When I retired as chaplain, Ailsa became chair of WHECC.
As such, she was a great support to my successor, the Reverend Amail Habib. They worked closely together on the 50th anniversary of the Whanganui Hospital Chapel. As chair, Ailsa had oversight of the 50th anniversary.
I was pleased to be involved with Ailsa as fellow members of the Board of Alzheimers Whanganui.
I extend my sincere condolences to her sister Margaret and other members of her family.
REV GRAHAM JUDEN
Former ecumenical and coordinating chaplain, Whanganui Hospital (1999 to April 2015)
Border protection
Are lockdowns the answer? No, they are the result of an inadequate border protection policy.
K A Benfell missed the point in the letter he read, being that, at least until we have sufficient vaccination coverage of the population, people coming into the country should take the responsibility to do all they can to ensure they are not bringing the virus with them.
Yes, we all now know you can be vaccinated and still test positive – hence the pre-departure test.
Trying to stop the Delta variants, and the ones that will come after, with our current border strategy will be like trying to catch whitebait with nets made from chicken mesh.
The strategy should be to make sure that those coming into the country don't bring it with them, and no it's not too much to expect that these travellers make the effort themselves to do all they can to ensure they aren't that person who shuts down a country.
Is that simple enough?
RUSSELL EADES
Whanganui
Glass half full
Your reader D Partner, from Eastown, wrote in your letters page criticising the Cadbury ad for saying, "there's a glass and a half in everyone" instead of "every one".
In fact, it is one of the most sophisticated puns in popular media. It shows a young boy who is upset and his brother has the warmth and empathy to share his bar of chocolate with him.
It's a play on words derived from the "glass half full" maxim.
Everyone in Whanganui is currently showing that they have a glass and a half of empathy in them in how we're looking out for each other during lockdown.
RICHARD ELLSWORTH
Springvale
No to Three Waters
Do not be swayed by the Government's Three Waters "modelling estimates" in our favour, plus bloated fear tactics to what it "might" cost if we don't comply.
Remember Rodney Hide's Auckland Supercity that was going to "reduce" costs by amalgamation of councils. Yeah right!
Some councils in Auckland had zero debt. Now look at the monstrosity.
The council now has no control as it's run by seven-plus different unelected bureaucratic entities, for example, Watercare.
We here in Whanganui are a dedicated committed tight community and care very much for the welfare of Whanganui and its ratepayers and residents.
Let's keep it that way. Remember "we" own the artesian underground now.
An absolute NO to Three Waters.
LAURINE CURRIN
Whanganui East
