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Members of the Toowoomba branch of the National Trust have been cleaning and restoring the old inn and are ready to show off this iconic structure. And it’s all free.

Branch president Mrs Sue Englart says members have scrubbed the floors, washed the walls, tidied the garden and oiled the old drays to have the old inn ready for inspection on Saturday. It will also be open Sunday 22nd April from 10.00 am to 4.00pm.

The official re-opening will be performed at noon on Saturday (April 21) by Mr Les Rub, grandson of the last Mayor of Drayton who was elected in 1873. He will use an 18th century Prussian officer’s sword to cut a ceremonial ribbon at  the front door of the Inn.

“Join us for coffee or tea in the garden,” Mrs Englart said. “Come on a tour of the inn. Enter a time warp. See the way we lived 150 years ago: no running water, no electricity. Let your shoes walk on the staircase that the maids, the gentlemen and the travellers walked on. Wonder at the ancient kitchen. See the little slaughter house, and don’t miss the wash-house.”

“Car Lovers can view pre-1919 vehicles on the lawn courtesy of the Darling Downs Vintage & Veteran Car Club. Altogether “a must not miss” event.

Submitted by:
Sue Englart
Chair Toowoomba Branch National Trust
0417 769 927

About 200 town and country people attended this open public forum to learn what six mayoral candidates and 20 of the councillor candidates believe are the major issues facing Toowoomba Regional Council voters.

The three-person panel (Billy Macqueen, Diane Jones, Denys Kirby) invited each candidate to explain their policies to the audience – five minutes for each mayoral candidate and two minutes for each councillor candidate.

Then written questions from the audience were directed via moderator Dianne Jones (broadcast journalism lecturer at USQ) to specific candidates.

WHEN: Wednesday April 11, 2012 from 6pm.

WHERE: Cultural Centre, Walpole St Millmerran Q 4357

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Billy Macqueen, Murralah, Millmerran ph 0429 956 199
Dianne Jones, USQ campus Toowoomba ph 0408 304 541
Denys Kirby, Saleyard Rd, Millmerran ph 0428 790 692

Toowoomba hockey player David Zwoerner will sport a whole new look come Thursday night. David is planning a belated shave of his head and goatee beard as part of the Leukaemia Foundation’s 2012 World’s Greatest Shave.

He said it would be the first time in 10 years he had cut his hair or had a clean- shaven face.

A goalkeeper with Past High Hockey Club and the state veterans’ team, David will be shaving at 6pm this Thursday, 12th April at Club Glenvale in Boundary Street.

Supporters and donors are welcome to attend or to visit his fundraising page at www.worldsgreatestshave.com

I’m doing this to help kids and others with blood cancers,” he says.

The Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland’s Regional Events Coordinator for the Darling Downs and South West Queensland, Phoebe Mitchell, said the 2012 World’s Greatest Shave held on March 15-17 was on target to reach its goal of raising $4 million across the state and more than $15 million nationwide.

World’s Greatest Shave is the Leukaemia Foundation’s biggest single annual fundraising event and helps us continue delivering free services to patients and their families while investing more than $1 million a year in medical research seeking better treatments and hopefully cures,” Ms Mitchell said.

Phoebe Mitchell
Regional Events Coordinator, Darling Downs and South West Queensland
Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland
P: 4632 0127 M: 0438 946 979 E: pmitchell@leukaemia.org.au

After a harrowing 12 months of residential fires across the state, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) and Duracell are hoping their annual Don’t be a fool, Change your smoke alarm battery” campaign will be received with pro-active force this year.

The QFRS attended 1,912 residential fires in 2011 and QFRS Inspector David Sutch said Queenslanders needed to realise the fires they see reported on the news could occur in their own homes.

The grim reality is that residential fires caused 27 fatalities in Queensland last year. These terrible incidences and others highlight the importance of preventative safety measures, however we continue to see many cases where smoke alarms have failed to activate as a result of removed batteries or poor maintenance,” he said.

Inspector Sutch said he hoped the annual Don’t be a Fool” campaign would encourage people to take preventative action for the sake of their own safety and the safety of their loved ones and change their smoke alarm batteries on April 1st if possible.

It takes less than 5 minutes to change a smoke alarm battery and when you weigh that up with the life that could be saved in doing so it’s certainly time well spent,” he said.

QFRS recommends the use of photoelectric smoke alarms and warns that not changing smoke alarm batteries and failing to maintain smoke alarms can be just as deadly as not having a smoke alarm at all.

