WHITTLESEA Secondary College student Mason Sota tested his skills and placed fifth in javelin at the School Sport Victoria State Track and Field Secondary Championships in Melbourne last month.
Mr Sota felt proud of his achievements as he only reached state level this year, after realising in year nine that he had a talent for throwing a javelin a long way.
“I only just started recently through school in about year nine. At one athletics I just thought ‘oh I might give javelin a try’ and it turns out I was good at it. I just kept winning every event,” Mr Sota said.
“That was basically my practise, and I thought I might as well put my head to this and actually try to be good in it, and I got to state [level].”
Earlier this year Mr Sota competed at regional championships, and went through to state finals at Albert Park on October 17.
He said most of his practise was at school grounds voicing his appreciation for the school’s array of athletic equipment.
“[I practised] at school, just on the longest straight of ground that I could find,” Mr Sota said.
Mr Sota said COVID-19 impacted his training, but that he was able to throw a few times before the state championships.
“It was a bit hard because I started and then COVID happened. I hadn’t really been out to practice,” he said.
Although Mr Sota is relatively new to the sport, he said throwing a javelin had become one of his favourite pastimes.
“It’s therapeutic – you literally get to throw a pole as hard as you can, and it’s satisfying. I personally just find it amusing.
“It requires technique and I like being in technical sports where you actually have to be good at something to do it,” he said.
For now, Mr Sota said he was focused on finishing year 12, but said competing at the Olympic Games was a possible future goal.
“It would be pretty awesome to go to the Olympics for it. That’s a bit of a long shot,” he said.
“I mean, if I dedicate myself to it, it’s definitely possible.”
FOR someone who by her own admission shuns the spotlight, Pyalong’s Moira Waye found herself in a tricky situation last week when given only two minutes to prepare an acceptance speech after being named the Victorian Senior of the Year.
Ms Waye, who was awarded in a ceremony at Melbourne’s Government House for her tireless volunteer work at Pyalong Neighbourhood House, said she had not considered the possibility of speaking if she won.
“I found out a few weeks ago that I’d been nominated, but I didn’t know I’d won the award until about two minutes before. Then they told me I had to make a speech,” she said.
“I was shaking. When I got up to the lectern, I told everybody they’d have to bear with me.
“Imagine – you’ve got the Governor of Victoria, MPs and about 500 other people there. I thought, ‘I’m going to be a bumbling idiot’.”
But the people of Pyalong and beyond know Ms Waye, who celebrates her 83rd birthday this week, as anything but ‘bumbling’.
For 16 years she has deftly helmed the local neighbourhood house, helping organise a series of social outreach programs including a huge effort to support Lions Australia’s Need for Feed charity for the past four years.
Need for Feed was established in 2006 to supply farmers in drought-stricken areas of Australia with livestock feed, food for themselves and their families, and other essential supplies.
Ms Waye said she was unaware of the life-changing work she would undertake when Need for Feed approached Pyalong Neighbourhood House with a request for help.
“They were telling me how many farmers had taken their lives and that many of them were too proud to ask for help,” she said.
“Many thought that nobody knew the situation they were in and there were a lot of mental health problems.”
Mateship inspires
When Ms Waye put a call out for supplies to help farmers in need, she said the community’s response was ‘truly inspiring’.
“We’d get a call asking if we needed dog food. We said yes and they’d send a truck with 1000 kilograms of dog food to the neighbourhood house,” she said.
“Pensioners were coming in with cans of peas and packets of biscuits. You hear about mateship – well, the spirit of mateship is alive and well, I can tell you.”
Ms Waye saw that mateship in action when shopping in Wallan for supplies to send to farmers.
“I was walking up and down the aisles with a trolley full of groceries and a couple stopped me and said I must have a huge family,” she said.
“I explained the money had been donated for farmers and I was buying the groceries. They walked away, then came back and said ‘fill your trolley and we’re paying for it’.”
But there was even more generosity in store when the couple tried to pay for Ms Waye’s $380 of groceries at the check-out.
