50 years ago May 1975
Most businesses have been contacted under Echuca High School’s work experience program.
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The school is launching the program to put form four students into local businesses for one solid week’s work.
Organisers hope to enlist the aid of sufficient employers in and around Echuca to enable students to sample a job in which he or she is interested.
Through this experience and by hearing of their friends’ experience, it was hoped that they would be better able to choose a future career and be more highly motivated at school.
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Echuca Fire Brigade members took part in a mock fire rescue operation.
The ‘’fire’’ was in the dungeon of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at the corner of Hare and Pakenham Sts.
The exercise was to locate two bodies with the aid of a breathing apparatus.
Under the direction of Lt Don Norris, 20 men in teams of four performed the difficult task.
Lt Norris said the operation was most successful, especially as some of the men had never used a breathing apparatus before.
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A deputation will meet the Minister for Tourism, Mr Byrne, in Melbourne to seek more finance for the Echuca Port Restoration Project.
They are the Mayor, Cr D. Oberin, Cr J. Quinn, Mr K. Hartnell, the town clerk, Mr K. McCartney, and the port director Mr I. Blyth.
Cr Quinn, who is chairman of the city council’s port sub-committee and the council’s representative on the port advisory committee, said that when initial funds were made available for the project, Mr Byrne stated that the government was a partner in the scheme.
He also said that when additional money was required, the government would listen to a proposition, Cr Quinn said.
Funds were now running low for restoration work. In fact, work had ceased on the paddlesteamer Pevensey, because of the lack of finance.
25 years ago May 2000
Moama resident Alan Smith has started a petition, as a protest at Moama residents having to pay for part of the town’s proposed levee bank.
Murray Shire Council is proposing a special rate on Moama residents who live within the levee bank.
The rate will be worked out on land values, with the minimum rate being $40 a year.
Mr Smith, who lives on the corner of Regent and Francis Sts, believes that residents who built their houses on high land in Moama shouldn’t have to pay the special rate.
‘’When I came here in 1958 I looked at the flood levels,’’ Mr Smith said.
‘’I took the highest block in Echuca-Moama and paid a premium price for it.’’
Mr Smith believes, from the response he has had so far with the petition, that many other ratepayers agree with him.
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Everyone knows that children who play with fire get their fingers burnt.
The Victorian Country Fire Authority also believes informed children can help prevent anything getting burnt.
To raise awareness of fire safety, the CFA runs a Brigades in Schools Program.
Echuca Fire Brigade’s community support facilitator, Shane Stacey, routinely visits all Echuca primary schools with potentially life and property saving messages.
Supported by volunteer firefighters, he teaches Grade 5 and 6 students about the causes of fire, what to do it fire breaks out and the need for a home escape plan.
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A target of $48,000 has been set for the year 2000 Echuca and District School Chaplaincy Appeal. The appeal was kicked off at a function in St Mary's all on Friday evening.
Guest speakers on the night were three of the four district students who went to Gallipoli for the Anzac Day service — Sarah Hardiman, Michael Marchment and Tarina Case.
The appeal committee will be active throughout the fundraising with all funds raised going to the Council for Christian Education in Schools, the co-ordinating body for distribution of funds for chaplaincy.
Echuca High School has had David Ogden as chaplain for several years. David is also the minister at Church of Christ in Echuca.
Echuca Secondary College has had a new chaplain for only a matter of weeks — Malcolm Moore. Malcolm, who lives in Kyabram has undertaken training in theological studies and holds a Christian Workers Certificate.
10 years ago May 2015
There was a familiar face, albeit a little more lined, with the hair a little greyer, at the Port of Echuca this week.
But apart from the inevitable, the years have been incredibly kind to John Waters, one of the stars of All The Rivers Run.
Now the actor/singer/entertainer (and who could forget those years on Play School?) has signed on for a gig as the face of Echuca-Moama for the next 12 months.
It will be used in mainstream television and a major social media campaign, starting in the spring and targeting, Echuca-Moama Tourism boss Tom Smith said, major markets of Melbourne, Bendigo, Geelong and Ballarat.
Etched into local lore as Brenton Edwards, the paddlesteamer captain in All The Rivers Run, Waters – originally a ‘10-pound Pom’ – now has a lifelong affinity with the twin towns.
“My time here for All The Rivers Run was life-changing, and started a relationship with Echuca-Moama which continues to this day,” he said.
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Echuca’s Salvation Army is now dealing with as many as 20 homeless people — every week.
Which is why it is asking everyone in Echuca-Moama to dig deep for this year’s Red Shield Appeal, which starts next week.
Because most of the money raised here will be directed to helping this growing problem.
While so many of the homeless they deal with are long-term, the numbers of newly-displaced people are growing – and alarming.
Echuca’s Salvation Army congregation leader Sonia Edwards said many who walked through the Salvos’ doors looking for help were escaping a violent partner affected by the ‘‘heinous drug’’ methamphetamine and alcohol abuse.
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Uniformed police are being plucked from the district’s 16-hour stations to work with one-member stations so officers are not patrolling on their own.
It’s a strategy expected to put pressure on already stretched resources.
The ‘two-up’ patrols are part of new operational safety measures which took effect last week in response to the alleged terror threat on Anzac Day.
As part of the anti-terrorist strategy, Victoria Police members have been ordered not to work alone in stations or on patrol and must wear body armour and respond according to risk assessment.
One-member stations at Gunbower and Elmore are having to work with the nearest 16-hour stations to be able to carry out patrols.
RIV Herald