Issue 28

Local IT entrepreneur Edan Baxter has thrown his cap into the ring for the upcoming Town Council by-election. He's definitely keen as he was a candidate in the last full council election, when the photo (left) was taken, and also in the last NT Legislative Assembly campaign.

CORRECTION, September 15, 2014: See FULL STORY.

UPDATE, 1pm: A 44-year-old man has been charged over this incident.

“I’m going to cut you, you’ll be dead”: these are the words I heard directed to a witness in the Alice Springs Magistrates Court yesterday, part way through the preliminary hearing of a murder charge against Sebastian Kunoth. The words in English were part of a stream of speech in an Aboriginal language by a man as he was ejected from the courtroom. The apparent threat brought the hearing to a standstill as prosecutor Stephen Geary sought to have the man arrested for intimidation of a witness. KIERAN FINNANE reports. Pictured: Inside Abbott's Camp where the alleged murder took place, photo from our archive (2008). 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The award-winning Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro will be back for its seventh year from May 19-to 23, 2014, writes Ingkerreke CEO

Scott McConnell. Says four-time participant and runner-up at the 2013 event, Shaun Lewis (pictured): 
"Alice has developed into a true mountain bike riding destination with a huge amount of sweet and flowing single-track. Whether you are there to go for the win, to get the best out of yourself, or just to take in the trails and riding that Alice offers with your mates, this is an awesome event."

Matty Day, who has a background in education, arts, sport and the youth sector, is contesting the town council vacancy created by the resignation of Geoff Booth. Mr Day is pictured (from left) with Mayor Damien Ryan and Council Community and Cultural Development Manager Leon Tripp. Mr Day is working on a council commissioned mural on the Traeger Park wall facing Gap Road. Photograph: MITCH CAMERON.

UPDATE 1.50pm

The candidates for the election on November 23, in the order in which they will appear on the ballot paper, are BONANNI, Kylie; DAY, Matty; FURPHY, Colin; BRIDGEFOOT, John and BAXTER, Edan Ross.

Central Australia picked up its first win of the season after defeating the Buffaloes by 50 points at Darwin’s Northline Oval on Saturday. JACKSON CLARK reports.

There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth about our police, judicial and custodial resources being stretched to the limit, but a charge put before Magistrate Daynor Trigg (pictured) yesterday suggests the police wasted many people's time. ERWIN CHLANDA reports.

See FULL STORY response by Jamie Chalker, Regional Operations Service: UPDATE Wed 7.40pm.

The Clontarf Foundation had good reason for being in high spirits at Larapinta Oval this morning: 18 participants in the sports-driven educational initiative will be finishing Year 12 soon.

Skateboarding looks set to be trialled in the northern end of Todd Mall after the Town Council voted four to three in favour. A motion put by Councillor Chansey Paech and seconded by Cr Jade Kudrenko was hotly debated last night, following an earlier meeting between councillors and about 20 young local skateboarders. The trial area for a period of three months is strictly limited to the western side of the footpath along the northern end of the Alice Plaza where skateable street furniture was installed during the recent upgrade of the mall. KIERAN FINNANE reports.

Turning rubbish into electricity sounds an appealing idea especially as the town council's present tip – likely to be the town’s biggest polluter – is running our of space. ERWIN CHLANDA reports. PHOTO: Copenhagen’s new waste-to-energy plant.

It was the year of the male model – there were six of them when sometimes there have been none. It was also the year of the child –for the first time that I can remember children took out first prize against adults in a main category, a very well contested one at that. These were among the features of this year’s Wearable Art Awards that signalled its ongoing vitality as one of Alice’s best-loved creative events. Story   by KIERAN FINNANE. Photos and video by ERWIN CHLANDA.

Pictured: Desert Cossack by Jen Standish-White, modeled by Spyda Monkey.

The bounty of the bush – closely observed, its creatures, plant forms, patterns, colours distilled by artists who call it home – is the wellspring for the contemporary desert design of Batchelor Institute visual arts students. Their work is on show at Muk Muk Fine Art.

Story and photos by Kieran Finnane.

Pictured: Robert Bronson (right), with his son Arnold, and Jason Quin with his son River. Quin is modelling Bronson’s Whistling Kite suit, while River has on a matching vest.

UPDATE Friday 6:50pm: Council CEO Rex Mooney comments: ”The area in front of the Westpac Bank is private property and council has responded to representations made from the owner over a number of months resulting in the modification to the seating which, as indicated, is on private property.”

UPDATE 6:50pm: See statement by Matty Day in comment box below the FULL STORY report.

The town council had railings welded on the benches designed for skating in the recently refurbished northern end of the Todd Mall, making skating them difficult or impossible. ERWIN CHLANDA reports.