The Weekend Sun - 6 April 2023

Deep and meaningful

e priesthood isn’t a wildly popular career path for young men. Just a few years ago the Catholic Church was even urging Catholic schools and colleges to promote religious careers options. But Tauranga’s Father Adam

Kirkeby didn’t need anyone to sell him the idea or twist his arm. As a young boy he was playing acting a priest, by 12 he was toying with the idea of becoming a priest – and by the end of college he was committed. “ ere

was this deep sense of being called, and a longing to serve God and his people.”

On the eve of one of Christianity’s most hallowed festivals, the observation of the cruci xion and resurrection of Jesus, we

meet Father Adam Kirkeby and retrace his path into the priesthood. He happily shares his thoughts and feelings with e Weekend Sun. e two-part story transcends all faiths. See pages 16-17. Photo: John Borren.

Weekend Sun is published every Friday and distributed throughout the Western Bay of Plenty from Waihi Beach, through Katikati, Tauranga,

Sex toys, lemon meringue and prejudice

What have tomato juice and lemon meringue pie in common?

Not much.

Except in this case, like revenge, they were both served up cold – and they hadn’t been ordered.

And it was all very messy. Because the tomato juice protestor copped a common assault charge, but the lemon meringue pie didn’t – even though the target was a tetchy former Prime Minister.

And I ended up with sticky lemon meringue all over my interfering, busybody ngers. Because I got involved when Sir Robert David – aka ‘Piggy’ – Muldoon copped a protestor’s lemon meringue pie while walking through Auckland Airport.

Mr Muldoon was a polarising chap – a champion of the ordinary bloke to some, and an abrasive, rude, heavy drinking, dictatorial bully to others.

But rst the tomato juice – it was served sans celery, salt, Lea & Perrins, or vodka – to a peroxidebobbed Pommy rabble-rouser called Kelly-Jay Keen-Minshull, aka Posie Parker.

e anti-trans activist was here to tell us what she thought we needed to know – that New Zealand women lived in fear of trans-gender people, that they didn’t want ‘men’ invading women’s spaces – for ‘spaces’ read dunnies. “ e worst place for women,” she declared of New Zealand.

How on earth this Posie of black nightshade can draw those conclusions after ve minutes in the country?

A random poll

I conducted a random poll of the ‘cischicks’ in the o ce. ere was just shrugs, no-one quaking at the thought of a transgender person storming through the o ce door demanding a pee in the ladies. But there was this profound observation – “I don’t know why trans-gender women would want to use a ladies loo... our toilet habits are worse than the men’s.”

Really? How did she know? Is our ‘man space’ being invaded?

Anyhow, Posie didn’t get to spill her bile at her Auckland rally. Instead she wore a tomato juice and went scuttling from Auckland and from the country –England’s quickest strategic withdrawal since Robert the Bruce put Edward II to the sword at Bannockburn.

Pictures of the incident looked like they were shot in an abattoir – the peroxide blond skull dripping red. I don’t advocate violence or breaking the law, and I do get the freedom of speech thing.

But I don’t understand us importing a poisonous, divisive attitude when we have our own homegrown prejudice, bigotry and ignorance to deal with. I also don’t like Posie’s friends – white supremacists and Nazi-saluting goons at her Aussie rally. Nothing to do with her, said Posie. But you can see the sorts of some people her opinions appeal to.

Posie Parker decided she knew who New Zealanders do and don’t like to pee with. But she didn’t know we also like to throw, lob and drop stu on people we disagree with, or don’t like. And we have a history of what some would call ‘non-violent protest’…

John Banks had horse poo thrown at him by a serial s*** slinger, a symbolic black t-shirt was tossed at the Queen in 1990, and our bombs were dropped from a plane over Eden Park in 1981 as a protest against the agents of apartheid who were playing the All Blacks. ere was ‘dildo-gate’ in 2016 when a sex toy was hurled at MP Steven Joyce over “the raping of our sovereignty”. at was a buzz.

e pie

Now the lemon meringue pie. Sir Robert Muldoon loved sporting contacts with apartheid South Africa and expensive, almost bankrupting ink Big projects.

And he loathed unionists, teachers, journalists, students and protestors – one of whom launched the pie at him.

e pie had no sooner struck home when the perpetrator was overcome with remorse – probably worried the proctor would terminate his studies. Or worse… the police nding him and banging him up.

Our pie-chucker was both silly and smart, because he thought if he could get to Mr Muldoon rst and apologise, he might be forgiven.

e perp rang me out of the blue while I was working on an Auckland news desk that Sunday afternoon. He asked me to broker a meeting with Muldoon, because me being a journalist, he thought I might have Sir Robert’s contact details. He was right.

When I met the pie-chucker I suddenly appreciated his paranoia. He was a little person – and for the police that would have eliminated a large section of the population from suspicion.

An hour later I was banging on Sir Robert’s front door in Kohimarama with a little person in toe. Muldoon was at his bristly best. He sneered at me. “Why am I talking to a reporter? Give me a good reason?”

He did loathe journalists. But moments later Sir Robert was forgiving. “If it’s up to me,” he said, “this will go no further”. Jolly decent of him. e man who at worst was nasty, cutting and sarcastic, was on this occasion magnanimous. Now, a week or so after being marinated in tomato juice, Posie, Nosegay, is inging insults and threats from afar. “I will be back,” she says. Please let US have that conversation Posie. Because I don’t think most fairminded, free-thinking New Zealanders appreciate you walking into our country, dripping with hubris, and thinking you know who we are, what we stand for and what’s good for us.

Chopper’s owner loses court battle

e owner of a Rottweiler that bit a Tauranga vet has been convicted, meaning her dog could be put down.

Tauranga City Council was successful in its appeal against Helen Fraser after charging her with owning a dog causing injury. e charge carries a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment or a $20,000 ne and the court must order destruction of the dog.

Fraser’s dog Chopper bit veterinarian Dr Liza Schneider during an appointment to discuss the dog’s de-sexing in October 2021.

e attack left Schneider, owner of Holistic Vets, with a fractured ulna, four puncture wounds, nerve and muscle damage and required surgery.

e council initially failed in its prosecution when Judge David Cameron dismissed the charge in July 2022 after a judge alone trial held in June that year.

e council appealed this decision stating they felt the judge had made an “error of law” by focussing on the conduct of the victim, rather than Fraser’s legal responsibility to control her dog at all times.

Judge Cameron’s original decision found a “total absence of fault on the part of Fraser”.

He said Dr Schneider “was responsible for determining how the situation should be handled”. “I consider that Dr Schneider put herself in a position where she was vulnerable to attack by a dog who had not been assessed for safety purposes,” said his decision.

Appeal hearing

e appeal hearing was held at Tauranga High Court on Monday and Justice Timothy Brewer released his decision on Tuesday. Justice Brewer upheld the appeal and convicted Fraser of the charge.

He said agreed with the council that “Judge Cameron erred in his consideration of the test [for total absence of fault]”. “ e onus was on Ms Fraser to prove that she was totally without fault. In other words, that there were literally no practical steps she could have taken to avert the attack,” said Justice Brewer’s written decision.

“Ms Fraser could have taken two simple steps. She could have kept Chopper in the car.

“Or, and this might not have been enough, she could have kept physical control of Chopper herself rather than leaving the dog with her 13-year-old son.

“It was irrelevant whether Dr Schneider could have acted di erently, thus making the attack on her less likely.

“It was irrelevant whether Dr Schneider put herself in a position where she was vulnerable to attack by a dog who had not been assessed for safety purposes,” said

Justice Brewer’s decision. During the trial, evidence was given that for Chopper’s appointment it was agreed they would meet with the vet in the carpark because Fraser said the dog was anxious around people he didn’t know.

Fraser said they waited around 30 minutes to be seen, so she got Chopper out of the car and had her son hold him while she went into the clinic to nd out the cause of the delay.

e trial showed there was a dispute over whether

Fraser was asked to keep Chopper in the car for assessment. e clinic sta testi ed they did so when arranging the appointment but Fraser said she was never asked to leave the dog in the car.

Saddened

On Tuesday, Fraser’s son Ryan Tarawhiti-Brown told Local Democracy Reporting the family was “saddened” by the decision but “it doesn’t end here.” “We just keep ghting and I know that in the end justice will prevail.”At Monday’s hearing, Fraser indicated that were the case to go against her she would raise an application for exceptional circumstances.

If exceptional circumstances could be proven the court would not order Chopper to be put down.

Justice Brewer referred the case back to the Tauranga District Court for sentencing.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air

Chopper’s fate still hangs in the balance, with his owner planning an application for exceptional circumstances.

DEFY GRAVITY

proposal lane alarms

As Stage 2 of Tauranga City’s Cameron Rd transformation looms, a business owner located on the roadstretch for more than 25 years has major concerns about the work set to be done.

Dr Janice Priest believes reducing the length of road past Tauranga Hospital to a single lane is illogical and dangerous.

Tauranga City Council is in the planning phase of Stage 2 of the Cameron Rd project which will include developments between 17th Ave and Cheyne Rd, Pyes Pā, to make the area “safer and more attractive, while providing more ways for people to move” – as stated on TCC’s website.

Council’s website also states that this plan could include “one general tra c lane in one direction”. is sets o alarm bells for Janice, who has been operating her health clinic opposite Tauranga Hospital for more than two decades.

“ e congestion outside the hospital would be diabolical if you’re in a hurry to get to the hospital because the congestion starts way back with all the works that they’re doing,” says Janice.

She’s seen the impacts of past single lanes in this area. “Every week there were dented cars left outside my clinic, but since the double-lane and tra c lights were installed at 17th and 18th Ave/Cameron Rd, the tra c ow works well with no accidents.”

Ambulance access

Janice’s main concern is ambulances getting in and out of the hospital, as well as people trying to get to the hospital too if this area is to go to a single lane.

“ ere will be a lot of frustrated, angry people trying to get to the hospital let alone trying to get past the hospital. e poor ambulance people.

“ ere’s a lot of ambulances in and out now because we’ve got the helicopters centred here – their bases have grown.”

Tauranga City Council senior project manager Brent Goodhue says provision for emergency services access will be maintained at all times in this area.

“We are aware of the various emergency service

providers along the corridor and the need to access the hospital and respond timely to emergencies.

“Part of this project includes looking to provide more ways for patient accessibility to the hospital and nearby medical facilities, including improving public transport access and facilities, and existing turning movements will be maintained through the intersection of 18th Ave and Cameron Rd.”

Done deal?

Council closed their feedback portal for the project on April 2 and Janice fears that this plan of a potential single tra c lane is already a done deal.

“When council puts a plan together – they’ve already done a consultancy…it’s already set in place and all they want is comment from people in the area that they feel will be impacted – but this plan needs to be stopped.”

Brent says council is currently talking with the community about what they would like to see for the future of this section of Cameron Rd “and no preferred option has been determined at this stage”. “We will continue to update the community as the project progresses.”

Janice says the council needs to completely reconsider this phase of their plan because it is not conducive for the hospital zone area. “…all the medical centres need to be taken into consideration, the Māori land, and the people there, and not just do a blanch beautifying process just because they can”.

Brent says construction is set for mid-2024 after Stage 1 of Cameron Rd is complete.

“We will align delivery of Stage 2 where there are clear bene ts to reduce overall disruption of works, cost savings, or need to deliver some works earlier than others.We are mindful of the disruption roadworks cause, however we also hear from the public that they just want us to get on with it.”

*** eWeekendSunhasapproachedTeWhatu Ora - Health New Zealand – thenewentitythathas taken over the former District Healrth Boards –for commentonthecouncil’sproposalforstage2of CameronRdandwillreportbackinafutureissue.

Georgia Minkhorst

Dr Janice Priest, who has operated her health clinic for 25 years on Cameron Rd, says plans for a single lane opposite the hospital would be diabolical.

Photo: John Borren.

