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Council clears way for Optus 5G land lease

By
Eve Lamb
-

Eve Lamb


Last week’s council decision to lease land at Wesley Hill for an Optus telecommunications tower is likely to enrage locals who fear the tower may pose a health risk and impact property values.
At its December meeting last week the Mount Alexander Shire Council narrowly voted 4:3 in favour of leasing the council land, part of the Wesley Hill Recreation Reserve, to Optus for the controversial telecommunications facility.
Councillor Stephen Gardner spoke in favour of the move stating that it represents a financial benefit to council as lessee of the land, and noting that the facility met with Australian government guidelines.
“The tower meets the Australian code. Towers, microwaves are everywhere. 5G is no different to any other spectrum and I would be happy to have it in my backyard,” Cr Gardner said.
“It is a good deal for council. We get an extra tower paid for and we get the lease. This is about leasing the land to a commercial provider. We need an improved network here and I don’t see any reason we shouldn’t be supporting it.”
However Cr Gary McClure, among three councillors who voted against the move, held reservations around potential and unknown impacts of micro-radiation.
Cr Rosie Annear likewise retained concerns associated with the proposed 5G telecommunications facility. Read more in the Castlemaine Mail…

Santa run returns tomorrow

By
Lisa Dennis
-

Santa and his helpers from the former Apex Club of Castlemaine will be out and about again tomorrow, Christmas Day, visiting the young and young at heart across the region.
The dedicated volunteers have once again been busy putting CovidSafe measures in place to ensure the popular run continues with pre-packed lollies and icy poles at the ready to spread some much needed Christmas cheer.
Santa and his volunteers will undertake five runs across the region.
Past Apexian Stephen Cooper said their volunteers gather from 6.30am and will hit the road from around 7-7.30 on runs throughout Castlemaine and Campbells Creek, out to Chewton and Elphinstone and Guildford. With housing estates across the region growing in size they may be a little later than usual as they get around to everyone. Look for signage in your town for times or listen for the bells, horns and Ho, Ho, Hos! Donations are welcome to keep this proud 84 year tradition going!

CSC celebrates our high achievers

By
Lisa Dennis
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Castlemaine Secondary College dux Koby Smith and fellow high achievers Oscar Dutton, Chloe Cue, Lucia Carolan and Beatrix Dimsey are pictured with Acting Principal Simon Wood (centre).
Castlemaine Secondary College dux Koby Smith and fellow high achievers Oscar Dutton, Chloe Cue, Lucia Carolan and Beatrix Dimsey are pictured with Acting Principal Simon Wood (centre).

Castlemaine Secondary College was delighted to celebrate its high achievers as results were released late last week.
The dux of Castlemaine Secondary College for 2021 is Koby Smith and fellow high achievers included Beatrix Dimsey, Oscar Dutton, Lucia Carolan and Chloe Cue.
The talented group took some time out to catch up with the Mail on Friday to discuss their feelings about their scores and what they plan to do moving forward after two years of challenging covid-interrupted study. See the Mail for the full story.

Tree project delivers

By
Lisa Dennis
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The Christmas Tree Project is once again bringing a smile to local individuals and families doing it tough this Christmas.
The project is a staff-led initiative run from Castlemaine Health that delivers Christmas hampers to local families in need each Christmas.
Now in its eighth year, the project invites Castlemaine Health staff to donate and pack non-perishable food and toiletries in festive hampers. The hampers are delivered throughout Castlemaine and surrounding areas to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and clients of local family services.

Castlemaine golfers cap off the year

By
Lisa Dennis
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Castlemaine Golf Club wound up the year on Saturday December 18, when 64 Castlemaine (and surrounds) golfers took the clubs out to cap off another pandemic interrupted year, firing off some great scores on a hot and gusty pre-Christmas round of Stableford, combined with a Four Person teams-event of ‘Yellow-Ball’. Ron Jenkins and Vin Walsh got into the Christmas spirit for the final round. The club wish all Castlemaine Golf Club members and friends a very Happy Christmas!

The Delltones for Christmas

By
Lisa Dennis
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The Delltones were probably the best of the best vocal and instrumental groups ever ‘Made in Australia’, certainly at sixty years, the longest lasting.
Sixty years is a long time in any job but surviving for that long in the notoriously tough music industry is almost miraculous.
The Delltones story is a fascinating one and you can hear it as told by their leader Ian ‘Pee Wee’ Wilson in a special radio program on Christmas Day on Radio 88fm Castlemaine.
Ian takes the time for a revealing and entertaining talk with local radio personality Ian Braybrook, mixed with lashings of the Delltones great music.
The program is part of the Victorian Seniors Festival ‘reimagined on radio’ and is broadcast on stations right across Victoria.
Ian is now retired and lives with his wife Carla in coastal Queensland. He says they would still be performing but the Covid 19 restrictions brought on a decision to retire “early”.
Many local people will recall their visits to this region especially at the Castlemaine Town Hall. Many would have watched them in action.
Pee Wee relates a wonderful story – a true rags to riches epic. You can hear it by tuning to Radio 88fm Castlemaine at 1pm tomorrow, Christmas Day, and repeated at 9pm for those too busy with Christmas Dinner to tune in. Also available online at any time at www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/festival

Santa’s little helper delights

By
Lisa Dennis
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Campbells Creek postie Jane Laidler has been delighting local residents with her festive flair in the lead up to Christmas.
Jane, who is also a local beauty therapist, has decked out her postie bike and helmet with Christmas finery and has been turning heads as she goes about delivering mail on her regular route.
What better way to be Santa’s helper than delivering letters! Local children have reportedly been very excited when they see her coming along the street.

