From the Mayor's Desk - Friday 3 April 2009
Date: 03-Apr-09
Author: Alison Davey
It was a great pleasure to open the Nostalgia Festival recently. I believe the crowd attendance was well above previous years. The Kurri Kurri Towns with Heart Committee should be congratulated on a magnificent job in again showcasing the township of Kurri Kurri as a great tourist venue. Kurri Kurri will not only be known as the "Town of Murals" it can also boast as being a very successful venue for the Nostalgia Festival.
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Congratulations go to all 91 applicants in this year's Mayoral Academic Scholarships. The winners were:- Nicole Slowik, Jakeob Brown, Tara Philpot, Joshua Phillips, Charlotte Matthews, Ellen Holland, Kate Paterson, Tracey King, Dean Porena, Grace Hanly, David Parr and Zak Caban. Since the inception of the Scholarships in 2002 we have had 85 winners receiving a total of $212,000 in sponsorship. Many many thanks to our great sponsors; Cessnock Rugby League Supporters Club, Donaldson Job Creation Trust, Hardie Holdings Pty Ltd, Solo Resource Recovery, Telstra Country Wide, Regional Land, Cypress Lakes Resort, Hunter Resource Recovery, Rotary Club of Cessnock, Hydro Aluminium Kurri Kurri Pty Ltd and Videoplus as without their support we could not provide these scholarships for our students. Our presentation night was very successful and it showcased the academic brilliance and artistic talents of our students.
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Sue and Ian Howson have again done a magnificent job in raising funds for the Cancer Council through the Relay for Life event. This year they raised $91,000 which exceeded all expectations of both Ian and Sue. In 2008 a magnificent $84,000 was raised. This popular event shows how many people have or have been touched by cancer in our community and how they want to raise funds to assist in the fight against this disease. Thank you Ian and Sue for bringing this event to our City.
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Speaking of fundraising, Travis Collins, a local resident, recently held a very successful and entertaining afternoon at Cessnock Rugby League Supporters Club. The entertainment included a cast of very popular entertainers, including Travis... whom I believe is a country music artist signed to Universal Music with many hits and awards and successes both here and overseas. Travis raised approx. $10,000 towards the victims of the devastating Victorian bushfires. Well done Travis.
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On April 2nd I launched the 2009 Lower Hunter Urban Design Awards at the Cessnock Community Performing Arts Centre. These awards recognise developments that relate to streets, parks and other public spaces, exhibit architectural merit and introduce environmentally sustainable features. It was good to see so many owners, architects, designers and builders in attendance at the launch.
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Brian and I attended the 2009 Wine Country Hospitality Roadshow recently. Over 350 students took part in this event which demonstrated the career opportunities available in the tourism and hospitality industry for students. The Roadshow is a great example of what can be achieved through joint efforts of the Industry Advisory Group working together with TAFE centres, schools and local businesses.
Happiness is contagious
Start an epidemic today.
Alison
