Each year the announcement of the Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year and Committment to the Community Awards are a highlight of the Australia Day Breakfast in the Park celebrations in Jubilee Park. 

Very deserving winners once again - we certainly have some great community-minded people in our shire. 

YOU can’t talk about cricket in recent years without mentioning Scott ‘Scooter’ Roberts. He captained the rep team and still plays in the Merrin Cup. His love of the game and his skill with the bat is something many younger crickets have aspired to. 

As well as being a talented cricketer he is an all-around genuine guy. With this in mind it was a natural choice for the Cootamundra District Cricket Association to support the Bat for Joe fundraising initiative which is allowing the community to give something back to this special family. 

Bat for Joe supports the raising of funds for a modified wheelchair accessible vehicle for Joe Roberts, the son of Scott and Jodie. 

Joe suffers CMV and needs a wheelchair while out and about. 

Last week Cootamundra Cricket hosted a Twenty/20 match with funds going to Bat for Joe. 

As of last Friday, in excess of $1600 had already been raised - a great effort by the cricket club!

Well done to all who supported the T/20 game, purchased a Bat for Joe wristband or dropped money in the bucket faithfully being carried around by Coota cricket legend Pat Kerin. 

THE Cootamundra Pool kiosk is under new management with proprietors of The Pickled Pantry Corrie and her dad Trevor Richmond having taken it on since the first full week in January (January 5 was their first day) under the banner of The Pickled Puddle. 

The duo are serving all manner of hot food from fish, chips and other fried goodies to pies and sausage rolls. 

They also have slushies and cold drinks. In the near future they hope to offer the same coffee they serve at the Pantry to their Pickled Puddle customers. 

They are there from 10.30am until 5pm each day and say it has been a lot of fun. 

“It’s been nice to take on something that is good for the town as well,” Trevor said. 

With the Australia Day Pool Party happening today it is sure to be another big day for the kiosk. Adding a distinctly Aussie flavour to their fare today they will have sausage sandwiches and will be open during the pool party hours which starts at 11am. 

RECREATIONAL fishers throughout NSW have even more reason to enjoy their sport in the years to come, with the stocking of various fish species in lakes, dams and rivers across the state.

Throughout the 2014-15 fishing season, the Department of Primary Industries plan to stock NSW public waters with around 60,000 Australian bass, 240,000 Murray cod, 650,000 golden perch, 225,000 silver perch, 150,000 Atlantic salmon, 560,000 brown trout, 100,000 brook trout, 24,000 trout cod and 1.9 million rainbow trout.

Plenty of Coota and district residents have been enjoying a spot of fishing this summer so let’s hope these latest releases of fish helps their chances out on the water! 

WISHING a belated happy birthday to our gorgeous librarian Penny Howse for last Friday - no doubt she was spoiled by her family and friends. Also enjoying a birthday last Friday was Corinne Breese, happy birthday Corinne. 

Last Tuesday, January 20 popular Cootamundra Public School teacher Todd Kable marked another year and on Saturday just gone Kenny Buttriss celebrated his birthday. 

Belated birthday wishes to all!