Love Local News

Firefly Café is a new and exciting café opening early June 2011 in the heart of Toowoomba.

The café is calling for emerging and professional Visual Artists to be a part of the Group Exhibition titled Brand New Day which will run from 1-29 June and will coincide with the café’s official launch.

The entry fee for artists is $30 each allowing the participants to exhibit 2 works, no larger than 100cm x 100cm. A people’s choice award is up for grabs, proudly sponsored by Immortal Progression Productions.

Applications can be forwarded to interested artists by emailing Chantel at fireflyartsapp@hotmail.com.

Closing date for exhibitors is Monday 23 May at 5pm.

Japanese Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Shigekazu Sato will be the special guest at the Toowoomba Japanese Group’s fundraising dinner at Veraison Restaurant tonight. Acting Consul-General of Japan in Queensland, Ryosaku Tamura, will also be attending the dinner.

Mr Sato will be delivering a speech tonight, as will the Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council Peter Taylor and Federal MP for Groom Ian MacFarlane.

The Toowoomba Japanese Group will present 1000 cranes each to Mr Sato and also to Mr Tamura, as a token of the city’s friendship and sorrow at the recent tragic events that have embattled Japan.

More than 3000 cranes have been made by individuals, community groups and schools across the region, all of whom will be acknowledged tonight. Hundreds of schoolchildren around Toowoomba and even as far as Dalby, Yarraman and Kingaroy have written heartfelt messages on the cranes they have made.

Tonight’s menu will feature four stunning Japanese-European degustation courses, including duck consommé with Asian mushrooms, bluefin tuna with tofu, Kobe wagyu beef and a green tea sorbet with berries – all specially created for the evening by leading Veraison chef Ben Bergman.

Also on the program will be a Japanese quiz show, demonstrations of Japanese martial arts and calligraphy and a fashion parade.

It is hoped tonight’s dinner will raise over $2000 for the Japanese Red Cross, to go towards those affected by the terrible earthquake and tsunami events that ravaged Japan in March.

Weis Restaurant has kindly donated a $50 gift voucher which will be raffled off tonight.

The Toowoomba Japan Club is an informal group of those wishing to learn or practise Japanese language and discover Japanese culture. For more information visit https://sites.google.com/site/toowoombajapanesegroup

Contact Info: Jeff Brady – 0458 395 924
Simone Mooketsi – 0458 594 535

Everything from healthy school lunches to home safety will be covered in the Pittsworth Health and Wellbeing Expo on April 14 from 9am to 4pm at the Pittsworth Town Hall.

There will be a wide range of displays at the expo including health service providers, sports, craft and beauty services.

Community and Health Promotion Nurse Helen Blanch said the Millmerran Health Service would host the biennial event. We will have a vast range of interactive displays, some entertainment, healthy food and drinks for sale and health and safety experts available to answer questions.”

We have invited a large number of government departments and community organisations to take part and  the response has been outstanding. This will be a great day out for the whole family and there will be lots to do – you can have a short Bowen therapy treatment, have a massage, see an optometrist, as well as enjoying lunch with gourmet teas and coffees.”

We have almost 60 different display stands on a whole range of topics including rural allied health, child health, skin care, cancer prevention and diabetes. This is really a one-stop-shop for anyone who has questions about health and safety,” she said.

Anyone wanting more information should phone Helen on 4695 3123 during business hours.

The Toowoomba Japanese Group are encouraging locals to help make 1,000 cranes and present them to the Japanese Consul General at a four-course Asian-European degustation fundraising dinner to be held on April 7 at Veraison Restaurant. All money raised on the night will be donated to funds to support the disaster relief efforts in earthquake and tsunami-ravaged Japan.

The crane has long been a symbol of honour, loyalty and peace in Japan and to fold 1,000 paper cranes is traditionally thought to grant one wish, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. The Toowoomba Japanese Group is co-ordinating the preparation of the paper cranes as a gesture of friendship and support to Japan.

All members of the public are invited to make a paper crane at the Toowoomba City Library or the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery where materials and folding instructions are available.

The fundraising night on Thursday 7 April 2011 will be held at Veraison Restaurant in Toowoomba and will be a cultural evening with demonstrations of crafts such as origami and calligraphy, various martial arts and a parade of traditional clothing.

Dinner tickets are $80 per person and must be pre-purchased at Veraison by Sunday 3 April 2011. Numbers are strictly limited – bookings and enquiries to Veraison, 205 Margaret St. Ph. (07) 4638 5909.

This will be an opportunity for locals to sample Japanese culture in Toowoomba and give lthe chance to provide assistance to the 500,000+ Japanese men, women and children affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Donations can also be made to the Red Cross Japan Appeal online at www.redcross.org.au or at any branch of the Commonwealth Bank.

The Toowoomba Japan Club is an informal group of people wishing to learn or practise Japanese language and discover Japanese culture. For more information visit https://sites.google.com/site/toowoombajapanesegroup

Further information from
Jeff Brady – 0458 395 924 or
Simone Mooketsi – 0458 594 535