GLEBE COMMUNITY NEWS November—December, 2012, Issue 28

Janet Venn-Brown is an artist residing in Glebe. Her works include coloured sketches, and paintings of interiors in Glebe and Italy. Janet was born in Sydney and grew up in Drummoyne. She began studying at an art school run in Sydney run by an Italian artist who suggested Janet leave the school to ‘do her own thing’. Janet went on to live for 44 years in Italy before returning to Glebe. Janet is always looking for new subjects in Glebe as she considers Glebe to be a beautiful suburb. She prefers painting still lifes such as interiors. There will be an exhibition of Janet’s work at the Ginkgo Gallery at 166 St John’s Road on the 30th of November through to the 12th of December. Janet can be contacted on 9566 4787.

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I’ve been coming to HaveAchat café for two years now. I learnt about it after seeing an advert in the local pa-

per for the Cowbelles craft group, which was located in the café.

I was able to attend Cowbelles as I was provided transport. Transport has always been an issue for me, but I

knew I had to get out of the house. I’ve always been a verbal person, but at one stage I hadn’t left the house in

8 months. I was going stir crazy. I was housebound by pain, it felt like lava. I would always feel as though I was

on fire.

I do my best to hold a positive view, as it’s tempting, though pointless, to wallow in negativity. I am fortunate

as there are so many people around here so full of love and kindness, with open hearts, full of generosity.

I have wonderful neighbours, they are supportive and generous people. If my door is not open, or my blinds are

drawn, I can expect a knock on my door, someone checking in to see if I’m okay.

Over time, I’ve found that once you show you’re willing to help yourself, people will more readily assist you

Following an invite from a friend of mine, Barbara, I joined COW (the Concerned Older Women social action

group). I’ve become very involved with COW , and enjoy the meetings. We are currently seeking to alter the

370 bus route, and are planning projects we recently attracted funding for.

When it comes to talents, people are generally their own biggest critics, but I’d say I’m quite good at,and enjoy

making light catchers. Ideally I’d use real crystals to make them.

I’m always happy for people to donate beads! And I’m always looking for commissions! (you can contact

Geraldine through HaveAchat ).

I also joined Crafty Women craft group, it isa place where you’re able to make mistakes. We are unique, and

imperfect, but we’re definitely worthy, and talented!

With the help of local organisations, I’ve been able to build a network around myself. I’m grateful Julie (from

HaveAchat café), and all the volunteer staff and patrons at HaveAchat, there’s definitely a symbiosis going on,

GLEBE COMMUNITY NEWS PAGE 2

How many birds can you spot in this newsletter?

we all help each out, and learn from each other. And there is plenty of space to indulge in creativity and con-

versation.

During my youth I travelled around America, from Alaska all down the west coast, to South America.. It was a

great time to be in America, as Flower Power was just beginning, much to the dismay of my mother! People

were setting up communes, so I travelled from commune to commune. There were street lawyers, and

street doctors. It was a great time! I was able to make friends as I went along, and find

that this is the case in Glebe too.

My favourite book would have to be ‘The Art of Happiness’, by the Dalai Lama, and my

favourite movie, well, I’m not sure, it’s hard to say, maybe ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.

If you’d like to recommend a friend to be interviewed for the Glebe

Community Newsletter please contact the Glebe Community

Development Project on 9692 9375.

GLEBE COMMUNITY NEWS PAGE 3

And now for a message from OM:NI … Older Men: New Ideas in Glebe

OMNI is a community group that specifically caters for the social interaction of men over 50.

Our goals are to improve the overall health and well being of older men, create deeper and more meaningful

friendships, draw on the experience, knowledge and wisdom of older men, promote policies, practices and

activities that enhance older men, and develop mateship.

At OM:NI you are able to experience the camaraderie of being with older men who speak your kind of lan-

gauge and with whom you can exchange thoughts and ideas.

You are welcome to visit us at the Old Fire Station, Mitchell Street, Glebe. We meet fortnightly on Fridays at

10am for 2 hours; our next meetings are on the 2nd November and 16th November.

Bring a friend if you wish! You can contact OM:NI members Fawzey on 0410179326 or Steve on 9799 0367.

Every Monday and Wednesday a group of volunteers from the Glebe Community dedicate their time and skills to the Glebe Assistance and Partnership Program (GAPP). GAPP offers a welcoming space in the community garden, where people can come and chat to the volunteer team and have a cup of tea or coffee. An emergency relief program also oper-ates from GAPP.

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John P.

