LONG-SERVING firefighter Michael Hanson is named as the sixth recipient of the Derwent Valley Community Achiever Award in tomorrow’s New Year issue of the New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News. This is the 27th print edition of the newspaper since its launch 18 months ago.
A volunteer firefighter for 40 years, Michael joined the New Norfolk Country Fire Brigade in 1982 after helping to put out bushfires at Lachlan and Black Hills, and continued in the role when New Norfolk’s country and urban brigades merged in the 1990s. He is now a senior firefighter with the New Norfolk Fire Brigade.
He has responded to some of the Derwent Valley’s most significant blazes in the last four decades including major bushfires, several hop-kiln fires, and the Banjo’s Bakery and Fairview Primary School incidents. He also has a remote area firefighting role in his working life as a field officer with the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. His volunteering with the New Norfolk Fire Brigade also includes responding to incidents such as fuel leaks and spills and crash scenes in support of other emergency services.
Michael’s dedication to the Tasmania Fire Service has been recognised with the awarding of the National Service Medal and clasp, and the Tasmania Fire Service volunteer medal. In 2009 he shared in the awarding of the Pride of Australia Medal’s heroism award to the New Norfolk Fire Brigade in recognition of the efforts of members involved in the rescue and resuscitation of two people from a house fire in New Norfolk.
The Derwent Valley Community Achiever Award has been introduced by Banjo’s Bakery Cafe and New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News in order to recognise the quiet achievers who make our community great. The awards are presented monthly and nominations can be sent to this newspaper or delivered to Banjo’s Bakery Cafe in High St, New Norfolk.
The monthly winners will be featured in the newspaper and will receive a Banjo’s voucher and a 12-month subscription to New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News. Nominate a local hero today by emailing letters@newnorfolknews.com, or drop a letter into the box near the coffee machine at Banjo’s Bakery Cafe, 30 High St, New Norfolk. Previous recipients were Tim Size, Tidy Towns Committee, Pauline Ackerly, Matt Hill, Myfanwy Lawless.
This latest issue of the paper is the first since Christmas and contains 28 pages of purely local news. There are more than 40 items in the paper, including two pages featuring the names of end-of-year award winners from local schools. We bring you up to date with the latest events at the Derwent Valley Council and provide a report from acting mayor Jessica Cosgrove. We introduce five potential candidates for next month’s by-election for a new mayor and councillor for the Derwent Valley. There are two puzzle pages, a two-page TV guide, plenty of sport, and another of Annie Warburton’s quizzes.
Derwent Valley outlets for the paper include the New Norfolk Newsagency, New Norfolk Foodmarket, Eagle Snack Bar, New Norfolk IGA, Mood Food New Norfolk, Bushy Park Roadhouse, Westerway Roadhouse, Fika Time Cafe Maydena, Ellendale Post Office, Hamilton Post Office, Ouse Post Office and the Bothwell Supermarket. Other sellers include the Lagoon Store, Granton; Claremont Newsagency; Kingston Nextra; Glenorchy Central News; Moonah News; New Town Plaza; Elizabeth Mall News and Salamanca News.
Readers in any part of Tasmania can ask their preferred newsagency to order them a copy via the Mercury as the distribution agent. New Norfolk residents can ask the New Norfolk Newsagency to organise for a paper seller to visit within the town boundaries. More distant readers might prefer to download a copy from newnorfolknews.com.
The ongoing support of readers and advertisers is greatly appreciated. Feedback on the paper is invited by emailing damian@newnorfolknews.com
