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CATHEDRAL COLLEGE CELEBRATING TWO DECADES OF SCHOOLING IN WANGARATTA

By SIMONE KERWIN

TIME TO CELEBRATE: Cathedral College Wangaratta senior students (from left) Thomas Clayton, Felicity Lincoln, Scarlett Simpson and Campbell Timms welcomed prep students (front, from left) Isla McPhail, Caleb Trainy, Samantha Murphy and Sebastian Tay as they started school last week, in a year when the school marks its 20th anniversary.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

THIS is a momentous year for Cathedral College Wangaratta, as the Murdoch Road prep to year 12 school celebrates its 20th anniversary.

The school was established in 2003, when 34 students began classes then based at The Close, in the grounds of Wangaratta’s Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral.

In 2011, the college was acquired by the Anglican Schools Commission, and following gradual consolidation, the whole school began operating at the Murdoch Road campus from 2015.

From that initial intake of 34, enrolment at the college has now grown to more than 1000 students.

While recognising its 20th anniversary this year, the college is continuing its growth with construction of a gymnasium, which will support its STRIVE sports academy and physical education classes.

The college community will recognise its milestone with a number of events during 2023, including a Founders’ Day celebration in March, and a Mid-Year Ball.

A public event is expected to take place later in the year.

Facing the chop THE building industry is not the only one suffering from a timber shortage across Victoria caused by a statewide ban on logging, with Australia’s oldest sport of wood chopping staring down the barrel of extinction.

VicForests is currently not conducting any timber harvesting operations in any Forest Management Areas across Victoria due to a court order.

Uncertain future for oldest sport p amid ban on logging gg g in Victoria

BY STEVE KELLY skelly@ nemedia.com.au

This means organsitions like the North East and Border Axemen’s Association, covering Wangaratta, Albury, Shepparton and Cobram

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areas, is left high and dry as there’s no wood to chop.

Wangaratta-based association vice president Fabian Harding said the decision to ban logging has “pulled the rug out from under their feet” with no other options in the foreseeable future.

“Wood chopping is Australia’s oldest professional

sport and it started in Tasmania and I remember when I was a kid from September through to April every weekend around Wangaratta we had shows without having to travel to other areas,” Mr Harding said.

“Because it’s not a mainstream sport it doesn’t get the exposure you would for others, but if you go to

any show you’ll see the wood chop draw the biggest crowd.

“It’s sad for me because I’ve brought my kids into the sport and now the way it’s looking we might not have the sport anymore.”

In what could have been its last event, the association was able to stage the recent 102nd annual Wangaratta Sports Carnival wood chop,

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although it has had to cancel several other shows due to the shortage, and Mr Harding said even the Melbourne Show wood chop is in danger of not going ahead in September.

The region’s association uses about 120 chopping blocks for a show and it goes through about two b-double loads of poles straight from the forest.

■ Continued page 2

Mason Park Funerals

Page 2 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

All aboard for expanded access to education GOTAFE’s plan to modernise vocational education in Benalla means improved access to courses in 2023.

With work underway to deliver a new, easily accessible campus in the heart of Benalla’s CBD, GOTAFE is also taking the step of trialling free transport from Benalla to Wangaratta for GOTAFE students.

This is in addition to continuing to deliver Benalla based courses in 2023, initially from the Benalla Performing Arts Centre and then from both the CBD campus and Benalla Health later this year.

Beginning this week, the free bus service is running from Benalla Monday to Friday, dropping students off at the GOTAFE Docker Street and Tone Road campuses in Wangaratta.

The timetable is available on the GOTAFE website and social media.

Est. 1884, Incorporating Wangaratta Despatch, Est. 1861

WEATHER

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Supervision sought to address recidivist thief A SERIAL thief who spent almost half of last year behind bars is set to face another extensive prison sentence, after pleading guilty to a slew of charges in Wangaratta earlier this week.

Appearing via WebeX from Ravenhall Correctional Centre, the defendant, aged in his 30s, sat quietly as Wangaratta Magistrates Court heard details of his offending, which included stealing a charity bucket from a local restaurant, stealing a motorcycle from a Melbourne address, and driving a stolen vehicle dangerously through the streets of Wangaratta.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Victoria Lennon said the man had been spotted by local officers in early November, driving a stolen Ford Ranger near Tone Road around 8am.

She said officers trailed the utility in an unmarked police vehicle before activating their lights, at which time the accused sped along Swan Street to-

wards Rowan Street, before ‘undertaking’ vehicles along Rowan Street.

Police aborted their pursuit, however, later spotted the vehicle parked at an Irving Street address, and located the accused hiding in the kitchen of a family member around 10.20am.

The defendant made full admissions to the offending, however, noted he had not been involved in the vehicle’s theft.

Details of his theft of a Honda motorcycle from a West Melbourne address on Boxing Day 2020 were also read to the court, when the accused stole motorcycle keys and a leather jacket from the boot of a victim’s car, before riding from the scene.

On another occasion, the accused stole a charity tin containing $300 from a local restaurant, before telling police he needed the money to pay rent after spending $700 at the venue’s pokies facilities.

Details of two assaults were

read to the court, after he struck his mother while fighting at the front of a White Street address before stealing her phone and driving from the scene, when he lobbed the phone onto the front garden of a nearby home.

He was also said to have punched a man near Manley Crescent early last year, following a verbal altercation as his victim spoke on the phone.

The court heard the accused had approached the victim asking for cigarettes, and upon being refused, had become verbally aggressive and shouted insults, before threatening to “punch that phone through (his victim’s) f*&#@&* ear”.

The accused was said to have squared up at the victim, flailing his arms as his victim reportedly pulled the accused’s shirt over his head in an attempt to defuse the situation.

He was said to have punched his victim in the nose, before the man overpowered and sat on the accused in an attempt

to calm him down.

Defence counsel Geoff Clancy said a number of the charges, including an allegation his client possessed heroin near Carnegie in March 2022, were reflective of a trying period in his client’s life.

He said his client had been handed a five month prison sentence last year following a number of thefts in metropolitan Melbourne.

“He doesn’t enjoy having that summary read out,” he said.

Mr Clancy urged Magistrate Ian Watkins to consider placing the accused on a community corrections order with supervision, a sentiment Mr Watkins agreed with.

He ordered the accused be assessed for a forensicare and corrections report, banned the accused from driving for two years and ordered he pay $10,000 in restitution for the stolen motorbike, before remanding him in custody until April for further sentencing.

TEMPERATURES: Wednesday Max 32 Sunny

Min 12

Thursday

Max 30 Min 14 Possible shower

Friday

Max 33 Sunny

Min 15

Saturday

Max 37 Sunny

Min 16

Sunday

Max 30 Sunny

Min 13

RAINFALL:

Last 72 hours

Last 7 days

Wangaratta

0.2 mm

11.2 mm

Lake Buffalo

2.0 mm

31.0 mm

Cheshunt

2.0 mm

16.8 mm

*NB: Rainfall totals up until 3pm, Tuesday

NEWS TIPS Office Hours: 5723 0100 After Hours: 5723 0107 Email: edit.chronicle@nemedia.com.au

CONTACTS POSTAL ADDRESS: 37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta GENERAL TELEPHONE INQUIRIES: 5723 0100 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: 5723 0101 DISPLAY ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: 5723 0139 Fax: 5721 9447 Email: edit.chronicle@nemedia.com.au Website: wangarattachronicle.com.au

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THE LAST CHOP: The more than a century year old sport of wood chopping that draws a strong crowd at any show could have had its last swing with a court order currently halting logging in Victorian Forests.

PHOTO: Belinda Harrison

Uncertain future for oldest sport amid ban on logging in Victoria ■

From page 1 It used to source wood from around Tolmie, Beechworth, Stanley and Corryong, but Mr Harding said everyone is trying to scramble to access private wood but it is scarce due to the current shortages and ban.

The move to thwart VicForests is impacting home grown jobs and associated industries connected to timber harvesting and the products made.

Mr Harding said the Maryvale paper mill, near Morwell, has been shut down due to a lack of timber

resources and the paper is now being sourced from China.

“You’re looking at the loss of thousands of direct and indirect jobs such as engineers, boiler makers, welders, tyre businesses, and fuel depots - it’s killing off towns that relied on the economic income it generated,” Mr Harding said.

“Victoria has one of the most heavily regulated timber industries in the world and I have a friend in the timber industry who hasn’t worked this year.”

Contractors who work for VicForests are also obliged to

work the machinery during an emergency fire event to dig out containments lines in what can be rough terrain, and Mr Harding warned that if their contracts aren’t renewed, this workforce and skill base is lost.

A VicForests spokesperson said its ability to harvest has been impacted by a court decision preventing timber harvesting operations unless new surveys are done that comply with the court’s order.

“As a result, VicForests has paused all timber harvesting operations and has commissioned experts to

develop a new survey method to comply with the court’s orders,” the spokesperson said.

“The timber shortage across Victoria will continue to impact availability of logs.

“VicForests will seek to meet its contracted obligations according to the agreements once harvest operations resume.”

The court order relates to the protection of the yellow-bellied glider and the endangered greater glider in Victoria.

VicForests has appealed the court decision with the matter listed for March 23.

wangarattachronicle.com.au

THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Page 3

Man charged after alleged city CBD assault on young female on Monday

GOOD CALL: A gum tree in Wangaratta’s Merriwa Park was cut down on Friday as a safety precaution following a regular inspection of the area.

DOWN IT GOES: The tree falling to the ground after being cut by a tree feller.

PHOTOS: Kurt Hickling

Park tree cut down amid safety concerns

By STEVE KELLY A LARGE gum tree has been cut down at Wangaratta’s iconic Merriwa Park amid concerns about its stability.

The sheer age and size of the trees add to the ambience of the popular park, but after one of the trees fell in September last year, the park was closed for several months so safety inspections could be carried out.

The park was reopened to the public in December following the assessment of 170 trees and it was

deemed there were “no obvious factors of concern” and these trees were assessed as a “broadly acceptable” risk or less than 1 in 1,000,000 or chance of falling.

Marcus Goonan, council director community and infrastructure, said during routine inspections, on Friday morning, one of the large red gum trees in Merriwa Park was identified as needing further inspection.

“An arborist pull test was undertaken, which showed some minor instability,” Mr Goonan said.

“As a risk mitigation measure

the tree has been removed.

“This doesn’t mean the tree would have fallen but given the continued wet conditions and the popularity of the area, this was considered the best course of action.

“We will continue to monitor the trees as we do in all of our parks.”

As part of the assessment of the trees in December, some minor purring and deadwood removal was recommended for 10 trees and these works were carried out before the park reopened to the public.

Site methodology involved a detailed visual inspection of all pa-

rameters pertaining to each tree’s health and structure, paying particular attention to root plate stability.

The root plate of each tree was probed with a steel probe to determine root plate stability.

The influence of previous activities on each tree’s current and future condition was considered during the December assessment.

Some park users and a nearby resident have been calling for the replacement of the trees in the park for several years, as they have grave concerns for people’s safety should one of them fall.

Police investigating utility theft WANGARATTA police are appealing for information regarding the alleged theft of a Nissan Navara from an Eldorado property overnight on Sunday.

Police believe the vehicle was taken from a Ramsay Road, Eldorado address sometime between 8.15pm on Sunday night and 6.15am the following morning.

Posts on social media confirmed the vehicle had been found near Wodonga on Monday

afternoon, however, suspects are yet to be formally identified.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Senior Constable Lachie Battison at Wangaratta Police Station on 5723 0888 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

STOLEN: Police believe a Nissan Navara (pictured) was taken from a Ramsay Road, Eldorado address overnight on Sunday.

PHOTO: Wangaratta Eyewatch

LOCAL police have lauded the quick thinking of a Wangaratta business owner, after he intervened and prevented the further assault of a young female in the Wangaratta CBD on Monday morning.

According to Detective Sergeant Simon Hunter of Wangaratta Police’s Family Violence Investigation Unit, a male was seen assaulting a young female inside a vehicle parked on Murphy Street around 10.20am.

A nearby business owner was said to have observed the altercation before interrupting the assault by pulling the car door open and assisting the female victim from the vehicle.

Det Sgt Hunter said the accused man had driven from the scene, however, was apprehended by police in Rowan Street a short time later.

