Featherston’s problems
Having read these two articles I can’t help but think that you have a personal axe to grind. The new liquor store is in the building of the Kia Ora Dairy as you state but you do not mention that , council willing, the replacement dairy – with no liquor sales – will be a few doors away. You seem to think that Trust House cater for everybody’s pocket, so why is it that Fresh Choice in Greytown has no trouble in filling their bus on Tuesday taking people – mainly pensioners who have to be careful what they spend – to and from their supermarket?
Not to mention all those people who drive to Carterton or Masterton as the savings on a family grocery shop there more than cover the cost of transport (so I have been told). Of course the competition was too much for the overpriced Four Square there and Trust House has closed down rather than become competitive. If you catch the train from Wellington you will see a lot of people who have shopped at the station supermarket even though their prices are not really competitive in Wellington, but are compared to Featherston.
As an example of prices in Featherston’s Trust House Four Square the cheapest 2 litre milk costs more than the equivalent at the petrol station, are you going to have a go at them as well?
Now that they have sold their liquor outlet maybe the prices there, and the selection, will improve.
I picked up my copy of your paper in Martinborough, it has several Wairarapa towns listed under the title on the front page. Is this to give the impression that it is available in these towns? As you should know, as you live in Featherston, it is not available here.
Whilst in Martinborough I called into the council offices to ask if I now owned the berm outside my property as the two articles I have read about mowing of the berms (your paper and The Featherston Phoenix) reminds ratepayers of their responsibility to mow the berm (just like Porky Sexton’s tirade of last year in the Phoenix). I was told that I could not use the berm as part of my garden as it belongs to the council and it is the council’s responsibility to mow it, that’s a pity as I was hoping to extend my section to the footpath. The picture accompanying the article in your paper interested me, it looks remarkably like the property opposite yours, have you offered – as a good neighbour – to mow it? I also heard through the grapevine that the whereabouts of this piece of berm was common knowledge, perhaps you let slip the location to someone?
I suspect you may already have heard of my very pleasant conversation at the council offices, so I’m sure you will not misreport that if you had decided to “comment” in your paper.
Yours sincerely
Pete Roberts
Brandon Street (the one with long grass on the berm),
Featherston
p.s.
now that you will have had the chance to visit the new liquor store did you notice the two big signs saying they will not sell “Legal Highs” which seems to me to indicate that they will be active in avoiding selling alcohol to the characters who are likely to indulge in leaving broken glass in the parks, vandalism and graffiti.
N. B. – the Star is available in Featherston at the Library, Community Shop and Information Centre
