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| October 1, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Newsletter
for
Offshore Residents
of Pittwater, Australia - Volume 12, Issue 618
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Editorial Despite the foul weather last weekend and the reduced number of attendants, Watermarks was still considered a success, and again showed everyone what an extraordinary group of people live offshore. To all the organisers, Tracy Ponich, Anne Palmer, Annette Ritchie, Ian Smail and Andy Palmer and Penny Gleen and the many tireless volunteers, you have made this community proud yet again. I am sure I speak for us all when I say thank you for the time and effort you all put into this. To use Tracy Smith's comments... " It is people like you that keep this community alive". Enjoy! Contents
  Daylight Saving Starts Sunday 2 October 2011 at 2:00 am Daylight saving begins in New South Wales on Sunday 2 October 2011 at 2:00 am, when clocks will be put forward one hour. Daylight saving ends again in New South Wales on Sunday 1 April 2012, at 3:00 am when clocks will be put back one hour. For future summers, daylight saving in New South Wales begins at 2:00 am, Eastern Standard Time, on the first Sunday in October and ends at 3:00 am Eastern Daylight Saving Time on the first Sunday in April. Watermarks - Thanks ....just a line to say how sorry I was that the weather spoilt Watermarks - I know how hard Anne and her team worked to make it a success - also the girls at the Fireshed & Kindy making all that lovely food - they all deserve a big round of applause and acknowledgment from the rest of the community. Teresa Valenti To all of you and your partners, Tracy Ponich, Anne Palmer Annette Ritchie, (Ian Smail and Andy Palmer, the long suffering husbands) and of course Penny Gleen, a huge thank you for a wonderful weekend. Paul and I were in the gallery all weekend, we heard only praise for the organisation and smooth running under the most difficult of circumstances. To Andy Palmer, Tracy Ponich and Ian Smail for holding the fort in the foulest of situations. You looked like drowned rats with the biggest smiles and positive attitudes..... Anne you were here there and everywhere I can only imagine the load you carried......It is people like you that keep this community alive. Paul and Tracy ...........I second all of that! We heard nothing but enormous praise about the organisation. One couple told us that from the moment they arrived at Pittwater High to every studio and yummy morsel they tasted they were treated like kings and couldn't have had a better time....a credit to you guys who put in all the hard work while we swanned about in our dry studios making cups of tea for all the brave souls who visited us at Artspace Rouge. A HUGE THANK YOU from us too, Cheers Nettie ...I would also agree in congratulating everyone on a tremendous effort, one couple said today and I quote “ we had to come out in the weather as we couldn’t let you all down” Carole Dear All, Would also like to say a big thank you to the Anne Palmer the WaterMarks committee and Penny. This was the best organised and presented event . The volunteers and ferry masters were absolutely wonderful and must have been absolutely freezing and knackered by the end of the weekend....... Marion Tennis Wharf Pontoon Latest Update Oh Dear! Another Delay. Installation of the new pontoon and demolition of the deteriorated section of the finger wharf has been unavoidably delayed. It is now to commence a week later on Monday, 10 October. Please remember during the installation;
Tennis Users Group. Inquiries: Gordon Floyd 9997 2035 Leftover Stock from Watermarks STOCKS OF LONG TREK AVAILABLE Given the rain and the understandable lack of ambulating and eating bodies I have quite a stock of my long storing Long Trek to sell. STOCKS OF LONG TREK AVAILABLE, both vegetarian and meat based. This delicious and highly spiced condiment is a favorite with many of the offshore community already. It will store in fridge for 6-12 months and is delicious as a spread, base, garnish or just as an accompaniment to rice. Long trek is based on a Malaysian meat jam made to provide non-perishable protein source when off in the jungle on hunting/traveling parties. Long trek is compressed when packed and is available in $12 (equivalent of 4-5 dinner serves) or $25 (equivalent of 15-20 serves) packs. A serve is based on a heaped dessert spoon of non-compacted long trek. Fresh Green curry paste also available. $15 tub of about 15-18 heaped dessert spoons. Just add coconut milk and sugar if desired. Please contact Karen Lambert on 0409523702 or karenjlt@bigpond.net.au to arrange an order. You can download information about Long Trek below. History of Long Trek Ingredient & Product info Kindy Cafe has some leftover milk We had milk leftover from the cafe, which is now stored in the kindy and in a fridge in one of the sheds. It is dated 2 October, so if anyone needs milk this week, they can have it. Call me to arrange – 0404 867 768. Thanks Petra Maritime safety out in force in Pittwater BOAT owners on Pittwater this weekend be warned. Water police, fisheries and maritime safety officers will be out in force in a highly visible operation