JABBER JOURNAL Grafton U3A Inc. (University of the Third Age)

P.O. BOX 688, Grafton 2460 October 2010 www.grafton.u3anet.org.au

“Sharing our knowledge, skills and experience in a friendly, convivial way.” Contributions to the Editor: David Abrahams dga@hotkey.net.au

BUSINESS EXPERIENCES AT U3A ‘JABBERFEST’

New Grafton U3A President, David Morgan, ran an entertaining and ‘laid back’ September ‘Jabberfest’ The President introduced the 2010/11 Committee, Gladys Andersen, David Abrahams, Carole Cairns, Maree Burrows, Shirley Tees, Beverley Garde, Bruce Sherwood and Peter Smyth, all having previously served on committee. Plus two new faces, Mary Lou Brown and Alysan Pender. Guest speaker for the day was new Committee member, Mary Lou Brown (pictured below with President David), who entertained the large audience with her business experiences as proprietor of a Plant Nursery and, later, a Bed and Breakfast business. Mary Lou purchased the ‘Four Seasons’ Nursery in Belrose (French’s Forest) in 1984. It was one of three nurseries in the area and so business was competitive. As well as stocking native and other plants, they sold Gazebos and Aviaries and were open seven days a week. She employed three full time and three part time assistants who were great workers and loved their jobs. She, herself, really enjoyed the business, but was not too happy about the customers who expected a discount for buying two items or those that picked flowers from her plants! Mary Lou sold the nursery business in 1993 and later, after looking for several years for a suitable property, purchased ‘Old Port House’ on the Paterson River, 16 km from Maitland and 24 km from Gosford. The five bedroom, timber and iron roof home, set on five acres was just right for her next venture, a Bed and Breakfast venue. It was soon after the disastrous Childers fire, in which a number of backpackers lost their lives, so Mary Lou had to deal with lots of new rules and regulations to get her business up and running. And it proved to be very successful, in an area that had lots of tourist interest – galleries, craft shops, restaurants, jazz and harvest festivals, plus the local Agricultural College Field Days. Mary Lou presented menus and catered for three course dinners for weddings and parties and her only ‘near disaster’ was when the oven door broke, whilst

roasting pork, but it turned out to be the best pork she’d ever cooked! She sold the property in 2006 and now runs a modest B&B at Ulmarra. An interesting business life indeed!

FROM THE PRESIDENTS DESK It was good to see good attendance numbers at the September Jabberfest. For those who couldn’t make it we had an interesting collection of photos of early Grafton and surrounding areas courtesy of David

Abrahams and following morning tea a fascinating insight into the working life of Mary Lou Brown. Your Committee has been at work planning future activities, groups and courses. You’ll hear more about this at Jabberfest. The Committee considered some changes to the Grafton U3A Constitution which have become necessary due to changes in the State Government’s legislated Model Constitution for associations. The Committee’s recommendations will be available to members on line or for viewing at our rooms in Dougherty House. They will be put up for adoption before a General Meeting to be held in conjunction with the November Jabberfest. An unconfused list of Committee members together with roles and responsibilities of each member is published in this JJ so you’ll know “who to contact about what”. We have also published at complete list of Groups for your information. I look forward to seeing you at the October Jabberfest. David Morgan.

--ooOoo— OCTOBER JABBERFEST

Community Centre Monday 11 Oct. 10am Representatives from the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) will be discussing the Additional Crossing of the Clarence River at Grafton. The RTA will discuss the project, what development work has been done to date, as well as activities that the community can become involved in as part of the consultation process. The RTA is currently planning to identify a preferred option for a new crossing of the Clarence River at Grafton. The NSW Government is funding these investigations. A traffic study report published in December 2009 identified that further investigations and community consultation are needed to look at how a new bridge would connect to existing roads. The traffic study confirmed a new bridge location, close to the existing bridge, would cater for the desired traffic needs in the local area. It is important to plan now for a future crossing to provide certainty for the future development of Grafton. Continued P 4

INTEREST GROUPS Armchair Travel Maureen Stanford 6644 9814 4th Tues 2-4pm.CWA Rooms, Grafton Aquarobics Helen Hearnshaw 6642 5073 Mondays 3-4pm 23 Eight Mile Lane, Glenugie Resumes 11 Oct 2010 Book Discussion Maureen Stanford 6644 9814 3rd Mon 2-4pm.CWA Rooms, Grafton Bush Walking Peter Mears 6644 7435 To be decided by the group. Computer Users Group Tom Dennis 6642 2502 2pm. Every 2nd Friday U3A Office

