Clarence Valley Independent

Story Dogs is a reading support program where selected children read to an accredited dog and its handler ... Rusty and his handler Kathy are the Clarence Valleys first Story Dog team. They visit Gillwinga Public School in South Grafton each week to listen one on one to a pre-selected group of children who benefit from Rusty’s calm and relaxed manner.  

Gai Pritchett. A collaboration  of art and photography is featured in Julianne Gosper’s intricate detailed paintings of  amazing birds and animals and the ethereal photography of Brian McGrath.  “Artography”  will be exhibited at the Old Kirk, Yamba Museum from Friday November 26 to Thursday December 23, 2021 ... Julianne Gosper is a Clarence Valley based artist who has had a lifelong  fascination with the natural world ... Photographer Brian (Dino) McGrath spent his initial childhood years in the small town of Harden/Murrumburrah in the Riverina Region of NSW.

Geoff Helisma. In Grafton on  Sunday and Monday, November 14 and 15, Armen Arakelian (CEO) and Will Jefferies (director), from  Clean Waters Oceania  exhibited a machine, manufactured by Israeli company  Watergen, that “uses condensation as a means of producing fresh water”. Watergen says it has “become the global leader in the atmospheric drinking water devices market”.

Miles James. Grade B Grade Maclean golf on Saturday, David Lorenzo showed his steady progress with a very good forty points take second place by just one shot from another improver Geoff Willis. Neither of these consistent scoring golfers could be prepared for the hurricane behind them. After a steady 17 points on the first nine holes and a no score on the tenth, Tracy Johnson breezed through the final eight holes scoring a nett birdie 3 points on every hole.

Emma Pritchard. “Teachers are instrumental in every community and the NSW Government needs to invest in them because children, especially in rural and regional areas, are bearing the brunt of the shortages and as a consequence their education is being put at risk”: NSW Teachers Federation President, Angelos Gavrielatos.

Emma Pritchard. Despite being last during the early stages of the Grafton Gas and Plumbing Jacaranda Cup, locally trained mare Tara Jasmine was in front where it counted ... the four-year-old daughter of Cowboy Blue extended her perfect record to six wins from six starts on her home track when she claimed the 1100m feature event of the Clarence River Jockey Club’s race meeting on November 3.

Emma Pritchard. Members of the Glenreagh Rail and Station Preservation Society (GRASPS) fear a historic building they have been campaigning to save and restore for many years will soon be demolished. Concern for the future of the 106-year-old Glenreagh Railway Station Precinct was heightened this week after GRASPS learned the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) had recently visited the site and fenced it off.

Geoff Helisma. Clarence Valley environmental defenders John and Pat Edwards were inducted into the  Allen Strom Hall of Fame  at the Nature Conservation Council’s NSW Environment Awards ... “Individuals for this award have been actively involved in the conservation movement for many years, have made a constant and invaluable contribution to the environment and have displayed qualities of integrity, reliability and commitment.”