targeting all offences, including marine drink-driving, speeding, unsafe navigation, anti-social behaviour, vessel safety, fishing licences, and bag and size limits. Broken Bay water police commander Senior Sergeant Chris Morgan said the operation would see the three agencies working together to enforce maritime law and ensure the safety of the boating public. New laws governing the safety equipment required on boats were introduced a year ago, and the police have concentrated on educating the boating public since its introduction. “We’re now looking to move from education towards enforcement,” Serg Morgan said. “The weekend operation is about combining our resources and providing as much coverage as possible, which means several boats and jet skis will be used at the same time. “By combining our efforts, we’ll cover more ground and be able to deter, detect and arrest offenders, and to make boating safer for everyone.” NRL
Grand Final at the Fireshed
 Manly Sea Eagles v Warriors Sunday, October 2. Bar opens at 3.30 Kick-off at 5.15pm $5 per head gets you in PLUS you get something to eat ! New Goodog Manners starting 14 October on Scotland Island  At Goodog Positive Dog Training for Happy Dogs and Happy Owners, we believe dog training should be fun and not a chore. We help you establishing a life long positive relationship with your dog and train you and your dog so she or he can be part of the family and join you in your daily activities. We run courses designed for the older puppy and rescue dogs and have a new classes starting on Scotland Island on Friday 14 October at 2 pm You can also check our website http://www.goodog.com.au/content/locations-and-starting-dates COURSE OUTLINE The course is five weeks in duration (one hour each week) and costs $200.00, which includes starter-pack, hand-out notes and a treat pouch. We take a maximum of eight dogs per course. Our course focuses on things such as how dogs learn, body language and positive reinforcement for the theory, and then the practice concentrates on:
If you would like to join us, please let me know and I will forward an Information Sheet on where to come, what to bring and how to pay. Best regards Barbara Goodog Positive Dog Training 0424 74 0234 info@goodog.com.au www.goodog.com.au Check out our facebook page and keep up to date with our training tips, articles, the Goodog Social Club and news. Like this page if you want to receive information about all things doggie. www.facebook.com/pages/Goodog-Positive-Dog-Training/164212460266079 Letters to the Editor Open Letter to Pink Water Taxis I was extremely disappointed to receive appalling service from Pink Water Taxis this weekend. I had family and friends, including friends from overseas, coming to lunch. Because there were too many people to fit in our small commuter boat on one journey, I had advised them to take a water taxi from Church Point. In the pouring rain on Sunday, I received a call from my mum who was quite upset and speechless at the rudeness from the water taxi operator via, ironically enough, the courtesy phone. Because she didn’t know the “name of our wharf” (we don’t have a “name” for our little wharf, but it is simple enough to direct a taxi to our home, which my mum, and the water taxi operators, know well) she was advised that “we don’t do business that way”, told to “take the ferry” then the taxi operator hung up on her mid-sentence. She called back and tried to explain the situation, including the fact that it takes almost an hour to get to our home by ferry, including a 15 minute walk. She was hung up on twice more, then the operator turned off his phone for the next half hour, ignoring dozens of calls from my mum and myself. Our guests saw the taxi operator at Church Point soon after and asked him directly if he could just drop them across the water (our place is less than five minutes from Church Point) and he flatly refused and went to lunch. Instead, I had to get in our small, open boat with a small child and a baby and make two trips in the torrential rain to pick up our guests, apologising all the while for the embarrassingly poor introduction to Australia that our guest from South Africa had received. This is certainly not the first bad experience I have had using Pink Water Taxis – in fact every interaction I have had with them has left me reeling at their unbelievably poor customer service – but it is definitely the worst. Between the exorbitant rates and rude attitudes, you are a prime example of a business with an effective monopoly on a captive audience and absolutely no regard for your customers. You clearly have an absence of any sense of customer service within your business and think it is appropriate to treat your customers with outright rudeness and contempt. I am absolutely stunned that this attitude still exists in any modern business. I was utterly mortified, after regularly raving to friends and family about how lovely the people are in the offshore community, to have to explain that the helpfulness, insults and outright rudeness that they received from Pink Water Taxis are not representative of the wider residents’ attitudes. This behavior was not only an appalling example of customer service, but was simply embarrassingly rude. Did your parents