Local business woman, Ruth Swan, has been recognised as the Woman of the Year for 2008 in the MOB Excellence in Franchising Awards for ACT/NSW.
The award recognises and rewards the contribution of women to franchising and their community with a view to highlighting the exceptional value women bring to business.
"Winning this award has made my year! Receiving recognition for all the hard work and effort has made me feel a glowing sense of accomplishment and appreciation."
With over 12 years experience in business, Ruth currently owns and operates four successful Price Attack salons within the ACT. Operating four businesses within a relatively small area has given Ruth the opportunity to interact regularly with the community and to actively support it.
"The Canberra community has been so supportive of Price Attack stores – our customers are so loyal.They love the great value and huge range that our stores provide and the fact that all our staff are so friendly and knowledgeable."
Price Attack Managing Director, Barry Jarred, is full of praise for Ruth’s achievement. "Ruth is a fantastic example of how a Price Attack franchise provides an excellent career path for women, allowing them the opportunity to secure their financial futures, whilst supporting and growing their families."
"Ruth is a very driven and passionate business-woman who deserves every accolade that has been bestowed upon her."
Ruth’s supportive customers will be crossing their fingers and hoping that she takes out the National Award when the Franchising Council of Australia announces the winner in October. We wish Ruth the best of luck!
Ruth operates Price Attack’s Belconnen, Civic, Tuggeranong and Woden. For details of your nearest store visit www.priceattack.com.au
Fun Event - ACT ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Society
Successful ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Event
On Sunday 31 August as members of the public reached the top of the escalators at Dendy cinemas civic, they saw posters raising awareness for ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). On the right hand side eye catching bright blue helium balloons indicated the event area. This festive atmosphere was the basis for the ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Fundraising Cinema Event. Those attending enjoyed pre-screening drinks and tasty canapés before the screening of award winning documentary ‘I remember me’. Crowds were drawn to the table of raffle prizes and while buying a ticket learnt more about the illness. Thanks to PJ O’Reilley’s and King O’Malleys for donating the raffle prizes.
This event enabled the ACT ME/CFS Society, a small Canberra based charity, to provide information about the illness to the general public. “ME/CFS is a physical illness that can be very debilitating. By holding events like this we hope to generate awareness and understanding about ME/CFS” said the Society’s President Mary Campbell. This event also enabled the ACT ME/CFS Society to reach out and help new people living with ME/CFS.
What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)?
ME/CFS has many symptoms, made worse by physical and/or mental activity and recuperation after exertion is prolonged. It is a complex illness affecting multiple systems of the body and, in particular, the nervous, immune and endocrine systems.
The ACT ME/CFS Society offers telephone support and support groups for people with the condition. It also provides information about the illness to patients, medical practitioners and the public; and raises funds for research into treating debilitating illness. For more information or to make a tax deductible donation go to www.mecfscanberra.org.au
The Australian National University is entering the only high school team outside of Queensland in the UAV Challenge – Outback Rescue, open to all Australian high schools.
The Challenge is an international competition held in Kingaroy on 23-25 September and features UAVs, pilotless aircraft either remote controlled or flown autonomously with a pre-programmed flight plan.
Students design and build their own UAVs, which then mount an Outback rescue mission, delivering emergency supplies to someone lost in the bush. They compete for an ultimate prize of $10,000.
The Canberra team, Future Scientists of Canberra, is also the only multi school team in the competition, involving 30 students from 12 different Canberra schools.
Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Minister Desley Boyle said the Challenge was a great opportunity for students to get involved in aviation.
"The Challenge will broaden the students’ horizons, providing them with industry contacts and potentially open doors to careers in aviation," Ms Boyle said.
Australian National University Fellow Uwe Zimmer who’s been overseeing the team’s entry sees the Challenge as a great opportunity for the students.
"It gets them thinking about opportunities after high school and the direction they might like to take, serving as a great stepping stone to future education and careers in the industry," Dr Zimmer said.
"All the students have been very impressive so far. They’re switched on, coordinated and dedicated to the project, plus they appreciate being treated as adults, and acting accordingly."
The UAV Challenge is a joint initiative between the Queensland Government, the Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation (ARCAA, a partnership between QUT and CSIRO) and Boeing Australia Limited.
The Starchild Skull
Genetic enigma or Human-Alien Hybrid?