John has being volunteering at GAPP for 6 years. John can be described as perceptive, sincere, straightfor-ward, diplomatic, a good communicator and best of all, a good friend to have. Some interesting facts about John is that he has attended Prince and Hall & Oates concerts. He was struck by Prince’s dancing skills! James Taylor is one of his favourite musicians. A motto that has resonated with John is one as his mother taught him, “to always look for the good in people, and to treat people as you’d like to be treated”. One of the best things about GAPP for John include always leaving GAPP feeling a lot better than when he arrived. Noticing this in community members who go to GAPP is also a big highlight. Some interesting facts about John are that for three years running he was in the top five car salesmen, selling 50 cars in a month and as many as 15 on weekends. John has being living in Glebe for 21 years and likes to keep himself busy. Two of the best things about Glebe for John are the great friends and the handy vicinity of things.

Glennis Glennis learnt about volunteering in GAPP through NILS, the No Interest Loan Scheme. She decided to volun-teer as she liked the vibe of GAPP. Interesting facts about Glennis include that each of her tattoos has a special meaning, representing a different stage in her life. Glennis has studied community welfare and case management. Her favourite musician is Carole King and one of Glennis’s favourite books is a biography about Mum Shirl. Glennis also enjoys thriller novels such as those written by John Grisham. For relaxation, Glennis embarks on seasonal trips to Leura,to go to a meditation workshop. Glennis enjoys living in Glebe, as she has a tight knit group of friends here who offer a great amount of support for one another. A motto that means a lot to Glennis is that ‘nothing is impossible’.

Graeme

Graeme Started volunteering at GAPP in April 2012 following an invitation to do so from another GAPP volun-teer, John P. Interesting facts about Graeme, include that he loves to water ski and to surf. In his youth Graeme would surf the waves of Bondi and Maroubra, nowadays he likes to go somewhere more quiet. For Graeme, there’s always something to do at the beach, including snorkelling. Graeme has seen a few grey nurse sharks at the beach, and recommends that the best thing to do is to keep your eye on them. Graeme maintains that bluebottles are the biggest pest. Graeme is a mechanic by trade and enjoys fixing up cars. His dream car is a GTR XU1 Torana. Graeme’s favour-ite movie is surf film Point Break and one of his favourite books is a biography about the infamous Sydney un-derworld figure, Chow Hayes. Graeme doesn’t mind life in Glebe. When he was a young surfer in Bondi, Glebe was considered to be the Western suburbs! Graeme loves being able to volunteer at GAPP. His mottos in life include, don’t steal off people and don’t talk ill about people.

Carol

Carol has been involved in G.A.P.P since July/August 2005. She found out about GAPP after a call for volunteers was put out by St. John’s Church. Carol says the highlights of working at GAPP include watching people come in and leave feeling better and gain-ing familiarity with community members. Visits from past GAPP clients who come in to say thank you and fill in volunteers on what they’ve being up to are particularly heartening for Carol. A motto Carol lives by is to ‘Be honest’ this applies to everyone but especially to Carol’s grandson Axl. (Put your socks on Axl!) Carol stresses the importance of showing respect towards other people. Carol’s talents include patience and organising. She is a great cook and loves to go fishing regularly. Her favour-ite music is country music, and her favourite film used to be Great Expectations, but it is now Dirty Dancing! Carol enjoys living in Glebe, particularly because of its community atmosphere.

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Mark Mark arrived in Glebe in March 2011, and got into volunteering at G.A.P.P following his volunteer work for the Glebe Community Gardens. He is the children’s gardening mentor at the Glebe Kids Club. You can find the plot Mark shares with the kids club, marked by the scarecrow. Mark has always been into plants, and loves the idea of nurturing nature, and always being respectful of the natural world. Mark is also studying community welfare. Marks talents include being a survivor, being a good friend and being able to learn from his own experiences. Mark is a great cook and makes a mean BBQ! He dreams of having have an outdoor kitchen, a room to sleep in and the rest of the house to cook in. Mark is a black belt in martial arts and is an avid Beatles fan. At the moment Marks favourite Beatles album is the white album, however, each day he has a different favourite. More interesting facts about Mark include that he has searched 15 years to find the ideal aftershave, before settling with Joop! He has a piercing no one can see and purple is his favourite colour. There are some interesting facts about the colour purple. It is associated with power and strength, and was used to dye the clothing of ancient Egyptian royalty. The dye was made by dung beetles crushed by slaves. A motto that resonates with Mark is to “go through life, do what you want to do, but be sure that you don’t hurt others”. Marks wishes for the future are to engage in more study, and ideally to work in the mental health field as a psych nurse.

