Issuu

Issue 3

November 2021

Contents FEATURES

COLUMNS

06 Some Looks. Some Books

40 Kind Watch

09 The Great October Poo Bag Shortage

16 The Howl of the Banshee

26 The Kids are Alright

10 Faces of Reservoir: Chileans

34 Dear Ernie

LOCAL 21 Honeybees 28 Rewilding our Streets 37 What's in my Garden?

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PROFILES

FUN

18 Out of the box

36 Crossword

24 You've got Rezza Style 32 Fiddle Mats

12 Quiz

COMMUNITY 13

Local Business Spotlight

Councillor Update

Community News

What's On

November 2021

Contact us: rezzadentnews@gmail.com Receive the paper in your inbox https://bit.ly/3tv3Pkd With a huge thanks to our volunteer contributors: By Nicole Robertson

Acknowledgement is not enough but still important The Rezzadent was made on stolen land in Reservoir, Victoria. We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation who are the traditional custodians of this beautiful land. For many of us, our local creeks, trees, and our lake have been such a comforting balm to the soul during these chaotic times. We would also like to pay respect to the Wurundjeri Elders, past and present, and extend this respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait people from other communities who may be reading this. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.

Editor-in-Chief: Shannon McKeogh Editors: Jenny Brown Hayley Culley Designer: Delyse Baldwin Crossword Creators: Megan and Michael Von Hemlock Photographers and Illustrators: Nicole Robertson Marketing guru: Vinisha Pulikkaparambil Writers: Andrea Wegner Viktoria Komornik Carmen Lahiff-Jenkins Camille Short Kate Jost Mitch Kuhn Gaetano Grecco Chris Swaney Panda Sanders

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Letter from the editor Hello there!

Hello Rezzadents and happy November/ December! This month we are pleased to place the spotlight on some local businesses (thanks for all who submitted!). You may have also seen an email from us seeking your input on this next phase of our publication and how you may like to support us. The Rezzadent will ALWAYS be available for free online, but we are investigating additional membership options, such as if there is enough interest to bring our newspaper to LIFE in a print version. You can still give input here. The Rezzadent becomes an insta influencer. Yes, we’ve jumped onto the Instagram

bandwagon. You can follow us @therezzadent Win a family pass to Reservoir Stomp Thanks to our mates at Reservoir Stomp we have a special giveaway. This local festival which supports so many of our talented creatives is not one to miss. As the event is spread across three dates and locations there’s even more opportunity to get behind it! We’re giving away a family pass to the first Stomp on Sunday December 5 at the Preston Reservoir Bowls Club. This pass includes two adults and two kids. To enter, subscribe to The Rezzadent mailing list and email rezzadentnews@ gmail.com with the subject line ‘Stomp for the win’. Winner will be selected at random. Or as the kids used to say, ‘that’s totally random.’ We hope you enjoy this month’s issue, and as always, we welcome contributors, compliments and photos of your pets dressed up in embarrassing Christmasthemed clothing. Send it all through to us at rezzadentnews@gmail.com

Lots of Rezza love, Shannon

November 2021

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Some Looks. Some Books Local author Nelly Thomas writes children’s books that question the norm

By Andrea Wegner

Some criticism should be ignored. When my baby was a few months old we were walking down the aisle of a supermarket when a stranger approached. The woman smiled and gushed, “What a beautiful baby! That golden hair! She is adorable! What is her name?” “Henry,” I replied. Now I have no problem with someone gushing

over my baby. Dressed in a pink and white striped onesie, my baby was indeed the most beautiful baby the world has ever seen. What came next was unexpected and slightly unpleasant. “What a terrible mummy you have!” The stranger told him. “What is she doing to you? You poor little boy.” The stranger then looked at me and said, “Watch out, he will

never forgive you.” Now Henry wasn’t dressed in a pink and white onesie because I was trying to ruffle feathers or make a bold political statement. Henry had a big sister. She was the first granddaughter on both sides and was sprayed and spackled in every shade of pink available. Henry wore pink because they were good quality suits and had cost me

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nothing. Apart from, it seemed, his dignity. As I walked home with a pram full of groceries it did make me wonder. What choices would Henry make for himself? Could kids wear whatever they want? Would he be able to play whatever he wanted? How much freedom would he really be allowed? Parenting is a minefield. Daily choices and decisions to make, awkward conversations to navigate, and that’s just with your mother-in law. Luckily for me, there are many wise women in Reservoir who have trodden this path before. One such Rezzadent is Nelly Thomas; writer, comedian, presenter and speaker. When I found Nelly’s picture books, I felt I had struck gold. They were exactly what I needed to navigate issues of gender stereotypes and diversity with my own children. ‘Some Girls’ came first, quickly followed by ‘Some Boys’. Nelly’s books don’t stop at challenging gender norms; they are the most inclusive picture books I’ve found. Illustrated by Sarah Dunk, they show kids from different religions, ethnicities and all abilities. They also go beyond discussions of clothes and hair and explore how emotions, hobbies and toys are for EVERYONE! Nelly was propelled to write these books from experience within

her own family. With a daughter who chose a Darth Vader costume for a princess party and was constantly misgendered with her short hair, Nelly was often explaining or navigating conversations about her child’s own choices; including with hairdressers who refused to cut her daughter's hair. Nelly has also spoken out about Family Violence. The research tells us that rigid gender roles are dangerous to the health and wellbeing of our community. Boys need to cry, and girls are allowed to be angry. After the success and applause these books received Nelly branched out into, ‘Some Brains’. It is a fabulous resource if you want to explore how our brains work, whether neurodiversity is part of your own family, or you want to assist your kids to understand the world around them. ‘Some Mums’ is the most

recent installment and an absolute hoot. If you have ever felt judged about your parenting choices and the unrealistic expectations we place on mothers, this book is for you! It would make a fabulous gift. But be warned, it’s only for those who want to have a good laugh at themselves and each other. Probably best not to read it aloud to the kids…although your choice of course! I’m assured ‘Some Dads’ is in the works. Nelly’s ‘Some’ books have sold almost 20,000 copies, all through word of mouth. Parents saying to each other, ‘You have to get this book.” In fact, traditional publishers didn’t want Nelly’s books. Telling her people didn’t want to discuss gender! Well, they were very wrong. It’s not only something we want to discuss but something we need help in doing. A perfect Chrissy Gift and you will be supporting a Rezzacreative too. Imagine if all the Rezzakids could be ‘whoever they want to be!’ https://www. somekidsbooks.com/

