Friday, May 23, 2008

Page 1.




we all have different priorities.
This publication has been a rush job. I wanted to get the hard copy out on Thursday's mail run. Forgive the errors in it, my proof reader forgot to check for mistakes and I didn't notice until I had published.

The things I've forgotten in these 5 years is amazing. It will improve, I hope. The biggest challenge has been creating this blog. I hope you can all access it as it will mean I can keep you all up-to-date with news and events as they happen. If you have a problem with it, please ring (now that's silly - if you have a problem how will you know to ring me?)




Kiara Fire Brigade Crisis.


The Kiara fire brigade has had a chequered career. After the success of the earlier cricket tournament against Pentland in 2003 the group closed because of lack of expertise and energy.


Resurrected last year, the brigade has staggered along with the help of the few willing workers. Now suddenly, the secretary, Mr. Ian Hanaghan, has resigned. A meeting of Kiara brigade executives was held at The Exchange Hotel on May 21st to discuss the ramifications of his resignation. It was decided to reinstate Mr. Hanaghan, at his request, at least until the election later this year..


Mr. Hanaghan is overseas for several weeks and unavailable for comment.


Town Clean Up.

The growl of mowers, tractors and whipper-snippers has been a regular sound around the streets lately as members of the fire brigade work to improve the aspects of the town. Already there is a marked difference to the main road and other areas about town.


The members worked incognito with no vests to advertise the brigade was involved with the work. To the uninformed they appeared to be private workers. A communication break-down limited the number of men available. An organized roster would utilize all members, thus share the work-load.



This is a planned fund raiser for the brigade, and the Flinders Shire Council is preparing a contract for the brigade to take over the maintenance of the town public areas, including the removal of rubbish from the Burra Range wayside stop.



Later, when the public toilets are constructed, the brigade will also be responsible for their maintenance.



cleaning up the back blocks


Torrens Creek Telegraph Page 2.




George Knudson - late of Torrens Creek


George, cooking up a Storm, 1997.


George lived in Torrens Creek for many years with his partner Gayle. He was a local identity. A real battler and a gentleman with a wacky sense of humour. A great Neighbour.




I’d been thinking about him a lot last Sunday. Probably because of the activity next door with new people preparing to move in. I’d not heard from him, or about him for ages. Last I’d heard was that he was still in Croydon but wasn’t happy there. He wanted to come back.


Monday morning I answered the phone to his partner’s daughter-in-law, Bianca. I’ve never had a call from her before, although I had met her when she visited with Colin years ago. I was surprised to hear from her.


During the course of the conversation she informed me of his death a year ago that Sunday. We both had chills down our back. Eerie.

What Else?


Question: What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work?

Answer: A Stick.


Keep an Eye on Your License Plate.


A woman said her son found his license plate missing so he called the police to file a report.

They told him people were stealing the plates to get free gas. Given the rise in gas prices, people have taken to stealing license plates, putting them on their car, then getting gas and running. The gas station will have 'your' license plate # and you could be in trouble for 'pump and run.' Check your car periodically to be sure you still have a plate. If you should find it missing, file a report immediately!!!


Keep an eye on your license plate! Make sure you always know it's there! When the license plate is reported as the 'drive off vehicle,' it's YOU they contact! Be aware!!!! Be aware of your license plates, most of us never look to see if the plates are there or not.


News from Flinders Shire Relating to Torrens Creek Area.

Torrens Creek Telegraph May/June page 3



News from Flinders Shire Relating to Torrens Creek Area.
New Councilors following the election with reduced numbers from 9 to 5 are Mayor Brendan McNamara, Deputy Mayor Greg Jones & Councilors Katherine Egan, Clarrie Haydon,
Sean O'Neill;


Councilor with portfolio for small towns is Clarrie Haydon;


Councilor with portfolio for roads in the Torrrens Creek area is Katherine Egan;


Road upgrade works on the Jardine Valley section of the Flinders Hwy is commencing this week to reconstruct 12km between Hughenden and Prairie. Speed limits through road works will apply until the project is finished late 2008;


Council has finally secured tenure over land near the Torrens Creek railway station from Qld Rail and will proceed to build a unisex toilet in the near future;


Council is in the process of finalising an agreement with the Torrens Creek Rural Fire Brigade to undertake contract works in Torrens Creek that will include slashing and whipper snipping parks and reserves along with rubbish clearing from the Burra Range;


Mayor Brendan McNamara has been elected onto the Local Government Association Queensland Board as Treasuer for a another term. He will represent Councils throughout the North West and Gulf Country.

