LAST week we lost one of the Hunter's great biologists, Kevin McDonald. He was an inspiration as a teacher, lecturer, and as a defender of nature and the environment in general. He was a man of action, a tireless worker for the community, particularly in his 40-year dedication to the establishment and running of the Hunter Region Botanic Garden. His passion for education knew no bounds. He produced many books including 'Observing Nature Throughout the Year', and 'The Bushland Campus' and 'The Don Morris Walk' centred on the Callaghan campus of the University of Newcastle.
Some of his memorable projects included: setting aside a nature reserve on the then Newcastle College of Advanced Education campus that is still there today as part of the University of Newcastle Callaghan campus. His name is etched into a bench for all to see; his Year of the Tree movement in 1981 - Kevin produced pamphlets, t-shirts and a little song 'Plant a Tree'. The program won a Zonta International award; in 1978 he used Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons concept in an article about Kooragang Island; and in 2000 he developed the Nature Watch Diary Project and e-newsletter. He told me in 2018 he had not missed a single day of diary entries in his own nature watch diary for the previous 20 years.
To me Kevin was a friend and a valued mentor, always willing to encourage us all to do better for the environment.
Tim Roberts, Newcastle East
Knights need right combinations
I HAVE been following the Knights NRLW team for two years now and have enjoyed how they played under coach Ron Griffiths, but this year under new coach Ben Jeffries they seem to have lost their way.
I do not know the politics at the Knights, but allowing or moving Griffiths to the Knights' NSW Cup side seems to be out of character for a club that has a winning coach and team who are a bonded unit.
With the loss of Caitlan Johnston-Green for the season, she has been replaced with Kayla Romaniuk, who I believe is a bench player and should be replaced with Tayla Predebon or Rima Butler - both are of equal/similar size to Johnston-Green. Jeffries needs a big running forward, along with Laishon Albert-Jones, Yasmin Clydsdale and Hannah Southwell. I would have both Predebon and Butler in the run-on side.
At one stage he was reportedly thinking of placing Lilly-Ann White at fullback and moving Tamika Upton into a halves role, now that Jesse Southwell is out with concussion. He must have had one too many drinks when he came up with that idea. He is now putting in a 19-year-old rookie at halfback in Evie Jones to make her NRLW debut.
Unless this coach gets the combination of this team correct quickly, they will slide further down the ladder and find it hard to come back to the top. Come on girls, let's move back up the ladder where you belong.
Stewart James, Thornton
We're dreaming
CONGRATULATIONS to Sydney on its shiny new metro: clean, efficient and luxurious. Novocastrians can only dream as we chug past our shiny new trains that have sat waiting for years. They will be obsolete before we get a chance to travel in them. The outdated, disgusting old trains that we are forced to put up with show no-one in power cares. I have written to politicians pleading for a date I can look forward to enjoying my trip to Sydney in a clean, well-ventilated train with facilities that don't resemble something from a nightmare but no-one appears to know. I go to Sydney for fun. How people going to work put up with this every day is beyond belief.
Sarah Taylor, Merewether
Sad end for Black Caviar
THE dark bay mare, Black Caviar, had a stellar racing career: 25 wins from 25 starts. She was retired from racing in 2013.
How lovely, one might think: a well-deserved quiet life in the paddocks with her horse friends and she could live her lifespan of 25 to 30 years.
But it wasn't like that for beautiful Black Caviar. She had a further career producing valuable foals. Nine, in fact, in eleven years, and as a mare's pregnancy is at least ten months, I don't think retirement is the word I would use. She was euthanised aged 18, due to the painful foot condition laminitis, immediately after her final foal was born. That little one died one day later.
I think this sad story shines a light on aspects of the racing industry.
Olga Parkes, New Lambton Heights
Electoral extension
I DISAGREE with Kerry Vernon ('No to Liberal electoral extension', Letters, 20/8) with regard to deadlines.
The NSW Electoral Commission has bureaucratically enforced the "cut-off" for lodgement knowing the majority of Liberal candidates had not submitted on time and would not accept late submissions when approached by the state body.
The issue here is depriving the public of their democratic right to vote for an individual or party for local council representation. The rules need to be re-examined with regard to late submissions to preserve our democracy. I suspect there may be a flood of informal votes in this election.
John Carr, Toronto
Maitland pool a case study for Newcastle
NOVOCASTRIANS come to Maitland for a real life case study of a relatively new 25 metre indoor pool ('Have your say on indoor pool proposal', Newcastle Herald, 20/8). Our council can provide the usage data but the swimming fraternity can provide the user experience of what will be required to accommodate squads in winter plus lap swimmers, walkers, aqua classes and learn to swim. Tip: Maitland is ready for its 50 metre outdoor pool to be an all year, solar-heated facility.
Garry Blair, Maitland
Times have changed
A LOT of people worked in aged care for many years. I started in 1976 and loved the job. It was full-on and residents were well looked after very well. Food was cooked fresh every day for the residents. The care was very good. It was heavy work, we didn't have any of the new equipment. We had RN, EN and AIN who worked in the home. Nowadays it's all money cutbacks and too much paperwork to do and the care is just not there anymore.
Kim Butt, Thornton
Coote deserves Immortal status
CONGRATULATIONS to the legend Ron Coote, 14th Rugby League Immortal - well deserved - and for Darryl Brohman for his induction into the hall of sooks.
Ken Stead, Lambton
Hunter Water survey
HAVING just completed an online survey from Hunter Water, I question some of the questions asked and their relevance to water services. Questions based on race, gender, composition of family members, income and more seemingly unrelated subjects were asked. I thought water services would be a simple commodity that we all use regardless of diversity, equity, inclusion and identity politics. Perhaps if Hunter Water concentrated more on basic water services our bills may be reduced.