The 26-year-old was charged with assault and intervention order breach matters and remanded, and faced Benalla Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

He was further remanded in custody until March 6.

“Police would like to highlight the efforts of the local business owner, whose quick thinking actions and willingness to intervene undoubtedly saved the victim from further trauma,” Det Sgt Hunter said.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact the Wangaratta Family Violence Unit on 5723 0888.

Man to face court over alleged $120k concrete job deception A MAN believed to have quoted and received more than $120,000 from victims in the North East without commencing or completing concreteting jobs in the area is set to face serious criminal charges.

Benalla Crime Investigation Unit detectives arrested the 47-year-old man on Monday morning, after he allegedly quoted jobs and took payment but did not complete works in the Benalla, Wangaratta, Shepparton and Wodonga areas between July last year and last month.

According to a police spokesperson, the accused is alleged to have received payments from at least 15 victims.

He has been charged with 15 counts of obtain property by deception, and will face Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on May 4 for a committal mention.

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Page 4 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

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Woman sustained minor injuries after falling 15m A WOMAN suffered minor injuries after falling 15 metres down Mount Buffalo last Thursday afternoon, with 40 emergency service personnel attending the scene.

Bright SES Unit performed a high angle rescue after the woman was unable to free herself from where she’d fallen off the track to Chalwell Galleries.

Bright SES posted an update on their Facebook page.

“Given the location, there was an obvious need for a high angle rescue and the Hume region high angle team was called, along with supporting personnel,” the post read.

“Upon arrival, it took a little while to locate her as she was some distance from the main track.

“Once she was located, the high angle team set up a system that would

enable her to be raised up or lowered down to rescuers.

“Given the likely length of such a rescue and the approaching night, a HEMS helicopter was called in to see whether a winch rescue was possible.

“The helicopter was able to extricate the casualty around 8:15pm.

“The high angle team then recovered FRV and CFA personnel who had gone down to assist the casualty.

“All up, around 40 personnel and 14 vehicles on scene.”

Thanks to SES Myrtleford and Wangaratta, Parks Victoria, CFA Porepunkah, Bright, Mount Beauty and Harrietville, FRV Wangaratta and Wodonga, VicPol AV and special thanks to Porepunkah Roadhouse who prepared hot snack packs for the crews, delivered by Harrietville CFA.

RESCUE: A high angle rescue was performed to help a woman who had fallen 15 metres down Mount Buffalo.

PHOTO: Bright SES

Plea to save ‘death sentenced’ trio

INDI independent federal MP Helen Haines is undertaking political sponsorship of three prisoners in Iran facing execution, in a bid to increase the pressure on the Iranian Government to save them from the death penalty.

Dr Haines has joined with Members of Parliament from across the world and across the political spectrum in Australia in taking part in political sponsorship of the prisoners.

The Iranian Embassy has been informed by letter of

Dr Haines’ sponsorship of Kambiz Kharout, Arshia Takdastan and Mehdi Mohmmadifard.

Kambiz Kharout, 20, protested in Zahedan and was arrested at his place of employment last October and tortured to force selfincriminating confessions.

Arshia Takdastan, 18,  was arrested in Noshahr in September and forced to confess to leadership of protests.  Mehdi Mohmmadifard, 19, was violently arrested in October and tortured to

DEATH SENTENCE: Kambiz Kharout (left), Arshia Takdastan and Mehdi Mohmmadifard all face execution if they are not freed. force self-incriminating confessions.

He is currently held in the central prison in Noshahr and was sentenced to death in December 2022.

In the letter to the Iranian Embassy to Australia,

Dr Haines urged the Iranian Government to immediately quash their convictions and death sentences, and requested their immediate release from prison.

“I abhor the cruel treatment by the Islamic Republic

judiciary and security forces of young Iranians peacefully exercising their right to protest,” Dr Haines said.

“I urge the Iranian Government to place an official moratorium on executions with a view of abolishing the death penalty and releasing those detained.

“According to the statements of Amnesty International and other human rights organisations, due process has not been observed in the investigation and trials of these citizens.

“I am aware that trials

have been conducted in secret, and forced confessions have been obtained using torture.

“Further, accused people have been denied access to a lawyer and the opportunity to a fair and unbiased hearing or a meaningful appeal process.”

Dr Haines said she was sponsoring the political prisoners in order to bring further attention to their plight and to build on the global movement dedicated to supporting the prisoners.

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THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Page 5

Grant to Salvation Army aims to help strengthen local disaster response

By BAILEY ZIMMERMANN

STOCKING UP: Pastor Peter Lewis and wife Rhonda of the Wangaratta Salvation Army are strengthening Wangaratta’s preparedness in the event of an emergency.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

THE community is set to be bolstered in its disaster response preparedness thanks to a grant to the Wangaratta Salvation Army.

The Wangaratta Salvation Army Corps was one of the recipients from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) round of grants, receiving $9120 to go towards disaster relief supplies.

Pastor Peter Lewis of the Wangaratta Salvation Army said the grant will specifically go towards items such as bedding, sheets and pillows to store in a planned upgrade of new facilities at the local Salvation Army headquarters.

“If there is a disaster normally the council would set up an evacuation

centre, and what we’re doing is preparing for that and having storage to have it already done so we can do it in a hurry,” he said.

“It’s part of the broader strategy which is organised by the council.”

Wangaratta’s Salvation Army has provided relief to the evacuation centres in Shepparton in recent floods and also supplied Christmas relief toys to Rochester.

Pastor Lewis said moving from Garnet Avenue to new facilities in Greta Road - once all the approvals are done - will give the local Salvation Army a boost in resources.

“It’s useful (the grant), but it’s in the context that we’re moving to a new property so we’ve got quite a bit of money allocated to the Salvation Army for that move anyway,” he said.

Pride Hub opening in Wangaratta

By LEAH ANDERSON-BYRNE WANGARATTA is now host to the only Pride Hub operating in regional Victoria and it will officially open this week with all welcome to celebrate the event.

LINE (LGBTQIA+ In the North East) Wangaratta Inc. announced the opening of the new regional Pride Hub, located at the Wangaratta Woollen Mills, which will

see free giveaways, local organisations hosting stalls, music and more this Friday.

The hub, supported by the Rural City of Wangaratta, GLOBE Victoria and the Pride Foundation Australia, provides a safe and accessible space for LGBTQIA+ people, families, and allies to gather for social inclusion and peer support programs, such as the Parents Peer Support Group and recent

self-portrait art workshops.

The hub also includes a pride shop, which offers LGBTQIA+ books, rainbow clothing and accessories, with free gender affirming clothing, footwear and toiletries available for community members.

President and founder of LINE Wangaratta, Al Winters (they/them), said the new hub was a “game changer” for the community.

“This space has been created by and for LGBTQIA+ people,” Al said.

“We know the poor health and wellbeing outcomes for LGBTQIA+ people in regional areas, and the Pride Hub is about creating a space for people to gather, connect, learn, and grow.

“Having a venue available for people to safely express their gender identity is so

incredibly important for our community, and we’re really proud to offer community members the opportunity to try on, and take-home gender affirming clothing and accessories.”

LGBTQIA+ community members, their families and allies are invited to attend the grand opening of the Pride Hub at 18 Textile Avenue this Friday from 2pm.

BIG OPENING: Al Winters from LINE Wangaratta says the opening of a Pride Hub in Wangaratta this Friday is a “game changer” for the community.

STRONGER TOGETHER

Wangaratta Turf Club

WINSEC Savings & Loans Wangaratta Cup SATURDAY 4TH MARCH 2023 I GATES OPEN AT 11:30AM Get back stronger together at the Winsec Savings & Loans Wangaratta Cup for a day that’s got it all. + Live music out on the lawn by Glenn Star + Kids entertainment includes jumping castles, large games (Connect 4, Jenga), tug-a-war, face painting and fairy floss, ice cones, popcorn and more + Free buses to the track and back around Wangaratta, $20 return Trips to the surrounding towns

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BOOKINGS AT COUNTRY.RACING.COM/WANGARATTA (03) 5722 1242

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Page 6 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

wangarattachronicle.com.au

The Australian Quiz

1

A BAN on some logging in Victorian forests is having a resounding effect on the livelihoods of people in the industry and towns across the state, which have in the past thrived off the timber industry.

A Supreme Court decision, which has been appealed by VicForests, ordered the government agency to stop all logging in Forest Management Areas.

It comes after the court found VicForests failed to adequately protect the yellow– bellied glider and the endangered great glider in Victoria.

As part of the decision, VicForests must undertake more rigorous surveying for gliders in logging coups, create wider protected areas where gliders were located, and maintain at least 60 per cent of basal area eucalypts in harvested areas where gliders were identified.

While the preservation of native wildlife is extremely important, the pause of the timber industry is having a magnifying impact on local families, businesses, and ways of life.

In today‘s edition (page 1), local Fabian Harding gives insight into how the ban on logging is hurting the sport he and his family love, wood chopping.

For generations local families from across the region have taken pride in the sport and it has always been a staple at shows and carnivals.

The Australian forest industry is big business in the domestic and overseas markets with forestry and logging worth $4.9 billion annually.

Now more timber mills have had to close, forcing manufacturers to source more product supplies from overseas.

We need to find a way to hold on to timber manufacturing so the industry doesn‘t follow the same grim fate as others before.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

7 Tips 9 Small fowl 10 Mineral springs 11 Web 12 Circle 14 Church recess 18 Estimation of worth 19 Paradise 21 Bound 22 Humour 23 Guarantee 25 Coarse file 26 Live coals 27 Domestic animals 28 Drug-yielding plant 29 Osculate 30 Agave fibre 31 Short gaiters 33 Puts to a purpose 35 Laundry item SOLUTION P A M P J R S A T I P R E S L O A S L A N E E A R R S P A S S I S A P P E A L U N G

E M B E R S

A S S U R E

A S U R E I D N E G

M B A E N T W A I M T S M P A C T S

B A E R T T T E A R P P P R E A T I S S A P L

A I P S E E D E A N L O U E S E A S

H K I S S

T C H I N T S

ACROSS 1 Vast treeless plain 5 Quantity of bread baked 8 Brown pigment 10 Literary ridicule 13 Gain by effort 15 Head of state 16 Solitary 17 Tantalises 20 Jargon 22 Distorted 23 Goal 24 Apprehend 27 Practical joke 30 Sudden convulsions 31 Close up 32 Offensively selfimportant 34 Soldier 36 Fix a tax 37 Build 38 Respiratory organs 39 Spatter with water DOWN 2 Partly open 3 Captives 4 Type of leather 5 Preferable 6 Craft

Which famous person was born on 3 April 1922 with the surname, Kappelhoff? (a) Doris Day (b) Judy Garland (c) Marlene Dietrich (d) Debbie Reynolds

2

The first IKEA store in Australia opened in 1975 in which city? (a) Perth (c) Brisbane (b) Melbourne (d) Sydney

3

Who served as GovernorGeneral of Australia during World War I? (a) William Ward (b) Henry Forster (c) Ronald Munro Ferguson (d) Thomas Denman

4

Which country was defeated in the final of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup? (a) Japan (b) Chinese Taipei (c) South Korea (d) Philippines

5

In the Harry Potter novels, a wizard or witch who can speak Parseltongue is known as a what? (a) Parselspeak (b) Parselmorph (c) Parselmouth (d) Parseltalk

6

Colombia declared independence from which country in 1810? (a) Portugal (c) Mexico (b) Spain (d) Brazil

7

Charles Leclerc started his Formula One career with which team in 2018? (a) Sauber F1 Team (b) Haas F1 Team (c) Scuderia Ferrari (d) Oracle Red Bull Racing

9

The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range located on which continent? (a) North America (b) Europe (c) Africa (d) Asia

10

Who won the 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize? (a) Jean-Philippe Vassal (b) Diébédo Francis Kéré (c) Arata Isozaki (d) Anne Lacaton

8

In the mid-1980s, who had a hit with the song, West End Girls? (a) Berlin (c) Van Halen (b) Pet Shop Boys (d) Survivor

1 (a) Doris Day 2 (d) Sydney 3 (c) Ronald Munro Ferguson 4 (c) South Korea 5 (c) Parselmouth 6 (b) Spain 7 (a) Sauber F1 Team 8 (b) Pet Shop Boys 9 (a) North America 10 (b) Diébédo Francis Kéré

Timber industry facing tough road

No.10

Have your say in Wangaratta Chronicle poll

Visit our website to vote at www.wangarattachronicle.com.au

Vote yes to an Indigenous Voice HAVING watched the Australia Day ceremonies last month, I was once again saddened that a special day to celebrate our beautiful country could be seen in such a conflicting light.

