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WORLD SEVENS CHAMPIONS p14
Guardian
Ashburton
www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
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Isobel makes her mark internationally By Gabrielle Stuart One dedicated young Ashburtonian has made her mark this year not only in the district and the country but across the world. Isobel Ferguson is one of 10 young women to receive the Zonta International Young Woman in Public Affairs Award, impressing international judges with her hard work in Ashburton and dreams of making a difference in the community. And despite years of work on the
Ashburton Youth Council, work with dozens of local volunteer groups, on the Ashburton College student executive and even coaching local sports teams, she said that winning the award took her by surprise. “I’m so grateful. I just volunteered because people needed me, I never knew it would add up to anything.” She said she was driven to volunteer by a mother who didn’t believe in sitting still, and a pair of ‘very altruistic’ grandparents. “There’s this idea people have that their town owes them stuff, but that’s just not true. They post things
like ‘I’m bored’ on Facebook, but I think if you don’t want to use your time why not give it?” And the local girl doesn’t plan to stop at volunteering. After working three jobs to fund her studies in health science at Otago University this year, the $5000 American dollars in prize money will go a long way towards funding her future, and she has a clear vision of what she wants to achieve. “I wouldn’t have made it without scholarships from the community and the help from Zonta, and I want to prove to them that they made a
good choice. I want to be an ambassador for mental health, but actively; to do as well as talk.” After seeing the effects of suicide in the community, it’s an area she is passionate about. “We have an incredibly high youth suicide rate, and rural men are overrepresented in that. I want to be a GP, but focus specifically on the mental health of youth in New Zealand.” With years of study ahead of her, it could be a decade before she returns to Ashburton – but one day she would like to.
“Everyone trashes this place, but I don’t think we realise how good we have it. There’s everything you need here, and so many people willing to help you out. No one is insignificant here.” District councillor Robin Kilworth worked with Miss Ferguson during her three years on the Ashburton Youth Council, and said she was impressed by her hard work. “She has always impressed as a very committed and energetic young woman, who works hard for the things that she believes in, is well organised and a very good leader. I
know the experience she will gain through the awards will stand her in good stead, and we’re sure that she will do the youth council and Zonta proud.” President of the Zonta Club of Ashburton Jeanette Montgomery said that the local club was very proud of Miss Ferguson and what she had achieved. “Isobel has shown that she is a very motivated and passionate young woman, and her aspirations reflect the aims of Zonta, that of advancing the status of women worldwide.”
Trapped in remote gully A skier and snowboarder were winched to safety after venturing into back country terrain at Mt Hutt on Sunday. The pair, a man and woman from Christchurch, were grateful to be airlifted after becoming “bluffed”, said the Westpac Rescue Helicopter paramedic who winched them out. “They were in a very precarious position to be fair, it was quite steep up there,” he said. The couple were winched back to the Mt Hutt base area where they were checked by the ski area’s medical team. The pair’s frightening afternoon began when they climbed beyond the skifield boundary to the Rakaia River side of the mountain, known as Avalanche Gully, perhaps to access fresh skiing terrain. But one of them slid down, and both lost their skis and snowboard. Mt Hutt Ski Area manager James McKenzie said the skifield was notified about 4.15pm after one of the pair used their cellphone to alert authorities of their plight. Ski patrollers were quickly searching, and despite a poor description of their location, found them by 5pm, 300 metres from the mountain’s ridge. A patroller skiied
Science comes to life with bubbles
down to them, and was also airlifted out of the steep terrain when the helicopter arrived just a few minutes later. Mr McKenzie said the skifield was investigating whether recent heavy snow had compromised signage in the area where the pair accessed back country terrain, but he was confident the skifield boundary was well roped with adequate signage. To access that area required a climb, so it appeared they had made an intentional choice to get there. “They have made a decision about it and it backfired on them a bit,” Mr McKenzie said. They had not been carrying avalanche transceivers and shovels, which was the advice for those heading back country. The pair had done the right thing by calling for help, and Mr McKenzie said it was a pleasing outcome. Rakaia Gorge farmer Julian Evans said he watched the rescue through his binoculars from his house. He was not surprised skiers had tried to access the area. “I can’t believe anybody would be stupid enough to ski down there,” he said. And it was not possible at the moment with avalanche debris and shingle slides.
By Gabrielle Stuart
ONLINE.co.nz
By Susan Sandys
photo Tetsuro Mitomo 270613-TM-141
Ashburton local Isobel Ferguson won national and international awards this month for her work in the community.
Check out our video photo tetsuro mitomo 010713-TM-062
Big bubbles are big science for three-year-old Max McKay, who donned safety glasses before stepping inside the giant bubble at a Science Alive ‘bubble workshop’ in Methven yesterday.
More than 30 children sat on towels to watch bubble magic happen in Methven yesterday at a workshop organised by homebased care Ashburton Educarents. Astrid Mueller from Science Alive led the ‘bubble workshop’, and said it was science that was interesting for everyone. “Most people don’t realise that this is science. For this age group it’s just an entry into science, looking at shapes and colours and skills. But you can study bubbles at all ages, and with older groups we can look into things like what creates the colours, and why, when stretched, they go back to a sphere.” Since losing their Christchurch base in the Canterbury quakes, the staff at Science Alive have spent a lot more of their time travelling to give talks, and organiser of the day Erin Redfern of Educarents Ashburton said it made the workshops accessible for rural kids. “Logistically even organising so many children and caregivers to get down the road is difficult, so it’s fantastic that they can come to us here. “The great thing is that these are just basic things using water and dishwash liquid, so it’s not a tricky thing for the kids to take home.” The Science Alive van also stopped by Methven Preschool, before heading back to Christchurch.
Ashburton man killed Three women caught driving with excess breath alcohol
Photo supplied
A skier is winched to safety from Avalanche Gully late on Sunday.
A 64-year-old Ashburton man has died after the vehicle he was driving collided with a truck and trailer unit south of Timaru on Sunday afternoon. He was Allan Clifford Brady. Mr Brady was driving a north bound Nissan 4WD accompanied by two passengers, a 76-year-old Ashburton man and an 81-yearold Ashburton man. The crash occurred on State Highway One just after 3pm near the intersection with Woolshed Valley Road in the Otaio district.
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Mr Brady died at the scene, but both his passengers and the driver of the truck and trailer unit, which was travelling south, were taken to Timaru Hospital by ambulance. The highway was closed and a detour was set up through Woolshed Valley and Springbank roads for several hours. Police and serious crash investigators from Christchurch worked through Sunday night but the cause of the collision has yet to be established.
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Badly behaved women were high on the list for police in Ashburton this weekend. Three women were charged with driving with excess breath alcohol levels, after they were caught in a booze bus trap. Two were more than double the legal limit at 994mcg and 816mcg respectively. The third was caught driving
with a breath alcohol level of 645mcg. A man was also charged with drink driving in relation to this sting. On Thursday another woman was found to be driving with a level of 762mcg. Ashburton police attended four incidents of family violence during the weekend. In other matters, an assault
was reported at 3.20am in the Ashburton CBD, enquiries are continuing into this matter, and around the same time a man was arrested on West Street and detained for detoxification. A 17-year-old youth was arrested on a warrant, and there was a vehicle collision on Thompsons Track at 3am on Sunday morning; no injuries were reported.
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