This
is CYNON VALLEY
2001
Please email us on melreid@cynonvalley.co.uk
or
write to Cynon Valley Web Site, Pob Ceiniog, Aberdare Road,
Mountain Ash CF45 3PT
Mountain Ash's Fernhill Estate is to benefit from a £5 million regeneration plan that will see derelict houses demolished and the provision of better community facilities.
The warden scheme is being funded by South Wales Police which has put up £50,000 and the council has been match-funded by the National Assembly. The scheme will provide six wardens covering Cwmbach and Glyncoch in Pontypridd as well as Fernhill.
A community policeman, PC Stephen Ralph, will have an office on the estate from April.
A row of dereliction
Out
of nearly 500 homes a fifth are empty. The council is asking the National
Assembly for £250,000 to demolish at least half the derelict properties
and provide CCTV.
It is planned to create more open space, children's play facilities and
car parking.
There will be an open day at the end of the month for Fernhill's residents to get a clearer picture of the developments.
One of the better parts of Fernhill
The
Council's Public Health and Protection Division
has
a new Director - Lester
Lewis!
Although London-born, 48 year old Mr Lewis has family roots that are firmly embedded in the village of Cilfynydd near Pontypridd.
"My
late father was a miner in the Albion Colliery at Cilfynydd and would
be very proud if he knew his son was serving the community he loved so
much," explained Mr Lewis.
The new Divisional Director brings some 25 years experience in public
service to Rhondda Cynon Taff.
" I am very excited at the prospect of playing a part in turning the Community
Plan into reality with people in Rhondda Cynon Taff," said Mr Lewis. "
An important part of my role will be to meet with local people and listen
to their concerns, needs and wants at first hand. It is crucial that we
listen to those who are at the front end of our services - those in contact
with the public."
The Public Health and Protection Division's main office is at Forest Grove
in Treforest. The telephone number is 01443 486349.
ABERCYNON GAS BLAST RESULTS
Health
and Safety investigators have blamed engineering work
carried out in Abercynon Road last May for the devastating explosion
that destroyed one house, damaged two so badly that they had to be demolished
and affected several others.
An experienced team from Alhco, contracted by Transco, was installing
a gas supply when the explosion occurred.
The Health and Safety Executive has concluded that an existing gas
pipeline was damaged by the work being carried out.
Gas escaped and the result was the devastating explosion.
The findings bring the victims a step closer to compensation.
LATEST
A
lack of legal aid is hampering efforts at gaining compensation for the
victims of the blast. Solicitors representing twenty individuals claiming
compensation said that they were making every effort to find a way of
pursuing legal action to gain compensation.
Five Ear, Nose and Throats specialists will improve services at Prince Charles Hospital by providing a network service between PCH and the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant. The team will provide a full seven day service on both sites. Cynon Valley Health Community Council has welcomed the action and will now press for a similar development in the ophthalmology service.
Did you know that St David's Day, 1 March, is also World Book Day?
The Welsh Books Council is organising events throughout the country to celebrate the magic of reading and books.
VALLEY JOB LOSSES
A Cynon Valley firm has announced that it is cutting thirty five jobs because of the current low demand for its product.
A B Connectors of Abercynon which manufactures electrical connectors for equipment operating in harsh environments employs 173 people.
The company said that restructuring plans would force the job losses.
Cynon Valley AM Christine Chapman is meeting with company representatives shortly.
The location of every speed camera in South Wales has been made public by the police in an attempt to cut deaths on the roads.
The cameras' positions are at the worst accident blackspots and there are 40 static and traffic light cameras as well as 10 mobile speed cameras used at more than 200 locations.
The speed cameras' locations can be found on
www.south-wales.police.uk/news
DID
YOU SEE THE U F O ON 27 DECEMBER?
Scroll
down for photo!
