's disappearance from Rosegarth House, St Ola, has just come to light and it is thought the theft could have been any time in the last 18 months.
Anyone with information is asked to call 872241. |
| NorthLink awards new sponsorships |
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NorthLink Ferries is to invest another £50,000 over the next six months in supporting charities, events, athletes and artists in the Northern Isles.
The sponsorship funding will take the form of free travel and discounted fares and will benefit several individuals and organisations in Orkney and Shetland.
New to the sponsorship scheme this Spring are badminton-playing siblings Mathew (11) and Rebecca Reid (13) of Kirkwall, both of whom will attend Highland district badminton training sessions and tournaments. |
| Teenager remanded in custody after Sacro disturbance |
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A Kirkwall teenager has been remanded in custody after vandalising the Sacro hostel in Kirkwall’s St Catherine’s Place.
Appearing at Kirkwall Sheriff Court from custody on Monday, Scott Scollie, 17, of 6 Pickaquoy Loan, admitted conducting himself in a disorderly manner, shouting, swearing, committing a breach of the peace and kicking a door damaging it on Friday while on probation.
Sheriff Graeme Napier remanded Scollie in jail until May 17 while a social inquiry, community service assessment and restriction of liberty order are prepared. |
| New Episcopalian bishop elected |
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The Very Rev Dr Robert Gillies has been appointed the new Bishop for the Episcopalian Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney.
The election of the new Bishop was carried out by the electoral synod, comprising of representatives of clergy and lay members from the diocese.
Dr Gillies succeeds Bishop Bruce Cameron. |
| Two stopped for alleged drink driving |
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Two men were arrested for alleged drink driving in the early hours of Sunday morning.
One was stopped at 4am and a second male, who was also charged with a number of traffic offences, was apprehended at 6.25am.
Reports are being prepared for the procurator fiscal. |
| Police seek information on garden thefts |
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Police are looking for information after a spate of thefts from gardens in Kirkwall.
A number of solar lamps were stolen from houses on the Holm Branch Road and the Clay Loan. The first incident was overnight on Friday, the second on Saturday. A garden ornament was also stolen from a house in Kirkwall's Clay Loan.
Anyone with information should call 872241. |
| Pink Weekend raises over £4,000 |
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The Ferry Inn's annual Pink Weekend raised over £4,000 to be shared among CLIC Sargent, Cancer Research, Clan House in Aberdeen and the Stromness Surgery.
The event is in memory of Ingrid Rosie who was only 25 when she died in November, 2003, after a 12-month battle against breast cancer.
The final total for the weekend was £4,150. |
| Summer timetable published this week |
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The Orkney public transport timetable for summer 2007 will be published this week.
As well as information on all bus, air and ferry services in Orkney, the timetable includes details of air and ferry services to and from Orkney and bus and rail connections on the mainland.
The new timetable sees a number of changes to the bus services, including an additional service from Deerness to Kirkwall via the airport at 6pm.
Copies of the new timetable will be circulated in The Orcadian on Thursday, May 3. |
| New Partner for Skerryvore Practice |
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 Skerryvore Practice in Kirkwall has recruited an additional partner, Dr Sarah Stevenson.
Dr Stevenson has, over recent months, worked at the practice as a GP registrar and now on completion of her training is to work at Skerryvore three days a week.
Dr Stevenson was brought up in Evie and attended the Stromness Academy. She is married to local farmer, Dave Scarth, and they have a 10 month old son Alex. |
| Publish date for 2007 economic review |
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The new Orkney Economic Review 2007 is now available and contains a wealth of information about Orkney’s economy.
The review features a range of statistical information including data on population, industry performance and transport.
It also contains the latest employment figures and information on ferry and airport use and expanded sections on areas such as agriculture and housing.
The document is available for download at the council’s website at www.orkney.gov.uk.
A limited number of hard copies are also available from the council’s Customer Services reception and at Kirkwall and Stromness libraries. |
