With NSW Government allowing allow pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants to have up to 50 customers as of next Monday, June 1, life will look a little different at local cafes and restaurants, including Dragonfly, The Bank and The Loft.Owner of Molesworth Street’s The Bank café and Nesbitt Lane’s The Loft restaurant Brad Rickard said it’s “back to business” for both venues which are already doing sit down and dine in options for customers.’Brad Rickard at The Bank cafe. “It’s easy to stop and harder to wind back up,” Brad said. “Dining in started yesterday at the loft, but we can only have ten people at the moment and our capacity is 30.”From Monday, the new rules for pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants mean venues can have up to 50 customers, subject to a one person per four square metre rule, and with strict social distancing guidelines.“At The Bank, we can get 45, including outdoors,” he said. “But we are in winter and people will have less willingness to sit out in the cold.”Brad said his staff will have to keep a guest book, recording which customers come in and sit down to have a coffee and some food.“Dine in is for diners,” he said. “We hope that if people are booking to dine in, they buy food and drinks. It makes it a better financial return for us with less customers.“But we are not too proscriptive about it and we are still doing take away.“We only have ten chairs this week – but the community is ready and understanding.Read more news: Frock up and order food for the Our Kids Virtual Ball this weekendDragonfly CaféIn the two months since Angus O’Neill took over Dragonfly Café, he said it’s “been exciting but challenging”.The Carrington Street café has already been inviting customers to book ahead and dine in – but Angus is gearing up for next week’s June 1 change to café rules.“We’ve been advised we can have 20 people per 80 square metres and we are hoping to have ten outside and ten inside at a minimum from June 1,” he said.New flavoursOne of the big changes Angus is keen to bring about is a new menu from his acclaimed chef Rani Hewson – who has worked at big name eateries Rae’s at Wategos and Harvest.“Rani was chucked in the deep end too when I took over the business,” Angus said. “He’s keen to put new flavours on the plate and open up the café to more than the take away menu.Some of the new dishes include salt and pepper squid with citrus miso sauce and black spice seasoning; and crispy quail with a roast capsicum sauce and a charred corn salsa.“The flavours are through the roof,” Angus said.While Dragonfly has already been open for dinner seven days a week since Covid restrictions began, the changes will see people invited to book in for a 5.30pm, or a 7.30pm dinner sitting on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.“It’s ideal if people can make a booking, but last minute bookings are ok if all the seats are not filled. You can come in later than 5.30pm, but you will have a shorter sitting time,” Angus said.Dragonfly Cafe ready to seat more customers, inside and outside.Extra staffWith extra regulations to adhere to under Covid dining in guidelines, Angus has employed a few more staff to help with cleaning and setting up.“We make sure tables and chairs are clean and sanitised before the next person sits and we encourage people to be calm and patient as we do so,” he said. “The majority of people understand a difficult situation.“We also need to have customers seated and do table service and we are training our staff in good table service guidelines. It’s a big change for us.”Like at The Bank and The Loft, dining in is for diners, but Angus said they don’t want to turn away regular customers to a café that’s been running for 14 years.“If someone wants to sit, we say have people coming in for bookings and they may only get a short sitting,” he said. “Some people order cakes and little things on top of coffee and it makes it better for the café. “We want to make sure our customers are happy.”After 14 years of baking for Dragonfly café, Brian Findlayson is still baking for Dragonfly three days a week. “He comes in and sees some of the new things we are introducing and likes it,” Angus said. “We are doing great things and moving forward with new energy.”

