Vol. 16 No. 39
FREE PUBLICATION
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
ROCKING INTO THE HOLIDAYS: Torri Horton, Molly Parfett-Oliver, Kyla Lawes and Meg Redford get into the spirit of a National Youth Week Horsham College rock-music event at the school’s middle school. The event, organised by Nexus FREEZA Committee, featured Melbourne band Brighter at Night and helped students unwind during the last week before an Easter break. Wimmera Uniting Care’s Wimmera Mobile Youth Centre bus, Workco Youth Connections and the college’s Student Representative Council were also involved in the occasion. Picture: MICK SHANNON
Stawell: We need you S
By DEAN LAWSON
tawell community leader Kevin Erwin has called for Wimmera solidarity to help make this year’s Stawell Gift Easter weekend one of the best on record.
The Northern Grampians Shire Council Mayor said the people of Stawell needed a boost in confidence after a difficult couple of years and the greater Wimmera community could help by being part of festivities. He said while the Gift weekend was an important Stawell district attrac-
tion every year, this year’s event was particularly important. “It would be a real boost to the area if people across the Wimmera could make the effort to visit Stawell this year, considering what the community has been through and had to endure. Come along and enjoy what is a great festival,” Cr Erwin said. “The Gift is always important to Stawell but this year is perhaps more important that others and we need a lift in community morale.” Stawell has been in the economic spotlight since the announcement
IN THIS ISSUE
that Stawell Gold Mine, the centre’s largest employer, would cease underground operations. The news arrived as Stawell district communities were attempting to rebound after 2011 floods. The historic Stawell Gift carnival attracts athletics fans and tourists from across Australia but relies heavily on Wimmera and western Victorian patronage. The Easter attractions go well beyond the Stawell Athletics Club carnival, with various other events part of a big weekend running from on April
18 to 21. Stawell’s Gold Cup Easter Sunday horse-racing meeting, abandoned after vandalism to Stawell Racecourse track, is traditionally part of the weekend. Northern Grampians council, in recognising the value of the meeting, failed in an 11th-hour appeal to Racing Victoria yesterday to try to have the meeting reinstated. Racing Victoria announced late yesterday that it had transferred the Stawell Easter Sunday meeting to Donald and District Racing Club.
The meeting’s open handicap race programmed as part of the Stawell Cup meeting will run at Donald, but carry a reduction in prizemoney from $50,000 to $30,000. Prizemoney for a BM70 race will also change from $25,000 to $15,000. The vandalism forced Stawell Racing Club to replace the racing action, which has attracted 4000 patrons in the past, with a Family Fun Day. • Club vows to push on, see page 11.
• Big Hill protest • Lowan candidates • Family Fun Day • Expo call
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