Sunshine Coast technology company, Schoolzine, is taking solving school communication problems nationwide with its innovative communications system developed specially for their unique challenges.

In just two and a half years, more than 85 Australian private and public schools have signed up for the system to send newsletters, emails and SMSs to parents and now, Schoolzine is taking its service national.

Schoolzine Managing Director Phil Reardon said while Schoolzine began as a solution to help schools manage and distribute e-newsletters, it had now developed into being a complete communications system.

“Schools can use our system to send newsletters and other notices via email, or to send SMSs to advise of cancelled activities or other urgent messages,” Mr Reardon said.

He said in fact demand for the system had accelerated since the Swine Flu epidemic during which schools needed to communicate quickly and efficiently with parents in relation to school closures and other safety precautions.

“This is where the system really comes into its own for schools, they can simply type in the text message they need to send and then send it simultaneously to all the parents they need to reach,” Mr Reardon said.

“This is effective for emergency situations but also just when they need to advice parents of cancelled activities and the like.”

Based at the Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast, a University of the Sunshine Coast company, Schoolzine takes a school’s videos, photos and text and turns it into an e-newsletter and hardcopy within a single business day, which once approved is sent to everyone in the school’s database.

“It is environmentally friendly because it eliminates the printing and paper needed with traditional newsletters and it saves time for the school’s administration staff and the need for postage as a result it is more cost effective,” Mr Reardon said.

“It also means that messages that were previously sent home with students reached parents in a timely fashion.”

He said by seeking sponsors Schoolzine is able to subsidise the cost of the system and also give a percentage of the sponsorship to the schools, allowing them to generate an income from a previously very expensive process and to communicate better with their community.

Innovation Centre Entrepreneur-In-Residence Nigel Hall said Schoolzine was a great example of the innovative companies developing locally.

“Schoolzine has developed a great solution to a common problem and they are now taking that solution around the country,” Mr Hall said.

“The Sunshine Coast is emerging as one of Australia’s innovation hotspots and at the Innovation Centre we are dedicated to supporting that development”.

The Innovation Centre offers competitive, state-of-the-art offices, with a great location close to the University of the Sunshine Coast and to the Business and Technology Precinct to be developed across the road.

“Not only can companies access students from the university, they can locate themselves at what is becoming the ICT, Clean Tech, and Creative hub of the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Hall said.

The Innovation Centre is already home to 28 businesses, mainly in ICT, Clean Tech and Creative Industry sectors and also offers business development and networking opportunities for businesses throughout the region at the Centre and also via its redeveloped website at www.innovation- centre.com.au including the ‘Zero to Hero’ program which allows people at any stage of business development access to expert advice.

For more information on Schoolzine visit www.schoolzine.com.au. For more information about the Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast visit www.innovation-centre.com.au.

Getting published can be one of the most daunting but rewarding achievements for a writer so the Sunshine Coast Literary Association is holding a one-day Publishing Seminar to help get people on their way.

The seminar will be held on Saturday 7 November from 9.30am to 4pm at Kawana Library. It will cover information including editing, agents, conventional publishers, self-publishing, partnership publishing, tax implications for published authors, copyright and other publishing issues.

SCLA president Hari Kotrotsios said information on publishing was one of the most requested by the growing members of the Literary Association.

“That’s why we decided to put all the information together on one day with experienced writers, many of them also members, offering down-to-earth advice and information based on their own experiences,” Ms Kotrotsios said.

Writer and educator Bronwyn Cozens will run a session on editing, offering information on building editing into the writing process, working with an editor, obtaining publishing guidelines and more.  Later in the day she will also talk about when and how to start a new book, as well as other publishing options such as anthologies, magazine submissions, ghost writing and being paid for your writing.

SCLA executive members Hari Kotrotsios, Peter Nolan and Barry Corcoran will also share their experience offering advice and information on the requirements and expectations of the different publishing options, such as finding a literary agent, publishing through a conventional publisher, or partnership publishing.  They and Don Hardgrave, who helped produce a recent anthology for Coolum Wave Writers, will cover self-publishing, as well as royalties, timeframes, costs, promotion and distribution and other issues relating to each option.

Dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and celebrating literary talent on the Sunshine Coast, the SCLA, trades as WARM on the Coast, which stands for Writers, Artists and Readers Month, working to make every month just that, by hosting regular events to inspire writers and allow them to network with each other.

