We are back home

Lisa and the family are now at home in Buxton. Is there anyone out there who would like to post info regularly from Melbourne? We would love to stay in touch. If you don't feel able to do a regular blog, just send me an email every so often, with any thoughts you'd like to share with the Triangle community, and I will post it on your behalf.

Just stuff

Hello. Its time to get personal. When I started this website, it was only a couple of days after Feb 7. People had scattered everywhere, information was patchy and hard to come by. The original intention of this site was to be a reassurance that things would return to normal, that we might be scattered, but our networks are still strong.
Since then, the emphasis has been on information. Putting our vastly different experiences into a context, and delivering information in manageable chunks.
The forums have been great for this.
I have noticed, particularly in the last week or so, that people are now wanting more than information. Personal contact is increasing, and many more people are cruising the site - perhaps looking for a conversation? The forums are a two-way street. Feel free to share your thoughts, images and ideas for the future, plus anything else you can think of. I will continue to post information, but there will be more of the personal stuff (not too personal, please :))
See you on the forums?

What's on in Buxton

Went home for a visit today. Not as smokey as it has been. Dropped in to the Igloo. Smiling faces and plenty of friends passing through. Graham had a Buxton Burger just because he could, and the felafel souvlaki is as good as ever! The kids were rapt to see everyone.
Don't hold out too much hope for being back permanently for many weeks, we will be in Melbourne 'til the Spur opens, and I don't think that will be any time in the near future.
Amazingly, my sunflowers are blooming, and provide a welcome splash of colour against the black. The duck brought her 15 rapidly expanding ducklings by to show us before we left.
Pleased to report that Butters is now operating Fri & Mon for dinner and Sat & Sun 9.30am - dinner. They will also be open all day on the Monday of the Labor Day weekend. Call 57747554 for bookings.
If anyone knows of other businesses that are operating, please drop us a line on the Trianglefamily Message Board and let us know. Who knows, we may start a business directory if there is enough interest...

Triangle News posted online

You can now view the latest copy of the Triangle News at marysvillecommunity.net

Triangle News up and running

Great to see the Triangle News back and full steam ahead. Thursday just isn't Thursday without the Triangle! Only available in hard copy at this stage.

Recovery Update Newsletter

A new link is now available, currently listed under regular updates on the trianglefamily homepage. This is the Murrindindi Recovery Update newsletter. (currently number 3) In it you will find loads of information about the Triangle area, and also the surrounding districts. Includes social services information, fire updates, weather reports, meeting times, maps and utilities info. It will be updated as new bulletins come to hand.

This week's weather in Murrindindi Feb 23, 2009

Monday: Partly cloudy, with areas of smoke haze. Wind direction is expected to be westerly during the afternoon, with a gusty south to southwest wind change expected sometime between 7pm and 11pm tonight. This wind change is likely to be dry. Maximum temperature will be in the low 30s.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h, reaching 30 km/h at times. Min 12, Max 27
Wednesday: Light winds. Min 12, Max 33
Thursday: Light winds. Min 16, Max 36

From Murrindindi Recovery Newsletter Vol. 3

Busses for Wednesday's Memorial Service in Marysville

A melbourne bus-line has offered a couple of busses to take people to the Marysville Golf Club for the Memorial Service on Wednesday. Will they be used? Do you know of anybody who might take up the offer? Where should they leave from? How should we let people know? We are appealing for help for this one. What do you think? To join a discussion about this head to the 'Message Board'

Triangle Community Memorial Service, 11am, Weds Feb 25

There is a Triangle Community memorial service for the district to mourn all that has been lost on Weds 25th Feb 2009 at 11am at the Marysville Golf Club. Our community, our homes, our bush, animals - everything. All the district's churches will provide support.
This will be a time to gather, share some refreshments, experiences, stories and reflect on what has happened. All welcome.

Council Rates New Due Date

Ratepayers are advised that for those not directly affected by the fires within our municipality, the date for full payment of rates which were due on 16 February 2009 has been extended until Monday 2 March 2009. Payment of the third rate instalment is also due and payable by Monday 2 March 2009. For ratepayers directly affected by the fires, Council is currently assessing this issue, and further information will be provided in the coming weeks. Any queries regarding rate payments should be directed to the rate department on 5772 0310. If you are experiencing financial difficulty regarding payment of rates, please contact the rates department to discuss alternative payment arrangements. - From Murrindindi Shire Website 16/02/09

Community Meeting 3pm Sunday Feb 22, 2009

Notice of a meeting to be held at Marysville Golf Club 3pm Sunday Feb 22, 2009. Maj. Gen. John Cantwell AO of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority to attend and hear the perspective from the entire Triangle district. All welcome.

National Day of Mourning and Memorial Service Sunday 22 February 2009

National Day of Mourning and Memorial Service

Sunday 22 February 2009
Rod Laver Arena
Melbourne

To support Victorians who lost loved ones and had their homes and communities devastated by bushfires, the Australian and Victorian Governments have announced a National Day of Mourning.

Rod Laver Arena event – It is important that you telephone Information Victoria on 1800 136 762 to register your intention to attend (to ensure space is reserved for you).

