Te Awamutu News | November 17, 2022

Storm clouds above

By Mary Anne Gill

The honeymoon is well and truly over for the newly elected Waipā council with confirmation the “perfect storm” chief executive Garry Dyet predicted during the election campaign has landed with a thud.

The warning of a need to tighten belts – branded “fake news” by a mayoral candidate in the election campaign – has been sounded loud and clear at the Waipā District Council meeting this week.

Dyet told The News, and alerted candidates in September, a perfect storm of inflation, supply issues, job vacancies and growth pains was looming.

In a paper called Top Risks and

Risk Appetite tabled at this week’s meeting, Organisational Excellence manager Georgina Knapp said the council was in “a really volatile environment at the moment”.

The volatility around the labour market and supply chain issues was expected to change and the council would need to keep a close eye on it.

Inadequate staffing capacity and capability to deliver on council’s objectives was rated as an ‘extreme’ risk.

Very high risks were listed as financial sustainability, failure to deliver the programme of capital works, community engagement, climate change impacts, key stakeholders’ relationships and failure to give effect to Te Tiriti

(Treaty of Waitangi) and build successful iwi/mana whenua partnerships.

High risks were listed as failure to manage responses to and the impacts of local government reforms and managing health and safety and wellbeing.

Protecting information management assets rounded out the risks with a medium ranking.

Newly elected councillor Mike Montgomerie said the risk appetite of the council struck him as high.

“I don’t want to cause trouble on my first day,” he said and went on to say the risks were potentially setting the organisation up to fail.

The corporate world would not accept that level of risk, he said and gave the example of the

council saying health and safety was high risk when the only “acceptable appetite” was for low.

“You don’t want to artificially massage the risk.”

Clare St Pierre said a council business had more constraints on it than corporates did while Lou Brown said times were uncertain.

“We’re facing a lot of legislation changes which can impact on our operation.

“We are a public body. We do have a line in the sand.”

In her report, Knapp said the council was willing to take well defined risks at a moderate to high level where it would result in the achievement of strategic objectives and provide opportunities.

The News story in September,

hinting at what lay ahead, prompted bizarre allegations from candidate Woodhams, who finished third in the election race. He wrote: “Fake News needs to be called out. I called Garry Dyet after I saw the article titled ‘Promises, Promises’. In the conversation he stated he is livid, saying it is data that is out of context and he did not talk to the paper at all!”

But The News did talk to Dyet at his request on Friday September 9 for more than 11 minutes and he provided us with a copy of the ‘Heads Up’ blog he sent to his staff. That interview and the blog formed the basis of the article.

Councillors held their first full meeting in Te Awamutu on Tuesday.

Rosetown

Storm clouds above

Dyet said the blog had been drawn from material on the council website under Information Requests and “all candidates were emailed and alerted to this.”

In the blog he told staff: “Hang onto your seats folks, we’re in for some ‘fun and games’ over the next few months.”

The News subsequently requested under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (Lgoima) all correspondence sent to mayoral, council and community board candidates by the council.

Emails were sent to all candidates on August 24, September 6 and October 14. The

one on September 6 referred candidates to a page on the council website containing workshop presentations “including a recent one on the 2023/2024 Annual Plan.”

Neither Woodhams or the Facebook site administrator Brenda Stamp have responded to requests to remove the post in which he claimed the article was pulled from various unrelated disparate documents published and the newspaper was “inventing content rather than reporting.

“Certainly, their level of information appears to be limited to the creativity of the writers.”

Te Awamutu Community Board chair

Ange Holt, whose email address was included in the three emails sent to all candidates along with Woodhams’, said on her post:

“I do not recall being invited to anything like that either or had any correspondence from Garry saying any of those things.”

Woodhams and Stamp both complained to the Media Council about The News coverage and were told there was no substance to the complaints.

“We see straightforward reporting of a local body election, and no evidence to show how the reporting was inaccurate or unbalanced.”

It was nice meeting you, Te Awamutu

By Benjamin Wilson

Depending on how you read a newspaper, this could likely be the last piece written by me that you’ll ever read.

To put things bluntly, I am leaving the Te Awamutu News to focus on my work as freelance photographer, and the counselling degree that I am halfway through completing.

When I joined The News in January, I

was excited to meet new people, learn new things, and share stories that deserved to be heard.

I encountered many challenges doing so, and the fierceness of the weekly news cycle took me a while to get used to, but I am proud to be able to say that I gave it my all.

Over the past 11 months I sent and received over 3500 emails on behalf of The News, drove 6300 kilometres, made hundreds of phone calls, and met twice as many people.

Coming from Hamilton, I was unsure of how I would be received in Te Awamutu. I was very unfamiliar of the Rosetown culture, and for the longest time had to ‘fake it until I made it’.

Thankfully, the incredible hospitality that was shown to me made this adaptation period much easier, and overall, it was an absolute pleasure.

The connections that I made during my time at The News will be forever cherished. There were people who took time out of their days to clue me in on extra context, caption photos, introduce me to others, and give me tips on upcoming stories, to all of you who helped make my life a little bit easier, thank you.

People sometimes shared incredibly poignant stories with me. It was my job to respect and represent those stories in a way that I thought best.

When I learned about what the workers from Metallic Sweeping had to endure, removing faeces and

animal carcases from Waipā’s recycling, I distinctly remember wanting to make sure that everyone else knew what they were going through too, and inspire some kind of change to how people treated their recycling. In the end, I was pretty proud of the story that I produced

However, sometimes absolute tragedies were shared with me, and no amount of awareness or story telling could have made those situations any better. In those moments, I felt the urge to switch into ‘counsellor mode’. For obvious reasons, it pained me that this was not something I could do, and is partly responsible for my decision to leave The News.