Distinguished international lecturer Lloyd Pye will tour Australia for a series of paradigm altering public lectures. His first Canberra seminar, The Starchild Skull, will be held on Friday evening 26th September between 6:30 to 9:00pm. His second lecture, Human Origins: from Bigfoot to Sitchin, covering the fourth model of human origins will be on the following evening at the same venue. See The Word article for more information.
Background
In 1930 a Mexican girl finds two skeletons in a mine tunnel and brings the skulls to the U.S.A.
In February 1999, researcher and author Lloyd Pye was shown the two relics for his opinion. One was clearly human, the other, human-like, definitely, but bizarre (see image).
This bizzare relic differed from normal human skulls in several ways:
The eye sockets are extremely shallow and completely different in shape and location;
It had no inion, the bump at the lower rear part of the head that all primates have, not just humans;
It had no trace of frontal sinuses;
Its bone was half as thick as normal human bone and weighed half as much, yet was twice as strong, with tensile strength more like tooth enamel . . . and much more.
These oddities were discovered during a nine-year-long battle of wits & wills as this one researcher took on the monolithic weight of scientific orthodoxy.
Lloyd oversaw a range of exacting scientific tests. Some ‘experts’ gave the standard (safe?) textbook answer, a “cradle-boarded hydrocephalic”. Others put their scientific and professional reputations on the line. The results were interesting to say the least:
The Starchild skull’s external size indicates it should have an internal brain volume of 1200 cubic centimetres (cc). It measured as 1600 cc, fully one-third larger than normal!
The skull’s symmetry is nearly perfect, more than most ‘normal’ human skulls.
Carbon dating confirms that both of the skulls died at 900 years ago.
Embedded inside the actual bone are some unusual durable fibers and a strange red residue that has no prior record in science.
They seem impossible but are real.
As scientific facts stacked up, the “cradle-boarded hydrocephalic” explanation wore thin. In fact, the latest DNA tests done by Trace Genetics in the USA strongly indicate it may not be entirely human. The mother is definitely a human from haplogroup C, but in six full attempts the father’s DNA could not be recovered. His DNA did not respond to human primers and is therefore something other than entirely human.
Lloyd Pye’s next task is to recover the Starchild’s entire genome, which can be done now through a new testing procedure by a company called 454 Life Sciences in the USA. This company is currently sequencing the Neanderthal’s genome.
While SETI seeks proof of alien life beyond Earth, Lloyd Pye believes that for the past nine years he has been showing the world’s scientists what they claim to be seeking: absolute ironclad proof that at least one alien-human hybrid was possibly alive (and died) on Earth 900 years ago.
So is this simply a bizarre rare freak of nature, a genuine 900 year old alien skull . . . or possibly even a hybrid? The evidence is compelling and the science doesn’t lie. See the proof at this fascinating lecture, then make up your own mind.
Lloyd will have his engaging book covering his 8 years research plus a professionaly made lithographic reproduction of this unusual relic for people to see and even hold.
About the presenter.
Lloyd Pye published his first novel in 1977. For the next decade he worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood, after which his second novel was published in 1987. In the early 1990s, he switched his focus from fiction to nonfiction, moving into alternative knowledge in 1997 with publication of his book Everything You Know is Wrong. It became a best seller and launched him into his decade-long career as a lecturer in several areas of alternative research, especially those that deal with hominoids (bigfoot, yeti, sasquatch, etc.), and the Intervention Theory of human origins. This fact-based alternative to Evolution, Creation and Intelligent Design, has more solid scientific evidence to support it than the other three combined.
This event is open to all and is not backed by any particular groups, clubs or societies.
Venue: Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre, Australian National University (not ANU sponsored, but they do have great lecture theatres though)
April 26, 2008, Actress Portia de Rossi, left, and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres arrive at the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Weeks, file) (Chris Weeks - Associated Press)
The marriage of Ellen DeGeneres to her Australian girlfriend Portia de Rossi has renewed criticism of our same-sex marriage laws.
Since same-sex marriages are not recognised by the federal government, the couple’s legal status will cease to exist when they visit de Rossi’s family here in Australia.
A Galaxy poll shows that 71% of Australians agree that same-sex partners should have the same legal rights as de facto heterosexual couples, while only 23% disagreed. The same poll showed that 57% agree that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.
Australian Marriage Equality (AME) welcomes the decision made by the Californian Supreme Court last Thursday to overturn their ban on same-sex marriage, believing it places
greater pressure on the Rudd government to end discrimination here.
