John's second chance for
an Olympic gold
BRITAIN'S fastest skier will finally get his chance to go to the Olympics, it has been announced this week. Twenty-five-year-old speed skier, John Clark, from Boat of Garten, will be on the gold medal trail at last.
But he will have to wait until 1992 when speed ski-ing is finally recognised as an Olympic Wintersport, at Albertville, in France.
"It sounds a long time to Albertville, but I missed my chance to go to the Olympics when I was with the British Downhill Team through injury and I really can't wait," said Clark.
He earned the title of Britain's fasted skier last April, in France, when he became the first British speed skier to exceed 200kmp (125mph) and put himself in the record books forever.
The decision to include speed skiing in the 1992 Olympics, albeit as a demonstration event, was made by the Olympic committee who haven't yet come up with an answer to get around the problem of speed skiing's professional status.
Most top speed skiers are sponsored to the tune of many thousands of pounds. Clark is no exception, with a lucrative racing contract to Smirnoff which makes him one of Britain's highest paid winter sportsmen.
Speed skiing is a sport where British skiers could do very well. At present there are at least four British men in the top ten in the world and two ladies.
Call for 'advice' on caravan site
BADENOCH and Strathspey District Council is calling in the experts to tell them how best to run and develop Grantown Caravan Site.
In the meantime they will continue as at present to lease the shop to an individual who will also act as warden, with the council still running the site.
Councillors have resisted the idea of leasing the site to a private operator.
Local councillors Duncan MacKellar and Mrs Elizabeth Main pressed for it to be a five year lease to give the warden a chance to make improvements at the site within the council's financial constraints.
"We have to give it a chance," said Councillor MacKellar. "We want the site to remain under the authority of the Grantown people.
"It is washing its face financially, it is in good condition and well run - done properly it could make more money."
Council chief executive Mr Henry McCulloch said such a long lease might prevent the council carrying out improvements and development until after that time.
Kincraig councillor Joe Wainford said the site was a valuable asset which the council was not getting the best out of.
"We are amateurs - we have to get professional help to advise us how to run it," he said.
New hope in teachers' pay dispute.
A POSSIBLE resolution to the teachers' dispute may be in sight.
The executive of the main Scottish teachers' union, the EIS, is recommending members to accept the latest offer drawn up by two working parties.
The result of the members' ballot will not be known until the new year, but there is optimism that the long struggle for teachers, parents and school pupils maybe coming to an end.
Local EIS secretary Mr Ken Deans expected to receive full details of the offer, which would be explained fully to members before the ballot, at any time.
Scottish Secretary Malcolm Rifkind had approved the offer which is basically for the same amount of money, only differently distributed.
The SSTA was, however, concerned about the loss of differentials between secondary and primary teachers.
All concerned are hoping the new year brings a fresh start in Scottish education.
Guinness rapped over distillery
centre decision
GUINNESS is not good for the Highlands, regional councillors have decided following the drinks giant's decision to ditch plans for a malt whisky centre in Badenoch.
Now following a broadside from local regional councillor, Sandy Russell, the regional council's libraries and leisure committee has agreed to write to Guinness expressing its extreme disappointment.
The £100,000 centre was to have been built alongside the council's own "Gateway to the Highlands" heritage and information centre at Ralia, off the A9.
It would have provided information about the malt whisky industry and, it was hoped, encourage tourists to visit distilleries in Speyside and elsewhere in the Highlands.
Committee members were told that the project had become a casualty in the Guinness take-over of DCL. The company says, it has pulled out because of "financial and other considerations".
Expecting a decision at the hospital
NO final decision has been made on the future of the maternity at Grantown's Ian Charles Hospital.
This assurance has been given by the Highland Health Board, which has again been considering whether beds there should be re-designated for geriatric use.
A board spokesman said afterwards that the views of Badenoch and Strathspey Local Health Council had been received, but as it was still awaiting the observations of the Area Medical Committee, no final decision had been made.
Local health council members, backed by a 720-signature petition, want to see facilities retained at the hospital for lying-in-care.
But the move is being opposed by a national midwives' association which says mothers would not have full and complete supervision during their hospital stay.
The Highland board is now seeking the views of the area medical committee before making a firm decision.
Ombudsman slams council decision
TIGHTER monitoring of work on properties which receive improvement grant in Badenoch and Strathspey is likely to result from an Ombudsman's criticism.
The district council was criticised for its handling of a grant application and have asked their housing director Mr Wilf Walters to come up with a system to prevent it happening again.
Maximum grant had been given on a property, but substantial defects remained after the work was competed.
The new owners applied for further grant and were refused because the maximum grant had already been given.
District council chairman Alistair McCook said: "We would have given a grant to install electricity if the Scottish Office would have allowed us to do so."
Government regulations on grant aid prevented the council handing out more money on a property which had already received maximum grant.
The Local Government Ombudsman, in recommending the council pay the electricity grant, empowered them to do so and he also advised they improve their monitoring system on properties which are being grant-aided.
