THE peace and quiet of a Sunday morning (October 8) in Emerald Village was disrupted by a huge squad of cyclists of unknown gender, looking like they had dropped down from the Planet Mars.
Because I remembered a recent incident involving cyclists and a male pensioner, I non-verbally expressed my distaste and dislike to their attempt to “move out” just as I was crossing the Village street. I ignored the jeers and cat-calls from the mob of cyclists, made a facial grimace and crossed safely.
What next is about to happen in this cherished Village?
Pam Dennis
Emerald
Put politics aside
THE Gemco Community Arts Project first came to my attention when I heard Sir Rupert Hamer, who was patron of this project before he died, describe it as a facility with close links to all elements of the community. He saw it as integral to the people, to businesses and to tourism.
There have been many obstacles put in the way of this project over the years and it is now time to finalise it once and for all.
After looking at the current plans for the project, considering the central location to the community, and realising the potential to provide for the wide range of cultural activities, it is time to put the politics aside and allow this project to progress.
I am not a member of the Gemco Players but my association with them, as a playwright, has brought me into contact with a cross section of people from all walks of life and culture. After witnessing the commitment to this project for more than a decade, I put my full support behind Gemco as representative of its cultural and community aspirations.
This is a project for the people of the district and, as I remember Sir Rupert saying, it will, in effect, bring all sections of the community together in all its cultural diversity.
Ken Purdham
Avonsleigh
Unwelcome welcome
I WOULD like to thank the graffiti artists who so kindly decorated my new fence for me.
My wife and I recently moved to our new home in Tecoma, the happy result of nearly six years work and planning: a home of our own in Australia.
We moved to Australia for the quality of life and community spirit that seems to have all but disappeared from England.
The friendly welcome we received from shop keepers and residents alike, as we looked for the right place to make our home made us feel that the Belgrave area was the right place for us.
The new fence framed our new home wonderfully and for the whole 24 hours before our kind benefactors enhanced the appearance we were completely happy. Well done to my local graffiti welcoming committee. Your ability to spot a new victim so quickly is commendable.
Now don’t get me wrong, I know no one died, but this is such a frustrating and pointless act of wanton vandalism and I speak as one who did have a (perhaps naive) element of sympathy for the “unrequited artist… nowhere to display my talent” defence. No more.
This would have been a little less galling if the “art” was more than squiggles with the artistic merit of mud. Find something that people have worked hard for and then take it away from them. That seems to be the way today.
So, I would like to thank my nocturnal visitors (they always slink around at night to leave my little presents… so kind) for bringing me to my senses. I thought I had found a wonderful place to live, put down roots and bring up a family, but they awoke me to my folly.
I would also like to apologise to them for ever thinking that it would be possible to have the life to match the idyllic surroundings and for having to rely on their selfless acts of community art to teach me otherwise.
Wilf Wharton
Tecoma
ON THE night of 2 February 2005 we experienced the effects of a “once in a hundred years” rain event.
We now realise this type of weather event is to be expected as a result of climate change. When this drought breaks we could well be inundated again threatening life and property.
On that night we were flooded out (as were other people along this road) as a result of failure, by the council, then by VicRoads to maintain the unformed spoon drain running along Belgrave- Gembrook Road and keeping it in good working condition.
The drain blocked in several places and overflowed across the road into our property causing deep ruts in our driveway (it was unusable) washing the topping into a large pile under our car to door height then distributing gravel, mud and weed seeds throughout our garden.
The overflow caused damage to ours and our neighbour’s property, washing away soil, gravel, topping, fencing, pathways, garden, plants, mulch and mud and water came into our bathroom. It flowed right through our property and into James Street, blocking the drain at the rear of our property under James Street and a drain on our own property, neither of which have been properly fixed yet.
This was a distressing and scary event and one we do not wish to endure again.
We rectified most of the damage ourselves and did not make a claim, although I have tried on several occasions since to have the drain cleaned out and properly maintained, to no avail.
It is now and has been since the event described above been in a poor condition.
VicRoads, as the responsible body, has a legal obligation to keep roads and drains clean and in good working condition – this is not happening!
It was interesting to note that the state budget surplus was so large that essential maintenance of public assets and infrastructure affecting the health and safety of Victorian citizens should not be a problem. It is simply a matter of priority.
Janina Vella
Selby
Gemco fits the bill
I WRITE in support of Jacqui Walker (Mail, 10 October). Community theatre is self descriptive, that is, it is for our community of artists, performers and audience, located as close to the heart of Emerald as possible.
The current location of Gemco undoubtedly fills the bill for Emerald’s proposed theatre. Its accessibility will encourage a broad spectrum of groups to feel inclusive and, therefore, be motivated to use this facility for the benefit of us all.
Anne Maree Teasdale
Emerald
Make a difference
IF YOU could improve your health, help alleviate world hunger, reduce animal abuse, reduce global warming and environmental damage and save hundreds of thousands of litres of water, simply by refraining from doing one simple thing …would you?
Well, simply by refraining from buying animal products you can achieve all this.
Today, more and more people are realising that choosing to be vegan is far more than a mere “dietary choice”. It is about rescuing the planet from destruction and preventing human suffering as well as non-human suffering. It is about creating a sustainable future.
In third world countries, children starve next to fields of soya and grain destined for export as animal feed for western nations. For every 10kg of plant protein fed to cattle, only one kg is converted into meat.
The irony is that while the world’s poor are dying of poverty, millions of affluent westerners are dying from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and cancers, largely caused by eating animal products.
Water scarcity is reaching crisis point. According to the CSIRO, every kilogram of meat consumed requires up to 100,000 litres of water to produce. In contrast, rice, our thirstiest crop, requires only 1500 litres.
World Vegan Day is on 1 November – the perfect day to make the decision to try a more healthy, sustainable, and compassionate vegan lifestyle.
Jenny Moxham
Monbulk
Climate alarm
CLIMATE change is well and truly with us but the Liberal Party would rather ignore this fact.
As there is a Victorian State Election just around the corner on 25 November the public’s attention must be drawn to the importance that the alternative government of this state are climate change sceptics.
It is alarming to think that the most important ecological and economic issue facing Australia this century is not even on the Liberal’s agenda and most people would not be aware of their wilful ignorance.
Kathleen Timmerman
Chelsea