It is going to be difficult for me to stop looking at everything from a journalistic viewpoint going forward, but at the same time, I am looking forward to it.

To all the people that I encountered over this past year, it was nice meeting you, and you will be missed.

Thanks for everything.

Benjamin Wilson, over and out.

Benjamin Wilson

Public get a say

The Waikato Regional Council has decided a proposed waste incinerator at Te Awamutu should go through a public notification process. The decision has been welcomed by a group called Zero Waste which opposed the construction of the plant on Racecourse Rd by Global Contracting Solutions.

Helping hand

Ebbett Volkswagen Hamilton has backed the Kids In Need programme run by Cambridge’s Linda and Graeme Roil in Waikato by providing the charity with a Volkswagen Transporter Van.

Be more visible Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan has used her first council meeting in Te Awamutu as an opportunity to tell councillors they need to “fly the flag” more in the community and attend events in what will be a busy three years ahead.

Cost cutters

Urban Miners, who collect e-waste in Waipā, have announced they will lower their charges for the second time in six months. The reductions range across most of the items they accept and the cut is designed to encourage more people to recycle.

Hall move delayed

The Waipā-bound New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is staying in Dunedin another year. The year’s extension provides time for the trustees bringing the facility to Cambridge’s Velodrome to pursue other opportunities including adding the Māori Sports Hall of Fame to the mix, trustee Alan Livingston told the Waipa District Council this week. The move will be made in 2024.

Confusion reigns

Signs announcing SH1C would be closed this week from 8pm to 6pm have been up in Hamilton – without explaining what part of the road, which runs from Tamahere and follows the former SH1 route to north of Hamilton was closing. It turned out the closure is on a small stretch between Cobham Bridge and Grey St in Hamilton.

Councillors cut the pay pie

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By Mary Anne Gill

Waipā deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk is in for a $22,850 pay rise to $66,835 a year while other returning councillors also get significant pay increases.

Pironga-Kakepuku ward member

Clare St Pierre’s salary goes up $19,241 to $53,075 while at the other end of the pay scale, Cambridge’s Roger Gordon will be the lowest paid of the 11 councillors, though the $41,280 is still up on the $33,834 he got last term.

It was the council’s job this week to divvy up a remuneration pool of $544,506 for the year among the councillors, two fewer than last term.

It will be up to the Remuneration Authority, which increased Waipā’s pool for 2022-23 by $70,000 based on population and other factors such as size, to approve the formula used.

Salaries for mayor Susan O’Regan and the community boards have already been set and published by the authority on August 25.

O’Regan gets $145,391 up from the $135,500 former mayor Jim Mylchreest received while Jo Davies-Colley gets

$19,327 for chairing the Cambridge Community Board – up from $19,060 former chair Sue Milner got - and Ange Holt receives an additional $258 from last term for chairing the Te AwamutuKihikihi Community Board, taking her pay to $18,662.

Board members in Cambridge receive $9663, $133 more, while Te Awamutu-Kihikihi members have another $129 a year, now getting $9331. Governance manager Jo Gread told the council the amount of money available could not be changed. “The only thing you have a say in is how that is split up.”

O’Regan earlier told The News she wanted to ensure councillors who also sat on community boards – they were not paid extra last term – and deputy chairs, which did not exist previously, were remunerated for their time.

Council staff devised a formula to accommodate that.

“We have been able to do things a bit differently this time,” said Gread.

If accepted by the Remuneration Authority, Stolwyk will receive $55,041 as deputy mayor but gets an additional

$11,794 because she chairs the Strategic Planning and Policy committee.

St Pierre has the next highest salary behind O’Regan and Stolwyk because she chairs the Service Delivery committee and is deputy chair of the Regulatory committee.

New Māori ward councillor Takena Stirling gets $47,177, the same as community board members Lou Brown and Philip Coles, because of his additional iwi portfolio responsibility.

Gordon’s apparent inequity is because he is deputy chair of the Audit and Risk committee which meets quarterly, rather than monthly.

Neighbouring chair and mayors’ salaries are:

• Paula Southgate, Hamilton $180,335

• Pamela Storey, Waikato Regional Council $163,254

• Jacqui Church, Waikato $157,039

• Susan O’Regan, Waipā $145,391

• David Trewavas, Taupo $143,105

• Adrienne Wilcock, Matamata-Piako $134,533

• Gary Petley, South Waikato $133,621

• John Robertson, Waitomo $115,856

• Max Baxter, Ōtorohanga $107,465.

WHAT THEY EARN

Susan O'Regan $145,391

Liz Stolwyk $66,835

Clare St Pierre $53,075

Andrew Brown $51,109

Bruce Thomas $51,109

Mike Montgomerie $51,109

Lou Brown $47,177

Philip Coles $47,177

Takena Stirling $47,177

Marcus Gower $45,212

Mike Pettit $43,246

Roger Gordon $41,280

Jo Davies-Colley $19,327

Ange Holt $18,662

Elise Badger $9,663

Sue Milner $9,663

Alana MacKay $9,663

Andrew Myers $9,663

Sally Whitaker $9,331

Jill Taylor $9,331

Kane Titchener $9,331 John Wood $9,331

Total $803,862

‘Brothers right from the word go’

By Benjamin Wilson

Victor Two Company concluded their three-day veterans’ reunion with a march and ceremony at Te Awamutu’s Sunken Cross on Sunday.

“The strength of Victor Two Company has always been our people, so stay in touch with one another, and look after one another, as we have always done,” said Victor Two’s ranking representative, retired lieutenant colonel Tony Howell.

