The owners of Blue English Staffy ‘Harley’ are thrilled to have their boy home after he went missing 10 days ago.
Harley escaped his yard on the outskirts of Castlemaine on the evening of Thursday August 13. His owners, suspicious he had subsequently been taken, set up a Facebook page ‘Help Bring Harley Home’.
“We never expected the response we received from the public, it was nothing short of amazing,” they said. See the Mail for more.
Harley returns home
Happy, safe and connected kids
Mount Alexander Shire Council has adopted its inaugural strategy to guide the provision of Middle Years programs, services and partnership activities in the shire.
Moving the motion to adopt the plan at last week’s council meeting Cr Max Lesser said the plan demonstrates council’s commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of children and families in our shire and follows on from the great work put into council’s Early Years Plan.
“The middle years is a tough gig as anyone who has kids would know. As the preamble to the report outlines the the middle years of childhood form a significant period of growth in a child’s life,” Cr Lesser said.
He said the majority of the plan was created before COVID-19 and will need to be modified to adapt to the current situation.
“I know I’ve found it tough. I like to get out and engage with the community and I can only imagine what it has been like for kids in this cohort 8-12 years,” he said. See the Mail for more. Out Now.
Local creative to feature
A theatre piece by Yapeen local and Wamba Wamba creative Brodie Murray has been commissioned for Australia’s premiere First Nations celebration YIRRAMBOI in Melbourne in 2021.
The talented 19-year-old actor and writer said he is thrilled that YIRRAMBOI have selected his work Soul of Possum for the renowned event.
Meaning ‘Tomorrow’, in the shared local languages of the Boonwurrung and Woiwurrung peoples, YIRRAMBOI is a breath-taking celebration of the diversity and continuous evolution of the longest living cultures in the World. It features a unique and exciting program of free and low-cost events spanning genres and art forms including music, dance, theatre, film, exhibitions, markets, fashion parades, family-friendly events, talks and symposiums.
YIRRAMBOI’s creative director, Caroline Martin said YIRRAMBOI is more than a festival.
“It’s a First Peoples-led opportunity to create a vision for the future and brilliantly creative commissions are an integral part of this,” she said. See the Mail for the full story.
Paw-fect spot to play
Castlemaine’s long awaited dog park is complete and well-behaved dogs of all shapes and sizes are encouraged to use the new fully fenced off-leash facility at Wesley Hill Recreation Reserve.
The new space is now open for use during daylight hours. It is located at the northern corner of the reserve, adjacent to the lower/stadium carpark off McGrath Street.
Councillor Dave Petrusma said there was no ‘official’ opening or fanfare due to COVID-19 but all the fencing and gates are done and fresh water available. “Please be mindful that social distancing and masks presently apply as it does for other open spaces within the shire,” he said. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.
Council elections loom large
Four of Mount Alexander Shire Council’s current seven councillors have confirmed they’ll seek re-election in October’s local government elections, while two have confirmed they will not.
Those who intend to nominate are mayor Cr Councillor Christine Henderson and councillors Tony Cordy, Stephen Gardner and Max Lesser.
But councillors Bronwen Machin and Dave Petrusma have both confirmed they will not stand for re-election.
Loddon River ward’s Cr John Nieman is the only current councillor who declined to indicate his hand either way at this stage.
Cr Nieman this week told the Mail his intention would not be made public until shortly before the close of candidate nominations…. More in today’s Mail Friday, August 28.
Victory, Victoria! A binary drive
It was a drive through a world of masked avengers, marauders, superheroes. Many generic. Old Man, Young Girl. Middle-aged Woman. But many specialists too. The Hunter (power: stealth) was masked in leopard-skin, the Bishop in shining pink satin. A bad bastard, The Bishop (power: evil). An arch-villain. Paisley Woman (power: gorgeousness).
At the hospital in Bendigo, superheroes were everywhere. This time the look was mostly surgical. Patient Man and Patient Woman (patience). Or perhaps, just perhaps… they were all Surgeon Woman and Surgeon Man, (Power: can cut anyone, anywhere, anytime, go deep and save lives. You’ve got the look, now live the dream. “Nurse. Scalpel!”). Patient Boy (Glee) with arm in sling bounded gleefully ahead of his mum across the pedestrian crossing, almost becoming Casualty Boy, again. Masks, mask, masks. As they stepped out of their cars the superheroes donned their secret identity like Superman running into a phone box. The only face I saw outside was Forgetful Man running back from the Ravenswood servo to his car with an apologetic handwave (Power: to be human and make you think, “that’s me, inner chuckle, warm glow, shared human experience”.) Good power that one, if a bit common.
I err about the non-mask wearers, A******* Woman (ability to burst one’s bubble) had also forgotten her mask. She had three Nurse Women and Men (courage) at bay inside the entrance to the hospital with her walking stick, beating them from her borrowed wheel chair (also lazy!) and demanding to go out for an effin’ smoke. Top superheroes, Nurse Man and Nurse Woman, but they needed a touch of the Bishop in that moment.
