Cambridge News | April 4, 2024

Waipā’s own home show

Waipā will host its first Home and Leisure Show next month.

Good Local Media – publisher of a trio of community newspapers – Cambridge News, King Country News and Te Awamutu News - has organised the show to be staged at the Sir Don Rowlands Centre at Karāpiro from May 10 to 12.

The event is being billed as a first for Waipā, but will

also give King Country, South Waikato, Waikato and Matamata-Piako residents a first opportunity of attending such an event without taking on the Hamilton traffic.

It completes a hat trick of developments for Good Local Media.

At the start of this year the publishing company released two new Apps – in Cambridge and Te Awamutu - and on Easter Monday it

added the King Country News - and its app and King Country Farmer - to its stable.

Good Local also publishes Waikato Business News, having purchased the masthead late last year. The April edition came out on Tuesday.

“Good Local Media Ltd is always looking at ways

to innovate and create more ways for our customers to talk to more customers. The launch of a Waipā Home and Leisure Show does this,” publishers David Mackenzie said.

“The Waipā Home and Leisure Show provides locals more ways to shop local.”

The inaugural show is already a sellout – all 80 stands available have been

taken and most will be filled by Waikato based businesses.

Home shows are promoted as highly beneficial sales and marketings tools and are regular fixtures on calendars in New Zealand cities.

“Good Local Media Ltd is staunchly local in everything it does, and all its products reflect this in how they serve the communities they operate in,” Mackenzie said.

Shunned Hoyle keeps asking questions

By Mary Anne Gill

After Craig Hoyle was excommunicated from the Exclusive Brethren, he was lost as he had been taught not to challenge authority nor ask any questions.

“We were told if you don’t understand it, don’t question it,” said Hoyle who went on to graduate from university and become a journalist. He was helped by 60 Minutes reporter Sarah Hall of Tamahere who became his parent figure outside of the church.

“I couldn’t have come further from the brethren,” the chief news director for Stuff’s Sunday Star Times told The News.

Hoyle, 34, describes journalism as a really rewarding profession; one that makes a difference every day.

His newsroom, like many around the country, has the threat of redundancies and cost savings hanging over it.

But without journalists, mistreatment and corruption would flourish in the darkness, said Hoyle.

“You need people challenging the official narrative.

“Anyone can challenge people in power, but you need people with training and the skills to ask the right questions and when people in power are not exactly being truthful, you need people who have the ability to go through all those documents and have the ability to question decisions and then explain to people why things maybe aren’t what they seem to be.”

Hoyle, who was born in Hamilton and spent most of his holidays in Waipā after the family moved to Invercargill, contacted The News following the publication of his book Excommunicated.

Four generations of his family lived and worked in Cambridge and many are buried in Hautapu Cemetery.

• See: Mary Anne Gill’s exclusive interview, pages 18-19.

Craig Hoyle looks across Hautapu Cemetery where the bodies of dozens of his family members are buried, including his great great grandfather Robert Hoyle. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

David Mackenzie

Renaissance for community space

By Viv Posselt

The newly-revamped seminar room at Taylor Made Community Space is reopening for a post-Easter resurgence.

After months of renovations which have included the installation of a new commercial kitchen, new carpeting and paintwork, the space is almost ready to reopen for community groups and family functions. Centre manager Lisa Lindsay told The News they’re ready to register bookings after a hiatus of a couple of months.

The seminar room is the first part of an extensive project to significantly refurbish Taylor Made Community Space. Prior to re-launching under that name in late 2022, the centre was known as the Cambridge Health and Community Centre, and the seminar room, which can accommodate and cater for up to 100 people, has become ‘first cab off the rank’ in terms of renovations.

The centre was originally built in 1962 as the Cambridge Maternity Hospital. The longterm refurbishment project, which is reliant on funding as it goes, is intended to modernise the facilities and future-proof it for the years ahead.

I hope everyone enjoyed the long Easter weekend and managed to get a break. Unfortunately, opportunist criminals sometimes see holiday weekends as a great time to commit more crime.

Ford Courier utes seem to be a target currently. If you own one, please ensure you take all prudent measures to secure and alarm it and ensure keys are kept in a separate location and that your homes are also secure. CCTV is great.

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In good news, last Tuesday, two female offenders stole items totalling over $2000 value from Briscoes Cambridge. They were quickly identified and a coordinated police effort saw both women arrested in Te Awamutu. The stolen items were recovered and both women are now before the courts.

So, what does that early behaviour look like? It could be emotional abuse (put downs, making the partner think they are crazy, blaming them for everything, humiliating them or making them feel guilty), economic abuse (total control of the household income, making the partner ask for money), exclusion (isolating them from friends and family, deciding who the partner sees , where they go) or psychological abuse (using threats of violence, threatening to leave the partner or hurt themselves if they are left, threatening to expose the partner’s private information).

If these behaviours are familiar in your own relationship or that of someone you know, reach out for a chat.

that can lead to a crash is speed. Speeds are definitely creeping up again on Thornton Road and Browning Street.

Let’s focus on road safety in Cambridge.

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07 827 7043

Today I’d also like to touch on the issue of family harm. In the last month, we received 38 family harm call outs - the vast majority of which related to separate incidents. Family harm offending doesn’t begin at physical assault, rather it is something that escalates over time. A cycle usually starts with a power imbalance manifested through verbal and psychological abuse and controlling behaviour. It is intervention at this stage that can prevent escalation to property or physical harm.

Cambridge has a lot of support available. Cambridge Community House can provide counselling and wraparound support or contact Waipa Waitomo Women’s Refuge. If there is immediate threat of harm to person or property, call 111.

Lastly, a couple of reminders. A few weeks ago, I discussed the road works that are going on around town with regard to adherence to detours and patience.

Sadly, we still have drivers going the wrong way down the one way system currently in place on Wilson Street. This causes confusion for other drivers and at worst could lead to a crash. Another thing

Taylor Made Community Centre manager Lisa Lindsay in the centre’s renovated space

Orakau remembered

A commemoration on Tuesday marked the 160th anniversary of the battle of O-Rākau where huge numbers of Māori defended the site from British soldiers. The commemorations are all the more significant this year following a deed of settlement for the site being signed recently. Raukawa, Ngāti Maniapoto and Waikato-Tainui have been working with the Crown to achieve the return of the battle site since the Crown bought the land in 2015.

Debt levels

A reduction in development contributions and significant increases in the size and cost of Waipā’s planned capital work programme has resulted in the district’s debt increasing from a projected $318.5 million on June 30 next year to $398.5 million. The figure is perilously close to the council’s borrowing limit.

Farm finals

The Waikato Bay of Plenty regional final of the young farmer of the year series will be staged in the Hauraki district at Kerepehi Domain tomorrow and Saturday. The present Young Farmer of the Year is Pirongia’s Emma Poole.

Minor changes

Waipā District Council’s Strategic Planning and Policy committee decided this week consultation would not be needed over changes made to development contributions in the 2024-2025 financial year starting July 1.

National champs

The New Zealand Dragon Boat nationals will be staged at Lake Karāpiro tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday. It’s a busy weekend for the domain, which also hosts water skiers for the third round of the Karāpiro masters on Saturday and Sunday.

Tamahere rep to quit

By Roy Pilott

As Waipā grapples with a disillusioned electorate and hotly contested arguments over a new bridge and museum, a councillor in a neighbouring authority has cited his own frustrations and blown the whistle on his political career.

First time Waikato District councillor Mike Keir has announced he’s had enough and, in a column in today’s The News reveals he won’t stand at the next election.

Keir, one of two councillors representing Tamahere on the council, has cited a culture of fear.

“If you do something it could go wrong, better to play it safe and do nothing, that way we can’t get in trouble,” he writes.

But he acknowledged there is good reason for the fear.

“Local councils have often ended up as the fall guy for all sorts of issues. Leaky buildings comes to mind and the failed Bella Vista subdivision in Tauranga whose city council wore millions of dollars in costs. That council has just been hit with another massive leaky building fine that it should not have been held responsible for, but it is the easy target.

“Councils are supposed to both enable and be regulatory. Sadly the enabling component of councils is almost non-existent due to this culture of fear and we are left as regulators who err on the side of a very conservative caution.”

He says many in the community are happy with that approach, but argues it leads “at best” to second rate governance.

His comments come as The News has criticised elected councillors for not speaking up and expressing opinions at meetings.

One of the biggest issues facing

Better slow that Mustang down

Cambridge’s Rob and Josie Van Weerd are the proud owners of a new 1966 Ford Mustang which they won at the Beach Hop in Whangamata last month.

