Vandals hit school
three times
in four nights
by Terry Johnson
VANDALS who smashed a primary school’s security fencing three times in four nights and wrecked a newly-planted eco-garden have left children and parents in tears.
Staff of Culcheth Primary School at Warrington and worried Parent Teacher Association members have called for special police patrols “to stop this heartbreak cycle of destruction”.
Security fencing which the PTA had provided at a cost of ?2,500 has been battered down in three nights of vandalism.
Plants in an eco-garden at the 185-pupil school have been torn out and scattered.
School spokeswoman, Kath Stephenson, said: “It is hard to believe that these destroyers would strike three out of four nights. Their actions have undone the hard work by members of the PTA and children’s efforts to improve their environment through plantings.
“We have had parents in tears and the chairman of governors, Coun Keith Bland, inspected the damage and expressed his disgust at these serial attacks.
“The fencing was only erected in August to protect children who play close to the busy Warrington Road.”
Cheshire Police have pledged to intensify area patrols in an effort to stop the school vandalism.
Local author “Leavin’
on a jet plane!”
by Gary Skentelbery
LYMM based Stephen Power is celebrating having his first novel published.
After a few false starts in life “the army, a university course in software engineering, and one half of a pantomime horse” Stephen settled for a career in the hospitality industry, which has included work at sea for a prestigious cruise line.
Life eventually lead him to Paris where he completed his first novel, Leavin’ on a Jet Plane.
Turning his hand to writing has been a gradual process. Stephen admits he never felt the “vocation” for writing that some writers feed off.
Life has simply thrown up unique moments and characters, which he has watched and observed. He writes because some events in life have stayed with him, “refusing to go away and begging to be told to a wider audience.”
The book features “Danny” who realises his dream of travelling the world and getting paid for it. He flies off to San Francisco not knowing when he’ll be back, or if he’ll be back. But his job as a bartender on a cruise ship proves to be far from plain sailing.
He struggles to fit in, he makes enemies as quickly as he makes friends, his limited knowledge of cocktail making is easily surpassed by his unlimited skill at drinking them.
And then someone slips into his life who makes things even more complicated.
Now Stephen is currently writing the sequel to Leavin’ on a Jet plane.
Elderly warned: Get
your ‘flu jabs
by Terry Johnson
ELDERLY and special-risk patients at Warrington are being told: ‘You must turn up for vital flu jabs’.
Health chiefs admit that a supply problem at one of the country’s biggest vaccine manufacturers could have created patient confusion.
Chiron Vaccines has had its licence suspended by the Government over an alleged contamination problem.
But the majority of Warrington’s GP practices are not affected. Most townspeople will be able to keep their flu-jab appointments and should do so.
Warrington Primary Care Trust says nine GP practices are affected and these patients ‘will have to wait a little longer’ for vaccine.
Spokesperson Kerry Broadhead said: “Because flu immunisation is so important for the over-65’s and at-risk groups these nine practices are working hard to obtain alternative flu vaccine – which should be available early next month.
“The situation has not affected most of our GP’s in Warrington. If you have booked an appointment with your GP, please make sure you keep it.
“Flu is a serious illness which can sometimes be fatal, especially for older and vulnerable people”
The Department of Health has arranged for an extra 1.2 m. doses of vaccine to be at doctors’ surgeries by the end of October and a further 1m. by mid-November.
Council chief stays
on hospitals board
by staff reporter
NORTH Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust has announced that non-executive director Maureen Banner has been re-appointed to serve a further term of office.
Mrs Banner – a member of Warrington Borough Council’s executive board – will now serve until November 30, 2008 with the Trust, having been re-appointed by the NHS Appointments Commission.
She lives in Woolston, Warrington, is a retired teacher (St Margaret’s C of E, Orford) and has worked in the voluntary sector as a school governor and chairman of the Womens’ Refuge in Warrington.
Mrs Banner has been a councillor for the past five years and is the portfolio holder for education.She also chairs the Warrington Sure Start Partnership and is a member of the Children and Young People’s Partnership.
She said: “I am delighted to have been re-appointed as a non-executive director because I’m extremely passionate about services available for the people of North Cheshire. I look forward to continuing my work with the board in meeting the challenges which lie ahead.”
“Sitting on the Partnerships at Warrington Borough Council I am able to help formulate strategic health policy which will have a direct impact on services at Warrington and Halton Hospitals. “
Hospitals Trust chairman Norman Banner said: “Maureen is an extremely enthusiastic member of our team and has made a real contribution to our Trust. The board is delighted to be working with her for another four years.”
Mrs Banner will be paid ?5, 673 per annum as non-executive director and has declared political activity for Labour. She holds no other Ministerial appointments.
New “rocket” takes on
the composting challenge
by John Hendon
A WARRINGTON man has invented a innovative, accelerated compost machine – “The Rocket.”
John Webb, a well-known authority on organic composting, has created the machine which is being produced by local firm Accelerated Compost Ltd., owned by Andrew Worsick and Simon Webb.
Business Link Cheshire and Warrington helped launch the project with grant aid.
By 2006 it will be illegal for any commercial enterprise to dispose of food waste in landfills and by 2010 the same will apply for food wastes from households.
The ‘Rocket’ provides a means of getting rid of food waste in a way that meets the new regulations, potentially making a tremendous contribution towards reducing the amount of useful material sent to landfill or incinerators.
The machine converts food waste into compost in a safe, cost effective manner in little more than two weeks, with an overall running cost from ?30 a year. This composting process would normally take around 12 months.
The machine has now been approved by the government under the Department of Food and Rural Affairs animal by-products regulations, which was introduced after the foot and mouth crisis. This means that all food waste, including cooked and raw, vegetable and animal material can now be safely composted.
The concept for the machine was developed by John and Simon Webb, originally to overcome the volume of waste, which arises when making compost on sites such as schools and prisons.
Business Link Cheshire and Warrington helped John with a grant – funded by a Smart Micro Award – which enabled him to research and develop the machine. They also provided him with business advice, allowing him to patent the product, and useful industry and government links which are vital to the success of a project such as this.
Various models are currently being manufactured to meet the needs of users, from large institutions and industrial units to community composters.
Andrew Worswick, said: “We believe this machine will be fundamental in helping the government to meet the reduced landfill sites targets it has undertaken. When y
ou think of how people nowadays are able to sort products such as glass, clothes and newspapers for recycling, it is great that they will now be able to get rid of food wastes on their own land, thus helping to improve the environment.”
John Webb commented: “I wouldn’t have got here without Business Link’s help and they continue to provide valuable support, providing essential business contacts.”
Another night
of skip fires
by staff reporter
FIRE crews at Warrington were kept busy during the night dealing with a spate of skip fires in the Howley area of the town.
It was the latest in a series of outbreaks of vandalism in the Howley area – largely centred on the Riverside Retail Park, but also involving a wider area.
Youths are believed to be responsible and police have stepped up patrols in the area.
Fortunately, all the fires have been sufficiently far from property to avoid serious damage.
A Fire Service spokesman said property owners could assist by ensuring that all skips and waste bins were kept far enough from buidings to ensure the fires did not spread before fire crews could reach the scene.
