LETTER: Memorial Hall needs urgent attention

I recently reviewed the Maruki Ensemble playing in the Memorial Hall in a concert much enjoyed in the pleasant ambience of the Memorial Hall, an amazingly good space built almost 90 years ago to commemorate the sacrifices of First World War Yass servicemen.

It was a very cold afternoon so we had the heating going for the comfort of our members but which, because it is such a noisy unit, we turned off in the first half.  The hall then became so cold (with many people affected and much coughing and sneezing) we decided to leave the heating on in the second half - and the players just had to play louder.

There have been frequent complaints to the Yass Council about the hall being just as unbearably hot in summer as it is so very cold in winter and these complaints have fallen on deaf Council ears and nothing has been done to improve this essential facility. It needs urgent attention!!!

Another point of concern is that the Music Club pays a standard fee for its use of the hall while the Council, using the hall for its own purposes, pays nothing. The Melbourne International Comedy performed in Yass in May and my information is that, like 2013, no fee was paid by Council for its use. If this is so, then the Council needs to be reminded that, while it is responsible for the hall, it doesn't own it and should pay for its use just like the rest us.

The Yass Music Club has been in Yass for 61 years and continues to provide good music for the Yass region with its next concert 'Guitar Trek' on September 6.

Already there is a very exciting program in place for 2015 with the season beginning on February 7 with "The Idea of North", then several local groups and to be completed with Joe Chindamo and Zoe Black on October 17.

The bottom line to the Yass Council, however, is to improve the usability of the Hall for the comfort of the public and also to be like the rest of us and pay your way in its use.

Brian Millett,

Yass.