Assisting youth basketball

Tauranga’s top teenage basketballers

are gearing up to welcome competitors from around the North Island to town for the Mel Young Easter Basketball Tournament this Easter.

Tauranga City Basketball general manager Mark Rogers says the 32nd annual event runs from Good Friday, April 7, to Easter Monday, April 10, with 135 teams con rmed – including one from Australia. “ is is one of the four biggest tournaments in the country and the rst rep competition of the season. We’ll be running games at ve venues around the city over four days.” is means spectators can catch the action at Trustpower Arena, Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, Mount Sports Centre, Tauranga Boys’ College and Aquinas College, with games from 10.30am9pm Easter Friday, 9am-9pm Easter Saturday, 9am-7.30pm Easter Sunday and 9am-4pm on Easter Sunday.

Practice into play

Mark says 29 Bay of Plenty teams will compete against players from as far away as Taranaki and north of Auckland. All up, around 1400 tamariki from under-11 to under-19 rep teams will take to the court, accompanied by coaches, managers,

referees, families and supporters. “It’s a great opportunity for the kids to see di erent faces and check out strategies and tactics that other teams are using. It also gives them the chance to try what they’ve been practising.”

Mark says the focus is on development. “We have 40 referee mentors including seven from Australia. It’s one of the few chances our players, coaches and refs get to have feedback so they can up their skill level.”

Honouring Mel

e Easter Tournament was renamed the Mel Young Easter Classic in 2016 to honour the dedication and work of Mel Young in providing opportunities for all involved in the game.

“Mel was one of the founders of Basketball Paci c so he was instrumental in pushing for development in the sport,” says Mark. “He got NZ into the Asian competitions, which opened the way for the world champs.”

Mark says Mel forged a number of key relationships with like-minded basketball organisations, which now give players, coaches, managers and referees the opportunity to attend events like the Koru Tour and Jamboree in Australia. To nd game times and venues, see: https://basketballpaci c.com Debbie Griffiths

BED SALE

Tauranga basketballers Elijah Borrell and Charis Broughton get in some practice ahead of this weekend.

Photo: John Borren.

FIRST HEARING CENTRE

Fizzing on air

Glowing skin, straight teeth and perfect hair – all of this could be yours, according to Mount Maunganui College Year 11 student Piri Pearsall-Akuira.

So what do you have to do to achieve such wonderful outer beauty? Well that’s easy – just tune into Piri’s and her mate Luke Williams’ radio show L&P on ursday’s at 1.30pm on 107.1 FM! “If you stream our show that [beauti cation] all happens in two-three business days.” Sounds legit!

L&P was born after Mount Maunganui College started up their own radio station, giving students a space to create their own shows to talk about what’s on their minds and share the music they love. On L&P, Piri says: “We have a really big range of music that we like”. Luke says he’s a rock kind of guy. “I’m basic – I just like Radiohead.”

Piri, on the other hand, listens to grunge, R&B and Neo soul. Over to chit chat – you can expect a mix of yarns from Piri and Luke from movie reviews to

conspiracy theories. “We have so much exciting things to talk about so everybody should be listening because we’re going to be dropping some major ‘tea’ on the show. It’ll be crazy and only a few people know,” says Piri.

If you weren’t already aware – ‘tea’ is slang for gossip. “ is is global tea, its school tea, it’s everything – I have stu on everyone, not bad stu , I just have some crazy stories to tell,” says Piri.

Some conversations are of- limits however, such as the pinnacle of the college experience – school uniforms! “I’ve been warned not to talk about that… the principal listens so we can’t say anything too controversial.”

So in this world of social media where you can edit and re-take videos and photos until you have something ‘perfect’ – I asked Luke and Piri how things are going live on air? “Not very well,” says Luke. “It’s going well! What do you mean Luke? If we make a mistake we just keep going,” says Piri. Luke agrees. Tune in at 1.30pm on 107.1FM to hear the show live on air!

Cyclone Gabrielle Temporary Accommodation

If your property was impacted during this severe weather event and you need support finding temporary accommodation, we can help.

The Temporary Accommodation Service is assisting displaced people to find suitable temporary accommodation.

Register your details with us and a staff member will call you in a few days to help you find suitable temporary housing. Our staff can also provide guidance on how to access support services such as insurance advice and financial assistance.

There will be a cost for temporary accommodation, but you can contact the Ministry of Social Development to see if assistance is available to meet this cost.

If you are the tenant or landlord of a rental property, www.tenancy.govt.nz has information on your rights and obligations after a natural disaster.

For more information and to register your details, please go to: www.tas.mbie.govt.nz

If you are not able to complete the form online, or wish to discuss your requirements, please call 0508 754 163 Our Service Centre operates:

Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm Saturday–Sunday, 9:00am–5:00pm

Year 12 student Luke Williams, puts the L in the L&P radio show. Photo: John Borren. Georgia Minkhorst

Kicking her way to the top!

It started o as a way to get t, but now Tauranga woman Lola Ferber is kicking her way to the top on the world stage.

e 22-year-old is a recognised world champion in kickboxing, and is also competing in muay thai three years after she rst stepped into a gym.

Lola also holds three New Zealand kickboxing titles from the World Kickboxing Federation, most recently scoring the muay thai middleweight title in Hamilton.

One of her coaches, Melissa Dykes, has witnessed Lola transform from her rst day entering the gym into seeing her get ready to compete in Ireland, representing the WKF and Karate Association. “She’s one of my easiest students. Nothing is ever a problem. She’s really a dream student. When she rst came to us she was a lot less t than she is now. Not even three months later I could tell she had a real talent. You can really tell when someone has something special.

“Within the last two years she’s just gone from strength to strength. She’s got three NZ titles, competed overseas; she’s just an amazing girl.”

Melissa says there is now just one hurdle left. “We’ve run out of opponents for her in the country. e 72-75kg weight class is quite small here. So

NOW O PEN

unfortunately she’s had to ght her opponents quite a few times.”

is to Melissa is a sign it’s time for Lola to go overseas, which could land her on the world stage fulltime. Lola says the best feeling she gets preparing for a ght is walking out knowing she’s “done everything” she can to prepare herself. “When you win, it’s this overwhelming feeling all the e ort you have put in is worth it. ere’s a whole lot of excitement and emotions.”

e strategy and quick-thinking is almost like a game of chess, according to the rising star. “It’s all about trying to gure out what your opponent is going to do and trying to do something to counter it, almost like outsmarting them.”

Lola moved to Tauranga from Germany in 2015, and joined Tauranga Martial Arts Academy in 2019 after becoming interested in the world of martial arts.

Melissa says Lola’s success is part of why she loves to get women involved in the sport. “I didn’t start this sport until 36. It completely changed my life, built my con dence and made me stronger. It’s also great for mental and physical health, lots of our members don’t ght, and instead train on pads to get t. It’s a real family community sport.” Taylor

Western Bay of Plenty’s mobile recycling trailers ‘Recyclosaurus Rex’ and ‘Sustainabox’ are changing their schedule for winter.

In their rst six months of going to rural depots, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s two mobile recycling trailers have built up a group of users who drop o recyclables every fortnight.

Primarily, these are rural residents who don’t qualify for kerbside collection services and have to travel a long way to get to a recycling facility. After a period of settling in, users were surveyed to understand when and how often they drop o their

recyclables. e new roster based on what they told us.

Mobile recycling trailers will continue to rotate between existing locations on a fortnightly roster each Saturday at the following times and locations.

Week 1, starting Saturday, April 1 from 9am-12pm at BP Pongakawa, 1646 State Highway 2, Pongakawa; and at Omanawa Hall, 560 Omanawa Rd.

Week 2, starting Saturday, April 8, from 10am-12pm at Te Ranga School, 1492 Te Matai Rd.

For more information, see: westernbay.govt.nz/mobile-recycling

Rice

From left: coach Connor Woodman, Lola Ferber and coach Melissa Dykes.

Mobile recycling trailers adjust times to suit users

Baywave is reopening this Easter weekend!

Tauranga’s premier swimming pool complex, Baywave Aquatic & Leisure Centre, will reopen on Good Friday with some major upgrades and improvements to look forward to.

At 7am on April 7, the popular aquatic facility in Mount Maunganui will be back in action with refurbished changing rooms (including upgraded showers with better water pressure and temperature), new non-slip ooring poolside for improved safety and cleanliness, and new starting blocks for the city’s high-performance swimmers. e learners’ pool at Baywave has now also been fenced o from the rest of the venue for swim teachers and parents’ peace of mind, there is a new dedicated accessible changing room beside the lap pool, and the cafe area has been renovated and re tted.

Megan Smith visits Baywave at least twice a week with her son Luka for BaySwim lessons and family fun. Like many local parents, the Easter weekend reopening comes as a great relief with the colder months just around the corner.

Megan says her family regularly enjoys Friday Night Fun Night and the Aqua Play Station area at Baywave, as well as the hydroslide and spa.

“We can’t wait for it to reopen, and swimming lessons have already been booked for next term.”

She says Luka is turning 7 years old this year and wants to have a pool party at Baywave.

“ e new non-slip features are a welcome blessing for any parent chasing excited kids from one area of the facility to the other. And we know kids, they aren’t still for long,” Megan says.

“Not to mention, the fencing around the swim lesson pool is a huge bene t for teachers in the

water, and to stop any other kiddos from hopping in unannounced, as well as prevent younger littlies from falling in.”

Mount Maunganui Swimming Club, which calls Baywave home, has also been itching to get back and now has its own small club room next to the lap pool.

Baywave has converted a storage shed into a room where the club’s members can store their gear and spend time together out of the pool.

“It makes it feel like we’ve got a home pool,” he says.

Stan says another big highlight for Mount Maunganui Swimming Club – as well as all of the other Tauranga swimming clubs that use the Baywave lap pool – is the new starting blocks. e new blocks at Baywave are of the same professional standard as those used at major competitions around the world, and they include the moveable track start kicker seen at all top swimming events.

“AIMS Games traditionally has a lot of national age group records broken for 11, 12, 13-yearolds,” Stan says.

“It’s the same at our regional swimming meets. And now with the new blocks, we should see some records get smashed.”

Many of the 130-plus members train early in the morning before school or work, and then sometimes again in the afternoon. ey now have a small kitchenette to make breakfast or afternoon tea, as well as a place to sit down together as clubmates.

“I think just having that space available for the swimmers to use, they can get that sense of belonging to the club, where they can come and hang out as well as swim,” Club Captain Sarah Shivnan says.

Head Coach Stan Teokotai-White says they now also have a wall to hang an honour board with the names of their representative athletes. Sometimes those little things can make a big di erence when you’re building club culture and spirit.

Mike Page, Aquatics Operations Manager at Bay Venues, says the upgrade and maintenance work at Baywave has been completed within the allotted time frame, with no delay on opening, and within budget.

“You can look forward to fantastic shower pressure and temperature, refurbished changing rooms, and new poolside ooring with reduced risk of slips within the facility.”

Upstairs at Club t gym, the changing rooms and group tness room have also had a complete refurbishment, and there is a new virtual instructor wall to ensure consistent class provision at all times.

“Baywave has also had a general refresh, with some new painting and decor. e cafe is looking great. Keep an eye out for the palm trees and hydroslide snake that will also be appearing soon in the aquatic leisure area,” Mike says.

“I am really proud of what has been achieved over the closure period. A big thank you to our community for your patience and I can’t wait to see all of our locals and visitors back here from Friday.”

Baywave Aquatic & Leisure Centre in Mount Maunganui has a 25-metre lap pool, a leisure pool (with waves), a learners’ pool, Aqua Play Station area, hydroslide, spa, sauna, steam room, as well as a poolside cafe, Baywave Massage erapy facility, and a Club t gym.

Stan Teokotai-White, with Bay Venues’ Mike Page.

“I am really proud of what has been achieved over the closure period. A big thank you to our community for your patience...”