“The man told the check-out lady that they were paying for it because it was for the farmers, but when he pulled out his wallet to pay for it, the check-out lady said she would only take $300 from him because she would pay the rest,” Ms Waye said.
Special connections
Ms Waye said Pyalong Neighbourhood House was soon packing between 60 and 80 hampers each week for famers in need.
With each hamper she included a handwritten note.
“I put in a letter to say ‘we’re thinking of you, we’ve got your back – we’re just friends you haven’t met yet’,” she said.
Ms Waye included her telephone number and return address with each note in case the farmers wanted to call or write to her, which they frequently did.
She said it helped them to give voice to their hardships.
“Imagine seeing your kids and you can’t feed them, and the pantry is empty,” she said.
“A lot of them had inherited their farm from their parents and they thought they were failures because they were close to losing everything.”
One farmer wrote back to Ms Waye with a letter that she said she would remember forever.
“This man was watching his animals die and his kids go hungry. Up his drive came the truck from Need for Feed with hay and other supplies, and he just burst into tears,” she said.
“He said, ‘when I thought there was no hope, I realised there was hope. A light of hope was shining from Pyalong’.
“It was absolutely beautiful. It makes you very proud of what your fellow Australian will do to help the next person.”
Group effort
Ms Waye said she felt conflicted about receiving the award, recognising the numerous volunteers at Pyalong Neighbourhood House and Need for Feed who selflessly gave their time, money and effort to support people in need.
“I was allowed to take 10 guests, so I invited the couple who used to drive down from Cobram and take back the groceries for Need for Feed. I told them this was as much their award as mine,” she said.
“They were putting their hands in their pockets and using their own money to keep going. I think that’s just wonderful.
“It was an honour to get [the award], but at the same time I feel guilty that I and I alone was given it, because it belongs to so many other people.”
Moira, centre, celebrates her award with friends and Need for Feed volunteers Kelly and Darren Laffan of Cobram.
KILMORE residents can now borrow and swap books at Kilmore Community Garden thanks to a generous donation by Kilmore District Men’s Shed.
The little library at the front of the garden contains books for people of all ages to consider, and aims to encourage residents to take a step back and read in the community garden.
Kilmore District Men’s Shed president Paul Harvey, who has been a men’s shed member for more than two years, said he was honoured to take part of a community project that will promote reading.
Mr Harvey said the men’s shed completed many projects that helped the Kilmore community, including the little library.
“It feels great. That’s what we are for – the men’s shed is to help the community and help members,” Mr Harvey said.
“We do a lot of work for the community, and we were quite happy to do something like this. I think more people should be reading, and if you can get a book that’s free, it’s better.”
Kilmore Community Garden committee member Tina Considine was present at the installation of the library and said residents could drop by and pick up any books that they wished to read.
“They can come and pick something out they’re interested in, and they can either browse while they’re here or they take it home, and they can bring it back and swap it for something else,” she said.
“We’ll wait and see what the interest is. We’ve got access to some excellent bird books.
“I think books always have a place; you know they’ll never be superseded entirely by digital media.”
Ms Considine said she was grateful for groups like the men’s shed that donated their time towards projects that helped the community garden become more visible to Kilmore residents.
“It’s great to have all these connections, and they’re a really good resource,” she said.
“What we’re trying to achieve in this space is not just gardening but a space for the community, so we’re looking at different aspects of use of the space.
“We’re trying to be visible and get people to come and see that this their community space.”
Land for a community garden was allocated next to Kilmore’s Anglican Church several years ago, creating relationships with families and residents.
Ms Considine said the garden was looking to improve its amenities through more collaborations with the Men’s Shed Association.
“The men’s shed is going to build us a few extra garden beds,” she said.
“We’ll work on having a whole range of different kinds of beds, because we also want to have wheelchair access.”
WANDONG Primary School students took over the microphone at OKR FM 98.3, Mitchell Community Radio, to interview a teacher and discuss school life for national Children’s Week.
Matilda and Ruby took turns asking questions to Stephanie McNabb, a grade five and six teacher in her first year at Wandong Primary School.
