Well, now we have nine blind mice. I'm talking about the Cootamundra/Gundagai Regional Councillors.

The next council elections can't come around quick enough.

Like all the other shell-shocked ratepayers, I have had enough.

Colin Field, Gundagai

A few weeks ago I sent a letter to our local council about the run down kids play area in our most prominent and supposed to be the main park of Cootamundra, Albert Park.

I got back the usual "fob you off letter" so this is why I am hoping the users of our town will also write to the general manager asking that it be upgraded to modern safe equipment that the town can be proud of.

My kids played on that equipment and now they are grown up and have families of their own.

This is what I said in that proposal.

The General Manager

Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council

I was wondering when the kids play equipment at Albert Park would be replaced with more modern and safer apparatus than what was left by Noah after he came out of the Ark

Not only has it had its "used by date" but most of it is unsafe

Seats have been taken away and not replaced, the "new" BBQ area has two BBQ plates and only one lot of table and bench seats.

How is that supposed to work with two families wanting to use it?

Why don't Council check out the playground equipment and BBQ facilities at the west end of Carrington Park in Young to see what could be done to our main area of family usage at Albert Park?

Why make new garden areas which have to be maintained and that basically not many people want or even go there to enjoy?"

As stated, that equipment is very well outdated and unsafe.

Please will the concerned people of Cootamundra write in asking for an upgrade of that area, it is actually and eyesore and an embarrassment.

The more people write in, the more chance something will be done.

Barry Gavin

May I thank the Cootamundra RSL Club for their assistance to many charities including Cootamundra Drought Relief by organizing Bingo nights to help provide funding for that charity.

It is difficult to raise money for charity but manager Greg Bruce, Megan, Ruth Elphick Jai and the runners made it easy for us on our Bingo night.

My thanks to the many who attended and provided great support and grateful thanks to those who gave donations to help us along.

Those who donated were: Amcal, Mitre 10, Camera Art, South West Fuel, Sutton Street Store, Val Ronning, Helen and Brian Morgan, Cathy O'Brien, Lorraine Gallagher and Kay Johnson .

Our drought relief funds have been increased by approximately $1521.00 and that will certainly assist many farmers to cope in these difficult times.

On behalf of the Drought Relief team our sincere thanks.

Gloria Schultz

To all those who are worried about global warming, just settle down and relax.

We have always experienced in this sunburnt country, droughts and flooding plains so, there is nothing new here.

And the Government's Chief Scientist, Allan Finkel, has been quoted as saying that even if we ended all Australia's emissions - junked every car, shut every power station, put a cork in every cow - the effect on the climate would be "virtually nothing".

Again, nothing new here.

And we have the latest Swedish teenage sensation, 16-year-old Greta Thunberg travelling around the world warning everyone about global warming and that the world will end in about 12 years time.

Unless, of course, we make more use of solar panels and more of those hideous looking, bird-killing windmills.

But prophets of doom like Ms Thunberg are nothing new.

Many years ago the God fearing Jehovah Witnesses had predicted the world would end in 1975 because of rising global temperatures.

And likewise the United Nations had also predicted many years ago that entire nations would be wiped off the face of the earth by rising sea levels if the global warming trend is not reversed by the year 2000.

So, my advice to everyone is simply this: just sit back and relax because I'm predicting that a new ice age is coming.

Geoff Field, Gundagai

Could we assume Steve Smith's redemption may be almost complete, in the opinion of many, with his inspiring Test batting performance?

Others will probably consider he has a way to go.

This is a young man whose elevation to the Australian captaincy was somewhat premature and that was reflected in decisions which were regrettable.

He has learnt a hard lesson and now has returned to display a character which most people will admire. He has surely improved in stature as a batsman and as a person. We can but salute him and celebrate his success.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?