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  • Stirring Sunday stroll

    THIS Sunday’s supposedly non-partisan March in March rally, which is highly critical of the Abbott government, is being coordinated by people with links to ALP-affiliated unions.

    March in March events are planned for cities Australia-wide and are billed by organisers as a “people’s vote of no confidence” in Abbott government policies.

    Perth’s organisers include officials from the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union and United Voice—both formally affiliated with the ALP—and Green Left Weekly.

    Issues to be highlighted at the rallies include mooted cuts to education and health, asylum seeker policy, and cuts to foreign aid. Organisers say the rallies are an opportunity for anyone with a grievance about the direction the country is heading to turn up with their placards and have their say. They are expecting 40,000 to turn out.

    The March gets underway at Perth’s Langley Park at 10.30am.

    by CASPER JUST 

  • Cycle swap has soul

    08. 821NEWS
    • Ian Thomas from Bikes for Humanity, and Francois Sauzier, Vincent’s TravelSmart officer. Photo by Jeremy Dixon

    PRE-LOVED bikes and parts are on offer down at the bike swap meet at the Barlee Street carpark next Saturday. Stallholders are invited to clear out their sheds of old odds and ends, while punters can hunt down elusive replacement parts. It’s on March 22 from 10am to 1pm (stallholders set up at 9am). Register for a seller’s spot at travelsmart@vincent.wa.gov.au, it’s $10 for a stall and the cash goes to the Bikes for Humanity charity that sends used bikes to the developing world.

     

  • A/CEO suffers heart attack

    VINCENT city council acting CEO Rob Boardman is reported to have been hospitalised, and remains in a serious condition, after suffering a heart attack, just three weeks after taking the reins from John Giorgi.

    The council is refusing to comment, with new acting CEO Mike Rootsey saying only, “this is a private matter and we decline to comment at this time”.

    Mr Boardman is the council’s long-serving community services director.

  • A game of the heart

    10. 821NEWS
    • Ziggy Kramer in the stand at his beloved Inglewood United. Photo by Jeremy Dixon

    “FOOTBALL is not a matter of life and death…it’s much more important than that,” legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once said.

    Ziggy Kramer knows a thing or two about the beautiful game, having been involved with Inglewood United for more than 60 years.

    He’s played for, managed and latterly been the president of the club, only retiring from his role last year at 76.

    “You have to be passionate about the game and really care about it…”

    In recognition of his contribution to the game in WA, Kramer has been appointed a life member of Football West.

    When a scrawny Kramer first played in goals for Inglewood—then known as Kiev Soccer Club—in 1953, the game was more physical and the water-logged ball felt like a cannonball.

    “I remember going up for a corner and the opposition striker went right through me, shoulder charging me into the net,” he laughs.

    “Back then it was legal and the goal stood. I was only 67 kilos and the game was a lot rougher back then—it was a baptism of fire.”

    After being the club’s goalie for 13 years, Kramer was offered the job of manager in 1967 by the club’s president—his dad.

    “You know why he offered me the job?” Kramer asks. “Because he didn’t have to pay me.”

    He brought success to the club, guiding it to the first division title and as a runner-up in the premier division.

    He went on to become club president and reckons his biggest achievement was building a $1 million, 1000-seat stand at the ground in 2001: “I had to scrounge around and get grants from the state, local and federal governments, plus use the club’s money as well,” he says.

    “It’s a beautiful stand and I like to think it is a big part of my legacy.”

    Given that most football clubs go through backroom staff like loo paper—and Kramer is candid and outspoken—his longevity in the game is remarkable.

    “You have to be passionate about the game and really care about it—you can’t just be there to make money in the short-term and then run off,” says the soon-to-be great grandfather.

    “Perth Glory need to adopt the philosophy that my dad had—get in a broom and sweep out all the crap.

    “They’re making a mockery out of the game and Tony Sage [Perth Glory owner] needs to surround himself with people who can offer him better advice.

    “Football is very fickle, but if you have the game in your heart, you can be around for a long time.”

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Handful turn out for Tibet

    AROUND 50 people attended a Perth rally Saturday to protest China’s 55-year occupation of Tibet.

    Organised by the Tibetan Action Group of WA, the group held a ceremony outside Perth’s Chinese consulate before marching to Wesley Church.

    TAG member June Lowe says Tibetans in Perth wanted to show support for people back home.

    “The Tibetan community in Perth is acutely aware that their friends and relatives in their homeland would suffer brutal reprisals if they tried to speak out within Tibet,” she says

  • The lunch must go on

    A SLAP-UP “networking lunch” with Michael Sutherland and Troy Buswell has beenº hastily rearranged following the WA treasurer’s shock resignation this week.

