2015
Ky teen off and racing
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Tiana McMahon is one of the hardest working harness racers and trainers you’ll ever meet.
She is also officially the youngest in Kyabram, possibly Victoria,
Tiana, 19, has received her trainer’s licence after a substantial apprenticeship under some of the best names in the hardness racing business.
Tiana was required to complete 12 months of stable hand work and be recommended by at least two different trainers to receive the licence — hurdles she passed with flying colours after a lifetime of dedication to horses.
“It all started when I got my first pony when I was little,” Tiana said.
Help our school grow
For a 21st century education, you need 21st century buildings.
And in this regard, Kyabram P-12 College is falling behind.
Shadow Minister for Education Nick Wakeling and State Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh lambasted the Victorian Government for failing to provide funding for regional education during a visit to Kyabram P-12 College last week.
As part of a whirlwind regional education tour, Mr Wakeling visited Kyabram P-12 with Mr Walsh to assess white ant damage and discuss the school’s master plan.
Mr Wakeling said it was not good enough that the Victorian Government had made no funding commitment to the college despite a 2014 pre-election promise by the Coalition of $10 million for construction works.
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Footy players selected
Young Kyabram footballers Daniel Lawson, Alex Woods and Mitch Jarrett have been selected to play for Central Murray in the upcoming under-15 V/Line Cup this Monday.
The boys, who will play through aligned football squad the Bendigo Pioneers, will compete in the competition on June 29 and 30 and July 1 in Mildura.
After weeks of time trials, training and practice games, the boys were selected for the Pioneers and Central Murray squad early last month.
They join former Kyabram footballer Broady Fernee and Tongala players Blake Mulholland and Bailey Wassdorp in the Central Murray squad.
If they perform well, they may earn selection in the state team to compete in the national titles.
1995
$3 million extensions
The Kyabram and District Community Memorial Hospital upgrades are set to begin after the hospital CEO, Kyabram Hospital board members and the building architect firms signed the $3 million contracts for stage one of the extensions to begin.
Successful building tenders for the project, Crow Constructions and Ian Maughan, were in Kyabram this week to view the plans and to sign the multi-million-dollar contracts.
Chris Davis, of Chris Davis Architects, has been involved with the project for the past three years, and he was also present on Tuesday for the signing of the contracts and the master plan unveiling.
The expected starting date for stage one construction works to June 26 as the builders take possession of the site.
“History was made with the signing of the new master plan,” Tom Tehan said of the $3 million contract signing.
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A multimedia task
Students at St Patrick’s Primary School have in recent weeks been undertaking a project quite different to the type they have ever done before.
Grades four, five and six students are using computers to compile a project which they intend to enter in the “What can be done, what can be won,” multimedia competition being run by Methodist Ladies College.
The project, which gazettes life in Tongala, includes 16 topics ranging from the dairy industry to town life.
Principal Tom Sexton said the students each had a hand in the project which started a few months ago as a blank computer screen and is now taking shape into a fully functional computer program.
Mr Sexton said the project involved researching relevant data, taking photographs, as well as incorporating music and graphics into the program.
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Cameron’s fighting fit
Kick-boxing instructor Cameron Smith heads to Melbourne next Tuesday to try and take out the welterweight (63 to 67kg) Victorian kick-boxing title.
Cameron has been teaching kick-boxing classes at the Kyabram Youth Club hall for the past month and a half, taking over from his instructor Jason Hawker.
Cameron, 24, from Mooroopna, has been learning Muay Thai kick-boxing for the past three-and-a-half years, and before that was learning Bob Jones Zen Do Kai freestyle karate for about two years, reaching the rank of brown belt.
Cameron became interested in Muay Thai after watching a friend in a fight, and he decided it was the sport for him.
He said it required a lot of concentration, enjoyed the challenge and had reached the ranking of black top with red logo.
1975
Top Rotary post for Ruler
Frank Ruler of Kyabram has been elected top Rotary officially for his home area by delegates to the Rotary International convention meeting in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
He is a partner in G. Ruler and Co. real estate firm.
Mr Ruler is one of 357 men from 151 countries of the Rotary world elected as a district governor for the 1975-76 year.
As governor of District 279, he will co-ordinate some 40 clubs in his district.
A Rotarian since 1960, he is a member and past president of the Rotary Club in Kyabram, one of the more than 16,000 clubs around the world.
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Hospital appeal flop
The result of Sunday’s appeal for funds for the Kyabram District Hospital was most disappointing.
The hospital committee conducted a large-scale advertising campaign in the hope of raising $15,000 toward the new geriatric hospital.
They were most disappointed at the result, and hospital manager R. J. Thrussell described the appeal as “a flop”.
However, he again praised members of the Kyabram Fire Brigade for the job they did in conducting the telephone appeal.
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Bombers belted
What are Rod Bray and Ron Auchettl worth to the Bombers? And what’s Gavin Egan’s value to Echuca?
These questions immediately sprung to mind after watching Echuca annihilate Kyabram 20.17 to 9.16 at Echuca on Saturday.
Yes, the same Kyabram side which stopped Shepparton in their tracks only seven days previously (If I hadn’t been at that game, I wouldn’t have believed it).
Bray and Auchettl were out of the Kyabram side through injury and illness respectively.
Both can be great players, but would they have made the difference between winning and losing?
Sorry, Bombers — not a chance in the world on that Echuca performance.
Journalist