Sharp people with sharp brains for every field, including mental health work, medical research and equipment, research labs for testing vaccines, heavy industry safety, finance and sustainable businesses.
We don't need our New Zealand dumbed-down by cannabis. So, do the right thing, use that sharp mind to say "no" to recreational cannabis. Please do it for your country.
Russell McKenzie
Tauranga
Mask competition?
Your photo montage of decorative masks was very interesting. During the current lockdown I have visited five different supermarkets here.
In total I have seen three people wearing masks - and one was an employee.
I think we need a gorgeous mask competition. Perhaps children should be encouraged to compete, via their sewing classes. There could be a grand prize of a weekend in Auckland.
Maurice Mckeown
Welcome Bay
Save our rates
So Tauranga City Council is backing down slightly on its million-dollar proposal for a trial change to the streets along the foreshore, and is now going into consultation (News, August 18).
However, reading the finer details it must be low-cost and the council will not allow for widening the road to cope with the perceived deficiencies.
The project manager says the New Zealand Transport Authority offer to fund 90 per cent of the cost expires in June 2021. Wouldn't the council be better to do it properly and take all the time needed?
Then, only if change is necessary, make another funding application which will probably include using some of the ample foreshore on both sides.
Save our rates and conserve NZTA funds. Remember one-way streets didn't work many years ago.
Bill Capamagian
Tauranga
Cycleway
Tauranga City Council has determined Mount Maunganui North will have a cycleway trial, within the current road space, and as a result of publicity ensuing from a Bay of Plenty Times article, has now conceded to accept feedback on the design of this "trial".
As an experienced businessman, I would never undertake a new project without first conducting market research.
I therefore asked a number of relevant questions as to current access figures to Mount Maunganui North areas, by vehicle, for the purpose of recreation.
Also the relevant numbers for bicycle and skateboard, as per the council proposal.
I also requested the relevant data and method by which this information was obtained.
The response? "We do not have relevant data"…."we do not have relevant data".
The council did however have the approximate number of cyclists using Marine Parade, which increased by 277 per cent during lockdown.
This, of course, is when you were forbidden to go surfing, swimming, fishing, driving, kayaking, walking around the Mount, playing golf, tennis, etc, etc, or even going to work.
This is the only statistic the council could produce.
No information as to methods for obtaining data was supplied.
Do you support this sort of process from the council?
Peter Axelrad
Mount Maunganui
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