Station committee member Mark Perrott accompanied the girls in asking questions to Ms McNabb, discussing subjects such as pets, siblings, favourite subjects and cooking when they went to air at 4pm, and playing Halloween-themed music during breaks.
Ms McNabb said she was honoured to join the segment, as she got to watch the girls perform their weekly show at the station on Wednesday afternoons.
“I was excited to be able to see the girls doing really cool stuff outside of the school,” she said.
“I am often in my classroom quite early in the morning, they’ve sort of we’ve built up a rapport by coming in out of the cold into my classroom.”
Ms McNabb said the girls initiated the interview on their own, creating their own material to prepare for the broadcast and developing skills outside the classroom.
“It’s really something that like you wouldn’t see very much from kids this age. Just skills that you don’t get in a classroom, really unique skills that they will take with them for life,” she said.
Throughout the segment, Matilda and Ruby often introduced themselves with Ms McNabb and announced their own segways to broadcast their chosen music.
Ms McNabb said the platform was a chance for the students to practise communication skills as part of their learning at Wandong Primary School.
“It’s good opportunity for them to be able practise general questioning. All those general social skills, especially during COVID, you didn’t really get an opportunity to do,” she said.
“Even when you come up to grade five-six, being able to respectfully listen and have a conversation where you’re conscious of the other people that are involved … [it’s great to make] sure that you’re using those manners.”
KILMORE trainer Anthony Chibnall has set the bar higher for his star gelding Deekay after his brilliant win at Bendigo’s successful Cup Day meeting last Wednesday.
The three-year-old son of Hellbent and Seagrove made it back-to-back wins in taking out the $50,000 bet365 3YO BM64 Handicap over 1300 metres.
Confidently backed ($4.60-$4), Deekay was again ridden by the in-form Jason Maskiell, who went to the lead after going 300 metres, as he couldn’t find a “bum to follow” and was never headed easing down to defeat the $3.90 favourite Street Delight by two lengths with Veloce Carro ($4.80) a further half-length away third.
“It was another great ride by Jason who rated him beautifully,” Chibnall said.
“The gelding is still green and there’s plenty of improvement in him,” he said.
Chibnall was full of praise for his daughter, Alyssah, for her hard work around the stable and track while he has been in and out of hospital.
Deekay after winning the bet365 3YO BM64 Handicap at Bendigo Racecourse on October 26, 2022 in Bendigo, Australia. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos)
The gelding has been set for the $175,000 VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade for three-year-olds over 1400 metres on Ballarat Cup Day (Saturday November 19).
Deekay is both Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold qualified which would add an attractive bonus to the prizemoney.
Deekay who was a $75,000 yearling purchase by Chibnall and the late Leon McDonald, passed the purchase price with the win already earning $79,500 from his two wins and a minor placing from only three starts. His VOBIS bonuses has amassed $34,000.
Station One ridden by Jason Maskiell returns to scale after winning the Sam Miranda Wines 0 – 64 Handicap at Sportsbet-Ballarat Synthetic Racecourse on October 27, 2022 in Ballarat, Australia. (Photo by Jay Town/Racing Photos)
No stopping Station One
Kyneton trainer Liam Howley saddled up Station One ($2.90 favourite) for an all the way win at Sportsbet-Ballarat Synthetic last Thursday.
The Toronado four-year-old gelding was a comfortable winner in taking out the Sam Miranda Wines 0-64 Handicap over 2100 metres.
Ridden by Jason Maskiell, the gelding defeated the Gordon Strang-trained Couldbefamous ($6.50) by three lengths with Felix Fiorente a further 5-1/4 lengths away third.
“He’s been working really well with full credit to the team at home as he has taken a lot of work vets etc.,” Howley said.
Howley said the gelding has been a slow maturer and thinks a mile and a half is not beyond him.
Bred at Collingrove Stud, the gelding was an $80,000 yearling purchase at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Showcase by 3 Point Bloodstock.
Station One has now won two races with two minor placings from his 10 starts.
Kyneton Cup transferred
This Wednesday’s Kyneton Cup will be run at Bendigo.