After two months in Covid isolation without beauty services, locals have already booked out two Lismore-based beauty salons in eager anticipation of their reopening next week.Getting rid of unwanted hair growth is near the top of the most needed list, according to Victoria’s Beauty salon owner Victoria O’Neill.Affordable Beauty salon owner Kristy Saad said it’s not just bikini waxes people are in desperate need of, it’s bookings for acrylic nails and eyelash extensions that have kept her phone running hot.Affordable Beauty Kristy said the answering machines at all three of her salons have been filled with messages from people desperate to book in for a session as of June 1, when the NSW government has deemed it’s ok for beauty salons to reopen.“The phone hasn’t stopped for days,” Kristy laughed. “It’s chaotic. I’m completely booked out already next week.”“People say they resorted to shaving, they couldn’t hang out any more. They joke with us that we need to get some hedge cutters and that they will pack a lunch or need an overnight stay.”Extra costs from closureKristy is in the process of restocking products in the beauty salon, because the two month hiatus on business meant the shelf life of many beauty products has already expired, or oxidised.“I’ve spent close to $10,000 in products to get three stores open,” she said. “Eyelash glue lasts a month and it costs me $55 per bottle . I also had to throw out eight one-litre bottles of tanning products – I can’t risk it.”Kristy said she’s ready to “hit the ground running” with reopening her three stores in Lismore, Goonellabah and Ballina and is prioritising regular clients with bookings.“We’ve had brainstorms about how to made the place safe under Covid regulations,” she said.Covid-safe“We didn’t want paper stuff on the beds, so we decided to use electric blankets with PVC plastic over them and then towels on the top.“They will keep the clients warm and will be easy to clean off between clients. We’ll also have disposable head mats we will change between clients.”Kristy said the last two months with the business closed have given her a chance to be a full time mum, rather than stretch herself between three businesses.“During the first month, I thought I was going crazy,” she said. “I understand how quickly people can spiral down in their mental health – but I worked though it then I eased into it and was there for the kids and caught up on TV shows.”JobkeeperKristy said she hopes other business owners were able to navigate the Jobkeeper payments like she had to in order to keep her six employees paid with $18K a month.“It was struggle,” she said. “You have to come up front with payment for over 6 weeks before the government paid the wage money.“I was lucky - my accountant said I was in a good position and I would register my wage payments with the government every week and so I got paid quicker.”Victoria's BeautyFor seven years, Victoria’s Beauty salon has been located at 52 Magellan Street, but owner Victoria O’Neill took time out over the Covid break to work our plan a shop move.She’s currently in the process of moving the shop to 129 Magellan Street - under the Lismore Motel.“It’s a smaller premises with cheaper rent,” she said. “The lease on the old shop was up and Covid was the final push I needed to think about myself and what was best financially for the future.”New locationThe new premises used to be a hair salon, which made it easier for Victoria to get approval from the Council, as the right infrastructure (like washing water) was already in place.“It’s a work in progress and I think the decorating will take a little longer, as I’m fully booked out next week and will be busy,” she said. “But there might still be a few short appointment slots.“Clients are already contacting me - everyone is so keen. The community here has given me a great clientele base and I would move mountains for them.“2020 has been a push of my limits and recent events area blessing in disguise bringing me to something new.Government guidelinesBeauty and nail salon operators can begin treatments from June 1 under strict Covid-safe guidelines.Premier Gladys Berejiklian said this is another important step in easing restrictions while maintaining public safety. “Whilst this is positive news, the key is introducing practices to protect the safety of both customers and beauticians,” Ms Berejiklian.“It is vital staff and clients of beauty and nail salons abide by the one person per 4 square metres rule with no more than 10 clients at any one time.”NSW Health has compiled a checklist for the industry. Businesses must develop a safety plan that addresses how to minimise risk from COVID-19.Safety plans will include measures such as:One person per 4 square metres including both staff and clients, up to a maximum of 10 clients at any one timeExclusion of staff and clients who are unwell, even if they have only mild symptomsRecords of attendance on the business premises for all staff, clients and contractorsCleaning requirementsRemoval of books, magazines and iPads from waiting areas to reduce the potential for infection of clientsSeating in waiting areas that complies with physical distancingEnsure good hand hygiene facilities are available, including at venue entry and exit, and promote excellent hand hygiene by staffClearly displayed conditions of entry on their entrance, website and social media platformsDesignating a staff member whose responsibilities include ensuring staff and clients have appropriate physical distancing and that the venue does not exceed the maximum capacity limit andMeasures to maximise distancing between staff where safe and practical, including assigning staff to specific work stations that are at least 1.5 metres apart and minimising any interaction between these stationsEncourage download of the COVID-safe app.Health Minister Brad Hazzard said clients must not attend salons if they are unwell even with the mildest of symptoms.“NSW has worked hard to flatten the curve but as restrictions ease we need to ensure the good work continues to keep our community safe,” Mr Hazzard said.“The elderly and people with underlying health issues should be particularly cautious when and if visiting salons.”NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said it was important beauty therapists and nail salons follow their safety plan, as these are environments where close contact will happen.“All businesses must have a COVID-19 safety plan and take precautions to protect the health of their staff and their clients,” Dr Chant said.Businesses covered include beauty, nail, waxing and tanning salons. Once beauty salons are open, any services that normally and legally take place in a beauty salon will be able to be undertaken. Any existing rules and regulations will continue to apply.

Get in early with your orders and your bookings if you’re keen to frock up and fundraise for the Our Kids Virtual Ball this year – that’s the lowdown from The Loft restaurant owner Brad Rickard.Normally, at this time of year, local charity Our Kids would be gathering the community at the Lismore Turf Club for their Morgan’s Financial Winter Ball. But like many community events, COVID- 19 has meant they need to adapt.Bring on the Virtual Ball. Our Kids Fundraising Coordinator Rebekka Battista said Our Kids will instead be hosting a Virtual Ball this year to raise money for paediatric equipment for local children in hospital. On Saturday, May 30, local charity, Our Kids is asking people to take part by hosting a dinner party, dress up and order takeaway from their favourite local restaurant.The Loft restaurant’s Brad Rickard said he was excited to support Our Kids and encourages people to get on board and not only support local food businesses, but a worthy cause too. “People should get their food orders in by Friday so they won’t be disappointed for Saturday’s virtual ball,” Brad said.“At The Loft, we have a small dine in capacity too,” he said.Rebekka said normally the ball entails frocking up in black tie and enjoying an evening raising funds for Our Kids.“But unfortunately we have had to postpone like so many other community events in Lismore,” Rebekka said.“This is just a simple idea to unite the community, have some fun and give everyone a good excuse to get out of your active wear and PJs,” Rebekka said.“We have had a great response so far, with people from as far away as England joining in, where they’ll be hosting a champagne breakfast due to the time difference.“Even the Commonwealth Business Banking Team who usually volunteer at the Ball are hosting their Virtual Ball at a lunchtime function so their team can join in.”If you would like to take part in the Our Kids Virtual Ball, follow these simple steps: 1. Host a dinner party with family and/or friends on Saturday May 30. (Please adhere to the NSW Government guidelines of social distancing and staying safe.)2. Choose your theme and set your table. 3. For dinner we ask that you support a local restaurant by ordering take away or book into your favourite restaurant. 4. Dress up. This is your chance to ditch the active wear, the PJ’s and work gear and dress to impress. 5. Join the Our Kids Virtual Winter Ball Facebook Group so you can be up to date with what’s happening https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourkidsvirtualball/ 6. Take some photos and upload to the Facebook group. There are opportunities to donate with an online raffle. For more information, visit https://give.everydayhero.com/au/our-kids-virtual-ball

