Westernnews 1september2017

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Western News PROUDLY INDEPENDENT

Friday, 1 September 2017

ISSUE 42

Check out our website www.wsnewsgroup.com

Targeting tumours Shalvey resident Godwin D’Ugo was the first cancer patient to be treated on Westmead Hospital’s new, state-of-the-art linear accelerator, which uses revolutionary technology to target tiny tumours. Full story page 3

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Western News 1 September 2017 Issue 42

Senseless attack leaves community mourning LALOR Park is in mourning after the shock death of local boy Julian Cadman.

Julian was on holidays in Barcelona, Spain, when a terrorist drove a car through the busy tourist district of Las Ramblas. He was killed along with 13 other people in the most cowardly attack.

Peter Vass, head coach at Prodigy Martial Arts Australia, was Julian’s taekwondo master. He says the whole community has been hit hard by the loss of such an innocent life.

“Julian was a very vibrant kid with lots of energy,” Mr Vass said.

“A very happy kid he always tried his best and he was a pleasure to teach.

“Everyone has taken it very hard, those who went to school with him and those who taught him through the club. Everyone who trains here become a part of a big family in some ways,” he said.

To offer up support to the Cadman family, and to bring the community together in such a troubling time, Mr Vass has set up a special fundraising day.

“We want to help the Cadman family in any way, shape or form,” Mr Vass said.

“The fundraising day will not just

support the Cadman family but we want to bring a sense of community and put some faith back into humanity.”

The fundraiser is on Saturday September 2 at Best Road and Mackenzie Boulevard, Seven Hills

from 11 am and will host special guests from Home and Away.

In Barcelona, Julian’s mother Jumarie Cadman is still in a critical condition after the terrorist attack.

The funds raised from Prodigy Martial Arts Australia will go towards

getting Julian home and assisting with any medical bills the family will face.

Words of condolence have flowed to the family from many community leaders including the Mayor and local Federal MP. Mayor Stephen Bali described the attack as senseless.

“Our prayers and thoughts are with Andrew, the father, and the family as they go through this harrowing time,” Cr Bali said.

“Julian, you were a much loved member of our local community whose life was tragically cut short, may you rest in peace.”

Federal MP for Greenway, Michele Rowland said the pain and despair of his parents must be unimaginable.

“The once easily understood concept that our children are safe in our care is shattered at times like this, when we are confronted by the reality of evil people committing atrocities against the innocent,” Ms Rowland said.

“For those left behind, our only reassurance is that heaven has a new angel and Julian will live on in so many hearts and minds.”

For more information on the fundraising day head over to https:// www.facebook.com/Prodigy-MartialArts-Australia-1423006518019213/ .

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Targeting tumours: Shalvey resident first treated Shalvey resident Godwin D’Ugo was the first cancer patient to be treated on Westmead Hospital’s new, state-ofthe-art linear accelerator, which uses revolutionary technology to target tiny tumours.

The 63-year-old underwent stereotactic radiosurgery at the hospital’s Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre (CPMCC), using the new machine to treat a brain tumour.

The CPMCC officially opened the new $5.2 million Varian STx machine on Monday, allowing patients with tiny malignant and benign brain tumours to undergo more precise radiosurgery.

The machine, which can also be used to treat small tumours in other parts of the body including the lungs, liver and bones, uses advanced imaging and special immobilisation equipment to directly target small tumours.

Westmead CPMCC director Dr Verity Ahern said the machine was a win for patients, significantly reducing treatment times.

“This machine makes it possible to deliver accurate, image-guided treatment very quickly,” she said.

“At the same time, we can monitor for tumour motion, which really increases accuracy; it means that very small cancers to the brain can

be treated, while sparing of a lot of healthy, normal brain tissue.”

The CPMCC also provides radiation treatment for kids from The Children’s Hospital at Westmead – and Dr Ahern said the new machine would make treatment much easier for little patients.

“The ability to treat children with brain tumours on this new machine will provide very focused radiation, with little dose to the rest of the brain, which is so important in a developing

child,” she said.

The new LINAC machine is part of Westmead Hospital’s Capital Works program, which replaces major pieces of ageing medical equipment.

The installation of the new machine was quite an effort, as it had to be craned into the building due to its size and weight.

WSLHD director of capital works Jonathan Darwen said a team of builders spent months planning for

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the installation before craning in the machines on a weekend to minimise disruption.

“Our team came in at 5am and spent hours craning the huge machine into the hospital; these machines weigh up to 10 tonnes each so they’re incredibly heavy to move,” he said.

“The whole operation went really smoothly and we’re thrilled to have this new, high-tech LINAC on offer at the hospital.”

Prue Car MP Member for Londonderry

Ph: 9833 1122 154 Queen Street, St Marys londonderry@parliament.nsw.gov.au

4 Western News 1 September 2017 Issue 42

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Call 9834 5579 to find out your nearest outlet.

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From the Editor’s Desk

by Kerrie Davies When I was a kid I was fortunate enough to live across the road from a lookout point. Cars would pull up all weekend and people would climb out with their cameras and binoculars to observe the spectacular ocean scenery with views that stretched from Clovelly to North Bondi.

But the beautiful landscape was marred by a single tree on the grassy stretch - because it was home to one very evil-minded character.. a magpie!

At the risk of revealing the dark side of my personality, I will confess that Sunday afternoon entertainment for me often consisted of sitting perched at the window watching and laughing as unsuspecting sightseers stepped out of their cars, eyes transfixed on the view oblivious to the swoop that was about to take place.

I now seek to pay penance for my cruel and evil favourite childhood pastime, by warning people that this is the season to be on high alert when passing trees. Magpies, usually males, will indiscriminately peck the heads of unsuspecting passersby showing no remorse whatsoever for the traumatic episode in which they create!

