Opinions

Everybody loves bonfire night, but we are left with a scene of desolation for months on end. Why do we put up with this when Easter is here and the town is already filled with tourists? There must be a solution

Our lead article in this month's Fixtures, delivered to local homes by Adams of Rye, is by farmer Simon Wright. He explains why Romney Marsh farmers are on the hunt for additional income to sustain the core business. There are six pages of articles . . .

The town needs new independent councilors, writes Mary Smith. If you live in Rye and are eligible to vote, you can stand as a councillor. Sixteen or more are needed to prevent automatic election of those standing and then co-opting their friends to fill the vacant places

Some have no choice about travelling by bus, where the stops are, what shelter is provided, and how good the connections, let alone how often services run and where they go. The county council is introducing major changes. As a user, who lives in Rye but also has a "home" in Rye Harbour, Charles Harkness reflects on the practical impact of these cuts - and how "cut off" people could become

Trump·er·y (trŭm′pə-rē) n. pl. trump·er·ies 1. Showy but worthless finery; bric-a-brac. 2. Nonsense; rubbish. 3. Deception; trickery; fraud.

A local charity is raising money to buy a specially fitted for the children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986, They have no other means of accessing the treatment that they so desperately need

Carl Maynard, Conservative leader of Rother council, is doing his best to dilute the effects of a second rebuke from Kris Hopkins, the Tory Minister for Local Government. At the heart of the exchange is a dispute about council transparency. Maynard clearly believes this latest rebuke is badly timed: not only does it come from a fellow member of the Conservative Party but it is also just a few weeks away from local and general elections on May 7

The ongoing dispute between Rother council and Kris Hopkins, the Minister for Local Government, flared again on Wednesday, writes Tony Nunn. Hopkins sent a strong letter to Carl Maynard, Conservative leader of the council, which was headed "TRANSPARENCY: FAILINGS BY ROTHER COUNCIL". In January Maynard had replied to an earlier letter from Hopkins in which he defended his council's behaviour on such matters as not disclosing redundancy packages for senior managers. Those reasons are dismissed by Hopkins

Calling all painters and decorators! Rye needs a touch up - can you help? Lets do what we can to tidy up our town, writes John Lanigan

Rye residents should take responsibility for cleaning up the area immediately surrounding their homes. This would greatly help the new town steward, who has started well, but who needs the support of local people to maintain the beauty of our town

A former committee member of the Royal British Legion Club, now the Brewery Yard Club, which is up for sale, believes that proceeds from the sale should be used locally

The old school site in Tilling Green is being redeveloped, and the old building is now used as a community centre, run by the Rye Partnership. But current plans include 30 homes (in addition to the 161 in nearby Valley Park) plus a new centre, around a third smaller - and half of that will be taken over by the Partnership. John Wylie's Opinion is what is left is inadequate and unsustainable as a centre, and proposes that alternatives should be considered, and residents involved.