Letters, September 22 2023

Thank you to South Kintyre community

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me over the last 22 years as your local councillor.

 

It has been an honour and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the community of South Kintyre over this time.

 

Argyll and Bute Council have some great people working for them and I would like to thank each and every one of them – staff and elected members – that I have had the pleasure to work with, both past and present.

 

I would also like to thank Campbeltown Courier for its support over the years, with a special mention to the current senior reporter, Hannah, who is an asset to the town and very much a community-minded person.

 

The decision to resign was not taken easily but I am hopeful that the result of which will eventually bear fruit and make Argyll and Bute Council more democratic and more accountable to all elected members and constituents in the area.

 

The position of councillor has to be filled and a by-election will be held in early November.

 

My daughter, Jennifer Kelly, has decided to stand for election for this position in my place.

 

If you have supported me in the past, it would be very much appreciated if you would consider supporting Jennifer in the forthcoming election.

 

If Jennifer is elected, this would be provide South Kintyre with the continuity it requires as we move forward.

 

Many thanks.

 

Donald Kelly, Strathmore, Drumlemble.

 

September may see spike in spiders

 

Mating season for spiders begins in early autumn and lasts for less than two months, but the sight of a spider scuttling along the skirting board can be distressing for some.

 

Spiders, like all our native wildlife, are an important part of our eco-systems and in the autumn will be looking for somewhere dry where they can breed.

 

If you don’t mind them, then feel free to leave them alone – they’re great natural pest controllers!

 

If you are afraid of spiders and would rather not share your house with them, the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) advises using a glass and stiff piece of card to capture spiders and release them outside, but householders can call in a pest professional if spiders are becoming a nuisance in the home.

 

UK spider species are not considered dangerous or harmful, but in some circumstances – if you seem to have an unusually large infestation of spiders for example – we recommend seeking advice from a pest management professional such as a BPCA member.

 

To find a BPCA member visit: bpca.org.uk/find

 

John Horsley, technical officer, British Pest Control Association (BPCA).