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MAXINE McKEW claimed victory over longtime Member and Prime Minister John Howard for the seat of Bennelong at last Saturday’s Gladesville Christmas Festival. She called a media conference at 9am before the Grand Parade started at 9.30am even though the electoral office has still not officially declared the poll. DR JOHN F KNIGHT AM of North Ryde and The Medi-Aid Centre Foundation and Vimiera Village Eastwood fame celebrates 7000 this week! Well, in his alter ego role of Dr James Wright the merry media medic that is. He has just recorded his 7,000th daily radio segment of Good Health with Dr James Wright for broadcasting on 50 radio stations around Australia including 2GB 873 in Sydney which must be a world record. The segments are provided free of charge to radio stations without product mentions or barter as a Community Health Service through Bruce Ferrier of Grace Gibson Productions. * * * GOOD HEALTH with Dr James Wright started with TV’s Mike Walsh Show and he was the first media medic to take a light hearted fun approach to disseminating medical information. There are two driving forces in the Doc’s life, first and foremost in spreading his “gospel of good health” to as many people as possible and secondly, building housing for the aged through the charity he set up over 40 years ago, The Medi-Aid Centre Foundation. By prudent investment and property development the Good Doc has built well over 300 homes for the elderly through a mixture of retirement villas and self-contained apartments in both Sydney and the Gold Coast. Bruce Ferrier says it’s a fantastic achievement for just one man to create out of his own hard work and dedication. JB agrees. Dr John Knight stills lives modestly with his wife in their North Ryde residence and he came to JB for advice many moons ago when JB was a young progressive alderman on Ryde Council and the young doctor was dreaming about starting his charity work. My admiration for him has never waned or wavered. Good onya doc! * * * MEADOWBANK WEST RYDE Progress Association Christmas Celebrations is tonight Wednesday from 6.30pm at Denistone Sports Club, Chatham Road, West Ryde. Admission is free but a “small donation is always welcome” with food and drink, lucky door prizes, hampers to win, special guests and lots of thanks to supporters. RSVP for catering purposes to Joan Carson 9874 7972 or Peter Bardos 9809 1073. * * * CHRISTMAS PARTIES are all the rage this time of the year. Today we have the Good Doc John F Knight AM hosting a Santa Claws Fun Christmas Afternoon Tea Party at his Vimiera Village retirement village at Eastwood. I hope to make my usual guest appearance to see all the happy faces there. * * * MAYOR SUE HOOPMANN hosts her Hunters Hill Christmas Cocktail Function in the Town Hall from 5.30pm to 7.30pm today. Lane Cove Mayor Clr Ian Longbottom hosts his Christmas Cocktail Reception and Book Launch of the Council’s latest publication “St Leonards Railway Station 1890-1995” by Australian Railway Historical Society president Graham Harper also today in the Council’s Cove Room from 6pm to 8pm. Ryde Mayor Clr Ivan Petch hosts his annual Christmas Buffet Dinner on Friday in Ryde Civic Hall with guests invited to bring a wrapped gift for the charity Christmas tree to be donated to the St Vincent de Paul Society. * * * COMBINED CHAMBERS of Commerce in the city of Ryde Christmas Party is also tonight at the Stamford Grand North Ryde with parties from Ryde, Gladesville, West Ryde, Eastwood and hosted by the newer North Ryde Macquarie Park Chamber of Commerce. * * * RYDE HISTORICAL Society Christmas Party will be held at historical “Addington” 813-815 Victoria Road Ryde this Sunday from 3pm to 5pm when members of the National Trust After Hours Group will also join. And at Addington next Wednesday Ryde St George’s Guild of former scouts and guides will hold their Christmas Festival Guildhall meeting at 8pm with special guests Captains Lynden and Belinda Spicer who will receive guests from the Guilds reverse Christmas tree. Inquiries Guildmaster Margaret Barton 9874 2547 or Phyllis Berger 9624 5136. Sydney Guild Christmas Guildhall was last night at Addington when members presented $1000 to Technical Aid for the Disabled representatives Geoff Prenter and Jim Towers. Members paid their annual Christmas visit to the Blind Home at Roselands on Sunday accompanied by Ryde Mayor Ivan Petch who played the piano for the carol singing. And on Saturday Guild members held a stall at Gladesville Christmas Festival promoting the Organ Donor Register Good Turn Project. KEVIN RUDD has been quick off the mark to declare his “green credentials” by endorsing the already outdated and obsolete Kyoto Protocol. Just hope some of his other efforts are more substantial than similar hot air projects. Perhaps he should’ve been watching Monday night’s Lateline on ABC TV where Victorian farmers and grain growers were expressing their doubts on the so called climate change and global warming. They almost unanimously agreed it was more a case of another long term drought which Australia has had several times in the past 100 years. Long time farmer and grower Ian McLelland whose family has farmed over a century and who the ABC program credited with setting up a respected research body said that he was not convinced about climate change but said it was rather a weather cycle. He said that greatly exaggerated climate change claims had created a lot of stress and fear in the farming community some with dire results. * * * GLOBAL WARMING and so called Climate Change rorts are the greatest wanks of this century and in time will meet the same fate as the Y2K fiasco and for those who can remember the Great Big Freeze we were going to have in the 1970s promoted by some of the same great scientific brains now on the global warming gravy train. The real tragedy is the huge waste of money, energy and resources being spent on this farcical hoax which could be so better used on genuine needs such as health including essential mental health services, education, public works including new dams and the most essential of all water services. No
doubt, as always, truth will out in time. Meantime… Also celebrating this week is Rose Bonifacio who blows out the birthday candles tomorrow with family and friends while Eva Tesar and Elisabeth Harlander celebrate on Friday. Jackie Nuttall McCullem celebrates on Saturday as does Jenny Cunningham while “The Voice” Stephen Sim blows out the candles on his birthday cake on Monday same day as Captains Lynden and Belinda Spicer of Ryde Salvos celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary. Steve Perrin of North Ryde better known for being married to Pat (ho, ho, ho and ha, ha, ha) warns the Bush Fire Brigade when they light up his birthday cake candles on Tuesday and perhaps unbeknown to him is a twin to Ryde Rotary past president John Higgins who was born on the same day and year some 67 years ago. Perhaps they were separated at birth. Both were born just 45 years after another famous Ryde boy Sir Bruce Small of cycling and Surfers Paradise Gold Coast fame. Chris Geddes son of Miriam of Tennyson Point and now resident in Kiwiland celebrates on Wednesday same day as Edward Barry Parsonage son of Drs Sean and Amanda Parsonage of SPA Dental fame of Ryde celebrates his sixth birthday. Happy daze all. * * * BUMPER STICKER: The RSPCA says: A Dog is for Life – Not Just for Christmas! * * * Keep
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