As a new tourism operator in Napier, my job is to bring vibrancy and fun to our lovely city.
I am appalled at the apathetic attitude of the majority of our retailers.
We have cruise ships visiting with 2000-4000 tourists aboard.
It is an embarrassment to drive them through town at 8am-9.30am, to closed shops and a lifeless town.
I have completed two tours by the time some shops are open.
You retailers are the same people who resisted an artists' market to be held at the Napier Sound Shell for the cruise ship tourists. This could be a great attraction for them.
Napier has lost much of its port business to Tauranga and we will lose the cruise ships unless we have a united effort to make this a fun and interesting place to visit.
In short, open your shops whenever the ships are in, whether it's early morning or Sundays.
Don't be afraid of competition from Napier's artists - they can add interest and vibrancy and would certainly be there at 8am.
Vic Jennings
Supertrike Tours & Hire
Issue magnified
In reply to Bill Carswell's letter dated November 7, regarding the new telephone directory:
I must agree with his comments. I received my new book today and although I use new bifocals I couldn't distinguish the names without using a magnifying glass.
As the vice-president of Grey Power, I contacted Telecom and was referred to the Yellow Pages.
A young lady dealt with me and believe it or not, she suggested that within three days she would forward us a magnifying sheet.
How crazy is that? Has privatisation got to the stage where our citizens require a magnifying sheet to read a directory to save a few cents in printing?
Just think. What is going to happen if we continue to sell our assets? What a laugh.
E W Duffill
Hastings
Fatal mistakeA
s a member of the Save Nelson Park Action Group, I and five others of our group, back in November 2006, carried a mock coffin through the business centre of Hastings depicting the demise of central city shops in Hastings.
Our reason was that if Nelson Park in Hastings was sold and Mega Stores were built thereon, many of the smaller shops in Hastings would close, and larger ones also.
We of course were rubbished at the time, but now I see the worm has turned and people from the Hastings City Business Association are scrambling to submit submissions to our Hastings District Council opposing smaller shops being built at the Park Megacentre.
Sorry, ladies, I'm afraid you're backing a losing team. You, me and our council do not now have a say in what the owners, Charter Hall, do on their own property.
Brian Steele
Hastings