Regional Extra 050723

A new chapter for Benalla Towing

By CHLOE JAENICKE

TWO companies that once were rivals have now become one as Benalla Towing purchases Solimo Towing.

This comes as owners of Solimo Towing, Vic and Sue Solimo, retire after spending 46 years in the industry.

Due to not being able to keep the towing company, that they have owned for 14 years, in the family, Mr Solimo said he reached out to Benalla Towing due to knowing a member of the family.

“I decided to sell to Benalla Towing because I knew Harlen’s grandfather and I felt obligated

to ask them first,” he said.

“My son helped me out a fair bit but wasn’t interested in taking over the business, he was happy to move on from it and do other things.”

Director of Benalla Towing, Harlen Black said despite being in competition with Solimo Towing for years, they are excited to continue the legacy of Solimo Towing throughout the North East of Victoria and in Albury.

“Although we have been rivals throughout the years, we always had a mutual respect for each other,” he said.

“Now that the time has come for Vic and

GARDEN

Sue to retire, we feel we can continue to run the business just as successfully and make them proud.”

Just like Solimo Towing was, Benalla Towing is a family owned business.

Mr Black said that Benalla Towing was established over 30 years ago by Heather and Graham Arnold.

Mr Black took over as the director nine years ago and convinced other family members to work with him.

“I convinced my mum, Cathy, to move back home from Adelaide to help him run the busi-

BOOK NOOK

ness in Benalla and also my uncle Gary in order to help manage our new venture in Wangaratta,” he said.

“Benalla Towing has been family owned and operated throughout its entirety.”

Over time, Mr Black said the industry has changed significantly, especially in terms of how jobs are found - creating fierce competition in the past for who could get to a job first.

“When I first started, we used to have to listen to scanners and beat the opposition companies up to win jobs,” he said.

■ Continued page 6

◆ NEW CHAPTER: Cathy Bennett, Sue Solimo, Vic Solimo, Harlen Black and Gary Bennett all celebrated the handover of Solimo Towing to Benalla Towing.

The winter colic

WINTER colic is a common condition associated with the colder months of the year.

At this time of year, we begin to see more cases of impaction colic, which is where part of the horses’ intestine become blocked with feed and other material.

Impaction colic occurs due to reduced consumption of water, as well as a lack of intake of fresh, moisture rich grass.

This all leads to reduced hydration of the gastrointestinal tract and therefore reduced gut movement, contributing to a blockage.

Signs of impaction colic in the horse include pawing, looking at the abdomen, rolling, reduced or no passage of manure, dry, slimy or mucous covered manure, reduced or no appetite.

To reduce the risk of winter colic in your horse, we recommend:

Ensure your horse has access to clean, fresh drinking water at all times; Provide a secondary source of water with electrolytes or molasses to encourage consumption; and

PET CORNER

with With Dr Ellie Merritt, Warby Street Veterinary Clinic

Consider introducing an electrolyte supplement to hard feeds.

Horse tongues are not as rough as cattle tongues and so the use of lick blocks is often limited by this.

Moisten or soak feeds and feed an ample supply of roughage in the form of digestible fibre like grassy hay.

The horse will convert this into energy in the form of heat that will help them stay warmer.

Aim for at least 1.5 per cent of their body weight in either pasture or grassy hay (400kg horse requires at least 6kg per day).

This is far more effective at warming than rugging.

Stick to a routine feeding schedule and introduce changes gradually. Ensure access to shelter.

If your horse is showing signs of colic, contact your veterinarian immediately.

WANGARATTA RSPCA has many lovable creatures waiting for the perfect family to take them home.

If you want to add a furry friend to your home, call (03) 5722 2874 or visit the shelter at 1 Connell Street Wangaratta.

Wangaratta RSPCA’s animal adoption source code is BR100934.

LOYAL PIXIE: Pixie is looking for a loving owner who can help her build confidence in a patient home and in return she’ll be the most loyal companion you could ask for. Pixie wants all your attention to herself so would like to be the only pet in her new home. She’s had basic training but would love to continue in her new home. She would be best suited to a home with adults or older children. Her microchip number is 956000016691233. PHOTO: RSPCA.

Plenty of snow for the school holidays

THERE is plenty of snow on the mountains for this school holidays.

Falls Creek has an average snow depth of 86cm with the snow still falling steadily every day.

Ten out of the 15 lifts are currently open and almost all activities are available to visitors, including tobogganing and skiing.

Snow chains must be carried.

Mt Hotham is reporting an average of 75cm across the mountain with steady snow showers to be expected.