You are very welcome to come meet the wonderful volunteers at GAPP. GAPP operates from 10-1 on Monday and Wednesday and is located at 132 St. Johns Road.

Chins Up!

The GAPP team, Clockwise from left, Axl, Graeme, Jo, Carol, John P. John D, Sonia, Glennis, and Stephen. Not pic-tured are Mark, Sharon and Karola.

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Firstly thank you Glebe for your warm welcomes! My role at GYS involves Managing After Dark Program, which is a safe space for young people in the Glebe area, where there is access to good food, activi-ties and youth workers on both Friday nights (at PFA) and Saturday (at GYS) nights. I have spent the last year working in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory with children, young people and their families and also leading a team of young Australian volunteers in very remote Surama, Guyana. Prior to that I completed a Bachelor of Social Work, a Masters in Social Devel-opment and volunteered in Calcutta, India, Mombasa, Kenya and interned with UNSW in New Delhi, India. It’s been a jam packed ride so far and I don’t intend to stop, so Glebe- bring it on!

It is my hope that through stakeholder consultations (particularly our clients), which are in the pipeline, that other activities/ pro-grams can be developed further to add to this already valuable pro-gram. It is also my hope to be a part of assessing the greater impact of the After Dark Program on individuals and the community- a wor-thy challenge I think! My role also includes case work services to young people and being a part of GYS drop in service. In my experience, working with youth takes commitment, patience, energy, advocacy and a general love and appreciation for the experi-

ence of growing into adulthood and finding a place in the world. I am looking forward to meeting and working further with the Glebe Community and in particular Glebe youth. Live long and prosper!

WHAT!

No way!!

Most lipsticks con-

tain fish scales

Riddle: I am found in the sea or on land, but I do not walk or swim. I travel on foot but I am toeless. No matter where I go I am never far from home. Who am I? (answer, pg. 12)

Following an introductory session at the Old Fire Station on the 28th of

September, Milk Crate theatre member, Sarah, hosted a one day

drama workshop at St John’s Church Hall on the 2nd of October. A mix

of Glebe locals and Glebe frequenters attended.

Natural talents emerged, as did a penchant for the surreal, the phan-

tasmagorical and the downright silly.

20cent coins were transformed into birthmarks,

barbells, watches, and kittens.

We entered taxis full of singers, conspiracy

theorists, and marathon runners.

Conversations between aliens and scientists

were translated, at times quite poorly. An alien

from the planet ‘Underpants’ showed us that

adults can still chuckle and snort at the word

‘underpants’.

A game of space jump showed how stargazing

can turn into a tennis match, which can turn into fencing lesson, which can turn into a merry go

round.

The program was a testament to the transformative power

of drama, as within this short workshop community mem-

bers and friends were able to create new realities, forget

their troubles, relax and laugh.

Newtown Studio Workshop: Improvising and De-

vising with Sarah Hone . Milk Crate theatre will be

hosting workshops on Tuesdays from 9 October

until 27 November, 1:30 to 3:30pm at the New-

town Neighbourhood Centre’s ‘Rainbow Room’, at 1 Bedford Street, Newtown.

(Lunch is available from 1:00 to 2:00pm at the Newtown Mission and all are welcome).

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Founded in the late 70s, and going to air for the first time in April 1983, 2RPH

(Radio for Print Handicapped of NSW Co-operative Ltd) is a radio station providing readings of newspapers,

books magazines and journals for people with a print disability.

The station’s wide ranging audience comprises people living with sight impairment, physical disability, people

learning English as a second language and our ‘eyes busy’ community of listeners who are those people who

are just too busy to find the time to read the newspapers or are driving!

Broadcasting throughout the Sydney basin, and all the way up to Newcastle and the Lower Hunter region, the

radio station has its studio in Glebe. Having been in this wonderful suburb for nearly 12 years, the station is

well established in the local community and will be throwing its doors open to the public during the upcoming

Glebe St Fair on Sunday, November 18th! Everyone is welcome to come and see the inside of your local radio

station. You can also make enquiries at the 2RPH stall which will be located in Foley Park.

Staffed by volunteers, the station presents a huge variety of readings from magazines as diverse as Woman’s

Day, New Scientist, Mindfood, Time magazine and The Week. Three book readings per day are complimented

by ground breaking programmes on disability issues and children’s interests.

