SO the axe has fallen on Moray's five post offices under threat of closure or downgraded services.

OUR thoughts this weekend are with young Kyle Whyte as he heads off to hospital in Glasgow to begin preparations for his bone marrow transplant in a couple of weeks time.

IS there no end to the tragedies on our roads? Sadly not.

THE powers-that-be are spending millions of pounds each year on trying to persuade us to eat more fruit and veg for the sake of our health, and do we listen? Well, some of us do, but not enough.

PRIDE, above all else, emanated from Elgin Town Hall last Saturday as men and women who have served their country in a wide range of roles gathered to receive new Veterans Badges.

THE announcement that Nat Fraser is abandoning his appeal against his 25-year murder sentence came as a surprise.

THE figures are indeed startling.

IT has been an election pledge of the current SNP Government and the previous Labour-Liberal administration – to cut class sizes in our primary schools.

"WE won't give up our post offices without a fight"... is the message going out loud and clear from communities in Moray.

"IT'S not worth phoning the police; they won't do anything about it in any case."

MORAY Council has just unveiled a £1 billion spending plan, tackling such key issues as flood prevention, the need for more industrial units to let businesses thrive, a new regional sports facility and improvements to schools.

MORAY is making marked progress in the battle to stem the tide of flooding problems returning to haunt the area.

NAT Fraser has been returned to jail to serve out the rest of his life sentence, and for many people that might indicate the closing chapter of a notorious tale of crime and tragedy.

IN just a few weeks, vandals have caused £35,000 worth of damage in Moray – a shocking statistic, and yet there has been a 19% decrease in the number of incidents on the same period last year.

A WOMAN IS likely to be assaulted 35 times by her partner before she makes her first plea for help; people in Britain are more likely to report a dog being abused in the home than a woman.

IT was a breathtaking show of defiance, and now Moray's motorcyclists have to wait and see if their actions have been worthwhile.

PARENTS' thoughts this weekend will be on Monday's return to school after the Easter break, ironing the uniforms, sorting out the school bags for the younger ones, and seeing that the lovely, angelic faces are sparkling clean.

THE need for an Elgin bypass is now firmly on the map, but pressure must be maintained to prevent the campaign being diverted.

IT'S a challenge with a difference but one we are sure the people of Moray will be up to... trying to give a local teenager a new lease of life.

IT'S a relief for Moray folk to know that they don't have to dip into their pockets for a new body scanner at Dr Gray's Hospital.

MARGARET and Tracey Coull have a normal, loving mother and daughter relationship.

THE story of the 74-year-old shopper subjected to abuse by youngsters in daylight as she waited for a bus should have made us all stop and think.

A SCOTTISH Government Minister thinks the people of Moray should contribute towards the upkeep of facilities such as ice rinks and swimming pools in Aberdeen.

MORAY has moved on from the controversy that raged over the future of up to 21 primary schools – or so we thought.

WE HAVE heard it all before, of course. Yes, says the Transport Minister, your case for an Elgin bypass will be looked at and taken into consideration... And, then? Nothing.

IT HAS been described as a hidden crime, taking place behind closed doors with the victim too frightened, too embarrassed to admit it, to speak to others about it.

MIKE GRAY is battling to stay alive... but, cruelly, it is a battle he can't win.

ALMOST A month into the new year and many people have embarked on trying to bring alive their hopes of being healthier in 2008. It mostly revolves around losing weight and taking more exercise – laudable and often necessary objectives.

MORAY DESERVES a sporting chance and that is the plea this week to councillors.

CHRISTMAS WAS a time for giving and receiving presents. What was under your Christmas tree; a new Wii, TV, laptop, mobile phone or some other luxury item?

WELCOME to 2008. The year started off on a happy note with a record-breaking seven babies born at Dr Gray's Hospital, Elgin; great news for their delighted parents and we wish them all the best in the years ahead.

THE QUEEN famously christened 1997 her annus horribilis. Our fishermen and farmers could argue that it has become the norm for them in recent years.

'TIS THE season to be jolly .... says the song. For many people Christmas is just so; for some the joy and happiness that should be there in abundance is sadly missing.

A GOVERNMENT Minister came calling this week to deliver some early Christmas cheer to Moray and its massive commitment to flood prevention schemes.

NEW ELGIN is becoming increasingly fearful for the future of its High School, following the latest chapter of the debacle for new school provision in Moray.

IT BEGGARS belief, but a driver was caught doing 109mph on the A96 between Elgin and Lhanbryde last weekend in the latest police crackdown.

IT WAS A privilege for 'The Northern Scot' to be involved as a sponsor and to have a lead role in promoting Moray's first recycling and environment awards.

THE NIMROD plays a vital "spy in the sky" role in conflicts and in co-ordinating rescue operations, and yet it finds itself embroiled in controversy over its own safety record.

READERS will be shocked by the revelation of the scale of the violence and verbal abuse against teachers – and rightly so.

MORAY IS staging its first Green Awards ceremony this month, and "The Northern Scot" is delighted to have a lead role in promoting them.

NHS GRAMPIAN have been slow off the mark at coming up with a prescription to ease the congestion headache for their neighbours.

THE conduct of Green Parc Ltd, owners of the Silver Sands holiday park at Lossiemouth, is disgraceful.

THE introduction of parking charges at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin has caused a blinding headache for neighbouring residents, who find their streets under siege and congested by motorists unwilling to pay the fees.

PAUL MASH’S story in this week’s 'Scot’ is a compelling one and should make everyone stop and think.

A BYPASS for Elgin is essential; our top industries deserve improved transport links; we should have better train services; the rail freight system has to be expanded; the A96 is constraining development, and upgrading it needs to be given priority.