All of the cross country trails are currently open, with good coverage and for the first time since 2019, all of the ski lifts are open.

Chains are currently not required to be fitted on cars.

Please note that guests are not allowed in the ski field after 5pm under any circumstances.

At Dinner Plain, the average snow depth is 29cm and none of the ski lifts are open.

The Peashooter Toboggan slope is also now open as well as the Cobungra Platter ski slope.

Mt Buffalo is reporting moderate snow coverage and both Dingo Dell and Cresta Valley are open for tobogganing.

Dingo Dell Café is open for food and beverage everyday on the school holidays from 10am to 4pm.

There will be no toboggan rental at Mt Hotham this year with rental instead available in Porepunkah, Myrtleford and Ovens.

All if the cross country trails currently have moderate cover.

Mt Buller has an average natural snow depth of 43cm with snow showers expected throughout the week.

There are currently 15 snow lifts open.

Chains are required to be carried for all resorts and fitted where instructed.

For the latest information on the mountains visit:

Dinner Plain: visitdinnerplain.com.au

Falls Creek: fallscreek.com.au

Mt Hotham: hotham.com.au

Mt Buffalo: visitmountbuffalo.com.au

Mt Buller: mtbuller.com.au.

This Day in History, 1865

HARRIETVILLE became more than just a spot on the map, when its post office opened on July 5 1865.

The mail came on horseback to the store of Mr Harkin, who doubled as post master.

BOOK NOOK with Edgars Books & News

Children’s Catalogue offerings

JUST in time for the school holidays and cooler winter months, our beautiful Children’s Catalogue for 2023 is out and its tag line is something we all passionately believe in: “books take you on adventures.”

There are some wonderful titles in the catalogue, which also covers the shortlisted Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards.

Featuring amazing books for all ages – from picture books to first readers and junior fiction, to novels for teens and young adults, there are many beautiful, inspiring and adventurous titles that have absolutely captured our attention.

So, where to start?

Popular Kids Series and Middle Fiction

What is adventure if there is no time travel?

Well don’t worry because Jackie French’s latest offering Ming and Hilde Lead a Revolution results in another time-travelling quest, where Ming finds herself on a ship carrying royal Saxon sheep and meeting the girls who care for them.

Based on true facts, this mustread story is full of danger, apprehension, excitement, and the opportunity to learn about the roles women and girls played in major historical events.

So, read on to learn how female shepherds – and their sheep – change the world.

Older Readers

For older readers, there are some fabulous offerings by Australian authors including Meet Me at the Moon Tree by Shivaun Plozza, Scar Town by Tristan Bancks and We Didn’t Think It Through by Gary Lonesborough.

Covering themes of belonging, navigating loss, family se-

Hakea time again

IT’S easy to become discouraged with the amount of incessant weeding, mulching, raking and planting that is necessary to keep a garden looking fresh and attractive. Cold, wet weather gives me no incentive to undertake those everpresent gardening tasks that give satisfaction of ‘job done’ but little enjoyment.

A sure-fire antidote is ignoring the weeding and remembering to look up to enjoy what is in the canopy. Here are three of my favourite hakeas which I snapped in a quick dash between showers on a cold and wintry morning.

crets and discovering truths in small communities in three very different contexts, these stories really resonate.

Something Different: Graphic Novels, Non-fiction, Travel Guides Graphic novels, non-fiction and travel guides are a wonderful way to promote reading for reluctant readers or readers seeking alternatives.

From the depths of the ocean with Sensational Sharks by Tim and Emma Flannery to the Universal Guide to the Night Sky by Lisa Harvey-Smith travelling the universe has never been easier.

And what goes on there?

Well, find out with offerings from the brilliant Philip Bunting in The World’s Most Atrocious Animals and The Big Book of Nature Art by Yuval Zommer.

Bring in a copy of this article to Edgars Books & News to receive 20% off any in-store book purchase.

A joy was the bright flame flare of Hakea orthorrhyncha flowers, glistening in the rain, clustered extravagantly along erect stems, reaching for the sky. Nearby was H. Burrendong Beauty - a spectacular lower-growing spreading shrub with twirls of pink clusters. On a bend in the path, the round pink and white balls of H. laurina looked almost good enough to eat. They were there for the taking. The yellow-tufted honeyeaters, eastern spinebills, parrots and wattlebirds were in the larder. The resident bowerbird had snipped off a few pinkish yellow balls which I discovered adorning his dancing stage among the scatterings of blue plastic milk bottle lids and assorted plastic rubbish.