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Problem solving in the courtroom

One day you’re doing some landscaping in your backyard, the next you’re facing prosecution for an o ence under the Resource Management Act. ere’s all sorts of unsuspected ways you can be caught by the law, but there’s way to escape it too.

Tauranga-based litigator Tim Conder has recently been nominated for the New Zealand Rising Stars List 2023 and thrives o problem solving in the courtroom. “It’s your job to try and persuade someone that your way of seeing the world is right – and that’s something I’ve always really enjoyed.”

With a focus on public law and local government, Tim assisted has clients to get critical workers out of Auckland during Covid-19 lockdowns, through to helping someone avoid conviction for digging on their property. “We had a case recently to do with someone who had been hand-digging holes in their own garden but it turns out that it had a heritage overlay, so it was unlawful for them to do that.”

Cases like this is when Tim uses his legal expertise to get a client an outcome known as a ‘discharge without conviction’. “ at’s where the

court recognises that even though you might be technically guilty of the o ence – it wouldn’t be fair for you to be convicted.” In the case of the backyard digger, Tim says: “ e court recognised that the impact on that family having a conviction for the o ence would actually be quite drastic”. What a relief!

Having worked as a lawyer at Holland Beckett Law since 2016, it’s the 32-year-old’s creativity in court that’s seen him recognised has one of New Zealand’s rising stars.

He says his job is about using the “procedural toolbox and nding ways to navigate it that are a little bit unusual but mean the court has the option of giving an outcome that’s surprising, that’s a little bit di erent to what’s normal but which better meets the needs of everyone involved”.

“It’s the ability to say to the judge: ‘Look there’s a way through this that doesn’t have to involve just throwing the book at this person and giving them a conviction’.”

Check out the cocktail trail on our website.

If you need help getting out of a backyard pickle, or legal advice, consider Tim at: https://hobec. co.nz/people/tim-conder Georgia

Minkhorst

Tim Conder has been nominated for the New Zealand Rising Stars List 2023.

Photo: John Borren.

Animated war drama

It’s glacially slow going, says a local lm editor and animator who is keen to nd patrons to support his online military political series taking place in a ctional version of 1980s history.

“It’s set in 1989 but it’s an alternative version where things have gone di erently from the late-1970s onward,” says Tauranga’s Lewis Roscoe, a full-time editor and animator developing his ‘ e War At Home’ series in his spare time.

“Instead the Cold War erupts into an actual war. ere’s so many stories and movies of the era, I thought it would be very interesting to see the South Paci c arena and how things would play out with New Zealand and Australia at that time.

“David Lange is still the Prime Minister in June 1989 so it’s quite an interesting dilemma he’s in with NZ as ‘nuclear free’, so do we let American ships in because it’s WW3 now?”

A one-man-band – apart from some notable Kiwi actors who’ve given time and skills for voiceovers, such as Shortland Street’s Karl Burnett – producer/director Lewis started developing the story idea about 2014. In 2018 he began turning it into animated episodes.

Taught myself

Lewis and his wife Rachael shifted from Hamilton to Welcome Bay in 2019, after living in Auckland. From high school he’s been immersed in lmmaking.

“I started doing Indie lmmaking with other people and realised how complicated it is as you have to rely

on people and locations. I taught myself to animate because I thought that’s a way you can do it all yourself, whatever you can imagine, you can create if you’re good enough.”

e detail

He went to animation school, before starting freelance animating as a job and his ‘ e War At Home’ series as a side hobby. e amount of detail in each episode takes many hours. “I grew up watching a lot of war movies. As a child I was quite xated on World War II, but after most likely an oversaturation of the genre through war movies and comics I looked toward other modern con icts. Vietnam and Korea were very interesting to learn about but the wider ideological con ict of the Cold War began to captivate me.”

e twist is that instead of the usual American or European frontier being the setting, he decided to make NZ the place for a modern con ict. “In future episodes government ministers of the time will have very lengthy debates about what to do. All the people that would be in their spots at that time are for the most part where they are, so you have these historical gures but they’re up against events that didn’t actually happen.”

So far he has 13 patrons on the Patreon website. “Eventually I’d like to transform this into something that I can do full-time. I want to pay back everyone who has lent their voice and helped out. It’s a bit of a long game, I just keep at it.” Lewis’ series can be watched on: https://war89.tv Rosalie Liddle Crawford

Draft User Fees

To view the proposed changes and make a submission visit: tauranga.govt.nz/feesandcharges

Lewis Roscoe.

Photo: John Borren.

See the rise of Black Comet!

If there’s one band you should see live in the 60th Port of Tauranga National Jazz Festival line-up this Easter, it’s Black Comet!

‘Black who?’ you might think – well, listen up because you’re about to get the lowdown on the newest, most mysterious but mind-blowing band formation Aotearoa has seen in recent years.

Black Comet is a ve-piece led by frontman Laughton Kora – and their aim is pushing musical boundaries with a heavy galactic funk experience and groove-based narratives.

With Laughton – yes from band Kora – on vocals/ guitar, Sam Jones on keys/sax, Poihakena Reid keys/ sax/guitar/voice box, Stan Bicknell on drums, and Dan Antonovich on bass – Black Comet has a rst and rare performance in the Baycourt Concert Series at 8pm this Sunday, April 9.

Proli c artists

So who is Black Comet? “ ey’re not normal musicians – I can tell you that for sure,” says fellow Kiwi musician and friend Shelton Woolright of Blind Spot, ‘NZ Idol’ and Dead Beat.

“ ey’re all absolutely proli c artists and musicians – they literally are aliens they are that good – so this Baycourt Series show cannot be missed! We’re really lucky to have them at the jazz festival.”

Shelton suggests listening to the band’s latest releases on Spotify. “ ey’re currently showcasing their new music and getting their band out there – performing

at the jazz fest is part of this.” Shelton describes Black Comet as a “very fresh, up-and-coming band with some familiar faces”. How does he describe their music? “Other-worldly!”

Genre fusion

“It’s fusion of all sorts of genres – it will take you by surprise because one minute you’ll be thinking: ‘I’m listening to a rock group here’ then all of a sudden it’s really funky, then it’s a bit dancy – so it keeps you moving, and keeps you guessing – but at the same time it’s held together and sounds like one thing, its own thing – which is Black Comet. “When you go see this live it will take you on a journey and you’ll feel like you’re at a festival listening to all di erent stu but it’s in one spot – it’s really great!”

Shelton says every artist in the band it is at the top of their eld. “Me, being a drummer, personally I think Stan is out-the-gate! Laughton I’ve worked with him before and his skills are high quality but that voice –what the heck?

“ at’s why there’s beautiful music breaks in their music too – to showcase the instruments and genres – and it shows they’re not a one-trick-pony...it’s them saying: ‘Hey, we’re here to stay, we can do it all and we will do do it all – and we’ve got a bit for everyone’.”

Rumour has it Joel Shadbolt from L.A.B will jump up and play with Black Comet at Baycourt too...

Black Comet performs 8pm this Sunday, April 9, at Baycourt’s Addison eatre. Get tickets now at: jazz. org.nz or ticketek.co.nz

Merle Cave

What separates great from good?

the right amount of sultanas and currants. e right amount being plenty.

e bakery recipe has evolved during the four years the Moores have owned the business. “We have it pretty much the way we want it, we have it nailed I think.”

Mike wouldn’t describe his buns as ‘gourmet’. “You can go mad with ingredients, pile it in there, but they’re costing an arm and a leg – over $20 a half dozen. Ours are $7.50.” We agree. A very good product for discerning people who like a hot cross bun, And we know, because we demolished one-and-a-half dozen in e Sun o ce on Tuesday after news of the radio promotion came out.

And the fact that Easter is year-round at Bakers

What’s the secret to those hot cross buns Alvaro? ose one’s voted the best in Tauranga this week.

“It’s the passion you put into them,” say Alvaro Castro, a Chilean baker at the small family ‘Bakers of Bethlehem’ business on State Highway 2. He’s prevaricating, holding back.

No, no Alvaro! You know what I mean. What’s the recipe?

“Perfect moisture is the secret. You need to regularly check them. You do not want them dry.”

Was he being loyal, protective, stubborn, or perhaps all three?

What’s in the Bakers of Bethlehem

buns Alvaro? “I am not allowed to tell you.”

We sense Alvaro would rather lose a limb than share the secret that had Bakers of Bethlehem’s hot cross buns acclaimed the best in town in a national radio survey on ZM. “ ey’re bloody good,” said a customer leaving the main highway shop with a bag of six this morning. at’s what the marketplace is telling us. ey are “bloody good”.

Mike and Angela Moore, owner operators of the bakery, are more forthcoming. “All the usual,” says Mike. Mixed spice? Yep. Cinnamon?

Yep. And ginger. A little bit of ginger. Not too much. Maybe that’s the di erence? Peel? Yep, mixed peel, and

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of Bethlehem would con rm it. “We make a tray a day all year round – that’s 50 hot cross buns. ey have a loyal following. People say they like them.” at maybe understating it, because in the days leading up to Easter, production is cranked up ten-fold – 20 trays a day, 50 on each tray, that’s 500 a day.

As for the origins of hot cross buns – the rst written record of hot cross buns comes from ‘Poor Robin’s Almanack’, an annual publication listing events and other data for the year in 1733.

“ e passage had that a crier called: ‘Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs, with one or two a penny, hot cross buns’. e tradition lingers 300 years later, and it’s doing well at Bakers of Bethlehem.

Mike Moore with 50 of his nest hot cross buns. Photo: John Borren.

Hunter Wells

CAB opens in Te Puke Library

Te Puke residents are about to bene t from a world of knowledge and free, independent advisors getting a whole lot closer.

e Citizens Advice Bureau is joining the Te Puke community, running fortnightly drop-in sessions at Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Te Puke Library starting this month.

e new drop-in sessions kicked o Tuesday and will take place between 1pm-3pm, repeating on the rst and third Tuesday of each month. If you pop into the library at that time, a Citizens Advice Bureau team member will be on hand to provide guidance and advice free of charge.

Citizens Advice Bureau Tauranga branch manager Claire Hine is excited to have her team welcomed into another community where they can do a lot of good. “We’ve all had that experience of trying to gure something out and not really knowing where to start. It can be an anxious and frustrating time. But that’s where we can help.

“Our team are experts at knowing where to go for the information you need. We can answer all sorts of questions and get you the information you need to be con dent in whatever you’re doing.”

e Citizens Advice Bureau can help with free, con dential, independent information and advice; making sure you know your rights; accessing services; and advocating for positive social change in laws and policies.

Citizens Advice Bureau services are often accessed

by people who are new to Aotearoa, unfamiliar with online systems or have trouble understanding English. Te Puke has a diverse population with many families who could t this brief and really bene t from Citizens Advice Bureau's services.

WBOPDC team leader libraries eastern AmandaJane McFadden has been working hard in the background to bring more great services like Citizens Advice Bureau into the library. She’s thrilled to have Claire and her team on board.

“Working behind the library desk, I can vouch for the curly questions that we get. So I know our community are going to love having Claire and her team so close by.

“Having a friendly face to talk to when you need it is so helpful. I’m really pleased the library can help facilitate it and add some more value to our community.”

To check the roster for the next Citizens Advice Bureau session, visit: westernbay.govt.nz/te-puke-CAB

e team from the Tauranga branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau is excited to share their expertise with people from Te Puke.

A quandary –fatherhood or priesthood?

He is human. Because when I asked Father Adam Kirkeby what the bold ‘IHS’ lettering on his vestment represented, the Catholic priest muttered and fumbled, he couldn’t quite remember. Of course he knew, but he had to scramble for his mobile and Google it.

A man of God in God’s own house and he u ed his lines. e calm, the quiet, the solemnity of the Parish of St omas Aquinas, was rocked by laughter. But it was okay.

‘IHS’ is a Christogram – the ‘I’ is for Iesus, Latin for Jesus. So ‘Iesus Hominum Salvator’ or ‘Jesus, Saviour of Mankind’.

