THE season to be jolly is anything but for many struggling to make ends meet or facing uncertainty over employment as the knock-on effect of the global economic downturn come ever closer to home.

IS the credit crunch all in the mind? A straw poll carried out online by this paper reveals an interesting response when readers were asked whether the crunch has been over-hyped.

THERE was cold comfort for visitors taking advantage of Dingwall's much-trumpeted free car parking space this week.

IN the wake of concerns about the scrapping of a scheme that allowed health professionals to prescribe exercise rather than medication to people suffering a wide range of complaints, we this week report on a Wester Ross initiative aimed at encouraging young people to become more active.

THE credit crunch isn't far from anyone's lips in these economically depressed times and, on the face of it, it's encouraging that Highland Council is offering to take a sympathetic lead on the issue.

GLOOMY media reports this week suggest that the UK is losing up to 1,000 jobs a day as the economy enters recession and the credit crunch bites.

POLICE routinely come under fire from residents unhappy they don't get an immediate response to call outs.

AS we report this week, an appeal by Muir of Ord Community Council for fresh blood has borne fruit with sufficient numbers coming forward to ensure the body can continue to function.

EVERYBODY knows that times are hard at the moment, with the UK economy heading into recession.

THE discovery of another cannabis "factory" within a house in Ross-shire is further evidence that the area is far from immune from the treacherous tentacles of the illicit drugs industry.

WITH the swimming pool in Inverness currently out of action, now could be the time for householders on the Black Isle to turn their attention to their own doorsteps.

A ROSS-shire waste reduction initiative is being funded for another two-and-a-half years, offering a seal of approval for the work carried out to date and some welcome stability as plans are laid to build on that success.

THERE has been a growing perception over recent years that ever-tightening health and safety rules are over-cautious and squeezing the fun out of pastimes once considered innocent and care-free.

CAMPAIGNERS for more sustainable forms of transport that would help cut through the chronic congestion seen daily on the Kessock Bridge will next week attempt to coax Ross-shire residents out of their cars and on to a bicycle, which they will supply free of charge.

N response to criticism outlined elsewhere in this week's edition, bus operator Stagecoach has promised changes to improve the reliability of its Black Isle service, introduced amidst scenes of chaos towards the end of last month.

MANY of us will have shuddered on hearing news of repeated energy prices hikes over the past few months. Indeed it seems that barely a week goes by without one of the handful of main suppliers announcing yet another mammoth rise with an apologetic "not our fault" shrug of the shoulders.

THERE are times when you simply have to hold up your hands, admit you've made a blunder and say sorry.

ASDA's withdrawal — temporary, we are assured — from the supermarket store wars shaping up in Tain came as a bolt from the blue this week and will be a bitter disappointment to those keen to see greater competition and more choice in Easter Ross.

EVERYONE, it seems, is feeling the pinch from the much-hyped credit crunch which is affecting everything from the price of a loaf of bread to the cost of a mortgage.

PEOPLE outwith the agricultural community are prone to make the withering observation that "you never see a poor farmer" whenever the issue of how food gets to our tables crops up.

THE siting of the Dingwall Rotary Club plinth has clearly ruffled a few feathers locally, as a glance at our letters page over the last few weeks will confirm.

THE Princess Royal this week gave her seal of approval to an exhibition celebrating the role of the drovers from years gone by.

THE latest incarnation of local government was supposed to witness a significant upgrading in the status of community councils as grassroots organisations that would speak for the people they represent. The idea was that they would be able to pass on directly their views to those with the clout to change things for the better.

ANOTHER week, another impending closure in Ross-shire. Yes, the axe is out again to cut another public service, and residents are being called on to rally to fight yet another campaign.

ONCE flourishing small communities across the county seem to be dying a slow death thanks to never-ending cuts in vital services.

THERE were a few furrowed brows in the council chamber at this week's meeting of Highland Council's Ross, Skye and Lochaber planning applications committee in Dingwall as onlookers tried to figure out exactly what was going on.

OUR story highlighting concerns about the illegal use of motorcycles and quad bikes on Forestry Commission land has sparked strong comment from both sides of the debate.

CAMPAIGNERS pressing for safer cycling routes across Ross-shire have faced a battle every bit as challenging as an uphill climb of the Bealach na Ba in a force ten gale.

DINGWALL deserves better. One of our younger correspondents this week puts the litter problem facing the town — and Ross-shire — in a nutshell.

DINGWALL householders concerned about the impact on their homes of a neighbouring property which is gradually falling into disrepair have, understandably, tried to do something to remedy the situation.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS companies are making big bucks on the back of a continuing explosion in mobile phone use.

HEARTIEST congratulations must go out to Hamish Menzies on the richly deserved honour conferred upon him this week.

WHEN it comes to the front line emergency services, the Highlands have always been a bit of a special case.

LOCAL companies are amongst those fearing for the future under a shake-up of local authority procurement procedures, the full details of which have yet to emerge.

