York Stories 2012 – part of York 800 – is looking for participants for a project which enables members of the Armed Forces community in York to tell their untold stories.

Working with City of York Council’s Arts and Culture Service and the Armed Forces community (Military Civil integration Project & Army Welfare Service), Armed Forces Community Presents… will capture and share stories of the military community in and around York, from serving members of the armed forces to veterans, families, cadets, TA members and linked organisations.

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Cybercriminals might call you on the telephone and claim to be from companies such as Microsoft.

They might offer to help solve your computer problems or sell you a software license.

However, once they have access to your computer, they can do the following:
•Trick you into installing malicious software that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.
•Take control of your computer remotely and adjust settings to leave your computer vulnerable.
•Request credit card information so they can bill you for phony services.
•Direct you to fraudulent websites and ask you to enter credit card and other personal or financial information there.

Neither Microsoft nor their partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes.

The following advice is taken from Microsoft’s Cybercriminal Tech Support Scam website, which also has links to further reading:
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North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 1 August and Tuesday 7 August 2012.

•The Village, Stockton On Forest, York
•A1036 Malton Road, York
•York Road, Haxby, York
•A1237 Monks Cross, York
•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•A64 west-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•Broadway, Fulford, York
•Murton Way, Murton, York
•Fordlands Road, Fulford York
•B1228 Main Street, Elvington, York
•B1228 Dunnington Lodge, Elvington, York
•A64 Malton by-pass Malton west-bound
•A64 Seamer by-pass Scarborough
•A64 Seamer Road Scarborough
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Young drivers are to be offered free assessments to improve their confidence and awareness on York’s roads.

Up to 300 drivers aged 17 to 26, who live or work in York, could benefit from the York Momentum scheme over the next two-years.

The Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) course will officially be launched this week (1 August) by representatives from the road safety charity and council staff in the road safety team.

For more details about the course please visit www.york.gov.uk/transport/Road_safety/ or email momentum@york.gov.uk

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Several events have been arranged to celebrate Yorkshire Day which takes place on Wednesday 1st August.

Yorkshire Ridings Society will be processing around the Bar Walls proudly boasting a Yorkshire flag before performing the Declarations of Integrity in modern and olden dialect, ending on the cobbles at Newgate Market.

The city centre will be decked out in bunting and Yorkshire flags. A Yorkshire Day banner will also be hung for visitors and residents to see at Newgate Market, where there will be a Yorkshire Day market full of local traders with Yorkshire goods and produce, including additional stalls from the Farmers’ Market.

The Civic party will be attending the annual Civic gathering, which will this year be held in Scarborough and will include a procession with sword and mace bearers.

The Mansion House will be flying the Yorkshire Day flag on this special day.

Other events celebrating Yorkshire Day across the city include:

• York’s Chocolate Story selling special Yorkshire chocolates for the day in flavours of Yorkshire blue; white chocolate and rhubarb; tea and fruitcake; and Wensleydale cheese and apple.
• Hinchliffe’s Farm Shop is celebrating Yorkshire Day with a giant, York Minster shaped pork pie which will be unveiled at 2.30pm on the steps of York Minster.
• The York Brewery is doing a Real Ale Trail based around Yorkshire beers in their pubs.
• The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is running a special lunchtime Pullman service runs in celebration of Yorkshire Day on 1st August, which departs from Grosmont at 1.30pm.

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Council taxpayers had to fork out over £200,000 for taxis used by Councillors, staff and customers of the York Council last year.

The costs were 92% higher than those incurred in the previous year.

The figures do not include the costs of transporting pupils with special needs (disabilities) to school.

The revelation comes only a few days after the Council revealed that Social Care costs for the last financial year increased by 29%. See http://tinyurl.com/Adult-social-care-cost-up

A York Council committee has spent the last few months reviewing the effectiveness of the “do not resuscitate” forms used in parts of the NHS.

It is a sensitive area and one that the Council is right to review in its role as a “Health Watchdog”. It followed concerns about the use of the forms at the York Hospital following a review by the Care Quality Commission in October 2011.

Indications are that health professionals do understand and respect the intention of the forms.

The committee is due to meet next on Wednesday. Details of the study can be found here http://tinyurl.com/do-not-resusitate

Police are appealing for witnesses to two separate incidents. One involves a collision on Bishopthorpe Road on Friday evening while the second involved an assault in the early hours of Friday morning in Clifton.
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A resident has registered a petition on the Councils web site opposing the introduction of charges for emptying green garden waste bins.

The petition can be found by clicking here http://tinyurl.com/No-to-green-bin-charges.

Residents have until 6th September to record their support.

The York Council has so far failed to say how their promised “consultation” on the proposed charges will be undertaken.

Meanwhile in Sheffield, Labour have announced an annual charge of £57.60 for emptying green bins.
http://www.sheffieldlibdems.org.uk/2012/03/26/labour-hits-sheffielders-with-eye-watering-garden-tax/

Elsewhere the charges have been described in the national media as a “stealth” tax.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8559683/New-charges-for-garden-waste-collection-described-as-stealth-bin-tax.html

The proportion of shop units in York City centre which are empty is much less than can be found in other parts of the country, according to figures that have been released by the City of York Council

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The Council says:

• The number and percentage of city centre vacant shops has remained relatively static since April 2009.

• The last 12 months has seen small monthly seasonal fluctuations in both number and percentage, however the overall trend is a static one.

• The number of vacant shops as at 1/7/12 is below the average monthly figure between 1/4/09 and the present.

• Seasonal influences, month to month, affect the numbers of vacant properties with Summer and Christmas having the lowest percentage of the total.

• The total number of shops has decreased since April 2008, meaning the percentage of the total will be higher.

• York’s shop vacancy figure is approximately half that of the Region 15% and national figure of 14.5%.