90th Birthday Celebrations

On Sunday 27th August village resident Frank Roberts celebrated his 90th birthday by holding an afternoon tea in the community centre.

Frank enjoyed the company of 80 of his family members and friends. Frank’s family would like to say thank you to the Village for allowing

them to have a terrific celebration in such a great venue. Angie Teasdale did the superb job of catering for the afternoon tea

spread. Frank’s guests certainly enjoyed themselves with the array of savoury and sweet treats that were offered. Guests enjoyed sipping

cups of tea and coffee from the fine china cups and saucers while the various speakers and acts throughout the afternoon entertained them.

Angie and her crew of trusty helpers were so friendly and accommodating.

Overall a great afternoon was had by all, especially Frank.

Both Frank and his family highly recommend the venue and Angie’s catering for anyone in the village wanting to celebrate

a special milestone or event.

Leonie Roberts

This article was published in The Senior Newspaper – September edition 2017

Beware scam phone call: it’s a scam

Police have warned senior’s to remain wary after a 74 year old lost more than $46,000 to overseas scammers.

The woman was phoned by a man claiming to work for a major telecommunication company who told her she

had been a victim of scam. While speaking to the victim, the scammers were able to gain remote access to her

computer and online banking records.

The woman was told money had been deposited into her account to “fix her security” and then suggested she

withdraw it and send it to various bank accounts in India via Money Gram.

She was convinced to buy more than 300 iTune gift cards and to disclose the codes to them. The offenders

made cash transfers between the victim’s three bank accounts to confuse her and make it look like her account

was increasing.

Crime Stoppers 1800-333-000

A similar story happened to me 4-6 weeks ago, but fortunately, no money was transferred, though he did ask

me to buy gift cards to enable him to trace the computer “hacker”

Fay Fletcher

THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ON ‘THE VILLAGE VOICE’.

I don’t know exactly how long the “Village Voice” has been in existence but I am sure it is in excess of twen-ty years. At least two other residents had been editors before I took the job on. Louise and I have been do-ing it together for 7 years.

We are grateful to the band of loyal contributors that make our task easier. Some months it is easy to fill the pages and other months it is much harder. Then I wonder what you residents think about the “Voice”.

We could always fill the pages with material from the internet, but our motto is “Keeping You connected” and that means with other residents, not with the internet.

So I think it is important that you think about the newsletter and what you want from it.

Do you look forward to it? Do you read it? Would you miss it if it wasn’t there? Does it keep you connected? Do you contribute to it? If not, why not? Will you contribute in the future? If you said yes, will you remember? Are you a new resident? Would you like to write about your background? I f you said yes, do you need any help? If you do, talk to me. Talk to me anyway. I’m Dorothy Crothers unit 169, 54432642.

If you are not satisfied with the “Voice”, what are you going to do about it? Have you read this? Will you remember it? Will you respond to it?

Dorothy and Louise.

Blooms fashion put on a show and our ladies came

out in force to grab a bargain!

Sunday 22 Oct

1.30 to 3.30

Free Coaching & Bowls

provided

To try Lawn Bowls

Call Steve

0487 211 988

LIFE IN THE VILLAGE.

[AFTER 16 MONTHS.]

How long does it take to settle in to a new situation?

How long is a piece of string?

We are all different but with so many similar life experiences, as we have reached the age of so called maturity. The experiences of my life have shaped me into the person I am: not always the person I like or respect. One constant remains. I can stand back, view the world, absorb events, withdraw or explode in very human out-bursts. A love of the environment, how people tick, and submerging in a love of animals and things that grow keeps my mind very active.

Life in the Village has its ups and downs. How many times does one regret past decisions. A picture of Lot’s wife and the pillar of salt always brings my attention to the present. Do not look back! The friendship and kindness of some of the residents and all the staff has smoothed the rocky path.

This is a peaceful place; the quiet and gentle surroundings can soothe the soul. Learning to accept this is rewarding.