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The Great October Poo Bag Shortage Empty-handed dog walkers in Reservoir were left looking longingly for empty chip packets By Panda Sanders

The Reservoir dog walking community recently faced a council-issue poo bag shortage at JC Donath Reserve and surrounding ovals, beginning late September and lasting a little over four weeks. Approximately 56 dog walks, across families who walked twice a day. "I was there when it all kicked off," says a forgetful but conscientious dog walker who would like to remain nameless. Witnesses corroborated the man's statement, describing a tense scene in which the man lost a foot race for the final bag to a woman last seen walking a dachshund. "I checked my back pocket, which was empty, and when I noticed her rattling her plastic dogbone bag holder ™ I knew the situation was dire. I made my move, but at the end of the day she was in better shape. I think I've seen her taking her dog out jogging if you can believe it?"

Despite there being four council "monitored" dispensers in the area, all remained empty for the majority of October.

drought, the forgetful but conscientious dog walker insisted on discussing the merits of his various nonbag alternatives.

There was a minor spike in uncollected faecal matter, but as a whole it appeared the dog walking community did their bit to keep the park enjoyable for all.

Mistakes do happen, and desperate times call for desperate measures," he said. "Using eucalyptus leaves like chopsticks took too many trips back and forth, particularly as I have rather large dogs. One time I was lucky enough to have an empty chip packet blow by as if by fate. It makes me feel a bit like MacGyver trying to solve the problem at hand."

"To be fair to the council, there has been an influx of dogs to the area," says the forgetful dog walker. "I've found myself ordering another dog online anytime a lockdown has gone on longer than four weeks." While the bags have now been restocked, ending the October

While this reporter isn't one for conjecture, the man was only wearing one sock at the time of this interview.

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Chileans

The many faces of Reservoir This month Viktoria Komornik takes us to the land of mountain peaks, earthquakes and a national dance that requires a handkerchief.

I thought it would be interesting to continue from last month’s feature of Argentinians and stay in South America. Based on the 2016 census (this year’s census data is not yet available) there are close to a couple of hundred Chileans living in Darebin. I was struggling to find suburb specific data so Darebin will have to do. Many Chileanos arrived in Australia after military general Augusto Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected president Salvadore Allende in 1973. With U.S. CIA backing, Pinochet then created a dictatorship. During his leadership he persecuted leftists and any political critics resulting in hundreds of thousands people leaving Chile. Although Canada is winning with over 200,000 kilometres of coastline, Chile also has a staggering approximately 6,000 kilometres along the Pacific Ocean.

For anyone considering visiting South America, Chile is one of the safest countries. From its population of close to 19 million about six million live in its capital, Santiago. That’s almost a third of its habitants. Melbourne has just over five million residents. You probably remember the last earthquake we experienced here in Melbourne (September

2021). It was a hot topic for days. Well, a Chilean wouldn’t even bat an eyelid, as Chile is one of the most earthquakeprone countries in the world. It still holds the record for the largest recorded earthquake from 1960, between 9.4-9.6 on the moment magnitude scale. As a result the country has some of the best structural engineering and seismic building codes globally. Hey, they even have a cocktail called the “terremoto”

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(“earthquake" in Spanish). The country has approximately 2,900 volcanoes of which 80-90 are active. Geographically it’s a busy region. Chile is also sometimes called the “land of the poets” (el pais de poetas). Two of its Poets have received the Nobel Prize for Literature. Gabriela Mistral in 1945 and Pablo Neruda in 1971. Neruda’s ‘Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair’ remains the world’s bestselling written in Spanish - book of poetry. Let's talk about food and drinks. ‘Once’ (means ‘eleven’ in Spanish, pronounced ‘on-sa’) is a meal typically served between 5-9pm, a bit of tea time or dinner for some families. The most common food served for ‘once’ are breakfastlike foods, such as bread (‘marraqueta’ a special Chilean bread), jam, cheese, avocado, meat, cake, coffee and tea. What is really interesting though is where the term ‘once’ came from. There are two theories; one is that ‘once’ simply refers to a meal being eaten at 11am. The other theory is much more fascinating. This combines “eleven” and aguardiente which is a strong alcoholic drink. When a person wanted to have a bite to eat and wash it down with

some aguardiente they couldn’t exactly say they will have a drink in the middle of a working day. So, they came up with the word ‘once’ referring to the eleven letters in ‘aguardiente’. There are references to this from as far back as the 18th century. Melbourne has a day for horse racing while Chile has a day, “day of the Piscola” to celebrate ‘pisco’, a type of national brandy. Pisco is a touchy topic between Chile and Peru though as both countries claim it as their authentic brandy. Personally I love skiing and the ocean. Chile is a place where you can ski and surf on the same day, although it will take you three to four hours to get from one destination to another. Last month I mentioned my love for tango from Argentina. Chile’s national dance is called “cueca” and I admit I had to look this one up online. Participants wear a wide brim hat, a poncho, jangling spurs and use a handkerchief, which they twirl in their right hands at the beginning of the dance. It imitates the courting ritual of a rooster and a hen; obviously without the handkerchief.

must travel destination. The Atacama Desert in northern Chile rarely receives rain, less than 12mm annually. It is the driest on-polar desert in the world (McMurdo dry Valleys in Antarctica takes the world winning title). Therefore the combination of clear skies, lack of light pollution and scarce precipitation, this desert is an astronomer’s dream come true. Similarly to other migrants, those from Chile miss the familiar colours, sounds and the nature they grew up with. Some might even miss the high density living, the high fences which now serve as a reminder of a less safe era and the countless stray dogs roaming the streets.