I realised, it being the year of the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, that I had to speak out.

We can right the wrongs and move on; First Nations people, colonial settlers and more recently new Australians, together, proudly, in peace and respect for all.

I firstly ask you all to make yourself informed.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart brings many people to tears, myself included.

Have you read it?

Another good place to start is the 2022 Boyer Lectures on the ABC Listen app on Radio National.

Noel Pearson, one of the architects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, was asked to give the lectures for 2022.

He covers all the topics and gives great insight into the present day lives of our Indigenous people.

The demand by some Liberals and, to a lesser extent, some Greens and Nationals for more information is a diversion, probably politically motivated.

Constitutional change is what this referendum is about.

It is not about details of how the Voice to Parliament will work; that is a matter for the parliament.

It cannot be decided through the constitution as it is our parliament that makes the laws.

The details of how the Voice will work cannot be legislated in parliamentary law before the referendum, otherwise it would be supported by the constitution as it stands at present; totally racist and with the big lie - Terra Nullius.

No caring compassionate person would want that.

By choosing to say “we” instead of “us and them”, by choosing to say “equal justice for all” we can move forward together with all those who choose to live in Australia, a united people living on our beautiful land.

We have talked long enough in this country about equal rights.

It is time to write the next chapter and write it in the first book of law, our constitution.

Vote yes.

Wendy Damaschi, Myrtleford

Are you happy with design plans for the new $5 note to honour the culture and history of the First Australians?

FAMILY TIME: Siblings Anika and Freya Stead were among those cooling off in the Ovens River at Wangaratta’s Frank Garth Reserve on Monday afternoon. After a week of relatively cool weather Wangaratta’s broke 30 degrees for the first time this February, reaching 30.5 degrees on Monday.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

What is an Indigenous Voice to Parliament?

IT appears that the Voice to Parliament arose from the ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’ intending to change the constitution and improve Indigenous representation.

According to Google, ‘the referendum is about recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Nations of Australia, and providing a structural change to our Constitution that gives them a body to speak to parliament and government in order to improve decisions, policies, and laws that affect them’.

But what does that mean: the Prime Minister appears not to know, as he was quoted in the media as saying that if we had a Voice to Parliament then the problems facing Alice Springs would not have arisen.

Alice Springs is represented by Marion Scrymgour MP of the Australian Labor Party and is chair of the Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia.

She is Indigenous.

Surely, if the member of parliament representing Alice Springs does not know what is happening in her electorate who would know and how would a Voice to Parliament be better informed?

How many people would represent the Voice and where would they be drawn from?

The Prime Minister last Thursday night news said that was not part of the referendum, however, he said that the numbers didn’t matter.

In my opinion, a Voice, as presented, would split the Australian constitution and Australians into two ethnic groups the Indigenous community and everybody else, us and them.

I am not anti-Indigenous, however, there needs to be more discussion and information provided.

Phillip K Johnson, Wangaratta

WE welcome your letters to the Editor. Priority is given to typed/emailed letters under 250 words.

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THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Page 7

It’s always a good time to get active IT’S always the right time to get active and the Rural City of Wangaratta council is again rolling out the Active Wangaratta Grants program to support sporting clubs and organisations.

Under the Active Wangaratta Grants program local sporting clubs can apply for up to $2000 for programs and projects to increase participation in active recreation.

Rural City of Wangaratta Deputy Mayor Harry Bussell is a long-time advocate of grassroots sport and recreation across the municipality and is thrilled to encourage greater participation.

“Our region has a great range of sporting clubs and groups, and we have terrific facilities for everyone in the community to access and enjoy,” Cr Bussell said.

“Council is keen to work with clubs and organisations to get more people active.

“Taking part in sport and joining a club isn’t only good for fitness and physical health but builds connections and creates community.

“The benefits of belonging to a group and being connected are as important as being active.”

FINAL sale dates for the Wangaratta Community Raffle are fast approaching, with all community groups and organisations expected to complete their sales by early next month.

In an effort to allow participating organisations to easily return their sold tickets, Rotary Club of Appin Park Wangaratta members will man the Chisholm Street log cabin tonight, tomorrow and Friday between 4 and 6pm.

Members will be in attendance at the log cabin on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 4 and 6pm from February 22 until ticket sales officially close on March 10.

Any groups seeking additional tickets, or to arrange another time to return tickets to the log cabin, are urged to contact Geoff Dinning on 0418 530 242, Rob Tate on 0408 573 392, or Bev Maher on 0419 533 898.

Road closures for Inland Rail construction

A BIG HIT: Oxley table tennis has blossomed since receiving an Active Wangaratta Grant.

In 2022 the Oxley Residents Association was a successful recipient of an Active Wangaratta Grant.

The association purchased table tennis tables and hosts community table tennis nights, a terrific active social event on the local calendar.

Little Athletics Wangaratta has turned out some incredible

young athletes in recent times and runs with the work of a small group of dedicated volunteers.

Last year they received a grant to repair their long jump run-up.

“If you are a member of a sport or recreation club, let us know what you need to get more people in your commu-

# $ ! $ " "

Community raffle close is fast approaching

$ "

nity active,” Cr Bussell said.

The Active Wangaratta Grant program is open now until June 16, 2023, or until funds are exhausted, whichever is sooner.

For more information please visit https://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/Your-Council/ Grants-and-funding/ActiveWangaratta-Grants.

TO enable construction of the new Beaconsfield Parade bridge, there will be temporary changes to traffic conditions in Glenrowan.

While access will be maintained throughout construction, Beaconsfield Parade bridge will be reduced to one lane with traffic lights to manage the vehicle flow and speed limits reduced to 40km/h.

Part of Woolshed Road and Beaconsfield Parade will be closed until the bridge is completed in early 2024.

Beaconsfield Parade between Church and Siege streets will be closed to traffic, with detours in place.

Heavy and light vehicles will follow the same approved detour routes.

A further update on this will be provided for B-Doubles.

Page 8 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

wangarattachronicle.com.au

$43,000 for environmental crimes

A 32-year-old Myrtleford man has been convicted and ordered to pay $43,030 for illegally collecting firewood, destroying wildlife habitat, and driving off-road in the Stanley State Forest in 2021.

Appearing at Wangaratta Magistrates Court last Friday the defendant was found guilty of 14 offences under the Land Conservation (Vehicle Control) Regulations 2013, Wildlife Regulations 2013 and Forests Act 1958 and ordered to pay $6500 in fines, $131.50 in statutory costs

and $36,399.35 to cover the department’s legal fees.

The court heard the man was captured on concealed cameras driving off-road through the Stanley State Forest with a ute full of cut timber and a chainsaw on three separate occasions in September 2021.

Conservation Regulator Authorised officers caught him chopping up a freshly felled dead tree into firewood rounds on a roadside near Bowmans Forest in October 2021.

In sentencing. Magistrate

Ian Watkins noted the importance of protecting state forests and the serious damage the offences cause to the environment.

In addition to the financial penalty, the defendant was ordered to forfeit the two chainsaws authorised officers seized from him in October 2021.

The area in the Stanley State Forest where the defendant was also caught driving illegally and collecting firewood is a Special Protection Zone, home to threatened species, including the

brush-tailed phascogale, southern greater gliders and brown tree creepers.

Domestic firewood collection is only allowed in designated firewood collection areas during a firewood collection season.

Only fallen timber can be collected for firewood and it is illegal to sell firewood collected from domestic collection areas.

Speaking after the court case, Conservation Regulator Hume regulatory manager, Greg Chant, said anyone breaking firewood collection

rules should see this case as a warning.

“You will be caught and the penalties are serious,” he said.

“We will seize items used to collect firewood illegally including chainsaws, trailers and vehicles and seek to have them forfeited to the crown.

“Designated firewood collection areas and firewood collection limits protect the environment, essential habitat for native animals and community firewood resources.

“Following these rules helps to maintain healthy forests that we can all benefit from now and into the future.”

Mr Chant encouraged community members to report suspected illegal firewood collection by calling 136 186.

For more information on where to collect visit ffm.vic. gov.au/firewood/firewoodcollection-in-your-region.

Information about firewood collection rules be found at https://www.vic. gov.au/collecting-firewood.

Paraglider stuck in tree for hours, rescued by a crane Wednesday, February 6, 2013

By SIMON CRASE IN a novel advertisement for the versatility of children’s inflatable party equipment, Bright emergency services personnel have branched into a new way of dealing with stranded paragliders.

A blow-up jumping castle was brought to the landing pad on Morses Creek Road to be inflated underneath a paraglider who dangled in a tree for almost five hours last Sunday.

The 27-year-old woman from Caulfield South was experiencing her first solo flight when she crash

landed into a dead gum tree at the side of the landing area.

Police were called at 5.45pm and arrived within five minutes to find the paraglider hanging precariously 16 metres above the ground.

A jumping castle was inflated below her because of concerns if

she fell from that height she would be very badly injured as there were no other branches of significance to break her fall.

At 8pm, search and rescue members arrived at the scene and after weighing up the situation chose to call in a 30-metre crane from Wodonga as the best course of action.

The crane was underneath the tree by 10pm and the uninjured paraglider’s drama was over just after 10.30pm.

The rescue was the latest in a series of paraglider salvations in the Bright and Mt Buffalo area, with a handful being carried out in the last few months.

PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS Galen Catholic College proudly continues to offer the widest curriculum in Wangaratta.

We believe every student can succeed in any vocation they decide on, whilst providing support for their individual learning style.

Enrolment places available for 2023 Scan QR code to apply

www.galen.vic.edu.au www.galen.vic.edu.au 0303 5721 6322 5721 6322

AIR-RAISING ADVENTURE: The paraglider can be seen dangling from a dead gum tree.

wangarattachronicle.com.au

THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Page 9

Historic text nears completion ‘Make Tankers Ten’ set to outline rich historyy of Wangaratta’s g fire brigades g

BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au

THE culmination of more than a decade of research and almost 40 years of planning is set to be realised this month, with the planned release of ‘Make Tankers Ten’, chronicling the history of the Wangaratta Fire Brigades’ Group.

Detailing the rich histories, individual stories and major developments which have laid the foundation for the modern Wangaratta CFA Group, the book is set to be one of the most comprehensive of its kind, filled with personal accounts and photos from the time.

Greta firefighter David Salau, who met with South Wangaratta’s Graham Colson, Milawa’s Neil Brock and Eldorado’s Jim Buchan every Wednesday for more than eight years while preparing the collection, said it was important to shine a light on the organisation which oversees the local brigades.

“The original concept of writing the book goes right back to the 1980s somewhere - there were a number of guys in the CFA brigades locally

ONE FOR THE BOOKS: ‘Make Tankers Ten’ writing group (from left) Dave Salau, Graham Colson, Neil Brock and Jim Buchan are set to realise decades of planning with the book’s release this month.

PHOTO: Ryan Malcolm who said they’d like to write a book, but it was a pretty big challenge trying to pull it all together,” Mr Salau said.

“We talked about getting a team of people together to write the book (about 10 or 12 years ago) because it was such a big task trying to pull information across 16 or 17 brigades.

“A lot of community members will be familiar with

their own brigades and the nearest neighbouring brigades in terms of their practical firefighting and practical response, but a lot of the community doesn’t understand or hasn’t understood that sitting behind that and above that is (the group).

“Getting the story of the group out there apart from the local brigade has been good - in the book we’ve got

NOW HIRING

snapshots of all the brigades in the group and their collective efforts towards fighting for community safety.”

Mr Brock said the experience of researching the book, which included scouring newspaper articles and minutes from brigade meetings dating back more than 100 years, had been a challenging but rewarding experience.

“It’s just been so worth-

while, because this all could have been missed,” he said.

“People need to know what happened in the past and how it’s affected us today the fact that a lot of what we (as firefighters) do today is as a result (of past local firefighters), it was just so satisfying to be putting this material together so people could see what happened.”