Gardeners are spoilt for choice with the many hakeas which are suitable for cultivation in North East Victoria.

There are around 150 hakeas in Australia. Most species grow in well-drained soil types – coarse sand, gravel, loam, and clay loams. For the home garden, drainage can be improved

in heavier soils by mounding beds and channelling drainage. Hakea orthorrhyncha is a long-lived medium shrub. The leaves are long and narrow but not prickly. The woody seedpods are typical of the genus and retained on the stems. H. laurina requires similar conditions to H. orthorrhyncha. Both are best grown from seed.

Remove the seed capsules with secateurs, leave to open in a warm dry place. Extract the (usually) two winged seeds and plant in seed raising mix. Cover with vermiculite and keep moist. Seedlings should appear in about two to three months. Plants grown from seed may take up to eight years to flower. H. Burrendong Beauty is an exception. It is a hybrid and seedlings will not come true to type. It must be grown from cuttings, which may take several months to develop roots but can be potted on and planted out within a year. Flowers can be expected in the following late autumn and winter.

All these hakeas are frost tolerant. They do not require additional fertiliser. They are readily available commercially.

◆ Hakea orthorrhyncha

with Helen

A new chapter for Benalla Towing

■ From page 1

Now Mr Black said everything is automated due to new technologies.

Mr Black said he is looking forward to expanding the business through both Benalla and Solimo Towing as he genuinely loves working in the industry, especially with his family.

“My family and crew are all one big team, we love a challenge and have a passion for all things towing,” he said.

“We would like to wish Vic and Sue all the best in their

retirement and are forever grateful for the opportunity we have been given.”

Mr Solimo said retiring has been bittersweet but that he is looking forward to the next chapter to his life.

“When you retire, and everyone dreams of retiring, but when it comes to the time it’s a little bit daunting, especially when you’ve been in your own business for 46 years and employed a lot of people and had a lot to do with staff and their families over the years,” he said.

“I’m a little bit saddened

FEATURE STORY

to be retiring but at the same time I’m a little bit happy about it.”

Over the years, Mr Solimo said people have always been good to them from their clients and employees to other towing companies.

“It’s been a pretty good ride, I’ve had some fantastic staff along the way,” he said.

“We did a lot of the vehicles outside of Albury, Wodonga, Mansfi eld, Bright - all that area - so we’ve had a lot of association with a lot of diff erent towing companies.”

◆ OFFICIAL HANDOVER: Vic Solimo sold his business Solimo Towing to Harlen Black.

Myrtleford Lodge Aged Care

Positions exist for motivated, flexible staff to work in our aged care facility in a variety of roles, PCA and EN’s.

The role involves working closely with elderly people in a team environment, and would enable enthusiastic staff to expand on their skills, and take on new and challenging roles.

Applications close July 21, 2023 5pm.

For further information and a copy of the Position Description, please contact Administration

Myrtleford Lodge (03) 5752 2222

THE ROLE OF PUBLISHERS Advertisers please note!

Much hardship and difficulty is caused to job seekers by misleading advertising placed in the employment columns. Our Employment column is reserved for advertisements which carry a specific and genuine offer of employment.

Ads for 'Business Opportunities', 'Commission Only' training courses and employment services should be submitted under those headings.

Placing misleading ads is an offence against the Trade Practices Act and state/territory fair trading acts and all advertisements are subject to the publisher's approval.

For further advice, contact:

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on 1300 302 502 or your state consumer affairs agency.

Holloway VisionOptometry Assistant

Holloway Vision requires a full time optometry assistant. Your key attribute must be great customer service skills.

Computer literacy is required as well as an appetite to learn. Your skills should include an eye for fashion, colour and detail.

Industry experience is not essential but a background in fashion, cosmetics or the beauty industry would be advantageous.

Email applications to sylvia@hollowayvision.com.au

by Friday, July 7, 2023

Interviews will be conducted the following week between 6pm and 8pm

Important Notice

Discrimination in Advertising is Unlawful

The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010 makes it unlawful for an advertiser to show any intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, age, marital status, political or religious belief or activity, industrial activity, parental or career status, physical features, disability, lawful sexual activity/ sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status or on the basis of being associated with a person with one of the above characteristics, unless covered by an exception or granted an exception under the Act. As we could be legally liable if we print an unlawful advertisement we will not accept advertisements that appear to break the law. For more information about discrimination in advertising, contact your legal advisor, the Equal Opportunities Commission on 1800 134 142.