Be aware. Be very aware.

I hope I have made amends for my evil past and hopefully save at least one person from being the victim of an aggressive magpie - and perhaps save them from being primetime entertainment for some crazy kid with nothing better to do watching on, like I did!

Your thoughts? kerrie@nepeannews.com.au

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Westmead researcher wins prestigious prize Westmead Hospital’s Dr Loan Le has been awarded the 2017 Ralph Reader Basic Science Prize.

Dr Le, who is also a post-doctoral researcher in the Cardiac Regeneration Laboratory at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, received the award for her research investigating the promise of stem cell therapy in repairing damaged hearts.

She said her research aimed to create effective treatments for patients with injured hearts, for example, after a heart attack.

“My research involves modifying cells from the adult heart with a gene called hTERT to enhance their stem cell function,” she said.

“The research showed this modified cell repaired damaged heart muscle tissue and improved heart function after a heart attack.

“There is great potential for these therapies to become a viable treatment option to repair damaged heart muscle in the future; we are excited by the possible therapeutic application of stem cells to regenerate the human heart and we hope to progress this research to clinical trials in the next five to ten years.”

Dr Le acknowledged and thanked her supervisor Associate Professor James Chong for his contribution to her research.

“I am thankful for his support with this project and the Ralph Reader prize,” she said.

The Ralph Reader Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in cardiovascular research in Australasia.

Dr Le was co-awarded the prize with Dr Inken Marten from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.

Dr Loan Le with Westmead Hospital cardiologist Dr James Chong.

The award is given to the best individual presentation by an investigator at the Cardiology Society of Australia and New Zealand’s (CSANZ) annual meeting.

The prize was awarded by a panel of judges based on the quality of research.

The meeting was attended by more than 2,000 cardiologists, technologists, researchers, trainees, surgeons, physicians, nurses and students.

Congratulations Dr Loan Le – we look forward to more great achievements from you in the future.

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Western News 1 September 2017 Issue 42

Toddler shot The Lalor Park and wider community is reeling at the tragic death of a three year old girl.

Emergency services were called to a home on Danny Road just after 8pm last Sunday, 27 August, where they found the three-year-old girl with a fatal gunshot wound to her neck.

About 8am on Monday 28 August, police charged a 43-year-old man with not keep firearm safe, possess unauthorised prohibited firearm and possess unregistered prohibited firearm. He was also charged two counts of contravene an AVO. Investigations are continuing.

Angle grinder injury Last week CareFlight’s rapid response rescue helicopter was tasked to St Marys, landing in a park about 30 metres from an injured 70 year old man.

It’s understood the man had been using an angle grinder at a residence when its blade partially disintegrated and caught his neck.

CareFlight’s specialist doctor and critical care paramedic treated the man for injuries to his wind pipe. He was placed in an induced coma and intubated to manage his breathing and was taken by road ambulance to Westmead Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The 42nd St Marys Spring Festival

By Conner Lowe

Clear your diary the annual St Marys Spring Festival is just around the corner and is an event definitely not to be missed. The Spring Festival welcomes everyone from across Western Sydney and around the area to come down and enjoy a day out with friends and family.

The St Marys Spring Festival is the major annual community event held in the CBD of St Marys, and attracts a crowd of approximately 20,0030,000 people each year.

Celebrate the beginning of Spring and bring the family down to Queen St, St Marys. The Festival has run for over 40 years and this year’s Festival is sure to be just as fun and exciting.

There will be stalls, food, children’s entertainment, a grand parade and more. The event has always been a huge success and only gets better every year so it’s not to be missed.

The Chairman of St Marys Town Centre, Alex Karavas is looking forward to sharing the event with the community.

“The St Marys Spring Festival has a very large local and regional community appeal,” he said.

“It offers an immensely diverse and enjoyable landscape for all attending.

From entertainment, displays, stalls and a wide range of food, the St Marys Spring Festival a must-see premier event. I can’t wait!”

The St Marys Spring Festival is a free event and has something for all ages to enjoy. The Festival is on Saturday 2nd September from 9am3pm.

This free family event is proudly bought to you by St Marys Town Centre Ltd, Penrith City Council, Vintage 87.6 FM, St Marys Leagues Club, St Marys Village and the St Marys Band Club.

To apply for a stall please download the application form and read it at: http://stmarystowncentre.com.au/ event/st-marys-spring-festival Complete it and return it to St Marys Town Centre. If you are successful in your application, then you will receive an email containing more information.

They are also looking for talented locals who are interested in performing at the event. If you are interested, please email vanessa@vanessacampbell. com.au and tell her a bit about your performance history and what you would like to offer to perform at St Marys.

NDIS Open Day at Ripples Hydrotherapy Centre

By Conner Lowe

Ripples Leisure and Hydrotherapy Centres is an accredited NDIS Provider for their Exercise Physiology and Dietitian services as well as their Learn to Swim program. On Thursday 7th September between 12.30pm-2.30pm Ripples is hosting an exclusive NDIS Open Day at Ripples Hydrotherapy Centre.

The free Open Day is an amazing opportunity for the Ripples specialist team to showcase their unique facilities, programs and services and how they can assist NDIS funded clients with their health, wellbeing and assisting them to develop important life skills.

Ripples Hydrotherapy Centre is the only public Hydrotherapy pool in the Western Sydney area. Hydrotherapy is a form of treatment conducted in a heated pool of between 32°C to 34°C to regain or maintain physical wellbeing. The complex includes treatment rooms, rehab room, multipurpose room and recovery area. They have five onsite ESSA accredited Exercise Physiologists that can help clients with the following: • Increase strength, mobility and function • Increase flexibility and joint range

• Decrease risk of mental health outcomes • Fine and gross motor skill development • Balance and coordination

• Decrease risk of co-morbidities such as Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity • Dual tasking • Skill acquisition

In addition, Ripples also runs an award-winning swim school with dedicated Access and Inclusion qualified instructors to deliver their Special Needs learn to swim program.

