A look back at events of 2002

September

• Orkney looked set to end the year with a second rate ferry service, after NorthLink announced that their vessel Hamnavoe would likely lie idle for six months the length of time it was expected to take until the Scrabster pier was completed. They then announced that the Hamnavoe would be put up for hire for several months as they didn¹t expect the Scrabster pier to be ready until possibly March 2003.
• Orkney Ferries board member Councillor Bob Sclater launched a vigorous attack on the company¹s management, in the face of criticism from island hauliers. He was responding to complaints from a business customer in Sanday who was annoyed at the cancellation of a scheduled sailing of the MV Earl Thorfinn, because of a crew shortage. A statement from Orkney Ferries said that the sailing was cancelled because of a "minor manning problem"which they were unable to resolve.
• OIC chief executive Mr Alistair Buchan took the unprecedented step of writing to The Orcadian to strongly defend the One-Stop-Shop project based at the former East Kirk in Kirkwall. He said that he had taken the unusual move because he felt very strongly that the project was a strategic development for Orkney, which would improve how the council went about providing better and more effective services to the public.
• The waiting game emerged between the Flotta and Sullom Voe oil terminals to find out who had the right to handle production from the Atlantic Foinaven and Schiehallion oil fields. Orkney had submitted a bid for both fields, and terminal manager Terry Buchy said he felt they were in a strong position to win.
• Nearly 550 people were wiped off the NHS register at the Scapa Dental Centre in Kirkwall which led to a wave of complaints to the practice from concerned patients. The news meant that unless the 540 people registered privately, they would no longer be able to access NHS appointments in Orkney, unless it was an emergency. The Scapa Dental Centre added that they had closed their books and were not taking in any new NHS patients.
• It was announced this month that crimes and offences involving lethal drugs in Orkney had more than doubled over a one year period. A total of 23 crimes were recorded from April 2000 to March 2001 but 47 crimes were recorded between April 2001 and March 2002.
• Pentland Ferries announced that their second vessel, Claymore, would start service on the short sea route on October 1 the same day NorthLink were due to take over the North Isles ferry routes.
• A further 2,000-2,500 patients were to be de-registered and no longer entitled to NHS dental treatment at the Scapa Dental Centre, following the departure of dentist Major Malcolm Hamilton from the centre to NHS Orkney. News of Major Hamilton¹s departure sparked a crisis meeting between staff and management to decide the future of the Scapa Dental Centre.
• Orkney Islands Council called for more information about the Northern Lighthouse Board¹s proposals to close their depot in Stromness - a move described as "desperately sad" by OIC convener Councillor Hugh Halcro-Johnston.
• The dream of millions of people became a reality for an Orkney family in September when Kirkwall man Keith Williamson scooped £84,000 on the National Lottery on Friday, September 13.
• Orkney bade an emotional farewell to the P&O ferry St Ola on the last day of September, following its last sailing of the Stromness-Scrabster route, which it had plied for ten years. The vessel was piped out of Stromness harbour to the sound of Auld Lang Syne, played by Stromness Royal British Legion Pipe Band.
  
  However, the St Ola was not the final P&O vessel to leave Orkney. The cargo vessel St Rognvald left Kirkwall at 11pm the same day, with freight bound for Aberdeen, although her farewell was more low key.