The company served in Vietnam from November 1967 to May 1968. Their last reunion was held at Burnham Camp in the South Island in 2019.

Howell honoured Private Desmond Hirini and gunner Stuart Ellwood, who both died in combat during the company’s service.

In total, 72 of Victor Two’s past members were named by retired privates Cecil Poa

and John Linley, who called out the company’s roll of honour. Many from Victor Two had their lives changed forever due to health complications that resulted during their service.

Howell acknowledged the affect that post traumatic stress disorder had on the unit, and the support that

was shown to the company by their families.

“Thank you for all your support, I know for some it has been a rough ride, for that all I can say is, sorry, we didn’t know that we were quite as bad as we were,” he said.

Stuart Lindsey from the Te Awamutu Brass played the

trumpet for the ceremony’s last post.

Councillor Lou Brown spoke as a council representative during the reunion. He served in Vietnam as a private for Victor Three, the company which relieved Victor Two, from 1968 to 1969.

Despite Victor Two and

Victor Three never serving together, a bond formed between the two companies, Brown said.

The two companies each had their own identities, but “we are all the same, we all did a lot of our basic training together in various forms,” he said.

“We were brothers right from the word go,” said a corporal Howard Wilson.

“The idea of the reunions is to keep that link going, because we’re all a part of what we call a family,” said Brown.

He said that New Zealand has become more accepting of its soldiers who served in Vietnam.

“Because we weren’t accepted at the time… we were called all sorts of things. I virtually went into a shell before I became involved in politics. We were not mercenaries; we were New Zealanders. Regular soldiers that were sent there by the government, nothing else.”

Helen Carter Funeral Director

Lou Brown and Victor Two’s Tony Howell, Miki Apiti, Howard Wilson, and Cecil Poa. Photo: Benjamin Wilson

Kapa haka festival, a success of unity

By Benjamin Wilson

Te Awamutu’s kapa haka festival Te Rā Whakamana Rangatahi was a “great success”.

“And that success was based on kotahitanga, unity,” said Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o te Aroha principal Jade Tapine.

His wharekura hosted the event, which saw nine schools from the greater Te Awamutu participate in last Friday.

“It was a great success in the sense that we could be together as a whole, which had been missing for the past few years,” he said.

Music teacher Zacchaeus Te Uri Karaka and te reo Māori voice actor Jaedyn Randell emceed the event. They held various minigames for the students, including pūkana and t-shirt catching competitions.

Each of the schools were given to 10 to 20 minutes to deliver their kapa haka performances.

Awards were given out to the schools in acknowledgement of the work that their students had put in.

Kihikihi School received a taonga that acknowledged their bold and skilfulness, likewise for Pirongia School who were ‘peaceful and

composed’, Waipā Christian School were ‘harmonious and tuneful’, The Barnyard ‘happy and joyful’, Apakura Te Kākano ‘growing and rising’, Ohaupo School ‘blooming and blossoming’, Pekapekarau School ‘tranquil and cool’, the host school ‘strong and vigorous’ and Te Awamutu Primary ‘caring and graceful’.

“It didn’t matter if you were pakeha or Māori or whatever, it was an opportunity to be one collective,” said Tapine.

He stressed that the festival was not a competition, but a celebration.

Kihikihi School deputy principal Cedric Kapa said 95 per cent of his school participated in the event. Most of their students had not done anything similar before. They spent one hour a week practicing for their performance last term, which was ramped up to three hours a week this term, Kapa said.

“I am totally overwhelmed with the performance that they put out there… and I am really happy with all of the support that we had,” he said.

“The event was really well organised by the wharekura and it was great to have our

kaumatua so well looked after. They did a really excellent job at making sure the event was a success.”

At the end of the event, Kapa’s son, Wiremu, received a carved puke and patu on behalf of the school, to symbolise that they will be hosting the festival next year.

“We can’t wait to get stuck into it, in fact we are already thinking about how we can do things,” said Kapa.

“They (Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o te Aroha) have got some key learnings to share with us about the organisation and structure of the event for next year.”

Photos: Benjamin Wilson

All smiles from Apakura Te Kākano Puna Reo.

Fifteen-year-old Commodore Tunoho led the senior performance for Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o te Aroha.

Five-year-old Puhikaiariki Diamond was made a last minute representative to receive the award for Apakura Te Kākano Puna Reo.

Museum report is bad news

A new report shows Te Awamutu’s closed museum reaches only 20 per cent of the National Building Standards – and gets a Grade D building rating.

The news has raised suggestions the town could even get a pop up museum.

The news was revealed by Waipā District Council this week in a statement announcing the building, evacuated last month, would remain closed for “some time”.

Chief executive Garry Dyet said it was clear no-one will be moving back into the building in the near future but he could not be more definitive around timeframe. Council was now looking for alternative accommodation in Te Awamutu to house displaced staff, he said.

“That also means the museum will remain closed until we can work through the options.

“We are considering a pop-up museum but obviously we need to work alongside the Te Awamutu Museum Trust Board and mana whenua,” he said.

the building, quickly. In the meantime, our focus is on getting the bulk of staff back into an office and sorting out a potential museum option.”

to find space in either the Te Awamutu or Cambridge offices.

“The reality is that we will not be able to move much of the collection to a pop-up space because there are issues like climate control to consider. In the meantime, museum staff are still able to fulfil contractual requirements with the Ministry of Education and are working on other opportunities to promote our district’s heritage.”

Council was working through potential remediation options for the building but was relying on external expertise.