The Beach Hop - one of New Zealand’s largest automotive events - has been running annually since 2000, and organisers have given away dozens of cars in that time.

The event attracts more than 100,000 people to the Coromandel town for a five-day 1950s and 60s nostalgiathemed event.

Rob and Josie picked up their car last week. A 25th anniversary celebration is being planned for next year.

them - recommendations for the placement third bridge for Cambridge – was delegated to staff.

In the ultimate irony, councillors are not permitted to express an opinion in public before debating an issue – so on the only occasion in the council’s current term that one has broken ranks, it will probably have

fatal consequences for him.

Philip Coles has openly opposed the bridge route proposal which has outraged Cambridge residents, and under the rules of council, he has effectively disqualified himself from taking part in the debate on the issue or voting on it.

• See: Why I’ll quit, page 12.

Mike Keir and Crystal Beavis were pictured toasting their election success in the Tamahere-Woodlands ward October 2022 – now Keir has announced he’ll stand down.

All smiles: Josie and Rob Van Weerd. Photo: Supplied.

Diminutive Dee jumps the ditch

By Viv Posselt

The departure to Australia of Waipā District Libraries’ outreach librarian Dee Atkinson leaves a pint-sized hole and big running shoes to fill.

The diminutive Dee has earned the moniker ‘energiser bunny’ because of her high-energy hosting of events and activities for all community users, from babies through to seniors.

Her return to Australia will start initially in Tasmania, then onto Queensland where she will join husband Chris.

In her time in Waipā she added book and poetry readings, art sessions, children’s programmes such as ‘Wiggle and Rhyme’ and ‘Make a Space’ for older kids, and ‘pecha kucha’ presentations which now involve Cambridge High School students.

Fuelled by a notion that considers libraries as more than book repositories, she also arranged numerous public talks on a range of topics.

“I’ve always said there is no subject you can’t turn into a talk or an event.”

Outside work, she’s enjoyed social and competitive running as a member of the Cambridge Athletic and Harrier Club. It’s a hobby she shares with husband Chris and son Casey, and one she has woven into community events she initiated such as her ‘Get Active’ series.

What locals know about Dee

is the tip of an iceberg. She was born in the United Kingdom and raised in Hobart where she earned an honours degree in economics from the University of Tasmania and a postgraduate qualification in public relations from the University of Southern Queensland.

She worked in independent economic research at the Australian Productivity Commission for several years. She also worked in the winery industry – both in Australia and Christchurch – and spent time in the comms section of the Christchurch Netball Centre. The move to New Zealand was to facilitate her Kiwi-born husband’s career move into a deanship at St Andrew’s College in the city.

When the family moved to Opotiki she became a library assistant, and when they came to Cambridge in late 2017, she did the same thing.

The role quickly changed and in mid-2019 she took over from her predecessor Hannah May as outreach librarian for Waipā District Libraries.

“I had all sorts of plans, but then Covid hit which means we had to tweak the ‘outreach’ part of it,” she said. “I took some of the activities outdoors, but really the only way to reach our customers was through the digital world so I started doing things like online quizzes. ‘Make a Space’ moved online and then we started the ‘Let’s Cook’ series of homecooking from my kitchen. That’s still going.”

Her efforts paid off big time and many library users still connect via the digital platform.

Pondering life across the ditch, she said: “This has been

an absolutely super role… it completely filled my enjoyment of helping people and getting involved in the community. I grew into it and have been lucky enough to be pretty much allowed to do what I wanted with it. I’m really going to miss it.”

Speaking at Dee’s farewell, Cambridge Library supervisor Rachel Newnes described her as ‘exceptional’.

“You just have to look at our event numbers – they’ve been up every year since Dee has been in the role.”

The now departed Dee Atkinson, right, with some of the Cambridge library crew. They are, from left, Heidi Gaiger, Anneke Elsing, Reece Wijohn, library supervisor Rachel Newnes, Kym Kearns, Claire Mead and Waipā Community Services manager Brad Ward.

Mental health trial welcomed

By Viv Posselt

A Cambridge-based academic who spoke last month about her own experiences says mental health services in New Zealand are severely compromised in terms of providing support that is more helpful than harmful.

Sarah Gordon, an Associate Professor with Otago University’s Department of Psychological Medicine and the daughter of Waipā councillor Roger Gordon and his wife Jo, told last month’s Cambridge U3A meeting the story of her own mental health journey from a psychiatric patient to a high-achieving academic who now advocates for the sector.

She said around 92 percent of New Zealanders with mental illness access community-based rather than hospitalbased mental health services, and that 90 percent of those will have experienced some form of trauma.

Much of the ‘treatment’ given serves to re-traumatise the individuals through discrimination and isolation, she said, adding: “We need to end discrimination, promote recognition and social inclusion for those experiencing mental distress, and respect human rights.”

Days after the meeting, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced the upcoming trial of a new mental health and addiction peer support service to be funded in hospital emergency departments (EDs). He said its use of trained specialists, each with their own experience of mental health and addiction challenges, would better support the at least 13,000 people in crisis presenting to EDs annually. If proven successful, the trial will be rolled out

across the country.

Sarah responded to the news by saying it was known that peer support services were immensely valuable and that extending them should be explored, “not only because workforce numbers need to be boosted, but because peer support services can enhance the quality of that support”.

Relating her own mental health journey, she gave a visceral account of a sexual assault during an offshore holiday when she was just 11. She spoke movingly of the triggers that turned the initial experience into a full breakdown when she first went to Otago University, the ongoing search for treatment (which included two years in hospital and electro convulsive therapy) and the lifelong legacy of being ‘disabled by prejudice, discrimination and social exclusion’.

With the strong wraparound support of her family and the careful management of her condition, she went on to achieve exceptional academic success, attaining a BSc in psychology, a law degree, a master’s degree in bioethics and a PhD.

She also married and has her own family, yet still today, with a cocktail of drugs and careful management procedures in place, triggers related to that initial trauma affect her life. Flying creates a “white knuckle fear” because of its link to that holiday … other triggers are men wearing glasses or the soft Scottish burr she associates with her attacker.

Sarah has spent the last 20 years advocating for an improved mental health sector, and her work with Otago University’s Department of Psychological Medicine has resulted in the

What’s read on the web

Stories about Waipā council’s proposal to build a third bridge over the Waikato River through longstanding Cambridge suburbs dominated The News’ online presence last month.

Website visits were up 28 per cent on February and 40 per cent on the same month last year fuelled by The News’ ongoing coverage of Cambridge Connections.

While our ever popular News in Brief was the top page, stories about the disastrous drop in session, the revelations of where the corridor for the third bridge would be and how residents saw it as a bolt out of the blue filled out the top 10.

The numbers show how the community have come to rely on The News for timely and accurate information, editor Roy Pilott said.

“Our senior writer Mary Anne Gill’s story from the drop in sessions on March 21 was filed online within an hour of its being called off, which shows we have the ability to respond to breaking news stories in between publication days.

“Cambridge Connections has dominated this news cycle and we have received record numbers of letters to the editor about it.

establishment of ‘World of Difference’, a service user research team she heads and one that strongly aligns with the new peer-focused initiative announced by the health minister.

“The team of people I lead have all had their own experience of mental distress,” she said. “They use that experience to inform their teaching and research, and to improve the provision of mental health support and social perceptions of those who experience mental distress. Our primary strength is our personal experience of the subject.”

“Having a powerful online presence is important but so too is the physical newspaper which we know is a ‘must read’ for most Cambridge households,” Pilott said.

Recent adaptations have been made to The News’ Cambridge App which include notifications of breaking news stories along with updated events.

The top five news stories for the month were: News in brief, Drop in session a disaster, Put it there! Corridor for third bridge revealed, Guests get the genuine product – our story about a Vietnamese delegation’s visit to Kaipaki Dairies – and the story about the crew at Cambridge Hospice shop - They’re doing us proud.

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Cambridge’s Dr Sarah Gordon spoke here recently about her own traumatic experiences with the mental health sector.

Photo: Bruce Hancock

Let’s start again

I refer to the Jo Davies- Colley article “where to from here” from 26 March. This is great information. I hope that council get the extension they are requesting, but am disappointed that at this stage they are not also asking for the revocation of all existing material to alleviate Real Estate Institute of New Zealand property disclosure requirements and therefore house values.

As written by council in a letter to residents, said in the community board meeting last Wednesday night, and reiterated by the mayor herself on Thursday night, council have “unreservedly apologised” for the shambolic communication regarding the ideas they have for the third bridge for Cambridge. The action to remedy their negligence should be immediate; revoke all plans immediately and without exception. It’s time to get back to the drawing board with fresh eyes and proper stakeholder consultations from inception.

