Yes that’s right come along to the Boat Club for a concert featuring some of our best local bands and your support will benefit the Hervey Bay Special School.

The concert will be held upstairs from 2pm with performances from Frank Benn, Dogwood Crossing, 3 On The Tree and Red Betty along with heaps of raffles and slave auctions.

There’s a $10 cover charge (includes nibblies and a ticket in the Lucky Door prize) and all money raised will help to fund much needed equipment for the students.

HBSS P&C secretary and concert organiser Karen O’Connor said iPads and touch screen computers were high on the fundraising wishlist.

“This kind of technology opens up new education doorways, particularly for students with communication challenges.

“And as all parents of special-needs kids know, getting access to the right resources isn’t always easy but it can be life-changing.

“Like any parent we do whatever we can to improve our children’s chances in life and that’s why supporting this event is so worthwhile.

“Everybody who comes to the concert can be sure their support will make a direct, positive difference to the life of a child and that child’s family.”

Ms O’Connor said the group had decided to swap pie drives for partying this year in an attempt to upscale its fundraising activities.

“So far it seems to be working and we hope the concert will become our main annual event.

“There’s lots of interest on Facebook via our social networking front Special Things For Special Kids.

“And Wide Bay Meet and Greet have gotten on board and helped spread the word.

“Not to mention the great response we’ve had from businesses who’ve donated raffle prizes.

“We know it’s not the easiest economic time so it makes their support all the more valuable and we really, really appreciate it.”

Today at 2pm down at the Seafront All Abilities Playground a special Liberty Swing will be presented to the kids of Hervey Bay. This is a swing that caters for kids with physical impairments and those who are confined to wheelchairs so it’s going to be something that will really benefit the kids here.

Funding for the Liberty Swing was supported through the Fraser Coast Regional Council and also via the efforts of all three of Hervey Bay’s generous Rotary Clubs: the Rotary Club of Hervey Bay City, Rotary Club of Hervey Bay and the Rotary Club of Hervey Bay Sunrise and by Variety Queensland.
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The Children’s Charity Riders are holding a show and shine event next Saturday at the Maryborough School oval at 164 Woodstock Street Maryborough with all proceeds going towards the cost of heating the swimming pool so that kids with special needs can use it all year round.

Gates open at 9am and the show will run through until 3pm. There will be plenty of great cars and motorbikes on display as well as entertainment for the whole family so it’s definitely the place to be this Saturday!

Despite the presence of the bats there’s been a reluctance on the part of Council to erect any sort of warning signs but it seems that the latest outbreak of the Hendra virus has changed all that and these signs now adorn the bridge railings where the Esplanade crosses the creek.

While some may think that putting up these signs after those bat colonies have moved on is a bit like closing the gate after the horse has bolted the fact the colonies were located along the creek banks for years means that it’s going to be a very long time before the residue of the bat droppings stops leeching into the creek.

Let’s hope people heed the signs and don’t think that the dangers have passed simply because the bats have gone.

You simply couldn’t ask for a better location – it’s within walking distance of everything

2 minutes walk to the beach

3 minutes walk to local shops that include a chemist and a convenience store

10 minutes walk to Goodies Restaurant

5 minutes drive to the boat ramp

One fully serviced block for private sale at just $139,500 o.n.o

It has a 20 metre road frontage – its 37 metres deep and 750sqm in size

It’s an elevated block, fenced on two sides, that catches the lovely sea breezes

It has everything you want at a price you can afford so grab it before it’s gone!

Call Allan Dudley on 0427 405 0911 or 07 4125 4210 today!

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But about 12 months ago things changed … although not many people noticed the change. And the change was the opening of Smoked Pepper at 14 Main Street Pialba just across the road from the old railway station.

Smoked Pepper uses only fresh local produce and the meals are a foodies delight. We know … we’ve tried them.

Smoked Pepper is open for lunch from Tuesday to Saturday and open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. Bookings are definitely essential for dinner.

And while you’re dining at Smoked Pepper take a few moments to sign up for Danny’s newsletter … he has some interesting offers from time to time and he even runs gourmet cooking classes … but the numbers are strictly limited so you have to get in early.

Health
Hervey Bay and Bundaberg will be sharing $5.6 million towards the construction of an oral health clinic in each centre.

Environment
$1.8 million will be spent on various environmental programmes in the Wide Bay Burnett region including irrigation distribution in the Lower Mary Catchment area.

While that money may not be spent in Hervey Bay anything that’s done to improve the Mary River has a positive impact on Hervey Bay’s fishing fleet.

Education
$3.5 million will be shared by Hervey Bay Special School and St Helens State School. The money will go towards the construction of new classrooms.

Community Projects
$249,000 will be spent on upgrading the Hervey Bay Recreation Centre and $940,000 will go towards the construction of the new Craignish auxiliary fire and rescue station.

Other spending that will benefit Hervey Bay includes $57.6 million dollars to upgrade and expand the tilt train fleet with the work being carried out in Maryborough and a further $97 million dollars for the ongoing construction of suburban passenger trains at EDI.

$4.7 million dollars will also be spent on upgrading the Maryborough to Cooloola Road – the most direct route from Hervey Bay to Rainbow Beach and Tin Can Bay and a road that has been in dire need of an upgrade for some time.

The sun certainly wanted to get off to a positive start today and it wasn’t letting clouds block it out as it rose over Fraser Island this morning.

The Bay to Bay yacht race is on this weekend and the Hervey Bay Triathlon is making a return after an absence of 10 years.

Unfortunately for some people who live along the Esplanade as far out as Point Vernon right through to Urangan the Triathlon brings with it road closures between 6am and 10am on Sunday so if they’re not out by 6am then they’re not going anywhere till the competition finishes

We’ve also got a gathering of Hotrod enthusiasts happening in town this weekend so you’re sure to see plenty of highly polished metal out there on the streets. We caught this beautiful 1947 Plymouth convertible cruising the Esplanade this morning.

All that activity is expected to bring around 2000 people to Hervey Bay this weekend and that’s sure to be good for the town. There were a number of ‘No Vacancy’ signs up around town this morning and that’s always a good thing to see,

The ‘No Vacancy’ signs are out up and down the Esplanade … the cafes and restaurants have been packed throughout the day and well into the night ever since Friday morning and Hervey Bay hasn’t had it this good for several years.

It’s not just the resorts and motels that are full; the caravan parks are bursting at the seems too and there wasn’t an empty spot in the Caravan Park on the Esplanade in Pialba when we passed this morning.

The beach and the Wetside have definitely been the places to go in Hervey Bay this weekend. This was the beach on Saturday afternoon:

And at the same time the Seafront Oval had been turned into a car park to cope with all the people who wanted to spend time at Wetside.

While the sun is shining today the wind may put some people off and there are showers forecast for Anzac Day.

Digger Kelly (GARY SWEET) and son Jack (ASHLEY BRADNAM) are local carpenters, and with mum Betty (KRIS MCQUADE) doing the books, life could not be more simple and sweet for an honest and hard working Australian family.

It’s an Australian story filmed here in Hervey Bay and it’s out on video right now. Check it out at your local video store and see what happens behind the scenes.

Here’s a little preview