Canberra CityNews July 26

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JULY 26, 2012

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ANDREW CAMPBELL’S extraordinary pool photos of Olympic swimming champion Alicia Coutts

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2 CityNews July 26-August 1

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politics / the hospital scandal

Rights or wrongs, the election looms“WE need to get to the bottom of this scandal and are again calling for a Royal Commission,” opposition health spokesman Jeremy Hanson concluded at the end of one of his press releases last week.

He made the call after the Assem-bly’s Public Accounts Committee cross-examined ACT auditor-general Maxine Cooper about her report into what the Liberals describe as the “data-doctoring scandal”.

This scandal has proved a goldmine for the Liberals and they are unlikely to let it go in the lead up to the election, where they will milk this issue for all it is worth in the same way that Jon Stanhope milked what he called “the Bruce Stadium fiasco” to bring Labor to power.

But Chief Minister Katy Gallagher is more astute than to concede a Royal Commission, in just the same way that Liberal Kate Carnell resisted such calls 12 years ago.

Fudging the figures is not the stuff of a Royal Commission – as much as it would suit the Liberals. It might be a different story if the issue went to cov-ering up the quality of health care and undermining the ability of hospital staff to improve treatment.

Just as the Bruce Stadium Inquiry was largely handled by reports of the auditor-general, so this matter should

be similarly handled. What was good for the goose then,

is good for the gander now! For all the fuss last time around, for all the ac-cusations of incompetence, maladmin-istration, pressure on public servants and the constant reiteration of law breaking – no one was ever taken to court, or even charged for that matter.

A scalp has already been claimed, with the public servant at the centre of the controversy, Kate Jackson, tender-ing her resignation. She had admitted in April to making hundreds of chang-es to emergency department records to improve waiting time results.

But the accusations are not really so much about right and wrong, com-petence and incompetence, pressure on the public service or a toxic atmos-phere at the hospital. They are about a looming election only three months away.

This does not mean there is not some truth in what the Liberals are exposing through their constant re-examination of every detail associated with the data doctoring. They have already exposed that “the decline in Emergency Department performance

over the last decade may be worse than previously reported”.

The Opposition certainly under-stands that all they have to do is sow doubts in the minds of the electorate. And that is exactly what they are achieving.

An unguarded moment of reflec-tion by the Chief Minister left her telling the Public Accounts Commit-tee: “Health Ministers have a very short life expectancy and I have hung around perhaps too long in this in-stance, and at times I think that”.

On the one hand it is possible that she is beginning to feel the pressure. It is certainly the way the Liberals presented it to the media. They would love to think that they have her on the skids and are tarnishing her reputa-tion this close to an election.

However, there is another possibili-ty – one of the things that warm people to Gallagher is that she has been ex-traordinarily open and candid across a range of issues. It is more likely that this is how the statement will be inter-preted. The Liberals did not include in their press statement the conclusion to the Chief Minister’s statement: “but

I’ve hung around because I genuinely want to see the reform and I support the work that’s being done.’’

Meanwhile the Greens’ Amanda Bresnan has been trying to focus the debate on where health should be con-cerned.

“There is a continual focus on ED waiting times and other similar meas-ures by both Labor and the Liberals and also in the media, which leaves out any debate about the quality of care or the outcomes people are receiving,” she has said.

She has been calling for some time for recognition of “the need to estab-lish measures of quality care and safe-ty alongside the waiting time data”.

Although Bresnan has been astute in her observations, it does not meet the goal of her Assembly colleagues, who need to tarnish a leader enough to win an election.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assem-bly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.

The hospital data scandal has proved a goldmine for the Liberals and they are unlikely to let it go in the lead up to the election, says political columnist MICHAEL MOORE

index / contacts Since 1993: Volume 18, Number 27

Editor: Ian Meikle, [email protected]: Laura Edwards, [email protected] Libby Hill, [email protected] Kathryn Vukovljak, [email protected] editor: Helen Musa, 0400 043764 [email protected] and photography: Silas Brown, 0412 718086Graphic designer: Leonie FoxContributing photographer: Andrew FinchAccounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler [email protected] and circulation: Richard Watson, [email protected]

Phone 6262 9100 Fax 6262 9111 GPO Box 2448, Canberra City 2601www.citynews.com.autwitter.com/city_newsfacebook.com/canberracitynews

Chief executive officer: Greg Jones 0419 418196, [email protected] advertising executive: Ernie Nichols, 0421 077999 Advertising sales executives: Rebecca Darman 0411 225169 Sara Poguet, 0415 706758Advertising sales co-ordinator: [email protected] advertising sales: Ad Sales Connect, 02 9420 1777

Arts&Entertainment 21-24Canberra Confidential 16Cinema 22Dining 24Garden 26Home 27News 5-14Politics 5 Property 29-32 Puzzles 28Social Scene 17-20Sport 10

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, of Suite 1, Level 1, 143 London Circuit, Canberra.

Cover: Olympic swimmer Alicia Coutts, photographed by Andrew Campbell. Story Page 8.

dose of dorin


news

When mum gets her mojo backSUDDENLY, I’m back in the world of 9-to-5 work, amidst the hustle and bustle of constantly ringing phones, meetings and deadlines.

Life at home has been noth-ing if not busy, but the whole

back-to-work thing; well, it’s still a shock to the system and

sometimes I think I’ve lost my mojo.

At times I feel I’m in a foreign land. Everything’s familiar, yet different, like those cursed acronyms that once flowed with such ease from my lips. Someone’s gone and changed them all and it seems like I’ve lost my voice.

And it’s not just me who’s having adjustment issues. The kids are having to do a lit-tle bit more themselves. Even with me only in the office three days a week, it’s still a challenge at the end of the working day to sort out din-ner, help the kids with their homework, keep abreast of domestic chores and prepare for the next day.

Of course, the reality is that most mums have to go back to work, many before they or their kids are re-ally ready, in order to make ends meet and a lot of mums returning to work are not nearly as fortunate as me. They have to take up full-time positions and find little flexibility at their workplaces to be able to make important events or appointments with or for their children. While the high cost of child care

makes the financial benefits of working marginal at best.

As a result, a number of resilient and ingenious mums I know are finding ways to work from home by starting up home-based businesses and using technology to reach their market.

The Grattan Institute recently released a paper claiming that increasing female participation in the workforce could boost our economy by $25 billion. That’s a lot of bucks, but if you talk to mums about their experi-ences of going back to work, it seems a lot of workplaces have a long way to go to be family friendly.

This is probably why only 67 per cent of women aged between 15 to 64 are currently in paid work compared with 78 per cent of men.

Still, I know that for me it’s just a few teething problems and I’m pretty lucky. My workplace is family friendly, my colleagues are support-ive, my boss understanding the whole “mum going back to work jitters”, and there’s flexibility to accommodate those of us who need to work part time or fit in with school hours. So, despite its many challenges, I know in time I’ll get that old mojo back and be confident again in the big wide world of work.

“I LIKE the fact that you can buy a piece of jewellery and it will last through time,” says creator of Lana Design Jewellery, Alana Doyle.