never teach you that insulting, laughing at, then hanging up on a grandmother after consigning her to a boat trip in the rain is just plain bad manners? I strongly suggest that you rethink your attitude to your customers – we are not there just to hand over money to you at your convenience, instead you are a business which is expected to offer some level of “service” to your customers in return for our hard-earned dollars. I urge all offshore residents to question whether this attitude is what we want to be the first introduction that many people have to our lovely community. Sincerely, Jessica Barr Thank you for all for your assistance We are happy to be alive after a huge tree crashed onto our Florence Terrace house in the wild storm in the early hours of Sunday morning. The tree is resting less than a metre from our bed and if it wasn't for the solid structure of our Steve Crosby designed/John Travers built house we wouldn't be typing this message. Wonderful Scotland island fire brigade turned out in the middle of that filthy night to make sure we were OK - fantastic man from Energy Australia arrived to preform a Cirque du Soleil act up a wobbling power pole in driving rain to render us all safe from electrocution - and those SES girls and guys are saints. They cleared huge amounts of tree from the roof so that a tarpaulin could stop the rain pouring into our once beautiful home. Lovely neighbours Karin and Eamon and Emmie arrived with tea and coffee and hugs… and Lyn and Cal with a lead from their boat shed so we can at least keep the fridge running. We've only ever seen such activities on the news happening to 'other' people - now we know first hand just how wonderful our services our neighbours and friends really are! Thank you… Jacqui and Bill Lee "To everybody mooring during the day at Commuters wharf": BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR DINGHY MAKE SURE THAT THE ONES SURROUNDING, MAINLY THE SMALLEST ONES PUSHED AGAINST THE WHARF, ARE ABLE TO COME OUT AND GO HOME HAPPILY WHENEVER THEY NEED IT AND WITHOUT DESPAIR. COMMUNITY IS LOOKING AFTER EACH OTHER NEEDS. Louisa Hoffmann
A portion of the Winnererremy Bay playground at Mona Vale has reopened, after its temporary closure due to the presence of salmonella bacteria. The area which was closed – near the Flying Fox equipment and climbing net – reopened on the weekend after Council staff removed existing bark and replaced it. The Council closed part of the playground two weeks ago, following testing by NSW Health which revealed traces of the salmonella java bacteria. The bacteria has been implicated in cases of gastro-enteritis in young children in Pittwater since 2008. This year ten cases have been reported via local GPs to NSW Health. Despite extensive testing and research by various experts the source of the bacteria has not been located. NSW Health advised the Council to close the affected area of the playground and remove the bark, after four of the children who had fallen ill in the last three months were known to have played at Winnererremy Bay. Reserves & Recreation Manager Les Munn said the new bark had been spread over the playground to a depth of 30cms following advice from NSW Health. Mr Munn said parents and carers of young children should follow basic hygiene principles if they were concerned. “Ensure children wash their hands before eating and after playing outside and try to ensure that they don’t put things in their mouths while playing outdoors.” Media contact: Les Munn, Pittwater Council Ph: 9970 1354 SPOTLIGHT ON COMMERCIAL FISHING IN PITTWATER The Council has joined local member Rob Stokes in calling for a review of commercial fishing in Pittwater. At its meeting this week the Council adopted a Mayoral minute by Cr Harvey Rose, asking the state government to widen its current enquiry into commercial fishing to examine the impacts on the Pittwater estuary. The enquiry is being administered by the NSW Minister for Primary Industries and is expected to deliver its findings later this year. Cr Rose said it was vital that long-term fish stocks in Pittwater were preserved. He said the Council had had discussions with the group representing amateur anglers – the Anglers Action Group (Northside) – and agreed with them that commercial fishing appeared to be unsustainable in Pittwater. “The Pittwater estuary is a breeding ground for a variety of species of smaller fish and these are a vital link in ensuring the continuation of the marine food chain,” he said. “Commercial fishing disrupts this food chain because of the indiscriminate nature of drag-netting.” Cr Rose said that in harbours and waterways where commercial fishing had ceased,such as Botany Bay, Sydney Harbour and Lake Macquarie, fish stocks had dramatically improved within a few years. The Mayor said that there were a large number of businesses in Pittwater which depended heavily on recreational fishing and boating for their sustainability. Harvey Rose, Pittwater Council Ph: 9970 1104 HSC STUDY LOCK-IN @ LIBRARY Mona Vale Library is offering to ‘lock up’ HSC students for special after-hours study sessions at the library during October. To make studying for the HSC exams even more palatable, the Library will be offering students free pizza along with a