A man firmly committed to both serving and preserving the community has become the latest person to join Port Erin Commissioners.

Will Halsall, 50, was born and bred in Port St Mary and is from a well-known local fishing family.

He was educated locally, left school at 15 and worked for Colas before he moved to the UK in 1986.There he gained extensive experience in various companies in the highways industry and managed a sign company in Manchester. In 2001 he returned, with his family, to live in Port Erin. Since living here he has run a company specialising in public transport hardware and deals exclusively with UK-based organisations.

He keeps a weather eye on local issues and as a commissioner is keen to help where he can.

‘I’m not going in for any egotistical reasons, it is to serve the community with honesty and integrity,’ he said. ‘I, like everyone, can hear the rumours … and rather than whinge and being a sniping critic I will throw my hat in the ring to be a commissioner just to serve the community.

‘I have no intention of siding with anyone. I’m very much my own man.’

He is proudly Manx and keen to preserve a tradition he thinks is diminishing.

‘I’m nationalistic Manx. I think the traditional Manx culture is gradually being eroded or sidelined, we seem to have lost our way. With the growth of Port Erin I worry that a lot of the old Manx culture is being eroded slightly.

‘It’s the old culture it’s being forgotten. I’m from a fishing family in Port St Mary ... I look at it now and we have this influx of people who do not want to embrace what the village is like.

‘Our kids should embrace Manx culture in its true origins.

‘I’m here to represent the community as a whole and that is my stance, I want what is best for the village and want its heritage and identity retained.’

He’s fully aware now – with the financial squeeze and potential local government reform – is a challenging time.

‘I’m under no illusions that government is trying to transfer costs to local authorities and some tough decisions will have to be made, I’m not blind,’ he said.

As for reform, this is something he would support. He said one authority should be formed to cover Port Erin, Port St Mary, Rushen and Arbory parishes.

But he thinks board sizes need to be kept higher (when commenting on a recent failed notice of motion to reduce the board size at Port Erin from nine to five members).

He said larger numbers avoid cliques forming which could become the dominant voice.

But he said first and foremost: ‘I’m here to represent the community, if people have an issue, contact me. That’s what I’m there for, I want to be contactable, if someone says I’m getting nowhere with this, I’m happy to be a conduit to be used by the community.’

To contact Will, phone 454333 or email w.halsall@porterin.gov.im.

The Manx education system it to make a big break from the English equivalent.

Tim Crookall MHK, Minister for Education and Children, announced in Tynwald changes to 14-16 qualifications in secondary schools and the adoption of a new examination system.

The department’s five secondary schools will, this September, begin preparations for a move away from the English GCSE system towards the widespread adoption of the International GCSE (IGCSE), as set by Cambridge International Examinations, the international examination board of the University of Cambridge.

Pupils who begin Year 10 in September 2015 will be the first to sit IGCSE examinations on a large scale, though they are currently used in a small number of subjects in some schools.

More on this story in tomorrow’s Manx Independent

A finance official who had never ventured away from his home country of Papua New Guinea was among the delegates taking part in a pioneering business course in the island.

Kevin Samuel works in the Department of Finance in the independent country.

Mr Samuel travelled more than 8,500 miles from the country which became independent in the 1970s from Australia.

He joined fellow members of the course who are taking part in the sixth Small Countries Financial Management programme.

Last Wednesday they took a break from their studies to attend a reception at Government House with His Excellency Adam Wood.

An excited Mr Samuel said he had never been out of Papua New Guinea where he holds an important job with the government.

He and other participants praised the organisers of the course and said it was helping to spread the influence of the Isle of Man across the globe.

The man from Papua New Guinea told Business News the long journey from his home country north of Australia had been well worth it.

He said the country became independent in 1975 and added: ‘The programme I am attending is very good. It has given me a lot of insight,a lot of confidence and has enabled me to see things I did not see previously.

‘This will assist me in a lot of ways to do my job and to solve issues for my country and for the department I work for in the Department of Finance.

‘There were certain things I did not know previously but after being on this course for the last few days it has already given me a confidence level where I feel I can now see things and solve issues which is very good.

‘This is the first time I have come out of my country.’

Penielu Teo is general manager of a retirement fund on the tiny island of Tuvalu in the centre of the Pacific. He said it was the smallest country represented on the course.