“Pearls never really go out of fashion, so with my stuff I hope that it’s not just a trend for now and that it will be wearable later on.”

The 28-year-old Canberran has been in the Navy for 8 and a half years and balances her full-time position with an emerging jewellery label.

“I’m really creative and be-ing in the Navy, I really needed a creative outlet,” she tells “CityNews”.

“So, several years ago, I started the detailed planning for an online business I could operate part-time without in-terfering with my Navy career. It’s been an eye-opener, but an exciting endeavour at the same time.”

Launched just a few months ago, the business is now at-

tracting attention, including by “Cosmopolitan” magazine that will feature some of the jewellery on a model in its September edition. And Alana has been accepted by Scandi-navia’s Niiice Jewellery to ex-clusively carry pieces from its striking contemporary range.

Other than the Niiice range, Alana designs most of the jew-ellery she sells online, sending her suppliers detailed draw-

ings or a prototype. She creates necklaces, ear-

rings, bracelets made with freshwater pearls, Sterling sil-ver and semi-precious stones.

“I specialise in jewellery that can be worn every day by women of all ages,” says Alana.

“You can wear one piece or mix and match several to cre-ate your own look.”

Alana works with suppliers

in China, Hong Kong, India and Thailand.

“I design all the jewellery and send prototypes to the sup-pliers,” she says.

“The Navy taught me there are no boundaries when you focus your mind, and it taught me that hard work and dedica-tion pays off.”

More information at www.lanadesign.com.au

Sailor with an eye for jewellery

Jewellery designer Alana Doyle... “The Navy taught me... that hard work and dedication pays off.” Photo by Silas Brown

Libby Hillreports

SONYA FLADUN has just returned to work after an extended period at home looking after her two children.


news / cover story

Alicia jumps in the deep end for artWITH their dreamy, vivid disposition and polished finish, you could be forgiven for thinking these photographs were the result of many painstaking hours of work by a team of photographers and lighting assistants.

In reality, the photos of Australian Olympic butterfly and free-style swimmer Alicia Coutts were taken in a 20-minute gap before her training at the Australian Institute of Sport by a single snap-per; Canberra photographer Andrew Campbell.

Using high-power flash guns to cut out background light, Campbell shot Coutts from behind an observation window below the pool deck.

“We originally tried with me un-derwater, too, but that didn’t really work out, and I thought shooting from behind the glass would give the photos a more distorted effect,” he said.

The idea to shoot underwater came after Campbell shot Coutts for a Syd-ney magazine.

“We were doing this really simple

photo and later an idea of my own came to mind and I asked her if she ever wanted to try something else, to let me know when she was next in Canberra,” he said.

“She ended up emailing me a few weeks later and we went from there. This shoot wasn’t for anything – I just wanted to try it and I thought Alicia would be interested.”

Campbell’s aim was to create a sur-real mood, asking Coutts to “channel a dancer”.

“I’d seen some other fashion photos taken underwater and I loved the way the water made the dresses float,” he said.

“Being underwater makes things easier as you’re not bound by gravity. The interplay between your own grav-

ity and buoyancy is interesting – it takes the element of normality and gravity out of the whole thing and it just becomes a fun exercise of move-ment.”

Campbell says Coutts “had great fun” posing for the shoot, and was given styling advice by her friend and fellow Olympic swimmer Sally Foster (200m breast stroke).

Coutts donned a vintage 1970s dress for the shoot, from Lyneham store April’s Caravan. Campbell says the good-natured owner of the store often lent him outfits for shoots, and she didn’t even mind that this one would be soaked in chlorine.

“By the time I returned it, it was all dry again, so I think she was able to dry clean it out,” he said.

Laura Edwardsreports

Alicia Coutts.


Sporting Confidential with Tim Gavel

Fear deserts the fortressWHAT is the problem with the Can-berra Raiders and the Brumbies playing at Canberra Stadium? Sta-tistics prove that it’s no longer the fortress that inspires a home-team win as it was in the past.

Heading into the Sunday game against the Sharks in Sydney, the Raiders had more victories away from home than at Canberra Sta-dium this season, with four wins away and three at home.

In the past, the ground held fears for visiting teams with a vocal home crowd and testing conditions. The theory was that teams from Queensland and Sydney didn’t want to play in Canberra in the winter because of the cold.

Before the loss against the Gold Coast, I was told by numerous peo-ple on my way into the ground that the Titans won’t like the cold. There is almost a feeling that all the Raid-ers had to do was turn up and they would win.

Wests Tigers’ coach, , who knows too well the advantage the Raiders’ team has playing at home, threat-ened to fine players if they talked about the cold before they won at Canberra Stadium this season.

Part of the problem seems to be

that because the team hasn’t been winning, the crowds aren’t as big, so the visiting teams are not con-fronted by 20,000 fans, the majority of them Raiders’ supporters, as was the case during their glory years.

That’s not to say that fans aren’t watching the games; it’s only that they are watching from the comfort of their lounge rooms rather than the stadium itself. Because they haven’t been winning, the crowd that has been turning up to the home ground has found it hard to get fired up. I have no doubt the lack of support at the stadium has had an impact on the performance of the side.

Brumbies fare betterTHE Brumbies fared better overall when compared with their city NRL counterparts and their away record was great, but they lost three crucial games at Canberra Stadium this season, to the Sharks, the Queensland Reds and the Blues. Coach Jake White has this year re-built the “fortress at Canberra Stadium” theme.

Under normal circumstances, a supporter would expect a young team to perform better at home rath-er than away. Through the season the Brumbies won five at home with three at-home losses. Away from home, they won five and lost three.

It’s worth noting that the Brumb-

ies won their final five games away from home, but lost the last two matches they played at Canberra Stadium.

The wins away came against the Lions, Hurricanes, the Rebels, the Force and the Waratahs. The home losses to the Reds, and Blues in par-ticular, were crucial in the context of the season.

The good news is the crowds this season were better than they were last year.

Run more, boysPLENTY of Brumbies’ supporters tell me that while they have been incredibly heartened by the turn around this season, the low percent-age style of play has been frustrat-ing to watch.

In the past when the Brumbies got a penalty on the half-way line they would have backed them-selves rather than take a shot at goal. The hope is that with more experience and confidence they will start to run more and chance their arm.

I concede that part of the issue this year has been injuries to play-makers Christian Lealilfano and Matt Toomua.

I have no doubt that fans engage more in a running game, and in turn, the players feed off the energy provided by the home crowd.

Darcy’s on the riseSEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Can-berra basketballer Darcy Malone, pictured, is an athlete on the rise. And on the rise literally, he is 213 centimetres tall (seven foot on the old scale) and is still growing.

Darcy was a member of the Aus-tralian team that went down to the US in the gold-medal playoff at the world titles this year.

Already he has American College teams on the phone; the Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL club is also ringing up seeking his ser-vices.

His mother Angie says he demon-strates significant commosense and isn’t daunted by the attention. For his part, Darcy says he is taking it all in his significant stride.


opinion

It’s time to crash through the ClydeIT is time the ACT Government took the ini-tiative about the road over the Clyde Mountain; after all, it’s overwhelmingly Canberrans who use the road back and forth to the coast; and it’s Canberrans whose lives are in the greatest danger.

