AWARENESS: Food is Free founder Lou Ridsdale and volunteer Sally-Anne McGeachin are collecting unused sanitary items in the laneway to complement the food exchange program. Picture: Lachlan BenceFOOD is Free Laneway founder Lou Ridsdale is joining a growing chorus to promote what she feels is a basic human right: sanitary items for the homeless.

A box next to the wheelbarrow planter, offers a place for people to place unused sanitary items for women and transgender people most in need.

Food is Free has partnered with charity organisation Share the Dignity. Ms Ridsdale said the charity’s motto, that sanitary products should be a right, not a privilege, fit in with the laneway’s community-driven concept of looking after everybody’s basic needs, regardless of their story.

“It’s a marvellous thing to recognise women do have this need. Sanitary items are probably one thing most people do not think of as a basic need for homeless, we tend to think of donating blankets and food first,” Ms Ridsdale said.

“Homelessness doesn’t have a certain look…there are so many different avenues to how people end up homeless. Everybody can have a bad week financially.”

Food is Free Laneway in Redanprovides equal access to healthy, high-quality, nutritious, safe and cost-free food. Nearby schools and kindergartens help make seedling packets for people to start their own gardens.

Share the Dignity runs collection drives in April and August to collect pads and tampons for vulnerable and at-risk Australian women to prevent them from shameful and traumatic experiencesduring their monthly periods, like having to clean in public toilets or creating makeshift sanitary items.

Ballarat’s Renee Ziedaitis placed a collection box in the female change rooms St John of God Hospital where she works and is amazed at the generosity of her colleagues.

“(Periods) are still a bit of a taboo subject and it’s good to have a bit of anonymity, so women can just slip them from their work bag into the box. Imagine being homeless worrying about this,” Ms Ziedaitis said. “I’ve also had friends who have bought the wrong brand and because they’re a bit fussy, have donated them, or pregnant friends who donate their excess supplies because they will not need them for awhile.”

Food is Free Laneway is off Ripon Street. Find more collection points onlineat sharethedignity南京夜网419论坛

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Minister for Sport John Eren.A guideline launched by the state government will help sportsclubs, councils, architects and designers ensure that new sports facilities support women’s participation.

The online Female Friendly Sports Infrastructure Guide will provide advice for building or repairing sports facilities to accommodate growing numbers ofwomen and girls getting involved in sport.

“There are more Victorian women and girls playing grassroots sport than ever before, but too often their facilities are rundown or non-existent. We’re fixing that,” Minister for Sport John Eren said.

“The Female Friendly Infrastructure Guide puts the power in the hands of clubs, councils, builders and architects to make a big difference to Victorians.”

By the beginning of next season, Allansford netball players will have access to brand new facilities to use when they train and play at their home ground.

The facilities will include toilets, change rooms with showers, an office, a storeroom and a kitchen.

Allansford Football and Netball Club president Toby Holloway said the upgrade was “well and truly overdue.”

“The girls didn’t have showers or toilets which was not good enough,” he said.

“We’re just trying to get the facilities up to a better standard for the whole community.”

Mr Holloway said the upgrade meant the players would be able to have all their belongings in one place and have a shower after the game without having to go home.

The courts will also be resurfaced with “state-of-the-art” materials.

“The netball club is half our club so they should have the same facilities as the boys get,” he said.

“They should be able to expect those facilities, really.”

The project has been undertaken as a collaboration between the club, the Allansford Recreation Reserve management (part of Warrnambool City Council) and Allansford Cricket Club.

Last year the state government announced $10 million in fundingfor clubs toupgrade women’s facilities.

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LABOR has gone on the offensive in the Albury Council election raceby declaring its fullsupport for candidate Christian Kunde.

STICKING TOGETHER: Labor candidate in the Albury Council race Christian Kunde has the support of NSW Party leader Luke Foley.

The trainee doctor stepped down from the recent Farrer federal election campaign when reports surfaced linking him to Islamic extremism.

