140220 citynews

The folly that can sink Gallagher

MICHAEL MOORE

Feeling forty and fabulous

SONYA FLADUN Enlighten set to shine

HELEN MUSA Gardens go cactus

CEDRIC BRYANT

‘SUPER FOODS’ Secrets of

UNO – COMPACT DESIGN WITH FLEXIBLE FEATURES

political comment

The financial folly that can sink Gallagher

As Katy Gallagher’s Labor heads towards the 2016 election there is a political imperative to demonstrate sensible financial management, but a faux pas like spending $500,000 on beach volleyball is the sort of catalyst that will bring them undone, says MICHAEL MOORE

FIVE hundred thousand dollars for a beach volleyball complex at Lyneham! This is taxpayers’ money, it’s simply extravagant and likely to be labelled as profligate spending.

The expenditure “typifies the Government’s lack of planning for urgent priorities that our sporting community needs addressed, such as the deterioration of community sporting grounds around Canberra,” argues shadow minister for sport and recreation, Steve Doszpot.

As Katy Gallagher’s Labor heads towards the 2016 election there is a political imperative to demonstrate sensible financial management. A faux pas like the half million on beach volleyball is the sort of catalyst that will bring them undone.

Doszpot has tackled the Government’s priorities and pointed out “the number of Canberrans participating is minimal compared to the diversity of sports that Canberrans are involved in”.

Canberra is known for its monuments and sports such as rugby league and union, basketball and netball.

We are hardly known for our sweeping sandy beaches or for the sport of beach volleyball, although it is the case that the Beach Volleyball Association claims 1200 players and 3700 members and is prepared to inject $250,000 of its own money into the complex.

Beach volleyball might be a better spectator sport than cricket – but $500,000 of Government money is simply extravagant.

Through the Global Financial Crisis and since, the ACT Government has kept promising to deliver a surplus down the track. However, at each Budget, “the track” seems just a little further away.

The challenge for Labor governments in Australia is to be seen to be good financial managers. It is a big ask under the spotlight of constant criticism from the conservatives that they are spendthrifts and that we must have a surplus, without which we simply become debt laden, impoverished and will head into bankruptcy.

We saw the arguments at election time, first in Queensland then in the ACT, followed by the Federal election

and now the campaigns in SA and Tasmania are following the same pattern.

The Queensland Government has demonstrated how a financially conservative government can rip through the public service, devastate community groups and make life much

harder for those on the socio-economic margins. There is a real fear that the same will be revealed as part of the first Hockey Budget in a few months.

The rhetoric continues about the dire financial management without any reflection on the view of all three

major rating agencies that nominated Australia as one of just a handful of countries at AAA just before the last Federal election.

While the ACT has continued to maintain its AAA rating, resting on laurels is not an option for Chief Minister Katy Gallagher.

The futsal slab was a political disaster for Kate Carnell when she was Chief Minister. The slab was built at a cost of around $300,000 and located in Commonwealth Park. This white elephant is now a car park. The slab was constantly raised to illustrate incompetent financial management. Wayne Berry used the slab in debate in 1997.

“The futsal slab is a $300,000 justification for the Chief Minister’s trip to Brazil,” he said. “It has rarely been used and it is considered by most Canberrans as an eyesore and a white elephant”.

Now the shoe is on the other foot. We do not need a “slash and burn” government in the ACT – particularly at a time when we are expecting just that from Federal Treasurer Hockey. However, extravagant expenditure is the sort of catalyst that is likely to test the financial management credibility of a Labor government.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.

Arts & Entertainment 23-26

Canberra Confidential 15

Cartoon 10

Cinema 25

Dining 26

Garden 30-31

Horoscope 28

News 5 -12

Puzzles 28

Socials 17-21

Suduko 28

Cover: Nutrionist Kate Freeman.

Story Page 6.

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The secrets to selecting ‘super foods’

They’re said to have the power to make you live longer, look better and even fight disease, but what really are “super foods” and how do you separate fact from fad?

LAURA EDWARDS takes a closer look

SUPER foods don’t have an agreed upon definition but there’s a general consensus they contain superior amounts of nutrition (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential fats, etc) compared to other foods in their class, says Canberra-based nutritionist Kate Freeman.

“For example, broccoli is superior to zucchini and green beans when it comes to vitamins and other phytochemicals [plant chemicals with health promoting properties] – which in turn makes it ‘super’,” says Kate, who has more than 10 years’ experience in the health and nutrition industry.

Super foods are also typically high in vitamins, minerals and/or essential fats, don’t have excessive energy density and are high in antioxidants, polyphenols and other health-promoting components, she says.

“In a culture where over-consumption of energy and poor nutrition is highly prevalent, choosing Super Foods is really about getting the maximum nutritional ‘bang’ for the lowest amount of energy,” she says.

We’ve picked some of the most popular Super Foods and asked Kate to reveal whether they truly have benefits – or whether they’re best left on the shelf.

1. Blueberries, Acai, Goji berries

T HE whole berry family contains lots of antioxidant and vitamin rich fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, inca berries, acai berries and goji berries. The great thing about berries in particular is their high antioxidant content and very low sugar content. This makes them great low-kilojoule snacks that offer maximum amounts of nutrition. Antioxidants protect the body from damage against free radicals, which cause some cancers.

Although acai and goji berries are included in this group, their use has become somewhat of a fad, with

their exuberant health claims and excessive prices. Most of the time the promoted products are powders, extracts or dried versions of the original berries that are often highly processed. In my opinion, fresh food is always better. Dried fruit often has added sugar, so check ingredients lists and labels.

2. Chia seeds

CHIA seeds are a great source of omega 3s and are a fantastic way to ensure intake of these essential fats for people who don’t like seafood. They can be easily added to salads, breakfast cereals and smoothies.

3. Broccoli

A LL green leafy vegetables could be regarded as super foods. Specifically broccoli and kale get the most attention in this group, but other green leafy vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and spinach are also worth a mention. Broccoli contains a significant amount of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and beta carotene (converted to vitamin A by the body).

All of these vitamins are essential for good health. Broccoli also contains fibre and a substance called sulforaphane which has anti-cancer properties. Vitamin C helps keep immune systems functioning well, is vital for good collagen formation in the skin and also helps the body absorb iron from food. 100g of broccoli meets the recommended daily intake for vitamin C.

4. Lentils

L ENTILS are rich in carbohydrate and fibre, offering a great source of sustainable energy throughout the day. Half a cup of boiled lentils is only 100 calories yet it contains 6g of dietary fibre. They are also a good source of protein as well as offering potassium, vitamin B12, iron and magnesium.

5. Cacao beans

CACAo and cocoa beans are one and the same. The use of the word cacao has become somewhat of a fad as the average consumer thinks they’re eating a better type of chocolate. Whether cacao or cocoa, researchers will tell you that these beans are very rich in antioxidants known as procyanidins, shown to be very good at improving cardiovascular health

in particular. The problem lies in the confusion that consumers face with different products. obviously, the more of the bean that’s used in the product the more antioxidants that will be present.

In most cases, specifically chocolate, the amount of antioxidant that you gain in relation to the amount of added fat, sugar and overall energy wouldn’t class it as a super food.

