141030 citynews

FEVERSpring

THINGS that happen when you’re asleep… Talented local photographer and restless soul Andrew Campbell found himself sleepless on the night of last week’s Big Storm and at 1am was up with his camera and captured this remarkable photo

Weed swap

THE annual spring weed swap, an opportunity to exchange invasive garden weeds for free Australian native plants, is on at the green waste recycling centres at Canberra Sand and Gravel in West Belconnen and Corkhill Bros near the Mugga Lane landfill, 8.30am to 4.45pm, on the weekend of November 1-2. The next weed swap won’t be until autumn. More information at 132281.

Arawang school celebrates

WESTON Creek’s Arawang Primary School is inviting ex-students, teachers and community members to help celebrate the school’s 25th anniversary over the week beginning November 24. The celebrations culminate at 5pm on Friday, November 28, with the unveiling of an art installation by Canberra artist Lisa Cahill in the school’s entrance foyer followed by birthday cake at 6pm and a concert. More information from 6205 6877.

Walking for mum

CLARE Avery-Allen is organising the fundraising “A Walk for Mum” around Lake Burley Griffin, starting from Regatta Point at 11am on Sunday, November 2, to raise funds and awareness of dementia in Australia. More information at give.everydayhero.com/au/ awalkformum

Charity card shop

NINE local charities are selling Christmas cards and calendars at Wanniassa Shopping Centre, Sangster Place, 10am-3:30pm, Monday-Saturday, from Monday, November 3 until Friday, December 19. The charities are: ACT Rescue & Foster, Lone Guides, Cancer Council, Cystic Fibrosis, Sharing Places, Heart Foundation, Epilepsy, Canberra Legacy and Pegasus.

Arts & Entertainment 27-29

Canberra Confidential 22

Cinema 28

Dining 29

Garden 30-31

Horoscope 26

Letters 8

News 3-14

Politics 8

Puzzles 26

Socials 17-21

Sport 14 Cover: Face of Racing Emily Dibden. Story Page 6.

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Graham Spencer, 6262 9100; Rebecca Dann, 0431 042087; Charlotte Cuttle, 6262 9100

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Phone 6262 9100 Fax 6262 9111

GPO Box 2448, Civic 2601

Ian Meikle, Level 1, 143 London Circuit, Canberra.

Groundhog terror, trams and Mr Fluffy

THE optimism of sunny spring was burst as we were dragged back into a week of Groundhog Day news themes from gloomy winter: terror, trams and Mr Fluffy.

THE shooting spree of the lone-wolf terrorist in Ottawa sent a steely shiver down the fortress that was once our userfriendly Parliament House as the security obsessives went further into overdrive. It feels we are but a heartbeat short of hearing that they’re going to build a moat out of State Circuit.

ALMOST on the eve of our getting to see the business plan for the divisive light rail project, the “Canberra Times” to its credit did what the blinkered tramcentric local government won’t and invited anyone who wanted to say if they’re up for light rail or would prefer other transformative ideas such as spending the squillions on health and education.

Remarkably, a statistically strong sample of more than 6000 people responded. Unremarkably, most sensible people would prefer better education and health, which makes the week’s revelation that crowded Canberra Hospital is almost overwhelmed with patients all the more pertinent.

Needless to say, the southern suburbs gave the tram an unequivocal

The southern suburbs gave the tram an unequivocal raspberry and even the pampered princes from the golden streets of Gungahlin aren’t entirely on board.

raspberry and even the pampered princes from the golden streets of Gungahlin aren’t entirely on board with an ungrateful number of only 52 per cent wanting the tram.

Unconvinced, the Chief Minister Katy Gallagher largely waved the results away as being “self-selective” saying: “I accept that the project needs a lot more explaining”. Not to the Liberal leader Jeremy Hanson who will be explaining why not all the way to the 2016 election.

THE federal government has finally decided to help the ACT with a loan to flatten the asbestos-affected Mr Fluffy houses, but not before the redoubtable Brianna Heseltine, who tirelessly leads the affected residents’ group, threw an FOI grenade into the argument. She unearthed papers that show the Commonwealth received expert medical advice more than 25 years ago warning Canberra’s death rate to mesothelioma would almost certainly rise if people lived with Mr Fluffy insulation. Commonwealth money isn’t a minute too soon.

THE cops were pretty pleased with themselves for nabbing 28 kilograms of methamphetamine from a car in Curtin. They say the haul’s $26 million value justified the bad look of two aggressively armed policemen standing there during the media conference.

TAMS Minister Shane Rattenbury says “people have all sorts of animals these days” including rats and he wants to know if passengers should take them or other pets on the buses. He says it will help improve access to public transport for “pet owners who have no other means of transporting their animal to, say, the vet.

Seven Days presumes passengers with allergies or asthma triggered by the presence of furry fellow travellers will be transported to their doctor.

CITYNEWS.COM.AU online editor John Griffiths nagged the Chief Minister’s office enough to get a look at the

IAN MEIKLE

elusive “Memorandum of Friendship Exchange and Economic Cooperation between the City of Shenzhen of the People’s Republic of China and the City of Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory of Australia” that Katy dashed to the industrial city of 15 million to sign. Griffiths notes: “At two pages it’s on the skinny side and mostly just commits us to exchanges and the promotion of those exchanges. It looks like Canberra will be getting an ‘International Relationships Office’ which sounds like nice work if you can get it.”

Regular columnist Robert Macklin is on leave. Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews”.

Construction on Wayfarer is set to begin next year! FEB 2015

Our team is gearing up to begin constructing Canberra’s most exciting project; Wayfarer! The 820 tonnes of reinforced steel and the 16,600m3 of concrete have been ordered and we’re almost ready to go.

Soon enough you will be able to see Belconnen’s most stunning building come to life before your very eyes! And after that comes move in day for our excited buyers, but don’t worry, it’s not too late to secure your home at Wayfarer.

CANBERRA’S TALLEST RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IS ALMOST HERE. FROM $434,400

CONTACT ROBERT POTTS ON 0408 626 096 OR VISIT WAYFARERAPARTMENTS.COM.AU

Battle of the bralette

My girl still

believes in the Boob Fairy… However she’s also already worrying whether her bum is too big and whether boys will like her if she’s really tall.

THE Boob Fairy is yet to visit, but her arrival is eagerly anticipated.

My eight-year-old girl has embraced the idea of being a “tween” and, despite being years away from puberty, she just can’t wait to become a teenager and all that comes with that.

She was born a fashionista and the latest tween, teenage, and indeed adult, fashion is where she wants to be. I get this. I was much the same, but back in my day there was much less opportunity to indulge the inner diva or indeed adult fashion and imagery.

Fashion marketing and social culture was less focused on the tween and kids seemed to stay kids for a bit longer. Not so now.

On a recent shopping trip where shoes and underwear were on the agenda, my little girl went all Imelda Marcos on me when she discovered that serious high heels are available for girls her age.

“They look soooo good, I’ve got to have them,” she pleaded.

I tried to hold the line. Heels aren’t appropriate for children with developing backs, I

said. There are safety issues, I insisted, but she had plenty of counter arguments.

“Mum, I do acrobatics and ice skating, I think I can balance,” she insisted. “I have really good core strength, so really my back won’t be a problem.

“Seriously, mum, do you think they would make them for girls my age if they weren’t appropriate!” That was her definitive argument.

The situation wasn’t helped when another mum confessed to us that she had bought the same heels for her little girl the day before. Peer pressure – it’s unstoppable.

To cut a long story short, my girl is now the proud possessor of a pair of purple suede high heels that she calls ”my precious, my precious”. They are to be kept for “special occasions”, but she carts them around in her bag to show her friends and drool over.

After shoes we moved on to underwear, which is usually not a drama. A while ago my girl had convinced me to purchase a crop top to wear under her acrobatics leotards and other sports wear. Totally unnecessary as her chest is as flat as the Hay Plain, but the other girls, 13 and older, that she does sport with have them. I figured this was pretty harmless.

However, padded “bralettes” are a different matter. Here we’re talking contours for size 8 to 10-year-olds. My girl was desperate to get one but there I did draw the line,

despite much pleading – “Please, mummy, please!”

Not until the Boob Fairy comes, I ruled.

The Boob Fairy is a hangover from an earlier time in our home when both my kids wanted to know where breasts came from and I was determined to duck any conversations that were too biologically specific in nature.

There’s a time and place for everything, but some things are better left for discussion when the kids are just a bit older. So I spun a tale of the Boob Fairy who sprinkles magic dust – with obviously varied results.

A few years later my girl still believes in the Boob Fairy and she’s waiting for that fairy to arrive, totally believing in the magic that is growing up. However she’s also already worrying whether her bum is too big and whether boys will like her if she’s really tall.

I’m not too fazed by this. But I do wonder whether the daily tidal wave of advertising and other commercially driven imagery that emphasises fashion, body image and indeed female sexuality at ever younger ages isn’t encroaching too far on the boundaries of childhood.

