The Weekly Times - 10th January, 2018

THE WEEKLY TIMES Wednesday 10 January, 2018
pgraded Police
Stations wanted
Dear Sir,
For 2018 would you
lease assist the Ryde
Local Area Command
o have buildings and
nfrastructure approprite
for the 21st century,
nd especially the vastly
ncreased Eastwood,
Epping, Macquarie Park
emographic, including
multicultural factors.
The current Eastwood
Police Station looks very
habby indeed, with
poorly utilised front veandah
space, and very
rowded, old fashioned
interior.
In particular there
eems very inadequate
pace for private and
onfidential interviews
nd very sparse space
or members of the public
to wait.
Matters discussed "at
he counter" can often be
heard from the adjacent
oyer ...... indeed police
phone calls can be fairly
asily heard while waiting
t the front counter on
ther matters.
This can often be disressing
for those already
eeking police protecion.
A conversation with a
police officer at Eastood
Police Station this
eekend indicated that
he Police at Eastwood
tation found it difficult to
ork in such antiquated
onditions and certainly
he computers and comunication
seemed inadquate.
Apparently police reuests
for modern failities
at Eastwood have
been delayed because of
Heritage Order, which
urely can be resolved
by retaining part of
he building.
Parking is also difficult,
nd there seems very litle
accessibility for comunity
members with
isability. Certainly slgage
in the predominant
ommunity languages
f Chinese and Korean
ould assist and a less
rightening atmosphere
or children and the el-·
LETIERS to the Editor
derly who need to attend
or need to accompany
others.
I am not even sure if
there are toilet I handbasin
facilities for the general
public and if they exist
they are probably not
wheel-chair compatible.
The tiles and anti-slip
edges of the front stairs
and verandah probably
do not meet current
Work, Health and Safety
I WHS guidelines and the
signage is rather faded
and obscure.
Solar protection for the
front, and more confidence-Inspiring
"Blue &
White" police icons (not
the Mission Brown colour
of the 1970s) would
contribute much to community
confidence and
co-operation.
Also, the facilities at
Gladesville Police Station
seem very out-dated ...
and Ryde Court?
Little wonder the Police
seem so stressed, and
slow to co-ordinate information.
Apparently there is
also a shortage of Police
vans suitable for securing
arrests, only four for
the Ryde Area Command
which extends from Dural
to Gladesville.
Arrests are apparently
delayed because of inadequate
police vehicles!
The courage, challenges
and professionalism
of the Police deserve so
much better than this, as
does the community.
An integrated Eastwood,
Ryde, and Gladesville
facility, as apparently
requested by many
Police, would assist integrated,
modern policing
and protect the mental
health of the Police. Indeed
why not have special
facilities within the
new Police Centre for
treatment of those with
acute mental health I
Drug & alcohol and /or
Infectious disease crisis.
The current Eastwood
Police Station is basically
single storey in an Epping
I Eastwood precinct of
many newly built multistorey
apartments.
Surely Eastwood Police
could have the resources
to also have multiple sto-
LETTERS
Welcome
TWT welcomes letters
from our readers. Full
name, address and
telephone number
MUST be supplied, even
if not for publication.
Send to: TWT PO Box
123, Ryde 1680 or email:
con tactus@weekly
times.com.au
reys as it is very close to
the railway station and
new Eastwood "CBD".
The wonderful Police
service deserves
adequate resources
and working
nvironment/"ecosystem"
and the Ryde Local Area
Command/LAC community!
Please arrange and encourage
this as a 2018
priority.
LIZ ABBOTTSMITH
Eastwood resident,
registered nurse
Reconciliation for
all Australians
Dear Sir,
As we proceed in our
quest for reconciliation
with our indigenous
community, now Is the
time to analyse its progress,
and examine the
process.
At what stage are we
at with reconciliation?
When is it scheduled for
completion? What criteria
is used to measure
its development? Who
or what decides if we are
succeeding or failing with
our goal?
The ongoing promotion
for the change of date
celebrating Australia Day
is a perfect case in point.
Where does reconciliation
position itself here?
Is the date changing
push a fair reflection of
a majority of the indigenous
community?
What Is the historical
relevance for the "smoking",
and "welcome to
country" ceremonies? It
seems they were initiated
and created by various
academics and activists.
Clearly there is no precise
programme to monitor
or analyse these and
other indigenous issues
by governments or social
groups.
Reconciliation is a
good, necessary and just
cause.
However, we must be
careful not to place the
"cart before the horse",
otherwise we are in danger
of not properly recognising
and educating ourselves
with a shared love
of ALL our history, and a
joint desire to nurture our
future relationship.
PETER THOMAS
Gladesville
Party politi~ in
local councils
Dear Sir,
Am I the only one who
is tired of having our local
council politicized?
Whatever happened to
Councils working collectively
for their local community?
By all means councillors
can take credit for good
deeds but please don't do
so in the name of their political
party.
As a resident of Meadowbank,
I shouldn't be
privy to any of my councillor's
affiliations with a
particular political party.
Councillors should be
working cohesively for
the betterment of their
community, not to promote
their own political
standing and I strongly
object to their roles being
utilized as a platform to
further their own political
ambitions.
Jerome Laxale if you
wish to stand as the next
State Member then relinquish
your position
as Mayor of Ryde and
let someone who actually
cares about their local
community get on with
the job that you're obviously
not Interested in.