Manuka Dental Care welcomes Dr Pegah Noorizadeh

Dr Pegah Noorizadeh has joined our dedicated team at Manuka Dental Care. Pegah was a pharmacist, before she graduated with honours from Uni of Sydney in 2006. She has practised in private dental practices and has provided training in implant dentistry at the post graduate level.

Manuka Dental Care team

Dr

Chocolate is extremely energy dense and easy to overeat. In my opinion there are better ways to get your antioxidants.

6. Salmon

SALMoN, in particular atlantic salmon, is a very rich source of the essential omega 3 fatty acids. The role and health benefits of omega 3 are extremely diverse within the body. For young children especially, omega 3 is essential for healthy brain development and growth of the central nervous system.

Not only does salmon contain high amounts of healthy fats, it’s also a great source of many vitamins and minerals including most of the B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, selenium, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorous.

Aim for children to have about two serves of salmon or other fatty fish (tuna, sardines, mackerel) a week.

7. Natural yoghurt

Yo GHURT offers lots of essential nutrients; calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and vitamin B12. An adequate calcium intake is essential maintenance of strong bones and teeth, particularly in childhood. Good bone acquisition during childhood and adolescence decreases your risk of osteoporosis in late adulthood. Children and teenagers need up to 1300mg of calcium per day. Yoghurt is a fantastic source of calcium with 150g offering up to 50 per cent of a child’s daily calcium needs.

The other way natural yoghurt reaches super food status is due to the presence of friendly bacteria. These bacteria populate the gastrointestinal tract and help keep the balance of good and bad bacteria in check making you less prone to illness and infection.

When purchasing yoghurt, check the ingredients list for the addition of friendly cultures such as lactobacillus acidophilus. The less ingredients in the list the better. Avoid yoghurts which have excessive amounts of added sugar, artificial sweeteners, thickeners and other additives.

The high Price of adventure briefly Club reopens pre-school

IN early April, 27-year-old John Price will set off from his family home in Ainslie for a remote corner of Nepal, where he and two New Zealanders will try to reach a 6900m-high peak that has never been climbed before.

“It’s a two-month expedition,” he explains. “We leave from a town called Taplejung, then we trek for a few days to a town called Ghunsa, and then from there we have a further three or four days’ trek to where we’ll set up base camp in the Ramthang Valley. That’s at around 5000m, so from there we’ve still got around 2000m to climb.”

The distance from base camp to the top is similar to the height of Mt Kosciuszko – from sea level – but at that altitude, every step is exhausting, and there’s no helpful chairlifts or pathways.

“We expect it to take six to eight days up to the summit and down, depending on conditions and how we’re all doing healthwise.”

Remarkably, Price only started serious mountaineering less than three years ago and the highest he’s climbed is little more than half the altitude of the mountain now in his sights: Anidesha Chuli or “The White Wave”.

“It’s a big question mark for

me to see how I’ll do at altitude because there’s no way to know,” he says casually.

“I’ve climbed a lot of mountains in Canada – stood on a lot of summits – but the altitude in Canada is not very high. In general, in the Canadian Rockies you usually climb to around 3500m.”

His highly experienced companions, Paul and Shelley Hersey, are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of acclimatising to high altitude, he says, “...so if I’m anywhere in between it should work out quite well.”

About five years ago, Price did what a lot of Canberrans dream of doing and packed in his public service job in search of adventure.

“I was working in IT for the Government and it wasn’t for me, I didn’t enjoy it, so I decided to move to NZ and study adventure recreation and guiding, at a tertiary level,” he says. “I did a paper on rock climbing and mountain climbing and fell in love with it. That was 2009 and from then on, it just dictated my life.”

After the course he spent six months in Christchurch with his new love until the earthquakes shattered his home and the outdoor shop where he worked, which

Mountaineer John Price… “We expect it to take six to eight days up to the summit and down, depending on conditions and how we’re all doing healthwise.”

is also where he met Paul, his first mountaineering mentor.

Back home in Canberra, Price worked in rope-access cleaning as he prepared for his next move, to Banff in the Canadian Rockies.

“All my mentors had said: ‘Go to Canada if you want to be a good mountain climber’, because it’s the best place in the world to climb ice,” he explains. “The access is a lot easier than NZ and they have a long winter with much colder temperatures, so there’s a lot of water ice to climb there and you can get very good, very quickly, if you put your mind to it.”

Not content just to attempt to climb Anidesha Chuli, Price and the Herseys also want to make a documentary about the adventure so they’re bringing photography and video production equipment to base camp, with the help of porters, as well as all their food and climbing gear.

“We’ll also have a cook on the way to base camp, but then after that on the climb, it’s just us,” says Price.

To get to the top they have to cross the Ramthang Glacier, take a left where it gets steep then find a path through 1000m of very steep ice, before they get to the relative safety of the col, a saddle in the long ridge that runs to the summit.

Along the way, they’ll have to avoid crevasses, ice falls, extreme cold and altitude sickness, as well as avalanches, like the one that forced a team of four New Zealanders to abandon climbing “The White Wave” last year.

“There’s a few risks to mitigate,” says Price, “but we’re a strong, conservative team, and I think we’ll make good decisions up there.”

John Price writes a blog at johnclimbs.blogspot.ca

CHIEF Minister Katy Gallagher has opened the new and larger St Nicholas Greek-Australian Pre School & Childcare Centre at Yarralumla, which was completed with a $1 million contribution from the Hellenic Club of Canberra. The club, which will manage and operate the pre-school, was assisted by contributions from the Greek community in the six-month construction of the building. Club CEO, Ian Cameron, says the pre-school investment fulfils two key elements of the Hellenic Club’s charter, to contribute to the Canberra community and to promote Greek culture; as well as advancing our strategic direction, to diversify the club’s income.”

Hospital update

LUCY Perry, CEO of Hamlin Fistula Australia, will give an update on progress at the Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia at St Paul’s Ginninderra Parish Centre, Curley Street, Spence, at 7.30pm, Friday, March 7 followed by supper. Bookings to 6258 2285 or stpaulsspence@iinet.net.au

Quota Club meets

THE Quota Club of Canberra – which has worked for more than 50 years in support of projects for disadvantaged women and children, and the hearing and speech impaired – is holding its next meeting at the Southern Cross Club, 6.30pm, on Tuesday, February 25. More information from 6288 2333.

Iced tea party

KYLIE Higgins and Gemma Arnold are hosting an Australasian Lymphology Association’s Iced Tea Party, 5.30pm-7.30pm, at Dickson Baptist Church Hall, on Monday, February 24, with the intention to raise awareness of lymphoedema and raise funds for research. Entry is $10 and includes entertainment and light refreshments. Bookings to massagewithkylie@gmail.com or 0411 266761.

Words of wisdom

GUEST speaker Barry Virtue will give a lighthearted speech on the way the language changes, titled “Hens Lay Eggs, People Lie Down – How ignorance drives language change”, at the Woden View Club’s next meeting at the Woden Southern Cross Club, 11am, Tuesday, February 25. In support of The Smith Family’s “Learning for Life” program, tickets are $24 and include lunch. Visitors and interested ladies are warmly welcomed. Bookings to 62812022.

