Greg brought to the attention of the members at the meeting the need for care in their diet while managing their Parkinson disease. The way Parkinson medication is affected by a poor diet was highlighted by Greg in his presentation. 

A group bonding luncheon was held at the Bega Asia restaurant and all who attended had a great time. The next meeting will be held on Monday, June 6 at 10.30am at Bega Golf Club.

The next meeting of the Merimbula & District Garden Club will be this Saturday, May 28, at 10:15am at the Merimbula RSL Club. 

Members of the Bemboka Garden Club will be our guests, and will demonstrate some easy techniques for creating interesting floral arrangements.

The Trading Table will be operating as usual, and there will be a great raffle prize - a magnificent bird house. Members are also bringing 'creative cupcakes' for morning tea, so come along and join us. Visitors are always very welcome.

All are cordially invited to the Bega Valley Genealogy  Society’s annual seminar on Saturday, May 28 from 10am until 4pm at Pambula Public School to hear three notable speakers. Kim Phillips, editor of Spirits of Gallipoli and Robyn Dryen, President  Australian Jewish Genealogical Society Inc will spark your interest with some great topics. 

All property owners will find Dr Carol Liston’s two sessions on Land and Property Information most informative. She will detail Torrens Title, Old parish maps, DPs, lot numbers, old ownerships and encumbrances such as mortgages, leases, easements etc.

The cost is $35 and includes a light lunch and morning and afternoon tea. To register call Ursula Hunt on 6495 3566 or Mike Harrison on 6492 0321. 

The special week at this time of year is Palliative Care Week.

This year Palliative Care Australia is emphasising that people with chronic diseases have equal right  to access this care as well as those perhaps nearer to death. 

The Bega Valley Hospice (palliative) Group has organised display of information related to this in  conjunction with our Council libraries. 

Please feel free to pick up material at your closest library, that  can help you organise your Advanced Care Directive, to understand what happens at time of death, how to organise a funeral and more. This is all important so that at the time of death of a loved one, we can more easily process our loss.

On Thursday, May 26, there is another community event. The local health service has organised two  free Grief and Loss workshops to be held at the new Bega Civic Centre. The times are 1.20pm-3.30pm,  and 6pm-8pm.  These come highly recommended, and include understanding the difference between  “healthy” grieving and “unhealthy” grieving and supporting ourselves and others who have experienced loss.

Registration is required. Please ring 6124 9825, The Canberra Grief Centre.

The Merimbula Chamber of Commerce will be holding an Open Meeting on Wednesday May 25, starting at 6pm at Club Sapphire Merimbula in the Sapphire Room. 

Guest speakers include Orit Karny Winters the Regional President for Capital Far South Coast and members of Bega Valley Shire Council to discuss local issues and answer car parking concerns. We are also looking for buskers/entertainers to keep the streets full over the Jazz weekend. 

The much-loved golden retriever at Mandeni from 2004 – 2016 recently passed away. Here’s a tribute poem from Bonnie. 

A sad thing happened to me today,

I passed away.

For the past 10 years almost every day,

It was off to Mandeni to play.

You can imagine the people I met.

The mums and dads and their children

The boys and girls from the town

The thousands of visitors passing through

And the farmers from around.

Everyone loved me at Mandeni and I loved them in return

The smallest things that makes us happy are easy things to learn

So if you come to Mandeni and I feel you surely will

Stop and see where I am lying and know I am happy still

I had the most wonderful life.

- Bonnie O’Brien

The next general meeting of the Merimbula Historical society will be on Monday, May 30 at the Merimbula RSL at 2pm.

The guest speaker will be Olwen Morris to give a talk on her and Barry's trip around South Tasmania on a square rigger "Windeward Bound" and the history of the wilderness and surrounding area Port Davey.

The new exhibition which opened on Sunday, May 22, at the Old school Museum "Mrs Mac' is a great success which is about the life a times of local Pambula shop owner Mrs Bridgette MacPherson.

The Pambula-Merimbula Lions Club is hoping the local community will get behind a project run by the Lions Club of Albany to raise money for Diabetes Research. 

‘Hope in a Boat around Australia ’ is a motorcycle traveling around Australia towing a boat to raise funds. A Honda Goldwing, ridden by Lion Glen Hurst and a support vehicle driven by Lions Marina Rurenga and Eric Maujean. This is their second journey to raise funds for diabetes research, the last trip in 2014 was 24,395km. 

Presently there are more than 385 million people living with diabetes and it is expected that in less than 25 years this will reach 592 million people. The health system will be over loaded unless this research continues. 

The Hope in a Boat crew were in Merimbula and Pambula on Sunday where they met up with some of the local Lions before traveling south on Monday morning. 

Donations for Hope in a Boat can be made by direct deposit to NAB BSB: 086 518, Account Number: 84 383 1400. Donations over $2 are tax deductible. If there is any other way in which you like to be involved in or learn more contact Glen on 0418 936 948 or Lion Gerald Cook on 0435 215 465. Alternatively simply search for Hope in a Boat on Facebook. 

At the June meeting, Aglow Merimbula celebrates her 13th birthday and the group will also welcome Tracey Creighton, artist, from Canberra as the guest speaker.

Tracey’s art career has spanned 39 years, from her early years as a graphic artist to the creative and passionate mixed-media artist she is today who draws on her Christian faith and spirituality, and cultural, life and travel experiences to create vibrant and colourful works of art through a range of paint media and textiles.

She is in love with the creative process and always excited to produce new and ever changing works of art that reflect to the viewer a sense of mystery, wonder and beauty.

Aglow meetings are open to everyone, with all invited to join for a delicious morning tea.

The next meeting is on Thursday, June 2, at 10am at the Merimbula RSL. The cost is $7 and there is free childminding courtesy of the RSL. For more information phone Shanne on 6495 2220.  ​

This, May 27 join Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea and help Cancer Council raise vital funds for cancer prevention, research and support services.

Local Pambula restaurant Wheeler’s Seafood Restaurant invite you to join them for High Tea, from 3pm to 4pm this Friday, May 27. Bookings preferred – please phone 6495 6330.

 Geoff Willis will be playing the piano and champagne will be flowing alongside petite sandwiches and sweet treats from the Wheeler’s kitchen. For more information contact Wheeler’s on 6495 6330 or info@wheelersoysters.com.au.

BIG4 Merimbula Tween Waters Holiday Park is also holding an Australia's Biggest Morning Tea and all friends, family, businesses and community members are invited. This is a chance for people to check out the facilities while also having a cuppa and a snack with the friendly staff. The morning tea is on Monday, May 30 from 10am - 12noon.