Waimea Weekly - 31 May 2023

Rock legend mentors

musos

Maia hits new heights

Community unite after system ‘failure’

JO KENT

A local mum who repeatedly asked for medical care has died just six days after being diagnosed with inoperable bowel cancer, her friends say.

Friends of 41-year-old Emma Ey-

les, who grew up in Tasman before moving to Christchurch in 2021, are now rallying round to raise vital funds to support her 10-year-old daughter, Monroe.

Close friend Shelley Sims, who owns Freshbake in Brightwater, says Monroe now faces the rest of

A man of many teapots

ANNE HARDIE

Kevin Wilson is a “collector at heart” and at 83 has had some time to collect a few things, including more than 100 teapots that are scattered around his garden, house and every nook and cranny of his Richmond property. In the past he even bought them to fill the shelves of a friend’s tearooms in Westport that ended up with 400 teapots and became a sideline for the business.

“They had all this room in the shop so I decided to fill the shelves with teapots and full sets of cups and saucers.” That prompted his own collection and it is still growing, with each new

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her life without her mother, who she says was a beautiful soul and had a passion for horses.

“I’ve known Emma for eight years and as soon as I heard her diagnosis, I knew I had to help. Emma was terribly let down by the health care system and an in-

vestigation should be launched.

“How classic symptoms of bowel cancer were overlooked so many times is a tragedy and lessons need to be learnt.”

With a small army of volunteers and an outpouring of generosity from the community, Shelley

baked and sold around 6000 cupcakes over the weekend, raising $5000 for the family.

“Emma would have been blown away to see the amount of people coming in to buy one $6 box of

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Kevin Wilson is still collecting teapots. Photo: Anne Hardie.

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Community rally after health ‘tragedy’

cakes but putting in $50. Someone even cleared out every supermarket of cupcake cases to donate to me and we used them all.”

Tragically, single mum Emma says she had visited her GP on several occasions, but was always told she either had irritable bowel syndrome or a gastro bug. She even spent a day in the emergency department in Christchurch Hospital but was again sent home.

Documenting her struggle on her Facebook page earlier this month, she posted, “Never in my life have I experienced pain like I have over the past days.

“It’s strange to feel so unwell but be told there is nothing wrong with you.”

She said that a doctor’s appointment was cancelled at the last minute, despite her “begging for

a scan”, but was told it wasn’t possible on a Friday afternoon.

Poignantly, she later posted, “Seriously, our doctors need a shakeup. I’m not surprised we lose so many people too soon when they won’t go beyond unless you hold a gun to their head.”

Having been left “screaming in agony”, a friend advised her to ring Healthline who told her to get an ambulance straight to hospital.

Two days later, it was confirmed she had bowel cancer which had spread to her liver, and was given just a week to live.

“I spoke to Emma at 4.30pm on Sunday shortly before she passed,” Shelley says.

“A friend held up a phone to her ear and I told her what I’d done and how much I’d raised.

“I said my goal was $5k but now it’s $200k and that I’m going to keep going until I can buy

Monroe a house. Emma made a sound, so I knew she’d heard me. I’ll keep my promise.” Emma died in hospice later that evening surrounded by friends and family, just six days after her diagnosis last Monday.

Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury interim hospital and spe-

cialist services lead, Lisa Blackler, says, “Our sincere sympathies are with the whānau and friends of Emma at this very difficult time, but we can’t comment on individual patient care.”

When asked by the Waimea Weekly as to whether an investigation should be opened into

Emma’s care, a Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury spokesperson advised that the family can make a complaint through the Health and Disabilties Commissioner if they so wish.

A GiveaLittle page that was set up last week had generated more than $51,000 at the time of going to print and Shelley says she will keep baking her cupcakes. “A $100 donation is enough to make 300 packs so people can help that way as well as buying a box to eat.”

Similarly, another friend, Kristy King-Turner, has arranged an equestrian show at Marchwood Park in Motueka on 13 August.

“I want to fundraise for Monroe but also have a place for all Emma’s friends to gather and share stories of her life.

“I’ll have a memory book there for people to write in and I’ll pass that on to her daughter to keep.”

Freshbake owner Shelley Sims with volunteers Holly Carppe, Gillian James, Tracey Keane-Harvey, Danita Rudolph, Cara Coppell and Karen Carppe. Photo: Jo Kent.

Bylaw flaw for penguin safety

JO KENT

An entirely preventable dog attack has left three kororā penguins dead at Little Kaiteriteri beach after their internal organs were completely shredded.

Two of the penguins were a highly successful breeding pair, which have been monitored for three years. The third was a young adult thought to be their offspring from 2021, and who had just reached breeding age. Trustee for the Tasman Bay Blue Penguin Trust, Linda Jenkins, says the beach is a known habitat of the declining native species.

“This is such a preventable tragedy. Unfortunately, some irresponsible dog owners come to the beach and let their dog run loose on the basis that they wouldn’t kill anything.

“Dogs are natural hunters with an acute sense of smell, so they will and do hunt and kill in a split second – whatever their owners think.”

Over the last seven months, the trust has recorded six penguin fatalities locally due to dog attacks.

“These are only the ones we know about. It’s highly likely there are more. This latest carnage takes the tally to nine and is more grim evidence of a very poor conservation record in Tasman.”

The fatalities were discovered last weekend when Linda went to the beach to monitor the local nest sites.

“We’ve been watching this family for three years, so to find them like this is heartbreaking.

“It would have been a frenzied dog attack. The injuries were horrific. When a dog attacks, it generally grabs their tummies and shakes them around.

“This completely shreds their internal organs. The female had blood in her lungs, so she drowned in her own blood. There would have been an

awfully loud commotion throughout the attack so the owner would have been aware.”

The female was of white flipper origin mostly seen in Banks Peninsula.

Dog owners are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure their dog is under effective control at all times around penguin habitat areas. The most effective way of achieving this is to use a lead.

Little penguins are protected under the Wildlife Act which is administered by DOC, but on a local level it is the council’s dog control bylaw that prevails.

“In Tasman, the Dog Control Bylaw 2014 comes up for review in 2024, providing an opportunity for a vastly improved fit-for-purpose bylaw to be formulated which prioritises native wildlife protection,” Linda says.

“The current bylaw is letting our penguins down. Dog attacks keep happening and we risk the species becoming lo-

cally extinct unless better safeguards are put in place to ensure their survival.”

She says the bylaw wording stipulates dogs must be ‘under effective control at all times’, but that is open to interpretation.

“Most owners think they can control their dog with callback, but it only takes a split second for a dog to grab and kill a penguin.

“The bylaw should make leads mandatory at the very least and, in a perfect world, ban dogs from these sites.”

As the smallest penguins in the world, Linda says they have a claim to fame.

“And they live here. How cool is it that we have penguins on our beaches? And we just risk losing all of that because of irresponsible dog owners. It’s senseless and so easily avoided.”

The official DOC threat classification of korora is ‘at risk, declining’ with dogs being their biggest killer.

Founders Book Fair is back

The annual Founders Book Fair kicks off this King’s Birthday Weekend. The nine-day book bonanza has been running since 1988 and this year starts on Saturday, 3 June, and finishes on Sunday, 11 June. A range of used books will be on offer, as well as puzzles, magazines, and records. The fair runs from 10am4.30pm daily. Entry is $2 per person, or you can get a weekly pass for $5. Children under 12 are free.

Stafford Drive priority give way system

Tasman District Council has installed a priority give way system on Stafford Dr, in Ruby Bay, which will mean reduced waiting times and allow traffic to flow more freely though the area. The system means a new road layout with the red arrow always giving way. In simple terms, all traffic heading down the hill must give way to all traffic heading up the hill. As the slip areas will continue to fret stones and small boulders, road users should be vigilant for falling rock, particularly during rainy periods. In the event of severe or prolonged wet weather, Stafford

Drive will likely be closed as safety precaution and road users should factor this into their journey plans when travelling through the area.

Airport roadworks set to begin

Roadworks are set to begin at Nelson Airport next week to make way for the new airport bus service starting on 1 August. To allow buses to travel through the airport precinct, changes are required to the gradient of the pedestrian crossing points on the airport entry road and in front of the terminal. Work to alter the crossings and construct a bus shelter will begin on 6 June and finish in late July. The work is expected to cause disruptions to traffic flows and people are being advised to allow extra travel time.

Rockfall closes SH6

SH6 between Belgrove to Kohatu was closed last week after rocks came down across the road. The main route between Nelson and Murchison closed on Thursday and remained closed for much of Friday. A detour was put in place, which was suitable for all vehicle types.

Trustee for the Tasman Bay Blue Penguin Trust, Linda Jenkins, with two of the dead penguins. Photo: Supplied.

A man of many teapots

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arrival finding its own place around his home. He buys some, others are given to him and one was even left on his doorstep with a note saying the owner had no use for it and he might appreciate it more.

“They’re colourful and they make your place look nice – especially against a white house.”

A friend even made gates to the garden with the outline of teapots worked into the design.

His collecting days go way back though. For 30 years he was a cook at the Wakatu Hotel in Nelson where he became interested in collecting named pens from customers. That led him to making some of his own pens with the words ‘stolen from the Wakatu –return to Boots’. Many of them disappeared and many of them came back. His pen collection added up to 4,000 different named pens when a woman wanted to buy them for her husband and paid $3,000 for the lot. He also has about 100 caps perched one on top the other around his home and there are no doubt other collections tucked away.

Boots has long been his nickname after being born with deformed feet and being taught to walk in hospital, and then wear his hefty boots through the decades. It never held him back and

he went on to have a diverse working life being a baker, cook, taxi driver and even a nurse. Being a baker was his first job at 18 and he remembers working with another baker to bake 31,200 hot cross buns between 4pm and 8.30am in the days when there was just one day of the year to sell the buns.