MANSFIELD SECONDARY COLLEGE IS CALLING ALL PASSIONATE AND EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS TO JOIN OUR GROWING SCHOOL IN 2024!

Located at the picturesque foothills of Mt Buller, our small rural Victorian school is on a remarkable path of growth.

Easy access to watersports, snowsports, and bushwalks, our school offers the perfect backdrop for an enviable lifestyle for both work and play.

Enrolments are increasing, and we need your expertise to continue providing an exceptional education in a stimulating environment.

Whether you’re a teacher or support staff, we have a variety of positions available.

We invite you to visit our school, meet with our Principal, and take a tour of our impressive facilities.

Contact Timothy Hall, Principal, to schedule your visit or inquire about available positions. Ph 0400 079 302. Interested applicants should apply via DET website: https://www.schools.vic.gov.au/ careers-and-recruitment-hr#find-a-job

Building Surveyor

Yackandandah

Maternal and Child Health Nurse

Project Manager – Capital Works

Seasonal Municipal Operations Opportunities

GREAT JOBS FOR GREAT PEOPLE

The

Glenrowan

Shepparton Country Concrete – Concrete Truck Driver – SHCC002

MORE than one million Australians are currently living with diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition marked by an increase in blood glucose (sugar) levels in the blood.

This increase is caused by changes to the hormone insulin (which is produced in the pancreas).

There are different types of diabetes, with the most common forms being type one and type two.

The majority of people living with diabetes in Australia have type two diabetes.

This subset is typically caused by lifestyle including what we eat, the amount of exercise we do and other risk factors.

levels and risk factors are minimised.

Modifiable risk factors to reduce the chance of developing type two diabetes, as well as to prevent the progression of diabetes, are behaviours that can be changed to improve our overall health and wellbeing.

Non-modifiable risk factors are characteristics that are not able to be controlled, but may also increase the risk of diabetes.

The best way to try to prevent the development of type two diabetes is to maintain a healthy weight, complete regular physical exercise, eat healthy food, maintain good blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as stopping smoking.

Going for a regular walk or swim are both excellent ways to increase physical exercise.

The diabetes risk Socket to me

SOCKETS are an essential item for any tool box.

They are versatile tools that allow you to do an array of things including fitting a range of nuts and bolts.

There are many different kinds of sockets that come in all different shapes and sizes for all building and DIY needs.

Whether you’re looking for our classic or premium socket sets or a simple DIY socket set application, Kincrome has an expansive range of sets available at North East Fasteners. All of our tough tools are professional trade level quality.

For premium level socket sets, be sure to check out the Kincrome LOK-ON range, built with head-turning innovation.

Their Supatool range is great for home DIYers looking for quality on a budget.

Socket set sizes can range from eight to 63 pieces, while accompanying drivers can range from 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” or 3/4”.

Designed and tested within Australia, Kincrome boast a large selection of quality socket sets and accessories.

From trade to DIY, Kincrome sockets sets provide versatility to get the job done.

To find out all the ways you can use your new socket set, follow the QR code to Kincrome’s YouTube page.

Socket Set Deal

It is believed that up to 60 per cent of this type of diabetes can be prevented.

On the other hand, there are around 130,000 Australians with type one diabetes, an autoimmune condition, which is unable to be prevented and more commonly diagnosed in children and young adults.

Increased blood glucose may not seem like a big deal, however if these sugars are raised for prolonged periods of time and left unchecked they can lead to very serious consequences.

Complications of elevated blood glucose include an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease (potentially leading to amputation of toes and limbs), eyesight deterioration, kidney damage, nerve damage, as well as issues with teeth, gums and skin.

These problems can be avoided the majority of the time, if blood glucose is kept within target

Reducing the amount of certain fatty foods eaten at the same time as increasing the number of fruits and vegetables consumed is also an important component in diabetes prevention.

North East Victoria has many great sports clubs that readily welcome new members, of any age and of any fitness level.

If you are worried about your risk of developing diabetes, need help to reduce weight, quit smoking or become generally healthier, your local GP is always on hand to help.

The GP and their support staff can help point you in the right direction to achieve your health goals.

If required they can also refer you on to other specialists like dietitians to help make healthy food choices, psychologists to support your mental health, physiotherapists and exercise physiologists to help get your exercise back on track, just to name a few.

So don’t hesitate to get in contact with your health care team today.

with Deborah Hawthorne SOUTH WANGARATTA MEDICAL CENTRE

with Rodney Dean NORTH EAST FASTENERS RS