Lismore City Council’s recent winning of a swim safety award for local swim programs comes at a time when we all look eagerly toward when fitness centres like GSAC will reopen. The State Government has yet to announce a date that fitness centres and gyms can open, but a date sometime in June is expected. This was reiterated by Lismore Council today.“There is no firm opening date for GSAC at the moment,” a Council spokesperson said.“We are working our way through necessary social distancing protocols to ensure the safety of the community and staff.“As soon as we do have an opening date we will let the community know through the media and our Facebook page.”Swim Australia award winLast week, the Council’s swim school at GSAC (Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre) and the Lismore Memorial Baths were named the Best Small Swim School in Australia for marketing and promotion at this year’s Swim Australia and Australian Swimming Coaches & Teachers Association Awards.The awards include Council’s use of social media, bus signage, water safety week, grandparents’ week and swimming clinics.The award is designed to highlight the importance that Swim Australia places on the swim safety message, and acknowledges the outstanding work being done around water safety.Teacher of the Year Two local swim teachers - Craig Beck and Trish Bailey - were given Teacher of the Year awards at the ceremony.Craig Beck was awarded Teacher of the Year - Babies & Toddlers. Craig is part of the Learn to Swim program at Northern Rivers Swim Academy at Trinity College. "Not a bad effort for a bloke pushing 66," Craig said. "Move over Laurie Lawrence."GSAC teacher Trish Bailey, was also awarded Teacher of the Year for Learners with a Disability.Trish has worked at GSAC for eight years and has taught many children with additional needs, building a great relationship with the student and their families, while achieving amazing results with the children.Lismore City Council’s Manager, Major Recreation & Cultural Facilities, Tony Duffy congratulated the winners.“I would like to congratulate and thank our swim school team and Trish. We have some great facilities in Lismore, and what these awards show is that we also have some wonderful and dedicated staff who work in those facilities,” Mr Duffy said.“We all know that drownings are tragic events for the families affected, but also for the whole community. That is why teaching members of our community how to swim and feel confident in water is crucially important.”

The next time you chew bubble gum, think carefully about where you dispose it.A Magpie Lark that couldn’t fly was picked up by a member of the public last week.When local Wildlife Information and Rescue Emergency Service (WIRES) volunteers were called to the scene, they discovered the bird had a sticky substance through its wing. It had caused the wing to become stuck to its tail and it couldn't fly.The local, Sophie, had already contained the helpless bird, and put it in a box with a soft cloth at the bottom.She was keeping it warm, dark and quiet to reduce its stress before WIRES arrived to give assistance.When WIRES volunteer arrived, she discovered that the sticky substance was bubble gum.Julie said this bird was “one lucky Magpie Lark”.“It was good that Sophie discovered the bird was in trouble before any major injuries occurred,” Julie said.It was also lucky because Julie is trained in how to remove sticky substances such as chewing gum from our feathered friends.According to Julie, there was minimal feather damage after the gum was removed.The Magpie Lark, just before it was released.“The Magpie Lark was given hydration and seemed quite feisty,” she said.“It was given a flight test and passed with flying colours. “This male Magpie Lark was ready to resume life in the wild and was promptly released back home."Julie said chewing gum can be lethal if thoughtlessly disposed of.“It may not kill the bird if it is ingested, but it can certainly cause issues, and as in this case would have eventually killed the bird as it was unable to fly leaving it helpless and easy prey,” she said.“Please dispose all rubbish including chewing gum responsibly, in a bin with a closed lid.If you find an injured animal, call WIRES 66281898. WIRES is a voluntary service looking after native wildlife an is ways looking for volunteers and donations.