The journey involved getting first to Fiji and then a 20 hour flight from Fiji to London including an eight hour stopover in Los Angeles.

He said the intensive course was proving to be interesting and eye opening

‘The course is about learning the tactics to bring out problems and converting them to solutions.’

Island Governor Adam Wood welcomed the guests and said he really enjoyed all the conversations he had with the visitors. ‘It is a great privilege for us to have people here from across the globe. I hope bringing you together in this way creates a network among you all.’

Mark Shimmin, the Isle of Man’s former chief financial officer, is to head up the Small Countries Financial Management Centre, succeeding Tim Cullen who previously announced his intention to retire from the post.

Mr Shimmin said Mr Samuel from Papua New Guinea was one of the ‘most energetic contributors to the course.’

He added he was looking forward to taking over but paid tribute to Mr Cullen and said: ‘I do have to say it’s big shoes and a hard act to follow, but yes I’m looking forward to it. I think the programme is very valuable for the participants but also there’s an important role for the island as well. It raises the profile and reputation of the island internationally.’

He said the course was providing invaluable assistance to small and developing countries with their financial management for the future.

After a week in the island the 24 participants moved on to Oxford for the second week of the course this week.

The men and women have come from as far afield as the Caribbean, Pacific, Indian Ocean and Africa.

The initiative is supported by the Manx Government in partnership with the World Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Small States Network for Economic Development and Oxford University. Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK said: ‘Our support for the Programme has been good for the Isle of Man too. We are working alongside major international and academic partners, and our key role in this initiative has reinforced recognition of the island as a responsible and co-operative jurisdiction.’

A Peel woman is donating a kidney to a stranger in an amazing act of kindness.

Lesley Tate, 55, a mother of three, who works helping people with learning disabilities, travelled to the Liverpool for the operation to donate the kidney on Monday afternoon.

Speaking just an hour after the operation, Lesley’s husband, Philip, confirmed that everything had gone well and that his wife was comfortable.

Asked what inspired her to make the sacrifice Lesley said: ‘I always had it at the back of my mind but I didn’t really know how to go about it.

‘Then I saw something on television about a living donor program and I decided to go ahead and do it.

‘Also I hoped it might raise awareness that people can do this.

‘I contacted the Renal Unit at Noble’s Hospital at first and I’ve had to undergo lots of tests.

‘Blood tests at first and you’ve got to be classed as in exceptional good health.

‘I’ve had more tests in Liverpool, at first you don’t know if you’ll be eligible.

‘They have to test levels in your kidneys, scans might reveal you’re not fit enough to donate.

‘There are three tubes on the kidney and they’ve got be a match with the person you’re donating the organ to.

‘I wanted to give something back in life, it’s not much of a life if you have to spend eight hours three times a week on a dialysis machine.

‘You don’t need two kidneys.’

When you donate the kidney you are never given any information about who you are donating to but the recipient is given your details should they wish to contact you.

Lesley left on Sunday and will take five days to recouperate in the hospital before she can come home.

Then she will need a couple of months off work.

A Peel teenager has become the first resident artist at St German’s Cathedral in Peel.

Clara Nathan, 18, said: ‘I am extremely proud to be given that title. Being the first is an honour and that is why I am determined not to waste this incredible opportunity.

‘I have already completed three pieces and I am currently working on another.’

Talking about how she first became hooked on art, Clara said: ‘I can’t remember a time where I didn’t paint or draw. Being from a family of four kids our parents encouraged all of us to paint and draw. Our walls are filled with old paintings and my mother has stored all of our drawings.’

Clara completed her A levels this summer and decided to dedicate the rest of summer to doing art.

‘There isn’t a place in my house that I could use everyday to do art,’ she said. ‘Only living two minutes away from the cathedral my mother thought it would be a good idea to ask them if they had a place that I could work in, so I emailed the dean.

‘They got back to me a few days later telling me that there was not a room available but I could, instead, work in the cathedral. I was given a space and named “Artist in Residence” as I will be working there throughout the summer.

‘I am hoping to create quite a few pieces this summer as this is the first time I am able to concentrate solely on what I love: art.’