Such thoughts came home to roost recently as we attempted to leaven Canberra’s winter with a few days soaking up the winter sun at Tuross, the warm, beating heart of the Nature Coast. At the time, I was walking along Tuross Boulevard back from the village where I’d col-lected my “Sydney Morning Herald” (the only paper left worth reading).

On my right was the sea, the shining sea, replete with the first northbound whale of the season. On my left was the world’s best woman basketballer, Lauren Jackson, chatting with her equally charming (and formidable) parents on the veranda of their lovely home.

Word had just come through via Mr Grumpy, the newsagent, that the road over the Clyde had been closed by a rockfall at Pooh’s Corner. It would be at least three days before the council could clear it, so we were stranded in paradise.

We bore up. We did our walks. My wife paint-ed a landscape. I finished a chapter of the new book and we made it back once they’d cleared the road.

But then three weeks later it happened again and this time a vital appointment meant we had to go the long way round via the pie shop at Nimmitabel. A minor inconvenience, you might say, and you’d be right. But there is an-

other, tragic side to the Clyde Mountain story: all the people (at least 10 in the last 15 years by my count) who have been either killed or seriously injured on that scandalously unsafe section of the Kings Highway.

The answer, of course, is a tunnel through the mountain. Widening the road over the top only encourages speed and accidents. And it wouldn’t cut travelling time appreciably any-way. The tunnel would not only pay for itself in more efficient transport costs, it would make the coast accessible as a dormitory suburb of the capital and pave the way for a lifestyle – incorporating the NBN – that would set the standard for the civilised world.

Of course, Australian engineering and con-struction companies lack the expertise to do it efficiently. But that’s really the good news. It allows us to take that next step in our relations with China and give them the task of designing and building a tunnel from the Mongarlowe turnoff to Nelligen that would slice off a quar-ter of the travelling time from Canberra to the Bay. And it would prevent untold fatalities and terrible injury.

I’ve seen what they can do in China. They could finish the job in six months!

The NSW Government’s $5 million in its re-cent Budget is laughable. So Ms Gallagher and Mr Seselja, it’s over to you. There’s an election coming up with hardly a policy difference be-tween you. Who’s prepared to grasp the nettle of the future?

[email protected]

Something must be done about the road over the Clyde Mountain and it should not be left to the Eurobodalla Shire Council, says ROBERT MACKLIN

Greens are ‘immature and naive’letter

I HAVE my own deep reservations about ACT Greens as does Michael Moore “Naughty Greens gild their lillies” (CN, July 19).

I will not forget their support for the Stanhope Government’s unsuccessful appeal against the

bushfire coroner, something that I will remark upon during the 10th anniversary commemoration. Their support for illegal action regarding attacks on CSIRO research facilities and Parkwood Eggs show that the Greens are

immature, naive, idealistic and economically illiterate.

I hope the ACT community will see through the charade before the next election.

Ric Hingee, Duffy


Quiet man wants tomake his job louder

news

NEW Vinnies CEO Paul Trezise wants to break the cycle of poverty in Canberra.

Coming from a background in the public service, Mr Trezise worked as a volunteer for one of the St Vincent de Paul Society’s women’s refuges for eight years in the ‘80s.

The experience left him shocked at the level of need in Canberra, and sparked his interest in Vinnies.

“Canberra is an affluent city so that experi-ence was a wake up call, but it also left me very impressed by the work Vinnies does and the expansive areas they are involved in,” he said.

Mr Trezise moved into the top role in March when, after 22 years as chief executive officer of the St Vincent de Paul Society, Bob Wilson retired in March without too much fuss.

That modest, quiet demeanour seems to have rubbed off on his successor.

“It’s the way of the society – our leaders are here to serve and not to go around big-noting themselves and I’m very comfortable with that,” Mr Trezise told “CityNews”.

However, there are a few things he’s got his eye on changing, and he says one of them is breaking away from the society’s “quiet achiever” attitude.

“If we want to attract people to join us, vol-unteer or donate money we actually have to show them what we’re doing so they can see where their money is going so that’s why we maybe need to be a little more upfront about what we’re doing and not so shy to be able to tell people about us,” he said.

“Also we want to further develop our youth programs; working with schools, disadvan-taged children and young carers. I’d love to find ways to grow these programs, as I think we’re just scratching the surface of what we can do there.”

Mr Trezise is originally from Melbourne,

moving to Canberra in 1982. He has a back-ground in spatial science, and has worked in management and leadership roles in govern-ment agencies, including Geoscience Australia.

For him, a change of career was pure timing.“I wanted to get into something a bit differ-

ent and something that was a bit more directly beneficial than what I was doing, and to me that was helping people in need,” he said.

“Vinnies was a very natural place to look since I had that experience with them before and, coincidentally, the job came up, Bob re-tired after 22 years, and the timing was just right.”

Five months in, Mr Trezise is enjoying work-ing with a wide range of people and says it’s the type of job “where you can’t really get bored”.

He hopes his background in government and financial management will prove beneficial for the society’s development.

“Having a fresh perspective helps. I’m expe-rienced in dealing with government contracts and we deal a lot with those at a Federal or ACT level,” he said.

“Having a sound understanding of financial management is also important; even though Vinnies deals with a relatively small amount of money compared to the Government, there’s a lot of complexity as it comes from donations, Government funding and appeals.”

Mr Trezise is quick to point out the vital part Mr Wilson played in paving the way for him.

“I want to recognise the work Bob did; 20 years on the job, that alone deserves a medal, but he also had a tremendous relationship with the community,” he said.

“I’d like to continue that, but any person coming in to a new role that’s got a different background has an opportunity to look at things in different ways and bring their own flavour to it.”

New Vinnies CEO Paul Trezise... “We maybe need to be a little more upfront about what we’re doing and not so shy to be able to tell people about us.” Photo by Silas Brown

Paul Trezise is not about big-noting, but he’s keen to tell everyone about Vinnies. LAURA EDWARDS meets the new CEO.


Resi Canberra Southern / advertising feature

KAREN Murphy is the franchisee of Resi Canberra Southern and is helping first-home buyers, existing homeowners and investors with home loans.

Karen has worked in the industry since she was 15-years-old, when she worked for a bank.

“That was in the good old days when you went and saw your bank manager to get a loan and had that level of personal service and it felt like you knew the person you were dealing with,” she says.

A few months ago she decided to start her own business and set about looking for franchise opportunities.

“I chose Resi because of their level of service. It’s all about finding the right solution for the client. At Resi we really have a caring attitude towards the client,” she says.

Resi Mortgage Corporation is an estab-lished, non-bank lender and this year was recognised as Australia’s Best Non-Bank at the prestigious Australian Lending Awards. The company has previously won a string of other industry awards including “Money” magazine’s Non-Bank Lender of the Year, and “Your Mortgage” magazine’s Mortgage of the Year award.

Founded in 1985, the Australian-owned company has a reputation throughout the industry and in the public domain for its superior standards of service and its long-standing commitment to consumer advocacy, says Karen.

