Letters To The Editor

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Campervan offer

Your article headed "Aero Club Shortchanged" (Echo, Aug 28) is offensive to this organisation and inaccurate in the extreme.

Our offer to the Aero Club was to, either exactly duplicate their building and club room (shower room, toilets, wall panelling and all) on the site which the Council was selling them on very advantageous terms, or to provide them with the equivalent sum of money to our projected costs. They choose to take the money.

It is therefore totally unreasonable to now claim that they were not treated fairly.

If the Aero Club so choses now, we will repeat our offer to rebuild for them and I believe that we will be the winner.

I am amazed at the statement attributed to Councillor Wheatley and I believe that a retraction is in order.

We have bent over backwards to accommodate the Aero Club, both financially and operationally, and now find it most disappointing that we are being criticised. It is not as if we were harsh or hard to deal with or that we interfered with their access to the airstrip, an action that has necessitated consideration in our planning and some additional expense to us.

Our contribution to Casino and district is considerable in terms of both financial and social effects and we don't believe that an article such as yours should go unchallenged.

Vincent Moran
CMCA (Casino Village) Ltd.

End of the line

If the Government replaces our XPT Countrylink trains with buses they won't be our Government for much longer. Not a threat, a statement of fact.

John X. Berlin
Maclean

What future

There are many things that affect the lives of young people in our town and surrounding areas. There is lack of inspiration, hidden agendas, lack of critical support and stability, under-funded organisations, limited public transport and too much alcohol and drugs. In Lismore the crime rate just seems to be on a steady rise, getting worse with each year that goes by. I don't think that our government and local Councils realise how beneficial a youth centre really would be to our town. If there were more recreational centres and youth groups, teenagers would have better things to do than getting into fights, breaking into cars and scribbling over half of the town. For example, an under age youth nightclub could be introduced even just on trial. It would be a non-alcoholic and drug free safe environment where teenagers would meet, rather then wandering dark streets breaking the law. I have also heard that the local government has decided that they are not refilling the lakeside pool, which just so happens to be a popular place for all ages of people.

The government finds that there are more important things to spend our taxpayers money on. I ask only one question, what respect is the government showing the youth of the future?

Emily Smith

Lismore

"Naturally, the common people don't won't war. That is understood, but after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag people along, whether it is a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, a parliament or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be bought to the bedding of the leaders, that is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are going to be attacked and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."

As quoted at Nuremberg by Field Marshall Herman Goering. Sound familiar?

Phil Toynton
Wongavale

Bush-wacked?

It seems that we are going to have 'Born Again Christian' George W Bush visit our shores next month. This may be a good time to reflect on all those speeches he made, as he prevailed over the United Nations.

Remember the Weapons of Mass Destruction? Not a whiff or a glimpse of these have surfaced, although he instigated his own country, along with Britain and Australia to pre-emptive illegal war in Iraq over these invisible weapons.

George W. Bush made clearly defined statements about what kind and number of WMD we were up against. All the following are Bush's own words - exact quotes:

"Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons." - United Nations Address, September 12, 2002.

"Iraq has stockpiled biological and chemical weapons, and is rebuilding the facilities used to make more of those weapons... We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons -- the very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have." - Radio Address, October 5, 2002.

"The Iraqi regime... possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons... We know that the regime has produced thousands of tons of chemical agents, including mustard gas, sarin nerve gas, VX nerve gas... We've also discovered through intelligence that Iraq has a growing fleet of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons across broad areas. We're concerned that Iraq is exploring ways of using these UAVS for missions targeting the United States... The evidence indicates that Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. Saddam Hussein has held numerous meetings with Iraqi nuclear scientists, a group he calls his 'nuclear mujahadeen' - his nuclear holy warriors. Satellite photographs reveal that Iraq is rebuilding facilities at sites that have been part of its nuclear program in the past. Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminium tubes and other equipment needed for gas centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons." - Cincinnati, Ohio Speech, October 7, 2002.

"Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent." - State of the Union Address, January 28, 2003.

"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." - Address to the Nation, March 17, 2003.

As no WMD have been found in Iraq surely the forthcoming 'born again' Christian Bush would not be an orator to the world with lies, lies, and more damn lies?

Jim Lee
Alstonville

Thanks

My congratulations to all the students and teachers who produced the Lismore District Performing Arts Festival. What an excellent performance from the young people of our District Public Schools.

Unashamedly, I applaud the efforts of the boys and girds of my own school, Lismore Heights Public School. Your commitment and energy is inspirational and you reflect all the qualities we strive as you "Aim High"

Thank you.

Trevor Pryor
Principal, Lismore Heights Public School

Consider this

As G. Wallace (Echo, Aug 21) seems so determined to defend John Howard, I offer three specific instances to consider.

Firstly: John's and Jan's four days in Rome, costing taxpayers $177,000. Balance this sum against the carer's allowance that the Howard Government stripped from a woman whose caring for her quadriplegic brother allows him to stay in his own home. The carer's allowance is $85 per fortnight - roughly $6 a day, so it would take a person around 80 years of selfless caring to cost taxpayers what the Howards spent in four days on selfish indulgence. This is just one example of the government's recent targeting of the disabled and their carers. Can you defend that, G?

Secondly: In 1996 when Howard was elected he refused to move to Canberra on the grounds that it would disrupt his children's education. And look at them now, little Melanie, for example, a twenty-eight-year-old lawyer still living at the best address in Australia at taxpayers' expense. Meanwhile, since the GST, housing for battlers has become more and more unaffordable as shown by the story of a young mother in Casino forced to live in a car (Echo, August 28). Can you defend that, G?