Dean at the cathedral Nigel Godfrey said: ‘We anticipate this collaboration will be a very positive phase for Clara and, equally, for everyone associated with the cathedral, whether local community or visitors. We hope lots of people will come and see how things develop.’

Small businesses will be able to benefit from the experience of Joe Bromley, pictured receiving his practising certificate from Kreston (IOM) Limited’s chief executive officer David Pope.

Joe manages Kreston’s client accounting services.

He said: ‘Our team is continuing to expand and one of the areas we are targeting is helping the smaller businesses and sole traders, those who would benefit from our advisory services and accountancy clinics, and our wide field of experience.’

Joe qualified as a chartered accountant with Deloitte Isle of Man and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

While at Deloitte he managed the audit and assurance engagements of a wide variety of clients, with a focus on life insurance, property investment, private equity and collective investment schemes.

At Kreston, Joe is responsible for the accounts and tax compliance of a diverse portfolio of complex international structures, with a strong focus on UK commercial and residential property.

He is also responsible for the group’s due diligence activities on potential acquisitions.

Kreston IOM is the Isle of Man’s representative of Kreston International, a global network of independent accounting firms with 186 member firms employing more than 20,000 staff in over 108 countries (www.kreston.com)

Vandals have targeted children’s play equipment and urinated in plant pots in a series of incidents in recent months at Ballasalla Primary School.

There has also been damage to the drain pipes and roof tiles, also to plants and flowers being grown by the pupils and shrubbery.

Young people also climb onto the roof, putting themselves and others at risk.

‘This is causing a great deal of upset to the children, staff and the wider community itself,’ said head teacher Lyn Ashworth. 
‘We have a lovely environment in which the children take responsibility for looking after the wildlife garden, the planters and their own games equipment and outside toys. It is so distressing to see the damage caused by a minority of youths who don’t seem to realise the impact of their actions.’ Within weeks of new play material arriving, it was trashed.

The school plans to install CCTV to deter vandals.

Constable Lou Kennaugh said: ‘The teachers and staff put a lot of effort into making it a safe and nurturing environment only for it to be harmed by some individuals with no regard for other people’s property. The children put a great deal of work into the area only to find it damaged and broken when they come in for school in the mornings. I urge the local community to help by realising that this school is part of their area and is to be enjoyed by all but at present it is being spoiled by a few.’

In response to the spate of impromptu open air parties being organised on Facebook by youths around the island, an under 18s disco is being held in Port St Mary town hall on Friday.

The party craze of organising last-minute events via Facebook has attracted scores of young people to gatherings.

One was held in Castletown’s Poulsom Park, where several party goers were inebriated and fights broke out. A youth’s jaw was fractured, the police were called and disbanded the group.

Other parties – one inviting children as young as 13 to bring alcohol and a tent to an site in the Douglas area – was stopped by police.

On Facebook, the police issued a statement to parents, asking them: ‘Do you know where your child is tonight?’

Disco organisers Lee Wright and John Faragher, both DJs, decided to join forces and organise the Port St Mary event.

John said: ‘It’s something for younger people to have fun in a safe, controlled environment. With the problems there have been recently and the weather being so nice there has been nothing for the under 18s for a while.

‘It’s about providing things for kids that do not or cannot be bothered finding out what’s going on – you have to spoon feed them.

‘There were parties when I was young, but you might have five or 10 kids. Because of access to communication there are bigger events now.’

In addition to being a DJ, John, a Douglas councillor, former Onchan commissioner and youth worker, also set up the free running gymnastics club.

Lee is a police officer and the event has the backing of the local constabulary.

‘It’s policing with a small “p”. We will search all bags and if there is alcohol, it will all be confiscated,’ said John.

‘If kids are drunk they will not be allowed to come in, the police will be called and they will be dealt with.

‘We want them to have a good time, we want to give them the opportunity to have a good night out without breaking the law or getting into trouble and their parents having to come and pick them up.

‘’We are not going to be sergeant majors, we want to make sure they are safe. Safety first and fun comes second.’

In an email to John about the event, local police Sergeant Gary Heaton wrote: ‘It has the massive plus for us that we will know where our young people are and as an organised event it also keeps them safe as opposed to wandering the streets.’

The disco is from 7.30pm to midnight. Tickets, at £2.50, are available at Memory Lane, Castletown, or Erin News, Port Erin.

