PLANS for a pop-up scheme to fill long-vacant buildings with temporary shops have hit a hitch. In order to deal with empty shops dampening trader morale in centres like Oxford Street in Leederville, Vincent city council engaged property retailers Metier to start matching pop up businesses with landlords. But the scheme, a year in the…

SERMONS and the sound of jackhammers could soon be mingling at Inglewood Community Church. Church elders have submitted an application to Stirling city council to relocate from Beaufort to Cleveland Street in the Daniella light industrial zone. The baptist church has been based in Inglewood for more than 50 years and meets every Sunday at…

A “LIGHTER” plan for Heirisson Island has been rubber-stamped by Perth city councillors but there’s still no money for a footbridge. The original masterplan from 2008 was considered too pie-in-the-sky and PCC staffers call the new scheme “a more ‘grounded’ and detailed proposal”. This plan will see “low key” landscaping and infrastructure on the southern…

Some deaths more tragic? IT is interesting that prime minister Gillard sends condolences to president Obama over the unfortunate deaths of three persons in the Boston marathon. Where are the condolences and sympathy for the unarmed non-combatants massacred daily by the defence forces and the allies of this country in Afghanistan? There are none. Society…

THE future of sporting clubs in Bayswater will be discussed at a special council meeting Tuesday. Under the spotlight will be bowling and tennis clubs which lease buildings from the council at subsidised—in some cases negligible—rates. Spiralling maintenance costs on old buildings and plummeting membership has put pressure on clubs to merge and become more…

THE toe-tearing terror of Hyde Park is back in custody. Last week Pinky the galah/corella cross was returned home after he’d spent a few days rampaging through the park. Many trusting souls had approached the bird who had, cunningly, appeared friendly enough, only to fall prey to attacked toes and shredding of shoes. “He was…

LAUGHTER to hide the tears was certainly true for local comedian Dayne Rathbone (pictured, left, three times). A punter once took offence to a joke and hurled a beer bottle, hitting him in the cheek. “I pretended that it didn’t hurt so everyone laughed, but after I had to go to hospital and get stitches,”…

MEN are complaining online the mining boom has sent the hourly cost of sex through the roof. WA sex workers’ hourly rates are said to be double that of those in the eastern states. “Rahrahrah” moaned on http://www.punterplanet.com that “WL (working ladies) are going for up to $900 [an hour]”. “Do they [realise] that we…

MORE than 100 bagpipers and drummers will descend on UWA this weekend for the pipe band state championships. Organisers moved the event from Riley to James Oval, after couples planning to get married at a nearby venue expressed totally unreasonable concerns about the heavenly din: Highland bagpipes are around 110 decibels, the same volume as…

LAST weekend’s local olive harvest (Voice, April 11, 2013) was a huge success with North Perth primary school kids collecting just over one tonne of fruit. The P&C plans to sell olive oil to raise funds for projects like a new nature playground. P&C president Kirstyn Johnson says, “we had a really overwhelming response” with…