Maybe we ought to let our little girls be little girls for just a bit longer and not have them dragged into the teenage years and adulthood quite so fast.

SONYA FLADUN

Punting and the art of looking pretty

AND they’re off! Spring racing is in full swing in Canberra and ACTTAB is expecting a big Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday, as the city celebrates over lunches in restaurants, pubs, clubs and trackside.

Chris James, manager of betting systems at ACTTAB, says that last year Canberra punters spent a little over $2m on bets for the Melbourne Cup race, with a total of $3.4m on the day, including all races.

“Given the way it’s trending so far, I think the figures will be up slightly this year,” he says.

“It’s always hard to say; if the favourites win then people are winning in general, but if the longshots win then people don’t tend to have the funds to reinvest.”

As well as packing out restaurants and clubs across the city to watch the race, around 7000 people are expected to gather at Thoroughbred Park, with marketing manager Briony Young saying it’s been a popular choice for Canberrans for more than 50 years.

“Even though the Cup is run at Flemington, we get huge crowds at Thoroughbred Park for the atmosphere and the local racing, and all the excitement that provides,” she says.

“We are also seeing a lot of employers taking their staff out to thank them for the year’s work. Particularly

VUKOVLJAK previews Melbourne Cup Day in Canberra

in the construction industry this year. So all the single ladies – there may be some single tradies at the races!

“Thoroughbred Park is a wonderful place to be for the Melbourne Cup; people have taken the time to get ready, so everyone is looking great, and Fashions on the Field brings the competitors out.

“There’s also the food, the jockey colours and, of course, watching the horses come down the straight is always exciting.”

As fashionistas work on getting their racing look right in readiness for the race that stops the nation, Briony says that Fashions on the Field has been growing more popular in recent years.

She says they’re seeing more young people getting up on stage.

“Fashions on the Field is very regimented, with certain strict rules, and it’s great to see younger people taking that on board,” she says.

This year the Couples category has been dropped, which means the prizes for the Classic Ladies’ Racewear and Classic Men’s Racewear categories have increased substantially.

This year’s Cup has attracted a large corporate element, with Briony saying the course is experiencing a huge return clientele.

The marquees this year will be better than ever, Briony says, with the designers “going all out” with new products and decorations.

Another area in which people are going all out is hats, says local milliner Christine Waring.

“Generally, over the past few years fashion trends in hats and headpieces have been towards smaller and more sculptural pieces, particularly taller designs worn with their elevated trims more centred and towards the front,” she says.

Melbourne Cup Day, Thoroughbred Park, Tuesday, November 4. Gates open at 9.30am.

politics

Exposing the silent, slimy and the sly

EXPOSING the secretive, sleazy underbelly of political tactics that so effectively undermine politicians, political parties, democratic principles and processes is virtually impossible.

The tacticians, those who dig dirt and those who back them, remain silent, slimy and sly about their shameful activities. A recent exposure of such tactics in NZ raises these questions about Australia.

Effective democracies support a contest of ideas and values. Personalities, persuasiveness and leadership all play an important role. However, when unethical campaigns rely on discrediting individuals through personal attacks, exaggeration, fabrication and sexual innuendo the very nature of our democracy is put at risk.

NZ seems a somewhat gentler, more polite jurisdiction than Australia. In many ways it is. However, this year it has also been exposed as the home of a sustained example of the filthiest, ugliest and most destructive of political campaigns.

While recently re-elected Prime Minister John Key had proclaimed in the 2011 election “there is no room for negative politics in NZ”, his backroom team were already working on destructive campaigning cheek by jowl with Cameron Slater’s Whale Oil blog.

The revelations from a large number of emails and online conversations, published in “Dirty Politics” by journalist Nicky Hager, blew the conduct wide open. Hager exposed the hidden underbelly of politics in NZ; rather than being seen to be negative, simply delegate attacks to people such as Slater.

The dirt on his blog was not just focused

Whenever Julia Gillard seemed to get on the front foot she would invariably be undone by a scandal about the conduct of one of her ministers… Who was orchestrating it?

at the Labour Opposition, but was also directed at internal party politics such as pre-selections. His blogs were regularly picked up and run in the mainstream media.

Understanding the tactics provides an insight into some of the political shenanigans of recent times in Australia.

For example, whenever Julia Gillard seemed to get on the front foot she would invariably be undone by a scandal about the conduct of one of her ministers.

Subsequently, the focus would move to her own involvement in a union scandal with a previous partner. Even when the former Prime Minister appeared before the Royal Commission into the issue it became clear that there was no “smoking gun”. However, the innuendo, the doubts that had been sown about her credibility had done their work in undermining her position as Prime Minister.

Extrapolating to the Australian context from Hager’s book raises the question about where all the information on Gillard was coming from. Who was orchestrating it? Was it just one source? Who would be the winners and the losers?

The targets of the NZ attacks were

not just politicians. Whale Oil remains a hard-right blog vigorously attacking anyone with different ideas. Even last week Cameron Slater was defending his blog from Hager at the same time as attacking climate change, obese people and socialism in Venezuela.

However, his most vicious attacks in the past have been on those receiving public funding including public servants and NGOs. Driven by the hard-right view of small government, Slater lumped these people/ groups together as “Troughers” because to receive any money from the public purse was to have the “snout in the trough”.

More telling about the broad nature of dirty politics, as revealed in the NZ leaked emails, was the willingness to accept money to republish material from groups such as big tobacco and big alcohol.

In the NZ case Hager reveals that the money was apparently channelled through Katherine Rich in her role as chief executive of the NZ Food and Grocery Council.

Prof Doug Sellman was the subject of the sustained attacks. A university pro fessor who, as head of the National Addiction Centre at the University

of Otago, was a persuasive force in attempting to reduce harm associated with alcohol and tobacco. The attacks were based on innuendo, fabrication and distortion.

A similar set of attacks have taken place here in Australia in recent weeks on Prof Mike Daube, director of the Health Advocacy Institute and the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth (a life-member and former president of my own organisation – the Public Health Association of Australia). The attacks have all the same hallmarks as those on Prof Sellman.

“Dirty Politics” provides demonstrative evidence of the direction that politics has taken over the last few years. It is an unhealthy direction for our democracy and one that should be exposed wherever possible.

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

Samantha wins top business award

SAMANTHA Kourtis, managing partner at Capital Chemist Charnwood, has been named ACT Business Woman of the Year.

She also won the Private and Corporate Sector Award and the Business Innovation Award at the 20th Telstra ACT Business Women’s Awards.

A long-held interest in wound management and her identification of local healthcare service needs led Ms Kourtis to introduce a medical compression garment clinic within the pharmacy

that she has managed since 2013.

In its first year of opening, the Charnwood pharmacy’s clinic has improved the health outcomes for more than 550 patients with circulation problems and diabetes from as far away as Cooma, Bega and Gundagai. It has also increased the pharmacy’s front-of-shop profit.

Other 2014 winners include Jan Mason , Deputy Secretary, Business, Procurement and Asset Management at the Department of Finance and currently

Parking fines spoil Curtin shops’ party

IN “City News” (October 9) you had a lovely article on the 50th birthday of Curtin. I was not able to attend this event, but the local parking inspectors had time to go! They were booking all who were there to enjoy the special day. Shame on you ACT government revenue raisers. How can we build community spirit when it was stripped away to leave a bad taste in the mouth? The ACT government actively promoted “Party at the Shops” last year for the Centenary, but no parties this year.

Cathy Newton, via email

Evidence over drug emotion

FEW would deny that so-called medical cannabis is one of the most hotly contested issues in Australia.

I hold that all commenting publicly, including media representatives, have an ethical obligation to recognise the emotional and compassionate aspects of those seeking alleviation of pain. This being satisfied, there is an equally weighty ethical requirement not to present authorities responsible for judgement on the efficacy and safety of drugs as devoid of such feelings. To do so, immediately prejudices any objective considerations critics may claim to have.

If ever lack of rigid medical research is overwhelmed by popular opinion, which then becomes the predominant and deciding factor in the approval of medicines in Australia, we will leave our bodies exposed to myriad illnesses, many on a level of harm so far unimagined.

Colliss Parrett, Fellow, Drug Free Australia, Barton

chair of the steering committee for the Medibank sale, who was named the Community and Government Award winner.

Tammy Garratt, of TG’s Hair Studio in Fyshwick, took out the Business Owner Award while Jennifer Wyborn , an employment and industrial relations lawyer at Clayton Utz, won the Young Business Women’s Award.

The ACT winners proceed to the national finals in Melbourne on November 26.

Letters are invited from “CityNews” readers. Let loose to: editor@citynews.com.au or write to the editor at GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601. Write to us

Ron Friesen | Partner

Family Law is complex and you need an experienced law firm to guide you.

But what you need most is someone to listen to you. To hear your story.

At Watts McCray, we understand that.

wattsmccray.com.au

Welcome to the ugly, ugly face of Canberra

WE may have the world’s most liveable city, but our gateway is surely one of the ugliest.