"We were looking at a worst case scenario", these were the words of Jason Ainsworth, the son of Warren, who spent over a month in Lismore Base Hospital including ICU being treated for coronavirus.Warren Ainsworth's story was shared on facebook by Jason, some of you may have read this story already, if you haven't take the time to read it. You will see why the Federal and State Government as so cautious and worried about easing restrictions too fast and why we should all be very careful in the coming months as we state to socialise and holiday throughout NSW.The story was written by son Chris Ainsworth and what you read is unedited.First a bit of context.Warren and Julie Ainsworth travelled to the UK to visit their daughter who had her first child when the pandemic struck, they were there 5 months. March 24 saw them on a rushed flight home with a fourteen hour stop-over in Singapore. This is where doctors think Warren contracted COVID-19. The borders weren't closed and forced quarantine hadn't begun so after an overnight stay in Brisbane Warren and Julie returned home. Warren started with a scratchy throat and mild cough one week later.This is their story.....This was written by my brother Chris. It sums up Dad's story and how grateful we all are for the wonderful doctors and nurses at the Lismore Base Hospital, that did and still are making sure he recovers well and continue checking on him. We cannot thank them enough.Dad is now home looking pretty well and back to stirring mum!!! Our COVID-19 storyFirstly, our thoughts are with all families who have been affected by COVID-19, particularly those who have lost loved ones to the virus.Never for a moment did we believe someone within our family would become a statistic of COVID-19. The statistics are what the public is now accustomed to hearing daily, categorized by the number of new COVID-19 positive cases, number of cases occupying intensive care beds, number of cases who have died, and number of cases recovered. Each number represents a person, with family who care about them deeply. We soon learned the virus does not discriminate, with one of the numbers representing our father. This is our COVID-19 story.Soon after returning home from overseas & self isolating our father fell ill and was subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19. His condition worsened and dad was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Lismore Base Hospital on day 12 of his battle with the virus. After hospital admission dad’s condition deteriorated rapidly and ventilation was determined as the appropriate platform for our father to fight the virus, supported by a medical team constantly by his side. The next 11 days we will never forget.Our family thought we were ready to deal with dad’s condition, however the rapid deterioration in his health caught us by surprise. The reality is brutal and emotional, heightened in this case by the tyranny of being separated. Separated by oceans, state borders and social distancing laws, ultimately leaving the patients family feeling completely helpless. To make matters worse, mum was home alone self isolating as dad’s condition declined. This is stress no partner should have to burden alone, particularly when they are wanting to be with their loved one. Our family chose quickly to accept the situation, no matter how overwhelming and focus on ways of supporting mum as well as dad’s medical team. We commonly would say “it is what it is“ as a reflection of accepting the gravity of the situation, in order to then focus on the daily actions of the medical team and dad’s response to each intervention. The specialists were making decisions quickly and we needed to be accepting of their actions. Our solace was knowing dad was in the best place and in the hands of specialists who cared for his wellbeing. For 11 days they were by his side monitoring everything, treating his constant fevers, managing his oxygen support, providing supplements, watching his heart rate, testing for infections, undertaking neurological assessments and intervening whenever required with a simple goal of keeping dad alive. Day 8 in ICU (day 20 with the virus) will never be forgotten by our family. Dad’s condition had taken a turn for the worse, and we started to feel the impact of COVID-19 on our father’s system was almost irreversible. The virus appeared to be getting the upper hand in this fight. Our discussion with the doctor that day was about ensuring the medical team could accommodate mums wishes to say goodbye, in the event that time were near. The on-duty specialist acknowledged they would support our wishes and then made the point, they were not done and dad still had some fight left. The response gave us renewed hope to stay positive and stick to the routine of daily calls and updates to the broader family. Our target each day was to celebrate wins, no matter how small. We reset ourselves and moved through day 20.  The next two days passed with little change to dad’s condition, then on day 23 we received the most unexpected news. The virus was subsiding, and dad’s condition was improving. It was now a matter of staying the course of continued improvement & setting a goal of having our father alive and coping with the virus without support. Till this time dad had been 11 days completely reliant on a ventilator and a team of specialists to keep him alive.We are delighted to say dad continues his road to recovery without any significant side effects. He continues to build strength and retrain his voice, standard rehabilitation having spent 33 days in hospital (11 days ventilated).Given all the COVID-19 literature from overseas regarding survival rates of ventilated patients, dad’s outcome could be viewed as being extremely lucky. Our family prefers to believe his outcome is a direct result of the care our father received, both medicinal care and human care, when his body was most vulnerable to the virus. This is exactly why frontline medical staff are the heroes in the fight against COVID-19. Not only are they treating their patients against a virus, which they are understanding on the run, they are also bearing the burden of families, acting as support and comfort to patients when family cannot be there.Whilst we had some dark days during dad’s ventilated period, we never gave up hope, because dad’s medical team never gave up hope. England’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson best described the importance of the frontline medical team upon his release from ICU. He stated, “he owed his medical team his life, particularly referring to the nurses who stayed by his bedside ensuring his body received enough oxygen, watching, thinking, caring and making interventions when needed”. It really is a minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day proposition for the sickest COVID-19 patients. This same care was afforded to our father by the team at Lismore Base Hospital. Our father is no world leader, however during his time in ICU, he was treated as such. We will forever refer to his critical time in ICU as the Boris Johnson experience. London and Lismore may not have much in common but when it comes to COVID-19 medical care, the two are equals. As a society we are quick to call out the failures of a system, however in Australia’s case the health system is standing tall against COVID-19 and is forefront & envy of the world currently.To all the staff @ Lismore Base who have been involved in dad’s care, from front line doctors, social workers, specialists, cleaners, caterers, administration & importantly the nursing team, there are too many to name – you know who you are & we will be forever dedicated to you. We are truly appreciative to have a husband, father and poppy with us today and it is only because of your combined efforts he is still with us.Forever in your debtJulie, Jason & Bek, Chris & Kirralee, Brad & Rosie, Kate and Nick and grandkids

UPDATE 2:15PMSome good news from this mornings truck and car accident in Alstonville, the female occupant of the car has only suffered minor injuries, a hand laceration according the NSW Ambulance Service.It was thought the female passenger, believed to be in her 70's, suffered serious chest injuries but this has now been adjusted after she was assessed at Lismore Base Hospital. Her condition is stable.UPDATE 10:30AMThe Bruxner Highway is now open and clear following this mornings accident.ORIGINAL STORYA truck and car have crashed on the Bruxner Highway near Kays Lane this morning at 8:21am.The Live Traffic NSW website says that westbound traffic is still moderately affected with a tow truck in attendance.A spokesperson from the NSW Ambulance Service said there were two people involved with the female driver of the car transported to Lismore Base Hospital by road and the truck driver sustaining a shoulder injury.There were no more details available at 9:24am.

