Firstly, it is obvious people love to build in hazardous bush areas.

Too many times we hear of entire villages caught in the path of a raging bushfire with catastrophic consequences.

Regulations regarding buildings, clearing around properties and controlled hazard reducing burns need to be looked at and plans put into place to make living in such areas safer.

What has come out of the Tathra fire is the need to utilize both branches of our firefighting services.

The fact offers of assistance were made and rejected demonstrates lack of cohesion in our approach to fighting fires.

The time was to utilise all services in an effective co-ordinated manner.

Most Fire and Rescue vehicles have limitation as to where than can go but can be utilised in many ways to support Bush Fire brigades (or vice versa). Is it time to merge both fire authorities into one co-ordinated body?

Admittedly, what Fire and Rescue do is often vastly different to what the largely volunteer Rural Bushfire brigades do, but this difference would be addressed in the overall organisation.

Consideration to remunerate some or all members of Rural Bushfire Brigades and train them in basic skills much as fire and rescue are trained would see more efficiency in such cases when Rural Fire members are called out to accidents and other non-fire related incidents.

In reality, our place is not to supply answers, but ask questions and request efficiency in our system.

                    WITS

Pierre and Cherylee Mears returned from their exciting time participating in the Riverina Redneck Rally.

Pierre said it was a great experience and importantly they raised $15200 themselves with a total of $272000 being raised for Country Hope. All participants … fantastic.

                    WITS

Murphy is a gifted portrait artist. Over a short time his fame grew with many people coming to the town of Miltown to get him to paint their likenesses.

One day a beautiful young English woman arrived at his house in a stretch limo and asked if he would paint her in the nude.

This being the first time anyone had made such a request, he was a bit perturbed, particularly when the woman told him money was no object, in fact she was willing to pay up to ten thousand pounds.

Not wanting to get into marital strife, he asked her to wait while he conferred with his wife about the right and wrong of it.

Finally his wife agreed, on one condition, so in a few minutes he returned.

“T’would be me pleasure to paint yer portrait missus,” he said, “the wife says it’s okay. I’ll paint you in the nude all right, but I have to at least leave me socks on so I have a place to wipe me brushes.”

                    WITS

Do you want to see the potential in Boorowa’s rising Van Goghs, Picassos or Rembrandts?

Get along to St Joseph’s Primary School Hall, 6pm Friday, April 6 and have a look at the masterpieces created by the school pupils.

Admission is a mere $10 ($20 family) with a light supper provided.

                    WITS

Henry David Thoreau said “The world is but a canvas to our imagination.” Beautiful, but consider:

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” (Pablo Picasso)