Reflections on the past

With only one sleep until Christmas, Santa has been giving his reindeer a rest in readiness for a big night tonight.

Instead, he turned to a more conventional form of transport and was driving buses around Echuca last week.

The Riv caught up with Santa briefly last week as he stepped into the driver’s seat of one of Echuca-Moama Transit’s buses.

When asked why he was not driving his sleigh around Echuca, Santa replied his reindeer were having a rest, however he needed to get out and see a few kids before then so was using the bus.

Santa also told The Riv everything was ready for his big trip in his sleigh tonight, with the elves doing final preparations last week.

Anyone wanting their photo taken with the bus-driving Santa can do so if you can spot him on a local bus, but it will cost you a gold coin donation, with all money raised going to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.

RESTAURANT CHAINS RULE OUT MOAMA

Fast-food junkies might be disappointed to learn two popular convenience restaurants have ruled themselves out of opening at a site in Moama.

Spokespeople for Hungry Jack’s and Nando’s have confirmed they would not open restaurants at the Meninya St site, where Murray Shire gave approval for a convenience restaurant earlier this month.

Last month, McDonald’s withdrew its application to build a restaurant at the site.

However, the site’s landowner, Pigatto Superannuation, said it was in discussions with other convenience restaurants to open.

An online poll conducted by The Riv showed more than half of the 87 respondents wanted to see a Hungry Jack’s open at the site.

Coming in second was Grill’d with 11 per cent of the votes, while third place was tied between Nando’s and Red Rooster with nine per cent.

Eight per cent chose ‘other’, indicating they would prefer to see a different restaurant.

Two per cent indicated they would still have preferred McDonald’s.

FRUIT FLY SIGHTINGS REPORTED IN REGION

A Department of Primary Industries expert believes fruit fly in the region is not out of the ordinary.

Echuca-Moama residents growing fruit have contacted The Riv, concerned about fruit fly wiping out their fruit.

DPI acting director and plant biosecurity manager Stuart Holland said fruit fly was a common sight for residents in the region, particularly after floods in recent years.

‘‘People should not panic. The best thing people can do is take advice from the DPI website,’’ he said.

Mr Holland said the best way people could stop the spread of fruit fly was to put suspect fruit in a plastic bag, tie it up and leave it in the sun.

‘Quite often people can leave fruit in compost, which can help to spread fruit flies,’’ he said.

Mr Holland said while fruit fly was prevalent in people’s backyards, the problem was not as significant in commercial operations, such as orchards.

‘‘There tends to be quite a lot more pesticide use in commercial operations which helps to control fruit flies in the area,’’ he said.

FUN FACT: The first trophy of the inaugural Goulburn Murray Cricket season has gone to Fire Brigade after it defeated Stanhope in the final of the Twenty20 competition at Rochester on Saturday. The Flames always looked in control of the contest after a strong showing with the bat, making 8-151, before early wickets and constant pressure kept the opposition to 138 in its reply to win by 13 runs.

25 YEARS AGO

MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1997

MARATHON REACHES PICNIC POINT

Mars Murray River Marathon paddlers made their way to Picnic Point, near Mathoura, yesterday after the second stage of the annual event from Yarrawonga to Swan Hill.

Paddlers came from around the world for the 404km event, with a team from Samoa paddling a “palagi paopao”, or Whiteman canoe.

Meanwhile, a group of surfies from Long Reef are rowing a surf boat the whole distance.

One woman is attempting to complete the gruelling journey backwards, rowing her way down the river.

Member of last year’s Echuca Workers and Sports Club Murray Marathon C4 team, high kneeler Bill Dunn, also paddled in his traditional style across the Picnic Point finish line in his 26th consecutive Murray Marathon yesterday.

Echuca’s Cameron McMullen and his Flora Foods team is two minutes and 46 seconds ahead of Baker-Mitsubishi overall, in the Mars Cup for TK1 relay teams.

VISITORS POUR IN

High water levels in the Murray River helped draw weekend crowds to Echuca-Moama.

The increased activity on the local stretch of the Murray could be attributed to water storage shortages at boating hotspots around the state.

Reports tabled in last week’s Weekly Times newspaper show levels at lakes Eildon, Eppalock, Nillahcootie and the Hume Dam were all less than 50 per cent capacity.

Safeway Echuca store manager Peter Carver said yesterday the post-Christmas trading season had got off to an optimistic start.

LANCASTER TAKES OUT WHEELRACE

More than 500 competitors and spectators lined the Moama Velodrome on Boxing Day either to participate or to watch some thrilling competition.

World junior champion Brett Lancaster of Shepparton took out the main event, the George Hussey Memorial Wheelrace.

Lancaster capped off a controlled ride with a strong finish from the improving David Pell of Bendigo and Jeff Hopkins.

However, Hopkins turned the tables in the 8km championship for under-19s, taking the win from Pell and Lancaster with a blistering turn of speed in the last lap that left everyone in his wake.

Karen Barrow, who has previously won the Bendigo to Echuca road race, performed well on Boxing Day to dominate the elite women’s events.

FUN FACT: A 750ml bottle of Piper Heidsieck Cuvee Brut champagne could have been yours for $28.99 at Safeway Liquor.

50 YEARS AGO

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1972

CARNIVAL TAKINGS REDUCED BY RAIN

Officials of the Echuca and District Athletics Association are hopeful there will be no financial loss on the 61st annual Boxing Day Carnival held on Tuesday despite a big drop in gate takings for the night program because of afternoon showers of rain.

The rain started shortly before the heats of the Echuca Gift were to commence at 3pm and fell intermittently for the remainder of the afternoon.

Officials of the association decided the track was unsafe for cycling and five events were postponed until the evening program, but all scheduled pedestrian events were held during the afternoon.

It was planned to commence the evening program early by staging the five postponed cycling events but a further fall of rain about 6pm again wet the cycling track.

The weather conditions then improved and cyclists helped dry the track with a long practice session, but there was still a late start to the evening program and although time was made up during the night, the final event was not started until about midnight.

Officials of the club were more than happy with the afternoon gate takings of $990, but were then disappointed the takings for the night program reached only $481.

The overall total of $1471 was well below last year’s figure of $2248, but the association’s secretary, Mr George Hussey, said yesterday there was every possibility that the association would “at least break even” on the carnival.

Feature event of the pedestrian program, the Echuca Gift, was won by 34-year-old Mulgrave runner Neil Beachley, who started an odds-on favourite in the final and won well from his nine metres mark.

FAREWELL AT WESLEY HALL

A big crowd filled Wesley Hall last week for the farewell to Reverend R.N and Mrs Bowen and Mr and Mrs Bruce Lohrey.

Mr and Mrs Bowen, who have worked at the Echuca Methodist Church for five years, left this week to take up a new service at Leongatha.

Early in the new year, Mr and Mrs Bruce Lohrey, who have both been keen workers at the church, will go to Stanhope.

Mr Lohrey has been teaching at the Echuca Village School.

NO HOLIDAY FOR POLICE

Police were busy in Echuca during the Christmas period, attending numerous car accidents and making a total of 16 arrests.

Although there were many accidents, most were of a minor nature and only a few injuries were reported.

Most serious of the accidents happened on Friday at about 10.30pm when two cars collided four miles south of Echuca on the Northern Highway.

FUN FACT: A big Elvis double was showing at the Paramount Theatre with Love In Las Vegas followed by Double Trouble.