I was so pleased to see in the CWD the debate about the mountain bike trail being discussed at a council meeting.
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When I drove home from Jindabyne during the school holidays one in three-or-four cars had either a trailer full of bikes, a bike rack attached to the boot or a rack on the roof, adult and children's bikes, all headed for the trails in the Snowy Mountains.
There were bike riders everywhere in Jindabyne!
How great to see families outside in the fresh air riding together and especially children not on their tablets.
The riders will look after the track for all to enjoy.
Think of the huge economic benefit to all the businesses in Orange!
I feel Orange will be missing out if this doesn't go ahead.
Liz Carpenter
Challenge for readers
Another day, another public figure calling out Christians.
This time, it was in your newspaper in response to the Rainbow Festival debate in council.
As the Rainbow Festival approves I would like to challenge you and your readers.
Open the book of Luke and discover what it is you are discussing.
Judge it not on the fallibility of sinful Christians, but on God.
Pray simply and say, "Dear God,I do not know if you are real. If you are, then show me as I read this book."\
If God is not real, then you have lost nothing but discovered what you are actually condemning.
If God is real, then he will show you what Christianity is. And you will gain everything.Wishing everyone a safe weekend, no matter what you are doing.
Hannah Hunt
Think big for our mountain
The proposed mountain bike trail network on Mount Canobolas seems stalled in a debate between mountain bikers and environmentalists who are two somewhat niche groups.
It currently resides in the too-hard basket for Councillors and Council staff with no obvious way forward.
If we wish to get some return from the half-a-million dollars spent by previous councils we should be discussing a broader Mount Canobolas recreational plan.
For example the mountain has a few walking trails. Could there be more? Could there be an accessible walking trail? Could a walking trail be part of an immersive cultural experience that tells the story of Wiradjuri life here.
Could the road, now freshly tarred, be marketed as a scenic drive for those that could not walk? Is there the opportunity for more lookouts? How about a viewing tower? How about a bird hide? How about some limited well designed mountain biking trails that link to the pre-existing network in Glenwood forest?
A broader recreational plan would be more amenable to grants and hopefully engage the community more.
It would be an opportunity for a fresh start rather than attempting negotiation from a baseline already rejected.
Let's try smarter with this rather than just trying harder.
Councillor Steve Peterson
A real concern for us all
The recent report into "Crime in Regional and Rural NSW" would seem to confirm what community leaders and others have been saying for some time.
During recent years, sexual assault has increased and assault in schools were up too.
The highest increase of the nine offences listed, was for property crime in regional NSW, as compared with Sydney, at over 50 per cent.
If these rises are correct, then many of us will have very serious concerns.
There seems to be a growing lack of respect for the law, police and courts, particularly amongst a very small minority of young people.
Looking at the local situation, I've heard reports of a variety of motorcycles (probably unregistered) being noisily and dangerously ridden on roads by young people (probably not licenced) in some parts of our city. If this is true, then it's obviously a real concern.
As J .M.Coetzee wrote in 1980, "All we can do is to uphold the laws, all of us, without allowing the memory of justice to fade."