Ripples special needs swimming classes cater for students with mild to severe disabilities of all ages and swimming abilities. They offer private tuition, small group based classes as well as integration pathways into our mainstream program. Recently there has been some significant changes made by NDIS to funded swimming classes and we can assist clients through the new approval process.

The Ripples Open Day is an informal day open to all with helpful staff available to answer all your questions as well as interactive workshops, games, demonstrations and a complimentary afternoon tea.

Schedule of events • 12:30PM: Ring Toss Game • 12:45PM: Basketball Tournament • 1:00PM: Design your own yogurt (Dietitian) • 1:30PM: Learn to Swim Demo • 2:00PM: Obstacle Course For more information about the Ripples NDIS Open Day or Ripples NDIS funded programs and services please contact Ripples Hydrotherapy Centre on 9833 3075 or visit us in person at Creek Road, St Marys.

Three new causes vying for $1000 top prize

Telstra Store Seven Hill’s Community Grants program is on again with three new causes vying for the $1000 prize and, once again, the store is calling on the public to help decide who will win.

“We decided to run the program again because it was so popular when we ran it earlier this year and because there are so many worthwhile causes out there. We want to be able to help as many local causes as we can and this initiative is the best way for us to do this,” said Store Licensee, Jim Gordon.

“The three organisations we chose: Seven Hills North Public School, Walters Road Public School and

Karabi, were selected because they each provide something unique and important to the community and region,” he said.

Seven Hills North Public School is a small school of 266 students who, together with their P&C committee, work hard to fundraise for school essentials. If they win, Seven Hills North Public School will use the funds to purchase and install three interactive whiteboards so that all their students can have access to the latest technology in their classrooms.

Walters Road Public School are hoping to increase their 21st century learning skills by enhancing students’ coding skills. With the grant, the

school hopes to purchase technology which includes spheros, beebots, probots and osmo learning systems.

Walters Road Public school have 580 enrolled students, all of whom will benefit greatly by having access to these learning tools.

Karabi hold free computer classes for young and old, people with disabilities and the vulnerable and disadvantaged in the community.

Karabi currently borrows laptops each week to provide for students. They are trying to raise funds to purchase laptops so that all participants can have access to one. Winning the grant will go towards these purchases.

“We love that we will be contributing

to the education of our local children and our community members,” said Gordon.

“No-one will go away emptyhanded. The cause with the highest number of votes will win $1000, the second highest will win $300 and the organisation who receives the least number of votes will win $200.

“But we don’t decide who wins.

We want to make sure that the local community has a say in who they think should get the most funds so make sure you come in and vote,” said Gordon.

To help these worthwhile causes, come into Telstra Store Seven Hills by 1st October to cast your vote.

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Council catch up with Keegan Thomson TO say the least, Councillor Julie Griffiths is a sporting fanatic. Across the last five years she’s been a pioneer for the sporting community of Blacktown and she’s gearing up to try to get more facilities for the city.

“When I was younger I played softball, I played netball and I took up soccer and was selected for the New South Wales squad,” Cr Griffiths said.

“Sport really brings a sense of community to a place and we need to foster that relationship between the people and their recreational sports.”

Blacktown has hundreds of sporting facilities all over the LGA including swimming pools, football fields, world class stadiums and athletics ovals. Cr Griffiths said it is important that Council works together to keep these fields up to scratch.

“Blacktown is a proud sporting city. If you look at our facilities they’re of a very high standard,” Cr Griffiths said.

“We sometimes struggle to make sure our facilities are maintained at a certain level but because Blacktown City is growing so fast we need to make sure we have enough fields and other sporting facilities to fill the demand.

“We always want more fields and more sporting facilities in the region and we’re always open to a conversation with the State Government on setting aside more areas for sports.”

Councillor Griffiths has been heavily involved in Local Government for over 22 years, and has held a spot on Blacktown Council for the last two terms.

Growing up in Blacktown, in what is now called Harmony Heights, she’s always had a passion for the community with a hard work ethic, something that inspires her work in Council.

“For me my involvement in the community comes

from seeing domestic violence, seeing families struggle in our area and it has always been a passion to help people,” Cr Griffiths said.

When she was younger she would bring people who were having a tough run in life home to her house. She would offer them somewhere to sleep, something warm to eat and then she’d send them on their way.

“I’ve always had an aspiration to help and make things better for people who are struggling the most in the community,” Cr Griffiths said.

“We need to improve things so families who can’t afford things can still have a great standard of living.”

Her passion for sport has flowed into passion for the community, with Cr Griffiths saying sport can help bridge the gaps between poor and wealthy.

“I was at the elite level of sport and I saw kids who came from a single parent family or a disadvantaged family, who never had the funds for the best gear or the best shoes, but they were the most skilled players out of everyone,” Cr Griffiths said.

“They couldn’t afford to travel overseas to train with the elite squads so I’ve always tried to find ways in which we as a community can help bridge these gaps and support everyone on every level.”

Councillor Griffiths said the newly reformed committee make up of Blacktown Council will offer some help to those struggling in the community.

“Recently we’ve redesigned different committees and increased our committee sizes,” Cr Griffiths said.

“We now have more people on our women’s committee which focuses on programs against domestic violence and supports things like White Ribbon and International Women’s Day. “We’ve got some really high profile local women on the women’s committee, like doctors, lawyers, community people and it is about 30 people strong.”

The women’s committee has just put forward a 50-odd page submission to the State Government so the Blacktown Council can better understand the place of women in the greater western Sydney community.