PRIMARY pupils from across Ross-shire got a taste of life behind the wheel at an unusual get-together in Inverness last week.

THE debate over safety at level crossings — where road meets rail — was rekindled in the aftermath of concerns voiced by a High Court judge this week relating to the situation at Delny, where two young Easter Ross men lost their lives just over a year ago.

LAST week we launched our Fit for Life series which began with a look at efforts to counter growing problems with obesity across our area.

WHILE the size of our waistlines would seem to be largely a matter of personal choice, the Scottish Government is set to plough millions into programmes designed to tackle what has been described as an obesity time bomb.

RIVALRY between bookies in Dingwall looks set to heat up with the news that there are plans for a third betting shop to open up in the town.

ROSS-SHIRE residents are not being shy about getting out on the streets and making their feelings known on issues that matter.

PROPOSALS have been made to webcast meetings of the Highland Council to allow people interested in local democracy, but who are unable to attend decision-making gatherings, the opportunity to see what their elected representatives are getting up to.

DOG owners who walk away from excrement deposited in public places by their pets should be named, shamed and fined.

COUNCIL officials tend to turn a whiter shade of pale when you start asking questions about common good funds.

WHO can now say, hand on heart, that they believe anything they have said during the six-week consultation period by Post Office Ltd on proposed closures and changes of service is likely to make a jot of difference?

THE knives are out again to carve yet another chunk off what was once the identifiable administrative area of Ross and Cromarty, which ran from outside Tain to the edge of Wester Ross.

A LOCAL MSP is calling for the use of tougher community-based sentences for offenders as an alternative to simply locking them up.

THE uncertainty now facing call centre staff in Alness is symptomatic of an increasingly global service industry in which massive contracts are routinely switched around the world in response to economic drivers.

AN increasing number of businesses in both private and public sectors have in recent years latched on to the fact that Dingwall is a rather pleasant and convenient place in which to locate.

FOLK in and around Dingwall had to show true grit just to stay on their feet during a cold snap last week.

THERE seems to be an air of inevitability over the latest tranche of Post Office closure proposals with some observers even going so far as to say (privately) that the Ross-shire hit list isn't as bad as they had expected.

IT is no surprise that the need for "affordable" housing again looms large at the dawn of a new year.

A QUARTER of a century ago, as we reveal in this week's Ross-shire Journal, concerns were being voiced about the impact the newly-opened Kessock Bridge was having on businesses within Ross-shire.

THE run-up to Christmas tends to bring out the best — and the worst — in us all.

WHILE Dingwall has been accused of lacking community spirit in recent weeks, there's clearly no absence of interest in the future of the High Street.

AS one small, divided Ross-shire community (Garve and District) this week considered how a £5million fund could be put to use should a wind farm be located in its midst, another (Fairburn) steadied itself for the opening next week of full-blooded debate over a proposed scheme on its doorstep.

WHY do we have peak-time queues coming in to Dingwall? Observers have suggested a number of road-related reasons and logic suggests certain obvious improvements that could be made to ease the flow (if, as ever, the money was available to carry them out).

MANY tiny scattered communities throughout Ross-shire have experienced the blow of business and school closures in recent years and are crying out for a multi-million-pound pot of money to dip into to reverse their fortunes.

THE difficulty in getting a doctor's appointment with our GP of choice at a time that suits us has become as common a complaint as the cold in recent times.

IT took guts for Dingwall man Neil MacKenzie to speak out about the attacks he has faced, both in his home town of Dingwall and at his work place in Inverness, simply on the basis of his sexuality.

A HIGHLAND history teacher recently voiced his shock on discovering well-educated senior pupils who had no idea of the existence — far less the chilling significance — of the Auschwitz death camp.

THE cut and thrust of party politics clearly sits uneasily with many of our elected representatives on Highland Council.

THE suspension of a Ross-shire service described by its beneficiaries as "a lifeline" is a matter of great regret and efforts should now be made to sort things out.

HIGH-PROFILE raids on Indian restaurants certainly give the appearance of a no-nonsense stance on illegal immigrants and the businesses which allegedly give them employment.

WHO would be a football manager? It is with a feeling of déjà vu that we write those words today.

GIVEN the amount of work now done in this country by volunteers and the ever-increasing size of the charity sector, we should perhaps not be surprised to learn of a staffing crisis in Ross-shire.

THERE'S a lot to be said for the very straightforward "adopt-a-street" campaign now being spearheaded by Dingwall Community Council.

A HIGHLAND MSP has set in motion the wheels of a campaign to try and reduce the drink-drive limit.

AS well as endearing herself to many of the locals who turned out to see her in Invergordon and Alness this week, Princess Anne appears to have made an unwitting contribution to the area's tourist trade.

CLAIMS this week that people are becoming disillusioned by police responses to calls to incidents in some of our more remote areas, and in some cases have even stopped calling in to report matters, are a real cause for concern.