Earlier when this crusty old southern Presbyterian reporter rapped on the rectory door at St Aquinas, good real estate sitting high on the intersection of Elizabeth St and Cameron Rd, he was a bit apprehensive. I come from a staunch Dunedin family which, in the day, did not talk to the neighbours simply because they were Catholic. And we relished beating up on the Catholic boys at rugby. But today, none of that Protestant prejudice of old, none of that bigotry and suspicion.

Father Adam Kirkeby beckons us in.

“EVERYONE is welcome in this house,” he declares. Even crusty old southern Presbyterians.

“Yes, Father Kirkeby would chat with e Weekend Sun,” the church o ce had told me earlier, when I asked for an interview. “He would do it for Jesus.”

But the canny good Father also sensed a good marketing opportunity. “Sometimes all people see is scandal, challenges and the church in negative light. It’s understandable if people want to run a hundred miles.”

Another side

But, he says, it’s not like that. “Just not true! e church is the love of my life and I just want people to see there is another side to things.”

And he’s a ne advertisement for the ‘other side’ of things, of the church and the priesthood. He’s a kind of celebrity endorsement in a dog collar. Personable, profound and young, just 38, and with blue eyes that would out-blue ol’ blue eyes, Frank Sinatra, himself.

“I’m not sure you should say this about a Roman Catholic priest,” observed one woman in the o ce. “But he’s pretty easy on the eye.” Yes, he admits, he gets quite a bit of that. You can sense his mother beaming with pride but the priest just bats it away with humility.

“Everything we have is from God in my view.” Even good looks. “And it’s Him I want to serve.”

And that ‘want’ started as a boy. “When I was very young, I would play priests, use soft toys as a congregation.” en came his grandmother’s missionary magazines – stories of priests in Africa, carrying water for miles, helping people, taking Christ to that land. “Inspiring!”

Role models

And there were role models. Stories of saints and famous Christians of old. “Truly inspiring.” A seed was sown. By 12 he was thinking about the priesthood. “A deep sense of being called and a longing to serve God and people.” ey’re profound thoughts for a 12-year-old. “Yes, and unless you have experienced them

On the eve of Easter, e Sun’s Hunter Wells follows one man’s personal journey down a path of faith into the Catholic priesthood. During two editions there is the calling, the agonising on the pillow at night, the ‘shall I?’ the ‘shan’t I?’ and the ultimate joy and peace.

continued...

they would be hard to understand.”

Here was a young man fueled by faith and ‘roddkal’ – Danish red pickle cabbage – and ‘brigadeiro’ – Danish pork sausages. His Dad’s Danish, a plumber who became a lawyer, and “not strictly a catholic”. And his grandfather was an agricultural advisor for the pork industry. “He pinched Danish ideas and brought them to New Zealand.”

And he was a trailblazer, a radical thinker, way ahead of his time. “Back in the 1960s my grandfather pushed for sow crates to be outlawed. He reckoned in NZ we would never have quality pork with animals living in such stressed out conditions.”

But he was banging his Danish head. Sixty-odd years later sow crates are still a bone of contention, although due to be phased out by 2025.

Family name

And along the way the priest’s family name has been interestingly Anglicised. He goes by Kirkeby, pronounced Kirk-a-bee. It’s a curiously appropriate name for the

Baycourt 40th Anniversary 21–29 April 2023

priest because ‘kirke’ in Danish is a church, pronounced kee-agga and ‘by’, pronounced ‘bee’ is a town. So church town pronounced ‘kee-agga-be’ has evolved into ‘Kirk-a-bee.’

Meanwhile a young Kirkeby was torn – should he or shouldn’t he. “I lay in bed at night and agonised –most de nitely.”

Marry?

One reason why his thinking was sometimes “de nitely no, I don’t want this” was because he thought he might like to marry, have a family. I suspect he would have been good in that world too – trustworthy, dependable, loyal, caring, hands-on. But, as he says, the faith was a full commitment.

Celibacy was an issue for Adam Kirkeby, but not a huge one. “I know it sounds silly, but I do regard celibacy as a gift, to be devoted to God.”

It begs the question – did he ever have a girlfriend? You sense this question might be a step too far. But yes, he did. And no, it was never anything serious,

Please take home Toulouse

is sweet boy, Toulouse, will melt your heart with his puppy eyes and snuggles.

Toulouse is an amazing little pup that came to the rescue with his siblings at a very young age.

ey gave the RRR team a parvo scare in their earlier weeks, but luckily all pups have made a wonderful recovery and are now ready to nd amazing forever homes to call their own.

Toulouse is ve months old, so

his new family will need to do further puppy training and socialisation with him so he can develop into a well-behaved dog.

Toulouse is sleeping through the night, working on toilet training between inside and outside.

and no, it wasn’t sexual. “I am very much of the belief that should be reserved for marriage.” End of matter. But not end of story. Next week: “You will be thinking I am some sort of weirdo...” We share some loves, likes and even some loathings of the Catholic priest.

Recognising the past Celebrating the present Dreaming about the future

Full programme of events visit baycourt.co.nz

Voting

Apply to meet Toulouse today. To nd out more, message the RRR Facebook page:

more, message the

www.facebook.com/RRRCanine/

It’s time for the Bay of Plenty community to decide which schools get funding for their project. Vote at www.participate.boprc.govt.nz

Father Adam Kirkeby. Photos: John Borren.

Hunter Wells

Feedback wanted on bus changes

Bay of Plenty Regional Council is looking to use current public transport resources more e ciently and make bus travel easier as part of proposed changes to the Tauranga bus network.

e council is inviting customer and community feedback on proposed changes to the network to improve journeys around the city and suburbs. Public consultation is open for submissions until Friday, April 28.

BOPRC transport planning manager Oliver Haycock says an e ective public transport system plays a signi cant role in the growth of our city.

“ is project proposes changing bus routes and adjusting services to address known challenges experienced by our customers and to meet demand. “An exciting element of our proposal is the new Route 1 service, running the full length of Cameron Rd before heading over the Harbour Bridge to Mount Maunganui.

“ is is in response to feedback that we’ve received previously about better connecting Te Papa peninsula with Mount Maunganui.”

e regional council is inviting feedback on

speci c bus services to provide more convenient travel choices and encouraging people to have a say online, in person or by post.

e Tauranga bus network refresh started November 2021 and used community feedback to help design and implement direct services from Papamoa to Tauranga CBD and simpli ed bus routes between Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. is next stage of the refresh focuses on improving routes in the west and south of Tauranga including Matua, Ōtūmoetai, the CBD, Greerton, Pyes Pā, e Lakes/Tauriko, Ohauiti and Welcome Bay.

Whilst BOPRC is not responsible for the placement or provision of bus stops and shelters, any comments related to infrastructure will be passed onto Tauranga City Council for consideration. Following public consultation, feedback will be analysed and incorporated into the proposal. BOPRC plan to share the updated network design in June 2023, then begin planning for implementation. For more information, view the consultation booklet, which outlines proposed changes.

Submissions can be made online at: boprc.govt.nz/bus-network-refresh

Public consultation closes April 28.

Lifting incomes to support people in the BOP

We’re working hard to lift incomes and to support Kiwis to get ahead.

Last week, we took the next steps with a suite of changes which

came into force on April 1. ese changes see more than one million people receive a bit more in their pocket to help with the cost of living.

More a ordable rough increases to Working for Families and the Best Start payment, we’re providing more support for whānau. We’ve also made childcare more a ordable for many low and middle income families by expanding childcare assistance income thresholds. On top of that, main bene ts increased by the rate of in ation,

meaning a family on a bene t with children receive an extra $40.86 a week and a sole parent receive an extra $31.83 a week.

It’s not just families seeing a boost to their incomes.

Tertiary students receiving student allowance or student loan living cost payments see around $20 extra each payment. anks to our minimum wage boost,

full-time minimum wage workers now earn an extra $60 a week too.

Seniors

Seniors here in the Bay of Plenty also bene t from this week’s changes. Single people on Superannuation now receive an extra $66.86 each payment and a couple, who are both aged 65-plus, receive $102.84 more in total a fortnight. While these measures alone won’t x everything, they will make a di erence for many –and right now, I know every bit counts when making ends meet.

Celebrating our community’s good sorts

Easter is a time when I like to give thanks. To focus on the positives, rather than the negatives.

Being able to spend this fourday weekend with my loved ones is something I am thankful for. I’m also thankful to live in such a beautiful location in the Bay of Plenty, where we are blessed with an incredibly strong social support network.

Sel ess

As a Member of Parliament I’ve helped people navigate di culties in their lives, usually involving government departments. It’s been rewarding to help them solve issues by

cutting through red tape and bureaucracy. Connecting constituents with the right people to assist them is what my team and I nd satisfying.

But there are many people whose problems don’t quite t the pathways of the public service. is is where our volunteers and social support agencies come to the fore. eir sel ess, dedicated and nonjudgmental service means so much to those they help. So that’s the focus of my Autumn Community Newsletter that went out to every household

in the electorate this week. A celebration of the good sorts in our community with whom I’ve connected over the last few months. You can read it online at www.toddmuller.co.nz/news.

Many others

ere are many others I’ve dealt with over the years and a summary of community service providers is at www.toddmuller. co.nz/community. If you know of other local good sorts, please let me know so I can include them too.

Best wishes for a lovely Easter and I hope to see you out and about at one of the many events happening during the long weekend.

Fall head over heels for Freckle

Meet Freckle who has been bestowed his name for obvious reasons. Freckle is such a smoochy man with a loud, heartfelt purr. Approximately two years old, Freckle loves to curl up in a ball in the sun and watch the day go by.

Freckle is also big on play time, and de nitely lets out his

inner kitten once in a while. He loves ping pong balls and things to chase. Freckle can get a bit too excited, so we encourage you to switch out his enrichment frequently so his mind is stimulated. Freckle can’t wait to be snatched up and taken to his forever home. Ask to meet Freckle today! Call the Tauranga centre on: 07 5780245. Ref 570248.

Do you have some new community group news, results or achievements?

Are you working on a community project, goal or proposal? If so, let us know! Phone 0800 SUNLIVE or email: newsroom@thesun.co.nz

I feel as though I have the best job in the world. I get to hear from people that often have life-changing bene ts from e ective nutritional therapy programmes.

I was contacted by someone with signi cant discomfort from osteoarthritis in her hands, feet and hips. We made changes to her diet and supplement programme. She was taking a joint supplement, but it was clearly not helping. She was taking Omega 3; we just changed the doses. She was taking a joint supplement; we used di erent doses and combinations.

We added more sh oil and 1500mg of both chondroitin and glucosamine with 400mg of curcumin extract. e results have

been excellent. Her joints have much improved and she’s especially thrilled with her feet, which were causing real problems.

e key to improved joint health is being prepared to try new options. Most joint supplements are based on glucosamine sulphate. While bene cial, it’s nowhere as e ective as chondroitin sulphate as this is a constituent of cartilage and exerts many positive bene ts to joints.

I replaced her supplement with my joint formula of 50/50 chondroitin and glucosamine. I believe this was the most important part of her improvement. You must wonder why most supplements have little chondroitin. I think this comes down to the cost of quality chondroitin. Adding this would result in higher prices or reduced pro t.

ere are many diet changes to help arthritis. By far the most important are fats. Some fats are in ammatory and worsen arthritis. Some are antiin ammatory and reduce the in ammatory part of arthritis. Omega 3 from oily sh is very anti-in ammatory and is the most important oil to reduce joint pain. Email me if you’d like a copy of my Anti-In ammatory Nutrition Guide. For more information give me a call or email: john@abundant. co.nz You can read my newsletter at: www.abundant.co.nz

John Arts is a quali ed nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health. Contact John on 0800 423 559. To read more go to www.sunlive.co.nz

New initiative to lower workers’ risk of stroke

A new health initiative with the potential to save lives in the construction industry has been launched by the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand.

