50 years ago
July 1975
Will Saturday’s race meeting at the Rochester racecourse be the last after more than 100 years of racing?
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The club’s licence to race has been withdrawn by the Racecourse Licensing Board, and this takes effect as from August 1, 1975.
However, all is not quite lost, as the citizens of Rochester together with the Rochester Jockey Club have forwarded a submission to the state premier and are hopefully waiting for the opportunity of sending a deputation to the premier in an endeavour to regain the licence.
Good entries have been received for Saturday’s meeting, with 92 nominations for the six-race program.
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The committee of management of the Rochester and District War Memorial Hospital have been concerned that visitors to the hospital are not obeying the bell.
When visiting patients, the public are requested to vacate the room immediately on the bell which is sounded at 3.30pm in the afternoons on all days, except Sundays and public holidays when it is sounded at 4pm.
The evening bell is always rung at 8pm.
When people stay after the designated times it interrupts the flow of work that has to be carried out, and can, in some instances when the hospital is exceptionally busy, cause the employee to finish duties after the rostered shift.
The employee can then claim the penalties that are involved in this overwork.
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District runner, Lois Bickley, continued on her winning way at the weekend.
On Saturday, she had a comfortable win over 4000m in one lap of the Tan at the Botanical Gardens, Melbourne.
Seventeen-year-old Lois, who works at Rochester, finished 30 seconds in front of her nearest opponent in windy conditions.
Although only a junior, she was competing also against senior runners.
Next Saturday, Lois will compete in the junior 3000m cross-country championships at Bundoora.
25 years ago
July 2000
A toilet block and rubbish bins at Runnymede Reserve, south of Elmore, could disappear if individuals, clubs and organisations fail to respond in writing to a notice by Parks Victoria.
Elmore Progress Association repelled a similar move to close the facilities some years ago and the current threat has come out of the blue, EPA resident Thelma Shearer said.
Only weeks prior to the letter arriving at the town’s newsletter office, Elmore school children plated dozens of trees to beautify the reserve, at the request of Parks Victoria.
‘’Parks Victoria even supplied the barbecue for the day,’’ Mrs Shearer said.
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Quips and quirky stories prevailed when a public farewell was held in Rochester for recently-retired business owners Stan and Rose Smith, Ron and Merle Williams and John and Carmel Clark.
Speeches, reminiscences and tales by the three couples were interspersed with comments from the floor and laughter all-round.
Rochester Chamber of Commerce president Peter Anderson thanked the couples for their input into the business community and also their generosity and support in the wider community.
In response, Mr Williams, who admitted he would have felt more comfortable in his overalls than the suit he wore, said he was glad so many people had come out to the evening.
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Artist Carol Webb’s colourful caricatures, complete with her trademark spider, are bringing the Olympic spirit to the business houses of Rochester — and causing passers-by to stop and gaze as they try to discover where the (often) tiny spider might be hiding.
Ms Webb has been contracted through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry to paint the town’s business windows.
With the Olympic torch relay due through Rochester in just over a fortnight, Ms Webb is set to complete her paintings by the end of next week.
Swimmers, cyclists, basketballers, pole vaulters and athletes are among the variety of sportspeople to decorate the windows — and everywhere Ms Webb goes, an audience soon gathers to watch her at work.
10 years ago
July 2015
Elmore’s Rachael Fabbri is headed to Fiji as a worker with the Volunteer Eco Students Abroad (VESA) program.
An organisation that works with Indigenous villages throughout South Africa, South America, the Fiji islands and South-East Asia, VESA organises groups of students for hands-on work.
The goal is to benefit the communities by delivering valuable and sustainable infrastructure in areas of education, sanitation and water supplies.
For the first two weeks of the three-week stint Rachael and other volunteers will be working in schools to help renovate and/or build much-needed facilities.
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A large increase in the fire services property levy (FSPL) will impact households and business in the Murray Plains region.
Despite a pre-election pledge to hold all tax increases to the consumer price index (CPI), Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said the Victorian Government is extorting an additional $42.1 million from Victorian property owners, an increase of 7.2 per cent.
In Campaspe Shire, the FSPL will increase 7.7 per cent, with the average homeowner paying a levy of $140 this year, up from $129 previously.
Mr Walsh said this money would go towards funding some of the pay claims made by the United Firefighters Union, such as claiming a full day of overtime even if only 20 minutes is actually worked and an annual 9.7 per cent pay rise.
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Rochester and Elmore district health service will be part of a coalition of local hospital and health services training 22 nurses in specialist aged care.
Using a $710,000 grant for Murray Plains nursing homes, REDHS will also be able to purchase two new lifting machines, a multi-use chair as well as additional equipment.
REDHS chief executive Anne McEvoy said “these additions to the Rochester and Elmore District Health Service will certainly make a great difference to our aged care programs in providing safer care for both residents and staff.”
REDHS staff member Rochelle Jodd agreed, saying the funding would assist with better health outcomes for residents of the services with two types of aged care accommodation.
Campaspe News