Jesus said,” Love one another as I have loved you.” No apologies to non-Christians. Without my Christian faith, life for me would not be worth much. I welcome the sun and the daffodils. A little sun on the back is something to enjoy. Thank you to all the good folk here. Un-til the next time…………

Patricia King Unit 91.

Thank you, Patricia, it’s interesting to hear views on the Village. It makes us think about our own responses. I hope we wont have too

wait too long for your next piece.

Dorothy.

Village Departures

Good News this month! Our departures have left on foot!

Terry Maynard has moved to The Royal Freemasons soon to be called the offsite campus of BRV

There is a saying, a person just needs three things to make them truly happy….

Someone to love, something to do and something to hope for! Greta Balsillie

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

Don’t forget to put your clocks forward an hour

Sunday 1st Oct

FOR PLOVER LOVERS.

When Alec and I decided to move to the Village in 1999 the concrete slab for our unit had just been laid and there was still quite a lot of open land around. On our first visit to the site we were greeted by two birds which were an unknown species to us. Since this we have become very familiar with generations of plovers.

Each spring we wait for the tiny plover chicks to appear on the grass [I was going to write ‘lawn’ but that would be an exaggeration!] Usually, there are four fluffy ping pong balls on legs, dashing hither and thither, and Mother and Father Plover having a hard time trying to protect them. Plover chicks have no sense, they will run onto the road or driveway without a care. It must be very stressful to be plover parents, especially when, despite their endeavours, not all the chicks survive. Plover chicks are like adolescents, they ignore the advice of their parents and think they know better. Some chicks get run over, some fall into the storm drains, some are killed by other animals. Each morning I count them; at the moment there are three, and it’s a relief if they are all there, but it often takes time to find the third one.

Chicks are appealing, but adult plovers are less appealing. They can be quite aggressive, swooping like magpies, and they make an awful noise. We often are awakened about 4.00 am by two plovers having a “domestic” outside our bedroom. I’ll bet that the argument is about ‘those disobedient chicks of yours”.

Plovers are not the only birds to visit us. I get a lot of pleasure from watching the many different birds around the Village: two weeks ago we had four ducks feeding on the grass. They arrived overnight and disappeared a week later.

POSTSCRIPT.

It is two days since I wrote the article above and I have sad news to report. The plover chicks have not been seen for two days. The parent birds have been looking and calling for them, but without any response. I wonder how the generations survive when so many chicks don’t mature.

Dorothy Crothers.

Village parking Please make sure visitors to your units, be it family, friends, services , utilities etc, park in

appropriate parking spaces. Space is limited and its important to maintain access for emergency vehicles, staff, and all Village visitors. Be mindful of our nature strips and garden areas.

Meet the staff…….

Leigh has been involved in Pharmacy since 1988 and brings a wealth of experience

to our team.

A local resident herself, Leigh is also one of our on-call staff for after-hours

emergencies. She has dealt with many of our residents over the years and has

formed some wonderful relationships. You’ll often see her enjoying herself in the

Community Centre after hours – we often have to tell her to go home.

Skye also lives close to the Village making her perfect for on-call after-hours work.

The easy-going, relaxed pace of the Village compliments her personality and is in

complete contrast to her fast-paced day job in the corporate world.

She has a wonderful working knowledge of the after-hours world of our Village and

is often spotted driving the golf buggy around at night, one of her many favorite

things.

Louise has been with the Village since 2002 handling our administration and really

is the heart and soul of our Office.

Her experience is wide and varied in ‘independent living’ she knows everything

about Village life. She can help with any enquiry you may have and she loves

showing off ‘her’ Village.

Louise lives close to the Village and therefore works as part of our after-hours team.

Debb divides her time between us and local Medical Specialists and Surgeons, alt-

hough just quietly, she only loves us.

She literally jumps over her back fence when she’s working after-hours and is here

in minutes to attend to residents in need. Her dogs can often be seen following her

around the Village and sharing the occasional snack with residents in the

Community Centre.