Any visitor driving down Northbourne Avenue is greeted by a vista of derelict and downat-heel public housing developments, interrupted by the occasional discarded “nana couch” or dilapidated chair.

Are we happy that a first impression of Canberra is tarnished by embarrassing eyesores such as the Northbourne Flats?

As the debate around the heritage value of the Northbourne Flats continues, with the Heritage Council recently registering the precinct as an example of “post-war, international-style architecture”, we must ask ourselves a simple question: “Are these really the sorts of buildings we want to preserve for our grandchildren?”

Some of Canberra’s most iconic new spaces have been created by breathing life into old buildings – think the historic Kingston Powerhouse’s transformation into the Canberra Glassworks, the revival of Hotel Acton or the careful restoration of the old patents office into the RM Hope Building. All these buildings have one thing in common: quality.

In such a young city, we cannot afford to lose exceptional examples of our history, but protecting our past doesn’t mean keeping second-rate buildings simply because they are old.

The Northbourne Flats are poorly insulated and ventilated, riddled with rising damp and asbestos, and expensive to main-

tain. Debating their heritage value overlooks what every resident knows: they are unhealthy and unlivable.

Tenants of these and other public-housing developments have lived with the architectural and aesthetic mistakes that the rest of us rejected decades ago.

Now, with the Northbourne and ABC Flats slated for demolition, we have an opportunity to dismantle the concentration of disadvantage in pockets of our inner city and improve the quality of development.

It is clear that, regardless of whether some individuals think they are good examples of late modernist architecture, the Northbourne Flats no longer meet the needs of the community.

Catherine Carter is ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia.

When the nerds blinked

Gamergate – A word used to describe the events surrounding the Zoe Quinn Scandal, when gaming journalists refused to cover the incident, and instead attacked and generalised their audience.”

– “Urban Dictionary”

SINCE August, so-called #Gamergate has been rumbling along and to the idiot, mostly white men, holding the world view in the quote at the top it’s a campaign to restore decency to the world.

To everyone else it’s thuggish gangs of online lynch mobs denigrating specific women for perceived failings that, out in the real world, not two craps would be given about.

It all began with a jilted boyfriend making claims to the Kotaku nerd news website about the sex life of his former partner for no reason beyond a desire to hurt her.

One of the claims was that she’d slept with a game reviewer to elicit a favourable review for a game she’d made.

In a sane world that would be a matter for the journalist, his editor and, to a grossly lesser extent, the small number of people who played the game based on the favourable review and found the review wanting.

But no, the righteous fury of every insecure nerd desperately wishing any woman would ever love them has been unleashed and the spectacle to those watching on has been disgusting.

From the other side, the feminist industry has piled in blaming the patriarchy with some justification because threats to rape and kill people are not okay, ever.

Nerd/gamer culture is thus characterised as vicious, bigoted, furious, awful men. And at this point I throw my hands in the air and shout:

“THIS IS NOT MY CULTURE”.

I’ve been a nerd since I started reading “Lord of the Rings” at age seven. I’ve watched the movies, played the games, read the books, and copped the schoolyard beatings for being weird and not into the same things as all the other kids.

And because we’re all a bit weird, and have the lumps to show for it, nerd culture, in my experience, has always been one of inclusion and acceptance.

Casting my mind back, it has never been all men. It was certainly male dominated back in the ‘80s, but there were always large numbers of women around.

They weren’t around at the edges either, they were the beating heart and soul of those groups. In recent years women have flocked into the culture and it’s hard to imagine that’s due to misogyny.

Part of where nerd/gamer culture has let itself down has been through over-acceptance and inclusion. In the late 1990s there were big problems at network parties (large numbers of nerds joining their computers up on local area networks to games with each other, largely replaced by fast internet) with enthusiasts of child exploitation material coming in to swap their pictures.

They were oppressed due to the nature of their interests so, at first glance, looked and felt a bit like nerds one can imagine. Here in Canberra the organisers of these parties (that I knew of) very bravely set about rooting these people out of their groups and the police were most definitely involved.

Similarly, my fear is that the women-hating idiots of today have been overly accommodated at the fringes of nerd culture not due to nerds being exclusionary, but for being too forbearing of the eccentricities of others.

We stood up to the child abusers and cast them out. We can, should, and will stand up to the misogynists.

Because a nerd convention for the 30 years I’ve been involved with them would be nothing without proud, beautiful young women prancing around in chain-mail bikinis. Because they want to.

But as a white man, seriously guys, we need to work at our game. The world is changing, we had a stunningly good run and, for our own good, it’s past time we stopped making everyone else hate our guts.

John Griffiths is the online editor for citynews.com.au

JOHN GRIFFITHS

Clover Jewellery / sponsored feature

Direct from the famous Japanese jewellery district of Okachimachi in Tokyo

New store promises exquisite jewellery

SOPHISTICATED, one-off jewellery pieces that are hand-crafted in exquisite detail are available at Clover Jewellery, a new jewellery store in Manuka.

Having recently relocated from the famous jewellery district of Okachimachi in Tokyo, Japan, co-owner and jeweller James Oh custom makes the jewellery at his on-site workshop on Bougainville Street.

“We guarantee extremely high quality craftsmanship at competitive prices,” says James.

James owns the store with Stella Lee, and says he is a highly skilled jeweller with more than 30 years’ experience in the industry.

He has created custom-made jewellery for various department stores in Japan, particularly for the leading stores Matsuzakaya and Mitsukoshi, has worked for specialist wedding stores and has also created catalogue promotion pieces, he says.

Also on the staff at Clover Jewellery is Honey Lee, a fully qualified award- winning jeweller, who can design pieces to clients’ specifications.

Honey completed her Bachelor of Design Art majoring in gold and silversmithing with honours at the ANU in 2010, and she says

that as well as designing new pieces, she can also set new stones in clients’ existing pieces of jewellery.

“Whatever precious or semi-precious stones you require, we will source and set them,” she says.

“We also offer stone and pavé setting, laser engraving and laser soldering, as well as general jewellery repairs.”

Clover Jewellery has a specialist laser engraving system, imported from Germany, that allows engraving of messages and letters on to a memento, such as a pen, or any type of jewellery, provided it has a solid surface that can be engraved on.

“Unlike hand engraving, laser engraving captures the most subtle details, leaving your memento or jewellery sparkling and giving it a refined look,” says James.

Owners James and Stella will be celebrating the store’s opening with a glamorous cocktail party on November 14, from 4pm-8pm at the store.

“There will be lucky door prizes, with first, second and third prizes being beautiful pieces of jewellery from the store,” says Stella.

Clover Jewellery, 16 Bougainville Street, Griffith. Call 6295 8545, 0499 200121 or email clover.j@hotmail.com

Expert jewellers with over thirty years’ experience in the jewellery industry. Exquisite, hand-crafted jewellery made on-site in Manuka.

We also offer the following services:

• Custom made jewellery

• Laser engraving

• Laser soldering

• Jewellery repairs

Visit our store to see our full range of ready-made pieces, or to discuss your custom jewellery requirements.

pets at rest / advertising feature

Compassion with care

TAKING the time to sit with bereaved pet owners and offering a sympathetic ear is so important at this tough time, says Louise Foldi, owner of Paw Bearers.

Louise and her partner Luke say they run their pet cremation service with a focus on the need for compassion.

“Our clients have lost their best friend, their furbaby,” she says. “We never rush them if they want to talk, or sit with us and share happy memories of their pet.

“It’s not just a service, we provide so much more than that. We stay in touch with people, particularly elderly people who have perhaps lost one of their last friends.”

Louise says that the pet – any small animal – can be collected from either the home or a veterinary clinic.

“All cremations are done individually in our facility in Queanbeyan, so your pet stays in the Canberra area, and they are never left alone,” she says.

“We then personally return the ashes to the customer.

“It’s me who picks them up and brings them back. We are fully owner-operated, as we believe it’s crucially important to offer the personal, dignified, individual service that both owner and pet deserve.”

Paw Bearers, call 0413 130918 or email pawbearers@internode.on.net

Peace and sympathy

CREMATING a beloved pet can bring a lot of peace to bereaved owners, say Marilyn and Tony Burke, the principals of Pets at Peace.

“After the loss of a pet, we find that people feel happier when their pet’s remains are back with them at home,” says Marilyn.

“It’s a rare and unusual service we provide, but we get a lot of wonderful feedback that we have helped people through a difficult time.

“Canberra is a very pet-friendly area, and there are a lot of people who live in flats who don’t have the outdoor space to bury a pet.”

Pets at Peace offers a door-to-door service, picking up the deceased pet from their home or vet’s and returning it to the owners after a strictly individual cremation in a purpose-built crematorium.

Owners are able to choose from a range of urns available.

“We get requests for a range of pets, from birds, rats, ferrets, goats, foals, lizards and rabbits up to cats and dogs,” says Marilyn.

“We are always sympathetic – our clients have lost their best friend, and we honour that with our caring service and professional, yet gentle manner.”

