The Northern Rivers Echo Main News

Fine fillies take a punt

Story & photo: Julian Ryan

Dressed to thrill: Getting ready for today's Carlton Draught Ballina Cup are (l-r) Corina Bordin, Vanessa Chwialkowski and Kristie Windle, wearing selected fashions from Le Chelle Boutique in Lennox Head.

Fine weather is expected to draw thousands of punters and partygoers through the gates at today's Ballina Cup and most people you talk to have their own methods on how to pick a winner and have a good time.

Corina Bordin of Lennox Head has singled Active Combat out as the winner of the Cup because she reckons the nag has got form.

"It won its last start and I expect him to continue this form to win the Cup so that's where my hard earned is going," she said.

Vanessa Chwialkowski likes number 12, Telestar, simply because of its name. "I have a pet rottweiler called Star so I will have to make a small investment just for a bit of fun," she said.

Meanwhile Kristie Windle of Lennox Head is planning on having a free day out, so winning the Cup for her is a must.

"Kaaptive Idea has got to win because I'm planning on having a big day out and my win will pay for the privilege," she said.

The three Lennox ladies will all be wearing fashions from La Chelle Boutique in Lennox Head. According to the owner - and one of the fashions judges - Michelle Chandler, today's fashion standards will be neck and neck too.

"This year the ladies have gone all out buying hats, fascinators, shoes and handbags, so selecting a winner in the Fashion on the Field is going to be quite difficult," Michelle said.

"One thing for certain is that there will be plenty of colour on course and all through Spring for that matter."

Michelle only bets on Ballina Cup Day and is certain she has the mail.

"I got a red hot tip from a friend in the know so I'm having a straight $50 for the win on horse number one, Beamer," she said.

"I just hope I get good odds and hope that he's first past the post."

The eight-race program starts at 12.53pm with the Middlebrook Valley Lodge Maiden Plate set weight race over 1300 metres, before a class one handicap at 1.28pm.

The Fashions on the Field will be judged after race five at 3.20pm and the starter will open the gates for the Ballina Cup Open Handicap at 4.35pm.

High hopes for kids

CASPA general manager Lisa Gardiner (front left) and CASPA staff members (l-r) Denise Ashworth, Hope Watt, Jude Benson and Kerry Hickey with just some of 160-odd artworks that will feature in the Charity Art Auction tomorrow night.

Money may not buy love or happiness, but it can buy hope for a child.

By doing something as simple as buying an artwork at the CASPA Charity Art Auction, you can make an enormous difference in the lives of abused and neglected children.

CASPA is a child and adolescent support service that cares for local children who are no longer able to live at home. It provides a safe place to live, practical support and also fosters positive relationships that allow children to trust again.

The Charity Art Auction is this Friday, September 9, at Invercauld House in Goonellabah, where there will be more than 160 pieces of art from established and emerging artists.

With everything from a David Boyd and a Ken Done print to large-scale originals by the likes of Katka Adams and Raylee Delaney, the Charity Art Auction will have an artwork - and a price tag - to suit everyone.

"We were truly amazed by the generosity of the artists. It's been really overwhelming to see how much people care," said Lisa. "There will be pieces going for less than $50 right through to many thousands of dollars, and for anyone who's interested in art, this is definitely a rare chance to pick up bargain. It's also an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of local children. Your presence is the greatest gift you can give."

The Charity Art Auction kicks off at 6pm. Tickets are $35 each, which includes fine food, drinks, entertainment and the company of well-known identity Vanessa Wagner, who will be auctioneer.

People are welcome to turn up on the night, or you can pre-purchase tickets from CASPA at 17 Keen Street, (phone 6621 5446), the Women's Health Centre in Uralba Street or Caddies Bean Shop.

With such a huge collection of artworks CASPA may not be able to auction everything on the night. Any remaining artworks will be available for viewing and for sale at Invercauld House from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, September 10, alongside entries in CASPA's recent children's art competition.

Fair dinkum fun

Teven/Tintenbar Public School students Kaius Potter, Nathan Veness and Sheridan Veness can't wait for the school's country fair this Saturday.

If you fancy great food and entertainment, finding a bargain or even the odd spot of cow poo lotto, then head to Teven/Tintenbar Public School annual country fair this Saturday, September 10.