To see details and request particular music be played at the disco, see the Facebook page: ‘Energize end of skool summer party’.

For updates and ticket availability, ‘like’ the Facebook page or phone 417119.

A disabled charity worker fears new disability legislation could fall by the wayside because government will run out of time to enact it before the next election.

Keith Fitton, himself a wheelchair user, is service delivery manager for the Leonard Cheshire charity based in Onchan which helps disabled people in the island.

He said a new Equality Act, scheduled for completion in 2016 could well be sidelined by that year’s general election.

On a positive note, he said the proposed Equality Act was an improvement on the Disability Discrimination Act of 2006 (which was never brought into force).

‘Compared to its UK equivalent, our DDA was a watered down version and failed to cover areas like employment and education,’ he said.

‘That’s one reason why I thought the new Equality Act was a good idea. But if it goes through to a new government I can’t imagine it will be high on the agenda of a new Chief Minister.’

In fact, he said businesses had often worried needlessly about the DDA, imagining they would have to invest huge sums of money to comply, when simple measures were often sufficient: ‘I know of a shop in the Wirral where they thought it would cost thousands to build a wheelchair ramp when they simply had to install a door bell at wheelchair height. He gained a lot of new customers who had not been able to shop there before. The requirement is simply to make ‘‘reasonable provision’’,’ Mr Fitton said.

Recently (Independent July 10) the island’s Deaf Champion Gareth Foulkes was left stranded at the Sea Terminal in Douglas after his assistance dog was refused entry to a taxi. Mr Foulkes said legislation would have prevented this. Douglas West MHK Chris Thomas and Douglas South MHK Kate Beecroft will ask questions in Tynwald today (Tuesday) on the progress of disability legislation. A new equality bill goes to public consultation shortly.

It’s too early to say how the pendulum might swing on VAT, says Chief Minister Allan Bell.

Mr Bell said a data collection exercise that will ultimately determine the island’s share of VAT revenue was drawing to a close.

He told the Examiner: ‘We’re expecting a final outcome certainly by the end of the year. All the data has been gathered and both sides now are considering the implications. It’s too early to say which way the pendulum might swing.

‘Clearly it’s a matter of concern that we have a positive outcome. It’s going to be challenge if we take a further hit. But we do have substantial reserves available if a negative outcome was to be agreed.

‘We’re not planning for a loss but we need to recognise a reduction might take place. It would be wrong to speculate as we just don’t know.

‘Losing a third of our income was a massive blow. We are close to rebalancing our finances. The economy is growing strongly again, generating new revenue. The Isle of Man clearly is in a stronger position to withstand any changes.’

Data from 80 per cent of businesses is currently being analysed.

Results of a survey of household income and expenditure were published earlier this month.

Tynwald members weren’t given the chance to debate important topics.

That was an allegation after this week’s sitting.

Today’s Manx Independent has more on this and all the big Tynwald stories,

On the front page there’s a photo of the Viking ship that visited Peel.

Inside, we meet a teacher’s who’s retiring after 38 years.

We also look at a commemoration of the start of the First World War that’s happening across the UK but which isn’t being promoted in the Isle of Man.

In Island Life, we look forward to Douglas Carnival.

We have 12 action-paged pages of sport and your seven-day television guide.

Also this week, we asked schoolchildren to design advertisements for real Manx companies.

We have their results in a special supplement.

The Manx Independent is in the shops now.

This week, IoM Friends of the Earth’s co-Ordinator Cat Turner reports on a great day of campaigning at Tynwald Fair, celebrating our national day in the Isle of Man and encouraging residents to keep it a terrific place to live and work

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This year, as in previous years, the Green Centre team was out in force at Tynwald’s fair, with four (FOUR!!!) gazebos and lots of information and ideas for the public.

Isle of Man Friends of the Earth teamed up with its allies at Zero Waste Mann (recycling and waste reduction), the Manx Energy Advice Centre (renewables, insulation and energy efficiency) and Beach Buddies (beach cleaning volunteer events).

And what a great day it was! The sun shone, the crowds were there in force, and we were glad we had some new members helping out, because we fielded lots of enquiries and suggestions from the public.

