CityNews 190321

Whatever happened to Scott Masters?

ROD HENSHAW

Failings reveal a government under strain JON STANHOPE

West Basin is blatantly just a property deal PAUL COSTIGAN

Skipping out of class is good for education

MICHAEL MOORE

Ladies, we need to talk...

ELISSA O’KEEFE is part of a team giving women hope to feel how they see themselves – more youthful and confident

Scotty hasn’t looked back since bump in the road

FOR Scott Masters, it seems there is life after radio – and while the initial jolt to losing a high-profile job can be harsh and hurtful, over time, it can turn out very rewarding.

It’s been three-and-a-half years since Masters was unceremoniously dropped from the successful FM104 Breakfast team, on which he’d partnered with Nigel Johnson for the best part of eight years. He was understandably bitter at the time and litigation followed, the result of which is subject to non-disclosure.

“It was probably the biggest shock of my life at the time, to be honest,” he says.

“You hear all the stories when you work in radio – don’t go on holidays because you won’t come back to a job.

“And I was on holidays when that happened.”

In fact he was on his way to Fiji with his partner ahead of their engagement when he got the dreaded “DCM” (Don’t Come Monday) call.

“At the time I was very depressed, very upset about what happened. But I took that as an opportunity to use all the skills I learned in radio to start my own business.”

Today, Scotty Masters looks very much at home in his Queanbeyan office complex, replete with state-of-theart editing and voice-over equipment – and all the other accoutrements that make up Scott Masters Media.

INDEX

Arts & Entertainment 19-21

Canberra Matters 10

Cinema 21

Crossword 22

Dining 20

Gardening 23

Horoscopes 22

Letters 12

Whatever happened to radio star Scott Masters? ROD HENSHAW meets a man who found a gift in adversity and is using his skills to help families affected by cancer

The business brief is wide ranging, with a particular focus on helping businesses embrace and cope with the various digital media tools that are available to today’s world of commerce. For many enterprises, there’s so much more out there than ads on radio, television and the local newspaper. While those mediums will always play a vital role for businesses of all dimensions, they can be supplemented through strategic use of digital media.

While Masters has tapped into that rich vein, he hasn’t forgotten his media basics.

“I still do voice-overs for TV and radio commercials and all that sort of stuff. We’re really busy. It’s great,” he says.

“All that sort of stuff” also includes event planning and execution. One of the major events close to his heart is the annual Rise Above Cancer Convoy, which Scott has immersed himself into – totally.

The concept was the brainchild of former Canberra FM presenter Marty Haynes back in the early 1990s. When Haynes went to Wollongong about 10 years later, he took the convoy with him, which left a void in Canberra un-

til 2013, when a few like-minded people got together to revive it.

The whole idea was – and still is – to raise money to help support families directly affected by cancer. Scott Mas ters’ involvement was a natural fit.

“I lost my uncle to cancer, I lost my gran to cancer – it was pretty preva lent on my mum’s side of the family,” he says.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in any family in Australia or around the world who hasn’t been touched by cancer in some way.”

And then, like a child who’s about to fess up to something naughty, he lets the other motivation slip. He’s very much into trucks.

“I’m not going to lie,” he says. “When I started driving and I drove that first year as a learner...

“I got my truck licence the following year, so every year since I’ve driven a prime mover in the convoy.”

Questioned about whether being a truckie could be his next career move, he doesn’t hesitate.

“If this business tanks, I know I could always get a job driving trucks. I’ve been promised that,” he says jokingly. Sort of.

Since 1993: Volume 25, Number 10

News 3-13

Politics 9, 13

Socials 14

Ph 02 6189 0777 Fax 02 6189 0778

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Well written, well read Responsibility for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell. Blackball champion Cindy Blackmore. Photo: Danielle Nohra. Story Page 8.

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This year’s Rise Above Cancer Convoy is on Sunday, March 31, starting at Beard’s Industrial Estate, near Queanbeyan, and winding its way through Canberra streets to Exhibition Park. A family entertainment afternoon follows, with a gold-coin donation for admission.

If you want to be in the 10% who achieve wealth, don’t miss our free Pathway to Wealth information sessions.

The presentation will take you through proven strategies for building your wealth. This is not a get rich quick seminar. However, if you want simple, effective and practical strategies for achieving financial success, then this is a must attend.

You will receive valuable information on property, shares, superannuation, negative gearing, debt management and more. You will learn how to put together a plan that is right for you and your individual circumstances and goals.

The Rise Above Cancer Convoy is jointly sponsored by radio stations 2CA and 2CC, and WIN Television.

• 10 reasons most people fail to achieve financial success and what you can do about it

• The seven steps to achieving wealth

• The four keys to a successful wealth management plan

• The simple formula for beating procrastination

• Why property, shares and superannuation are all important

• How saving tax can help fund your wealth creation

• Whether you should increase your mortgage repayments or start investing

• How you can make efficient use of your cash flow

Seats strictly limited so RSVP essential.

‘Coal-hearted’ PM in sights of protesting kids

IF Friday’s School Kids 4 Climate

Action rally in Civic wasn’t the biggest the city has seen in recent times it was certainly the most vocal and spirited.

Thousands of students from across the territory and beyond gathered as part of a world day of mass action to give PM Scott Morrison an education on the folly of fossil fuels. Placards with “ScoMo has a Coal Heart” and “T. Abbott is as relevant as T. Rex” were popular. Organisers even placed a call to the PM’s office with a message from the large crowd.

WHILE some young protesters experienced pressure not to join the rally, three Dickson College students say they were encouraged by their teachers. Ella, Lillian and Sam say they were “totally” supported by teachers, some of whom were also at the rally. The friends all agree climate change will be a major issue leading into the Federal election.

THE member for Monaro John Barilaro has succeeded where many have failed; effectively “shutting” the mouth of our best retail politician, Barnaby Joyce. The NSW Nationals leader’s blunt public directive to colleagues to “shut up” was aimed squarely at Joyce after the former party leader “hinted” he was keen for another crack at the top job. Straight-talking deputy premier Barilaro said: “We went through this last year with the Liberal Party leadership spill, we

know that damages state election hopes”.

CANBERRA activist and co-founder of grassroots movement Collective Shout, Melinda Tankard Reist , has had another win in her quest to rid Australian roads of the offensive Wicked camper vans. The rental vehicles, accused of displaying sexually explicit slogans and promoting rape and murder, are already banned in the ACT, NT, Queensland and Tasmania. Following lobbying from Ms Tankard Reist the vans are now barred from the popular Hunter NSW region music festival Wollombi. And the iconic festival organisers have encouraged other festivals to follow their lead.

HIGH fashion is often associated with sophistication, grace and precision but for

the winner of the Fashions on the Field at the Black Opal/Canberra Cup day it was anything but. Before hitting the catwalk was a six-hour road trip and a roadside change of clothes to be managed in order for Anita Marshall to be crowned winner of the Classic Ladies Racewear title.

WHILE big-stake money guarantees major players of the thoroughbred industry, including the internationally famous Godolphin outfit, flock to the capital on Black Opal day it was a return trip for two to London on offer for the fashions’ winner that is being credited for the fierce competition witnessed on the catwalk. As one local reported: “The word must have got around as the serial FOTF fashionistas came from Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. The locals weren’t in the race.”

THE word is that Mark Philippoussis met up with a long-term admirer from Kambah during a trip to Canberra with fellow greats Wally Masur and John Fitzgerald as honoured guests for P2 Advisory’s highly successful charity tennis day at the Lyneham tennis courts. It appears “Susan” only has eyes for the Scud.

A PROFESSIONAL driver on Canberra’s roads for many years is convinced his workplace has become more dangerous. The bus driver says impatient and aggressive motorists are making the streets unsafe. He daily witnesses

frightening examples of tailgating, running red lights, speeding and an increase in threatening and abusive behaviour. The driver’s fears would appear to be supported by recent media reports of a local school crossing supervisor quitting after threats from motorists. The lollypop man, who patrolled the crossing outside Turner Primary School, says appalling behaviour from passing motorists is a regular occurrence, claiming one driver had deliberately swerved towards him.

AND still on lollypop men and women, the light rail version – minus a lollypop – is now on patrol at intersections on Northbourne Avenue. The ACT opposition transport spokesperson Candice Burch blamed the Barr government’s lack of promotion of light-rail trials for several recent embarrassing incidents including a pedestrian being knocked over on Northbourne Avenue and a tram caught running a red light by the dash-cam of an alert Uber driver in Franklin. Seems the guards are now on hand just in case someone else fails to hear the tram.

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St John Paul II College Senior Information Evening (Years 11 & 12)

Upselling hearing loss: retail hearing aids

Recently, I was approached by a patient looking for a second opinion. The week prior she had been to a retail hearing aid store in her local shopping centre, hoping to get some advice regarding her hearing loss. As a pensioner, she should have been able to claim free hearing aids as part of the Australian Government’s hearing loss scheme under the Office of Hearing Services, but when she inquired about the program she was told by the salesperson that the governmentissued hearing aids were of poor quality and inadequate for her needs.

”We need to speak out and about what is going on in the hearing aid industry if we want change.”

– Dr Vass

The salesperson insisted what she needed was one of their more expensive hearing aids, priced at over $7,000 for a pair. Anxious about not being able to afford what seemed to be a necessity, she reached out to a friend who suggested she make an appointment with me for a second opinion.

