Breakfast the biggest
 MORE than 700 people celebrated Australia Day at a Denmark Shire Council-hosted barbecue breakfast in Beveridge Park, the biggest such event so far.
Shire president Ross Thornton greeted each guest with an Australian flag sticker but ran out after 600 and extra supplies had to be brought in to feed the crowd.
Executive assistant Claire Thompson noted a 'really positive' response to the morning and said shire staff and councillors had a lot of fun serving 1000 rashers of bacon and countless sausages, tomatoes, bowls of cereal, teas, coffees and orange juices.
Ms Thompson has organised the event for the past three years and said about 450 people attended in 2008 and about 550 last year.
Elder Joe Williams announced the Noongar welcome to country with Ryan Humphries playing the didgeridoo while his son Meikhi danced.
Awards for citizen, community group and sportspersons of the year were presented and three naturalisation ceremonies were performed.

'Bionic woman' our top citizen for 2009
HOLLY Ferrara was named Denmark's Citizen of the Year Award for 20 years of service to the First Denmark Scouts.
In that time she has been involved in almost all of the group's fund-raising and maintenance projects and in 2008 received the Silver Arrowhead award for outstanding service to the Scouting Association.
Holly also started the primary school canteen, is an active member of the Denmark Handicraft Group and for many years was involved in the Surf Life Saving Club.
She has made her outstanding contribution despite suffering acute rheumatoid arthritis since the age of 25.
She has been determined not to let her disability prevent her from helping the community.
"I needed to be doing something," she said.
Despite multiple joint replacements, Holly said the condition had 'just got worse and worse'.
"I am disappointed that I can't do as much now," she said.
But group leader Beth Franz said she simply couldn't do without Holly - "She's my right-hand bionic woman".
Beth spoke with admiration about how Holly acted as works manager for the extensive scout hall renovations, and of her dedication as treasurer for the past 12 years.
Holly's husband Nino was treasurer for many years and on the day he died he asked her to take on the job.
She started supporting the scouts when her three children were involved, but continued the work as she believes the movement teaches the 'old fashioned values of respect and loyalty'.
"It helps to ground the children," Holly said.

Council to fast-track prescribed burning
PRESCRIBED burning on some council reserves and with back-up firebreaks will be fast-tracked for autumn in an overall review of fire prevention in the shire.
Portions of eight reserves will be burnt this autumn.
The reserves border the recreation centre, Mokare Bridge, the shire depot on Middleton Street, Mt Hallowell off Ocean Beach Road, Buckley Street, Ocean Beach Surf Club, Peaceful Bay Road and Inlet Drive behind the Water Corporation.
At its January 27 meeting, the Denmark Shire Council unanimously resolved that a Bush Fire Advisory Working Group would be formed to oversee the fire prevention plans and to prepare a Denmark Fire Prevention Report when funds become available.
During public question time volunteer fire fighters Christopher Hoare and Joan Merrifield spoke in support of the proposed prescribed burning program.
Mr Hoare said nowhere near enough protective burning had been done in the past, and feared that 'one day we won't catch a fire in time'.
Ms Merrifield said the prescribed burns also provided training and practice for fire fighters.
Volunteer fire fighter Tony Pedro, however, preferred an emphasis on ensuring the timely arrival of dozers at fire scenes and upgrading surveillance techniques suggesting a surveillance camera on Mt Shadforth connected to a FESA computer.
Mr Pedro supported prescribing burning to achieve low fuel corridors in some situations but believed it was counter-productive in others.
He said a thinning of the understorey and declining fuel levels occurred in forest that had not been burnt for extensive periods - 25-35 years in karri/marri, 20-30 years in jarrah/marri and 15-years in coastal peppermint/yate forest.

