Reflections on the past

The informal ceremony took place in the school grounds with the pupils and teachers working together to plant 120 trees.

Holes for the trees had been dug earlier in the day.

Pupils and teachers placed the trees in the holes and filled in the soil.

SISTERS FOR “NEW FACES”

Two Echuca sisters have been invited to appear on the television show New Faces.

They are Gayle and Karen Harris, of Collier St, Echuca.

Gayle, 17, and Karen, 15, received the invitation following an appearance on a Melbourne radio station’s talent show on Sunday.

The girls, who sing and play the guitar, were taped at a special concert at Bendigo on Thursday night.

Both girls are members of a local group “Karisma”, which will perform at the Pastoral Hotel in Echuca on Easter Saturday night.

TRAINER, JOCKEYS SCORED DOUBLES

Bendigo trainer Bryden Mills and two jockeys in Murray McPhie and Terry Fenech shared the honours at the Moama Jockey Club’s Autumn meeting on Saturday.

Mills and McPhie repeated a performance they achieved at the club’s St Patrick’s Day meeting on March 17 when they were associated with the winners of the first two events on Saturday.

Dolago won the opener before Grey Heir proved too strong for the favourite Lata by a half-neck.

Fenech achieved his double when he rode Bid Up, a 5/4 favourite, and Deltax, favourite at 7/4 on in the Moama Handicap, to victory.

FUN FACT: How about these bargains at Whites Supa-Valu at 578 High St, Echuca — 19c for a can of PMU tinned baked beans, 23c for Kraft Processed Cheddar Cheese, 20c for two pounds of self-raising flour and 15c for a block of Small’s Milk Chocolate.

25 YEARS AGO

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 1998

DROUGHT HITS HARD

District farms face bankruptcy fears as the worst drought in 50 years persists.

The grave prediction came from Campaspe Shire councillor Neil Repacholi in Echuca last Thursday.

Cr Repacholi said a third of shire properties would suffer severe financial stress without drought relief funds from the state government.

Cr Repacholi requested the shire be flagged a drought-affected area in a bid to lobby the government for aid.

TIP PASSES INSPECTION

Moama’s almost completed tip passed an inspection by the Murray Shire councillors on Wednesday.

Environmental Services director Barry McMillan said the tip would be open in the near future.

“We are currently negotiating with the contractor, Ellwaste, so I would say it would be within two to three weeks,” he said.

Ellwaste would be responsible for the running of the tip and the kerbside collection, he said.

The new facility will take waste from the whole Murray Shire with existing tips at Mathoura and Bunnaloo closed.

STRONG SECOND-HALF

For the second week running Echuca has put in a strong second-half performance to record a good victory over Lemnos on Saturday.

In front of a big holiday crowd, the Murray Bombers drew away in the third quarter after an even first-half, to set up a winning break.

Echuca 18.19 (127) defeated Lemnos 13.11 (89).

When key defender Mark Heritage was a late withdrawal with a leg injury, Haydn O’Neale was promoted.

O’Neale grasped the opportunity to put in a sterling display in the back pocket.

The pacy O’Neale has been troubled with injuries in recent seasons, but showed on Saturday that if he can remain injury free, he could hold down a permanent senior berth.

FUN FACT: Unlike the cool conditions this Easter, the Easter period in 1998 was warm with temperatures of 28, 29 and 31 throughout the district.

10 YEARS AGO

MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2013

GROWING PAINS

Echuca's obese face a waiting list of up to “several months” to see a dietitian at Echuca hospital.

Obesity, without any other health complications, falls into a low triage category which the hospital says may involve a wait of months, but could not be more specific.

Despite this, Echuca Regional Health director of primary care Merrin Prictor said the hospital was meeting all its waiting list targets.

Statistics show obesity is increasing in Campaspe Shire.

The most recent community profile, completed by Campaspe Primary Care Partnership in January, showed 21.5 per cent of males and 16.7 per cent of females in Campaspe Shire were obese.

The statistics were taken from the 2008 Victorian Health Population Survey.

Data from the 2004-05 National Health Survey placed the number of obese males in Campaspe Shire at 20.3 per cent and females at 16.35 per cent.

Ms Prictor said clients were regularly contacted to ensure their condition had not changed and if they still wished to be seen.

WORTHY WATER DEBATE

Councillors on both sides of the river believe the time is right for a debate on the worth of jet skis and wakeboats on the Murray River.

Murray Shire Mayor and Murray River Users Group chairman Tom Weyrich believes segregating jet skis and wakeboats from passive river users was a good idea.

Member for Murray Sharman Stone told The Riv last week she wanted the vessels banned from the Murray River.

Dr Stone said the move would attract more tourists to the region, but Cr Weyrich believed the move would lose as many visitors as it gained.

‘‘Sharman believes there would be three times as many tourists without these boats,’’ he said.

‘‘I am not so sure. It would be bad for tourism in the short term, but overall it would be a good move.”

HOODOO BROKEN

A hoodoo was broken and a league took notice when Echuca United beat Mulwala by 26 points at Lonsdale Reserve on Saturday.

The Eagles remain undefeated after three matches in the Murray Football League.

It was the first time United had won at the Lions’ den, leading at every change to win 16.9 (105) to 12.7 (79).

Farran Priest was best on ground for the second week with a five-goal haul, while coach Scott Beattie and Cam Parker kicked three each.

United’s intent was on display from the start, booting the first six goals in an ominous opening term.

Beattie said United made the most of its chances early.

‘‘We put a focus on our start last week and I didn’t think we were that great,’’ he said.

‘‘(On Saturday) we did things right early and we finished off our opportunities when we got them.

‘‘It was a bit disappointing to concede two goals late in the quarter.’’

FUN FACT: A 12-day tour from Darwin to Broome and the Kimberleys visiting locations such as Kununurra, Ord River, El Questro Station, Wyndham and Cable Beach was on sale for $5680 with Brendan’s Australian Tours.