The Resi philosophy is that a home loan has the capacity to be a wealth-creation tool, not simply a debt – and that the mortgage combined with the asset, becomes the first step to individual wealth and long-term financial security.

“Resi’s reputation has been built on this premise and supported by an exceptional service proposition and its products have gained recognition by consistently out-performing industry practice,” Karen says.

Karen, a mother of three, has worked in the Canberra area for the past 10 years,

and understands the demands of juggling finances, families and work – and strives to make the mortgage process simpler for her clients.

“I often meet with clients after hours because that’s just what’s more convenient for them,” she says.

“The biggest thing for me is the service. We care about the client’s needs now and into the future. It really is a whole big package and a relationship; making sure they feel comfortable and happy with everything, that they get the right product. And in the future, if things change, that

we’re always staying in contact to make sure their financial needs are met.

“I keep in touch with my clients and check in with them on a regular basis to see if there

is anything they need.”Karen enjoys the diversity of what

Canberra has to offer to people in the property market.

“Whether they are looking to buy their first home, upgrade or invest, it’s a privilege to be part of those plans,” she says.

Karen says with recent official rate cuts creating more disparity between lenders, more borrowers are now looking around at the competition and Resi Canberra Southern is already assisting many looking to refinance to a better deal.

“Whether you’re looking to refinance or

buy your first home, you need to be aware that a loan package is not just about interest rate, but just as much about the value you can receive from great service and the loan’s features,” she says.

“Sound advice and support to empower you to take some control with your finances provides immeasurable reward in the long term – and that’s exactly what we are committed to providing.”

Resi Canberra Southern. Email [email protected] or call

0406 377866 or visit resi.com.au

Karen Murphy in her Weston Creek office... “The biggest thing for me is the service. We care about the client’s needs now and into the future.”

We care about the client’s needs now and into the future. It really is a whole big package and a relationship; making sure they feel comfortable and happy with everything, that they get the right product

With 30 years’ experience in the finance sector, KAREN MURPHY has taken on a new business – bringing Resi home loans to Canberra

Karen puts a friendly face to home finance

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”


Canberra Confidential Know something? / [email protected]

Andrew Barr does plankingTHIS takes planking to a new level. There’s the perennially smiling DCM Andrew Barr, dashingly operating a saw with one hand without the benefit of a hard-hat, fluro jacket, gloves or safety glasses as he officially cuts the “ribbon” at the opening of the local outpost of the Woolies hardware chain Masters down at Majura Park. Don’t they know this is Canberra? Someone call an occ health and safety inspector. That’s Canberra Airport chief steward Stephen Byron on the left, manfully supporting the Minister’s plank with both hands. He was last seen counting his fingers on the way back across the carpark.

They’re coming, RodAS “Canberra Times” editorial careers get skittled by the bowling ball of corporate necessity, a growling Facebook page has been set up in an effort to save the paper’s literary pages (though from what “CC’s” not entirely sure). As it awaits wider debate from its mates, initiator Susan Nicholls urges readers to write protesting letters to editor Rod Quinn. While only few at this stage, the interesting thing about its well-connected 47 “friends” are the presence of two Govern-ment ministers (Andrew Barr and Arts Minister Joy Burch) and Greens Shane Rattenbury and Caroline Le Couteur.

Given the challenged paper’s dependency on Government advertising largesse, “CC” can but marvel at its courageousness in disappointing people like these. Join the revolution at facebook.com/savecannytimes.bookpages

MEANWHILE, followers of citynews.com.au’s reportage of recent weeks know that to date the toll is: environment writer Rosslyn Beeby has taken redundancy, the roles of the arts and literary editors are to be chiseled off the organisation chart by September and the features and day editors are tipped to be heading the same way.

The effect of losing such a concentrated level of creative journalistic input may test the paper’s ability to sustain a “local” flavour in its feature and arts pages, but despair not dear reader, “CityNews” is on to it via the net every day and in print every week.

More Zapple newsWHISPERS about the new Zara and Apple stores just won’t go away. Last we heard, the Apple store would be located in Westfield Belconnen. But another “insider” says Apple will open a store near Boost Juice in the Canberra Centre as well as a store in Belcon-nen. Zara will open in the space previously occupied by Trenery and Diana Ferrari and extend back into the car park, resulting in about 100 spaces lost. Both stores are expected to open by October.

Omar’s new friendsEMERGING Queanbeyan writer and poet Omar Musa has found himself on a panel with the fearsome Germaine Greer and American philosopher Martha Nussbaum at the coming Melbourne Writers’ Festival. It’s not as surprising as you’d think. In a session

called “The Necessary Poet”, instead of reading his own work, he’ll be reading verse by the late American Pulitzer prize-winning poet Anne Sexton.

No jobs for the boysIN a world where men are increasingly en-gaged in the parenting role and in a Govern-ment so committed to gender balance, “CC” couldn’t help but wryly wonder why there are no males among the eight members of the Children and Youth Services Council, who were recently reappointed for another year. Deliberating, as they are charged to do, on issues and services that impact on children and young people is not the preserve of women alone, Minister Burch.

Late for own funeralHEARD about the recent Bungendore funeral? Mourners gathered at the church, organ playing away, everything ready to go, only the dearly departed is missing. Vicar calls the Canberra funeral parlour to enquire about the progress of the hearse to discover it was diligently heading to... Yass!

Show us your doodleWHAT, one might ask, is Doodle Day? Thankfully, it’s a little more innocent than one might first suppose. The creation of 2B Advertising & Design, it’s a fun way of raising awareness and money for the support group Carers ACT through encouraging doodled inspiration from anyone in the community.

Doodle Day is actually on August 10, but you have from now until August 13 to upload a doodle loosely based around a “caring for others” theme. The outstanding doodles will be framed and displayed in a gallery space in Civic, and auctioned on August 31. How to enter? All is revealed at 2Bdoodleday.com

Just grip and grinTHERE is only one thing worse than a cheque presentation photo and that’s a big cheque presentation photograph. While we laughingly call them “grip and grin” shots around here, they are often the only way of illustrating generosity. Canberra South Rotary took a grip and grinner recently when it made a generous grant of $10,000 to the Post Natal Depression Support Group (PANDSI) for its ground-breaking “Resilient Relationships Program”, which helps relation-ships to not only survive, but flourish in the face of perinatal depression.

Gripping is PANDSI’s Marion Currie, centre, and club member Joanne Healy. Alison Christie, left, is sharing the grins.