After consulting with the patient and looking over her results, it became

clear to me that the assessment from the shopping centre was completely wrong. The patient had had surgery on one ear 20 years ago which had resulted in worse hearing loss in that ear and not the other. Yet the “hearing test” from the shopping centre showed that her hearing was equal in both ears. Was this because the tester was incompetent or the equipment was faulty? Or was it just an attempt to cover up a medical condition that would have required the patient to be seen by a doctor before hearing aids could even be considered for her? It is likely we’ll never know the answer, but any of the above explanations would be unacceptable.

We need to speak out and about what is going on in the hearing aid industry if we want change. Anyone who has a similar story can report it to the ACCC.

If you would like to have a complimentary second opinion with Dr Vass please phone 02 6282 2717 to make an appointment.

Promising a cheaper way of saying goodbye

By Kathryn VUKOVLJAK

A CARING, community-run funeral parlour with lower-cost services could be coming to Canberra.

With the philosophy of reclaiming the rites around death, Tender Funerals says it gives families the option of looking after their loved one and helps them arrange a funeral and burial in whatever way they want.

From green burials and shrouds, flowers from the garden and day-long celebrations of life to more traditional services, it’s about knowing the options, say Shane McWhinney and Vickie Hingston-Jones.

Shane, who runs the FuneralPartner app, and Canberra doula Vickie are looking into bringing Tender Funerals here, starting with a public screening of the documentary “Tender” in Belconnen on March 29.

Vickie says the focus at this stage is to create interest, get government involved and find a location.

“It’s a community coming together to shepherd this thing forward and we’d love people to give us a hand,” she says.

Shane says that what Tender Funerals is doing is fundamentally different in a good way.

A not-for-profit charity already operating in Port Kembla, NSW, among its aims is to keep funeral costs down.

“Tender is not trying to make money, other than covering costs and sustaining itself, so its funerals can be a fraction of the price,” says Shane.

“When you’re looking at an average cost of $15,000 it can make a huge difference.

“It could be traditional, alternative or anything in between but we want the family to enjoy the experience and not come out of it either feeling ripped off or in debt.”

Taking money out of the equation also creates an entirely different experience, Shane says.

“This is one of life’s great moments, you want to get it right and you only get one chance to do it,” he says.

and I would like to do it’.

“They can also take the body home if they wish. Because it’s never usually offered, people don’t know what’s pos sible. When we reclaim this element of death, the mystery is taken away.”

Another major factor is creating a life-affirming funeral service. Vickie says that often they aren’t particularly engaging.

“I hear that people are counting down the minutes until the service is over, rather than connecting to it and honouring the person, which is what it should be,” she says.

This is one of life’s great moments, you want to get it right and you only get one chance to do it.”

“Even the location. The standard funeral is at the funeral home chapel or at the crema torium, but why not in the forest or by the lake or at the golf club?”

Bereaved families can be helped enormously by caring for their loved one themselves.

“We give the family the choice to be as involved as they want to be,” Shane says.

“We’ve heard from Tender that people might be appalled at being offered the opportunity to wash or dress the body, then 24 hours later, they’ll get in touch and say: ‘I’ve thought about it

It used to be that the family took on the responsibility of preparing the body and other rituals around death, says Tender Funerals.

“I believe there’s a spiritual and emotional element to being involved in farewelling your person, rather than handing it over to someone else,” says Vickie.

“It’s a moment of heightened grief, anxiety and trauma, and you might want to just block it out and not have anything to do with it, but in actual fact if you are involved, it can be huge

NEWS / Canberra’s latest champion

Cindy takes her cue to blackball glory

By Danielle NOHRA

WHEN Cindy Blackmore went to the Australian Blackball National Championships in Melbourne last month she had no idea she’d come home the first Canberran to win an Australian National singles title in any form of cue sports.

It was an “historic” win, according to ACT Blackball Pool president Long Dang.

But Cindy wasn’t aware of the groundbreaking win for Canberra and says she was excited about her first win nationally.

“I was really tired because I’d been playing for six days straight so I was fatigued and a bit nervous,” she says.

“[But] it felt great. Back in ‘94 I just lost the finals in the eight-ball championship. Maybe if I won that I could have stopped but being so close, I had that hunger in me.”

A veteran of the game, Cindy’s won numerous ACT state titles in singles, doubles and teams in cue sports such as eight ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, snooker and blackball – but this is her first national one.

She started competing in blackball about three years ago when it started in Australia. She says the key difference

between blackball and eight ball is that blackball is “one-shot pool” and eight ball is “two-shot pool”.

“If your opponent commits a foul, in blackball it’s a one-shot penalty and in eight ball it’s a two-shot penalty,” she says.

When it comes to eight ball, Cindy’s been competing at a state level for about 30 years and was part of the original committee that formally founded cue sports in the ACT.

“I was playing indoor cricket at the time and met some people playing indoor pool regularly and joined them,” she says.

It was 1989 and Cindy began following the pool comp circuit in Canberra until a couple of fellas asked some regular players, including her, if they wanted to form a team and play in a weekly team comp.

“That being very successful, the following year we formed the ACT Eightball Association,” she says.

Now she’s a lifelong member on the eight ball board because of her work on the committee in its early days.

When it comes to choosing between eight ball and blackball, Cindy says she likes whatever game she’s playing at the time.

“I like blackball because I have to rethink my strategies compared to eight ball,” she says.

“I’ve been playing eight ball for a long time so I’m more familiar with the tactics but I’m still learning with blackball.”

And she’ll continue to learn until she goes to Cyprus in November for “The Nations Cup”.

“In November last year I made the quarter finals for singles in England and was really happy with my performance there,” she says.

“I’m hoping to go a little bit better when we go to Cyprus. But I’m looking for a sponsor to sponsor me to go.

Free bus rides

SENIORS Card holders can travel free on the buses during Seniors Week, until Sunday, March 24. Patrons with an ACT/Interstate Seniors MyWay Card can tap on and tap off as usual, but the trip will be free of charge anytime of the day. Seniors with only a Seniors Card can show the bus driver and the journey will be free for the week. Currently, eligible Senior MyWay Card holders travel free during off-peak times between 9am and 4.30pm and after 6pm weekdays, plus all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

Picnic fair in Yass

THERE’S a twilight picnic fair with a variety of stalls, refreshments, musical entertainment, camels, Clydesdale horses and more at Cooma Cottage, Yass Valley Way, Yass, 3pm-7pm, Saturday, April 6. Gold coin entry.

Model railway expo

But that’s not the end game for Cindy, who is already thinking about competitions a year away.

“There’s a few things I still have to do before I put my cue down permanently,” she says.

And next year she plans to go to Perth to compete in the Blackball Nationals again.

Until then she’ll be in Canberra playing in the local blackball and eight ball league.

“There’s no funding or money in blackball so it’s either coming out of your own pocket or from fundraising.”

Key Dates

THE 31st annual Model Railway Expo, the largest model railway exhibition held south of Sydney, will be held over the weekend of March 30-31, from 9am, at the University of Canberra High School, 104 Baldwin Drive, Kaleen. Organisers, the Canberra Model Railway Club Inc. promises visitors a large range of model railway layouts in various stages and rides on scale model steam trains.

Try a Day at St Clare’s Tuesday 30 April

Become a St Clare’s girl for a day! We invite prospective Year 7 students to experience the exciting and enriching opportunities available at St Clare’s College. Please register on our website.

Open Evening Wednesday 1 May

Our Open Evening is an opportunity for parents and prospective students to look at our facilities and talk to staff and students. The evening will run from 4.30pm to 7.00pm with an information session to be held in the College Hall from 6.00pm-6.30pm.

School Tours Tuesday 7 May or Wednesday 15 May

School Tours with the Principal are available by appointment at 9.00am or 4.00pm. Please contact the College to register for a tour.

Year 11 Information Evening Monday 13 May

Discover the many courses and leadership opportunities available for senior students from 6.00pm - 7.30pm at the College.

Failings reveal Labor government under strain

THE ACT Liberal Party recently released its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy as an apparent step in its preparations for the next election.

The policy is in fact quite good.

James Milligan, opposition indigenous affairs spokesperson, consulted with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community including, most importantly, with Aboriginal community controlled service providers and has developed a comprehensive package of policies that address the major gaps in services identified over recent years by the Aboriginal community.

The package is not only comprehensive but the Liberal Party has made a clear promise to fund and implement the proposals if elected. The policy has been warmly received by the Aboriginal community.

In tandem with the release by the Liberals of the policy, the ACT government has released the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Agreement 2019-2028. The agreement is accompanied by a number of subject-specific “action plans”.

Unfortunately, the agreement is little more than a collection of platitudes while the “action plans” don’t actually contain any “actions” and, unlike the Liberal Party, the government has not committed any funding or resources to address the scandalous levels of Aboriginal poverty and disadvantage in Canberra.

While it’s reasonable to expect any minister to take the occasional blow for the team, Meegan Fitzharris, as Minister for Health, is seeing her reputation being slowly but surely trashed as a result of funding restrictions in her portfolio that she could not possibly have supported.

By way of comparison of the two sets of documents, the following is an illustration of the approach of the government and the opposition on the issue, namely the lack of a specialist indigenous drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation facility.