    WA finance and energy minister Mike Nahan will replace Mr Buswell as keynote speaker at the $150-per-head Dianella lunch on March 26.

    Mr Buswell resigned Sunday after allegedly drink-driving and crashing his ministerial car two weeks ago and subsequently suffering a breakdown that required intensive medical treatment.

    Mt Lawley MP Sutherland says Mr Buswell had been a “very good” minister.

    “As a colleague I find the circumstances of Troy’s resignation very unfortunate, he was a very good, effective minister,” he says: “The most important thing is for him to get well and recover from his breakdown.

    “The lunch has not been cancelled.”

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Past on plaques

    13. 821NEWS
    • Sylvan Albert outside a 1909 building on the Maylands heritage trail. Photo by Jeremy Dixon

     A MAYLANDS heritage trail has been launched by Bayswater city council.

    The 1.3km trail includes 31 heritage-listed properties in the town centre, most  situated on Eighth Avenue, Whatley Crescent and Guildford Road.

    Featured properties include the Old Peninsula Hotel, Maylands primary and the old police station and quarters.

    Each site has a granite plaque with the building date and its historical significance.

    “The trail celebrates our heritage and will help bring to life the area’s rich history and character,”

    Maylands Historical Society ex-president Terry Gaunt says the trail is an excellent start, but his group would like to see it expanded.

    “Unfortunately the Lyric Theatre in Eighth Avenue which played a very significant part in the lives of most Maylands residents for many years was overlooked,” he says.

    “The Albany Bell Castle, the chicken hatchery and the Mephan Fergusson Foundry are all sites of great importance to the history of Maylands which should have interpretation.

    “The Roxy open air picture gardens is also worth a mention.”

    Mayor Sylvan Albert says the trail complements the existing Bayswater heritage walkabout.

    “The trail celebrates our heritage and will help bring to life the area’s rich history and character,” he says.

    The council has spent about $28,000 over four years developing the trail.

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • No staff action at Vincent

    PURPORTED industrial action by Vincent staff (Voice, March 8, 2014) has not occurred.

    Last week former councillor John Little told the Voice a large contingent of staff was planning a walkout, unhappy that CEO John Giorgi’s contract hadn’t been renewed.

    But Wednesday rolled around and there was no action.

    Mr Little, a supporter of Mr Giorgi, believes staff decided not to go ahead mainly because acting CEO Rob Boardman suffered a heart attack Monday, and was hospitalised in a serious condition.

    “I honest to god think that what happened to Rob has finished them off emotionally,” the Fibber McGee’s publican said.

    Mr Little had also claimed staff would be attending Sunday’s town hall meeting, collecting signatures for a petition to reinstate the CEO.

    However the only people with petitions were Mr Little and former council candidates Katrina Montaut and Mark Rossi.

    Ms Montaut says staff had asked her to collect signatures. She said, “there was a directive from the mayor that came down that staff were not to attend”. Mayor John Carey says that isn’t true.

    He pointed out there was at least one staff member at the town hall meeting (not collecting signatures) and staff hadn’t been stopped from, nor disciplined for, showing support for Mr Giorgi by crowding outside the February 25 council meeting.

    by DAVID BELL

  • LETTERS 15.3.14

    15. 821LETTERSFast job, slow signs
    THE Labor member for Maylands and her leader, Mark McGowan, are complaining about the speed at which the flashing speed signs are being put up at schools (Voice, March 8, 2014).
    Was this an early April Fool’s day joke?
    These signs, popular with school communities, are being rolled out by the Liberal government at a rate almost 10 times faster than under Labor. The Liberal government has put a high priority on this program, resulting in more than 200 schools having the signs erected under an ambitious target of having all schools done by the end of 2017.
    Under the previous Labor government, when Labor regularly boasted about billion-dollar surpluses, less than 10 signs a year were installed. At that rate, it would take about 100 years for all schools to get the signs.
    If Labor is concerned about the pace at which the signs are being rolled out under the Liberal government, it should be ashamed about its own performance on this subject.
    Michael Sutherland MLA
    Member for Mt Lawley