IoM FoE campaigns on lots of different areas, as regular readers will know, but we decided that for this day we’d focus on one ‘grass roots’ campaign which we already know matters a lot to the public, and for which we chose bees and biodiversity bee-friendly planting.

In addition we also chose one ‘big issue’, reflecting the fact that the Isle of Man, as an international finance centre, is deeply embedded in the way the global economic system works.

So we promoted our NO TTIP day – a protest action held on July 12 at the Green Centre, in connection with the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Pact, with the potential to undo years of hard-won progress in environmental, employment and safety protections.

We were pretty much cleaned out of literature and give-aways relating to the bees – the ‘Make a Bee-and-Bee’ instructions were massively popular, especially with youngsters and their families.

And speaking personally, as the wearer of the bee suit (on one of the hottest days of the year), I got more hugs from people than I’ve had in ages. Bonus!

But the biggest surprise, if I’m honest, was how many people wanted to discuss TTIP – we thought it’d be a bit of a dry and technical subject, but of course we have a very financially literate and aware population since so many people here work in the finance /tax industry.

So many people ‘got it’ right away, and have said they would support our day of action – because like it or not, if it goes through, the Isle of Man would be massively affected because it’s a dependency of an EU member state.

TTIP effectively gives multinational corporations the ability to over-ride a government’s ability to protect its national interests, and those of its people – and it allows the company to sue that government for lost profits, if its environmental or other laws prevent the company from doing what it wants there.

This means losing some of our most hard-won personal and environmental protections, such as labour rights, food safety rules (including restrictions on GMOs), regulations on the use of toxic chemicals, digital privacy laws and even new banking safeguards introduced to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis.

And they can sue a country that tries to enforce these in secret. And even if the government wins, it would still be liable to pay for the company’s legal costs. You couldn’t make this stuff up . . .

If you’re concerned about this, and how it might affect our independent little nation’s future economy and environment, take a look at War on Want’s excellent guide on the issues at www.waronwant.org/campaigns/trade-justice/more/inform/18078-what-is-ttip. As one of those multinational companies’ brands would say: ‘Because You’re Worth It’.

There are signs all around Onchan Parish Church saying: ‘No dog fouling by order of Onchan Burial Authority.’ We human beings know what this means.

But do the dogs?

There are no dogs of my acquaintance who can read English although some fond owners insist that their pets understand every word they say, which could be true. But to confront them with the printed words ‘No Dog Fouling’ will mean nothing to them.

They will simply drop their little doggie dumplings when and where they decide it is the best thing to do.

Of course, the message is that dog owners should pick up and take the dumplings away and dispose of them hygienically. But catching them in the first place will call for a keen eye, fast reflexes and remarkable speed and agility if the dog owners are going to go into a running dive and get their hands under there in time to make a clean catch.

After this, however, they should not be encouraged to throw them back in the air in triumph as do slip fielders in cricket.

All right. I am being guilty of pedantry and there are plenty of the likes of me around the place and I have been encouraged to begin a Pedants’ Corner for the benefit of my world-wide readership. For instance, consider the following:

A woman finds her husband in bed with another woman. She cries: ‘I’m surprised at you.’ He replies: ‘It is me who is surprised. You are astonished.’

It will be seen that my Pedants’ Corner will be open to all contributions from outside by the position of the apostrophe.

They don’t call me Her Majesty’s Apostropher General in the Isle of Man for nothing.

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Sara Goodwins emails: ‘I was walking along the Maughold Road a few days ago and was stopped by a couple in a car who wanted to know where the A15 road was. They looked rather taken aback when I told them they were on it. Then they asked whether it was the right road for Mold, which I thought was in Wales. Seeing my obvious bewilderment they pointed to it on a map.’

It was Maughold.

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At last, a Manxman has won the men’s singles at Wimbledon. All hail, Novak Djoughinovic!

His parents are leading members of the Serbian Manx Society, you know.

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Sean emails to say that these days food labels warn that the products within may contain nuts, even when it’s peanuts. He adds that there is even a factory near Liverpool Airport with a sign saying no nuts are allowed on site.

I don’t know what they make at the factory. Nutcrackers perhaps.

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Richard Hetherington tells me the Sunday Telegraph re-printed some of the famous crosswords of shortly before D-Day which caused security alarms with answers including the code names of forthcoming landing beaches in Normandy. In one, for May 30, 1944, he also found the following Manx clue: ‘Man’s justice (8) – DEEMSTER.’

