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Spring sprung at Clydesdale stud

By
Eve Lamb
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Jaimie Thompson with one of Sandy Creek Clydesdale Stud's newest spring arrivals Sandy Creek Miss Congeniality, and proud mum, mare Chocolyn Domina. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb


It’s easy to see that spring has sprung at Sandy Creek Clydesdale stud just out of Maldon.
The arrival of two beautiful new Clydesdale foals in quick succession over the past three weeks is definitely adding to the buzz in the air.
Gorgeous – but big – babies, Sandy Creek Miss Congeniality (aka Halle) arrived first to the delight of proud mum, mare Chocolyn Domina.
The brand new arrival immediately displayed a sassy and outgoing personality and was followed a week later with the arrival of somewhat more bashful little Sandy Creek Señor Pablo (Pablo for short) born to mare Lowan Vale Brooke.
“They were actually text book (births) thank God,” said Sandy Creek’s Jaimie Thompson who owns and runs the stud together with her husband Matt.
“They’re absolutely loving spring, running around trying out their new legs.”
The local Clydesdale stud and property with its wide array of additional farmyard animals provides a prime example of a rural enterprise that’s not only been able to endure through the COVID-19 pandemic, but also make the most of the lockdown vagaries it’s thrown up.
Matt and Jaimie have been able to use the lockdown time to focus on further developing their vision for the property as a regional attraction able to host a wide range of special Clydesdale-focused activities alongside other public functions including market days and weddings with their first wedding event booked for November.
As part of the vision that looks likely to enhance Maldon’s pull as a visitor destination, they’ve also been installing significant new fencing while getting some groundwork done toward establishing a new stabling complex and training arena capable of hosting lessons and clinics. Read the full story in today’s Mail…

Backlash at commercial rating proposal

By
Eve Lamb
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Eve Lamb


A proposal to increase rates for commercial properties in Mount Alexander is drawing outcry from local business groups and operators who say the mooted rating strategy change will drive some businesses to the wall.
A consultants’ report has recommended that the council’s commercial rate be increased from its current 130 per cent (of the base residential rate) to 140 per cent in 2022/23 and to 150 per cent in 2023/24.
The proposal has drawn a strong response from local business representatives including Business Mount Alexander and Maldon Inc both of whom believe the proposal will harm local business.
“For all the small towns it will kill us,” Maldon Inc president Kate Gamble told the Mail this week.
“This is the way to go if you want to kill off small business in Maldon.
“A number of people I’ve spoken to have been in tears.
“I really do think that council needs to assess the aims they are trying to achieve.”
Ms Gamble says Maldon Inc will be making a submission to the rating strategy review for which the timeframe for public submissions closes at the end of business today.
Business Mount Alexander treasurer Jacqueline Brodie-Hanns says the local business representative group is likewise lodging a submission in response to the proposed change to the way in which rates are calculated for commercial properties in the shire.
“It will drive people out of business,” said Ms Brodie-Hanns who also owns and runs Castlemaine’s Shedshaker Brewing.
“They are already stressed and doing it hard. Read the full story in today’s Mail…

Run the Maine goes virtual … again

By
Eve Lamb
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Run The Maine committee members Gavin Krasner, Jacqui Knee, Karina Taylor, Scott Carlon-Tozer and event mascot, The Bird, aka Dr Richard Mayes are once again pivoting to run a virtual RTM this month. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb

Organisers of this month’s Run The Maine have once again had to make the tough decision to shift the popular event to virtual format.
This month’s running of the fav fundraising event will now take place over the weekend of September 24-26 with participants able to choose to tackle the 21 km, 10 km or 5 run – or do all three distances – and upload their results in real time.
As recently as a month ago the committee was optimistic that this year’s running would return to traditional in-person format attracting hundreds of classy competitors to the ‘maine and it’s uniquely attractive running courses.
But the state’s most recent lockdown and ongoing uncertainty around what twist the pandemic might take next has once again forced the committee to quickly pivot to again run the event in virtual format.
“We came to the realisation the week before last,” event director Gavin Krasner told the Mail this week.
“After the initial realisation and disappointment we’ve done up our laces and got virtual Run The Maine up and running – and we’re excited.
“We’re now having just the one flat ticket and one entry fee for all three distances, with a concession and now an Under 15 ticket. Read the full story in today’s Mail…

Last chance to enter!

By
Lisa Dennis
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Mensland Castlemaine proprietors Renee Ramsey and Lauren Barker urge everyone to get their golden ticket entries in to win!
Mensland Castlemaine proprietors Renee Ramsey and Lauren Barker urge everyone to get their golden ticket entries in to win!