Racing Victoria announced last Saturday that the meeting would not go ahead at its usual venue due to the impacts of recent floods and confirmed on Sunday the venue change.
“The Kyneton track – which borders the recently flooded Campaspe River – is not in a suitable condition to host the meeting, while patron areas are also affected,” an RV release read.
“The Apiam Bendigo track is currently rated a Heavy 8 with showers forecast from Sunday to Wednesday.
FREE Born Clothing and Briah Mae Hair and Body are lost for words over the community response their decision to host a White Ribbon charity event at Hogan’s Hotel, Wallan, on November 11.
Over 40 businesses across the Mitchell Shire have donated prizes and items to a pool worth more than $7000 for the fundraiser evening.
Briah Mae Hair owner Sheree Moore said businesses were still reaching out to donate prizes, including vouchers, hampers and T-shirts before the big night.
“We didn’t expect to get that many businesses so quickly, but everyone’s been really great, really supportive, and have donated,” Ms Moore said.
The raffle will be drawn during the fundraiser night, with attending participants set to be entertained by a fashion parade and door prizes on offer.
“We got T-shirts that have been made with a design that Rebecca created, so we’re selling them as well, with all the profits going to White Ribbon,” Ms Moore said.
“The first prize will start at the bottom, and then we’ll work out way up to the big-ticket items.”
Free Born Clothing Owner Rebecca Brown was overwhelmed when asked about the response from local businesses.
“We’ve done our reach out on social media, we’ve tried to share it as far and wide as possible, and there’s been a huge response,” she said.
She said the White Ribbon event was to spread awareness about domestic violence, with research showing that Mitchell Shire was one of the most concerning areas linked to the issue.
“This is something that I’ve had on my mind for quite a long time. Mitchell Shire had the highest rate of domestic violence in Victoria last year, and I just thought it’s a beautiful way to raise awareness,” she said.
Raffle tickets can be purchased in store at Free Born Clothing or Briah Mae Hair and Body, or online at www.bornfreeclothing.com.au/product/raffle-ticket-white-ribbon-funraiser/765
The event will begin at 7pm at Hogan’s Café and Bar Restaurant on 92 High Street, Wallan.
STAFF and mothers from Beveridge Primary School’s Dwarka Playgroup hosted a Diwali celebration earlier this month at the Greater Beveridge Community Centre, commemorating the victory of good over evil with an evening ‘full of singing, dancing and fun’.
Mitchell Shire Cluster of Schools leading teacher Shanthi Antony, from the Department of Education and Training, said the celebration included a presentation on the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
“As Mitchell Shire has a high rate of family violence incidents, the opportunity of celebrating Diwali was also used to raise awareness about family violence,” Ms Antony said.
Mitchell Shire Council’s Natasha Rose delivered the 16 Days of Activism presentation, and after mothers in the playgroup placed ‘diya’ [clay lamp] lights around a ‘rangoli‘ [Indian floor art].
Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Ros Spence was also in attendance and delivered a speech.
Ms Antony said nearly 70 guests attended the celebration, with elders from India who were visiting their families in Australia also making an appearance.
“The highlight was the grandparents coming in front and sharing their experiences and [cultural dances],” she said.
“They were very happy and they were quite appreciative of their invitation.”
Ms Antony said the Dwarka Playgroup provided early-aged education to young children and intercultural awareness to migrant families.
She said there were many activities coming up for the community to be involved in.
“We have planned a range of activities [for the 16 Days of Activism] and want the community to be involved. [We’re aiming] to raise that awareness on family violence,” Ms Antony said.
If people would like more information, they can send Ms Antony an email at shanthi.antony@education.vic.gov.au
Nationals candidate for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland says the party will revive country roads with a $288 million program if successful at this month’s state election.
Ms Cleeland said the Country Roads and Bridges Program would provide annual grants of up to $1.5 million to Victoria’s 48 rural shires and regional councils during the next four years to fund the restoration and renewal of deteriorating road and bridge infrastructure.
She said road maintenance was one of the largest cost burdens on local governments, especially small councils with large road networks.
Ms Cleeland said the program would mean smoother, safer roads for regional Victorians.