    A balanced view
    TWO weeks ago the Voice published a letter from Marie Slyth in relation to my stance on heritage and my running for south ward.
    I have a sensibly balanced stance on heritage, and I support the protection of any building in Vincent that has significant heritage value. However, I’m concerned the council may be again trying to amend its planning policies so it can nominate entire street blocks for “protection”, as if all that street’s buildings had heritage status. It does this by extending its “streetscape” design guidelines far beyond the street or verge and onto any parts of your house visible from the street.
    The community overwhelmingly rejected this idea in 2009, but it seems to have resurfaced in the council’s 2014-15 Key Projects as: “Develop a Heritage Area Protection model to protect streetscapes”.
    The saying goes “your home is your castle”, and we take for granted our rights over our property. Arbitrary “protection” rules like these may limit your options, if in future you want to alter or demolish any building elements visible from the street.
    Simply consulting residents on a planning policy is very different to obtaining an owner’s explicit and wilful consent for a statutory heritage listing.
    With regard to running for south ward, as an elector in the district I was eligible to nominate for any ward. When elected, a councillor represents the whole city in the chamber.
    I wish to thank everyone for their support: I thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many residents.
    Mark Rossi
    Buxton St, Mt Hawthorn

    Winds of change
    MR LITTLE’S petty and misguided attack on the Vincent mayor and council in his paid advertisement in the Voice last week could not have had a more resounding rebuttal than Sunday’s Vincent campaign rally at the old North Perth Town Hall, attended by several hundred residents.
    The audience totally and enthusiastically supported the mayor’s and other speakers’ call for either a fair and equal amalgamation with the City of Perth, or for Vincent to remain unscathed.
    If the latter is Mr Little’s preference why has he publicly announced it only after the decision to not renew Mr Giorgi’s contract? Surely, Mr Little’s time and money would have been better expended at the beginning of the process when he might have influenced the position that Vincent took.
    Mr Little derided the councillors’ lack of experience, but I think Vincent residents recognise their vigour and vitality more than compensates: they have initiated, and implemented, fresh ideas and changes of direction.
    In recent years the council has become significantly more community-orientated and community-responsive than any of the previous ones I have encountered in my 25 years living in this area.
    The council was democratically elected to represent the residents of Vincent. Mr Little is a lone demagogue howling in the winds of change.
    Geoff Cooper
    Glebe St, North Perth

  • Friendly Fiorentina

    I KNEW I’d been sprung when a customer sidled up, whispering “you’re doing a review aren’t you?”. What can you do but smile and agree.

    “This place is like a slice of Italy,” the Italian woman and her daughter, obviously regulars, happily shared.

    I’d already noticed that Fiorentina had a wonderful neighbourly vein running through its trendy decor, confirmed when the guy behind the counter had a loud chat with an old bloke wandering home with groceries. He too was obviously a regular.

    But friendly service isn’t reserved for old-hands.

    We were warmly welcomed and, before our bums had hit the seats, a waiter was on hand with water and a cheery smile.

    “This place is like a slice of Italy,”

    There’s plenty of choice, either from the cabinet with its mouth-watering display of rolls, or from the expansive specials board, with dishes such as beef ravioli ($17.50) and steak sandwich (a seared scotch fillet with tomato relish, bacon, cheese tomato and mixed greens on a house foccacia) ($19.50).

    It was the pasta of the day ($17.50) that caught my eye, and what a catch it was.

    The fresh linguini was wonderfully oily and flavoursome, laced with blue swimmer crab meat and with just the right amount of fresh chilli, herbs and white wine, surrounded by warm cherry tomatoes.

    It was love at first bite and, although the serve was generous, I wanted more as I gazed forlornly at the empty plate, bottom lip quivering.

    My lunch companion wasn’t disappointed in her Moroccan chickpea dish ($15.50): the spiced chickpeas were laced with toasted mustard seeds and had a delightful but subtle smokiness to them. The poached eggs on top were cooked to runny perfection, she declared.

    The cake cabinet at Fiorentina is a glorious display of colour and textures, with an array sure to tempt any appetite.

    As I bit into a small tart topped with the last of summer’s figs ($4.50) I was transported by its rich creamy filling and sweet fig slices, ably assisted by a particularly fine long black coffee ($4).

    My mate had a passionfruit-topped cheese cake ($4.50) and was smiling from ear to ear. And she raved about her cappuccino ($4).

    Fiorentina is part of the thriving hub that Angove Street, North Perth has become.

    So we walked off our lunch excesses with a browse in some of the groovy shops nearby. Unfortunately the Voice’s food reviewing budget doesn’t extend to neighbouring boutiques, a grotesque failure of management.

    by JENNY D’ANGER

    Fiorentina
    44 Angove Street,
    North Perth
    9328 7442
    open 7 day 6.30am–5pm