“There have been times

where it’s been just sheer bloody hard work just trying to hook stuff together and get some sense of deadline in front of ourselves, but at the same time it’s been nice getting together and we usually have a coffee,” Mr Salau said.

“We had to function through COVID of course, so we did Zoom meetings and they worked reasonably well,” Mr Brock said.

“Proof reading a large book over Zoom is different,” Mr Buchan said.

“But it’s been very handy and if we hadn’t had that it would have just had to stop,” Mr Colson said.

Funded purely through local brigade donations and loans, the book is set to be made available for $40, with the majority of proceeds to help fund Wangaratta Group resources and equipment in the near future.

“Our position with the book is that basically once sales get into life, we’ve run an initial 1000 books so if we sell pretty well half of those, we’ve covered our costs and anything beyond that will basically go back to the group to support further equipment and resourcing for the group,” Mr Salau said.

“It’s certainly been a great exercise.”

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Page 10 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

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Rising high Cathedral College Wangaratta THE college is off to a flying start on campus this year.

Students Annika Reynolds, Kiara Lane and Ed Browne (year six) were the college’s official flag raisers for 2023.

GETTING STARTED: Students Gracie York and Brodie Fisher emceed the first whole school assembly in 10 years.

Welcome assembly

OFFICIAL BUSINESS: Students Annika Reynolds, Kiara Lane and Ed Browne raised the flag for the new school year at CCW.

Wangaratta High School

School leaders elected Appin Park Primary School

LEADING THE WAY: Students including (back from left) Seth Webster-Mizzi, Grace O’Keefe, Charlie Allen, Ellie White, Zara McCrae and Luke Welch, with (seated) Charlie Wright, Alison Rogers and Jimi Pell, have been elected into leadership positions at their school.

LAST week some year six students presented themselves to their peers and staff hoping to be elected for either a school captain or a sports captain role.

It is a daunting task for 11 year olds to stand in front of their peers to make a pitch about why they should be chosen to be school leaders.

Mature thoughts were presented, along with sound reasons and beliefs that each student has about their education and their school.

After voting by the year 5/6 cohort, three students were elected as school captains: Jimi Pell, Alison Rogers and Charlie Wright.

Sports captains are: Clarke Charlie Allen and Grace O’Keefe, Freeman - Sam Savage and Seth Webster-Mizzi, Fraser - Zara McCrae and Ellie White and for Bradman Luke Welch.

Each of these students will supervise a variety of tasks and activities throughout the year.

LAST Wednesday the school celebrated its first whole school assembly in 10 years.

It was a wonderful celebration of students and school highlighting school pride, the event emceed by Gracie York (head prefect) and Brodie Fisher (prefect).

The assembly opened with a rousing welcome to the new year seven students by the whole school - a moment these young people will never forget.

It was followed by the Australian anthem sung

by Gracie York, a fantastic rendition that was sealed with a huge round of applause.

Emcees Gracie and Brody introduced key speakers including executive principal Mr Dave Armstrong, who welcomed students to the new school year with some valuable words of wisdom.

Students also heard from assistant principals John Paola and Sheri Parkhouse along with year level leaders who delivered messages to inspire, engage and motivate.

Finally, sports coordinator Sandy Newman announced sporting events for the coming term to a round of applause and cheer.

The assembly topped of a brilliant start to the year.

Buddy time Wangaratta West Primary School AS the preps settled into their first year at school with nerves and excitement, their grade five buddies were there to support and ease the transition.

Layla and Lucca, along with the other grade fives made a welcoming card and a gift to give to their prep buddies on their special day.

WELL READ: Austin Whitehead enjoyed his first library session at Oxley.

Library study Oxley Primary School

MAKING FRIENDS: Layla May (grade five), preps Mia Bihun and Mia Bartram, and Lucca Bennett (grade five) are supporting each other at school this year.

STUDENTS are glad to be back and settling in well to the routine of the new school year.

Austin Whitehead enjoyed delving back into his first library session for the year.

1

What colour are the hottest stars?

Are they a) red, b) yellow, c) white, or d) blue?

2

If you filled an Olympic swimming pool with air, roughly how much would the air weigh? Is it a) one kilogram, b) 80 kilograms, c) 430 kilograms, or d) 3250 kilograms?

3

If you put a 20 cent coin flat on a table, how many 20 cent coins can you place flat on the table around the edge of the original coin? Is it a) five, b) six, c) seven, or d) eight?

4

Where is the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope located?

Is it a) near Parkes in New South Wales, b) just north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, or c) in mid-western Western Australia?

5

What does a deciduous tree do? Does it a) lose all its leaves once a year, b) use other plants as support, or c) have no flowers??

For more CSIRO Double Helix science visit www.csiro.au/helix or call 02 6276 6643.

Quiz answers: 1. d) The hottest stars are blue supergiants, which can have surface temperatures around 30,000 degrees Celsius. Our Sun is a yellow star that has a surface temperature around 5500 degrees Celsius. 2. d) One cubic metre of air weighs about 1.3 kilograms, and there are 2500 cubic metres in an Olympic swimming pool, which is why a pool full of air can weigh as much as two small cars. 3. b) Circles of the same size fit together tightest in a hexagonal pattern, with six circles around each circle. 4. c) The ASKAP radio telescope is a collection of 36 identical dishes situated in a radio quiet zone in Western Australia. 5. a) Deciduous trees lose their leaves once a year. In temperate climates, they usually lose their leaves in autumn. In the tropics, deciduous plants typically lose their leaves in the dry season.

wangarattachronicle.com.au

THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Page 11

More doctors in Wangaratta Medical students from the Universityy of Melbourne welcomed to their new home

By CHLOE JAENICKE A NEW cohort of University of Melbourne MD2 students were officially welcomed to Wangaratta by Mayor Dean Rees and Cr Ashlee Fitzpatrick, along with sub-dean Dr Steve Bismire from Northeast Health Wangaratta (NHW) last Friday morning.

The 15 students have come from a variety of towns across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland including the Yarra Valley, Geelong, Inverell (NSW), Melbourne, Wagga, Mildura, Albury, Ayr (QLD), Wodonga, Barranduda, Benalla, Griffith, Macedon Ranges and Brisbane.

This will be the students’ first time working in a hospital setting and getting practical experience as they complete their general student medical training.

NHW executive director medical services Susanty Tay said NHW and the Department of Rural Health welcomed the students to the Rural Clinical School for Medicine and it was hoped the time they would spend in Wangaratta will give them a positive insight into the professional experiences available in sub-regional health settings.

“We work with the Rural Clinical School to provide appropriate opportunities for students to observe the clinical practice on our wards to enhance their learning,” Dr Tay said.

“We hope the experience gives students a positive insight into the professional opportunities at our health service and what the region has to offer.”

Dr Steve Bismire, sub-dean at the Wangaratta campus of the University of Melbourne, said while some students have spent the past 12 months in a country setting in Shepparton, for others it is their first time in the country.

“The students will be working locally for the next 12 months, with the hope that many will remain to continue their study and

IN DEMAND: The 2023 University of Melbourne MD2 students were officially welcomed to their new home in Wangaratta on Friday.

INSET: Graduating University of Melbourne student Tadhg Fitzpatrick (second from left) received his award from Mayor Dean Rees, Cr Ashlee Fitzpatrick and Dr Sean Warfe from North East Family Medicine.

PHOTOS: Belinda Harrison medical careers in the area,” Dr Bismire said in his address to the group.

“We are so pleased to be able to welcome you into our region and Cr Rees and Cr Fitzpatrick will let you know about some of the excellent things you can do here to ensure the time you spend here is even more positive than it is on campus.”

Haylee Allwood lived in Wodonga and previously spent time in Shepparton, said she would prefer to stay rural and avoid the city.

“I want to stay as rural as possible,” she said.

“I’ve been in Wodonga pretty much my entire life and I love it, absolutely love the region.”

About five years ago, the Wangaratta campus of the University of Melbourne and the Rural City of Wangaratta met and forged an ongoing close relationship to support the campus to encourage more young doctors to the area.

Cr Rees also spoke to the students.

“There is so much to see and do in our great region and we encourage you to get out and experience our

events, get to know our local area and people, our restaurants and cafes, we have some excellent sporting facilities and walking and cycling tracks and trails,” Cr Rees added.

Students from local areas, such as Kiera Howell from Benalla and Cooper Page from Albury Wodonga, said they would also prefer to work in rural settings rather than the city.

“I had the city experience but I’m absolutely without a doubt a rural person,” Ms Howell said.

“In rural areas you have more of an impact on patients,” Mr Page said.

However, for those who need it, the health and wellbeing practitioner from the University of Melbourne is offering services to make the transition to Wangaratta easier.

Tadhg Fitzpatrick was awarded the graduating student award, having completed his MD2 and MD4 in Wangaratta.

Tadgh and his wife have now settled in Wangaratta and he is working at the Church Street Surgery in Benalla as a Murray to the Mountains intern.

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Page 12 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

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WHAT’S ON

Wangaratta Farmers Market on Saturday THE next Wangaratta Farmers Market will be held on Saturday in the grounds of the Holy Trinity Cathedral from 8am until 12pm.

Meet local growers and shop for a wide range of seasonal fruits, vegetables and unique products made in and around the local region.

Outdoor Ball in Merriwa Park ENJOY a night of music and dancing when the Outdoor Ball returns to Merriwa Park on Saturday, February 18 from 6pm.

The community is invited to boogie the night away with Zona 7, grab a photo at the photo booth or select from a range of local beers, wine and gourmet food available for purchase (or bring your own picnic hamper).

The event is free for all to attend, however a table for up to 10 people can be pre-booked for $100, with more information at www.wangaratta.vic. gov.au/Residents/Events/2023-OutdoorBall.

yourstars ARIES

(March 21 to April 19) Guess what, Lamb? You’re about to experience a new perspective on a situation you long regarded quite differently. What you learn could open up more opportunities later.

TAURUS

(April 20 to May 20) The Bold Bovine is tempted to charge into a new venture.

But it might be best to take things one step at a time so that you know just where you are at any given point.

GEMINI

(May 21 to June 20) It’s a good time to go on that fun getaway you’ve been planning. You’ll return refreshed, ready, and, yes, even eager to tackle the new challenge that awaits you.

CANCER

(June 21 to July 22) The Moon Child loves to fantasize about magical happenings in the early part of the week. But the sensible Crab gets down to serious business by week’s end.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) What goes

around comes around for those lucky Leos and Leonas whose acts of generosity could be repaid with opportunities to expand into new and exciting areas of interest.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22)

Your concern about your job responsibilities is commendable. But it’s time for you to take some quiet moments to share with someone who has really missed being with you.

LIBRA

(September 23 to October 22) Aspects favor getting out and meeting new people. And, as a bonus, you might find that some of your newly made friends could offer important business contacts.

SCORPIO

(October 23 to November 21) You might take pride in wanting to do everything yourself. But now’s a good time to ask family members to help with a demanding personal situation.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22

to December 21) Pay more attention to the possibilities that could come with a workplace change. It could show you the way to make that long-sought turn on your career path.

CAPRICORN

(December 22 to January 19) Your need to succeed might overwhelm obligations to your loved ones.

Ease up on that workload and into some welldeserved time with family and friends.

AQUARIUS

(January 20 to February 18) Love rules for amorous Aquarians who can make good use of their ability to communicate feelings. Don’t be surprised if they’re reciprocated in kind.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Fishing for compliments? No doubt, you probably earned them. But it’s best to let others believe they were the ones who uncovered the treasure you really are.

LIGHT AND SOUND: Six piece band Creedence Clearwater Collective captures the unique CCR sound while celebrating all their greatest hits.

Reviving the hits with Creedence Clearwater Collective A BAND which walks through the life and music of one of the world’s most iconic rock acts Creedence Clearwater Revival - will play at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre on Friday, March 31.

Creedence Clearwater Collective celebrates the songs they wrote and sang, the songs they covered and the songs they wrote for others, from their album debut in 1968 to their last album in 1972.

Creedence Clearwater Revival, also known as CCR, was an

American rock band formed in California and originally made up of lead guitarist and primary songwriter John Fogerty, his brother, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford, who had played together since 1959.

CCR’s musical style was known to encompass roots, swamp, blues and country rock; the band often playing in a Southern rock style, with lyrics about bayous, catfish, the Mississippi River and other elements of Southern USA.