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Church notice: ‘The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.’

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The photograph in the middle of the text of Cringle Moor, sent to me by regular contributor Mrs P, was in the Daily Telegraph Saturday magazine.

This handsome stone seat for the benefit of hikers is on the Cleveland Way in North Yorkshire.

It will go with, in the Isle of Man, the Cringle Plantation, Cringle Reservoir and Cringle Park.

My property portfolio is expanding nicely.

The clock from TV’s Countdown might have been more impressive.

But the equipment used for an experiment on time-limited speeches in Tynwald was just as effective - if a little more rudimentary: a timer on a tablet computer, a smartphone and as back-up messenger Roger Lawrence’s bedside alarm clock!

No alarm bells would be ringing in Tynwald, however.

Instead, members were given five minute and one minute reminders by way of amber and red-bordered cards placed on a stand blu-tacked to the press bench - while a black-bordered card told them their time was up.

The trial of time-limited speeches was the result of a proposal put forward by Bishop Robert Paterson at the Tynwald sitting in March. He argued strict time limits on the contributions of MHKs and MLCs was not about stifling free speech, but about trying to make free speech work more efficiently. His idea had apparently been sparked during a lengthy discussion at one Tynwald sitting about bin wagons.

Under the experiment, making a statement and moving a report were limited to 20 minutes, moving any other motion 15 minutes, speaking to a motion or amendment 10 minutes and a maximum of five minutes was allowed for answering a tabled question or a question on a statement.

Tynwald president Clare Christian MLC retained a discretion to allow additional time on request, however.

The standing orders committee will review the trial and report back in November.

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See today’s Manx Independent for comprehensive coverage of this week’s Tynwald session.

The Chief Minister has ruled out seeking legal advice retrospectively for a controversial decision to spend National Insurance money on a review of social security.

In Tynwald, Liberal Vannin leader Kate Beecroft MHK (Douglas South) asked Allan Bell whether he would get an independent legal opinion on the legal vires of the appointment of Ci65 Limited as consultants for the second phase of the social security and National Insurance review.

She asked this be circulated to all Tynwald members prior to the debate on a damning report on the issue by the Public Accounts Committee.

But Mr Bell’s succinct response was: ‘I do not intend to obtain independent legal opinion.’

Mrs Beecroft, who had written to Mr Bell saying she is ‘extremely concerned’ that Ci65’s appointment may be ‘contrary to law’, asked why not.

The Chief Minister replied that he had full confidence in the advice given by the acting Attorney General.

He said an independent legal opinion had been sought in respect of the Sefton loans only because the acting Attorney General was conflicted in that matter. There was no such issue in respect of Ci65 and so no reason not to take advice from the acting Attorney.

Mrs Beecroft’s Lib Van colleague Peter Karran said Mr Bell’s stance ‘undermines the island’ which he said was supposed to be a ‘modern functioning democracy and not a banana republic’.

He suggested that if he was so confidence in the acting Attorney General’s advice he should have no qualms in circulating that advice to members. ‘If he doesn’t do this he’s got something to hide,’ he added.

Mr Bell replied that if Liberal Vannin had no confidence in the acting AG they should table a motion to that effect. ‘There is nothing unusual in this. I have full confidence in the acting Attorney General,’ he said.

People can still comment on controversial proposals to make a number of charges to residents.

The Department of Infrastructure’s consultation period for changes to public transport and car parking ends on Thursday, July 31.

So far, more than 1,300 responses being submitted to the department.

The proposals include:

· Charging for school bus services

· Raising the age of entitlement for free bus passes in line with the state retirement age

· Charging Tynwald Members and Government employees for parking spaces

· Charging residents for on-street parking permits

· Charging for parking in central Douglas

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: ‘I would reiterate that we are still in the consultation phase regarding these proposals and no firm decisions have yet been taken. People are encouraged to share their views as this feedback will help to shape the department’s future plans.’

He added: ‘I recognise that the possibility of charging for services that have previously been free or heavily subsidised is never going to be popular. However, the reality is that the Government is facing a significant financial challenge and certain services are simply not sustainable as things stand.’

