FREE (Donations welcome) Issue 50 Strathard News April 2009 The voice of Aberfoyle, Kinlochard, Stronachlachar & Inversnaid www.strathardnews.com Still nifty at 50! We’re celebrating! This is the 50th edition of Strathard News. Well, I say That is a committee that but, as many of you know, there have been several incarnations of 10 so I think of this publication. I am reliably informed that the fi rst issue of the our little team of Strathard News rolled off the presses in 1985. It was apparently a six volunteers is single sheet paper which came out every quarter. I don’t have a doing really well. copy of the fi rst one but do have Issue 2 dated May 1986 thanks to This run has been going Ann Epps who has donated her back copies as an archive. Thanks strong since 2002 and I’d like to take the Ann. This one actually runs to 10 pages with Tom Reay as Chair of opportunity to thank the committee Strathard Community Council “looking forward to Aberfoyle being members for their enthusiasm and tidied up, a large increase in visitors and the prospect of squash, commitment not to mention the badminton, tennis, indoor bowls etc. at Forest Hills”! wit and wisdom they bring to In these early editions there is so much material which I would meetings! like to share with you that I am going to make a regular feature To celebrate this particular of snippets from them. We’re always looking for new ideas and milestone and as a reward for their welcome suggestions. hard work, we’ve let some of our It’s interesting to look at the number of people who have committed reporters loose this month so much time and eff ort over the years. June Cloggie started it off so look out for some of their and her little band expanded to four by December 1986 and then wackier articles. to six by 1987. I can’t believe that that was when I fi rst became I’d also like to thank all who contribute: those who write letters and involved! It was also run by a ‘team’ of two for a while. articles, businesses which allow us counter space for the boxes, In 1997, at the end of what I like to call the ‘glossy period’ when people who donate so generously and the advertisers who enable printing was provided courtesy of Leslie Williamson, they were us occasionally to produce a lavish edition in colour. I hope you desperately looking for volunteers namely: a secretary (3-5 hrs), enjoy our special edition. treasurer (2-4hrs), editorial reporters x 4 (1-6 hrs), WP typists x 4 Margaret Neufeld, (1-2hrs): that’s per month. There’s also something about advertising Editor and sales which is the only job that pays but I’m loathe to mention PS If anyone is looking for a home for past issues we would be happy to add that in case any of our little band of willing helpers gets funny ideas. them to the archive which we will pass on to future committees. In particular, does anyone have Issue 1 from 1985 or indeed any of these single sheets? Hugh he? COMMITTEE & CONTACTS Do you know this man? Editor: Margaret Neufeld 01877 386258 exactaprint [email protected] Digital, litho, letterpress and thermo print, personalisation, large format, exhibition Treasurer: Gwenda Naylor systems, canvas prints, posters, calendars, 01877 386244 cards, reports, order of service, wedding stationery, business cards, letterheads, [email protected] compliment slips, leaflets, brochures, Advertising: Ian Marshall point of sale, design, scanning, archiving, cd duplication, wire and perfect binding, inside 01877 382211 lamination, encapsulation and office supplies p2 cc report [email protected] are just some of the things that we do! p3 police Layout: Marion Back p4 medical centre Congratulations to Strathard News 01877 386222 p6 owen mckee on their 50th Anniversary! [email protected] p14 rangers Reporter: David Wilkie 92 West Regent Street, Glasgow, G2 2QD p16 schools Telephone 0141 352 6800 Facsimile 0141 352 6811 p18 churches 01877 382868 email [email protected] web www.exactaprint.co.uk p23 milton [email protected] Reporter: Dougie MacPherson 01877 382564 We would like to thank Strathard News for putting in the time and effort for [email protected] such a wonderful publication for the community, and wish you all a very happy Distribution: Arthur Jones 01877 382682 50th Edition! Here’s to the next 50! Stuart & Brenda, Chill Out Community Council Report This edition I’d like mainly to the overall deterioration of if there are health or safety during their campaign to stop focus on some of the liaison stretches of road, amount of implications it should receive Glen Arklet becoming a forest. we have with Stirling Council traffi c, road safety etc. The higher priority. But if nothing Hundreds of local people and on the services it