Labor and the Greens have committed to: “partnerships for the development of culturally appropriate rehabilitation and detox options in Canberra for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

The Liberals have committed to: “establish a dedicated residential indigenous drug and alcohol rehabilitation program for the ACT community following the failure of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm project. The solution must encompass a model of care that is developed and approved by the indigenous community.”

In other words, Labor and the Greens are happy to talk about the matter but are not prepared to promise to do anything about it while the Liberal Party has given an explicit promise to establish and fund an indigenous-specific drug rehabili-

tation facility. If you are Aboriginal who would you vote for?

I also find it interesting that the Liberal Party has launched an election policy this far out from the next election. Having launched one policy, I assume they have other policies in the pipeline or ready to go. If that is the case, it suggests that opposition leader Alistair Coe has adopted a very different election strategy than his predecessors and is prepared to take the fight up to Labor and the Greens on policy.

I assume the Liberal Party might have expected, and I think deserved, more media interest than it attracted for its Aboriginal policy launch. If it does have more launches planned, it will inevitably attract more attention. It certainly has some fertile ground in which to hoe.

Barely a week passes when there is not a report from some expert group or a consultant or statutory officer that is not deeply critical of the government and its management failings. In just the last few weeks we have had excoriating reports about the culture within ACT

Health, the management of the AMC, violence in ACT public schools, rapacious changes to the land tax regime and to commercial rates, the wrongful removal of Aboriginal children from their mother and the management of maternity services at TCH.

The nature and regularity of these failings suggest a government beginning to feel the strain, ministers struggling to get on top of their portfolios and a budget stretched to breaking point. In light of this it would probably have been wise of the Chief Minister to have shuffled his Ministry before now.

In particular, the management of ACT Health is looking increasingly problematic and the constantly negative press it is receiving is almost certainly now seriously damaging the reputation and standing of the Minister, Meegan Fitzharris.

She is clearly the government’s best asset and most capable minister and frankly she should have been rotated out of Health before it got to the stage where the AMA is effectively demanding a Royal Commission into her management of the hospital.

Chief Minister and Treasurer Andrew Barr has cut the Health budget to the bone and it is almost

certainly the case that all of the flash fires that Ms Fitzharris has been asked to manage are a consequence of a deeply inadequate budget. While it’s reasonable to expect any minister in a government to take the occasional blow for the team, Fitzharris, as Minister for Health, is seeing her reputation being slowly but surely trashed as a result of funding restrictions in her portfolio that she could not possibly have supported. Barr, having taken the decision to effectively deny the hospital any growth funding thereby guaranteeing the stream of negative publicity that has eventuated, really should have stumped up and taken on the Health portfolio himself rather than throw his best minister, and only credible alternative chief minister, to the sharks.

Jon Stanhope was chief minister from 2001 to 2011 and represented Ginninderra for the Labor Party from 1998. He is the only chief minister to have governed with a majority in the Assembly.

CANBERRA MATTERS

West Basin blatantly a property deal

WITH the Christmas release of the draft City and Gateway Urban Design Framework, the City Renewal Authority undertook media advocacy during February for an apartment suburb on West Basin. It set out to convince anyone who would listen that apartments on this lakeside would be great for the city. As for the idea to fill in part of the lake for boardwalks so the actual lakeside could be sold off –one wonders what these bureaucrats are sipping after hours.

The West Basin development commenced life as the more engaging City to Lake Project. There was some support for that first concept. It is now blatantly a property deal to bring in revenue dressed up as a “great” urban design development. It isn’t.

West Basin contains many trees and a peaceful green space waiting for an intelligent upgrade to become an even better lakeside parkland of quiet enjoyment. This would be possible if the government understood landscape and recognised heritage values rather than taking another “vacant” green space and filling it with “activated, connected and vibrant” apartments. With outsiders dominating the City Renewal Authority, the chief minister may get his naive version of a “connected” city and be just like Sydney. The developer-thinking within these agencies has a devastating mantra –we come from real cities, we see your

Despite the best efforts of the City Renewal Authority to override the collective intelligence of residents, it is clear that the West Basin development is about money and keeping consultants and developers busy.

greenery, we will concrete!

Canberra is not like other metropolitan cities; nor does it need to be. Sadly, we have a cohort influencing government to deliver an inappropriate version of urban design. Until recently, Canberra had buildings, urban forests and suburban infrastructure that were human scale and envied internationally. Government is changing that.

Today we have new suburbs developed along the lines of outer-suburban areas elsewhere (fewer trees, more heat islands and less amenities), attacks on Canberra’s older suburban character (reduction in trees and biodiversity, more heat islands and ageing amenities) and on top of those crimes, the city’s wonderful character is being slowly eroded.

West Basin may be off some people’s radar as it is now a very peaceful corner of the lake. But once it has been built over, complete with apartments and hard-edged archiparks (heat islands), the impact on the ambience of the capital will be devastatingly obvious.

Along with improved “connectivity”

and other buzzwords, most of what the City Renewal Authority and National Capital Authority (NCA) published in their Design Framework is colourful pictures and complex urban-renewalspeak, that experienced resident advocates and planners had trouble understanding.

By name, the document concentrated on the city, Northbourne Avenue and adjacent suburbs, but quietly sitting there was its agenda for West Basin (neither city nor gateway). Most would not have realised that it was there. Be assured that soon we will hear that everyone was consulted and the opportunity to voice opinions has expired.

This is another example of the Greens/Labor government’s trickery and spin designed to distract pesky residents away from some of the real intent, in this case to see the West Basin lakeside “urban renewed” as an apartment suburb.

These narrow-minded actions are being undertaken by the chief minister’s City Renewal Authority in partnership with the NCA. The government is doing its best to suppress any recognition of heritage values and to ignore hard-working groups such as the Lakeside Guardians and the hundreds of dedicated people who turn up to make clear their aspirations for West Basin.

Despite the best efforts of the City Renewal Authority to override the collective intelligence of residents, it is clear that the West Basin development is about money and keeping consultants and developers busy.

Groups such as the Lakeside Guardians and their colleagues have sound, fact-based arguments that are not taken seriously by the bureaucrats and the agencies involved. This leaves residents amazed and frustrated that yet again those in government show little concern about the longterm damage being done to Canberra as a city for people.

Latino moves

THERE’S an introduction session for classes in gentle Latin dance movements for everyone over 50 at the Canberra Seniors Centre, 10 Watson Street, Turner, 10am, Monday, March 25. Cost is $5 and includes morning tea. Partner not necessary. Call 6248 9509 to be part of it.

Talking diabetes

IAN Peters will talk to the ladies of the Tuggeranong Evening VIEW Club about the work of Diabetes ACT at the club’s monthly meeting, Viking Town Centre club, Greenway, on Wednesday, March 27. Visitors welcome. Dinner is $27 and bookings to 6291 7716 or email tuggeven@gmail.com

A ‘settling’ lunch

JENNY Horsfield, author of “The Soldier Settlers of Tuggeranong”, will speak to the ladies of the Weston Creek VIEW Club over lunch at their monthly meeting at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden, on Tuesday, April 2. Lunch costs $28 and the club always welcomes visitors and new members. Book at 6286 4626 by 5pm, March 28.

Plant sale at Calvary

A WIDE variety of succulents, perennials and indoor plants are promised to be for sale at the Calvary Public Hospital Auxiliary fundraising plant stall in the hospital foyer, 7.30am-4pm, Thursday, April 4.

JUNIC SPECIALIST CENTRE

‘I meet women whose vaginal health is not on the same page as the rest

Ladies, we need to talk about problems ‘down

“LADIES, we need to talk about ‘down there’,” say the women’s health experts Dr Uche Menakaya and Adj A/ Prof Elissa O’Keefe, of Junic Specialist Centre.

“I meet women who are taking great care of themselves, of their overall health and wellbeing, but their vaginal health is not on the same page as the rest of the way they feel about themselves,” says Elissa.

“Their confidence is affected and they don’t want to talk about it. However, there is an option out there for them to feel sexy again.”

Elissa and Uche have worked together at the Junic Specialist Centre for four years and together they have more than 45 years’ experience in women’s health.

Based in their clinic at Coombs, they provide a bespoke model of care, as the only obstetrician/gynaecologist and nurse practitioner combined specialist practice in Canberra.

Together they have been at the forefront of new medical technologies in women’s health and, more recently, the innovative use of vagina laser therapy to treat a range of vaginal and vulval conditions such as mild urinary incontinence, painful intercourse, scar tissue, dryness, itching, burning and atrophy.

“These conditions affect premenopausal and postmenopausal women. We can’t stop the ageing process and vaginal health changes with age,” says Elissa.

Last year, the Junic team welcomed to the practice the DiVa – a third-generation, high-precision, hybrid fractional laser

system which is the only one of its kind in Australia. This cutting-edge technology boasts advantages over the older-gener ation laser models, including automated accuracy and higher precision.

For some women who are suffering from menopausal symptoms, hormonal treatment isn’t recommended, especially if they are cancer survivors. “Vaginal laser is another drug-free and relatively painless option for women to be treated,” says Uche.

Uche says that the results of the laser have been extremely positive and created life-changing outcomes for patients, who came to the clinic for three short laser sessions across a few months.