“That’s also going to take some time and there are a lot of issues to consider, including financial issues. So I don’t think there will be any decisions made about the future of

Of the 78 displaced staff, some were working from home and others had managed

Unsung heroes nominated

Waipā will celebrate an unsung hero when the Waikato Sport and Active Recreation Awards are announced in January.

All three nominees – Sean Stringfellow (Te Awamutu football) Andrew Langman (Cambridge athletics ) and Kerry Rennie (Cambridge netball) are from Waipā.

There are also nominations in the Community Connections Award for the Te Awamutu Football Club’s First Kicks Expleo Programme - He Waka Eke Noa and for the Te Awamutu Boxing Academy in the Commitment to Youth Engagement Award.

First Kicks has been running in Te

Awamutu for more than 15 years and is a first introduction to football through the club.

Youngsters start as young as four and at seven they start their games in the Waikato bay of Plenty (WaiBop) competition.

The sponsored programme ran for eight weeks in the second term this year and the turnout – 80 youngsters – exceeded expectations. It then ran for the third term and exposed more than 100 children to football.

The winners will be announced in Hamilton on January 26.

Te Awamutu Funeral Services warmly invite you and your family/whanau to remember loved ones at our community remembrance service.

to re ect on their recent loss. We encourage you to bring photos or other momentos to place with candles and owers.

Refreshments will be served following the service.

On the beat Dealing with fireworks

with Ryan Fleming

Over the last few weeks since Guy Fawkes’ I have had several complaints come through about fireworks and the poor behaviour of some towards them.

This is an old story that just never goes away. I remember when I was young people were using fireworks to deliberately harm animals, so the authorities banned certain fireworks. This year sadly I see the trend has continued with multiple complaints of people in vehicles shooting fireworks at other motorists, a petrol station forecourt and at farm animals.

One poster on a grapevine type page stated

that police don’t take these reports seriously.

I absolutely refute that. If the person has information with leads that can be followed up I will be happy to make some enquiries. There are a number of offences that can be prosecuted.

On Saturday Operation Christmas Hampers will be doing a BBQ fundraiser at Mitre 10. We would love to see you down there. We will also have a collection point for donations for the hampers. Please come on down, we could really use the support.

“It’s not ideal but staff have been fantastic and have got on with the job as best they can. I’m grateful to them but we need to find a better solution.” This

Paula’s focus is all rural

By Grace Odlum

Paula Jacobsen’s newest short film aims to showcase the highs and lows of rural Te Awamutu.

Paula (pictured right) is a third year Communication and Digital Marketing student at Wintec with a passion for creating short films. Paula, 38, went to Te Awamutu College in the early 2000s before leaving to study hairdressing at Wintec.

Her film, Under the Pump is a coming-of-age short film which follows Jordan, a young worker at a farm supplier who is just starting his dream life in the country.

However, no one sees him as a country bloke, rather they see him as an inexperienced city boy.

The story was inspired by lived experiences and is a nod to the people, land, and culture of rural New Zealand.

“It’s a celebration of the people who live in Ngaroma,” Paula says.

It was filmed in Ngaroma, just outside of Te Awamutu.

Many Te Awamutu residents helped with the film. Te Awamutu College student Cam Uden and his mother Wendy Lupton supported Paula’s vision by allowing filming to take place on their farm and giving access to their farm machinery for realistic props.

“I loved how enthusiastic

Cam was,” Paula said.

Te Awamutu business Vet Pack also supported the filming by allowing filming to take place in their building.

Paula says it was great to be able to include people who worked there as characters in the film.

Other actors included Wintec student Eckard Becker who played the main character, Mike Williams from Free FM, Chris Hanlon and Sam Elton from The Chris and Sam Podcast, Nick Coulter from Creative Waikato and Jesse and Ross Jacobsen. Paula also had support from

her family – her mum Alice Sherborne helped on set, and her husband Caleb Jacobsen and father Michael Sherborne acted as extras in the film.

The film will be premiered on December 1 in the Gallagher Events Room at Wintec at the Media Arts graduate exhibition.

Youth awards announced

Te Awamutu College’s Matthew Yarndley received an Excellence Leadership Award in this year’s Waipā youth awards.

Matteo Di Maio, who featured in The News as Cambridge High dux last week, won the academic category judged by Karsten Zegwaard and Chris Eames from Waikato University.

Elena Huggins, also from Cambridge, was awarded an excellence award, judged by Richard Hurrell and Judy Bannon.

The Waipā District Council awards have run for 20 years – the last two have been announced on line. They acknowledge youth excellence in sport, arts, academics, community service and leadership.

Mayor Susan O’Regan said the calibre of students nominated for this year’s awards reinforced the knowledge that the district’s future was in good hands.

“Our youth have shown just how resilient they are in times of continuous change and should be immensely proud of all they have achieved.

Other award winners:

Excellence Leadership award, judged by Alan Livingston and Barbara KurigerMatthew Yarndley, Te Awamutu College.

Excellence endorsement, sports, judged by Mahe Drysdale, Alison Shanks and Sarah Cowley - Devon Briggs, Cambridge High.

Merit endorsements, Arts and Culture, judged by John Drummond and Tami Lee Ward) - Emily Carr, Tomas Metz, Cambridge High and Jack Dams and Felix Rowe, St Peter’s.

Multi-Achiever award, judged by Alan Livingston and Barbara Kuriger - Meghana Gaddam, St Peter’s.

Cambridge Life

(formerly Lifecare Cambridge) is under new management.

Rest home • Hospital level

Confession; I’m a fan of the phrase, “New year, new you.” Don’t judge me until you hear me out.

For me, the new year brings more than just a fresh calendar. It brings new opportunities and a chance to walk into a new start.

