Reflections from the past

When the building is completed, it will be handed over to a new committee to be elected by subscribers to the project, and this new committee will be responsible for the management of the project.

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The chairman of a panel of noted football identities at the Rochester Football Club’s Sportsmen’s Night, Mr Jim Cardwell, said he believed ‘’too much emphasis is placed on too many children at too young an age and this was one of the major causes of drop-outs in football ranks’’.

Mr Cardwell has been secretary of the Melbourne Football Club for the past 25 years. Other panel members were TV commentator and Fitzroy 200-gamer ‘’Butch’’ Gale; Melbourne Football Club recruiting officer Ken Carlyon; Melbourne Football Club promotion officer and player Robert Flowers and his fellow player Stephen Smith.

A senior Rochester player, Bruce Watson, directed a question to the panel: ‘’why are boys dropping out of football before they complete their secondary education?’’

Mr Carlyon believed the kids started too early, they got browned off, especially if they were not getting to the top. In his day, apart from school football, they did not start playing until they were 15 or 16.

A teenager himself, Flower said the question was being thrown around quote a bit with the various promotions officers.

He believed boys were starting to play competitive football at too young an age and there was too much emphasis on win at all costs by parents and coaches.

25 years ago September 2000

Homeowners in Pascoe St, Rochester, are furious that a Campaspe Shire zoning error could result in a Powercor substation being built near their homes.

Spokesperson Frank Hofmann said residents had built their homes east of the Campaspe River assuming that a one-hectare block to the side of Jess Estate, on the corner of Pascoe and Cohen streets, was correctly zoned ‘public conservation and resource’.

Instead, Mr Hofmann said, residents recently discovered the land was owned by Powercor, which has plans to build a substation.

The zoning indicated on Campaspe Shire maps available to residents before they purchased land is incorrect.

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Rochester artist Kate Frawley’s realistic painting A Special Bond has won third prize at the Royal Queensland Show.

The artwork, depicting a mother and child, was done while Kate conducted demonstrations for various community groups around Bendigo as well as Rochester schools and for the local Cubs’ group.

‘’Friends encouraged me to enter the painting in the show but I never expected to win the $200 third prize,’’ she said.

Kate became an artist with the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists in 1989, several years after a car accident left her quadriplegic.

In the past 12 months, Kate has completed around 50 paintings, 40 of those for MFPA.

On September 27, Kate heads off to the Royal Melbourne Show for more demonstrations, then returns for the October Elmore Field Days.

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Friday night’s game against Echuca clocked up an individual milestone for Tigerette Katrina Trewin, as well as another milestone for the Tigerette club.

Katrina played her 300th game with the Rochester club, a feat achieved by just one other Tigerette, Christine Hooppell, who is currently working towards 350 games.

Katrina began her netball career with the Tigerettes in 1986 and can’t recall ever having missed a finals series.

Katrina has played in all grades, moving from B-grade to A, back to B and now B-reserve.

She has coached the B-reserve team this year and found it easier to play in the same grade she was coaching.

10 years ago September 2015

Rochester police say hoon drivers and anyone disobeying road laws should prepare to lose their car.

‘‘If you do the wrong thing, you will be caught and your vehicle will be impounded,’’ Leading Senior Constable Chris Goyne said.

‘‘You will pay the impoundment fee, the tow fee and whatever the court sees fit. ‘And you will wave goodbye to your car.’’

Rochester police and officers from the Campaspe Highway Patrol are cracking down on drivers breaking the rules.

The number of cars impounded in Rochester has skyrocketed in the past eight weeks.

In the past 12 months, eight vehicles have been impounded — but seven of those have been in the past two months.

‘‘And in such a small town, that is a decent figure,’’ Leading Sen Constable Goyne said.

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The humble vanilla slice is widely recognised as an Australian icon.

Over the years, regional bakeries have competed to produce the finest slice, such has been the growth in its popularity.

The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph is put on in Merbein, Victoria, each year to find the best of the best.

For Elmore Bakery first year-apprentice Linette Moore, the competition was her first challenge, after only five months of training.

The result was a silver medal in the best vanilla slice by an apprentice baker category.

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Campaspe’s meals on wheels volunteers deserve to be celebrated.

And not just on last week’s national meals on wheels day, but every day, for delivering more than 25,000 meals throughout the region.

Up to 250 volunteers throughout Lockington, Rochester, Elmore, Rushworth, Colbinabbin and Stanhope provide meals for close to 300 people.

Rochester resident Kath Bubb has volunteered for 28 years.

After moving from a farm to town, she wanted to spend her time helping others.

She delivered meals to dozens of Rochester locals last week, which she picked up from Rochester and Elmore District Health Service.