EDITOR – Appearances say a great deal about a community, as does the condition of its infrastructure.
The work in progress at the traffic light intersection of Bluff, Stableford and Old Mission roads is a case in point.
For more than 40 years that I have been driving up and down Bluff Road, the trees at that intersection never posed any problem in terms of visibility. Yet they were cut down, allegedly on the grounds that their shade encouraged homeless beggars and they impeded the vision of motorists. Whether such reasons were given or not, they are absolute humbug.
Nonetheless, after the expense of removing the tree roots and leveling the turf, we now have three very secondhand flower pots in place. Is that the best the parks and gardens department can do? If so, get rid of them. They are unsightly and unacceptable. Whatever shrubs might be placed in flower pots will require regular watering, which is unlikely to happen. So rather plant another tree in memory of and in compensation for the one which was wantonly destroyed.
DR DUNCAN DU BOIS