KING'S
BOXING CLEVER
Cynon
Valley's Nathan King made an impressive start to his professional
career when he fought Portsmouth's Tony Ockey in London at the
weekend. Although losing one round on points, the result was so close
that many people, including Ockey himself, felt that the result
should
have been a draw. Joe Calzaghe, a sparring partner of King, was at
ringside and told King afterwards that he was deserving of a win.
PICTURES SOON
BLAENGWAWR CHAMPS
Blaengwawr
Comprehensive School are the Merthyr/Cynon Under 16s
Schools rugby champions after beating Afon Taf 31 - 8.
Latest reports say that major work is needed to repair the deep fissures in the A4061 Rhigos to Treherbert road after the landslide in December and the thousand motorists a day who make the journey over the mountain will have to continue with an 11 mile detour, possibly until the summer.
A request will be made to the National Assembly for emergency funding to ensure that this important link road is opened as soon as possible.
The latest news is that round-the-clock work will begin as soon as possible to ensure the minimum of inconvenience to travellers between the valleys.
A
bore-hole drilling operation
has begun
in order to determine the extent of the damage to the road and what repairs
will be necessary to reopen it.
The closure will mean loss of income for businesses such as the New Road Garage in Treherbert which has seen its income halved since the road closure.
One of the fissures running the
length of the damaged road.
Landslides occur more frequently in the Valleys than any other part of
South Wales, according to geologists This is not only as a result of natural activity but because of coal mining, and heavy rain, as we have had recently, weakens the ground and makes it very heavy. Warning signs of a potential landslide where there is a steep slope is water flowing from the ground, especially from the bottom of the slope, cracks appearing in the ground particularly above or in the upper part of the slope, cracks in walls or paths and mud flows.
JOBS AND FUN BY THE RIVERSIDE!
Justices
are shortly to hear a licensing application for the project which will be
Whitbread's 120th family-orientated facility in the UK. The land is in private
ownership and there are a number of conditions in the contract needing to
be cleared up, but Whitbread's national acquisitions' manager, Simon Johnson
is confident of being on site in spring.
As
well as a pub and dining facility the Brewster's Pub and Eatery will have
a children's Fun Factory, outside play area and car park and it will create
50 jobs. RCT's councillors are being advised to approve the development on
land that was originally earmarked for an hotel, a project not now considered
viable.
View from the Dare Aman Line of Tirfounder Fields to the west of Asda
SEATBELT
CAMPAIGN
South Wales
Police have launched a seatbelt campaign aimed at reducing road
casualties.
The month-long campaign will kick-off with a week of education when traffic
officers will be stopping motorists and advising them on the importance
of wearing seatbelts. The following three weeks will see a clampdown on
offenders.
South Wales Police figures show that there were 40 serious road accidents
in the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taff areas, 18 of which were fatal.
"
A large percentage of the injuries sustained during the accidents were
far worse because the casualties were not wearing seatbelts, " said
Inspector Wayne Tucker.
MINERS'
MONEY
Compensation
payments to miners and their families have started moving at last.
The National Union of Mineworkers' lawyers have sent out 1000 cheques
totalling £2million in the last eight weeks.
Towering
on the Big Screen
Talks are underway to realise the production of a film on the story of
Tower Colliery. The script has already been written by Colin Welland who
wrote 'Chariots of Fire'.
WANDERERS WIN
Top Rugby Players from across the UK were in the Cynon Valley on Friday,
2 February to play in a special charity match in memory of Paul Ryder, Mountain Ash's outstanding flanker who died last year after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
The Public School Wanderers, which included such names as Paul Moriarty, John Devereaux, Gareth Rees and Roger Bidgood played Mountain Ash Rugby Football Club at Parc Dyffryn Pennar in the fundraising friendly. The final score was Mountain Ash 14 and Wanderers 50.
All proceeds were donated to the Dreams Come True charity which works to make the dreams of terminally ill children become reality.
An ABCS team has reached the regional quarter finals of the Pro Share National Investment Programme 2001 after turning an imaginary portfolio of £100,000 into £110,892.
Quality
Standard
Aberdare
Boys' Comprehensive School has earned the quality standard award in recognition
of its policy on careers guidance and education.
