Bring back the Green Square grass

I’M emailing you in my capacity as reader of your fine magazine and one-time regular visitor of Green Square in Kingston.

I’ve just read the article (“Pawl calls for more green in the square”, CN August 1) about Pawl Cubbin and the Kingston Traders’ wish to have grass replanted in the area. I wholeheartedly support their cause as Green Square is not now the lovely place it used to be.

Good on Pawl for suggesting he could pay for the grass himself.

If Manuka can have The Lawns why can’t Kingston have Green Square – a square that is truly grass green?

The area doesn’t have the appeal it once had for me, there’s nowhere now for kids to run around in or people to sit on the ground with their friends (the nicer ones with their dogs!). Boo, hiss, Katy Gallagher.

Shelley Harris, via email

 Come on, Katy, meet us!

I READ with interest the article in today’s paper on Green Square (“Pawl calls for more green in the square”, CN August 1).

I am one of the 35 passionate business people who met to discuss tidying up this special part of Kingston.

We sent a letter to the ACT Government several months ago and heard nothing. We finally received a response from [Chief Minister] Katy Gallagher saying the Government wasn’t even prepared to meet us.

I back Pawl Cubbin up. We are not asking for anything overly complicated or costly, but the reality is that the spindly native grass is not conducive to children playing and it has driven many people away from the area, not to mention the negative impact it has had on the retail side of Kingston. So let’s do the right thing, in this Centenary Year and honour Green Square for what it once was.

And do the right thing by the business owners in Kingston and have a quick meeting with us, Ms Gallagher!

Gabi Radinger, Green Square business

owner of 28 years, Kingston

 Proud public servant

THANK you Robert Macklin for jumping to our defence on the matter of slashing Canberra’s public servants (“Shame of slicing public servants”, CN August 1).

I am one of those servants and am proud of it. I’m proud of 14 years spent providing service to the public and to people like Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott. Can they say the same about what they do for the public of Australia, I wonder?

M Crowe, via email 

No Centenary ‘nobility’ at jazz show

AS a keen Canberra-born jazz fan, I was proud to attend John Mackey’s Capital Jazz Project concert on August 2 celebrating Canberra’s Centenary at the Street Theatre.

While the gig was a most enjoyable, yet low-key affair, I felt disappointed at the absence of our Centenary’s “nobility”, who I expected to be there to give symbolic due recognition to this auspicious event, as has indeed happened with other genres.

Many thanks to John for composing and playing, with his beautiful saxophone music, such a wonderful musical contribution to Canberra’s 100th anniversary.

Bob Howe, Chapman

Frank’s big Centenary moment

IN March I wrote to “CityNews” wondering what would happen in Canberra’s arts scene when the Centenary was over.

I also said that each Canberran deserved a “Centenary Moment” and mentioned that I was still waiting for mine.

Well, I am thrilled to say that I experienced my Centenary Moment last week at The Playhouse watching a group of young Australians, many of them locals, making passionate contemporary dance for all audiences. Even if the participants at “Hit The Floor Together” were at different stages of their professional development, they all shared a love for dance that was palpable.

I was mesmerised by each of their performances and could not stop making a direct link to what 2013 means to Canberra, to celebrate that we are young and encouraging new generations to be proud of our city. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were to witness the birth of exciting theatre and dance companies searching for a unique Canberra artistic language as a result of 2013?

 Frank Madrid, Turner