Country fair committee member Kim Potter said the whole school has worked very hard to make this year's fair the best ever.

"Just about every family from the school has contributed and even members of the community who don't have kids have helped out," Kim said. "We will have face painting, a magician, music and dance, a puppet show, pony rides, a jumping castle and much more, so there'll definitely be something for everyone."

Entry is free or for a gold coin donation you can go in the draw to win an Apple iPod.

The country fair runs from 10am to 4pm.

Teven/Tintenbar Public School is located in Fredrick's Lane, Tintenbar.

Farmarama is back

Peter and Sylvia Smith from Lismore Hydraulics and Engineering with their revolutionary design, the Harvestmaster, which will be on display at Farmarama.

Farmarama organiser Howard Atkinson says the event looks set to be one of the largest displays of horticultural equipment ever seen in the Northern Rivers. After a brief absence in 2004, Farmarama is back and will include lectures from horticultural specialists as well as farm equipment displays.

Mr Atkinson said there will be a strong emphasis on the macadamia industry.

"Other industries to be represented over the two days include coffee, olives, stone fruit and the burgeoning wholesale nursery industry," he said.

One of the major highlights of Farmarama will be a massive garden market on Saturday when people can come along and buy bargain plants.

Farmarama is this Friday and Saturday, September 9 and 10, at the TAFE Rural Studies Centre in Wollongbar. All proceeds will go to the Life Saver Rescue Helicopter.

Lucky ducks prepare for big race

Getting ready for the 13th annual Great Duck Race hosted by the Rotary Club of Ballina is the club's director of community services John Anderssen training some of the corporate sponsored ducks.

Thirteen may be an unlucky number for some, but superstition is the last thing on the minds of the Rotary Club of Ballina as they prepare for the 13th annual Great Duck Race as part of next weekend's Ballina Rivafest celebrations.

The race will take place in the Richmond River next to Fawcett Park on Sunday, September 18, at 12.30pm. It features 'corporate' and 'consumer' duck races over 50 metres.

Businesses can buy a duck for $50 and decorate it, and the winner receives an engraved perpetual trophy.

Ducks in the consumer race are $2. This year the first prize is a $400 DVD recorder and the runner up will receive a $200 juicer.

Rotary Club of Ballina community services director, John Anderssen, said the Club hopes the Grat Duck Race will raise more than $5000 for local charities.

"This event has grown from strength to strength and there are 80 ducks on sale for the corporate event and 1000 ducks are competing in the consumer race," John said. "To organise an event like this it takes a lot of coordination and the Rotary Club of Ballina would like to thank the Puglisi family and Australian Seabird Rescue for their ongoing support and efforts to make this event so successful."

Tickets for the Great Duck Race will be sold next Thursday and Friday, September 15 and 16, from the Rotary stall in River Street, Ballina. They will also be available from the Rotary marquee at Fawcett Park before the race.

For more info on the Great Duck Race, phone John Anderssen on 6681 3998.

A taste of the region's best

Chef Peeter Pruul from Lismore restaurant Basilico checks out his entry in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

The food industry's bible, The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, was launched in Sydney on Monday and Northern Rivers restaurants have once again performed strongly.

Byron Bay seafood restaurant Fins was again declared one of the state's finest dining experiences. It was one of just four restaurants awarded a coveted two hats by the critics. Dish and Boomerang, also in Byron, were both awarded one chef's hat.

The 21st edition of the Good Food Guide, which is co-edited by Echo editor Simon Thomsen, also features great places to dine in Ballina, Lismore, Newrybar, Woodburn and Federal, as well as local provedores.

Paupiettes in Lismore was once again lauded, with the judges awarding it 14 out of 20 and declaring that "You'll feel like a happy kid again with a feather-light rendition of banana fritters and luscious honeycomb ice-cream".

The 2006 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide features more than 840 listings from across NSW, as well as the best in interstate dining. Sydney fine diner est. was named restaurant of the year, while the critics also raised eyebrows in demoting celebrity chef Neil Perry's Rockpool restaurant from three hats to two.

The Good Food Guide is available from local bookshops for $24.95.

Heart politics

The 2005 Heart Politics Gathering will be held from September 16 -18 at Koinonia, Evans Head.