Mr Kunde has been recruited to the Labor election ticket of Cr Darren Cameron, who is seeking another term on September 10.

Cr Cameron said evidence existed of Mr Kunde being the target of a Liberal hatchet job in the recent federal election.

NSW Labor leader Luke Foley also defended his party’s decision to re-endorse Mr Kunde.

“Mr Kunde has given firm undertakings to Labor that he does not share the views of any extremists and that he condemns their views,” Mr Foleysaid.

But unlike the federal campaign, Cr Cameron said his running mate wouldn’t be standing aside in the council battle.

“I am concerned the Liberal Party will trot out the same dirty tricks campaign as they did during the federal election,” he said.

“Sussan Ley gave a faint apology at the declaration of the poll recently.

“But it would be truly disgraceful if the local Liberal members stooped to the same tactics again.

“Christian has issued a definitive statement to set the record straight.”

The Liberals arenot running a ticket in the council election, but former mayor Alice Glachan is a party member.

The Liberals arenot running a ticket in the council election.

But former mayor Alice Glachan, who is running as the No.1 on an independentticket,is a Liberal Party member.

Albury MLA Greg Aplin couldn’t be contacted for comment byThe Border Mail.

A spokesman for Mr Aplin has also been approached for comment.

Mr Kunde made the decision to step down from the federal campaign so his circumstances wouldn’t be a distraction for Labor.

Mr Kunde said his views on many issuesin the federal campaignwere

“grossly misrepresented”.

“I am opposed to and condemn all forms ofpolitical violence and terrorism,” he said.

“I condemnHizb-ut-tahrir and anysimilar organisations.

“I am a committed supporterof marriage equality.

“Australia is a multi-faith, multicultural society.

“We are at our bestwhen we set aside fear and discrimination to focus on inclusion andparticipation.”

​Mr Kunde’s decision to step down from the federal campaign was welcomed by party leader Bill Shorten.

Labor was criticisedby Liberal MPs for failing to do sufficient background checks on candidates.

But Mr Kunde’s plight was in stark contrast of Labor candidate Anne Aly in the the seat ofCowan.

Accusations she provided support to a radical Muslim preacher as part of a NSW court proceedingwere dismissed asa “desperate smear” by MrShorten.

Islamic group link a smear says Kunde This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.

I love the Olympics Australia’s gold medal winning relay swimmers.

WITH great gusto, I proclaimed: “I love the Olympic Games!”

The roaring silencewhich met this statement was overwhelming.

One woman in a tired voice said, “Oh, that’s nice darls, aww!”

Riddle me this, if you can. Are we that caught up in the grinding tedium, the banal minutiae of our daily lives, that we can’t enjoy the Olympic Games?

Please, please, never let me get this way!

Advance Australia Fair was playing. The Aussie flag was flying high. Our swimmers were in the pool battling it out, a world of training pain and dedication coming down to fractions of seconds.

I looked about me. People were too busy filling their faces and belting down schooners to even care. Sheesh! Do you know what the main topic of conversation was? The bloody census!

Have these people given up on life?

Are they the same kind of people whose weekly highlight is putting out the garbage bin?

If ever I get tothe point in my life where I don’t give a toss about something as wonderful as the Olympics,I beg you, I beseech you, cart me off to the funny farm and put me in a padded cell.

For there I can contemplate how and why some humansgive up caring.

Adrian SimpsonEmmavilleCamps costing $4 million each dayOn Radio National this morning, there was a claim that our prison camps for boat people in Nauru and Papua new Guinea are costing $1.5 billion a year.

That’s over $4 million per day.

If this figure is true, then it’s really good news.

It means that we are so rich, and our economy is so strong, that we can afford to throw away and burn ten times the cost of the gay marriage plebiscite every year, without noticing.

We can achieve absolutely nothing with all that money, and incidentally make sure that thousands of boat people achieve absolutely nothing as well.

