The Merimbula and District Arts Group meeting will take place at the Merimbula RSL this Saturday, July 8 commencing at 2pm. There will be a Gallery Forum where anyone who has any ideas or questions may put them forward. There is also a trading table where any artistic items you do not need may be donated or sold. This can include art books, frames, pallets, brushes, paints etc...  just bring them along with you. All members, guests and prospective members welcomed. There is an exhibition by the Group currently on display at the Woolworths complex at Tura Beach and the Oaklands Gallery in Pambula has artistic gifts in many mediums by artists of the Bega Valley.

Thank you to everyone who supported the Animal Welfare League NSW Far South Coast Volunteers branch Garage sale at Tathra Hall last Saturday. With your help we raised around $2000 to put towards the care of animals in the Bega Valley Shire.

At the recent final dinner meeting for 2016-17 the Pambula Rotary Club treasurer, Lou Roper, announced that the club had distributed over $80,000 to local and international organisations over the past year.

Local beneficiaries included: the Community Carers Accommodation Project at the new hospital, Pambula Public School, Pambula Hospital, Pambula Rural Fire Brigade, Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN), PCYC, Pambula Mens Shed, Perth2Pambula (Dane Waites) and the Bega Women’s Refuge. Funds are raised through a variety of ways including the monthly markets, raffles at the Lakeview Hotel, the annual golf weekend and catering.

Also at the dinner the new board was inducted (pictured) Steve Goodchild (vice-president), Daryl Dobson (past president), Colin Dunn (president), Victor Rothwell (international service), David Wriedt (youth service), Jill Goodchild (club service), Lou Roper (treasurer), Jill Hampshire (secretary), Lynne Koerbin (president-elect), Graham Brown (vocational service), and Peter Moore (community service).

If you would like to be involved in this dynamic local community group see www.rotaryd9710.org.au/~pambula/Home.html. 

Electricity network upgrade for Merimbula Essential Energy will upgrade the overhead electricity distribution network in Merimbula township between July and late August to ensure the ongoing safety and reliability of the local power supply.

Regional manager Southern, Steven Ilitch, said more than 16 Essential Energy crews would complete the work in stages across sections of the town, including Market Street.

“Crews will install new equipment to improve network flexibility, replace seven aged power poles and 113 cross-arms, re-build 13 existing substations and upgrade 160 customer service lines to more robust aerial bundled cable,” Steven said.

Due to the scale of the project, four planned power outages will be necessary between mid-July and late August. All affected residents and businesses will be notified in advance.

Changes to local traffic arrangements will be necessary throughout the duration of the project. Road users are advised that these changes may include reduced speed limits, road closures and minor traffic delays. 

Visitors to the Bega Valley Regional Gallery during July, August, and September will discover one of the most significant art collections in regional Australia. ‘Treasures of Australian art 1880-1940: the Howard Hinton Collection’ features 50 key works on loan from the New England Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale.

“Howard Hinton was an extraordinarily generous man who gave away his fabulous collection of artworks during his own lifetime,” said Robert Heather, Director of NERAM.

The collection features some of the big names in Australian Art - Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, Margaret Preston, Nora Heysen, Hans Heysen, Norman Lindsay, Elioth Gruner and Herbert Badham. The exhibition will be on display at the Bega Valley Regional Gallery from July 15 until September 30.

From Little Things Parklands are excited for their first fundraising night.  For the From Little Things Parklands project to grow we need the support of our wonderful community. We would love to see you at our upcoming trivia night, so round up your family and friends and grab your tickets for what is sure to be a really fun night out. The trivia night is on this Saturday, July 8 at Club Sapphire. 7pm for a 7:30pm start. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children 15 years and over. Snacks are provided. Please book through the club 6495 1306. For more information about the FLTP project, see their Facebook page.