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The Royal Australian Mint is seeking designs from secondary school students for a 50-cent coin to celebrate the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. They're seeking an original design that reflects the spirit of the Games, which will attract 6,000 athletes from 71 nations competing in 16 sports. The winner will score their initials on the coin and $10,000 for their school. Entries close on October 15. Details on the competition are available at the Mint website - www.ramint.gov.au

The Pioneer Tavern in Wollongbar is holding a lunch for leukaemia, to raise funds for the fight against cancer, on Friday, September 17. The cost is $25 for wine, two-courses and coffee. For details or to book phone 6628 1848.

Local Jews are getting ready to celebrate two important occasions on their religious calendar in the coming weeks. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins on Wednesday, September 15 at sunset, with the traditional blowing of the shofar, a ram's horn. It ushers in the 10 days of reflection before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which begins with the Kol Nidre service at sunset on Friday, September 24. It's a day of fasting and prayer.

Local Jewish group Rainbow Kehilah will hold a communal feast for Rosh Hashanah and a breakfast after Yom Kippur. To attend, phone Susi on 6685 4440 or Julie on 6684 4166 for more information.

Politics has become so tediously stage-managed, it's a blessed relief when the unexpected happens, as it did last week. First up, former Midnight Oil singer and Labor candidate for a Sydney seat, Peter Garrett, swung by Byron Bay to campaign last Thursday. After doing the rounds, he got out of the "bag of fruit" (his slang for suit) and caught up with former Oils drummer Rob Hirst, who has a holiday house in Byron, for a quick jam at the Railway Hotel where he belted out a couple of old songs - 'Our Country' and 'Progress'. One bloke from the crowd appealed for him to sing one more song "and you'll get my vote". It didn't work.

Meanwhile, the PM paid a somewhat clandestine visit last Friday. Local media weren't told, although on the ABC, Page MP Ian Causley invited voters to tea and bikkies with Mr Howard in Grafton. But if you wanted to go, you had to ring Mr Causley's office by 10am to register your name for "safety and security reasons" or you wouldn't be allowed in.

We're not sure how this keeps the PM safe - one can only assume than when Mr O bin Laden rings up, they say "sorry, house full". Mind you, earlier in the day, Mr Howard discovered what happens when you don't keep the riff raff out. During a press conference in Murwillumbah, he was interrupted by a bloke who strolled up and dropped a bag of cheese at the PM's feet (last week, it emerged that a Queensland Liberal Senator calls his leader 'the rodent'), declaring "you and your mates are past your use-by date and you'll be looking for jobs". Mr Howard quipped "Okay, I think we know who he's voting for." As his tormentor wandered off, the bloke couldn't resist adding "the security seems pretty slack around here guys". (For full commentary, see Mungo's column).

Picture perfect fatherhood

This beautiful photograph by Johanna Qualmann of Modanville Primary School, featuring her dad Michael and younger sister Anna-lina rowing together, was named the primary school winner at the Thanks Dad National Photo Competition award presentation on Saturday. The open prize was won by Belinda Schultze of Markwood, a small country town near Wangarratta in Victoria.

The Thanks Dad National Photo Competition, supported by Community Connections in Lismore, is now in its fifth year and has attracted more entries than ever.

The People's Choice Exhibition is available for display at shopping centres, schools or community venues. To arrange a suitable time phone Community Connections on 6622 3143 or visit the website at www.thanksdad.org.au. The exhibition will be on show in Lismore during October. Details will be published closer to the date.

Blaze heralds the start of spring

These amazing photos of last week's Broadwater fire were taken by Boyd Townsend from the NSW Rural Fire Service. The blaze started around noon last Monday beside the Pacific Highway, south of Broadwater. Approximately 450 hectares, mostly National Park, were burnt as flames were fanned by strong northerly winds, before timely rains helped bring the blaze under control and by the weekend.

Rural Fire Service spokesman Tony Belton said that due to the patchy recent weather, and dry and warm conditions, no Fire Permits are being issued in the Northern Rivers area, except for essential agricultural reasons, and any that were issued are automatically suspended.

Back to the fold

One of the original Manifold Public School students from 1929, 82-year-old Grace Ward, joined current students to celebrate the school's 75th anniversary on Saturday.

For Grace Ward, coming back to Manifold Public School for the 75th anniversary on Saturday was an emotional occasion, where she rekindled old friendships and reminisced about those seemingly idyllic schoolyard days.

The 82-year-old from Ballina was one of the very first students to attend Manifold Public School in 1929, and she vividly remembers riding her small pony the three miles to school and back each day.

Unbelievably, more than 70 years later, Grace still rides horses and can find her way around the playground like it was yesterday.

"All these years afterwards it still feels like home - everything is just so familiar," Grace said. "It's quite overwhelming seeing all the old faces again though - they bring back so many happy memories. I loved school so much in those days and used to cry every afternoon on the way home. I wanted an education so badly."

The anniversary was a huge success, with Grace joining around 150 other former students and staff to celebrate the milestone.