“It’s time the Australian government pulled it’s head out of the sand. This issue is not going away; they cannot just avoid it any longer. As the number of foreign jurisdictions which deliver full equality grows, Australia bigotry only becomes even more excruciatingly obvious,” said AME National Converter, Peter Furness.
California now joins Massachusetts as the only two US states that recognise same – sex marriage. Equal marriage rights already exist in Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands, South Africa and Spain with Norway and Sweden expected to join the group within the next few months.
The Marriage Act was amended in 2004 to explicitly state that marriage in Australia can only be between a man and a woman, and that marriages held in other countries won’t be recognised here.
Currently, Same-Sex relationships can be registered in the ACT and Tasmania but the government is opposed to them having marriage status.
Marriage is defined not only has a cultural practice but also as a binding contract in the eyes of the law, establishing the spouse as the next-of-kin, or a blood relative. In almost every important situation, such as making medical decisions or deciding property rights, the next-of-kin play a very important role.
At the centre of the argument against same-sex marriage is tradition. Those opposed argue that legalising same-sex marriage will destroy the concept of the traditional family, lead to increased sexual promiscuity and confusion over sexual identity in young people. However the biggest argument used by opponents is that marriage was originally designed as a means for having children, and since same-sex couples cannot procreate, they should not be allowed to marry.
Counsellor Erica Straun*, who’s mother has been in a same – sex relationship for over ten years, said “The main thing I hear from people who are against same-sex marriage is the ‘tradition’ argument. People say that the nature of marriage is that it be between a man and a woman. This is where I like to say ‘so if one of them has had a sex change it’s ok?’ I recall getting the answer ‘as long as the sex change is so good that you can’t tell.’”
The opinion of those that are at the heart of this debate is that allowing same-sex couples to perform Civil Unions would be a good start.
“Yes, I want to have my relationship recognised in the eyes of the law but I sometimes wonder if I actually want it to be ‘marriage’ in the traditional sense. In fact as a gay man I would be more than happy just for civil partnerships to be allowed in the ACT so that I can have a commitment ceremony to my man if I choose to, but also have the government recognise that my relationship is valid.” said David Willett.
Andrew Cox, who has been in a serious long-term relationship for some years now, agrees “I think the gays should have something that’s their own; different to a wedding/marriage that has similar legal rights…”
Another argument that has been retracted in the last few years is religion. As a large amount of marriages that occur in Australia are performed as Civil Unions, senator Joe Ludwig was hesitant to cite religion as a reason for Labour’s opposition at a meeting with AME in Brisbane in 2007.
Heterosexual Jill Dixon sums up popular opinion perfectly: “I support same-sex marriage and wish it was legalised in Australia. And I wish they’d take religion out of it. If the church doesn’t want to perform the ceremony in Church then at least let a civil union be recognised. These couples will spend the rest of their lives together so I don’t see why they don’t want it to be recognised by law. I don’t see how it’s different from any other couple.”
Taking Action for Migrants: AMUMRA revives global calls against the EU Directive to expel undocumented migrants
On August 28, AMUMRA, an organisation of migrants and refugees in Argentina, held a demonstration in Buenos Aires against the European Union’s Returns Directive, showing continued global anger at the Directive, which seeks to ban migrants found in Europe without documents from returning to the continent for five years.
“This protest is our obligation, because to accept the EU Returns Directive, or the absence of an action to oppose it, would imply our assent,” says Natividad Obeso, president of AMUMRA.
“This Directive leaves it open to Governments to severely violate the rights of migrants in Europe, while superficially seeking to make the system better,” said Zoe Bake-Paterson of the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, an international umbrella body of migrant and anti-trafficking groups.
“We support communities in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania who are rightfully outraged by this legislation that does nothing to address the root causes of migration without documents,” she added.
AMUMRA is lobbying the President of Argentina, Dr. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, to call on European ambassadors and consulates to assist and protect migrants; to inform the population about the EU Directive; and to declare that AMUMRA’s mobilisation against the EU Directive is an act taken in the public interest.
The EU Returns Directive, approved by the European Parliament on 18 June 2008, purports to regulate and legalize the return (or expulsion) of irregular and undocumented migrants from the 27 countries of the European Union. Countries in the EU have two years to implement the Directive through national laws and policy.