As a disciple of Jesus, I’ve given my life to the ‘new birth’ that comes though faith, so why wouldn’t I be a proponent for new beginnings for all?!

As the new year looms, I invite you to stop and consider the possibility that you might see new life come to you as we cross into a fresh calendar year.

The Hebrew New Year – Rosh Hashanah - occurs each September and is a significant time of celebration. Trumpets are sounded and joy fills the people as they anticipate what God is bringing by way of blessing.

There is a special key here for you, but first, allow history to create context.

When God created mankind, He did so with delight and desire. The declaration of God was profound; “God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply’”

(Genesis 1:28)

This blessing came in the form of an invitation to partnership, to work together with God, but more on that later.

The special key for you that can be found in the Hebrew New Year is discovered by unpacking the numerical meaning of the year, which is number 5783 in the Hebrew calendar. Specific attention should be paid to the numerals which carry meaning through historical experience and the

literal characters (letters) used in the original language. To keep things brief, the meaning I have taken from wide reading is for us to expect to see God bring consequence for our commitment, which for the faithful will look like abundance, brilliance and expansion.

Tie these two themes together and you will see that God has invited each of us to live in partnership with Him so that we will see the fruitful multiplication that is part of His design (creation).

My encouragement for you as we anticipate the Gregorian New Year on 1 January, is to walk with more expectation than you have in recent years. (Thank God we survived the last three years!)

But expectation is not enough for you to enjoy the fruit of God’s promised blessing.

To expect something is to believe it is likely to happen and does not require action. This is not partnership.

However, to anticipate something is to carry expectation and then move in action as a result of the expectation. This is more like faith, as the Bible teaches us that faith is an action word. (James 2:18)

As I consider these thoughts, I’m stating that my theme for 2023 is “Living Better.” This comes from the promise God gives us in the Hebrew year 5783 which is clearly connected to His purpose in creating mankind for relationship and partnership. Is it time for a new year that brings a new you? Is it time to turn to God and live in partnership with Him?

Phil

The many elements that make Fowler Homes a destination company for Waikato homeowners can be encapsulated in just one word – Trust.

The many elements that make Fowler Homes a destination company for Waikato homeowners can be encapsulated in just one word – Trust.

Those seeking to build the bespoke home of their dreams, designed with their lifestyle in mind and built to the highest quality, can trust Cambridge-based Fowler Homes to make the process enjoyable throughout.

Joe and Shelley Cattle, owner operators at Fowler Homes Waikato for the past six years, take pride in offering a seamless, premium service that starts from the moment clients

walk through the Duke St office door to the time they’re handed the keys to their newly-minted home.

It’s a philosophy built as much on spending time to get the brief absolutely perfect as it is about ensuring the entire building experience is free of unexpected surprises.

Fowler Homes Waikato’s newest Show Home - an exquisite sprawling build at Pukekura Park in Cambridge - is testimony to that.

Its 310 square metres, encompassing four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms and multiple

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The first pavilion contains the master bedroom with its own snug room and luxury bathroom, while the second

NOW

houses the entry, open plan living, dining, kitchen, scullery and office. This area features scissor truss ceiling and 2.4m high joinery, with natural limestone benchtops and engineered stone in the scullery and laundry.

The cabinetry throughout is custom-built to the highest standard – special artistic characteristics, including gorgeous tilework, draw the eye to the fireplaces.

A third pavilion, which is separated from the other two by another large lounge

WHARE MARAMA DRIVE, CAMBRIDGE

and bathroom, contains the remaining three bedrooms, one of which has its own ensuite and private outdoor deck.

With lifestyle and entertaining in mind, the home has a 29 square

metre covered outdoor space featuring an outdoor fireplace kitchen that flows seamlessly into the main kitchen, living and lounge area.

The cladding features a Resene integra plaster

system, vertical shiplap western red cedar with a platinum stain, which adds contrast and texture to an overall look that is light and crisp throughout. The same crisp, clean lines make the home sit proudly on its site.

Joe says the company has long focused its attention on smarter ways of heating and cooling the homes they build by facing homes towards the sun to maximise solar gain.

The Show Home can

be viewed at 32 Whare Marama Drive, Pukekura in Cambridge.

For opening hours, visit the website at www. fowlerhomes.co.nz.

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Get a free quote for upgrading your existing windows! Replacements can make such a great improvement in weather tightness and insulation, seriously increasing the value of your home!

Windows and Doors make such a di erence to both the look and functionality of your home! Get in touch to speak to one of our experienced team members to talk through options for your build!

Fowler Homes Waikato is a stand-out operation that offers the twin bene ts of being part of a larger brand at the same time as providing the assurance of a boutique oneon-one service.

The award-winning Fowler Homes brand has been part of the New Zealand landscape since the early 1980s. As the company’s Waikato owners, Joe and Shelley Cattle bene t from the security such an established network provides in terms of national buying power and supply arrangements.

At the same time, they have skin in the game right here in the Waikato. They operate throughout the region, building high-end homes in local communities using local expertise and local contractors.

It makes for a winning combination centred on quality rather than quantity and sees Fowler Homes Waikato clients deal directly with Joe and Shelley throughout the process. The seamless, personalised

experience they enjoy has led to many positive testimonials and built a steady ‘word-ofmouth’ business format.

Joe and Shelley bring to the table a solid background in nance, project management and customer service. Joe handles the overall project management, and Shelley brings a masterful eye to the design and décor side of the operation.

The business is based on building in the high-end

residential sector with a focus more on lifestyle properties and high-end homes that align more with the established buyer than those seeking entry-level home ownership.

When creating a new home from scratch, building a relationship on trust is paramount.

