THIS takes planking to a new level. There’s the perennially smiling DCM Andrew Barr, dashingly operating a chainsaw with one hand without the benefit of a hard-hat, fluro jacket, gloves or safety glasses as he officially cuts the “ribbon” at the opening of the local outpost of the Woolies hardware chain Masters down at Majura Park. Don’t they know this is Canberra? Someone call an occ, health and safety inspector. That’s Canberra Airport chief steward Stephen Byron on the left, manfully supporting the Minister’s plank with both hands. He was last seen counting his fingers on the way back across the carpark.

They’re coming, Rod

AS “Canberra Times” editorial careers get skittled by the bowling ball of corporate necessity, a growling Facebook page has been set up in an effort to save the paper’s literary pages (though from what “CC’s” not entirely sure). As it awaits wider debate from its mates, initiator Susan Nicholls urges readers to write protesting letters to editor Rod Quinn. While only few at this stage, the interesting thing about its well-connected 47 “friends” are the presence of two Government ministers (Andrew Barr and Arts Minister Joy Burch) and Greens Shane Rattenbury and Caroline Le Couteur. Given the challenged paper’s dependency on Government advertising largesse, “CC” can but marvel at its courageousness in disappointing people like these. Join the revolution at at facebook.com/savecannytimes.bookpages

MEANWHILE, followers of citynews.com.au’s reportage of recent weeks know that to date the toll is: environment writer Rosslyn Beeby has taken redundancy, the roles of the arts and literary editors are to be chiseled off the organisation chart by September and the features and day editors are tipped to be heading the same way.

The effect of losing such a concentrated level of creative journalistic input may test the paper’s ability to sustain a “local” flavour in its feature and arts pages, but despair not dear reader, “CityNews” is on to it via the net every day and in print every week.

More Zapple news

WHISPERS about the new Zara and Apple stores just won’t go away. Last we heard, the Apple store would be located in Westfield Belconnen. But another “insider” says Apple will open a store near Boost Juice in the Canberra Centre as well a store in Belconnen. Zara will open in the space previously occupied by Trenery and Diana Ferrari and extend back into the car park, resulting in about 100 spaces lost. Both stores are expected to open by October.

Omar’s new friends

EMERGING Queanbeyan writer and poet Omar Musa has found himself on a panel with the fearsome Germaine Greer and American philosopher Martha Nussbaum at the coming Melbourne Writers’ Festival. It’s not as surprising as you’d think. In a session called “The Necessary Poet”, instead of reading his own work, he’ll be reading verse by the late American Pulitzer prize-winning poet Anne Sexton.

No jobs for the boys

IN  a world where men are increasingly engaged in the parenting role and in a Government so committed to gender balance, “CC” couldn’t help but wryly wonder why there are no males among the eight members of the Children and Youth Services Council, who were recently reappointed for another year. Deliberating, as they are charged to do, on issues and services that impact on children and young people is not the preserve of women alone, Minister Joy Burch.

Late for his own funeral

HEARD about the recent Bungendore funeral? Mourners gathered at the church, organ playing away, everything ready to go, only the dearly departed is missing. Vicar calls the Canberra funeral parlour to enquire about the progress of the hearse to discover it was diligently heading to… Yass!

Show us your doodle

WHAT, one might ask, is Doodle Day? Thankfully, it’s a little more innocent than one might first suppose. The creation of 2B Advertising & Design, at O’Connor, it’s fun way of raising awareness and money for the support group Carers ACT through encouraging doodled inspiration from anyone in the community. Doodle Day is actually on August 10, but you have from now until August 13 to upload a doodle loosely based around a “caring for others” theme. The outstanding doodles will be framed and displayed in a gallery space in the Civic, and auctioned on August 31. How to enter? All is revealed at 2Bdoodleday.com

Just grip and grin

THERE is only one thing worse than a cheque presentation photo and that’s a big cheque presentation photograph. While we laughingly call them “grip and grin” shots around here, they are often the only way of illustrating generosity. Canberra South Rotary took a grip and grinner  recently when it made a generous grant of $10,000 to the Post Natal Depression Support Group (PANDSI) for its ground-breaking “Resilient Relationships Program”,  which helps relationships to not only survive, but flourish in the face of perinatal depression.
Gripping is PANDSI’s Marion Currie, centre, and club member Joanne Healy. Alison Christie, left, is sharing the grins.