Debb’s nursing background and experience is a huge benefit to everyone at the

Village and even though we don’t offer clinical care services, she does a wonderful wound dressing.

Lauren, our newest and youngest addition to our team, is currently in her 2nd

year of Nursing as a Division 1 Registered Nurse.

Her professionalism and relaxed approach towards our residents is superb and

she is definitely wise beyond her years. Lauren is appreciated throughout the

Village and has been warmly welcomed by everyone.

Neil comes with extensive experience in the aged care Industry, some 25+ years

his professionalism, respect and care for our residents and staff is second to

none. His experience shines through on a daily basis as he undertakes his role as

Village Manager.

It’s not unusual to see him pulling the odd weed, chatting with residents or

driving the bus. A licensed agent’s representative, he can now also assist with

the sales process of all units/houses in the Village and guide our new residents

through the experience with ease. He has been instrumental in the

refurbishment of the village, blending the old with the new and creating some fantastic living options.

After working for Powercor for 36 years, Jason has decided to ‘wind down’

slowly in to retirement and get fit and healthy at the same time. He thought he’d

be sitting on a lawnmower all day, cruising around the Village… well, almost.

Jason is one of our incredible maintenance / gardening team and is always very

happy to assist you with anything he is capable of doing.

Although not officially a staff member, John is definitely part of the family. He

has been with us since the Grey Army days and knows most things about the

Village. He is a very pivotal part of our maintenance/gardening team and can

often be found here on the weekends, just catching up on the multitude of tasks

he is given during the week.

Often found cruising around country Victoria on his Harley Davidson, John will

eventually retire to a place near a river, where no maintenance needs to be

done, ever – or at least somewhere that has it’s own maintenance team.

My Satnav

I have a little satnav, it sits there in my car

A satnav is a driver’s friend it tells you where you are.

I have a little satnav, I've had it most of my life.

Its better than the normal ones, my satnav is my wife.

It gives me full instructions, especially how to drive

’It’s sixty miles an hour”, it says, “your doing sixty five”.

It tells me when to stop and start and when to use the brake and tells me that it’s never

ever, safe to overtake.

It tells me when a light is red and when it goes to green, it seems to know instinctively

just when to intervene.

It lists the vehicles just in front and those to the rear.

And taking this into account, it specifies my gear.

I’m sure no other driver, has so helpful a device. For when we leave and lock the car, it

still gives advice. It fills me up with counselling, each journey’s pretty fraught.

So why don’t I exchange it, and get a quieter sort?

Ah well, you see, it cleans the house, makes sure I’m properly fed. It washes all my shirts

and things and keeps me warm in bed!

Despite all these advantages and my tendency to scoff, I only wish that now and then,

I could turn the bugger off.

Thank you Arthur! :-)

Watch this space!

Melbourne Cup Day!

Plans are a foot, Sweep’s, Champers, Lunch, Classy Hats

Save the date Tuesday 7th November

The race we all stand still for…………….

Watch the notice board for information & attendance

50 Years ago from the “Annals of Bendigo” Volume 7

The year 1967 was one of the driest on record throughout most of the state, especially in Northern

Victoria, where in many areas less than 20 percent of the annual average rainfall was registered.

Bendigo recorded a total of 273 points, the lowest since 1944.

—————

On October 14th 1967 more than 500 people farewelled the steam Loco R 704 as it pulled out of the

Bendigo station for the last time. It broke through a farewell banner across the track and the crowd sang

“Auld Lang Syne”. It was suggested that a steam engine be preserved as a memorial to the age of steam.

(N.B. This was acted upon and a steam locomotive was on the Railway Reserve, corner Mitchell Street

entry to the market Place. It has since been removed to a Railway Museum).

—————–

On October 3 1967 when the court of general sessions opened, women were included on the jury for the

first time. They constituted of 25% of the panel.

According to the Collins dictionary a jury is a group of people, usually 12, sworn to deliver a true verdict

according to the evidence presented. Why 12?

