Shaggy Dog Comments...

Issue 730

Our Reality Used to Be a Friend of Mine Award for this week goes to Lismore Mayor Bob Gates. At last week's council workshop to discuss the memorial baths redevelopment, discussion centred around whether to stage the work. Council's finance manager, Rino Santin, said staging could add around 10 per cent to the costs – ie. Around $400,000 if the project costs $4 million. Cr Gates is keen to stage the project, believing that staging the borrowing for the project is somehow more palatable to all concerned. Mr Santin described it as 'delaying the inevitable'. Mr Santin said inflation – currently around 6% – would be a major part of the increased costs. But the mayor would not be deterred.

'I don't count inflation as an increase in costs,' he said.

How much are you prepared to pay to get a politician to shut up for an hour? Well Lismore MP Thomas George is promising silence in the name of good cause next Thursday when he'll join local speech pathologists for a ‘sponsored silence'. August 6–10 is Speech Pathology Week, and there'll be a special display at Lismore Shopping Square on communication impairments. Thomas the Quiet, and the speech therapists will be silence between 10.30am and 11.30am on August 9, to raise funds for the Starlight Foundation, a charity which helps grant wishes for seriously ill children. So get along and give a donation to keep our local MP quiet for an hour (at least).

NORPA's Hot and Spicy Ball at Lismore City Hall, on August 11, launches the Northern Rivers Herb Festival, with a night of music and dancing. It's going to be a fun night with two live bands heating things up, and tasty regional cuisine helping keep energy levels up. Tickets are on sale now (you can save $10 a ticket if you buy a table of 10). And to get you in the groove, there are free salsa dancing classes for ticket holders over the next two Fridays, August 3 and 10. To spice up your life, call the Northern Rivers Ticket Centre on 6621 5600.

On behalf of our colleague Square Eyes, we apologise to readers who had August start a day early in the TV guide. Last time we checked there are still 31 days in July. It cause even more concern for Frank Hambley (father of Bob) who turned 89 on Tuesday (but missed out on the big occasion on the TV pages). A very happy birthday to Frank.

Speaking of TV boo-boos, the ABC managed to shoot itself in the foot this week after slipping Blue Murder into the drama schedule at the last minute. NSW viewers have been waiting six years to see this award winning drama about police corruption. The story of enforcer Neddy Smith, Det. Roger Rogerson, and other nefarious Sydney types had screened everywhere else in Australia, but contempt of court concerns kept it off air in NSW. Aunty put it to air too late for papers like The Echo and The Australian to point out this must-see show to viewers. But given the parlous state of the national broadcaster, we shouldn't be surprised by such ad hoc decisions.

While we're on the mea culpa front, we'd like to correct another recent error for the public record. Cr Frank Swientek is not the chair of council's Sports Association, it's Cr John Chant. Apologies to both.

Former Lismore lad and NSW Arts Minister-turned-author Peter Collins returned to familiar soil on the weekend when he opened the Bentley Art Show. He's pictured with Jill Bradshaw and her work ‘1, 2,3 Is it her or is it me' which won the $1000 open prize at the show over the weekend.

Former Lismore lad and NSW Arts Minister-turned-author Peter Collins returned to familiar soil on the weekend when he opened the Bentley Art Show.