“Studies in the US provide evidence of DiVa’s efficacy in areas such as increasing vaginal tone, lubrication and enhanced ability to reach orgasm,” says Uche.

The team brings a focus of innovation and efficacy alongside their commitment to patient safety, first and foremost. Uche has a reputation as a leader in new technology and best practice, having joined a global coalition of scientists championing the use of ultrasound to diagnose endometriosis rather than invasive and painful techniques.

He says that as laser treatment is still evolving the clinic is conducting an ongo ing scientific evaluation and assessment to support the evidence of DiVa’s success and he has written several peer-reviewed journal articles on the subject.

Elissa has worked in all areas of women’s health for more than 25 years and is a national expert in the safe practices of laser therapy, having developed training modules for laser practitioners.

They encourage women who are interested to call Junic for a bulk-billed

initial consultation with Elissa to find out how DiVa can help them. No referral is required.

“Our patients are telling us they are starting to tell their sisters and friends over coffee ‘you’ll never guess what I did... and

I feel amazing!’. There’s starting to be a ripple effect about the benefits of DiVa,” says Elissa.

“DiVA gives women hope to feel how they see themselves – more youthful and confident. It’s the next step in looking after themselves.”

Junic Specialist Centre, Molonglo Health Hub, 110 Woodberry Avenue, Coombs. Call 6178 0470 or visit junicimaging.com.au to make a bulk-billed appointment.

DARAMALAN COLLEGE OPEN EVENING

The Daramalan College OPEN EVENING will be held THURSDAY 28 MARCH 2019.

TOURS START 5.00pm - LAST TOUR 6.30pm Year 7 Information sessions

4.45pm & 7.00pm in McCowage Hall. Year 11 2020 Information Session at 6.00pm.

For information about enrolments, please see the website or contact the Registrar. www.daramalan.act.edu.au | Registrar (02) 6245 6348 | enrolments@daramalan.act.edu.au Reception (02) 6245 6300. Year 7 2020 enrolments close Friday 24 May.

NEWS / Hawker bookshop to close

Ron turns the page on retail

By Danielle Nohra

WHAT started as a rumour has now become true and Ron Robertson has decided to shut shop – Ron’s Book Shop – at the end of April.

He started in the book industry in 1998 and, in more recent years (since 2004), has been selling secondhand books in Hawker, where he will stay for another month.

The 72-year-old says it wasn’t part of his plan but when a large “for sale” sign was plonked on his window he was forced to create a new plan.

“Everybody who saw the sign assumed I’d sold up,” he says.

“One lady even asked me how retirement was going and business dropped by almost 60 per cent immediately.”

The shop has been more of a community thing for Ron, who says he hasn’t paid himself a wage in years, so when business dropped off he knew it was time to go.

But before he leaves the space in Hawker, Ron still needs to get rid of thousands of books, which will all be 40 per cent off until closure.

LETTERS

First

“It’s really sad because I’ve made so many friends here,” he says.

“People come by and we have a bit of a chat. If they spend a certain amount of money I pass them a home-grown cucumber or something from my garden in Charnwood.”

Even though he’s sad to close this chapter of his life,

Ron is looking forward to the extra time for gardening and walking.

And, he says he’s looking forward to no more overheads.

He’s hoping to get a website built soon so he can keep selling books from home, but until then he says he’ll continue to sell secondhand books on Facebook and through abebooks.com

lady gets a wax and polish

Regain the freedom of your home

IT isn’t Rosemary Follett, Canberra’s first chief minister, nor is it Jennifer Morrison or Lady Lynne Cosgrove. We are talking about Canberra’s first public outdoor work of art, Sir Bertram Mackennal’s sculpture “War”, better known locally as “Bel lona”, the Roman goddess of war.

from religion”, CN, March 7). That may be the case in Western democracies, nevertheless the majority religions significantly impact the culture of any nation.

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Mackennal gifted Bellona to the Australian government in 1915 as a tribute to the Australians who fought at Gallipoli. She was first displayed outside the Federal Parliament in Melbourne in 1921. It was not a popular placement and she was moved to Canberra in 1926 where she was the city’s first displayed piece of outdoor public art.

She stood outside of the Albert Hall for many years, being the unfortunate subject of many practical jokes, including being dressed in bras and bikini tops, being painted several times and even having her more prominent female attributes polished to a bright yellow sheen with Brasso.

In 1954, in the week before the Queen’s visit to Canberra, Bellona moved to the grounds of the Australian War Memorial. Over the next 27 years she spent time outside of the Administrative Building in Parkes, and in the grounds of Government House. After lobbying from Australian War Memorial art curator Judith McKay, Bellona returned to the Memorial grounds in 1981.

When the Memorial’s Sculpture Garden was being developed in

Bellona.. washed, waxed and polished. Photo: AWM

1993, Bellona again stood proudly outside of the Albert Hall. Unlike her earlier posting, this time she attracted little attention from pranksters; perhaps testament to a changing acceptance of public nudity.

Since 1999, Bellona has stood near the Lone Pine in the Memorial grounds. Every five years the Memorial’s conservators give her a thorough wash, wax, and polish. At 113 years old, she’s still in great condition and she deserves nothing less.

George Bailey, senior conservator, Australian War Memorial

Yes, but, Mr Macklin

CULTURE and religion are not the same, writes columnist Robert Macklin (“Maybe we need freedom

For example, child marriage, polygamy, FGM and hand chopping are not part of our Australian culture. The influence of The Bible produces a very different culture from that of other religious texts, including laws, dress code, civility, personal liberty and freedom of speech and worship. Robert might do well to ponder the words of Solzhenitsyn who said: “When men forget God, Communism or a similar catastrophe is likely to be the fate that awaits them.”

John Farrands, Isaacs

Lost the plot

PAUL Costigan’s numerous articles, and Susan Maroc’s letter “The contempt for our trees” (CN, March 7), clearly demonstrate that the ACT government has “lost the plot” as far as the public is concerned. Or should I say, they have replaced the plot with: “To hell with the public, we are in charge”.

It appears the only recourse we may have is the ballot box at the next election – even then would we have a worthy alternative? Surely we can’t do any worse than the current mob!

Barry Smith, via email

POLITICS / the school strike for climate change

Skipping class makes for a great education

“I join with these vibrant young Australians in thumbing my nose at the narrow-minded comments of conservative academics and commentators along with senior politicians,” writes former senior school teacher MICHAEL MOORE

OUR future is in good hands. Young people skipping school to protest the lack of action on climate change are taking politics into their own hands. Great citizenship. Excellent education. Appropriate priorities.

School student protests are not new. How many of my contemporaries slipped out of school in the late 1960s and early 1970s to protest the war in Vietnam? The impact of the moratoriums of our generation was profound. They turned around an unjust, ideological war. The lack of citizenship teaching in Australian schools has not politically disempowered these young people.

The exclusive Barker College in Sydney is even encouraging students to attend and is sending a couple of staff members. Headmaster Phillip Heath explained: “As a school we are supportive of providing for student voices”. More telling is his follow up statement: “How can I refuse to support them?” He recognises “their passion about policies and decision making”.

A similar approach has been taken by a series of other schools in Sydney. Congratulations to them on making it

easy for their students. The principal of Queenwood School for Girls in Mosman, Elizabeth Stone, was supportive, although argued that it was a tactical mistake for the students to set the protest on a school day. She said that way “the debate would have been about climate change, not school attendance”. I could not disagree more strongly. The criticism they have received has poured fuel on the fire of the protest. Conflict will bring media attention and no one doubts the protest is about climate change and their future. This makes the protest even more successful.

Other students will simply skip school to attend the rallies without the permission of the school or their parents. Good on them. Taking risks to further your beliefs, to drive for change are part and parcel of what effective politics should be. If only more of our politicians would do the same.

I join with these vibrant young Australians in thumbing my nose at the narrow-minded comments of conservative academics and commentators along with senior politicians. Catholic University’s Dr

Kevin Donnelly told the ABC that the protest was the “product of ‘biased’ education”, failings in education and “politically correct” teaching.

Year 10 Adelaide student Nyah Bacon put the lie to these comments. She recently participated in the Sweden school strikes with worldwide initiator Greta Thunberg. Nyah was reported by the ABC as identifying “the School Strike 4 Climate movement had three goals: to stop Queensland’s Adani coal mine, to ban new fossil fuel exploration and to

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“the best thing you’ll learn about going to a protest is how to join the dole queue. Because that’s what your future life will look like”.

His comments are reminiscent of the conservative politicians during the Vietnam War era. The involvement in that war was wrong. The students are telling him the approach to climate change is also wrong.

Canavan and his colleagues are so caught up in their own ideology that they miss the very point of the protest. These students do not have an electoral cycle time frame. Nor are they concerned about the short-term profits of international corporations in the mining sector. They are thinking about the next half century and beyond. The protestors can see the need for action to ensure a better world. Why can’t he?

have Australia commit to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030”. These are hardly the words of an uneducated, ignorant student. She is certainly not one of Kevin Donnelly’s “barely literate or numerate”.

Late last year Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan argued that children should be in school learning about geology, building mines and studying how to drill for oil and gas. He went further arguing “taking off school and protesting? You don’t learn anything from that” and then claimed

The protestors are in step with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which identify the path to a more sustainable world by 2030. It is so embarrassing for governments to have these students exposing their failure to implement appropriate action on climate.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006. He was once a senior school teacher.