provides. All recent resurfacing between seems to be happening in a many visitors have supported the active issues are now listed Aberfoyle and Milton extended reasonable timeframe then do keeping this last area of open on one schedule so they can be the previous section done at the get in touch with one of the moorland. The petition had 2224 easily monitored, and there are school, and was on a heavily- community councillors, since signatures by 11th March when about 25 live items! At some used section of road – the next we can pick up issues that have members of the community point soon, this information part needs drainage sorted not been resolved and have went to Holyrood to meet MSPs. will go onto local notice boards. before resurfacing. Stirling them investigated. A strong environmental case Over the last month we have Council Roads apologised for Road Safety Improvements: was prepared to demonstrate helped resolve various problems having to do all the work here Suggestions from the that Forestry proposals fail to with lighting, signs, potholes, during daytime hours in March, community for increased consider all the information gritting and white-lining where but the same staff had to be road safety measures and legally required, including the Council needed chasing. available at nights for gritting improvements are now being taking into account historic Still on the list are queries because of the cold weather. taken forward after input from and cultural aspects of the on roads, drainage, refuse However, as a bonus, an extra the Police. This includes looking landscape, and the impact on collection, signage, public section at Loch Chon where at methods of ensuring traffi c the wide vista across Glen Arklet. telephones, the bus shelter, we had reported that the road slows down when it enters The National Park, as well as and a host of others where we surface had totally deteriorated Aberfoyle, road safety near the Forestry, recently admitted that will pursue the Council and our was also inspected and fi tted playpark, considering a ‘20’s aff orestation here was ‘public local Councillors for resolution. into the budget before the Plenty’ regime in Manse Road, policy’ - the government wants We will re-examine this option current Council year-end. and safety measures to help more trees planted hence this for 2010. Some of the main Other bad stretches of road are people with impairments. proposed ‘long-term land use issues currently include: and landscape change over well-recognised and ‘on the list’ Outdoor Drinking Byelaw: a large area’. But it seems B829 Resurfacing: although the pace of planned Following the survey carried out unacceptable to plant here on The Community Council and work is still very slow. In the in 2007 the Community Council moorland where the climate other residents have lobbied meantime please make sure has looked at progressing this - change argument is poor and long and hard to get this type you keep reporting all the bad many other villages and towns the open landscape views are of work happening again. Over potholes – see the following have adopted these bans now. important to so many. The many years nothing was done section. A byelaw in Aberfoyle will be 2007-12 Park Plan, in addition by the Council which, combined Roads Repairs & Maintenance relatively straightforward and in to prominently featuring the with a poor reinstatement job and other Council Services: the coming months we will be Loch Arklet panorama, clearly by Scottish Water contractors Your fi rst step for specifi c working towards implementing states that the open upland over a long section, has meant problems is to: this, of course keeping everyone landscape there is valued by that much of the road is now informed during the process •contact the Council call centre local people and visitors and deteriorating to a critical level. so that we receive further on 0845 277 7000, or ‘should be conserved’. However There are also problems after community input. A ban for the •go into ‘Online Services’ on the exact opposite is now in its Milton all the way to Kinlochard B829 and lochsides will be more website www.stirling.gov.uk. new Biodiversity Action Plan. and Inversnaid. Please continue problematic since none like this This is important – response There is still much ongoing (as we do) to lobby for greater exist anywhere in Scotland yet, by Council teams is monitored activity with the campaign. Council budgets at any and so we are going to let Buchanan centrally, so the more calls that every opportunity. CC lead the way with East Loch Please do get in touch with your get logged for a problem, then More funds have now been Lomond as the test case.