Change of Name?

The suggestion of changing the name of the brigade to include "Torrens Creek" becomes more valid. "Kiara" does not immediately bring our town to mind. Note the our Shire has trouble remembering the name.
Maybe a competition could be run for the most popular moniker?

Garfield's Take on Our Oil Crisis

Folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage in our country. Well there’s a very simple answer.

Nobody bothered to check the oil. We just didn’t know we were getting low.
The reason for that is purely geographical.

Our oil is located in Bass Strait, East Qld Shale Fields, Canning Basin, Perth Basin and North-West Continental Shelf.

Our Dipsticks are located in Canberra – Any Questions?

Karma? Anon.



When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness .just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.
Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)


I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues,
And I'll bounce on the furniture, wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)


When they're on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat,
I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click,
I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick.
I'll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,
I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"

Recipes

page 4

This is from an old Family Circle (1983) It is one of the recipes developed by the Ministry of
Food in the UK during WW 11 to make the most of scarce supplies.


Emergency Bun Loaf.


Sift 2 cups self-raising flour, add 2 tablespoons golden syrup, 1 tablespoon marmalade, 2 tablespoons sultanas or mixed peel and 2/3 cup milk or water and mix well. Spoon into a greased loaf tin and bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Wrap in a tea towel while still hot, and leave until next day before slicing. Enjoy plain or buttered. Freezes well.

From the Editors Desk

Hi. It’s been almost five years since I issued a news letter. I do hope this will be a welcome return.
Many things forced me to cease publication. Not the least the breakdown of my equipment. I’m going to try this first one. Rod has kindly agreed to carry them around the run.
After the first issue I thought I’d start a blog. Saves trees, ink and delivery. For those who can’t read the blog let me know and I’ll continue printing a few. The address is http://wwwtorrenscreektelegraph.blogspot.com/


Information on local happenings and updates of interest would be appreciated.


Several things motivated me to start up again. Not least the news of George Knudson. I imagine a few of you would have been wondering about him. That was so eerie, how I learned.
Then we got the photos from Ryan and Andrea and I thought you would all be interested to see their new addition to the family.


There have been lots of changes in the last five years: new people arriving - including our son, new buildings, bitumen in the back streets, change of ownership to some rural properties - and The Exchange Hotel.


And, not the least, a change at the police station. It's almost three years since Linda arrived. She has included us in so much of her life since she came: her family, her first Christmas here (very memorable),her meeting and engagement to Wayne, their wedding andrecently, the pain of losing Nelson.


Something to Think About.


This is a story about four people named: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it! It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done!
Tidy Towns Judge Drops in.
Jack Lumley, an ex councilor from Proserpine, is travelling west to assess the contenders for the prestigious Tidy Towns 2008, competition.
While he was inspecting Pentland’s environs, which incidently had his thumbs up so far, I met up with him and suggested that he stop and check out Torrens Creek’s attractions. He did and was so impressed with the hospitality that he plans to stay overnight on his return trip.

Wonder what we’d have to do to win the coveted award...



We’ve Been Googled
Torrens Creek has been added to the world.
Several weeks ago a small dark van, marked Google,with travelled up and down our streets.
The camera periscope, purched on the roof recorded us for the google website.
Nice to be noticed – wonder how my hair looked?

May/June

page 5




McGrath Update - and Cooper Makes Four.

Cooper is almost 4 months now. Isn't he georgeous? And isn't Abbey the little lady?




































Abbey, Ryan and Cooper _ Where's Mum?
As if we don't know, from that gleam in Cooper's eye.
And isn't Abbey a proud sister.