The band’s most prolific and successful period was between 1969 and 1971, producing 14 consecutive top 10 singles and five consecutive top 10 albums in the USA, including Cosmo’s Factory in 1970 which reached number one.

Today they are listed in Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Among the many hits they produced in just a short space of time were “Bad Mood Rising”, “Down on the Corner”, “Fortunate Son”, “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”,

“Have You Ever Seen The Rain” and “I Heard It On The Grapevine”, which are all still played and loved by generations today.

The Creedence Clearwater Collective brings to the stage a six-piece band - with a guest saxophonist and a vocalist that emulates John Fogerty’s distinct vocals - to capture the true CCR sound.

See a real-life travelling band and enjoy their hit-packed production when they play on Friday, March 31 at 7.30pm with tickets available at www.wpacc.com.au.

Steinway on Stage Cash and Author to visit with Emma Rayner Carter Wangaratta MUSICIAN Emma Rayner will tribute show Library open this year’s Steinway on Stage,

Karen From Finance in Wangaratta

a series of intimate twilight concerts with the audience gathered around Wangaratta’s magnificent Steinway Grand Piano.

Emma has been seen on the stage at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre playing cello but she is also an accomplished pianist and will play a program of classical music including favourite works

by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and Schubert.

She will also be joined by local pianist Tim Wong to play a favourite piece for cello and piano, The Swan, from The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens.

The performance will take place on Wednesday, February 22 at 6pm and tickets are available at www.wpacc. com.au.

THE hilarious Karen From Finance will bring her one-woman show Doing Time to the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre on Friday, April 21.

A follow up to her awardwinning debut Out of Office, Doing Time follows Karen’s journey after being made redundant from the accounts team at a small pie wholesaler in Geelong and heading to the big smoke, on her way to becoming a real team player in Melbourne.

Karen’s unique approach to character drag and narrative driven story telling sets a precedent in this absurdist new show about self-determination, realisation, and affirmation, with tickets available now at www.wpacc.com.au.

LEAVING Jackson, the Johnny Cash and June Carter show, will visit the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre on Thursday, March 9.

It is a heart-warming and inspiring night of music which tells the life story of the couple played out through some of the greatest songs ever written including Folsom Prison Blues, Jackson, Walk the Line, Ring of Fire and many more.

Tickets are available at www.wpacc.com.au.

AUSTRALIAN musician, music journalist, radio broadcaster and author Joe Matera will visit the Wangaratta Library in March to discuss his new book Backstage Pass: the grit and the glamour.

Joe Matera has played guitar with some of music’s big names and his interviews have appeared in magazines across the globe; the book filled with stories from his life as a music journalist.

Including an acoustic performance, he will visit on Friday, March 3 from 6.30pm until 8pm and entry is free, with tickets available at https:// events.humanitix.com/meetthe-author-joe-matera.

wangarattachronicle.com.au

THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Page 13

KING VALLEY NEWS

Covering Moyhu, Edi, Myrrhee, Whitfield, Cheshunt and Whitlands areas

Myrrhee the place to be for community connection

BY ANITA McPHERSON amcpherson@ nemedia.com.au

VISITORS to the Myrrhee Soldiers Memorial Hall will soon be able to enjoy social gatherings in a little more comfort, with the committee having secured a grant to replace their old furniture.

The committee was successful in its grant application to the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal; the project among 121 in regional locations across Australia to be supported under the Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program.

Committee member Carol Kunert said the group plans to use the $9563 in funds to replace oversized banquet tables it has had for many years with trestle tables, and to purchase some new chairs.

“The tables are very large and probably weigh around 30 kilograms or more, so while they are very sturdy, they are quite cumbersome to set up,” she said.

“They are also so big that when a group sits around them, you can’t talk to the person on the other side of the table.

“Thinking about volunteer safety and setting up and dismantling furniture for events, we really wanted to swap them over for something lighter in weight.”

Carol said smaller tables will also take up less room in the limited storage area they have within the community facility.

She said a large number of older, heavier chairs will also be replaced with a modern, moulded-plastic version, which can be stacked and WANGARATTA Prostate Cancer Support Group will hold its next meeting today at the North Eastern Hotel in Spearing Street from 7pm to 8pm.

Members and prospective members are welcome to come along earlier, at 6pm, for dinner prior to the meeting.

Partners most welcome.

For more information, phone Bill on 0408 552 768, Neil on 0427 214 856 or Frank on 0448 313 506.

WANGARATTA Senior Citizens Club will host bingo today from 1.30pm at its clubrooms in Tara Court, off Ford Street.

The club will also host indoor carpet bowls from 12 noon tomorrow (Thursday), cards (euchre) from 1.30pm on Friday, indoor carpet bowls on Monday from 12 noon, and cards (500) and hoy on Tuesday from 1.30pm, all at its clubrooms in Tara Court or in St Patrick’s supper room.

Next Wednesday’s social gathering will be lunch at the Wangaratta Club from 12 noon.

ELDORADO Senior Citizens Club will hold its next community meal and general meeting tomorrow, February 9, from 12 noon.

The club also hosts indoor carpet bowls each Thursday from 12.45pm, with all activities at the Eldorado Community Hall.

WANGARATTA Board Games Club will hold its next gathering at the Wangaratta Library on Saturday, February 11 from 10am to 12 noon.

Meetings are held on the second

Targa rally to visit Whitfield Saturday THE Targa High Country 2023 car rally will be held this weekend with competitors stopping for lunch at Pizzini Wines in Whitfield during the second leg on Saturday.

With up to 100 cars taking part, organisers advise the Mansfield-Whitfield Road will be closed to traffic on Saturday from 10.30am until 3.50pm.

Whitfield childcare AGM THE Whitfield Community Childcare Centre and pre-school will hold its annual general meeting on Tuesday, February 28 at the Mountain View Hotel in Whitfield.

The meeting will start at 6pm and all interested are welcome to attend, with new committee members warmly invited to join the committed community group.

Anita Laurence in Printed Habitat

WELL FURNISHED: Myrrhee Soldiers Memorial Hall committee member Carol Kunert is looking forward to replacing the hall’s banquet tables and old but sturdy chairs, which are now up for sale, with funds raised supporting the hall.

PHOTO: Anita McPherson stored more efficiently.

“It means we’re going to have a complete matching set of tables and chairs which will look really nice in the hall when it’s set up,” she said.

While the committee is yet to receive the funds, it hopes to have the furniture replaced in time for a masquerade ball being held in May. The community is also looking forward to its annual barbecue which is being held in collaboration with the Myrrhee Recreation Saturday of each month. From this month, the club will also hold a game night at The Centre on the third Wednesday of each month between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

VETERAN and family morning tea is held at the Wangaratta RSL on the second Tuesday of each month, with the next catch-up on Tuesday, February 14 from 10am to 11.30am.

All current and former service personnel and their families are welcome. For further information, phone 0447 217 768.

WASP support group for those bereaved by suicide will hold its next sessions on Thursday, February 22.

The teal group meets from 9.30am to 11am, and the purple group from 7pm to 8.30pm in the community room at the Wangaratta Library.

The groups meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

WANGARATTA Keenagers Table Tennis Club has resumed playing for 2023.

Play begins at 7.30am in the summer, and 8am in the winter. The group plays on Mondays and Thursdays at the table tennis centre at the Wangaratta Showgrounds. New players welcome.

Morning tea provided - please bring your own cup. For more information, contact Trevor Wolfel on 0476 891 596.

WANGARATTA Cake Decorators are recommencing for 2023. The group meets every third Saturday of the month at the Baptist Church in Sisely Avenue from 12.30pm.

The next meeting is on February 18,

Reserve on Sunday, February 19 at 5pm at the reserve ($5 per adult, byo chair, plates and cutlery) and is designed to be a social event for locals where they can meet their neighbours and enjoy each other’s company.

Also on the agenda are coffee and cake mornings to be held on a monthly basis with the first scheduled for Sunday, March 12 at 11am, where a book swap/community library located in a cabinet outside the hall will also be launched.

SOCIAL CALENDAR with Stella Abraham from Melbourne showing members how to make a pink ice protea. Everyone welcome, cost for the day is $15.

Phone Jeanie on 0439 087 630 for more information.

WANGARATTA Concert Band rehearses on Mondays from 6.45pm to 9pm at the Avian Park Raceway Band Room in Newman Street.

New players welcome, contact Helen on 0401 021 448.

GLENROWAN Indoor Carpet Bowls is held at Glenrowan Recreation Reserve Hall each Wednesday - arrive 12.45pm for 1pm start.

The competition runs until 3.30pm4pm, and is followed by afternoon tea. For details, phone Frank on 0409 662 462.

WANGARATTA Sing Australia Group meets each Wednesday from 7.30pm to 9pm at Purbrick Hall, next to Holy Trinity Cathedral.

All welcome - for further information, call Keith Fleet on 0491 114 480, Cheryl Hoysted on 0419 005 062 or Marlene O’Keefe on 0417 454 126.

WANGARATTA Symphony Orchestra meets each Tuesday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at Wangaratta Baptist Church, 1 Sisely Avenue.

New string and wind players are

Carol said it’s all happening in 2023 in Myrrhee, with the committee having launched its tagline “Myrrhee is the place to be” and introducing a range of activities and initiatives this year.

If anyone is interested in purchasing some of the 10 sturdy banquet tables (which are 1800mm in diameter) or some of the 60 plus padded steel chairs, please contact Carol via the Myrrhee Community Facebook page or email kunertcarol@gmail.com. welcome to come along to rehearsals to try out.

For more information, email wangsymphonyorchestra@gmail.com or call Chloe on 0413 775 027.

WANGARATTA Woodworkers Inc meet at the Wangaratta Showgrounds each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9am to 12 noon (closing earlier if no-one is present).

The rooms are open on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 7pm to 8.30pm, and Sundays from 10am to 1pm. All welcome.

For more information, contact Bevan on 0437 196 118 or Les on 0412 250 674.

OSTINATO Wangaratta and District Community Choir meets each Tuesday from 7pm to 9.30pm at the Log Cabin, corner Faithfull and Chisholm Streets, Wangaratta.

New members are welcome to join this enthusiastic and welcoming group of singers. For more information, contact Helen on 0457 269278.

LIFEBALL is expected to resume this month, each Tuesday from 1pm on the basketball court at the Wangaratta Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Lifeball is a non-contact game of netball, designed by a doctor and physio for the safety of mature players, with no running, walking backwards or throwing high balls, but enjoying fun and friendship.

For more information, phone 0418 574 404.

WANGARATTA AL-Anon Family Group meets on Tuesdays from

LOCAL artist Anita Laurence is among the printmakers whose work is featured in the exhibition Printed Habitat which will be officially opened at the Wangaratta Art Gallery on Friday, February 17 from 5.30pm to 7pm.

Printed Habitat presents the recent work of four prominent printmakers - Anita Laurence, Fleur Rendell, Christine Upton and Bärbel Ullrich - with each artist drawing from the built and natural habitats in which they live and work, exploring them through various printmaking processes.

All are welcome to the opening with the exhibition to run until April 16.

1.30pm to 3pm at the backstage meeting room at St Patrick’s Hall in Ford Street.

All welcome. If your life has been affected by someone else’s drinking, this group may be for you.

Contact David on 0403 552 950 or Bev on 0449 516 828.

WANGARATTA Toastmasters conducts its meetings on the second and fourth Monday of each month from 6.45pm in the community room at the Wangaratta Library in Docker Street.

For more information, contact Leah Walker at leahwalka@gmail.com BLOKES Time Out conducts regular gatherings and activities on the third Saturday of the month.

For more information, visit gritandresilience@wangaratta.vic.gov.au CYCLING Without Age Wangaratta offers free tri-shaw rides to the elderly, and to people of any age with disabilities or reduced mobility.

For more information, phone 0418 387 089 or email cwawangaratta@gmail. com TOPS weight supporting group meets at The Centre each Monday from 5pm to 6pm, offering encouragement and great company to support locals in managing their weight.

For more information, phone 0458 374 261.

• TO include your group’s activities in this listing, email the details to skerwin@nemedia.com

Page 14 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

wangarattachronicle.com.au

IN PERSON BY PHONE BY EMAIL 37 Rowan Street, classifieds@ 5723 0101 Wangaratta nemedia.com.au 3677

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Young professional seeking one bedroom unit to rent in Wangaratta from February 25.