If you bump into a Chilean why not invite them for an ‘once’.

If you have traveled to any of the countries written about in this column I’d love to hear your travel stories and would happily share them in The Rezzadent. Please contact us at rezzadentnews@gmail. com

For these astronomy lovers out there Chile is a

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Local Business Spotlight

November 2021

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November 2021

The Howl of the Banshee The nightly shriek of a mystery animal shocks Mitch Kuhn to his core The following recount is based on reality, which has shown itself false to the perceiver before. Stirring in the early morning, the pre dawnpre alarm transitional phase that normally ebbs by peacefully, a piercing shriek of a cry cranks a vice around my chest. A sound you couldn't be sure was real. It was though. Somewhere between a howler monkey and a velociraptor.

It happened again.

A creature near enough to my family that made a racket like that, warranted

concern. My wife agreed, telepathically. “Husband, go check that”. Personally I was unconvinced it was in our roof per say, despite hordes of local fauna using it for food, shelter and other communal needs. Plus, it was cold.

It happened again.

I moved with speed, the beast was close by. The roof above our cheap, crooked extension was my guess. Rapping my fingers on the ceiling I hoped to draw it out... nothing. A tense breath eased itself in, and out. The seconds passed, there was not a rustle nor peep.

It was left to the two of us to categorise the noise and debate its origins. We settled on a dying possum, must've been. And it would've borne no more consequential thought after that, had I not heard it again, later that day. Now late afternoon, warm spring day, the absolute most sublime of dog walking conditions. We cruise through the usual neighbourhood (south of Keon Park Drive) to the oval. The run is splendid. The dog, Carlos, is chuffed but tuckered out, so we head for home. A block from home;

It happened again.

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Birds stopped singing. Time stalled. Instant recognition, I have zero doubt, that is a sound I will never forget. But it was coming from an area away from my house. Which means it was on the move...hence... very much...NOT, a dying possum. More drudging time. Evening descends, we've eaten dinner, a mango is butchered for dessert. The creature shocks us cold, shrieking its brutal shriek. We are now considering burning the house down. The thing had returned! Maybe it was nesting here?! A pest control professional could not even access the roof space to investigate, there is no man-hole. I did mention the cheap extension. Action and adrenaline take hold. She's on the bed, banging so hard on the ceiling our foundations shook. I'm posted at one of the several holes in our roof to wall connections, hesitant and alert. There are some small, prodding footsteps above our heads...Carlos whimpers and runs frantic chaotic patterns. A few moments pass, then there is another distant cry, emanating from down the way. And then nothing.

We survive the night. It appears to have settled down, perhaps moved on, there are no certainties any more. When I reach work and share my tale with my colleague, they suggest it could have been a possum on heat. I watched a video. Call me dumbstruck, there it was. Never in my 31 years in this country, a large portion of those lived regionally, had I heard a possum defend its turf in mating season. But it was identical, my mind was eased, and this story is told. So, I write this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's Halloween week at the time of writing, feels appropriate to terrify, and inform. Second, to calm any concerned locals who might've had a similar experience to me. This abhorrent banshee was just a randy and enraged possum and we possibly, unintentionally, made it worse. They have my blessing, procreate in peace.

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Out of the Box: Emma Peel This month Camille Short dives into the busy life of co-founder and artistic director of Reservoir Stomp Emma Peel

What do you get when you mix 70s chic, the queen of genres, a mother of two, Reservoir and no time for netflix? Emma Peel, Cofounder and co-Artistic Director of the Reservoir Stomp. Amongst other things. Emma and her partner Danny Walsh founded the Stomp to celebrate the artistic community in Reservoir. They recognised that Reservoir is a place that so many artists call home, but not a place they perform in. In Emma’s words, “it is not a festival to make Reservoir cool”. It is a festival for Reservoir locals to play in Reservoir. This year will be the fifth year running. That is cool! (Sorry Emma). It takes guts to set up something like the Reservoir Stomp. There is a financial risk involved, and anyone who has organised a wedding or child’s birthday party, can appreciate the mammoth task it must be to put on

this kind of event (and people aren’t even obliged to come or give you a present). Emma seems to like it though. She loves Reservoir and she likes being busy. That is not to say she isn’t nervous around this time each year. When we met a week or so ago, the lineup for the festival had just been announced on social media. She seemed a bit like she had asked us all on a date and was waiting to hear back. Well, I love the line up. Count me in! The “amongst other things” in Emma’s life include working as a copy editor and hosting a radio show. I can tell she is talented at both after listening to her Saturday show on PBS “Switched on”. She pulls from her own record collection each show, and on the day I first listened, in she announced “lashings of perurivan colombian cumbia, a healthy dollop of anatolian rock and funk,

a little dash of spanish garage, some french pop, british sound library and latin soul.” I have started listening to the show each week,just to hear how she describes music. Emma also plays keys in a punkish band called Imperial Leather. She doesn’t find it too much to swap hats or switch genres. When I asked how she manages flipping between being an administrator, a creative, and a mum, she said she compartmentalises. That she enjoys the rhythm that tending to each compartment provides to her life. If you see someone riding around Reservoir on an electric bike, wearing a fabulous vintage dress and humming to perurivan cumbia it is probably Emma Peel. Otherwise, you might see her at the Stomp enjoying boxwars (possibly the coolest festival activity in the world).

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Image credit: Emma Peel

Thanks to Emma and the crew at Reservoir Stomp, this month The Rezzadent is giving away a family pass (Two adults, two kids) to the December event. To enter simply subscribe to The Rezzadent here and send us an email to rezzadentnews@gmail. com with the subject line ‘Stomp for the win.’ Winner will be selected at random.

