Rashelle Predovnik – Page 58

‘Silent majority’ misinformed

LAST month’s Herald letter from the Frayne family claiming to represent a silent majority needs some clarification for the silent minority.

The letter’s claim about the “dedication of our volunteer councillors” is not correct.

All councillors in WA – except those who opt out – receive a monthly payment.

Lists of payments published online show that the Toodyay Shire President gets paid $3450 a month, the Deputy President gets paid $1599 a month and the remaining seven councillors each get paid $1180 a month.

So, as anyone can see, there are no “volunteer councillors” in Toodyay.

Graeme Buchanan
Toodyay

Proper, fearless newspaper

I THINK it was the New York Times newspaper that coined the phrase ‘All the news that’s fit to print’, and that’s exactly what The Toodyay Herald does.

I’m sick of people saying the paper is bringing our town into disrepute.

Just read it – every page has a positive story about local people and local community and sporting groups.

It’s simply a great place to live.

I send copies of to friends in Perth and interstate and get nothing but positive feedback.

Someone asked me who were the so-called ‘disaffected minority’ referred to in one of last month’s letters, which also said the paper doesn’t represent the silent majority.

Then that person asked me who the 2000 petitioners were regarding last year’s rates hike, saying that didn’t leave too many other people to be called a silent majority.

The icing on the cake for Toodyay is to have one of the last locally-owned, not-for-profit proper newspapers left in Australia to give us comprehensive and fearless reporting at a very professional level about the good and bad around us.

Talking of good things, I have a close friend involved with the Alzheimer’s community who came up from Perth especially to visit our new Memory Café at the Cola Café.

We were impressed by the organisation, atmosphere, staff attitude and genuine pleasure that everyone seemed to get from the occasion, and I should note the generosity of the Toodyay Music Society which volunteered the services of a singer and guitarist who really added to the atmosphere.

I’m sorry I didn’t get their names but it was a terrific gesture and at times there was some real sing-along happening.

I even met some fans of my 2J2AIR radio program Swooners and Crooners.

An advertiser in last month’s Herald said we have a great editor, a great CEO and council, and great shire officers.

Well, I partly agree.

Yes to the editor and definitely yes to the officers of the shire who I have always found friendly and helpful.

I do have concerns about the council and CEO, and the way they go about their business.

When they start taking a community-spirited, open approach to communicating their plans and the challenges facing the town, and once they learn to cop criticism with good grace, we may all have good things to say about them too.

They seem to forget that we put them there.

I must add that it’s not all bad news.

The shire eventually did a good job on the Charcoal Lane toilet block mural which has really cheered up that part of town, and their persistence in saving the Duke Street footbridge has brought about a good outcome, so well done those who made it happen.

Let me finish on a positive note by saying moving here as a retiree seven years ago has proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I’m sure it’s adding a few years to my life.

My involvement with a number of community organisations has enriched my life and, to put it simply, I love living here.

The Badger (Richard Hazlewood)
Bejoording

Keeping buyers informed

I AM INTRIGUED by local real estate agent Tony Maddox’s request that The Herald “stop the negative comments in the paper”.

Surely industry standards require prospective buyers to be informed about important sales factors such as shire rate increases, a formal State Government inquiry and turmoil in council ranks?

Why then ask that The Herald shield readers from that information?

Kerry Gregory
Dewars Pool

A child’s plea – stop rubbish

WHY DO people put rubbish on the road?

I saw a man who was sad who didn’t like picking up your rubbish.

It is pollution, and I was mad and didn’t like it.

Dear people stop putting rubbish on the ground.

I do not like it. People please gather around and stop it.

Age 5, name and address withheld

Bridging the gap

WELL done Shire of Toodyay for resolving the issues of the Duke Street Bridge after so many years of neglect by successive State Governments.

As one of the workforce which put the railway through the town, I appreciate what an important concession the bridge was in the matter of bisecting the town.

It heartens me that the bridge will soon be available for the local people and Toodyay visitors.

Alf Campbell
Kenwick

Hospital transport bouquet

I WOULD just like to say thank you to the new St John Community Transport Service when I recently had to travel every weekday for six weeks to the QEII (Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital) for radiation treatment.

Every day a driver would take me to the hospital and wait while I had treatment.

Sometimes this was 10 minutes but sometimes an hour.

I had not worked out how I was going to get to Perth every day, then I remembered this new service and I was most impressed.

I called in to the sub-centre and made an early booking, so it was all easily organised.

Thank you to the drivers and all involved.

Warren Hall
Toodyay

Splashes of vibrant colour celebrate National Tidy Town win

Morangup artists Nicola Cowie (above left) and Katherine Ferguson with Toodyay’s first street mural which they completed last month on a new shire public toilet block in Charcoal Lane to mark Toodyay’s 2015 National Tidy Towns win. The Shire of Toodyay plans to install a nearby plaque to record the remarkable achievement by local Tidy Town volunteers (see Letters).

Duke Street footbridge set to reopen by November

TOODYAY’S Duke Street footbridge over the east-west freight railway line that bisects the town near the Alma Beard Medical Centre is expected to reopen by November.

The Toodyay Shire Council agreed last month to take over maintaining the bridge later this year after the State Government spends $145,000 on a safety upgrade and the shire contributes $56,000 for repairs.

Shire CEO scores 2.5 per cent pay rise

By Michael Sinclair-Jones

TOODYAY Shire CEO Stan Scott has gone from losing his current job on July 22 to scoring a 2.5 per cent pay rise for another year after a secret council backflip in May.

Mr Scott will get a total of $243,000 in a new salary package, including payment of 14.5 per cent shire-funded superannuation.

Toodyay gets new community bus

TOODYAY is to get a new 12-seater community bus after shire councillors voted 6-0 (Cr Judy Dow declared an interest through a family member and left the chamber) to spend $54,500 on a new vehicle from Avon Valley Toyota in Northam.

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