Family needs our help
I WISH to bring to your readers attention the plight of a young Indonesian family that now call Swan Hill home and who need our help and support.
On October 2, 2019 fire destroyed the home of Jimmy and Denny Martin in Thurla Street, Swan Hill.
Such was the destruction of the fire, Jimmy and Denny and their two young children were left in their pyjamas and they were unable to save any possessions.
Denny is employed as a housekeeper at the Jane Eliza Motor Inn and Jimmy works at Swan Hill Abattoirs. When the family arrived at the motor inn, it was heart wrenching to see them distraught, and covered in soot from the fire.
Clothes were provided by the Vinnies shop and accommodation provided by the motor inn.
Their house was insured and Kim Bainbridge, of Garden and Green Lawyers, is advocating on behalf of the family to have their insurance claim settled.
Unfortunately they did not have content insurance,
Currently the family is living in a caravan park supported by Haven Home Safe.
I am seeking assistance for the family, firstly to rent a house. Speaking with local real estate agencies, demand for rental accommodation is high. So what is required is for one landlord who has a house available for immediate occupancy to consider Jimmy and Denny and their young children as suitable renters. The rental period will be for a minimum of twelve months.
Secondly, when they are able to rent a house they will need help to furnish the house. Beds, table and chairs, couches, fridge, washing machine, linen and blankets, pillows and cutlery in clean and good order will be needed.
There is a Gofundme page organised by A Good Kitchen, Confronting Hunger and Poverty in our Community on the web.
Or if any persons in our community wishes to assistance they may contact me on 0499 118652 or call into the Jane Eliza Motor Inn at 263 Campbell Street, Swan Hill, so I can co-ordinate and organise delivery of household goods when Jimmy and Denny obtain a house.
Brian Richardson,
Swan Hill
Job’s not done yet
THE speed control signs have been removed, new traffic lane lines painted, extensive landscaping completed, including a garden planted across what for 70-plus years served as the main entrance to the recreation reserve and showgrounds for vehicles and pedestrians.
Only one detail remains to complete VicRoads McCallum Street upgrade. Has it been overlooked?
On the median beside the east-bound lane between Gummow and Chisholm streets stand a sign depicting a solid white cross on a blue background, beneath which are the words “turn left 300m”.
That’s signage shorthand for “if you are unfamiliar with this area and need urgent medical attention, turn right 300 metres ahead”.
Problem is a right turn no longer exists there. The Splatt Street intersection that for more than a century provided the most direct route to the hospital for traffic entering town from the west is now a well-barricaded carpark. A pre-existing parking lot has been extended into the intersection to gain possibly a dozen parking spaces in an area where, admittedly, parking has become a problem recently.
What’s the solution?
The quick fix might be to reposition the sign 300m from the new roundabout at High Street. But as the entrance to the hospital emergency department is in Splatt Street, two more “turn left” signs will be needed, one in High Street before McRae and the other in McRae before Splatt Street. That is the “new roundabout” way to the hospital emergency department for vehicles coming from the west. It needs to be done ASAP.
Lawrie French,
Swan Hill
Abhorrent act
FRONT page of October 9 newspaper told the story of O’Halloran’s funeral home being burgled.
How sad that in our community someone can be low enough to burgle a funeral home…the resting place of our loved ones before burial.
Personally I find this act abhorrent.
There probably isn’t many of us in the community that have not been blessed by the wonderful attention, care and love that Mark, Raelene and staff at O’Hallorans put in on caring for our loved ones and their families when a family member has passed away.
I do hope that the perpetrators feel it in their hearts to return what isn’t theirs, and perhaps if they have time on their hands, they may like to try some volunteer community work, there is great value in helping someone else.
Name supplied.
Reality check
Modern man, or should we use the term ‘modern humanity’, has been exploiting the earth’s natural resources for thousands of years; Until about 12,000 years ago all humans lived as hunter-gatherers, generally in small nomadic groups.
The burning of coal, some 5000 years ago led to tool making, smelting ore to produce early bronze.
Ingenuity and innovation led to the use of iron and other minerals, until today the vast number mined, are used to manufacture millions of items used in our modern society, culminating in the highest standing of living worldwide, ever.
Consequently, the changes we are now experiencing, have stirred the passions of millions of young people, who feel they are and will be the victims of climate change, because world leaders are failing to act immediately and decisively, to reverse the effects of climate change; that governments, and they alone are at fault.
Given the daunting task or reversing climate change; how could it be achieved? In the first instant, let us consider Australia’s contribution, as would be seen to be playing its part.
Axing the exportation of potential energy to other countries, mainly in the form of coal, also in other forms; anything we manufacture as a result of using fossil fuels as an energy source. Banning the importation of similarly produced items from countries that use fossil fuels in the production process. So, this infers basically, that international trade should cease; raising the question; could we survive this scenario?
Consider riding bicycles to work (mostly made in China). There are no motorised vehicles made in Australia. We import the energy to drive them. Electric cars need energy to power them. Where does the energy come from to drive them; currently it comes from the grid, using base load power emanating from the burning of coal. How do we make homes without using carbon based materials? We should not be cutting down trees that produce oxygen, to build houses! Will solar and wind generated energy be sufficient to meet all our needs? We will not need electric cars because we do not make any. Agriculture may have to reintroduce Clydesdale horses as an energy source. We don’t make tractors. We won’t be importing them either.
Ridiculous! But, some measure of the above must eventuate to make it happen.
Does everyone flying to an international destination realise that a Boeing 747 burns 10 tonnes of fuel per hour. It takes 150 tonnes of fuel to fly one from Sydney to Los Angeles. How many aeroplanes are in the air worldwide, every day of the year? It’s estimated that there are around 5000 planes in the air over the United States alone, at any given time.
Ceasing or curbing international trade to bring about a rapid turnaround, most likely will lead to massive unemployment, human discontent and inevitably, anarchy.
It is too late to for a quick fix. It would seem the population will have to accept the changes in climate affecting us now, and for some time into the future. Very few people are willing to give up the comforts achieved in the modern world. It will take a world forum to agree and act decisively with an acceptable solution. There is little possibility of that as we continue to white ant the natural resources of the planet.
In the end, inadequate measures is the most likely outcome. Civilisations come and go. History teaches us that. “Our time”, may well be, just another aeon, in the history of the Earth.
Ian Morton