Isn’t this wonderful?Wasn’t it just ever so right of the Liberals, Nationals and Greens to make sure that the Malaysia Solution fell in a heap?

After all, if we had given Malaysia our Moslem boat people and taken their Christian boat people in exchange, then something would actually have happened.

By now, those Christians would also be merging into our society and supporting Australia by becoming taxpayers.

Can’t have that in this country, mate.Gotta have nothing at all.

G.T.W.AgnewCoopers Plains, QLDSupport for appealI’m writing to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the community of New South Wales for their support of The Smith Family’s 2016 Winter Appeal.

Our appeal highlighted the impact of severe financial disadvantage on the education of a child.

These children often miss out on excursions and camps, can feel isolated and alone, and are at risk of disengaging from learning. It is heartening that our call to “end poverty – one student at a time” through education resonated with so many people in the community, who responded with great generosity to our appeal.

I would like to thank every individual who made a donation. Your support will allow us to provide out-of-school learning and mentoring programs to more than 9000 disadvantaged children across Australia.

Please know that you are helping make a direct and lasting impact on the lives of disadvantaged children, helping them to thrive at school and to create a better future for themselves.

Jack Murphy, Acting General Manager New South Wales, The Smith FamilyThis story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.

HOME RUN: Ian May said Indians wanted to be able to host more home games in Port Lincoln.SOME of the local baseball clubs are in conflict over the current situation with home games in the Lower Eyre Peninsula Baseball League.

Indians Baseball Club has campaigned to change the set up of home games to see more games played at Ravendale for the Port Lincoln based clubs.

Indians president Ian May said the current set up has Shields Baseball Club playing 15 home games at Dorward Oval in North Shields.

Which meant one Port Lincoln club gave up three games and the other two surrenderedtwo.

“The situation is we’ve got four teams, two teams should play eight home games and two get seven home games and them teams swap around each year,” he said.

“We must be the only league in Australia where one team gets 15 home games and others get home games taken off them.”

For Shields however it has been an issue of ensuring the ground could be maintained to keep it open for baseball.

Funds raised from thegate, canteen and bar go back into the North Shields Sports Association to maintain the ground.

Sports Association president Craig Dorward said money went into paying for water and the lights to ensure baseball could be played there on Friday nights.

“If they start taking games away from North Shields the ground will have to shut,” he said.

It has been suggested more games take place on Sundays to create more home games in Port Lincoln.

Mr May said Sunday would accommodate families better as A grade games on Friday nights did notstart until 9pm.

“Sunday would be good for family days,” he said.

“If we just go to a normal home and away season where each team plays three to four Sunday games a season, the whole issue would be resolved.”

However Shields has maintained it wants to keep baseball on Friday nights.

Mr Dorward said he understood the teams wantedmore home games but players should have weekends free for family and other commitments.

“The last thing we want to do is play sport on Sunday, we’d rather take the kids to the beach,” he said.

“At least the Friday game is over by 10.30pm, you get home and have all the weekend to yourself.”

At the last league meeting on August 8, Indians looked to seeklegal advice.

Mr May said it wasn’t financially viable for the league for the current set up to continue.

“North Shields keep coming up with monetary problems but the three Lincoln teams have to survive too,” he said.

Mr Dorward said Shields would “stick to its guns” about not giving up more than three games to Port Lincoln this year.

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Cowell 49 defeated Ports 35C Grade

TWO determined sides took the court for the C grade first semi-final. The match began goal-for-goal, with both sides hungry for every loose ball.

After a series of turnovers, Ports wasable to create the first margin for the game.This was short lived, and the lead swung back and forth between the two sides with neither team able to take command of the match.

Nerves under the goal ring became missed opportunities for Cowell, with Ports creating a two goal lead at the first quarter.

Cowell scored the first two goals of the second quarter, bringing the scores back to even.

From there Cowell continued itsrun of goals, creating a four goal margin.The game returned to the goal-for-goal battle we had seen at the beginning of the match.