Inside the hospital the cavalcade of masked magnificoes continued. Humble Self Effacing Woman making sure her request to retrieve the phone she had left in the ward did not get in the way of Super Efficient Busy Woman on the front desk (power: ability to rip the Husqvarna out of the back of the ute and cut a load of firewood, if her full face-shield mask was anything to go by).
Upstairs, Renal Specialist Man with the alluring eyes (power: ability to deliver great news, and whose eyes aren’t alluring these days?) was pleasantness itself, although he, like me and everyone else, had lost his lipreading power and was a bit deaf.
In the carpark, pushing the help button on the car park boom gate, I said, into the steel grill, “Hello. I lost my ticket. I am going to have to pay full price”. Now, cynical readers may struggle to believe this bit. The Invisible Man, (power: top bloke) said, “Have a good day mate’, and put up the boom gate.
I drove into out of the carpark gloom into the sunlight, out of the of narrow and crooked valley of despair in into the sunlit uplands of hope and freedom. The steroids, maybe.
This is better than State of Origin. Go Vics! We will beat this thing. Just have to keep doing the right thing. And if you don’t, we’ll send The Bishop round to your place.
* Name supplied.
Operation Free a Refugee takes off
A local campaign to free a refugee from indefinite off shore detention appears to be gaining traction with many residents chipping in to support it.
Last week’s edition of the Mail ran a story detailing the efforts of Castlemaine’s Rural Australians for Refugees RAR project
to raise $18,500 – the price tag needed to fund resettlement of a refugee in Canada. See the Mail for more. Out Now.
Work to begin
Construction on an exciting new play space located in the centre of Harcourt will begin shortly.
Mount Alexander Shire Council manager parks, recreation and community facilities Cath Olive said council is really excited about this play space, and the important role that residents and our local Indigenous community have had in the design process.
The play space at Stanley Park North will feature a large six-metre high tower with an exhilarating ten-metre long slide, play stalls, a climbing wall and array of play equipment. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.
Police hit the streets
Victoria Police Local Area Commander Inspector Donna Mitchell says Victoria Police have recently welcomed a new Chief Commissioner of Police, Shane Patton.
On August 12 the new Chief Commissioner addressed the Goldfields Police Service Area (PSA) and explained his vision to local members.
Inspector Mitchell said the CCP’s objective is to reduce crime and make the community feel safe.
“To this end, our CWOPSafety forums and Coffee With A Cop sessions have all been suspended due to COVID-19. So, we are going to try something different. During September and October, we are going to do some spring cleaning, starting with ‘Conversation Encounter’,” Inspector Mitchell said.
“The police are coming to you, in your supermarket, your newsagents, your bakery and in the main street. Our goal is to speak to as many Goldfields PSA community members as possible. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.
RSL remembers
Castlemaine Returned Services League (RSL) members quietly laid wreaths to commemorate the VP Day (Victory in the Pacific) last Saturday, August 15 and Vietnam Veterans Day on Tuesday, August 18.
This year marks the 75th anniversary since World War II ended and the 54th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966.
RSL secretary Barb Templar said many Victorians tuned in online to watch VP Day Services at the War Memorial in Canberra and a commemorative broadcast at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.
“It was also wonderful to see many stop in to pay their respects at the local cenotaph throughout Saturday,” Ms Templar said. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.
Surprise donation funds rare rail restoration project
A generous private donation to the Victorian Goldfields Railways is now enabling the restoration of an extremely rare piece of the state’s railway history.
Aided by the welcome $10,000 surprise donation, a fourth year carpentry apprentice and VGR young volunteer who lost his paid carpentry job due to COVID, is now able to help VGR restore its rare but dilapidated vintage railway refrigerator car to former glory.
“I lost my job because of COVID in late April,” says 20-year-old Fletcher Cole who’s been a dedicated volunteer with the railway since age 14.
Now the young VGR volunteer has started putting his carpentry skills to good use to rejuvenate the early 20th century rail refrigerator car.
“This was built in 1911,” he says.
“The reason why it’s unique is that this one’s the last one that’s in operating condition.
“The walls are insulated with cow hair. There use to be a trough that ran along the roof filled with salted ice.”
In the days before refrigeration as we know it, this method using ice was needed to keep meat and other produce cold and fresh during transportation from regional Victoria to metro Melbourne.
“It’s not every day you get to preserve the last running examples of this kind of van,” Fletcher says.
“It’s very special. It’s unique.
“I’ve always loved trains. This is sort of living my dream, basically.” More in today’s Castlemaine Mail 21.08.20
Bravo!
Lorraine Le Plastrier, Mount Alexander Shire Disability Advocacy Group (MASDAG)
I would like to congratulate people in Castlemaine for their rapid response to mask wearing. So many people have taken up the challenge. Bravo Castlemainians!
More news: Our Shire is part of the Victorian Government initiative to provide masks for vulnerable people. You can call the Shire Covid Support number 1800 512 446 to find out how to collect your mask.