WITH so many of us sitting in front of computer terminals on a daily basis at both home and work, the importance of fast broadband connections is obvious.

QUESTIONS must surely be asked about Scottish Water's handling of the current water situation in the Wester Ross community of Ullapool, where a health scare has now run into its third week.

MORE than two years have lapsed since a tragic accident occurred on the A835 Maryburgh to Tore road when a cyclist going about his daily business was struck and killed by a delivery lorry.

ROSS-shire veteran Johnny Matheson, along with many like him, did his bit for king and country when duty called.

HEARTIEST congratulations to Kiltearn Fèis Rois Fiddlers and friends who have once again proved admirable ambassadors for Ross-shire in far off places.

COULD invisible ink hold the key to exposing the thoughtless idiots who act as a proxy in buying booze for underage kids?

MUSSEL shell artist Blott Kerr-Wilson has left Tain locals with plenty to chew on with her highly distinctive mural work and forthright comments on recycling.

THE concept of the antisocial behaviour order, or ASBO as it is more commonly known, has entered our everyday language and is, sadly, an increasingly familiar problem for many.

THE old refrain about kids having nothing to do doesn't wash with Ross-shire's leading police officer and it doesn't wash with us either.

CONVENTIONAL wisdom tells us that the 'Chip and PIN' revolution is the way to go when it comes to paying for our supermarket shopping — and it's likely that 99 per cent of us now comply meekly when prompted to 'check the amount and pop in your PIN number' at the checkout.

ON the face of it, the deal struck over a portion of the Nigg fabrication yard brings the potential revival of the site as a major employer a step closer.

WITH increasing numbers of us now online and comfortable with the wonders of the worldwide web, our story this week about the basic blunders in Wikipedia's Dingwall Academy entry provides food for thought.

AS one Easter Ross residents association this week picks up a well-deserved national award, another a couple of miles away warns that without fresh blood it will be forced to disband.

ROSS police are to be offered language lessons in a change of tack towards the area's growing migrant population.

THE late John Lennon once observed that life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.

ONE of the election campaign's more colourful characters, Gordon Campbell, this week described the handling of last week's election as "a farce, a flop and a fiasco".

CHANCES are that a lot of us in Ross-shire won't be entirely sure who to turn to as we seek assistance with our everyday council-related gripes.

THERE will be no place for faint hearts or jittery nerves at Victoria Park this weekend as Ross County face the ultimate test of a season that has taken more twists and turns than a snake in a maze.

AN ELECTION campaign can be declared well and truly underway by the time the first allegations of "dirty tricks" surface.

CANDIDATES seeking mandates to make decisions on our behalf at Holyrood and Highland Council have now declared themselves and the race is well and truly on.

SURELY only an old cynic would question the timing of the Scottish Executive's announcement yesterday over cash relief following last October's flooding?

CONVENER Carolyn Wilson couldn't have got it more right this week when she said no one wants to see a repeat of the emotional damaged caused during last October's unforgettable floods.

OUR report this week of a Kildary heroin addict’s plea to be sent to prison to receive intensive drugs treatment is a sad reflection on the increasing number of people in the Highlands tempted to indulge in addictive substances and on the scarcity of treatment facilities available.

THE eventual admission that a lack of local knowledge amongst council staff contributed to the scale of problems created by last October’s unforgettable flooding in Dingwall is welcome, if somewhat tardy, in terms of a warts and all appraisal of the lessons that must now be learned.

THERE have already been recriminations about the timing and scope of today’s community-run ballot to determine local feeling about the proposed Lochluichart wind farm proposal.

ONE train of thought has it that as long as bins are emptied on time and council tax demands aren’t too outrageous, the (wo)man in the street couldn’t really care less about local politics.

THE sentences handed down to the men put behind bars for dealing heroin on the Black Isle are a welcome warning to those tempted to fill their shoes.

THE call from Highland Council for a review of safety at level crossings across the region is a step in the right direction following the Delny tragedy on February 2.

ALMOST exactly a month ago, we argued that the case for a full and transparent review of safety at level crossings in Ross-shire was “overwhelming”.

BACK in November we highlighted the concerns raised by a number of residents troubled by the peaty smoke — though the company terms it “vapour” — coming from the Glen Ord Maltings and into their homes.

THE jail sentence handed down to an Ullapool man who maliciously and falsely accused the police officer who arrested him of punching him in the face was widely welcomed this week as a warning shot to anyone who might be tempted to follow suit.

IT’S all go in Tain! With Asda and Lidl hoping for the go-ahead within weeks to progress their respective plans to gain a foothold in the Easter Ross town, Tesco now appears to be waiting in the wings to make its own grand entrance.

THE case for a full and transparent review of safety issues surrounding level crossings in Ross-shire in general and Dingwall in particular is surely overwhelming.

WITH many of us coughing and spluttering our way into 2007 and calls to NHS 24 breaking all records for the time of year, the issue of out of hours cover has again been thrust into the spotlight.