Thursday evening study session. The lock-in and free pizza sessions will be each Thursday evening from 6pm to 9pm between 29 September and 27 October. Early opening hours at Mona Vale Library will also be on offer to HSC students each weekday from 9am to 10am, from Monday 10 October to Friday 28 October. The library normally opens at 10am on weekdays, but HSC students will have access to the library from 9am during this period. Library Manager Cathy Howie said that the after-hours study sessions aimed to help HSC students to make use of a quieter environment for studying. “We hope the offer of free pizza on Thursday evenings will also make studying a little less stressful for them,” she said. “The only requirement for students to take advantage of the study ‘lock-in’ is for them to arrive by 6.15pm on the Thursday evening at the library, or by 9.15am for the early morning sessions.” Mona Vale Library is located at 1 Park Street, Mona Vale. For more information please call 9970 1600 Media contact: Rebeccah Vick, Mona Vale Library Ph: 9970 1622 SUSTAINABLE LIVING EXPO Pittwater’s second Sustainable Living Expo will take place at Mona Vale Memorial Hall and Village Park on Sunday 9 October. The event will include over 40 exhibitors, 17 workshop presentations and 8 speakers. The Expo is an all-day event for the general public, aimed at raising awareness about how to live more sustainably on a day-to-day basis. Mark Beharrell from Pittwater Council, which is hosting the event with the community group Climate Action Pittwater, said the Expo was suitable for the whole family. “We have a live chicken coop and there will also be a selection of native animals on the day. These should be a real draw card for children,” he said. “Other highlights at the Expo will include an electric van that runs off rechargeable lithium batteries. It runs and looks just like a standard vehicle, “ said Mr Beharrell. “There are workshops throughout the day, including a Green Forum with an expert panel responding to questions from the public. The panel includes an award winning building designer, engineer, architect and green tenancy adviser.” Mr Beharell said the panel could give advice on green building products and practices, while several exhibitors can show how to make homes more energy efficient. Other attractions of the Expo include:
Media contact: Mark Beharrell, Pittwater Council Ph: 9970 1368 Tony Edye, Climate Action Pittwater Ph: 9918 5277 Book launch at the Gone Fishing Gallery, Pasadena, Church Point Saturday 29 October, 4pm – 6pm Growing Up with Fragile X Syndrome Growing up with Fragile X Syndrome: The Road to Marty Campbell is the new biography from long time Scotland Island resident, Robyn Iredale. Robyn is launching her story of raising a son affected by fragile X (FX) and invites those living in the Pittwater area and who work in health and disability services, or who have a personal connection to or interest in fragile X, to attend. FX syndrome is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability and the most common known genetic cause of autism. It is found in all races and at all socio-economic levels. Latest statistics indicate 1 in 3600 males and 1 in 4000- 6000 females are affected and that as many as 1 in 280 males and 1 in 125 females are carriers. Every week in Australia one child is born who is fully affected and twelve children are born who are carriers. Dr Iredale’s book describes her extended family’s journey along the FX road from Marty’s pre-diagnosis at age seven back in 1977, when awareness and support services were essentially non-existent, through the trials and the triumphs of school, sport and employment, to the present. It also includes vital FX research and information on testing, health issues, education, behavioural challenges, likely outcomes for carriers versus those affected and describes with humour the many common personality traits shared by those affected, which will resonate with families touched by FX. There have been plenty of academic books and research papers written on FX but it is believed The Road to Marty Campbell is the first personal account available worldwide. Launch speakers: Dr Paolo Totaro AM John Kelleher, Fragile X Association of Australia President Dr Robyn Iredale, author The book’s main subject, Marty Campbell, will attend the launch. RSVP by 24 October to Robyn’s email robyn.iredale@anu.edu.au or ph. 9979 1096 Complimentary refreshments will be supplied. For information on fragile x and to order a copy of Growing up with Fragile X Syndrome go to http://www.fragilex.org.au/ Order Form available HERE Pilates and Fitness Classes are back!! Pilates: 9am Mondays, Scotland Island Hall. Group training: 8am Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Park. Casual classes are now $22 Pay by term prices are $18 per class for all classes. For more information on classes go to the www.scotlandisland.org.au/home and click on 'classes' or contact Patrice Corrie on 0406 483 036 or by email at patrice.corrie@gmail.com   AUTHOR TALK The Briny Cafe. A novel by Susan Duncan This first novel of Susan Duncan’s is set in a fictional Pittwater and is brimming with warmth and wit. It is a delicious tale of friendship and love and the search for a place to call