More Spring Festival Events

Hallstrom Park was once again the setting for Northbridge Rotary Club's excellent Garden Fair. I was pleased to hear from Malcolm (seated) and Penny Lye that this year, twice last years number of patrons came out to look, learn and buy from the many colourful and well stocked stalls. Outside broadcast studio Radio 702 BL was there with Simon Marnie hosting a live performance from Bruce Mathiske jazz guitar master, cooking demonstrations and plenty of horticultural chat. Locally indigenous chat could be had at the WEPA (Willoughby Environmental Protection Association) stall where I found Sheila & Gay taking a break. How gorgeous is that parasol? A perfect location for this sociable and somewhat languid event..looking just like a set from Midsomer...

Sunday in Naremburn

There was plenty to do in Naremburn last Sunday! In the morning I caught up with the Bike Week Guided Discovery Ride - along the new Epping Rd Shared Path, led by Bike North Club members. About 45 people, 27 of whom used the Centennial Park hire bikes (courtesy of Council) participated. Nash from Renegade Cycles at Lane Cove conducted safety checks and Alison Jones, Council's wonderful Sustainable Transport Officer was there, holding it all together. As it was such a success, we might try doing this regularly - let us know what you think..
Up the road at the former Temperance Hall in Central Street, Ingrid Morley's studio was participating in our annual Artists Open Studio Weekend. I took these pics of works in her garden.. Then it was back down to Hallstrom Oval to watch 3 Northbridge Football Club teams (under 13 boys, under 14 girls & under 16 girls) play in State championship matches. Congratulations to all these members of our diverse, talented and vibrant community!

Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, China - by bike!

Celebrating NSW Bike Week, Willoughby City Council is hosting a bicycle film festival this Sunday the 28th Sept, 3.00 - 5.00pm. The event will feature a series of short films including the award-winning documentary Off the Rails, directed by Tim Cope. "It was March, the beginning of Spring in the northwest corner of Russia. Struggling to make 6km a day, Tim Cope & Chris Hatherly, both 20 year-old Australians had embarked on an epic journey across Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, and Northern China, finishing in Tiananmen square, Bejing." The 14 month cycling journey is as much about the warmth and hospitality of Siberian villagers and Mongolian nomads, as it is about the haunting landscapes, the outer limits of a cycling adventure and a tested friendship. Our venue is The Freeway Hotel located on the Gore Hill Freeway shared path. Bicycle parking is available. This event is presented in association with BikeSydney and the eighth annual Bicycle Film Festival (13-15 November 2008 @ the Dendy Newtown). For further information phone 9777 7706. This is a FREE event.

Bike Week - 20 - 28 September

Willoughby Council has 4 great events organised:
FREE Cycling Skills Workshop (adults & children 12+) FREE
10AM - 1PM Sat 20 September in Naremburn Park

Bike Path Discovery Ride
10AM Sun 21 September meet @ Hallstrom Park
Bike Hire available (booking essential) FREE

Bike Film Festival
3PM Sun 28 September
3 short films at the Freeway Hotel Artarmon FREE

Bike Maintenance Workshop
6PM - 9PM Thurs 25th September
@ Renegade Cycles Lane Cove (booking essential) $40

BOOKINGS & INFO 9777770

NSW Labor rearranges the deck chairs

At least this is an indication that they understand how bad things really are! Whilst there is much rejoicing that Frank Sartor has been 'kicked to the curb', the sad fact it that his "planning reforms" are enshrined. Whilst personalities come and go the damage done by corrupt Party politics in NSW seems inexorable. It's my observation that the same culture is evident amongst certain of our apparently 'independent' candidates for Council. As election day draws near, we are again supplied with the usual flood of false and malicious leaflets in a desperate attempt to undermine what has been achieved by a genuinely independent Council here in Willoughby. What I find so disturbing is the overwhelming negativity, the manipulative creation of fear and insecurity, the distortion of fact and use of base personal insult. Willoughby Council has achieved a great deal over the past 10 years or so. The achievements are there despite the culture of personality, not because of it. Fortunately, the majority of people in Willoughby have been able to distinguish between candidates with sincere and positive aspirations and those whose populist rhetoric and cheap point scoring distinguishes them as essentially game players.

Vote 1 - Group C - for Naremburn !

On September 13th most residents of NSW get to vote for members of their local councils. Sadly, quite a few LGAs have had autocrat / administrators installed by the state government as a result of corrupt practice. These situations have generally featured associations of corrupt political party hacks, Liberal and Labor. Fortunately on the Northside, we seem to have a tradition of favouring independent local Councillors. Although many Councillors are card holding party members, they seem to prefer standing as 'independents' probably because people don't seem to want parties in local government for the above - and other reasons.

Here in Willoughby we have 4 "Wards" each with 3 Councillors. Councils have a fixed term of 4 years, except for when the government would like to change that (e.g. this term was 4 and a half years). In Willoughby we also get to vote for the Mayor - who is then elected for the full term. Most Councils still elect a Mayor every year,by the Councillors. In my experience, although sometimes the people make a mistake with the Mayor, a 'popularly elected Mayor' generally delivers a better result as the Councillors are not distracted by the horse trading which used to accompany the annual election process!

Here is a pic of our team for Naremburn. I feel very honoured to have the support of these two people - Stuart Sexton and Bruce de Graaf.

Stuart and his partner Rhoda are the backbone of Artarmon's Sustainability Street group. He is also a member of Willoughby Walking Volunteers (responsible for much of the local route finding and signage you may have noticed around our parks and reserves) and of the Artarmon Reserve Bushcare Group

Bruce is the proud father of two beautiful and talented girls who attend local schools, he is Secretary of Crow's Nest Rotary and plays football for the West Pymble Pymble over 35 division 1 Premiership winning team. Perhaps because he works locally he can also find time to support Naremburn's Bushcare Group!

Thanks so much for your support guys!

Giant burrowing cockroaches @ Willoughby Park!

But not normally found there!
On show at Willoughby's Fauna Fair today, courtesy of the "Bug Man" were a range of stick insects, spiders and the giant - being shown around here by Daniel, an enthusiastic member of the audience. Apparently they're the world's biggest (up to 80mm & 35 grams) and thankfully, mostly found in north Queensland. Also on display were bats from the Ku-ring-gai Colony, a tawny frogmouth, lorrikeets and butterflies from Ossu, our sister city in East Timor. A great day, made possible through e.restore, Council's Environmental Levy - for which we have recently won an extension.

On the way there, I took this photo of Telford Lane - Willoughby's only surviving cobbled street runing between Eastern Valley Way and Fourth Avenue. An unexpected but wonderful relic don't you think?!