I'm writing to you as I am doing a favour for others and in honour of my grandfather. Recently, my grandfather John went to receive heart surgery at St George Private Hospital. He had to get treated for a triple bypass. The surgery went on for six hours and went very well. His recovery went very well and he is home now doing great!
He wanted to let everyone know that no matter how scared or nervous you might be to go and get checked out by a doctor, you need to do it! Please do it for yourself and the people who surround your life daily.
Many people are affected by heart problems every single day but aren't doing anything about it. Especially with COVID now surrounding us, too many people are giving up going to the doctor just to keep their small problem growing because they're too worried about COVID. Trust me, he was very nervous, but now he tells me every day how grateful he is for this surgery. He stated that the staff and management there were courteous, kind, helpful, just overall incredible! If not now, go and get checked by a doctor as soon as possible to reduce your risk of any heart problems you may have, getting worse. Going to the doctor and getting checked, despite COVID fears, saved his life, and it could do the same for you. Thank you to everyone who helped keep my grandfather happy and healthy. All your amazing work is appreciated!
Giselle Upham, Heathcote
Support for Chris Minns' call for curfew lift
I support Chris Minn's call to remove the curfew for LGAs of concern as it's not in place on medical advice.
Being an essential worker in an area of concern needing to complete various forms just to go to work, while sitting at home watching NSW health website heatmap of infection showing other LGAs at the same level of infection but not classified as of concern yet.
This ISN'T a lockdown until it's statewide and "We are all in this together", it's just prolonging financial hardships for very little gain what happens when the MU variant arrives.
Jason S, Blakehurst
Vaccination was normal
In 1947 I migrated from Latvia, I was eight years old.
My most vivid memories of those days were being vaccinated at every entry and exit point throughout Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
I am proud to have been part of the largest post-war migration ever experienced in Australia.
I have no recollections of any pandemics or viral outbreaks back in the early days of my family's settlement in Sydney.
I would urge everyone to get vaccinated and be safe from this current virus.
Peter Gilbert
Dobbers
A friend recently had police knocking on her door following a complaint about one of her children out riding bikes with their friends. Never mind the horseradish; this is "who we are", who some people have become, as un-Australian as you can get - dobbers!
Gary Frances, Bexley
Development approval raises questions
(as per comment written by Adam Murphy 18/7/2021) Many people, including myself and many parents at GRC Peakhurst, were curious to see how this was going to occur. I honestly was shocked how it was approved to put a driveway next to a crossing.
Indeed, the safety of children should be the priority. The temporary fencing was on the road for weeks. I couldn't walk on the footpath. Who approves this? Beyond comprehension. Our Peakhurst councillors couldn't care less. Incompetence with a capital I.
I.R. Callaghan. Lugarno
St George's Disappearing banks
As Ned Kelly once forced a withdrawal from a rural Victorian bank, I've been told my grandmother was hiding behind her mother's skirts in a nearby haberdashery.
Ned would be as challenged as many St George residents now to find the banks, seemingly stolen by bank executives as they rewarded themselves with inordinate bonuses.
Sans Souci, Ramsgate, South Hurstville, Rockdale Plaza and as many 114 easily accessible banks have been extinguished as though affected by an insidious virus.
As the public is increasingly service deprived by banks and negligible interest rates, there's been no lessening of bank profits and executive salaries.
Once the intentions for a community bank in Sans Souci didn't actualise, major banks were free to inconvenience its unlucky customers further.
The small tin bank that was a come-on at primary school enticed and promised that one could trust a bank with one's money and having easy access to it.
As goes a bank, it seems an ATM may vanish with it as it was with Ramsgate and Sans Souci.
The gradual bank removals and the bank's PR and lobbyists have not obscured how banks once entrenched are no longer what one was taught at school, nor the extent banks would go to steal Kelly's trade.
Should each bank customer receiving less than 1 per cent interest be provide with a secure and an accessible account attached to the Reserve Bank, wherein, pensioners aren't seeing their funds being employed for personal loans of returning banks around 13 per cent.
Brian Hard, Sans Souci
Remain on high alert
Following a recent increase in case numbers, Georges River residents are being reminded of the importance of getting vaccinated, testing frequently and following the health advice.
Many residents have expressed their opposition to our classification as an area of concern.
However, I want to assure everyone that we must all be on high alert at this time, given the increasing case numbers.
Now is not the time to be complacent. We must all work together to limit the spread of this virus and it starts by everyone talking to their GP about getting vaccinated and continuing to following the health advice.
More than 92,000 COVID tests have been taken in the past four weeks within the Georges River LGA. I want to thank everyone who has come forward for testing because it plays a critical role in case detection and it helps ensure that no cases are going unnoticed. Member for Oatley, Mark Coure