home... Can a lopsided little cafeĢ on the water’s edge be a new start for two women at the crossroads of their lives? Wednesday 5 October, 2011 Time: 6.30pm Venue: Mona Vale Library 1 Park Street, Mona Vale Cost: $8.00 Adults $6.00 Concession - Pensioners and Students (passes must be shown) Phone: 9970 1600 Bookings essential Payment within 3 days of booking Canine Tips ALLERGIC SKIN DISEASE for DOGS (Atopy) History: Itching, which is often seasonal & mainly seen on feet, face and ventral body. Self trauma can occur. Secondary infections, increased sweating & ear infections are often present. Sneezing, conjunctivitis or vomiting or diarrhoea may also occur. The offending allergens may be identified with intradermal skin testing. Treatment: for allergies - apart from removing the offending allergens ie fleas, food, plants such as wandering jew, pollens, dust mites etc - is really just symptomatic - ie we are not aiming for a cure, just to treat the symptoms. ANTIHISTAMINES:
THESE MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS in
some animals:
Antihistamines
can help with itchy skin & are far safer to use long term than
cortisone. Side effects are rare & if they occur usually do so
within the first days of starting treatment, and stop as soon as
treatment is stopped. An individual patient’s response to any of these
is unpredictable so do not give up if the first few don’t help - the
next one you try may work very well! Take note of even partial
improvements - every little bit we can do to decrease the itch will
help. Some pets may respond to more than one type - sometimes we find
combinations of antihistamines work better than any alone - and we may
try this if not getting a good response.
FATTY ACIDS:
"It
is important to appreciate that your dog has been born with a dry,
irritable skin. This skin will remain dry and itchy throughout your
dog's life. The degree of irritability may lessen with time. Various
things will aggravate this irritable skin. When this happens, whatever
the age of the dog, dermatitis will occur. Therefore, the tendency to
dermatitis is lifelong, but the fact of dermatitis may not be lifelong.
The important thing to grasp is that this skin will have to be
understood and cared for, for life. If this is done, often the
development of dermatitis remains a rare event."
Five good reasons to scoop the poop
You can subscribe to the newsletter at this address - http://www.petpack.com.au/pet+pack+newsletters.html Marauding dog/s strike again! This time it was not the guinea pigs but a beautiful chicken that was killed. One of Harley's pets! This is the third time that I have written in this newsletter about dog owners not properly containing their dogs. The council rangers have been over recently and have asked us to try to photograph the culprit/s. But who has all day to sit and watch for them? Not Lisa or I! So I implore all you dog owners to be thoughtful of others and not allow any dangerous dogs to wander freely. Robyn Iredal Rose's Stall  Hubert, Maria, Elise and Rose van Mierlo to would like to thank everybody who supported Rose's biscuit and lemonade stall on Saturday... Rose made $50 which she has donated to MS Australia. Boat missing ! We have had a small green rowboat tied up at Bells wharf that has disappeared over the last couple of days. It is not worth anything but was still going strong and I really enjoyed rowing across. If anyone has it please bring it back to Bells wharf or callIneka on 0424299984 Hull Wanted If you have a hull lying around taking up space in your yard, on your jetty, local wharf or beach, that's no longer being used, 10 - 12 ft to house 15hp, in good condition, and would like to part with it or sell it, Please call either Nikki - 0425 227792 or Matt - 0404 876685 - Thanks The Local Guide Community Information
Transport
Real Estate
Services, Clubs & Accommodation
Island Classes (Fitness, Dance, Art etc)
Groups
Government Organisations
Airlines, Buses and Railways
Weather Scotland Island Tides, Moon phases, Sun rise & set Local Weather Forecast Radar weather for Sydney (128k circle) Emergency Contact Numbers
Archived Newsletters A complete set of past electronic newsletters since May 2000 can be found and read at https://ymlp.com/archive_gesgjgm.php or by clicking here or by visiting the Mona Vale Library. The Island website is at www.scotlandisland.org.au To Contribute If you would like to contribute to this newsletter it's easy!. Send an e-mail to the editor (editor@scotlandisland.org.au) or by clicking here. Type your contribution (100 words or so would be fine) and assuming it is of general interest to the community, does not include matter of a political nature and is not offensive, it will appear next month. Subscription Information To get on and off this newsletter, click here or got to: http://www.scotlandisland.org.au/signup . To change your address, click the 'modify' link at the bottom of this newsletter or send an email to the editor@scotlandisland.org.au Follow the PON
The Online Local Contacts Guide Click HERE to load The
views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the
Scotland Island Residents Association (SIRA), or
the Western
Pittwater Community Association (WPCA)
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