Geelong
Connecting people and communities
Friday, 2 May, 2014
COACHES SCHOOLED INDY SPORT
Phone: 5249 6700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
BUCKETS & BOUQUETS PAGE 9
SHORT CUTZ TO FAME IN FILM PAGE 5 Basketball legend inspires cancer fund-raiser Deadline set By NOEL MURPHY TEENAGER Sarah Rainbow is gearing up for this weekend’s Bounce for a Cure – a basketball marathon inspired by her ailing grandfather and Geelong legend of the sport Ron Dawson. The event, at Newtown’s YMCA basketball stadium, will raise money for brain cancer research. Mr Dawson, battling the illness, has been a stalwart of the ‘Y’ for more than 50 years as a player, administrator and coach. He was also instrumental in establishing Geelong Supercats in the late 1970s and in its elevation to the NBL. Even while seriously ill he’s still organising fund-raisers and events, including a roast for YMCA president Craig Herbert a fortnight ago. “Ron’s been fantastic,” Mr Herbert said. “He hopes to be at the bounce. I might see if I can get him working on the barbecue.” Mr Dawson’s basketball work has benefitted innumerable young players over two generations. “He’s in his seventies now and would have been involved for 55 or 60 years. He’s a life member of the YMCA for his involvement over that period,” Mr Herbert said. “We have an award, basketballer of year, that’s been going for years – he’s won that five times.” Mr Herbert said Mr Dawson had coached Sarah’s team right up until he fell ill. “One of the very good things of the YMCA club is its great history and Ron’s managed keep everyone involved. He’s been instrumental in all sort of functions, the team of the century and reunions. “Not too many people are irreplaceable but he’s one.” More information on the fund -raiser is available at facebook. com/bounceforacure.
Call for ‘action’ on city By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
NET RESULT: Sarah Rainbow practices for this weekend’s Bounce for a Cure, from 11am to 3pm Sunday at Newtown YMCA, to raise money for reasearch into brain cancer, which has affected her grandfather, Ron Dawson, pictured in Main picture: REG RYAN the inset. 119350
GEELONG’S council has been set a deadline to revitalise the city centre. Federal Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson said council had six to 12 months. “I think council has a very limited time to make its mark in this respect,” Ms Henderson said. “If it can’t do so in the next six to 12 months, I think we need to find another way to continue the transformation of our city. Clearly the transformation has not happened quickly enough. “Let’s clean up the buildings, develop the student housing and high-density living we’ve been talking about for more than 20 years. “There is some sense of despair when we do look at what has happened to our city ... the rundown facades and empty shops.” Ms Henderson said making the city more “liveable” was one of the region’s biggest challenges. “We have to create a city where people want to live. Businesses that want to move here and set up operations are looking for their employees
and their families to live in a wonderful, liveable city.” Cr Michelle Heagney, who holds a central Geelong porfolio, said councils pending budget would allocate $8 million to the Vision II revitalisation project. “Until you have got budget allocated you can’t do much but with this budget allocation we are going to hit the ground running on 1 July,” she said. Cr Heagney blamed previous councils for the lack of action. “The previous council didn’t embrace it. The previous mayor didn’t drive it and council didn’t drive it.” Mayor Darryn Lyons this week announced the start of work on a 193-apartment development on a former St Mary’s Primary School site at the corner of Myers and Bellarine streets. The $65 million development includes a mix of private and social housing and community facilities. The project would be a “major boost” for the city’s revitalisation, Cr Lyons said. “Our plan is to more than double the number of people living in our city’s centre by 2028, to go from 4200 people to 10,000.”
HARVEY NORMAN WAURN PONDS 10TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION – SEE BACK PAGE
Your KEY to EXPERT LOCAL CAR SERVICE
CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE QUOTE AUTO CARE OCEAN GROVE
1132516-CG19-14
TRUST, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
HIGHTON AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE
5255 1045
5243 2169
50 Grubb Rd Ocean Grove
96 Barrabool Road Highton
www.repcoservice.com
1059479-JL4-13