“Nothing ever held me back. If you have a smile on your face you can’t go wrong.”

Besides collecting, Kevin has always been “a giver” and is still a committee member for Richmond’s St Vincent de Paul.

“I’m in and out all the time, giving them a hand. Though I’m a bit old now.”

Not too old to bag tomatoes when he gets given them and place in the shop for anyone who might appreciate some free food. He cuts up pumpkins and adds those to the shelves for free pick-up as well. At home he makes soup that he freezes in plastic containers to give away and bakes scones to distribute.

“I’ve always been a giver. That’s who I am.”

Given his name, he was often called Kevin Bloody Wilson after the Australian comedian way back, and even had a front-row seat at one of his shows where he took home the comedian’s guitar pick as a momento.

House leaving supermarket site

The house on the proposed supermarket site at Three Brothers Corner is being sold for removal as the area is cleared for future development.

Summit Real Estate consultant Michelle Westrupp says the house is the “last man standing” on the site and is a well-known landmark beside the busy roundabout. The house was built in 2001 as a showhome for The House Company and was initially only supposed to be there for a couple of years. The top of the house was bolted onto the bottom so it could be taken

apart and shifted more easily after it had served its purpose as a showhome. But it has remained there for more than 20 years and used as a retail outlet for second-hand equestrian gear, then a rental property, before remaining vacant for the past couple of years. She says there has been plenty of interest in the house because of the ability to lift and shift it easily, with prospective buyers eyeing it for vacant land or to add a second dwelling to a property.

Foodstuffs South Island has been clearing the 1.64ha site since January to activate the resource consent before it

expired in March. The company has owned the site on the corner of Bateup Rd and Gladstone Rd since 2007 and revealed its plans for a New World supermarket six years later.

In 2014 the Tasman District Council approved the rezoning of the land from residential to commercial and in 2016 granted consent for a 4,000 square metre supermarket and two retail tenancies.

In February, the company said the land was being prepared for future development and it has provided no updates on the proposed supermarket.

Horticulture programmes get a (green) thumbs up

If you enjoy the outdoors, getting your hands dirty, and are interested in working with plants and crops then horticulture is a great industry to get in to. For Leeza Macmillan her love of soil started when she was five years old, and her grandparents put her in charge of their rose garden. However, it was many years later before Leeza was able to make the most of her green thumb.

“I spent 20 years in the corporate world, but after Covid hit I decided to slow down, study and pursue what I loved,” she says.

“I enrolled in the New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Nursery Production) at Te Pūkenga NMIT because of the flexible learning options—it’s a mix of work experience, online and on campus.”

However, what Leeza really likes about the programme is the hands-on approach, personal feedback and tutor support for continuous learning.

“Everything is really joined up and connected and I feel I couldn’t be supported more.”

She says the programme is everything she thought it would be – and more, “You can go down so many avenues with horticulture.”

The Te Pūkenga NMIT horticulture programmes are a stepping-stone into a career growing plants and trees, or employment in horticulture, parks and recreation, revegetation projects, landscaping, plant nurseries, and flower, fruit or vegetable growing enterprises. The skills you learn can easily transfer to many jobs in our regional industries and may open opportunities to work year-round.

Apply now: nmit.ac.nz /study-primary-industries

“Every time I come to campus or go on a field trip, I feel the possibilities are endless.”

ANNE HARDIE

The “last man standing” is on the move. Photo: Anne Hardie.

Staff sickness closes Waimea Intermediate

Waimea Community Dam reservoir ready to fill

Waimea Intermediate School was forced to close on Friday because nearly half of its teachers were away sick and there were not enough relief teachers to cover for them.

The school’s principal, Justine McDonald, says that after two weeks of increasing staff shortages from various viruses, the hard decision was made to close the school for a day for a much-needed circuit breaker.

“We’ve been able to manage in the last couple of weeks because of high absences of students. But we could see things were escalating this week. The numbers just weren’t going to work out.

“It’s the last resort. The last thing we want to do.”

The school was only open on Friday for students needing supervision and it offers online learning for those students at home.

Justine says she has been told this should be the peak of current illnesses, including a vomiting bug which she says probably follows other viruses such as Covid-19 and flu that have knocked health. She says she remains optimistic the school will be able to cope in future.

Justine says the range of viruses hitting the school and a lack of relief teachers in the region proved too much for the school.

Justine McDonald

“It’s a bit of a perfect storm for us, really. It’s challenging and you don’t want to see kids put into that situation either.”

In the past two weeks, students have had to share classes and had different teachers, and she says it was the students’ welfare that ultimately prompted the school to close.

“We were seeing some behaviours we wouldn’t normally see from students. It is unsettling to have their class split and different teachers. When they’re moving into different classes, they’re wondering whose class they’re going to be in and that creates another uncertainty in an already uncertain world.”

Teachers remaining at school have also faced uncertainty as their plans were changing daily because they did not know what students they would have in their class or how many, she says.

“This is not a decision we take lightly and we know people will make judgement.”

The Waimea Community Dam has reached a milestone with the closing of the reservoir, meaning it is now ready to fill.

The reservoir closed at 4pm on Friday and will eventually hold 13 million cubic metres of water to provide water security to the region. Subject to weather over the winter, Waimea Water Ltd chief executive Mike Scott expects the reservoir to be filled for next summer.

The Waimea Community Dam, a public private partnership between the Tasman District Council and Waimea Irrigators, is the first large dam to be constructed in New Zealand in 25 years and the first publicly funded large dam to be constructed since the Clyde Dam was finished 30 years ago.

“This milestone of closure signifies completion of the dam and spillway and now allows us to fill the reservoir over this winter. The river will be diverted through a temporary pipe over the next six months while the reservoir is being filled and the permanent pipework and systems installed and commissioned,” Mike says.

The dam’s construction cost is expected to come in at around $198 million, up from the original approved budget of $104.4m in December

2018.

From this coming summer, the Waimea Community Dam will provide water supply and security to the Tasman District to support the fast-growing and expanding Richmond and Waimea areas. It will also support the region’s primary sector and will improve river health in the Lee and Waimea rivers. Mike says the dam provides regional water security in the face of the impacts of climate change.

“Scientists tell us to expect the warming climate to create greater storm intensities and periods of lower precipitation and drier soils. Our dam will help mitigate these impacts

by catching the storms and letting them out through the natural system in dry periods.”

Fulton Hogan Taylors Joint Venture project director, John Roche, says the project has drawn on the collective capabilities of those involved.

“The Fulton Hogan Taylors Joint Venture team have been living and breathing the construction of the Waimea Community Dam since 2018 and are delighted to mark the achievement of the dam’s inaugural filling. This milestone is a testament to the perseverance and expertise of all parties who have helped make this possible,” John says. “We look forward to the success-

ful completion of this project, and seeing the benefits it will bring to the community.”

Tasman Mayor Tim King said it is ‘brilliant’ to reach this stage in the dam’s construction.

“This project has been challenging for many reasons but we can now look forward to the dam delivering the economic, social and environmental benefits to future generations of Tasman and Nelson residents.”

“Knowing that the reservoir can soon start to fill is awesome as means the community is on track to having more water for summer,” says Waimea Irrigators’ chair Murray King.

Services

The Waimea Community Dam reservoir is now closed and will begin filling during the winter. Photo: Supplied.

ANNE HARDIE

Family fun house gets new lease of life

JO KENT

It’s been nine months since mumof-two Leah Gibson handed over her childhood doll’s house to Rosie Heywood for restoration, and last week she finally got to see how it turned out.

“It’s hugely sentimental as my parents didn’t have much money when they raised me. My dad worked very long hours, but as I was obsessed with dolls, he spent ages making me this doll’s house after work each night.”

Leah now has two daughters of her own, Millie, 1, and 11-monthold Lacey, and she says watching them play with the very same house she did brings back many happy memories.

“Dad built it all himself and had painted little flowers and made wallpaper for it. It was truly very special.”

Leah’s dad Kevin had a stroke four years ago aged 57 and, along with her mum Linda, she cared for him at home until his condition worsened.

“We put him in a home last year because it’s too hard for us now. He’s lost over half of his brain, his legs, one arm and has basically zero life quality left,” Leah says.

“It’s a real shame it happened to him so young because he beat cancer before this. He wasn’t even a drinker or smoker, he was a healthy country man his whole life, on our farm.”

Family friend Rosie, who owns The Rustic Woodshack and makes wooden signs to sell at the Nelson Market, jumped at the chance to restore the house.

“I’m friends with Linda and knew

I could transform it into something special without losing Kevin’s personal touches.” She started by covering the exterior with stippling plaster and added another bedroom to the

top floor.

Originally the house had little shutters which Kevin had hand-painted with poppies.

“I decided to repurpose those and used them to make a path leading to the front door. It’s so nice to be able to keep his memory alive but give this house a new lease on life.”

Linda says she held onto the doll’s house for 35 years because it holds special memories of a time when her husband was able to do lovely things for their children. “He was always tinkering around with things he’d make for the kids. There was no way I could part with it and seeing my grandkids play with it now is very nostalgic.”

Lacey (11 months) and Millie (1) love their new doll’s house which has become a family treasure. Photo: Jo Kent. Above Left: The original doll’s house is 35 years old.

‘Total dance spectacular’ for hospice

KATE RUSSELL

It was a showstopper of an evening at a sold-out Trafalgar Centre on Saturday, with NBS Dancing for a Cause taking centre stage.

The biennial event helps to raise much-needed funds for Nelson Tasman Hospice and sees 10 local personalities team up with trained ballroom dancers and compete in front of a panel of judges and a live audience.

Organiser Emma Silke-French says she couldn’t be happier with how the night went.

“It was a total dance spectacular. I

am so proud of the efforts of our contestants and dancers. It was a seamless show, which was our goal.”

