Councillor Alana Matheson was in the hot seat for Campbelltown’s first meeting of the year last Tuesday night, filling in for Mayor Paul Hawker, who was on a Pacific cruise holiday with his wife Sigi.
Other than twice calling Councillor Darcy Lound “Councillor Mead’’, the daughter of the MP for Macarthur, Russell Matheson, did a very good job chairing the meeting.
After the meeting I suggested to Cr Fred Borg – and he nodded agreement – that the councillors were all on their best behaviour mainly because Cr Matheson was in the chair.
Cr Matheson was elected deputy to Cr Hawker last September under controversial Liberal Party circumstances. Apparently some local party powerbrokers wanted Cr George Greiss to get the gig and the issue wasn’t settled until the very last minute.
Cr Matheson says she will not be seeking reelection to council when her term expires.
♦ The newest community organisation in Macarthur is not just planning to hold Greek Taverna Nights, as it will on Saturday, February 27 at the Glen Alpine community centre.
Macarthur Greeks Inc founder John Tsekas and his committee of locals with Greek background have a vision for the construction of a 2,000 seat amphitheatre in the classical ancient Greek style.
The Australian Botanic Garden at Mt Annan has been mooted as a potential site for an amphitheatre.
They have already set some wheels in motion by organising delegations to local councils to put their case.
Earlier this week John Tsekas led a delegation that included Greek consul general in Sydney Stavros Kyrimis and local priests to the mayor of Camden, Councillor Lara Symkowiak and the council general manager Ron Moore.
Mr Tsekas says it’s early days but the Camden Mayor and Mr Moore gave the delegation a good hearing on their amphitheatre plans.
He also confirmed Macarthur Greeks Inc were investigating the possibility of holding their next major function in the Camden Civic Centre.
Talks would also be held with Campbelltown Council and local MP Greg Warren in the next few weeks.
Such an amphitheatre would be a massive tourist attraction for Macarthur.
♦ We admit to a bit of bias because James Tedesco comes from the Macarthur side of the joint venture of Wests Tigers, but at 23 the kid is captain material.
When we interviewed him on Tuesday on the grass of Campbelltown Sports Stadium all his answers were thoughtful and expressed in a clear way.
Aaron Woods, a year older at 24, has been chosen as the skipper for this season, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a long view and give “Teddy’’ the vice captain moniker.
As for the interview, if you read it, we could not include in it everything we asked the talented fullback.
One of the bits left on the cutting room floor, so to speak, was this exchange:
South West Voice: After four seasons and 52 NRL matches, you have a very recognisable face, you’re pretty famous, especially with that beard, how do you handle the pressure of fame?
Tedesco: It hasn’t made much difference around here [Macarthur] because so many people already knew me and I know so many of them, so it’s not really an issue, but if you go out with Robbie you get a bit more attention. I don’t mind people coming up to say hello, if they’re being nice – if they’re being rude you just ignore it – and walk away.
♦ We love the people involved in the Moorebank anti intermodal campaign, Residents Against Intermodal Development (RAID).
But we were amused to see their online conversations after shock jock Alan Jones requested 20 dot points so he could easily digest their point of view.
It’s hard to be humble but for months we have been suggesting to RAID the very same, except only three or five dot points, to be used in the campaign.
And by the way, RAIders, we’re sure Jones did not literally mean 20. In such matters, the fewer the better.