This year's conference, entitled Belonging in a Changing World, will feature a talk on 'The Ethics of Belonging' by Baden Offord, cultural studies lecturer at Southern Cross University.

The Heart Politics Gathering will also feature open space workshops and support groups, with plenty of opportunities to share stories, listen to music and have a fun and relaxing weekend.

The cost is $140-200 for adults (depending on ability to pay) and $60 per child, which includes accommodation and vegetarian food.

For registration or to find out more about Heart Politics phone Elly Wilson on 6686 7223.

Singing for Uganda

The African children's choir Watoto (pictured) will be performing a one-off concert next Thursday, September 15, to help orphaned children in Uganda.

Uganda has been plagued by a violent civil war and the deadly AIDS epidemic, which has left around two million children orphaned.

Watoto is strongly committed to helping these children into family environments rather than large institutional orphanages.

Next Thursday's concert is free, with people asked to donate whatever they can afford. The concert is being sponsored and hosted by the Eastgate Christian Community Church in Byron Bay and will begin at 7pm.

For more information phone Roz on 6688 4072 or Neville on 6685 6763.

A dance of hope

Alstonville dance teacher Sue Whiteman with a student at the Nan Khem School in Thailand, which was built thanks to the generosity of people in the Northern Rivers.

It's eight months since the Boxing Day tsunami devastated much of Southern Thailand, but new hope is emerging from the devastation thanks to the fundraising efforts of Alstonville dance teacher Sue Whiteman. The Khao Lak region has a new school paid for by the generous donations of Northern Rivers residents. It's also a testament to more than 30 members of her dance troupe, who were killed in the disaster.

Sue was due to perform with her dance troupe in Phuket on the day of the disaster, but her plane was diverted to Bangkok, where she was told the horrific news. She decided to help the survivors rebuild their lives and organised a series of local dance-a-thons, and then set up a charity to build the school.

"We have managed to raise about $25,000 and it's really important for the people who supported us to know that the school is now operational," Sue said. "These people lost everything and in this area there were once three schools."

Although the school is presently open Sue said classes are being held under makeshift conditions and the school desperately needs resources before it can take more students.

"We only have one set of textbooks between 400 students and very little furniture, but I am determined to keep on going " Sue said. "I have set up an exchange art program between the school and Wilson Creek Public School. It works like a pen pal system and is an inexpensive but effective form of education."

Sue hopes the Nan Khem School will be fully operational by the end of the year, when it will have 800 students enrolled and a new dormitory. Sue's next fundraising event is the North Coast Dance Festival at Byron Bay High School this Saturday and Sunday, September 10-11.

For more information about the Festival and Sue's fundraising activities phone 6686 2520.

Thieves target Lantern Parade office

Lismore Lantern Parade artistic director Jyllie Jackson (left) with Bec Massey in their office which was ransacked by thieves over the weekend.

The Lismore Lantern Parade was dealt a costly blow on the weekend when thieves broke in and ransacked the office in Orion Street, stealing office equipment valued at $10,000.

The thieves also made off with important Lantern Parade documents, a wheelchair and $200 in cash.

Lantern Parade artistic director Jyllie Jackson said she felt "totally devastated" by the burglary.

"They stole two Macintosh computers, a printer, a brand new multi function centre, the petty cash and the wheelchair, which was to be sent to Asia to help the victims of the tsunami," Jyllie said. "It's going to cost us more than $10,000 to replace all this equipment and we're just all heartbroken and shocked."

Lantern Parade team member Bec Massey said the cruellest part of the attack is that LightnUp relies on the help of volunteers.

"We would greatly appreciate the support from the community to replace the equipment that has been stolen by these heartless thieves," she said.

Anyone with any information about the robbery should contact Lismore Police on 6623 1599. To offer assistance to the Lantern Parade office, phone 6622 6333.

Canberra's finest offers a top drop

Respected Canberra winemaker Ken Helm (pictured) is the featured guest at the second annual Lismore Wine Fair next Sunday, September 18.

Ken and his wife Judith first planted vines around Canberra in 1973, ignoring the many sceptics who called their actions foolish. The entrepreneurial couple have since proven their critics wrong, winning more than 100 awards for their fine wines and pioneering a major wine industry in the region.

Ken will be sharing his knowledge and love of wine with drinkers at the Lismore Wine Fair.

