The Northern Rivers Times
December 21, 2023
14 NEWS
Council operations over the holiday period Byron Shire Council operations over the holiday period: • The Mullumbimby Office and Depot will shut at 2pm on Friday 22 December 2023 and re-open at 8.30am on Tuesday 2 January 2024. Essential staff will be available over this period to meet operational requirements. • Sandhills Early Childhood Centre will close on Friday 22 December 2023. Staff will return Monday 8 January 2024 and children will return on Wednesday 10 January
2024. • Byron Resource Recovery Centre will be closed on public holidays. • Bin collections will run as normal until Christmas Day. Bins will then be collected weekly between Monday 25 December 2023 and Friday 5 January 2024 on their normal collection day, including public holidays. For urban areas this will include red, yellow, and green bins and for rural areas this will include red and yellow bins. • Enforcement Officers
will continue to work throughout the Christmas period. • Byron Bay Pool and Mullumbimby Pool will be closed on Christmas Day and will have reduced hours on public holidays, including New Year’s Day. For specific opening hours please check our website or phone the pools. • The Cavanbah Centre will be closed from 3pm on Friday 22 December 2023 and will re-open on Tuesday 2 January 2024. • Richmond Tweed Rural Library branches will close at 5pm on
Friday 22 December and re-open on Tuesday 2 January 2024. Council sites including the Mullumbimby office, depot, and the Byron Resource Recovery Centre will also be closed this Friday 15 December 2023 from 1pm. To report urgent matters please phone our emergency after hours number: 02 6622 7022. For other matters please use our Report It platform. We wish everyone a great Christmas and New Year period.
Lismore student achieves top results in 2023 HSC
More engaging stories of the outback Title: The Drover’s Daughter Rides Again Author: Patsy Kemp Price: $30.00 Publisher: Patsy Kemp By Samantha Elley You may remember I reviewed Patsy’s first book The Drover’s Daughter where she writes of her childhood on the road in the 1950s-60s when droving was a way of life for some families. Well, Patsy is back with another round of anecdotes and fascinating stories of a way of life not so common in outback NSW and Queensland, as it once was. This time Patsy relates stories of how her parents met and carries on to her adventures after she left the droving life behind to make her own way in the world. After living in the big city of Melbourne and a
broken marriage, Patsy heads overseas and explores many different countries and encounters many interesting people. After returning back to Australia Patsy can’t quite leave the outback life behind and takes up the position of shearers’ cook on a number of properties. Told with the same warmth, honesty, and humour as in her first book, the reader can’t help but learn and enjoy the experiences of those who made their living in the ‘long paddock’. The reader will enjoy stories of bathing in a trough while stock were being watered; catching yabbies out of a bore drain for dinner and the dramas of being surrounded by flood water. If you enjoyed Patsy’s first book, I guarantee the enjoyment will continue with this one as well. To obtain a copy visit www.patsykempdrover. com or email Patsy at patsykempdrover@ bigpond.com
THE Rivers Secondary College Kadina High Campus student Mya Stanley is being celebrated for achieving outright first and equal first in two of her 2023 Higher School Certificate courses. Mya topped the Business Service Examination and was equal first with 13 others in Mathematics Standard 2. She is among the 128 students from across the state who have achieved some of the best results possible in at least one HSC course. Mya’s rare double in twice making the prestigious list reflects the talent, hard work and skillset on display across regional New South Wales, State Member for
Lismore Janelle Saffin said. “I have no doubt that Mya will go on to achieve amazing things in future,” Ms Saffin said. “While today’s First
in Course ceremony highlighted our high achievers, we must also recognise the families and communities who supported all of our latest graduates in achieving their best.
Mya Stanley.
“Teachers are a core part of our community, who support all of our students to achieve their very best – whether that be first in a course, or a personal success.” Some 77,000 students who sat at least one exam in 2023 receive their results by SMS, email and Students Online tomorrow (Thursday, 14 December 2023). All Round Achievers, Top Achievers and Distinguished Achievers will be published on the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) website from midday tomorrow (Thursday). A recording of the First in Course ceremony is available to view on the NESA website.
SUMMERLAND GIANT PUMPKIN AND WATERMELON FESTIVAL Excitement is growing, 35 days to go, growers are checking their pumpkins and watermelons watching their progress. Home Gardeners are checking the vegie patch watching for diseases or pests that may attack their plants, attending to their every need. Artist and Craftsmen your
Entry Form should be in and you should be putting the final touches to your work to bring to the Roxy Gallery on 15th January. Chefs we hope you are busy trailing Pumpkin and Watermelon Dishes to include on your Menu for the month of January. Home Cooks we
hope you are busy experimenting making Pumpkin Scones, Pies and Gramma Pies, or you can enter a pumpkin or watermelon savory dish. The 2024 Festival is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever. There will be Market stalls, Static Displays of Motor Vehicles and Bikes,
Gum boot throwing and Watermelon eating competitions. If that isn’t enough to keep you occupied Kyogle/Casino Country Music Ass. will entertain you and there will be demonstrations of Line Dancing and Rock and Roll Dancing. KYOGLE ARE YOU UP FOR IT?????