TIMES

Gates Open	8.30 am
Service Commences	11.00 am
Service Concludes	12.30 pm

There will be no public parking on site at Rod Laver Arena, and the use Public Transport is encouraged.

Public parking is available (at a charge) from 8.00am on Sunday, 22 February 2009 at the MCG via Gate 3 off Wellington Parade.
Public transport will be free from 9am to 3.30pm and also special buses to the venue have been arranged for bushfire-affected communities departing at approximately 7.30am and returning between 1pm and 2pm. Please register for these buses on 1800 136 762.

More information at www.premier.vic.gov.au/pages/together-for-victoria.html

Share your information

If you have any information about Road Closures, services, weather, meetings - anything at all really - please share it with us at our Trianglefamily Triangle forum. From the Trianglefamily home page, choose Message Board. Registration is free (you don't have to leave lots of detail and you can remain anonymous if you choose) but you must register to start. Current topics on the board include: Community Meeting, Road Closures, Triangle Telephone Book, Drinking Water and you can start any topic you wish.
Its quite easy to do, even if you have never used a forum before - I hadn't until last week!

Pretty quiet here in Melbourne

It's pretty quiet here in Melbourne, wondering how the community meeting at the Golf Club went this evening. If anyone who attended would like to report on that meeting, please pop in to the Message Board - you will be required to register - and send us a message.

Community Meeting

A Community meeting for Buxton, Marysville and Narbethong residents will take place at 5pm on Thursday 19 February at the Marysville Golf Course.
A free sausage sizzle with follow - Via email from Shire

Message Board now up and running

The Triangle Forum is now running. You can access it from the www.Trianglefamily.com.au main menu, choose message board, and begin posting. It took me a little while to think of something to say, but its easy once you start. So start, because there are people out there that just want to hear from someone they know.
More features will be added to the site each day. Look out for the Triangle Telephone Book, coming soon.

Kids first day at school

The boys started school on Friday. They weren't very happy to pose for the camera. Jacob was particularly troublesome, so his punishment is to have this awful photo published.

Respecting privacy

I am very mindful about privacy, particularly contact numbers and photographs. Please send me any photos you would like to see included on www.trianglefamily.com.au only if we have permission to publish them. Phone numbers will not be released unless the owner of the number has requested it. We at the Kinder are simply providing a mechanism for people to connect.

I hope the site achieves this goal.

Triangle Website up and running

The Marysville Kinder have created a website for keeping Triangle families in touch. There are regular blogs from each of our towns, a message board where you can hang out, and help for people looking to contact someone.
If you are currently in the Triangle (and for the purposes of this site, I have defined the Triangle as Buxton, Marysville, Taggerty, Narbethong and Granton) and would like to add a blog, drop me a line. Until I work out how to have others listed as contributors to my blog, I will be taking contributions via email, and posting them on your behalf.

Thank you iinet

Thank you iinet for providing all the essential equipment for the Marysville Kinder to get this website (www.trianglefamily.com.au) started. Thanks also to Cameron Nolte, who has worked tirelessly to get the site up in such a short time.

Sims boys at Glenferrie Primary

The boys all went off to school today. There are more kids in each of their classes than in the whole Buxton School!

Glenferrie Primary School has been very involved with fundraising and supply of goods to relief centres.

The whole school community has made the boys very welcome, which is just as well, as we will be staying down here until the Spur is open and clear for Graham to get to work.

Happy Birthday Babies

Quite a few babies have arrived since last Saturday. We have all heard about little Caspar, but there are more. Please contact me via email if you are from the Triangle community and would like me to announce your new baby

Please register with Red Cross 1800 727 077

Please encourage everyone you know to register with the Red Cross on 1800 727 077 if they haven't already done so.

Enjoying Melbourne with the kids

There are a number of our Triangle friends down in Melbourne, waiting to go home.

Many of us have pre-school aged children. Some have partners still fighting fires, or getting on with the business of starting over.

It is hard to stay in touch, there are so many mobile numbers and the phone is going constantly.

The boys have started at Glenferrie Primary School. Bing thinks it is the "Best School Ever", but I'm sure that's what he thinks about Buxton too.

We have been to the footy, the Museum and on a tram or two and will be joining the library on Monday. Meanwhile, we are trying hard to contact as many people as we can. Perhaps we can start a playgroup on Tuesdays - maybe at Ceres,The Collingwood Childrens Farm or the museum, or a community centre somewhere.

Asher has caught up with a couple of mates, but Melbourne is very spread out, and we are all over the place, so its not as often as he would like.

If you are in Melbourne and just need to see a familiar face, stay tuned and when our website is up and running, I'll post the address.

Buxton community gradually coming together

Its been a week since the fires swept through our beautiful Triangle. We have all reacted in our own way to the crisis.

Friends and family have been trapped, stayed to fight or dispersed around Victoria.

Our tight little community has been shattered in more ways than one.

Many families with small children have stayed away, and the kids are really starting to miss each other. Mine included.

Nothing is quite normal at the moment.

It is great to hear that peope are starting to go home to Buxton. Hopefully the school will reopen soon. Its big enough to accommodate many more children, and so is Buxton.

Isaac, Jacob, Reuben and Asher will be back in Buxton as soon as the school is allowed to open.

Let us know if you need school uniforms, we have plenty of burgundy gear to go around.