Good Vibes’ Vocal Group Elaine Taubman 6642 3375 Barbara Eastwood 6644 5564 Mondays, 1 – 2.30pm Conservatorium, Villiers St. Mahjong Joan Ingram 6642 1560 9.30 – 12.30 Wed. CWA Rooms, Grafton Thursday – Opinion Time Colleen Morgan 6642 1131 1.30 – 3.00 pm Thursday

266 Bent Street South Grafton Men’s Shed Frank Heppell 6643 5331 David Abrahams 6642 2540 8am – 3pm Wednesday Old Brewery Site, North St., Grafton Meditation Colleen Morgan 6642 1131 Maree Burrows 6642 1640 9.45 – 11.50 am Tuesdays South Services Club Room 4 Movie Group Ralf Junger 66423484

Program in Journal each month. Table Tennis Lyn Roughley 6644 5212 2 -4pm Tues Oddfellows Hall, Bacon St., Grafton

SPECIAL CLASSES/GROUPS Reading Shakespeare Enid Bennett 6643 1998 Wednesdays 1.30pm U3A Rooms Wine Appreciation Andy Richmond 6642 5373 2-4pm U3A Rooms First Tuesday each month.

INTEREST GROUP COORDINATOR Bruce Sherwood 6644 9258 bruceshe@tpg.com

THIS MONTHS MOVIE

Another comedy THE BUCKET LIST with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. This is a comedy directed by Rob Reiner as a salute to life! Two terminally ill cancer patients decide to go out in style and compose a list of things they will do before "kicking the bucket" Rita Bullen.

There was a great turnout for the last film and hoping for a good showing next time on:- Thursday 14 October at U3A Rooms 10 am

AQUAROBICS

Helen Hearnshaw is planning to resume the Aquarobics classes from October 11. (Mondays 3.30-4.30pm) If you are interested in attending it is essential that you telephone Helen on 6642 5073

2010/11 COMMITTEE & TASKS

David Morgan 66421131 davmorg@tpg.com.au President Gladys Anderson 66426416

Vice President Mail Out Social Carole Cairns 66424615 cicairns@tpg.com.au Secretary - Registrar David Abrahams 66422540 dga@hotkey.net.au

Treasurer – Journal Editor Mary Lou Brown 66445167

Interest Group Assistant Maree Burrows 66421640 magar@exemail.com.au Minute Secretary – Mail Out Beverley Garde 66425868 bl.garde@bigpond.com Publicity Alyson Pender 66445397 alypender@gmail.com Classes Bruce Sherwood 66449258 bruceshe@tpg.com.au Interest Groups Peter Smyth 66421692 ptsmyth@bigpond.net.au Assistant to Treasurer and others. Shirley Tees 66493507 shirleytees@yahoo.com.au Jabberfest Coordinator

DROP IN CENTRE ROSTER

7th Oct Barbara & Bob Franks 14th Oct Helen Daniels & Gwen Patricks 21st Oct Rita Bullen & Marj Russell 28th Oct Carmel Clemson & Jim MacDougall 4th Nov Barbara & Bob Franks 11th Nov Carmel Clemson Gwen Patricks

BOOK REVIEW

This is a really spine-chilling story, so well told that you keep reading despite your shudders.The main

character, Jonah, is a medical student suffering through his training with inconsiderate, demanding and bombastic senior doctors. Evidently they too were treated as incompetent nincompoops during their training, Jonah concluded, hence they considered it must be the way to teach the upcoming generation. That, however, turns out to be the least of

Jonah’s troubles after he gallantly goes to the help of a beautiful young woman who appears to be under attack by a large fellow with a knife in his hand.The consequences of this action make up the rest of this story, with a few snippets of genuine homely relief engendered by Jonah’s family.I can’t say “Relax and enjoy this book” but if you like to read something riveting – and quite different to the general run – then “Trouble will fill the bill admirably.

Reviewed by Pat Smith

Book Discussion Group – see directory.

---ooOoo—

SUNDAY LUNCH

AT THE LAWRENCE TAVERN

12.15 PM 7TH NOVEMBER

MAIN COURSES FROM $15

REGISTER AT OCTOBER JABBERFEST OR CALL GLADYS ANDERSEN 6642 6416

TRANSPORT BY CAR POOLING

SAVE THE DATES

Oct 11 RTA on Bridges and Highways – Nov 8 Rebecca Menzies and a nice policeman on Home Safety and Security - Dec 6 Xmas Luncheon.

Recess through January – February Jabberfest 2011

Monday 14th February – 45 years of decimal currency!