Drinking on

FOLLOWING its success in January, Friday night drinks have returned to the House of Representatives courtyard, Old Parliament House, 4.30pm-9.30pm, until March 7.

dose of dorin

What Simon says is wrong

Solar farms are great, says MARK PARTON, but not the one planned for Uriarra Village

I’M a fat old man. And if I don’t regularly ride my road bike, I get fatter and feel older.

I rode up to Royalla for a bit of fun last week. That Monaro Highway hill at the back of Theodore is a monster; breaking your heart on the way up, but better than any ride at the Canberra Show on the way down.

once up over the hill, I rode past the big solar farm project at Royalla.

Wow! It’s impressive – all those solar panels. There’s going to be 83,000 of them, eventually.

I do a lot of thinking on the bike and on that day I thought a lot about the renewable energy debate.

I talk a lot about it on my radio program.

Most of the discussions are conducted along ideological “party lines”, but does the debate have to be so political?

Surely, if we could cost-effectively make energy from the sun, irrespective of what you think about climate change, wouldn’t you just do it? The answer is “yes”.

But when compared to other more traditional power sources, solar is not at all cost effective. However, considering the

time, money and effort going into the technology, surely it’s inevitable that one day it’ll be as cheap, if not cheaper than coal.

I understand some Royalla residents have expressed concern at the proximity of the solar development to their homes.

But Royalla Village itself is over the hill and, for the most part, residents can’t see the solar farm from their houses.

Uriarra Village’s proposed solar farm is quite another thing.

This one is far too close to too many homes. I can’t see how it can proceed.

I spoke to the Minister in question, Simon Corbell, last week and he continues to insist that the planning process must be followed through.

I wonder why the Planning Minister can usurp the planning process when it comes to approving certain developments by using his “call in” powers, but that it doesn’t work the other way. If ever there was a case when Corbell should step in and use “call out” powers it’s the Uriarra solar project.

Mark Parton is the breakfast announcer on 2CC

Feeling forty and fabulous

Sonya Fladun

mum in the city

ACTRESS and celebrity Jennifer Aniston recently raised a few eyebrows when she said her thirties were her awkward phase and she had never been happier than being her present 44-year-old self.

As someone well and truly into her forties, my views are mixed.

On the good side, lots of old anxieties and insecurities have fallen by the wayside. I don’t spend nearly as long in the bathroom getting ready in the morning, I don’t spend as much on my clothes and comfort has overtaken how things look on the scale of importance in everyday life.

I don’t worry so much about what other people think because I just don’t have the time or energy.

As the years go by and the demands of family life wax and wane, you worry less about things that you know are losing battles and more about practical things. Superannuation and the next cholesterol blood test overtake concerns about whether your butt looks big in this or that outfit. Eventually, you become sufficiently liberated to think that, damn it, if you want to wear orange you damn well will.

On the negative, some things just don’t work as well as they used to. Bits and pieces start to ache, sag, turn odd looking and maybe need medical investigation.

Going out at night becomes a big deal, requiring planning, a babysitter and maybe an afternoon nana nap to prepare for the big event. Staying up really late takes about a week to recover.

Work doesn’t seem to matter quite as much as it did, especially when your horizons have expanded with your children’s activities. In my case, this involves an intense round of acrobatics, gymnastics and figure skating. It’s a whole new, fascinating world spending endless hours driving mum’s taxi between venues, sorting out costumes, selecting music, and giving support and encouragement.

So it’s a mixed decade. Looking after one’s health, physical and mental, certainly is a priority. Not only for the here and now, but for what hopefully will be more decades to come. But I reckon the forties are a pretty good time of life.

Denai hears the call of Hollywood

By Laura Edwards

PULLING off a World War I film with the budget equivalent of “the catering bill for a Hollywood movie” is no mean feat, admits Denai Gracie.

The 35-year-old actress, producer and writer, of Bonython, is fresh from production of “Forbidden Ground”, a small-budget war drama shot in Dubbo.

Denai stars in the film as Grace Wilkins, the troubled wife of sergeant major Arthur Wilkins (played by Australian actor Johan Earl), and produced the film alongside Earl.

Since its December release the film, distributed by Canadian-American entertainment company Lionsgate, has surpassed expectations; screening around the globe and picking up two awards, for Best Production at the 2013 Intercultural Film Festival in Sydney and Best Cinematography at the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards.

“We were amazed when we won the awards, because when we set out to make this film, we just wanted something we could show the people and say ‘this is what we made from nothing’,” Denai says.

Denai, who was born in Sydney but has lived in Canberra “on and off” since she was eight, has produced four other films, including 2007 sci-fi thriller “Gabriel” and more recently, another sci fi film, “Infini,” starring Luke Hemsworth (brother of Hollywood heartthrobs Liam and Chris).

Her love of the film industry began in Canberra, where she studied screenwriting at the University of Canberra and starred in smallscale theatre productions such as “Annie”.

“Back then there wasn’t much else around for aspiring actors, but I loved theatre, it was so much fun,” Denai says.

Then came TV commercials, small roles in television shows and later, film offers.

“I started doing a mixed bag with film –whether it be a small role, co-producing, or script revisions – I found I loved it all, but film was my greatest love,” she says.

When she’s not on set, Denai teaches horse riding “to pay the bills” and has just finished

writing a screenplay, about how far parents will go to find their missing child, which she wrote from her parents’ Bonython home.

She admits she would move to LA “tomorrow” if she could.

“The US move is definitely in the works, many of my friends have done the leap there… I’m just in the process of trying to find management and we’ll see where I go from there,” Denai says.

She admits the film industry is often brutal and unpredictable.

“I try and go into every audition thinking ‘I’m going to have fun’, because I love what I do and the minute you start thinking of it as work, it’s not worth it,” she says.

The power of a ‘soft’ touch

By Catherine Carter

IN a world where business is fast and furious, a concept has emerged to challenge the approach of command-andcontrol management.

It’s called “soft power” – the ability to influence, persuade and attract without using force – and it is opening doors through negotiation, mediation and collaboration, and creating more space for those often best skilled at wielding it – women.

At a recent Property Council lunch an expert panel shared insights into the concept of soft power, who uses it and how it can change a workforce for the better.

Chief of Army Lieut-Gen David Morrison; Sue Kench, managing partner Australia, King and Wood Mallesons; Jure Domazet, managing director, Doma Group and Carolyn Viney, CEO, Grocon, agreed that the best leaders used soft-power tactics combined with harnessing gender diversity to achieve productive and effective outcomes.

Domazet said the technique managed people’s

expectations and encouraged co-operation to achieve a common goal.

Kench agreed, saying: “You need to unlock the discretionary energy, get people aligned and engage in a positive sense.” she said. For her, that meant opening up to conversation with her employees and empowering them to act with initiative based on shared purpose.

Acknowledging the value of soft power is a big change in direction for the construction industry, with Viney stressing that an organisation functions as a team and accessing the full gamut of available talent was a must.