Details of the Publishing Seminar follow and more information on this and other workshops is available on the SCLA website – www.scliterary.org.

SEMINAR DETAILS:

WHEN:         Saturday 7 November 2009

WHERE:         Kawana Library

TIME:         9.30am – 4pm

COST:         Sunshine Coast Literary Assoc financial members $55, non members $65

Bookings:         Book and confirm by payment before the seminar: phone 0414 635 407 or email info@scliterary.org.

Numbers are limited so REGISTER EARLY!

(Story from Sunshine Coast Daily – to view in full with photo visit http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2009/10/12/musical-talents-are-on-song-for-tv-doco/)  – Photo from Sunshine Coast Daily

By Janine Hill

The song sounds fabulous so we will keep you posted on details of its progress and that of the documentary.

Four of the Sunshine Coast’s leading chefs will be up for auction at the next Cattleman’s and Cabernet Lunch at Montego’s restaurant on Friday 30 October to help raise money for the Bloomhill Cancer Help Centre.

Guests at the regular Sunshine Coast event will have the opportunity to bid for Tony Kelly from the Wine Bar, Lyn Howard of Lyn’s Place, The Boat Shed’s Adam Marrable and Montego’s own Daniel Jarrett.

Bloomhill committee member Brett Graham said the Cattleman’s Lunch was a great way to raise much needed funds for the local charity while enjoying a restaurant quality meal cooked in your home from one of the Coast’s leading chefs and savouring some great wines selected by Purple Palate.

“We are thrilled to have such prominent local chefs donate their time to support Bloomhill.  We all know that their time is precious because of the hours they work so it’s a great opportunity to enjoy their company and food in the comfort of your own home,” Brett said.

Daniel Jarrett has recently returned as head chef at Montego’s after a six month break and said he was looking forward to participating in the auction.

“I hope there are lots of keen bidders on the day, best of all we get to support Bloomhill which does a great job supporting so many local people affected by cancer,” Daniel said.

All proceeds from the lunch and auction will go to Bloomhill, which supports people with cancer and their families throughout the Sunshine Coast.  This local charity receives no on-going government funding and is reliant on the community for support.

A number of prominent local businesses are supporting the lunch including Mick’s Meat Barn, the Fruit Shed, Brown’s Seafood and Purple Palate wines.

The Cattleman’s and Cabernet Sauvignon lunch will be held at Montego’s on the Bay Kawana Island and kicks off at midday on Friday October 30^th. Tickets are $90 each and include beer on arrival, a two course meal featuring the famous cattleman’s steak and red wines to accompany.

For bookings please call Montego’s on (07) 5493 2611.

Local Sunshine Coast charity, Bloomhill Cancer Help is celebrating the expansion of its Mooloolaba Op Shop with a Re-Opening Sale and Family Fun Day on Saturday 31 October.

The action-packed opening, from 9am to 12noon will be held at the new store (right next to the old one) at 105 Brisbane Road, and will include hot dogs, balloons, face painting and a massive 30% off all stock.

Not only that but Bloomhill patron, former Olympian and cancer survivor Raelene Boyle AM MBE, will carry out the official opening of the new shop, which is twice as big as the old one, at 10am.

The Mooloolaba Op Shop is one of seven Bloomhill Cancer Help runs on the Coast and is a vital fundraiser for its work helping people with cancer and their families throughout the Sunshine Coast.  The other stores are located at Maroochydore, Caloundra, Noosaville, Nambour, Buderim and Kunda Park.

Bloomhill is operated by a dedicated team of professional staff and therapists who are assisted by a large number of volunteers. It relies on the generosity of the public and funds generated by its Op Shops to enable them to offer practical as well as emotional support for people with cancer and their loved ones. This help includes complementary therapies, counselling, support groups and transport.

“The launch is an opportunity for family and friends to get together and witness the new store opening, as well as have some fun together,” Bloomhill Committee Vice President, Jenny Carroll said.

“Bloomhill relies heavily on support from the local community so we also want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us.”

“It is also a pleasure to have our very supportive patron Raelene Boyle opening the new shop,” Jenny said.

Jenny said all the Bloomhill shops including Mooloolaba were always in need of new stock, particularly homewares and bric-a-brac.

