Variety gives during visit
Horsham Special School has six new bicycles and helmets and other support material courtesy of children-support charity group Variety Victoria.
A procession of drivers preparing for a fourwheel-drive tour from Mildura to Uluru in May travelled to Horsham as part of a Variety Bash rookies day out, booking 10 rooms at Horsham’s Comfort Inn May Park.
Officials including Horsham Special School acting principal Bec Talbot, Horsham mayor Robyn Gulline and Variety Victoria chief executive Mandy Burns attended a breakfast handover ceremony at the weekend.
Ms Burns said Variety was about mobilising people to help make a difference to children in need.
“Despite the best efforts of communities there are always gaps. We’re basically gap fillers,” she said.
Ms Talbot said Horsham Special School was lucky to receive the donation of bikes, which would go to a vocational education program.
“It will allow our students to develop some independence in mobility in the community and also teach them bike and road skills so they can get themselves from school to a workplace and home,” she said.
“It’s about building independent living skills and building capacity so they can access the community post-school.
“We appreciate Variety reaching out to us and it’s been very exciting to be involved.”
Edwin and Sheryl Bartlett had little trouble picking a wedding date in 1971.
Both their birthdays fell on February 20 – three years apart – which happened to be a Saturday.
The Bartletts enjoyed a ‘triple celebration’ at the weekend as they chalked up 50 years of marriage.
“We actually got married in the last month of ‘old summer’ time,” Mr Bartlett said.
“Daylight savings started at the end of 1971.
“And we’ve certainly got no excuse for forgetting our anniversary – it all happens on the same day.”
The couple met at an Easter church youth camp at Halls Gap.
“I was from Grass Flat and he was from Pimpinio, but we hadn’t met before,” Mrs Bartlett said. “I didn’t know who he was.” Mr Bartlett had a different experience.
“I’d seen her a few months prior, at a dance, and I got the idea that I’d like to take her out,” he said.
“When we met at Easter in
1967, it was a life-changing experience for both of us.”
The couple lived at the family farm at Pimpinio, moving to Horsham five years ago.
They have three sons and eight grandchildren, ranging in
age from three to 16. Mr Bartlett said he and his wife were looking forward to many more years together.
“I tell her that I love her nearly every day,” he said.
A Halls Gap food and wine festival and a show and shine at Minyip are among latest event cancellations for 2021.
Continually evolving circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic is making it difficult for groups and organisations to present events to the public.
Grampians Grape Escape organisers announced the cancellation of the May 2021 edition ‘with a heavy heart’, due to uncertain times.
The committee made its decision to ensure the festival’s future ‘given its importance to our region, the exhibitors, our suppliers and the good times to come’.
The committee was also forced to cancel the 2020 festival, due to government restrictions on events.
Tickets bought for 2020 will be rolled over for the 2022 event, on April 30 and May 1.
Minyip Show and Shine leaders announced ‘with great sadness’ they would postpone this year’s event, scheduled for Sunday.
The committee is planning to host the event ‘in the future, when we know more about the virus that is changing our way of life’.
The event raises money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and regional projects.
Organisers encouraged people to like ‘Minyip Show & Shine’ on Facebook for event updates.
Change of date
Blue Ribbon Foundation Horsham branch has rescheduled its annual gala ball at Horsham Golf Club for April 17.
Branch members have postponed the event, originally scheduled for earlier this month, because of a sudden statewide COVID-19 lockdown.
Volunteer group Natimuk Community Energy is closer to realising its $2.5-million solar-farm project as it prepares to appoint renewable-energy consultant firm Enhar as project manager.
Enhar will take the project, which involves a 4572-panel farm on 2.24 hectares east of Natimuk, to the next milestone before Natimuk Community Energy decides on the next steps.
The project has achieved some of its key milestones including the establishment of a lease for the solar-farm site. The next steps include a grid-connection study and permit application.
Natimuk Community Energy members will discuss latest solar-farm project developments at an annual meeting tonight.
NCE president Edwin Irvine said he was keen for people in the wider community to attend the meeting to learn more about the group and the solar-farm project.
The meeting will be at Natimuk’s Soldiers Memorial Hall from 6.30pm to 8pm and will feature speakers from Wimmera Development Association, the solar-farm project control group and consultant Enhar.
For more information people can visit website www.natimukcommunityenergy.org.