Another passion project Clr Griffiths has brought into the Council is her love of animals. She has played a leading role on the Blacktown City Council Animal Advisory Committee, pioneering the mandatory dog desexing at Council run pounds.

Liberal politician comes out against plebiscite

By Keegan Thomson

POSTAL votes in the marriage equality plebiscite should be sent to your mailbox within the next month but not all advocates of same sex marriage are happy about it.

Shayne Mallard is a Liberal and a Member of the Legislative Council (Upper House) of the NSW Parliament. He was born in Penrith, lives in the Blue Mountains and is an openly gay man who is “fundamentally and philosophically” opposed to the plebiscite.

“No other group of people in Australian society have had to ask their neighbours for validation and for a consensus as to whether or not they can marry the person they love the most,” Mr Mallard said.

Mr Mallard married his Danish husband in 2013 at a ceremony in Denmark, a place where marriage equality has been active since 2012, in a Lutheran church filled with 120 people.

“The church steeple didn’t fall down on top of us, the church bell didn’t crack open and collapse from the ceiling,” Mr Mallard said.

“It was heart breaking to return to Australia, a country I love, only to have my marriage simply not be recognised.”

Being both a gay man and a card carrying member of the Liberal Party, Mr Mallard is in a minority. Making his situation even more unique, he is one of the only sitting Liberals of the NSW State Parliament to openly oppose the plebiscite on marriage equality.

Mr Mallard says that being a vocal opponent to

the Liberal policy on same sex marriage reinforces the value of democracy and free speech.

“It is healthy to have these conversations within the parties because communities are cynical about politicians and if they see a contest of ideas they realise politicians can think for themselves,” he said.

It is clear that being a minority hasn’t quelled his opinions on marriage equality, instead it has empowered him to speak out and scrutinise the current Marriage Act. “Currently Australia is an embarrassment in terms of civil liberties,” Mr Mallard said.

“It was 2013 when we got married and we

thought it wouldn’t be long before Australia would legalise same sex marriage. I didn’t expect it to be 4 years later before we would even have the open conversation about it in the Parliament.

“Because of all this Australia is 10 years behind the rest of the world,” he said.

Last month an Essential poll was released saying 63 percent of Australian support marriage equality compared to 25 percent who don’t, with 12 percent saying they were undecided.

Despite the convincing number of people in support of marriage equality, there are fears in the same sex marriage advocacy camp that the plebiscite might produce a result that is less than favourable.

A number of high profile advocates for same sex marriage have come out against the plebiscite and have urged the community to boycott the vote. One of those voices is Australia’s first openly gay judge in the High Court, Michael Kirby.

Putting his frustrations and oppositions towards the plebiscite aside, Mr Mallard says we should all vote in the non-compulsory plebiscite so we can have our voices heard on the issue.

“There is a grave danger here that there will be a low turnout and that the contrasting elements will turn out in number and vote us down,” Mr Mallard said.

“All of the members of the gay community might not agree with the plebiscite but we’re calling on the community to do this.

“Get all of your friends and family to post it in. If you care about family, if you care about community, if you care about equality and if you care about freedom of speech then vote yes,” he said.

New home for creatures great and small Blacktown City Council has launched a far-sighted plan to build a state-of-the-art Animal Re-homing Centre (ARC) planned to be the most advanced in Australia.

When complete it could accept all the lost, stray and abandoned animals from up to 15 neighbouring council areas, representing about 1.5 million Sydney residents.

Mayor Stephen Bali said the ARC was a great opportunity to provide pet accommodation support for victims of domestic violence and for greyhound rehoming.

“We know there is evidence that many women feel unable to leave their abusive situations because they are unable to find accommodation which will also take their pets,” Cr Bali said.

The project has won support from Australia’s best known vet, Dr Katrina Warren, who helped launch the ARC plan.

“This is an extraordinary step forward in the way local governments manage abandoned animals and find new homes for as many as possible,” Dr Warren said.

“What Blacktown is doing is visionary. The new Centre will be the model the rest of Australia looks up to. ”

To realise the full potential of the project, Blacktown City Council is seeking to partner with the NSW Government, which would involve the largest possible facility and a range of innovative community benefits.

The expanded facility would include up to 200 dog kennels and 180 ‘cat condos’ for animals waiting to be re-homed, a cafe and other attractions to draw families and potential pet adopters to the site. and a state-of-theart veterinary hospital.

In partnership with University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, the state-of-the-art vet hospital would include three operating theatres, a lecture hall, and student accommodation on site ensuring 24 hour expert vet help when needed.

The facility would also include a dedicated greyhound re-homing

facility in partnership with Greyhounds As Pets (GAP), the program set up to ensure non-racing greyhounds can find good homes.

Marking a watershed moment for the local area and showing that the Council was a leading opponent of domestic violence, a space dedicated to caring for the pets of victims of domestic and family violence will be set up at the new facility as well.

Mayor Stephen Bali said the project put Blacktown at the vanguard, both in animal care and municipal leadership.

“All councils are facing the dilemma of ageing animal holding facilities and new stricter State Government animal welfare regulations that very few council facilities could comply with,” Cr Bali said.

“Many will have to rebuild their existing ‘pound’ facilities. Blacktown is offering to take the problem off their

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hands. With our new Centre we could accept the dogs and cats from around a quarter of metropolitan Sydney.

“The ARC will be world’s best practice in re-homing. It will be a model for state and local government all over Australia,” Cr Bali said.

The ARC will be built on a 10.5 hectare site Blacktown Council owns at Glendenning, adjoining Western Sydney Parklands and linked to it by walking and cycling paths.

When complete it will attract hundreds of visitors a week and rehome many thousands of animals every year.

“Council has provided land worth $15 million and will spend more than another $15 million building the ARC. To gain the full benefits of the project for Greater Western Sydney, we need the State Government to stand with us,” Cr Bali said.