“If anyone has any items they no longer need or want, we would be very grateful to receive them, so in addition to joining us for the re-opening, we are urging people to check out their cupboards and garage and donate any items they no longer need or want,” she said.

“Donated items can be dropped off at any of the shops during opening hours or you can call 5448 6858 to organise free collection.”

The massive 30% off sale will run all week from Friday 30 October.

“We look forward to seeing everyone at the opening on Saturday 31 October.”

A new guidebook provides answers for Australian families who are opting for domestic holidays and short breaks to balance the budget.

Mother and author Sarah Pye says when families travel their needs are different than those for couples or singles which was why she developed Kids Welcome to Queensland. It enables parents to choose appropriate experiences for the whole family without wasting valuable time or money.

The first in a state-by-state series, Kids Welcome to Queensland is jam-packed with around 500 age-appropriate activities, attractions, tours, restaurants and places to stay.

Sarah knows firsthand how challenging travelling with children can be and she has rated the suitability of tourism products for three different age groups – preschool, primary and teen.

“The world is one big classroom,” she says, “and I really want to encourage parents to explore it with their kids.”

Tourism Queensland CEO Anthony Hayes welcomes this new and innovative guide.

“Nothing is more important than taking time to reconnect in this busy world,” he says, “Tourism Queensland is delighted Sarah Pye has produced Kids Welcome to Queensland, a terrific, practical guide for families seeking a Queensland holiday experience.”

A book launch for Kids Welcome to Queensland will be held on October 31 at the Ginger Factory in Yandina from 10am to 12pm. Families who offered their travel tips and holiday photos will be on hand for this exciting event. All those children, and yours, will be welcomed onboard the Ginger Factory train and party food will be provided.

Kids Welcome to Queensland is destined to be a staple on the family bookshelf. The colourful A5 size comes complete with Hema maps. It fits in the glove box on a road trip, or slides easily into a handbag. In a no-nonsense, conversational style Kids Welcome to Queensland takes the guess work out of a family holiday.

Kids Welcome to Queensland retails for $29.95 and is available from major bookshops and tourist information centres or online at www.kidswelcome.com.au

About the author: Sarah Pye’s life reads like an adventure novel. Her parents took her out of school at the age of 12 to sail around the world. Eight years later, already a qualified commercial boat captain, she left her floating home in the Caribbean to study tourism in California. An adventurous soul, Sarah has run a restaurant and a whale watch boat in Hawaii, canoed through the Canadian wilderness, created an award winning tourism company in the Whitsundays and even found time to have a family. Sarah now lives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast with her daughter and chief expert, Amber.

Centralized, out of band management of all equipment in Telecom’s Network Integration Lab

Telecom New Zealand has recently gone live with a centralized solution from Opengear that allows secure worldwide access to, and management of, key network and telecommunications equipment in their Network Integration Lab in Wellington. The solution includes Opengear KCS6000 and IM4200 console management appliances deployed as two distributed clusters, supporting access from up to 1000 external specialist engineers and administrators.

Prophecy Networks and Opengear have worked closely with Telecom New Zealand over the past six months to fine-tune the solution, in order to meet Telecom’s specific needs. This is something that, according to Telecom New Zealand, was not forthcoming from the vendor of their previous management solution.

“Although the Opengear solution did not initially fulfil our needs out-of-the-box, Opengear engineers were dedicated to modifying the operational software to hit all our requirements” said Dave Shaw from the Network Integration Lab. “Opengear was able to do so at a reduced cost when compared to the existing vendor, and subsequently the previous solution was decommissioned and replaced with the Opengear solution” he added.

Telecom’s Network Integration Lab (NIL) in Wellington is widely used for the creation and testing of new products (routers, switches, DSL concentrators, VO-IP gateways) and services (voice, data, and video) prior to release onto live networks.  Its environment and strict quality controls ensure high reliability and performance in the Telecom environment.  The NIL is also used by its vendors to undertake proof of concept testing against models of Telecom’s networks, allowing for rigorous testing of concepts before releasing them into production.

“Telecom New Zealand had specific security, scalability, and performance and quality requirements” said Opengear’s CEO, Bob Waldie. “Opengear believes in providing open, extensible solutions that fit the customer requirements”, Waldie continued.