Gen Morrison said he had set a goal to increase the number of women in the Australian Army to 12 per cent by July – a target he was confident of being met. Women increased the range of valuable skills available to an organisation and should be judged on merit and potential. Creating a diverse workforce was a strong legacy.

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Canberra Confidential

Social queen gets the chop

THE very queen of Canberra’s social reporting scene, Lyn Mills, pictured, has astonishingly been chopped by “The Canberra Times” as it continues to sadly tiptoe away from the heart of the city that has sustained it for decades.

After a reign of more than 12 years, she was told on her return from a recent holiday in South America that her contract would not be renewed (thoughtfully, she was phoned from a loud cafe in Sydney and given the bad news, the Fairfax executive shouting down the line over the noise, she says).

Mills’ contact book is probably without peer when it came to accessing Canberra’s diplomatic and social set. The work has now gone to the anonymity of the paper’s photographic pool, and we all know how much news photographers love social snapping.

As for Lyn, she’s planning a socialphoto website and will keep turning up at all the right places. Invitations to lynmills@goldweb.com.au

Garden beds… trashed

CEDRIC Bryant, the “CityNews” gardening guru, is growling at the placement of a stage adjacent to Bailey’s Arcade at the recent Multicultural Festival. It sat over the paved area with the end, near the steps, blocked by traders’ tents.

“So where do spectators stand to watch the performances? The only place was on the garden beds, now trashed,” he sighs to CC.

“Another cost to the ratepayers for restoration of the garden beds, or perhaps the festival will pay?” No difference, Cedric, we all pay either way.

Reporter on fire

WHILE the Sydney Building fire in Civic has been exhaustively covered elsewhere, it was good to see active reporting at work as “CityNews” journalist Stephen Easton grabbed a camera and legged it down the hall to get some great photos and reportage from the blaze in the historic building next door.

And as we were being evacuated from our offices above Bailey’s Corner, he frantically succeeded in getting some of the first pictures of the early stages of the fire posted

Record attempt

HOW weird is this? In a digital world of omnipresent downloading, Songland Music, pretty well Canberra’s last regular record store, is enjoying a real renaissance of vinyl records.

Starting with a few exploratory platters a couple of months ago, the Cooleman Court shop’s irrepressible owner, “Frog” Harris, is now up to a wide-ranging selection tipping 400 records (single discs, $35 and $40 for doubles) with more arriving from Germany and America all the time. Rueing the day he ditched them, his biggest problem right now is finding those old-style, record-shop racks to display his analogue delights. Can anyone help?

on to citynews.com.au. Here’s one of his photos, the full set are on the website.

AND as CC loafed grumpily about London Circuit after the fire forced our evacuation of the palatial “CityNews” offices, it was with sublime timing a Sydney PR flack with the unlikely name of Jessica Theakstone distributed a missive titled: “Don’t become a victim – change your smoke alarm battery this April”. Too late for the Sydney Building it would seem.

The party’s over

NOW you see it, now you don’t… since CC’s whinge a fortnight ago that a side of the Canberra Museum and Gallery building was still festooned with the Centenary “One Very Big Year” slogan long after the caravan had left town, CMAG boss Harriet Elvin has had the painters in. The wall has been refreshed in the same colour scheme and looks too, too lovely for the low-brow graffiti set to resist.

Hmmms

CC super snout, Pierre the Lair, says one of the information panels in the National Gallery’s exhibition “Gold and the Incas” states that ancient Peruvian monuments were constructed of massive stones without the use of masonry. “Do they think masonry means mortar?” he wonders.

IS it just us or does anyone else think it’s odd that CBD Limited is getting around to burying its Centenary time capsule on City Hill three months after the flags came down and everyone’s moved on from the anniversary?

OKAY, right, and the new location is?

FM104.7’s afternoon announcer Mariam Maz Hakim is terribly excited. After two years with the station, she is leaving the Gungahlin studios to become a morning announcer with Virgin Radio Dubai in early April.

ANDREW Benson, former busy editor of “The Chronicle” now spinning for Attorney-General Simon Corbell, was kind enough to share the minister’s entire media list by not blind copying a recent ministerial utterance on bicycle locks. The interesting parade of 140 names (and addresses) made better reading than the press release.

bring thisadvert $10.00andpayjust entry At the Property Council’s lunch, Hotel Realm, Barton At exhibition openings, Craft ACT centre, Civic

it’s time for the third

Save $200 on the following Intensive Delivery courses in Canberra. Just quote ‘CITYNEWS’ at time of enrolment to receive your discount!

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Contact our friendly customer service team or visit our website for further information

albert hall • canberra friday 21 february 6pm-9pm saturday 22 february 10am-5pm sunday 23 february 10am-4pm

retro & vintage fashion and accessories from the 1920’s on • fashion art • jewellery • retro homewares & kitchenalia • textiles with 16 local and interstate vintage dealers

• free ‘mrs sew and sew’ vintage dress making workshops fri 7-9 & sun 10.30-12.30

• the ‘chef and the ration book’ - 40’s & 50’s foodies cooking classes saturday and sunday

• thirties and forties fashion movies all weekend

• swing & rock and roll dancers

• door prizes • cafe

• wear vintage on sunday for our best dressed fashionista at 12.30 and win $200 cash!

multi entry ticket - adult $12.00 • concession $10.00 teen 12 plus $6.00 under 12 free for programme visit www.vintagecanberra.com t :0408 380 524

there’s 3 bedroom homes with a 2 in front.

It’s hard to believe that you could be settling into your first home for less than $300,000. It’s like going back to the 20th century. But in a vibrant city with all the mod cons. And less than an hour’s commute to Canberra. And that’s not to mention the weekends where you will find yourself experiencing an entirely new feeling. In Goulburn, we call it relaxed.

goulburnaustralia.com.au

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At the Maxim Invitational 2014, North Woden Tennis Club scene / around canberra

Maxim aces Invitational record

THE annual Maxim Invitational tennis

charity event has raised a record $140,335 for this year’s nominated charity, Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

Held at the North Woden tennis courts at Hughes, this was the fourth Invitational and tennis legends John Fitzgerald and Todd Woodbridge took to the courts as guests of Maxim.

The tournament attracted 26 corporate teams.

Alliance CEO Rob White, who also played in one of the Maxim teams, said: “It is vital that children with cerebral palsy receive ongoing therapy and support to enable them to become as independent as possible and interact with their families and friends.

“All money raised at the event will help fit out

our new centre at Scullin with the latest and most efficient equipment and facilities essential to support these local children.”

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of Maxim Chartered Accountants who run this annual event, their principle sponsor Harvey Norman Commercial, the many corporate teams who participated as well as the high-profile tennis and sporting stars who gave up their time to participate.”

Mark Peatey, partner at Maxim Chartered Accountants, says it is an honour for the practice to be associated with Cerebral Palsy Alliance and supporting such a worthy local charity.

“Having the funds raised by the local business community at the Invitational Charity event being utilised by local Canberra families is an outstanding outcome for everyone,” he said.

NOW OPEN

arts & entertainment

Enlighten Festival set to shine

Helen Musa arts editor

ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, said on radio recently that some Canberrans should lighten up.

