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Frosty blast

By
Eve Lamb
-
Harcourt vignerons Ken Pollock and Ian McKenzie with their gas-fired frost fan at BlackJack Wines vineyard. Many winegrowers throughout the region are now welcoming the rain. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb

Forecast rain is welcome news for many of the region’s winegrowers following a frosty weekend that produced a sleep-deprived night for some.
At Harcourt, winemaker Ian McKenzie, who operates BlackJack winery and vineyards with fellow vigneron Ken Pollock was alerted to the frost in the small hours of last Sunday morning via their weather station alert relayed via New Zealand.
“I get a phone call linked to the weather station,” said Ian – “we have three weather stations in the vineyard.”
With budburst just starting now at the Harcourt vineyard, the minus 1.4 degree frost that impacted around 3am on Sunday morning meant it was time to activate BlackJack’s trusty gas-fired frost fan.
“Frost can wipe out all the fruit and can also affect next year’s as well,” said Ken.
“The frost fan draws warm air in. It pulls the warm air in and mixes it with the cold.
“It sounds a bit like a helicopter. Some of the apple growers around here also have frost fans.”
Ian says they ran the vineyard frost fan for about four hours – a good move as they were able to effectively protect any tender new season’s vine growth with the fan able to cover and help protect 8000 vines growing over about 10 acres.
Ken and Ian say forecast rain is good news for BlackJack at this point.
“It’s a good start,” says Ian.
Sunday’s morning frost also meant a brisk start for Tim Sproal winemaker with Castlemaine’s Boomtown wines.
Tim was forced to get out to the vineyard he leases at Metcalf in the middle of the night to help protect tender new vine growth – by burning hay bales.
“I was there from 12 (midnight) to 3am burning haybales to create a warm air envelope,” said Tim who’s also busy putting out compost on the vineyard where budburst has already started. Read more in today’s Mail…

Smashing $20,000: virtual run bodes well

By
Eve Lamb
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Covering the distance in Castlemaine. Runners take part in the weekend's virtual running of Run The Maine that enabled people to take part anywhere and upload their times to the leaderboard. Results were uploaded from as far afield as Texas. Photo: Max Lesser

Eve Lamb

COVID may have forced last weekend’s Run The Maine to pivot to virtual format, but it’s done nothing to prevent the popular distance event from raising an impressive $20,000 for Castlemaine Health.
“We’re donating $20,000 to the hospital which is more than double the donation from last year,” RTM director Gavin Krasner told the Mail this weekfollowingthe weekend-long event.
For months, the RTM committee had been keenly anticipating a return to in-person format this year but, just six weeks out, the state’s lockdown uncertainty forced the reversion to virtual format as used for the first time last year.
Despite that, last weekend’s participation rate points to a bright future for the event.
“$20,000 is the second largest donation we’ve ever made so we are really thrilled,” Krasner told the Mail.
“Our ticket sale were up 15 percent on last year. Read more in today’s Mail…

Castlemaine health exposure site

By
Eve Lamb
-

Eve Lamb

Castlemaine Health has been confirmed as a COVID-19 tier 2 exposure site.
Hospital executive staff yesterday confirmed that the hospital main entrance and vaccination clinic had been identified as a tier 2 exposure site on Monday September 27 between the times of 8.27am-10.07am.
“Anyone who was in those areas – the hospital main entrance and vaccination clinic (between 8.27am and 10.07) am on Monday morning should get tested and isolate until they get a negative result,” Castlemaine Health executive director of clinical and community services Dianne Senior told the Mail.
She moved to allay worries around aged care, however, confirming that the hospital’s aged care facilities were not affected and were not part of the confirmed exposure.
“We are reassuring our staff that it has been minimal,” Ms Senior said.
In response to yesterday’s confirmation a pop-up swabbing clinic was set up at the town’s Camp Reserve and sprang into action yesterday.
Ms Senior said the pop-up clinic would continue operating at Camp Reserve from 9.30am-12.30 today with people needing to get a test required to book an appointment with Castlemaine District Community Health CHIRP on 54791000.
The Castlemaine exposure site confirmation came as the state yesterday broke triple digit numbers of new cases with more than 1400 confirmed for one day – a record for Victoria during the pandemic.
Mount Alexander shire residents are maintaining a high level of vigilance with multiple new exposure sites emerging in neighbouring municipalities. Read more in today’s Mail …

