I would like to thank the following businesses for their generous acts of kindness and help in making my dream a reality: Wimmera Mail-Times and reporter Stephanie  Azzopardi; Mintern Civil; G.K. Hire; Alistair Miller Fencing; K and J Baker; Aquatrail; KLM Concrete; Bunnings; Mitre 10;  MixxFM; Scott Smith Landscaping; BuildPro; Peppertree Nursery; Bradley J Scott Blinds and Curtains; Brad McKinnon; Jodie Taberner and Ian Antinoff.

To my amazing and wonderful family and friends (you know who you are and what you mean to me), words can’t thank you enough for all your  extra expense and tireless hard work, days and nights, over six to eight weeks. I am humbled and overwhelmed by the love and generosity of everyone involved.   

COLLEEN CAMERON

Horsham

HAVING been a councillor in a pre-Kennett council and one often after the model was radically altered, I think now is an appropriate time to review the imbalance between highly paid office staff and those who work outdoors.

Without exception, Victorian country councils now complain about their costs of operation. This draws attention to the incompetence of their administration. The silence of politicians is puzzling.

OLIVER GUTHRIE

Ballarat

I AM writing in the hope readers of the Mail-Times will try to avoid hitting snakes, lizards and other small reptiles as they drive around our beautiful region.

I am constantly dismayed whenever I see another horribly mutilated reptile on our roads, left to die an agonising death. 

Further, I have been shocked to witness men and women go out of their way to drive over these amazing creatures – dangerous in the first instance and wickedly cruel also. 

To wantonly and cruelly target an innocent animal is beyond most reasonable people’s expectations – the stupid and outdated adage of ‘the only good snake is a dead one’ is not only ignorant, but more akin to silly wives tales related to such animals in biblical-demonic parables. 

It’s time to step back and look at these amazing reptiles and applaud the job they do in exterminating vermin such as rats and mice around the farms and towns in the Wimmera and beyond. Our native wildlife is under enormous pressure and the statistics reveal that reptilian attacks on people are incredibly rare – when was the last death in the Wimmera from snake bite? 

Only a fool would walk through long grass without leg protection and, from my understanding of snake behaviour, they will always retreat rather than risk confrontation. 

Breeding time is understandably a time to be aware of your surroundings, but there is absolutely no excuse to go around wantonly killing and maiming these beautiful creatures. So next time you see one lazily sunning itself on a road, drive around if you can and you’ll feel way more satisfied that you saved a life rather than taking a life.

TREVOR ‘FRANK’ TAGLIABUE

Natimuk

THIS year as you finish Christmas shopping please spare a thought for others. Once you’ve bought a Kris Kringle gift, consider another for someone who really needs it.

One more gift to Red Cross will help ensure an older or isolated person gets a phone call every day to check they’re OK, clean water for a young child in a remote village in Myanmar, or a shower and a meal for a teenager sleeping rough.

JODY BROUN

Australian Red Cross