Cowell defenders worked hard to force the Ports goalies to take long shots, but the Ports girls were up to the task and accurate at this range.In the third quarter players rotatedagain for the Cowell side, which wasable to combat the fatigue of the warm day with the depth of talent on itsbench.

Ports attack found Bec Wagner’s long arms hard to get past, and were unable to match her height for rebounds.

Heather Slee played a similar role at the attacking end for Cowell, converting any missed shots after collecting the rebounds.

Both teams continued to work hard in what proved to be a high scoring quarter, with Cowell taking the lead.

An evenly fought contest unfolded in the fourth quarter, with both teams fighting hard for the full 15 minutes.Great feeding in and around the goal circle cemented and extended the Cats’ lead.

Again, the rotation of players from the Cowell bench meant that fresh Cats players were able to outrun their fatiguing opponents, and extend thelead to 14 goals by the final whistle.

Picture:Heather Slee for Cowell defended by Hannah Lienert with Fiona Harkness heading into assist.

Names in story

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Applied: The development application is for a community parish and lawn cemetery at 20-22 Annangrove Road, Kenthurst, next door to St Madeleine’s Primary School.

The Catholic Diocese of Parramatta has applied to build a place of worship and cemetery on Annangrove Road in Kenthurst.

Plans submitted to construct Kenthurst Parish at 20-22 Annangrove Road request permission to demolishthe existing structure, next door to St Madeleine’s Primary School.

The proposal is to build the Parish Church and a lawn cemetery.

The Diocese issued a press release saying the lawn cemetery was needed as it “will help contribute to the construction costs and debt repayments related to the building of the new church.”

They said the development of a parishhad been “the passion of the community for the past 30 years.”

Some parents and Kenthurstresidentshave voiced concern about the cemetery’sproximity to the two schools.

Parent Leesa Scaverasaid in a submission to council’s online development portal thatthe road was too congested to allow for further development.

“I am concerned about the lack of parking at the school already,” Ms Scavera wrote.

“There are many students who have to park out on Annangrove Road as [the] car park is not big enough. This causes more confusion and addedtraffic trying to enter and exit the school.”

It is understood some parents are concerned about the psychological impact of a cemetery in sight of the school.

“We are all hoping council will protect the interests of the community, the neighbouring residents, the 1600 children onsite,”Felicity Power said in another submission, adding the proposal posed a risk to pedestrian safety and showed“blatant disregard” for student welfare.”

The Diocese of Parramatta spokesman said consultants had been hired to assist in ensuring the cemetery was“appropriately enclosed from public view with external and boundary landscaping which totally encloses the site.”

“The parish is absolutely sympathetic to the concerns of local residents and will work with them on any reasonable points of view they might have,” the statement read.

Adjoining and close neighbours have been invitedto meet with the members of the parish committee regarding their concerns.

“The parish maintains its willingness to continue working with council, residents and parents to address their concerns,” the spokesman added.

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COUNCIL amalgamations that came when civic bodies were declared unfit under the state government’s Fit Fit the Future (FFF) programwere well publicised, as forthose that were declared fit, well, they were the lucky ones, right?. But how much ‘luck’ was really involvedand how are they handling some of the massive changes now?

Inverell Shire Council was one Local Government Area declared fit and also one that Mayor Paul Harmon thinks has taken both the process and the change in its stride.

“It’s one of those things we seem to have been talking about forever,” Cr Harmon said.

“The state government put out a template that all councils had to meet, and there were many aspects to it. There were ratios for financials, own source revenue, loans council has, infrastructure backlogs, so it was a long, drawn out, lengthy process.”

Mayor Paul Harmon thinks the community has already seen some of the advantages of the Fit For the Future legislation.

He said Inverell’s application to IPART was independently assessed and audited and was far from a ‘tick and flick’ exercise.

“It was a robust document that shaped council’s plans into 2020 and even into 2022. So it wasn’t just about the next year or the next six-months,” Cr Harmon said.

