The Castlemaine District Cricket Association 2019-2020 season drew to a close last weekend with grand final showdowns contested in all grades.
See this week’s Mail for the full results.
Finals showdowns
Clown doctors bring a smile
Patients and staff at Castlemaine Health enjoyed
a very special visit from the Clown Doctors last Wednesday March 4.
The renowned Clown Doctors are currently on the
move, bringing smiles and laughter to regional areas of Australia as they head
on tour. See the Mail for more.
Golden Opportunity
During our Golden Ticket promotion we will be featuring stories on some of our fantastic Golden Ticket businesses. This week we had a chat to Mark at Tattoos & Curiosities Castlemaine. See the Mail for the full story.
Inspiring women
As part of local International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations on Sunday March 8 our editor Lisa Dennis was fortunate to enjoy a behind the scenes tour of the Castlemaine Police Station alongside students from Castlemaine Secondary College (CSC).
We also had the chance to hit the local streets on patrol alongside Inspector Donna Mitchell, local area commander for the Goldfields, Donna’s daughter and fellow policewoman Detective Sergeant Jaymee Cutler and her grand-daughter Olivia who was a ‘Little Copper’ for the day.
The theme of the event was ‘You Can’t Be What You Can’t See’ and aimed to encourage more young women to consider a career with Victoria Police. See the Mail for the full story.
Shipping container plan in vision for the ‘Creek
Darren Baker has a vision for Campbells Creek Football Netball Club.
And the club treasurer and seniors netball coach is not the only one.
Baker has his sights set on seeing the club he loves get new female change facilities, something they notably lack, and he has a specific idea in mind – conversion of two shipping containers.
He and fellow club committee members say these could serve both as much needed change facilities and would also be a saleable asset when further upgrades occur into the future.
It’s a vision influenced by observing some slick shipping container conversions done elsewhere – Melbourne’s CBD waterfront area among them.
At last month’s Mount Alexander Shire Council meeting Baker and club president Scott Jones took to the lectern during public question time and directly urged the council to do what it can to help the club realise its goals – something the dedicated club treasurer sees as key to a wider healthy community.
It was not so long ago – about two years back now – that conjecture was rife as to the club’s future.
But since then the local club has put paid to those rumblings and in the past year has seen its membership grow with a particularly welcome influx to bolster both its footy and netball ranks.
“Financially the past year has been the the best year the club has had for the last five years,” Jones told last month’s council meeting.
“Last year we welcomed more than 50 new playing and non playing members.” More in today’s Castlemaine Mail, Friday March 13, 2020.
One for the birds
Castlemaine Mens’ Shed members have turned their talents to a special project helping the state’s hard-hit wildlife recover from this season’s devastating Gippsland bushfires.
Working as part of the wider Nest Box Connections project several local shed members have got busy making about 160 specialised nesting boxes – most of which have already been delivered to fire-ravaged East Gippsland locations.
“People have been stopping me in the street and saying it’s wonderful what you’re doing,” Castlemaine Shed president Brian McCormick says.
“And the best thing about it is the community involvement.”
Shed member Phil Pengelly is one of the local shed members who has been busy turning his hand to making the nesting boxes designed especially for different sorts of native birds and animals that require trees and hollow logs to successfully breed.
With so many trees and hollow logs destroyed in the unprecedented fires that impacted East Gippsland, the ability of surviving birds and animals to breed this season is under serious threat. More in today’s Mail, Friday March 13, 2020.
Royal and rosy for Applefest
Mingling and munching are all part of the gig when you’re Applefest royalty.
Harcourt’s Robyn and Mark Mitchell were recently bequeathed King and Queen of tomorrow’s much anticipated annual Harcourt Applefest and have been busy adjusting to their royal duties.
The new monarchs get to reign supreme at tomorrow’s festival that features attractions from live music and market stalls, to the hotly contested apple pie eating competition and the ferret racing.
Apple-related baking is also a crowd-pleasing part of Applefest, traditionally a celebration of harvest time in the heart of Victoria’s apple country.
“These days Applefest is as much about the local ciders as it is the apples,” Queen Robyn observes.
“And the vineyards,” adds King Mark, naming the area’s mountain bike park and developing miniature railway among the new attractions putting Harcourt on the map. More in today’s Mail, Friday, March 6, 2020.
More money please: committee lobbies council
A water bill that’s risen more than 200 per cent in the past two decades is just one reason Guildford’s John Powell Reserve management committee is lobbying the council for more funding.
Committee chairman of the local reserve, Brian Adams says that while CPI has risen 69 per cent in the past 21 years, and water charges at the local reserve have skyrocketed by 200 per cent in the same time, the council’s annual contribution has risen just 13.3 per cent in the same time – from $1500 in 1998 to $1700 today.
“Expenditure on water this financial year is likely to be in excess of $4000,” Mr Adams told Mount Alexander Shire Council at its recent February council meeting.
“Bills from Coliban Water yet to be submitted will reduce our funds to an uncomfortably low level by June 30.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult to fund our operations involving water, electricity and general maintenance of the reserve.” More in today’s Mail, Friday, March 6, 2020
Finals time!
Top side Barkers Creek will take on fourth placed
Castlemaine United in this weekend’s semi final over two big days at the Camp
Reserve, while second placed Newstead will face third placed Guildford in semi
final two at the Wesley Hill Recreation Reserve.
The winner of each match will move straight into next week’s
grand final blockbuster. See this week’s Mail for all the latest cricket
news.
Rebuilding community resilience
Castlemaine suicide prevention charity Hope Assistance Local Tradies (HALT) have announced they will be employing a dedicated HALT Project Worker to connect with individuals and community groups affected by the devastating bushfires in the East Gippsland region. See this week’s Mail for the full story.
All Aboard!
Castlemaine’s Lot 19 Art Space was thrilled to take delivery of a retired W-Class Tram last Friday.
The tram was transported from its former home at Melbourne’s Newport Workshops to Castlemaine by semi, where it will be used to support creative arts in the region.
Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards and representatives from VicTrack visited Lot 19 on Monday to check out the new addition. See this week’s Castlemaine Mail for the full story.
FFA Cup clash
Castlemaine Goldfields Football Club played host to Mount Waverley City Soccer Club in qualifying round two of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Cup on Saturday February 22. See the Mail for more.