2015

Ky culture on show

Kyabram P-12 College has played host to students and staff from Shiroi in Japan for the 24th straight year as part of their cultural exchange program.

The Japanese students have spent the past week with their 12 college counterparts, fulfilling a packed itinerary of activities designed to enhance cultural understanding and show off what life is like for those who live, work and play in Kyabram.

The week started last Tuesday when the Japanese students were introduced to their host families before exploring the school and the town on Wednesday, including visiting the Kyabram Fauna Park and the town hall.

During the next several days Japanese students and their hosts visited the Port of Echuca, rode on a paddlesteamer, went to Tongala Donkey Shelter, Rushworth Whroo Cemetery, the camel farm on Ky-Cooma Rd, Fun City in Shepparton, an AFL game at Etihad Stadium and a tour of Melbourne, including Queen Victoria Market.

Students also did a range of activities this week, including boomerang painting and art, dancing and a special paper crane making ceremony before heading back to Japan today.

Bank has band for one’s buck

Kyabram community bank as got off to a flying start, with more than $250,000 work of pledges paid up at the bank’s prospectus launch last week.

Pledges big and small came flowing in at the Kyabram Club launch on Thursday, with community bank director Vince Curtis saying the night exceeded expectations.

“Once we had completed the necessary banking on Friday, it was just over $250,000 we got, which is almost 20 per cent of our capital,” he said.

“The minimum we need to raise is $750,000 and this is a great start, The Bendigo Bank people were hugely impressed and said it was as good of a start as they have seen.”

The total had increased to $308,000 as of yesterday afternoon.

Milestone sister act

Kyabram Netball Club will celebrate an important milestone on Saturday as two long-serving members play their 250th games.

In a rare and timely coincidence, sisters Rachel McCormack and Kirra Vick who play for the B-grade squad will reach their 250th milestone on the same day after years of faithful service with the club.

Rachel, who joined the club at 15, has been a dominant player for Kyabram during the past 10 years, winning four club best-and-fairest awards in 2003, 2005, 2011 and 2012, and being the league best-and-fairest runner-up in 2003.

Meanwhile, Kirra started her time at the club in 2003 with the under-17 squad which made history for the Kyabram Netball Club after it won it’s first ever premiership followed by a successive premiership in 2004.

Looking back on their time at the club, the sisters agreed Kyabram had been food to them and their family and were excited for the milestone game.

1995

Zaki is worth $1000

The Japanese visitors to Kyabram Secondary College from sister city Shiroi certainly made a lasting impression on Kyabram while here recently.

The students and teaching officials visited the Colbinabbin area and saw sheep shearing, played golf, spent an afternoon at the fauna park, visited Melbourne and took part in a bush dance at the school and were special guests of a school assembly.

This is the fourth such exchange with students from Japan coming to Kyabram each August and students from Kyabram invited to take part in the program at the start of first term each year.

Santo Yamazaki, president of the Inzai Rotary Club in Japan made such a hit with staff and the koalas one of the baby koalas has been given the name of Yamazaki or ‘Zaki’ for short.

So thrilled was Sanyo at the naming of the koala that prior to leaving Kyabram last week he paid a quick visit to the bank and has donated $1000 to the maintenance of the koala enclosure.

Milk waste prevented

Milk did not have to be wasted in the Kyabram district as feared on Wednesday.

When storage facilities at Bonlac’s Stanhope factory reached capacity, the milk collected from farms was transported to other factories including Murray Golubrun at Rochester, Tatura Milk and Nestlé at Tongala.

The situation was helped by the fact that the milk season is relatively quiet.

Milk collections are being made only every second day at some farms.

Bonlac chairman Mr Bill Hill said he was very concerned at what might be the ultimate cost to the company and its suppliers in terms of lost milk and undelivered orders.

Don’t wipe the Bombers off

Pessimistic Kyabram fans could still be eating humble pie after tomorrow’s gripping final round of home-and-away games in the GVL.

The Bombers can still claim the double chance by beating Lemnos at Princess Park tomorrow – and Tatura doing the right thing against Shepparton.

The backstabbers are in their element at present in Bomberland after the team’s tame effort against Shepparton last Saturday, which saw the side slip from a top three position for the first time this season.

Certainly, the sign in Bomberland haven’t been good for weeks, but there is still time for a few critics to end up with egg on their faces… provided of course the Bombers want that to happen too.

1975

The Angora Kids

The Angora kids – as opposed to the Dead-End Kids – are soft, silky and loveable and are the newest addition to the “Glenloch” Stud of Angora goats’ bed by Mervyn Cole and his wife Jennifer on their 250-acre property in South/West Kyabram.

A new industry for the Cole family, their stud currently stands at seven bucks, five does and seven kids, including two sets of twins.

When we visited Mervyn and Jennifer recently, the bucks and does were grazing placidly, the kids either curled up sleeping peacefully in the sunshine or stomping in and out of their wooden carton dens where they sleep.

Like all “kids” they love to make a noise, and their hard little hooves beat a constant tattoo on the floors of their beds.

The seven weeks old kids look a little, newborn lambs, but their creamy coats are longer, silkier and very wavy.

Unions ‘No’ to cannery shutdown

Strong action would be taken by the Goulburn Valley Trades and Labor Council if there was a suggestion of closing any cannery in the Goulburn Valley.

The council believe the canning fruit industry can be renationalised without the closure of one cannery in Victoria, as has been suggested.

A deputation may be sent to Canberra after a meeting between the council and cannery management.

An all-day meeting was help in Melbourne last week at the Trades Hall to discuss the deteriorating situation in the fruit canning industry.

This was attended by representative of the GV Trades and Labor Council, shop stewards from canneries at Kyabram, Mooroopna and Shepparton, together with officials of the Good Preservers Union, Clerks Union, AWU, Storemen and Packers, Transport Workers, Miscellaneous Workers and two engineering unions the AFE and AMUU.

Saints final big for flag fails

Girgarre withstood a last-minute fight back by St Augustine’s to win the Junior Netball Association’s premiership at the Northern Oval sporting complex on Saturday morning.

Girgarre established its lead early in the game and led throughout, but the result could have been different had the Saints been on target around the goals during the early stages of the match.

By far the best netball was played in the final term when the Saints staged a last-minute revival, but it was too late to clinch victory.

Their fightback was led by Sharon Atkins and Teresa Conti, yet the Girgarre girls were able to withstand the pressure.

The Girgarre side, successful in the second semifinal, and rightfully favourite for the flag, had many good players.

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