Richmond superstar and former Castlemaine lad Dustin Martin has created AFL history being the first footballer to win three Norm Smith Medals. His Best on Ground performance against Geelong at Brisbane’s Gabba last Saturday helped lift his side to a 31 point win and their third premiership in four years. The Mail chatted to Dustin’s Nan Lois this week about her pride in his extraordinary achievements.
An idea
Geoff Minns, Maldon
With such diversity and talent of council nominations surely an opportunity exists to harness the leadership and public input aspirations, ideas and perspectives to serve us all as an active ‘Congress’ or forum to help council and councillors and all like minded people to entertain, develop, research and hone initiatives and problems, perspectives in real time imaginative and lateral non partisan ways everybody’s voice.
I envisage an active thinking tank not a zealots forum or a pressure group, just the best ideas we can find for us all. I have no idea what if any this idea has merit or what? Just an idea.
60 years young!
Campbells Creek Bowling Club celebrated its Diamond Jubilee with a special event last Sunday October 18.
The day saw 24 bowlers turn out to enjoy the club’s Sunday Social Bowls competition and cut the cake to celebrate 60 wonderful years of bowls and friendship.
The weather was fantastic and all present had a great day. See the Mail for the full story.
Andrea goes above and beyond
You might describe it as going ‘above and beyond’ but Andrea Napthine is putting her hair on the line for a very good cause.
Andrea, an IT Assistant working in Castlemaine Health’s IT Department, is planning to shave her head to raise funds to help redevelop Castlemaine Health’s café.
The event will be held in the Quick Fix Cafe next Friday October 30 with a socially distanced number of staff there to show support and watch Andrea’s transformation.
Andrea said that she is sacrificing her locks as she thinks the hospital’s patients, families and visitors all deserve a café that’s comfy and modern, especially right now. See the Mail for the full story.
Visitor Centres reopen, volunteers return
The Castlemaine and Maldon Visitor Centres have reopened and last weekend welcomed back their volunteers for the first time since Covid forced the closure of the two centres in late March.
The Castlemaine and Maldon Visitor Centres will be open from 9am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday only at this stage. The centres are also open for the Grand Final Eve/ Thank you Day public holiday.
Mount Alexander Shire Council team leader visitor services Aileen Walsh said they were absolutely delighted to welcome back their wonderful volunteers at both centres last weekend after seven long months.
“Our volunteers were excited to return. We are like a family. Many have tried to keep in touch during the lockdowns but it has been hard. Everyone was happy to get back and catch up,” she said.
The teams look forward to welcoming visitors from across regional Victoria. See the Mail for the full story.
Virtual run goes the distance
More than 200 keen runners participated in last weekend’s first ever virtual version of Run The Maine with some very impressive times achieved.
Some seasoned runners even took on all four run distances – the 21 km half marathon, 15km, 10km and 5km during the 60 hour-long event.
With entry ticket sales exceeding the $5000 mark, Run The Maine director Gavin Krasner says he’s more than pleased, particularly given there was a moment when it was uncertain the event would even happen due to the impacts of Covid on large gatherings. See the Mail for more.
Counting underway…
Voting for the 2020 Mount Alexander Shire Council elections closed last Friday October 23 and vote counting commenced earlier this week. The successful candidates will be officially announced on Friday November 13.
In two wards current councillors Christine Henderson (Coliban Ward) and Tony Cordy (Calder Ward) have been returne office in uncontested elections.
In Castlemaine Ward (three vacancies) candidates listed in order of ballot paper appearance are: Gary McClure, incumbent Max Lesser, Keppel Cassidy, Bill Maltby, Toby Heydon, Stacey Raselli, Susan Mayfair, Michael Johnston, Rosie Annear, Hans Paas and Glenn Sutherland.
Three candidates vie for a spot in Loddon River Ward (one vacancy): Damien Kingsbury, Hilton Hazeltine and Matthew Driscoll. Two stand in Tarrengower Ward (one vacancy): Genine McHugh and incumbent councillor Stephen Gardner.