Also willing to share two or three bedroom rental.

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Contact Wangaratta Chronicle on (03) 5723 0107.

EMPLOYMENT

TRUCK DRIVERS WANTED

For the 2023 Grape Season.

MUST BE OR HAVE: CURRENT HC LICENCE, OVER 25 YEARS OLD, FORKLIFT LICENCE, EXPERIENCED WITH GENERAL FREIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 8-10 WEEKS WORK, STARTING APPROX MID FEB. Above Award Wages for the right applicants.

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Assistant Vineyard Manager (Permanent Full-Time) Cavedon Wines is a family run vineyard and wine business located in the beautiful King Valley.

We’re focused on producing high quality wine grapes and creating a unique range of King Valley wines. We also undertake a small amount of contract vineyard harvesting and mechanical pruning, around the area.

This position will be a hands on roll working alongside the Vineyard Manager in the day to day operation of the business.

Ideally, we’re looking for someone with strong experience in vineyard activities, combined with the skills to confidently operate modern vineyard machinery.

Previous experience operating a Braud Harvester and Klima pruning machine will be highly regarded. $65K - $85K salary.

We offer: * Attractive remuneration package to the successful applicant, commensurate with experience and commitment * Opportunity to be involved in a diverse range of work tasks and have direct input in the whole process of growing grapes and winemaking. * Flexible working hours where required.

If you have an interest in the position please email resume to hello@cavedonwines.com; or to discuss the role in more detail call Gabe on 0429 862 808.

Full or Permanent Part Time Position Auscamp is a leading provider of residential group accommodation and school camps.

We are looking for reliable people to fill some of the following roles: Nillahcootie and Charnwood Camp Maintenance - Skills with building and grounds would be helpful.

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Please call or text John Lindros on 0425 724 252 for more details.

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EMPLOYMENT

Wangaratta Chronicle Cadet Journalist Career Opportunity Full time 38 hours per week

North East Media, publisher of the award winning Wangaratta Chronicle, is currently seeking expressions of interest from motivated candidates to join the team in Wangaratta as a cadet journalist.

The cadetship is ideally suited for a Year 12 graduate.

It is for three years, including course study by correspondence from Deakin University.

The successful candidate will learn how to write clear, concise and interesting news, sport and feature stories for our newspaper and associated digital and social media platforms.

We are searching for a budding writer who has the skills, passion and determination to be a journalist of the future.

Candidates must have excellent verbal and written English, sound computer skills, solid general knowledge, a genuine interest in the local community, and an ability to build rapport and networks quickly.

You will need to be well organised, able to work to deadlines, and have strong attention to detail.

Candidates must hold a valid driver’s licence, be available to work flexible hours, and photography and social media skills are desirable.

North East Media is a leading independent family-owned media group with a commitment to community journalism.

Applications, including covering letter and resume, should be emailed to Group Editor Jeff Zeuschner at jzeuschner@nemedia.com.au

TRADES AND SERVICES

BIG GARAGE SALE

Saturday February 11 from 8am, 68 CarboorWhorouly Road, just off Snow Road.

Stock and pony club saddles, rotary hoe, lawn mower, 2 door fridge freezer, Weber barbecue, 2 seat lounge, futon and bedding, ext table and 6 chairs, outdoor furniture, garden and power tools, Royal Dalton china, glassware, kitchenware, bric-a-brac.

HUGE garage sale, moving house everything must go.

4pm-8pm Friday February 10, 8am-4pm Saturday February 11.

Clothes, shoes, bags, furniture, household, bric-a-brac and much more. 27 Taylor Street, Wangaratta.

CHECK OUT OUR

NORTH EAST JOBS

NDIS COORDINATOR OF SUPPORTS

FJW Coordination FIONA JANE WARNER If you have funding in your NDIS plan for a Coordinator of Supports, as a fully independent provider, I can offer a service that ensures you have greater choice and control over the supports and services that I ï® v® ÃÈv ¨ à ³À â³Ëƛ * vÛ ­â ³Ü® vÀ ® Ãv ¨ Èâ v® v ¨ È ­ ³ ³Û À ³­ ® ó v¨ v® ï®v® v¨ vÀÀ Àà ó È vÈ * v® ¨ Û v ®³À­v¨ ¨ ƛ * ®¦³â Ã˽½³ÀÈ ® ³È Àà ȳ ³ È Ãv­ Ɯ v® â³Ë vÃ Ü ¨¨ƛ S À à v ¨ ÃÈ ³ v¨¨ È vÀ và * Ü ¨¨ v ¨ ȳ ¨½ â³Ë Ü È ³® ­â Ü Ã È ƛ S À à v À ÀÀv¨ ³À­ ³® ­â Ü Ã È Ɯ as well as a thorough description of everything * v® ¨½ Ü È ® ­â À³¨ ƛ You may also like to give me a call and have a chat or arrange a meeting to talk v ³ËÈ Ü vÈ â³ËƺÀ ¨³³§ ® ³Àƛ

Website: ÈȽÃƝƨƨ ¦Ü ³³À ®vÈ ³®ƛ ³­ƛvËƨÀ ¿Ë ÃÈư ³Àưà ÀÛ ƨ Email: ï³®vǩ ¦Ü ³³À ®vÈ ³®ƛ ³­ƛvË Phone: 0493 590 873 Postal address: Iƛ?ƛ ³á ŭűŬ ` :% L SS _* ůŲųų Service areas: Wangaratta, Benalla, Beechworth, Rutherglen, Myrtleford

in today's Regional Extra for more employment opportunities.

Published every Wednesday in your Wangaratta Chronicle, Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Myrtleford Times and Alpine Observer

GORGEOUS Pedigree red and brown miniature poodle puppies, excellent temperaments, registered breeder, vet CONCRETING - Big checked, vaccinated or small jobs. Paths, and microchipped, driveways, shed slabs, Wangaratta. Source verandahs. 15 years number: RB101993, experience. For a free microchip numbers: q u o t e p h o n e Tr e v 9 9 1 0 0 3 0 0 1 9 5 8 9 6 5 , Anderson on 0422 200 9 9 1 0 0 3 0 0 1 9 5 8 8 7 9 , 991003001958880.

761.

Phone (03) 5727 0595 PAINTER, old school, or 0427 886 653. for all your painting needs. Commercial, CLASSIFIEDS industrial renovations.

Phone Julian 0412 597 482.

5723 0101

WORK!

wangarattachronicle.com.au

THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Page 15

MOTOR VEHICLES

CARAVANS & CAMPERS

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SOLD

$42

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Phone Paul 0402 337 568.

Conditions apply.

Phone: 5723 0101 email: classifieds@nemedia.com.au

JAY C O 2001 A nnive rs a ry mode l pop top, 17ft, twin bed, antenna, annexe, very good condition, registered till Nov 2023, $14,000 negotiable. Ph 0417 267 015.

FARM machinery for sale; heavy duty grader blade, hydraulic angle, new $1500, heavy duty ripper with pipe layer, new $600, heavy duty 20 PI offset discs, trail or PTL $1900, Kubota B6000 with 3ft rotary hoe $3000, Zetor 3545 tractor $3000, Page 5’6” slasher $500. Ph 5764 4332.

GREY Tea20 Ferguson Tractor, 12 volt system, very good, working HARLEY Davidson, condition, $3,000 or 2009 Fat Bob, 38,000km, nearest offer. Ph 0413 comes with spare pipes, 990 400. mirrors,(HY607)$25,000.

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FA R M G AT E S f o r sale, assorted sizes and prices. Ph 0408 265 260.

Thank you Dad for being my Dad. I miss you Dad and love you.

Now free of pain. ~ Your loving daughter Joy. You were special to us Pa. ~ Love you Pa from your granddaughters and great grandson Kelli, Rach and Tyler.

$16,990 Ph 0448 906 203

Sport

SETTLING IN ROWIE Knapton, Jack Haddrick, Billy Pell, Lulu Cokanauto and Jimmy Kerlin (pictured with teacher Rachelle Gambold) eased into their first hour as Appin Park Primary School foundation students yesterday. The youngsters are part of a 25-strong foundation cohort at Appin Park, and are among the many new faces filling classrooms across the Rural City PHOTO: Kurt Hickling of Wangaratta this week, as the 2023 school year has begun.

NEMA gets disaster support cash boost $220,000 state and federal govt grant to educate in multiple languages across the North East THE Northeast Multicultural Association (NEMA) is set to initiate a potentially life saving disaster support program to multicultural communities in the North East, thanks to $220,000 in grant funding.

The grant is funded jointly by the Victorian Government

BY BAILEY ZIMMERMANN bzimmermann@ nemedia.com.au

and Commonwealth Government under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

The aims of the project are to educate, equip and empower the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities in four Local Government Areas (LGAs) Wangaratta, Alpine, Indigo and Mansfield, about emergencies and crisis events.

NEMA president Ian

Prentice said it was vital for communities to be prepared in advance, know what to do during and to understand how to cope after events such as bushfire, floods, storm, earthquake, or any other natural disaster.

“I imagine myself living in a foreign country and if an emergency happened, I

couldn’t speak the language, what would I do? How would I know where to go?” He said.

“I realised we need to do better here for the people who have come from foreign countries to help them prepare and know exactly what to do whether it’s a storm coming, bushfire season, or

anything else predicted.

“We need to help these community members be ready.”

Project manager Faryal Nawaz Khan said the project will focus on providing language specific (translated) materials to the multicultural community.

■ Continued page 2

Burder AgAttachments, a family owned engineering company, seeking enthusiastic people to join our team.

Consider Burder to start or enhance your career.

LOCAL EMPLOYER

AUSTRALIAN MADE

CAREER ORIENTATED

Careers @

Dad. In tears we watched you sinking, we watched you fade away and, though our hearts were breaking, we knew you could not stay. ~ Loving you always Dee.

FUNERALS

The Service to Celebrate the Life of Mr Ralph Nalder will be held in the Mason Park Chapel, 95 Mason Street, Wangaratta on Monday, February 13, 2023 at 2pm.

Burial will follow at the Wangaratta Lawn Cemetery.

Ralph’s service will be available to view via Livestream at www.masonpark.com.au/live-streaming/

Local News.

Anytime, Anywhe ere e, Anyhow w.

Page 4 - THE CHRONICLE, Friday, January

SOCIAL FOCUS

15, 2021 wangarattachronicle.com.au

Charge up your engines

THE CHRONICLE, Friday, January 15,

Wangaratta students compare admirably

MEMBERS of the Northeast Radio Control Car Club gathered at Mitchell Avenue last Saturday to test their vehicles in competition.

New members are always welcome.

For more information contact president Matthew Johnson-Begg on 0467 974 305. f INTO HIS CARS: Gordon Flighty

with his Touring Car. PHOTOS: Kieren Tilly

Beechworth Secondary College had a median study score of 29, but it was its 40+ score that was a standout with 13.7pc reaching the A grade figure.

Benalla P-12 College had a median study score of 26, with zero over 40+, while FCJ College Benalla had a strong median of 30 with 6pc of scores 40+.

Euroa Secondary College’s dux achieved one of the highest scores in the region with a 98.55 ATAR.

2021 - Page 5

after a year like no other

Mansfield Secondary College had a median of 29 with 1.3pc of scores 40+.

Myrtleford P-12 College had a median of 28 with 3.9pc of scores 40+, while Marian College had a median of 28 with zero scores 40+.

Mount Beauty Secondary College had a median of 28, with 2.7pc of scores 40+.

Wodonga Senior Secondary College had a median score of 23, with 1.1pc of scores 40+, while Catholic

College Wodonga had a median of 29, with 3.2pc 40+.

Yarrawonga College P-12 was a median of 28 with 3.3pc of scores 40+.

The top three schools in Victoria were Bialik College in Hawthorn that had a median of 38 with 39.9pc of scores 40+, Mount Scopus Memorial College was next with 38 and 39.7pc, with Ballarat Clarendon College third with 38 and 38.4pc.

For the full results visit vcaa.vic.adu.au.

Wang Repair Café returns

c REVVED UP: Northeast Radio Control Club president Matthew Johnson-Begg works on his machine in the pits.

c HOT WHEELS: Teo Valle (9) from Peechelba raced for the first time in RC Touring Class.