The winner on the night was Wakefield man Ryan Edwards from Sport Tasman and his dance partner Hazel Adcock, who won over the judges with their Viennese Waltz to Lady Ga Ga’s ‘Hold my Hand’.

Coming in second place was Ben Brownie, with Cheryl Candish in third.

Talking to Waimea Weekly, Ryan says the nerves were in check on Saturday and he was stoked to take the trophy home.

“I was never really nervous. Five seconds into dance when you hear the crowd, it really brings you into the moment.”

Ryan says dancing has always been out of his comfort zone, but he happily accepted the challenge to participate after being nominated by his wife Victoria.

“It’s definitely part of me now. Hazel has an unbelieve knack for making the most petrifying thing so much fun.”

Ryan says learning about how valuable hospice is in the community was a huge eye-opener, too, and encourages others to give

it a go.

“If you ever get approached to do it, it’s just a no-brainer.”

Emma says Ryan “absolutely brought it” to the stage.

“He worked his bottom off. He did the best dance he had ever done. It was just awesome to see them all get out there and dance their hearts out.”

Although the final tally won’t be known until next week, a total of $339,332 has been raised by the

contestants.

Emma says the show wouldn’t have been possible without all the people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

“Such a huge amount of work goes into the show. All the trust members, over 100 helpers, and the chefs and tech guys who travelled from out of town to help.” Dancing for a Cause held its first event in 2018 and raised $111,000.

Juliet Fleming (top right) and Ben Douglas (right), along with the eight other contestants, raised nearly $340,000 for Nelson Tasman Hospice.

Photos: Evan Barnes / Shuttersport.

Top left: Ryan Edwards and dance partner Hazel Adcock claimed top prize at NBS Dancing for a Cause.

Blind Low Vision NZ appealing decision to reinstate worker fired over vaccine refusal

TRACY NEAL

Open Justice Reporter

Legally blind Sue Thoms, who loved helping others who had lost their sight was devastated to lose her job assessing the needs of clients in Nelson and Marlborough. Sue was dismissed from her role last year with Blind Low Vision New Zealand, where she’d worked for the past 32 years, after refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

The Employment Relations Authority has in a decision released this month ordered her reinstatement to the organisation, and awarded $25,000 compensation for the hurt and humiliation suffered.

The Authority said that the process around her dismissal was flawed, and not enough time had been taken to explore alternatives when she failed to comply with her employer’s vaccine policy. Blind Low Vision NZ told Open Justice late on Friday that it was appealing the decision.

ERA member Sarah Kennedy-Martin considered the medical exemption process was relevant to the decision to dismiss Sue, who has multiple sclerosis (MS). After talking with her doctor, she decided she did not want to be vaccinated at that stage of the pandemic but was willing to review her position as more information and options came to light.

“This is someone who was absolutely in love with helping people who had lost their sight, and to remove her from that was devastating,” Thoms’ advocate, Theresa Tudor, told Open Justice. “She’s extremely happy to be back in the role.”

Sue told Open Justice the outcome showed there was an onus on employers to make fair and reasonable attempts to keep staff

rather than use the mandate to dismiss unvaccinated employees.

“It has been an extremely stressful and challenging time, both emotionally and financially.

“I’m thrilled that the determination went in my favour and I hope this gives encouragement to others in a similar situation.”

Sue was employed as a primary service provider for the Royal Foundation of the Blind Incorporated, which trades as Blind Low Vision NZ – a registered charity that supports people with sight loss so they can maintain their independence.

She provided needs assessment services to clients throughout the Top of the South until her dismissal in February 2022, after the vaccine mandate came into force.

She successfully argued her dismissal was unjustified because her employer failed to fairly consider alternatives to dismissal.

Blind Low Vision NZ said it

Update from Rachel Boyack MP

went through a fair consultation process with Sue regarding the vaccination policy, implemented it fairly and engaged with her regarding the consequences of non-compliance, including that it had considered alternatives to dismissal.

The ERA found the dismissal was unjustified and ordered that Sue be reinstated to the payroll immediately. It ruled that, within 42 days of the May 19 decision, she was to be reinstated to her former position or a position no less advantageous to her.

She has held several roles in different locations around the country over her 32 years of working for the organisation.

She moved to Blenheim in 2011 and, in early 2021, when a vacancy arose in a service provision role, she took on all of the Nelson region, including Golden Bay and the West Coast, in addition to her existing geographical area.

It was lovely spending all of last week in Nelson and being able to visit a number of people and organisations across the city I was able to visit all four of our state high schools - Nelson College, Nelson College for Girls, Waimea College and Nayland College All four of our schools are doing a fantastic job teaching and guiding the young people of Nelson My thanks to all four schools and their staff for opening your doors and briefing me on your challenges and opportunities

I was delighted that local business SnapIT received $2 5 million of funding from the Government to continue growing and developing their tech business SnapIT is exactly the type of business we should be supporting as we move towards a highly skilled high paid local economy I've been honoured to support them to secure funding, leading to more jobs and innovation in Nelson

Over the weekend I attended the fireworks for the annual Blessing of the Fleet the Labour Party Congress in Wellington and on Saturday night, NBS Dancing for a Cause - a significant fundraiser for Nelson Tasman Hospice I was privileged to dance the first time the fundraiser was held and I'm so proud of the dancers and volunteers who put on a spectacular show for such an important cause

Congratulations to you all!

She was able to work with help from a Workbridge support person who drove for her and assisted with administration tasks. The vaccine mandate came into force on April 30, 2021, and was amended on October 25 to include care and support workers.

Blind Low Vision NZ began consultation on its proposed vaccination policy. It “strongly encouraged” all eligible employees to receive the Covid-19 vaccine but acknowledged some would be medically unable to be vaccinated or would choose not to receive it for personal reasons.

In circumstances where an employee was ineligible to receive the vaccine for medical reasons, Blind Low Vision NZ said it would discuss this in good faith.

Sue set out her position, including a proposal that would allow her to continue in her role if she was to remain unvaccinated, due to her underlying medical condition.

She was told by her employer at an investigation meeting that it would have to find a way to accommodate her if she had a formal medical exemption from the director-general of health. She had an exemption letter from her GP but had not applied for an exemption under the formal process put in place later by the Government.

ERA member Sarah Kennedy-Martin said further consultation and extra information would have been important before any final decision was made and that the option of seeking a vaccination exemption from the director-general of health was also not properly explored.

“It was also not clear what the decision maker had taken into account before reaching her final decision,” she said.

In January 2022, Sue was told that neither redeployment nor

variation to her role were viable alternatives.

Because she chose to remain unvaccinated and did not have a medical exemption, she could no longer lawfully provide care and support to clients in their homes, which was considered crucial to the organisation’s service delivery model.

Sue was also told in the letter of termination that it was not possible to split her role in the manner proposed.

However, the ERA said there must have been alternative options available that would have allowed her to remain employed, because of how she was already carrying out the role, adapted to accommodate her sight impairment.

The authority recognised it was a difficult time, and things were “moving fast”, but it was not satisfied the employer had exhausted all reasonable alternatives to avoid termination of Sue’s role. It found the dismissal was “substantively unjustified” and that remedies were appropriate. It was also satisfied the employment relationship could be “successfully re-established”, noting Sue’s unblemished work history over 32 years. Along with $25,000 compensation, an order was made for the employer to pay three months’ lost remuneration from the date of dismissal.

Sue said she was grateful for the support of friends and family and those in the Marlborough community who had also found themselves in a difficult situation because of the mandates.

Sue Thoms (back) lost her job with Blind Low Vision NZ over her reluctance to get vaccinated. She has now been reinstated to the job after a ruling by the Employment Relations Authority. She is seen here with osteopath Jessica Evans in training for an earlier cycle challenge. Photo: Chris Rudsdale.

Free dollars for shopping in Richmond

SARA HOLLYMAN

After successfully giving away $15,000 of shopping vouchers last year, Richmond Unlimited is upping the reward for shopping in local stores.

Last year, the promotion saw 1500 $10 vouchers given away to be spent in local stores.

This year, alongside Richmond Mall, they have upped the stakes, instead giving away a $20 voucher every time $150 is spent in one transaction.

Richmond Unlimited manager

Sheena Murtagh says the promotion had a great response from both retailers and customers last year, so they decided to bring it back in 2023.

“Last year we did it during February and March when we were just coming off the back of lockdowns, we hadn’t been able to run the normal events over summer so it was a good way to put back into the retail

community,” she says. “This year we decided to hold off, so hopefully it gives everyone a boost going into winter.”

Sheena says the vouchers put a good chunk of money back into local retailers with customers using their $10 voucher in smaller stores like bakeries or cafes.

“We’re hoping by increasing the amount to $20 it opens it up a bit more to other retailers so customers can purchase things like a new book, but also still a treat.”

The promotion begins on Saturday 3 June and runs till Sunday 25 June. All customers have to do to claim their voucher is present their receipt to the Richmond Mall information desk.

They will then have the choice of a $20 gift card to be spent within the mall or a $20 voucher to be used in the CBD.

A full list of participating stores is available from the Richmond Mall information desk.

C&F LEGAL LTD

Sheena Murtagh and Belinda de Clerq are looking forward to kicking off this year’s promotion. Photo: Jo Kent.

Young musos get mentored by Kiwi rock legend

ANNE HARDIE

Young musos at Waimea College got the chance to play alongside Jon Toogood of Shihad fame last week, to fine tune their own musical skills. The 51-year-old is part of the Musicians Mentoring in Schools’ Programme that places professional musicians into schools.

Last week Waimea College ran a workshop for its young musicians to work with the singer/songwriter. Jon has produced a dozen albums over the years and has been mentoring in schools for the past decade. He says music is a way for him to make sense of the world and it is the same for the younger generation of musicians.

“You’re dealing with art students who tend to be slightly more sensitive and emotional creatures. They’re processing the world and feel things more deeply, which is a blessing and a curse. But if you have an outlet like music, it helps you process those emotions.