During the last council meeting on May 12, Councillor Gianpiero Battista put a motion forward that would encourage councillors and council staff to voluntarily donate 10% of their income back into council funds during a time where the 20/21 Draft Budget and Operational Plan was being approved which included a cashflow deficit of $282,000 after cuts of $2 million were made to get it to that point. $1-$1.5 million of this was due to the impacts of coronavirus.The motion was deferred following legal advice to General Manager Shelley Oldham due to Cnr Battista's wording of the motion.Cnr Battista then called for an urgency motion which was dismissed by Mayor Isaac Smith so now the motion is due to be re-heard on the June 9 council meeting in two weeks.Cnr Battista said that the 10% model was based on modelling from the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian."I am frustrated and disappointed this was not finalised at the last council meeting", Cnr Battista declared."We have the chance to show the community we are supporting them", Cnr Battista said, "I am proposing that the money councillors raise go to rate payers and money raised from staff go to general funds to keep some services and staff jobs".According to Cnr Battista this would mean $155 per month from the monthly Councillor wage of $1,555. "If everyone could afford to do this and we could donate for 12 months this would raise $3.8 million from a total wages bill of $38 million", Cnr Battista added.General Manager Shelley Oldham was confused about the frustration from Cnr Battista."A specific bank account has been opened up for contributions to be made into", Ms Oldham said, "and an email has been sent to all councillors and staff outlining the details".Cnr Battista was concerned where the money would be distributed because it has not been officially stated as yet with Ms Oldham saying "that is up to councillors to decide".Now, we wait for the June 9 council meeting and to see if Cnr Battista's motion will be on the agenda and how much support it will receive from the other councillors.

Police are reminding all road users to be safe around schools, as students return to normal schedules today.During the COVID-19 restrictions school zones have remained in place as normal, however the number of children in attendance has been greatly reduced. Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy of the state’s Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said with school students back in full attendance from today, all road users need to consider the risks to themselves and young people.“School zones will become busy from today, with student numbers, vehicles, pedestrians, and buses returning to normal frequency,” Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.“With recent restrictions changing student attendance and impacting on vehicle, pedestrian and bus flows, we can’t afford to become complacent for the remainder of the school term.“All road users, including pedestrians, need to consider their own behaviour in school zones; pay attention to the flashing signs, comply with requests from school crossing supervisors, and keep everyone safe on our roads.”Traffic and Highway Patrol Command officers take this opportunity to remind road users of the following:• Drivers - to either park away from school and escort students in, park in designated areas, or heed the kiss and drop zones• Parents - to hold their school age child’s hand, along with younger siblings, when crossing the road and escorting them into school groundsPolice will be patrolling school zones throughout NSW ensuring road users comply with the road rules, keeping everyone safe. Penalties for school zone offences include:• Drive on path - $457 / 4 demerit points• Drive without proper control - $572 4 demerit points• Drive using mobile phone - $457 / 5 points• Drive with animal on lap - $572 / 4 points• Stop in bus zone - $344 / 2 points• Exceed speed >45kph - $2636 / 7 points

Another much loved Lismore shop is closing its doors on Saturday. But don't despair, it is not the end of Two Roads Vintage in Zadoc Street (next to the Rous Hotel) it is evolving in to an increasingly popular modern model, an online store.Owner Mel Watson said that "after 6 years in my little black shop It's time for change and a new chapter in the Two Roads Vintage book".(Mel Watson out the front of her beloved Two Roads Vintage shop in Zadoc Street)"2020 is proving to be quite the year of transformation and I'm not immune to the pull of the new. This unexpected time at home has further revealed to me what I have long known inside...I'm craving change, freedom and new creative expression".Mel opened her shop six years ago after it had been a lifelong dream which was first ignited after reading 'Go Ask Alice' in high school, a somewhat controversial diary styled book from the 1970's about a 15 year old girl who develops a drug addiction and runs away from home to California where her and a friend open a shop. "The part I remember most about the book was the girls opening a shop and thinking I want to do that someday", Mel said."Then I was working for a friend in a vintage shop in Byron Bay when she was in the process of selling it. My son was in year 12 at Trinity and I thought instead of driving to Byron it would be easier to open my own place. One day I drove by and saw the store empty and thought why not".Two Roads also became a sanctuary for Mel when her mother passed away six months before opening the shop, giving her somewhere to channel her energy during a very difficult time."I have met so many gorgeous people through this space, both in person and through socials, lovely customers that have become beautiful friends. And so many rad vintage treasures have passed through the door and found their new home!", Mel said."For those local ladies and ladies visiting the area who like me, love the tactile experience and treasure hunt of vintage shopping I will be setting up a beautiful little Two Roads studio at my home for you, which I'm super excited about", she added.Mel says it has taken her a long, long time to get to this place and let go of her little shop but now she is super excited about the change and brimming with ideas for the future.As well as her studio at home and the on-line store Mel will also be on the road buying and selling clothes.You can keep in touch with fashions from Two Roads Vintage via the online craft and vintage platform 'etsy' (https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/TwoRoadsVintage?ref=shop_sugg) for now. Mel will have her own website within a month or two and if you follow Mel on instagram this is another platform to purchase goods.Two Roads Vintage will be closing its doors this Saturday for the last time. Mel is having a closing down sale all week and you will find her at 32 Zadoc Street, Lismore.The final word goes to Mel's words from he facebook page, "So lovelies as I move online, at home and on the road I hope Two Roads stays in your hearts"."I want to THANK YOU so, so much from the bottom of My heart, for your wonderful support over the years!""Your decision to support small, support local and support the environment by buying vintage is one I'm super duper grateful for."

