Addressing suicide
I applaud the organisers of the Winter Solstice suicide forum that will be held locally on Wednesday. I also encourage the community to come along as connectedness and identification of resources are a powerful antidote to suicide.
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The organisers have shown great astuteness and sensitivity in addressing the tragedy of suicide; that sadly transcends all generations.
The forum will have a keynote speaker Professor Jane Burns who not unlike Professor Patrick McGorry and Professor Diego de Leo are advanced clinicians and leading academics that can fully understand the complex mechanics of suicide and therefore assist the vulnerable to seek help.
We must tackle suicide in a sensitive, comprehensive and methodical fashion in the way we tackle heart disease, cancer and other leading causes of premature death.
Tony Boyd, registered psychiatric nurse
Scaring tourists away
Wodonga Council is closing the very well-hidden information centre in Hovell Street. Yes, the one where you couldn't park your scooter in the space provided.
Their excuse is that visitations are now few and far between and cold technology is better than a warm smile.
They fail to mention that there have never been any direction signs to our information centre at any entrance road to the city or within.
They look the other way when you mention that caravan owners and mobile home owners avoid Wodonga like the plague because there is no parking, no drop of waste disposal or water and little tolerance for these money-spending potential visitors.
Council has allocated virtually nothing in the 2017/18 draft budget for tourism. It appears to have little or no understanding of the value of tourism to the city. Just another reason why CBD businesses are struggling.
Add to this the unbelievable fact that all ring and major roads in Wodonga favour Albury. Good on you planning. The end result is that Wodonga is the loser.
Brian Mitchell, Wodonga
Get to your point
I write to comment on the latest convoluted letter from Archdeacon Peter Macleod-Miller.
If you can digest the largely worded paragraphs, which would certainly make my old English teacher cringe, what do you see? I see a huge collection of metaphors and hyperbole that in effect form a diatribe on one person whose laurels have presumably wilted.
What is “the real threat”? Would Peter have us believe that renaming the Margaret Court Arena would defend us from religious fundamentalism? I believe the real threat is denying any person the right to have an opinion and to express that right. Saying all that I am going to continue to spell licence the correct way, not license, and construct sentences with verbs.
To paraphrase Peter, I also rue the fact that the storm in the bathtub has upset the crocodile. And after reading the warning on the packet I can only ask Peter – where have you wheelie bin?
Terry Dulhunty, Lavington
Our MP made it happen
Can't believe the arrogance of the federal government. Received a flyer in the mailbox today advising me that a Melbourne-based senator who I have never heard of and the Coalition government is going to fix the North East rail service.
Forget all the consultation and hard work our local MP Cathy McGowan has put in pushing and lobbying the government to do something about the disgraceful rail service. It has apparently all been sorted by Senator Jane Hume and the Coalition.
At least I know who to contact when sitting on a bus calling into every little town between Wodonga and Seymour when what I really wanted was a relaxing train journey.