Andrew Barr on the job at the Masters opening.


scene Canberra’s only locally-owned Subaru dealerBROUGHT TO

YOU BY ROLFE SUBARU

At the launch of the new McGrath office in DicksonAt People and Strategy’s 20th celebration, Portrait Gallery

More photos at citynews.

com.auLouise Wallace and Jennifer Hutchinson

Adrian Morgan, Kathy Hilyard, Peter Shergold and Ian McPhee

Nancy Waites, Ian Fitzgerald and Carol Robertson

Tamarah Knox and Sarah McFarlane

Olivia Watson and Bianca Ugarkovich

Jane and Margaret Dorrian with Alyse Hague

Yvonne Richards and Janet Kafadar

Scott Beban and Alexandra Parisi

Ben Hatte, Maree van Arkel and Bruce Howes

John McGrath with Tonina and Lou Seminara

Rachael Tambree, Jessica Glas, Helen Packard and Jane Watts

Alexandra Charley and Sandra Mortimore

Adam Hewitt with Jean and Blaise Beban

Joseph Parisi and Lisa Capezio

Alexandra Hordern, Rebecca Le and Keely Johnson

Sonia Constantin and David Shillington


scene ROLFE SUBARU AT PHILLIP & BELCONNEN

At Rotary Success Conference gala dinner, Hellenic Club At ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ exhibition opening , ANCA Gallery


com.au

Photo prints

citynews.com.au

Jeff Chandler and Gail Freeman

Philip Archer, Rotary International president-elect Ron D Burton and Bill Seelis

Marie and Ken Dorrington, Marilyn and Roy Armstrong with Joyce and Ken Kelly

Phil Armstrong, Maureen Manning, Kim and Keith Armstrong and Brian Goldstraw

Alexa and Damian Leach Richard and Barbara Griffiths

Karen Meadows, Norma Robson with Janet and Graham Koch Alexander Boynes and Kristian Pithie

Josh Wrest and Georgina Sneddan

Rachael and Dan Edwards Annika Harding and Rebecca Smith

Hollie Aerts and Naomi Treloar Nerissa Stewart and Kate Barker


At the Egyptian National Day celebration, YarralumlaAt the opening of ‘Foodjects’, Craft ACT, Civic

Julie Ryder and Chris Bourke MLA

Dianne Firth and Beverly Thomas

Ruth Oliphant with Annita and Mel GeorgeMark Saunders and Cathy Franzi

Christine Pearson, Beverly Thomas and Marli Popple

Wilfred Hulzebosch and Anthony Eastway

Rebecca Stewart, Lucia Manrique and Gracie McNamara

Avi Amesbury with Finnish ambassador Maija Lahteenmaki and husband Dr Nestor Vargas Gomez

Indu Sealey, Sanyu Kibukamusoke, Maisie Howe and Kulwadee Eisingerich

Sibel Muderrisoglu, Ivana Damjanovic, Einat Weiss and Kristian Bonnici

Abraham Adhami with Leila and Micheal Annous and Mustafa Ansary

Ian Dudgeon and Elias Eliades

Thorsten Eisingerich and Tongan acting ambassador Leonaitasi Kuluni

Departing ambassador of Egypt Mr Omar Metwally Mohamed and wife Mrs Ghada Salah Elhindawy

Nicole and Dr Peter Tucker with Olga Bula

Iman Alami and Suheir Gedeon


com.au

scene


At Thursday Blues Party, National Press Club, Barton

Carla Denino, Laura Rech and Georgina Harley

Anne McGregor and Helen Creigh Gavin Kelly, Gianni Kerswell and CC Hall

Kevin Gill, Jan Febey with Willi and Ian Chalmers

Nic Crowther and Craig Johnson

scene


arts & entertainment Wendy JohnsonThe sweetest surrender

Working out just whodunit

Travis Cotton as Christopher Wren.

“THE play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king,” says Hamlet of the little plays he calls “The Mousetrap.”

There’s another “Mousetrap” play, almost as famous as “Hamlet”, on account of having been performed over 24,000 times since 1952.

Yes, the professional production of the Agatha Christie hit is coming to town as part of an Australia-wide 60th anniversary tour, but you’d better book quickly. When it opened in Sydney, 90 per cent of all tickets were already sold.

“CityNews” knows “whodunit”, but we’re not going to spoil it for readers. Actors Rob-ert Alexander and Travis Cotton are thrilled to be in work until November and there are hints the show may run on even longer. “We may die in it,” Alexander adds darkly.

He plays the eccentric Mr Paravicini, the fake-seeming visitor to the snowbound Monkswell Manor of the drama and says: “The Mousetrap has an absolutely inherent style… storytelling is paramount and the thrill with Christie has always been to use

your deductive powers.”To Alexander there is no mystery as to

why this play has run for 60 years. But it’s not so easy playing it.

“We have to lay the clues precisely…if we don’t do that clearly, we will lose our way,” he says. And Paravicini must not be seen as a ham.

Cotton plays an equally eccentric character, a young man with the fake name, Christopher Wren. He would have seemed odd to a ‘50s audience, but to camp him up would have been unthinkable. So when Wren comments that the policeman is “a very attractive man”, it is important for Cotton to keep the tone normal.

“Play it straight,” the actors chime.The language, too, is an enjoyable feature

for the actors that also helps evoke a bygone era. Words like “shan’t,” “mayn’t,” “Japs” and “bogus” are rarely used these days.

Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen, the play’s UK producer and a former finance journalist, has popped in on the Sydney opening to give the cast a few points. After all, as he says: “I do know the play better than most people.”

“Play it straight,” he warns sternly, “just tell the story.”

“The Mousetrap”, The Playhouse, August 1-9, bookings to 6275 2700 or www.canber-raticketing.com.au

Robert Alexander as Mr Paravicini... “We have to lay the clues precisely…if we don’t do that clearly, we will lose our way.” Photos by James Morgan

Comedy witha touchof adventure

Helen Musa reports

AFTER seeing “Two Comedies” presented by Everyman Theatre, questions must be asked as to why there is no full-time professional adult theatre company in Canberra; and why Everyman Theatre is not that company.

The depth of professionalism in Everyman Theatre’s direction and cast-ing is on display in a wonderful evening of theatrical adventuring.

Duncan Driver breathes new energy into Woody Allen’s classic “God”. Duncan Ley and Jarrad West keep up a frenetic pace tempered with frequent and deliberate interruptions from a stream of “audience” members; most notably, Steph Roberts.

Duncan Ley’s production of “Pool (No Water)” is a masterpiece offering an experience that only live theatre can provide. The cast of Jarrad West, Steph Roberts, Amy Dunham and Zach Raffan work as an ensemble providing excellent vocal delivery and superbly sculptured movement requiring the precision of a choreographed dance piece. It is erotic, comical, savage, very irreverent and provocative theatre that only a company with the maturity, depth and skill of Everyman can make work.

Both productions suggest an impatience with the stagnation that seems to be creeping into theatre presentation. Both works explore the relationship between art and reality. Both throw a finger to self-censoring and self-consciousness.

theatre“Two Comedies” “God”By Woody Allen, directed by Duncan Driver“Pool (No Water)”By Mark Ravenhill, directed by Duncan LeyEveryman Theatre Canberra Theatre Centre Courtyard Studio, until July 28.Reviewed by Joe Woodward


arts & entertainment

Batman’s big buzz for the underdeveloped“The Dark Knight Rises” (M) ONE shouldn’t expect high intellectual stimulation from Christopher Nolan’s film about a man wearing a funny hat and a big black cape as he goes about ridding the city of bad guys.

Its theme of destroying the structure of modern government so the populace may do as it pleases earns few points for credibility.

While the film’s action passages and high-tech toys may delight older single-digit ages, the rest may be beyond their ken.

