A fundraiser for local actor James Hall raised over $7,000 at the weekend.
AS the proud parents of James William Hall we would like to take this opportunity to send a big thank you to all those people who supported James's benefit night last Friday at the Jetty Memorial Theatre.
The love and respect that he felt was priceless (and there can be no prescription for that).
To have so many people come to the show to give their support was truly humbling.
The "Theatre Family" to which James belongs, you guys are amazing people.
The kindness and the talent you displayed, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
You have no idea how special James feels to belong to your family and you guys are now in ours.
We have been very impressed by the efficiency of how the night came together in such a short time frame and as for the two young women who made the night happen, Angelia Robinsen and Rory Banwell.
You two are exceptional and to all those who so willingly helped out. Thank you.
Again there was a lot of love felt on the night, we are so very proud to be James's parents and so very grateful for your support.
Dave and Cathy Hall for James.
I SAW Dave Spears' letter the other day and would like to make my own comment.
I live at Repton and since the deviation was completed and the Old Highway renamed Gingagay Way and Keevers Drive, the bicycling fraternity has taken the roads as their own personal bike tracks.
I accept their right to use the road, but motorists have entitlements as well so consideration to sharing should be undertaken by both sides.
As to the complaint about the bridge closure, I enter Keevers Drive from the roundabout at the end of Gingaway Way every day and it is clearly sign-posted that the bridge is closed.
It's a pain for me too.
I have to use the highway to pick up fish and chips from Urunga on Friday nights and it cools down too much having to use the highway.
IN RESPONSE to the recent letter by Arnold Jago, "Faith versus Atheism".
I normally keep my atheism to myself, but perhaps a group of atheists came knocking on your door on a Sunday morning in an attempt to convince you to give up your god?
And because you have been affronted thus you feel compelled to come out fighting, least reason gets the better of you?
Because they are not followers (atheists are by nature notoriously difficult to herd - they tend not to gather in flocks either).
I know not a single atheist who rejected belief in god out of fashion.
Not one wears an atheist pendant around their neck or covers their hair or face with an atheist scarf, nor are they identified by the special atheist hats that they wear, or any other garments that are, in case you hadn't heretofore noticed, normally the garb of the faithful.
I do agree, however, that not believing in God is progressive, for obvious reasons that need no discussion here.
This leads me to the main point of your letter that a belief in science is a replacement of religious faith.
Let me assure you that belief takes no part in the scientific method.
Science is by nature sceptical of all things that cannot be proved by experimentation and observation.
Belief is anathema to proof.
Religious faith is observable so I agree that it does exist.
But religious faith is not proof of the existence of a god.
It is merely proof of a belief in a god. Your last point is about truth.
The truth is that you would cover my eyes with the heavy pages of a dusty old book then tell me that I can see.
Is it because you have been told that it is so by another blind man who was told that it is so by another blind man who was told that it is so.
For how many generations have you been thus deceived?
And please tell, what book in the library of religious texts is the truth you would cover my eyes with?
HAVING lunch in the Coffs Central Square my wife and I were subjected to a delivery truck left running in the laneway.
The noise was very disturbing and generally precluded conversation.
Then on entering the toilet block adjacent to the car park I found it reeked of exhaust fumes from the truck.
This seems to be the norm for many delivery vehicles.
On a number of occasions we were subjected to similar circumstances while entering the Toormina Gardens where frequently a money delivery vehicle is always left running.
This is in close proximity to many eating places.
It might be nice to keep the air conditioning running, but think of the pollution problem such behaviour causes.
I would like to know if a law exists to prevent this?
THE governments new income tax policy that recently passed through parliament is a sorry indictment of the Coalition's attitude to workers.
It's my understanding,that at the end of seven years when it has been fully implemented, that those lowest paid workers on minimum wage will receive an annual tax cut of approximately $500.
Those at the top end of the scale will receive an annual cut of about $7,000.
Seems fair and reasonable doesn't it?
Not to mention the slashing of weekend penalty rates, no doubt a welcome boost to shareholders and small business people's incomes at the expense of the lowest paid workers.
Seems like a redistribution of wealth to me.
And as for giving tax cuts to big businesses,some of which don't even pay tax,they have to be joking.
THE number of deaths relating to ice and methamphetamines has doubled in seven years.
Family members, friends, police, emergency and health workers bear the brunt of the devastation this cheap and addictive drug causes.
We can't keep doing what we are doing - because it just isn't working.
That is why I have announced that a future Labor Government will combat the scourge of ice with our plan for the compulsory detoxification and rehabilitation of severe ice addicts.
If Labor is elected to govern NSW next March, we will open six clinics across the state for the mandatory detoxification and rehabilitation of patients.
These clinics will treat up to 1,300 ice addicts a year.
Specially trained nurses, health professionals and security guards will take the most dangerous ice addicts off our streets, out of our State's emergency departments and get them the help they need.
Labor's plan protects the community and provides individual addicts with the intensive treatment they need to recover from their addiction.