I really feel for anyone under the “blue blob”, or anywhere surrounding it trying to sell/ thinking of selling with this sword of Damocles hanging over the community the way that it is.

Danielle Schaad Tamahere

Don’t blame us

Having read the message from the mayor in last week’s Cambridge and Te Awamutu News editions about the third bridge drop-in meeting, I am stunned.

relation to this project. It feels like time for the council to apologise for the anxiety and stress caused to people, retract the blue zone diagram and go back to the drawing board and engage with the community before submitting the business case to Waka Kotahi.

Carey Church Cambridge

Celebrate Leamington

Mary Anne Gill’s well balanced article on the fractious meeting on Tuesday named eight people present representing council.

It should be noted that all but one don’t actually live in either Cambridge or Leamington, which indicates to me that Waipā District Council has an inherent bias toward Te Awamutu.

I think both Cambridge and Leamington need strong residents groups, divorced from council.

As Leamington has no representation at all I would be prepared to assist in setting up a residents group in Leamington, with an objective to having candidates stand in the 2026 local body election.

I will need to learn how to set up a Facebook page to gain a sense of support. I would also urge all future writers to the editor to use Leamington as their address, if that is where they live. Vive la Difference!

Murray Reid Leamington

Missing the point

Despite the meeting being announced on radio by a councillor and the council being informed through the Cambridge Community Board meeting the night before that several hundred people would probably turn up, the council chose to stick to their original plan and not adapt.

Instead of taking responsibility for poor preparation and a lack of understanding of the community’s hurt, anxiety, anger and confusion, the mayor chose to blame the community for sharing the information that there would be a meeting.

The council has now sent out an email about their proposed workshops - not to everyone who attended that meeting and provided their details - but only those people that are residents in the blue zone.

My property is 50 metres from the blue zone, but apparently I am not impacted. Note too, that the communications are being sent to ‘residents’ in the blue zone - as the mayor outlined, not the ratepayers.

It is also unclear whether this communication is being sent to people who didn’t provide their details at the drop-in meeting.

This has added to my confusion about what the Waipa District Council consider to be ‘affected people’ and ‘stakeholders’ in

The mayor has totally missed the object of what is supposed to be a thing called consultation. She has used the term stakeholders. Who are stakeholders in this equation? Who has more stake than the property holders who have already had their assets devalued? We accept that the bridge in the right position is an absolute necessity for the prosperity in the future of Cambridge. Let’s take the time to achieve an acceptable solution, not necessarily a point that some public servant has determined as a convenient result.

The form of meeting envisioned by the council last Thursday was to achieve a divide and conquer. Sorry Waipā District Council, this doesn’t work in this day and age.

Warwick Roberts

Cambridge

Think of the people

Bridge options C and B blue corridor plan has already had a major impact on individual households. These are the human stories. We’re in a recession. There will be upcoming job losses, job and income changes, relocations, health issues, family upheavals and so on. Things that are unpredictable and often are totally out of our control.

What happens for individuals, in the

corridor and adjoining, if they are forced to sell their homes? I assume a significant drop in value. Would they recover their purchase price and mortgage? What happens to those who are facing health challenges or who are elderly or anyone for whom this process has already been overwhelming and intimidating? Or for those may have to (a forced choice) sell over the coming months and years?

The shock of the announcement was considerable and emotions are human. I’m concerned about the impact, for some it may be traumatic. genuinely wonder how, or if, council has deeply considered all of this. I’m concerned about any seeds of victim blaming. Hand on heart, how might you feel if this was happening to you or your family? I have heard people say, “oh don’t worry, you’ll be paid out”, but that’s not going to happen for 20 years. The reality is that home values will seriously sink while this plan is still active. Lives will be severely affected. I am really worried and sad about the huge impact of this on individual lives.

I am worried and sad about the huge impact of this on individual lives and the wider ecosystem and ask the following: make fast and humane decisions, consider the process and costs to date to be “sunk costs” - not relevant for new decisionsput on the table many thoughtful, smart, visionary, and practical alternative solutions offered from the community – and scrap options B and C.

Joanne Ostler Cambridge

What’s not mentioned

Waipa Mayor Susan O’Regan has reframed what happened at the Cambridge Connections information session in the Cambridge News article ‘It was wrong to be

all at C,’ (March 28). The session “did not go to plan” and “descended into an emotionally driven gathering.” The mayor places blame on a group of people who distributed flyers in their neighbourhood encouraging people to attend.

The mayor does not mention Deputy Mayor Liz Stolwyk’s public announcement of the drop in session on the Free FM 89 radio station. There is no mention that council staff were told to expect hundreds of people at the Cambridge Community Board meeting the day before. No mention of the small venue booked and drop-in style session that was meant to cater for a community of hundreds. No mention of the council’s inadequate communication and inconsistent information.

Why isn’t this information included in the mayor’s explanation? It is convenient to describe “the zone” as an emotionally driven group who don’t want a bridge in their neighbourhood. It is convenient to use the unacceptable behaviour of one or two people to justify and add weight to the story. The Nimby is a well-known label. This label sticks, and the mayor knows it.

Council needs to remove their blinkers. Hundreds of people attended the session because people care about this project. Hundreds of people have immediately lost property value because of this project. Hundreds of people are impacted, not just those in “the zone”.

Why are genuine conversations reserved for “the zone” residents? The whole of Waipa has paid for this project. The whole of Waipa will also be paying to clean up of the mess that it has made. The story is more complex than being “wrong to be all at C”.

Kelly Smith Cambridge

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Editor’s note: Mayor Susan O’Regan was not responsible for the heading we placed on her column.

Not in our interest

I am writing to express my deep concern over the recent decision made by our council to invest a significant sum of $300,000 in consulting fees for a proposal that recommends the construction of a new bridge funnelling heavy traffic, buses, camper vans, and cars into the heart of our town. This proposed infrastructure project not only poses a threat to the tranquillity of our community but also entails the demolition of numerous homes.

It is evident that such a plan does not align with the best interests of our town and its residents. Rather than exacerbating congestion and disrupting the lives of many by bulldozing homes, the council should reconsider its approach and focus on solutions that prioritise the well-being and convenience of the community.

I strongly urge the council to halt the current process and instead explore alternatives that promote the development of an arterial route designed to divert traffic away from the central township. Such a solution would not only alleviate congestion but also preserve the character of our neighbourhood and safeguard the properties of our residents.

Furthermore, it is imperative that the council engage in transparent and inclusive decision-making processes, involving the input and concerns of all stakeholders, before moving forward with any major infrastructure projects. Our community deserves to have a say in matters that directly impact its future.

In conclusion, I implore the council to reconsider its priorities and invest in

solutions that enhance the quality of life for all residents. Let us work together to build a town that thrives on sustainable development and thoughtful urban planning.

Terry McDonnell Cambridge

I’ve got the hump

We the motorists of Cambridge deserve better, after years of gravel roads and potholes we now have to endure humps, created at great expense with no data to support that they are any benefit.

When we consider that we may face a 14 per cent rate increase, expenditure must be justified. On Hamilton-Cambridge Road, let’s see where our money goes. I have never seen anyone crossing the first hump linking Resthaven to the athletics ground. Adjacent is a line of bollards ($50 each) on each side of the road. These are non-compliant as road side furniture, and for what? To prevent parking on the grass. Have we got that petty? Second hump, why? It’s a traffic lightcontrolled crossing, the hump is not needed. Drivers are not stupid. Next at Hugo Shaw Drive, the hump does nothing, it would have been better to install a mini roundabout, slowing traffic and allowing better access and egress at the junction, in fact similar to all the intersections.

Then we have the new mountain. The road is being raised, no reason other perceived traffic calming. What rubbish. During winter drivers travelling west will be fully exposed to sun strike when the sun is low. Safety is a priority, a factor overlooked by the council for traffic calming. It’s a mess and at what expense? Hamilton-Cambridge Road is a major artery in and out of Cambridge.

Stu

Barnett Cambridge

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The play’s the thing

Cambridge High School is looking to successfully defend its title when Waipā neighbours Te Awamutu College host the Waikato Regional Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn festival tomorrow (Friday).

It’s the second time the college has hosted the festival as it rebuilds from the Covid disruptions that sent the event into digital mode between 2020 and 2022.

Eight schools across the region have taken up the challenge of preparing five and 15 minute scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, including Cambridge High School, Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Hamilton Girls’ High School, Hamilton Boys’ High School, Waihi College, St Paul’s Collegiate (Hamilton), Hillcrest High School and hosts Te Awamutu College

Last year’s regional winners were Cambridge High and Hamilton Girls’ High.