Health15 is a new oneof-a-kind programme that brings free blood pressure tests and expert health and wellbeing advice directly to construction workers, to lower the risk of stroke among this vulnerable group.

Construction workers often work long hours, carrying out physically demanding mahi at a fast pace. is can make it hard to prioritise a healthy lifestyle or take the time to attend important health appointments.

It’s an industry where the ‘she’ll be alright’ attitude is common, and the foundations for future long-term health conditions are laid. at’s why the Stroke Foundation NZ has partnered with e Building Intelligence Group to develop the new initiative to help construction workers spot early warning signs of stroke and ease an economic burden which costs the country $1.1 billion per year.

Foundation CEO Jo Lambert says about 9500 Kiwis experience a stroke annually. “Long-term sick leave taken by a single employee can cost a company up to $1000 a year, with an estimated economic price tag of $1.79 billion per year nationwide. e impact on peoples’

lives is immeasurable. Stroke can rob you of your independence – and your ability to work – in an instant.

“Health15 makes it easy for workers to have their blood pressure checked by coming directly to their worksites and paying for any fees they incur in immediate follow-up medical appointments.”

Is it true: can emotions affect our skin?

Emotions can play a large role in how you look and how others perceive you. But of all the emotions that can shred away your youth, the number one spot goes to stress.

Stress stimulates the hormone cortisol. When you’re stressed, every organ works harder in your body. You eat di erent, often making you crave junk food like chocolates and potato chips all the time. Other e ects of stress are blood vessels become more fragile; skin cells don’t form as quickly; and cell turnover eventually slows to half.

Anger will also a ect how quickly your skin rejuvenates and heals. at pesky hormone, cortisol, taking centre-stage once more. It limits the production of collagen, which is the great ghter against aging.

However, we can’t stop how we feel. So when life gets the best of you, take some time for yourself. Get a facial, a massage – do whatever it is that calms and soothes you – have some ‘you time’.

It will subtract years from your face and add years to your life!

Of course, don’t forget that old saying: ‘Laughter is the best medicine’.

Feijoas good for you ahead of winter

Bursting with avour and nutritional value, feijoas are now in good supply for Aotearoa’s autumn.

New Zealand Feijoa Growers Association manager Ian Turk says much of the 2023 crop escaped signi cant damage from ooding in January and Cyclone Gabrielle. “While weather has disrupted usual timing of the season, and fruit is a

little later this year than normal, we’re expecting a good supply of fruit this season.”

Plant & Food Research principal scientist and 5+ A Day Charitable Trust spokesperson, Dr Carolyn Lister says feijoas provide valuable nutrition ahead of winter bugs emerging.

“Including just two feijoas a day through the autumn months

will provide 64 per cent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C, which has an important role in helping your immune system.

“Feijoas are also a source of dietary bre which helps you feel fuller for longer and is important for.”

For recipes to make the most of feijoas while they’re in season, visit: https://www.5aday.co.nz/

Plea to make time to donate blood

After her dad passed away at age 45 from pancreatitis and had di culty receiving a blood transfusion, Tauranga resident Shelley Toy decided at age 15 that she didn’t want others to experience the same di culty.

“I started giving blood when I was in Melbourne…I had his [my dad’s] blood group, which is one of the rarest I think, and I thought ‘I’m not going to put others in that position’,” says Shelley, who has AB negative blood. Now 60, Shelley has been donating blood for more than 30 years.

Signed up with NZ Blood’s ‘Team Red’ group donation initiative – Shelley is in the top group for donating blood and plasma in New Zealand. “ ere’s ve of us that go fortnightly for plasma on a Wednesday morning…we enjoy it, it’s a good group and we have a bit of laugh.”

Not enough

Tauranga Donor Centre’s donor relations coordinator Hannah Paul says unfortunately there is not enough blood and plasma being donated in our region or our country. “On average in New Zealand as a whole we only have 3.6 per cent of eligible people donating, which is obviously not a lot when we need a minimum 16 per cent to be self-su cient,” says Hannah. Blood only has a ‘shelf life’ of ve days so is in constant need. Plasma, on the other hand, can last up to two years in a frozen state – but that’s not

the ideal, says Hannah – plus we need more of it. “With plasma speci cally we are importing most of it from other countries just to be able to get enough in to hospitals.”

Donating plasma

Hannah says the process of donating plasma takes on average 40 to 45 minutes longer than donating blood, which takes ve to seven minutes. Donating alongside her husband Dennis Toy, Shelley says: “Sometimes it could take my husband a good hour to give his plasma and I take about half an hour”. Hannah encourages people to take the time for plasma donations as it is a “desperate need”. “Plasma can be made into medicine so it gets used for heaps of di erent things but big users of both blood

Focus on your strengths, not weaknesses

“Don’t push your weaknesses, play with your strengths” – Jennifer Lopez. So often we are unaware of our strengths and very aware of our weaknesses. We miss what our strengths are because we just ‘know’ how to do a particular thing. I remember being told I had great organisational abilities because of a particular task I had

performed and was surprised, thinking that this was just a ‘normal’ way that everyone did it. What we more usually focus on are our weaknesses… you may think you lack social or communication skills rather than focusing on the skill you

have of listening attentively to another. Or you may feel you are a procrastinator and instead could turn this around to use as a re ective tool to help you make clearer decisions. Find a weakness and ask yourself: What is the opposite side of the coin to this weakness that can be my strength?

If you’d like to learn more about coaching, phone Mary Parker, e Fast Track Coach, on 021 258 2145, or visit: www.thefasttrackcoach.co.nz

and plasma products are actually cancer patients. Unfortunately, a lot of people have to live with that.

High need

“I think a lot of people just think: ‘Someone else is donating so I don’t need to’, and it’s important to get the message out that that isn’t necessarily

the case,” says Hannah. Shelley encourages others wanting to donate to join their group: “It’s just a fun thing, that here we are, a little local group and we’re the top blood donors in the country.” Sign up your own team at: https://www. nzblood.co.nz/get-involved/teamred/

Georgia Minkhorst

Shelley and Dennis Toy donate plasma fortnightly at the Tauranga Donor Centre with their donating group. Photo: John Borren.

Egg on Easels Bike Trail at Te Puke!

A new Easter event in Te Puke is set to bring art, fun and fundraising to the community this Saturday, April 8.

Epic Te Puke’s rst Egg on Easels Bike Trail & Art event is 9am-1pm based at Jubilee Park. e event has gathered artists and groups to each paint one of 10 egg-shaped wooden boards – made by Te Puke Menz Shed – ahead of Saturday, which on the day will be staged along Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway.

Eventgoers are encouraged to bike, walk or run the pathway from 9am and scan the QR codes on the easels dotted along the 4km loop, then head back to Jubilee Park by 12.30pm to be in to win prizes.

“We’ll put the easels around that trail – so as you’re biking along there’s something cool to see. It’s like an outdoor art exhibition you can take by bike – or run or walk if you want to,” says Epic Te Puke’s Rebecca Larsen.

From 11.30am prizes – including two kids’ bikes – will be given away – and there will be a host of free, family-friendly activities on o er. “One easel will be set up at the park from 9am Saturday

for the community to paint live. ere will also be food, ra es, face painting, roaming actors, ponies and small animals, entertainment, and a visit from the Easter Bunny ahead of prizegiving at 12.30pm.”

Post-prizegiving, the easels will be uploaded to Trademe to auction to fundraise for their respective artist or group creator.

“For some groups, it will raise funds towards projects – such as the Scouts who are raising funds for their activities – and the community-made art will be auctioned to raise funds for the Red Cross Disaster appeal.”

Rebecca says the event is inspired by a Papamoa bike event, plus art – together o ering a multi-event fundraiser for

the community. “We really want to o er the community this di erent event –where they can participate and win prizes while supporting and helping artists and groups with their individual causes and what they are trying to achieve.

“It’s also bringing art to the community – often art is placed inside buildings – so this really brings it to the audience.”

With Te Puke Primary School and Te Puke Intermediate students painting art, Rebecca hopes they’ll see their art on display “and feel that accomplishment of having their work in an exhibition”.

Find out more about the event at: https://www.tepukeonline.nz/tepukeonline/p/65155-easter-2023

Merle Cave

An Easter wonderland in Papamoa

Unlike the fairy tale, Alice hasn’t toppled down the rabbit hole but she has lost her way down Papamoa’s Te Ara ō Wairākei Storm water trail – and it’s up to you to nd her!

Pedal & Pump Papamoa is bringing back their Alice and Wonderland-themed Easter trail to entertain all this Sunday, April 9. Head through the looking glass and nd Alice and her friends like the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat. If you snap sel es with

them and send them into Papamoa Unlimited on Facebook, you’ll be in for the chance to win one of four brand new bikes plus awesome spot prizes!

Hop on your bike or walk this wonderful Easter track. From 10am-4pm April 9 the trail will be free to explore between Santa Monica Drive and Palm Beach Boulevard. For more event information, visit: https://www. facebook.com/papamoaunlimited

Te Puke Intermediate student Penny Lyford, 12, with her school’s creation. Photo: John Borren.

Journey through the Christian story of Easter

and multi-sensory experiences depicting Christ’s early life, ministry, death, and resurrection.

Bringing the event back to life, volunteer assistant Dorrie Jones says the aim is to give people a chance to connect or reconnect with the Christian story. “We know there are a lot of faiths out there – but, for us, this is the chance to show what we believe in – given to the public in an interesting way which may prompt you think where are you at? And what do you want out of life? It’s an experience for people to understand Easter from a Christian viewpoint.”

e church debuted the walk-through presentation back in 2003 – and held it annually for a number of years. “ e last event was held in 2015 as the church building had some alterations, and of course then Covid-19 made large events impossible,” says Dorrie.

Di erent time-zones

Back this year, the presentation is open daily – from 3pm-9pm on ursday April 6, then 9am-6pm daily from Friday, April 7 through to Sunday, April 9.

Dorrie says the walk-through is a series of displays, with each telling part of the Easter story or featuring poignant periods of time in Christianity.

“ ere is an actual cruci xion scene, where we have real-life Jesus on the Cross – but there is a bypass for people who don’t want to see it.” ere’s contemplation and re ection areas dotted amongst the displays; and at the end is a café with free tea and co ee. “Also, we will run our barista cafe with food and co ee for sale.”

Nine weeks, 200 volunteers

Dorrie says usually a six-month a air to put together, this year 200-plus volunteers have done the mahi (work) in nine weeks. “We’ve had a lot of prop-making nights but we also have three full containers of props and materials we can recycle from the past events.” Attend the free event at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 90 Bethlehem Rd. See: https://bethlehem.org.nz/easter-journey/

Dorrie Jones and fellow volunteers among props ahead of the new presentation of the Easter story open this weekend.

“Each display has a di erent time-zone – rst you walk through the initial creation, then through some of the Old Testament events, then into New Testament when Jesus was born, some of the miracles he performed, his work etc. e total area of the display covers more than 800m2.

The soil is ripe for planting this weekend!

Finally some autumn sunshine – but just for how long is anybody’s guess. After all the rain, the soil is ideal for planting and garden centres will be full of ideas to beautify your little piece of Godzone.

From now on, roses will start to look tatty and in need of a good haircut. But be strong! Don’t prune until late-July as you don’t want to encourage precious, soft new growth to have a rogue frost destroy them all. And no feeding until after pruning except for a light dressing of potash around the drip-

CLASSIC FLYERS NZ

C.Cherokee Daybreak.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

CLASSIC FLYERS NZ

SCHOOL

line of each bush. If your garden could do with one small tree, I suggest a member of the Cornus family. C.Cherokee Daybreak is one of the best – variegated cream and green with a touch of pink in spring and summer, turning to vivid shades of red and orange in autumn. It is compact enough not to become a problem in a small garden but attractive enough to always command attention. With vegetable prices going through the roof, you might like to try a Vegepod – having your choice of vegies growing at waist level (no

CLASSIC FLYERS NZ

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

FUN ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

FUN ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

colouring competition pedal planes

Thursday 13thpaper plane day

FUN ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

colouring competition pedal planes

thursday 20thfamily dress up day

colouring competition pedal planes

Thursday 13thpaper plane day

FIRE TRUCK RIDES ON SELECTED DAYS

thursday 20th -

family dress up day

Thursday 13thpaper plane day

thursday 20thfamily dress up day

Oscar Wilde said: ‘ e story of mankind began in a garden and ended in Revelations’ so revel in all the deciduous trees with their autumn glory and make the fallen bounty into compost!