Pets at Peace, call 0413 316974 or email petsatpeacecanberra@bigpond.com.au

• Canberra’s Premiere Pet Cremation Service

• Available 7 Days

• 18 Years of Service

• Pick-up and delivery included

• Urns & Memorial Plaques Call Marilyn & Anthony Burke 0413 316 974 43 Merriman Crescent, Macarthur petsatpeacecanberra@bigpond.com.au www.petsatpeace.com.au

Nasty truths of a painful public life

I HAVE been sounded out twice about running for politics over the past 26 years living in Canberra and both times I have declined.

Apart from doubting whether I would get many votes, the main factor is the public scrutiny faced by people in public life.

It is not me I would be worried about, but the impact on my family. As a father, the last thing you want to see is your children under pressure because of a stance you have taken.

Kellie Furner, the wife of former Raiders’ coach David Furner, spoke out about the impact on her family during David’s reign when the side was struggling.

It became intense and ugly at times when the side was losing and people took it out on the Furner family, she said.

Heather Reid has spoken about her detractors as she goes about running soccer in the ACT. A minority has targeted her and it has become personal.

You can see why people opt not to take on such roles. The spotlight is greater now than it has ever been with social media allowing everybody to have a soapbox to call for a coach to be sacked.

It is hard to imagine that Ewen McKenzie would not have gone into the Wallabies’ coaching job without knowing about the scrutiny and pressure associated with the position.

He would have seen it during his time under Rod McQueen, then Eddie Jones, as both came under attack during their stints as Wallabies’ coaches.

Ewen came to the job on a wave of popular sentiment that was largely media-driven with a perception that an Australian was the best person to coach the Wallabies after the reign of Robbie Deans and the prospect of a South African, Jake White, taking over.

Nothing though would have prepared him for the fallout from the trip to South Africa and Argentina. It wasn’t so much the performance

The spotlight is greater now than it has ever been with social media allowing everybody to have a soapbox to call for a coach to be sacked.

of the team that was being scrutinised, it was his judgment.

To a certain degree he was a victim of poor management. The structure did not appear to be there to fully support him in his role as coach and the financial position of the Australian Rugby Union is partly to blame. It’s obvious the team needs a full-time manager; it should be one of the priority appointments.

Another factor was the absence of genuine leaders within the team. There is no Stephen Moore, David Pocock or Ben Mowen.

It’s all very well to talk about structure, but if you don’t have a strong senior leadership group, it is often not enforced.

The other factor, of course, is the media’s desire for somebody to fall. There is a constant call for people to face the consequences; somebody has to be sacked. The media builds itself up into a frenzy until there is a kill. Once the objective is achieved, there is a lull, almost a sense of shock at what has been achieved accompanied by a great deal of selfsatisfaction.

The hope is that this current episode doesn’t deter good people from taking on leadership roles in Australian sport.

‘Our focus is on being clinically

Straight talking with dedicated Dr Sam

DR Sam Whittle says he is passionate about correcting smiles. As the owner of Corinna St Orthodontics in Woden, the friendly, caring and attentive doctor says his job is always exciting and challenging.

“I love helping people to feel better about themselves, and seeing the change in them that a new smile can bring about,” he says.

“We are creating something that improves a person’s sense of self and it means a lot to me to think, maybe I helped a little bit in how they’ve changed.”

Dr Whittle says he will always assess his patients in an unbiased way, using his decades of expertise, and give advice while being sensitive to their needs.

“I’m very aware that it’s not just a mouth I’m dealing with, it’s a person, and we go out of our way to take everything about that person into account. We offer treatment that is highly individual, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.”

Dr Whittle believes that while orthodontics is suitable for anyone, the ideal time for a consultation is between the ages of seven and nine – even if the child doesn’t have all their adult teeth yet.

“Even if I just say, I’ll check you out again in a year, it’s great to start the relationship early and there are occasionally one or two problems you can avoid if you jump in now, like structural issues,” he says. “Ultimately, we want to get the kids’ faces growing right, and the earlier the better.”

The team at Corinna St Orthodontics strives to warmly welcome everyone who comes through the doors, says Dr Whittle. “In general, I know people find visiting

a dentist or an orthodontist stressful, but I don’t find that’s the case here at all,” he says.

“Our focus is on being clinically professional, but I want patients to come here and realise it’s not a threatening place.”

On the contrary, the state-of-the-art

Corinna St Orthodontics practice feels bright, fresh and clean, with large windows and an abundance of natural light, giving a feel of being connected to the outdoors.

“It’s a joy to come to work, and I’m very happy with how the practice has turned out,” he says. “A lot of time and energy went into the aesthetics and the function of this space, and we couldn’t be happier with it –even the Mr Potato Heads around the place just evolved, and the kids love it.”

Corinna St Orthodontics will be hosting an Invisalign evening on Monday, November 3, with a focus on educating potential patients on the process and whether it would be suitable for them.

“Invisalign is widely promoted, but it’s not an option for everyone,” says Dr Whittle.

“Our aim is to quickly assess whether the treatment would work for an individual, then offer a full, in-depth consult at a later date if they’re interested in commencing treatment.”

Dr Whittle started Corinna St Orthodontics in February 2013. He’s been a dentist for 10 years and an orthodontist for 20, and says it’s so important to choose an orthodontist if you’re considering braces.

“There are a series of political and social issues that are pushing orthodontics to dentists, but there is a reason that orthodontists study for three years for 100 hours a week – we simply get a better result, even with something like Invisalign,” he says.

“I’m slow and deliberate – I like things

Dr Sam Whittle... “It’s exciting, it’s challenging and I love helping people to feel better about themselves, and seeing the change in them that a new smile can bring about.”

to be straight! – so I can guarantee a really great result.

“You don’t need a referral to see an orthodontist, and the value you get is the best of orthodontic training in the world – because Australian orthodontics is world class, no question.

“We work closely with other health professionals, from speech pathologists and breathing technicians to physios and dentists, to create a whole medical team to focus on the individual.

“Why risk your mouth, and your health, on treatment that isn’t the best?”

Corinna St Orthodontics, 10 Corinna Street, Woden. Call 6162 0010 or visit cstorthodontics.com.au

Anyone interested in attending Dr Whittle’s Invisalign information evening should call 6162 0010. Places are limited.

Social event of the week / National Breast Cancer Foundation Pink Dinner scene / around canberra

THE ninth annual National Breast Cancer Foundation Pink Dinner at the Hyatt Hotel had the perfect pink-hued accoutrements decorating the ballroom, pink bow bikkies and a grand final raffle prize of earrings with luscious pink Argyle diamonds and perfect white diamond petals. So lovely and so precious that donor Michael Neuman of Mondial, kept his little pink box close by all night.

My dinner companions, male medicos of the fun kind, were planning to share the spoils if they won, even contemplating a nose decoration each! But it was the indefatigable Paul Walshe as MC who shone once again in his favourite pink suit, heading up the small committee of dedicated “pink ladies” who make this event the glamour one of the year.

The reason for that is they eschew the hard yards of big auctions, the time-consuming process of silent auctions and just go with the appeal-to-the-guests method, i.e. just fill in a credit card number and they’ll do the rest.

This year there were many younger ladies attending looking glam and having a great time epitomising the target group for the NBCF efforts to raise awareness for them to be vigilant and alert to breast cancer.

Lunch: Monday to Friday 12:00 to 2:00pm Dinner: 7days 5:30 to 10:30pm

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At opening night of the Canberra International Film Festival, Civic

At ‘PULSE / Reflections on the body’ opening, at CMAG

At the ‘Certified Australian’ opening, ANCA Gallery, Dickson

Photos by ANDREW FINCH

Canberra Confidential

much poppin’ up at

of the pop-up, “vertical village” on Commonwealth Avenue.

Poppin’ up it ain’t

THE Floriade came and went but, it seems, Andrew Barr’s “pop-up” shipping-container village at West Basin on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin is still in transit.

The Deputy Chief Minister launched Westside @ Acton Park on July 23, at the old futsal pitch folly, promising grandly that it would “dramatically change the way Canberrans engage with public spaces” and announced a staged opening with the first glimpse scheduled to coincide with this year’s Floriade.

But to date it looks like a building site, an observation confirmed to CC by one intending retailer who had borrowed money to take part and is grumpily paying interest with no idea, beyond a revised start date of December 1, when the payback begins.

The Land Development Agency’s last website utterance on this (also dated July 23) says: “Stage One will be a vertical village offering retail, dining and events. There will also be a viewing platform to take in some of the best views in the city.”

You’re invited to the

There in a snap

LOCAL couriers Dave and Pete Shaw have devised what they think is a world first – a snap’n’store app to help people locate “stuff” in storage.

Every item entering storage in their Fyshwick facility is photographed and assigned to the customer’s online photo catalogue. So anyone who wants something out of their storage space selects the item and, bingo, it’s on the doorstep within 24 hours.

“I don’t know how many times we’ve had to climb over mountains of dusty boxes and furniture, or shuffle items around so we can access something important,” says Dave. “We thought there must be an easier and more modern way.”

