Presidents Pen
Published 15 June 2011
Hello Singleton.
Last Saturday night, around midnight, a pack of young, what do I call them ?, thugs ? cowards ?, attacked and injured a man who had the temerity to ask them to move away from his wife’s car. They did not just attack him with fists, no, they did it in the modern cowardly way of star pickets ! If it were not for the noise that brought out neighbours, the injuries suffered by the man could well have been much more severe – as it was he had to be taken to hospital for medical attention. The same pack apparently attacked and badly injured a boy in a close by street.
These “kids” may or may not live in Singleton, I hope not, but in any case unprovoked bashing is not the type of behaviour that any community should have to see. For it to now happen in Singleton means that we have lost our innocence and, surely, we now have a choice to make as a community! Do we accept this nastiness as simply part of the modern world, or do we say “not in Singleton” and try to do something about it ?
This pack of half drunk young cowards came into a quiet street and took their anger and rage out on the first person to ask them to move along. Drinking, and getting drunk, is not a new thing and it will no doubt continue, but what is new is the pack mentality of teenagers who seem to think that group bashing is good fun. As a society at what point do we say that IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR and we do not want it here ?
This lot appeared to range in age from 13 to 17, a difficult age for boys, but that has always been the case. The difference now seems to be that they think they can do what they like without consequence, and I write this piece to ask the community of Singleton if it considers that what happened here last Saturday should be “accepted” as the norm today, or if it would consider the offer of a reward by the SRA for positive identification of these “children” as a more appropriate response to the group beating dished out to a lone young father.
If this incident causes you any alarm or concern, then perhaps joining with your neighbours as part of the Neighbourhood Watch Programme is the way to go. You might even like to volunteer as a Watch co-ordinator for the Singleton area – the SRA can help you join.
On a lighter note, do you have an opinion you would like to share on either the proposed hike in your local rates and taxes or the City’s new 10 year Strategic Community Plan ?
Your feedback on either issue will be welcomed – to the editor or to the webmaster.
Morris Kinley
Published 10 October 2010.
Hello Singleton,
Summer is coming – ain’t that great !
I hope you all like the new format for the Newsletter – our thanks go to Natalie Lees and Louise Beaty; they have put in a great effort. Thanks also to Norm and Ron at The Professionals Bay Realty who kindly donate their time and equipment so that we can advertise our local business supporters. More thanks must go also to our volunteers who faithfully deliver the News to your door each month.
A couple of items of interest this month -
The Dual Use Pathway along Mandurah Road
It looks as though a safe and sensible solution to this matter might have been found and, with a little more push and juggling the pathway might even be installed in a matter of months rather than years.
As you know the SRA membership has always voiced its concern about a path terminating at the garage with its inherent unsafe mixing of path, children, petrol station and high speed crossroads – the recent recommendation by RCC Engineering relieves that concern by moving the path well away from that busy and unsafe corner. The proposed route will now see the pathway extended from Madora by some 600 metres and then crank west into Jade Court thereby providing an almost vehicle free safe passage along that little used roadway into Singleton Beach Road at the rear of the petrol station. No doubt this safer route will be welcomed by parents and future users alike.
Whilst the recommendation stills leaves the work in the 2013/14 budget year the SRA is hopeful that the timing can be brought forward by at least a couple of years and, with the help of all of those who also want to see the path in place earlier, we will do all it can to make that happen.
SRA Survey
As you might have read in earlier Newsletters the SRA had planned to carryout a door to door survey of all Singleton residents so as to get some answers and inputs on things that will hopefully allow the SRA to better serve the community. We have had some feedback that tells us that perhaps some of the community might prefer to complete a survey at their leisure rather than at the door, so we have decided instead to insert a survey form in the Newsletter and we hope that you will be able to find the time to answer the few questions we pose – your participation could help to make Singleton even better.
One of our volunteers will be back in a day or so to pick up your completed form, so if you could leave it in the letterbox it will make things easy for them.
Christmas Fair
We are organizing a Christmas Fair for Sunday 19th December and we would love to see the whole of the Singleton community come along to say hello to Santa, even if you are as old as he. The kids will love the bouncy-castles and the merry-go-round and the animals and the fairy floss and popcorn and the other goodies and all FREE, compliments of the SRA and its local business sponsors. We will have drinks and sizzling sausages for sale, so whatever your age, come join us for tea in the Park and say hello to your new neighbours.
We have yet to finalize start and finish times and all the entertainment, but why not mark up your calendar today so you don’t forget SUNDAY DECEMBER 19th at Harmony Park. Tentative time is around 3.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m., but will let you know more in next months’ issue of the Newsletter.
‘Bye till then
Morris Kinley
Published September 2010.
Hello again Singleton,
Wow – our little community well and truly showed its passion at our last SRA meeting, it was standing room only, and it was great to see so many turn up.
The main reason for the good turnout was the very visible missing portion of the walk/ride pathway along Mandurah Road. Most had come along to hear why the path was still incomplete and what plans the City of Rockingham had for its completion. Unfortunately, many left the meeting disappointed; the outcome on the night was not as positive as they had wanted or hoped for, but for the SRA as a body the night was positive as it showed just what is possible when a community really gets together to have its say in matters that affect it.
No, we did not get a commitment to complete the path along Manduarah Road this year BUT there are a couple of reasons for that – one reason is money (no Council ever has enough to carryout unplanned works), the other reason is that the “attack” for this path was late. On many occasions over the past few years the views of the Singleton community (including in regard to footpaths) have been sought by the SRA via a survey in 2006 via its Newsletter, via its webpage and via email. The majority wish of all those who responded helped Council in its planning and prioritizing community works. The point here is that it could just have easily been the path along Mandurah Road being carried out this year rather than paths elsewhere in Singleton, but such things require time for planning and funding so the choice of what and where was always open to influence by the community – all it takes is for people to get together and have a say. That is the primary purpose of the SRA, and our last meeting showed just how well it can work if people take the time to consider what is important to them and to then join in.
The current plan for the unfinished pathway is for completion in the 2013/14 financial year. Council did offer to complete the path later this fiscal year, but only if Singleton was prepared to forgo paths along Harmony Parade and Wenn Street already budgeted for this year. The majority decision of SRA members on the night was against taking up that offer as it would have been against the wishes of all those who spoke up for other paths on earlier occasions.
Council did undertake to try to source additional funds so that Mandurah Road pathway might be finished earlier than currently planned and the SRA will keep you informed of progress.
Bye, Till next Month.