May-June 2014 Published by Ang Mo Kio Town Council Our Home 宏茂桥市镇理事会出版 MICA(P) 130/04/2012 Kediaman Kita 家园 ¿ÁÐ þøÄõ Starstruck in the heartlands pg 7 Thanking our Better bus Italian dining cleaners services 意大利餐 感谢清洁工人 更好的巴士服务 page 14 Ang Moh Kio Town Council page 3 page 10 2 Our Home May-June 2014 Ninth in a “Share It” series: Our Home Publicity & Communications Committee Chairman: Ang Hin Kee Vice-Chairmen: David Ng Siew Cheong, PBM Don Chen Jiaqing Secretary Marvin Poh Members: Choo Yong Guan Steven Fok Koon Sang, PBM Vairappan Tamilselvam Peter Leow Glensong Bob Lau Yong Xing Leong Wai Ling Chew Thiam Kwee, BBM Kabirdas Perumal, PBM, PBS Wong Chun Yin Sabaria Bte Umar, PBM Pragash s/o Kulasagar Lim Chee Kong Ion Danker Heave ho! Among other things, students from Bowen Secondary School helped hoist this old TV into the recycling truck when they collected recy- clables at Buangkok Link on 15 May. Cleaning Up, Ang Mo Kio Town Council Greening Up Offices: Avenue 1 Office Scrub-a-dub-dub. Armed with rags, buckets, mops and lethal (for germs) Blk 342, Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, doses of detergent, students from Anderson Secondary School attacked #01-1561, Singapore 560342 Tel: 6453 0511 Fax: 6453 0122 the Senior Activity Centre at Block 208 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 on 20 May. Avenue 10 Office Blk 528, Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, #01-2385, Singapore 560528 Tel: 6456 1633 Fax: 6456 1225 Sengkang West Office Blk 410, Fernvale Road (opp Fernvale Point), #01-01, Singapore 790410 Tel: 6634 9215 Fax: 6634 9219 Avenue 4 Service Centre Blk 161, Ang Mo Kio Ave 4, #01-500, Singapore 560161 Tel: 6457 3500 Fax: 6453 6733 Ang Mo Kio – Hougang Service Centre Blk 662, Hougang Ave 4, #01-415, Singapore 530662 Tel: 6385 1631 Fax: 6387 4052 Website: www.amktc.org.sg E-mail Ang Mo Kio Town Council: [email protected] General Enquiries: 6453 0511 Printed by Image Printers Pte Ltd May-June 2014 Our Home 3 With food, gifts, and good Thanks for old fashioned thank-yous, we showed the cleaners of our town how much we keeping our appreciated them through the homes clean! month of May. 4 Our Home May-June 2014 Painting a pretty picture here were all kinds of arts and Tcrafts at the PAssionArts Festival held at the basketball court at Block 632 Hougang Avenue 8 on 1 June. Notably, anyone and everyone could help paint the big murals on display. Minister Lawrence Wong dabbled a little as well, when he made a stop during his tour of our town. He proved quite capable of colouring within the lines. Our NR-Party ife is good in Ang Mo celebration at the end of April. LKio-Hougang. Earlier this How big? There was so much year, work began on the site happening, we had to space it of a new CC, arts centre and over three blocks. There were hawker centre. And now, the games galore, some solid Neighbourhood Renewal entertainment, and of course, Programme is coming to 16 food. There were snacks, if you blocks along Hougang Ave 8. liked those – or you could wait To spread, and indeed cel- for piping hot barbecue, fresh ebrate the news, we had a big from the grill! May-June 2014 Our Home 5 ogether with grassroots Tleaders and representa- tives from the Town Council, NEA and NPC, Mr Ang Hin Kee’s recent series of walks in the Cheng San-Seletar division were productive. With a dozen pairs of keen eyes – and the odd comment from concerned residents – the team made a list of things that needed fixing or replacement, like broken tiles, burned out bulbs and trees that needed pruning. Walking the ground 我们5月24日在静山联络所举办 了端午节盛会，约四百名邻居朋 友参与了这项活动参与了这项 活动, 度过了充满乐趣的一天! 6 Our Home May-June 2014 Talking over tea here are many sentiments as- Tsociated with tea. Welcome. Appreciation. Familiari-tea. Drawing on all of those, Dr Intan hosted a cosy tea party at Block 981 Buangkok Crescent on 10 May. It was an afternoon of warm conversa- tion with all of us, about anything and everything. Breaking new ground t’s an empty field at the end of join an audience of hundreds to watch IBuangkok Crescent now, but soon... performances at a stage. Or, if plain old street soccer! Tennis! Badminton! exercise is what you’re after, there will be Skateboarding! a jogging track and exercise corners for Facilities for all those will be built when adults and seniors. the land is turned into the Buangkok To celebrate in fitting fashion, we went Sports Park. And you’d be surprised on a brisk walk on the morning of 27 – and impressed, we think! – to