Monday March 16, 2015
LETTERS to the editor
continued on page 13
In honour of common sense Dear Ed, all Wellington residents and ratepayers must applaud the eight Councillors (Coughlan, Woolf, Young, Eagle, AhipeneMercer, Ritchie, Marsh and Peck) in getting all cycleway related matters back to the full Council and in front of the public eye! Something very wrong has been going on in chambers the WCC for quite some time now.
Nicola Young’s article in the Dom Post (Feb 17) is a crystal clear and rational voice in the current Island Bay cycleway debate. Focus on the danger zones in the city before you move out to a safe suburb. Do some test trials and do some genuine, transparent and unbiased research! Steven Cooper, Island Bay
Massive set of investments is absurd Dear Ed, rates are high now and there are many essential services to provide. The idea of a massive set of investments is absurd; please keep us informed of any Councillor (and the mayor) who support such additional costs so we will know who to vote out at the next elections. The article is unclear about the cost, which appears at first to be 3.9 percent a year for this plan alone. Later we learn of a 3.1 percent a year increase
without the set of new projects, so their cost would seem to be the difference between the two estimates. You should point this out to the reader, and that this increase per year is compounded, to become an increase by 47 percent after ten years with the plan, 36 percent without. The expected increase is considerable, and another 11 percent additional to a huge basic increase is unacceptable. John Robinson, Island Bay
Festival organisers should pull their heads in Dear Ed, I suggest Martin Wilson and Bruce Welsh both pull their heads in and remember that it is the public who are more important than their egos! I went to both festival venues on Bay Road and St Pat's, and I came away wondering why I bothered.
Both should take notice how real festivals are run, namely The Newton Festival. If you cannot settle your arguments then do not bother Eastern Suburbs residents with your embarrassing festivals next year! Dave Share, Miramar
Festival a stunning day
Let there be equality
Dear Ed, well, you have to give it to them – it was a stunning fair. There were lots of ‘wish I had a camera’ moments: The bemused looks on the faces of some locals (particularly those of varying ethnicities) as they walked circumspectly through their own neighbourhood only to see it overrun with an outlandish collection of day-tripping invaders. The impromptu (?) solo performer in black with horns in Wilson Street singing some kind of heavy metal music who meekly stopped performing when approached by a middle aged woman in sensible blouse and skirt… The ‘hoons’ sitting on the planter boxes one floor up on the edge of the Newtown New World car park in Newtown Avenue loudly enjoying the music on the stage below them. (Fortunately there were no begonias in those planter boxes!) The spirited street performers with spectators spontaneously joining in and dancing. It will be interesting to see what photographic moments are captured by the appointed photographers. Just one curious feature. Obviously, hundreds of people who opt to go to Newtown Fair think that they will be the ONLY ones wanting to queue up at the ATMs! Christine Swift, Island Bay
Dear Ed, the present exhibition in the Wellington City Art Gallery has a plethora of female portraits, the nearest to a male member is a photo of some plumbing fixtures. How many of the, over a hundred, personnel John Key (without a parliamentary vote) is sending to Iraq are women? This Sunday (March 8) was international women’s day, let there be equality - both ways. Paul Franken, Strathmore Park
Road rules and regulations Dear Ed, when it comes to cyclists, no road rules or even road courtesy seems to apply for many. I refer not to the men and woman cyclists who are respectful to all road users, but to the others who appear to believe they are above the rest of us all. You can almost smell the scent of entitlement and virtuosity as they sail by on their bikes, ignoring all the road rules and needlessly endangering their lives for their cause! These anti-car campaigners are simply dreaming if they think the motor vehicle is a thing of the past. Motor vehicles will mutate and adapt – they will never disappear. Please show some respect to all road users cyclists – nobody wants to hurt you, but you need to take responsibility as we all do when travelling on a public road or footpath. Isabella Wishart, Island Bay
OUT & ABOUT
Newtown comes alive
The sun shone on Newtown recently for the suburb’s annual festival. Tens of thousands packed the streets for food, entertainment and to check out the bits and bobs for sale. PHOTOS: Sam Duff
FAIR FUN: Tom Rouse and Becky Norrish HAPPY DAYS: Zeta Ford and Jack Parker JOINING IN: Logan Mead takes Huxley and ALL SMILES: Guy and Letitia Bachler have enjoy the Newtown Festival. pose for a photo with the Cook Strait News. Alexa Burton for a fun day out. scored themselves a free balloon.
BIG GRINS: Ron, Georgia and Oscar Cherian FUN TIMES: Steph Ray and Emma Prestidge FESTIVAL DAY: Mike, Nina and Yesim Maurer FUN GALORE: Katie Dowthwaite and Edhave a fun family day out. stop for a photo. take a quick coffee break at the Newtown die Jackson spend the day wandering the streets of Newtown. Festival.
MATES GATHER: Friends Alice Lazare, Pia FOOD TIME: Kaitlyn Thornton and Brad JOY OH JOY: Marara Reweti-Stevens with BUBBLE TIME: The Imaginariums – Mossy Lange and Edda Veelik hang-out in the sun. Smith stop for a bite to eat. Blossom and Blue Mint entertain with youngster Wairangi. bubbles.
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