Energy and Water Expo aims to keep it simple
THERE will be about 27 exhibitors at the Energy and Water Expo which will be held at the centre for Sustainable Living from February 27-28.
They will bring exhibits on building design and materials, options for independent power generation and wastewater use and treatment, efficient home heating, cooling and lighting to reduce energy and water use.
The Expo will have something for everyone in the way of simple, easy changes to make in homes or businesses.
Local musicians will keep the crowds entertained, with 12 acts scheduled over the two days.
Organisers are still looking for homes to be included in the sustainable homes tour
Anyone who would like to show others how easy and practical a sustainable home is to achieve, can contact Dorothy at Green Skills.
Entries are rolling in for all of the Expo competitions.
The closing date for the Expo competitions is on February 24, so there is plenty of time to get entries in.
The solar cooker and food dryer workshops were booked out, indicating a huge demand for this do-it-yourself technology.
Many participants will enter their completed projects in the Expo competition.
For information contact Dorothy at Dorothy@greenskills.org.au or 9848 1019.

Environment centre back from the ashes
THE Denmark Environment Centre will open its doors on Thursday, February 4, restored and revamped from the fire last year.
The former environment centre shop will be an educational resource centre with a library, on-line research facility, herbarium, environmental bookshop, news of community environmental groups and the new Green Town Energy Services Shop.
Newly-appointed education officer Kym Phillips will be available to inform the everyone about environmental issues.
Members can borrow books from the library for free, or members of the public can use it as a reading room.
On-line research may be undertaken with favourite sites to make browsing easier.
The herbarium features the collection of botanist, the late Brenda Hammersley, and has been upgraded to include a work bench, microscope and other resources.
The book-shop will feature the latest and most popular books on the environment from sustainability issues to natural history and everything between.
The environment centre will be a hub for community environmental groups which have been invited to promote their own displays in the afternoons and keep the bookshop open.
Community groups can establish a roster so participants can call in to see who is on when.
The Green Town Energy Services Shop will be full of information and resources to help homeowners and tenants reduce their electricity bill and carbon footprint.
Local residents can sign up for the Green Loans Energy Audit.
This entitles people to apply for an interest free loan of up to $10,000 to retrofit their homes in line with the recommendations of the report.
The audits are free or for an extra $50 a comprehensive home and garden audit including water use can be undertaken.

Charity bin 'rubbish' a headache for charities
UNUSEABLE donated goods are clogging Denmark's charity bins creating a headache for volunteers faced with disposing of the items to the rubbish tip.
Old computers and television sets, chipped and broken crockery, wet and dirty clothing are of no use to the Uniting Church's Good Samaritan Industries.
The items are left piled up around the Sammy's bin on South Coast Highway, especially on weekends after a car-boot sale and garage sales.
Church members must haul the items to the rubbish tip.
Church member Graham Wilson, who for 25 years worked as a GSI volunteer in Perth, said only clean, good-quality used clothing, shoes and books should be placed in the bin.
GSI relied on high-volume low-price sales of the items through its 24 stores throughout WA to generate an income to create employment for people with disabilities.
They worked in the retail stores, and in support roles in donation collections and goods processing.
Unlike other op-shops, which had a welfare focus, GSI's priority is to create employment opportunities and did not donate any goods for free from it shops.

The Denmark Bulletin

The Denmark Bulletin is a privately-owned tabloid newspaper, folded to present a quarter-fold cover for ease of distribution and handling.

The Bulletin is published fortnightly, with 3, 000 copies delivered to every letterbox, post office box and RMB in the Denmark shire, which includes Nornalup.

Copies are also distributed in Youngs Siding and Walpole, to Perth subscribers, and through local newsagencies.

Extra copies are also distributed to accommodation houses and tourist outlets during peak holiday times.

Denmark guaranteed

Our local circulation is guaranteed and readership of the Bulletin far exceeds that of any other newspaper distributed in this area.

Most residents read the Bulletin from cover to cover and it is often kept as a reference until a new edition arrives.

Essential reading

The Denmark Bulletin is essential reading for south coast residents. It reports on council issues, local happenings, achievements and personalities.

Community groups and sporting clubs use the Bulletin to keep their members informed and a lively Letters to the Editor section provides a forum for vigorous debate on a wide range of issues.

Our regular advertisers include retailers, eateries, real estate firms, tourist businesses, builders, tradesmen, natural health practitioners and wide range of other service providers.

The Bulletin Trades and Services section and Classifieds are an essential tool for householders and the local commercial sector.