You only have a few days left to enter our 2021 Castlemaine Mail ‘Golden Ticket’ promotion to win a share of $5000 to spend at 21 local businesses!
We will be drawing the lucky winners next Wednesday September 15 at 10am and all entries must be in to our office at 13 Hargraves Street by next Tuesday September 14 at 4pm.
Mostyn Street retailers Miss Maisie, Beehave, Mensland Castlemaine and Taylors Home Centre are all proud to be part of the 2021 buy local promotion.
Miss Maisie Castlemaine manager Sue Smalley said its been another tough year for local businesses.
“Unfortunately the latest lockdown saw us forced to close our doors again. We don’t have an online option as for us its important that our customers can come in store and try on the clothes for themselves to ensure they great the right fit.
“At Miss Maisie we currently have so many beautiful pieces arriving for Spring and Summer, we cannot wait to reopen Friday and give all our gorgeous customers a big welcome,” she said.
Beehave proprietor Robyn Hansford is also excited to reopen today.
“We have been so fortunate with all the local support we have received during lockdown. It’s so very important to keep shopping local. There has been lots of new season stock arrive in store during lockdown, so we have lots of tempting goodies,” she said.
Mensland Castlemaine operators Renee Ramsey and Lauren Barker also plan to reopen their doors today. The sisters said they have appreciated the ongoing support they have received from the local community during the lockdowns.
“We are very grateful for our amazing community. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back and we have lots of beautiful new stock in store,” Lauren said.
Taylors Home Centre celebrated 40 years in business in June and has continued to offer online sales and click and collect options during the latest lockdown.
Proprietors Julie and Shane Tunn said they are delighted to be able to reopen their doors today.
“We urge the community to keep our town alive by shopping local. The more we support local businesses the more products and services we can offer,” Julie said.

Miss Maisie have some lovely new stock in store.
Beehave have a gorgeous new range of clothing.
Taylors Home Centre recently celebrated 40 years in business.

HALT launches new national initiative

By
Lisa Dennis
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R U Okay? Feeling Sh*t? This new HALT initiative aims to help tradies across the country. HALT founder Jeremy Forbes and HALT North West region project worker Tom Kenneally are pictured with the new stickers at Castlemaine Hire Service earlier this week.
R U Okay? Feeling Sh*t? This new HALT initiative aims to help tradies across the country. HALT founder Jeremy Forbes and HALT North West region project worker Tom Kenneally are pictured with the new stickers at Castlemaine Hire Service earlier this week.

To coincide with R U OK? Day (September 9) and National Suicide Prevent Day (September 10) grassroots Castlemaine health promotion organisation Hope Assistance Local Tradies (HALT) is working to reduce suicides in the trades and construction workforce with the launch of a new initiative.
The campaign aims to get the message of help-seeking out to tradies on building sites nationwide.
It centres on a sticker for the back of toilet doors on work sites, using QR code technology that links directly to a curated list of mental health resources and support services. See the Mail for the full story…

Lions celebrate 50th anniversary

By
Lisa Dennis
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This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of Harcourt Football Netball Club’s 1971 Senior Premiership win in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League (MCDFNL).
As featured in last week’s Mail 2021 marks five decades since the Harcourt side lined up against local rivals Campbells Creek to vie for grand final honours.
Harcourt Football Netball Club had big plans to mark the 50th anniversary milestone with a reunion last month but unfortunately covid lockdowns have forced the event to be moved to 2022.
To mark the special occasion Steve Tonzing, the son of 1971 Harcourt FNC premiership coach, captain and ruckman Trevor Tonzing, has penned a fantastic book about the memorable 1971 win.
Steve said he was only seven at the time but he remembers it was a very special day and one his dad was incredibly proud to be part of. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now…

A day for Dads!

By
Lisa Dennis
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There was a vibrant atmosphere at the monthly Castlemaine Farmers Market last Sunday September 5 with many dads at the market being spoilt with Father’s Day goodies.
Castlemaine Police spent some time at the market chatting to stallholders and were reportedly happy with the covid safe practices observed by stallholders and the wearing of masks by all.
CFM secretary Sally Kaptein said it was wonderful to see locals turning out to support farmers and producers at the monthly event and doing so in a safe and responsible way. Photo: Max Lesser.

Quiz night!

By
Lisa Dennis
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Join the Mount Alexander Shire Council Youth Mondo Team this arvo, Friday September 10, from 4pm for a Free Quiz Night! First place takes home a $50 prize!
Local young people are encouraged to test their skills in general knowledge, music, sport, pop-culture and more.
Not comfortable using your webcam? All G! join in just using your audio and still enjoy a great night of brain busters.
To get involved shoot the Mondo Lounge a message at youth@mountalexander.vic.gov.au, call or text 0429 421 214 or Direct Message them via the Mount Alexander Shire Council Youth Facebook page.
For this event you will need access to a laptop or PC, mobile phone/tablet and WIFI.
The Quiz Night is aimed at ages 12-25 years.