“This additional $1.5 million a year will provide a major boost to rural councils. Regional councils … have large road networks to maintain and need this dedicated funding to support their efforts,” she said.
“Ratepayers were left to foot the bill for this after the Labor government axed the highly successful program in 2014 with no replacement.
“This funding certainty means we’ll have road repairs that last, and councils will be able to plan for longterm maintenance of vital infrastructure.
“It also helps alleviate the capital costs faced by councils, placing downward pressure on rates.”
Ms Cleeland said reinstating the Country Roads and Bridges Program would help bring regional Victorian roads back from ruin.
“This is in addition to our $10 billion commitment over 10 years to properly fund Victoria’s road maintenance and make country roads safer,” she said.
Colour and fun came to the Kilmore Community Garden on Saturday, with the addition of the Kilmore Mechanics Institute’s Scaretactics scarecrow competition to a community open day.
Scaretactics organiser Leanne Stute said visitors were impressed by the variety of vibrant scarecrows featuring names such as ‘The Happy Gardener’, ‘The Tooth Fairy’, ‘Mr Barbecue’ and ‘The Snail’ and made by local primary schools and kindergartens.
Guest judge Kit Holland of Bendigo Bank Kilmore chose ‘The Happy Gardener’, pictured above, made by Kilmore Primary School’s art club, and ‘Cleo The Mermaid’, made by Wallan’s Dudley Street Childcare and Kindergarten, as her winners.
The Broadford Singers entertained visitors throughout the day, pictured below.
Visitors to the Kilmore Community Garden open day enjoyed the vibrant colours and friendly atmosphere, pictured below.
Bjorn and mum Jenny make plant pots at the Kilmore Community Garden open day, pictured below.
The Kilmore Community Garden thanked all the schools, kinders and community groups that made scarecrows and took part in the open day, and hope to host a similar event next year.
‘Cleo the Mermaid’ [pictured below] made by three-year-old kinder pupils at Wallan’s Dudley Street Childcare and Kindergarten, was a standout in the Scaretactics scarecrow competition run by Kilmore Mechanics Institute at Kilmore Community Garden’s open day on Saturday.
Read about the new Little Library built for the community garden here.
Stroke Foundation chief executive Sharon McGowan urged all levels of government to invest in a service supporting a growing number of stroke survivors across Australia as the group marked World Stroke Day on Saturday.
On average, one person in Australia has a stroke every 19 minutes. But without action, Ms McGowan said by 2050 predictions were that stroke incidence would increase to one person having a stroke every 10 minutes.
“Stroke is one of Australia’s biggest killers. Sadly, more than 27,000 Australians will experience stroke for the first time this year,” she said.
“We know that more than 80 per cent of strokes can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle, and if we could prevent more strokes from happening it would ease the burden on individuals, families and the health system.”
In 2021, 75 per cent of Stroke Foundation’s income came from donations and bequests, mostly from survivors and their families.
Ms McGowan said it was time for that number to change.
“Sadly, it’s the survivors of stroke and their families who have done the heavy lifting when it comes to supporting the work of the Stroke Foundation. They are the backbone of our organisation, and we would be lost without them, but it’s now time for governments to step up,” she said.
Ms McGowan called on state and federal governments to invest in the Stroke Foundation’s StrokeConnect Navigator Program, which supports survivors of stroke after they leave hospital.
“We believe every person impacted by stroke should be enabled to make their best recovery possible, and supported to return to work, study, and family life. Sadly, our data shows many Australians leave hospital after stroke without the tools they need to recover and live well,” she said.
“We know 35 per cent of patients go home without a discharge plan, many even describe it as being left in a black hole, and that’s simply not good enough.
“Investment in a StrokeConnect Navigator Program will ensure more Australians, regardless of where they live, are supported to manage their stroke recovery, and live well, which will have benefits for both the health system and economy.”
The program will work with hospitals across Australia to identify and support each stroke survivor as they leave hospital.
The Stroke Foundation is seeking support for the service as a way of ensuring all Australians have equitable access to quality stroke treatment and recovery.