Wednesday, May 21, 2008

May/June 2008

Aramac Road Update. The bitumen almost reaches the potholes ;-0

As I write this another ten kilometers has just been ashpalted. The crews are working north from Tiree and south from the old Shirley station. It is envisioned that the whole road will be completed by December 2009. Then they plan to set up camp on Waura Station and work their way into the Flinders Shire.
Once they are within the shire boundary the road will be maintained (graded) by Aramac as they progress with the sealing of the last 70 ks.

A big problem at the moment is the desert area where water from the generous ‘wet’ still lies beneath the surface, making it impossible to work on. Once the water recedes work will progress more rapidly.
Another problem the council faces is the escalating petrol prices. This adds greatly to the cost of the costs of the project. It is hoped that the prices will stabilize before long.
Completed, the Aramac Road will cut 900 ks off a round trip south.


Page 6


Slick Scam Involving Credit Cards.

They provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.
One of our employees was called on Wednesday from 'VISA', and I was called on Thursday from 'Master Card'. The scam works like this: Caller: 'This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for> $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona ?'
When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?'
You say 'yes'. The caller continues - 'I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. 'Do you need me to read it again?'
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, 'I need to verify you are in possession of your card'. He'll ask you to 'turn your card over and look for some numbers'. ; There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 4 are the security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card.
These are the numbers you use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 4 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 4 numbers, he'll say, 'That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?' After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do', and hangs up.
You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question.. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.
Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number.
What the scammers want is the 4-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them.. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 4 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.
On Thursday, I got a call from a 'Jason Richardson of Master Card' with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.
Nice people around, eh?



______________________________________________________________



Question: What's The Difference Between Roast Beef
And Pea Soup?
Answer: Anyone Can Roast Beef.

_____________________________________________________________________

Page 7




Hand Bag Problems.

The following stories were sent to raise our awareness of the dangers of being too trusting.

A lady’s handbag contains personal information and identification documents. This lady has changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen.

Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet... etc... was stolen.20 minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says 'I've just received your text asking about our Pin number and I replied a little while ago.'When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn.
The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.
Moral of the lesson: Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc... And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back. Also, when you get a text from friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and friends' who text you.

NEW WAY TO CAR JACKING IS NO JOKE.
You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift into Reverse.
When you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the car jackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.
And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car. So now the car jacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys. Your home and your whole identity are now compromised!

Another Successful Golf Day.
Torrens Creek’s first public Golf day for 2008 happened on Mothers’ Day. Enthusiasts traveled from as far afield as Brisbane to enjoy our unique course, which was a picture. The weather behaved perfectly too. Visitors included Les and Denise Newland who returned to ensure their brain child was still flourishing ;o) It seems the club is in good hands as they left satisfied with their time back here.
Because of the day, numbers were down slightly, but all enjoyed the two day event. Early enthusiasts wandered down to the green well before my first cup of coffee. Made me wonder what I was missing, not playing golf.
The over-all winner of the event was Bruce Grimmer.
Well deserved for all the work he put in leading up to the event.




Page 8


Fari the Fruiterer
Visits
Torrens Creek
Every second Wednesday.
Time – 3-30
28th May
11th June
25th June.

venue. 27 Torrens Street.


Today’s Dorothy Dix?

Dear Tech Support,
Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance
particularly in the flower and jewellery applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5 and then installed undesirable programs such as AFL 5.0, The Ashes 3.0, and Golf Clubs 4.1.
Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no! avail.
What can I do?
Signed, Desperate
Dear Desperate:
First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an Operating System. Please enter the command: "http: I Thought You Loved Me.html" and try to download Tears 6.2 and don't forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update. If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewellery 2.0 and Flowers 3.5. But remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour
7.0 or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.
Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-in-law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources).
Also, do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.
In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Food 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.
Good Luck, Tech Support


Political Correctness - You can't beat Maxine.

Towel Heads.

Recently I received a warning about the use of this politically incorrect term, so please note.
We all need to be more sensitive in our choice of words. I have been informed that Islamic terrorists, who hate our guts and want to kill us, do not like to be called "Towel Heads", since the item is not actually a towel, but in fact, a small folded sheet.
Therefore, from this point forward, please refer to them as "Little Sheet Heads".
Thank you for your support and compliance on this delicate matter. Maxine.