Two free, standard, local pickups or deliveries are included each month and the catalogue is updated by Snap‘n’store after each pickup or delivery.

More information at dpssnapnstore.com.au

Hollywood calls

CANBERRA’S singing plumber Vince Gelonese is off to walk the red carpet at the Hollywood Music Awards in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, Vince’s original song “Every Dream” hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot Single Sales charts and scored him an award nomination.

Wife Melissa says Vince wasn’t sure about going until he heard that LA publicists were tipping him as a possible “favourite nominee”.

Coffee to go

SENATOR Zed Seselja is trumpeting that construction work on the Commonwealth’s Centenary gift of $42 million to upgrade Constitution Avenue is poised to begin and, channelling Andrew Barr, predicted transformative economic miracles as Civic’s “booming café culture” expands towards the lake. All this from new lighting, street furniture, large pedestrian zones and 220 new oak trees.

IS this appropriate for the impartial Assembly bureaucracy to be tweeting this sort of leading rhetorical question: “Will investment in light rail make Canberra 1 of the worlds most liveable cities? In #YourAssembly after 2:30 question time”?

MORE tweetery: Greens Minister Shane Rattenbury tweets: “Soon to speak in the Assembly about #Canberra‘s OECD ranking & life in our beautiful bush capital. What do you love about #CBR?” He doesn’t know?

AND more again: former ACT government bureacrat Jeremy Lasek entered the “wasteful new lights on Northbourne” debate on Twitter with this logistical arithmetic: “Surely Step 1 Light. Step 2 Rail = Light Rail.”

THE menu of the Golden Drum restaurant, on University Avenue, Civic, shines through like a beacon of truth and honesty: “Hot and Numbing Chicken”.

Sunday Roast

Sundays from 10am, 2CC Talking Canberra presents an exciting new concept on Canberra radio – the CityNews Sunday Roast.

It’s a program that will trigger conversation and debate with news, views and background to issues that affect the great city in which we live.

And it’s a revolving panel show that brings to the microphone great “CityNews” writers and 2CC’s local personalities.

Be a part of the discussion and call 6255 1206 between 10am and noon

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Death is life’s ultimate certainty, but few of us like to anticipate our own. All the same, passing away without preparation can mean a missed opportunity to leave behind a meaningful legacy or a painful and stressful drama for family and friends.

In this special feature “CityNews” showcases compassionate professionals who can help arrange the details and minimise the burden – from organising a will to florists and funeral directors.

A century of creating the right farewell

WITH more than 100 years of experience in arranging funerals in the Canberra and Queanbeyan area, M.H. O’Rourke Funeral Directors finds satisfaction in “giving a family the farewell that their loved one wanted or deserved.”

Established in 1890 by Cornelius O’Rourke and relocated in 1929 to its current Queanbeyan location, M.H. O’Rourke Funerals has maintained the traditional values of service and caring for families in times of need.

M.H. O’Rourke provides pre-paid, pre-arranged and at-need funerals, offering full mortuary care, transport for the deceased and the family on the day of the funeral and liaises with government departments, venues, the crematorium, members of the clergy and officiators.

Not only do they connect families with all the people involved in arranging a funeral, depending on the person’s background, they can also arrange cultural services that include religious and cultural customs, rituals, extra services and viewings.

While they primarily provide services to Canberra, Queanbeyan and the surrounding area, M.H. O’Rourke Funeral Directors can organise repatriation of deceased persons interstate and overseas.

“We can organise a funeral anywhere,” says funeral director Dean Jones. “We can assist people wherever they want to have a funeral.”

M.H. O’Rourke Funerals has a resident manager on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide quality after-hours support and assistance.

M.H. O’Rourke Funeral Services, 113 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan. Call 1800 386372 or visit orourkefunerals.com.au

Be sure to get affairs in order

“WE believe it’s important to ensure that people have their affairs in order to make sure their estate goes where they want it to,” says James Madden, legal partner of Hill and Rummery legal firm.

Established in 1978, Hill and Rummery Barristers and Solicitors provides all legal services from family law, litigation, personal injury and workers’ compensation, leasing and commercial law, to probates, wills and estates.

When it comes to the inevitable, Hill and Rummery talks to its clients face-to-face about what they ultimately want to achieve with their last will and testament.

“There are a lot of things that must be done right, and if they have been completed incorrectly, the will can be invalid.”

Not only do they assist with writing wills, but they also provide services to establish powers of attorney, grant probates, and facilitate litigation and challenges to unfair or invalid wills.

As a small firm of seven lawyers, Hill and Rummery “continues to hold the view that personalised treatment of clients is what makes a business a ‘good business’.”

“Clients can provide for a family member or loved one, support a charity or community project, or ensure someone does not benefit from their estate,” says James. Hill and Rummery ensures that all wills are written correctly and are valid. “A lot of people make the mistake of writing their wills by themselves,” James says.

Hill and Rummery Barristers and Solicitors, 161 London Circuit. Call 6248 9188 or visit hillrummery.com.au

Helping to ease the difficult journey

CARING, professional and committed to offering simple choices, dignified care and with an honest approach to funeral services, Toscan Dinn Funerals has been established in Weston Creek since 2005.

Director Peter Dinn is a qualified embalmer and has more than 24 years of funeral experience and serving Canberra families.

“It is an honour to be part of a local community and take care of families during their time of need,” he says.

Toscan Dinn Funerals offers many options, including Complete Care Packages, which clearly outline all aspects of the funeral arrangements.

The information given to families by Toscan Dinn Funerals is always clear and simple to understand, says Peter.

“The choices and options made available help to ease the difficult journey that may be experienced following a loss,” he says.

“You can always talk to us, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and no additional fees are charged to families who require assistance outside regular working hours.”

Toscan Dinn Funerals can offer pre-paid funeral plans where the individual wishes of the client are recorded and the cost of the funeral is set, providing a sound long-term financial investment.

The money is invested with Life Plan Australia in the name of the client and is only released after a death occurs. One funeral plan contract can be set up to cover two individuals. A funeral plan can be paid as a lump sum or may be paid off over 12, 24 or 36 months with no interest or administration fees applying.

Toscan Dinn Funerals is a member of the Australian Funeral Directors Association, promoting excellence in funeral service.

Toscan Dinn Funerals, 10 Liardet Street, Weston. Call 6287 3466 or visit toscandinn.com.au

Comfort for those in mourning

IN times of mourning, trying to express your thoughts and feelings through words can be quite difficult, says Colleen Stoddart, owner of Wild Rose Florist & Giftwares in Charnwood.

“When your friend or loved one is grieving, flowers can help convey how you feel and can help comfort those who are mourning,” she says.

Wild Rose Florist & Giftwares is committed to providing the finest floral arrangements and gifts, and dedicated to friendly and prompt service.

“We always go the extra mile to make your floral gift perfect,” says

Colleen.

“We have tried to select floral designs that make a tribute to reflect your deepest sympathies and represent a sign of respect.

“Our talented florists pay attention to every detail.”

Wild Rose Florist & Giftwares offers online ordering and prompt deliveries to the service location including the family home, funeral home, church or garden service.

Wild Rose Florist & Giftwares, 3/6 Charnwood Place, Charnwood. Call 6259 8889 or visit charnwoodflowerdelivery.com.au

When flowers are better than words

JANINES Florist has been looking after families in Canberra during the difficult time of a funeral for 54 years.

“We know there are many situations where flowers are better than words,” says Janine, “and we specialise in a range of flowers and tributes to give comfort to families in their time of grief.”

Janines Florist works with funeral directors to create the flowers that the family wants, and that their loved one would have enjoyed, provides online ordering and deliveries to the funeral or memorial venue.

Janine and her team often receive special requests to reflect the individual’s life and she says that no request is impossible.

“We’ve done everything; cars, tennis raquets, saddles, dogs, piano keyboards, all to sit on the coffin. If the family has an idea, I can deal with it.”

Specialising in listening to families and being sensitive to their needs, Janines Florist supports clients by doing anything to give them exactly what they want.

Janines Florist, Bailey’s Corner, corner East Row & London Circuit. Call 1800 677005 or visit janineflorist.com.au

Every goodbye is different

UNDERSTANDING that every goodbye is different, “because what we’ve done and who we’ve loved will never be the same as someone else,” Tobin Brothers Funerals Canberra is a network of funeral homes that has been servicing the Canberra and Queanbeyan area for more than 75 years.

Tobin Brothers Funerals can arrange burials, cremations, celebratory tributes and funeral services that incorporate religious or cultural practices and traditions, says Warwick Hansen, the company’s retail manager.

“We understand that saying goodbye to a loved one at a funeral can be daunting but we also understand that every life is made up of many, many moments,” he says.

Tobin Brothers is dedicated to making each funeral a unique celebration of what life meant to those who have passed away, and those who cherished them.

As William Gladstone, former UK Prime Minister, said: “Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead. I will measure exactly the sympathies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.”