Want to know more? Follow Emma on Instagram: @djemmapeel Look at the festival lineup: https://www. reservoirstomp.com Listen to Switched On https://www.pbsfm.org. au/program/switched-on

Emma in front of a Reservoir house standing between “tyres of york”. The photo was taken in 2015 as part of an arts project called “the people’s tour of Reservoir.” Emma says in the 60 and 70s swans like this were commonplace. They were made from old tyres by the man of the house.

Dance to Imperial Leather https:// imperialleatherband. bandcamp.com/

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Honeybees There’s much more than meets the eye of keeping these “sweet” creatures as Carmen Latiff-Jenkins explores

The wonderful world of beekeeping There’s much more than meets the eye of keeping these “sweet” creatures as Carmen Latiff-Jenkins explores Honeybees are an introduced species of bee, brought over from Europe in 1822 to Australia. Unlike honeybees who build, and live-in hives, Australian native bees are mostly solitary. Having a honeybee hive in your garden won’t displace your native bee visitors as they often visit different plants. Instead of a hive, native bees raise their babies in burrows in the ground or in tiny hollows in timber. This is another reason besides housing possums and native birds- that old tree hollows and older trees are so important to have in suburban areas.

lavender, sage and blossoms of fruit trees, raspberries and many native plant varieties produce flowers, attractive to bees. The best thing about creating a pollinator garden is it increases the levels of insects and then, of course, birds and small reptiles. This impacts how well your garden will

produce food and flowers. When we first moved to Reservoir, our garden soil was dead. Nighttime was silent. That first summer, I noticed that sensor lights didn’t attract a single moth. This is the consequence of using chemicals in our gardens, in our soil and on our fruit trees. It has a devastating

Pollinator gardens Before we even considered purchasing a beehive, we prepared our garden for pollinators. We wanted to make sure we were introducing bees to an area that had lots of food for them. Basil thyme, oregano, borage,

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need to wear light colored clothing.

impact on bird, reptile, and insect populations. I recommend NEVER using anything you can buy from Bunnings in your garden to ‘manage’ insects or weeds. There are always other options. Here’s a tip: invasive weeds that can’t be pulled out easily, can be killed with a kettle of boiling water! Learning about beekeeping Once our pollinator garden was up and running and there were flowers providing pollen nearly all year round, we popped into ‘Bee Sustainable’ in Brunswick and had a chat with Rob. My partner and my dad then undertook

an ‘introduction to beekeeping’ workshop. Somers Bees, CERES, and Bee Sustainable are a few local places that offer these. The great thing about connecting to these passionate beekeepers is that it becomes easier to reach out when you have a question or a concern, and their enthusiasm and confidence is infectious! Getting our hive We thought about a ‘Flow hive’ which is great but expensive, so we decided to go old school with just a hive box and frames. We purchased beekeeper tops with attached hoods and gloves, because while beekeeping you

The ideal time to open a hive is on a sunny day when the older more aggressive worker bees are away foraging. We bought a smoker for when we opened the hive, because when you blow smoke into the hive the bees think it’s a bushfire and in preparation to evacuate, they gorge on their honey and become slow and docile. A similar thing happens when bees swarm, they are very docile and relaxed when they are swarming even though the buzzing can sound aggressive. The smoke also masks alarm pheromones released by guard bees so you can work more safely in the hive. We got our hive from a swarm collector on Gumtree. Let’s talk about swarms Honeybees can swarm and become feral - this happens mostly in rural and regional areas so there’s not much risk of this happening in Reservoir. Feral swarms can displace native bees, so managing swarms when you’re a beekeeper is important. Anyone who has had hives knows swarms are difficult to anticipate and beekeepers have lots of different reasons for swarm behaviour. In our local areas it’s easy to get help

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and we have set up a local bee collective to support each other. What are the rules? Where do you register? In Victoria if you own one or more beehives you must be a registered beekeeper. This is a condition under the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994. Registration online is free if you own 1-5 hives. It’s expected that you contact your neighbours and let them know and that you place your hive away from high traffic areas or where it might impact your neighbours. You must regularly check your hive for mites, foulbrood, chalkbrood, and hive beetle or braula fly and then manage the hive for these conditions. If you’re thinking of getting a beehive and worried about how difficult or time consuming it might be you can join the Reservoir Bee Collective. The Reservoir Bee Collective is having a meet up for local beekeepers or locals interested in beekeeping on Sunday the 28th of November, sign up on Facebook to the ‘Reservoir Bee Collective’ to register attendance. This is a COVID compliant event in a local home, you will need to be fully vaccinated to attend. We welcome locals who are thinking about hives or have a hive and want a bit more support or can offer support to newbees (see what I did there).

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You’ve got rezza style Floral carpet, 50s weatherboards, and old school milkbars, Deborah Rowe captures the suburb’s architectural and design gems on her instagram page @Rezzastyle By Shannon McKeogh

1. Why did you set up the page Rezzastyle on Instagram and long have you been doing it for? Rezzastyle was set up in 2017 as part of a design studio I taught at Monash Uni. I've always have had an interest in the homes, gardens and people living in middle suburbs, and like most people noticed how quickly they were disappearing. The theme of the studio was to capture different parts of the built environment at all scales - from house numbers and letterboxes right up to larger civic buildings, what they mean, why they look like that, and are they worth keeping. This was explored through a variety of mediums including street photography and drawings. 2. How long have you lived in Rezza for and what do you like about the area? Pretty fresh relatively speaking - we moved here in 2016 after buying our first house and having our first baby. We were very lucky finding our house, we'd been looking for years but were priced out, more often than not by people buying investment properties. Pretty common story in Melbourne. We found our place by accident after looking at others, and it wasn't an auction so we put in a last minute offer, and to our surprise, they accepted. Bit of cricket trivia if you're that way inclined - it was Valma Lawry's house, Bill Lawry's sister, she lived here since 1963. It was a bonafide Rezza original, green weatherboard, floral carpet, 50s kitchen, lots of asbestos! I love the mix of people in Reservoir, all ages, all backgrounds, all ages. We were finding where we used to live closer to the city was becoming a bit homogenous, I guess because it was so expensive. Rez feels more real. We are so lucky to have the most wonderful neighbours who've lived here for decades and fill us in on the history. I also love the mix of houses, and the building and garden DIY around the place. The green corridors around Edgar's Creek have been a lifesaver during the lockdowns, it almost feels like you're out of the city.

