Reflections from the past

For the sixth time in the past year, wholesale prices of the three Carlton and United Breweries beer ranges, large bottles, small cans and small bottles will rise.

All are likely to rise 1c each, which would take large bottle prices to 54c each, small cans to 34c and small Crown Lager bottles to 38c each.

The CUB spokesperson said the increases were to cover rising costs of wages, services and materials.

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A concert, being organised by the Echuca City Council, will be given by the 47-member Victorian Concert Orchestra, fresh from a series of concerts televised live from Melbourne’s Myer Music Bowl.

And while some of the music will definitely be appropriate to the time of the port project, some numbers are firmly associated with the 20th century.

The audience will be treated to ‘Boston Pops’ style music and arrangements of such favourites as selections from South Pacific, the Can Can Polka, a stirring version of Battle Hymn of the Republic and other great classics.

At Echuca, guest artists will include baritone Clive Hearne — a television actor who regularly appears in Bellbird and Crawford-produced crime series (usually as a ‘baddie’) — and Loris Stacey, one of Australia’s leading sopranoes.

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Mr Stuart McDonald, MLC, is arranging a deputation with the Minister of Education, to make some proposals concerning safety and supervision on the Echuca-Kyabram school train.

The councils of the Echuca High School, Technical School and Bridigine Convent, will make a joint submission to the minister.

The discipline and safety on the train has been under consideration for a long period, and has not been resolved satisfactorily.

A recent accident, when a pupil fell from the train, has highlighted this serious matter and many parents have expressed concern over the safety of their children travelling on the train.

25 years ago March 2000

The unlikely sight of NSW Sports Minister John Watkins sending down a giant bowl officially opened the Women’s World Bowls Championship at the Moama Bowling Club.

Bowling to the short end provided by his colleague, NSW Member for Murray-Darling Peter Black, Mr Watkins’ bowl, sent down with the assistance of the Australian team, seemed to be on line before it swung past the kitty and rolled into the gutter.

Starting the official proceedings, Moama Bowling Club chief executive Phillip Johnson said it was hard to believe that the competition, the largest the club has ever held, was finally upon them.

‘’When we were talking about this in 1997, the year 2000 seemed so far away it didn’t seem to matter,’’ he said.

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The central option for the second bridge crossing is being strongly opposed by the Echuca-Moama Business and Trades Association.

Different to other organisations stating their preferred options, EMBTA has chosen to throw its weight against the central option. But it has indicated a preference for the western option.

The organisation’s Citizens’ Advisory Group representative Ian White moved a motion that EMBTA oppose the (central) option at its monthly meeting.

‘’What we need to make clear is that the centre option is no option at all for us,’’ he said.

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Egg producers in the Murray region are being forced out of the industry by falling prices and tougher demands from graders.

Reg Weeks is struggling to keep his egg operations afloat on his Colbinabbin property, which has produced eggs for the past 91 years.

Having survived the low prices being paid for eggs in the past year, Mr Weeks is facing a new challenge.

He has now been informed by egg grader Farm Pride Foods that he must have transport refrigerated between 12 and 16ºC to take his eggs to Bendigo or face having his supply contract suspended.

10 years ago March 2015

Echuca Regional Health will be slugged a staggering $164,000-plus above budget because the new Labor government has declared two new public holidays.

Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said a recent Victorian Government decision to make Easter Sunday an official public holiday would cost Echuca Regional Health $82,000.

Mr Walsh said the hospital would then be slugged a further $82,000, possibly more, for the public holiday on the eve of the 2015 AFL grand final.

He also claimed aged care facilities in his electorate would be out of pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalty rates on Easter Sunday.

It is a penalty which would also spill into the private sector.

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A boyhood dream came true for Rohan Burgess on Friday.

Together with brother Craig and Echuca identity Neil Hutchinson, the trio settled the takeover of Murray River Paddlesteamers from Max Vulling and Vern Beasley.

Rohan said he had been involved in paddlesteamers since he was a boy.

Despite living in Melbourne, he retained that passion throughout his youth and when he moved to Queensland, before arriving in Echuca about 20 months ago to manage the PS Pevensey for Campaspe Shire.

With Craig and Neil, who is Kevin Hutchinson’s son, Rohan said he had forged a good friendship with Vern and taking over this operation was ‘‘a bit of a boyhood dream’’.

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Bunnaloo residents have been the first to tell Murray Shire councillors they want the shire to stand alone in the face of possible NSW Local Government amalgamations.

In the first of a series of seven Fit For the Future public meetings in the shire, a dozen residents at Bunnaloo took the chance to learn about the program and options available for Murray Shire.

Mayor Tom Weyrich said the feeling of the room was to back council standing alone, rather than amalgamation.

While the shire has maintained its opposition to merging with Deniliquin, Conargo or Wakool shires, the decision could be made for it.