On the day people can taste more than 70 premium wines from Australian and New Zealand vineyards, as well as try a range of gourmet foods that have been carefully selected to complement and enhance the wines on offer.

"This is an extremely rare opportunity to taste some of the finest wines on the market today, and it's not just aimed at experts or buffs - it's simply a fun afternoon for anyone who loves a good drop," said Our Kids fundraising officer, Rebekka Battista. "It's very unusual to have such a large selection of wines for tasting outside a capital city, and it's a great chance to match your favourite wines with delicious local produce. People can purchase anything from single bottles or cases on the day, or just enjoy a relaxing get together with friends."

The Lismore Wine Fair is a major fundraiser for the Our Kids charity, which purchases lifesaving equipment for children undergoing treatment in the Children's Ward and Special Care Nursery at Lismore Base Hospital.

It is being held at the Left Bank Café next Sunday, September 18, from 12-4pm.

Tickets are $10. Phone 6620 2705 to book or you can buy tickets at the door that afternoon.

Ballina health team offers new life

By Eve Sinton

Kidney dialysis patient Melissa Darnley, of Pottsville, with Ballina Hospital Renal Unit nurse Graeme Turner, of Wollongbar, who is teaching her how to use the machine so she can do her own dialysis at home.

Melissa Darnley was a healthy, active school teacher until a severe bout of the flu 13 years ago left her with an unexpected complication - her kidneys were damaged.

Since then Melissa has spent years visiting specialists, taking special care of her diet and lifestyle, and controlling the disease with drugs. But as her condition deteriorated she came face to face with the dreaded 'big D' - kidney dialysis.

"I have just had to commence dialysis, which as you can imagine is an extremely daunting prospect," she said. "I did not fancy spending my days in and out of hospital with just enough dialysis to keep me going while waiting several years for a kidney transplant."

Melissa was told that she could learn to do dialysis overnight at home, giving her a more normal life. The only place between Robina and Queensland offering home dialysis training was Ballina Hospital's Renal Unit.

"And so I entered the world of dialysis machines, miles of plastic tubing, blood flowing all over the place, endless blood tests and lots of big needles," she said. "I am being taught how to deal with all this by the renal education nurse, Graeme Turner. Without Graeme's first class teaching techniques and fantastic empathy towards people such as myself, I really would not have got through these past few weeks," Melissa said. "He really is an unsung hero."

Graeme, a quiet, gentle man, has been working in the unit for 18 months. He has two patients in training at a time, and looks after 23 others all over the Northern Rivers who need ongoing help with their home dialysis programs.

"The training can take anywhere from one to six months," he said. "Until patients feel comfortable doing it and we feel confident with them doing it at home."

One advantage of home dialysis is being able to run the machine overnight while asleep, so it has less impact on a person's life and they also feel better with the longer, slower sessions.

Graeme says he enjoys his work.

"It's very rewarding. You see someone come in with a lot of fear, and then they get to a stage where they can go home and use the machine with confidence. People doing dialysis do have a reasonable quality of life. Some choose not to have a transplant due to their beliefs or for other reasons, so they may continue on dialysis for long periods."

The incidence of kidney disease is growing as a consequence of increasingly common conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also be hereditary.

Melissa said it's important for people to realise how important it is to sign the donor consent when getting a driver's licence.

"At present someone such as myself could be waiting seven to 10 years in NSW for a kidney transplant. If you become a donor you can give someone the chance of a vastly improved life," she said.

Meanwhile, Melissa can't speak highly enough of the help she is getting at Ballina Hospital. "Even the hospital manager comes in to say a friendly hello."

Further information on kidney disease can be found at www.kidney.org.au.

Ballina business

A business after hours networking function will be held in Ballina next Tuesday, September 13, from 5.30pm. The event is part of Small Business September and is hosted by the Ballina Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

For details, phone 6681 5049.

Family fun

Alstonville Public School is hosting its Family Fun Extravaganza this Saturday, September 10, in the school grounds from 10am.

There will be heaps of stalls such as white elephant, craft and home cooking, with entertainment including Prime Possum, a talent quest and school children performing throughout the day.

Arthritis fundraiser

The Lismore branch of the Arthritis Association will hold a fashion parade at St Paul's Presbyterian Church in Keen Street, Lismore, this Saturday, September 10, from 1.30pm.