Well, plans are afoot to make that happen with the Enlighten Festival running from February to March around the Parliamentary Triangle, in an event set to “show Canberra in a new light”.

At one level, that will be literal as fabulous images are projected on to Questacon, the National Gallery, National Library, the Portrait Gallery, New and Old Parliament Houses, and John Dunmore Lang Place, where a herd of 3.6-metre-high horses will be lit from within.

The idea is to entice Canberrans out to experience their city, its iconic buildings, its enlightening entertainments and its unique exhibitions in an entirely new way.

Take the National Archives’ current exhibition, “Aboriginal and Islander stories: I’ve been working on the railway”, singled out in “CityNews” late last year as one of its more unusual shows as it tells the story of Torres Strait Islanders, Aboriginal people and Australian South Sea Islanders who worked on the national railways in the mid-20th century.

The canny Enlighten team has hired Aboriginal musician, Troy Brady, to enlighten fans at the Archives by performing original solo guitar songs inspired by stories of indigenous workers.

I caught up with Brady by phone to Newcastle. His people are from Chillagoe in the rainforest regions of far north Queensland, but he lives in Cairns with his Zimbabwean wife Trevelyn, a rising music star, and their 10-year-old “little feller”, Dan, who, he

proudly boasts, performed on “Australia’s Got Talent” last year.

His band won a 2006 “Deadly” award for Band of the Year, but the Bradys have been praised widely from their “blistering” performances, one fan saying, “you leave their show empowered and feeling a sense of unification”.

Music has been Brady’s life since he was small, although he found time to become number one in Australia for darts and once captained the Brisbane representative rugby league team.

He’s been to Canberra before as a soloist, and his enthusiasm is palpable as he praises both the Archives and Enlighten for coming

up with this novel connection and says: “I’m really looking forward to this”.

Known for his original songs, he’s already written about trains and early settlers, he tells “CityNews” that for his coming Archives concert, filling a set of more than 45 minutes to an hour, he’s “written a great song”. No name yet, but it’s to do with men on the railways.

The broader Enlighten program is full of illuminating events, with “Uncle Ben’s Electric Garden” offering free performance events, “Lights! Camera! Action!” showing the best of short films and Questacon hosting “Icecreamology 101”, where you get to eat the results of your experiments.

Some of the quirkiest gigs? The National Portrait Gallery’s “Elvis at 21 Karaoke Party” and the Valanga Khoza concert, “surrounded by lions” at the National Zoo and Aquarium.

In a serendipitous crossover, some shows, like Radio Variety Hour and Rod Quantock’s “Bugger the Polar Bears, This is Serious” will also form part of the coming Canberra Comedy Festival. But that’s quite another story.

Enlighten, February 27-March 8, more information at enlightencanberra.com.au/ calendars-of-events/ Troy Brady at the National Archives, 8pm, Saturday, March 8, bookings to ticketek.com or tickets at the door.

Touch of tango and hearts set to soar

THE Street Theatre intends to soar into action on February 27 and 28 with virtuoso songs, strings and tango in “My Latin Heart”. It’s a rare collaboration between Argentine-born baritone José Carbo and those two guitarist brothers, Slava and Leonard Grigoryan. Bookings to 6247 1223 or thestreet.org.au

THE National Film and Sound Archive is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Stephan Elliott’s “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” with a champagne event. Highlights include a talk by costume designer Tim Chappel, “Tranny Bingo” games (you work it out) and the screening under the stars. From 5.30pm, February 28, Bookings to 6248 2000.

I AM intrigued by the Australian War Memorial’s planned all-day family event, “Of animals in War”, 9am-5.10pm, on Sunday, February 23. Given the traditional injunction against performing with children and animals, how will singer Tania Kernaghan and author Anthony Hill compete with racing pigeons, explosive detection dogs and all the “furry friends” warmly invited to accompany their human companions.

THE Sydney Consort will be at Wesley Music Centre, 7pm, on February 23 with “Con Amore”, featuring those seductive instruments, the viola d’amore and the oboe d’amore, played respec-

tively by Canberra-born musicians Stan Kornel and Jane Downer, supported by Hans-Dieter Michatz and Monika Kornel. Tickets at the door or bookings to trybooking.com/DUWF

ART Song Canberra’s first concert for 2014 features soprano Joanna Heslop and pianist Elaine Loebenstein performing Ravel, Rachmaninov, Farquhar and Harris. At Wesley Music Centre, 3pm, on Sunday, February 23. Tickets only at the door.

“REGION of Being”, running at M16Artspace, involves three of the gallery’s more radical exhibitors showing, in enticing colours, “explosive gestural mark making” (Brian Hinksman), “meandering mappings” (David Keany), and “intense areas of colour” (David Kim ). At 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, noon-5pm, Wednesday-Sunday, until March 2.

ANNIKA Harding tells us she has “flown the CCAS (Canberra Contemporary Art Space) coop” and is now the new ANCA Gallery manager, following Jan Falsone’s departure for PhotoAccess. First up is “Safe Passage”, new work exploring safety and containment, by local artists Jacqueline Bradley, Karen Cromwell, Hanna Hoyne and Amelia Zaraftis. At ANCA Gallery, 1 Rosevear Street, Dickson, noon-5pm, Wednesday to Sunday, from February 26 to March 16.

Dash faces up to painting success

By Helen Musa

“WHAT’S in a face?” Well for one thing, vulnerability, according to Canberra artist Dash Kossman, especially if it’s a young face, which is what she especially likes to paint.

She’s about to stage a solo exhibition at Nishi Gallery in NewActon that’s almost entirely composed of young subjects, many of whom she met while studying art at the ANU. Kossman’s background is uniquely suited to portrait painting. Originally from Hobart, she came here about 30 years ago to study Japanese, spent many years overseas working mainly as an immigration officer, returned to Canberra and set about studying what she had always practised privately –painting.

Immigration officer? Portrait painting?

Just think about it. Over many years her job was to interview potential immigrants to Australia, most harrowingly, Bosnian immigrants. Most were genuine victims of torture, a few were imposters. It was her job to sort out one from another in close “face-to-

face” encounters.

And now in painting portraits, she says: “I have a formal session with the subject when they have accepted to sit for me. I do it like an interview, front-on, and I’m watching their faces all the time.”

Her professional experiences took their toll so Kossman eagerly embraced her new life as an art student and the new-look Canberra that she found awaiting her.

Several years after graduating, she is ready to launch out and with the help of the distinguished curator Wally Caruana, she has put together a solo show of “strong portraits” painted from 2011 on.

“Absolutely people will recognise the subjects,” she says, but she’s not about to tell “CityNews” who they are, preferring to use thematic or descriptive subject titles such as “You Don’t Even Know My Name”, the tormented face she is using in promotional material.

Kossman’s portraits are close-ups, usually from the shoulders upwards, perhaps bearing some resemblance to Cherry Hood’s Archibald prize winning portrait of pianist Simon Tedeschi. She has studied facial anatomy at the National Portrait Gallery and says: “ I

Portrait artist Dash Kossman… “A youthful face has a lot of vulnerability to capture, they’re all sensitive people with open faces.”

know how the facial muscles work”.