CriticalMassAppeal in the ‘maine

By
Eve Lamb
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Castlemaine's Oli Dunlop with some of his work in his new exhibition CriticalMassAppeal now on show at Castlemaine's CASPA gallery. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb


If we live in an age when “everyone has a hungry eye” then after catching Oli Dunlop’s debut exhibition there’ll be no need for dessert.
“I think it began when Mum collaged the toilet,” the Castlemaine weekend artist says.
“It was with an old masters theme.”
From that point on the young Dunlop, who now holds a weekday job with Castlemaine’s Don KR, never looked back. Collage was his thing.
“So I guess you could say I’ve been doing it since I could use the toilet,” he laughs.
The Castlemaine creative has just launched his debut solo exhibition at Castlemaine’s central CASPA gallery.
CriticalMassAppeal features largescale traditional collage works and prints made from them by deploying a creative process involving photography and digital printing.
The subject matter might best be summarised as concerned with the pop digital age of mass visual sensory input – some might say overload.
The result is both impactful and engaging. Read more in today’s Mail…

Pull on your running shoes…

By
Eve Lamb
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RTM committee members are inviting everyone to pull on their running - or walking - shoes and participate in this weekend's virtual event. Photo: Eve Lamb

It started at 6am this morning.
Run The Maine – virtual format – will now continue to run throughout this entire long weekend meaning there are few excuses not to pull on your running shoes, get out and get sweaty.
The annual fundraising fav officially got going at 6am today and runs right through until 6pm this Sunday with participants able to to register online, complete as many of the distances as many times as they like, and upload their results to the interactive leaderboards.
“The virtual leaderboards are just a bit of fun,” says event director Gavin Krasner.
“We are already on course to smash last year’s ticket sales. We’ve got almost 200 already,” Gavin said when he caught up with the Mail a couple of days ago.
The possibility of entering another lockdown forced the event committee to again revert to running the event virtual style with a flat fee to enter any of the distances – 5km, 10km and 21 km half marathon – and run your own race anywhere you choose.
A few of the hardy committee members plan to tackle all of the distances.
Race mascot The Bird, aka Dr Richard Mayes is among those who will be pulling on his running shoes and says tackling the 10 km distance tomorrow will make a welcome break from administering COVID-19 vaccinations.
Fellow committee member, distance runner Karina Taylor is taking on the 5km and 21 km half marathon options. Read more in today’s Mail…

Sculpture gets go-ahead

By
Eve Lamb
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One of Chewton's current street sculptures. Another one now has gained council approval for installation at 160 Main Road, Chewton following this week's council decision. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb
A new sculpture paying homage to Chewton’s past can now be erected in the town after it got the green light at this week’s Mount Alexander Shire Council meeting.
But approval for the 2.15 metre high piece proposed for installation on private land at 160 Main Road Chewton was by no means a bump-free process.
The proposal which would add further to Chewton’s ever-expanding collection of the static sculptures had drawn 13 objections, alongside 17 letters of support.
And councillors Stephen Gardner and Rosie Annear both highlighted concerns that the proposal had created a concerning degree of divisiveness – including at an objector meeting.
“It’s very concerning the way it’s split the community. The main thing for me is it really is a planning issue,” Cr Gardner said.
Cr Annear’s concerns particularly related to community division created around the perceived “worthiness” of the chosen subject proposed for the sculpture – something Cr Annear believed should not concern the council whose task she thought should instead remain focused on matters of planning probity.
Cr Bill Maltby moved that the sculpture should be approved for installation as suggested, arguing that Chewton’s sculptures depicting yesteryear characters, had potential to become a tourist drawcard akin to the Wimmera-Mallee silo art trail.
And while also in favour, Cr Christine Henderson raised concern about the ad hoc nature of the proliferation of Chewton’s street sculpture to date, and also about their ongoing maintenance arrangements. Read more in today’s Mail…

