The A'vans are coming!

By LIZ MARTIN
CEO of the National Transport Hall of Fame.
The local champion of lateral thinking has parlayed the Hall into the town's top private and volunteer initiative, and the nation's leading museum of its kind. The global recession called for a change of tack – and the Hall had one of its best years ever. How can this kind of "never say die" attitude be applied to the town's woes?

Here are some of her hints:-
• We have always been aware of our precarious position as a community based museum and planned ahead, not only for future development but survival in the bad times and succession planning for our future.
• I have always been lateral in my approach to this business.

• It’s not just about working hard; it’s about working smart, especially when times are tough.

• This advice came from Kurt Johannsen in 1992: “There will be plenty of knockers but don’t waste time on them. While you are worrying about them you are letting down the people and businesses that support you – keep striving towards your goals.”

• Don’t over-think your problems. I see many people in "damage control" and spending too much time solving their day to day problems.  This extends to Alice Springs as a community. I hate to think about the countless times in the past thirty years that we have gone back to square one dealing with and changing the methodology in how we deal with anti-social behaviour and criminal activity.

Our first FOOD FOR THOUGHT panel member is
Kemy Ogendi
Year 10 student who blitzed the recent Desert Knowledge Q&A with her incisive description of generational conflict – and harmony – in The Alice.

In the spirit of Christmas, people are having parties. Many families, schools and workplaces are getting together to look back on the year that’s been, reward people for their efforts and perhaps, make amends for past mistakes. That is how a community moves forward and the same can be said for Alice Springs. Forums and meetings give us a chance to collectively examine the condition of this town. Events and celebrations bring people together from all across the community for one common, positive cause. Diversity in the citizens of Alice Springs is strength we need to build upon by having such gatherings all year round.
From a student’s perspective, Alice Springs has a weakness in its education. While many schools, resources and staff are of great quality, we cannot ignore the fact that we, in the Northern Territory, have lower performance standards than the rest of Australia. If we want our Alice "up to speed" now and in the years to come, we need to secure a sound future, academically, for the next generation. Thank you to the many already striving to do so. All of Alice needs to join the continual effort to bring every one of its students to their full potential.
So those are two ways in which Alice Springs could look to improve; more community events all year round and a solid effort towards educating the next generation.
With that said, here’s to the future!
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all good-night!”

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This Christmas, residents in Tennant Creek and its surrounds will benefit from more than $140,000 worth of community work undertaken by 44 Barkly Work Camp prisoners.
Correctional Services Minister Gerry McCarthy says since the $7 million work camp officially opened on September 8 under the new era of corrections, the prisoners had completed almost 10,000 hours of work across more than 30 projects.

[Media release.]