Letters: Kudos to 'poster women' columnists

A big thanks to organisers of Art in the Park, Government Gardens, on February 18. Photo / Ben Fraser

I have comments on two topics I'd like to share. The first is to once again applaud Rachel Stewart for her way with words. I've always loved that she uses forthright honesty, laced with no-nonsense, common sense humour. She is a real "get to the heart of the matter" writer, and I love everything she writes. To those kudos I'd like to add another heroine, Dawn Picken, whose February 22 column "Home is Where the Bigotry Is" should be mandatory reading for every person, everywhere, for all time (changing only the unique statistics as necessary for each country). Like Dawn, I am a transplanted American who also feels that "I am already home" too. Thank you and well done. You deserve to stand as the "poster women" for journalistic studies.

My second remark is to all the organisers and participants in last weekend's quilting-theme display held at Cottage Flair, and to the organisers and participants of the previous weekend's Art in the Park exhibition. My extensive musical and performance background coupled with life's myriad experiences have created in me a serious appreciator of the skill and artistry necessary to engage in these activities, and it was through a lens of artistry that I viewed and enjoyed these weekend showings.

The arrangement of the quilting themes and cultural interpretations of each subject were museum-display quality, and enriched my experience tremendously. Well done and thank you very much.

MARY WRIGHT
Rotorua

Hospital thumbs up

From time to time I hear mumblings of our public health system and it is normally negative. However, having just spent a stay up at our own Rotorua Hospital for a procedure and recovery, I have nothing but praise for the treatment I received from all staff I encountered.

Everyone I had dealings with were polite, friendly and helpful and very much helped to ease the nerves as visits to hospital are generally not for great reasons. So I would like to extend a huge thank you and thumbs up to Rotorua Hospital particularly surgical and orthopaedics whom I had most dealings with.

And for the record, the food was pretty damn good too! Cheers for your awesome care!

KEVIN THORNBOROUGH
Rotorua