SCENE / around canberra

EXPERT WOMEN OF TUGGERANONG

Kristen’s activity centre is having an open day

FROM Monday, March 25 to Friday, March 29, Kidstart Education and Activity Centre is having “Open Week” where children from five-months up to three-years of age are welcome to come along for a free “come-and-try” class, says director Kristen O’Connor.

Established in Weston Creek, the centre moved to Wanniassa 11 years ago where, Kristen says, it continues to strive for excellence, dedication, service, love, care and compassion.

During the “Open Week”, she says children can experience this through their “come and try” experience.

Jane teaches long-term academic skills

AT Kumon Tuggeranong Education Centre its instructor and owner Jane Hiatt is dedicated to helping all her students do their best academically. While Kumon offers learning for all ages, Jane says pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children benefit the most from Kumon because it trains them to become good academic athletes for primary school, high school and university.

Offering maths and English subjects, Kumon is designed to encourage independent learning by providing students with worksheets, to be done for 20-30 minutes each day, which allow them to figure out how to solve problems on their own.

“Maths and English are the core subjects, and when students are good at them, it gives them the headspace to be able to focus on other subjects,” Jane says.

Jane says the most important thing to give her students is confidence and self-esteem.

“If we can help children have that in bucket loads by year 1 or year 2, then they’ll be strong in classes,” she says.

“I am there to encourage children and lift them up. I genuinely want to see all students shine and do their best.

“I do this because I love my village and I want to be able to see the kids in the village do well.

“It’s important for our young ones to be prepared for their life journey.”

Kumon Tuggeranong Education Centre, Shop 4, Calwell Shops, Webber Crescent. Call 6292 3645 or 0419 134078, email jane@kumontuggeranong.com or visit kumonsearch.com.au

“[Parents] of children in the three to five-yearold age group are welcome to book a time for a tour of the centre to see what Kidstart is all about,” she says.

“The best contact for this is to visit our website and send through an email via the ‘contact us’ form requesting further information about the ‘come and try’ classes.”

Kristen says their age-appropriate programs prepare children socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually for school.

“From the ages of five months to three years children attend with a parent or carer for a onesession-a-week educational playgroup program,” she says.

As for the three-year-old pre-preschool program, Kristen says it’s one of the only ones in Canberra that has a combined letter recognition and letterland phonics-based literacy program.

Kidstart Education, 65-67 Sternberg Crescent, Wanniassa, at kidstart.com.au or call 0422 406622.

TUITION BY KUMON

60 YEARS OF PROVEN RESULTS

Jane Hiatt from Kumon Tuggeranong has a passion for helping children achieve their academic potential. Jane offers high quality tuition to children from preschool to year 12, in both Maths and English programs.

How does Kumon work?

At Kumon, students study material matched to their ability rather than their age. Every student has an initial assessment and an individualised study plan is created for them. They then practice until they have demonstrated a sound understanding of the material before progressing. Students eventually reach a point where they are learning work ahead of their school grade.

What

is Kumon’s

point of difference?

Do you want the ‘Kumon advantage’ for your child?

Learning occurs from carefully prepared work that has been designed in a way that allows students to solve problems on their own. Examples and explanations are clearly provided and students are encouraged to self-learn and advance independently. The Kumon Instructor’s role is to assist them by giving advice and instruction where necessary to allow them to master academic and life skills as they progress through the Study Program.

Leanne loves helping clients feel good

WITH a passion for helping people age gracefully and a drive for business, Leanne Brewer opened a Laser Clinics Australia clinic in Tuggeranong in 2016.

As one of 100 clinics, Leanne says Laser Clinics Australia is a global leader in the industry.

“We perform three million treatments a year, so you can be sure our experienced team in Tuggeranong will take care of you,” she says.

Specialising in laser hair removal, skin treatments and cosmetic injectables, Leanne says each treatment is tailored to meet the needs of the clients.

“At Laser Clinics Australia Tuggeranong we believe that everyone has the right to choose their looks and feel great about it,” she says.

“No matter what age, stage or budget, we are here to help our clients feel good about themselves and the treatments they receive.

“Whether it’s wrinkles, age spots, veins, scarring or acne, Laser Clinics Australia can tailor a skin treatment plan that can unveil fresh, lustrous skin with great texture and tone.

“Our best-in-class technology and highly trained therapists will help our clients love the skin they are in.” Street, Greenway. laserclinics.com.au

Riana says she’s the tops at cosmetic tattooing

WITH international qualifications and almost 25 years’ experience Riana Janse van Rensburg, the director of Riana’s Health Skin Care, says she’s the most experienced person in Canberra when it comes to cosmetic tattooing.

Riana’s cosmetic tattooing services, also known as “semi-permanent make-up”, includes eyelines, eye shadowing, lip lines, lip blends, lip colour, brows, brow hair strokes, brow shadowing and brow full colour.

“People get cosmetic tattooing for a variety of reasons,” Riana says.

“People do it for enhancements or they do it to create features, for example if they have lost their brows through ageing or plucking.

“We do lip lines to enhance the features and redesign the lip shape.

“I also do cosmetic tattooing for people who suffer with alopecia. And finally, I do paramedical camouflag -

Today Riana specialises in:

• Brow designs (hair strokes, french shading and 3D designs).

• Eyeliner designs (colour stacking, shading, smoking and blocking).

• Lip designs (full, lined or blended).

Riana specialises in correcting the work of unqualified / inexperienced tattooists on new clients’ brows. Riana also offers free consultations to women who have suffered trauma, stress and embarrassment from the work of inexperienced tattooists. Riana sees on average five ladies a week who have been through such a traumatic experience.

ing where I tattoo over scar tissue.” Riana says cosmetic tattooing can give people a confidence boost because it lets them live life normally.

But before she does any cosmetic tattooing, Riana says she does a thorough consultation to find out why the client might want or need it.

“I discuss the design, their face shape and what will look good on them,” she says.

“I spend a lot of time getting the right service for my clients. Then we do an annual follow up because it’s not a body tattoo and we use an organic pigment.”

Riana’s Health Skin Care Clinic, Office 1/146 Scollay Street, Greenway. Call 6166 2265, email rianasclinic@gmail.com or visit riana-centre.com.au

Debbi’s big on the importance of play

KAMBAH’s newest early learning centre, Snow Gum Early Childhood Learning Centre, believes in the importance of play, according to its owner Debbi Lette.

“Play is a really important part of lifelong learning and we’re able to link it into the Early Years Learning Framework,” she says.

“We believe each child has a natural desire to learn and each child has their own personality and learning style, which we nurture and respect.”

Based in Jenke Circuit, near Athllon Drive and Drakeford Drive, Debbi says it’s an excellent spot for parents leaving the area for work or vice versa.

“Sitting next to the Namadgi school, it’s a quick little loop in and a loop out” which, she says, is especially convenient for parents with children at Namadgi school

looking for before and after-school care.

“With before-school care, parents drop the children off and then we supply them with breakfast and run an activity before school,” she says.

“In the afternoons we pick them up from their classes and then give them afternoon tea and do activities.”

Opening its doors at 7am and closing at 6pm, Debbi says she wanted to give parents more flexibility as there aren’t many other centres around opening that early.

“We also have an open-door policy and welcome parents to come in at any time,” she says.

Snow Gum Early Childhood Learning Centre, 60 Jenke Circuit, Kambah. Call 6296 1111 or visit careforkids.com.au

Qualified Educators fostering your child's uniqueness, self-esteem & independence Open from 7am - 6pm 60 Jenke Circuit, Kambah (opposite Club Lime)

High Educator to Child ratio

Early years learning frame work supporting and enhancing learning

Catering for all learning needs and abilities

Breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and late snack

Special events calendar for Families: Morning/arvo teas, Family cultural info & food days, Grandparent day, Sausage sizzles & more!

Locally owned and operated

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Audiences go wild for hot property Nakkiah

By Helen Musa

“AUDIENCES have been going wild; people are hungry for Nakkiah,” says Paige Rattray, director of the Sydney Theatre Company’s newest comedy, “How to Rule the World”.

That’s Nakkiah Lui, the hottest property in the Sydney theatre scene, a scriptwriter and actor for ABC TV’S sketch series “Black Comedy”, and an outspoken social commentator. She’s a sell-out playwright who’s less than flattered to be tagged the “new David Williamson”.

Rattray also directed Lui’s “Black Is the New White”, a sort of reverse Aboriginal version of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, seen in Canberra last year. Although given the “emerging” designation of associate director at the STC, she’s already directed the hits “Power Plays” and “Boys will be Boys” for the company.

“How to Rule the World” will be at The Playhouse in April and as designer Marg Horwell has largely set it behind the scenes in Parliament House, it can be expected to pack out.

“It’s so exciting to bring it to Canberra,” Rattray says.

One of the cast members, Rhys Muldoon, who plays the Prime Minister in Lui’s play, has genuine street cred. In real life he’s a personal friend of former PM Kevin Rudd (he

Director Paige Rattray… “This play is so contemporary that we are constantly having to change things.”

where Lui’s corrosive wit comes in and she takes a swipe at all our illusions – on the left and right – about Australia as the home of multiculturalism and the fair go.