The document is available to view on the Government website {http://www.gov.im/ConsultationDetail.gov?id=443|here}.

The Department of Infrastructure’s budget is to be cut by £5m.

Extra charges are one way it is considering to make up the shortfall.

The Isle of Man’s government’s income has been cut by a third after the UK began rewriting the VAT sharing agreement.

To balance the books, a number of cuts and extra charges have been announced.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/government-considering-charging-for-on-street-parking-1-6680934|Click here to read our first story about these proposals}

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/business/dismay-at-doi-plans-to-cut-costs-and-raise-revenue-1-6686372|Retailers were dismayed by the proposals. Click here to read that story.}

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/education/parking-fees-for-teachers-nurses-firemen-and-police-1-6689985|Nurses and police officers could be charged to park at work. Click here for a reminder of our story about that.}

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/school-bus-fares-unfair-on-some-families-1-6691172|Should school buses have fares again? Click here to read our story about that.}

Douglas Carnival is to take place this Saturday.

The capital’s seafront will be a colourful, fun-filled spectacle with the first 21st century Douglas Carnival ready to deliver floats, flowers and frolics plus a whole lot more.

Douglas Council leader David Christian said: ‘Reviving Douglas Carnival has been a marathon task but from day one we’ve been encouraged by the overwhelming enthusiasm on the part of everyone involved for the carnival to succeed.

‘This is the ultimate community event for the whole island so I would urge everyone, not just people in Douglas, to support the carnival and come along and join in what will be a fantastic event for all the family.’

At 2pm the Loch Promenade fun day with stalls, games and entertainment opens. There will be plenty to keep children entertained from bouncy castles, bungee trampolines, coconut shy, hook a duck, hoopla to an inflatable slide and assault course.

There will be plenty of food and drink stalls serving treats such as crepes, waffles, hotdogs, Caribbean and American cuisine as well as ice creams, mini donuts, popcorn and more.

There will be live music from 1.30pm to 6.30pm at the Bottleneck car park from Soundcheck bands. The car park will be the location later in the evening for the carnival’s After Party.

But during the day there will be two dedicated performance areas in Loch Promenade. The first will feature the Bailey Murray Academy of Irish Dance (2.30pm), Christine Wild Theatre School (3pm) and Onchan Entertainers (3.30pm), Louisa Roach, who delivers folk and soul, lyrical stories (4pm).

The second performance area includes IoM School of Fencing Demonstration (2pm), Roc Vannin choir (3pm), Ellan Vannin Gymnastics display (4pm) and the fancy dress competition judging (5pm).

The entertainment becomes messy in the evening with a Colour Me Rainbow fun run in aid of Hospice Isle of Man, starting at 6.30pm.

Participants each get given a white T-shirt and will walk/run the promenades from the Summerland site to the Sea Terminal and will be covered in colourful powdered paint – and afterwards in Loch Promenade they can take part in a ‘colour party’. (Participants are provided with sun glasses to protect their eyes from the glare.)

People can still sign up to take part, in this Hospice organised event, but are asked to inform Hospice, phone Mary Doyle on 490819. Entry forms can be downloaded from the Hospice website, www.hospice.org.im

The event is open for anyone from the age of 11 upwards and costs £20 per person to enter. There is also a corporate rate of £50 for a team of three people.

There will also be a Wheelie Bin Drag Race, starting at 6.35pm, which will headline the carnival cavalcade.

A total of 20 240-litre domestic wheelie bins provided by Douglas Council will each be manned by teams of three people, who have been asked to customise their race outfits and bins and transform them into ‘Formula 1 fabulousness’.

When the Ben My Chree’s horn sounds at 6.40pm it signals the start of the cavalcade, taking place from the Strathallan Crescent area and finishing in Loch Promenade near to the bottom of Victoria Street.

Floats and walkers will be taking part in the procession and should make for a super sight for onlookers. Charities, clubs, businesses and Douglas Council are among those taking part.

Thomas Kinrade, who graduated from Ballakermeen High School this year and Ciara Sullivan, who has just completed her A levels at Ballakermeen, both aged 19, are the carnival king and queen. They were nominated by their peers on the basis of the contribution they have made to their school and the community in the last year and chosen by Mayor Stanley Cain, Douglas leader David Christian and Councillor Stephen Pitts.