BETTER RAIL LINK
A
multi-million pound cash boost to improve the rail service to Cynon Valley
and Merthyr has been announced by the National Assembly.
£9 million has been earmarked for 2003-2004 to provide half hourly services
between Cardiff and Merthyr and Aberdare. Leader of the Council,
Mrs Pauline Jarman, said that the railway improvement project at Mountain
Ash was paving the way for this better service. (see News Archive)
Woodley's Butcher's Shop, Mountain Ash, has become Chris Selwyn, Family Butchers after Chris, manager of the shop for 10 years, bought the shop from the Woodleys chain which has been closing itsshops throughout South Wales.
A new Optimum Performance Sports Warehouse has been officially opened by Olympic athletes Jamie Baulch and Darren Campbell at the Trefforest Industrial Estate.
Owner, Jon Williams, developed a new energy drink for the athletes' use during the Sydney Olympics.
FAMILIES WANTED
Families in Cynon valley are being invited to take part in the world's biggest study into heart disease. British Hearth Foundation scientists plan to set up a DNA library to help map genes within family groups in order to identify the gene responsible for heart disease. A small blood sample will be required from family members selected for the study.
For more information contact the British Heart Foundation Family Heart Study on 0800 052 7154.
DEFENDING WORKLOADS
Leader
of RCT Council, Pauline Jarman, has defended the position of local councillors
who are also Assembly Members after criticism by Mr Huw Lewis, Labour
Assembly Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney.
Mr Lewis singled out Councillor Jarman as doing the work of local councillor
and leader of the second largest unitary authority in Wales as well as
taking on "the heavy workload" of an Assembly Member, saying
that councillors should follow the example of MPs who are also AM members
and who give up their Westminster seats.
Councillor Jarman said there was a great difference between the situations
because both AM and MP posts were salaried whereas she made no claims
for her council work, claiming no expenses and even funding her own phone
line.
Councillor Jarman said she was perfectly capable of managing her own time
and her own workload.
MUSIC
COMPETITION
Musicians
and singers in Cynon Valley are being offered the opportunity of a platform
for their talents by entering a competition run by Whiteoak Studios at
Crickhowell. The competition winner will receive a day's recording session
with a CD of the professionally-recorded performance as the end result.
To obtain an entry form send an SAE to Whiteoak Studios Competition, Studio
45, Acorn Televillagem, Standard Street, Crickhowell NP8 1BP.
Closing date for entries is 23 February.
And it's not just rock bands - the competition is aimed at any music with
something different to say!
SADDLE UP FOR THE STEREOS!
The Stereophonics' biggest concert to date takes place at Chepstow Race Course on Saturday, 21 July and 80,000 fans are expected to cheer them on.
The outdoor concert looks set to be the pop event of 2001 with a number of other bands to be announced and overnight camping and parking facilities.
A Day at the Races gig will also be the showcase for the material from their new album J E E P - Just Enough Education To Perform.
Tickets for the gig cost £25 plus booking fee and £10 per head for overnight camping and parking and are available from the CIA box office on 029 2022 4488, Ticketline UK 08700 667799 and Newport Centre on 01633 662666.
The Welsh Whiskey Company!
CYNON HONOURSThe Cynon Valley has two MBEs to kick off the New Year!
Wendy Gane from Cwmbach, a health campaigner, and athlete Ron Jones from Cwmaman have both had their services to the community recognised in the New Year's Honours List.
Mrs Gane, 41, has worked for 20 years to improve the quality of life for fellow diabetes sufferers since being diagnosed with the condition at the age of twenty. She represents 4,000 registered diabetics in Cynon Valley and Merthyr Tydfil with the support of the North Glamorgan National Health Trust and the Merthyr and Cynon Community Health Council.
Her award is in recognition of her work for Diabetics UK.
