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Dreams are free

Like the myth of finding a cure for the common cold, dreams of receiving a rates demand which didn’t make me shed tears every time I opened the envelope, is the stuff of la la land. The common cold and council rate demands have much in common, they both raise blood pressure and create sniffles of one form or other. The latest rate demand exhausted my reserve of dry hankies and I called in reinforcements when I read the flyer ‘‘Tararua District Council public notice of proposed (‘tidy up’) plan change No.1’’. I suspect there may not be a dry eye in the house when the council’s true intention behind this planned ‘‘tidy up’’ becomes apparent. Being a conspiracy theorist of long standing, my mind alarm went off and I immediately started looking for hidden meaning. It got worse for me when I read ‘‘new rules designed to provide a more effective means of managing identified community ‘eyesores’ (e.g. derelict properties and vehicles)’’. I suggest they are engaging in obfuscation when they start writing this stuff and we should all be on guard. I can see a new branch on the tree of bureaucracy sprouting. It will have all the trimmings of higher office with a roving commissar on the prowl for unlicensed driftwood and obsolete fridges masquerading as letter boxes. As a man walking the path of bohemianism, the rusting hulk I plan to mount in my front garden will be art. How dare council set itself as the arbiter of good taste over my life and label my creativity an ‘‘eyesore’’. I’m offended in anticipation. This is political correctness taken to new heights and if a man’s home truly is his castle, then these proposed changes need to be challenged to ensure ‘‘tidy up’’ doesn’t become newspeak for the conformity of doing as we are told by colourless people.

Mark Wahlberg

Pahiatua (Abridged)

Morning delight

I would like to congratulate the paper for printing such an inspiring article about the head boy of Queen Elizabeth College (Manawatu Standard, 7/11) and on a Monday morning too. What a great start to the week. It would be nice if the paper featured positive articles on the front page and left all the dreary news for inside the paper. I also hope this boy is invited to be a speaker at different functions to inspire other struggling teenagers and show what can be achieved from within yourself. It was a bonus too, as I received a dry paper on a wet day.

Bronwyn Upfold

Hokowhitu

Get off the footpath

I am a walker. I walk mainly on the footpath. On my way I meet or am overtaken by other walkers, joggers, dog walkers, cell phone users, motorised wheelchairs and children on tricycles, skateboards or scooters. These I can accept and live with, particularly when they proceed at a reasonable speed and give way to other users. I am also faced with, or are passed by, adults riding bicycles, skateboards and increasingly, scooters. Usually at speed and without any warning, particularly when overtaking, and with the expectation that I give way to them. I also contend with cars backing out of driveways, often without warning. These I can tolerate, although I wonder why I should – it is a footpath after all. What I do not accept that I should tolerate is the suggestion that motorised bicycles (e-bikes), and I expect e-scooters that I see now on sale, should also have the use of the footpath. I understand that in my younger days when I used a bicycle each was required to have a bell. Is there any reason why this should not be re-applied to all of those using wheeled transport on the footpath?

Eric Franklyn

Palmerston North

Get another review done

Another article about the mayor of Horowhenua has appeared in the Manawatu Standard. Now the councillors are not happy spending ratepayers’ money on a new and full engineers report about earthquake safety of certain buildings in Levin.those councillors and other people who moan about this should ask themselves who will carry the responsibility in an earthquake for the people inside those buildings. Over the years, engineers, ❚ Said Trump would do it and he did. CS ❚ Clinton for president? Yeah right. SS ❚ Well done Donald. How could the media be in shock? After all there were two candidates and one had to win. Show how one-eyed the world is. He did it without all the Clinton fanfare. ❚ Peter Lampp, so pleased someone has written about Laura Langman’s departure from Silver Ferns. Well written. Totally agree on rugby. Keep it up. Loyal supporter ❚ Congratulations Peter Lampp on your article on Laura Langman. Well written. ❚ Cameron, I don’t know you, but I felt do very proud of you when I read your story. It brought tears to my eyes. Congratulations to QEC for giving you a chance and having faither. Good on them. Go well young man. Have an amazing life and future. ❚ TPP Protesters have their wish. Trump will pull out, so will the rest? ❚ The US needed someone with experience. They haven’t got that with Trump. Heaven help us. ❚ Congratulations to the young, talented dancers from Maureen Ax Studio of Dance. What a delight. We are so fortunate to have this calibre of tuition available, allowing these young dancers to experience dancing with the Russian Ballet.

architects and draughtsman have been designing lots of different buildings and houses. But how many of those buildings have been designed with high earthquake structural strength? As we have seen in Christchurch in the 2011 quake, a number of ‘‘safe’’ buildings were not as safe. Now the integrity of many more buildings designed by a reputable engineers’ firm have been questioned by one of their own members of the registered engineers. The councils who have signed off at the end may not have in-depth knowledge of this matter. They also have to rely on consultants who may have been associated with those firms. A full and independent investigation of the design and structural strength of many buildings should be undertaken to get to the bottom of this mess. To blame a mayor for his views on this matter is incorrect. Just have a full and independent review on the earthquake strength of the buildings in question for everybody’s sake.

Joe Erkens

Ashhurst (Abridged)