Thursday, September 19, 2024

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Editor's Note

Hi Everyone,

Last weekend I had the most fabulous time at the Whitsundays Writers Festival, and it was truly an event I’ll remember forever.

From my mum using the f-word when performing her poem ‘Don’t Let The Old Lady In” at the Poetry Karaoke evening, to having a lively conversation with New York Times Best Selling Author, Sally Hepworth – the whole weekend was magical!

I met too many inspiring people to count, formed connections from all over the country and locally I heard there could even be a new writers group formed as a result of the event.

Well done to the organisers, volunteers and committee members who brought this amazing event back to the community, I hope it continues for years to come.

Changing pace now, I wanted mention the recent assaults that took place at the public toilets on Cannonvale Beach.

As many of you would know, I live very close by and, when I heard one of the attacks occurred 200 metres away from where I had been sleeping just five minutes before my alarm went off, I felt deeply distressed.

Not only had I been unable to help the poor lady, I had also been very close to a dangerous criminal.

I felt even more distressed when our journalist, Ruth Puddefoot, informed me this was the second incident where a woman had been assaulted in the same location, just days apart.

Fortunately, a man had been arrested and we hope is now off the streets, but I couldn’t help but think that if we had been alerted to the danger and informed of the first incident, then the second assault could have been prevented.

Two lady’s lives have been changed forever because of these assaults, but if the community knew about the first incident, I can’t help think that people could have been aware to use more caution and be on the lookout.

If the newspaper can help alert the community to a crime, we will.

If anyone wishes to inform us of an assault, we will contact the police for an official statement and then publish a community alert with accurate information.

Rach

Quote of the Week: “No pressure, no diamonds” (Thomas Carlyle)

In other news