During COVID-19 we have had a great deal of negative news from personal restrictions to slow the spread of the virus to business closures and job losses.As it is Sunday, we felt it time for a good news story. Another example of people helping each other when help is needed.Recently, the NightOwl convenience store on Woodlark Street (near the Gollan Hotel) had their freezer blow up.The freezer was a 4x4 metre walk in that was operating at -10 degrees instead of -25 and fixing the freezer meant contacting a trade and turning off the unit for 24 hours then turning it back on and waiting another 24 hours to cool to the correct temperature.To give you some perspective, we are talking $10-15,000 worth of potential stock loss on top of a 35% drop in revenue due to the coronavirus restrictions.Owners Carlos and Heather McDiarmid started contacting other owners and managers close by to see if they could lend a helping hand as well as a freezer."We had frozen pizza, cheesecakes, ice creams, bags of ice, pies, bread rolls, the whole lot. We had to find somewhere to store our stock"."First we contacted Glenn at the Gollan Hotel, he comes here every day to buy a coffee" Carlos said, "we got a trolley and stored what we could in his freezer but it wasn't big enough to handle all of our stock. We have a large freezer".So, it was off to talk to Cath Simes at Mary G's across the road who luckily had a freezer they weren't using due to the coronavirus pub restrictions and another load of stock was saved.Finally, Wayne from PFD brought in some coffin freezers and another friend offered their freezer so that all the NightOwl stock was saved until the problem was fixed, a $5000 bill.(tradies fix the NightOwl 4x4m freezer)When all was fixed and their stock was back in the freezer, Carlos left some surprises to say thank you."I just want to say thank you to these people for helping me through a tough time", Carlos said."It reminds me of the flood from 2017. We bought this place three months before and then came the water, 1.6 or 1.7 metres and then all of our money was gone because we just bought it.""We were wondering what we were going to do when we saw 40-50 people asking if they can help us. More than half of these we have never seen before in our life as we only just opened the doors.""They were all dressed up with a mop, bucket and rag to help clean"."This is what I love about the Lismore community", Carlos added.As a community we have seen some hardship in the last three years.Business owners are resilient, overcoming each disaster or obstacle put int here way but they would not stay open without your help and support.This is where we, as a community, excel.

With travel restrictions easing, if you're out and about next week and heading toward the coast, you might need to take a detour if you are near Byron Bay. Transport NSW is advising motorists of changed traffic conditions on the Pacific Motorway and Ewingsdale Road for asphalting work to be carried out on the Ewingsdale Road interchange bridge.To reduce impact to motorists, work will be carried out between 6pm and 3am for three nights from Monday 25 May, weather permitting.Ewingsdale Bridge will be closed to traffic with detours in place while work is carried out.A detour will be available southbound via a dedicated U-turn area just north of the St Helena Tunnel for motorists on the Pacific Motorway travelling to Myocum and those travelling from Byron Bay to Myocum.A northbound detour will be available via Tyagarah Road for motorists on the Pacific Motorway travelling to Byron Bay and those travelling from Myocum to Byron Bay.Access will remain available for northbound motorists wishing to access Myocum and for southbound road users heading towards Byron Bay.A reduced speed limit will be in place during work hours, which may affect travel times.Transport for NSW thanks motorists for their patience during this time. For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.