In her portraits of young musicians, writers, painters and photographers, she never ever includes hints about the tools of their trade, saying: “That’s not the aim of my paintings… I’m talking about them as a human being… I do try to get a likeness so that they’re recognisable, but also I’m trying to get what’s going on inside them, their spiritual life.

“A youthful face has a lot of vulner-

ability to capture, they’re all sensitive people with open faces.”

After her world experiences, she finds Canberra to be “a fabulous place”, except for one thing – the lack of neon lights. As she says: “A city without neon is like a dinner party without candles.”

Dash Kossmann works, at the Nishi Gallery, February 21-March 10. Opening at 6pm Friday, 21 by Pamela Walker, collector, art educator and researcher.

When ‘Love’ goes wrong, again

Dougal Macdonald cinema

“Endless Love” (M)

PREPARING for this remake of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1981 lowimpact adolescent melodrama, writer/director Shana Feste’s shopping list might have included a couple of kilos of cliché, a litre of improbability and an economy sized can of predictability, all mixed into a slurry and baked in an oven set at flaccid. Seventeen-year-old Jade (Gabriela Wilde) is the youngest child and only daughter in a slightly-above-middle level of a middle-class family. Medico daddy (Bruce Greenwood) has arranged a hospital internship in preparation for Jade starting a doctor’s degree next year. Mom (Joely Richardson) is in the book business. A room in their house is a shrine to their eldest child dead from cancer.

Across town, 18-year-old David (Alex Pettyfer) lives with his auto mechanic father. Jade and David get tangled in a classic case of teenage lurve to which her dad is implacably opposed.

“Endless Love” the original was never destined to become great cinema. So is this remake, not because it doesn’t try to do better but because its director, having signed off on it, apparently considered it fit for consumption. A more careful view is that it’s potentially toxic for the adolescent princesses forming its target audience. Life’s not like that.

At Hoyts and Limelight

“Dallas Buyers Club” (MA)

THIS based-on-actual-events film describes how a man living just above the societal level occupied by the bottom feeders, reacted to a doctor’s diagnosis that he is HIV positive with a life expectancy of 30 days.

An alcoholic, drug-raddled homophobic redneck partial to three-way sex, electrician and rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof had many buddies but few real friends.

Toby, straight to the heart music

“Toby Cole is Lovesick” Coro, with Tobias Cole At Wesley Music Centre, February 14. Reviewed by Clinton White THEY all were there; cupid arrows, queens of hearts, flowing tears and mocking demons. Ah! Bitter-sweet St Valentine’s Day! But there was nothing bitter about this concert, given by David Mackay’s Coro with counter-tenor, Toby Cole. Cole was in fine form with heart-wrenching songs – and facial expressions – of love won and lost. His ability to reach impossibly high notes and leap gaping pitch intervals with ease and accuracy was as awesome as his vocal control and expression.

Coro’s 14 members delivered beautifully balanced vocal sound with exquisite expression and tone.

Matthew McConaughey gives a terrific portrayal of Ron’s refusal to kow-tow to that potential death-sentence and how he devoted the rest of his life to finding and marketing a medication. This put him offside with the film’s main bad guys, comprising three US Government agencies, the medical profession and the one that really matters, the pharmaceutical industry. Jennifer Garner as medico Eve and Jared Leto as transvestite Rayon form the initial nucleus of Ron’s support group that grew into a commercial venture exploiting a legal loophole by charging customers $400 a month to become club members thereafter entitled to free meds.

Admirable more for his determination than his charm, Ron’s initial estimated 30 days’ life expectancy grew into six years. Jean-Marc Vallee’s vigorous treatment of a screenplay by Craig Borten and Melissa Wallack runs for 117 minutes.

At Dendy, Palace Electric and Capitol 6

“Blue Is The Warmest Color” (R)

IN the “New Yorker” of October 24, Emily Greenhouse cited actresses Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos saying that the shooting of Tunisian film-maker Abdellatif Kechiche’s film had been unbearable.

Be that as it may, in an unprecedented decision, the 2013 Cannes Film Festival jury chaired by Stephen Spielberg awarded the Palme d’Or to not only Kechiche but also the two actresses.

Guitarist, James Mountain, played an empathetic lute transcription accompaniment for the concert opener, John Dowland’s “Flow my Tears”. In other songs, pianist Anthony Smith provided perfectly balanced backing. Two firsts featured. Cole sang an aria. “Kind Hope, of all Mankind the Friend”, from Handel’s oratorio “Alexander Balus”, of which he will conduct the Australian premiere later this year. And Coro member, Paul Eldon, introduced a Brazilian song, “Azulāo” (“Bluebird”). His friend, Nicholas Smith, wrote the arrangement for him while he was in China! Among the many highlights was, for me, “When David Heard” by contemporary composer Eric Whitacre.

I’m not sure if Toby Cole’s lovesickness was cured, but certainly he and Coro poured fragrant, musical rose petals over their very appreciative audience.

Seydoux plays Emma, studying in a prestigious art school. Exarchopoulos is Adele, still in high school, negotiating the funny things that adolescence can inflict on young women who delight in their bodies without understanding what or why. After seeing Emma in the street, Adele uses the recollection as the stimulus for a successful masturbation. Then she contrives a meeting, setting in motion a relationship that expands during the period between Adele completing school and finding rewarding employment as a teacher.

That may sound a prosaic potted description for a film running for 179 minutes. But in that screen time, visually unabashed sexual love is delineated with marvellous joy and physical fulfilment. For these two women, orgasm is more than an entitlement; it is the threat of an emotional minefield between bouts of love making. And straying with another partner leads to a destructive quarrel of horrendous dimensions.

At Palace Electric

Braddon, 38 Mort Street

Only 4 units Remaining

• Ground floor units of 106.8, 120 & 182.7sqm available

• Level 1 unit of 184sqm

• Completion early March 2014

• Draw card businesses already secured

• Broad range of uses including restaurant, retail and office

• High onsite parking allocation

Ray White Commercial Canberra

arts & entertainment

New designs on food

HOW does a fashion designer end up behind the counter of a newly opened “gourmet take away/dine-in” on busy Lonsdale Street?

Sara Poguet, who launched a collection under her label Mec and the Maid at Fashfest, is the fashion designer. It’s fascinating that her focus has changed from models and makeup to Chez Frederic, but why not? Who am I to question the creative mind?

The original Chez Frederic was opened by (and is named after) Sara’s father on WA’s Cottesloe Beach. When Sara moved here she never lost sight of how ‘Frederic’s Place’ could add value to Canberra’s dining scene.

To enjoy Chez Frederic you have to understand the concept. This is not fine dining. It’s casual dining – nofuss, no-mess. Sara greets you with a smile. The menu, written on the wall behind the order counter, with specials written to the left on bolts of brown paper, forms part of the interior design.

So does the wine list on the wall to your right. Sara says the concept is to keep overheads low and pass resulting savings to the customer. So there is pre-packaged, eco-friendly disposable wooden cutlery and the food is served in aluminium containers. Initially you drank wine from jam jars but, due to customer feedback, these have been replaced with wine glasses. You can take away or eat at one of the marble communal tables.