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3. What are some of your favourite photos you've taken and why? That's tough. I guess from a style point of I love some flat composition, which works really well with the bright colours and basic forms of Rezza houses. But in terms of content, I love capturing an old grid or diamond garage - not many of those left, or a beautifully tended front garden and house that looks like it hasn't changed since the 50s. 4. What has been the feedback from the community for your page? I was really surprised how much feedback and conversation happened with Rezzastyle - a lot of nostalgia! I think it evokes a lot of fond memories for people who grew up here, especially as they watch it change. Rezza people are proud of their suburb, and I love that. It's great when someone comments on a photo about the people who lived in a house or visited a public space, sharing some of their history. There's also lots of sadness when something gets knocked over or I share a historical photo of something long gone, like the old Rezza pools or the cute old Gilbert Rd Milkbar. It's really opened my eyes to what a great community we live in. 5. Anything else you'd like to add? Long live Rezza! @rezzastyle - instagram.com/rezzastyle

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The Kids Are Alright My Amazing Guinea Pigs By Jarrah, aged 9

Did you know that when guinea pigs jump around it’s called popcorning? Just like popcorn in the pot. It means that they are happy or excited. When I first got my guinea pigs about five months ago, I had to learn a lot about them. This included giving them baths. It was easy and cute to see them walking around in the bath. One of my guinea pigs’ is called Senior Squeaka-lot. When he is in the bath he looks like he has on a little gown. It’s very cute. Once a week we do a full clean of their cage and move the cage to a different spot of grass because they nibble down the grass just like a little lawn mower. My guinea pigs favourite food is parsley, which is very good for them as they need lots of vitamin C. They also love carrots. I know this because in the morning when I give them their fresh bowl of veggies, they always go for the carrot first. When

I come with the bowl of food in the morning they “wheek” really loud which is their way of shouting. One of my favourite things to do is walk them around the backyard on their leads. I think they like being on their leads, but they still always try to get in their cage. The other guinea pig is Captain Sparky. They are both very cute (in my opinion) but they can be pretty cheeky, especially when they ask for more food when they’ve just eaten. I love my guinea pigs very much and I think everyone else should too.

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If you are a Rezza kid or know a Rezza kid who would like to write for The Kids Are Alright, please email rezzadentnews@ gmail.com It would be great to have a different kid write in each edition. They can write a good news story about living in Rezza or on a topic they are passionate about.

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Rewilding our streets What is a verge garden? And why should you plant one? By Kate Jost

A verge garden is commonly known as a nature strip or street garden. The term ‘verge’ refers to the strip of council-owned land between the front of your home and the road, which is commonly planted with a tree and grass. It is generally the council’s responsibility to plant, remove and maintain street trees, while it is the responsibility of the property occupant to maintain the verge and keep it tidy, but thankfully tidy doesn’t mean run of the mill grass anymore. Some Reservoir locals have already claimed their verge and I had the pleasure of visiting them to ask, “why did you plant a verge garden?” When I asked that question of Maria, she replied that her desire to restore natives to the area was to “show respect to First Nations People”, she also said that she believed it was “good for the environment, good visually and good for the soul”. I told Maria that I thought we were going to be good

friends from now on and I looked forward to visiting her garden again soon. I then asked another local Joanne, “why did you plant a verge garden?”, she replied without missing a beat “for wildlife, and we’d also love to plant the verge across the road owned by the power company”, I said with much excitement “you should get permission and do that!” Joanne took me on a tour of the rest of her garden that she and her partner had planted for the local wildlife. It took my breath away and I suddenly wished I was an Eastern Banjo Frog or a Wattlebird so I could enjoy it daily. Every time I reminisce about Joanne’s garden I’m filled with hope for wildlife. Lastly I met with Chris, the master of verge gardens and asked “why did you plant a verge garden?” His love for native flora and fauna helped him create his dreamy street garden almost 3 decades ago. While Chris greeted and chatted with every

neighbour who walked past, I walked along the footpath between the verge and his home, and I felt connected to our country. This small version of Australian bush surrounded me; the smell of the lemon scented gum, the wattlebirds calling above my head “yac a yac” they cried, and the bees hummed along, going about their pollination business. So, why should you plant a verge garden? • It looks great! Wouldn’t you prefer native flowers to a lawn that is mostly weeds? • You can improve local biodiversity - do it for the wildlife! •

Planting a native, waterwise verge garden can help cool down ambient temperatures of builtup areas in summer, fighting climate change

• You’ll meet wonderful new people with similar interests • It’s an opportunity to

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get to know your neighbours • You’ll make people walking by, smile You can plant your nature strip without a permit in Darebin if: • Leave 30cm free of planting between the footpath and naturestrip • Planting can be no higher than 50cm • Leave enough space for your bins to be collected • Leave 30cm free of planting between the naturestrip and the road I encourage you all to plant a verge garden and make the streets of Reservoir beautiful and buzz with wildlife!