WWW.CLASSICFLYERSNZ.COM

snails) and covered by a mesh cage, which lets the rain and sunlight through but keeps the white butter ies out. A win/win situation and ideal for a small garden.

A visually stunning, re ective walk-through of the Easter story at Bethlehem Baptist Church is being opened to the public today after an eight-year hiatus. e doors at Bethlehem Baptist Church open 3pm today, ursday, April 6, with a new presentation of the Easter story overtaking and engul ng the building with its multiple displays

Photo: John Borren.

Merle Cave

Making progress in these tough times

ings are tough for everyone right now. It’s hard to make ends meet with in ation levels just below a three-decade high, a cost of living crisis and soaring costs for materials and supplies.

Plus, a few severe weather events, including a cyclone that’s caused devastation in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti in particular. Although we got o lightly in comparison, some of our infrastructure still su ered signi cant damage. It’s the need to balance tough economic times with increasing costs faced by council that have played a key role in how we arrived at our draft Annual Plan for 2023/2024.

is coming nancial year we’re proposing a rate increase of 7.41 per cent. While this proposed rate increase is higher than we had anticipated when the Long Term Plan was adopted two years ago, increased in ation has far exceeded what anyone assumed back then. I

can assure you we haven’t made this decision lightly, given today’s economic climate.

Prudent is is about prudent nancial management and not creating a funding problem in future. Doing what we can today, making calculated decisions to minimise the chance of larger rates increases in subsequent years.

We want to be a council that makes the right decisions and is committed to taking this district forward while balancing the needs of its people. Not one that kicks the can down the road for a later date.

is means delivering on some projects that will not only keep our district moving smoothly, but increase pride of place given the community have communicated a clear desire for these projects through past kōrero.

We’re proposing to do them now as they

average rates increase due to

won’t have an impact on the average rates increase due to how they are funded, but they will have a longer term impact if we don’t do them now.

We also need to factor in damage recent weather events caused. We’re still assessing how much it will cost to x (in the realm of $15-20 million), but it is likely to have an impact on this Annual Plan, and we may need to look at ways to help o -set any rates impact.

So, back to the proposed rates increase.

We’ve done as much as we can to bring this rate increase in line with in ation. With the Consumer Price Index at 7.2 per cent, and Local Government Cost Index increases ranging between 8.7 per cent-12.4 per cent this hasn’t been easy. In addition, contractual cost increases are as high as 20 per cent to re ect labour and material price increases.

Simply, the Local Government Cost Index

measures the changing price of materials and services for local government activity – in other words it’s our own basket of goods for things like pipes and bitumen.

General Rate Reserve

In particular we’re proposing to dip into our General Rate Reserve as one mechanism to keep rates as low as prudently possible. Using $1.6m of this reserve would allow us to strike an average 7.41 per cent rate increase. We will not be using the full $5.1m to allow us a bu er should these funds be needed in future and because it is not smart to use such reserves to o set ongoing costs (rather than selected oneo capital costs).

So, if you want to know more or wish to kōrero with me, councillors and the council team – join us for a co ee at one of our three drop-in sessions during the week of April 17. Alternatively, head online at: www.haveyoursay. westernbay.govt.nz/annualplan before April 30.

Churches Active In Our Community

Pay attention to what brings us life...

Easter this year comes after a hard three years. Easter comes with the Ukraine war, and other con icts, still being waged. We feel the e ects of that.

Easter comes with news of natural disasters overseas and here in Aotearoa. Climate change is now part of our reality. Each day news providers show us images of death, destruction and despair, and we return to the horror of Good Friday. What good news does Easter bring amid our grief and uncertainty?

Easter is the other side of death. It’s an invitation to pay attention to what brings us life.

To make more space for life, and, to let go of the things that deny life. It is hearing the invitation to join all those who work for peace and life, knowing God is present and looking to bring life in the most hopeless of situations. is Easter we

join those asking combatants in Ukraine to lay down their weapons from Orthodox Good Friday to Orthodox Easter Sunday.

What other ways can we work for peace this Easter? In talking about Easter, Joy J. Moore says: “We need a biblical imagination to recognise all that God has been doing to restore the divine intention for humanity. e cruci xion was the culmination of humanity’s acts of violence against God. e resurrection is the climactic demonstration of God’s unrelenting love toward humanity (https://www.workingpreacher.org)”.

May you know God’s desire for resurrected life for you, for us; for this world. May you live in God’s compassion and generosity, joining with God to create new life and the possibility of hope and peace.

Reverend John Hebenton, vicar, and Anglican Archdeacon of Tauranga City and Coast.

It was gratifying attending the public day on March 23 after the o cial opening the day before, of the new automated Waiari water supply plant at Te Puke.

A view on our water set-up! The hidden culprit of climate change

People I spoke to referred to the inspired decision taken by the 1996 council to run with the micro ltration system, in the face of public opposition and a local action group. e Joyce Rd plant replacing a defunct water plant, inherited from Mount Maunganui Borough Council, was the rst micro ltration plant in NZ. is system prevents all kinds of lurgy in our water supply.

Budgeted at $22 million that plant cost $18 million and opened in 1998. Next up was Oropi and from memory cost around $40 million about 10 years later.

Waiari was delayed in 2008 due to the Global Financial Crisis and in 2023 has cost $197 million.

e costs of delay are astronomical. Our city now has three independent but interconnected water supplies – which gives reasonable security of supply in the event of disaster.

Failure to priorities essential infrastructure has cost ratepayers plenty. You won’t need museums and other so called ‘mind nourishing’ amenities if water doesn’t come and go.

Former Mayor Noel Pope said that pipes in the ground don't make for electoral success – and he was right. Public interest in basic infrastructure ceases when they turn on a tap or ush a toilet.

It only becomes important when – or if –nothing happens. Tauranga ratepayers have once

again funded infrastructure for Western Bay of Plenty District Council, which although holding 25 per cent of the resource consent have spent nil dollars on the plant and continue to supply second class water.

All this in the hope that the ree Waters proposal will come to pass and they will escape (again) the capital costs. In my opinion, they have ridden on the coat-tails of Tauranga ratepayers for too much for too long. It’s time they fronted for their responsibilities.

e new plant appears a state-ofthe-art complex and the automated micro ltration technology has developed spectacularly. For example, the lter tubes now last 10 years or more whereas in the beginning they lasted a year or so. Well done to designers, consultants, builders, sta and most of all Tauranga ratepayers on the long overdue completion of the project.

Tauranga must retain this jewel in our infrastructure crown and strenuously oppose ree Waters. Unfortunately Tauranga’s unelected, government-appointed Commissioners support ree Waters along with Local Government NZ. ree Waters is nothing more that theft of ratepayers’ assets and has to be stopped. We paid up for micro ltration when others chose to spend up on other things.

Bill Faulkner, Otumoetai.

e main culprit causing climate change would be easier understood if we could actually see it. But it is virtually invisible. at is the exhaust gases from fossil fuel-propelled vehicles. Millions of vehicles pump huge amounts of poisonous gas into the Earth’s atmosphere daily and goes unseen because we can’t see it, we regard it as harmless. Yet if we put our noses within 5cm of a working exhaust we would be dead within minutes. If the vehicle exhaust gases can easily

kill a human, what amount of damage is done to our atmosphere on a daily basis? By millions of moving vehicles.

We all must try to nd a less world damaging way of transporting ourselves around, before the Earth gives up and turns into another moon.

transporting ourselves around, before the Earth gives up and Ken Jones, Katikati.

Heading: Re: ‘A no-sense roundabout’ (Letters page 21, e Weekend Sun March 31 edition). K Moorland asks the question why a roundabout at Morton Rd, Katikati, before a roundabout at Omokoroa Rd. e reason I was given is that roundabouts

Churches Active In Our Community

slow tra c down, roundabouts on State highway 2 have been constructed at Tetley Rd, Morton Rd, and are being constructed at Matahui Rd, Pahoia Rd, to come is Sharp Rd. is makes ve – and all before the most dangerous intersection at Omokoroa Rd. Wendy Galloway, Omokoroa.

If you feel God’s been absent, look again!

If there really is a loving Creator God or gods would you expect them to leave us alone, give us no clear instructions and hide themselves throughout history? Of course you wouldn’t expect that.

And would you expect them to leave clear and veri able footprints in history of their existence and activity, and to appear to humanity in personal and powerful ways? I think most of us would expect that.

A multitude of alleged gods out there sadly fail to meet these reasonable expectations. However, the God of the Bible meets them marvellously. He spoke to the patriarchs and the Hebrew prophets over the centuries, and then personally revealed Himself, as the prophets predicted He would, in the person of Jesus Christ walking this

earth in human esh with us.

Jesus publicly and veri ably did all we’d reasonably expect the Creator could do including healing multitudes, controlling the elements, raising the dead and loving us sel essly. God did reveal Himself in an extremely personal and loving way. Jesus Himself said: ‘If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father’.

Christ’s heroic and radical sacri ce to reconcile sinful humanity to God and His resurrection were so profound and moving they’ve never been forgotten.

Christ’s impact has been as you’d expect. Multitudes from all nations follow Him.

Christianity’s more widespread than any other religion and its book containing God’s expected instructions for us, the Bible, has no near rival

in terms of inspired prophetic brilliance or distribution. If you feel God’s been absent, look again! David Kidd, Church of God’s Love

Most dangerous spot untouched so far – sigh!

e new Waiari Water Supply plant. Photo: John Borren.

The search for love continues for some...

SPCA Tauranga’s Centre and Rescue Revive Rehome’s adoption days last weekend saw plenty of cuddly companions nding loving homes…yet some

are still hoping to leave paw prints on your heart!

RRR’s dog adoption day saw nine of 16 pups get swept up – and the team expect some more adoptions

too. Meanwhile, SPCA Tauranga Centre’s manager Andrea Crompton says they had 33 feline adoptions and eight puppy adoptions.

“We had an awesome day…it was exactly what we were hoping for. ere were plenty of families and it was nice to see all the kids out and about.”

Sna ed up!

Mature cat Tilly, which Andrea adores for her smoochy personality was quickly sna ed. “It’s great news. She’s got somebody she can cuddle every morning.”

ere are still some kittens checked in however –about 20 to be exact! “We’ve got new kittens ready for adoption…so if people are still looking for a kitten we do have them available.”

Others were left looking puppy-eyed out the window as their buddies went to new homes, and they stayed behind.

Although, he’s Andrea’s favourite pup, Pumba didn’t nd a new family. “He’s still here with no application on at this stage so my brave little lion is still here.”

Still there...

And unfortunately, oneyear-old Sharpei-cross Ludo is still longing for love. He’s been looking for a home for more than ve months. “We’ve still got our eyes peeled for the perfect home for Ludo. We know how long Ludo’s been here so he’s the top priority at the moment.

As I say, they have a good life here at the shelter but it’s better they nd the right home and somebody who can give them love 24/7!”

Andrea gives special mentor to the SPCA’s Tauranga Centre’s dedicated team of volunteers who helped during the weekend. “I’d love to thank our volunteers on the day…they just did an awesome job.”