Following on from the day’s events the After Party will take place from 7.30pm at the Bottleneck car park with live music

There will be a licensed beer tent at the car park – and proof of age will be needed to gain access; under-18s will be permitted, but cannot buy or drink alcohol.

• From midday on Saturday there will be free parking at Shaw’s Brow car park. On carnival day motorists are advised not to park their vehicles on the promenade and to be aware of road closures.

www.douglascarnival.im

This summer’s anti drink-driving campaign started today.

It is designed to coincide with the start of the school summer holidays.

The Department of Infrastructure is urging motorists not to let a change in their daily routine result in a serious accident or a conviction in the courts.

The campaign theme ‘They’re not going on a summer holiday’ shows a drunk driver being stopped and breathalysed by police while taking his family to the beach.

Radio advertisements will be supported by posters, which are being distributed around the island.

Posters can also be downloaded from the government website {http://www.gov.im/categories/travel,-traffic-and-motoring/road-safety/|here} to display on noticeboards at work or social venues.

There are two drink drive hot-spots during the year – one around Christmas and New Year, the other in the summer months.

Police are always on the lookout for motorists driving under the influence of drink or drugs and the consequences can be serious.

However, there are no plans for extra police patrols, as there usually are over Christmas.

Even if an offender is fortunate enough to avoid being involved in a collision, they are certain to face a driving ban and a financial penalty.

Statistics recorded during this year’s TT festival period showed that the vast majority of drink drivers were island residents.

Leonard Singer MHK, the politician at the Department of Infrastructure with responsibility for road safety, said: ‘Drink driving wrecks lives and is never acceptable at any time of the year. The summer campaign aims to hammer home that message and remind people to act responsibly at all times.’

He added: ‘At this time of year, parents don’t have to get up early for the school run in the morning and there may be a temptation to socialise and drink more than usual.

‘That is why we are timing this campaign to coincide with schools breaking up for the summer holidays. Also, at social gatherings such as barbecues the alcohol may be served up in larger measures than people are accustomed to.

‘We are encouraging people not to let their guard down and not to get behind the wheel if they’ve had a drink.’

People in the Isle of Man can now pay their parking tickets online.

Fixed penalty notices and excess parking charges can now be paid via www.gov.im

Dan Davies, director of change and reform, said: ‘Getting a parking fine is inconvenient at the best of times.

‘We want paying the fine to be as easy as possible.

‘Our new online service means payment can be made quickly and conveniently and doesn’t even require people to register with government online services.’

He added: ‘There are already lots of services available via gov.im; from submitting your tax return to paying government invoices, registering livestock to applying for a driving test and researching your family history.

‘We are continually adding more services and I’m sure this latest addition will be welcomed by the public.’

Mr Davies concluded: ‘People no longer expect to just find out information online; they want to complete their business in a way that is convenient for them and preserves their privacy.

‘It is also a much smarter and cost effective way for us to deliver services for many of our customers. That is why expanding the range of online services is a key objective for Isle of Man Government.’

The new headteacher for Vallajeelt Primary School is returning to her Manx homeland to take on the role.

The Department of Education and Children this afternoon announced that Denise Lyon had been appointed headteacher of the Douglas school with effect from January 2015.

Denise is currently headteacher of both Moredon Primary and Nursery School and Rodbourne Cheney Primary School in Swindon, Wiltshire, where she has been for 12 years.

She will replace Adrian Shorthouse, who has headed the school since September 2008 and who is moving to be headteacher of Kewaigue Primary.

Nick George, currently deputy headteacher at Scoill Vallajeelt will act as head teacher for the autumn term.

Denise graduated from Chester College of Higher Education with a Bachelor of Education (Hons) in 1990 and taught for six years in Rochdale.

She then moved to Swindon in 1996 where she taught in a number of different primary schools before completing her headship qualification.

Denise said: ‘I am really looking forward to coming back to the island to work at a school with such happy, confident children and friendly staff.

‘I am keen to work in partnership with parents, governors and members of the community.

‘I am sad to leave my position in Swindon but I am thrilled to be embarking on a new chapter in my career.’

Denise was born in the island and was educated at Braddan Primary School, Ballakermeen Junior High School and Douglas High School.

Scoill Vallajeelt has 183 pupils on the register.