The big national news yesterday was the announcement by Wesfarmers Chief Executive Rob Scott, that about half the Target stores throughout the country were either closing or being rebranded into the more profitable Kmart stores.Mr Scott said “With the exception of Target, Wesfarmers’ retail businesses are well-positioned to respond to the changes in consumer behaviour and competition associated with this disruption.”Of the 102 small format Target Country stores 50 will change to Kmart while the other 52 will close.Why? Mr Scott explained his reasoning, “To convert stores costs money and there are some stores that are not commercially viable in the current structure,” Scott told Chanticleer on Friday morning. “In some cases, it's better to close stores than to keep pursuing unviable stores.”This leads to the Goonellabah Target Country store located in the Village Goonellabah complex on Simeoni Drive. The questions being asked were "will it change to a Kmart or close its doors".That answer came in the list of stores to close across Australia today.Not listed under NSW but Qld, Goonellabah Target Country will be closing from early 2021 along with Casino (early to mid 2021) and Murwillumbah (early 2021).While this will mean local job losses early next year, there will be more job opportunities in 2021 with a new business opening to replace Target Country in the Village Goonellabah space.Village Goonellabah is owned and managed by McGees Property backed by Exceed Capital. It was purchased by the group 18 months ago.Managing Director of Exceed Vaughan Hayne and co-founder Justin Clarke from McGees Property said "disappointed, yes we are but we did think it would go. The trade was not that great".(inside Target Country Goonellabah)"We have started looking at opportunities for the space which is 2000 square metres. We have identified a gap in the marketplace for a hardware store so that is one avenue we will pursue but we are open to other ideas too such as creating smaller spaces for a number of new businesses".Village Goonellabah will have two new businesses opening up in the future with a laundromat and pizza place taking up leases recently.So, while Target Country closing appears a negative there is an upside with an exciting opportunity around the corner.

The Lismore App has introduced a Games & Puzzle button so you can have something fun to do on your mobile phone.You will locate the button at the very bottom of the Lismore App, the very last button.There you will find Crosswords, Sudoku, Solitaire and Tic-Tac-Toe (or Naughts and Crosses as some would know it by), all for free. Why should you have to pay for something that is easily accessible, like your news and sport.The puzzles all work very simply once you get to know how they function. The advice is to read the 'how to play' instructions before beginning especially the crossword puzzle. Once you get the idea, it is very simple to open the Lismore App push Games & Puzzles and then push the game you want to play. If you would like to see other games or puzzles on the Lismore App please email me at simon@lismoreapp.com.au with your suggestions.

This week, we celebrated World Bee Day, so The Lismore App is bringing a little sweetness to your lives with a look at the world of bees through the eyes of local beekeeper Brian Windows, today and in tomorrow’s Sunday Profile.The past year has been the worst year for Lismore beekeeper Brian Windows’ honey bees.After 30 years of keeping bee hives, Brian said the drought, the fires and the rain impacted last year impacted his bees so much that his normal honey yield was more than halved.From his 50 hives, he normally get five tonnes of honey, but he was lucky to get under half that.“The drought affected the flowering of macadamias in spring and there was little yield.“Then I took the hives to Bungawalbin and then the fires came and I had to rush out there and move them ahead of the fire. "I took them to the macadamias, but the custard apple growers there didn’t like the bees stealing pollen. The bees don’t do well in bush either.“In autumn I move them to the broad leaf tea tree, but it was raining and so wet, I couldn’t get up hill to move them and I missed first flowering.”The shortage of honey means that the price of honey has gone up. Brian said Capilano normally pay $3 a kilo for honey, but now the price is $6.40 per kilo.Brian said despite rumours, Capilano honey is not watered down, but it is heated up to make it easier to flow -and this denatures the honey a bit.These days, China is the biggest honey producer in the world.Queen bee and the worker bees.Bigging up the bee club Brian is the secretary of the Northern Rivers Amateur Beekeeping Club and he said the club has grown from 40 members to 150 over the past ten years. The main reason is the invention of the flow hive by locals who live at the Channon.The flow hive makes bee keeping cheaper and easier and people are joining the club to learn about how to do it with their flow hives.Brian said it’s good news for bees and honey production, as more people are getting into producing local honey.With a global decline in bee populations and in the volume of honey being produced, the increase in beekeeping means rather than the death of a sweet industry, it’s a locally growing one.“When they are starting out with their flow hives, they come to me to get their stock of European honey bees,” Brian said.“Then they have to have to learn how to look after them and we teach people to look out for common diseases.“Fifty years ago, some of the diseases we now have were unheard of, and the hive beetle is a big problem – if people have them, they have to destroy the hive and the bees and get the equipment sterilised.”Brian and his hive.Flow hiveIn a conventional bee hive, bees put honey into wax cells and the bee keeper then spins the frame with the wax cells to extract the honey. It can be expensive to get the machinery to spin the honey.The flow hive design however, has plastic hexagonal cells that split up the middle – so, spinning the frame is unnecessary and makes the extraction process cheaper.“You turn a lever and it separates the cell into two halves and the honey runs out of a pipe in the back and into a jar,” Brian said. “You wind the lever again and they come back together again.”CostsIf you are interested in starting your own hive, Brian said it costs about $100-$300 for a conventional hive. You will also need to buy a bit more equipment, plus your bees – starting with a minimum of 10,000 bees.“You’ll get 1000 kilos of honey a year from a full scale hive,” Brian said. “That’s a profitable hobby.”To find out what it’s like to tour a bee hive and go indepth into the world of bees, read tomorrow’s Sunday Profile and take a sunny day stroll with Brian as he tends his bees and find out some interesting and funny insights into the sweet world of honey bees.