Hix Group is celebrating its 25th Year in business and is continuing to grow We currently have a number of roles available, to join our Penrith Based business, with a range of government, commercial, construction & domestic clients throughout the Sydney Metropolitan area

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Perhaps you are now unable to or don’t want to continue to perform the physically challenging parts of a trades role or simply prefer to work in the office rather than on the tools.

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FIRE SERVICES TECHNICIAN We are seeking an EXPERIENCED Fire Services Technician to join our PENRITH BASED team to carry out all aspects of Essential Fire Services testing , inspection, maintenance and repairs & fault finding with a particular focus on Fire Panels and EWIS systems.

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Western News 1 September 2017 Issue 42

How do you say ‘Oaxaca’?

 Calcified waterfall

By Ben Cranney

‘What kind of rock is that?’ the Canadian lady asked. The guide had been very patient, but even he couldn’t come back from this one. ‘It’s just a rock’ he said. The man selling his Zapotec style artwork shook his head.

‘Gringos estúpidos’. I felt a bit stupid too, by gringo association.

To be fair, it was reasonable to ask.

This was Monte Albán, an ancient city once lived in by the Zapotecs outside of Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s more impressive than Machu Picchu in scale and design and a loose rock

 Mariachi

could have been from any number of pyramids and ancient structures, including the astronomy centre and the royal buildings.

I’ve only seen it in the dry season, when the sandstone structures blend perfectly with the sun kissed plains of the surrounding valleys. But in its prime, it would have been covered in brilliant colours, including the blood red dye squeezed from native flowers, and exceptional gold work.

It’s not just the Zapotec remains that are impressive. Oaxaca is a beautiful colonial city, of cobbled streets and grand churches. I was blown away

 Monte Alban

when I stepped into the Temple of Santo Domingo, where almost every wall is covered in gold leaf. During the day, the square at the front of the church is full of men in cowboy hats selling bracelets with names woven into them. At night, women in white cotton dresses with stitched red flowers twirl to guitar music.

Visit the world’s biggest tortilla, at 300kg at the government house.

Or Árbol de Tule, the tree with the world’s biggest trunk which Mexicans claim is old enough to have been planted by a Zapoteca child. Drive through mountain villages to swim

 Streets of Oaxaca

next to Hierve el Agua, a waterfall made of rock, and stop at a tiny mezcal distillery to watch a donkey pull a massive pestle over the cactus raw ingredient. Then head out for a night of mezcal drinking and see if you can get the cactus confidence to have a go at twirling to the guitar in the cathedral squares.

Oaxaca (wah-haka) is a big part of why I love Mexico, but there are plenty of other reasons. Check out my Instagram for some of them @ exploringtheworldscranneys.

And next week, I’ll tell you a little about my other favourite country.

The Unintentional Medium By Suzi Samuel WHO GOES THERE? In my last column I wrote about the disapproval of some of the ghostly inhabitants of our very old house regarding any changes we made.

Most of the presences were fine, just muttering among themselves about how things were much better as they were, but there was one area of the house which was a totally different kettle of fish.

When we first went to look at the house we were shown round by the then owner. She was a sweet timid little soul who had been widowed a few months previously and was rattling round on her own in this great big old pile. As she showed us one bedroom she said, very casually, “This is where they found the secret room.”

Well, you can imagine, David and I couldn’t wait to hear about it. She didn’t seem very inclined to explain, but when pressed she said that the previous owners told her that they had opened it up, found a bed and a golden guinea and sealed it up again.

The day after we moved in we decided to take action. The woodworm man was there trying to rid us of the pesky little critters and so we co-opted him and his crowbar to help in the exploration. First of all came a

layer of woodchip paper concealing a very sturdy looking wood framework.

Mr Woodworm’s mighty crowbar made short work of that and behind that was a door that had had planks of wood nailed across it, just like you see in Tom and Jerry cartoons. This was getting more and more mysterious.

Obviously, whoever had covered up this room did not want anything to escape from it. Another few tugs from the crowbar and the door was free.

Everybody looked at me. They

all stood back. “This is your area, darling” said my husband.

I must admit I was very nervous.

What would I find behind that door? There must at least be bones even if the golden guinea had gone.

Cautiously I pushed the door and saw ….. nothing! It was a completely empty space. Actually we were all quite disappointed.

Why would someone go to those lengths to nail up an empty room? We soon found out!

A couple of weeks later, David and I realised that one of the walls of that bedroom was just a bit of plywood and decided to pull it down and reconfigurate the room. As we pulled it down, there was a huge whoosh.

“What on earth was that?” asked David. Just at that moment a man’s voice said as clear as day, “You’ve called me, now make use of me.” We were a little bit rattled to say the least and quickly set about blessing and clearing the room but it was a very persistent spirit. It seemed to take great delight in scaring anyone who set foot in there and reducing the strongest person to tears. Any unsuspecting new guests that we managed to put in there usually appeared at breakfast the next day looking rather pale and asking if any strange people had been in the house during the night.

Eventually with the help of our local vicar, things calmed down, but it has taught me a lesson. Be mighty careful of opening up hidden rooms that someone has taken so much trouble to board up. You never know what lurks within.

The Unintentional Medium is available online or at all good book stores

Discover Endeavour Park

A sandpit in the shape of Tahiti, a tribute to the transit of Venus and a goat-shaped children’s ride make Blacktown City Council’s latest park truly unique.

The $1.5 million Endeavour Park at Kings Langley – on James Cook Drive – has design features that commemorate Cook’s voyage to Australia on his ship, the Endeavour.

“The goat shaped ride is a tribute to the goat that journeyed on the Endeavour, and the rubber matting for the playground is a full sized outline of the 30-metre ship,” Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Stephen Bali said.