“It was a long strategic plan that council put in place, and a blueprint for future councils to follow as a guide.”

He said new state government FFF legislation had already beennoticed by the communityin the form of the recent FFFinformation mail-out and the increased implementation of the council website.

Mayor Paul HarmonThis story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.

Vietnam veterans and members of Moree RSL sub-branch, John Williams and Cr John Tramby with the plaque honouring Max Wales at the Max Wales Memorial Park, where Saturday’s service will be held.

Exactly 50 years ago to the day,August 18 1966, 108 young Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought and defeated anarmy of 2500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers, upholding the Anzac legend in a battle that would go down in the history books as one of the most significant in the Vietnam War.

“There were bigger battles andbigger casualties but never had so few defeated so many,” Moree RSL sub-branch member and Vietnam veteranJohn Tramby said.

Moree RSL sub-branch will be holding a commemorative service to mark the 50thanniversary of the Battle of Long Tan on Saturday, August 20, beginning at 3.30pm, roughly the same time the battle began in torrential downpour in 1966.

Outnumbered 25 to 1 and finding themselves short of ammunition, D Company 6RAR managed to inflict heavy losses to the enemy, who eventually retreated after the arrival of A Company reinforcements in the night.

Eighteen Australians were killed, and 24 wounded in the battle,compared to the 245 North Vietnamese casualties.Moree’s Max Wales was one of those killed in the battle.

Local Vietnam veteran John Williams said the Battle of Long Tan shaped the rest of the war in many ways.

“They ran out of ammunition, but that was the last time that would ever happen,” he said.

“Now, you carry a lot more than that.I used to carry 200 rounds for machine guns, 400 rounds for armalite.It’s an awful lot of weight.”

In addition to soldiers carrying more ammunition,there was always a reaction force ready to go from then on.

The community is invited to attend Saturday’s service and pay tribute to Max Walesand the other 108 soldiers who fought at Long Tan, as well as allthose who served intheVietnam War, including Moree’s Ronald Thomas Carroll whose body was only recently returned to Australia.

The Moree Town Band and choir will be part of the service, whichwill includewreath-laying and a speech by Mr Williams. Everyone is invited to stay for tea and coffee at the conclusion.

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Organisers Bruce and Lyn Walker thank Windscreen Professionals’ Andrew Berridge for his long-time support. After the success of last year’s Operation Christmas Child where 455 shoeboxes from Young, Harden and Boorowa reached underprivileged children in other countries, organisers are hopeful of another great effort from the region again this year.

Items to be packed into shoeboxes include:

Something to love (eg a teddy bear or doll); Something to wear (eg hat or t-shirt);Something to play with (eg tennis ball, skipping rope or marbles);Something for school (eg notebook or pencils);Something for personal hygiene (eg soap, washer or toothbrush);Something special (eg a letter and photo of yourself).Anyone interested can pick up brochures and pre-printed shoeboxes from Windscreen Professionals in Lovell Street or the Anglican office in Cloete Street.

People can use their own shoebox (no larger than an A4 page).

Organiser Lyn Walker said many residents from local churches, schools, different organisations and thoughtful individuals have been busy packing special shoeboxes for this inspiring project.

“Not only is a box full of fun and practical items sent to a needy child at Christmas time, but a box full of love and hope which has the ability to impact lives within that community,” Lyn said.

“It is felt not only bythe child receiving the gift, but the community as a whole.

“Imagine the joy of a child who has never received a gift before lifting the lid of a box overflowing with gifts just for them.

“Anyone can get involved by filling an ordinary shoebox (no larger than A4 paper) with specified items which are listed on the brochures.

“The gospel message is also offered with the gift which helps spread the true message of Christmas,” she said.

Packed shoeboxes can be delivered to Windscreens Professional or the Anglican office no later than October 14.

There will be a information morning tea on September 5 at the New Life Community Church on MacDonalds Road, Young.

For more details call Lyn Walker on 6383 9234 or 0428 699 779.

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