LOOKS like the tree felling on the Northbourne Avenue “urban meadow” has begun by stealth.

Our Watson snout spotted numerous eucalypts along the proposed tram route – particularly opposite the motor registry – and took photos of the signs attached, all dated May 25.

With nary a mention of light rail they gloomily say: “The health of this tree has deteriorated to the point where removal is required.

“Its removal has been scheduled. A new tree will not be replanted as space may be inadequate or it will cause on-going conflict with infrastructure, such as pipes, pavement or interfere with line of sight.”

We put it to our gardening guru Cedric Bryant who posed the question: “Has an independent arborist assessed these trees, as the reasons are very broad and not specific to each tree and are specious with the reasons?”

He also mused that it was interesting that “they all seem to have all these problems at the same time.”

Sally’s blooming talent

WHAT would inspire local classical pianist and composer Sally Greenaway to bare all, lie on the floor and get body painted?

“Obviously being naked for several hours lying on a lounge room floor on top of a canvas is not how I tend to spend my Sunday afternoons, but it was a very interesting experience,” she told CC.

“I needed a new portrait photo, the picture I had been using is now 10 years old and I don’t look like that person any more. I wanted something fresh, unusual and eye catchingly beautiful. So I commissioned local Yass artist Anne Hind to paint a canvas with flowers and colours inspired by the music from my new album ‘Aubade & Nocturne’.

“I then lay down on the canvas and she finished the painting by painting my skin so I disappear into the canvas.

“I really like it – it was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with a local artist in a different artistic field to create something beautiful and striking, as well as functional for my portfolio as a new portrait promo shot.

“It challenged so many things for me – my own identity, body image, societal pressures on women’s figures and nakedness etcetera.

“I recommend everyone try it. Especially those whose bodies don’t align with the traditional ‘beauty’ or ‘young’ image pressures.”

Not even for old ‘Times’

HELEN Musa, the “CityNews” arts editor was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the Queen’s Birthday honours and she was feted by this paper, the ABC and 2CC.

Before joining us, Helen served with distinction in the role of arts editor of “The Canberra Times” for the best part of a decade, something her citation noted and we reported. But not so the Pride of Fyshwick.

The best the “Times” could do was describe her int he general listings as a “critic and magazine editor”. Despite this, the relentless Helen Musa OAM was to be rewarded by an interview with her hometown paper, the “Forbes Advocate” that, like us, was proud to share the pride in her achievement.

Trots take their toll

“NEARLY every day commercials tell men to have their prostate checked,” writes 81-year-old pensioner Wolfgang Strunk.

In an email to “CityNews”, he says that for about three months now he has been having to get up five times at night to go to the toilet and during the day has to stay around his home to be close to his loo.

His GP sent him to a specialist who popped him on the surgical waiting list. Wolfgang phoned and found himself 14 months away from prostate surgery. Back to the specialist who wrote another referral marked “urgent”.

“I rang again a week later. By now I have to go up to six times at night and was told: ‘Sorry, Mr Strunk, but you are still far down the waiting list, tell your doctor to make it more urgent’.

“I’m a welfare pensioner and can’t afford the private operation I know I need.

“Why do men get reminded to have a regularl check up when one can’t even be seen by a surgeon?”

Meanwhile, poor, old Wolfgang gets less and less sleep as his unattended prostate wakes him six times a night.