Indian-American to run for California State Assembly

for Californians.

The election will be an open-seat contest, as incumbent Assembly member Brian Maienschein will be terming out.

California's Assembly District 76 includes the cities of Escondido and San Marcos, portions of San Diego, and numerous unincorporated communities in San Diego County.

to playing the sport.

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1 previously captained Australia to 2014, 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cup wins and 2022 ODI World Cup title, apart from a gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"We knew it would be an amazing atmosphere, which it was. It was a great event. It was about keeping things simple when the pressure

It's a special group. Not just the players, but also the support staff that put in a lot of work behind the scenes, and allow us to go out and play our cricket," she added. The 2023 Women's T20 World Cup victory came after Meg returned to the sport after a five-month break. Co-incidentally, the victory at Cape Town was Meg's 100th T20I as captain of Australia. Beth Mooney, Player of the Match in the final with a breezy 74, was thrilled to have Meg, also her coffee and game-day breakfast buddy, back

"When Meg retires - hopefully not for a few more years, hope you're listening Meg - she'll go down as one of the greatest leaders, not just in cricket but in sport and just generally as well. She's got an immense cricket brain."

"She's cool, calm and collected under pressure and she's got empathy as well, she understands how people feel in certain situations because she's been there before and she's experienced a lot as a person and as a leader and as a cricketer. Absolutely she'll go down as one of the greatest ever for our team and we're very lucky to have her."

Indian Prime Minister Modi likely to visit Australia in May

every person has the opportunity to succeed and thrive, and because I can use my experience as a scientist, elected school board member, and a civic leader to make a difference in their lives," she added.

Patel said in her campaign announcement that she wants to keep communities safe, invest in public education, protect the environment, and improve and expand quality healthcare access

Patel has helped restore effective governance and fiscal responsibility to the Poway Unified School District, while guiding local schools through the Covid-19 pandemic.

She also serves on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, and is a member of the San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee.

Patel is a B.A .in Biochemistry at Occidental College and a PhD in Biophysics from the University of California, Irvine.

Hockey club scores field upgrade with community grants

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1 parties to the negotiating table. Moreover, China continues to be a threat globally, especially in the Pacific region, requiring the Quad to discuss strategies to thwart China’s growing geopolitical ambitions.

The importance of Quad can be discerned from the fact that the leaders of its member countries have met four times in the last three years, virtual meetings included due to the pandemic. Once Modi’s tour to Australia gets underway, it will be his second visit to Australia after becoming India’s Prime Minister in 2014. Modi’s previous visit to Australia laid the foundation for the signing of ECTA in December 2022. Modi and his then counterpart Tony Abbot had paid a pivotal role in cementing the strong relations between the two countries.

Modi also had a memorable reception during his last visit at the Allphones Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, and the Indian Prime Minister left an indelible impression on the Indian diaspora here with his outstanding oratorical skills, addressing a gathering of 20,000 captivated crowd with his marathon 90-minute speech.

Prime Minister Modi is expected to address the Indian diaspora on this visit, possibly spending time in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Ferry network fully operational one year on from flood devastation

Continued from Page 1

The restoration of Brisbane’s ferry network is now complete with all 21 terminals to be operational just 12 months on from the devastating February floods.

The final two, and most damaged terminals, North Quay and Regatta will reopen Monday, 27 February.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said he was incredibly impressed with the huge amount of collaborative work done by an array of local businesses to complete the extensive repairs.

“Brisbane’s ferry network has been completely restored within 12 months, and it’s more resilient than ever before,” Cr Schrinner said.“In 2011 we lost seven ferry terminals, and it took four years before they were all fully rebuilt.

“Following the devastating

February 2022 floods, we were able to get our first ferry services back running after just 90 days with 60 per cent of terminals open by mid-May, 90 per cent open by Christmas and now the full network has been restored within 12 months.” Every single terminal was impacted by the 2022 floods. The last terminals to reopen, North Quay and Regatta were in the most turbulent parts of the Brisbane River during the flood which resulted in the gangways getting significantly damaged.

The gangways needed to be removed from the river to be repaired to the teams could complete the complex work without the challenges of moving water. Cr Schrinner said repair works had involved marine specialists along with a whole suite of supporting trades.

“From painters and plumbers to concreters and crane operators the works both on river and landside to repair these final two terminals has been remarkable,” he said. “Each of our flood resilient terminals have been being built back better, with specialist marine contractors lowering the gangway release mechanisms by 500 millimetres so they swing open sooner in the event of another river flood disaster. “The return of these final two terminals is a huge win for both residents and visitors who can now travel the entire stretch of the river from Northshore Hamilton to UQ St Lucia.”

The repairs were completed as part of Council’s $16 million ferry terminal restoration program.

A popular hockey precinct will be a training ground for potential future Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games athletes following a major upgrade.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner today joined the official reopening event for the Brisbane North Hockey Centre in Chermside following an upgrade of the playing surface.

Council contributed $175,000 towards the club’s two new turfed hockey fields from the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants initiative.

“These grants have proven extremely effective in getting much-needed funds to community groups so they can improve their facilities for everyone to enjoy,” Cr Schrinner said.

“Our sporting clubs and community groups play a vital role in our community, helping keep people of all ages fit and active and engaged in their local area.

“These clubs are run by locals for locals and we know how challenging it can be for them to fund and deliver upgrades.

“Our Council team is committed to supporting these groups who help make Brisbane such a great place to live, work and relax.”

Since opening in August 2021, the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants has given more than $3.3 million to more than 160 different community organizations.

The grants comprise of two categories, Community Facilities and Community Support.

“The community facility category of the program makes sure physical works within community clubs can be completed to a safe and high standard.” Cr Schrinner shared.

“After being originally opened in 2001 and having 12 long years of use between services, the playing surface of field one will be replaced, along with the underlying shockpad to increase the playability and safety of the field.”

Cr Schrinner said these updated facilities will be vital in putting aspiring hockey players through their paces in the lead up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games.

“Over 250 players from the under 18 junior girls Wolf Cup will christen the field this weekend.” Cr Schrinner said.

“These players are some of the best from across Brisbane and South East Queensland, and are part of the age group that could qualify for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games.

“We want to make sure community clubs across Brisbane can provide the kind of facilities to train the Olympians of tomorrow.

“Council’s investment in community and sports club makes sure that these assets will be able to service residents for years to come.”

For more information on applying for the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants, visit https://www. brisbane.qld.gov.au/communityand-safety/grants-awards-andsponsorships/community-grants/ lord-mayors-better-suburbsgrants