hear April. When we got back, we cheered as that’s not the end of the list. You’ll also Dr Intan, Mr Wee Siew Kim and guests be able to do yoga and tai chi, and broke the ground for the construction. May-June 2014 Our Home 7 Let us play among the stars f you so wish, the Kebun Baru Heights at the telescopes to see, in astonishing IRC will be quite happy to show you the detail, the celestial bodies. Once a twin- moon, Jupiter and Mars. For some of kle in the sky, through the telescopes, us, they already have, at four astronomy we could see the pock-marks on the events organised together with “Ang moon, the rings of Saturn, and the The RC’s biggest stargazing event was held together with Earth Hour. With the lights out, Mo Kio Sidewalk Astronomy”, a group layered bands of Jupiter – which look more celestial bodies could be seen. of astronomy enthusiasts. something like a cappucino. The astronomers set up their tel- Next, the RC wants to show us the escopes, often right downstairs of a sun! 22 June, 3pm, behind Block 106 block. Anyone is welcome to take a turn Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4. Join in! 8 Our Home May-June 2014 This lady wanted to know how long she would have to wait as a second-timer balloting for a flat. She wanted to move to a new flat in Ang Mo Kio Let’s Talk because of how conveni- he latest in the Town Council’s what improvements had been made in ent everything was, and because, “My husband Tongoing Town Hall Forums was Kebun Baru before the dialogue began. supports Singh!” held at the end of April, at Block 162 At the end of the eclectic discussion, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4. Drawing a several cleaners from the division were good-sized crowd from the Mayflower recognised for their hard work – with Market and Food centre, the Town extra applause for one in particular, Council gave everyone an update on recognised for returning a lost item. This man wanted to talk about the many illegally- parked vehicles on a narrow road just around the corner. Having just moved to Ang Mo Kio from Sengkang, this young man wanted to point out how haz- ardous he found the old metal sockets for bamboo poles were. They will, of course, eventually all be replaced through the Home Improvement Programme. fficiating at the opening of our Ocommunity garden at Block 117 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, Mr Inderjit Enjoying the fruit Singh enjoyed a treat with us – food prepared by members of the RC from the fruits and veggies harvested from the garden. Now that’s fresh food! of our labour May-June 2014 Our Home 9 Psst. Woof, woof. Bark. Sniff. ithout even auditioning, WFernvale is hitting the big time. Our community at the Fernvale mini dog park got some screen time with the famous Cesar Milan, Dog Whisperer, in May. While we have trouble getting Ah Kow to stop scratching, he gets them to lie down, stay still and smile for the camera. With such annoying ease! Good manners go a long way towards getting people to love dogs. Pick up after your dog, and walk him often to keep him happy and friendly. Welcome to Fernvale here was good neighbourly fun for Tall at the welcome party for those of us in Fernvale Crest, held at the end of April. Organised by the HDB and the Zone H RC for those of us in the five new blocks at Sengkang West Way, we had a great time with games, food, and getting to know our neighbours. 10 Our Home May-June 2014 Better bus services... Since 2012, bus services in Singapore have been improved through the Bus Service Enhancement Programme. More buses and more services have made getting around our town easier – and more is to come! ore frequent, more reliable and less Mcrowded. That’s what bus services in Singapore have become, through the programme. Eight hundred new buses have been added to our bus fleets, of which 550 were purchased by the government. More still will be added as more capacity is needed. And by 2017, • Service 119 has extended its route • City Direct service 654 was cre- there will be some forty new bus routes. from Sengkang Bus Interchange to ated for travel from Sengkang to the How does this benefit our town? Punggol Bus Interchange to connect CBD on weekday mornings. It plies Since the end of 2012, seven big im- new estates along Punggol Field and Anchorvale Street, Compassvale provements have been made, or have Punggol Way to the nearest MRT and Street and Rivervale Drive before taking been planned for buses in Ang Mo Kio bus interchange at Punggol.