THE Wang Repair Café will hold its next event tomorrow at Apex Park from 8am until 12pm.

The café will have some t-shirt rugs for sale as well as other items, and cash donations as well as donations of unwanted Christmas presents for them to sell would be appreciated, as the volunteer-run organisation seeks assistance to cover its operating costs and ensure its continuation.

Bring items in need of repair to the park tomorrow morning where volunteers will be on hand to help bring them back to life.

c FAST TRUCK: Talon Fullerton (14) from Wangaratta with his racing truck.

A

SIGH OF RELIEF: After a long, tough

BORDER BUBBLE IS NOW IN PLACE Victorian and New South Wales border residents will be able to travel into Victoria by showing their driver’s licence or other formal photo ID, to access the services they need.

Travel delays are expected, so please plan ahead.

PINE poles for sale, 3m $7.50, 2.4m $5, 1.8m $3. Ph 0408 265 260.

wangarattachronicle.com.au

Country stacks up in VCE

A STUDENT’S ability to apply themselves during their schooling is a large ting a slightly better percentpart of how they perform age of 40+ scores at 3.6pc

BY STEVE in VCE, but there are many compared to Cathedral’s KELLY other factors that contribute 3.3pc. their desired outcome such skelly@ nemedia.com.au But while Wangaratta as getting into a university High School had a lesser mecourse of their choice.

Wangaratta’s three sec- dian study score at 26, it was Despite students dealing ondary schools stack up well better than Galen and Cathewith adversity from the pan- when compared to others dral with a 40+ percentage of demic in 2020 and the touted across the region and even 3.9. country-city education divide, several metropolitan counAcross the region Goulthey performed reasonably terparts across the state. burn Valley Grammar School well judging by the VCE study Galen Catholic College in Shepparton scores released by the Victo- and had a median Cathedral College both 35 with 21.6pc achieving rian Curriculum and Assess- achieved a median study 40+, placing ment Authority (VCCA). it 30th best in score of 29 with Galen get- Victoria.

year local graduates Kayla Fisher

(left) and Amy Henderson were celebrating

their university offers yesterday.

PHOTO: Kieren Tilly

Teens look to the future with uni

WANGARATTA High School year 12 graduates Kayla Fisher and Amy Henderson were among hundreds of local students, and tens of thousands around the state, who received their first round university offers yesterday.

The pair are both interested in humanitarian work and development, and were offered their first choice course at their chosen universities.

Kayla, 17, has been offered a

double degree in Arts and Public Policy with a major in third-world development at the Australian National University in Canberra.

“I was happy with my ATAR score even if I thought I could do better but it’s been a tough year,” Kayla said.

“It was difficult not having feedback from classmates because I didn’t know if I was doing okay or needed to improve.

“But, I got there in the end and am

looking forward to the next step.”

Amy, 18, will be doing occupational therapy at Deakin but hopes to branch into humanitarian work in third world countries.

“I had hoped for a higher ATAR but I didn’t need one, I’m pretty happy with how I went,” Amy said.

“Last year I really missed out on having the balance of sport and social aspects of school which really help me get through the study aspect.

offers

“The offer I received was my first choice so I’m really happy with that.

“I’ll jump straight in this year I think because my initial plans to have a gap year and travel aren’t likely now.

“Eventually I want to go into allied health overseas and Kayla and I have always talked about collaborating; she’s more interested in the politics side and I’d do the health side so that could be cool.”

Musicians invited to orchestra meeting MUSICIANS interested in becoming part of a new regional orchestra being formed in Wangaratta will be meeting in the King George V Gardens on Sunday at 2.30pm.

A newly formed committee, involving local violinist Sally Ross, will be in attendance and the group welcomes other potential members to come along, particularly seeking violin and flute players, a percussionist and a conductor.

For more information visit the Wangaratta Arts Council on Facebook or come along to the meeting in the park on Sunday.

Home Care Packages for Wangaratta

W

2 owners, 3.5 litre petrol, automatic transmission, 7 seater, new tyres, registered till March 2023 (ZQP660), 200,000km (highway kms), RWC provided, service history available, inspection welcome

Kelly’s in charge

O

2012 Santa Fe Highlander

tv

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Found peace from pain at last.

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Page 16 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

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SPORT

Harper wins Victorian Production Sedan title

By DEAN THOMPSON

WANGARATTA has a new Victorian Production Sedans champion in Brendan Harper, after his heroic win at the Speedway Sedans Victoria Production Sedan Victorian title on Saturday.

Wangaratta has long been Sedan land when it comes to their dirt track racing and the premier class is Production Sedans, the only national class that is also a club class in the area, with Wangaratta man Chris Lack a former national champion, Howlong racer Jacob Mills a former national champion and Trevor Mills from Corowa twice a national champion in the class.

This year’s Victorian title attracted not only these three drivers but also twotime Australian champion Stephen Laidlaw and a number of New South Wales competitors.

Over the nine heat races, Trevor Mills won the first, with Craig McAlister and Laidlaw the other winners in the first round of three heats.

Laidlaw then doubled up with a win in round two, with Brendan Harper winning as well as NSW driver Jaiden Healey.

In round three Chris Fitzgerald, representing Wangaratta, was a winner as was McAlister and Harper again for their second heat race victories.

For a thirty-lap state title race, McAlister and Laidlaw started from the front spots with Healey, Jacob Mills, Stuey Robinson, Harper, Fitzgerald, Scott Hawkins, Brendan O’Farrell, Chris

n Harper and his TAKE A BOW: Brenda mplete a lap of honour co n da Se Production after the win.

GREEN MACHINE: Brendan Harper took the chequered flag - literally.

Croker, Brett Norman, Wayne Bourke, Jacob Croker, Kenneth Mankey, Jack Bear, Zoey Salau, Felicity Roycroft, Rodney Anderson, Ray Ussher, Tom Barnard and Toby Carmichael making up a 21-car field.

First of the fancied competitors to exit the race was Fitzgerald on lap six while on lap nine Jacob Mills hit the front.

Two laps later Mills was out of the race and McAlister moved back into the lead.

More favourites started to drop out of the race with Laidlaw and then Healey in successive laps 12 and 13 and at lap 15 McAlister led Harper, Hawkins, Robinson, and Norman.

McAlister was the next to exit on lap 24 and Harper took control from there ahead of Hawkins, Robinson, Norman, and Bourke.

When 30 laps finally reached its end Harper took the win by .946 of a second from Hawkins from Leeton,

PHOTOS: Vern Parker Photography

Bourke also from Leeton, Anderson from Albury and Barnard, another local Wangaratta member.

Laidlaw set the fastest one lap of the night in the final with an 18.555 second lap time.

The popular Compact Speedcar open wheel class also held its Victorian title race with 26 nominations with Queenslander Matt O’Neill, after finishing second in the Australian title at Wangaratta, going one bet-

ter as he took the title race victory ahead of Trevor Perry and Michael Conway from the home state.

At the chequered flag O’Neill claimed the win from Perry, Conway, Cecil, and Lostich.

Hunter Carey from Melbourne’s southeast won the Junior Open Sedans whilst Chiltern’s Warrick Howie won the Standard Saloon final.

Carey, who had travelled up from Melbourne numer-

ous times already this season, finally had a flawless night of racing winning all three of the qualifying heats in a tight tussle with Riley Balins from Albury before Carey went on to win the feature event from Balins, Zac Barwise from Colac, Cooper Lack and Toby Parks.

Warrick Howie, a Wangaratta member, also competed in the Standard Saloons a week after his partner Jaimi Barber won the Victorian Ladies Standard Saloon title in Bairnsdale and he doubled up the wins in the household taking the feature race victory against strong competition.

Howie, Wayne Sheerman from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and Bradley Hill from West Gippsland all won heat races on the way into the final before the three had a ding dong battle through the final, swapping places along the way and finishing with Howie the winner from Sheerman, and Hill.

Female football academy launched by AFL NEB AFL North East Border is launching its first female football academy for the 2023 football season.

The program will cater to participants aged 12, 13 and 14 years old in the region, with sessions held during the school holidays throughout the year in Wodonga and Wangaratta.

Academy manager David Wink said the program will help provide a link between community football and established talent pathways.

“The Fernwood Fitness Female Football League has been running since 2016 and has grown from one grade to three, and in that same time Auskick numbers have also boomed” “The current female football talent programs have been successful - at the V/Line Cup last September, the NEB U/15s were named Team of the Tournament.

“We have a lot of talented footballers in our area, and this academy is the next stage in nurturing their development.

“By introducing this program to the girls aged 12-14, it will help better prepare those eligible for the V/Line Cup in in the years to come.”

Wink attributes the meteoric uptake of football in young girls to the expansion of the AFLW competition.

“The expansion of the AFLW has given girls that dream to shoot for, that the guys have had for many years,” he said.

“I think the girls are seeing that now, they’re seeing that opportunity and that pathway there, they just absolutely love it.

“The girls that are involved with footy clubs, they want to be there, they enjoy it, they’re really enthusiastic and really

enjoy being around that team environment.

“I think that goal of AFLW has really opened up over the last five to six years, it’s really given the girls something to strive for.

“They’ve really knuckled down and gotten keen on their footy, and got some idols they look up to in Daisy Pearce and Tayla Harris, the ladies who have led the way in the AFLW. “There’s no reason that girls in the area shouldn’t be striving to do that themselves.”

Wink said he hoped to bring a number of guest speakers from the ALFW along to academy sessions, but nothing had been set in stone yet.

To register for the program please visit the AFL Northeast Border Facebook page where a registration link is available or for further information, contact David Wink via email at David.wink@afl.com.au.

RIGHT PATHWAYS: The new AFL NEB female football academy will pave the way for the next generation of players, like Rovers’ Lily Gibb and Lucy Kiely, to go as far as they can in the sport.

wangarattachronicle.com.au

THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Page 17

SPORT

Grass court warriors warm up for Country Week

By DAVID GODKIN

OUT IN FORCE: Wangaratta lawn members at Benalla were (from left) Geoff Davidson, Mike and Amy Lairson, Michael Falkenburg and Sue Piper.

PHOTO: David Godkin

Seniors hit the lawn courts with relish

By DAVID GODKIN

COUNTRY week was very much in the conversations between players at Benalla on Sunday for the latest round of North East seniors tennis.

Players came from Bendigo, Euroa, Melbourne, Wangaratta and Yarrawonga in possibly the largest turn-out of senior players this season.

A combination of good weather

and calendar timing meant 48 players registered to play.

Benalla co-ordinator Wendy Maxwell was also pleased that there was a strong women’s field.

Wangaratta Lawn Tennis Club had many players entered but John Brunner and Mike Lairson were the only ones to taste victory, although Michael Flakenburg did manage a win in the raffle.

On a sad note, news came through in conversation from the

Bendigo players of the passing of one of their veteran stalwarts, Gordon McKenzie.

Gordon was one of the early organisers of the Veterans Tennis in NE and central Victoria.

Like another veterans tennis architect, the late Bill Traill from Wodonga, Gordon would regularly organise carloads from Bendigo to come to veterans days in Wangaratta and other locations.

Gordon was a real character and

loved his tennis.

He only retired from playing about seven years ago well into his 80s.

He would visit Wangaratta bringing his caravan and stay for a few days and do walks in the nearby mountains and hills.

This is an important aspect of tennis touring.

Players will stay on or make return visits at another time.

Vale Gordon and thanks.

Junior tennis hits off the dew at Merriwa Park EVERY Saturday morning before the aggregate competition at the Wangaratta lawn Tennis Courts begin, there is an army of budding tennis players developing their craft on the fabulous Merriwa Park courts.

PHOTOS: Kurt Hickling

Imogen Gray and Zoe Thompson.

Amelia Unwin.

Claire Hamilton.

Ben Hogan.

Jack Weir.

Jay Canning.

Phoebe Read.

THE Country Week tournament in Yarrawonga is looming so many players were keen to get as much grass court tennis before that as they can.

Wangaratta Lawn Tennis Club aggregate competition had 36 players at Merriwa Park on Saturday Matt Allen recovered from his singles wounds at the recent Wangaratta tournament to win section 1 with two games clear of Phil Peck, followed by Barry Sullivan, Mark Wettern and Joe Allen bringing up the rear.

Kev Callihan is showing good form for Country Week with an emphatic four sets win in section 2.