“I’m a sensitive creature, even after 51 years. But I’m used to criticism now. I’m just trying to teach them to get what they want to say across more clearly and deeply.

“Not everyone is a musician, so sometimes you have to make it easy for humans to hear what you’re saying by

changing the dynamics or the chords. It’s so nice doing it on other people’s music.”

Waimea student Mia Kinzett is a budding singer/songwriter who performed in the Smokefreerockquest heats and was asked by the judges to write another three songs which will compete with the top 30 nationally, online.

Jon worked with her on one of her songs, singing and playing alongside her to get the most of out of it with dynamics and chords.

Head of music department, Nick Sharpe, says the experience a top New Zealand musician such as Jon can give students is priceless and something they cannot learn in a classroom.

Nelson Giants vs Wellington Saints

Friday, 2 June, 7pm, Trafalgar Centre, Nelson

Come support the NBS Nelson Giants as they take on the Wellington Saints. Bring your friends, bring your family for a great night out! Food & Beverages for sale, half time show, change to win prizes. Tickets from: https://giants.flicket.co.nz

Ruby Coast Art Trail

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 June, 10-4pm Various Locations

Open Studio Weekend, follow the map and visit local artists at their studio’s. Visit www. rubycoastarts.co.nz for the map.

Wallace Shield 5km Cross Country Series Race 3

Saturday, 3 June, 1.30-4.30pm Rabbit Island

A fun, family-friendly, 5km cross country for runners and 3.4km for walkers. Meet at the “Old Domain” lower Picnic Area for 1:30pm registration and briefing. Everyone and all abilities are welcome.

Mia Kinzett worked on her own song with singer and songwriter Jon Toogood.

Photo: Anne Hardie.

All women outdoor adventure group

Good job girl, you are a super star now!! Love following what you get up to, Nara Lee. Miss catching up though.

Willow Niki

How awesome. I didn’t know about this.

Carla Clementson

Fourth generation step up to run Marsden House

This is wonderful.. a lovely story.. all the best Bridget and Bevan.

Heather Kelling

Well done, that is so good that it’s still in the family. You will do them proud like your Dad and Mum. All the best for your future.

Eunice Barnes

Bridget and Bevan are lovely. They’ll be wonderful.

Marlene Alach

Glad to have you back, Bridget and Bevan.

Lynley Wilson-Smith

Fall armyworm detected in Golden Bay

We used to have them in the soil many years ago on our farm in the Tapawera area. Don’t recall doing anything about them.

Jeanette Pauling

Waimea Plains development means more strawberries

Strawberries aren’t a staple food like po tatoes and are better as a seasonal treat in summer. Do we really need them year round?

Chrissy Randall

My kid would easily eat 4ha of strawber ries.

Jenny Hennessy-O’Connell

Best way to have more strawberries is to grow your own. Not hard to do.

Philippa Hellyer

Be interesting to see the pricing since they are grown here and not transported here from away.

I agree with the other comments, strawberries are far too expensive to purchase - in the punnets at the shops they work out about 80c - $1 for each single strawberry. Ridiculous.

Lesley Jean Kotua

We’d probably all eat more if they weren’t

almost 10 dollars a punnet. Same with grapes.

Karyn Brain

No matter the quantity and quality, we will still be paying export prices like for everything else.

Peter Paul Fierek

Local History

Blundell family’s tireless dedication to Waimea

ROBYN PARKES

On Christmas Day 1851 the Blundell family landed in Nelson, sailing from England aboard the ship ‘Maori’.

Francis Horniblow Blundell was born in 1799 in Tuanton, Somerset, to William and Mary Ann Blundell. He served in the East Indies in 1814 with the rank of Cornet before receiving a promotion to Lieutenant and finally to Captain of the 11th Light Dragoons.

While in India he married Quintilia Sophia Kennedy, the daughter of another officer serving in India. Their first child, Francis, was born in India with another nine children born in Somerset and two in Nelson. Sadly, one daughter died in England while

very young.

On arriving in Nelson, the family lived in a brick house in Bridge Street for a short time before settling in Waimea West, on a property which became known as ‘Staplegrove’. Francis Snr quickly became involved in the local community where he sat on committees and acted as a lay preacher.

In April 1860 he held the position of chairman at a meeting in the schoolhouse for the purpose of enrolling volunteers for the newly-proposed Waimea West Rifle Company which saw around 40 committing themselves. Francis was recognised as being a tireless and dedicated worker right up to his death in December 1865 at the age of 66 years. He was buried in the grounds of the church he loved so much – St Michael’s,

Waimea West.

Quintilia remained at Staplegrove until 1884 when she moved into Nelson with her daughter. During her many years resident at Waimea West, she, like her husband, took a great interest in all matters connected with the Church of England and established a Sunday School, in which she and her daughters taught the younger population. Quintilia endeared herself to others with her generosity, sympathy, and caring nature. She died in June 1905 and was laid to rest beside Francis and four of her children who had predeceased her. Of their children, all took their

place in the community, as their parents did, in some way. Eldest son Francis was in his late teens when the family arrived in Nelson. In Waimea

West he was initiated into the art of driving bullocks and experienced some of the conditions of the early settlers. After a time, he took up a sheep run in the Wairua and subsequently accepted the position of Clerk of Committee of the House of Representatives. In this position he became a proficient reporter and became editor of the Evening Mail. After becoming unwell he died in 1891.

Edward Forde Blundell, youngest son of Francis and Quintilia, was

born in Nelson in 1854, grew up in Waimea West and entered the service of the Bank of New Zealand as a young man. Edward became a first-class athlete, succeeding in polo, rugby, cricket, sprints and bowls. After working at various branches over the country he eventually became the manager of the New Plymouth Bank of New Zealand.

Daughter Laura married Bishop Mules in 1870 at Waimea West and spend her married life supporting her husband in his work, going above and beyond her calling. In her earlier years she had worked alongside her mother teaching Sunday School and many in the community recalled her with kindness and encouragement. Laura died in 1925 and was buried beside her parents.

COUNTDOWN STOKE

12

2,659m2,

COUNTDOWN BLENHEIM

51

Brice Clark M +64 21 133 6171 brice.clark@whillans.co.nz

41 Nile St East, Nelson • marsdenhouse.co.nz • 03 548 2770

F. Blundell

A cohesive collaboration within Richmond's newest business hub

iFigure Accounting • New Ideas Coaching • Helmore Stewart Lawyers • Preferential Limited

Located upstairs at 257 Queen Street lies the region's newest business collaboration of office spaces. Leading the charge are the directors of iFigure Accounting Nelson, John Baker and Stephanie Keys ,who have recently teamed up with fellow accountant Ian Parker and moved their operations to a Queen Street office space. Originally based in Tahunanui, John and Stephanie were first introduced to Ian by a mutual friend. “We had similar visions and goals and saw a wonderful opportunity for us to collaborate,” says John. “It was a nervewracking decision, but everything just fell into place and the change has really reenergised everyone. We were able to sub-let some of the space to other like-minded professionals who synergised with our business perfectly. We have a life development coach, lawyers, and an insurance broker, all helping to create a sort of hub”

“Our common goal is to serve our clients and create a great work environment. This new space has allowed us to do that by relieving the pressure from everyone's shoulders. Moving into the new space has been like a breath of fresh air and we are really enjoying what has been created here.” Ian says it was the similar styles and attitudes of John and Stephanie that resonated with him. “The starting point for

me was looking to get that extra support and I could see us working together in a really positive way.” Offering the same value of outstanding service, John says the new space has enabled the team to provide a better service to their people in a much more reactive, and faster, way. “On every level, when you are in business it is nice to share the load and bounce ideas off one another. This solution has given a new vibe and energy to everyone involved.” Covering a broad range of services, iFigure Accounting cater to clients all across the country. “We cover all industries,” says Stephanie. “Including farming, hospitality, retail and motels, a huge range of clients from literally all walks of life. We mainly provide services for small to mediumsized businesses, but welcome any enquiries.” Also based at the hub are Helmore Stewart Lawyers who have recently expanded into the region. Their origins began in Rangiora almost 140 years ago and they can assist in most facets of corporate and personal law. The Nelson team specialises in property, first home buyers, estate planning and relationship property. “Our tightknit team of switched-on, motivated and empathetic experts are here to assist the Tasman region and beyond,” says solicitor Alivia Nevin. Insurance Broker Siby Joseph, of

Preferential Limited, is a risk adviser who specialises in Personal, Business and group Risk Insurance. “I can help you understand your current policies, help keep

the premiums under control and assist with the claiming process. Being in the insurance industry for over 15 years has helped me understand people's needs

completely. Protection is what we do but relationships are what we build. With us you're not a number, you are our preference.”

Luke Koeford, a Wellbeing and Development Coach and the owner of New Ideas Coaching, has created a calm and soothing sanctuary within the new office space which is the perfect environment for his personal coaching and psychology teachings. A full sensory strengthbased, solution-focused coach, Lukes's trade and commercial background enables a deep understanding of people and helping them to discover their full potentials.

The iFigure Accounting team, from left; admin support Sandy Lochhead, client support Tania Stringer, director Ian Parker, receptionist Csilla Takacsne Nagy, and directors Stephanie Keys and John Baker.

Local choir hits high note at national competition

Load control saves you money

Load control is a mechanism that Network Tasman and many other lines companies use to manage the demand that heating water places on the electricity network during ‘peak’ demand periods.

Load control allows Network Tasman to remotely shut off electrical hot water cylinders for a short time during the periods of highest demand. As a result, Network Tasman can keep costs down and pass those savings on to our consumers. Cheaper prices for water heating are shown on your electricity bill as a line called ‘controlled’ or ‘economy’.