A DISAPPOINTING tourism season in Grampian should be an added spur to talks that begin today to see how Moray can do more to market itself and attract more people.

MEDICINE continues to make huge advances; operations that can be performed border on the miraculous; there is a drug for nearly every condition; and we are all living longer.

IT IS DIFFICULT for many of us to comprehend what sends people to the brink of suicide.

IT IS an offer you cannot refuse....it is an offer you cannot expect us to accept right now.

THE 'two schools or one' debate in Elgin, and a new primary for Keith, raged over many months in Moray – and it is set to erupt again.

MORAY needs to make a bigger impact on the tourism front, and the local council has taken a bold step in setting up a think tank to determine how Moray can help itself.

TOURISM is arguably the lifeblood of Moray's rural communities, and the future for many small towns and villages across the district possibly hinges on attracting more people to come and visit our area, whether for its history, its whisky, its beautiful scenery and walks, sporting and leisure pursuits, or its good food and warm hospitality.

SUPERLATIVES ARE used all too easily in this day and age to describe top sportspeople who earn a small fortune each week but scarcely live up to the platitudes.

IT IS DISGRACEFUL that the Department of Work and Pensions can run down a service available in dealing with state benefits in Moray, to make way for axing 40 jobs – and shift responsibility on to the Citizens Advice Bureau and other voluntary groups.

“THE Northern Scot” doesn’t set out to shock readers as a matter of course – but sometimes it is necessary to get a serious message across.

LAST week we laid down the challenge to Moray Council to act swiftly and restore some confidence among the residents of Rothes hit by the latest incidence of flooding. They have gone some way to doing that.

NOT good enough! That’s the verdict of Rothes residents angered by the response of Moray Council to flash floods this week which left them filling sandbags and diverting traffic themselves – while waiting anxiously for the arrival of flood protection gates to stem the tide of troubles.

IT IS a dramatic title – some would say over-dramatic, others not so – but 'Death of the High Street' should focus minds on our town centres and their future.

VICTOR Meldrew would have trouble believing it, so do readers of 'The Northern Scot'. The shock is provided by the seizure of alcohol from a group of youngsters at Buckie, aged from just 14.

PEOPLE POWER has won the day – again – bringing scenes of joy and jubilation among campaigners at Buckie and Dufftown who were fighting to prevent a school and community centre from closure.

MORAY HAS had to take some bodyblows from job losses in recent years, principally at the RAF bases and from the closure of the pork factory at Buckie, but has come out fighting and will have to do so again.

ANOTHER tragedy .... another family in torment .... another example of the dangers of driving .... another opportunity to assess how our roads can be made safer.

THE LAST obstacle to the Fochabers and Mosstodloch bypass has been removed: the legal challenge to the proposed northern route has been dropped and work on the £20 million-plus project is now expected to start... well, maybe 18 months from now.

THE COMPASSION and strength of character shown by the 91-year-old blind woman who was robbed while she slept is inspiring.

THE BALLOT chaos of last week's Scottish elections does democracy no favours.

PUBS in Moray are supporting a new campaign aimed at reaching the victims of domestic abuse and their abusers.

MORAY WILL BE celebrating on Thursday. Glasses will be raised, toasts drunk, and friendships made.

MORAY COUNCIL met for the last time in its current form this week. Over recent years this newspaper has not been kind to the ruling Independent administration, but as they ride off into the sunset it would be charitable to list some of their successes.

IT MAY SURPRISE the young, but there are many advantages to aging: you may be over the hill, but you've got there by climbing to the top; there's nothing left to learn the hard way; and you've not only grown old, you've also grown up.

THE STARTING pistol has been fired and the race for Holyrood has begun. In less than a month's time we will go to the polls to vote in one of the most important elections of recent years – one which could ultimately decide the future of Scotland as a nation.

THERE WAS some amusement, laced with scepticism, last summer when it was announced that RAF Lossiemouth had been given the green light to join the space race.

MORAY STRUGGLES to feature as a must-go-there destination for holidaymakers from this country, the rest of the UK and abroad.

AN INNOVATIVE project to promote a philosophy of wellbeing for all members of the Moray community, and in particular some of the most vulnerable and socially isolated people, is at risk of folding from a lack of money.

IT IS NOT difficult to make a case for keeping a library open: the problem is finding acceptable reasons for closure – other than cost.

HOW DO WE solve a problem like Scotland’s misuse of alcohol?

DOORSTEP SELLING was once a welcome part of life in country towns and rural areas: the travelling salesman brought not only goods and services that might not be readily available locally, but also news and contact with other communities.

FOR SIX Moray communities, the decisions taken by Moray Council on Wednesday will have meant the cloud of uncertainty which has hovered over their children's education for the past two years has been lifted.

SITTING IN THEIR expensively refurbished chamber – upgraded at a still-to-be-revealed cost and incorporating audio-visual equipment which does not seem to work – Moray Council's ruling Independent administration yesterday announced the final budget of their four-year term.

NHS DENTAL SERVICES are in crisis, and no assurances were given at this week's public meeting in Elgin that the situation will improve in the medium term.

WILL MORAY soon be a public toilet-free zone? Will that be the legacy of this administration?

MORAY'S FACILITIES for researching family history were once second to none. Scots exiles from all over the world headed for Elgin to start digging up their ancestral roots.

THE SCOTTISH Executive's public transport strategy so far has been long on rhetoric and short on action.

SCOTLAND'S POLITICAL parties gave a rare display of unity this week in an attempt to persuade more people to vote.