“We are opening the park on Saturday 2 September, from 11am1pm with a major celebration, and all

are welcome,” he said.

“There will be a barbecue sausage sizzle and plenty of fun for kids including a roving pirate and face painting.

“There is so much for people of all ages and interests to enjoy including fitness stations, a dog-off leash area, barbecues, picnic areas and paved pathways.

“The play space with climbing structures, slides, swings, sand pits, balance beams and a kick-about area will keep kids and their families entertained for hours.

“We want our parks to be inclusive as possible, which is why we have included accessible swings and an amenities building that accommodates wheelchairs.”

11 Western News 1 September 2017 Issue 42

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westernhistory

12 Western News 1 September 2017 Issue 42

Seven Hills

by Jack Brooks

Continued from last issue....

W

ith the passing of time, the small farms in and around Seven Hills were purchased by the more successful and prosperous men of the district.

The major landholders were a small group of men, members of the Pearce, Davis and Best families. Fuller’s County of Cumberland Year Book 1887 stated that the land at Seven Hills “had been confined to two or three families, but lately the proprietorship having been extended the place is opened up, and can now boast of some of the best orchards in the country.”

The soil and geographical position of the Hills district made it famous for many years as the premier orange growing area in the colony. Pearce’s orchard, Bella Vista, situated on a large portion of what had been Macarthur’s sheep farm, was in 1889 said to be ‘...perhaps the largest producer of oranges and lemons in these colonies’. The magnificent row of Bunya pines, which occupy the high land overlooking Old Windsor Road and the nearby suburb of Kings Langley and Bella Vista, are a topographical feature of the district and mark the original driveway into Bella Vista. However many years earlier, ‘the most famous grove of its day’ had been developed by the Pye family on William Joyce’s land grant beside the Old Windsor Road. According to Thomas Pye some of the original trees were bearing heavy crops of fruit annually some 80 years later.

The butt from one of the seedlings grown originally on Joyce’s grant was sent to the Paris Exhibition and measured 2 feet 9 inches (93 cm) in diameter. The tree from which the butt was taken was about 50 feet (15.24 metres) in height and bore over 40 cases of oranges in one season.

In the early 1900s, trains from Sydney transported hundreds of people to Seven Hills during springtime, just to see the masses of pink and white blossoms. But it was’t to last. When new irrigation schemes were opened in southern New South Wales, the orchardists of Seven Hills could not compete, and by the 1920s the fruit-growing industry was in rapid decline throughout the County of Cumberland.

With the passing of the fruit-growing industry there was an influx of poultry and dairy farmers throughout the district. A Grantham Stud Poultry Farm was established at Seven Hills on 118 acres (48 hectares)

of land purchased, with the homestead Melrose, in 1906. It was reputed to be the ‘largest stud poultry farm in the Commonwealth’.

The Department of Lands established the Return Soldiers Settlement Scheme in 1917. Training was available to assist in the rehabilitation of the invalid soldiers. James Hadlington Jnr, the manager of the poultry farm, promoted the Grantham site as a State poultry farm, with surplus land to be utilised for the use of returned soldiers. Forty two acres (17 hectares) of land would be used as a breeding farm to supply stud stock and arrange purchase of bulk feed for the group of farms at Seven Hills and the various soldier settlements throughout the state. The land was divided into five acre (2 hectare) lots, each with a small house for the invalid men and their families. The settlers attempted to make a living but it proved to be an unsuccessful scheme.

Between the two World Wars, speculative subdivisions throughout the district divided larger properties into smaller holdings for market gardens, poultry farms and housing.

Rural village life in Seven Hills came to an abrupt end when the NSW Housing Commission began in August 1945 to resume large tracts of land. The population at the time was less than 900. The first houses to be built were situated on the southern side of the railway line and by the mid 1950s the Housing Commission estate at Lalor Park/Seven Hills was complete. The electrification of the railway in 1955 had an immediate impact, attracting an urban commuter population. With population growth came industry, and Seven Hills ceased to be a rural community and became part of Sydney’s ever increasing urban sprawl.

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Bridging loan or deposit bond?

When selling one property and purchasing another, the funds from the sale may not be available in time to use for the purchase deposit. There are typically two options in this scenario: a bridging loan and a deposit bond.

Bridging loan A bridging loan is a short-term home loan designed to allow you to initiate the purchase of a property before you have sold your previous one.

Loan terms are often between six and 12 months and bridging loans generally have a higher interest rate than traditional home loans.

This can be a great option but carries some risk. It’s important to know that you will be able to make the repayments even in a worst case scenario where your old house doesn’t sell as quickly as you’d hoped or where property values may change unexpectedly.

It’s important to talk to a broker and ensure that you have the capacity to service the loan for the period of time

required.

Deposit bond A deposit bond is a tool that, upon agreement with a vendor, can replace the requirement of a cash deposit when purchasing a property.

This can be a relatively cheap method of initiating the purchase of a property usually without the need to liquidate your other assets. The cost of a bond can vary depending on transaction complexity and the term being sought. In a simple transaction, it is likely to be approximately 1.3% of the amount of the deposit. For example, for a deposit guarantee to the value of 10% of a property price for an individual purchasing an established property in NSW and repaying that guarantee within 6 months on a $50k deposit for a property purchase of $500k, the fee will be about $650.* A deposit bond is issued by an insurer to the vendor of the property for either the full or partial deposit required. At settlement, the purchaser

must pay the full purchase price including the amount of deposit. At this point, the deposit bond becomes void.

If the purchaser fails to complete the purchase of the property, the vendor is able to give the deposit bond to the insurer who will provide them the entire value of the deposit bond.

The insurer will then seek reimbursement of the deposit bond from the purchaser.