Prophecy Networks, Opengear’s distribution partner, expects to continue working with Telecom New Zealand in remotely managing their live telecommunications equipment in many other locations.

Additional Information:

About Telecom Network Integration Lab (NIL)

Telecom is New Zealand’s largest telecommunications service provider, and touches almost every New Zealander through the range of products and services we provide, and the work we do within our communities. The Telecom NIL is used by our vendors to undertake proof of concept testing against the model of the network, allowing for rigorous testing of concepts before releasing them live on a network. The sales teams can also use the NIL as a demonstration and sales support centre.  http://www.telecom.co.nz/ http://www.nil.net.nz/

About Prophecy Networks

Prophecy Networks was created in 2001 by a team of computer networking and security experts who are passionate about technical excellence and complex problem solving.Prophecy meets a growing need in the New Zealand marketplace for professional services delivered quickly and effectively by experienced engineers who are subject matter experts in a variety of fields.   http://www.prophecy.co.nz/home/

About Opengear

Opengear (http://www.opengear.com) designs and manufactures next-generation console server, power management and kvm over ip solutions for secure remote access and control of network devices such as routers, switches, servers, firewalls, uninterruptible power supplies, power distribution units and environmental monitoring devices in distributed networks. Opengear’s open source platform gives network managers and system integrators the most flexible, extensible, console server solution on the market today for serial console ports, service processors, power solutions and environmental monitoring.

Spring has sprung and everyone is focussed on clearing away the dust following the freak weather conditions recently but it’s not too late to include your own health in your spring-cleaning priorities, according to best-selling cookbook author Annette Sym.

Author of the No. 1 selling low-fat cookbook series ‘Symply Too Good To Be True’, Annette has herself been through the struggle of weight loss and understands the difficulty in breaking habits but has also managed to maintain a healthy lifestyle for over 17 years.

In our hectic lives, it is easy to put our wellbeing on the backburner and before we know it, summer has arrived and we are panicking about putting on our swimsuit.

Annette said the recent dust storms that have swept from Central Australia and through the east coast of Australia, even reaching New Zealand had prompted a late spring-cleaning frenzy, so she is urging people to also turn the cleaning spotlight on their health. “Forget dusting off your furniture and instead dust off your commitment to good health“, Annette said.

“The change could be as simple as looking at your diet and making the alterations needed to shift from the heavy winter casseroles into light salads,” she said.

“Simply by reviewing eating plans and making an effort to be more active this spring, by the time summer approaches the extra effort will have paid off so you can enjoy the beach with the family,” Annette said. Here are her 5 QUICK SPRING CLEAN TIPS

1)    Clean out your pantry and fridge. Remove anything that is going to tempt you when you are feeling vulnerable.

2)    For the next few weeks write a food diary so you can see where you may have been going wrong over winter.

3)    Measure 2 litres of water out each morning so you can make sure you get your full quota in each day. Staying hydrated will give you more energy and help you feel less hungry.

4)    Work out the next 7 days dinners so you can organise the groceries required and you know what to look forward to.

5)     Plan time in your diary for exercise over the next few weeks, that way you make sure it happens. Plus it normally takes about 3 weeks for habits to form so give yourself time and soon you will be totally committed to your daily workout.

IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN YOU PLAN TO FAIL.

Now is the perfect time to take advantage of the fresh seasoned fruit and depending on your area, there is a large variety to choose from including strawberries, avocados and passionfruit. Not forgetting the huge amount of vegetables coming into season right now

Nuts, namely almonds, macadamias and walnuts, are also popular in spring and are a great source of protein and although high in fat, nuts only contain good fats that provide benefits to the heart.

For that extra support, Annette has created a 28-day weight loss program to provide all the assistance needed to be successful in your health journey. The program has been created to support, encourage, educate and empower you to reach your goals.

Annette said one of the main reasons why people fail on diets is they feel isolated, unsupported and alone so having that extra person encouraging you to keep going may mean success on the scales.

My program has included daily motivational emails to help you when you are feeling most vulnerable,” Annette said.

All Annette’s books and her Weight Loss Journal are available from all good newsagencies.  The CD Rom Menu Planner and Motivational CDs are also available at selected outlets or from www.symplytoogood.com.au.

