Doctor on duty no matter the time or place
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Cobram-born Dr Emma West, an emergency specialist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, was in the right place at the right time last week.
Travelling up from Melbourne with her son Rory, 13, to see her parents Frank and Marlene West in Cobram, they were first on the scene at a road accident in Katamatite.
Dr West treated the injured driver and stayed with the patient until ambulance, police and CFA arrived.
It was just another day in the life of a dedicated medical professional.
Gus recalls Yarroweyah Athletics Carnival
My old editor from my Tatura Guardian days, the notable sports journalist Gus Underwood, enjoys On the Grapevine and sent through a memory he had of the Yarroweyah Athletics Carnival.
As a fit athletic young man in the 1960s, Gus made his one and only appearance at the Athletics Carnival in Yarroweyah, competing in both the 100 and 800 metre events.
His coach at the time advised him before lining up in the 800m event that he needed to be in front at the bell which indicated the final lap. This was a big ask as he was running from an 80m handicap and had to give the front markers a very big start. Still, he managed to do as the coach asked and was in front with a lap to go. Had the coach told him what he expected in the last lap? Not exactly as he would have assumed Gus would know to keep going. However, the young runner was a spent force during that last lap and faded badly yet managed to beat a few runners home to the finish line.
In his heat of the 100m Yarroweyah Gift as the winner went over the line, Gus unfortunately was not among the placegetters. However, the chap who won the heat went on to make the prestigious Stawell Gift final some time later. Gus undoubtedly competed against some highly fancied professional runners.
“It was then that I made the decision that I wasn’t going to make my mark as a runner and as it clashed with another sporting love of mine, cricket, I took that path and have no regrets,” Gus said.
Perhaps, Gus, you could be considered a stayer and not a sprinter.
From the school garden to the plate
Widely recognised restaurateur Stephanie Alexander has done it all.
The renowned and talented chef, who has owned and operated several top restaurants, conducted cooking classes with fellow chefs and has written numerous popular cookbooks, and has enjoyed a hugely successful career.
Yet there is one project in particular that has given her a huge amount of pride and that is the establishment of the ‘Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program’.
The program began in 2001 after Stephanie became concerned about what children do or do not learn about food which led her to development of a comprehensive garden and cooking program at an inner Melbourne school.
It became possible through several generous individual donations, philanthropic foundations and funds from the Victorian Government and today 11 per cent of primary schools around Australia have embraced the program and the kids are loving it.
Keen to become a part of the program, Barooga Public School was one of the first to become involved and is now a foundation member with its 88 students.
While initially provided with some funding to get their kitchen garden up and running, the school now relies on donations and money raised by the school.
When I visited the school last week, Years 3 and 4 students were being briefed by Marcia Nolan, the kitchen garden co-ordinator, on what they would work on and hope to achieve that day, which included harvesting some baby beetroots which would be made into a healthy dip.
With smiling faces and lots of chatter, little hands got down to the job. They pulled out the baby beetroot and washed them, while others levelled and cleared a special area, added compost, then planted butter beans before ensuring the beans were well covered and watered.
The variety of vegetables is just amazing, whatever is in season is grown at the school, such as a variety of Asian greens — bok choy, pak choy and wok choy, broccoli, spinach, onions, potato, pumpkins, beans and cabbage. There are also a number of fruit trees which bear a good variety of fruits when in season.
Each year level from two-six attends the kitchen garden each week and the following week will cook from the recently harvested vegetables or use some that have already been prepared and frozen.
This week, the students from Years 3 and 4 will make potato and leek soup, potato cakes, grilled cabbage and blood orange mini cakes and then sit together and enjoy a delicious lunch from their efforts. Oh I can just see the smiles on their proud little faces.
The kitchen was previously an open shelter, today it is fully enclosed with four separate well-equipped kitchens ensuring every student can be involved in the cooking process.
Linda Mc Kay is assistant to Marcia Nolan in the kitchen garden and makes various jars of delicious goodies, including pickles and lime curd, to assist in raising funds. Volunteer Lyn Mountney helps out during the week with the students’ garden activities. Both women are valuable to the program.
Students from P- 1 do not participate in the program on a weekly basis, however they have their turn in the kitchen and at the end of last term were thrilled to make pasta, pizza and fruit sticks.
There is no denying that when asked what their favourite activity was, the children’s response was unashamedly unanimous “the kitchen garden.”
However, it is not only a fun activity, they are learning so much about the land and how to plant and care for the produce they have planted and to cook nourishing and healthy food, while also becoming aware of preparing food that those with allergies can share.
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