Arthur St building call is not the correct one
IT is with great disappointment I hear of the Ministry of Education’s idea of relocating the 133yearold Arthur St School infants’ building to some unknown location (ODT, 24.8.20).
This school is one of the oldest in New Zealand, and this building is its last link to the past.
The heritage value of this building is in the fact it remains part of the school, not in its value as object or museum piece.
If you remove the building from the school, most of its heritage value is gone, and with it the remaining connections of the school to the early development of the city, and those who have attended the school over 133 years.
As a standalone object in some yettobedecided location, I would suggest the building is of little interest to anyone.
I very much doubt that if this project was being undertaken by Dunedinbased consultants, with a view to the longerterm interests of the school and city, this would be the approach that would be taken.
We have shown that these types of developments can incorporate, upgrade and reuse this type of structure. They can be made to function in a modern, contemporary way and do not have to be relegated to museum pieces. It can also be shown that work does not need to be costprohibitive, particularly for a timber building in relatively good condition.
I do hope the ministry rethinks this decision, and makes the effort to do what is best for the school and the city.
Stephen Macknight
St Leonards
US turmoil
THE United States seems to be on many people’s minds these days with its political tumult.
Apparently, most Americans do not know that their country was born out of a bloody insurrection against their legitimate government — what is commonly known as a revolt or revolution.
The United States has gone through several revolutions since Alexander Hamilton cobbled a nation out of a ragtag bunch of rebels and grifters.
The 1860s, 1900s, 1930s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1980s were all major rotations in the ongoing revolution.
This year is just another turn of the screw. But the proverbial screw has been turned all the way to the right now so nature says it’s time to turn it the other direction.
Americans are looking at Canada and wondering whether it was all worth it because some citizens violently disliked paying tax 244 years ago.
Health funding
A PETITION to fund lifechanging Crohn’s disease drugs. A petition to fund Trikafta, a lifesaving cystic fibrosis drug. A petition to double Pharmac’s budget to bring it closer per person to the OECD average. The Canterbury District Health Board doesn’t have the money to staff a new children’s health facility.
We are facing the biggest health challenge in a century and the Government is throwing money at everything — except health.
Covid19 hasn’t removed the need for modern medicine or the need for investment in health infrastructure and staffing.
The Government’s failure to recognise the precarious state of our health system and to use the new largess and willingness to borrow money to address the decades of underinvestment in that system simply beggars belief.
Camilla Cox
Opoho
Reunion
Aaron Nicholson
Manapouri
Sacred Heart School Dunedin: 125th celebrations, October 2425. All past pupils, teachers and friends of the school encouraged to attend. Contact the school (03) 4738362, or email reunion125@sacredheartdn.school. nz for details. ..................................
BIBLE READING: The word of the Lord endures forever. — 1 Peter 1.25.
IN recognition of the importance of readers’ contributions to the letters page, the newspaper each week selects a Letter of the Week with a book prize courtesy of
Penguin Random House. This week’s winner is Uli Ludemann, of Ravensbourne, for a letter about the cannabis referendum. The prize is a copy of The Kingdom, by Jo Nesbo. The winning letter was printed on Monday and can be read on the ODT website.