JWILKINSON
Meadow bank
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1921-2018
Multi Award Winning Community Newspaper
Ht1nters Hill G11est Column
Learn communication and leadership
skills with Toastmasters
IS BECOMING more
confident with public
speaking on your bucket
list?
It had always been one
of many things I wanted
to do, so in 2014 I decided
to tick this one off
my list!
Even though many people
have heard of Toastmasters
they may not
realise that it is a nonprofit
educational organisation
where members
learn communication and
leadership skills by practising
public speaking in
a warm and friendly environment.
I decided to attend a
few meetings at Parramatta
Toastmasters to
see what it involved and
eventually decided to do
the Speechcraft course.
This is an intensive
course over four to six
weeks where I had to
prepare a number of
speeches in quick succession
and by the end
of the course I felt confident
to do this well without
that horrible anxious
feeling.
IN MAY 20161 joined my
local club Happy Hunters
Hill Toastmasters which
meets every second and
fourth Wednesday of the
month at the Hunters Hill
Club.
I have met some great
and interesting people,
had lots of fun while also
gaining further skills and
confidence in a friendly
and supportive environ-
To The POINT
With
HELEN SCHMID
ment.
Whether your goal is
to give a great Toast at a
family function such as a
wedding or to present at
an international conference,
Toastmasters will
enable you to gain the
skills to do this with confidence.
We welcome new members!
HAPPY HUNTERS Hill
Toastmasters club offers
the opportunity to
improve your confidence
and speaking skills in
dealing with a variety of
day to day situations.
We provide a mutually
supportive environment
that allows you to learn
how to speak in public
with clarity and wit as
you become more assertive
and confident.
By participating in HHH
Toastmasters you can
realise dramatic improvements
in many areas of
your life.
In your career: Your
communication with your
employer and colleagues
will become more effective
and productive as
you learn to speak up
with confidence, ease
and clarity.
In your relationships:
Interactions with family
and friends will be easier,
more enjoyable, and
more fulfilling.
. .
SPEECHCRAFT is a
short course designed
to teach public speaking
and leadership skills.
The Speechcraft courses
are primarily intended
for people who need to
quickly enhance presentation
skills whilst boosting
their self confidence.
You will learn how to:
Organise, prepare
and deliver an effective
speech; construct and
supply an answer to an
impromptu question;
gain audience attention
with an effective opening,
body and conclusion;
introduce a speaker
in a professional manner;
effectively project your
voice, use gestures, and
body language; keep
those butterflies flying in
formation by controlling
nerves and be dynamic
by knowing the needs of
your audience.
Next Speechcraft
course will start on
Wednesday January 31 .
Please view our website
https://happyhuntershill.
toastmastersclubs.
org/speechcraft.html for
futher details and to book
a place.
Hoping 2018 is a year of
good ~eath and success
WELCOME to 2018! A
happy New Year to everyone.
Let us hope that this is
a year of good health and
success for all. Having
successfully welcomed
the New Year in with a
spectacular fireworks
display and no problems
with behaviour and traffic
at Woolwich, we await
Australia Day celebrations
to officially launch
the year.
* *
THIS year the Australia
Day celebration will be
held on Friday January
26 in the Hunters Hill
Town Hall commencing
at 9am.
Our 2018 Ambassador
is Ms Catherine Saxelby,
an accredited nutritionist,
best-selling author
and speaker whose career
has spanned 25
years in clinical dietetics,
the food industry, in
teaching and writing.
This exciting Ceremony
begins with a Welcome
to Country, the unfurling
of the Australian flag, an
Address by the Hunters
Hill Australia Day Ambassador,
Conferral of
Australian Citizenship
and announcement of
the Hunters Hill Citizens'
Awards.
I invite everyone to join
me on Australia Day to
welcome our new citizens
and to acknowledge
the 2018 Hunters
Hill Citizen, Young Citizen
, Sportsperson and
Events of the Year Awardees,
and applaud their
contribution to the municipality.
. .
I RECENTLY enjoyed a
tour of the Top Ryde and
West Ryde libraries with
City of Ryde Librarian Jill
Webb.
Hunters Hill Council has
a joint library agreement
with City of Ryde which
provides the library service
for the residents of
Hunters Hill. I was very
impressed with the service
offered with both
libraries full with people
reading books, or using
computers and wifi.
Spaces for meetings,
studying and enjoying
children's activities
are totally utilised and
although libraries are
changing as books are
available online, they are
our community lounge
rooms of the future, a
very important community
facility.
• • *
TABLE Tennis for Seniors
had a great year
in 2017 with their keen
members enjoying the
connections, improved
fitness and fun. Seniors
wanting to learn table
tennis on Mondays
from January 15 in the
Gladesville Road Community
Hall from 1 Oam to
12 noon should contact
Pat on 9879 3707.
The Moocooboola
Computer Club for Seniors
is holding a morning
tea/open house event on
Wednesday January 24
at 44 Gladesville Road
Hunters Hill between
1 Oam and 11 am.
I invite persons interested
in finding out
about this organisation
and becoming involved
as members or trainers,
to come along and have
a chat.
They are a relaxed and
friendly group that has
already helped many local
seniors become more
connected, and wrangle
their IT challenges!
Please RSVP to Peter
Rich phone 9879-4588
or email to rnoocoo@
nets pace.net.au
Cir Mark A. Bennett
MAYOR