Hamilton Kay and fellow Cambridge High student Jesse Tweddle performed a five-minute scene from Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and jointly collected an award for the strongest and most truthful performance between two

actors.

This year is the 33rd festival season and starts with 32 regional events, followed by the national festival at King’s Birthday Weekend in Wellington.

From there selected students will participate in the national schools’ Shakespeare production in the August school holidays leading to potential selection for the Young Shakespeare Company which travels to London every April to study and perform at London’s

Globe Theatre, London. Drama teacher Morag Carter from Te Awamutu College said it was an “awesome opportunity” for students to explore Shakespeare’s works through performance.

“It’s always interesting to see different interpretations of the plays and how they ‘hit’ despite being over 400 years old”

The regional festival will be held in the Te Awamutu College School Hall starting at 10am.

When Judy sets out to become the perfect 1950s housewife, the Martins are living the dream. Johnny has a beautiful wife, a beautiful home, and a promotion on the horizon. Judy is revelling in the joys of domesticity, making cakes, cocktails, and homemade marmalade. But cracks are starting to appear in this beautiful façade which threatens their domestic bliss as the realities of living in the 21st Century forces its way into their bubble of idealism. Whether it’s in the form of Johnny’s new (young, female) boss, the contemporary cost of living on a ‘50s budget and one income or Judy’s critical mother, the present insists on being dealt with.

In the Gaslight’s upcoming production of Home, I’m Darling, written by

Tickets on sale now at Paper Plus Cambridge, or www.gaslight.nz

Cambridge Repertory Society Presents 6-20 APRIL

Directed by STEVE GROUNDS

Laura Wade, nostalgia isn’t not only what it used to be, it collides with present-day realities. This witty, highly original, and thought-provoking comedy looks at the complexity of women’s choices and the dangers of nostalgia through distinctly rose-coloured glasses. Full of playful, breezy charm, it also packs a considerable punch. The 2019 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, Home, I’m Darling is full of big laughs, big skirts, and big questions –how can we live simply and yet cope with the pressures of modern life?

What do we lose in the present when we try to live in the past? And can you really get stains out of a shirt with just lemon juice and baking soda?

Venue: Gaslight Theatre

6-20 April 2024

Cambridge High School’s Jesse Tweddle and Hamilton Kay pictured during last year’s festival.

Think award winning lifestyle

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So, if you are contemplating village life, pop along to Summerset Cambridge and meet our residents who call the village home. They’ll let you in on the lifestyle they enjoy, share the facilities we have, as well as the wonderful homes available now.* We’d love to share the Summerset lifestyle. We think it’s gold!

Love the life you choose

Resident led Open Day

Wednesday 10 April

10am - 2pm

Summerset Cambridge

1 Mary Ann Drive, Cambridge

07 839 9482 | summerset.co.nz/cambridge

AGE OF REASON

Why I’ll quit

By Mike Keir, Tamahere-Woodlands Ward councillor

I recently attended the 50th celebration of Schick Construction, a local company started by a guy with a truck which now employs over 300 people. It was inspiring. Why then is it so hard to find inspired people in our public sector?

After 18 months as a councillor I now know the answer. The culture of these organisations is based around the fear. If you do something it could go wrong… better to play it safe and do nothing, that way we can’t get in trouble.

Councils and central government have created inflexible organisations with a web of regulation that ties their hands. Annual plans, long term plans, consenting processes that are highly bureaucratic. To change anything takes years.

For me this has been a depressing realisation. I will not stand again as a councillor as life is too short to spend in such a negative, risk averse environment. I am a contractor, I like risk, it is inspiring, invigorating.

The system has to change, and I want the public to be aware of that – I can’t change it from the inside. That’s why I won’t stand again.

We have the most expensive infrastructure costs in the world largely due to regulation along with a very poor structure for efficient implementation.

The recent attempt at resource management reform would have made this situation worse and this new government either does not understand the depth of the problem or is not prepared to tackle the hard work required to unpick it.

However rather than have this column sound like a dirge I would like it to inspire.

There are things to celebrate - the growth of local companies like Schick, like the Porter Group, another business started by a man with a truck and now the biggest privately owned hire company in the southern hemisphere, Tainui Group Holdings, a corporation that reinvests into our community with a long term vision. We are lucky to have these organisations and there are many of them.

I love to read the stories of community in this paper, stories about the amazingness of volcanoes when we live in a land that is full of them.

I thank people like Fred Cochrane for his honest comment.

These are the things that make our communities strong. We grow and develop in spite of governance which acts like a handbrake with regulations to deal with the few who exploit and abuse, while constraining the many who want to do cool stuff.

Look to the United States for inspiration, it has been, and still is a powerhouse of innovation in spite of having had poor governance since at least the Vietnam War. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if councils got on the train of enabling our communities to grow and thrive?

The irony is that this is what they say they do.

My council’s goal is to build liveable, thriving, connected communities.

Yeah right. Both our council structure and rating systems are no longer fit for purpose, If we do not change this model I doubt this will be the last double digit rates increase.

Questions to be answered

By Peter Carr

I do not know whether to shake my head, send a stern letter or just go with the flow. Yes – I am talking about Waipā District Council.

Firstly, let me be fair and clear. Councils are here to stay and technically have a very worthwhile role to play. However, the antics of recent weeks beggars belief. Remember that, in a previous article, I mentioned that WDC had already taken the King’s coin from the aftermath of the Three Waters debacle. And possibly spent it.

So firstly financial problems. There are several issues, the major one for me being that WDC is rapidly approaching its sensible debt level. Link that too with the ‘return’ of water moving accountability and the responding ‘back burner’ move for Cambridge Library, the new Te Awamutubased museum and the cleanup of Cambridge’s beloved lake. Take this news with a couple of Mea Culpa statements from both the mayor and the finance manager.

Recent revelations of allegedly secret meetings were followed by a disaster by the organisation’s communications team linked with the secretive overlay by the roading section. Broad blue bridge-indicative arrows plonked haphazardly onto three comparative maps do not make either common sense or clarity. Especially for those who feel that their homes may be threatened.

And no wonder that the crowd at the supposedly clarification meeting became grumpy. Clearly poor manners and lack of respect for the mayor were far from necessary nor desirable. And I read that councillor Philip Coles may be barred from any future part of bridging matters due (allegedly) to impartiality. This is the

same councillor who, shamefacedly, during the last triennial election, was forced to mumble and stumble his way through an apology for making statements about St Peters School which were not his to make.

So, we need to ask ourselves a clear question. Two in fact. The first being is the council being well governed? And, secondly, is it being well managed? The former is for the mayor to answer in a manner that does not attract the possibility of replacement of the elected team by a commissioner. Remember Tauranga?

The second is just as serious. With a chief executive in the dying months of a lifetime of honest employment just what succession plans are in place?

With mixed views by many regarding the council’s planning department and a clear whoopsie in communications, one must ask the question as to whether the whole being is fit for purpose.

To quote finance manager Ken Morris‘timely communication and engagement are vital now, more than ever’.

Clearly at both board table and in a myriad walled-in offices his treatise is not being adhered to. If this muddle of perceived ineptitude is apparent to ratepayers (and homeowners) small wonder that they were upset at the recent aborted meeting.

And just to put the third bridge matter into perspective – what is being talked about is a second bridge - with the current high facility being demoted to a walkway and cycleway.

More headstones restored

The ongoing cleaning and maintenance of veterans’ graves has been boosted with a donation of supplies from a Cambridge business.

The Cambridge RSA and its ‘Remembrance Army’ team received the donation last month from Mitre 10 Mega Cambridge.

Tony Hill, president of the Cambridge RSA, said the donation would help the team check veterans’ graves, clean and repair them where needed and tidy up the veterans’ headstones.

The ‘Remembrance Army’ team, headed by Vietnam veteran and Cambridge RSA member Alan Sherris, is also in the process of refurbishing the memorial wall at Hautapu Cemetery.

“Of the many veterans’ plots in our area, 62 headstones have been restored,” Tony said. “If not in a services cemetery, a ceramic poppy will be placed on the headstone as a sign of respect and remembrance for that veteran. This also helps to locate their resting place.”

He said university students and members of the Hamilton City Cadet Unit had been assisting the team at its working bees.

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Farrell’s follow up

Waipā author David Farrell, pictured, has followed up his successful first novel Chameleon with another in the fictional story of the Wilde family.

David Farrell

Where the Birds don’t Fly, which came out last week, sees the Wildes emigrating from Africa, where the first in the series is based, to New Zealand.

And if that sounds familiar, it is exactly what Rhodesian-born Farrell did himself 16 years ago moving from England to settle in Cambridge.