The afternoon will include raffles and plenty of entertainment, with afternoon tea provided.

Proceeds will be used to send children with arthritis to Camp Footloose.

Entry is $8. For bookings or info phone Jill on 6628 1640 or Ann on 6629 8221.

Riding for Ronald

Ballina McDonalds owner and father of three, Scott Campbell (pictured), spent last week riding 500km by bicycle from Inverell to Newcastle to raise money for Ronald McDonald House.

The ride, which finished on Father's Day, raised more than $85,000 for Ronald McDonald House, which "blew us away completely - we were so amazed" said Scott.

"The weather was great and it only rained on the last day... the generosity of the people in every single town was just unbelievable," Scott said. "I'd been training for couple of months, but the pace was pretty easy so I can still feel my legs, although there is a bit of pain in my thigh muscles. It was a sensational experience and in every town we met someone who had used Ronald McDonald House, which was very powerful and really brought home to us just why we were doing the ride."

Scott joined 16 other riders for the inaugural 'Fortunate Fathers Riding for Less Fortunate Kids' charity bike ride to raise money for the charity, which helps country parents remain with their children when they are undergoing medical treatment in the city.

Scott now plans to undertake a similar ride next year, which will possibly go from Ballina to Forster.

Floating collection policy to stay

By Julian Ryan

The Richmond Tweed Regional Library's trial floating collection policy on fiction books will remain until December, after a motion to axe the policy was lost at a meeting held last Thursday.

In June the 13-branch library controlled by the Lismore Ballina, Byron and Tweed Councils trailed the policy whereby fiction books are not returned to their library of origin, but instead remain at the branch where they were returned

Acting Regional Library manager Dianne Rooney said no libraries in the region are being disadvantaged by the policy.

"I'm happy to see the policy remain until December because this will allow us to collect more statistics on the movement of books within our region," Ms Rooney said.

"Since the trial period began in June it has significantly reduced the workload of our courier."

A river runs through it

Launching the $500,000 first stage of the Wilsons River Experience Walk last Friday were (l-r) Page MP Ian Causley, project coordinator Lois Kelly, Lismore mayor Merv King, Wilsons River Redevelopment steering committee member Ros Derrett, Norco chairman Greg McNamara and Norco secretary Mark Myers.

The day included the unveiling of a new historic site, which features large-scale panels telling the history of the Wilsons River, plus a bushfood garden and a Norco Obelisk, which pays tribute to the company's instrumental role in the local dairy industry.

The day also included the opening on a new off-leash dog area and the launch of the new multi-level boating facilities at the Ballina Street jetty.

"One of the really spectacular things about the opening was that it showed what a true community development project this was," said Wilsons River Redevelopment Project coordinator, Lois Kelly. "A real spirit of harmony and sharing has come from this project and there are so many positive outcomes. We are improving the environment around the Wilsons River and re-planting the riverbank with original species and we're building strong cultural bonds between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The project will also have many economic benefits as more tourists are drawn back to the river and the city of Lismore."

Government delay to blame for Highway deaths: NRMA

By Eve Sinton

The NSW and federal governments have been accused of having blood on their hands over the delayed upgrade of the Pacific Highway. Taking the battle to the streets literally, the motorist lobby group NRMA is planning a series of billboard on Pacific Highway black spots where people have died, reminding motorists to take extra care and calling on the governments to act to save lives.

During a recent visit to Lismore NRMA director Wendy Machin said that after several recent deaths, enough was enough.

"That section of road was supposed to be upgraded by 2003. What do you have to do to get in the face of government and remind them that they should get on with things? We're going to have to start telling them they've got blood on their hands by failing to get the Pacific Highway upgraded," she said.

The advertising campaign will target the two-thirds of the Pacific Highway still to be upgraded to a dual carriageway.

"The State and Federal governments' buck-passing has to stop and the work has to be done," Ms Machin said. "No more excuses or tollway proposals - we need both levels of government to fulfil their basic obligation of providing safe roads for the driving public. The cold hard fact is that hundreds of people have been killed and injured on the Pacific Highway because of its inadequate infrastructure, and hundreds more will certainly die if upgrades do not proceed."

Ms Machin said that the nation's road structure was not prepared for the estimated trebling of truck traffic alone over the next 20 years, and called for the Coalition to put $5 billion into an infrastructure trust fund to address urgent and future road issues.