November 2021

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Top tips to create a verge garden 1. Get to know your local indigenous plant nurseries • Tube stock is very affordable costing a few dollars per plant and grows quickly. • Nangak Tamborre La Trobe Indigenous Plant Nursery • Victorian Indigenous Nurseries • CERES Nursery 2. Join your local ‘Friends’ Group to learn more about native flora and fauna and share ideas Friends of Edwardes Lake Friends of Merri Creek Friends of Edgars Creek Friends of Darebin Creek 3. Celebrate your verge garden and the biodiversity it will bring to your street 4. Get in touch with Friends of Edwardes Lake and tell us if you have or a thinking of creating a verge garden

Resources City of Darebin – Nature Strip Guidelines City of Darebin – Gardens for wildlife Birdscaping Australian Gardens Habitat – A practical guide to creating a wildlife – friendly Australia garden Gardening Australia – Gardens for wildlife

November 2021

Fiddle Mats

Daphnne makes fiddle mats for people with dementia By Viktoria Komornik

A few months ago I read a Facebook post on the Reservoir Good Karma Network page by a woman named Daphne asking for bits and bobs for fiddle mats for people with dementia. Thought it was interesting…fiddle mats for adults, why? I didn’t know much about dementia, at least not from personal experience. More recently Daphne has reposted her request, and this time I decided to get in touch to learn more about her and her motivation to help. Since that first time, I had a close friend placed into a home as his dementia deteriorated and I read more into the condition. It turned out that Daphne’s mum, Helen, age 86, has recently been diagnosed with dementia and has lost her short term memory. Helen humours Daphne by telling her that luckily her doctor told her that she is way off from getting dementia, as her dementia became

apparent only recently, she doesn’t remember being diagnosed. Dementia is a group of conditions characterised by impairment, Alzheimer’s being the most common cause. Symptoms of dementia include forgetfulness, limited social skills and thinking abilities so impaired that it interferes with daily functioning. Daphne used to volunteer for community transport,

driving nursing home residents to places they otherwise couldn’t get to easily without a car. She enjoys helping others and was looking into how she can help even more people. Daphne always loved crafts, knitting and crocheting is a bit of a passion of hers. She has been doing them for 45 years. One day she saw a Facebook post that the Royal Melbourne Hospital was looking for fiddle mats and mitts for patients in their geriatric

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unit. This seemed like the perfect way to combine her crafty skills with helping others. She also found that there are plenty of patterns available for women but very few for men. Although dementia impacts twice as many women as men, Daphne now concentrates her efforts on patterns for men. The patterns can be customised depending on the receiving person’s interest. Someone who worked in an office for most of their life will find different items familiar from those who worked mainly with their hands. Nursing home staff

suggest that these mats and mitts are calming and soothing to people with restless hands. The washable fiddle mats are decorated with familiar items, which often make familiar sounds. As Daphne told me it’s only up to one’s imagination how simple or complex they make the item. She has already engaged the Regent Community Garden and Thornbury Community House to help with her project. Daphne has compiled a list of things she’d like to sew onto the fiddle mats. If you can help by donating any of these there is a bucket at JJ’s

Community Garden for this purpose, next to the pantry, please pop them in. Also keep an eye out for Dementia Action Week for how you can help even more. Dementia Australia’s website. Here is a non-exhaustive list of items you could donate: keys, key rings, lanyard, front of shirts to button, piece of a tape measure, silk ties, retractable measuring tape (not all types), pockets, shoe laces, zippers, marbles, beads and so on. If you’d like to get in touch with Daphne please message The Rezzadent at rezzadentnews@gmail. com and we’ll pass it on to Daphne. What I most wish for all of those with dementia is that they are in a safe place, loved and are happy in their own world. It’s a world that may seem distant from our present, but it’s the world how they know it. Thank you Daphne for making our loved ones lives with dementia a bit nicer with these thoughtful gifts.

November 2021

Dear Ernie Your local miniature sausage dog is here to solve all your life’s problems; one tail wag and wet kiss at a time. Treats welcome. Send your qualms to the doggo with the subject line “Dear Ernie” to rezzadentnews@gmail.com

Ernie! The plants in my room have begun dying, even though they get lots of water and sunlight. Is there something else you’d suggest? From, A Plant Lover 34

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Dear human, I must be a plant because I also need lots of water and sunlight. I usually drink my body weight in water once a day, and store it in my elongated, but perfect limousine body.

Perhaps your plants aren’t cosy? Do they have their own bed? Have you tried putting them in bed with you? Do they whine out at night because of the chill on their paws?

This for practical reasons, so I can spend my time and restore my energy by doing other things - like sleeping. I highly recommend you tell your plants to do this too.

Also what are you feeding your plants? I highly recommend chicken necks. Not the boring dry pet food your vet recommends because it’s full of ‘nutri-ends’. Sure, I eat it, but that’s because I’m starving and a starving dog, will eat the lettuce off the floor.

Sunlight is also important for living things like your plant and myself. There is no greater enjoyment, or necessity, than lying in the afternoon sun and that yellow orb being all toasty and lovely on your backside. Some days the sun doesn’t shine so warmly, but thankfully there are heaters, and deliciously smelly dog blankets and my two dog beds that keeps me all cosy and nice.

So in conclusion, make your plants cosy, watered and fed with chicken necks and they should reward you a big face-lick.

Love Ernie

November 2021

Voir words By Megan and Michael Von Hemlock

What's in my garden?

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aka “the swingers lounge” as we took to calling it) overlooking the garden. We’re relatively confident if those faux wood panel walls could talk, they’d say some great parties were had in that room (and spa!). The garden for me, was where the real secrets lay. It was overgrown and feral, and I chopped back four metres of prickly bushes, roses and fig tree to discover the boundary and other enigmas such as the chook house and enclosure (or was it dog kennels?) and a square brick wall/structure approx half a metre high.

When Chris moved into her new house, “24”, she discovered a true secret garden My partner and I officially moved to Reservoir five a half years ago - from five streets down in Preston! The original occupants of number 24 were Gloria and Jack - they built the

house in 1953. It was complete with green shag pile carpet, brown and orange lava tiles in the kitchen and an extension in the early 80s of the pool room complete with pool table, plumbed in bar, sink and mini fridge and an ensuite with a sunken spa bath (or

To this day I’m still unsure of its purpose. I’d moved out of a true Mediterranean space filled with lemon trees, plum spliced with apricot, large orange tree and giant fig. Number 24 appeared to be mainly natives with a few wildcards thrown in for good measure - a small ginkgo biloba, a jacaranda approx three stories high and some beautiful silver acacias and a kurrajong bottle tree which I’ve never

November 2021

seen flower.

invitation!