ARMCHAIR TRAVEL TO ARGENTINA! At the August meeting Des Power spoke of Kay’s and his trip to Argentina and Southern areas of Chile and Uruguay in February/March 2010. With a wide range of environments and terrain, Argentina is in area the 8th largest country in the world. The Andes run for it’s length and climatically it ranges from sub tropical in the north to sub polar in the south. Earliest evidence of human habitation dates some 11,000 years. The Spanish settled Argentina from 1536 onwards. Current population is 40 million of which some 97% claim European descent, mainly Spanish and Italian. The trip started with a flight from Buenos Aires to Bariloche, an international ski destination located in the spectacular lake and mountain setting. From Bariloche it was a bus to Esquel and a visit to Parque Nacional Los Alerces involving lake cruises and a visit to Alerces forest with trees that have survived up to 4,000 years. Next it was a bus trip cross country to Comodoro Rivadavia, a major petroleum producing area on the

Atlantic coast from where it was a plane ride along the spectacular Andes to El Calafate to visit the Moreno Glacier ((Left) 30km long and 5km wide and some 60 metres high at the face))A bus ride to Puerto Natales in Chile allowed a visit to Parque Nacional Torres del Paine with it’s spectacular granite pillars which dominate the landscape.After another

bus ride and time spent in Punta Arenas (population 130,000) it was time for the final southern journey across the Strait of Magellan to Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia, the world’s most southern city.In Ushuaia the weather was unseasonably warm 7 - 18 degrees making it very pleasant for local excursions and a cruise of the Beagle Channel. To save time it was a flight back to Comodoro and then buses to Puerto Madryn and then to Nuequen to visit the remains of the world’s largest carnivorous 100 million year old dinosaur. From Nuequen it was Mendoza, wine capital of Argentina to San Juan, then Cordoba a city of great historic and cultural importance which includes a strong Jesuit heritage from the 16th and 17th centuries. After Cordoba time was spent in Santa Fe on the massive Parana river (second longest in South America, 4,000km long), then to Gualeguaychu on the River Uruguay. Now it was time to leave Argentina for Fray Bentos (Uruguay), the site of the famous El Anglo meat works which in it’s peak employed 4,000 people and slaughtered up to 2,000 head of cattle a day. Products like Oxo cubes and Bully Beef made their way to the trenches of the World War 1.Finally it was Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, where we arrived in Holy week, so things were unnaturally quiet but enjoyable. After a ferry trip across to Buenos Aires and a final day shopping it was home.In summary Argentina is an easy country to travel, it has great natural and historic assets, food, chocolate, ice cream and wine is excellent. Bus transport is affordable and comfortable and there is good availability of reasonably priced accommodation. ARMCHAIR TRAVEL GROUP – SEE DIRECTORY

SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that a Special General Meeting of Members of Grafton U3A Inc. is to be held at

Grafton Community Centre Duke Street Grafton

on Thursday 8th November 2010 at 10am to consider and if thought fit pass the

following resolution :- THAT GRAFTON U3A ADOPTS A NEW CONSTITUTION AS PRESENTED. Note. The new Associations Incorporation Act 2009 and Associations Incorporation Regulation 2010 commenced on 1st July 2010 and your committee believed it opportune to adopt a new constitution. The proposal is to adopt Fair Trading Model Constitution with amendments to suit the special needs of Grafton U3A These amendments address Objects of the association, nomination for membership (simplified), fees and subscriptions, Office Bearers eligibility restriction (3 years), appointment of Auditor and matters of quorum numbers. Copies of the proposed new constitution are available for perusal at Grafton U3A rooms, Dougherty House, Prince Street, Grafton on Thursdays 9.30am – 1.00pm – those members who have provided email addresses will receive this notice electronically with the proposed constitution attached for their perusal if desired. Any questions in respect of the meeting or Constitution should be addressed to the President, David Morgan or Public Officer, David Abrahams – contact details page 2 of Journal.

--ooOoo— RTA Continued from Page 1 A community liaison plan was developed to assist the community to provide input into the process. The plan is available on the internet. An outline of the liaison plan was presented at two community focus group meetings in August 2010. The purpose of the groups was to discuss and provide feedback on the community liaison plan.

Feedback received during the consultation period for the community liaison plan (including feedback sheets) is being considered and, along with the verbal feedback from the focus groups, collated and will be made available on this project website. All comments received will be considered by the RTA and the community liaison plan updated throughout the duration of the project.

The project timetable was extended to allow the Clarence Valley community more input into the project, and assist the RTA with important investigations such as heritage, flooding, ecology and traffic

MEN’S SHED NEWS Pictured is the beautiful jewelery box crafted by Frank Heppell, pyrography by Warren Moss for the late Dave Andersen’s granddaughter Sophie. Sadly he died just after

he had started the project but now Sophie has this piece to remember him by.

Clarence Valley Council has embarked on an Edible Garden Project which demonstrates a simple method of growing vegetables in boxes. The Men’s Shed were contracted to build rustic outer boxes and used old hardwood pallets in construction

Completed boxes ready for dispatch.

Edible Garden display at Gate to Plate Market