Helpmann Awards
THE presentation of the Helpmann Awards at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney was a gala occasion. The four nominations for best symphony orchestra concert, attracted two nominations from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, one from the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra and a nomination from the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. The announcement that the TSO’s nomination won the award saw managing director Nicholas Heywood accept the Helpmann Award for 2017, which was greeted with a resounding ovation. TSO chairman David Rich and his board, the musical director and conductor Marko Letonja and his musicians and all at Federation Hall in Hobart have “done Tasmania proud”.
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David McEwan, Longford.
Good Stories
AMONG all the bad news, sometimes you get to read good stories of good local people doing great things. The recent story in The Examiner relating to the PCYC's work with young people to form and facilitate a fishing club is heartwarming.
Congratulations to the police officer or officers that developed the concept and congratulations to our local business, Tamar Marine, who have supplied the necessary fishing rods and reels to help make the venture a success. I hope that all people in and around the North respect our police force for their efforts and that when they consider purchasing fishing gear they give support to Tamar Marine. These people help create a positive impact on our community.
Trevor Stebbings, West Launceston.
Traffic
VAL Clarke (The Examiner, July 31) raises an interesting point regarding the traffic issues on the Hobart Road-Opossum Road intersection.
If, as she suggests, there are continuing traffic issues there, it highlights the complete nonsense of the argument put forward by the council and a local shock jock that bike lanes were the villain of the piece. As Tamar Bicycle Users Group pointed out to all Aldermen at the time, the traffic issues such as they are, are caused by the lack of co-ordination of traffic lights and the removal of one of the straight ahead lanes in Hobart Road to save cars from being rear ended while turning right.
Removing the bike lanes may have made some people feel good but it has been totally ineffective and has sent a really bad message to all non-car road users. We call on council to continue to work towards improving cycling and pedestrian infrastructure and making Launceston a more people friendly city as envisioned in the UTAS relocation and the City Heart Project.
Malcolm Reid, Tamar Bicycle Users Group president
Goodwill in Education
A THOUGHTFUL article from Lucy Stone (The Examiner, July 30). Improving educational outcomes in this state is less a matter of further improvement to facilities and the teaching service, but is more an attitudinal problem. Look at the fine young people graduating from our school system – they can hold their own in any company as evidenced by Queechy High School students in STEM areas. And those graduating from Launceston College with that college’s wonderful programs across a wide spectrum of offerings. Our school system produces some excellently endowed young people. The problem is that not all make the most of what is available and this is because of attitudes too widely held that discount educational achievement.
Until all parents and their children come to see educational performance as the key to future prosperity we will continue as a state to under perform. And we cannot blame the schools or government for that. Parents please accept your critical role as motivators and basic providers ensuring your children are mentally and physically equipped to gain maximum benefit from their schooling.