The Directive is said to be created in accordance with international law, including human rights protections, but has been criticised globally for violating human rights.
By allowing the detention of unaccompanied minors, the Directive violates the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In setting a common standard for the detention of undocumented migrants for up to 18 months, the Directive contradicts the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which states that the detention of undocumented migrants is only permitted where action is being taken towards removal or deportation. The act of migration is not a crime, and to detain undocumented migrants for a lengthy period of 18 months is unlawful.
Additional concerns include the re-entry ban, barring migrants who have been deported from one European Union country from entering any of the 27 countries for a period of five years, and the lack of procedural safe guards in the Directive.
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GAATW is a network spanning five continents of more than 90 organizations committed to ending trafficking and to the protection of the human rights of trafficked persons and women migrant workers. It is a non-governmental organization in special consultative status with ECOSOC (the UN Economic and Social Council).
This is my response to the article in the SUN-HERALD titled "money is no object in battle to save planet" (sunday 30th august) .. and my overall feeling toward climate change ..
Climate change/global warming is about as credible as Y2K – and we all know how that ended – it’ll be the same with the climate change/global warming hoax, after a while, when nothing has "changed" or "warmed", the rudd government and climate change/global warming supporters alike will be put to shame and asked how they are going to re-compensate the people they have ripped off. and this argument that Australia should take a lead on the issue and set an example for the rest of the world is absolute bollocks – how about trying to catch up to the rest of the world first??? we are still paying for healthcare, education and internet, ad there are still thousands of people without a place to sleep – Money being spent on climate change/global warming would be better spent on healthcare and education, and helping those who are homeless and/or disadvantaged – do you know in Sweden, they get free healthcare and education!!!?? thats right, anything from cold and flu tablets right through to major surgery, learning french to becoming a doctor – you need it, you got it. it is very successful, and people "actually" benefit as a result. It works there, so it can work here too – if Mr Rudd put this into action, helping every single Australian in the process, Australia would again be able to call itself the "lucky country", but until then, and until climate change/global warming is forgotten, I’m not sure so sure we are.
If we don’t wakeup and drop the climate change/global warming thing now, we, as a nation, are going to look mighty stupid in a few years time.
However, I feel amazingly confident that the ocean will stay exactly where it has been for the last few thousand years, and that the temperatures will only change according to the seasons.
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF] is pleased to announce that at a recent general meeting, a new committee for the ACT Handball Association was established.
The AHF is confident that ACT Handball Association will continue to achieve success in the development of handball in the ACT and Australia, with each one of the committee members bringing a comprehensive and impressive experience in handball.
The members of the new committee of the ACT Handball Association and brief background information on them are as follows:
President–Anke Winnig
Anke has been playing handball for more than 17 years. She started in the German junior competitions and within the past 8 years played at the French University Handball Championships, the British University Handball Championships and in the Scottish Handball League. At the end of 2007, Anke joined her husband to come to Australia for his PhD in Physics at the Australian National University. She has since then been employed by a private company as Geo-spatial Data Analyst. Anke’s husband, Daniel Doering, is a also a key player with the Canberra Handball Club.
Secretary–Karsten Oelkers
Kasrten’s introduction to sport was through mini- handball in his home town Berlin. He spent a large part of his youth on a handball court; either playing, refereeing or as a spectator. He is a founding member of the Canberra Handball Club and has represented the ACT since May 2006. He came to Canberra to study for a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, which he hopes to finish next year. He is keen to give Australians and their kids the opportunities he had growing up in an environment of a handball club.
Treasurer–Dragan Radicoski
Dragan started handball in his early childhood with a local club in his native Macedonia but quickly changed to other sports. It took many years and a move to Australia for Dragan to take up the sport again. He plays for Canberra Handball Club and has represented the ACT since 2007. With a Ph.D. in Physical Education and a great passion for sport, he is looking forward in helping Handball grow in Australia.
General MemberSasha Petrovski
Sasha has been playing handball for a little over 3 years and has represented the ACT at two National Championships. He has been playing for the Canberra Handball Club for the last two seasons of the NSW League and participated at the Oceania Club Championships in Tahiti last year. He was originally from Sydney and has been living in the ACT since July 2001, where he now works as a Test Analyst for the Defence Housing Australia. He has a passion for all sports and has tried his hand at many, the most recent before handball being baseball. Sasha’s desire is to make handball more visible in the ACT and to watch the sport grow here, and around Australia.