Tobin Brothers Funerals Canberra, 75 Canberra Avenue, Kingston. Call 6295 2799 or visit tobinscanberrafunerals.com.au

At Janine Florist we have 54 years of experience with helping Canberra families to honour the passing of their

We take great care to provide families with the perfect flowers to reflect the person that is being remembered. We understand how close flowers can be to people’s hearts. We have the knowledge and experience to create a unique and memorable design for families wanting to honour the treasured memory of their loved one.

We can assist you to make this part of the funeral into a very special memory.

Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

Gordon came to see me for advice about granny flats.

“My mother wants to enter into a granny flat arrangement with us and I need to make sure that it is going to be beneficial for us all,” he explained.

I told him I needed more details to ensure the proposed arrangements didn’t result in unexpected tax consequences.

“As you know, Gail, I own an investment property in Queensland which is worth about $450,000. It’s by the sea and has been well looked after. Mother will live there and she will pay us $147,000 for her granny flat interest with a right to live there for the rest of her life,” Gordon said.

“I have checked with Centrelink and I am told that this is fine and her paying me that amount fits neatly within Centrelink rules.”

I reminded Gordon there are differences between Centrelink and Tax Office rules that may impact on his decision.

“For instance,” I asked, “will your mother be the only person living in the house and does it satisfy the definition of a granny flat for Centrelink purposes?”

Gordon said it was and that he’d had it confirmed by Centrelink that the accommodation interest can be in the whole property and that even if he sells the property his mother has a granny flat interest.

“So we either sell it with her as the life tenant or we provide her with alternative accommodation or we return her the amount she has paid. So no matter what happens we will be providing her with lifetime accommodation.

“I must confess that I was surprised when Centrelink said that she could occupy the whole house.”

I immediately spotted a problem for Gordon. “You realise that you will still have a mortgage that you will have to service on this property, but won’t be able to claim tax deductions unless your mother pays you commercial rent?”

“Oh, dear,” said Gordon who had been expecting his mother would pay a small rent, but not as much as the commercial rent.

“If the rent is not commercial you may not be able to claim all your negative gearing deductions,” I said.

“However, I am more concerned about the right you are giving your mother to occupy the premises.

“When you make a capital gain, tax is generally only paid on half the gain as you get a 50 per cent discount. It is different when you sell the granny flat right to your mother because this transaction is subject to income tax with no 50 per cent discount.

“There may be some other options, Gordon, but the current proposal is going to be costly depending on the capital gain when you sell.”

Gordon said he’d thought there would be no tax issues having cleared the concept through Centrelink.

“I will have another family conference and come back to you. Thanks for alerting me to this otherwise we would have stumbled into a huge and unhappy tax problem.”

If you require any tax advice about retirement or any related issue contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd.

puzzles page

Joanne Madeline Moore

your week in the stars – November 3-9, 2014

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Professional Aries – strive to anticipate and solve workplace problems before they actually happen. For non-working Rams – think of creative ways you can contribute your numerous talents to the world around you. When it comes to giving financial assistance to family or friends, aim to get the ratio right between being generous and realistic. And don’t expect your money back any time soon!

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

The Full Moon (in tenacious Taurus) encourages permanence in partnerships, but that doesn’t mean you have to get stuck in a boring rut. Single Bulls – look for love with someone who is wise and mature. And be emotionally honest with yourself. Feeling guilty about something you did in the past won’t help the current situation. Let bygones be bygones, learn from your mistakes and move on.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Use the power of your imagination plus some strategic research to get to the bottom of a problem that’s had you stumped for a while. Listen to your inner voice, it will point you in the right direction. Mercury moves into your wellbeing zone on the weekend (where it stays until November 28) so take the time to educate yourself about healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle choices.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Crabs are often teary on a Full Moon but this one’s in earthy Taurus, so you’ll feel more emotionally grounded than usual. Work matters and group activities are favoured, as Uranus and the full moonbeams boost your creativity and networking skills. Be careful how you communicate with loved ones though. Avoid blowing things out of proportion. Strive to maintain your sense of perspective.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

With Jupiter jumping through your sign it’s time to enjoy yourself, and make the most of your extensive talents. Home is where the heart is as you use your Lion’s den as the creative canvas on which you can express yourself via cooking, crafting, painting, gardening, renovating or interior design. Be inspired by birthday great Joni Mitchell: “I want to have fun, I want to shine like the sun.”

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

This week you’re more experimental than usual, as the Full Moon activates your adventure zone. But you may encounter problems with a stressed relative or a neurotic neighbour, as they misunderstand where you are coming from. Fortunately, Mercury shifts into your communication zone on the weekend, which will help you unscramble your antennae and articulate your true intentions.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

How’s your budget and bank balance going? The Full Moon highlights hiccups in your financial management. Aim to be less extravagant, and much more cautious with cash and credit and more financially literate. Librans love to dress up and are the fabulous fashionistas of the zodiac, but don’t just focus on your outer appearance. Learn to appreciate and nurture your inner beauty as well.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Expect a satisfying week, as the Sun/Pluto sextile provides plenty of opportunities to sharpen your communication skills. Plus, with Venus visiting your sign, you’re at your charming Scorpio best. So don’t hesitate to call in a few old favours, in the nicest possible way. As birthday great Albert Camus wrote: “Charm is the way of getting the answer yes, without having asked any clear question.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

On Wednesday, ricochet out of your comfort zone and tackle an adventurous project. Then the Full Moon lights up your work zone, so you’re keen to be in charge. But are you being the boss – or just plain bossy? Utilise your leadership skills in clever and creative ways. If you’re feeling over-stressed and under-appreciated, then organise some time out for yourself. Solitude is soul food for you ATM.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

The Full Moon favours socialising, entertaining, networking and communication as you mix and mingle with a wide range of people. Singles – love and the internet are linked, so join a few online dating sites ASAP! But be careful how you communicate with loved ones on the weekend. Otherwise your confidence could be misinterpreted as cockiness, and your calm approach mistaken for coldness.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

With so many planets visiting your career zone, find ways you can be more creative, cooperative and conscientious on the job. It’s also time to spruce up or redecorate your work space or home office. The Full Moon could also herald a house move, home renovations, guests arriving or domestic dramas. Strive to get the balance right between your public life and your family responsibilities.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Are your aspirations ambitious enough? There’s no room for false modesty or passive procrastination this week Pisces, and don’t get stuck in the past! The Full Moon stimulates your sense of adventure, as you transform an abstract idea into a practical project. It’s also the perfect time to talk and text; socialise and circulate; plus be proactive in partnerships and gung-ho in group situations.

3 What is a series of underground tunnels and caves?

7 Name another expression for the deputy of a rector

8 Which term describes that which is nourishing?

9 Name the red table wine of Bordeaux, France

10 To amplify vocal sound is to do what?

11 Name the monetary unit of Israel

14 The leafstalks of which plant are used raw for salad?

17 Name a town in north-eastern NSW, an anabranch of the Namoi River?

18 Which Australian wheat-breeder pioneered wheats resistant to rust?

19 What do we call that which forms the end of something?

20 Which Christian festival is observed on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after 21st March?

21 What is the regularity of form with reference to corresponding parts?

1 To issue printed matter is to do what?

2 Name the patron saint of Ireland?

3 Which method of heating is produced by circulating hot air, etc, through pipes?

4 Name another term for a halo

5 To surgically perform acts on patients’ bodies, what does a doctor do

6 What is another name for a primary cell?

11 What are the upper houses of the Australian parliament?

12 Which part of the hearing apparatus is the tympanic membrane?

13 To scrutinise carefully, is to do what?

14 Name the Australian prime minister 1945-49, Ben ...?

15 What is Hansen’s disease more readily known as?

16 Who presides over a boxing match?

arts & entertainment

Birds of a feather glam up

IT’S 11 o’clock in the morning and it’s champagne cocktail time at the hairdressing salon of Canberra theatre personality Charles Oliver as cast members from the coming musical “La Cage aux Folles” check out their make-up and hairdos for what promises to be the most outrageously over-the-top show of the season.

As Mr Charles fusses over the wigs, styled by Jeanice from Guerilla Hair (there are 30 of them in the show), director Garrick Smith chats about the musical he figures most people will know from “The Birdcage”, the Hollywood movie featuring Robin Williams.

“We like to describe ours as ‘The Birdcage’ with music,” he says.

With the spotlight on Georges (Jarrad West), manager of a St Tropez nightclub, and Albin (Ben O’Reilly), his partner and star drag performer “Zaza”, the twist on the “meet-the-family” motif

Helen Musa reports

comes when Georges’ son brings home his fiancée’s ultra-conservative mum and dad, the latter a right wing anti-gay politician.

Based on the 1973 play by Jean Poiret, it’s seen two versions on screen and was later picked up by composer Jerry Herman and writer Harvey Fierstein.

There are six “La Cage boys” on stage and the whole thing coincides with Canberra Pride’s celebration of queer culture in the Canberra region, “SpringOUT”, on whose committee O’Reilly sits.

“It shows a family in conflict and that’s pretty universal,” Smith says.