You may have seen the sign as you walk down Magellan Street about Peppertree Kitchen moving around the corner.That move is now complete and the new store opens at 9am this morning in Carrington Street, right before to Cafe Cappello's.Helen Nott has been in business for twenty eight years with the last fourteen of those in the Magellan Street store.Just like empty nesters that downsize their homes when the children leave home, Helen has decided to downsize her shop. Amazingly all the stock that was in her Magellan Street store is in the new Carrington Street store.With Carrington Street being a lesser main thoroughfare was there a concern about less foot traffic with the new store?"I am right next door to the busiest cafes in town" Helen said referencing Cafe Cappello's.So, what is happening to the building that Helen is vacating and owns?"A couple from Sydney have leased the building and will open a restaurant", Helen said. The good news here is that the couple who already own a local carwash business will become locals as they are moving to Lismore.Staying with the current 'support local business' theme Helen went on to say the restaurant owners are using all local trades and suppliers for their fit-out and signage.If you are in the CBD and looking at upmarket kitchenware then pop in and say hi in the coming weeks.Read more news: The sweet hobby of bee keeping gains popularity

It is not officially winter but this week has certainly introduced some wintery weather and it looks set to continue into the weekend.Jumping out of the car this morning in the CBD the temperature said 15 degrees! While the average winter temperature in Lismore is 20 for June, 19 for July and 21 in August we have certainly hit a cold snap.It doesn't get too much warmer tomorrow with 18 degrees the top and Sunday sees us hit 20. While Monday will be 19 the rest of the week looks like early twenties so back to normal after these antarctic conditions.While boaties had some good news this week when the Premier announced that a family can resume recreational boating activities, conditions over the weekend don't look the best if you intend taking the boat in the ocean with large surf and swell predicted. Fishermen should also take note.If you look for a mental challenge over the weekend check out the new Games & Puzzles button on the Lismore App. There is Sudoku, Crosswords, Solitaire and Tic-Tac-Toe. Why pay for games and puzzles when you can access them for free. Please read the instructions first to avoid frustration, especially on crossword as it may take a little time to adjust to the way it works. Here is a direct link Games & Puzzles.If you would like us to include other games or puzzles please contact me at simon@lismoreapp.com.au with your suggestion.The Lismore Farmers Markets open their gates at 8 tomorrow morning or a little earlier as usual. With the cold weather hit AJ up for a good deal on a fire pit!This weeks Sunday Profile is Brian Windows, a local beekeeper. You can read Brian's story from 6am on Sunday just go to News/Sport and push the Sunday Profile tab (Sunday Profile).School is back on Monday for full time face to face teaching so there will be increased traffic and potential car queues because parents are not allowed to walk their children into their respective schools. Be patient if you get stuck for a while.The coronavirus jokes have dried up just like the new cases in Lismore so I have sourced some Dad jokes in tile form to make you cringe, smile or laugh.Get out and support local business and have a great weekend.

Bikes are perfect for it and it’s about to get even better for scooters and skateboards. The Nesbitt Park BMX bike track aka ‘pump’ track’ is about to be upgraded from a dirt track – to as soft, asphalt pump track.If you are not sure what the ‘pump’ in pump track means – it indicates a different style of riding to the normal pedal riding. Your movement instead relies on your motion of rolling up and down banks and using your body to generate momentum.The pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden completely by riders ‘pumping’.It’s benefit over a dirt track is that it is easier to ride on for scooters, skateboard or rollerblades.The new track will be constructed soon with $99,769 grant money that Lismore City Council received from the NSW Government to help upgrade the track.The conversion will mean people can use the facility safely, all year round.Nationals Member of the Legislative Council Ben Franklin today visited Lismore to announce the funding and said the upgrade would mean more people could use the track and not have to worry about weather damage.“This will now be an even better space for people to get outdoors and ride safely, especially for young people,” Mr Franklin said.“Parks are playing a big role for recreation and exercise in people’s lives at the moment and so any upgrades to local parks are great for the community.“Asphalting the dirt track will open up the facility to include BMX riders, scooters, skate boards, trikes, balance bikes, mountain bikes and gravel bikes.Lismore City Council General Manager Shelley Oldham, Lismore City Councillor Neil Marks and NSW MLC Ben Franklin.“The existing track is easily damaged by the weather and is often impacted by soil cracking, compaction issues, dust and water retention and often remains unsuitable and unsafe for community use."Converting the track will mean this would no-longer be a problem.”Lismore City Councillor Neil Marks said the upgrades will make a positive impact in the community.“This is a great outcome for the community,” he said.“Nesbitt is a very popular and well-used park. Over many years Council has invested in Nesbitt Park to improve its facilities."This latest upgrade of an asphalt pump track means the park can be used by even more people, more often, regardless of the weather.” 

A man and woman will face court after allegedly assaulting a child in a domestic-related incident in Nimbin.Earlier this month, officers from Richmond Police District commenced an investigation following reports a three-year-old boy had been physically assaulted by a woman who was known to him.During the investigation, police received further reports the child had been physically assaulted by a man who was known to him.As part of their inquiries, police attended a home in Nimbin and the child was taken to Lismore Base Hospital with bruising.Following further inquiries, a 57-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were arrested at Lismore Police Station about 3.40pm yesterday (Thursday 21 May 2020).The man was charged with assault occasioning actually bodily harm (DV) and breach ADVO.He was refused bail to appear at Lismore Local Court today (Friday 22 May 2020).The woman was charged with assault occasioning actually bodily harm (DV) and breach ADVO.She was granted conditional bail to appear at Lismore Local Court on Monday 27 July 2020.The child has been released from hospital and alternative care arrangements have been made.