My Account
Life lessons
Charlotte Gray, Tindalls Bay.
I was standing on my brakes, heading down the hill on Whangaparaoa Rd towards what I now call The New World Intersection. I thought about my life. Where did I go wrong? Instead of working as a poorly paid and overworked health professional, I could have become a traffic engineer. Judging from this intersection design, I could have sat on my bottom all day, written the odd report and, I imagine, taken home a fat pay cheque. Whoever the ‘expert’ was who allowed a supermarket and shops to use this site without sorting out the traffic, which was clearly going to bottleneck and be unsafe, should be fired. Or, even better – made to sit in his or her vehicle on the red sign that says ‘SLOW’ on this downhill stretch of Whangaparaoa Rd every evening in the rush hour.
Autumn colour missed
Chris Roberts, Manly
Recently, while visiting central Auckland, I enjoyed seeing beautiful liquidambar trees along a street, and in parks in their full autumn colours. It made me aware of how much I miss those trees that were out in front of Whangaparaoa School. They were show-stoppers at this time of year. I understood from your paper’s reports at the time that there were to be replacement trees planted. But all I can see is more car park and a few flaxes. So much for health and safety reasons for felling them! It was literally “see Paradise, put up a parking lot”.
Editor’s note: You are correct that the arborist’s report recommended replacement planting, including at least five replacement trees. Principal Kevin Cronin says there has been a lot of planting done, but not in that spot, “as it is not an appropriate spot”. However, it was clear from the arborist’s report that the visual value of the trees was mainly to the surrounding streetscape, and it was that “amenity value” that required some kind of remediation planting.
Pizza not popular
Sandra Sargent, Stanmore Bay
I have to agree with Mike Kirk’s comments in your last HM (June 13). I recently went to an evening movie and had a couple next to me who had pizza brought to them. I had not paid to watch this movie and have people eating their dinner beside me. I also noticed ushers coming in and out during the first half of the movie, which is quite distracting especially when they cannot find the owner of the food. I will now not go to an evening film and stick to an earlier time in the day.
Dozens of readers contacted the paper after seeing the story on the missing memorial for Gerard, the Coast Plaza cat (HM June 13). Many had memories of Gerard, who was described frequently as “a big fat tabby”. But the most revealing was the first email, from sharp-eyed Judy Paterson, who identified for us clearly where the memorial can be found. Covered by a coprosma bush, it is in a garden at the Top of the Plaza near Eddie Law 100%. Apparently it was shifted there when the area was refurbished and the bush has since grown around it, obscuring it completely. Sadly, there is a bin for cigarette butts right alongside. Auckland Council has passed the information onto its contractors who maintain the gardens in the hope that the memorial can be brought out into the light again.