Visit the Symply Too Good website for more great low-fat cooking tips, to see Annette cooking a new recipe each month and learn more about the 28-Day Mind Body Weight Loss Program.

OceanWatch Australia is working in partnership with commercial gill net fishers to protect Australia’s dolphins by extending the use of state-of-the-art, acoustic deterrent devices, known as pingers.

OceanWatch Australia, a national not-for-profit organisation, announced the initiative, under its advancing sustainable fisheries program SeaNet, which receives funding and support from the seafood industry as well as the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country environmental grants.

The SeaNet program is a national environmental extension service that for over ten years has worked closely with commercial fishers to reduce the environmental impact of fishing in Australia, by introducing new practices and new technologies. SeaNet has introduced to the industry, in partnership with governments and other groups, new de-hooking devices, the popeye fishbox , square mesh codends, new techniques for deep setting longlines, turtle smart crab pots, all designed to improve fishing and environmental practices.

SeaNet team leader Denis Ballam said they had purchased 370 Fumunda pingers which will be distributed to selected commercial fishers in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Pingers emit a low-frequency signal that alert dolphins, dugongs and whales to the presence of commercial fishing equipment, and thereby ensure that interactions between the set fishing gear and these marine mammals are avoided”, he said.

“OceanWatch has been running the SeaNet program since 1998, with the primary aim of minimising the catch of non-target species (by-catch) and to encourage the best environmental practice for Australia’s commercial fishing sector,” Mr Ballam said.

‘With the support of the Australian Government through the Caring for Our Country grants scheme, SeaNet has been able to purchase pingers from Fumunda Marine, an Australian company based at the University of the Sunshine Coast Innovation Centre in Queensland, to extend these trials’.

“SeaNet has the support of commercial gill net fishers who are keen to adopt the latest available technology, allowing them to continue fishing in a sustainable manner,” Mr Warren said.

“Fishers tell us pingers are easy to use and reduce unwanted interactions significantly, which is not only good for the marine environment but also means a more efficient operation.” Mr Warren said.

“The challenge we face is extending the availability of pingers to all Australia’s gill net vessel operators, and to do that we will need financial support from both government and the corporate sector.” Mr Warren said.

Mr Ballam said with the global focus on protecting marine mammals it was an ideal opportunity for Government and corporate sponsors to come on board -with this program that will see us continue to be global leaders in commercial fishing best practice and marine conservation.

For more information about the Oceanwatch program visit www.oceanwatch.org.au. For more information about the pingers visit www.fumunda.com.

Tickets are now on sale for the 7^th annual Bloomhill Race Day, the Sunshine Coast charity’s major fundraiser for the year.

The Race Day at Caloundra’s Corbould Park will include a full race schedule with special race day luncheons in both the Favourite Room and Champagne Gardens.

Bloomhill’s Race Day coordinator Gail Lamb said the day would include all the fun and fashions of the spring racing carnival.

“The Bloomhill Race Day is a great excuse for a fashionable day out and will include a delicious lunch, raffles and memorabilia action and Fashions on the Field prizes,” Gail said.

Tickets to the Champagne Gardens and Member’s area are just $55 and include entry to the Champagne Gardens and Members’ area and a delicious buffet lunch and a lot of fun. Tickets to the Favourites Room are $80 per person or $800 for a table of ten and include a delicious luncheon and champagne on arrival in the upstairs room, with a great view of the track.

Gail said the last year’s race day, which was a sell out was a fantastic day.

“The weather was great and the event was a sell out, raising $33,000 for Bloomhill, which included a donation by Corbould Park, of $2 from each gate entry,” she said.

“Our Race Day is an important fundraiser for Bloomhill and allows us to continue supporting people with cancer and their families on the Sunshine Coast.”

She said the September event was shaping up to be as good or even better.

“We have had fantastic support from sponsors including Garry Crick Auto Group, Ray White – Maroochydore, Caboolture Sports Club, Bob Jane T Mart – Maroochydore, and the Sunshine Coast LNP State Members,” she said.

“We are all very excited about this year, and there are still a couple of opportunities for businesses interested in sponsoring races,” she said.

“Donations for the auction and raffles are also still needed from businesses or individuals.”

To book your tickets, to donate auction or raffle items or to find out more about sponsoring a race, call Gail or Beth at the Bloomhill Cancer Help centre on 5445 5794.