After taking 20 years to write his first novel, Farrell has now become a prolific writer already working on his third and fourth novels.

He has had a fascination for human behaviours for decades, with a particular interest in autism.

I

Grateful for the donation are, from left, ‘Remembrance Army’ team leader Alan Sherris, Cambridge RSA president Tony Hill, Mitre 10 Mega Cambridge retail manager Tony Togia, and Cambridge RSA member Patrick Clarke.

Our geothermal wonderland

By Janine Krippner

I was recently fortunate enough to spend a day in and around Rotorua with GNS Science volcanologist Brad Scott and two visitors from the Tonga Geological Sciences. Brad has an incredible knowledge of the area. He walked us through the interactions between the large volcanic systems, the many faults within the rift zone, and the geothermal systems that give us our beautiful and fragrant features. Rotorua is an excellent example of how interconnected our Earth’s systems can be.

Walking through the Rotorua and Ōkataina calderas we discussed some of the misconceptions that pop up, like how some believe that tapping into geothermal systems releases pressure, making eruptions less likely. This is not true. The heat from magmatic systems can provide heat for geothermal systems, but they often behave independently. I heard this a lot when I lived in the United States. People would become concerned when there was an increase in geothermal activity at Yellowstone, but those changes in activity have nothing to do with volcanic activity.

Yes, we do monitor them in case they begin to give us signs associated with magma on the move, but they have their own fluctuations in activity that can have more to do with things like how much steam is being produced. So no, we cannot just drill a hole and release the pressure in volcanic systems.

While we mostly happily live with the activity in and around Rotorua, geothermal areas do produce their own hazards. Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, they are hot. There is hot water and steam that can result in injury and life-threatening burns. Gases

can become a danger if they manage to accumulate in low areas, like a hole in the ground, and if people happen to end up in that hole.

Ground can subside and collapse, and there can also be hydrothermal or steam eruptions. Like the phreatic/ steam eruptions at volcanoes, these can be very difficult to forecast with little to no warning. These geothermal explosions are usually much smaller than volcanic phreatic eruptions, commonly affecting around 10-15m from the vent (although there is a large variation in size). Geysers are a good example of the smaller end of these. We damaged our geothermal systems through over-exploitation in the 1930-70s, when we lost many geysers and springs. Since then, some recovery has been successful.

Just being ‘good’ isn’t enough

By Murray Smith, Bridges Church

Recently I wrote about living free from the pressure that drivenness and relentless striving puts us under, with the key being to find the source of true ‘rest’.

A reader later confided how years of ‘doing their best’ striving to achieve ‘success’ (by outward standards), had come at a cost to his marriage, family. health and overall wellbeing.

Doing ‘our best’ in attempting anything in life, independently of God is a little like running a car designed for high octane petrol on old stale low octane fuel.

Relying upon God’s help, we tap into an ease and ‘rest’ resulting in our efforts being taken to levels beyond natural ability. It’s interesting historically how often Christ followers are those who’ve led the way meaningfully in areas of endeavour - be it in sciences, technology, arts, medicine, politics and so on.

He exclaimed, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with His company of Angels”.

Self-effort alone, in seeking to become ‘good’ in any sense, will never be enough.

It’s interesting, most religions are all just about ‘doing your best’. By ticking off a bunch of certain deeds to accrue sufficient ‘credit’, there’s hope it will be enough… that you’ll appease some deity or produce suitable inner confidence that you’re on the right side of the ledger.

Thankfully, we most often get to enjoy the benefits of geothermal activity and we can mitigate the hazard by keeping people out of the higher risk areas with simple tools like fences and signs. We are fortunate in New Zealand to use geothermal activity for power generation, we have gorgeous areas to attract tourists for our economy.

Nothing beats a tour of a volcanic area with someone who knows it well. It is a rich experience having a guide who can point out and explain the fault lines, the old lake terraces that formed when Lake Rotorua was much higher, the deposits from large and small volcanic eruptions, and the human stories that go with the landscape. It changes how you think and feel about the world around you.

My thoughts drifted to Michaelangelo. Late last year I gazed up at the breathtaking frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel while listening to an inspiring ‘in-ear’ audio commentary. Considered to be the greatest artistic genius that ever lived, Michaelangelo is synonymous with the word “masterpiece.” As a deeply spiritual man with a devout faith in God that deepened as he aged, he acknowledged that his art was divinely inspired.

George Frideric Handel was a remarkable composer who credited his musical gift to ‘being carried by God”. He is famous for composing the oratorio ‘Messiah’ in 1741 over three weeks without getting much sleep or eating much food. Handel’s servant discovered him in tears while writing the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus.

It’s an approach fraught with uncertainty since the measure is invariably made by comparing ourselves with other people. By that standard we’ll always convince ourselves we’re ‘somewhat’ good - certainly better that average anyway, since we can always find people worse than us. The uncertainty and wearisome weight of, ‘will my best efforts ever be enough?’ is too much to bear… and it’s futile.

The fact is they won’t. While we’re trained to ‘performance’, when it comes to matters of faith, our efforts alone do nothing to commend us to God… we’ve all fallen short.

Only one thing commends us to Godfaith. Faith in Christ as Saviour and the free gift of salvation that makes us right with God… something that can never be earned. The Bible states it plainly and simply, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”.

There’s the source of true rest.

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CAMBRIDGE VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE CALLS OVER THE LAST WEEK

MONDAY 6:26pm, Oaklands Drive, vegetation re

THURSDAY 11:53am, Browning Street, MVA, Car Vs Truck 1:34pm, Swayne Road, building alarm and evacuation 5:59pm, MVA, truck o road, Cambridge Road

SATURDAY 4:16am, Building alarm and activation, Ruakura Road

SUNDAY: 6:36pm, Single car MVA, Rotorangi Road

MONDAY 4:26pm, Garage re, Hillary Place

By Mary Anne Gill

Type the surname ‘Hoyle’ into the Waipā cemetery online database and several dozen names pop up.

When we meet, Craig Hoyle is standing in front of one of them at Hautapu Cemetery in Cambridge – his great, great grandfather Robert Hoyle, 92 when he died in 1963.

Robert, who emigrated to New Zealand as a teenager from Rochdale in Lancashire, England, had never “officially” joined the Exclusive Brethren but did so reluctantly when he was 90 so he could live in Cambridge with his sons William and Norman who were members of the church and farmed in the district.

He and wife Katherine “Kate” – who died in 1948 - had lived in Arapohue near Dargaville, another strong Exclusive Brethren community.

Craig spins around and points to the grave of his great grandparents William and Rhoda Hoyle, buried together and across to William’s brother Norman, excommunicated from the Exclusive Brethren because he refused to drink alcohol.

“Loving husband of Josie”, his tombstone says. If Craig were not there you would be hard pressed to know Eleanor Josephine Hoyle, buried in the next row, is the wife who walked out on him after 35 years’ marriage because he was no longer in the church.

Church rules forbade them being in the same plot, so Norman did the next best thing. He bought a plot as close as he could to her one, they are now only centimetres apart. Her stone does not reference her husband or the three children they had; his does.

Craig, 34, now a journalist in Auckland, was excommunicated from the Exclusive Brethren in 2009 because despite interrogations and conversion therapy for his sexuality, he remained gay.

He went on to make a television documentary with 60 Minutes. Reporter Sarah Hall, originally from Tamahere, and husband Grant became parent figures outside the brethren. They encouraged him to go to university and then to become a journalist.

He is ostracised by family members who are still in the church. They include his parents who, still reeling from the fact their son is gay, had to contend with him becoming a journalist as well.

“I grew up in a brethren where we weren’t allowed to challenge authority, we weren’t allowed to ask questions. We were told if you don’t understand it, don’t question it. We’ll do the thinking, you do the doing.

Excommunicated – A multigenerational story of leaving the Exclusive Brethren.

“Journalism is the opposite of that –journalism is about chasing the truth and asking the questions and exposing things that need to be exposed,” he says.

Any chance he had of reconciliation went out the window last year when Harper Collins published Craig’s story:

The book details four generations of the church’s presence in Cambridge and recalls a physical altercation with members at Rhoda Hoyle’s funeral in 1982 when her excommunicated eldest son Hubert “Snow” Hoyle tried to reach his mother’s graveside. There are other Cambridge stories.

The first edition sold out. Copies in Waikato bookshops, including Cambridge where there is a waiting list, went within days. There was a protest

Craig Hoyle at his great uncle Norman’s grave at Hautapu Cemetery with his estranged wife Josie buried the row in front of her husband, the closest they could get in death. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

in Raglan – someone turned all the books upside down and turned all the covers in. The bookseller there reacted as only true book lovers do – they mounted a display of controversial books and planted Excommunicated in the middle.