His closest rivals were the runners up in the veterans section of last weekend’s tournament Matt Curran and Mark Brown both on the same score.

Brian Scobie, however, was left in their wake.

In section 3 Frank Harris must have been inspired by the great tennis he co-ordinated at last week’s tournament as he also won four sets setting himself up for a great Country Week.

Mike Lairson was closest followed by Tim Oliver, Maree Sullivan and Julian Taylor.

Michael Falkenburg took out section 4 on ladder position with an equal score with his younger opponent Ben Kneebone who also was looking to get some grass tennis in before Country Week.

They left Greg Renner and Mark Gorman to “eat their dust”.

Another four set winner was the enigmatic Peter Curran in section 5 who held out Andrew Cope, who was duly followed by the veterans Pat Flynn, Phil Dryden and Geoff Allen.

Allan Busk and Lance Crockett had a good work out for country week in section 6 with Russell Canning and Tom Gerrish.

Noel Boyd missed winning four sets in section 7 and was just able to hold out the talented Beth Cope by one game.

Close behind them was Max McCauliffe and Amy Lairson.

The oldest player of the previous weekend’s tournament Mick Keogh (who was very pleased to have made the final of the mixed D grade with Kate Geard) deferred to Geoff Davidson on games lost in section 8.

They were followed by John Shanley and rising players Chloe Liddell and Nate Bevacqua.

Page 18 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

wangarattachronicle.com.au

SPORT

WAIT ON: Frazer Ellis toughed it out for the Magpies with the bat, making a crucial 27 runs to help steady the innings.

CHAMPIONS: The Wangaratta Magpies took out the Rod Newton Shield at the A grade One Day final on Sunday, winning by 37 runs over Rovers United Bruck. From back (L-R): Pranav Menon, Nick Pell, Matthew Gathercole, Thomas Clayton, Nic Bonwick, Zac Guilfoyle. Front row: Jarryd Wallace, Jack Davies, Cooper Matheson, Ryan Malcolm, Frazer Dent, Fraser Ellis.

PHOTOS: Janet Watt

CELEBRATIONS: The Magpies were jumping for joy late Sunday afternoon as they edged closer to victory with each wicket.

‘Pies’ sweet revenge

THE Wangaratta Magpies claimed redemption on Sunday taking out the Rod Newton Shield by 37 runs over Rovers United Bruck (RUB) at Norm Minns Oval.

The Magpies evened the ledger after last year’s heartbreaking one wicket loss in the A grade One Day final to put their names on the shield for just the second time in its history, and the club’s first silverware in 15 years.

Magpies captain Jack Davies said the drought breaking win was reward for the tireless efforts put in by many members of the club over the last few years.

“It was great to see everyone stand up, it wasn’t just the one man performance,”

Magpies gp flip p last yyear’s script p to become One Dayy champions p

BY BAILEY ZIMMERMANN bzimmermann@ nemedia.com.au

he said.

The Magpies won the toss and decided to bat, but made a shaky start to find themselves at 4/58 at drinks after losing a flurry of wickets just before the break.

But the rebuild began through Fraser Ellis and Ryan Malcolm who put on a gritty 61 run partnership to help resurrect the innings and put together a defendable 8/143 by innings end.

Despite both batsmen coming off golden ducks just

the day earlier in their twoday fixture, Davies said he was confident in his team’s ability to bounce back.

“We spoke the day before just to back everyone in, you might have missed out today [Saturday] but tomorrow might be your chance,” he said.

“Being four down at drinks wasn’t ideal, but we knew if we could push to 150 we would be able to have a red hot crack at defending it.”

The Hawks made their intentions clear in the early overs of the run chase and tried to make an aggressive start against opening bowlers Matt Gathercole and Pranav Menon.

But the consistent loss of wickets, including top run scorer Koot Pienaar for just three, had RUB reeling; and when Menon ended the innings of Lucky Shantha with a direct hit at the non-striker’s end to send the Magpies into a frenzy, the Hawks were in all sorts of trouble at 6/45.

Captain Paddy McNamara (17) and Brady Bartlett (19*) battled hard with the bat, but RUB eventually ran out of steam and wickets in hand in the second half of the innings to finish on 9/106 at the end of their 40 overs.

Davies said the energy and intent in wanting the ball in the field was excel-

lent throughout the whole innings.

“For us it’s something we pride ourselves on and definitely work on, we missed a few half chances,” he said.

“But that run-out [by Menon] just lifted us; you could see in the celebration it was very exciting.”

Menon, Gathercole and young Tom Clayton shared two wickets each while Ellis added a wicket to his knock of 27 runs as standout performers.

But it was Malcolm who won man of the match honours for his top score of 34 off 60 balls.

The focus now shifts to the two-day format, where

both RUB and the Magpies sit in the top two and remain eager to repeat their grand final appearances.

Davies said maintaining consistency with bat and ball throughout the remainder of the season will be the key to the Magpies clean sweep of the season.

“We obviously want to win both and that’s our goal for the season, to have a crack at the big one at the end of the year,” he said.

Celebrations went well into Sunday night after the win, with Davies naming keeper Cooper Matheson as the standout in the off field stakes.

“I’m not sure he would have made it into work Monday morning,” he said.

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THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Page 19

SPORT

AFL under 18 under new brand AUTRALIA’S premier underage football pathway competition for boys and girls in the eastern states has a new naming rights partner and a new name, with Australia’s leading equipment hire and solutions provider Coates coming on board to support the Coates Talent League from 2023.

Formerly the NAB League, the Coates Talent League features 12 boys and girls programs from Victoria and one from Tasmania for the full season, while academy programs from New South Wales (GWS Giants and Sydney Swans), Queensland

(Gold Coast Sunsand Brisbane Lions) and Northern Territory (NT State Academy) will continue to compete for part of the season.

The 2023 Coates Talent League season commences on March 18 for the girls, a later start than this year when the girls’ season ran from January-April to closely align to NAB AFLW season six, while the boys will start on March 25.

The 2023 Coates Talent League Grand Finals for girls and boys will be played on the same weekend of September 23/24.

Full season fixtures will be

released soon and will include competition recess periods to allow boys and girls to play community, school and representative football throughout the season.

In 2022, 37 of the 59 players picked in the NAB AFL Draft were selected directly from what is now the Coates Talent League Boys, while of the

83 players selected in the latest NAB AFLW Draft, 41 were directly from Coates Talent League Girls programs, showing how important the competition continues to be in the pathway that produces the future stars of the elite game.

NAB has been a proud partner of the AFL since 2002 and will continue to be a major supporter of the game as premier partner of the NAB AFLW competition and NAB AFL Auskick.

The Coates Talent League started in 1992 as the Victorian State Football League (VSFL) before becoming the TAC Cup from 1993-2018.

The girls competition started in 2017. Over the years the competition has produced more AFL and AFLW players than any other league and is also an important development program for emerging coaches, umpires, administrators and support staff.

Coates Talent League teams comprise mostly players from the under 18 age group with a selection of under 19 players also listed. ‘Futures’ matches, which take place throughout the year between Coates Talent League programs in Victoria, involve under 16 and under 17 players.

In a boost for the regional

pathway programs in Victoria and Tasmania, each program now has a dedicated full-time Coates Talent League Girls coach and a dedicated fulltime Coates Talent League Boys coach in 2023.

Additional resources will also benefit community football, with Coates Talent League coaches to work closely with AFL Victoria on providing support for community clubs and coaches.

This aims to strengthen the connection between the talent pathways system and local clubs while also providing development opportunities for coaches at community level.

Levelling the playing field for community sport clubs COMMUNITY sport clubs across Victoria are being supported to increase participation for women and girls with grants from the State Government.

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence opened applications for the 2022-23 round of the Change Our Game Community Activation Grants Program.

The Labor Government program backs clubs to deliver events and initiatives that promote gender equality.

Grants of up to $10,000 are available to eligible clubs and community groups across Vic-

toria to help them create more opportunities for women and girls at the grassroots level.

Now in its sixth year, the program has already funded activations and events at more than 350 organisations across the state.

One such initiative was with Birchip-Watchem Netball Club, a club that prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming organisation embracing members of all abilities, nationalities and sexual orientations.

The club used its grant to host an umpire and coaching

session to help boost participation in netball and reward its dedicated and hard-working volunteer workforce.

Together with the Fair Access Policy Roadmap, launched by the Government in August 2022, the program provides a great opportunity for clubs and organisations to expand equitable access and use of community sports infrastructure.

Go to changeourgame.vic. gov.au for more information on the 2022-23 Change Our Game Community Activation Grants Program.

2023 JUNIOR TRIALS

COME ON AUSSIE: WDCA is holding ‘come and play’ nights for female cricketers aged 12 and above for the next three Wednesday evenings at the Wangaratta High School oval beginning tonight.

Female cricketers come and play nights THE WDCA is holding ‘come and play’ nights for female cricketers aged 12 and above for the next three Wednesday evenings at the Wangaratta High School oval beginning tonight.

The sessions will include skills training as well as matchplay and will run from 5.30pm onwards on February 8, 15 and 22 in the lead-up to a female cricket carnival on Sunday, February 26.

Organiser Andrea Belci said there was expected to

be a mixture of beginners and experienced players in attendance.

“We’ve been running some Sunday competitions which have received a pretty good response and we decided to run some midweek to give more players and potential players an opportunity from Wangaratta and surrounds,” Belci said.

“We will start with a few skill drills and then get into playing some games.”

Former WA state player

and current Beechworth Cricket Club coach Kate Burns will be taking the sessions.

“We’re aiming at the end of the three weeks to have an all-in, allage group carnival on February 26,” Belci said.

“It will be open to anyone from around the North East to come and play in a mini-carnival to celebrate women playing cricket.”

For more information contact Andrea Belci on 0429 917 218.

GIRLS: U12’s to U17’s BOYS: U12’s to U16’s Try-outs are on: 7th, 9th, 14th & 16th of February from 5:15-6:15pm Players must attend to be selected in squads!

This is for players selected in squads for the AWFA Sunday League (Not MiniRoos)

www.wangarattacityfc.com.au or at www.playfootball.com.au Enquiries: registrar@wangarattacityfc.com.au **COVID RULES APPLY TO ALL WCFC PROGRAMS**

Page 20 - THE CHRONICLE, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

wangarattachronicle.com.au

Harper claims Victorian sedan title

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Page 16

SWOOPING IN COOPER Matheson dives down leg side to take the wicket of Rovers United Bruck captain Paddy McNamara off the bowling of Fraser Ellis as the Magpies made their way to a 37 run win to claim the Rod Newton Shield on Sunday’s One Day Grand Final.

Match report, photos: Page 18.

PHOTO: Janet Watt

Flown the nest WANGARATTA Rovers’ consistent talent Raven Jolliffe will leave WJ Findlay Oval ahead of season 2023 to join Hume League premiers Holbrook.

After four years and 47 games in the gold and brown, the 2022 Bob Rose Medallist will ply his trade closer to his home and family.

Rovers football operations manager Barry

BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au

Sullivan said it was a massive loss for the team but it was the right move for Jolliffe.

“We’ve known that Raven was a bit unsure as to what he wanted to do in season 2023 for a long time, we just

Raven JJolliffe R lliff tto lleave R Rovers ffor H Holbrook lb k

wanted to give him time to look at what was right for him,” he said.

“He lives up that way and he just had a newborn, and the travel and commitment to get to training and maintain the standard of Ovens and Murray level was going to be a little bit too challenging for him.

“He’s played with us

for four years and been a really great team man - his contribution at club level was fantastic, especially on field.

“We’ll definitely miss him.”

Jolliffe has been a constant of the Rovers outfit since joining in 2019 from Wodonga Raiders, and flourished in the 2022 season, named among the

best in 13 of 20 matches.

Sullivan said the loss would be felt, but he was confident the young talent rising through the ranks could fill a similar role.

“He certainly was an important player for us, but we’re very confident that we’ve got some great young talent coming through and they’ll be able to step into

the breach,” he said.

“We’ve lost a few, and we’ve gained a few, and I think overall we haven’t gone backwards.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what the season presents.”

The Rovers have recruited well in the off-season, signing talented players such as Will Christie, Daniel Hughes, Lockey McCartney and Tom ‘Prime Train’ Baulch.

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