Adolescents may get a buzz from its mindless violence dragged out to excite minds yet to be fully developed.

Adults may recognise its references to the parlous condition of modern civilisation, but take scant satisfaction from the solutions it proposes. Realists who suspend their better judgement and see it anyway will likely come away wondering why. Its 164 minutes’ running time may well tire all ages.

So what’s good about it? The editing may

get a nomination at the next Oscars. Anne Hathaway is a shapely anti-heroine. Michael Caine as Batman’s major domo, Morgan Freeman as Bruce Wayne’s scientific adviser and Gary Oldman as Gotham City’s new police commissioner like his father before him, Tom Hardy as the biggest, nastiest villain wearing headgear reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter and Marion Cotillard as a lady who waits until the last reel to show her true colours, do their best within the parameters of the screenplay. Christian Bale as Batman does not thrill.

Batman traditionally eschews the use of fire-arms. Praiseworthy. But a disadvantage when confronting foes who use guns and rockets a lot. And the old chestnut about the hidden nuclear bomb with a timer ticking away is a Hollywood cliché long past its use-by date.

At all cinemas

Dougal Macdonaldcinema

Looking for alternatives

CRAFT ACT and Canberra Contemporary Art Space, are turning on a series of presentations and panel discussions by “industry leaders” (an appalling term when applied to the arts) and arts gurus on Fridays August 3 and 10. The idea is to look at funding alterna-tives, procedures, networking and luring in the media. “Come along to find out how, as an artist, you can make money and influence people,” the blurb reads. Gosh, I’m one of the speakers and I wish I knew the answers. Bookings essential, to 6262 9333 or [email protected]

FORMER Canberran Ed Wightman is in town directing Shelagh Stephenson’s play, “The Memory of Water”, for Canberra Repertory, August 3-18 at Theatre 3. Three sisters and their partners gather at their mother’s funeral. Wightman has assembled a star cast and production team, the latter headed up by set designer Quentin Mitchell. Bookings to 6257 1950.

MELBOURNE printmaker Cat Poljski’s work reflects urban encounters. She’s currently showing “Imagined Cities” at FORM Studio and Gallery until July 29 at 1/30 Aurora Avenue, Queanbeyan.

“MOTHERHOOD The Musical” is a kind of prequel to “Menopause the Musical”. This time we meet Barb, stressed-out mother of five, lawyer Brooke who barely sees her kids, single mum Trisha and very pregnant Amy. Comedy, pathos, songs, laughs. At The Q, Queanbeyan, August 14-19, bookings to 6285 6290 |or www.theq.net.au

SLAM poet Miles Merrill, here for the Capital Jazz Project, sees a lot of inauthentic rapping and poetry at his touring workshops, but admired the kid from Wagga who described his home town as “such a big hole it echoes” – get it? Wagga Wagga!

WESLEY Music Foundation and the Music Teachers’ Association of NSW are holding an afternoon with composer Ann Carr-Boyd at Wesley, 1pm-5pm, on Sunday, July 29, 1-5pm. Information at www.wesleycanberra.org.au/music 6254 6133 or 6254 9423.

THEN on Wednesday, August 1, classical guitarist,

Matt Withers, will perform works by G. Regondi, J. S. Bach and S. Smith at Wesley Music Centre, 12.40 to 1.20pm, $2 or paper note entry. No bookings required.

FRAMING Matters in Captain Cook Crescent, Griffith, is holding an exhibition of work by Michelle Day, Meelan Oh, Julie Sabur, Craig Shipton, Jo Shore and Sarah opening on August 2 to mark the 11th birthday of a business whose owners say every item they frame “has value, both emotional and heritage.”

Helen Musa arts in the city

Helen Mirren... portrayal of Emerenc offers a wonderful theatrical experience.

Cat Poljski’s “Block City Project”, showing at FORM Studio and Gallery.

‘Ngapartji’ winnersWinners of the double passes to see the hit play “Ngapartji Ngapartji one” at The Playhouse are: Bronwyn Gasking, of Civic; Barbara McCauley, Belconnen; Tim Laris, Lyneham and Debra Speldewinde, Holder.

“The Door” (M) IN 1987, Hungarian novelist Magda Szabo published a novel about the relationship between a novelist and her housekeeper.

In 2009 director Istvan Szabo (no relation) made this film adaptation of that novel. It’s no blockbuster offering mindless escapism for the milling throng. But for intelligent observers of the human condition, the wait is worthwhile.

In the early ‘60s, Magda (Martina Gedeck) and Tibor (Karoly Eperjes) have moved to a new apartment in a Budapest suburb so she can write her novel.

Across the road, a middle-aged woman sweeps the dead leaves from the footpath. Magda asks her if she might come and clean their apartment. So begins an ongoing, sometimes frustrat-ing, always rewarding for the film goer, relationship between two strong women of different outlook.

The sweeper is Emerenc, who lives

alone and does not socialise beyond the courtyard of her apartment block. Her neighbours have never seen inside her flat. Her stocky body clad in drab cloth-ing proclaims a woman who has survived Nazi and Communist regimes by force of will. Her family history has toughened her spirit. She accepts friendships on her terms alone.

Helen Mirren’s portrayal of Emerenc offers a wonderful theatrical experience. Emerenc has suppressed inner compas-sion for reasons that slowly emerge as the story unfolds. The hardships of her life since childhood have shaped her view of humanity. For her, life’s purpose offers few consolations. And friendship is an emotion to be dispensed with caution.

The film is in English so a dislike for subtitles is no ground for avoiding it. It deserves to be seen.

At Greater Union


All that jazz – and lots of it

THE Street Theatre and the ANU School of Music’s second Capital Jazz Project next month will be a 10-day event featuring more than 120 interna-tional, national and ACT artists, jazz writers and commentators.

And artistic director of The Street, Caroline Stacey, can hardly wipe the smile off her face.

She’s turning Street Two, the studio, into a jazz club with table seating, she’s secured American bass clarinettist Bennie Maupin as international artist-in-residence and she has composer-musi-cian Joe Chindamo as Aussie artist-in-residence. And she’s lured the extraordinary Paul Capsis back to Canberra to open the season with “Make Me a King”.

But there’s a melancholy note sounding this year, for the future of jazz musicians in Canberra is looking grim. ANU jazz lecturers such as Miroslav Bukovsky, Gary France and Eric Ajaye have been organising ANU student ensembles to

play specifically for the project, but how long will they be here if the jazz faculty crumbles under the ANU’s proposed cuts?

Vocalist Matilda Abraham is an ANU jazz graduate and, though now working in Sydney, is appalled.

“I feel sad about what it represents about our attitude and that institutions are willing to downgrade that kind of endeavour,” she says.

Abraham will be the guest vocalist with Galaxtare, the brainchild of Richard Maegraith, on whose music the ensemble focuses.

Abraham describes it as “avant garde, but pretty vampy and accessible… artistically conscious – I like that.”

But when with her own band, they play

“mostly my own compositions.”A vocalist of a very different kind will be heard

in Miles Merrill, spoken-word artist and founder of the Australian Poetry Slam. An African-Amer-ican theatre artist who came to Australia during the 1990s and stayed, he says: “I like to speak out for people who don’t have a voice.”