“Nakkiah is masterful in her interrogation of our current political landscape and she does it with such generosity,” Rattray says.

Lui’s formidable personality could have been a problem for a director but Rattray says: “We’re good friends and that helps, because we can be very honest with each other.”

One hilarious moment in rehearsal saw Rattray telling the actors: “You need to trust the writing” and Lui responding: “What do you mean? I wrote the words and I don’t trust the writing.”

As well, Lui was feeling that she’d lost hope about Australian politics, but then, Rattray reports: “She found that it is creating change that gives us hope.

“It’s been particularly hard work for Nakkiah this time, because she’s been on the floor rehearsing all day and having to edit at night.

“This play is so contemporary that we are constantly having to change things.”

once brought him to the Canberra Theatre) and as Rattray says: “Rhys is incredible in the little gestures”.

It’s no secret what “How to Rule the World” is about and the publicists have been having a field day with presenting it as a savage twist on an old racist joke – “An Aboriginal, an Asian and an Islander walk into a bar...”

Rattray is reluctant to tell us too much,

but tells us this much… Aboriginal journalist Vic (played by Lui), Tongan political adviser Chris (Anthony Taufa) and Korean pro-bono immigration lawyer Zaza (Michelle Lim Davidson) are all political insiders making their way to the top.

After a heavy night drinking after the Prime Minister announces a racist immigration bill and as a half-Senate election looms, they hatch a plan to take over the world.

Realising that none of them is the ideal candidate and they need a “strong white dude” to run in their place, they audition for one and come up with Lewis Lewis (Hamish Michael), who has no family, no friends, no real job, no history and is not interested in anything except himself – in other words, the perfect political candidate.

Now, Rattray says: “All they need to do is to align him with their moral codes.” Here’s

Lui is known for her laugh-a-minute dialogue, and that’s not all good.

“So much happens, there are so many laughs and it’s constantly undercutting anything that’s serious,” Rattray says.

“There are so many laughs in this play, it seeps into people’s skins.”

“How to Rule the World”, The Playhouse, April 3-6. Book at canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Cuban music with a big twist of jazz THEATRE

By Helen Musa

THE Afro-Cuban All Stars are coming to town and with them a whiff of the Buena Vista Social Club.

Those famous names are intertwined with that of band leader Juan de Marcos González, who directed the Buena Vista Social Club in its only concerts at Le Carre in Amsterdam, New York’s Carnegie Hall and Mexico’s Auditorio Nacional.

“CityNews” catches up with de Marcos, as he prefers to be known, by phone, and finds the fires of patriotism well and truly ablaze.

“I put together a band of stars and they all made their careers in Cuba,” he says. “That’s very important to me – they should be Cuban, they must be recognised in their own country.”

It’s his fifth time in Australia since the 1990s.

“I’m really happy to come; Australia is a civilised country, more civilised than America,” he says.

De Marcos sketches a history of his kind of music from the early 20th century when the line-up was the Cuban guitar or “tres”, played with a bongo and a double bass. Trumpet was introduced in 1926, then in the ‘40s the piano was added to the line-up. Going into the ‘50s, Cuban music formed into big bands with many saxophones and three to four trumpets, “to create more depth of arrangement.”

“My daddy was a vocalist with Arsenio, who invented the salsa and the musicians I later worked with were all friends of my daddy,” he says, explaining the early origins of his musical focus.

No slouch in his studies, de Marcos went to university to study hydraulic engineering, Russian and English, taking out his doctorate in 1989.

While at university he co-founded the

traditional Cuban group Sierra Maestra, blending Spanish and African elements, but left in 1996 to create the Afro-Cuban All Stars, focusing on the ‘Golden Age’ of Cuban music from the ‘40s and the ‘50s.

“The formation of the Cuban All-Stars was a tribute to my daddy, who died in 1990 aged 77 years,” he says.

“Basically it’s Cuban music with American jazz.”

The band is known internationally for the 1967 album “A Toda Cuba le Gusta”, recorded at the Buena Vista Social Club sessions with de Marcos, American guitarist Ry Cooder co-directing and Rubén González on piano.

“Remember, world music was not commercial music then and we had no resources to put into a marketing campaign, we had to just go to the streets and play,” de Marcos says.

“But two to three million albums sold? That was definitely not usual. We called it the Buena Vista Social Club as a kind of trademark to sell tickets.”

The age range in today’s 14-piece band Afro-Cuban All Stars (“there used to be 22, but that’s too expensive”), is 23 to 54, covering several generations.

De Marcos plays the tres, his wife plays the maracas but is also the administrator, one of his daughters plays vibraphone and the other plays B-flat bass cornet, an instrument he praises for its warmth of sound, preferable to the sax or trumpet played low, which he says “sound ‘ducky’, like a duck”.

As for the show we’ll see at the Southern Cross Club on March 27? “It’s going to be a journey,” he says. “I never stopped playing traditional Cuban music but this is a bit more jazzy, more contemporary – to keep up with the times.”

BY TURNS FUNNY, HEART-WARMING AND POIGNANT, DON’T MISS THIS SMASH HIT COMEDY!

Big ideas and young minds collide

By Helen Musa

BILLED as “the only performance festival in Canberra created by 7-12-year-olds”, Canberra Youth Theatre’s twilight performance showcase is back for the second time in early April.

Young artists from the company will take over the grounds of Gorman Arts Centre for the one-night “I’m Me” festival, a theatre event exploring the concept of existence, past, present and future.

Seven new original works will be on show covering a range of styles, with roving performances, “immersive” experiences, dance, performance poetry, interactive installations and appearances from QL2 Dance. Luke Rogers, the company’s new artistic director, says: “It’s a space for the whole family where big ideas and young minds collide.”

“I’m Me”, Gorman Arts Centre, Braddon, 5pm-9pm, Friday, April 5. Book at cytc.net

"Magnificently directed by Mark Kilmurry and terrifically performed by Brian Meegan and Kate Raison... At times poignant, sad and funny, this will warm the cockles of your heart. Another pint please."

LYNNE’S THEATRE NOTES

A STORY ABOUT A MARRIED COUPLE WITH AN UNSPOKEN SECRET

Set in a local pub, Jim Cartwright’s timeless comedy TWO introduces a misfit crowd of fourteen eccentric characters, all skilfully played by Brian Meegan — Sea Patrol, Water Rats — and Kate Raison — A Country Practice, E-Street. Don’t miss this entertaining night at the theatre directed by award winning Ensemble Theatre Artistic Director Mark Kilmurry.

Canberra musicians at home in highland festival

By Helen Musa

A BOUTIQUE music festival amid the autumn leaves of the Southern Highlands is coming up in historic St Jude’s Church, Bowral, and Canberra artists have a strong presence.

Taking in more than 400 years of music, the thirteenth Bowral Autumn Music Festival will showcase instruments and music from the Renaissance to the Romantic era alongside a selection of new Australian compositions.

Central to the event will be the Acacia Quartet as ensemble in residence – Myee Clohessy and Lisa Stewart on violins, Stefan Duwe on viola and Anna MartinScrase on cello.

They’ll perform three concerts and also, on the eve of the event, join Melbourne pianist Stefan Cassomenos, second grand prize winner of the International Telekom Beethoven Piano Competition in Bonn, in an open rehearsal of commissioned composer Alice Chance’s new string quartet

composition “Sundried”, which will enjoy its world premiere the next night.

“Pretty cool,” is how festival artistic director Myee Clohessy describes this plan to involve local students and their teachers.

Clohessy says her choice of programming reflects the natural contrasts in the Highlands, with cultivated European gardens, oak trees and maples surrounded by natural bushland. These will be paralleled in European masterworks by Mendelssohn, Chopin, Dvorak, Elgar, Liszt, Schubert, Beethoven and Bach, and new Australian music by Alice Chance, Nigel Westlake, Sally Greenaway, Robert Davidson, Maria Grenfell, Wade Gregory and Rick Alexander.

Instrumentalists from the late Richard Gill’s Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra will be in the concert line-up, along with organist David Drury, the Australian Baroque Brass, the Geist String Quartet, violinist Marcus Michelsen and organist Titus Grenyer.

The Canberra presence is notable. Classical guitarist, Matt Withers, will join the Acacia Quartet for the official launch of their new joint album “Imaginations”, featuring the prize-winning compositions

Saturday

DINING / walt & burley, kingston

Great new menu but, oh, the service

By Wendy JOHNSON

from the 2018 Matt Withers’ Australian Composition Competition.

On the quirkier side, Canberra composer Sally Greenaway’s work “Da Vinci’s Apprentice”, with a script by ACT writers Paul Bissett and Catherine Prosser, introduces Roberta, a talented girl living in 16th century Italy, who dreams of becoming an apprentice to Leonardo da Vinci in a children’s show featuring actor/singer Brittanie Shipway, Jenny Eriksson on viola da gamba, John Foster on cornetto and Shaun Ng on theorbo.

A festival service at 10am on Sunday, March 31 will feature the augmented St Jude’s Singers performing liturgical works by Benjamin Britten and movements from three Mendelssohn sonatas will be performed throughout the festival by St Jude’s organist Allan Beavis.

The grand finale will see the Acacia Quartet and others join the Southern Highlands Symphony Orchestra to perform Mozart, Elgar and Holst.

