2015
Perfect pot pourer
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A Kyabram barman is at the top of his game after being named Victoria’s ‘‘Perfect Pourer’’ by the Australian Hotels Association Victoria.
Brenton Sheppard, the licensee of Hurley’s Hotel, became Victoria’s best beer pourer after he won the state final in Melbourne.
He progressed to the final after winning the regional heat of the competition against 20 other competitors at the Blue Brick Hotel in August.
That put him through to the Victorian final at CUB Brewery, where he then outshone the other 12 competitors and won the title. Entrants were judged on their presentation and overall hospitality in a mock customer interaction.
But Brenton said the critical component of the competition was the level of head on the poured pot of beer.
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Time to say cheese
Thirty new jobs, up to 150 builders and more than 45-000 tonnes of cheese.
Australia’s ‘Legendairy Capital’ just got even better.
The Stanhope community has hailed the announcement of a $120 million investment in the Stanhope Fonterra factory, which will help future-proof the town.
Fonterra Australia announced last Wednesday that it would build a new state-of-the-art cheese plant in Stanhope to replace its hard cheese plant, which was destroyed by fire in December 2014.
The larger, more modern facility, supported by the Victorian Government through its Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund, will produce cheese for Australian consumer, food service and export markets and is expected to generate up to 30 jobs.
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Ky hits back at poach claims
Kyabram Football Club’s signing of Benalla premiership star Lachie Smith last week didn’t go down too well with Saints president Bruce Biggs.
Biggs went on record as saying ‘‘We’re not impressed with Kyabram’s efforts in this and there is an unwritten law in country footy that if you’re going to sign one of the marquee players in the competition, particularly one you have just played against in a grand final, that you at least put a phone call in.’’
Not holding back, Biggs also added, ‘‘Kyabram having no representatives at the league’s annual meeting says all you need to know about how the club operates.’’
And more hard-hitting stuff: “They must have a money tree with all the players they have supposedly signed so they’ve really changed the ballpark in this league.”
1995
Unlikely overseer for tree plant
It is now becoming a common sight around the district — children with shovels in hand planting trees by their hundreds along roadsides, reserves, farms and just about any stretch of land requiring the nurturing capacity of trees.
However, a not too common sight is this auspicious character, a nosy bull, watching the students’ every move — Dee Jaquinta and Caylie Tasker certainly made sure this particular tree was planted in the correct manner.
Last week, 100 grade five and six students from Haslem St Primary School planted 700 trees along a 750-metre stretch of Trevaskis Rd. And all in the space of one hour.
Wyuna Landcare group over the past year has invited students from just about every Kyabram school to join in the tree planting scheme.
And with the group running short of the 30,000 it had in storage at the start of the year; there is no doubt some hard work has been put in by the dozen or so committed Landcare members and its helpers.
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Jack ‘Digger’ Graves rewarded for 50 years of untiring service to RSL
Jack ‘Digger’ Graves certainly marches to a strident beat.
He has led Kyabram’s Anzac Day march for more years than he cares to remember.
Also escaping his memory is the number of years he has sat in the Kyabram RSL sub-branch president’s chair.
For the record, Jack is now in his eighth year as president and by all accounts will be lining up for the job again next year.
But these figures are by the way; Jack Graves says he just “does what has to be done” and that’s all there is to it.
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Young Kyabram horsewoman claims state championship
A young Kyabram horsewoman has claimed two titles in the Quarter Horse of South Australia State Championships.
Sisters Kellie and Amanda Steers competed in the titles at the Mallala Equestrian Centre, with Kellie claiming the two titles.
After being placed third in the Halter class when riding a three-year-old horse bred on her parents’ Phil and Lynette’s property and trained by herself, Kellie went on to win the senior youth western pleasure event and the snaffle bit hackamore reining event, both against senior riders.
In the halter event, there were 14 contestants.
The two girls are now preparing for events at Lilydale in January and at Geelong and Garfield, which will be used in the selection of an Australian team to contest the Youth Congress in America next year.
1975
Dairy Manifesto presented to Labor candidate
The Dairy Farmer Manifesto pointing out the serious plight facing dairy farmers was presented to Labor candidate for Murray (Mrs Marj Gillies) at Kyabram last Thursday night.
The singe page document is backed by the Murray Goulburn Co-Operative.
It points out the financial difficulties currently facing farmers and the possible bankruptcy of many if the situation does not improve.
The manifesto calls upon the dairy industry’s state and national leaders, as well as parliamentarians of all parties, to pursue immediately four objectives.
Accepting the document, Mrs Gillies said: “The Labor Party is aware of the problems facing the dairying industry and appreciate the combining of dairy farmers to present such a detailed document of these problems.”
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Sir John sells up — $264,000 for seven lots
About half of Sir John McEwen’s Stanhope 3018-acre property was sold at auction on Wednesday afternoon for a total of $264,031.60.
Although only seven of the 15 lots were sold, the agent expects to sell the balance in the near future.
Negotiations are continuing with all losing bidders, and a spokesman for the agents said yesterday it was hoped to affect an almost total clearance within the next week or 10 days.
Most of the property sold went to nearby residents.
Commenting on the prices received, the spokesman said: “Prices were slightly lower than would have been expected a year or two ago, but in the light of the present depressed conditions in the rural sector the result would have to be regarded as fairly satisfactory.”
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Olympic hopes are dashed
Renowned showjumping rider Leonard Tennet of Stanhope lost his chance to represent Australia in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games when his horse, Goldfinger, fell and died in a jumping event at Geelong on Saturday.
Leonard and Goldfinger were a well-known jumping combination throughout Australia and New Zealand and were on the short list of contestants for a place in the Australian Olympic team.
Leonard was told unofficially last Sunday that he and Goldfinger were actually in the Australian side and would have left Australia en route for Montreal next March or April.
Goldfinger was brought for Leonard as a pony club horse at the age of four years.
He formerly raced under the name of ‘Broadacres’ before Leonard trained him for jumping and discovered Goldfinger to be a “natural” at the jumps.