I like Chez Frederic’s décor, lighting fixtures, collection of black and white photos and silver ladles holding tea candles, which form an art piece. Frederic himself had just arrived in Canberra on our visit and was already stuck into cooking in the kitchen. So what’s to eat? Hearty, home-style dishes (around $13.50 to $22). Luscious lamb shanks. Tasty ribs. Handmade pasta. And herbivores can order dishes like eggplant parmigiana ($17) and spinach and ricotta

Wendy Johnson dining

ravioli ($15). If you don’t finish your meal just pop a lid on your container and take it home.

The pork spare ribs, marinated in honey and plum sauce, were finger lickin’ good and the meat fell off the bone. The creamy, buttery mash is the best I’ve had in ages. My favourite pasta was the duck ravioli ($18.50). We also sampled spinach and chicken fagottini and penne with smoked trout, cherry tomatoes and lemon.

My bet is that Chez Frederic will do well having identified a niche in this food-booming area for quick, tasty food, served fast.

On improvements, I’d like to see salads available and handy napkins on the tables (the small, thin pre-packaged ones couldn’t cope with my sticky rib fingers). The raw wooden bench seats, while comfy, are rough and can catch your clothes. And, although wanting to keep costs down, Chez Frederic’s may want to invest in wine coolers.

14 Lonsdale Street, Braddon. Seven days. Lunch and dinner. Licensed. 6248 0044.

‘Magnolias’ with plenty of steel

theatre

“Steel Magnolias” By Robert Harling, directed by Jordan Best At Canberra Rep, Theatre 3, until March 1

Reviewed by Len Power

A “STEEL Magnolia”, explains author Robert Harling, is “something beautiful made of very strong stuff”. That description perfectly characterises the six women in his play set in a small-town beauty salon in America’s Deep South in the late 1980s.

Truvy’s Beauty Shop provides an oasis for the women and as the play progresses, we get to know more and more about their lives and relationships.

Jordan Best’s production for Canberra Rep nicely captures the times and location of this play and her cast all give strong performances.

Nell Shipley delivers a delicately nuanced performance in the central role of Shelby and Karen Vickery brings a moving depth and understanding to her role as Shelby’s mother.

Amy Dunham impresses as a girl who finds a new peace amongst her new friends in the salon and it’s worth the price of a ticket just to see the sparks fly between Judi Crane as Ouiser and Liz Bradley as Clairee.

Rose Braybrook gives a nice Southern characterisation as Truvy, the owner of the salon, but was a little hard to hear at times.

The set, designed by Michael Sparks, is attractive and finely detailed and costumes by Emma Sekuless have been well chosen.

However, the visible scene changing in low light broke the mood somewhat and the low lighting at the start of new scenes looked like something had gone wrong.

The strength of this play is in the level of involvement we feel with these characters.

Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

Glenda was confused and wanted to know how to take cash out of her company and pay it off her mortgage.

“Last year’s profits are sitting in the company’s bank account earning only a small amount of interest,” Glenda explained.

“I have been told that I can’t take it tax free, despite my having already paid tax on these profits. I can’t see that I need to pay tax on it again!”

I told Glenda that while it may seem unreasonable to pay tax again, that was probably the situation.

“If you don’t need the money for expansion, then the best thing would be to pay yourself and all other shareholders a dividend,” I advised her.

“Payment of a dividend is a simple process. There has to be a shareholders’ meeting to declare the dividend. Then each shareholder receives a shareholder dividend statement showing the amount of the dividend and the amount of the imputation credit available against that dividend. Those two figures then go into each shareholder’s tax return.

“Let me give you an example. If you decide to pay a dividend of $10,000, you claim a franking credit of $4285. You have to declare $14,285 as the dividend received, namely $10,000 plus $4285. The tax on this dividend is then calculated at your marginal tax rate of 38.5 per cent so the tax on the dividend is $14,285 x 38.5 per cent, namely $5500. You receive a credit of $4285, so the amount of tax payable on the dividend is $1215, leaving $8785 in your hands.”

Glenda admitted she hadn’t been told this and, in those circumstances, it didn’t seem too bad.

“It is certainly better than the other option, which is to wind up the company and to take out the remaining accumulated profits,” I replied

“If you do this you are taxed at the rate of 46.5 per cent. So for each $10,000 of accumulated profits withdrawn, you’d have to pay tax of $4650 and you get no benefit from the franking credits paid, leaving $5350 in your hands.

“There are some other options in relation to taking the funds as a retirement benefit and the tax may be less than this, but as retirement is some time off and the rules could change significantly by then, it might be smarter to pay yourselves annual dividends for the next few years.”

Glenda did the arithmetic and said: “Taking a dividend leaves me with $8785 in my hand compared with $5350 if I wait to wind up the company and take the funds then.

“Clearly, this is a no-brainer in my circumstances. Thank you so much, now I am clear on how to get my money out of the company tax effectively.”

If you need help with your business, contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd.

puzzles page

Joanne Madeline Moore

your week in the stars / February 24-March 2, 2014

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Plans are put on hold but promises kept. Mercury is motionless until Friday, giving you time to tweak arrangements and clear any backlog. Dueling traits of impatience and integrity do battle, but by week’s end your honesty wins out. Allow imaginative ideas to effervesce and sketch the outline of a money-making venture.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

A change in the landscape is rejuvenating. Solar energy makes you a magnet for exotic places and unfamiliar faces. Your communication hat is on, prompting you to regale the crowd with tall tales and true. Connections made this week propel you one step higher on the ladder of success or popularity. Be vigilant about energy levels though, as Mars in the health zone warns against burnout.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

As you muscle in on someone else’s territory, red lights flash. The action planet Mars warns against repeating past mistakes and treading on tender toes. Your intentions are usually good but the execution is sometimes rushed. Tap into the good twin and give the inner rebel a rest. Reigning Mercury moves forward on Friday, releasing you from recent constraints and competitive situations.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Your whisper of wanderlust becomes a cry for freedom. Sun in the escapist realm releases you from the restraints of routine and chains of love. Fortunately, absence and autonomy serve to enhance rather than weaken relationships. Loved-ones approve of the new independent you and applaud your efforts. The impending new Moon puts the focus firmly on travel plans and self-improvement.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Your dreamy demeanour masks a razor-sharp mind. Meld the two together and creative concepts can be conjured up. You prefer to work behind the scenes, away from the glare of public and private eyes. Others see you as preoccupied and keep you at arm’s length rather than getting involved. Sun in the house of secrecy sanctions your silence and exalts your modus operandi.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

You stop short of idle gossip, valuing fidelity above fame and fact over fiction. Newfound diplomacy comes courtesy of compatible solar energy in the relationship sector. Discreet friends and family members teach you the art of keeping secrets, something you learn by studying their behaviour.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

