July – August farewells
A movie star, a theatre director who wanted to throw money from the roof of parliament, a beautiful singer and activist, and a university professor – we’re better for their being here.
Depressed? Researchers say (wait for it) exercise and go on holiday
If winter has been giving you the blues, here's the solution: go on holiday! (As if you didn't know.)
At least half of all heart attack victims are suffering from depression 12 months after hospitalisation, but a simple exercise regime can reduce the anguish, a new study by Victoria University has found.
And another researcher, Dr Sebastian Filep, says his recent study on the benefits of travel found that a holiday may be a good tonic for those suffering from depression.
For the full story go to CI’s Nature page
Farmers asked to save critical native shrub
Critical list: Spiny Rice-flower, Pimelea spinescens
Bendigo farmers may hold the key to the survival of a critically endangered flowering shrub.
PhD student Debbie Reynolds has been monitoring the populations of Spiny Rice-flower at 16 locations around Victoria for the past two years.
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BPA (Bisphenol A) to be declared toxic in Canada
BPA is a chemical used in polycarbonate drinking and baby bottles.
These are the hard, light-weight plastic bottles popular in the last two decades, including the big spring water bottles delivered by services.
BPA is also in the plastic lining of food and drink cans, and there have been concerns for BPA’s safety. Canada is about to declare it toxic after banning it in babies’ bottles two years ago.
Castlemaine Independent goes to the Melbourne Writers’ Festival
Founder of Castlemaine Independent Andrew McKenna has been invited to talk at the Melbourne Writers Festival on the 2nd and 3rd September. He’ll be presenting at the session on News Ecologies: Communities, Local and Hyperlocal.
What’s happening in community and local news? Can we think global and report local?
Presenters in this session: Chair Bronwen Clune (PIJ) with Bob Burton (Inside Spin), Jan Schaffer (J-Lab), Jon Burton (Leader Community Newspapers) and Andrew McKenna (Castlemaine Independent).
In the meantime, click here for a selection of stories from our first six months. Enjoy!
Playback your stories
Melbourne's Playback: coming to Castlemaine
Melbourne Playback Theatre Company is heading to the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine for a one-off performance on Sunday 5 September. Come and watch as Melbourne Playback transforms your stories into theatre.
For the full story go to CI’s Arts page
Competition makes eradicating drugs in sport ‘fantasy’
Drugs oil the engine of sport and a war to eradicate them is unwinnable because sporting culture encourages their use, a Victoria University (VU) expert said recently.
Associate Professor Bob Stewart said there were now five international studies showing the level of recreational and performance-enhancing drug use among athletes was much higher than for non-athletes. One study of US college athletes found that 40-70 per cent binge drink, 24-30 per cent use cannabis and 10-20 per cent use other illicit drugs.
For the full story go to CI’s Sport page
Follow the stories on Castlemaine’s planned poker machine venue
Tune in to all the stories, and the latest, below. Continue Reading »
Fiddling while the earth burns
By Richard Eckersley
No more ‘politics as usual’ should mean having enough courage to tackle the sickness of mindless consumption.
Nearly every decade from the 1970s has been declared a decade of reckoning, the time when we must deal decisively with looming national and global environmental crises. And as each decade passes, we postpone the deadline another 10 years. With the failure of the Copenhagen conference on climate change last year, the 2010s are now the critical decade of action.
Brisbane: key to the election
Brisbane: the key to the election?
Victoria University mathematician and electoral analyst Professor John Zeleznikow says the seat of Brisbane is likely to hold the key to the outcome of the election.
“The Australian Electoral Commission lists three undecided seats as close – Brisbane, Hasluck and Corangamite,” Professor Zeleznikow said.
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Poker machine protest
By Tim Preston
At short notice this afternoon protesters gathered to object to the proposed poker machine venue in the historic rail shed next to Castlemaine’s train station.
The Maryborough Highland Society has plans for the Kennedy Street goods shed. They recently bought 55 poker machine licenses, and some or all of those will be a part of their proposal.
Listen to the interviews with Don Hester, the manager of the Highland society here.
Read recent comments about this project on the interview page above, or click the link below to have your say.
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Six-point plan to avert a global water crisis
The impending global water crisis can be averted if nations rethink how they use their water resources. This is the main message of the book Out of Water: From abundance to scarcity and how to solve the world’s water problems, published by FT Press.
‘Creative thinking’ needed for this site
After a reported $80,000 external consultants’ report, numerous soul searching, breast beating and crazy ideas, Mt Alexander Shire has now decided to sell the old Castlemaine Gaol.
They are now seeking Expressions of Interest.
Sunday story: An Old Woman near Ballinsloe
There are many forths around, and in that one beyond, there is often music heard. The smith’s father heard the music one time he was passing and he could not stop from dancing till he was tired. I heard him tell that myself.
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Hope
'We are well in the refuge, the 33'. Chile: Engineers estimate it could take up to four months to excavate a rescue tunnel wide enough to rescue 33 trapped miners from the dank and sweaty tunnel where they are trapped after a cave in. During that time, the men will receive water, food, medical care and communication through a tiny drill probe hole that located them last Sunday.
Saturday poem 1: At the end of a crazy-moon night
by Lalla (Lal Ded), (14th century)
At the end of a crazy-moon night
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Labor’s war on locusts
‘The scourge I’m referring to will come in the form of DPI spray planes and helicopters, which are set to dump deadly pesticides over vast areas of our state, as part of Brumby’s $43.5 million “War On Locusts”.’
‘This terribly misguided campaign will pose a significant risk to human health, and will be devastating for the environment.’
Interview with the GM of the Maryborough Highland Society
By Arabella Davison
Don Hester is the manager of the Maryborough Highland Society, and I interviewed him on Friday, 13 August about the Highland Society’s plans for the Kennedy Street, Castlemaine, Goods Shed. Award winning catering, reception areas, free meeting rooms with tea and coffee.
And 55 brand new poker machine licenses.
Interview below edited for brevity.
Continue Reading »
