Over the Fence - news and gossip

If you hear any news or gossip over the fence, you can tell the watchdog by clicking here to email the information through.
      Your name is required but can be withheld upon request. Readers articles and community group/club news will also be published so hit the keyboard and submit your story

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City’s chief ‘back home’
by Brad Morall (Border Mail)
WANGARATTA council has poached the head of Alpine council for its chief executive vacancy. Doug Sharp will return to a municipality where he had previously... – full story...

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The joy of giving: The King Valley Football and Netball Club is planning to build a new netball court with the help of funding from the RCoW. It will be located alongside the pavillion on a piece of land donated by Neil Sheppard.
      When the new title came through, incorporating the original Reserve plus the additional land, it was found to be in the joint names of Council and Neil Sheppard. So, instead of gifting some land to the community, Neil suddenly owned half the football ground.
      It has all been sorted out now with the Council having the title changed once more to transfer the land into the name of Council as sole proprietor.

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Rural medical school opens
by John Conroy (Border Mail)
THE region’s medical services got a shot in the arm yesterday when the Wangaratta campus of the University of Melbourne’s Rural Clinical School was unveiled. – full story...

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Watchdog Prediction: When GMH laid off workers in SA last year in preparation for the release of the 2006 model, the CEO said that the new vehicle was the biggest departure from the norm since the 1940's. What could that be? My prediction is that the new model holden will be a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) designed to run on petrol or ethanol/petrol mixtures anywhere up to 85% ethanol.

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Accident waiting to happen by Jeff Zeuschner The Chronicle 28 Feb.
A DRIVER was lucky to escape serious injury after he lost control of his vehicle on a deteriorated section of the Wangaratta/Whitfield Road, careered into two large hay bales and came to rest in a drain.
      Residents, while thankful the local probationary driver escaped with only whiplash, say the Friday morning accident vindicates their concerns over the dangerous state of the road and they’re bracing themselves for a fatality.
      King Valley Vignerons president, David Maples, whose property the vehicle came to rest in, is one of several local residents who earlier this month in The Chronicle, warned of an impending accident.

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Lennie lures local lunkers: Lennie Maples is well known for the cod lures he hand makes. It is not generally known that he 'swims' every lure in the river before offering it for sale. It is even less known that Lennie has been successfully taking murray cod in the King River on his lures as far up as Cheshunt. In years long gone, cod have reportedly been taken below the wall of Lake William Hovell - but at Cheshunt in 2006 is an exciting prospect for the future of fishing in the King River

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Bikers brekky at Whitfield:
The Mansfield to Whitfield road has certainly been a boon to tourism in the King Valley.
      Every weekend, you will see scenes like this (click photo) in the Whitfield township. The sign on the store says 'Motorcycle Friendly' and they are taking notice. If they are not having brekky at the Whitfield store, you will find them filling up with petrol at the service station.