He’ll be part of the Gai Bryant Quintet and while she’s composing the music, Merrill will be performing his own original poems, monologues and stories.

Merrill hopes it will be “a little bit like watching a film, with the story as soundscape, interspersed with the quartet on instrumentals – a nice mix”.

Capital Jazz Project, The Street Theatre, August 3-12, bookings to 6247 1223 or www.thestreet.org.au

Everyone from Bernie McGann to Ben Hauptmann will be in town for the second Capital Jazz Project, writes HELEN MUSA

Miles Merrill... spoken-word artist and founder of the Australian Poetry Slam.

Bennie Maupin... international artist-in-residence.


OUR jaws dropped. We weren’t expecting the magnificent display of delightful pastries when we walked into Ricardos, at Jamison Plaza, but there it was in all its glory.

It’s been a long time since I selected my dessert before my main but at Ricardos you simply have to factor it in early, to make sure you have room to indulge. And at Ricardos I promise you will indulge.

There are 12 types of macaroons, 12 individual cakes, which change seasonally, biscuits, tarts, scones and much more. Think chocolate mousse cone, French lamington sitting on a raspberry macaroon and caramel and hazelnut crunch – need I go on?

And Ricardos is heaven for gluten-free folks (indeed, most items, sweet and savoury, can be made this way on request).

Owner Rick DeMarco comes up with the flavours and designs of the pastries, makes up the “prototype” and then the trained and experi-enced pastry chef takes it from there.

Ricardos has been in business since 2005 but has grown the pastry operation in the last two

years. Multiple awards have been picked up along the way, including Best Breakfast Café in the ACT (2011).

We landed at Ricardos thinking lunch, to discover the all-day breakfast looked mighty tempting. Everything is made on-site and you can tell this is true by the look and the taste of the food.

One of us opted for breakfast and one lunch. My friend’s heart went pitter-patter when she saw the soufflé lemon pancakes on the menu, made with caramelised banana, real maple syrup and cream ($12.90). But it thumped when she saw the crispy potato fritters ($15.90) stacked with a generous serve of quality bacon, cherry tomatoes and ripe, creamy avo fanned perfectly on top. Absolutely delicious.

My lunch was just as yummy. There are five pizzas on the regular menu (small $11.90 and large $17.90, with gluten-free pizza bases $2.50 extra), but I selected one from the specials board, which came loaded with garlic and six plump

prawns on a lovely crust, not too thick and not too thin. Other lunch dishes include the usual suspects such as fish and chips, calamari and a steak sandwich.

Ricardo’s décor is attractive with a big coffee bar, warm stone work and lime-green interior accents. You order at the counter, grab a number and sit inside or out (nicely heated in winter).

The piece de resistance for both of us was our desserts. My friend’s chocolate raspberry meringue was divine and my Opera cake was, too – chocolate sponge layered with coconut dacquoise, chocolate ganache and coffee cream. Sigh.

Ricardos, Jamieson Plaza. Open Monday-Friday, 7.30am to 5.30pm, Saturday-Sunday, 7.30am to 4pm. Call 6251 2666.

Wendy Johnsondining

arts & entertainment

Ricardos’ pastries and desserts... “It’s been a long time since I selected my dessert before my main,” says reviewer Wendy Johnson, “but at Ricardos you simply have to factor it in”.

The sweetest surrender


Cedric Bryantgardening

garden

THINK fruit, and our minds usually turn to varieties such as apples, pears, peaches and nectarines, which all need constant attention and chemicals to keep pests and diseases away.

However, there are fruit trees that require little atten-tion, such as persimmons.

Some would suggest persim-mon fruit is an acquired taste. I came to persimmons only three years ago. Clients of mine had two well-established trees in their garden and gave me some fruit to try. I popped them in a bowl and there they sat until I decided how to eat them. Finally, peeling one like an apple, I found the taste was so delicious that, after choco-late, my second addiction is now persimmons.

You might think that per-simmon trees require a large amount of space, but at the Heritage Nursery, at Yar-ralumla, I found the new Jiro Sweet Dwarf Persimmon (Dio-spyros kaki), an early-season variety, ready for eating in late February/March and is self-pollinating.

It has several advantages over many other larger-grow-ing persimmons – it can be maintained to just two metres high, which means it could be grown in a large container such as a half barrel, and it is non-astringent and can be picked once the fruit turns orange.

In Peter Valder’s book “Gar-den Plants of China” he notes:

“Persimmons are one of the most important fruit trees in China. They are not known in the wild, but have been cul-tivated for several thousand years. “They were men-tioned in literature and seeds have been excavated from a tomb dated 168BC. They are particularly handsome when the leaves have fallen and the fruit turns bright orange as it matures.

“In 1911, the plant hunter Meyer noted in northern China that to keep the fruit in winter, it was piled high outside and al-lowed to freeze and kept frozen until needed.

“It is said that there are about 240 varieties of persim-mon in China. They have been used in medicine and making wine and vinegar. The juice of green persimmons has been used for waterproofing paper, the latter of which originated in China.

“During the Tang dynasty it was noted the persimmon

tree had seven virtues – it lives a long time, provides shade, birds do not nest in it, it is resistant to worms and grubs, the autumn leaves are enjoy-able and one can practice cal-ligraphy on the fallen leaves.”

All very good reasons to grow a persimmon. And yet, despite all these attributes, it never did take the western world by storm when first in-troduced and even today many folk, like me, took a long time to accept them.

NEXT week I will look at peonies. Once again, Valder explores the origins of these stunning flowers in China with the comment: “Whilst the flowers of the tree peony are extravagant and sumptu-ous, the herbaceous kinds are smaller, but have a quality and refinement which immediately claims the attention”

Stocks of peonies have now arrived at the Heritage Nurs-ery.

This week...• Feed bulbs with a high po-

tassium plant nutrient once flower heads start to form.

• When buying fruit trees, make sure they have a com-patible variety for pollina-tion. This applies to apples, pears, peaches, cherries and nectarines with the odd exception.

• Stuck for a present for a friend with a new garden? “The Canberra Gardener” is the answer.

• Spray flowering ornamental and fruit trees with Bordeaux or Kocide at the pink tip stage, ie when the flower buds swell BUT before the flowers open. This prevents leaf curl and brown rot in fruit.

An easy fruit that needs little love

Persimmons... an acquired taste.

LOCAL singer Julia Johnson, who leads Julia & the Deep Sea Sirens, is among several Canberra celebrities getting behind The Canberra Carbon Challenge (CCC), the Canberra Environment Centre’s latest sustainability initiative.

“Considering we are the bush capital, I really like that we are still making an effort to reduce our impact on the environment, and there are projects like the Carbon Challenge that help remind us of all the little and big things we can do to live more sustainably,” she says.

The CCC encourages kids, adults and households to step outside their comfort zones and commit to new, self-nominated challenges over a 90-day period. Once these challenges have been registered online, par-ticipants are encouraged to monitor their progress and engage with others in order to go in the draw to win priz-es, including retro bikes, LED home fitouts, worm and compost farms.