Ron Jones was one of Britain's top athletes in the 60s. At the peak of his career he beat the best in the world on the track, was part of the 4 x 4 medal winning relay team in the 1964 Mexico Olympics, competed in the Tokyo Olympics and represented Wales in the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica.
A supporter of the Nos Galan Road Races, he won the 100 yard dash in 1963 and won again for five consecutive years from 1965 - 1969. He was also the mystery runner in 1967 and 1986.
Ron's award is for services to sport.
FOOD AWARD..........AND
Another
RCT Council department has gained the Investors in People award. Catering
Direct, part of RCT's education and children's services group, has achieved
the national standard which sets the level of good practice for improvements
through staff development.
Catering Direct provides approximately 25,000 meals every day with 1200
staff in 206 sites across the country and the large geographical spread
of the department makes the award particularly impressive.
......FOOD CHANGES
A
new smart card system is being introduced in schools to rid the system of
the stigma of free school meals.
Two Valley schools will be trying out the
system as well as a school in Cardiff where 250,000 free meals go unclaimed
each year.
In Rhondda Cynon Taff over 2000 pupils a
day fail to take up their entitlement.
The new system will mean all pupils being
issued with a card to purchase meals,
drinks and snacks and no-one will know
whether or not the card was credited
with their own money.
TREFOR
IS A CHAMP -
and he's a dad of four delightful pups!
TO READ MORE ABOUT HIM AND OTHER CYNON CHAMPS.
After the success of last year's Cynon Valley Motor Show, this year's event, again organised by the Lions Club of Aberdare, will take place at the Michael Sobell Sports Centre from 25 - 27 May.
GOLD
There'll be an extra Bank Holiday to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 on 3 June.
Spring Bank Holiday, due to fall on 27 May, is to be moved to Tuesday 4 June to allow four continuous days of celebration.
SILVER
Trumpeting the news about
town is the Cwmaman Silver Band which has been awarded £44,993 from the Lottery to buy new instruments. The band's headquartersis the Cwmaman Public Hall and Institute which was also the recipient of a lottery grant for refurbishment.
U F O over A 4 7 0 !
Did
anyone see
this strange shape
in the sky in the
afternoon of
27 December?
Driving
down the A470
at around 2.30 pm we
spotted what appeared
to be an enormous
smoke-ring in the
southern sky.
There were no clouds
around and the shape
stayed in a ring, not
breaking up or getting
ragged. It twisted slightly so that sometimes it appeared as a ring, sometimes
a line.
Getting further down the
road we lost sight of it
around the Caerphilly
junction.
Anyone any ideas?
POLLUTION FINE
Hirwaun firm Walters UK Ltd has been fined £1,500 with £1,000 costs for polluting a tributary of the Goodwick Brook near Fishguard, Pembrokeshire
JOIN THE CLUB
Local businesses aer being invited to join the Rhondda Cynon Taff Business Club. Designed to support the development of businesses, the Club will arrange seminars, training sessions and workshops. Also being considered are a business directory, IT facilities, trading initiatives, networking and a dedicated website. For information contact Ray Davies on 01443 665000.
Slow-Mail
Anyone sending an e-mail to a member of the National Assembly should allow
plenty of time for it to arrive. The Shadow Economic Development Minister,
Phil Williams, is still waiting for an email sent more than three months ago.
Early in October, 2000, an email was sent to Dafydd Wigley with a copy to
Phil. Mr Wigley received his on 22 December but Mr Williams is still waiting.
Investigations are under way.
CHARLIE'S GARDEN SHORTLIST
The superb
efforts of the Cae Pentre Community Group from Mountain Ash in transforming
wasteland into the Cae Pentre Community Garden has been recognised in a shortlisting
for the prestigious Tidy Wales Award to be announced later this month.
The Cae Pentre group is one of eleven nominees for this year's awards which
are being sponsored by the Environment Agency Wales and the Wales Tourist
Board, and more than £3,000 will be shared by the finalists.
(For more on the Cae Pentre Garden click on NEWS ARCHIVE below)
NEWS ARCHIVE 2000
