Thank you for essential support to young homeless
Susan Barton came to Bendigo in 2001 to ask our community to set up a lighthouse for homeless young people.
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This was no easy project. Where do you find a suitable house to accommodate neglected and destitute youth?
Enter the visionary Ken Marchingo of Loddon Mallee Housing (now Haven; Home, Safe), who offers to provide a house without cost to Lighthouse.
Some 20 years later this home is still providing safe shelter for homeless youth with over a 120 having passed through its doors.
Now known as Horizon house, it continues to perform an essential service with two houses operating in Bendigo.
Thank you to Ken Marchingo from all the young homeless kids of Bendigo who without your invaluable support would never have had a start.
Robert Cook, former chairman of Lighthouse and Horizon House
Time to reopen Hargreaves Mall
With previous exercises and cost spent the sensible option would be to turn Hargreaves Mall back into a street.
With a low speed for cars, even speed humps, shops will fill. Add in the new hotel and it will revive.
Open entry to Hargreaves Street also.
As with Lygon Street in Carlton you could have eateries with footpath dining, which will support businesses.
Annette Gerry, Kennington
Mixed up priorities for vaccine rollout
I am turning 69 soon, so I am not used to being told I am too young for - anything much.
But according to the government's rollout plan, I will be too young for the Phase 1 vaccine, which will be mostly the Pfizer dose, and will have to wait for Phase 2, which may be the less effective AstraZeneca jab.
Who's getting Phase 1? Quarantine, healthcare, aged care and disability workers - quite right! Indigenous people over 55 and others over 70. Fine.
Related story: Bendigo coronavirus vaccination hub in planning stage
High-risk workers - police, fire, defence and emergency services - yes, and give them a medal too.
And meat processing workers - wait, what? Killing animals is miserable, dangerous and poorly paid work in settings ideal for contagion, but it is certainly not an essential industry.
The result of shutting down slaughterhouses and retraining the workers would be reduced pollution, improved public health and the end to the terror and agony of millions of animals every day.
Desmond Bellamy, PETA Australia
Australia Day honour is much deserved
A simple message. Keith Sutherland is a living legend.
Bushy Martin, Bendigo
Support for change the date campaign
Celebrating the birth of our Nation on January 26 may have seemed a great idea prior to 1901; but it isn't so great now.
Surely the most sensible date is Federation Australia Day - January 1. On this day 120 years ago the nation of Australia was formed.
This is the day we can all celebrate regardless of race, religion or colour.
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This is the day that we the people of Australia had the power to declare our First Nation peoples be treated as our equal citizens.
This is the day we should be celebrating, not because we're forced to by angry demonstrations - although it may be the reason we're talking about it - but because this day and no other is the day we became a nation.
A nation for all our people. A day we can all celebrate. A change for the greater.
So why not for change?
Anthony Dewhurst, Kangaroo Flat
Clear answer to question
What is it going to take for us to live as one?
There is always going to be someone opposed to others choices and beliefs. The major issue is Australia Day at the moment. Australia Day is not celebrated the day the fleet arrived in Australia, it is the day Governor Phillip raised the "British flag".
So let's change the day. January 1, 1901 is the day we actually became independent, so why not have change it to that day?
Another question I want to ask is: What do we need to do to make the nations first people happy? What is it going to take to make Australians One and Free, obviously not the lyrics in the national anthem.
Come on everyone, let's be Australian.
James Howden, Ascot
Next step is Republic
There is a simple solution to the arguments about Australia Day. Wait until the day when we inevitably become a Republic and make that our Australia Day.
There will be no reason for disagreement, but harmony and pride in Australia will prevail.
Be patient; that day is not far off. For those who have concerns about a republic following the recent disastrous events in America, have no fear.
Our president will be appointed, not elected. It will be a ceremonial position such as that of the present Governor General, but without that final political power.
Australia Day will then be a day all Australians can celebrate with passion.
Ian Braybrook, Castlemaine
And... our Letter of the Week
Notwithstanding Ken Price's vote for Shane Fitzsimmons (Letters, January 19), I consider all the Australia Day awards a complete nonsense.
There are many reasons for this. Last year's Bettina Arndt honour being just one.
I know another, more local man Neil Murray, for whom the words "a true hero and a truly great man" are applicable.
Who is he, you may ask. Nothing more than a songwriter. But his songs speak to the soul of this country.
Among them are 'My island home', 'This good earth', 'Good light in Broome', 'Menindee', 'Native born', 'We'll build a nation', 'Where my people go', 'Tjapwurrung Country' and 'Blackfella/whitefella'.
Recently Australia's foremost current artist Ben Quilty, called for this last one to be our national anthem. It's a rocking good tune too.
No, he's not indigenous.
But he has spent his lifetime enlightening us second Australians in appreciation of our first people and that Australia.
Ray Wilson, Kangaroo Flat
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