“Checking out the list of challenges on the website, you kinda realise just how many things there are that you can easily do to be more sustainable,” says Julia. “I was surprised there were so many I didn’t know about, like the freecycle website – awesome!”

Canberra actress Lara Cox, who’s starred in “Heartbreak High” and “Home & Away”, also be-lieves the CCC is a fantastic initiative.

“Until I visited the web-site, I didn’t realise how big our environmental footprint was in Canberra compared to the rest of the country, so hopefully the competition will encourage people to be-come more aware,” she says.

Register at carbonchal-lenge.com.au

Call of the carbon challenge

Actress Lara Cox... “I didn’t realise how big our environmental footprint was in Canberra.”


home

Groovygadgets

Chop with easeEFFORTLESSLY chop herbs with the Zyliss Fast Cut Herb Tool - with five circular high-grade stainless steel blades, it’s great if you’re not so dexterous with a cook’s knife. Available from kitchenware retailers for $25.95.

Healthiest ice creamIS it ever too cold for ice cream? The brilliant Yonanas turns frozen fruit into a fat-free, low-calorie ice-cream dessert without all the nasties. Yonanas costs $79.95 from Myer, Target and Harvey Norman.

Pretty spirals THE colourful Gefu Spirelli – in green, orange, red or purple – creates lovely healthy spirals of carrot, cucumber, zuc-chini or daikon for the ultimate garnish or addition to stir fries and salads. Available from kitchenware outlets, $39.95.

Speed demonTHESE smooth peelers fit snugly into the hand and require minimal effort to speedily peel anything from potatoes and turnips to tomatoes and kiwi fruit. Each one has purpose-designed blades for hard vegetables, soft fruits and julienning.The Savannah speed peelers are $12.95 each, from kitchenware retailers.

Kathryn Vukovljakreports


Sudoku medium No.85

General knowledge crossword No. 370

Solution next week

Solution next week

Crossword No.369 Sudoku hard No.84Solutions

puzzles pageJoanne Madeline Moore your week in the stars / July 30 - August 5 Across

4 Name a major NSW ski resort near Mt Kosciuszko.8 What do we call the skin of animals, prepared for use by tanning?9 Name a person who examines elements critically.10 Which other term describes violation of allegiance by a person to one’s state?11 What is an alternative term for a teller?12 What is another word for one who practises naturism?14 Name an earlier term applied to silver.18 What is a cup for the wine of the eucharist or mass?21 Name the main executive organ of government.22 Which plant is also known as monkshood, or wolf’s bane?23 Which polygon has ten sides and ten angles?24 That which remains after a part is taken, is called what?

Down 1 Name a military sub-unit, consisting of two or more sections of a company. 2 Which (acronymical) device produces

high-intensity beams of radiation?3 What do we call the frame, wheels and machinery of a motor vehicle?4 What is an hypnotic unconscious condition?5 Which horses are of a sorrel, chestnut, or bay colour, sprinkled with grey or white?6 Name the period between sunrise and sunset.7 What is an aquatic, furred, web-footed mammal?13 What do we call the St George Illawarra NRL team?15 Which highly venomous Australian spider is closely related to the black-widow of America?16 Name a particular form of life assurance, the common funds of which benefit the sole survivor.17 To withdraw formally from an alliance or association, is to do what?18 What do we refer to the president of a meeting as?19 Which Greek epic poem describes the siege of Troy?20 What are parts of a tree, held fast in a river bed, forming a danger to navigation?

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)The power of the group is on your side, as you team up with others to make things happen. Singles – with Mars and Saturn in your romance zone, expect a new relationship to be a stop/start kind of affair. On Friday, your assertive Aries side is softened by Venus, which helps smooth over problems in rickety relationships. It’s time for rambunctious Rams to be gentle Lambs!

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)Thursday’s Full Moon lights up your brilliant career zone, so you’re keen to shine professionally. The more curious and experimental you are, the better the outcomes will be. Has your cash flow been erratic lately? With lucky Venus and Jupiter in your money zone, look for positive solutions. If you develop a second stream of income, you’ll feel more secure.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)Communication and travel will be chaotic (courtesy of the Full Moon), but positive Jupiter aspects ensure that any trip you take will end up being both enjoyable and educational. With your ruler Mercury still in retrograde motion (until August 8), avoid making important decisions this week – and stop worrying about something that may never actually eventuate.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)You’re running around multi-tasking but are you actually getting anything done? Slow down Crabs! If you rush money matters, you could end up with a monumental mess on your hands. Trust is a big issue in a romantic or platonic relationship this week. Avoid the temptation to brood and hold onto grudges. Instead, find room in your heart to forgive and forget.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)With Mercury reversing through your sign (plus the Full Moon stirring up your relationship zone), communication will be tricky, as loved ones tell you things you’d rather not hear. Your confidence won’t be dampened though, as you combine an adventurous approach with innovative ideas. If you are creative and take calculated risks, you’ll make exciting progress.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)Vigilant Virgos are usually rational folk but you may feel mentally confused this week, as Mercury scrambles your antennae and you struggle to separate fact from fiction. So avoid making important decisions that require logical thinking, and double-check all appointments. Plus put aside plenty of time for rest and relaxation, otherwise your stress levels will soar.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)Children and teenagers will test the boundaries more than usual. If you are firm and flexible (a tricky balance), then you’ll guide them through the changes that are happening. Friendships are in a state of flux and some will end suddenly, while others develop in unexpected ways. When it comes to your goals for the future, it’s one step forwards and two steps back.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)The Full Moon stimulates your home zone, so expect the unexpected from loved ones. You’ll also feel unsettled at work, as mischievous Mercury reverses through your career zone (until August 8). On the weekend you’re very tuned into the energy around you, and will pick up on the moods of others. So surround yourself with positive people, places and experiences.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)If you’re having problems communicating with someone, a conventional approach won’t work – be adventurous and think outside the box. Plus travel arrangements or legal matters may be delayed (yet again). You’re in the mood to communicate, converse, explore and enthuse on Thursday. So make the most of the lucky opportunities that come your way.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)Saturn is testing your patience but, with ambitious Mars marching through your career zone, it’s time to be brazenly bold at work. If you’re not confident about your talents and abilities, why should anyone else be? The Full Moon and retro Mercury are causing mischief in your finance zones, so avoid making important money moves. Wait for a more auspicious time.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)Attached Aquarians – do you want more freedom, while your partner yearns for commitment? The only solution is to meet them somewhere in the middle. Singles – look for love with a lusty Leo or a gregarious Gemini. Full Moon madness sees you at your eccentric best (and rebellious worst). You’re impatient for change, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)It’s a fabulous week for creative Piscean projects and spiritual exploration, as the Full Moon activates your intuition and imagination zone. But don’t be a gullible Fish and believe everything you hear (especially at work). Misunderstandings are likely, unless you get the facts straight. On the weekend, spend time with friends and family who boost your confidence.

Daily astrology updates at www.twitter.com/JoMadelineMooreCopyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2011

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Canberra CityNews July 26

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Transcript of Canberra CityNews July 26