A few hibiscus trees also dotted the boundary. I have an old wisteria on the fence line which is simultaneously pulling down and holding up the old wooden fence and another snaking over an archway which sadly gave way in the wild spring storm we had recently.

I eventually found that arch when hacking further with my trusty hedge clippers and rake. Sometimes I feel like I’m following in the footsteps of another avid gardener (my money’s on Gloria … the garage was definitely Jack's domain) and I’m trying to look through her eyes as to what vision she had when they purchased this empty block and built and landscaped. I’ve created raised beds between the pathways and the excitement of tomato season every year is the highlight of my growing season. I’d like to think she’d approve of our efforts to “carry the baton” as it were and try to return some parts of the jungle to their former glory.

My partner is valiantly trying to build another arch to support it. I had no idea we had an archway until I found in an old cupboard Gloria and Jacks “celebration” album they made for their 30/40/50th(?) wedding anniversary and what fell out was a photo taken from the house looking out to the garden including said archway and a photocopy of their anniversary party

We didn’t know Gloria

and Jack, but remnants of their life have been intertwined into ours not to mention the joy and peace we’ve enjoyed since we moved into our home, the garden being my tranquil and happy place. I feel very fortunate that I have a large garden I can get lost in, a secret and magical place that produces random flowers and blooms just about every year and made my lazy brain work to find out what these surprise visitors and scented shrubs are called. It’s a refuge, a classroom, a playground and a kitchen table on any given day or season. The ultimate present that keeps on giving. What’s in my garden? Love, joy, life and adventure.

November 2021

Kind Watch The Kindness bandit strikes again

Ghouls just want to have fun

On the off chance the person who hung this on our gate overnight is in this group, thank you very much!

Happy Halloween Thank you Karmites for those who set up a magnificent display and Halloween treats. Miss 3 had a blast, shattered and napping with her buckets of goodies in tow. Beautiful community effort.

Thank you to the Kindness Bandit!! Who else was struck last night?

Shout out to Steve and Vanessa for coordinating this for us. Halloween was howlingly good in the hood this year, thanks to the efforts of dozens of Rezzadents who decorated their homes, and a couple of locals, Vanessa and Steve, who offered to put together a shared google map of addresses. More than 50 Rezzadents asked to be added to the map, and the afternoon and evening of 31 October was filled with excited kids (and okay, adults) collecting

COVID-safe goodies and admiring/running screaming from the Halloween houses they discovered.

Banh mi with a side of kindness Just want to say a big thank you to the young lady from VyVy Bakery. I wasn’t able to leave the house because of my baby and decided to order a banh mi. Uber failed to get any drivers so one of the ladies from VyVy personally delivered it for me. Thank you so much!!

We’re big fans … Of Emma, who is giving away rescued and refurbed fans on Darebin Hard Rubbish Heroes page. No need to buy a new pedestal fan for this warmer weather because Emma has got you covered. Nice work!

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Kind Watch is Reservoir’s most trusted information receiving service. It’s for people wanting to share when they see, or suspect an activity or action of kindness. Tips can be anonymous. Share at rezzadentnews@gmail.com

November 2021

Councillor update By Gaetano Grecco

Reservoir is in the Darebin local government area. Councils are responsible for delivering services in health, planning, and building control, business and economic development, waste and environmental management, and human and community services. Councillors write their own profiles, which are independent from the business of council. This edition we host a Councillor Profile by Gaetano Grecco.

Aren't we all glad the Covid-19 restriction are mostly behind us as we approach the summer?

Save the Preston Market Campaign

state government's plans were critical. Save the

A big priority for me has been working with community volunteers to save our iconic

Preston Market Action Group are advocating for the market to be publicly acquired as it will

Preston Market. The government's proposed plans, which will allow for more than 80% of

ensure our market is put in public hands like Victoria Market and protected from being

responding to emails and phone calls from residents on a range of issues. Here are just

the market to be demolished are completely out of step with community demands. In fact,

bulldozed.

some key things on my radar.

almost all the 386 submissions to proposed

I’ve certainly enjoyed being able to physically catch up with family and friends after so long. I think it’s great to see local businesses opening again. I've been busy working from home

Cleaning up Edwardes Park Lake I've pushed for council to establish the Edwardes Park Lake Task Force to

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improve the water quality of the lake. Working with volunteers from Friends of Edwardes Lake has helped to get key players responsible for our Lake like the EPA, Melbourne Water, State government and upstream councils to finally work together. Love Local Cards Look at out for council's program to support local independent businesses and provide some rate relief for rate payers due to the COVID lockdowns. Residential property owners

If you haven't received a local traffic survey in your letter box let me know. Finally, with the year almost over make the most of the good weather and time before Christmas. As usual I'm always available so please don't hesitate to contact me directly on 0419 759 214 or email: gaetano.greco@ darebin.vic.gov.au.

will get pre-paid cards worth $30 ($50 for pensioners and jobseekers). The voucher schemes will hopefully pump over $2m into the local economy. Your Street Your Say Traffic Management Project I've received many petitions and complaints about street traffic and speeding. It's a growing concern and needs fixing. If you live around Reservoir-West, I want to hear how we can improve our local streets.