Craig was born in Hamilton and moved to Invercargill when he was five. He spent many of his earlier years holidaying in Cambridge where he still has relatives.

“(My memories are) recent enough to still remember a lot of people but long ago enough now that I see people in the (Cambridge) street and I know they’re brethren and I know they are probably cousins of mine, but I don’t recognise who they are.”

For him there is an immense sadness.

“Look at my great, great grandpa who was forced to join the church.”

Robert’s headstone is remarkably clean – others of the same vintage nearby are unkempt – leading Craig to assume there are mysterious church members who look after the outcasts or those separated from their loved ones.

William and Rhoda’s grave while not unkempt could still do with some attention. Craig feels guilty he did not bring flowers but then noted it is not something Exclusive Brethren encourage anyway.

“I see (their) grave, they had 10 kids, they lost four of them, four of them were excommunicated,” says

Craig. “The trauma everyone went through, even the ones who stayed in the church.

“The ones who leave are free to build a new life and come to terms with the way things are.

“The ones in the church I don’t think get a chance to grieve what happened because they believe they are doing the right thing. And they shouldn’t be sad about doing the right thing, but they are sad.”

In a brief meeting with his parents a few years ago, they asked Craig whether he still believed in God.

“I said I wouldn’t necessarily say that I believe in God as they understand God to be.

“But I believe in love and their Bible says God is love, so what’s the difference?”

Asked whether he thinks his great great grandparents Robert and Kate are somewhere together now, Craig has mixed views.

“I would hope that if they are anywhere, they are together and free of all the restrictions they lived with. There was so much control, so much fear.”

He hopes the same for all the Hoyles and their extended families whose names are littered throughout Hautapu Cemetery.

“There are Hoyles here who were in the brethren, there were Hoyles who were excommunicated from the brethren.

“I hope if they are somewhere that they are back together as one family. Not the them and us that they all suffered with when they were alive.”

When Harper Collins contacted

Craig to write the book, he felt it was important to put the book out there for the record.

“One person’s story doesn’t capture the impact of a group like the brethren, because I’m just the result of what happened to my parents, their parents and their parents and (what) you can see walking around Hautapu Cemetery is that all these generations, after generations have been impacted by these restrictive religious rules. I just happen to be the latest chapter.”

Craig is in a relationship and has become a sperm donor.

“There are genetic progeny out there,” he says confirming there is at least one girl, born last year through the donor pool.

“It’s really meaningful to be able to go out and create new concepts of family, to contribute to new generations.”

William and Rhoda Hoyle buried together at Hautapu Cemetery.

Cambridge at your fingertips

It’s all on your local App –are you?

The Cambridge App is the go-to place for your latest mobile news, sport and opinion.

Every day, locals open the app to stay informed about what’s happening in Cambridge.

But there isn’t only news on this app: it features upcoming events, funeral notices, the latest properties for sale, places to eat and drink, activities, local businesses, and much more.

Download the Cambridge App, look around, you might be surprised by what you find.

•News • Property • Sports • Rural •Lifestyle • Dining • Events

• Activities • Art & Culture • Funerals

•Jobs • Shop • Stay • Professionals Scan

CountryLife

Main office 55 Victoria St, Cambridge

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Jasmine and Balu: champions

By Mary Anne Gill

What a difference a year makes. Just ask Jasmine Gaualofa.

At the Leamington Pony Club’s Easter gymkhana last year, she and Balu, a 14-year-old station bred gelding, were reserve champions.

This week they were the show champions picking up eight ribbons and the highly sought after prize donated by pony club stalwart Carol Dix.

The prize – a hay bag - was made in memory of Dix’s much loved horse Just Suzy and she celebrated with 12-year-old Gaualofa who is one of her riders to have come through the Leamington ranks.

More than 75 riders from all over the Waikato competed in six rings at the Leamington grounds.

The club is one of two remaining branches of the Cambridge Pony Club, which was founded in 1947. The other is Cambridge East Maungakawa.

Jasmine, who attends Cambridge Middle School, is not the first one in the family to excel in the saddle. Older sister Charlotte, 17, a student at Te Kura School, is also a pony club competitor.

She and mother Michelle helped prepare Balu for the ring. One of the pony’s ribbons was for presentation.

Dad Joyner and twin brothers Bradley and Dylan, 8, of Cambridge Primary School were also on hand to see rider and pony become champions.

Natalie Horrocks, 5, of Tamahere School on her pony Hokey Pokey, 16, went to great extremes in the fancy dress competition covering him with flowers from front to rear.

• More photos cambridgenews.nz

Alistair and Jacqui Horrocks of Tamahere with their children Natalie, 5, and Oliver, 4 and their floral covered pony Hokey Pokey at the Leamington Pony Club’s Easter Monday gymkhana.

Jasmine Gaualofa, 12, Cambridge Middle School on Balu, 14, a station bred gelding with Carol Dix who donated a winning hay bag in memory of her horse Just Suzy at Leamington Pony Club’s gymkhana on Easter Monday. Photo: Mary Anne Gill

Memorial Park détente

By Mary Anne Gill

Te

Awamutu and Kihikihi

Community Board has accepted Waipā staff’s olive branch to resolve the standoff over changes in the War Memorial Park.

Board chair Ange Holt said while members had asked for work to be stopped and a full review undertaken, they now realised it would add costs to the project and take valuable time and resources.

It was time to “move forward in a conciliatory manner,” she said in her report to the board last week.

Meetings with council staff, the board and interested parties will take place over the coming weeks.

Community Services manager Brad Ward told the council’s Strategic Planning and Policy committee last month he was unsure what the board’s key concerns were and wanted to resolve them.

“It is considered a robust process was exercised during the development including obtaining the relevant endorsement and approvals,” he said in a report to the committee.

Ward stopped short of supporting a full review – costing between $30,000-$60,000 - saying the Concept Plan had already been through a robust consultation process.

The potential to resolve some outstanding issues and improve the Concept Plan by meeting the board and other opponents was appealing as an opportunity to foster positive relationships between staff, the board and the community, he said.

Opposition to the proposals has been a constant thorn in the council’s side since March 2020 when the first draft proposed removing heritage features including the pond, the gateways and the Peace Fountain.

The board back then asked about bicycle parking, a fenced playground and the importance of making it a significant park through a nod to history.

In a revised concept the following year, staff kept the majority of the park’s heritage features – providing further text to reflect it as a place for reflection and remembrance – and retained a third of the pond.

But opposition ramped up

the following year when a Concept Plan was adopted following community consultation with key stakeholders including mana whenua partners, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Ngāwaero, Maniapoto Trust Board and Waikato-Tainui.

Opponents argued the first plan for the memorial park – developed in 1948 - was for a memorial park with a tree for every fallen soldier, a scenic driveway, a playground, picnic areas, an artificial lake, paths

and rustic footbridges commemorating the services.

A 1955 agreement only gave council permission to maintain the park, not rip it out and change it, they say.

Community Board chair Ange Holt last year called for the project to stop and go through a review which was ratified by the board.

Ward said despite social media comments, there were no plans to destroy the existing memorial stonework nor remove the

duck pond.

Water quality issues would be resolved by reducing the size of the pond, not removing it.

The plan would create a wetland environment to filter water before it enters the Mangaohoi Stream creating a bigger area for picnicking and events and restoring the natural springs.

Ward said staff regularly met with a consortium of local residents called the Te Awamutu War Memorial

Park Maintenance Group but other people were operating outside this group.

The various iterations to the Concept Plan show staff have listened to feedback.

“The changes incorporated in the Concept Plan have been done in a manner that considers the interests of the wider community, partners and key stakeholders, whilst still respecting and retaining the park’s heritage and important purpose as a war memorial,” said Shaw.

There have been calls to put a stop to the plans for the War Memorial Park, but Ange Holt wants conciliation.

Meghan Hawkes looks back to 1930 and reviews the stories making headlines in Waipā.

Rabbits, rumbling …and water rates

Rabbits had spread extensively in the Waipā region and property owners were expected to exterminate them to the best of their ability.

Rabbiters working with ferrets and large teams of dogs to flush out warrens were also employed by Rabbit Boards.

These were so successful that now there was a call for the amalgamation of the Rabbit Boards from Mangapiko, Hairini and Kihikihi.

The rabbit pest in the three districts had been so reduced that one board could administer the combined area.

Rabbits were believed to be very plentiful in all the back districts round Te Awamutu, but they were becoming few and far between, especially near the bush.