As a specialist community broadcaster, 2RPH is a non-profit organisation and is funded by government, by do-

nations and memberships, by sponsorships and fundraising. It is a constant struggle to keep the station on the

air in this difficult financial climate, so donations are welcome. Please go to www.2rph.org.au or find us on

Facebook to find out more!

If you’re living in the Sydney area, tune into 2RPH on 1224AM. 1 1 1 , 1 1 1 , 1 1 1 x

1 1 1 , 1 1 1 , 1 1 1 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and

draw with the other at the same time.

A big thank you to Glebe local Marla for contribut-

ing these fun facts!

Riddle: I don't have lungs or a chest, but I need air. I am not alive but I grow. I don't have a mouth and I don't like water. What am I? Answers on page 12

It takes 17 mus-cles to smile & 43 muscles to

frown .

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If you stand at

the bottom of a

well, you would

be able to see

the stars, even

during the day.

Didja know.. That the

names of all the continents

end with the same letter

that they start with?

GLEBE COMMUNITY NEWS PAGE 11

Across:

8 A weeklong celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture

and an opportunity to recognise the contributions of Indigenous Australians

(acronym)

10 2012 AFL premiership winners.

11 Monolithic shopping complex near Glebe.

12 Song on Led Zeppelin II, also a citrus fruit.

14 Reality television program, also, fictional omnipotent entity in Orwell’s

‘1984’. Alliterative. (Two words).

18 Majestic, fictional creature resembles a white horse.

20 A before and after school hours child care service located in Glebe Public

School. Also the name of an insect whose name means ‘100 feet’.

21 Located on 84 Glebe Point Rd, The Glebe _____ Service?

22 Insects whose drone characterises the summer. They leave behind their

shells.

23 Location of HaveAchat community café, the Old ____ Station?

24 Avians.

Down:

1 Resembling a small llama in appearance has soft wool. ‘Virginia Paccs’ in

the olde Latin.

2 Tortoise backwards, also a Roald Dahl book.

3 Former Australian Prime-minister, dismissed prematurely.

4 Game of probability. Victorious players exclaim _____ !

5 A collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing

and defending equal political, economic and social rights for women.

6 2013 is the year of which carnivorous, legless reptile in the Chinese zodiac

calendar?

7 Church furlong or parson’s closes, an area of land within a manor and par-

ish used to support a parish priest. Also the name of this suburb.

9 Fictional town where The Simpsons is set. The neighbouring town is Shel-

byville.

11 German classical composer and pianist. Remained proficient despite hear-

ing loss.

13 Dr. Bunsen Honeydew’s hapless assistant. Also a type of glassware.

15 Explosive pyrotechnic devices.

16 Style of housing architecture common in Glebe.

17 Tree with purple flowers.

19 Glebe’s annual fete, usually held on which street?

More riddles: What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries? What goes around the world but stays in a corner? You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and

throw away the inside. What did you eat?

Answers on page 12

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Kinder Carols

3.30pm Sunday 16th December

The St Johns Centre

Dr. Seuss pronounced "Seuss" such that it

rhymed with "rejoice."

Riddle answers:

Tomatoes and cucumbers are

fruits

We are always looking for contributors for upcoming issues. So feel

free to share your ideas with us.

You can also be added to our online mailing list.

We may be contacted at the Glebe Community Development Project,

on 9692 9375

Established in 2004, the Glebe Community

Development Project aims to strengthen the Glebe

community by working with residents, local busi-

ness, government departments and community or-

ganisations to address issues of local concern and

work towards positive social change.

Glebe Community News is an

initiative of the

Glebe Community Development Project

Benledi House, 186 Glebe Point Road.

GLEBE NSW 2037

Ph: (02) 96929375

The Mitchell Street Fete will be a day jam packed with fun activities. Including rides, performances and stalls. The aim of the fete is to celebrate the strengths, interests and diversity of Glebe. Please fill out this short survey and be in the running to win a $100 prize! Your talent will also be incorpo-rated into a public artwork. We are seeking to collect 2037 talents. Survey collection points are at Glebe local library, or Glebe Commu-nity Development Project Office c/o Benledi House, 186 Glebe Point Rd Glebe. You can also access our tal-ent survey via Mitchell Street Fete on facebook. Your name: Your age: Your talent: Your postcode:

Contact details in you’re the winner: ‘Like’ The Mitchell Street Fete on facebook!

Tell us your talent!

Glebe Social Housing presents the

GLEBE COMMUNITY NEWS PAGE 13

SHOWCASING GLEBE TALENT