The QFRS recommends:
Test  your photoelectric smoke  alarm  monthly  to  ensure  the  battery  and  the alarm  sounder  are  operating  and  clean  with  a  vacuum  cleaner  annually  to  remove particles that will affect smoke alarm performance;
Replace  the  battery  annually.  Duracell and QFRS recommend  replacing with  a
long-lasting 9v alkaline battery;
If  you  live  in  a  rental  property,  call  your  rental  property  manager  and ensure you have correctly installed, maintained and working smoke alarms; and
Install photoelectric smoke  alarms  in  positions  that  will  wake  all  occupants  in the home and give them time to evacuate, for example, outside each sleeping area with additional smoke alarms installed inside bedrooms where doors are closed at night and along evacuation routes if bedrooms are located upstairs.

The Don’t be a Fool, Change  Your  Smoke  Alarm  Battery” campaign  is  supported  by Duracell. Visit www.changeyourbattery.com.au or www.fire.qld.gov.au for more information on where to place smoke alarms in your home.

Every woman who attends the Breast Screen Queensland Toowoomba Service during April will go into a draw to win a double pass to the musical production Jane Rutter” at the Empire Theatre on Sunday the 29th of April, 2012.

A Breast Screen every two years is strongly recommended for women in the target age group of 50 to 69 years as 75 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer are over 50. Women in their 40’s and over 70 are also eligible for
a free breast screen.
Empire Theatre Marketing Manager Kirsten Bartholomew said  Jane Rutter is a concert/theatre piece devoted to delicious French music from La Belle Époque to the present day. Jane Rutter is an artistic young musician who goes to Paris to learn how to live…along the way she encounters ghosts of the artistic Parisian past. ”

Ms Bartholomew said “Breast Screen Queensland is a great service supporting our local women.”  Breast Screen Queensland Health Promotion Officer Jessica Hobbs says The Empire Theatre has provided extensive support to the local Breast Screen Queensland  Toowoomba Service. “This year alone the Empire Theatre will be supporting Breast Screen Queensland Toowoomba Service by providing three sets of double passes to three of their sell out shows.”

Ms Hobbs encourages all women to look after their own health and the health of loved ones by having a regular breast screen.

Make your free breast screen appointment today by phoning 13 20 50 and bring along other female members of your family and friends. Group bookings are available at the Breast Screen Queensland Toowoomba Service.

To book tickets to Jane Rutter phone 1300 655 299 or visit www.empiretheatre.com.au

Whether you’re keen to get along to the 148th Toowoomba Royal Show or just looking to have a well-deserved break, residents are urged to be aware of the appropriate show holiday date that applies to their area.

The gazetted show holidays in the Toowoomba Regional Council area for 2012 are March 29 or August 13.

March 29 is the date for the Toowoomba region (excluding that part of the former Rosalie Shire including the Yarraman, Upper Yarraman and Cooyar areas) to cater for the Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show.

The holiday set down for August 13 is for the remainder of the Toowoomba region (which encompasses that part of the former Rosalie Shire including the Yarraman, Upper Yarraman and Cooyar areas) to cater for the Royal Queensland Show (Brisbane Ekka).

Council advises that residents should also note  that the Crow”s Nest shire holiday date has changed from previous years. Crow”s Nest usually had a holiday in May to cater for the Crow’s Nest Show, but as this has changed from a two-day show to a one-day show on Saturday May 12th, 2012, Crow’s Nest will be joining the majority of the region in having a show holiday on Thursday March 29,  2012.

For kids in our region, there’s nothing like the thrills of Side Show Alley at Toowoomba Show time. But for some kids, like children in hospital, it’s not possible to get to the Show.

This year the RASQ Toowoomba Show committee is making sure that kids in hospital don’t miss out. Some of the characters from Side Show Alley plus RASQ CEO Damon Phillips will visit the Children’s Ward at the Toowoomba Hospital on Tuesday (27th March 2012), two days before the annual Show starts, to donate sample bags and hand out complimentary passes just in case the kids do get out of hospital and can attend.

RASQ CEO Damon Phillips said it was a great way for the RASQ to put a smile on a sick child’s face. No-one likes being in hospital when a big event is on like the Royal Toowoomba Show, especially children. This is one way we can brighten up the kid’s day while they’re in hospital by bringing Side Show Alley to them.”

Submitted by
Peter Rookas,
Toowoomba Hospital Foundation
Ph. 4616 6166