Library services

Editor,

It’s great to read about Pearl Freeman’s enthusiasm for the work of Bee and Gina at Cannons Creek Library (KMN, July 3), however, I’m afraid there is a case for not believing all you are told.

I can assure Pearl I have been into the library not once, not twice, but many times during my 44 years association with Cannons Creek and Porirua East.

Rest easy Pearl, rather than a reduction of hours for the library I would like to explore ways to extend the facility and the excellent service our librarians so passionately provide. DENYS LATHAM, Porirua city

councillor – eastern ward. measured by equity, not by asset levels ramped up by debt (any Greek creditor has finally learnt that lesson). On that basis the 2010 year recorded a loss of equity of $368,000 and the 2011 year a loss of $2.3 million.

Even if we accept John’s obvious view that total assets (including debt) is a good measure of performance, then in the 2010 year they grew only by $232,000 which is a far cry from $3.5m. And, in that same year, the trustees, of whom John was one, wrote off $1.125m for impairment of its investments in subsidiary companies – so even then the writing was on the wall, John.

Perhaps the voters did after all heed John’s plea for skilled trustees but added a proviso of their own – skilled means someone who understands the difference between debt and equity. Or perhaps they were prescient and anticipated the call John was to make at the AGM for the trustees to divert trust money to non beneficiaries by ‘‘bailing out’’ creditors of the failed trust subsidiary.

BRIAN COLLINS, Papakowhai. should be feted and honoured with an “ensign”– well – I guess it depends on how rose-coloured one’s spectacles are and which history books one reads and which one is correct, but from what I can gather, he was a bit of a Genghis Khan type butcher with an unenviable reputation for treachery. Maybe Mr HokenaBrightwell should promote a memorial to the original people of Porirua that Te Rauparaha is reputed to have wiped out.

KEVIN CLARK, Plimmerton. maintain reservoirs and pay for the reticulation and treatment?

Water comes from rain. Do they want to own that? Rain comes from clouds. Do they want to own them? Those clouds usually come across from Australia. Perhaps they would have to pay some Australian group for the use of them?

I couldn’t agree more with Neil Campbell [KMN, letters, July 17]. If I remember correctly, when the [wake park] proposal was originally put to the council, our Northern Ward councillors were prevented from voting on it just because they had discussed it with their constituents.

A stupid rule which should be changed. After all, aren’t our councillors supposed to get the view of residents?

This so-called cable way will be the ruination of a well-used and well-maintained recreation area. CLIFFORD MATTHEWS, Whitby.

(Two letters abridged)