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.
Royal and rosy for Applefest
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.
Developing young readers
Local parents, teachers and librarians enjoyed a professional development session with a difference at The Taproom at Castlemaine’s Shedshaker Brewing recently.
The evening featured Sarah Mayor Cox a highly-regarded Literacy Consultant Sarah Mayor Cox and authors Jen Storer and Felice Arena
See the Mail for more.
Up, up, up she goes!!!
Last Monday was an important day for the Mount Alexander Vintage Engine Club (MAVEC) with members working erect a large shed which will be the focal point of their home base at the Muckleford Railway Station. See last Friday’s Mail for the full story.
When the river runs dry
Last year’s mass fish kill in the Darling River system moved plenty of people to tears, but few were as moved to action as Maldon father and son duo Peter Yates and Rory McLeod.
The two were so affected by the environmental tragedy impacting the nation’s iconic Murray-Darling river system they decided to do something about it.
Equipped with a trusty video camera, a successful crowdfunding campaign and a fierce determination, the two set off travelling 15,000 kilometres over multiple trips to make a documentary aimed at understanding and helping find solutions for the problem.
Teaming up with a professional producer and editor for the final stages, Peter and Rory never expected the end result would so quickly reap the results it has.
Already their debut doco entitled When The River Runs Dry has picked up three American Golden Picture Awards recently announced in Florida.
“It got Best Long Documentary, Best Cinematography and Best Sound,” Rory notes.
Last Saturday the local father and son duo attended a featured Q&A session as their debut doco made its premiere at Melbourne’s Nova cinema as part of the Transitions Film Festival.
Closer to home the documentary will screen for the first time at Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal at 7.30pm on March 4 with Peter and Rory attending for an audience Q&A. Read more in today’s Castlemaine Mail. Friday, February 28, 2020.
Locals oppose bridge contract
Castlemaine locals are opposing a council decision to award a contract for replacement of the town’s historic single-lane Froomes Road bridge with a new double lane bridge.
Local councillors at last week’s Mount Alexander Shire Council unanimously decided in favour of awarding the $1,018,300.10 contract to VEC Pty Ltd.
Citing both safety and drive-ability, Cr Dave Petrusma moved the motion in favour of awarding the contract to be part-funded ($480,000) using federal Bridge Replacement funding with the balance from the council’s capital works budget.
The council’s decision to demolish and replace the existing bridge follows an assessment which found it was at the end of its life with several serious structural issues identified.
It was also deemed unacceptable that the current 30 tonne load restriction remain in place for several reasons including that the bridge is on an access route between a significant local industry and the Calder Highway.
“It’s one of my nightmares that residents will be trying to get out as fire trucks are trying to get in so to have it two-lane is very important,” Cr Bronwyn Machin said, voting in favour of the move.
But locals like Ian Edwards who lives close to the bridge believe the move will decrease safety and damage tourism, heritage and aesthetic values in the leafy precinct that adjoins the town’s Victorian Heritage listed botanical gardens.
A sizable group of locals who share these concerns came together on site earlier this week to make their opposition to the council’s decision publicly known.
“This is exactly the type of spot that tourists come to and it’s going to disappear if they stick a great concrete monstrosity of a double-lane bridge through there,” Mr Edwards said.
“This road is not a particularly good or safe road. This single-lane bridge has operated as a little safety valve and stopped accidents. More in today’s Castlemaine Mail Friday, February 28, 2020.
On Target
The Castlemaine Clay Target Club welcomed community members as part of a Come and Try event at the club last Sunday February 23.
Rise, unite, resist gender inequality
Mount Alexander Family Violence Prevention Network (MAFVPN) and Macedon Ranges Family Violence Network (MRFVN) are organising a collective 1 Billion Rising Dance flash mob, with the support of Movement Zone dance school, to perform at the International Women’s Day Breakfast at the Women’s Health Loddon Mallee offices in Bendigo on Thursday March 5 at 9.15am. See the Mail for the full story.