Suggestions for billboard locations can be emailed to better.roads@mynrma.com.au.

Highway summit

Pressure on state and federal governments to make the Pacific Highway safer will continue this Friday, September 9, with a second summit of local councils being held at Port Macquarie.

Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils (NOROC) president Ernie Bennett said there had been overwhelmingly strong interest from councils along the entire length of the highway to have it upgraded to a safe dual carriageway within 10 years.

"The Pacific Highway has become a juggernaut that affects all our communities," he said. "The message to state and federal governments is clear - spend more money now to achieve a safe dual carriageway."

Mr Bennett said the Pacific Highway Summit II was another important way that local communities could tell governments that crashes on the highway were unacceptable.

Koala rescuers need rescuing

Volunteer care group Friends of the Koala have been called to more than 10 road accidents over the last month, and the Koala Care Centre is overwhelmed with sick and injured animals.

One of the latest incidents was a call from a motorist who had been unable to avoid a koala on the Bruxner Highway near the Alphadale crossroad last Saturday.

The motorist stopped and ushered the obviously injured koala to the roadside where it bolted up a small Turpentine tree. He reported it to the Friends of the Koala, but when volunteers Kay and Warrwick Sherring and Lorraine Vass arrived 20 minutes later, they could see their only chance of retrieving the severely injured animal was with a cherry picker.

"We called Country Energy for assistance and advised the landowner, Rob Hackett, of what was going on," Lorraine said. "They did a great job."

The animal was taken to a vet, but was put down.

"Despite the goodwill of all those involved, this animal was beyond help, but its pain and suffering was minimised," she said

Mrs Vass said road fatalities are second only to disease as the prime cause of death of koalas across the Northern Rivers.

The group has a record 18 koalas in care - double the figure for this time last year. Friends of the Koala are holding a training day this Saturday, September 10, for people who want to do voluntary work in the Koala Care Centre.

"There is a big need at the moment for people willing to do hands-on care and take the pressure off our existing team," Mrs Vass said.

The training day is free, and will be held at the Care Centre in Rifle Range Road, Lismore, from 10am-2pm. To register phone Barb Dobner on 6688 8165.

To report sick, injured or dead koalas, phone 0427 045 823.

Mental health unit moves ahead

The planned redevelopment of the Richmond Clinic mental health unit took a major step forward last week with the official handover over of a short section of Weaver Street, between Fermoy Street and Lismore Base Hospital (LBH), to the North Coast Area Health Service.

The road is required for the construction of the inpatient unit, expected to cost $25.8 million and result in an expansion of the facility from the present 25 adult beds to 40, plus a new 8-bed child and adolescent unit. The likely completion date is early 2007.

The handover of the section of the road followed the acquisition of properties from former local residents, many of whom attended an afternoon tea at LBH for the official handover by Lismore's mayor, Merv King, and a briefing on the redevelopment works.

The redevelopment of Richmond Clinic is the first stage of the overall Lismore Base Hospital masterplan. The initial works are progressing well, with the new IT area operational and the kitchen, cafeteria area and new medical officers' lounge well underway.

Nimbin shutterbug on the road to success

Rafaela Rosella from Nimbin (pictured) has been awarded a $5000 scholarship from the Father Chris Riley's Youth Off The Streets charity to further her dream of becoming a professional photographer.

Living in Nimbin, the 16-year-old has struggled with the strong influence of drugs in her local community and found herself getting into trouble. Determined to turn her life around, Rafaela now attends a young women's group at her local youth club and guides younger kids through the centre.

She has always excelled in photography and will use the $5000 to buy a digital SLR camera. She is also thinking of moving to Adelaide to undertake a professional photography course.

"I was so excited when I found out... I ran up and told my photography teacher and he gave me a big hug," Rafaela said. "It's given me a better future to look forward to - without this money I couldn't even think of buying a camera or doing a proper photography course."

Rafaela will travel to Sydney this Saturday for the scholarship presentation, which coincides with Shine Day - the inaugural national fundraiser for Youth Off The Streets.

"Shine Day is about paying tribute to today's youth," said Father Riley. "Many young people do not realise the potential they have within and Shine Day aims to bring that greatness and potential to the forefront."