Taip Ramadani
Taip has been playing handball for over 25 years. He is a former national team member who settled in the ACT at the end of 2006. In 2007 he founded the Canberra Handball club that won the NSW League in its inaugural year and lead the ACT men’s team to their first ever National Championship final. From 2007 Taip has been employed by the Australian Sports Commission as a Web Developer. He is very
passionate about developing a new wave of elite handball players in Australia.
The AHF wishes to thank ACT Handball Association’s outgoing President, Jacob Krog for his great contribution and passion for handball over the last eight years.One of Jacob’s recent achievements was organising a very successful seniors national championships held in October 2007.Jacob will continue to be an active member of the handball community as a player with the Canberra Handball Club.
At Cards By Suzanne we have taken the art of Quilling and Paper Tole and turned them into handmade greeting cards and gifts with a difference. Even if you didn’t make it yourself, giving someone a handmade item just seems so much more personal. Handmade items look more special, feel more special and give the moment a sense of occasion. We are a home based Canberra business and we pride ourselves in creating quality Australian Made products and we use Australian suppliers.
Winter 2008 is proving to be a ripper of a season, and now it is official. The Snowy Hydro snow depth recorded at Spencers Creek as at 14th August 08 was 174.2cm, surpassing the highest recorded depth in the past three seasons and the 2008 season still has five weeks to go.
Visitors to Thredbo over the past few weeks have been amazed at not only the amount of snow but also the snow quality. Local media man and business owner Reggae Ellis said “customers have been raving about conditions, I personally just can’t remember when we have had consistently good conditions so many days in a row. August really has been one of the best I have seen, so September is set to shine”.
Following on from this awesome August is sensational September and this one is set to be a cracker. Springtime in the mountains is a great time of the year, imagine good conditions under the boards and a big blue sky bursting with sunshine above. This is when you catch the brave t-shirt and board short wearers. Mr Ellis said “with soft spring snow there is also a bit of a roll reversal, with a lot of skiers swapping their skis for boards, and snowboarders giving skiing a go. It’s a great time to have fun and mix it up”.
On the weather front, snow watchers are forecasting snow on and off for September. Pete (The Frog) Taylor, from snowatch.com.au, said it “looks like light snow showers into the first week of September, followed by a sunny period, before more snowfalls mid-September”.
Complementing the natural falls snowmaking will continue into early September, so with a solid base and a little freshen up from Mother Nature, spring is setting up very nicely.
For September Thredbo has extended night riding to every Thursday on Friday Flat, so skiers and boarders can put in the turns until 7.30pm.
New for 2008, lift passes will take a dive in September, with passes reverting back to early season pricing from September 15, so you can ride for two days for $129 for adults, $72 for the two days for children. Season pass rates are also taking a tumble now $599 for adults and $349 for the kids.
A visit to the snow needn’t all be about going downhill, spring is when the amazing Kosciuszko backcountry lights up. From the top of Thredbo’s Kosciuszko Express chairlift you’re only six kilometres from the top of Mt Kosciuszko, the gateway for snowshoeing adventures and backcountry touring.
So why not jump at some of these great value packages and sample snow and September in Thredbo this spring.
For media enquiries contact Thredbo Communications [email protected]
29 August 2008
Thredbo Resort Centre Packages
5th Day FREE Yes FREE, stay and play mid-week in September, pay for 4 and stay for 5.
From $615 per person 2 share
5 nights accommodation
5 breakfasts
5 ½ day Thredbo lift pass
5x 2 hour first timer group lessons
Staying in Thredbo at Winterhaus Lodge
Arrival days 7, 14, 21 & 28 September
Spring Fling
Spring – blue skies, sunshine, bikinis, boardies, blokes and babes, oh! snow riding.
From $379 per person twin share
From $329 per person quad share
2 nights accommodation
2 breakfasts
2 day Thredbo Lift pass
Staying in Thredbo at a selection of Thredbo Lodges
Commences 31 August
Kids Stay and Ski Free There’s a variety of accommodation on offer and a bonus booklet of special offers valued at approximately $295 included per family.
3 Nights of Family Frivolity
From $528 per adult twin share
3 nights accommodation
3 breakfasts
3 day Thredbo lift pass
Staying in Thredbo at Black Bear Inn
Kids stay and Ski Free
Valid 14 Sept–6 Oct.