You take subtle liberties with loved ones. Ruling Venus brings a sense of entitlement to the domestic zone and others are expected to do your bidding. In a positive sense, you contemplate a revamp or de-clutter of your surroundings. Moving to a bigger or better space is the ultimate goal but budgetary constraints inhibit spending. Creative solutions are the answer to your prayers.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Giving in is like selling out. Mars boosts mental prowess and prevents you from being bullied by others. Your ability to make decisions has never been better, even though you take the well-worn path rather than heading in a new direction. Your personal magnetism and robust reputation are enticing to everyone. Colleagues want you in their corner and friends crave your company.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You trade freedom for familiarity. Up close and personal stars sneak under your guard, transforming Sagittarians into cuddly but confident individuals. Other people’s friends become your best buddies and already intense love affairs deepen further. Jealousy is never far from your doorstep during this playful period and a little discretion goes a long way. Forewarned is forearmed.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You cease fretting the small stuff and put first-world problems in perspective. Compassionate planets in the communication zone help you see past the superficial and spot the fakes. The wall of self-protection comes down this week. Once major concerns turn into minor worries and money matters take a back seat. Letting go is an unlikely way of hanging on.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

A bonus or benefit puts you in the box seat. Static Mercury causes delays until Friday but they trigger annoyance rather than anxiety. Once unfathomable problems are solved in an instant and karmic credits continue to accumulate. And while you remain unaffected by wealth, you welcome a boost to your bank account. Empathetic friends add a precious touch to affairs of the heart.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Hogging the limelight is your astrological right. Sun in Pisces provides a positive aura and radiates warmth in your surroundings. No longer the stereotypical spectator, you abandon self-discipline and set off in search of pleasure. It’s not all play and no work though; your day-to-day duties still exist in the real world. Finding the right balance is tricky but not impossible.

9 To disregard something is to do what?

10 Which barbed, spearlike missile is used for catching whales?

11 What are large pieces of landed property?

12 What are shinbones also known as?

14 The larynx and trachea are more readily known as the what?

18 Which scale of temperature is used in Australia?

21 Which compounds turn red litmus paper blue?

22 That which is of critical importance is said to be what?

23 What designates the entertainment usually held in the afternoon?

24 When one collects items as one’s own, what does one do?

1 Which bituminous substance is used to pave roads, etc?

2 What is a military or naval chaplain called?

3 Name a northern European republic on the Baltic Sea

4 Which French coastal resort holds an annual film festival?

5 Luminous energy is known as what?

6 Which title of respect is applicable to an eminent musical composer or conductor?

7 Name the heroic explorer who accompanied Scott to the South Pole, Laurence ...?

13 Sucre is the legal capital of which S American republic?

15 Name one of Australia’s most prominent male swimmers, Grant ...?

16 What, mainly in the US, is a tornado called?

17 What are sacred songs of hymns?

18 Name the meat of the coconut

19 What describes tittles, or jots?

20 To replicate exactly, is to do what?

Creating Sustainable Gardens

Glenbog Nursery and Landscaping

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Cedric Bryant gardening

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glenbog@skymesh.com.au

We grow them hardy so you can watch them grow.

AS we go into a Mexicantype climate, there is resurgence in the interest of cacti and succulents, with their flowers of outstanding variety and colour.

This was evident with the display by the Cactus and Succulent Society of the ACT at the last Horticultural Society show.

When visiting our daughter Yvette, who lives in Holland, I saw the amazing display of cacti pictured here.

The owner is Mevrouw Mien Kerstens, who started her collection of cacti when she left home to get married in 1960. She took with her a cactus from her mother’s small collection, which formed the basis of what was to follow – possibly one of the largest private collections of cacti in Holland. That original cactus is still alive.

Her hobby, even at a sprightly 78, still takes her to many parts of Holland looking for rare specimens. She can tell you within a few days when each cactus is due to flower. Note particularly the cleanliness on the benches and floor; good housekeeping is vital for keeping diseases at bay.

If you are interested in knowing

Prickly surge as gardens go cactus

more about these amazing plants the Cactus and Succulent Society meets at the Hughes Community Centre, 10.30am-12.30pm, on the third Sunday of every month. Activities include pot and plant sales, bus trips, displays and talks on the best plants for our climate. More information from cactusact.org.au

or call president Jackie Warburton on 0414 845238.

I AM still receiving stress calls from gardeners with heat-related plant problems, so far not from heat-affected owners!

One frequent query is that many deciduous trees are dropping leaves as in autumn. For mature trees this is not normally a problem, as they go into early winter hibernation mode. If, by chance, we receive sustained rain in the next few weeks they could, quite out of sequence, start sprouting new leaves. They may still not lose all their leaves until autumn and will bounce back next spring after their extended rest.

However, in some gardens I have been asked to look at, there are native plants that are dying in the heat. Usually, these have been planted in the last one to two years and not fully established. In each garden,

all the plants are being irrigated with drip irrigation. There is little evidence of exotic plants nearby being affected by the heat. Some of the native plants not surviving include correa, banksia, callistemon and kangaroo paws.

Jottings…

• Plant calendula flowers for winter colour, especially around veggies to discourage insects.

• Watch out for caterpillars at this time. Spray with Dipel, a natural bio-insecticide non-toxic to humans. Spray under the leaves and on the ground under the plant.

• Continue to plant English spinach, so much tastier than so-called spinach or silver beet.

• Give Asters (Michaelmas daisies) and chrysanthemums their last feed before autumn flowering with Seasol Powerfeed.

Christine’s blooming marvellous open garden

DESPITE the unforgiving heat of recent weeks, Christine Gascoyne’s garden is still thriving and blooming behind the blue gates that conceal the large battle-axe block from the street.

“It’s been a tough summer, and certainly not everything in the garden is looking its best,” she said.

“Watering is a constant job this time of year and I do it all by hand, so it means I can’t go away in the summer. And a couple of the plants are simply scorched from the heat, or dropping leaves to survive.

“But I’m still happy for people to come and have a look – after all, everyone is in the same position.”

Christine’s lush, shady Gowrie garden will be open to the public on the weekend of March 1 and 2 as part of Open Gardens Australia.

Everything in the garden has been done by Christine herself – the landscaping, building the parterre, some steps and several retaining walls, as well as all the heavy lifting, drilling and digging, and all the planting and propagating. Plants will be for sale at the event, all of which come from the garden.

Brick paths wind around the 1200sqm garden, with new things to

WORDS: Kathryn Vukovljak

PHOTOS: Gary Schafer

discover around every corner – art, sculptures, Pierre de Ronsard roses, dahlias, flowering camellias in pots, a little pond, and countless shrubs, trees and perennials. There’s even a tiny gnome which moves around the garden, thanks to visiting grandchildren.

Christine says her favourite spot to sit is the pretty table under the rose arbour, which gets streams of winter sun and provides the perfect place for her morning coffee.

Christine has opened her garden several times under the scheme, although she says she took last year off.

“I kept getting asked why it wasn’t open!” she says.

“The lovely thing is, people are prepared to come back here again and again.

“When people come here, they always walk around two or three times. And when they bring their kids, I find they don’t want to leave.”

Christine’s garden at 48 Weathers Street, Gowrie, will be open Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2, 10am-4.30pm. Adults $7, children under 18 are free. Funds raised will go to Open Gardens Australia. More information at opengarden.org.au.