50 years ago September 1974

Who gets tired of playing on the new tyre tower at the Echuca Central Pre-School Centre?

Not Danny Berryman of Moama, Cameron Jennison, of Thyra, and Richard Holmfield. The three tested the tower on their first day at the new centre and gave it their seal of approval.

Although the centre is in use already, it will be another week before it is officially opened by D.A. Elizabeth Wilmont, the Director of Maternal Infant and Pre-School Welfare Department of Health, on Saturday.

Members of the public have been invited to attend the opening to inspect the building and grounds and afternoon tea will be provided.

***

Local Government bodies in northern Victoria should immediately apply to Canberra for unemployment relief money, the Member for Murray, Mr Bruce Lloyd, said.

He was commenting on the long-overdue recognition by the Commonwealth Government that unemployment was the highest in country areas and government assistance was necessary to reduce the acceleration of this unemployment.

***

The Echuca Federal Band has been busy recently and is expected to play a number of times during the Rich River Festival next month.

Recently, the band played at the opening of the Echuca Senior Citizens’ Clubrooms, in Landsborough St, the opening of Tehan House in High St as well as a number of other recitals throughout the district.

Although final preparations have not yet been undertaken, it is hoped the band will play at the Echuca District Hospital Annual Fair, the Rich River Festival Pageant and the Riverine Herald Street Procession.

***

The City of Echuca will contribute $970 a year towards the estimated $15,000 to finance the operation of the North Central Tourist Region in its first year of operation.

Echuca will also pay a portion of Rochester’s commitment.

The town is required to pay $960, the same as Echuca, but has indicated it is prepared to pay only $600.

The City of Echuca will pay the balance because of the importance of Rochester as a back-up area to Echuca’s tourist attraction.

25 years ago September 1999

An eastern option for Echuca-Moama’s promised second bridge is back on the drawing board after a push by the newly formed consultative committee.

VicRoads and the NSW Road Traffic Authority agreed to evaluate an eastern corridor on the same basis as the western and central options after the committee demanded the option be revisited at its first meeting earlier this month.

The eastern corridor crosses the Murray River near the Echuca abattoirs and skirts around the west and north of the Moama industrial estate and the adjacent residential subdivision.

Consultative committee member Ian Porter, from Moama, said the eastern route catered better for heavy vehicles than the other two options — a route parallel with the existing bridge and western route at Merool Lane.

***

Rochester and District Football Umpires Association held its awards night recently with youngster Shaun Stenning scooping the pool.

Shaun, 14, won the prestigious Golden Whistle award which is presented to the best umpire in the association under the age of 21.

To add to the Golden Whistle, Shaun was also named the umpire of the year by the Goulburn Campaspe Junior Football League.

Shaun started central umpiring this year after being a boundary umpire for the past three years.

***

Campaspe Shire will continue to operate Mt Scobe and Nanneella quarries using its own staff and resources.

In a closed committee meeting on Thursday night, councillors voted for the shire to continue managing the quarries, rather than having them leased out.

Council will review the operations at the end of the financial year.

Council will consider hiring a secondary rock crusher for three months at a cost of $38,000 a month and will also investigate the option of buying a new secondary crusher plant.

10 years ago September 2014

Echuca police are on track to be working out of their new station in two years.

Inspector Paul Margetts met with key people involved in the design and construction of the new station yesterday.

He said while plans were not yet drawn up for the $14 million project, those involved were confident the station would be in use by the end of 2016.

The Victorian Government put up $14.4 million in this year’s budget after years of campaigning.

Police claimed they had outgrown the Dickson St station, built in 1969.

About 53 police work from the existing station, which houses general duties officers, a criminal investigation unit and highway patrol.

***

When Wharparilla Lodge lifestyle co-ordinator Cassie Powell was nominated for the motor neurone disease ice bucket challenge by resident Thelma Cocks, her response was one of comical apprehension.

‘‘If I do it, you do too,’’ she said.

From there, they nominated some less-than-willing participants, including chief executive Colin Price and residential care manager Jackie Griffiths.

The team was completed as nurse Helen Sivisend put her hand up in tribute to her mother who passed away from the disease this year.

On Wednesday, they went under the bucket to raise about $400 for motor neurone disease.

***

Three Echuca volunteer firefighters raised more than $3000 by climbing 28 floors of Melbourne’s Crown Metropol Hotel on Sunday in an effort to help burns victims.

Echuca Village Fire Brigade’s deputy group officer Jarrad James and Echuca Fire Brigade’s 2nd lieutenant Col Munro and 4th lieutenant Nathan Jobling joined career and volunteer firefighters from around the world in the inaugural Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb, which raised $122,000 for The Alfred Hospital Burns Unit.

Raising a combined total of $3061, the trio made it to the top of the hotel carting 25kg of protective clothing and breathing apparatus on their backs.

Mr James completed the climb in 5:33 minutes, ranking 10th in the open men category.

In the 18-39 category, Mr Munro finished in 6:47 minutes and Mr Jobling came in at 10:23 minutes, ranking 73rd and 85th out of 88 respectively.

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