Thirdly: The Howard Government has introduced harsh punishments for infringements and even honest mistakes by welfare recipients, with some hounded for overpayments that are the fault of Centrelink. Balance this against the lies, rortings and deceptions of government members, which are increasingly dismissed and excused.

It's all about the growing inequalities in Australia. Can you defend that, G?

L. Jones
Coraki

Any Poms

I am a freelance writer who is writing a series about English expats who live in Australia for the UK press. The articles will appear in the hometown newspaper of the person I write about.

They are a kind of 'where are they now' story, and consist of people's memories of their hometown, why they left to come and live all the way over on the other side of the world and what they think about living here.

I understand there are many expats living in your readership area, and if they interested they could email: beaut@bigpond.net.au or phone (02) 9386 4098

Jan Morgan
Bondi Junction

Onya lads!

Congratulations to Kadina High School boys softball team on their State Championship! (Echo, Sept 4) This is the team's second year of success and is a fantastic achievement by the boys and their teacher-coaches Nancy Hamer and Kayleen Shailes and teacher-manager Ian Champion- with a name like that, who could expect otherwise from this team.

Not only are these boys the best high school team in the state, but to win over Westfield Sports High, the state's large selective high school attracting the cream of NSWs young sports people, is worthy of widespread acclaim.

With Education Week from September 7-13, what a great time for us all to celebrate the wonderful achievements of our Public Education students and their teachers.

Jenny Dowell
Public Education Ambassador
Goonellabah

Seeking Richards

Can any you of your readers help me? I am trying to contact the Richards family, descendants of my great uncle Richard Richards.

The tree is as follows: Richard Richards married Mary Ann Jacka Cocking at St Buryan, Penznace, Cornwall, UK, in 1852. Richard Richards Junior b St Buryan 1857, went to NSW in the early 1880s = Emily Piech at Glenn Innes in 1887. He died 1913 at Casino.

1. Their son Richard Leonard Richards b 1888 at Glenn Innes = 1915 Alice Matilda Elliot, St Leonards, Sydney, dau.Thelma A Richards b Casino 1915 = 1941 Roy Albert Nelson, Casino. Robert Henry Richards b 1917 =1942 Isabell Alice Featherstone at Cessnock.

2. George Henry Richards b 1890, born at Glenn Innes, farmer, single 26 years of Ballina, enlisted 1916, d 1917 in world war. On his records 'native of Tatham, Casino, NSW. His next of kin his widowed mother Annie A Richards, 'Castlemain', Tamar Street, Ballina, NSW.

3. Mable E Richards b 1891 = 1914 Vincent P Farrell at Casino. Son Vincent R Farrell = Neita Eileen Hartley 1937 at Lismore. Dau. Dorothy Amelia Farrell b 1918 Casino, = Raymond Thomas Jarrett at Byron Bay.

4. Flossie A Richards b 1892 Emmaville.

5. Walter C Richards b 1909 Casino.

From all this I assume the descendants moved from Glenn Innes to the Casino, Ballina, Byron Bay, and Lismore areas. At some stage the Richards family may have been living at Woodburn. Were they involved in the early days of Woodburn Ranch? Richard Richards (who was my great uncle) came from a family that had combined farming and building in Cornwall.

Contact me on tredarvah@lineone.net or phone 01736 364 867

Thank you in anticipation.

Jim Hoskings
Cornwall UK

Great day

Over 2000 people of all ages and backgrounds converged at rocky creek dam on Sunday to participate in big scrub rainforest day. Once the largest expanse of subtropical rainforest in Australia, less than one percent of the Big Scrub remains in scattered remnants. Big scrub rainforest day aims to celebrate the Big Scrub and inform people about strategies for protecting the remnants that remain and demonstrate techniques for creating networks of rainforest through farms and backyards.

The day included botanical walks and rousing talks and wacky workshops on weaving with weeds. Adults exchanged ideas in the sunshine, children ran from one organised activity to the next and the crowd celebrated in the rainforest.

I look forward to next years sixth annual big scrub rainforest day and Australia's largest Landcare event. In the meantime, put some roots down in the soil by joining a local Landcare group and planting native trees.

Vanessa Ekins
Big Scrub Rainforest Day Committee

Magnet plan

The supposed theft of Customs computer servers at Sydney Airport just does not ring true. Methinks a Federal security service training raid to justify the truly fearsome fridge magnets!

Grant Stuart-Gordon
Maclean

ME support

Recent correspondence in these columns has stated that there is now no support group for people with ME/CFS in the Lismore area. This is not true as FAME Support Group is still here quietly going about its business of assisting people with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia.

FRAME-IN was formed in 1994 as an independent group but changed its name to FAME in 1996 when it became the sanctioned support group of the ME/CFS Society of NSW, which now has its head office at Chatswood. FAME covers the greater Lismore district, from Woodburn to Ocean Shores and west to the ranges.

Until recently FAME has been conducting hydrotherapy classes but these have had to be cancelled due to escalating insurance costs.

FAME meets quarterly, alternating between Lismore and Ballina. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, September 17, at 10.30am at the Ballina RSL Club, River Street, Ballina. Interested persons are welcome to attend.

John Norman & Beverley Fry
Co-Ordinators, FAME-Lismore

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