“We are upfront with everything from the outset,” says Joe. “Our clients can trust that there will be no

surprises down the line … the costings they are given at the start will be a true re ection of the full build cost. We know how important it is for clients to have peace of mind that there will be no shocks down the road.”

Most of their work is contract building, the design and construction of homes either on land owned by the client or in a house and land package.

Taking care not to overcommit is a vital part of the company’s ethos, Shelley says. “We don’t say yes to everything … that’s because we don’t want to be building a lot of homes at any one time. Our deliberate approach is not to take on more than we do while upholding the quality that is so important to us.”

Once a brief is in, roundtable discussions involving Joe and Shelley, the architect and the client, cover off the concept design and detail, and the handling of administrative requirements such as securing consents, road access and so on. Once underway, most builds take around six to seven months, depending on the size of the project.

Joe and Shelley have a couple of architects they prefer to use. They value the rapport they build with clients, believing a successful project is as much about being a good listener and getting the right ‘feel’ for a project as it is about the business end.

Fowler Homes Waikato owners Joe and Shelley Cattle.

RYMAN HEALTHCARE PRESENTS A MORNING WITH

SAMANTHA HAYES

Tuesday 22 November, 10am

Hosted at Grassroots Trust Velodrome, 15 Hanlin Road, Cambridge

Join us for a morning with Samantha Hayes as she shares insight into her career, giving us an idea of what happened in some of those key events before the camera started rolling.

Samantha has fronted an array of popular news programmes and traveled the world reporting on everything from Antarctic climate change research to the Syrian refugee crisis. She co-anchored Newshub’s US Election Special: America Decides in both 2016 (Hillary Clinton vs Donald Trump) and 2020 (Joe Biden vs Donald Trump), the wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle, and most recently the passing of the Queen Elizabeth II. Followed by morning tea this event is not to be missed!

This will be a Covid-safe event and RSVP is essential. Call David on 0800 600 446 by Friday 18 November to secure your place.

CAMBRIDGE RETIREMENT VILLAGE

1881 Cambridge Road, Cambridge rymanhealthcare.co.nz

A centenary to remember

The Karāpiro School community came together last Friday to celebrate 100 years on the current school site.

The school actually opened 137 years ago on a site further down Karāpiro Road, and today is the last in the area still standing after Taotaoroa No1 and No2 Schools, Whitehall and Karāpiro Hydro schools closed many years ago.

The move in 1922, at the wish of the then school committee, was granted to move the school to its current site, closer to the village.

On Friday the school seized the opportunity to open its doors to the community and to share the learning of local histories the school has spent the last year researching, The celebration day began with open classrooms where the visitors, received with welcome letters from Karāpiro students, shared their school stories.

A highlight was an assembly which included the school’s first kapa haka group performing waiata and haka. Current students Leo SmithSerei and Ava Williams spoke on behalf of the students, reflecting the changes in education over time.

Principal Tina-Maree Thatcher read a letter of congratulations from Mr Marcus Freke, previous principal of Karāpiro School and now Director of Education, Waikato, for the Ministry of Education.

Returning student Burt Tuhi recalled fond memories of lifelong friendships made at the school in the 1960’s. He was honoured by ringing the school hand-bell – which is still in daily use at the school.

Les Bennet was a student at the school in the 1950’s and spoke to the group, retelling stories of crossing the road at lunchtime to buy ice-cream at the dairy. David McNair told stories of lighting the fire in the classroom early in the morning when he was the teaching principal.

Tina-Maree Thatcher said the day was thoroughly enjoyed by staff, students and families and the school enjoyed being able to open its doors and share the stories of schooldays together.

“It was a really special day celebrating everything that is special about Karāpiro School – past and present.”

Board Chairperson Marilynn Jones read a letter from Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern congratulating the school on its celebrations.

The gathering at Karāpiro School on Friday.

Celebration cake made and iced by office manager Lynda Smith. Cut by eldest returning student Les Bennett and youngest current student Anthony Daly.

Past and present - from left, former principal David McNair, board chair Marilynn Jones, former pupil Jessie-Lee Marriott-Atkinson, principal Tina-Maree Thatcher, former students Burt Tuhi and Les Bennett and his son Iden Bennett, a current student.

Peckham takes Sanctuary

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari has selected a Waikato graduate as its next chief executive.

Andrew Peckham grew up in the Waikato and completed his education at St Paul’s Collegiate and then the University of Waikato.

He will start work next month, suceeding Phil Lyons, who resigned to return to England recently to be with family.

“We were pleased to have such high calibre applicants for this role offering a wide range of local and international experience,” Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari co-chair Don Scarlet said.

“One of the many benefits of the mahi that has been

done on the maunga over the years is it helps us attract new talent in all areas of our business. The board are very confident in our appointment of Andrew,” he says.

Peckham is committed to seeing Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari being recognised as a Waikato tourism must-see.

“It’s an incredible privilege to lead a conservation project of such significant scale and impact,” he said.

He plans to focus on the Sanctuary’s visitor experience and sustainable growth as New Zealand’s tourism sector recovers from the past two years.

Peckham is a chartered accountant, who has held leadership roles at Air New

Zealand, Mercury NZ and most recently, Taupō District Council.

“It only takes a morning at the maunga to understand the incredible value we are creating here for our community, our partners and our tamariki,” he said.

Health hub grows

Fieldays has elected to treble the size of its Hauora Taiwhenua Health and Wellbeing Hub at this year’s expo.

Fieldays works with Mobile Health to bring together health experts and organisations so visitors can receive health advice and checkups including blood pressure checks, blood sugar level testing, hepatitis C testing, and skin cancer spot checks.