Controlling the load in this way doesn’t impact the way you use hot water e.g. to wash dishes, do laundry or have showers. Our aim is to ensure that you don’t even notice that load control is being used.

11:08.15

Load control helps save consumers money because Network Tasman doesn’t have to invest as much money upgrading the capacity of its local network to cope with ever-increasing peaks during the network’s busy hours.

Network Tasman’s Regulatory and Commercial Manager, Daniel Vincent says “If we didn’t have load control, we would have needed to make a significant investment in the network to keep up with the ever-increasing demand some years ago, and consumers would already be paying for that investment in their power bill. Deferring investment keeps our network at a level that’s in line with what the community actually needs and, in turn, keeps electricity prices down”.

“Management of peak load through hot water load control by Network Tasman saves the company and its consumers a significant amount of money every year.”

Making wonderful music in four-part a capella barbershop harmony is the reason 40 local women from around Nelson and Tasman come together every Thursday night at Club Waimea in Richmond, but coming away with a bronze at the National Barbershop Contest is pretty good too, they say. The Nelson Bays Harmony choir has achieved a lot together in recent years and their most recent performance enabled them to walk away with third place in the AA (midsize) chorus category, and even better, the highest score they have ever achieved in their 30-year history.

“Singing is good for the soul,” says choir member Carole Brown.

“We love being together, working to improve our personal vocal skills, helping others learn and most of all we love to sing together. Singing together as a team we create a whole other exciting energy and that connects us with the audience. It is exhilarating for us. We love to see the joy our music brings to people in our audience.”

Although the a capella group takes its singing seriously and often competes at a national level, it also works in an encouraging and supportive way. Easy auditions are held for anyone wanting to join, but Carole says you don’t need to be a ‘pro’ to take part.

“Those who would like to sing are invited to come and find

their voice with us, and we provide heaps of support for novice or first-time singers.”

Nelson Bays Harmony often hold workshops and open nights for those interested to be able to come along and check out what this musical buzz is about.

They are holding their next six-week singing workshop starting 1 June and are inviting anyone to come along if they

want to sing, love to sing, want to improve vocals, or just meet new friends.

The workshop song will be the highly successful kiwi song ‘Something in the Water’ by Brooke Fraser. Training will be provided by experienced vocal coaches. For more details or to book a space contact Carole on 027 436 0910 or visit www.nelsonhar mony.org.nz

Bed occupancy high heading into winter

Nelson’s Hospital is running between 90 and 105 per cent bed, occupancy as it heads into the ‘winter ills’ season and the pressure on beds is deferring surgeries.

Chief medical officer Dr Nick Baker says he expects an increase in Covid-19 cases as winter sets in, along with an increase in flu, colds and other viruses, and that puts more pressure on the health system.

“That occupancy does mean that at times we are having to defer people’s surgery.”

He says it means people will also wait longer in the emergency department when the capacity is full. To date, he says the expected Covid-19 wave has not eventuated and has been more a series of “undulations” that has still resulted

in 70 to 100 cases reported in the region per day. That is just the “tip of the iceberg” though, as he says many cases are not reported. Between people entering the hospital because of Covid-19 and those in hospital for other reasons that then test positive, the virus continues to put pressure on the system and available beds because they have to be isolated, he says.

Many people have been relatively free of coughs and colds for the past couple of years, especially those under five years old, and he expects an increase this winter. Young children, especially infants, have the added risk of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which can lead to hospitalisation.

“Winter favours the spread of bugs and people need to take reasonable precautions. We had a culture pre-Covid where

people thought it was okay to go to work and cough and sneeze and share their germs.

I think people now think that is not okay because that inevitably brings more absenteeism and increasing problems.”

He says the public can do their part to reduce pressure on bed occupancy by getting health care early if they are sick, making plans for their own preventative health care such as vaccinations and, if they do need to get medical help, going early in the day.

“There’s a tendency to come to hospital later in the day and that also puts more pressure on.”

On the positive side, he says the hospital has been able to find more staff lately to ease shortages, though concedes all health professionals are in short supply.

ANNE HARDIE

The Nelson Bays Harmony choir hit the right note at the National Barbershop Contest recently. Photo: Supplied.

Weekly reporters recognised among best in country

Waimea Weekly publisher, Top South Media, was acknowledged as having two of the best reporters in the country on their team at the New Zealand Community Newspaper Association Awards held in Auckland this month.

Reporter Jo Kent was awarded runner-up in Best Senior News Journalist of the Year, while Jack Malcolm was runner-up for Best Sports Journalist of the Year.

Publisher Andrew Board says it’s great to have two of the team recognised in such prestigious awards.

“It’s well deserved. They were up against some top-quality journalists from around the country, so to come home with an award is recognition for them but it’s also great for our readers, having two of the very best in the business covering our region.”

Editor Sara Hollyman says she is proud that the pair were recognised for their consistent hard work.

“It goes to show the standard of journalism we have at the Waimea

Weekly. I’m proud of the entire team who work hard every week to give the Waimea community a voice and share their stories.” She says Jack and Jo’s entries showcased the passion they both bring to their jobs and the articles helped bring about real change.

Judges said that Jack’s work provided a look into not just the players, but also some of the organisations and local identities that support development of sport in the region, which provided a “great variety” of sport for the newspaper’s sports section.

Top South Media’s Marlborough team also picked up a top award with Marlborough Magazine editor Paula Hulbert winning Best Lifestyle Feature Writer. The awards covered all published work during 2022.

The New Zealand Community Newspapers Association is the industry organisation of weekly newspapers in New Zealand, delegated with the responsibility to improve and regulate conditions and standards in the industry.

Feel empowered at Connect Centre Pilates

A traditional Pilates studio located in the heart of Nelson; Connect Centre Pilates is proud to uphold Joseph Pilates’ legacy of ‘Contrology’ and continue to teach his methods as they were originally intended. Using a range of sophisticated and authentic equipment, owner

Lisa understands that everyone's body and needs are different, and she is passionate about providing a workout that is right for each individual. “We have beautiful high-end, handmade equipment as originally created by Joseph Pilates. The beauty of true Pilates is that by utilising these, we can have people of different levels of fitness, challenges, injuries and goals working out individually, right next to one another”

Pilates is for everyone, and to show this Lisa will be running an open day on Saturday 24 June, between 10am and 12pm. “Clients are invited to come in and do their workouts and we’re inviting the Nelson community to come see what we do and enjoy the space we have created. The studio has a wonderful energy and

is a very uplifting space to be in.

"With classes having a maximum of four people, the space created is quite special. Clients know one another by name, the space is friendly, supportive and fun. This community feeling is part of what Connect Centre stands for.

"Each client is focused on their goals, they are well supported, appropriately challenged and leave the studio feeling empowered that they’re taking charge of

their own well-being.” Through personal experience, Lisa discovered the life-changing affect that Pilates can have on the body. Having endured many years of pain and limitations due to a twisted pelvis and scoliosis, Lisa discovered traditional Pilates and has never looked back. She committed herself to the traditional teachings of Joseph Pilates and completed a 600-hour comprehensive course to become

a Classical teacher. Learning from some of the most revered Classical teachers in the world, Lisa continues her learning and practice with Lineage Pilates. Connect Centre offers classes on a membership basis or the option to take private sessions. The introductory package is two private sessions.

“From here, with your goals, aspirations and current challenges in mind, a programme is specifically

Lisa Taylor

created for you.”

“My passion comes from helping people, knowing that what they learn and do here transforms their everyday life experience. It gives people body awareness, strength and mobility so they can be out in the world doing what they love doing, without soreness and restriction, and with more vitality.

"It is very common to hear people say that they wish they had started true Pilates training years ago. Every day I have comments from clients about how much better they feel and how they can do things now that weren’t accessible to them before.” connectcentre.co.nz

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• Facial Spider Vein Treatment KIWISKIN - Māpua Skin Clinic - Phone: 03 540 2373

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Website: www.kiwiskin.org.nz

A gastronomic feast straight from the heart of Italy

pasta and wood-fired pizzas to our succulent meat dishes and fresh seafood, every dish is cooked with love and care to deliver an authentic Italian experience.” Using authentic ingredients, both locally sourced and imported, Eat Italy offer a huge range of traditional handmade pizzas from Margherita’s and Diavola’s to Bechhino’s and Salsiccia’s, antipasti’s with marinated olives to a mouthwatering Tagliere di Modena, and homemade primi pasta options including Gnocchi Burro el Savia, Tagliatelle alla Bolognese and Spaghetti alle Vongole. Side salads include Insalata and Cesar Salad, and desserts include traditional Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, Torta Caprese and

Gelato Sorbetti. At Eat Italy all of their food is made with absolute devotion. “We believe that good food is the foundation of a great meal, and we pride ourselves on using only the finest and freshest ingredients in all our dishes. Our menu is a testament to traditional Italian cooking, featuring classic dishes that have been perfected over generations. Our wine list complements our menu perfectly, featuring a variety of domestic and imported wines that are carefully selected to pair with our dishes, and we also have a range of tasty beers from our local stockist, Two Thumb.” Cherif is no stranger to the region's hospitality industry, having previously owned and operated the very successful Elba’s

Pazza Pizza Pizzeria cart. Renowned for taking customers on a journey of the senses, Cherif says he felt it was time to take things to the next level with the opening of the restaurant. “The food cart and the restaurant are two different worlds, but it was an opportunity to learn about what worked and what didn’t. It was great fun and wonderful to see people open to trying new flavours and different things. After the success of the pizzeria cart, I felt it was time to expand the business.”

