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General Items & Notices

Notices in Date Order (generally excludes items on our Program)

10th Feb 2012 (Fri) - 12th (Sun) Multicultural Festival. Currently no volunteers are needed to help on the Rotary food stall at the Canberra Multicultural Festival Volunteers as per Newsletter #117 dated 3rd Feb 2012. However if you wish you could ask Don Gruber to put you on the standby list

11th Feb 2012 (Sat) 6PM - Poachers Pantry is holding a 'Summer Ball' on Saturday 11 February. Proceeds will go to support the Hall Men's Shed. It's casual dress and offers a 3 course meal and music from West Texas Crude. For more details click on here Please give the Hall Shed a mention when you enquire. The background is that Poachers Pantry run several local fundraisers each year for community groups around the Hall district, for example the fire brigade, pony club, etc. The Hall Men's shed is to be the beneficiary of the event in February. How much the Shed benefits depends on how many people turn up. It is potentially a big earner for our colleagues at the Hall Shed. So, get in there and organise a table!

25th March 2012 (Sun) 5PM - Hall Band - Free Twilight Concert at the School Grounds - Alastair Crombie from Hall Shed wrote "Comrades - Be advised that this free concert will take place on Sunday 25th March at the Hall School grounds. Some of your members expressed interest last year. It would be great if you could include it in your program and/or promote it to your members. Could also be an occasion to catch up with the Hall Men's Shed - some very positive developments in the workshop. Details of the Concert are on the Hall website events calendar, but ring me if I can assist. (6230.2977 ) Best, Alastair"

16th April 2012 - (Mon) Greenhills Community Working Bees Starting at Greenhills 9AM along the Cotter Road. Morning tea and lunch will be provided and tasks for the not-so-able arranged so that everyone can enjoy the fellowship and achievements of Melba Shed participation

2012 (Fri) - Bunnings Belconnen BBQs. The shed has applied to run a BBQ at the local Bunnings on a Friday. Currently they are only run on Saturdays and Sundays. Subject to Bunnings agreement, we plan to run a BBQ each quarter, and if possible these will be on Shed BBQ days. As we need to staff the BBQ all day (ie 9AM-4PM), we will need a roster of perhaps 3 or 4 persons for each of 3 shifts (morning while the Shed is on, lunch period and afternoon till 4pm or we run out of sausages and enthusiasm) with someone (Geoff, Phil and Don may provide running logistics and other support as required). Subject to agreement with Bunnings, the first one will be a Friday in March or April. The funds raised will help with the planned extension to the Shed rooms. The following information was found on the web - Fundraising Bunnings BBQ Notes Also similar notes by the Scouts in word format for Bunnings Fyshwick

Rotary Working Bees 2012 (all on Sat) at Greenhills scheduled for Saturday 24 March, Saturday 19 May, Saturday 18 August and Saturday 27 October. These are Saturday morning working bees from 9:00 am to BBQ lunch at 1:00 with morning tea and lunch provided by the Rotary Club of Canberra East. The August and October ones are supported by our Rotary Club of Ginninderra and in October includes disabled people from Shaw Possibilities

General Shed Items Undated

TSW Constructions (Thomas Wakeling) for rennovations, window & door replacements, pergolas, etc. Used by Steve & Greg. Details bootom of this page, & on the Services - Tradesman page

John Burrowes Visit to Tuggeranong Mens Shed Christmas Lunch

Notice about Golfing Group being established

Albert Muggleton passed away on Boxing Day 2011

What if you can't come on a Shed Excursion?

Like to Volunteer at the YMCA? Can you spare a few hours a week? The YMCA Auxiliary is a group of volunteers who raise funds for the Y. The Auxiliary operates two Op Shops at Belconnen & Kingston & a donation processing centre at Yarralumla. Volunteers are needed for occasional furniture donation pickup & delivery & for regular donation delivery & pickup runs between Belconnen, Mitchell, Kingston & Yarralumla (you only need a normal ACT car licence to drive the Y's truck). Volunteers (male or female) are also needed to work in the shop for one shift per week. Shifts are from 9:45am to 1:00pm & from 1:00pm until 4:30 pm on weekdays & from 9:45am to 1:30pm at weekends. Work can involve preparing & fixing donations for sale, pricing goods, sales, cleaning up etc. The Y also needs extra help sorting & organising goods for sale at Yarralumla & helping with bi-monthly Garage Sales. Talk to Phil (6258.1935) if you can help out.

Terry's Pumpkin Challenge: Terry has issued a challenge for any member to grow the largest pumpkin from Nov through to around May 2011. Terry will supply his own butternut super seeds or Steve's wimpy seeds. See Terry for seeds. Best to plant the seeds by mid Nov 2011

Hoax Emails. Please be careful before passing on warnings about "threatening emails" sent on to you by well-meaning people. Firstly check if there is any information on such emails available. Simply try googling using the key words. Its also good advice to check Snopes and Hoax-Slayer as suggested on our PC Info page. You can also check the ACCC's Scamwatch site as listed above. Our own Ted T has suggested that passing on these emails is "..like going into a cinema and sneezing on everybody".