In the Middle Ages astrology—the belief that the position of the planets, sun and moon influence human

behaviour was wide spread. There are 12 signs of the Zodiac and in any trial one man from each of the

stars was chosen. That tradition of the panel of 12 (now including women) has continued.

—————-

Thanks again Greta, interesting as always.

Ha Ha Ha…………...

Paddy was receiving a lecture from a priest after confessing to stealing a

goose. “You should not have stolen the goose. That was sinful” said the priest.

Hanging his head in shame Paddy replied “I’m very sorry Father. Would

you accept the goose as a present from me?”

“Of course not “ snapped the priest. “You must return it to its legal owner”.

Paddy protested “But Father, I did try but he refused to take it”

The priest crossly replied “Well if the owner refused your offer, keep it

yourself”

Paddy rejoiced “Heaven be praised, my conscience is clear”

That night the priest went to feed his flock of geese.

One was missing!

Hi everyone,

For those of you on our Facebook page, you have already seen my

rant, but for those of you who aren’t, I had an incredible response to

the following ‘post’, apparently most agree and a few others received

a little education: “A fairly damning report on A Current Affair tonight

but it is a shame that the media always fails to distinguish between

Retirement villages, Supported Residential Services, and Aged Care

Facilities. All of these are completely different models and are

governed by different legislation. Why are we always lumped

together? Why are there still dodgy corporations out there and why is

this allowed to happen, ever? Those of us working diligently to do the

right thing would like to know! “

We are currently contacting those on our mailing list to update details

etc. and it’s simply amazing how many people do not understand the industry. A couple of bad stories on

the media can change everything so quickly. We sincerely appreciate everyone’s comments on social

media and hope that you will advise those you know that we are NOT aged care, nor Supported Living,

and therefore do not fall in to the same category as those seen on TV. Wouldn’t it be lovely to see a good

news story of people living happily, but then again, that doesn’t give your show ratings or sell newspapers

does it?

On a more positive note – we have a great month coming up including our attendance at Elmore Field

Days, Open Day, Seniors Race Day and of course our 35th Anniversary celebrations, including the launch of

our new BBQ area.

Don’t forget to keep your radios tuned to GOLD FM (98.3FM or 1071AM) to hear our adverts and TV’s

tuned to Channels 9, 9Life and GEM to watch our superstars perform.

There is a very nasty strain of the flu going around at the moment, so please be sure to see your Doctor if

you have any symptoms – this one is not going away with a garlic soaked sock around your neck – just get

checked, please!

Lauren will be away on placement for the next 3 weeks and we wish her all the best as she navigates the

world of mental health. Lauren is a 2nd year Nursing student and this forms part of her normal rotation.

And just quietly, we have a few staff birthdays coming up this month – Leigh on the 11th, Tegan on the

17th and Jason on the 26th. Happy birthday to these wonderful people.

Have a wonderful month everyone, and enjoy the sunshine (when it comes),

Neil.