To find out more about Youth Off The Streets or to buy Shine Day merchandise visit www.shineday.com.au, or phone 1300 722 387.

Woodlawn's greatest appeal

St John's College Woodlawn was recently awarded the Norman B Rydge Junior Shield after collecting $5717 during the 2005 Red Cross Calling Appeal - the greatest amount raised by any school in country NSW this year.

St John's College teacher Annette Reen and students Christina Kindermann and Zachary Nowotny received the award in Sydney from Red Cross (NSW) executive director Michael Lynch.

Ms Reen said the students are now motivated to collect even more money during next year's appeal.

"It is essential to support this cause as we live in a world of uncertainty and inequity, and Woodlawn students are keen supporters of social justice issues," she said.

Better equipped to care

Trying out the new tables and chairs bought with a Volunteer Small Equipment Grant recently is Lismore Meals on Wheels president Hugh Bond (front) with Page MP Ian Causley (rear centre), Meals on Wheels treasurer Grahame Bonamy and manager Cathie Eames.

Volunteers from Lismore Meals on Wheels now have somewhere to share a chat and cuppa after buying new tables and chairs with a federal Government grant.

The $2558 grant was also used to buy partitions and a bookcase for the Lismore Meals on Wheels office at the Goonellabah Community Centre.

"The morale of our volunteers is vital and they work very hard, so it's important we have a few home comforts for them here in the office," said Lismore Meals on Wheels president, Hugh Bond. "We have around 250 volunteers and up until now they have had nowhere to sit and talk to the staff after a hard day's work."

Lismore Meals on Wheels serves an average of 850 meals each week to around 180 clients throughout the Lismore and Alstonville areas.

The organisation is always looking for new clients and volunteers. For more information phone 6624 8214.

Thanks for helping Our Kids

Sponsors of the Our Kids Calendar recently handed over framed photographs of the children featured in the annual calendar to their families during a special thank you at the Left Bank Café in Lismore.

Now in its third year, the Our Kids Calendar has raised more than $80,000 to purchase medical equipment for the Children's Ward and Special Care Nursery at Lismore Base Hospital. Each year 12 local children - who have all spent time or receive ongoing treatment in the Children's Ward or Special Care Nursery - are photographed for the calendar by Jacklyn Wagner. Last week, the children and their families were thanked, along with the long list of sponsors who make the project possible each year. The 2005 sponsors are: The Northern Rivers Echo, Mayne Investments, The Condon Group, First Pacific Credit Union, the Quota Club of Alstonville/Wollongbar, the Rotary Club of Lismore Central, Lismore City Printery, Goonellabah Medical Centre, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, St Vincent's Hospital, McDonalds, Richmond Waste, Hurfords Building Supplies, Budget Eyewear, The Northern Star, and NBN.

Emma's bard of the plateau

Alstonville High School student Emma Hannam (pictured) received a Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Award for her work Sudden Rain from former deputy prime minister John Anderson last week.

Emma wrote the poem as part of her major work for English in her HSC.

"When I found out that I had won the Senior Secondary Section I was very excited," Emma said. "It's certainly inspired me to continue writing more poetry."

The national Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition received 15,700 entries from 873 schools right across Australia.

Obituary

Bruce Fenwick
Electrical retailer
Born: Casino, April 11, 1941
Died: Tuckombil, August 13, 2005

Bruce Fenwick had two great loves: his wife Denise and his classic Rover. Both were with him when he died two weeks ago, following a road accident less than a kilometre from his Tuckombil home.

Born Robert Bruce Fenwick in Casino during the war, Bruce established an electrical store in Alstonville and ran it with Denise for 28 years before retiring last year.

Denise said her husband loved every minute of his time in the business and made a lot of good friends along the way.

"In 1976 we started Handy Electrics in Alstonville and during this time Bruce really enjoyed the contact with our customers," Denise said.

"Bruce's other passion was Rover cars and he was a long serving member of the Summerland Sports & Classic Car Club."

A community-minded person, Bruce was an honorary ambulance member, a long-serving member of Rotary and was awarded a National Service Medal for 15 years service with the State Emergency Service.

"He was a very likeable, happy soul who loved life, nature and people." Denise said.

Bruce Fenwick was 63. He is survived by his mother Daphne, his wife Denise and his daughter Christine.

Julian Ryan

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