Fast charge station for the ‘maine

By
Eve Lamb
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Electric vehicle owners Marie Jones and John Ellis with their new Nissan Leaf EV check out Castlemaine's new fast charge station which has been installed in recent days. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb


Castlemaine finally has it’s own public electric vehicle fast charge station in a move positioning the town in a prime strategic stop on the state’s expanding road map of charge stations.
The new Tritium fast charge station was installed last Saturday in the car park behind the town’s Market Building and Visitor Information Centre, and has quickly been being put to good use by the growing number of EV drivers.
Among them new Nissan Leaf owners, Chewton’s John Ellis and Marie Jones this week tried out the new charger and were quick to give it their personal stamp of approval.
“I think this is brilliant,” said Ms Jones. “It’s so local and central and is also helping to normalise the uptake of electric vehicles.”
Mr Ellis said getting an EV was something he’d been contemplating for a long time before finally making the purchase in recent months.
“We’ve got a (solar powered) charge station at home, but certainly this new charge station will be handy for shopping,” he said.
Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance executive officer Rob Law said the new tritium fast charge station will cost EV users 40c/kwh to use to charge up.
“The charger will be 100 per cent renewable electricity from first of January 2022,” he said.
“The charger has two plugs and allows two cars to charge at the same time. It’s not yet set up for two cars at once but hopefully in the next two weeks (it will be),” Mr Law told the Mail this week.
“At 75 kilowatts, it’s one of the fastest ones on the whole Charging the Region’s network,” Mr Law said. Read more in today’s Mail…

‘Gonzo’ plunge into the ghetto

By
Eve Lamb
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Castlemaine's Maz Wilson with copies of her new book, Ghetto. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb


Out of two global disasters comes the newly released debut novel by Castlemaine’s Maz Wilson.
Ghetto traces the life of a young Australian photographer as she takes a ‘gonzo’ plunge into the ghetto, sharing a rundown terrace with grungers in inner Melbourne, squatting in a condemned tenement with ‘fringe dwellers’ in London and living with artists in a seedy loft in Manhattan.
Then, instead of covering the story, Alex becomes part of one, as she escapes New York’s most audacious attack.
While a work of fiction, Ghetto is strongly grounded in fact surrounding the 2001 9/11 World Trade Centre twin towers attack, and the book’s release coincides with the 20th anniversary of that catastrophic event that triggered the war on Afghanistan.
“I went to writing school at RMIT and at that time 9/11 hit,” recounts widely-travelled Wilson whose prior published non-fiction works include Life on the Edge and Brunswick Street Art & Revolution.
The second global calamity that brought the book into being is the COVID-19 pandemic with the writer acknowledging that it was finding herself in lockdown that brought the book into being.
“You can thank COVID for that,” she says.
It had been fomenting for two decades – ever since the date of the actual twin towers attack when Wilson, at the time studying writing at RMIT, was prompted to start taking notes recording the devastating historic event as it unfolded before the eyes of the world.
She says that in writing Ghetto she drew heavily on factual news reports alongside her own personal experiences of locations in which her narrative unwinds including Fitzroy, London and New York. Read more in today’s Mail…

Graffiti vandals strike again

By
Lisa Dennis
-

The Castlemaine community was dismayed after graffiti vandals targeted a number of community buildings and businesses last week.
Members of the Castlemaine Hot Rod Centre (CHRC) were extremely upset to discover extensive graffiti and tags splashed across the entrance doors and various walls around the Castlemaine Autoplex facility at Etty Street.
CHRC chairman Larry O’Toole said he discovered the latest damage after calling into the centre to undertake security checks last Wednesday morning (August 22).
The group discovered discarded paint tins and footprints at the site where the offenders had walked through the paint and have passed this all on to the local police. Anyone with information about these latest incidents is urged to contact the Castlemaine Police. See the Mail for the full story…

Get your entry in!

By
Lisa Dennis
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Steve and Leonie Clifford encourage you to get your ticket in for our Golden Ticket promotion.
Steve and Leonie Clifford encourage you to get your ticket in for our Golden Ticket promotion.

Have you got your entry in for our 2021 Castlemaine Mail ‘Golden Ticket’ promotion? You will have discovered the ninth and final piece of the jigsaw puzzle in last Friday’s August 27 edition.
If you missed any of the pieces contact our office and we can arrange back copies of the Mail.
To be in the running to win a share of $5000 to spend at one of our 21 wonderful Golden Ticket buy local promotion businesses all you need do is collect the nine puzzle pieces which appeared in Mail over the nine weeks and paste them to the back of your ‘Golden Ticket’! First prize is $3000, second prize $1000 and third and fourth prize winners will receive $500 each.
Our Golden Ticket businesses include: Barker Street Cafe, Beehave, Castlemaine IGA, Castlemaine News & Lotto, Clifford’s Quality Cuts, Dales Discount, Extremity Street and Sport, Greenaway Bins. Hip Pocket Workwear Castlemaine, Hot & Crusty Bakery, JM Leech Jewellers, Maine Shoes and Accessories, Maldon Crystals, Midland Pet Supplies, Miss Maisie, Mulberrys Delicatessen, PJ’s Tyres, Robertson Hyetts Solicitors, Stevens Mensland, Taylors Home Centre and The Tea Dispensary.
Once you’ve collected all nine puzzle pieces, drop your lucky ticket off at the Mail office or post it to us at 13 Hargraves Street, Castlemaine.
You can enter as many times as you like but you must use the original golden ticket and puzzle pieces. You can also obtain back copies of the Mail from our office when restrictions ease.
The competition winners will be drawn on Wednesday September 15, notified by phone and published in the Mail on September 17.
All participating businesses have ads in the paper featuring the ‘Golden Ticket’ and will display posters in their windows throughout the promotion. Good luck!

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