In the cleared lands there was evidence of a great horde of rabbits, but trappers operating there had considerably lowered the numbers. Loud rumblings which sounded like distant thunder heard at Ōhaupō were

accompanied by vibrations and assumed to be a rather severe earthquake.

But there appeared to have been no earthquake and the subterranean noises were difficult to explain.

Some residents heard the noises as a series of explosions a long way off which were sufficiently heavy to rattle windows.

They were inclined to associate the noises with Arapuni Hydroelectric Station although this was a considerable distance from the Ōhaupō area.

Arapuni itself experienced the strange noises and sensations the next day.

While sitting at lunch about 1pm various Government officials thought they felt a slight earth tremor.

Professor Bartrum, Professor of Geology at the Auckland University College, eventually conceded “The rumblings seem almost definitely to be connected with an earthquake disturbance, apparently of local origin”. There were no known earth

faults near Ōhaupō, the professor explained, but much of the district was covered by an alluvium – loose clay, silt, sand or gravelwhich, in some places, was of considerable depth.

A bombshell fell in Pirongia when they received word from the Te Awamutu Borough Council that the rates for water from the borough main, which passed through Pirongia on its way from Pirongia Mountain, were to be increased.

Requests for the council to reconsider resulted in confirming the belief of consumers that they were not wanted, having served a useful purpose by assisting the borough scheme during the early years when water was running to waste.

Now, by eliminating the low-level consumer in Pirongia, in Mangapiko, and along the Frontier Road, the pressure to the new, and presumably more profitable, consumer elsewhere would be increased. Some of the consumers were faced with a water cost amounting to 10 shillings per acre per annum under the new charge. Wells,

windmills, and tanks had been dispensed with and a return to this method of procuring water would be expensive and unsatisfactory.

Fortunately, however, the Pirongia district had been endowed by nature with a pure and plentiful water supply.

A Te Rore ratepayer wanted a ranger to be kept permanently near the bridge to prevent stock straying on the roads.

Recently a motorist thought he saw a rut filled with water and went straight on, to find he had struck a large black pig. Around the same district quite a fair number of cattle were grazed all winter, and the authorities seemed to be quite indifferent to the danger. The Raglan County Council had put a pound keeper on the job after a horse, on a dark night, jumped on to the radiator of the car which a member of the council was driving near Te Pahu.

Wānanga’s new scholarships

Two new Te Wānanga o Aotearoa scholarships honour men who were crucial to its establishment.

The wānanga relaunched scholarships last year and is adding three news ones in 2024.

Te Tumuaki Rongo H Wetere Scholarship recognises a tauira Māori who is the first in their whānau to study at a tertiary level.

Boy Mangu Mātauranga Māori Waharoa Scholarship recognises a tauira who

demonstrates their commitment to the advancement of mātauranga Māori by studying a mātauranga programme.

The third new scholarship is the Te Pou Postgraduate Diploma Kaitiakitanga L8 Scholarship which is awarded to a registered health professional who is enrolled in the Postgraduate Diploma in Kaitiakitanga L8 programme.

Applications for scholarships run to June 30.

A rabbiter at a warren near Kihikihi

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Across 1. Notable (6)

5. Put upon (6)

8. Triumphed (3)

9. Grating (6)

10. Plaid (6)

11. Lure (4)

13. Prolonged bitter quarrel (8)

14. Telling whoppers (5)

15. Conditions (5)

19. Cut deeply (8)

Last week

21. Alleviate (4)

22. Act as a gobetween (6) 23. Head dress (6)

25. Feather stole (3)

26. Formal evening suit (6)

27. Tattered (6)

2. So soon (7)

3. Lubricate (3)

4. Dodge (6)

5. Chant (6)

6. Keep trying (9)

7. Barely enough (5)

12. Orange-red (9)

16. Error (7)

17. Portable shelter (6)

18. Sugary flower fluid (6)

20. Farewell (Fr) (5)

24. Scrap of cloth (3)

Across: 1. Comma, 4. Wind-up, 7. Ski, 8. Flinch, 9. Tariff, 10. Commence, 12. Hard, 13. Pursue, 15. Statue, 16. Cage, 17. Punctual, 19. Giggle, 20. Dodger, 22. Sag, 23. Smarts, 24. Enemy.

Down: 1. Colloquialism, 2. Man, 3. Ashen, 4. Witness, 5. Northeast, 6. Unfortunately, 11. Messenger, 14. Express, 18. Nudge, 21. Doe.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The world of surgery is strange, messy and intense. From a man presenting with fishhooks in his stomach to being punched in the face by a patient, it’s all in a mad day’s work for a female general surgeon. Even with emergency operations in the wee hours and constantly being mistaken for a nurse, there are still moments of laughter and tenderness amid the chaos.

When Ineke’s parents in Samoa fall ill, she becomes torn between her roles as a surgeon, a daughter and a single working mother, leading her to ask: are the sacrifices of a life in scrubs worth it?

This is an extraordinary memoir from inside the operating room about the heart it takes to survive.

‘Ruthlessly honest and viscerally beautiful. The book I wish I had read as a medical student.’ Emma Espiner On

INEKE MEREDITH was born in New Zealand to parents of mixed-Samoan heritage. She spent part of her childhood in Samoa but moved to New Zealand to study medicine. She is a general surgeon with a subspecialty interest in breast cancer and breast reconstruction who has published research articles in international peer-reviewed medical journals on breast cancer and reconstruction, cancer rates among Pacific peoples in New Zealand, and has participated in international collaboratives on cancer rates in diaspora. She is the founder and director of Fur Love, a canine skincare company, and lives and works between New Zealand and Paris.

Feijoas find favour

It seems to me that there is a definite resurgence ßof interest in feijoas. Lately it seems almost every food (and many non-food) conversations revolve around feijoas.

For example, a friend’s sliced feijoa face mask is her favourite topic. Leave it on for 10 minutes and feel the difference. Well feijoas are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, minerals and fibre so maybe this natural beauty aid could be promoted as the trendy ‘superfood’ way to feed your face!

And recently I was asked which wine should be served with poached feijoa ice cream. Smell the fruit then sniff a gewürztraminer. The aromas are both so similar it’s a match made in heaven.

To prevent cut feijoas from oxidising (going brown) I use vitamin C powder that I purchased from the local health food shop. A little goes a long way. One-quarter of a teaspoon in three to four tablespoons of water is enough to prevent at least 500 grams of cut fruit from discolouring. If necessary, the fruit can be drained before use. Lemon juice is another option, but for me, vitamin C powder is the answer.

DATE & FEIJOA MINI LOAVES

Mini loaf pans are available as a joined set, similar to muffin pans. This tasty mixture could also be made into muffins.

2 cups pitted dates

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

125g butter

1 cup peeled and diced feijoas

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups self-raising flour

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease an 8-hole mini loaf pan.

Place the dates, orange juice, sugar and butter in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add the feijoas and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Cool.

Whisk in the eggs then mix in the flour. Spoon into the prepared loaf pans.

Date & feijoa mini loaves

Bake for about 25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the pan and cool on a wired rack. Makes 8.

FEIJOA KASUNDAI

An Indian-style chutney. For a tamer preserve, use half the amount of chilli powder.

1/2 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon turmeric

2 tablespoons each: ground cumin, chilli powder

125g root ginger, peeled and chopped

12 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/4 cups white vinegar

1kg feijoas, topped and tailed, skin left on

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

1 tablespoon salt

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the turmeric, cumin and chilli powder and fry, until fragrant.

Place the ginger, garlic, vinegar and feijoas in a food processor or blender and mix, until smooth. Add to the turmeric mixture together with the sugar, mustard seeds and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the oil

Your next home is here

Find houses for sale each week in your local independent Cambridge News and Te Awamutu News – covering the Waipa region with Jan Bilton

Feijoa Kasundai

floats on top, about 30 minutes.

Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal. A thin layer of oil can be poured on top to help keep the contents airtight prior to sealing. Makes about 6 cups.

FABULOUS FEIJOAS & PORK

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, sliced

4 tablespoons flour

3-4 teaspoons curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

500g lean diced pork

4 large feijoas, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup sweet white wine or orange juice

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan and brown the onion. Place in a casserole.

Place the flour, curry powder, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Add the pork and shake to coat. Press the dry mixture into the pork well. Brown the meat in the remaining oil. Add to the casserole with the feijoas and wine or orange juice. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Great served with baked kumara. Serves 4.

Cambridge 9 Tulip Drive

The Whole Family Package!

This stunning residence o ers the epitome of modern living, boasting luxurious amenities and spacious interiors perfect for families. The expansive kitchen and dining space seamlessly flow into the living area, creating a perfect hub for gatherings and relaxation. These bi-folding doors not only invite natural light into the home but also o er easy access to the central decking area, where you can unwind in the spa pool or host al fresco dinners with friends and family.