November 2021

Community News If you have a tip-off or know of an event coming up that you’d like featured please contact us at rezzadentnews@gmail.com

Your Street, Your Say No-one knows and loves your street better than you do. That’s why Darebin Council is seeking feedback from Reservoir locals this spring.  The Your Street, Your Say project is your opportunity to let us know how we can make your street safer and more enjoyable for you and your family to walk, cycle, scoot, play, drive - or simply enjoy the outdoors. The project is launching in Reservoir West, Preston West and Thornbury West. If you live in, work or travel through or visit any of these areas, we want to hear from you.  We want to know - what makes it difficult for you or your kids to ride or walk in your street, and how we can make it better? We will use your

feedback to prepare a comprehensive plan to improve streets with things like pedestrian crossings, street closures, bike lanes, planting and changes to street layouts. Find out more and have your say on our interactive online map by 22 November 2021 at www. bit.ly/YourStreetYourSay. Small Business Energy Saver Program Victorian businesses with less than 20 employees are eligible for generous subsidies on energy efficient equipment which will help reduce their running costs. This means less time worrying about paying the bills, and more time to spend doing what they do best. Subsidies are available now for upgrading hot water systems, fridges and freezers, refrigerated display cabinets and

heating and cooling systems. This program is delivered by Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government. Darebin Sustainable Business is the Local Program Expert, helping local businesses make the most of the rebates and guiding them through the process. Email Sustainable.Business@ darebin.vic.gov.au, call 8470 8128 or register here to get involved. After more news in Darebin area? Your Darebin is Council’s monthly newsletter highlighting key events and projects happening in your neighbourhood, told by people who live, work and play in Darebin. Subscribe here.

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The Darebin Council Community Grants have been announced

Darebin Council is pleased to share that the recipients of the 2021 Darebin Community Grants have been announced. This program is intended to serve the needs of not-for-profits and organisations in the community that promote the health and wellbeing of Darebin.

These awards represent up to $300,000 amongst diverse recipients, including those in Creative Projects, Sustainability, Venue Hire and Community Food Programs. The recipients announced highlight the best programs and initiatives that Darebin has to offer the community.

Darebin Mayor Lina Messina praised the recipients commitment to their community in

challenging times

“We are delighted to see so much talent and innovation in Darebin especially during these tough times. It’s an honour to be able to support such a diverse range of organisations and programs,” she said.

One of the 70 Darebin Community Grant recipients, Sustain, is excited to use proceeds from the award to establish and support a small urban community farm at St Mary's Church vicarage in the Oakhill precinct.

An exciting project, WeCycle, offers bikes to the community: Cofounder of WeCycle, Gayle Ilievski, says.

“When starting WeCycle, our team agreed that every individual deserves access to a bicycle. Having seen a need in the community where people were not able to afford to purchase one themselves, we thought we could do something to help.” For more information about the program or to read about the recipients head to https://www. darebin.vic.gov.au/ communitygrants

Dr. Nick Rose, Executive Director of Sustain, says “We are excited to make this site available for multiple community uses, including using it to strengthen environmental curriculum outcomes, educating the public about climate change and its effects, and helping those who are experiencing housing insecurity.”

November 2021

What's On Reservoir Bee Collective is having a meet up for local beekeepers or locals interested in beekeeping on Sunday the 28th of November, sign up on Facebook to the ‘Reservoir Bee Collective’ to register attendance. This is a COVID compliant event in a local home, you will need to be fully vaccinated to attend. We welcome locals who are thinking about hives or have a hive and want a bit more support or can offer support to newbees (see what I did there). Gender Equity and Respectful Relationships Online

The Yes Woman - Grace Jennings-Edquist Author Talk Thursday 2 December, 7pm - 8pm Free online event by Darebin Library The Yes Woman is a practical guide to recognising your own Yes Woman tendencies, measuring their cost on your health, and resisting that need to please. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it. In a world that teaches girls to become Yes Women, learning to say ‘no’ is a radical feat. Register here.

Interactive Storytime

Multisensory Online Storytime with Vision Australia

Thu, 25 November 2021, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Fri, 3 December 2021, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Free online event by Darebin Library

Parents, carers and their children are invited to participate in this storytelling session, focusing on picture books that explore emotions and promote respectful relationships and gender equity. Register Here

Join Victoria from the Vision Australia Feelix Library for a multisensory online storytime to celebrate International Day for People with a Disability. To help us celebrate there will be a very special guest – a Seeing Eye Dog! Register here

Reservoir Stomp Festival Express #1 Sun., 5 December 2021, 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm AEDT Preston Reservoir Bowls Club, $0 - $219.33 All Aboard! Reservoir Stomp is touring the neighbourhood this summer/autumn. FIRST STOP: Sunday 5 Dec at the Preston-Reservoir Bowls Club. Featuring: Emma Donovan and the Putbacks! Bananagun! Dorsal Fins! Boxwars! Trugo and Barefoot Bowling Comps! Reservoir Views Primary Choir! Emma Peel + the Walrez! Loads more! Find out more here. Gentle Hatha Yoga Tue, 14 December 2021, 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM Free online event by Darebin Library Understand how the breath can be used to connect mind and body and focus on gentle core and spine awakening, joint limbering (stretching) and muscle strengthening through a variety of yoga poses, some static and others fluid in movement. Make a booking here.

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Illustration By Nicole Roberston

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TROIS MORGUE AGAPANTHUS CARP EEL RAKALI NYMPH SYGNET FROG VENEER MODERN BUNGALOW FEDERATION PINE FOX GNOME BARN

ANSWERS: ABATTOIR SLAUGHTERHOUSE(AU)(8) THREE (FR) (5) MISTY'S DINER IS NOW A ____(6) AFRICAN LILY WITH BLUE FLOWERS (10) LARGE FISH IN REZZA CREEKS (4) LONG FISH IN REZZA CREEKS (3) RODENT IN REZZA CREEKS (6) BABY DRAGONFLY IN REZZA CREEKS (5) BABY SWAN AT THE LAKE (6) GROWLING GRASS AND BANJO ARE TYPES OF WHAT? (4) COMMON REZZA HOUSE STYLE, BRICK ____ (6) RARE REZZA HOUSE STYLE, MIDCENTURY _____ (6) LESS RARE REZZA HOUSE STYLE, CALIFORNIA ____ (8) OLD REZZA HOUSE STYLE (10) BLACK COCKATOOS LIKE TO EAT FROM THIS TREE (4) ANIMAL WHO MAY KILL YOUR CHOOKS (3) SMALL MAN IN YOUR GARDEN (5) TYPE OF OWL SEEN IN REZZA (4)