MEMORANDUM TO: All Residents – Bendigo Retirement Village FROM: Trish Elliott DATE: 25 September 2017 SUBJECT: RRVV – RATES JUSTICE COMPAIGN – DIFFERENTIAL RATES AND CITY OF GREATER BENDIGO COUNCIL RETIREMENT HOUSING GOVERNMENT INQUIRY & REPORT Our submission for a differential rate for the current year was rejected by City of Greater Bendigo Council at its Ordinary Meeting on June 21, 2017. Its reasons for objecting to the submission are aligned with the majority of the remaining Councils in Victoria. Details of Council’s budget for the 2017/2018 year together with details of our submission and the submission lodged by Bendigo Domain are available at www.bendigo.vic.gov.au. The final paragraph in Council’s above letter states: “We believe that the current rating structure to be an appropriate structure for the City of Greater Bendigo, and ensures the equitable imposition of rates and charges as required by the Local Government Act, and as in previous years, Council’s primary reason for not levying a differential rate is that residents of Retirement Villages enjoy access to Council services in a similar way to other ratepayers, even though they reside within a complex.” This statement is inaccurate. We have reiterated many times to Council, that the services of infrastructure maintenance/replacement which are available to other ratepayers who own a property abutting a Council public road are NOT available to residents in a retirement village as such infrastructure is on private property. Accordingly residents pay a portion of their rates to provide for the maintenance/replacement of infrastructure within the City of Greater Bendigo and must also pay for the maintenance/replacement of infrastructure in the Village in accordance with Agreements entered into with Bendigo Village Pty. Ltd. at the time of purchase of their unit. I wrote to our member Hon. Jacinta Allan MP, stating that “It is a blow to the tireless work of RRVV (Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria) and all residents of retirement villages that differential rates will not be made mandatory under the Local Government Act as they have not been included in the recommendations from the Inquiry Report. This injustice has continued for too long and it remains another gouge on elder Victorians who are one of the most vulnerable groups in society. I respectfully request that you contact the Minister for Local Government and register my disappointment of the present method of determining differential rates and the method of valuing retirement village units which is flawed.” The following is an extract of a letter dated 21/8/2017 from the Minister for Local Government, Hon Natalie Hutchins MP to Hon. Jacinta Allan, MP who in turn forwarded a copy of the letter to me: “I note your constituent’s disappointment that there are no current proposals as part of the review of the Act to mandate differential rates for classes of property. The reason this is not proposed is because the state government is poorly placed to determine the appropriateness of a certain differential rate for each council area. ..2/ PTO

-2- Due to the very broad range of property types and differences that exist between the 79 councils, it is not feasible to determine a solution that would apply effectively. This is one important reason why councils have elected councillors; they are better placed to understand and be responsive to their community’s specific needs. The state government has placed its efforts in this regard by requiring councils to become more financially disciplined and efficient, including through the Fair Go Rates system. Fair Go Rates was introduced to ensure council rates remain sustainable while keeping the cost of living down for the Victorian community. More information on the Fair Go Rates system: https://www.localgovernment.vic.gov.au/our-programs/a-fair-go-rates-system-for-victorians As a result of capping of council rates in Bendigo, rate rises have been substantially lower than in the decade prior to the introduction of the Fair Go Rates system. Between 2006-07 and 2015-16 the average annual increase in general rates and municipal charges per assessment in Bendigo was 6.06%. The introduction of rate capping has reduced the increase in average general rates and municipal charges per assessment in Bendigo to 2.5% in 2016-17 and 2.0% in 2017-18.” The State Government has now responded to the recommendations made by the Inquiry into Retirement Housing. These recommendations have been extremely disappointing to the not for profit organizations who have been advocating for “real change” in this industry for over a decade. An extract from the Media Release by Lawrie Robertson of RRVV on 8 September 2017: “The biggest disappointment of all is the Government’s failure to give unequivocal support to the establishment of a free, expert and timely dispute resolution service with the power to make binding resolutions – an ombudsman or the like. While the Government has accepted the Inquiry’s recommendation to launch a review into the Retirement Villages Act 1986, it has pointed to various other inquiries and reviews underway pushing out a much-needed reform of the legislation until an unspecified date. Moreover, the Government’s commitment falls far short of the root and branch review RRVV believes is necessary. Surely, the large number of resident submissions to the inquiry and the calls for assistance to the RRVV and like help lines provide more than adequate evidence of the pressing need for reform. Residents and their families will ultimately pay the price for the Victorian Government’s procrastination on retirement housing reform.” _________________________________ All RRVV village members should have received the September 2017 newsletter. If you have not received your copy please contact me. If you have not paid your membership fees for 2017/2018, please attend to payment. Forms are available at the office and payment can be made through the Bendigo Bank. The membership fee is still $10 single and $15 double. Member support is vital to the RRVV. Find out more on website www.rrvv.org.au.