Give some love to the furry friends that didn’t nd a home over the weekend – visit SPCA Tauranga’s website to check out these pets at:

https://www.spca.nz/adopt Georgia Minkhorst

Beware of animal poisoning in autumn

With autumn arriving, here at Tauranga Vets we want to educate pet-owners on what things can poison animals during this season.

Acorns

Most species of oak (Quercus spp) are considered toxic. Clinical signs can occur three-seven days after consumption of large quantities of green acorns in autumn. Signs can include anorexia, emaciation, dehydration, eye, or nasal discharge. Clinical recovery usually occurs within one-two months however survival becomes less assured if kidney damage is severe.

Avocado

Avocado contains a toxin called Persin. While dogs and cats are rarely a ected by Persin, avocado

poisoning can be deadly to birds and large animals.

Pet birds, including canaries and cockatiels, should never be fed avocado as they are extremely susceptible to Persin. Poisoning signs in birds can include inability to perch, di culty breathing, and sudden death. Clinical recovery usually occurs within one-two days however prognosis becomes guarded if organ dysfunction is severe. Autumn is typically high risk with leaf/fruit fall. Other plant and/ or chemical toxins may also result in animals becoming sick suddenly with similar signs. If you suspect an animal may be su ering from a poison/ toxicity, contact your local vet.

tauranga katikati te puna papamoa village

Tauranga Vets

Sharpei-cross Ludo is still trying to capture a heart that will take him home and there’s still plenty of kittens up for grabs. Photos: John Borren.

Welcoming jazz – farewelling the less famous!

Yes! It’s Easter! e Jazz Festival is here. Having written about it at length in the past weeks there seems no need to go over things again, except to say – get out and enjoy it. Sixty years is a pretty damn good e ort. ere’s music everywhere during Easter, from funk to soul, blues to country, rock to K-Pop. ere’s also some jazz. Big bands, little bands, swing bands, bebop bands, mainstream bands, Dixie bands, you name it... For more, go to: sunlive.co.nz ese columns are under ‘Lifestyle/ Music’; or just head to the festival website: jazz.org. nz And do check out some music.

With all that excitement this weekend let’s step sideways and look back to March, during which I wrote about the deaths of guitarists David Lindley and Gary Rossington. But a full band’s worth of musicians left us in March and I thought their passing merited a further nod.

Most famously, jazz sax player Wayne Shorter died, and so did Jim Gordon, a drummer I, and probably all of us, heard a lot of. He was with Eric Clapton’s band Derek and e Dominoes and played on the original ‘Layla’. Gordon would have to be one of the only people whose Wikipedia description runs: “an American musician, songwriter, and convicted murderer”.

Tragically, in 1983, in a psychotic episode associated with undiagnosed schizophrenia, Gordon murdered his mother and was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. His mental health never improved, and he was still incarcerated in a mental facility at the time of his death.

Nashville man

Other less well-known musicians died in March. Here’s another you might not have heard of but I bet you’ve heard: Michael Rhodes. Rhodes was a Nashville session bass player with the longest CV in Tennessee history. He played on albums by Alabama, Richard Marx, Kenny Rogers, Shawn

Colvin, Rodney Crowell, Hal Ketchum, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Amy Grant and 21 others – and that’s just between 2000 and 2002.

ere was also J.J. Cale, Joan Baez, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, Larry Carlton, Stevie Nicks, Diane Schuur, Joss Stone, e Beach Boys, Beth Hart, Lionel Ritchie, EmmyLou Harris and dozens more... you get the idea. Helluva bass player!

‘ ey’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!’ (which was backed with the same song played backwards). Go on, dial up YouTube and have a listen. You know you want to. It will make your world a better place... Go on, dial up YouTube and have a listen. You know you want to. It will make your world a better place... his

Lockett and we have him to thank for the glorious attack of the likes of Black Flag, the Minutemen, the Meat Puppets, and Hüsker Dü. And one last obit. Someone nally came and took away Jerrold Laurence Samuels – better known to the world as Napoleon XIV. He was the man of course responsible for the 1966 hit

Petty’s mate

band who never

their

And Keith Reid died. I bet you listened to Keith Reid’s words a thousand times without knowing his name. Reid was that rarest of things: a fully- edged and credited member of a band who never performed with them. From the start and right up to, but excluding, their nal (2017) album he got a full member credit with Procul Harum as their designated lyricist, crafting his impressionistic poetry for keyboard playing singer Gary Brooker’s music. He was the guy who “skipped the light fandango and turned cartwheels across the oor”. Fun fact: as a member of the band he never missed a gig, despite not actually playing.

Here’s another name you almost know, who died: Tom Leadon. He was a founding member of Tom Petty’s original band Mudcrutch; and his brother, Bernie, was an Eagle.

Saxophone player Tony Coe has also left the building. He was mainly known in the British jazz scene but if, like me, you’re a sucker for Scottish singer John Martyn’s classic ‘Solid Air’ album, do your cap – that’s Coe playing sax.

I don’t know if anyone else has a soft spot for 1980s American punk label SST. e man who produced and engineered those recordings has died. He was known on the records as simply ‘Spot’ – using all capital letters and adding a dot inside the O. His real name was Glenn Michael

Only the best at the Plant Fest

If you’re a green- ngered fanatic or love foliage friends – then Plant Fest is the event for you!

Heather Jones is the budding new face of Plant Fest – with years of event know-how and gardening grow-how, she can’t wait to bring this plant wonderland to life. “I am incredibly excited, along with my family, to ensure Plant Fest is bigger and better than ever!”

On April 16, Plant Fest will boast a collection of top boutique plant sellers, growers and plant accessory whizzes from across the country – all sharing their plant passion. “We’ve retained uniqueness of this festival because we have speciality exhibitors.”

Enjoy live music, food, art workshops while you wander and grab a plant, handmade pot or print. ere will even be the opportunity to get plantstyled tattoos too!

Plant Fest will run 9am-3pm Sunday, April 16 at Tauranga Racecourse. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.plantfest.co.nz/

Harum as

designated Derek and e Dominoes, Jim Gordon is second left.

Plant lovers can line up next weekend to get their hands on some of the best greenery from around New Zealand. Photo: supplied.

Saturday 8 April

Association Croquet

Sat, Mon & Wed at Club Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St. 9.15am for 9.30am start. New players & visitors welcome. Ph Jacqui 07 574 9293

Bay Singles Social Group

Join a bunch of over 50’s young singles. Weekend dinners, pot-lucks, occasional outings. Have a go! Ph Delia 027 284 8762, Andrea 021 133 0313

Boules - Petanque

Tauranga COP Club, Tawa St, Mt Maunganui. Social and competitive play. Boules available.

Every Saturday 1pm, Tuesday 2pm, Thursday 11am. New players welcome.

Ph Ray 027 756 3565

Katikati Bowling Club

8 Park Rd 1.45pm

Katikati Toy Library

Family-focused facility offering 600+ toys to loan to children zero-10.

Tues 6.30-8pm Weds 2.30-4pm

Sat 9am-10am. Located behind the Christian Centre, Henry Rd, Katikati National Jazz Festival

Port of Tauranga 60th National Jazz Festival 1st-10th April at the Baycourt Community and Arts Centre. Tickets available from ticketek.co.nz

0800 TICKETEK

Otumoetai Tennis Club

Adult tennis. Start

1.30pm. Bellevue Park Windsor Rd. (Adjacent to swimming pool). New players & visitors welcome.

Ph Victor 027 577 1818 a/hrs

Soul Station, Spiritual Hub

Papamoa Community Centre, Toroha rm regularly the 8th of each month. Week days 6.308.30pm. Weekend mini expo days 9.30am-2.30pm. $20 entry fee

St Stephen’s Jigsaw Library

Every Saturday 10-12noon. Hire for 2 weeks a variety of 600 puzzles. 1002000 piece puzzles. Please wear masks. Cnr Brookfield and ighmore Terrrace

Tauranga Social Dance Club

Sequence Dancing Wesley Church Hall 100 13th Ave 7-10pm $7 incl supper. Warm welcome.

Ph Jan 576 3455

Tauranga Farmers Market

7.45am-12noon at Tauranga Primary School cnr Cameron Rd & 5th Avenue. Rain, hail or shine. Direct from the Producers. Support local Village Radio Museum

Community Radio broadcasting nostalgic music & Community Notices seven days on 1368 KHz AM Band. Radio Museum open from 10am. Request line 571 3710

Sunday 9 April

Accordion Music Group

Every 3rd Sunday of the month, Welcome Bay Hall, $4.00pp, 1-4pm, afternoon tea supplied everyone welcome for an afternoon of Evergreen music ph Joy 027 285 3093

Brain Watkins House Museum

Brain Watkins House Museum (est. 1881) on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Cameron Rd is open from 2pm4pm. $5 adult, children free Car boot Sale

Otumoetai College Carpark Windsor Rd 7.30am sellers, 8.00am buyers. $10 a space. Proceeds for Otumoetai Rotary projects. Details txt Brian 021 122 8735 Bevan 027 461 2127

Falun Dafa

Apply ancient wisdom in 2023 with easy, qigong Exercises in the Parks. Free to learn. All welcome. https:// en.falundafa.org For details, ph/text

Judy 021 0425 398

Farmers Market - Mount Mainstreet

Every Sunday 9am-1pm rain or shine! Te Papa o Nga Manu Porotakataka (Phoenix Park). www.mountmainstreet.nz

Golf Croquet

Sun, Tues, & Thurs at Club Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St. 8.30am for 9am start. New players & visitors welcome. Ph Nev 07 575 5121

Miniatures Club Tauranga

“Making it Small” Meetings

2nd Sunday each month

[Feb-Nov] 10am-4pm. Arts and Crafts Centre, 177 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga. Contact:

Jan 07 542 0998

Papamoa Lions Club Market

2nd & 4th Sunday. Gordon Spratt Reserve, Parton Rd, Papamoa. Gates open 7am for stall holder entry. Wayne 027 974 5699

Quakers in Tauranga

Invite you to explore your spiritual journey. Silent contemplation, companionship. Refreshments served. 10am-12 corner Cameron Road/ Elizabeth Street. Behind Brain Watkins historical house. All welcome.

Ph 022 409 1419 www.quakers.nz

Range Open Day

NZDA Range Open Day - Last Sunday of each month. 300m rifl range at the TECT Park, open from 9am to approx. 3pm. $50/shooter

Sunday Scribblers

Small friendly group writing down ones memories Chrome Cafe, Wharawhara Rd Katikati. Third Sunday of each month 11am-12.30pm

Ph Gaye 027 274 8753 Email gayehemsley@gmail.com

Taijiquan and Qigong

Sat & Wed 9am. Free Taiji and Qigong group. Kulim Park on beach by big rock. All welcome. Ph Petro 021 751 665

The Day Out Markets

Held every Sunday at Bethlehem Town Centre. 9am-1pm. Market Stalls, Food Trucks, Lawn Games, Entertainment and More!

Monday 10 April

500 Card Group

Held every Monday (except Public Holidays) at Age Concern, 177a Fraser Street, Tauranga at 9.30am. Cost $2

Badminton Club, Aquinas College

Tauranga Badminton Club, Mon & Weds 7-9pm. Aquinas College

Gymnasium. Seniors & Year 11 upwards welcome. Casual players $10pp. Club racquets available. Ph/Txt Noel 027 622 9797

Beginner Social Dance Group

Commencing Monday, 8 May, 7-8pm, Welcome Bay School Hall, 309 Welcome Bay Rd. Ballroom/Latin/ Rock&Roll. Just come along on the night. Ph: Sonia 027 322 1786

Bethlehem Indoor bowls Bethlehem Hall. Names in by 6.45pm. Open to all bowlers, juniors welcome, more info Ph Tom 022 532 5603

Chess at Mount Maunganui

Mount RSA Chess Club 544 Maunganui Rd, Mondays (excl public holidays). Early program 6.307pm Late program 7pm onwards.