PC Security Again. This keeps coming up. Slow PCs seem an issue. This can have many causes. Also people ringing us from O/S and saying for $100 dollars plus we can fix your problems seems also to becoming more prevalent. The answers are simple. Don't! Do not let anyone access your PC to fix things or instal fixing software. Don't pay them and don't give them your credit card. Some Guidance on Free Virus and AntiMalware programs as well as Fixing Slow PCs (There are also two PDF versions you can download if you so wish)

Health Items of Interest to the Shed

Processed meat 'linked to pancreatic cancer' An interesting item published on the BBC news site on 13 Jan 2012. Maybe we should cut back on bacon and sausages!

Ecolon coatings for non-stick cookware are highly resistant to scratches caused by utensils, metallic cleaning pads and abrasives, and withstand high temperatures. We should be using this technology rather than the older cheap non-stick pans. More reading. See also DVE Good Health Newsletter

Friends of the Earth Nanotechnology Project See their Safe Sunscreen Guide. This is important as it allows you to select sunscreens free from nanoparticles

E-Book Readers and Tablets

Other General Items

Tharwa Village 150th Birthday Picnic Markets - Tharwa village celebrated 150 years of existence recently, and the community is set to celebrate in March - a luncheon on the historic restored Tharwa bridge on Saturday March 17th, and a family Picnic Markets under the bridge and on the “Common”  on Sunday 18th. Entertainment, local artisans at work, quality produce stalls, children’s games, memorabilia on display and fun for all of the family - bring a picnic, splash in the Murrumbidgee, or just kick back and listen to some live music with something delicious to eat

Ginninderra Landcare Group January 2012 Newsletter

Koorabri Homestead, Brindabella Valley. Max Huntington reported on his experiences at Koorabri in the Brindabella Valley during the storms in 29-30th Nov 2011, Apparently they have a couple of unpowered small cottages near the Brindabella River for rent and these are often use by fishermen. Contact Peter and Fran Smith, 743 Brindabella Valley Rd, ACT, 2611. Tel (02) 6236 2122

ACTEWAGL Electricity Meter Box Locks available These cost $55 ($27.50 for pension card holders)

About Digital Radio from cnet.com.au Stations broadcasting in digital in Canberra ; Kogan is selling cheap DAB+ radios

Have Your Say: 2012-2013 Budget Consultation. Submissions close on 24 February 2012. See the Budget Consultation Website: www.act.gov.au/budgetconsultation Submissions can be emailed to: budgetconsultation@act.gov.au or posted to; ACT Budget Consultation, Treasury Directorate, GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601.

Minister Simon Corbell invited community feedback on where the Centenary Trail should go? Feedback now closes with TAMS on Fri 10th Feb 2012

ACT Community Engagement ACT Govt is trying to engage the community in the development and delivery of government policies, programs, public works etc. Check it out!

Canberra Times Lists Canberra's top 20 Eateries

Trip Advisor Lists 583 Restaurants in the ACT with reviews of the first 333

The Varroa Mite is responsible for the collapse and death of managed honeybee colonies wherever it is present. Paul Zarb has advised that Australia is one of the few places on Earth without the mite. It explains why honey is so expensive overseas. Read about the mite

ATM Computers Shop, 6/75 Oatley Court Belconnen 6253 0537. This local shop got a good report by several people on RIOTAct for repairing computers and giving good advice as well as not charging too much

Connecting to the NBN - Information on what is required in the home.- NBN's 12 Months Rollout Plan They are going to start on connecting 20,000 premises in Gungahlin by the end of 2012

Plans for Flynn community centre (former Flynn Primary School) Plans include allocating $4M to upgrade facilities above that required for the Child Care centre. TAMS has called for expressions of interest to use the facilities

Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours Mat McLachlan's Tour Company organises small or group tours of various battlefields locations where Australians have fought including the Western Front, Gallipoli, Vietnam, etc. His site has invaluable information on how to visit such places as the western front in WW1.

Nearmap updates aerial photos for ACT The latest nearmap pictures are from 2 Sep 2011. You have to sign up but its free for individuals for personal use. Click on thumbnails below for examples

Sample Photoview of Melba Shed and Environs

Sample Closeup Photoview of Melba Shed

Cool free video-format-conversion software Want free software to convert video to different formats. You might like to try this one

PDF Creator This is a free open source piece of software that enables you to turn your web page, your email or word document into a pdf file. Works well. You simply choose it as your print option and then print to it. It then saves as a pdf file - Bullzip PDF Printer Another excellent program that runs in a similar fashion to PDF Creator

Free Sound Effects Files to Download

Knife Sharpening with the Edge Pro Apex Interesting You Tube presentations on this sharpening device

ACT Roads This is a private site highlighting issues and problems with our roads. And there are plenty!

Canberra in the 50s, 60s and 70s (some things change and some stay the same)

Items or Services for Sale

Special Pain Relief Package Shed member Ted Kell is an agent for The Pain Relief Kings and has offerings of a TENS machine called the XP V 'Pain Pod' machine at a special price for Shed Members. Contact Ted directly on 0438 481 350 or email. Information on TENS is available on Wikipedia

Victa Tlt-A-Cut-Lawn Edger Peter Mitchell 6258 3233. In good condition and only on its second blade. Reasonable offers considered. Still available 1 Oct

Ladies Apollo Activa Bicycle. Harry Redfern 6254 6077; 0423 637 743 email; In as new condition, $250. Still available 1 Oct

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