Is it from outer space?
Moama farmer Allan Williams recently found what he thinks is a meteorite which he discovered on his property.
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He believes it could be the answer to a mysterious loud noise heard in the Moama- Echuca area in late May.
Mr Williams said he would be keeping the rare find and would have it tested to confirm whether it was a meteorite or not.
Community champion lost
The Gouburn Valley lost a community champion with the recent death of Santo Varapodio.
The charismatic Ardmona orchardist died aged 88 after a short illness, and his funeral was held last Saturday.
He was responsible for Mooroopna’s popular Fruit Salad Day for 36 years, a driving force behind of the WestSide Performing Arts Centre, the Rodney Park Retirement Village and also the Shepparton Multicultural Hostel.
The Tatura Shepparton Racing Club and Mooroopna cemetery were other interests for Santo.
Also, an active Rotarian, he was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship.
Chilly time in region
Kyabram shivered through three successive sub-zero minimum temperatures last week.
On Tuesday, June 18, the mercury plunged to -1.6℃ on Wednesday -2.7℃ and Thursday -1.2℃.
Rain (3.8mm) on Thursday night made for a more pleasant 4.4°C minimum on Friday and took the rainfall for June to 15.6mm.
But it was back below freezing on Sunday and Monday mornings with the temperature dipping to -1.2℃ and -0.2℃ respectively.
While it’s been chilly, it hasn’t come anywhere near the lowest Kyabram minimum on record when the temperature plunged to a numbing -7.5 °C in the winter of 1982 which was a drought year.
Court the court
Rochester Basketball Association has been given its marching orders from its current site which it has called home for the past 18 months – or since the disastrous floods.
The association was given 28 days to vacate the Rochester Presbyterian Church’s tennis courts, which have also been used by other groups and people.
Basketball officials are hoping to get a meeting with church officials, but its Pastor Michael Riske said the church had no comment to make on the matter, which has disappointed basketball officials.
Hall to be demolished
The Strathallan hall faces demolition after its future was discussed at Campaspe Shire’s Council meeting recently.
Four options were pursued for the future of the hall, affected by floods in 2011 and 2022 and ‘‘demolish it’’ won out.
A nature reserve is proposed for the site which will feature picnic tables, a shelter and informative signage of the site’s history which dates back to 1929.
Road funding
The Federal Government is investing $33.3 million to address notorious road crash sites, including $870,000 for an upgrade of the Labuan Rd and Goulburn Valley Hwy where five people perished in a crash earlier this year.
Interesting find
A Seymour man was intrigued to find a wine bottle from Seymour during a recent trip to the Hunter Valley in NSW.
It wasn’t a familiar drop to him, but through Facebook he discovered it was made by Sommerset Wines, known today as The Winery Kitchen Restaurant.
Although the bottle was empty, it was confirmed the 1982 vintage was made by winemaker Maurice Bourne.
Doctor retires after 42 years
Opening a page of the British Medical Journal in the 1980s in Dublin was the trigger to more than four decades working at Echuca-Moama Family Medical Practice for Dr BK Pillai.
Dr Jim Alexander had died, and the search was on for an obstetrician to replace him, so Dr BK Pillai applied and got the job.
Dr Pillai will retire on July 1 after 42 years serving the Echuca-Moama area in which he estimates he has delivered 2500 babies.
Crossing unsupervised
Strathbogie Shire Council’s decision to withdraw from school crossings program last year has left Nagambie Primary School without a supervisor.
This is despite other schools, including St Joseph’s Catholic School in Nagambie and primary schools at Euroa and Avenel, receiving government funding for supervisors.
Unique exhibition
Two Benalla artists, Susan Buykx and David Hall, are staging a unique exhibition from tomorrow in Wangaratta.
The exhibition is titled Pots n Boxes and all items being displayed have been made from natural materials.
The exhibition will run to July 8 and is being held at Art Gallery on Ovens 4/103 Murphy St, Wangaratta.
Signal dimmed in Benalla
Benalla’s remaining signal box is on borrowed time after not being included on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Efforts from the Benalla community in particular the Better Benalla Rail group have been unsuccessful in a bid to have the 1880 built structure protected, and the box faces removal in upcoming works.
Square dinkum
G’day,
My memory has become so bad, it has actually caused me to lose my job.
I am still employed ... I just can’t remember where.
Hooroo!!!
Sports reporter