Last year the hub clocked up more than 722 free blood pressure checks, 334 kidney health checks and 673 skin spot checks. Of those, 54 produced results which

prompted further testing.

‘It can be difficult to get people from our farming and rural communities in to see medical professionals and that’s an issue that we really focus on when building this hub each year,” NZ National Fieldays Society and chief Peter Nation.

“Part of the growth is due to an increase in the neurological section of the Hub, which sees several organisations situated together to focus on this key Health issue.

“We believe that the most important asset on any farm are the people that work on it.”

Tech head appointed

Pāmu chief executive Mark Leslie has named Tammy Auranen (pictured) as the company’s first chief technology and digital officer.

Pāmu is the brand name for Landcorp Farming and the country’s largest farmer. It has a nationwide portfolio of 116 farms covering 360,000 hectares that produce milk, beef, lamb, wool, venison and more.

Auranen, who will join Pāmu early next year, has more than 20 years of experience in senior digital, technology and improvement-based roles in New Zealand and her native Canada.

She leads Customer Solutions at NZ Post and before that managed IT and systems functions for organisations including Northpower and the Far North District Council.

Leslie said the new role of chief technology and digital officer recognises Pāmu’s commitment to ensuring it remains at the forefront of technology and innovation.

“Farmers and growers can benefit hugely from digital technologies and from data availability for better decision making on-farm, regulatory compliance with the likes of greenhouse gases reporting, and

providing information consumers are seeking on the food they consume,” he said.

Fieldays finalists named

A total of 65 finalists have been named to compete for the Fieldays Innovation Awards for the expo, which opens at the end of the month.

The awards are judged by a panel of 15 experts from around the Food and Fibre sector. Finalists have been selected to showcase their innovations - 21 in the Prototype category, 31 in Early-Stage, and 13 in Growth & Scale.

Four of these entries are also in the running for the Young Innovator of the Year award. 52 of the entrants in the ever-popular Innovation Hub, and 13 others will participate from the Innovation Trail, displaying their innovation from their sites around the event. Innovations include a mix of technological solutions like data recording, sensors and automation and everyday products that could revolutionise the Primary Industries.

“We are seeing entries from a wide range of sectors within the industry- dairy, forestry, farm management, animal health and genetics, horticulture and viticulture, water and waste Management,” said , Fieldays Programme Manager Steve Chappell.

He was pleased to see the number of entries with an environment and conservation focus, “as it shows the Innovators are developing novel solutions to the problems of today and the future”.

The finalists range from individuals, local Waikato companies, and New Zealand-based global companies, to entries from Australian, American, Israeli, English, and Irish companies that are dipping their toes into the NZ market. The finalists and their award categories are: Prototype: AgLoco Ltd, AgriSea NZ Ltd, Breakaway Farm, Common Knowledge Insect, Delta Waterways, Donald Cornwall, Gallagher Group Ltd, Herdsman SCC, Infinity Fence, Macso Technologies, MixRite, NZ AutoTraps (two entries), On2it Electronics, Onfarm Data Ltd, Smart Farmer Ltd, St Paul’s Collegiate School (two entries) and

University of Waikato (three entries)

Early-Stage: Agovor, Agriscore Limited, Agricademy, Beefree Agro, Bio Gold Pine Pollen, Bovonic, Cleanery, Concept Dairy, Datamars Livestock (two entries), Farmgate, Farmote Systems, Goldpine, GPSit Group Limited, H2Ortigator, Idexx, Ingenum, L2C Compacting Systems, Machines at Work, Pāmu Farms of New Zealand, Precast Products, ProTag, Qconz, Rapid Spray, Ravensdown Ecopond, Snpshot, Springarm Products Limited, SPS Automation, Sustainable Foods/Plant, Watercare and WelFarm.

Growth and Scale: AHV New Zealand, CropX, Farmax, Halo Systems, Herdwatch, HerdX powered by Snap Core, HydroMetrics, Koru Diagnosis, OmniEye, Onside, Qconz, RiverWatch and Rurtec.

Govt boost for new vets

Thirty-two graduate vets – including nine in Waikato - will begin their careers in rural New Zealand helped by a financial boost from the government’s Voluntary Bonding Scheme for Veterinarians..

Each vet will get $55,000 over five years.

“The Voluntary Bonding Scheme incentivises vets to take up positions in our more remote regions,” said Acting Agriculture and Rural Communities Minister Meka Whaitiri.

“Since its inception in 2009, the VBS has supported 416 graduate vets from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South, providing certainty for students and vital skills for our rural communities.

“We need these vets to provide the best care for production animals, such as cows, sheep and pigs, and working dogs that are so essential in our food and fibre sector.”

The programme is delivered by MPI.

Andrew Peckham

Cheers to happy hour

Having drinks and nibbles with friends after work came into its own during the Prohibition years in America (1920-1933) when the production, transportation and sale of liquor was banned. People would host secret ‘cocktail hours’ at home or a speakeasy then visit a restaurant where alcohol was not served. The term ‘Happy Hour’ can be traced back to the early 20th century when the United States Navy offered personnel a weekly entertainment programme to alleviate boredom. This ‘Happy Hour’ involved a variety of activities in including music, dancing and wrestling matches.

As we know ‘Happy Hour’ didn’t die with the end of Prohibition. Bars began offering discounted drinks and food as a marketing manoeuvre to increase business.

With the festive season upon us it’s time to enjoy the company of friends either in reality or virtually. Here are some enjoyable suggestions.

STRAWBERRY GIN FIZZ

The great thing about this cocktail is it can be made alcoholfree by jettisoning the gin. Same look, different taste.