Looking for the perfect location, a space became available near the new Berryfields Crossing complex in October 2022. Jumping at the opportunity, Cherif says it feels great to be sited at what is fast becoming

Eat Italy at Berryfields Crossing, 405 Lower Queen Street, Richmond

Unit 1, 750 Lower Queen St, Richmond P. 03 544 8059

tasmanbayplumbing.co.nz GibbonsisproudtowelcomeEatItalyto

Having opened its doors earlier this month, Eat Italy Ristorante Pizzeria is ready to welcome its patrons with an authentic Italian dining experience. Owned by Cherif El Ballaki, Eat Italy was created with a warm family atmosphere in mind. Providing an inviting space to gather with friends and family, Cherif says he is excited to offer the unique dining destination in Richmond. “Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply enjoying a night out, our friendly staff will ensure that your experience is unforgettable. From our homemade

Feature

the hub, and the heart, of Richmond. A family business, Cherif’s two brothers Rachid and Youssef have joined him in the region to help with his vision. “Our team is amazing, they are a very good. Our chefs have years of experience and have trained under some of the best chefs in the industry, honing their skills and perfecting their craft. Everyone knows each other, everyone has their own space, and they are exceptional at what they do.”

The exterior of the restaurant offers a stunning courtyard space to enjoy with loved ones while the spacious, well-thoughtout interior pops with insight to Cherif’s bright and friendly personality. A gas explosion caused a rough start to their original opening, but in Cherif’s true, unwavering optimistic style, everything is back on track and he says he is proud of the support the community showed his team during that time. “It has been a long process

that has come with its challenges, but we are excited to finally be here on the other side and welcoming people to our restaurant. The support from the community, our suppliers, connections and trades people has been a very wonderful and humbling feeling.”

Offering an opportunity to recreate a piece of Italy in your own kitchen, Eat Italy also stocks authentic imported Italian products including pastas, sauces, olives and amaretti cookies for people to purchase. “We are super happy with all of the products and the suppliers that we have on board. It is good for our business and good for them as well to market their products. I am passionate about supporting local and prefer to stock and use fresh locally sourced seasonal products. If anyone would like to chat with me about their local products, I would love to have a conversation with them.” As the business grows, Cherif looks forward to introducing exciting new dishes to the menu as the seasons change, and offering lunchtime specials.

Dine in or takeaway, Eat Italy

Ristorante Pizzeria is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm to 2pm for lunch, and 5pm to 10pm for dinner. “Book a table to fully experience the heart and soul of Italy in our friendly and welcoming atmosphere, or order and collect your favourite dishes from our restaurant.” eatitaly.co.nz

Our restaurant's warm and inviting atmosphere is the perfect place to gather with family and friends. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply enjoying a night out, our friendly staff will ensure that your experience is unforgettable.

Berryfields Crossing 405 Lower Queen Street, Richmond

eatitalyristorantepizzeria@gmail.com 022 390 2305

eatitaly.co.nz

Berryfields Crossing, 405 Lower Queen Street, Richmond eatitalyristorantepizzeria@gmail.com | 022 390 2305

Left to right: Cherif El Ballaki with his brothers Rachid and Youssef.

Hunt on for Brightwater’s missing time capsule

ANNE HARDIE

About 35 years ago Brightwater School buried time capsules to record a moment in time, and now it is hoping someone can remember where they were buried. Alana Flintoft was one of the students who wrote letters back then which were put it in a metal container along with mementos and coins,

then buried. She thinks that was beneath a crab apple tree in the corner of the school grounds.

Now she is a parent and teacher at the school who, along with a few other former pupils, want to find out where the capsule – or a couple of them - are buried so their positions can be recorded for the future and perhaps unearthed 100 years

after they were buried. The problem though, is her brother remembers a capsule being buried in the middle of the front field and another was buried under the Lord Rutherford memorial where a community capsule was buried. Memories are only part of the problem. Since the late 1980s when the capsules were buried, a carpark has been added on one side, a fence erected along the front and a footpath laid along the side of the school right where the crab apple tree grew. “My fear is that it is under the footpath. There’s quite a few of us now who are parents at the school, but no-one knows where it was buried.” The school has had a detectorist with a metal detector look over the grounds without any luck and staff have poured over school minutes, records and photos to see if the burial was recorded, without any joy.

Former pupils have even contacted teachers who taught at the school back then, and caretakers. Alana says someone must remem-

ber where the capsule, or more of them, were buried so they can have their positions recorded for future generations.

“Someone has to have a better memory than me. We don’t want it to get lost completely underground. If we could find it, lift it and move it some-

where we can document where it is, that would be quite good.” She is worried the information will be lost forever and says there are probably people in the community who remember the time capsules being buried and possibly have photos of the event.

Their parents buried the time capsules more than 30 years ago. From left Porter Flintoft, Anika Rameka-iti, Isla Eggers, Willow Eggers, Cassidy Gordon and Florence Eggers. Photo: Anne Hardie.

America calls for emerging basketball star

JACK MALCOLM

Maia Jones says she’s living the dream as the promising young basketball star prepares to make the move to America to study and play.

With a list of accolades almost too long to list, the 18-year-old has made a strong name for herself across the world and was recently awarded the New Zealand Junior Female Player of the Year. Maia, the daughter of Nelson Giants legend Phill Jones, captained the New Zealand’s U17 team which travelled to the 2022 World Championships in Hungary. That was after she helped earn the team qualification as part of the U16 national team which played in the 2022 Asia Cup in Jordan. She was one of only three players from New Zealand selected for the NBA Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp in Canberra last year and took Waimea College to a spot in the Secondary School Nationals, finishing ninth while she led the tournament in scoring by averaging 35.7 points per game.

Winning four-straight MVP awards for Waimea College Sport, she was also selected to attend the

prestigious Steven Adams Invitational camp in 2021 and 2022.

Last year, Maia was playing topflight women’s basketball with the Mainland Pouākai in the national Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league and was an integral part

of the Nelson Sparks’ Schick 3x3 Cup performance, leading all female scorers after the first day of play as one of the standout performers of the competition. Having spent the start of this year with her newfound team at

Saint Mary’s College of California (SMC) in the San Francisco Bay Area, Maia says it’s an exciting next step.

“It’s a school I thought I’d be able to play at. I didn’t want to go to one of the big five teams and sit

Richmond get their season back on track

Richmond got back on the right side of the ledger as they proved themselves to be too good for FC Nelson Locomotive with a 4-1 win in local premier football.

Despite starting several young players in their squad, Fresh Choice Richmond were a step ahead of the Loco’s as they raced out to an early 3-1 lead going into the break.

They came out in the second 45 and started where they left off as young 16-year-old James Ward notched up his hattrick as the ball fell at his feet from a deflected shot.

Despite the early run of play, Locomotive kept themselves in the hunt and never gave up on their chances.

Although they were unable to find the back of the net after their first goal, a momentum swing in the final 15 minutes of play saw them take a stranglehold of the game.

While they were unable to find

the finish they wanted, veteran Andy Weaver says it’s what they’ll be working on at practice this week.

He says he was proud of how his team kept their heads up, having been promoted to the

Nelson Pine premier grade this season and having a tough time of it.

Through their first six games they have conceded 27 goals, while scoring their second of the season during the game.

on the bench for four years.

“It was definitely at the level of the Tauihi league … at a level like the Pouākai, especially the higher teams.”

She says the school was also her top pick because of its size and location, meaning classes won’t be too big as she studies towards a career in sports management with a degree in psychology and kinesiology.

While Maia was at SMC to start the year, NCAA requirements meant she was unable to play.

“I was a red shirt, which is everything except playing. It was good to prep myself for when I can actually play.”

She says it hasn’t been just her on the journey, with coaches and support from everyone around her that cannot go uncredited.

“I trained with the Giants and they helped a lot. It was hard at first, the athleticness and physicality was different than what I was used to. And Tully Bevilaqua, the head coach of the Pouākai, she’s insane. Being able to be coached by her, I haven’t had that sort of coaching before. “It’s different to see another side of coaching cause it’s always been my mum, (Kat Jones).”

“It’s not really where we want to be, but we’re giving it a go,” he says.

“We just try to play some good football and have fun.”

He said the Richmond squad were well-drilled and played as they expected them to, with a lot of balls through the centre of the pitch.

“We were a little bit slow on it in the first half.

“Then the superior fitness there started to kick in.”

For Richmond head coach Dean Cruise, he says it was an essential game to win to keep their season’s hopes alive.

“We needed to win, we’d taken one (competition) point in the last three games.

“It was quite important to get back in the winning column.”

He was impressed with how their “promising youth” players stepped up for the team, saying it was impressive to see the depth of talent in the club’s ranks.

“We’re a work in progress. . . they stepped up for us.”

Giants: Despite holding a small lead into the halftime break, the NBS Nelson Giants were unable to seal the deal against the Franklin Bulls in a 80-71 away loss. Despite a 22 point performance from Matua Maker and a 21 point contribution by Avery Woodson, a blowout third quarter saw the visitors outscored by 12 and unable to mount a comeback.

Rugby: It was a week of predicted results in local premier grade rugby as the top teams in the region faced off against the competition’s cellar dwellers. Stoke notched up a 46-10 win over Nelson at Greenmeadows, while Kahurangi held onto the John Goodman Trophy with a 31-13 win over Waimea Old Boys at Sports Park Motueka. On the other side of the hill, Marist travelled to Awarua Park and built a strong lead to win 80-10 over Moutere, while Central kept their unbeaten streak alive with a 2517 win over Waitohi.

Suburbs: Both Suburbs teams recorded wins in their respective South Island competition leagues at the weekend. The women’s team had a 2-0 win over Halswell Christchurch United while the men’s team notched up a 6-0 win over FC Twenty 11.

Maia Jones has been making waves in the basketball world as she prepares to make the move to America to play for a division one NCAA college in California. Photo: Jack Malcolm.

JACK MALCOLM

Young James Ward was on fire for Richmond as he notched up a hattrick against FC Nelson Locomotive. Photo: Jack Malcolm.

Rising dressage star’s breakout season

JACK MALCOLM

The walls of McKenzie Burrell’s room are lined with so many ribbons and trophies that you can’t see the wallpaper underneath.