Big quake felt close to home

By
Eve Lamb
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"Quite extraordinary," said excited Sandon-based local seismologist Gary Gibson, interviewed by the Mail soon after the earthquake hit at about 9.15am. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb
The earthquake that rattled Castlemaine residents Wednesday morning was the biggest onshore quake to rock the state in the past two centuries.
“Quite extraordinary,” said excited Sandon-based local seismologist Gary Gibson, interviewed by the Mail soon after the earthquake hit at about 9.15am.
“It’s about 5.8 on the Richter scale,” confirmed Mr Gibson who is principal research fellow in seismology with the University of Melbourne.
“It’s the biggest earthquake for Victoria and New South Wales to happen on shore in the last 200 years that we know about.
“There have been a few bigger off shore quakes but this on shore quake is considerably bigger than the Newcastle quake of ’89.
“It has caused a wall to collapse in Chapel Street in Melbourne which means the wall was probably very fragile already.
“Lots of people have felt it strongly as far east as Merimbula and there have been 100 reports of it being felt in tall buildings from people in Adelaide.”
The epicentre had been identified as being in the middle of the eastern highlands – “about half way between Mount Buller to the north, and Morwell to the south,” Mr Gibson told the Mail. Read more in today’s Mail…

Integration gets ministerial seal of approval

By
Lisa Dennis
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A shared future for Castlemaine Health and CHIRP Community Health is one step closer with the Minister for Health Martin Foley having formally approved the integration of the two local health organisations.
The integration is supported by an independent review and feedback from staff, consumers, partner organisations and the wider community. Both Boards formally endorsed integration at their meetings in June.
Castlemaine Health Board Chair Peggy Ronnau said the case for integration couldn’t be more compelling.
“We are better together. With this decision we’re now just months away from a shared future where our unique people, identities and strengths work as one to deliver the very best community health services around,” she said.
CHIRP Chair Lexi Randall-L’Estrange said this was the very last formal step so they’re not resting on their laurels.
“There is a great deal of work already in progress as we prepare for implementation of integration from October 1, 2021,” Ms Randall-L’Estrange said. See the Mail for the full story…

Funding injection for local creatives

By
Lisa Dennis
-

Castlemaine’s creative sector is set to receive a welcome boost thanks to a partnership between the state government and Mount Alexander Shire Council.
Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards visited Castlemaine’s pop-up outdoor entertainment space ‘The Village Square’ in Frederick Street on Monday to announce council would receive $325,000 in funding for two creative projects: upgrading and extending Castlemaine’s successful pop-up outdoor entertainment space to provide more local creative opportunities and Stage 2 of the ‘Get Lost’ online creative platform. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.

MCDFNL draws curtain on season 2021

By
Lisa Dennis
-

It is with disappointment that the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League (MCDFNL) announced on Tuesday that the 2021 season will cease with no finals able to be played.
The MCDFNL executive said it was forced to make the tough call due to the ongoing restrictions, which are not allowing a return to matches and no prospect of this occurring before the window available for the season concluding. Harcourt FNC has been declared the Seniors Minor Premiers. See the Mail for more…

The circus is coming to a town near you!

By
Lisa Dennis
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The Curbside Carnies Mobile Circus is set to present three free ‘pop-up’ shows tomorrow Saturday September 25 if covid restrictions allow.
The troupe of local circus performers will bring circus joy to the region as part of three events at Castlemaine, Maldon and Newstead.
The school holiday initiative funded through the Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Events Program and is sure to bring a smile to people’s faces! See the Mail for all the details.

Sculpture on the move

By
Lisa Dennis
-

There was movement afoot at Castlemaine Art Museum (CAM) on Tuesday morning as Zoe Amor’s iconic sculpture ‘Dusk’ was carefully relocated to allow for the restoration of CAM’s heritage listed facade.
This indelible feature of Castlemaine is going to be restored until its relocation to an alternative site is announced by Mount Alexander Shire Council, under a special loan agreement which seeks to support greater visibility of public artworks throughout the shire. See the Mail for the full story…

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