TOM STEINFORT
Tom tackles the stigma that is associated with people who are on the dole. page 2
DAVID STEIN
Remember what Aunt Ethel told you to eat? Turns out she was right after all. page 11
SUSAN GARRAD
Our health expert tackles the tricky issue of IVF versus natural medicine. page 11
MARCH 16 2012 ISSUE 79
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT
PH 9549 1190 FAX 9549 1122
Smiles all round
P
etersham came alive on Sunday with over 16,000 people packing Audley and Fisher Streets to celebrate Portuguese culture at the Bairro Português Food and Wine Fair. The loud and colourful street party, now in its 10th year,
has become one of the most cherished events among the local Portuguese and the wider community, said Marrickville Mayor, Morris Hanna. The delicious food was a drawcard for many, and the barbecued sardines, spicy
chorizo and sweet Portuguese tarts were crowd favourites. “[I] had some prawn, chicken and cod rissoles, so yummy!” said festival goer, Helen Escreza. Sangria was a popular choice on the warm Autumn day, and
many sampled Portuguese and Brazilian wines and learnt to pair the wines with food. Council is asking for feedback to plan for next year’s event, in the form of an online survey. Visit: www.marrickville. nsw.gov.au/bairro.
Inque into Inquest tragic deaths Six residents residen who died at a b Marrickville boarding house lived environm in an environment of poor hygiene, insufficient staffing and with a lack of fo serious health issues, adequate care for i t has h heard. h an inquest The residents, Shaneen Batts, Ilona Takacs, Dorothy Hudson, Ian Birks, Donald MacKellar and Mohammed Ramzan, all died in a nine month period between June 2009 and March 2010 at the 300 Hostel in Livingstone Street. The inquest into their deaths, which opened on Monday at the Coroner’s Court in Glebe, heard that the residents died from a range of causes including heart disease, drug toxicity and choking. The inquest will determine whether the care the residents received was suitable for their physical and mental health conditions. Counsel assisting the inquest, Stephen Kelly, said that in a number of cases when a resident needed urgent medical attention, a staff member rang a manager fi rst for advice before ringing for an ambulance. Mr Kelly pointed to the series of investigations by the ombudsman into the standard of care at NSW boarding houses over the past decade, arguing that little has been done to reform legislation in order to protect vulnerable residents. It is estimated that there are around 200 unlicensed boarding houses in the Marrickville local government area, with as many as 2,000 residents. The inquest is expected to conclude today (Friday, March 16). More details in our next issue.
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