Letters: Women's soccer side impressive

Your newspaper coverage is so welcome. We were lucky enough to see the big home ground [women's football] win. It said so much for the work and training they have obviously done.

They moved as a unit, all up and all back when needed. There was no standing around. The visitors got little time on the ball. Our moves were crisp and well executed. The communication on field was first class. It was also good to see generous sideline support from senior male players.

How do you lose 11 games and hold together as a team, let alone then play so well? It speaks volumes for the coach, Matt Calvert, who regularly gives his heart and soul to the team from the sideline. These Wanganui women never stop trying. Hold together as a team and they will most assuredly do us all proud next year.

And a word for the Wanganui Chronicle too: Without your coverage, we wouldn't even know any soccer was being played.

We look forward to next season and will try to improve our trumpet playing. My maternal grandfather was a bugler in the British Army. He rallied troops all round the world. My optician got me playing.

He said, "You have wonderful vision on the end of your nose". I was 75 at the time.
Trumpet players have only three keys to negotiate and they only play one note at a time. What, I ask you, could be simpler? There! The secret is out.

Ladies, please keep playing. We so look forward to your next season. And thank you, Matt Calvert, for time and caring you give. This team is a credit to you, and you are clearly a treasured coach to them.

FRED AND LORNA ROSE
Whanganui

Cody confusion

Heard a bit of news on National Radio the other morning. It seems that because of a serious case of Cody dieback disease in the bush out West of Auckland, all the walking tracks in the Waitakere Ranges will be shut down.

This sounds like bad news — but, just between the two of us, who is this Cody person?

G.A. MCGRATH
Whanganui

Trump truths

I only wish that Mr Benfell was correct when he said I erred in labelling the Trump presidency a fascist one.

Back in 2003, Dr Lawrence Britt studied the fascist regimes of Mussolini, Hitler, Franco, Suharto and Pinochet. He found that every regime had the same common characteristics.

The leaders were helped into power by shady millionaire businessmen, by flags and slogans everywhere, by attacks on "dangerous" minorities to create a unifying frenzy, by the use of the most common religion to manipulate public opinion, and by elections manipulated with rigged district boundaries and smear campaigns.

When in power they gave draconian powers to political police, they granted lavish funding to the military, corporations and themselves at the expense of funds for education, health, disasters, pensions etc, they vilified journalists, academics and artists, and they appointed associates to key roles so they could protect each other from the law (tinyurl.com/Britt2003).

It is scary to discover all of these fascist characteristics growing stronger every day in the present Trump regime.

And Nick Ander's letter defending Trump goes awry when he writes that the Founding Fathers' US Constitution was written to secure the blessings of liberty for "Our posterity — not immigrants, descendants of immigrants, invaders... "

Isn't Mr Ander aware that Donald Trump is the husband, son and grandson of immigrants, and has many connections to invasive Russian mafia influences?

JOHN ARCHER
Ohakune

Send your letters to: The Editor, Wanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Wanganui 4500; or email editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz