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● Denise Drysdale ■ Media personality Denise Drysdale’s first action when she was able to return to her ‘Daffodil Hill’ property near Neerim South was to package up her collection of 350 plush bears, to take them to victims at the Labertouche fires near Traralgon. The bears provided much comfort to children left homeless after the Black Saturday fires that hit South Gippslabd.
Concert ■ A Recovery Concert was held on Friday (Mar. 27) night at the Alexandra Community Centre, with proceeds going to the Berry Street Bushfire Fund Appeal. Entertainers included Kim Croxford, Duncan Rees, Break The Silence, Sanity Leak and The Fallens infliction.
Building ■ A Building Commission meeting was held at the Council offices, Kinglake, on Friday night (Mar. 27). Assistance is being provided for people seeking to re-build in the fire areas.
Healing ■ Described as the biggest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere, the Kinglake temple welcomed visitors at the weekend for a Day of Healing. For many locals it was their first glimpse at the extraordinary building and its icons.
The Phoenix - Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - Page 3
MARYSVILLE CALLS FOR HELP
■ A focal point in the Marysville community, the Marysville Community Golf and Bowls Club, is putting out a nationwide call for sponsorship, as locals were allowed to return to the district over the past week. Spokesman Travers Stow said: “To help rebuild our town, we need at least one viable tourism related business up and running as soon as possible. “The golf club is our only viable option. Our hope is that a partly functioning golf club will give golfers and visitors from around the country a purpose to visit this lovely town again.” The town’s rebuild will need substantial funding. Members of the public are invited to become a ‘Friend of Marysville Community Golf and Bowls Club”. A form can be downloaded at www. marysvillegolfand bowls.com.au Corporatesponsorships include golf holes at $15,000 each, plus a range of other options.
Phoenix Fanfare
■ Rick Wall has been appointed as full-time Manager of the Kinglake Football Netball Club for a nine-month period. His position is being financed by the AFL. ■ More on Page 17
Judging ■ “This must never happen again,” were the words used about the fires by CommissionerBernard Teague at informal hearings with the Flowerdale community last month.
Weekly ● Congratulations to the volunteers of the Mountain Monthly newsletter at Kinglake who produced 8000 copies of a special ‘Black Saturday’ commemorative edition, complete with a colour photo album of the fateful day, and a collection of stories by survivors.
Memorial for pets ● Craig Lovick and Sharon McCulloch, licensees of the National Park Hotel at Kinglake, are welcoming people back to the region, now that roadblocks have been lifted after six weeks since the ‘Black Saturday’ fires. The pair tell their story on Pages 6-7 of this edition of The Phoenix
RADIO STATION OPENS AT KINGLAKE ■ A new temporary radio service has started at Kinglake. ABC Kinglake Ranges is broadcasting on the 971. FM frequency. Louise Fitzroy isl presenting the breakfast program from the Melbourne studio between 6.15am- 7.45 am, each weekday morning. This is followed by Simon Rogers with a morning program from the Kinglake studio between 8.30am- 11am. The local studio is established at the Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House. “The plan is for the ABC to provide training and resources to set up a permanent local community radio station, and after three to six months step back and hand the running of the station over the community.” Local information updates are included in the day’s broadcasts from ABC 774.
People Footy
■ A memorial service for pets and wildlife lost in the Black Saturday fire was held at St Thomas Church, Buxton on March 28. Fr Norman and Wendy Davis presented the service to honour and farewell animal companions now gone.
■ The Phoenix Newspaper will be published on a weekly basis from April 20, after the Easter break. Response to the free $2000 advertising package offers to local businesses has been overwhelming. See Page 15 for a coupon to arrange free line listings for your business. FOUND
PONY. Small, black, male. Found in Wildwood Rd, Whittlesea, by the RSPCA, after the fires. Contact: Liz, 9826 3311. J-M★ ___________________________________________
FLOWERDALE HOTEL
● Simon Rogers The station presents a program called ‘The Local’ at 1pm weekdays. This includes repeats of highlights for the breakfast and morning programs. Kinglake Ranges headlines are included in the 2pm-3pm hour. Another edition of ‘The Local.’ is aired from 5pm-6pm. Simon Brown, Online Editor of the ABC, is maintaining a website with a local
ABC Kinglake Ranges can also be heard ‘live’ on the internet: www.abc. net.au/victoria/ kinglake-3763 Simon Rogers played a vital role in bringing fire threat updates during the evening and overnight broadcasts on the ABC during the crisis. The broadcast area includes Kinglake, Kinglake West, Toolangi, Dixons Creek, Flowerdale
‘Open Mic.’ Jam Session Returns First Sunday of the Month - Starting Sun., April 5 $100 Prize for ‘Best of The Day’ A Day For All Musicians of All Ages After Lunch - 2.30pm-5.30pm
FLOWERDALE HOTEL 3325 Whittlesea-Yea Road, Flowerdale Phone: 5780 1230 Advertising space donated by ‘The Phoenix’