Larnook Public School

“I spent a week at home and my mother had to walk the three miles to the school to tell them I wouldn’t be coming.”

Learning to write was done with pencil on special books with blue lines for small letters and red lines for capital letters.

“It was like call ith a softish pencil, then pen and ink. The pen was a nib at the end of a wooden piece and we had ink wells in the desk.”

Betty said she had been looking forward to using the nib and ink, but biros were introduced to students by then.

Both ex-students remember the end of school Christmas concerts and their athletics carnivals.

“Empire Day was celebrated in the school,” said Betty.

“Children put on performances and the parents came to watch and would bring a plate.”

Mabel remembers one particular Christmas concert where they performed a play called ‘Santa Claus comes down the chimney’.

“A lot was going on as we were making props and another girl and I were the two main actors,” she said.

“When Santa Claus was to come out of the chimney we weren’t supposed to laugh.

“But when we saw those two legs come down, we both burst out laughing.

“I still got a prize for best actress that year.”

Neither of the students remember wearing uniforms. In fact, they were lucky to be wearing shoes.

“We had sandals but a lot of the country boys just turned up with bare feet,” said Betty. Both ladies will be attending the June 10 celebrations at the school.

“Everything was like a best memory,” said Mabel of her time at Larnook school.

“This school has been really something to me.”

Larnook Public School is calling for memorabilia and photos to display at their June 10 event, which starts at 10am at the school, 1282 Cawongla Road, Larnook.

The official opening will be at 10.30am with morning tea and a small selection of lunch sandwiches for a gold coin donation.

Coffee cart and Amici Italian food van will be available, as will souvenirs for sale. Please bring cash as eftpos can be unreliable and please RSVP to help with catering.

For further information or to provide memories, call 6688 0133 or email larnookcentenary@ gmail.com.

ARGUABLY, one of the most impressive, albeit truly irrepressible traits that any of us can display is decency, even the very mention of the word itself seems to evoke a tsunamilike wave of positive emotion. As such, not too many things we could ever possibly do, eclipse the things we actually do through the inclination of decency.

In his era, if not broader century-defining novel The Plague (which was an allegory of the Nazi occupation of France in WWII), Albert Camus inserted the unbuckling notion, “It may seem a ridiculous idea, but the only way to fight the plague is with decency.” Time and time again throughout history, it is decency and not the degenerate misuse of power and might by menial spirits, that has prevailed.

As the American Congressman and qualified attorney Raja Krishnamoorthi once refreshingly said, “When the norm is decency, other virtues can thrive: integrity, honesty, compassion, kindness, and trust.” Like a wise old taskmaster that knows no other way than leading from the front, albeit clearing the way for all to follow: decency is the deep, regarding harbinger of everything that is admirable and most praiseworthy in the behaviour of any human being.

One of my personal favourite examples occurred in 2018 when the still current Dutch PM, Mark Rutte (who was also the second youngest PM to be elected in Netherlands history) personally cleaned up one heck of a mess caused by him spilling a full cup of coffee while entering parliament. In front of five

Dawe

Emergency exercise to test Lismore Regional Airport’s emergency plan

ready-to-pounce cleaners and an absolute entourage of aides; Rutte grabbed a mop and proceeded to clean up after himself. While the act in itself isn’t groundbreakingly notable, the gesture, and effect it had on those present reflects the true essence and social value of decency.

Relatedly, as Chris Ernest Nelson once suggested, “Our greatest social responsibility is to demonstrate to all others how to live in this world of hunger, sorrow, and injustice with generosity, dignity, and decency.”

Evidently three virtues that distinguish people who put the plights, concerns and considerations of others, if not above their own, at least on an equal par so as to grant the greatest gift of all – respect in the form of unconditional awareness reinforced by a deep appreciation of others.

If being mindful and courteous (which is basically all decency is) is not something that comes naturally to you, then heeding a few pointers made by the Russian literary icon, Anton Chekov might help. In 1886 he reflected on criteria that defined decent people, “They respect human beings as individuals and are therefore always tolerant, gentle, courteous and amenable... They have compassion for other people besides beggars and cats… They are not devious, and they fear lies as they fear fire… Civilized people don’t put on airs; they behave in the street as they would at home.”

So, whether you are in the street or just pottering about the house, make decency the trait that clearly defines and refines what you do every step of the way.

Don’t be surprised if you hear and see lots of sirens and flashing lights at the Lismore Regional Airport on Wednesday morning - it may seem like a life-threatening emergency, but it’s not. It’s all part of an important emergency exercise as part of Council’s ongoing commitment to safety and preparedness. The exercise will take place on the airport runway on Wednesday, 24 May from 10am to 1 pm and

Have your say on design of new shared path for Raftons Road, Bangalow Council is designing a new shared path on Raftons Road in Bangalow and is seeking input from the community on two options proposed.

The new shared path will run along Raftons Road from Rifle Range Road to the existing footpath opposite 19 Leslie Street, Bangalow.

The purpose of the new path is to create a safe and accessible alternative transport aims to test specific aspects of the Airports Emergency Plan. Involvement is required from several emergency agencies, including the NSW Police, NSW Fire Brigade, Rural Fire Service, NSW Ambulance, SES and Lismore City Council. The primary goal is to coordinate these organisations in line with the Airport’s Emergency Plan and assess the adequacy of the procedures and facilities route for the local community. It will link residences with the local Community Children’s Centre, businesses, workplaces, schools and services.

“We have narrowed it down to two options for this shared path –option one is on the northern side of the street and option two is in the verge on the southern side for most of the route,” Council’s Director Infrastructure Phil Holloway said.

“There was a third option on the northern side of the street but it provided.

Council’s Chief Operating Officer Brendan Logan said this important function emphasises the airport’s commitment to preparedness and emergency response.

“The task is designed to replicate a realistic scenario, enabling all agencies to showcase their response capabilities and ensure seamless coordination. We are confident that this will further enhance involved removing koala habitat gum trees so that option has already been ruled out.

“We’re asking the community to go to the Your Say page on our website or come into Council to see what is proposed and tell us what you think is the best option and why,” he said.

“There are pros and cons with both options with some parking needing to be removed,” he said.

“Once we have community input we can finish the design our emergency response capabilities,” he said. The exercise will include activities such as ‘making safe’ procedures, simulated emergency egress, medical interventions, and foam blanket practice. process and apply for the funding needed to make it happen,” Mr Holloway said.

To create a realistic scenario, a Beechcraft Baron aircraft with simulated damage will be used in the exercise. Actors and mannequins will simulate specific injuries.

You can have your say on the two options proposed for the Raftons Road Shared Path Project until Friday 9 June, 2023.

The design phase of this project has been made possible thanks to $50,000 funding from the NSW Government’s 2022/23 Get NSW Active program and investment from Byron Shire Council.