Deposit bonds are generally a fair bit cheaper than a short-term loan, but it’s important to talk to a mortgage broker to compare the two, taking into account your requirements and objectives and your financial situation.

To discuss which option is right for you contact Alex Soncini at Wealthwiz for a free review on 0419 600 177 or email at alex.soncini@wealthwiz. com.au. *this is an estimate

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CRO S S W O R D ACROSS 8 Note (4) 9 A literary genre (5) 10 Tools for punching

small holes (4) 11 A finger or toe (6) 12 Labelled with digits (8) 13 Often (8) 15 Having rounded

protuberances (6) 17 An

acknowledgement

of payment (7) 19 Not a departure (7) 22 A scornful smile (6) 24 Blast offs (8) 26 Perfect or

complete (8) 28 Burns (6) 30 Fruit of the

blackthorn bush (4) 31 Exercise (5) 32 Taro (4)

solution 18/8/17

down 1 Prefix indicating change (4) 2 Dress shop (8) 3 Breed of penguin (6) 4 Type of nut (7) 5 Legislator (8) 6 Shaman (6) 7 Skid (4) 14 Genus of rhubarb (5) 16 Courageous (5) 18 Grazing lands (8) 20 In a rage (8) 21 Hemophiliac (slang) (7) 23 Boarded (6) 25 Makes angry (6) 27 Light or tulip (4) 29 Current (4)

13 Western News 1 September 2017 Issue 42

realestate

14

sport

Western News 1 September 2017 Issue 42

Blacktown City defeat APIA Leichardt in FFA Cup

By Conner Lowe

Blacktown City have progressed to the quarter finals of the FFA Cup after defeating rivals APIA Leichardt at Lily Homes Stadium on Tuesday night.

Blacktown City will be happy about the result after being eliminated in the NPL New South Wales finals on the weekend, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Manly.

The Blacktown club have struggled in recent weeks unable to win in their past six matches, however when faced against the club who took out first place in the NPL New South Wales competition came out on top 3-1.

The game started off in APIA Leichardt’s favour as they took the lead early in the 13th minute thanks to Jordan Murray. The Leichardt striker latched onto a through ball and rounded the Blacktown City keeper and kept his composure to finish and put the visitors up 1-0.

However, the lead didn’t last long with Blacktown City equalising in the 23rd minute. Blacktown worked the

ball well on the left-hand side of the field and delivered a fantastic cross into the middle as Joey Gibbs leapt the highest to head the ball home for the equaliser.

The game was then full of chances with both sides moving the ball around well and relying on their keepers to get them out of trouble when needed.

CelebrityTIPSTERS

Round COWBOYS

26

The two sides went into half time at 1-1 and needed a big effort in the second half to come away with the win and progress in the FFA Cup competition.

Well it was Blacktown who came out the strongest and were relentless in attack. The strong start paid off in the 52nd minute when Mitchell Mallia headed home from a corner.

It was a great delivery which caught a flick on the way to finding Mallia’s head, who had an easy job of putting it into the back of the net.

Blacktown City turned up after taking the lead and were creating numerous chances, however APIA Leichardt looked good on the ball and were always a chance of snatching an equaliser on the counter attack.

It was all going right for Blacktown City in the second half when Joey Gibbs scored his second of the night and put the home side up 3-1. It was a great through ball and Gibbs never looked like missing as he slotted the ball under the out-rushing Leichardt keeper.

The game ended 3-1 and Blacktown got their revenge for losing the league to APIA Leichardt at the same venue only a couple of weeks ago.

Blacktown City now have a mouthwatering clash against Hyundai A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers in the quarter finals as the NPL side look to continue their strong run in the FFA Cup and knock out their bigger opposition at Lily Homes Stadium.

EELS ROOSTERS SEA EAGLES BRONCOS RABBITOHS TITANS PANTHERS August 31 7.50pm

September 1 7.50pm

September 2 3.00pm

September 2 5.30pm

STORM RAIDERS

KNIGHTS SHARKS

September 2 7.30pm

September 3 2.00pm

DRAGONS WESTS TIGERS BULLDOGS WARRIORS September 3 4.00pm

September 3 6.30pm

SCORE

Clr Stephen Bali Mayor - Blacktown City Council

212 Matthew Bennett - Bennett Western Sydney

216 Alex Soncini - WealthWiz Wealth Management

244 Paul Maher - Loxley on Bellbird

246 Troy - Urban City Consulting

238 Barry Locock - Turtle Landscape Supplies

220 Kimberley Talbot - CEO Richmond Club

232

History can, but doesn’t have to, repeat itself

By Paul Gittany

A few nights ago I was on the mat with my instructor. The lesson was about forms (also known as Kata). For those of you unsure what this means, a form is an encyclopedia of movement.

It’s the master set of movements used for diagnosing, resetting and teaching a student how to complete a particular technique. Effectively, if you were shipwrecked on a deserted island and wanted to keep up with your training, you’d practice forms.

Part of my training means going back over things I was graded on a long time ago. Hidden lessons are always part of this process and you would learn something you didn’t know was there before.

Some forms are difficult to learn. The attention to detail needed to accurately complete the form is something that is a challenge for any student.

The lesson for me that night was, that history repeats itself if you allow it to. I let it repeat itself and it taught

 Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. Even the greats still learned in their prime.

me a lesson.

The story could end there and the mistakes perpetuate, or I could make the decision to use my mistakes as fuel to improve. I used to think I did alot right, but the more I reviewed it, the more I realised that I needed to improve.

As a student, and a teacher, I need to say that it’s so important to push through. The challenges I face will

always be different to those someone else faces. The act of pushing through those challenges is the success story, not the success of completing something or doing something free of mistakes or errors.

