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Voice Ocean Grove
IVAN LEE OAM, PAGE 2
February 1 - 14, 2017
OCEAN GROVE’S NUMBER ONE NEWSPAPER
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High-flying celebrations
Six-year-old Ruby from Barwon Heads had fun with the Lions Club kites at Ocean Grove Main beach on Australia Day. 164221
Ocean Grovers awoke to a chilly morning on Australia Day, but were not daunted and celebrated in style. Down at the main beach the Ocean Grove Barwon Heads Lions Club continued a decadelong tradition of kite making. Rotary members were busy making kites from 9am and reported a brisk trade with provisions for 120 kites. It’s been a popular part of Australia Day in the Grove for years. Children helped make the kites and then made the short walk down to the beach to fly them.
Ocean Grove Barwon Heads Lions Club members Lloyd Smith and Grant Hull get busy making the kites. 164221
Evie, 4, runs after a kite. 164221
One sweet summer By Justin Flynn OCEAN Grove businesses have reported that the annual holiday trade has at least been equal to last summer. Ocean Grove Business Association president Ty Simons said traders were happy overall with the summer season. “From what I’ve heard it’s been
pretty good,” he said. “Some have reported really good numbers and some have been about the same as last year.” Ocean Grove’s population swells from 10,000 to four times that amount during the summer season, which unofficially lasts from Boxing Day to when school goes back.
Holidaymakers flood the town and spend their money at local shops and cafes. “Across the board it’s been pretty good in Ocean Grove,” Mr Simons said. “From what I hear Barwon Heads has been a little bit slower than normal and that could be put down to the new
roundabouts and the traffic conditions.” New roundabouts were constructed in the town, which has had residents and holidaymakers angry at the bottleneck of traffic that has built up coming to town from both sides of the river. “People escape Melbourne to get away from traffic,” Mr Simons said. Mr Simons said the reasonable sum-
mer weather had helped local traders. “It’s been ideal weather for all of us,” he said. “It hasn’t been too hot and not too cold. We’ve had a few days where it’s rained, but that usually brings people indoors. The first two weeks were about as busy as last year, but since then it’s dropped off a little bit.”
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