The young dressage competitor has made such a name for herself in the sport that there’s even more accolades which don’t have space and are stashed away in a drawer.

At 13 years old, she has quickly risen up the ranks with her pony Pine Eyre Dash Light, who she describes as a very sassy princess and a bit of “plain Jane”. “Dash plonks around as a level one pony. It’s like we’re installing a new software update. You’ve just got to repeat it.

“Dressage is my favourite because the amount of trust and connection you and your horse go through is awesome. It’s such a beautiful discipline.”

Competing against adults on fully grown horses, McKenzie and Dash finished third overall in the South Island’s preliminary graded horse and pony in the VETPRO Super 5 dressage series. She was the only pony rider to earn a placing.

She finished first overall in her South Island age-group event at the Equimatch Pony and young rider Rising Star competition.

She also cleaned up the local prizegiving with the first overall pony with Nelson Dressage for the season, first overall graded points for the season, a 70 per cent test score trophy, and the Nelson Dressage Rising Star award for the season.

Her success has seen her selected for training camps in Canterbury as well as qualification to the Horse of the Year show, and she has been a regular competitor at A&P shows around the South Island.

It’s also seen her picked up as a model and brand ambassador for one of the country’s

biggest horsewear brands, Punk Ponies.

“I have been really pushing myself towards it, hoping to get a lot further,” she says.

“It’s nice a little Nelson girl got the opportunity to go and compete.”

McKenzie is ambitious, saying her goal is to compete in the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, with plans to attend the Paris Olympics next year as a spectator.

With her coach, Melissa Galloway, predicted to make the New Zealand team to compete in Paris, she says she’s been lucky to have some great people behind her,

helping to guide her through the process.

“I really like pushing myself to push past the top-notch level pony.

“You’re teaching the horse fancy dance moves, all with help from Melissa.”

McKenzie was introduced to riding while at kindergarten, where she went on lessons with ponies and never looked back.

Living outside of town, she now has two competition horses, with a jumper called Lucky as well as Dash, and two other horses she’s raising.

She trains multiple times a

week, on top of riding for fun with some hacking or going to the beach. Having learnt the ropes from Edencourt Equestrian Centre’s Callum Gibson, McKenzie says it’s been a blessing to have someone so talented to learn from.

“He’s taught me from day one.”

Her mum, Sarah Burrell, says that it’s people like Callum who have helped mould the sport into such a passion.

“We’ve been a part of his life for nine years.

“That’s where she started and learnt everything,” Sarah says.

McKenzie Burrell has big dreams in dressage, with ambitions to compete in the Olympics in nine years when she’s 22.

Photo: Supplied.

SUPER RUGBY TIPPING

Kicking and punching their way to the top

JACK MALCOLM

After 50 rounds of sparring over two days, four local kickboxers have been selected for the national team to travel to Portugal later this year for the WAKO World Championships.

Sarah Randall, Aaron Thomas, Miiguel Nunez and Lily Sinclair were all selected in the 30 strong team after taking part in the trials in Auckland earlier in May. Local kickboxing gym SMA had eight fighters attending the gruelling trials as they accumulated over an hour and a half of total ring time in front of selectors on top of competing in the Grassroots National League.

Facing off against all weights, fighters were watched for their fitness, skill level, how they reacted under pressure, if they backed off when it got tough, and how coachable they were.

Head coach Sallie McArdle says it wasn’t a surprise the fighters earned selection, but there had been questions about their readiness before the trial.

“I knew they were capable of it but was unsure if their lack of experience would be a factor.

“I am always super proud of my fighters. They train really hard and are so supportive of each other. They show respect and face off against anyone, without complaint.”

The clocks are already ticking before their flights to Europe in November, with a training camp with several of the world’s top coaches taking place in Slovenia the week before.

Sallie says it’s going to take a lot of work to help get the fighters up to a world-class standard, but she has first-hand experience of what it takes.

With over 10 years experience at the highest level of internation-

Rugby: Things are heating up in local rugby’s second division as teams look to unseat the unbeaten Stoke from the top of the leaderboards (20 points) after the fourth round of action. Wanderers (13), Riwaka (17) and Collingwood (14) are all breathing down the necks of the competition leaders with three wins apiece, with Wanderers having a game in hand.

Volleyball: Volleyball Tasman’s Draft League’s winners have been decided in a series of straight set finals. In the men’s side of the draw, it was the Sharks who came up from the depths to topple the previously undefeated

al fighting, along with coaching many international athletes to success, she knows what is needed to win and is confident she can raise the fighters’ level in the next 6 months.

“The main concern is the lack of top sparring partners, as (we) are isolated in Nelson and don’t have the luxury of Auckland clubs, to meet weekly for interclub sparring sessions.”

The other concern is the costs, with Sallie saying they have budgeted that it will cost each fighter about $7500 to make the trip over. She says they have already started fundraising efforts that are only going to ramp up, but are also eager to take on some new sponsorships.

On top of the trial, six of the eight fighters fought in the Grassroots National League, with the other two competitors pulling out at the last minute.

All of the local fighters won their fights and took gold back for the club, except Summer Puklowski who was awarded a unanimous draw against her opponent after more than five minutes of deliberation from the judges. With ages ranging from 15-yearsold to veterans in the O41 division, the club is represented throughout the grades.

Sallie says that the club’s culture was also on full display, with one of her proudest moments being the compliments she received on their friendly and supportiveness. “While winning medals and titles are nice, how everyone feels within our team and club is what’s more important to me.

“Everyone is on their personal journey and we all have a fight going on, whether it’s in the ring or in life. It’s connection and support that gets us through and that’s what our club is really all about,” Sallie says.

Bears, while the women’s draw saw an opposing result as the Bears beat the Sharks.

Rowing: Rowers Murdoch Smith and Lucy Munro have been awarded Nelson Rowing Club’s Most Outstanding Male and Female Rower awards at the club’s recent end-of-season prizegiving.

Hockey: Nothing could separate First Light Stoke and Waimai United in P1 women’s action as the teams battled to a 2-2 draw. In P1 men’s action, Federal Men squeezed past Tasman White 5-4 and Waimea United and First Like Stoke couldn’t be separated in a 1-1 draw.

Kickboxers Sarah Randall, Aaron Thomas, coach Sallie McArdle, Summer Poklowski, Baylen Banfield, Joseph Hill, Lily Sinclair and Miiguel Nunez travelled to Auckland to trial for the national team and fight in the Grassroots National League (Absent: Hamish Smith). Photo: Jack Malcolm.

Community Notices

Community Notices

MONDAY

ELYSIUM WIDOW AND WIDOWERS GROUP meet each Monday for coffee and friendship at Oxford St Cafe at 10am. New members welcome. Phone Margaret 027 2600 748

OSTEOACTIVE COMMUNITY FITNESS CLASS for participants with osteoarthritis. Exercise and education. Seated and standing options. Mondays 9.30am. Holy Trinity Hall, 27 Dorset Street, Richmond. Cost: koha. Nicola 021 0788609 or nicola@bfit4ever.nz

LIGHTHOUSE SPIRITUAL AWARENESS CENTRE. Mondays 7.30pm. Trafalgar St Hall. Next meeting Monday 12 June. Ph Carolyn 5474613.

TUESDAY

NELSON 50+ WALKING GROUP Tuesday June 6. Sandeman-Greenacres. Meet at 9.45am at Sandeman Reserve. BYO lunch. Phone Jenny 027 3463319.

TUESDAY MUSIC 10a.m. 6th June Richmond Town Hall meeting room. Vivaldi: “Spring” (set in Japan) & “Summer” (Australia). Very interesting & scenic! Then my “pick & mix”! Bring a friend. Ph Christine 5442375 or 0212486038

WELLBY TALKING CAFÉ: 10am-11.30am, Tuesday, 6th June 2023, McCashin’s, Stoke. Wellby Talking Cafés are about social connection and finding out about groups, activities and services. www.wellby.org.nz 03 5467681.

LUNCH ON THE HILL. Come join us for hot drinks at 11am and lunch at noon on Tuesday the 6th of June. Koha welcome. 27 Dorset St, Richmond. Ph (03) 5448844

‘500’ CARDS Players are invited to compete in our recently formed “No Trumps” Trophy competition. Venue: Waimea Lounge A&P Showgrounds. Tues. & Thurs. 1.30 - 4pm. $2 entry fee covers organised games, prizes afternoon tea and spacious parking. Contact Kath ph 5445563

HOPE INDOOR BOWLING CLUB Tuesday Nights 7pm at Hope Hall Main Rd Hope.Starts 7 pm. Everyone welcome. Soft soled shoes.. All bowls supplied. Great for families. Info Bill ph 5449273

STOKE INDOOR BOWLS CLUB 2023 season has started, Warnes Stadium, Songer Street, Stoke. New members welcome. Please wear flat soled shoes. Enquiries ph Lynn 547 7112.

NELSON CIVIC CHOIR rehearses 6.45-9.00pm Tuesdays at NCMA, Nile Street, Nelson. Preparing to perform Mozart’s Coronation Mass in May. No auditions. Call 021 102 4436.

WEDNESDAY

COMMUNITY SING A LONG Wedn 7 June 1.30 pm Stoke Methodist Church lounge 94 Neale Ave. Afternoon tea. Gold coin donation for Nelson Hospital Chaplaincy appreciated. . All Welcome.

TASMAN TRACKIES CYCLING S axton Velodrome - Champion Road, Richmond. Track racing Wednesdays 11am – 12.30pm. May

- Mid June: Track bikes available free of charge, Road or mountain bikes can be used, Riders at all levels and ages. Social coffee & chat after at local café - ZINK. Contacts: Murray Cameron0276450033 murray.r.cameron@xtra.co.nz

CENTRAL GARDEN CLUB meets 2nd Wednesday of each month

1.30pm at stoke methodist church hall, Neale Ave Stoke. Guest speakers and afternoon tea new members most welcome contact Lynn or bob 5418468

NELSON NEWBIES, coffee morning every Wednesday 10:3011.30 a.m. at Deville’s Cafe, 22 New St. Want to get out and meet people? Join us for coffee and chat. New people are always welcome. Ph: Clive 021 205 4731.