Strawberry Syrup: 1 cup chopped strawberries 1/2 cup each: sugar, water

Cocktail: 1/2 cup ice cubes

2 tablespoons gin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 large strawberry, sliced chilled lemonade or soda mint and sliced lemon to garnish

Place the strawberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer until the strawberries have softened. Cool. Purée with a stick blender. Pass through a sieve. Refrigerate until required.

Place half the ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Add the gin, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the chilled strawberry syrup. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain over the remaining ice cubes in a glass. Top with the lemonade. Garnish with the sliced strawberry, mint and lemon slices. Makes 1.

KIMCHI SUSHI

Use a sushi mat to help roll. Or use a clean, dry tea towel. Great served with Strawberry Gin Fizz. 1 1/2 cups sushi rice

2 cups water

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons sushi vinegar, warmed 3 fat asparagus spears, trimmed 2 sheets black nori 3 sheets nori 1/2 cup kimchi, chopped 100g smoked chicken, thinly sliced Wash the rice well in a sieve. Place in a rice cooker or saucepan. Add the water and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes or according to the rice cooker instructions. Remove from the heat and stand for 10 minutes, until the water is absorbed by the rice. Dissolve the sugar in the warm sushi vinegar. Fork it through the rice. Cool. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water until crisp-tender. Cool and chill.

Place a nori sheet — shiny side down — on a sushi mat. Spread about 1/3 of the rice over the top leaving about 5mm at the furthest edge. Gently press down the rice evenly. Place a line of chopped kimchi, an asparagus spear and 1/3 of the chicken across the centre of the rice. Roll up and seal firmly. Repeat with the remaining nori and filling. Cut into 2cm rounds. Makes about 20.

ESPRESSO MARTINI

Genuine maple syrup could replace the sugar syrup.

Sugar Syrup: 1/4 cup caster sugar

2 tablespoons water Cocktail: handful ice cubes

1/3 cup vodka

1/4 cup espresso or other very strong coffee

3-4 tablespoons coffee liqueur

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.

Place 1 tablespoon of the syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add the ice, vodka, espresso and liqueur. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into two martini glasses. Serves 2.

BANANA & CHEESE CROSTINI

These unusual bites marry well with espresso martinis. 1/2 long baguette

2 small ripe bananas

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon vodka (optional)

4-5 drops Tabasco sauce

100g tasty cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Cut the baguette into 2cm-thick rounds. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 4 minutes then turn over. Continue baking for another 3-4 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cool. These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Peel and mash the bananas. Add the lemon juice, vodka and Tabasco and mix well.

Preheat the oven on fan grill to 190°C.

Place the crostini on an oven tray. Spread with the banana mixture. Top with the cheese. Fan-grill for about 3 minutes until the cheese melts. Can be garnished with marigold petals or chopped parsley. Makes about 20.

Kimchi sushi

Banana & cheese crostini

Shift Manager

Carters Manufacturing, Cambridge

Responsible for leadership, quality management, planning and scheduling.

Great career development, fantastic benefits package.

Mon – Thur 5pm-5am, Fri 4pm – 3am Apply now – www.carters.co.nz – careers Or email jenny.cussins@carters.co.nz

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE

– Alexandra Street, Churchill Street and Market Street on Friday, 25 November 2022

Please note that the roads listed below will be closed to ordinary

traffic on Friday, 25 November 2022 for the Black Friday Blowout event.

Between 4.00pm and 12.00am

• Alexandra Street – from Mutu Street to Sloane Street/Arawata Street

He tūranga e wātea ana ki te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o Te Aroha. E kimi ana mātou kia rua ngā kaiāwhina mō te kura, e mōhio ana ki ngā mahi whakaako tamariki. Me ū te kaitono ki te reo māori me ōna tikanga. Me matua mōhio hoki te kaitono ki ngā mahi whakahaere i te akomanga, me ngākaunui hoki ki ngā mahi whakaako tamariki.

E whakapono ana mātou, he taonga te tamaiti, ko rātou hoki te pūtake o tā mātou kaupapa. Ka kati tēnei tono hei te 02 o Hakihea, 2022 Tukua tō Tātai Oranga (CV) ki te Tumuaki: tari@npota.school.nz Tukua mai mā te poutāpeta rānei ki: attention: Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o te Aroha. Enquiries 021 225 7577

Between 3.30pm and 12.00am

• Churchill Street – from Alexandra Street to the Mahoe Street carpark entrance

• Market Street – from Alexandra Street to the vehicle entrance to 41 Market Street

Arrangements will be made for access by emergency vehicles during the closure, if required.

For more information please contact Waipa District Council on 0800 924 723 or email events@waipadc.govt.nz

Garry Dyet CHIEF EXECUTIVE

COLLINS, Christine Ann –Peacefully drifted off to sleep on Tuesday, 15th November 2022, aged 47 years. Dearly loved mother to Jarred. Much loved daughter to Joan Power & the late Mike. Loved sister to Paula & Darryn, and dearly loved aunty to Luke and Jack. Christine will remain in our hearts forever. A celebration of Christine’s life will be held at Te Awamutu Bible Chapel, 110 Chapel Drive, Te Awamutu on Friday, the 18th of November 2022 at 11:00am followed by the burial at the Te Awamutu Lawn Cemetery. All communications to the Collins Family, c/- 262 Ohaupo Road, Te Awamutu 3800

STOREY, Delysse Diane (nee Valk) 23.8.19419.10.2022 – Please join us to celebrate Delysse’s life at the Rangiaowhaia Memorial Hall, Rangiaowhia Road, Te Awamutu on Saturday 19th November at 11am. By request, please dress comfortably colourful.