Times
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TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020
GIPPSLAND
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GETTING BACK ON TRACK SENDING MELBURNIANS EAST
WEATHER
DINING COVIDCHANGE IN
Tuesday Possible shower - Min: 9 Max: 18
Wednesday Mostly sunny - Min: 5 Max: 15
Thursday Frost then sunny - Min: 1 Max: 16
INSIDE
PropertyGuide GippslandTimes
Market’s future in doubt Liz Bell
From left, Sale Sunday Charity Variety Market supporter Chris Lyon with market volunteers Angela McKie, Mary Templeton and Stuart McKie pleading for a shed back in 2018. They are pictured standing on the concrete slab they have to set up on, beginning about 4am on market days.
THE long term future of the Sale Sunday Charity Variety Market is in doubt unless volunteers can secure enough money to build a permanent structure at the canal-side site. For the past 43 years, the market has been run by a dedicated but small band of volunteers who have had to set up and pack up the barbecue tent every time because there is no permanent storage facility. During those years, the monthly market has raised almost $400,000 for charities and helped countless local families and organisations. Now organisers are themselves calling for assistance to help build a permanent,
powered structure to ease the burden of setting up and to enable them to expand their services. Market secretary Angela McKie said if the market was unsuccessful in getting Wellington Shire Council’s help towards the $139,000 cost of building a storage shed, it could spell the market’s imminent closure. The market has already raised $20,000 of its own money, and is planning to step up its fundraising campaign. But without the council’s help, things are looking grim for market organisers and the charities they help. “We are all getting older, and can’t keep doing the packing up and work involved in getting things ready, so the worst case scenario would be that maybe we couldn’t
It’s showtime
go on much longer,” said Mrs McKie, who has volunteered with her husband Stuart for 26 years. “I really hope not, because it is such a good market, and we have such a good system and a great following of stall holders and customers. “Many people tell us it’s one of the best markets they have been to.” The volunteers currently have to arrive on site at 4am to set up on a concrete slab, erect a large tent and bring in tables, barbecues, food, utensils, bowls, cutting boards, water, a caravan, cool room, slicers and graters and much more. Mrs McKie said a permanent structure would mean the volunteers — many of them Continued page 4
A bid to remove McMillan memorials David Braithwaite
Wellington Shire acting performing arts director Melissa Forlano, theatre administration officer Michelle Eustace, theatre operations coordinator Robert Dorber, communications officer Kimberly Wright and Wellington Shire mayor Alan Hall are excited The Wedge will reopen next Monday, June 22. Story, page 7. Photo: Liam Durkin
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A MOTION will be put to tonight’s Wellington Shire Council meeting to remove cairns erected to honour Angus McMillan. In the wake of ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests around the world, councillor Carolyn Crossley will move a motion “to address the long-standing issue of the inappropriateness of the McMillan cairns and in the spirit of genuine reconciliation, that council move forward in partnership with the Gunaikurnai people in a truth-telling process of place, people and history”. If the motion is adopted, council would remove cairns on land it directly manages, on the corner of Foster and York Sts, Sale, and Blackburn and McMillan Sts, Stratford. Council will need to gain approval from the state government and other land managers to remove the cairns which aren’t on council-owned land, in Bundalaguah, Bushy Park, Heyfield, Port Albert, Rosedale, Willung South and Yarram. Continued page 7