The responses are in…
The responses for the 2020 Democracy 4 Dinner Candidate Questionnaire for the Mount Alexander Shire Election are in.
Castlemaine’s Democracy 4 Dinner spokesperson Bryn Davies said 14 of the 18 candidates responded.
Mr Davies said all fourteen candidates who responded to the survey said that it is either ‘extremely important’ or ‘very important’ that Mount Alexander Shire Council commit to actions which contribute to tackling climate change.
“Housing affordability was the issue candidates had heard most often in their campaign. It is also was the equal most selected ‘top priority’ by our candidates along with waste management,” he said.
On waste, the largest number of candidates said council’s priority should be to work with the community to reduce the amount of waste produced (seven), followed by improving the amount and effectiveness of recycling in the shire (four). Two said the priority should be an annual/biannual hard rubbish collection, and one reviewing upgrading the waste transfer station/s.
“More candidates selected ‘Improving walking and cycling infrastructure’ as their top roads and infrastructure priority than any other issue. However, all those who did were from Castlemaine Ward,” he said.
“Five candidates also listed ‘Paths, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure’ in their top three priorities, the equal second most selected priority.”
“In total eight candidates said the current rates were ‘too high’, two said ‘about right’ and five answered that ‘it’s not that simple’,” Mr Davies said.
Community members can view the analysis by theme at democracy4dinner.org
The full results for Castlemaine Ward, Loddon Ward and Tarrengower Ward are available at http://www.castlewiki.com/
Cricket set to return
Castlemaine District Cricket Association (CDCA) has confirmed it will commence its 2020/2021 season on Saturday October 31. The CDCA finalised it’s A Grade and A Reserve fixtures at a meeting via Zoom on Wednesday night.
The modified competition will feature one day matches and will culminate in finals in March as previously scheduled.
CDCA secretary Brian Brasher said the 2020/21 season one-day format would enable the CDCA some flexibility if any issues arise due to COVID.
A Grade will contest a new look ‘Best of Three’ finals format this summer with 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 to play on day one of the finals series, the loser of 1 & 2 will then play the winner of 3 & 4 on the Sunday for a spot in the grand final the following week. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.
New faces wanted
Would you enjoy being part of a group that gives out funds to local groups? Then Mt Alexander Community Enterprise would love to have you join their small band of grant givers.
Mt ACE has received and distributed over $350,000 to local groups and projects since its inception and all raised without a single cake stall or sausage sizzle!
Their funds come from a partnership agreement with Bendigo Bank and Bendigo Telco and the group’s role is to decide how to distribute these monthly funds received.
Mt ACE meet about six times per year to assess grant applications and choose community projects to support. It’s a great feeling to be helping so many local clubs achieve their goals.
If you would like to be part of the group please contact Mt ACE committee secretary Robyn Lewis at secretarymtace@gmail.com
For more information about the group go to www.communitygrants.com.au
Show your support ‘Buy Local’
The Rotary Club of Castlemaine is doing its best to promote the ‘Buy Local’ message by printing and distributing free recyclable bags to local businesses.
The club’s new president Christine Barkla and secretary Lyndal McClure said they had thought long and hard about how they could support local business after the impacts of the pandemic.
“Local businesses have been wonderful supporters of Rotary, donating prizes for our Truck Show and Art Show, and we wanted to give something back and show them our support,” Christine said.
The community service organisation had 2000 bags printed by local businesswoman Alison Crilly of After Bags at Welshmans Reef and began handing them out to local businesses early last week.
“It was good to be able to get the bags printed locally and we hope that shoppers will retain them and reuse them,” they said. See the Mail for the full story.
Funding to transform Thompson House
Castlemaine Health aged care residents are set to benefit from new funding announced as part of the state government’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund (RHIF).
Thompson House, one of Castlemaine Health’s on site residential aged care facilities, is the recipient of $100,000 awarded through round four of the government’s regional health funding.
The government established the RHIF in 2016 to improve health services and agencies in rural and regional Victoria.
The funds will be used to project plan transformation of Thompson House into a dementia-friendly residence. See the Mail for more.