Matangi 566 Marychurch Road 3 2 1 1

Great Large Lifestyle Opportunity

This stunning property o ers a spacious and modern main home that comprises 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms,3 toilets, a family room, a study, and an internal access double garage. In addition to the main home, there is a 2-bedroom, 1 bathroom home with a single garage.Inside the house, you’ll find a range of features and chattels including blinds and curtains to a dishwasher and rangehood, this property is ready for you to move in and start enjoying.

Shelby Garrett

M 027 622 4166

For Sale $2,350,000 View by appointment or scheduled open home times www.kdre.co.nz/CB6375

Gary Stokes

M 021 351 112

Kevin Deane

M 021 970 902

a seamless flow between the living, dining, and kitchen areas - ideal for both relaxation and entertaining.

Whether you’re enjoying a quiet night in or hosting friends and family, this space caters to your needs. Upstairs, you’ll find three comfortable bedrooms, perfect for family or accommodating guests. A centrally located bathroom ensures convenience for all residents. 3 1 1 1

Bevan Higgins

M 027 471 2424

Katikati 1031B State Highway 2

A Rural Romance in the Bay of Plenty

Rural levels of peace, privacy and breathtaking views will be found at this 11.5 hectare (approx.) rural sanctuary. This 323m2, 2021-built residence is a testament to the harmonious fusion of nature and modern design. The living area offers a modern designer kitchen and spacious scullery, formal lounge, dining and entrance foyer. The large master bedroom is serviced by a generously sized ensuite, and the office. The north wing of the home provides three double bedrooms and full bathroom. Year-round outdoor living is provided by 176m2 of decking. Remarkably private, elevated, and rich with mature native bush. The modern one bedroom Air BNB is ideal for family or guests, while over 400m2 of shedding, six hectares of grazing and 500 avocado trees add to the allure. + GST if any

5 3 2 3

Tender Closes 4pm, Wed 1 May

Cnr Jocelyn Street and Main Road, Katikati (unless sold prior)

View 2.15-3pm Sat 6 Apr & 10-10.45am Sat 13 Apr or by appointment

Durrelle Green 027 949 3725

durrelle.green@eves.co.nz

Tickety-Boo - Just For You!

Negotiation

3 Richards Street, Cambridge

- Spacious warm family home of 229sqm - Open plan living bathed in natural light from the ceiling to floor windows and ranch sliders ; portico flows well for entertaining (outdoor fireplace).

Open Home Sunday 11.00 - 11.30am

St Kilda Smart Design

Negotiation

13 Alan Livingston Drive, St Kilda

- Discover the smarts of this delightful Urban built 277m² home set on an elevated and private 1346m² section (more or less).

- Sensational thought-out floor plan that welcomes fun family living, Airbnb possibility or could provide a wing for extended family.

Open Home Sunday 12.00 - 12.30pm

Like A New Home

Negotiation

9 Shadbolt Drive, Leamington

5 2 2

- Combination of two warm, spacious living areas, highly favored open plan layout and indoor-outdoor flow.

- Highlight of the outdoors is undoubtedly the inviting pool area.

Open Home Sunday 12.00 - 12.30pm

Cambridge East-Large, Spacious, Private Negotiation

142 Williams Street, Cambridge 5

- This 1950’s 4/5 bedroom home additionally features a separate entry to a office/studio room with lobby entry & bathroom access.

- Superb open plan kitchen/ dining and sitting room open to terraced views of the garden and lawn.

Open Home Sunday 12.00 - 12.30pm

for entertaining, BBQ’s or hobby; huge shed (13m x 7m) including double garage & workshop; high span quadruple carport.

Viewing By Appointment

CURRAN, Jewel –

Passed away peacefully at Cambridge Life on Wednesday 27 March 2024, aged 95 years. Much loved and loving wife of the late Frank Curran. Loved mother and mother-in-law of Narelle and Graham Wiseman. Adored Nan and Great-Nan of Harley and Kelly, and Heath, and their families. Sincere thanks to the staff at Cambridge Life for their compassionate care of Jewel for the last six years. In accordance with Jewel’s wishes, a private cremation has taken place.

GOWER, Murray Robert –

Unexpectedly but peacefully passed away at home on Friday, 29th March 2024, aged 80 years. Dearly loved and best friend of Sheryl. Loved and adored father and father in-law to Mark & Jess, Andy & Ange, and Glenn & Adele. Loved Poppa to Connor, Izzy, Jamie, Blake, Lachie, and Reid. A celebration of Murray's life will be held at Raleigh Street Christian Centre, Raleigh Street, Leamington, Cambridge on Thursday, the 4th of April 2024 at 1:00pm followed by a private cremation. All communications to Gower Family, c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434.

KARL, Michael John – A Man of the Land. Gone way too soon following a brief illness. Aged 77 years. Loved and respected brother-in-law of Alison and Warren, uncle to the late Malcolm, Andrea, Steven and families. Rest in Peace Mike

Check out our website cambridgenews.nz for more copy and photos?

LEDGARD, Beverley Dawn –

Passed away on 25 March 2024 at Waikato Hospital (peacefully), aged 89 years. A loving wife of Albert, mother of Stewart, mother-in-law of Anita and grandmother of Celina. Sadly missed. A private cremation has been held.

NEEDHAM, Heather Ann –Passed away surrounded by her loving family on Monday, 1st April 2024 at Resthaven on Burns. Aged 75 years. Devoted and cherished wife of Fred. Much loved mum & mum-in-law of Matt & Natasha, Anya & Kerry, Phil & Becky, and Richie & Mel. Super Nana to Levi, Phoenix, Neo, Ollie, Reef, Toby, Ayla, Genesis, and baby bump. ‘Special thanks to the staff of Resthaven on Burns for the love and care shown to Heather over the past five and a half years.’ A memorial service to celebrate Heather’s life will be held at Raleigh Street Christian Centre, Raleigh Street, Leamington, Cambridge, on Friday, 5th April 2024 at 1:00pm. All communications to the Needham Family, c/3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434.

Cambridge Seventh-Day Adven�st Church Cr. Shakespeare & Browning Streets

Bible Study Each Saturday: 9.30am – 10.45am

Worship Service: 11.00am

Like us on Facebook: h�ps://www.facebook.com/cambridge.sda.9 email: cambridge.sda.nz@gmail.com

Phone: 027 677 6433

Hope Channel – Freeview Ch 27, Sky 204

We offer detailed study of the Bible and inspiring worship experiences. All Welcome.

notice of a Temporary Alcohol Ban under Section 3.2 of the Public Places Alcohol Control Bylaw 2015, is hereby given that, it was resolved, at an ordinary meeting of Waipa District Council on 27 March 2024, that a Temporary Alcohol Ban be put in place for the grassed paddock area to be used for car parking during the Grins Night of Champions hosted by Cambridge Raceway Limited and the section of Taylor Street in front of the grassed paddock area. Alcohol is prohibited from being consumed, brought into, or possessed in these areas on Friday, 12 April 2024 from 3pm to 12 midnight.

The area identified for temporary ban is outlined below:

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE – Lamb Street

Please note that the roads listed below will be closed to ordinary vehicular traffic on Friday 19 Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 April 2024 for the NZ Age Group Road Cycling Championships.

Between 7:00 am and 4:30 pm on Friday 19 April 2024:

• Lamb Street – between Shakespeare Street and Sunline Drive

• Lamb Street – between Rotoorangi Rd and Shakespeare Street

Between 7:00 am and 4:30 pm on Saturday & Sunday 20 & 21 April 2024:

• Lamb Street – between Shakespeare Street and Maungatautari Road

• Lamb Street – between Rotoorangi Rd and Shakespeare Street

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

For more information, please contact Waip-a District Council on 0800 924 723 or email events@waipadc.govt.nz

Garry Dyet CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Special Needs Drivers - Cambridge

Permanent Part-Time Special Needs (SESTA) car and van drivers required for Cambridge, 15 hours per week, school terms only, transporting students to and from school.

What you you need:

 Full Class 1 Licence (minimum 2 years)

 Passenger Endorsement (we can help you obtain this)

 A responsible and caring approach

Get on Board with Go Bus Transport and come join our great team in Cambridge!

If you want to be part of a business that is making a difference in your community, then we want to hear from you!

Our recruitment process includes a Drug and Alcohol Test and a Police Vetting check.

To be successful, applicants for this position must be a New Zealand Citizen, have permanent residency or hold a valid NZ Work Visa with no restrictions.

To apply please email –joanne.burman@gobus.co.nz or call 021-747-191.