GENERAL GROUPS

CAPELLA SINGING WORKSHOP Love to sing? Sign up for Nelson Bays Harmony’s 6-week A Capella Singing Workshop, 1st June – 6th July. Club Waimea, Richmond. 7.00pm – 8.30pm. Learn Brooke Fraser’s ‘Something in the Water’. All levels of singing catered for, beginners welcome. Training by experienced vocal coaches. Ph Carole 027 436 0910 or nbharmony@gmail.com

‘500’ CARDS Players are invited to compete in our recently

DEADLINE: MIDDAY FRIDAY - 30 WORDS OR LESS BY EMAIL ONLYPLEASE SEND TO: events@waimeaweekly.co.nz

formed “No Trumps” Trophy competition. Venue: Waimea Lounge A&P Showgrounds. Tues. & Thurs. 1.30 - 4pm. $2 entry fee covers organised games, prizes afternoon tea and spacious parking. Contact Kath ph 5445563

NELSON CITY PROBUS CLUB welcome both men & women. We meet 2nd Thursday each month (Feb-November) at 10 am, The Nelson Golf Club, 38 Bolt Rd, Tahunanui. Contact the Secretary on nelsoncitygroupgmail.com

WAIMEA COMBINED FRIENDSHIP GROUP meet monthly at 9.45am on 3rd Thursday of month in Hope Church, Ranzau Road for Friendship, Fellowship & Learning. Contact Denise on 027 765 000 or Rosalie on 027 249 1080.

MOTUEKA LIGHTHOUSE meets the last Thursday of every month at Motueka Community House, Decks Reserve next to Red Cross. 7pm-9pm. $3 Donation Appreciated. Thursday 25 May - The Power of Words. Contact Angie 0225804938

TAICHI Thursdays, Regular 11:00-11:30, Beginners 12:00-1:00. Stillness, breath, movement. Quiet Heart Tai Chi, Anglican Church, Dorset Street. Donation. Contact Merrick, email quiet.heart.tai. chi@gmail.com <http://mail.com> Ph 021 063 6620

RICHMOND WELCOME GROUP: Want to make new friends join a friendly group for coffee & a chat.10am on the 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month at Paragon Cafe Langdale Drive Richmond . Ansley /Phillip 5410 350 0272212943.

FRIDAY

WAITAKI OLD GIRLS’S SOCIAL GROUP NELSON. Pop in for a coffee and chat on Friday 2nd June from 10am at Melrose House, corner Trafalgar and Brougham Streets, Nelson. All Oamaruians welcome. Queries 027 673 1145

LINE DANCING Diane mornings Richmond from Friday 19th May 9 30 am Birch Hall Lower Queen Street by A&P grounds. all ages/ gender free morning tea.We are a caring community phone Diane 027 4491 569 dianeneil@gmail.com .

TAI CHI Qigong All welcome, lasses at Tahunanui Community Hub, 55 Muritai Street, Tahunanui. Every Friday until 2nd June 9.30

a.m. to 11 a.m. Koha. Contact Jodie 021 259 5876.

SATURDAY

RICHMOND OLD TIME DANCE: at the Anglican Church Hall, Dorset St., Richmond, On June 3rd, 7.30 to 11.00pm. Live Music, Raffles and Prizes, Entry $8.00 and supper plate, please. Ph Richard 5444 120 Please make note of change of venue.

VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT CLUB OF NELSON Like singing play an instrument or being entertained Join us Whakatu Presbyterian Hall Songer Street Stoke 10 June 2pm Phone Ken 5474301 Robyn 5473231

STOKE MONTHLY MARKET, Methodist grounds, Neale Avenue, 3 June 9.30 am to noon. phone 9276130 to book site. Supporting Nelson Hospital Chaplaincy and Lifelinc.

WAIMEA HARRIERS running and walking Club Winter season. Events every Saturday. We welcome everyone and of all ages and abilities. See website for details.

RICHMOND TENNIS CLUB - Gladstone Road Social hit for members & non-members Saturday afternoons All levels of ability welcome. 1.30pm onwards. Contact 0274872480.

SUNDAY

HIGGINS HERITAGE PARK 222 Pigeon Valley Rd, WakefieldSunday 4 June, park open day & museum sheds open, bus & jigger rides. A great place for a picnic 10am- 3pm www.higginsheritagepark.co.nz

NELSON PHILATELIC SOCIETY Meet Sunday 11th June 2023

Doors Open 1.30pm - Meeting Starts 2pm At Stoke Baptist Church.

AGM & display from Len - Military Mail Mitchener Cup –Letter “B” Contact Robin 0275442518

NELSON VETERANS TENNIS CLUB has Social tennis on Sunday

11 June at 1 p.m. AGM at 3 p.m. Notices of Motion to be with Secretary leona@outlook.co.nz by 30 May.

SPIRITUAL/ENERGY HEALINGS 1st Sunday every month

3.30pm-6.30pm. Motueka Community House, Decks Reserve next

to Red Cross. Next on Sunday June 4 Private Appointments Also Available. Contact Angie 0225804938. angel3000.h@gmail.com

SUNDAY MEDITATION – every Sunday 10am – 11.30am, plus free vegetarian lunch. All warmly welcome, for all ages and walks of life. Chandrakirti Meditation Centre. 289 Sunrise Valley Rd, Upper Moutere. 03 5432021

NELSON SPIRITUALIST CHURCH weekly service Sun. 7pm-8pm. Corner Tipahi & Motueka Sts.

RICHMOND MARKETS: Richmond A & P Showgrounds Sundays

10-2 Indoor/outdoor market in the spacious ground of Richmond Park,. Food & drink, local & exotic products, fresh fruit & veges, wellbeing practitioners & products, jumble sale, hairdresser, kid’s play equipment, picnic tables. Dogs on leads welcome.

GENERAL GROUPS

CAPELLA SINGING WORKSHOP Love to sing? Sign up for Nelson Bays Harmony’s 6-week A Capella Singing Workshop, 1st June – 6th July. Club Waimea, Richmond. 7.00pm – 8.30pm. Learn Brooke Fraser’s ‘Something in the Water’. All levels of singing catered for, beginners welcome. Training by experienced vocal coaches. Ph Carole 027 436 0910 or nbharmony@gmail.com

WAIMEA MENZSHED - catering for the interests, health and well-being of men since 2010. The shed is open Monday - Friday at Richmond Park, 384 Lower Queen St. Inquiries: mens.shed. waimea@gmail.com 027 282 0185.

OPEN STUDIOS for King’s Birthday weekend, June 3rd & 4th, 10am to 4 pm. Eleven visual artists open their studios to the public- showcasing a wide variety of art practices, including sculpture, painting, printmaking, ceramics, woodworking, weaving and jewellry, in the Mapua, Tasman area. For a map & more info” website http://www.rubycoastarts.co.nz

SENIOR MOBILITY CLASSES Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from 10.30am at the Wanderers Community Gym 12 Charlotte Lane, Brightwater. $2 donation. Improving balance, mobility & independence among our aging populations (55+).Contact James Cooper for info: 021 044 1526.

Community Notices are free to community groups, schools, churches, gold coin donation events and fundraising. Due to the popularity of this column,while every effort will be made, inclusion cannot be guaranteed for free ads. If you want to place a business advert or want to advertise a course you are running, please call classified ads and public notices on 544 9037.

NELSON TASMAN CREMATIONS DIRECT

Puzzles

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

Guitar Amplifiers

Peavy Bandit 112 80 watt (reverb not working) and Rolland 30 watt cube.

Also Tool Shed Scroll Saw vs 16 inch with flex shaft (as new).

$ Reasonable Offers $

Ph: Don 0274 523 144 Brightwater

RIORDAN

Katherine Lorraine (Kathy)

Passed away peacefully at Tasman Rest Home on 25th May 2023, aged 70.  Dearly loved wife to Fred for 53 years.  Adored mother and mother in law of Robert, Bryce and Kelli, Matt and Belinda.  Treasured Nana to Torie; Jess, James, and Caitlin; Mikayla and Bridget.  Loved great Nana to her 5 great grandchildren.   Messages c/- 9 Wilde Avenue, Richmond, Nelson 7020.   According to Kathy’s wishes, a private service has been held.

to hear Colin Brown History

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DENTURES

ART/PAINTINGS

ART ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES

New shop opened. Lovely selection of NZ & Overseas originals. Easy access & easy parking. Open 6 days.

Sell-Buy-Value, with 30+years experience

Souchebys Antiques, 92 Bateup Rd, Richmond (Next to MacMillans/Alchemy Pottery, formerly the HappyZ Cafe). Ph 5440723 or 021417413

ANTIQUES

New shop now open. Huge stock inc fresh stock arriving from all over NZ. Easy parking & easy peaceful access at our lovely new location. Sell-buy-value,with 30+ years experience.

Souchebys Antiques, 92 Bateup Rd, Richmond.

(Formerly Happy Z Cafe, Next to MacMillans/Alchemy Pottery)

Open 6 days. Ph 5440723 or 021417413. www.antiquesnewzealand.co.nz

It’s all on the app. Are you?

The Nelson App has been the go-to place for the latest news and sport since 2017.

Every day tens of thousands of Nelsonians open the app to stay informed about what's happening in our region. But it isn't just news on the app, it features up-coming events, funeral notices, the latest property for sale, flight information, places to eat and drink, local businesses, weather and tide reports, a TV guide and much more.

So, next time you open the Nelson App around, you might be surprised what you find.