5 Nights of Fun for the Family From $ 874 per adult twin share
5 nights accommodation
5 breakfasts
5 ½ day Thredbo lift pass
Staying in Thredbo at Candlelight Lodge
Kids stay and ski free
Valid 14 Sept–6 Oct.
For bookings contact the Thredbo Resort Centre 1300 020 589 or visit thredbo.com.au
“A spellbinding dramatic experience that will thrill the senses.” – The West Australian, Perth
Magical special effects including fire and rain; lavish sets depicting Siberian snowscapes and gypsy carnivals and glorious costumes, coupled with breathtaking high speed throws, acrobatic feats and incredible lifts create an exciting performance that will sweep you to your feet. This is the story of Cinderella like you’ve never seen it before!
The Imperial Ice Stars, who won international critical acclaim and five-star reviews with their previous tours of The Sleeping Beauty on Ice and Swan Lake on Ice are renowned for their daring on the ice and unique style of story-telling.
The 23-strong cast of Olympic, World, National and European Championship skaters comprise the cream of Russian skating talent. The majority of the skaters have been trained by Russia’s leading coaches, some from as early as four years of age, and between them they have won countless competition medals.
Producer James Cundall, Chief Executive of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, explains “By giving these exceptionally talented skaters the freedom to experiment outside competitive skating, while working alongside some of the top figure skating coaches in the world, we are able to take ice choreography to new limits.”
Cinderella on Ice has been conceived and choreographed by Tony Mercer, widely regarded as the world’s leading creator of theatre on ice, together with two of the world’s most respected ice coaches – Evgeny Platov, dual Olympic gold medallist and four time World Champion, and Alexander Zhulin, Olympic silver and bronze medallist and World Champion.
In this new interpretation of a classic tale, The Imperial Ice Stars tell the story of Cinderella, a humble chorus dancer who is thrust into the spotlight as a prima ballerina and captivates the handsome Lord Mayor’s son, the most eligible bachelor in town, with her graceful performance. Despite rival attempts by her stepsisters to steal his heart, the kindly Watchmakers and Gypsy Fortune Teller ensure that true love triumphs.
Artistic Director Tony Mercer, says “The ‘Cinderella’ story has been told in many different cultures over many centuries. I wanted to give our version a new setting while retaining the ingredients and emotions of this timeless story.”
WHAT: Cinderella On Ice
WHEN: 18-28 September
WHERE: Canberra Theatre, Civic
TICKETS: Adults from $59, Child/Conc from $49
BOOK: Canberra Ticketing 6275 2700 www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au
“I am walking for every man, woman and child—for their future. I don’t know how else to shock people out of their inertia about where we are headed if we don’t make drastic changes to urban development.” Stina Kerans
You may feel you’re doing your bit by recycling and taking shorter showers–you may even have a worm farm for your scraps, but that’s simply not enough action to ensure our future.
The signs that drastic change is needed NOW are all there, and still we let developers create urban wastelands that only perpetuate our environmental problems.
In the past weeks she has walked around 60 kilometres–from Yass to Murrumbateman to Hall and around Canberra suburbs.
She will continue to walk until she gets the attention of the public and genuine investors, planners and developers who are willing to implement new ways of urban development.
“There is an urgent imperative to move our cities and suburbs towards a new configuration of sustainable, human-scale, energy-conscious colonies of connected business/farming enterprises and consumers”, says Ms Kerans.
Recognised internationally for their work in sustainability, Stina and Garry Kerans see the creation of sustainable urban development locally as an opportunity for the region to showcase the viability of sustainable development.
“Our design for living can help alleviate such social issues as depression, suicide, housing affordability, financial pressures and provide a support system for single parents and the elderly. If we care for each other the environment wins as well, because we care about the environment in which we live.”
Ms Kerans walks alone along the highway with a large sign strapped to her chest and back. She says that at first she feels embarrassed, but is willing to experience the humility to get her urgent message out.
People who want to learn more about sustainable development can fill in an Eco-Survey at www.eco-survey.com.au or attend a presentation by emailing [email protected].
Classes are available in many subjects, including Computers, Languages, Cooking, Dancing, Exercise, Crafts, Personal Development.
New classes and teachers always needed. Contact on above email or phone numbers.
Planning is under way for Term 4, so if you have a class to offer or if you would like to take a class we are not currently offering, get in touch now.