2019 Bowral Autumn Music Festival, Friday, March 29-Sunday, March 31. Book at bowralautumnmusicfestival.org.au

mostly because it wasn’t hot when brought to the table, which affected the texture and flavour ($20). The chipotle mayo was yum, however.

THE eatery with the best possie at Kingston Foreshore is Walt and Burley, the first bar to open in the area. Expansive views of the water, a large outdoor dining area that enjoys full sun, a massive fireplace inside for winter months and an intriguing décor with the long bar a main feature.

We were on a mission to try the new menu and weren’t disappointed with the food (more on service in a bit). Our group decided to share small plates and a couple of mains, for a broader experience.

The grilled, half-shell scallops were cooked just so (scallops are horrible when under or over cooked) and we cherished the bright green and fresh spinach puree and spring onion oil ($22). The scallops looked beautiful on the plate.

So, too, did the beetroot-cured salmon ($24), which was a fabulous combo of vibrant flavours and colours (and we all know eating a rainbow of colours is good for us). The salmon was melt-in-the mouth and the dish danced with ingredients such as heirloom baby beetroots, goat’s cheese, compressed cucumber, shaved radish and olive and fennel crumble.

The suckling pig croquettes weren’t too heavy and we rejoiced at the fennel salt and maple mustard aioli ($16). The only starter we

For mains we shared (a bit awkward, but our choice) the chickpea burger, with Middle Eastern flavours ($20). The beetroot hummus was creamy and looked pretty on the plate. The mint yoghurt was refreshing and the tabouli tangy (not overly so).

The lemon and chilli poached crab and razor clam linguini ($28) was far from exciting. It was unexpectedly super sweet and lacking in the promised chilli. We ordered it on a friend’s recommendation who had enjoyed it a couple of weeks before, but even he couldn’t rate it a gold star, saying he didn’t even recognise the dish.

The service didn’t get a gold star, either. Even though the inside was less than half full and outdoors not packed, the service was slow and, as one of our party put it, “sloppy”. It took more than 30 minutes for starters to start arriving. We went inside to enquire but were just told it wouldn’t be long (it already was). None of our plates were cleared – we felt sorry for the poor empty scallop shells still sitting outside in the sun even after we finished our mains. White wines average $58 a bottle (without factoring in the $97 bottle option) and reds more than $60 a bottle (not factoring in options above $90). Nice to see some local wines on offer.

Walt & Burley, 70/17 Eastlake Parade, Kingston,

MUSIC FOR EASTER

Full-tilt terror and bloody carnage in Mumbai

“Hotel Mumbai” (MA)

THIS full-on movie telling the story of the 2008 terrorist attack that left 166 dead and 293 wounded in Mumbai has much to tell filmgoers with the wit to read between its lines.

One hundred and thirty nine victims were Indian nationals; 54 died at a nearby railway station; 30 died at the Oberoi Hotel a few blocks away; 10 at a café and about 10 more at a local cinema. At the Hotel Mumbai (locally referred to as the Taj) 26 foreign guests and five staff died.

The first feature (after a pair of short films) from Anthony Maras, who wrote (with John Col lee), directed and edited its two hours, adapts and compresses the nearly-58-hour siege into one violent afternoon and night, from the arrival of 10 well-trained and equipped Islamist extremists in an inflatable boat to the end of the shooting.

Maras and Collee hang the film’s narrative on two groups of characters, victims and attackers. Oberoi (Anupam Kher) was head chef at the Taj. Armie Hammer and Iran-born Nazanin Boniadi play an American couple and Tilda CobhamHervey plays Sally the nanny caring for their newborn child. Jason Isaacs plays Vasili, a Russian oligarch. Dev Patel plays Arjun, a waiter at the Taj, whose help was critical in getting guests to safety.

Leading the attackers, Amandeep Singh plays Imram and Suhail Nayyar plays Abdullah, two men so imbued with the Islamist-terrorist ethic that they have lost all contact with their humanity.

The film can be read at more than one level.

Watch it and feel its awful events unfolding. Watch it and gasp at the inhumane devotion of the attackers to Allah. Watch it and feel a little embarrassed by the way many guests regard hotel staff. Wonder whether the crying of a baby will betray it and its carer to the attackers. Feel distinctly uncomfortable by the tardy arrival of trained forces to confront the killers and take down all but one of them (the tenth was secretly hanged almost four years to the day after the attack began).

And admire the filmmaking craft of Anthony Maras. “Hotel Mumbai” is a jigsaw of a thousand pieces, each in its correct place. Its failure to mention Pakistan’s role in preparing for the attack does not detract from its impact.

At all cinemas

ARTS IN THE CITY

THIS British comedy/drama comes wearing a likeable outfit of drama, humour, bathos and pathos.

Bill Nighy plays Alan, a bespoke Liverpool tailor with a passion for Scrabble, a somewhat dysfunctional family, and an obsession with finding Michael, the son of whom nothing has been heard for years since he stormed out of the house following an argument arising from a Scrabble game. Much of the film’s content deals with Alan’s conflict with his younger son

Young stars bolster Anne’s Rep debut

By Helen Musa

ANNE Somes makes her directo rial debut for Canberra Rep with “To Kill a Mockingbird”. In Christopher Sergel’s revised adaptation, Michael Sparks plays Atticus Finch, supported by three young stars in the making, Jade Breen as Scout, Jamie Boyd as Jem and Jake Keen as Dill. At Theatre 3, Acton, March 28-April 13. Book at 6257 1950 or canberrarep.org.au

CANBERRA dancer and choreographer, Jamie Winbank, has been cast in the role of Diablo in this year’s Opera on the Harbour production of “West Side Story”, running in Sydney until April 21. Book at opera.org.au

Jamie Boyd, Jade Breen and Jake Keen in “To Kill a Mockingbird”... Theatre 3, Acton, March 28-April 13.

PARKINSON’S ACT and local actor musician Chrissie Shaw are launching a new choir for people in the ACT living with Parkinson’s disease. Singing, they say, helps build confidence in an enjoyable way. Sessions will be Monday mornings, 10am-noon, from April 1, Ainslie Arts Centre, Elouera Street, Braddon. Inquire at 0407 079748 or chrissieshaw@apex.net.au

SALLY Greenaway’s next house concert will feature virtuoso pianist Stefan Cassomenos, fresh from his Bowral Autumn Music Festival appearance. Greenaway Studio, 164 Namatjira Drive, Chapman, 2pm, Sunday, March 31. Book at trybooking.com

RECORDER exponent Robyn Mellor’s group BlockSounds and the ensemble Walking the Dog are embarking on an aquatic excursion in “Written on Water Music for Recorders”. At the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture Chapel, 15 Blackall Street, Barton, 4pm, Sunday, March 31. Tickets at the door.

THE Royal Military College Band Brass Group performs a program of sacred music, with a focus on the music of the Salvation Army, for the Lunchtime Concert series at Wesley Music Centre, 20 National Circuit, Forrest, 12.40pm-1.20pm, Wednesday, March 27. Tickets at the door.

THE adults-only act, “LIFE: The Show”, a combination of circus, cabaret and acrobatics

with full-frontal nudity and adult concepts, will form the basis of the latest Spiegeltent season when it descends on Civic Square, March 30-April 21. As well, featured acts will rotate, starting off with Katie Noonan and her jazz trio, Elixir, on March 31. Book at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

MILENA Cifali (guitar and vocals) and Jim Horvath (bass and percussion) have collaborated on an album of songs, “Whose broken is this?” to be launched alongside a Ginninderra Press anthology of the same name by noted Canberra poet John Passant. At Beyond Q Books, Weston Arcade, 11 Brierly Street, Weston Creek, 4.30pm-6.30pm, Saturday, March 30. Free, but bookings advisable at 0421 208963 or milicifali@gmail.com

Peter (Sam Riley) who may be present but is unreachable emotionally.

It’s a gentle film, amusing rather than hilarious in which Nighy again demonstrates his virtuosity as a character actor. Wondering about the title? Apparently it’s a saying in the bespoke tailoring profession. Gent’s made-to-measure, singlebreasted suit jacket. Three buttons. Top one sometimes done up. Middle one always done up. Bottom one – go figure it out.

At Palace Electric, Dendy and Capitol 6

THIS Australian film that has hit town with scant warning is about nasty people doing nasty things to each other. But that doesn’t make a nasty film. Indeed, it delivers a modicum of cinematic style with strong entertainment values.

Sarah (Ella Scott Lynch) is dressing for a night of pleasures, both alcoholic and sexual. Her alter ego Rachel (Ella Scott Lynch) is advising her about what she should wear. A pair of sky-blue knickers figures large in this. A matching blue bra doesn’t.

Lewis (Benedict Samuel) lodges in an upmarket house in Sydney’s east belonging to Kenny (Robin Goldsworthy). They’re both

home playing at indoor putting of golf balls. Handsome Lewis is the dominant one. When it’s time for rumpy-pumpy, Sarah is a willing participant in coitus á tergo (the polite term for back-scuttling) with him in an upstairs room. That is, until she sees him standing below watching. Who’s boffing her? Scruffy Kenny. Which, not surprisingly, annoys her more than a little. Kenny’s pleasure is terminated. Kenny is terminated when Sarah buries the head of a putter in his forehead.

