All my life’s a circle;

Sunrise and sundown;

Moon rolls through the nighttime;

‘Til the daybreak comes around.

SADLY, a technical glitch prevented the playing of Harry Chapin’s song “Circle” at the state funeral for Steve Doszpot. But I can attest to the MLA’s passion for the work of the prolific folk-pop singer/songwriter whose hits included “W.O.L.D” and “Cat’s in the Cradle”.

Several years ago I made the rookie mistake of boasting I knew everything about Harry Chapin. Turns out I didn’t, Steve did. In fact he possessed an encyclopaedic knowledge of Chapin and lent me his copy of the New Yorker’s biography to broaden my knowledge. RIP Steve Doszpot.

MEANWHILE, the Manuka funeral’s sombre tone was momentarily disrupted when a large media pack, stationed outside St Christopher’s Catholic Cathedral while the coffin was carried out, suddenly lurched off in the direction of a side door. Their quarry was NSW National Party leader John Barilaro who had earlier in the day created a ruckus by suggesting PM Malcolm Turnbull should step down. The Monaro MP had attempted to discreetly slip out to avoid the media.

THE vote is in but the fallout from the same-sex marriage debate continues. Conservative ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja who declared he would vote “No” in the postal survey but would “respect and honour a ‘Yes’ result”, has abstained from voting on the bill in the Upper House.

And controversy has exploded again at Brindabella Christian College. Principal Bruce Handley, whose signature was on a letter to parents encouraging them to vote “No” in the postal survey, has been controversially dismissed a year short of his three-year contract.

SEVERAL weeks ago “Seven Days” shared the tale of a northern-suburbs graffiti vandal being forced into the ignominy of scrubbing his amateurish tag from the wall of a local business after being captured on CCTV. Police now report an 18-year-old Belconnen man was recently nabbed at 2am in the Higgins/Scullin area where the majority of his tags have appeared in recent months. More arrests are understood to be imminent.

EARLIER this year Canberra nurse Elizabeth McManus characteristically leapt outside her comfort zone in order to mark the milestone of her 60th birthday. The Fraser grandmother of nine has returned from Addis Ababa after finishing the 10-kilometre Great Ethiopian Run, which attracted more than 44,000 entrants. McManus raised close to $30,000 for the Hamlin Fistula Foundation and scored a selfie with the dual Olympic gold medalist and long-distance running legend Haile Gebrselassie

FORMER ACT Liberal leader Jeremy Hanson might be well advised to follow legendary crime fighter Eliot Ness’ lead in his campaign to rid the territory of outlaw motorcycle gangs. Frustrated by the government’s continued rejection of his anti-consorting laws to fight the gangs gaining a foothold in the ACT, Hanson should be encouraged by the latest strategy of tax commissioner Chris Jordan, who says “bikie gangs are a potentially fertile target for both revenue and potential criminal tax-evasion charges”. He said: “They couldn’t put Al Capone in jail for his crimes, so they got him for tax.”

THE Gungahlin Jets AFL club has been re-energised by the appointment of former Belconnen premiership player John Love as senior coach. News of Love’s signing has also attracted several potential quality recruits for the new season. Love brings a wealth of on and off-field football and leadership experience to the proud community club, which has been in the doldrums of late. Club president Matt Porter says: “Success in the short term will be measured by the club’s competitiveness and ultimately by how it fosters the district’s juniors”.

VISITORS to the Federal Parliament are in for another sight shock as a stack of scaffolding has appeared on top of the iconic building. The latest structure sits under the flagpoles at the building’s centrepiece. What, at first sight, appears to be further fortification in the security upgrade of the building is actually just a temporary measure to undertake long-overdue work to plug leaks in the atrium’s ceiling.

This is the last “Seven Days” column for the year. Mike Welsh will return in the New Year.