Occasionally I decide to use these opinion pieces to give the local district council a nudge or a serve regarding their tired – and sometimes tiring – efforts to balance democracy with physical reality. Aka, should they become bogged down in the rights (or otherwise) of Māori wards or should they fix the roads?
Peter Carr
Balanced democracy and sheer common-sense dictates that the former should be left to the overview of the far wider accountability of parliament while the latter is demonstrated by the suspension jarring thumps caused by uneven road surfaces. Two far-separated extremes but in the middle lies the morass of voter satisfaction, ratepayer grumbles, planning delays and do-good aspirations of wannabee politicians.
I was heartened last week on a visit to Te Awamutu to tarry awhile as my wife’s coiffure was attended to by her favourite hairdresser. With an hour to fill – and no desire for another caffeine hit – I lit upon a visit to the library. Te Awamutu’s thousands of books used to be domiciled in a shabby, cluttered building adjacent to the main council offices. Librarians must have thought they were in book repository hell.
Te Awamutu Library
Set opposite the sports centre and sharing very good off-road car parking, the relatively new daylight-enhanced building sits proudly evident of good local body stewardship. A simple design with good double doors ensures the sharp south-west wind does not disturb the hushed inner sanctum, the interior leaves one in no doubt that books and records are very much treasured and open for study. An open and friendly front desk set to one side provides visitors with an easy-to-use enquiry opportunity.
As I was not intending to borrow a book, I turned left and found the magazine section which is adjacent to several reading tables – one of which was in full use as a playground area for jigsaws. Is a jigsaw table appropriate for a library? Absolutely, as the puzzles challenge the mind of young and old – especially where those of advanced age are increasingly struggling with the rapid and growing onset of dementia. Good decision madam librarian. Incidentally why are most professional librarians ‘wimen’ and not ‘fellars’?
The magazine section is wide and varied in its choice of subjects and I was drawn to the abundant display of matters historical and geographical. It’s easy to see, well-lit and with adjacent seating to enable page flicking for half an hour. The appropriate hushed tones of the library environment permitted easy and pleasant use of the time upgrading my knowledge. I strolled through the length of the large room and was pleased to see plenty of seating for deeper reading and areas that enabled small groups to exchange views. And I was very pleased to observe the automated book check-out screens.
Returning to Cambridge I chanced upon a drive down Wilson Street where the never ending collection of orange cones – almost drawing a pension – has receded to now reveal a twin-track cycling pathway that is almost as wide as the adjacent road itself. There is evidence of some form of bureaucratic madness at the (now) double young persons pre-school traffic control.
Interesting that the school principal is an elected councillor. But I promised to be kind to the council.
