Davie P

It's a shame to see another potentially interesting and constructive thread take such a needlessly negative turn at the hands of the same group of folk.

It's a shame to see another potentially interesting and constructive thread take such a needlessly negative turn at the hands of the same group of folk.

You've made your point Colin. Let's move on.

Here's an interesting blog from a couple of years back about a food bank in Shetland http://www.elizabethskitchendiary.co.uk/2013/12/food-poverty-in-shetland.html/

It's a shame to see another potentially interesting and constructive thread take such a needlessly negative turn at the hands of the same group of folk.

It's a shame to see another potentially interesting and constructive thread take such a needlessly negative turn at the hands of the same group of folk.

It's a shame to see another potentially interesting and constructive thread take such a needlessly negative turn at the hands of the same group of folk.

I made no such assumption. My post doesn't depend on that being the case. 
 
However, you were initially a bit rude, a manner you have decided to ham up further descending into full on beliigerence. You know nothing of this person and are attacking them as if they are incompetent and lazy. You come across as somebody with a bit of a chip on their shoulder about something else, that you have needlessly decided to take out on somebody who made a very fair and reasonable request. 

Do you expect journalists, academics, or researchers to work for nothing, or do you think that people just shouldn't write about poverty? What about charities and aid agencies which are devoted to fighting poverty, do you think that their staff should also work for nothing?  
 
As an aside the OP never said they were receiving payment for their article, did you have a point to make by raising that, or are you simply trolling? 

Colin, you cannot simultaneously deride others for being presumptuous, while you yourself make the baseless assumption that angelpie is not also carrying out "boots on the ground" research in conjunction with this request. It is possible (and, indeed, sensible) to use as many channels as are available. Your manner in this thread has been quite aggressive and I cannot figure out why. Whatever angelpie's reasons for wishing to write this article I don't see any need to attack him or her as you have here. 

In that case, the decent thing to do would be to apologise and, after that, stop.

It's hard to know where to start with the wording of the petition. Does the person who started it and the signatories really think the councillors will resign? And who will replace them? More councillors? I think you'll find that's called 'an election', and there's one not too far off anyway.
 
It seems to me to be complete red herring.

Rambling and pointless bluster.

good luck to the relay for life folks

I take it some folk don't read the comments section on the Shetland Times and Shetland News websites, or don't use Facebook for that matter, if they're singling Shetlink out for criticism about negativity. There's stuff on those sites, particularly the personal attacks, I don't think would be allowed here.
 
It's somewhat ironic that the people complaining about negativity have spent more words doing so than actually posting anything positive themselves.
 
Anyway, in an effort to redress the balance...
 
 
Scootersprocket, I hope the move goes well and here's a few suggestions.
 
Get involved with your local community hall - it's where many of the community events are based. You'll find all the contacts here - http://www.communitydirectory.shetland.gov.uk/community-halls-community-centres-other-facilities-c97.html
 
The 'move' section of the shetland.org has a load of valuable advice - http://move.shetland.org
 
The Walk Shetland website is an excellent resource for walkers (including some advice for dog owners taken from the Scottish Outdoor Access Code) - http://www.walkshetland.com

Kind of hard to know where to start with that, scraping off the thin veneer of xenophobia coursing through it I would say that even though you don't feel Scottish and you don't want to be called Scottish you are still Scottish by the simple fact you live in Shetland which is a part of Scotland (whether you like it or not). However, you can take a mature approach to the referendum and vote in a way which you think will benefit Shetland best rather than take the bairny attitude of voting the way you think will upset the most people.

Done! Good luck with your project Jack

Blow me down!  Was having a quick flick through some of the photos in the museum and archives collection, and stumbled upon this great one of Bootsy, when we was working a part-time job on the tills at Bells Brae Stores, in the early 1990s.  A certain Mrs V. Tulloch is the dashing maiden in the middle, she was vampin' wi him at the time.  Fantastic.
 
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r46/petergear/BootsyworkinatBellsBraeStoresin80s.jpg
 
I wonder if there are any other photos of him up here?  What's Bootsy Doin'?

I belive you're right on both counts hjasga. Also, many staff raise significant external funds that more than cover their wages meaning a net gain to the local economy, which isn't reflected in the revenue grant figures.

I think the current council is doing quite a good job of reducing staff levels. As mentioned, they had a purge of middle management of few years back and they're taking on new staff at a fraction of the level that people are leaving, retiring or taking redundancy. Redeployment, rather than forced redundancy, seems to be the norm.
 
It think it's a sensible approach, and it could have some pretty dire consequences if there was to be mass redundancy.

I belive you're right on both counts hjasga. Also, many staff raise significant external funds that more than cover their wages meaning a net gain to the local economy, which isn't reflected in the revenue grant figures.

I completely support the idea of a streamlined SIC. However, during the last round of management cuts a few years back, I ken several folk who had a lot more pressure added to their jobs when they lost their managers. Somebody still has to take the strain when others are laid off (unless the job was completely unnecessary in the first place).

"Council roads maintenance manager Dave Coupe explained that each set of lights in the town is now so old that manufacturers are unable to supply some replacement parts.
One new set of lights is due to arrive in February, which Coupe said would replace the crossing at Bolts. But to replace all 10 would cost around £150,000 and he doesn't have the budget to do that straight away."
http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/7877-council-must-sort-out-traffic-light-woes-says-convener

Full new install at Bolts and likely some spares scavenged from the old one to try and keep the rest going a bit longer?

Friends and supporters schemes are standard practice for public buildings and charities throughout the world.
 
If you don't want to be a 'friend', then don't. It couldn't be simpler.

Did someone mention popcorn?