“How many children have looked at their parents and shaken their heads, and the same with parents? The only difference in this case is that it’s a gay family.”

The French play was very farcical but Smith tells “CityNews”: “I want to give it some heart,

although it’s a farcical situation there is drama and pathos, too.”

Smith’s been considering whether to have Australian or American accents.

“It’s set in St Tropez – it’s an international play – and Aussies on the beach in St Tropez... that would seem funny,” he says.

The first production, he notes, was full of glitz but the Broadway revival in 2010 made it a bit shabbier.

“We are going back to the 1983 version,” Smith exults.

“It’s going to be a leggy show with lots of glitter.”

There’ll be a 24-piece orchestra, 12 singers in the pit from Michelle Klemke’s singing classes. The feathers have come from the US, the “stunning diamantes” from China and the wigs from Mr Charles.

As for the long-suffering wardrobe team, “I’m asking an awful lot of these ladies,” Smith says.

“La Cage aux Folles”, ANU Arts Centre, November 7-22. Bookings to 6247 4442.

Artists dabbling in daydreams

THE Tin Shed Art Group’s 19th annual show, “Daydreams”, is at the Watson Art Centre, 10am-4pm, Wednesday-Sunday, until November 9. The 10 exhibiting artists, Mort Schipp, Alan Pomeroy, Ian Sharpe, Ken Miller, Peggy Spratt, Jacquie Rogers, Tricia Wheatstone, Clare Hughes, Jenny Adams and Joan Costanzo, tell us they’re “daydreaming about dust dragons”.

IN “Body and Soul”, the next free Sunday concert at the High Court (1pm-2pm, on November 2), choral group Rhythm Syndicate will join Cris Clucas with the Dirk Zeylmans Trio in jazz classics, no bookings needed.

SEVENTEEN of Warehouse Circus’ high-flying young artists are home playing a triumphant return season of their show “Refract” after wowing audiences at PACT Centre for Emerging Artists in Erskineville. “Nobody in Sydney really knew who Warehouse Circus were before this tour,”

Helen Musa arts in the city

says director Nathan Anderson. At Belconnen Community Theatre, 2.30pm and 7.30pm, on November 7. Bookings to warehousecircus.org.au

CANBERRA School of Bollywood Dancing’s eighth annual dance production, “A Ticket to India”, is taking off (theatrically) for Delhi, Varanasi, Chennai, Kerala and Mumbai. At Gungahlin College Theatre 5.30pm-7.30 pm, on Sunday, November 2. Bookings to trybooking.com

SOUTHSIDE Community Services, which operates “Gallery on Southside”, is about to host the “Unloved Art Exchange”, with “no-longerquite-so-loved” on sale; 9am-5pm weekdays, October 30-November 10.

ELECTRIC Shadows Bookshop, 40 Mort Street,

Braddon, has signed copies of “A Little Light Leunig: a selection from four decades of Leunig cartoons” for purchase at its Electric Wall on Sunday, November 2 at 3pm. All welcome.

ACT porcelain artists will be demonstrating and exhibiting their art in the Villaggio Sant’ Antonio Community Room, 35 Burkitt Street, Page, 10am-4pm, on November 8 and 9. The official opening by Painting with Parkinsons founder Nancy Tingey is at 6pm on Friday, November 7. All welcome. Gold coin entry will be donated to Parkinson’s ACT.

PIANIST Marcela Fiorillo will be at the Larry Sitsky Room, at the School of Music, 7.30pm, on Saturday, November 8 performing works by Peter Sculthorpe, “Five Tango Etudes” by Argentine composer Martin Kutnowski and Fiorillo’s own composition the “Weereewa Suite”. Bookings to marcelafiorillo.iwannaticket.com.au

The shrink’s strange search for happiness

“Hector and the Search for Happiness” (M)

THE box office will determine whether this German/African co-production, the first film based on one of Francois Lelord’s novels about small-scale hero Hector (family name not stated), has the grunt to initiate a series. Since its August release, IMDb users have rated it 7 on a scale of 10. It arrived in Australia with little or no fanfare.

Co-writer (with Maria von Heland) and director Peter Chelsom has made a soft-textured saga in which psychiatrist Hector (Simon Pegg) decides that his boring, unfulfilling life needs energising by searching the world to find the recipe for happiness. Psychiatrists can get depressed as easily as any of us.

Hector’s partner of a decade is Clara (Rosamund Pike) whose ferocious domestic efficiency extends to the tiniest details of his daily routine. She doesn’t want children. Or marriage. While Hector’s away, her biological clock will begin ticking. And aloneness will weigh on her spirit. Hector travels in western China, Shanghai, Africa and California, meeting new people, looking up university friends, having adventures, experiencing joys, dangers and emotional variations, calling Clara on Skype, asking people he meets, “what does happiness mean to you?” and recording answers. The humour and tensions in those processes, mostly good fun, invite us to decide whether to admire Hector for his determination, pity him for his naivety or despise him for his egoism.

Enjoying Hector’s film warts and all is not difficult. A sequel? Not beyond the bounds of possibility.

At Capitol 6, Hoyts Belconnen and Limelight

“Fury”

(MA)

THE European phase of World War II ended on May 7, 1945.

Writer/director David Ayer’s film about a Sherman tank and its five-man crew at the front of the Allied push into western Germany on a mid-April day spares no audience sensitivities in its depiction of the conditions besetting

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 – 12.30pm

Come and share the tears and joy as well-known Canberra sports broadcaster Tim Gavel OAM and wife Dr Jenny Andrew share the happiness and heartache of their remarkable family life.

ground forces of both sides in the culminating conflict. Designed to provide forward-moving cover and support for advancing infantry in World War I, a tank is a death trap for its crew. Tank design and battlefield tactics are a specialised military discipline. Tank crewmen are a breed apart.

The tank Fury, commanded by Sgt Don Collier (Brad Pitt), has fought eastward from the English Channel. Today, it will lead a four-tank formation forward to secure a crossroad that an advancing SS formation needs to control.

As much as anything, Avery’s film is about its five crew. Four, together throughout the campaign, are hard men. The replacement for a dead assistant driver is a teenaged clerk with only eight weeks of army experience, scared and reluctant to kill.

The short, violent action that Fury, immobilised by a landmine, fights at the crossroad gives a fairly clear indication of battle’s confusion and courage.

In 2014, military circumstances are different. But for individual soldiers, reasons for conflict and daily risks are the same as their grandfathers faced. In that sense, “Fury” is both commemoration and message, delivered with energy and conviction.

At all cinemas

“Living Is Easy (With Eyes Closed)” (M)

THE main element of the title of Spanish filmmaker David Trueba’s prize-winning film begins the second stanza of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, which John Lennon composed in 1966 while tripping on substances. The title’s parenthetical part offers several possibilities from which filmgoers may choose a purpose.

One is the obstinate determination of Antonio (Javier Camara) who uses Beatles lyrics as teaching aids for his English class. Learning that John Lennon is making a movie near the coastal town Almeria, Antonio has set off in his small car to get the good oil about the text of “Help” (there is in this an apposite duality of intention).

Another is Juanjo (Francesco Colomer), 16, who’s leaving home to escape from his middle-class family has no real purpose.

Neither has Belen (Natalia de Molina), also an escapee from a church institution to which parents send pregnant unmarried teenaged daughters to hide family shame.

At a service station Belen, judging Antonio less likely to monster her than the flash fellow who has given her a lift so far, persuades him to include Juanjo in the party.

This is the foundation for a slow-paced road movie offering warm, gentle humour combined with subtle and abrasive observations of the influences in Spain in 1966 of the Catholic church and Franco fascism. Filmed in and around Almeria, its visual values offer a sere landscape rather resembling Australia’s outback only hillier.

At Palace Electric

In for a Pheast of

FIRST, get the spelling correct. If you’re searching online for “Feast” you might not stumble across this new place, operating from a prime corner position in Manuka. That’s because it’s actually called “Pheast”.

The corner of Franklin and Furneaux Streets has seen a fair few hospitality places come and go over recent years and many locals are crossing their fingers that things will settle down now that new owners have taken over.

These days Pheast is run by the same experienced folk who run the Capital Golf Club.

Food aside for a moment… Pheast focuses on small-venue live music, with a mix of DJs, local bands and karaoke. No cover charge and on occasions there are “big band” nights, including six-piece Vendetta that recently rocked the house. Love lazy Sunday afternoons in a bit of sunshine grooving to some tunes? Give the place a go.

Pheast describes itself as a restaurant and bar. On the bar note… several times the wine I’ve asked for hasn’t been available. A bit frustrating but perhaps the place is still settling in on this front.

On the food note… portions are generous. Tapas includes garlic prawns and herb skewers ($17), lemon pepper calamari ($15), nachos ($13 to $16), vegetarian spring rolls ($13) and good old chips or wedges ($9 or $13).

The list of mains is hefty and covers the usual suspects such as pizza, pasta and burgers. It was the burgers we went for on a recent visit.

