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…
Pull on your running shoes…
Sculpture gets go-ahead
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
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
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
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
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!
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
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…
Police find graffiti gear, weapons, drugs…
Eve Lamb
Four Castlemaine locals will be fronting court after multiple police search warrants uncovered drugs, a taser, a samurai sword, an imitation firearm and items believed linked to graffiti offending.
Police on Tuesday executed search warrants at five different Castlemaine addresses leading to the arrest of four males including a 21 year old, two youths aged 17 and one aged 16.
Senior Sergeant Darren McQueen said the searches uncovered spray cans, textas and other items believed linked to recurrent graffiti offending and property damage in and around Castlemaine including a recent graffiti attack at Autoplex Castlemaine.
“Also of concern were various other items which were located during the searches including a taser, an imitation (longarm) firearm, a samurai sword, and a quantity of drugs,” Senior Sergeant McQueen said.
Besides a quantity of cannabis, substances uncovered included a quantity of powdered material believed to be amphetamine – while testing still had to confirm this, police said.
Senior Sergeant McQueen said those arrested on Tuesday have been charged with offences including criminal damage relating to multiple graffiti incidents and also weapons and drugs offences.
Charges following Tuesday’s arrests also relate to one or more burglaries at Castlemaine Football and Netball Clubrooms. Read more in today’s Mail…
Maldon man’s $multi-million win
Eve Lamb
A Maldon man’s home ownership dream looks set to come true following his multi-million-dollar TattsLotto win over the weekend.
The local resident scooped a tidy $2.5 million in last weekend’s TattsLotto draw.
He held one of the four division one winning entries in TattsLotto draw 4189, drawn on Saturday September 11, with each of the winners pocketing $2.5 million.
The Lott informed the Mail that the Maldon man had celebrated with his family on Saturday night after making the exciting discovery.
And his winning System 11 QuickPick entry was purchased at Maldon Newsagency.
Speaking with an official from The Lott, the local winner admitted he was still struggling to come to terms with the life-changing news.
“I found out straight after the draw on Saturday night,” he said.
“I was just watching some TV with my family when I checked my ticket on The Lott app and that’s when I realised I’d won division one. Read more in today’s Mail…
Covid-proofing a Shakespearean classic
Eve Lamb
Castlemaine Theatre Company is getting set to unleash about two years’ worth of pent up creative frustration as it presents its new COVID-proof production of The Tempest as a radio podcast in four episodes.
Director Kate Stones says work on the production, featuring original music by David Thrussell, started back in April and recording is now complete with final editing taking place this week.
After months of rehearsal and recording, the keen cast of 15 are just days away from seeing their version of the Shakespearean classic presented to local audiences.
In a savvy move designed to side-step any last minute lockdown announcements, the full production will be broadcast on Castlemaine’s 94.9 MAINfm on Around the Wireless (Wednesdays at 1pm) and repeated on Dark Moments (Saturdays at 10pm), with the first episode scheduled to air on Wednesday September 22.
It’s a first for the local theatre company that’s never before presented a full feature-length play via radio podcast, and the creative process tossed up some unique challenges and rewards notes cast member Toby Heydon.
“One of the interesting things from my point of view as an actor is that every recorded take has been like a live performance so in some ways that sense of achievement was magnified,” says Toby who plays Sebastian, bratty younger brother to the king.
Stones says the innovative podcast project was inspired by a New York theatre company who created an episodic podcast version of Richard III. Read more in today’s Mail…
Our Harcourt
G’day Katie and Hugh. How long have you called Harcourt home now?
Katie: I was born here. I was born at Castlemaine hospital – so all my life, except for about 15 years when I lived in Melbourne.
Hugh: I moved to Harcourt exactly 30 years ago. From Melbourne. Escaped from the city.
What brought you here Hugh?
Well – just getting out of Melbourne. I didn’t need to be working in Melbourne. I was doing a job that didn’t require me to be in an office. I was travel writing for Lonely Planet.
Now the two of you are pretty much synonymous with organic farming practices here in Harcourt. What does that involve at the moment?
Katie: We’ve moved more into being organic farming mentors actually. We learnt how to do it over about 20 years and didn’t have a lot of peers when we started. We got some great advice from other famers in other places and so learned how to do it, and then as we’ve stepped back from active farming ourselves we’ve really enjoyed mentoring a new generation both here on our farm and through other networks as well.
And also you’re involved with the nursery. Can you give me a little snapshot of what that entails?
Katie: We still keep our hands dirty by running Carr’s Organic Fruit Tree Nursery. That’s mainly me and my dad, Merv Carr, and my sister Liz Carr. Hugh is theoretically not part of the business. He just does lots of work for none of the glory (laughs).
Hugh: The tractor stuff. Catch our full chat with Hugh and Katie in today’s Mail…