Carols, pizzazz and all that jazz

By
Eve Lamb
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Pip Avent on tuba, Andrew Dunn on washboard, Cam Robbins on clarinet and Tony Allan on banjo are among the six members of Castlemaine's Mouldy Jazz outfit getting set to perform at this evening's Rotary Carols in the town's lush Botanical Gardens. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb
Plenty of pizzazz is ensured when six piece jazz outfit Mouldy Jazz does its thing at this evening’s live carols event in Castlemaine.
This time the town’s lush botanical gardens set the scene for the annual Rotary event which, with a lively line-up of music acts, promises a festive feast.
It’s one that’s likely to be particularly well savoured by the members of Mouldy Jazz as the accomplished group had only just formed when COVID struck back at the start of 2020.
“In the last two years we’ve had a lot of gigs cancelled,” founder, Castlemaine muso Pip Avent says.
Now demand for bookings is such that the six members of Mouldy Jazz are regularly in danger of double-booking themselves, the outfit’s clarinetist, Cam Robbins, says.
“We’re very busy now. We’ve all got gigs coming in and we’re all in other bands.”
Getting gigs again is food for the soul for these local musos and others Australia-wide. Read more in today’s Mail…

New light shed on old Strangways

By
Eve Lamb
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Derek Reid, Joan Sartori, and Ken James outside the historic former Strangways school building, now a private property, with a copy of their newly published detailed history on Strangways. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb
It’s said the gold was once so abundant out Strangways way, beyond Newstead, you could lift it by the shovelful.
So the story goes – and it’s a good one as are many in the new history on Strangways, jointly authored by three dedicated local history buffs.
One of them is longtime Strangways resident, devoted history sleuth Joan Sartori.
Joan has joined forces with fellow history hounds, Derek Reid of Welshmans Reef, and Melburnian researcher Ken James, to co-author the insightful 398 page volume.
“One of my father’s brothers, my Uncle Edgar Ramsey worked on the gold dredges here as a labourer and I can still remember him saying they picked gold up by the shovelful,” Joan says.
Strangways’ golden past, its fortunes and tragedies, are among the wide-ranging aspects to receive attention in the new volume. Read more in today’s Mail…

Folk talent to feature

By
Lisa Dennis
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The creative folk of Castlemaine will come together in February to celebrate some of the best contemporary artists in music today in a one day, multi venue festival.
‘Town Folk Festival’ on February 12 will bring together Victoria’s most exciting contemporary folk artists across four stages at The Bridge Hotel, Shedshaker Brewing and Boomtown Winery, all just a casual stroll apart from each other in the leafy cultural hub of Castlemaine’s Mill precinct.
The mini folk festival will feature performances by 16 artists including locals Jess Ribeiro, Galaxy Hop, Hugh F, Felicity Cripps Band and Hannah Blackburn, as well as recent Music Victoria Awards ‘Best Folk Act’ winners Charm Of Finches (pictured). See the Mail for the full story.

Our newshounds celebrated

By
Lisa Dennis
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The fifth annual Castlemaine Mail/DON Newshounds awards were held at the Castlemaine Library foyer last Saturday December 11.
With the generous support of DON the Castlemaine Mail featured 13 Newshounds pages created by student Newshounds teams from schools across Mount Alexander Shire in 2021.
Saturday’s awards celebrated the achievements of each school and culminated with the announcement of ‘Best Overall News Coverage’ and ‘People’s Choice Award’ – voted on by visitors to the Newshounds display in the library.
The awards were presented by Mail editor Lisa Dennis, advertising representative Tammy Harman and mascot Elliott Newshound.
Editor Lisa Dennis thanked all the teachers and students for their incredible efforts creating the pages in what was another challenging year.
“It’s great to have a overview of what’s been happening in each school, what makes each school unique, and to hear the student voice and how they have coped with what has been a challenging couple of years,” she said.

CDNA celebrates season 2021

By
Lisa Dennis
-

It was a massive weekend for the Castlemaine District Netball Association (CDNA) with the Twilight Grand Finals and the winter season awards presentations. The day saw a number of players and officials recognised for their success and achievements including Jack Davidge who received the Marie McCallum Junior Umpire Award. The award was presented by life member Sandra Grant. Jack is pictured his proud grandmother and fellow umpire Wendy Droney and Sandra Grant. Jack juggles his netball commitments and umpiring whilst also recently being part of the boys netball program in Bendigo run by Jayden Cowling (Victorian Men’s netball representative). He is also part of the Junior Development Squad. Well done Jack! See the full spread of grand finalists and award winners in the Mail.

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