Much of “Pimped” observes Lewis and Sarah burying Kenny. By the time they get back to the house, the tension has racked up quite a bit. It goes higher when the doorbell rings. It’s Kenny’s parents (Lewis Fitz-Gerald and Heather Mitchell), hot, bothered and wondering why their son hasn’t picked them up at the airport after a flight from Dubai.

By morning, there are three corpses in the house.

“Pimped” is strong stuff stylishly (and occasionally beyond credibility) presented with an enigmatic conclusion.

At Capitol 6

Saturday 23-24 March 2019 The Mallee Building at EPIC, Exhibition Park in Canberra

PSYCHIC READERS • HEALERS WORKSHOPS • MEDIUMS • STALLS

$5 entry includes FREE WORKSHOPS ALL DAY

Contact Lilitu or Natasha for more information or stallholder enquiries: (02) 6241 0799

Joanne Madeline Moore

Your week in the stars – March 25-31, 2019

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

PUZZLES PAGE NICHOLE OVERALL

Be careful you don’t undermine yourself this week Rams or blame other people when things go wrong. With the Sun charging through your sign (and your ruler Mars moving into gung-ho Gemini) it’s up to you to be proactive, plus fix things when they go haywire. So your motto is from fellow Aries (and birthday great) Diana Ross: “You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.”

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Mercury starts moving forwards again, so a frustrating situation should gradually get better. Avoid being a stubborn Bull though! You’ll find the more flexible and understanding you are, the more quickly things will improve. Venus (your guardian planet) also powers into Pisces which favours friendship, your peer group and your social circle. So think about how you can network with sympatico people in increasingly innovative, creative and pleasant ways.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

After an exasperating three weeks, you’re ready to head off in a challenging new direction! Your power planet Mercury moves forwards (from Thursday onwards) and then gung-ho Mars races through Gemini (until May 16). So frustration will gradually lift, to be replaced by a growing desire to get things done. So it’s a good week to prepare well and then initiate a bold new project. But don’t get carried away; promise the Moon and the stars; and fail to follow through.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

If you’re trying to get an ambitious project off the ground, make sure you cover all bases – from family and friends to groups, colleagues and international connections. It’s also a suitable time to start planning your next holiday, as Mercury moves forwards in your travel zone. Plus make your goals and aspirations as creative and innovative as possible. Be inspired by birthday great Gloria Steinem: “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.”

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Mercury finally moves forwards (from Thursday onwards) which should help an intimate relationship or a joint financial project that has been somewhat stalled. But you still need to plan carefully and be extra patient. Then mighty Mars marches through your hopes and wishes zone (until May 16). So it’s vital that you focus on manifesting your goals and dreams into something tangible. The dynamic red planet encourages you to talk about your plans… and then turn them into action.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

After three weeks in retrograde mode, Mercury (your patron planet) finally moves forwards in your relationship zone (from Thursday onwards). So all forms of communication should gradually improve as you express yourself and verbalise your Virgo feelings in more direct and digestible ways. If you still find you’re having problems with a romantic or platonic relationship, then it may be time to swallow your pride and hold out the olive branch of peace.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Don’t waste energy worrying, especially at work. Mercury turns direct so it’s a good week to re-connect with colleagues, tell them what’s on your mind and keep them up-to-date with your plans. Then Venus encourages you to look at a troubled relationship in a perceptive and diplomatic new light. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll just keep getting what you’re getting! So perhaps it’s time to re-set boundaries and road-test some creative new strategies?

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Mercury moves forwards (from Thursday onwards) so don’t fret about things you can’t control. Be proactive about projects where you can actually influence the long-term outcome. Thursday is the best day of the week, when a romantic relationship is boosted. But are you having problems with a child, parent or close friend? The more cooperative and diplomatic you are, the better communication will be. But it’s up to you to take action and make the first move.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

The planets precipitate a romantic or friendship shake-up, as you reassess your relationship priorities. But, under the influence of extravagant Venus and Jupiter, you could blow your budget with a spontaneous spending spree. Or commit yourself to an ambitious project that you really don’t have the energy or enthusiasm for. So think things through before you make promises! You’ll find short-term big talk is no good if it doesn’t translate into long-term dynamic action.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Do your best to be extra sensitive to the needs of others this week Goats. From Monday until Wednesday, retrograde Mercury stirs up relationship insecurities and you may have to handle a loved one with kid gloves! Keep your Capricorn cool, as you participate in some difficult conversations and then deftly steer the subject matter onto safer ground. Travel, education, social media and local community connections are particularly favoured from Thursday onwards.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

With Venus shifting into Pisces and Mercury finally moving forwards (both in your money zone) financial matters are about to improve. Thursday through until Sunday is a particularly auspicious time to brainstorm creative and proactive ways to save money and boost cash flow. This week’s electric planetary aspects will also help you communicate your innovative ideas with extra passion and pizzazz, as you link up with local like-minded friends and family members.

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

As the week progresses things will gradually improve, as lucky Venus transits into Pisces and then Mercury moves forwards in your sign. There’s one proviso though Pisces… keep grounded. Don’t get so stirred up and side-tracked that you lose sight of where you are actually heading. Be inspired by singer Celine Dion (who turns 51 on March 30): “What do you need to stay grounded, in touch, in love, connected and emotionally balanced? Look within yourself.”

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2018

9 Name a particular French brandy. (6)

10 To be definite and unreserved in expression, is to be what? (8)

11 What is a body of water flowing, as in a river? (6)

13 Name a less familiar term for brothers. (8)

16 What are clefts also known as? (8)

19 Name the reputed exclamation of Archimedes. (6)

22 What is a sample of a substance to be examined for a particular purpose? (8)

24 Which term describes several, or sundry? (6)

25 What means out-of-doors, or in the open air? (8)

26 Which number does the figure XC represent? (6) Down

2 What is a perch upon which domestic fowls rest at night? (5)

3 What were copper coins that represented twelve parts of a shilling? (5)

4 In which month did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbour during 1941? (8)

5 Name a particular speech defect. (4)

6 Of which democracy was Frédéric Chopin a native? (6)

7 To resemble a wolf is to be what? (6)

12 Name the British naval officer and explorer of the Arctic and Antarctic, Sir James Clark ... (4)

14 Which AFL team became the 2000 premiers? (8)

15 Who won three gold medals for women's swimming in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Stephanie ... ? (4)

17 Which African antelope can leap up to 9 metres? (6)

18 To be free from danger, is to be what? (6)

20 Name a large, glossy, black, omnivorous bird. (5)

21 What is a unit of weight in gemstones? (US) (5)

23 What is a land form having a relatively flat top, and bounded with steep rock walls? (4)

Time to be planting evergreens

By Cedric BRYANT

“AUTUMN time is planting time”, as the saying goes, and time for putting in evergreen trees and shrubs. Then in winter it will be time to plant deciduous ornamental trees and shrubs and fruit trees.

One of the most practical uses of evergreen plants is to provide

a well-clipped flowering hedge such as Camellia sasanqua flowering most of the winter. Or even a bottlebrush hedge of say, Callistemon Endeavour with its brilliant red flowers.

One important point with clipping hedges is to always keep the top narrower than the base. This allows an even distribution of natural light to the whole plant. An even more important point when planting a hedge is to dig a trench rather than individual holes. This allows the roots to spread along the trench providing a fastergrowing hedge. Planting in autumn means the plants aren’t battling hot

line around each plant rather than laying it out in a straight line, providing more even watering. March and October are the ideal times to clip evergreen hedges. In the case of winter and spring-flowering shrubs do not clip in March or you may be clipping off all the flower buds!

TAXUS baccata or English yew tree is one of the longest living trees in the world. Yew trees are especially associated with churchyards in Britain.

With modern dendrology (the study of trees), amazing advances have been made in ascertaining the age of trees by using core samples taken from the trunk.

In addition, the growth rings can indicate periods of wet weather or droughts, thus giving a climate pattern over millennia. Although that means cutting down the tree.

“Country Life” magazine noted yew trees have been recorded in excess of 5000 years old. These have been used traditionally for hedges and topiary of which British gardens are famous. The tallest yew hedge in England is more than 13 metres tall and over 300 years old at a park in Cirencester, which I understand they use a cherry picker to clip. The red berries of yew are harmless, however the seeds and needles are lethal and highly toxic.

Despite this, yew is used for cancer treatment with the needles having chemicals known as taxanes, which once extracted help prevent cancer cells forming.

LARGE deciduous trees will start dropping copious amounts of leaves over the next couple of months. They are an invaluable resource for gardens. Firstly, shred the leaves using a mower before adding to the compost. If space is limited a simpler solution is to form a circle of bird netting about a metre across held in place with two or three tomato stakes.

A good handful of garden lime should be added for every few barrow loads of leaves. The compost is sieved after a few months to eliminate bits of stick etcetera that have not broken down. The end result is usually about 40 barrow loads per bin of simply beautiful compost to spread in winter. More on mulching later in August.

Jottings...

• Clean fallen fruit from under fruit trees.

• Sow seeds or transplant seedlings of winter veggies.

• Plant carpet thyme as a living mulch.

• Wear gloves when handling hyacinth bulbs as they can cause skin irritation.

An exclusive opportunity for over 55’s CONSTRUCTION