They are BIG, especially the “Big Pheast Burger”

a time

($18), which was massive enough to share between two people. This is a minced beef patty (the menu says “A grade”), with a tangy barbecue sauce, mayo, crispy bacon, tomato, beetroot, fried egg, lettuce, cheddar cheese and chips. Not exactly something your doctor would suggest is good for your health, but every once in a while we all believe we deserve “a naughty treat”.

The chargrill section of the menu tops off at the Angus Scotch fillet (300 grams and a prime cut) for $32. I’d be keen to tuck into the slow-braised pork ribs with authentic Texas flavours although the “full sized” description and the price tag of $42 makes me wonder what I’d be getting into. Perhaps this is a dish to share, too?

Pheast offers four options for kids, all a reasonable $10. Good on them. It’s a great family place. Not too much has changed with the décor since Charlie Black was operating on the site. As I say, it’s a fab position (always fun to watch the weddings at the church on the opposite side of the street), but it needs a bit more tender loving care if the décor is to make a noticeable difference to diners.

Pheast, Manuka, open breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days. Times vary. Call 6239 7887.

‘Meaty’ Russian festival

By Helen Musa

MEATY and challenging – that’s the kind of film you can expect to see in the 11th Russian Resurrection Film Festival, coming to Capitol Cinemas in Manuka soon.

This is no lightweight festival. Even as it marks the 90th anniversary of Russia’s first film studio, Mosfilm, with six retrospective movies and 14 new films, the message is clear that cinema is the most powerful modern art form when it comes to telling human stories.

And what stories!

Two of the films I previewed open with a mother in labour. The first, the story of diametrically opposed artists Marc Chagall and Kazimir Malevich, is told against the background of pogroms and revolution in Chagall’s home town Vitebsk. This will be one for visual art lovers interested in the perennial struggle between art for art’s

sake and art for social change.

More domestic but no less powerful is Svetlana Proskurina’s film “Goodbye Mum”, which also begins with a birth scene, but focuses on an apparently contemporary crisis as a young boy watches his mother, Anna, leave him for a lover. Anna is willing to leave her husband and their child for another man, but unlike “Anna Karenina”, on which it is loosely based, this story is largely told through the eyes of the father and the son, Seriozha, the same name as the son of Tolstoy’s heroine.

Reaching back to Tolstoy’s own era is the aspirational tale “Vasilisa”, set at the time of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, when serf Vasilisa and her better-born lover Ivan find that war changes everything. Vasilisa becomes the leader of a partisan group while Ivan risks his life in military operations.

Alexander Kott’s “Test” was a big winner at the 2014 Kinotavr Open Russian Film Festival, with judges awarding the prize for best cinematography to this love story, set against the first hydrogen bomb tests in the Kazakh Steppe early in the ‘50s.

Chief among the classics is Akira Kurosawa’s “Dersu Uzala”, winner of the 1976 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and unique in its evocation of the magnificent Siberian wilderness, as an explorer befriends Dersu, a hunter with a soul.

And soul is what characterises this film festival. According to the festival director Nicholas Maksymow, more than 65,000 people have attended Russian Resurrection since it was established in 2003. It just goes to show that good acting and cinematography will always triumph over lightweight cinema.

The 11th Russian Resurrection Film Festival, Capitol Cinemas, Manuka until November 5. Bookings to russianresurrection.com

La Scala Italian Restaurant

Celebrating 25 years of excellence and welcomed as an accredited member restaurant to The Academy of Italian Cuisine for accurately displaying Italian culinary traditions and innovations. Centre Cinema Building, Garema Place, Canberra City 6248 8338 www.lascala.net.au

INDIVIDUALS - $90 AND TEAMS OF 4 - $320

REGISTRATION FEES INCLUDE: official event cycling jersey (limited to first 100 entrants) and post-event breakfast. Price includes gst. Register as an individual or as a team for our annual pedal pursuit. After the 20km or 40km ride you will return to Stromlo Forest

Native garden with a formal mood

WITH a series of layered decks flowing into one another, framed by spectacular scarlet bottlebrush and several grevilleas, Kay Newman and Martin Jennings’ Deakin garden is a relaxing space full of texture and interest.

The couple moved here from WA in 2007, with a view to recreating the native garden they had loved so much in Perth.

“We were interested in creating a garden here that was native but also formal, and we worked with a designer to achieve that,” she says.

“A native garden doesn’t have to be wild and unstructured, and faced with an average suburban block of 845sqm, and several established trees, we wanted to make good use of the space.”

Kay and Martin’s garden will be open on the weekend of November 8 and 9, featuring three

Words: Kathryn Vukovljak

Photos: Gary Schafer

gorgeous deciduous forest pansy trees in the front, whose deep red leaves provide striking contrast to the surrounding greenery.

“We love sitting on the front steps under the liquid amber and chatting to people as they go by,” says Martin. “We’ve worked around the tree because it shades the house beautifully in summer.”

Before the couple started work on the garden, Kay says it had no structure and was a mass of weeds, fruit trees and pine chips.

“We enjoyed the process of ripping everything out and starting from scratch, and working with the sloping block to maximise its potential while leaving the central gum tree in place at the back –even though it’s messy!” says Kay.

Disguising the slope was achieved with clever decking, which separates the garden into sections

and creates a walkway around the house to the entertaining area.

“The eating area and built-in seating wall is a favourite place for us to sit in the evening,” says Kay. “When the sunlight hits the gum tree, it glows golden and we enjoy the changing light.

“We also get a lot of bird life, including little wrens, honeyeaters, magpie larks, eastern spinebills and currawongs.

“The decks are lit with ambient lighting and looking over at the tiers in the evening is atmospheric and quite beautiful.”

Kay adds that every room of the house has a garden view.

“We’re always looking out on to greenery, and we love that,” she says.

7 Fuller Street, Deakin, open 10am-4.30pm, Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9. Adults $8, children under 18 are free. Funds raised will go to Open Gardens Australia and MS Australia. More information at opengarden.org.au

In praise of the lovely lilac

ANYONE can have a wonderful spring garden, just look at Floriade, but the real challenge for gardeners is maintaining colour throughout the year.

A stunning, flowering shrub to fill the gap between early spring and when roses flower is the lilac.

Lilacs are either Syringa vulgare from the Balkan Peninsula or the smaller-growing Syringa persica from Persia.

Their delightful fragrance is filling the air right now and, with a beautiful range of colours, lilacs are also perfect for cut flowers.

They were first introduced to Britain in the 16th century by the well-known royal gardener and plant hunter John Tradescant.

Between 1876 and 1927, French plant breeder Victor Lemoine and his son, Emile, introduced more than 150 new cultivars and, suddenly, the popularity of lilacs took off and it became de rigueur to grow them.

Two examples of their breeding program include S. “Madame Lemoine” (1890), a pure white double and S. “Katherine Havemeyer” (1922), with spectacular purple-lavender blooms.

Both are still available and were given the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society in 1937 and 1969 respectively.

A few comments on their care:

• They grow in almost any type of soil, although the better the soil the greater the rewards.

• Lilacs will not tolerate wet feet, originating in the hilly Balkan Peninsula, so plant in the highest place in the garden.

• Plant lilacs in full sun. Most lilacs today are grafted to prevent suckering, although if you see any suckers cut them off immediately.

• Unlike most deciduous shrubs, do no prune lilacs in winter when dormant, but in late spring immediately after they have finished flowering.

• Lilacs can be cut back hard, I recommend reducing by up to a third at any one time.

THE spectacular Ceanothus or “Californian Lilac” is now in flower. Despite the common name “lilac” it is no relation to lilacs and is a native to California.

They cannot be compared to lilacs in that the flowers have no fragrance and only come in shades of blue. Despite this, it is an evergreen shrub worthy of a place in the garden for its blue colour.

Most commercial growers in Australia seem only to grow Ceanothus “Blue Pacific”, awarded Shrub of the Year in 1979. I really can’t understand this, as there are more than 70 cultivars ranging from low, one-metre growers to two to three metres, of which all grow well here.

One of my most frequently asked questions is: “I have cut back my Ceanothus as it was getting woody and it does not seem to shoot again”. Quite correct, I advise, and it almost certainly never will. A light trim immediately after flowering and never into the old wood. This is the only Ceanothus that has this problem.

AUSTRALIAN White, Tasmanian Purple, Korean Red and Shandong aren’t varieties of wine but garlic. Look out for Penny Woodward’s new publication “Garlic – an organic guide to knowing, growing and using garlic” (Hyland House), essential reading for anyone into garlic.

Jottings…

• Find a place for the old French (1858) thornless climbing rose Rosa Zephirine Drouhin with the most exquisite fragrance of any rose.

• A great veggie for the children to sow is radishes.

• Lift and divide daffodils planted in the wrong spot, ie. too much shade and store in a cool dry place until March.

• Start liquid feeding container plants.

• To counter mildew on roses a good organic cure is to mix one part full-cream milk (not “lite”) mixed with eight parts water. Spray thoroughly under the leaves as well as on top.

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