To people who are thinking about learning a new skill, perhaps a martial art, I would recommend this: Take the approach that making mistakes will become inevitable. There is no

avoidance of them. You can only minimise them through practice, but they will remain a part of life.

Acceptance of that is the hard part, but also the part that’s required that makes pushing on much easier. When we make mistakes, especially ones we consider to be silly mistakes, if you let it, it will get to you and cause an emotional response like anger, and later, regret from feeling that anger.

The whole thought process is crazy!

But we all go through it.

The type of training we undertake in our school is unique. Developing the mind is priority and will be part of training at all levels. Preparing the body is also important but it’s not just about push ups and sit ups either.

Finally, technique will be polished and refined. These three steps underpin everything we do at Ragnarok Combat Academy. What makes us different from others is that, we believe through these three elements, we produce what’s called “Peace in Chaos”.

If you’re interested in finding out more, please get in touch via www.ragnarokcombat.com

ragnarok combat www.ragnarokcombat.com

Western Magic proceed through first week of finals The first round of the Sydney AFL finals series had the Western Magic in with three sides. The Women’s team looked to put their opponents, North Shore, away early, while Reserve Grade clashed against Sydney Uni in a close match up.

Women’s The girls took on North Shore for the first round of the finals, a team accounted for fairly easily, eight weeks ago.

For the Magic the challenge was to beat slow starts and be focussed and switched on from the first ball up.

The girls didn’t disappoint with the midfield driving the ball forward and then containing it around the 50.

Once the first goal came, the second soon followed and soon the girls all looked like they would be on song all day. A 32-point lead was crafted at the break.

The Magic gave the Bombers a footy lesson in the second term, booting six goals to extend the lead to 71 points at the long break.

Ball contests grew fierce and messy.

Despite this the Magic were able to match North Sore’s intensity and kicked another three majors.

The girls pledged to allow no goals in the last quarter, to beat their previous winning score against the Bombers.

Despite a few injuries suffered, the girls powered and endured to the end of the game, playing with simple passion and pride and winning with an impressive 115 point margin.

MAGIC: 16.20.116 BOMBERS: 0.1.1 GOAL KICKERS: A. Weir 6, C. Corr 4, E. Pickering Rodriguez 3, T. Kleyn, S. Freeman, D. Dimond BEST PLAYERS: C. Corr, L.

Houghton, A. Weir, J. Mann, E. Pickering Rodriguez, S. Luczak Reserve Grade The boys played against Sydney University who came through with a clear win during their last encounter, but this time was different, it was finals and the Magic were not going to let this match slip from their fingers.

The Magic started well, kicking with

a strong breeze. Inaccuracy and wind gusts limited the lead at quarter time.

The second quarter turned into an arm wrestle that broke even, with the Magic taking a substantial lead into half time.

The ‘Premiership’ third quarter was brilliantly played out. Godden, Coombes and Tranter continued monumental efforts through the midfield and goals came consistently.

The final quarter into the wind was played with a mixture of aggression, poise and control of momentum.

Lawson and Hill continued outstanding games in the backline with brilliant defence and strong counter attacks.

Luke Hyland was a great target up forward; kicking true, finding plenty space and run to take multiple marks from driving midfielders and collecting numerous goal assists.

An outstanding win for reserve Grade who will be looking at a crack for a spot in the Grand Final when they take on first placed, St George.

MAGIC: 10.19.79 SYD UNI: 6.8.44 GOAL KICKERS: M. Craigie 2, Z. Godden 2, L. Hyland 2, S. Coombes, D. Hurwood, A. Perkins, B. White BEST PLAYERS: Z. Godden, B. Tranter, A. Hill, S. Coombes, L. Hyland, N. Lawson

15 Western News 1 September 2017 Issue 42

sport

Western News Friday, 1 September 2017

sport

Wanderers advance to quarter finals of FFA Cup

By Conner Lowe

The Western Sydney Wanderers have advanced in the FFA Cup after defeating the Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Tuesday night.

The Wanderers won comfortably in a 4-0 win advancing to the quarter finals of the FFA Cup. The football shown by the Wanderers midway through their preseason is exciting fans especially with big names signing for the club.

The Wanderers have played multiple friendly matches against NPL New South Wales sides and won their first two matches in the FFA Cup, including one against A-League side Wellington Phoenix.

The Wanderers will look to start the 2017/18 season well after a strong preseason and recruiting experienced and talented players from Spain, as well as bringing back club favourite Mark Bridge. The Western Sydney club will expect their experienced players signed from Spain step up to take control of the squad and help achieve success this season.

The fans of Western Sydney will hope that the upcoming season will be better than the last, after relying on a strong finish to the season to scrape into the top six only to lose in the first week of finals.

Wanderers coach Tony Popovic will want to win the Hyundai A-League

this season after making three grand finals in the previous five seasons, failing to win any.

The Wanderers announced this week the signing of Spaniard Raúl Llorente.

He is a left-sided player who is able to play as a fullback or winger, Llorente arrives in Western Sydney on a one-

year deal from Greek side Platanias FC having made 23 appearances and scoring one goal for the club last season.

Wanderers new signing Raúl Llorente said he was looking forward to taking on a new challenge with the Wanderers.

“I’m so excited to be here, I want to say thank you to all the people from the club. It’s a big change but it’s something special for me,” Llorente said.

“I’m a player that works hard, I try to play 100% not only in games but also training. I want to win everything but we must take it step by step and game by game.”

The tough-tackling Llorente is the Wanderers’ third Spanish acquisition of the off-season, joining compatriots and marquee men Oriol Riera and Álvaro Cejudo.

The Western Sydney Wanderers now face lower ranked club Blacktown City at Lily Homes Stadium in the quarter finals of the FFA Cup. The Wanderers will expect a tough match against Blacktown City after their impressive run in the FFA Cup this year.