Casual Chess allowed. Search

“Western BoP Chess” Craft & Chat

Come along with your craft projects, talk crafts, & learn a new skill. Every first onday of the month. 94 Bureta Rd, Otumoetai. Email: communityactivities.otumoetai@ waiapu.com

Dutch Friendly Support Network

Do you have a Dutch Connection?

Coffee morning (1st Monday of month) 10am-12noon. $4 entry.

Vintage Car Club Rooms, Cliff Road, Tauranga. Ph Bernadette 07 572 3968

English conversation classes

ESOL. Free English Conversation classes at Holy Trinity Church, 215 Devonport Rd. Every Monday during school term(except public holidays). 9.30-11.30am

Greerton Garden Club Greerton Garden Club meets 2nd Monday each month at St. James Church Hall, Pooles Road, at 1pm. Visitors Welcome. Ph 562 8855

Indoor Bowls

Matua Primary School Hall at 7.15pm. New members welcome.

Come and join us for a evening of fun and bowls. Ph Karen 576 0443

JP Service at CAB

JP available at Citizens Advice Bureau Tauranga, 367 Cameron Road. Monday 1-3pm. Thursday 9.3011.30am. Friday 9.30-11.30am

Katikati Bowling Club

Mixed 2 x 4 x2. Reporting time 9.15am

Keep On Your Feet

Omokoroa 11am-12pm, Settlers Hall, 334 Omokoroa Rd. Strength & balance classes for older adults. All levels of fitnes welcome. Ph Sharnie 021 111 8617

Papamoa Patchers

Patchwork and Quilting. Meets at St Andrews Church Hall, Corner Dee St and Ranch Rd, Mount Maunganui. For more information. Ph 021 188 5840

Pickleball Mt Maunganui

Mount Pickleball Club meets Monday and Wednesday mornings at Mount Sports Centre or Baypark. Paddles and balls provided. Calendar on Facebook. Bob 027 478 6282

Plant Fest

16 April 9am-3pm at Tauranga

Racecourse. New Zealand’s premium indoor plant event. Tickets at: plantfest.co.nz or $20pp at the door if not soldout prior

Senior Net Technology Classes

Get the most from you phone, tablet, i pad, laptop, & more. Classes held at Historic Village. Ph 07 577 1912

Taoist Tai Chi Arts

Cultivating Stillness. New beginning classes Mon-Sat, Tauranga, Te Puke, Papamoa, Mt Maunganui, Katikati. www.taoisttaichi.org for schedule. Ph Margie 02 150 0320

Tauranga Stamp Club

Wesley Methodist Church, 100 Thirteenth Ave. 10am on the 2nd and 7.30pm on the 4th Monday of the month. All welcome. Ph Tony 07 549 5015 or Brian 07 576 5210

Yoga in Daily Life

Time out for YourSelf! Stretch, Strengthen, Recharge and Relax. Mondays 9.30-11am at Ohauiti Settlers Hall. 27 years teaching experience. For registration contact Asunta 021 061 4394, yogaindailylife@pl.net

Tuesday 11 April

Arataki Coastal Club

Arataki Coastal Club. At Arataki Community Centre, Mt Maunganui. Second Tuesday of month 9.30am. Speakers, outings, dining, morning tea and more. Ph 572 2908

Beginner Social Dance Group Commencing Tues 14 Feb 8-9pm,Wed 15 Feb 6-7pm, Welcome Bay School Hall, Welcome Bay Rd. Ballroom/Latin/Rock&Roll. Just come along on the night Ph Sonia 027 322 1786

Coffee/Conversation Group Te Puke Age Concern Tauranga holds a friendly Coffee and Conversation Group, Te Puke Citizens RSA, 179 Jellicoe St, 10.30-12noon, cost $5pp.

All Welcome

Boules at Bayfair

A new year, a new sport, try Petanque, Russley Drive Tues & Thurs 12.45. New members welcome Boules & tuition available Ph 021 175 9282 or just turn up

Boules - Petanque

Tauranga COP Club, Tawa St, Mt Maunganui. Social and competitive play. Boules available. Every Saturday 1pm, Tuesday 2pm, Thursday 11am. New players welcome. Ph Ray 027 756 3565

Cards 500 Mount Community Hall, 345 Maunganui Rd. 12.30-4pm. Friendly group. Car parks available. Bus stop outside. Inquiries Ph 027 658 6848.

All ages welcome

Fitness for over 65’s Co-ordination, strength and balance classes for over 65’s. Welcome Bay Hall Tuesdays 11am. No class first eek of school holidays. $8 Nadia 021 187 0345. Low impact

Fitness Fun

Total body fitness walking plus weights, mat work, and dance. Venue: St Columba Church, 502 Otumoetai Rd, Cherrywood. Time 9.30-10.30am Ph Gloria 021 139 2448

Horizons Suicide Loss Support

10-11:30am, Papamoa Family Services, 35E Hartford Ave. A safe place to be with others who understand grief after loss to suicide. Amy 021 0903 9568, amy@ griefsupport.org.nz. www.griefsupport.org.nz

Inachord Women Singers

Join us for singing and fun. 7pm Bethlehem Community Church, 183 Moffat Rd. Musical Director Andrew Braid. Pippa 027 473 0185, Julie 021 0252 6805 Keep On Your Feet

Katikati Catholic Church Hall, 89 Beach Rd, 10.15-11.15am. Strength & balance classes for older adults. All levels of fitness elcome.

Ph Sharnie 021 111 8617

Learn Salsa

Join us every Tuesday 7.30pm at Elizabeth St Community Hall, 169 Elizabeth St, Tauranga. For your FREE class go to getyourcubanon. com contact kate@getyourcubanon. com Ph 021 744 056

Olympic Style Shooting

7pm at the Tauranga Target Rifl Club range next to Legion hall in lower Elizabeth St. Gear and coaching provided Ostomy Society Meeting

Western BoP Ostomy Society Meeting, Raft Coffee Lounge Boardroom. 10.30am. All

Ostomates & Caregivers & interested people welcome. Ph Dian 07 543 0598 for information

Otumoetai Tennis Club

Adult tennis. Start 9am Tues & Thurs. Bellevue Park Windsor Rd (Adjacent to swimming pool). New players and visitors welcome.

Ph Peter 021 542 172

Otumoetai Walking Group

Meet at 9am at Kulim Park.

Ph Danny 576 6480

Social Badminton Shuttlecocks & Hens.

Tues 9-11am, Fri 9.3011.30am. All welcome. Tauranga Memorial Hall.

Ph Lorraine 027 408 6211

Taichi Qigong Beginner Classes

Te Puke Memorial Hall, Tuesday 9.30-11.30 / St Georges Church Hall Gate Pa, Wednesday 9.3011.00 / Te Puna Memorial Hall Thursday 9.30-11.00. $6 All welcome, non religious. Ph David 027 222 2824 Linda 027 948 6385

Tauranga Acoustic Music Club

Greerton RSA 7pm. Friendly gettogether, all instruments, all levels of ability. Come in & enjoy some live music. Grant 578 6448

Tauranga Model Railway Club

Club meets Tuesday 9.30am & Thursday 7.30pm. On the corner of Mirrielees & Cross Rds, Sulphur Point. Ph Mike 021 939 233

Tauranga Patchwork and Quilters

Every 1st & 3rd Tuesday, 7pm; 2nd & 4th Friday, 10am. Art & Craft Centre, 177 Elizabeth St. Ph.

Jenny 07 262 3120

Te Puke Pipe Band

Meets weekly 6-8pm

Te Puke Baptist Church, Station Rd Te Puke.

Learner Pipers and Drummers welcome. Free tuition provided. Ph Jo 021 052 6728

Yoga for All

Welcome Bay Community Centre, 6-7:30pm. Traditional, relaxing Yoga class. Beginners welcome. $130 for eleven weeks or $15 one class. Bring a mat. Info: Bhajan 07 929 7484

Wednesday 12 April 10 Pin Bowling

1pm at 10 Pin Tauranga,135 13th Ave. Mixed group play for fun but

keep the score. Very occasionally competitive. Ph Glenda 021 257 8678

A Course in Miracles

A teaching to experience inner peace and transform your thinking from fear to Love. Stuck in the past?

Free Internet forgiveness workshop at https://jenniferhadley.com/howget-over-it Text 021 0274 2502

Adult Ballet/Plus Class

Lots of dance styles covered. Lots of fun 12.30: Anglican Church Hall, Beach Rd, Katikati. Ph 07 577 1753 or 027 274 8753

Email: gayehemsley@gmail.com

Age Concern Walking Group

Meet at 10am. 12th Sunny Bay Rd, off Levers Rd. 19th Countdown Greerton. 26th St Stephens Church, off BrookfieldTerrace. Ph Renee 07 576 6699

Avenues Friendship Club

1st Wednesday each month at 9.30am. Tauranga Citizens Club 170/13th Ave. Visitors very welcome Phone 027 406 1846 Badminton Club, Aquinas College

Tauranga Badminton Club, Mon & Weds 7-9pm. Aquinas College Gymnasium. Seniors & Year 11 upwards welcome. Casual players $10pp. Club racquets available.

Ph/text Noel 027 622 9797

Beginner Social Dance Group

Commencing Tues 14 Feb 8-9pm,Wed 15 Feb 6-7pm, Welcome Bay School Hall, Welcome Bay Rd. Ballroom/Latin/ Rock&Roll. Just come along on the night Ph Sonia 027 322 1786

Cards 500

Our friendly group plays 500 from 1pm at St Thomas More Church, 17 Gloucester Rd Mt Maunganui. $4. Includes refreshments. Barbara 027 216 9066 or Bob 027 478 6282

Community Bible Study

Join us for CBS bible study The Books of Romans. Wed 7-9pm C3, 252 Otumoetai Rd. Ph 021 225 5981

Fernland Spa Gentle Exercise

Gentle exercise in warm mineral water. Suitable for joint replacements, arthritics & recovery from accident or injury. Good for strength, coordination and balance.

Jennifer 027 206 0776

Fitness for over 65’s Co-ordination, strength and balance classes for over 65’s.

Welcome Bay Hall Wednesdays

9.15am. No class first eek of school holidays. $8 Ph Nadia 021 187 0345. Intermediate level

Free info & Advice

Come and see the Citizens Advice Bureau Tauranga at Welcome Bay Community Centre. Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month and Greerton Library every 2nd & 4th

Wednesday 10am -12midday

Healing Rooms Prayer

Experience Gods healing touch, whether physical, emotional, spiritual. 1-3pm Every Wednesday. All welcome. No charge. Central Baptist Lounge. 640 Cameron Rd. www.healingrooms.co.nz 027 640 1263

Indoor Bowls Gate Pa

Greerton Community Hall.

12th Champion Singles 7pm names in book. 19th Club night, Chamion Singles Playoff 7pm. 26th Greerton Lotto Shop Open Fours Tournament 10am names in book. Kevin 543 4044

Katikati Bowling Club 8 Park Rd. Mixed Roll-ups

12.45-3pm

Marching for Leisure

A non-competitive activity for mature ladies. Fun, fitness and friendshi. For Tauranga team’s practice and contact details please call Glenice Dando 027 489 8841

Pickleball at night

Pickleball is fun and it’s at Tauranga Boys College 7-9pm Wednesday and Friday nights.

Paddles and balls provided. $5.

Bob 027 478 6282

Scottish Country Dancing

Mt Maunganui Club, Club nights every Wednesday, 7pm, Mt Citizen’s - Community Hall, 345 Mt M Rd.

Beginner’s welcome, no partners needed. Lynne 021 140 7912

Geoffrey 544 0839

Steady As You Go

Age Concern exercise group, Bureta area, improve strength and balance $2 Wednesdays 2-3pm except 1st Wednesdays.

Ph Betty 07 570 3215

Taijiquan and Qigong

Sat & Wed 9am. Free Taiji and Qigong group. Kulim Park on beach by big rock. All welcome.

Ph Petro 021 751 665

Tauranga Embroiderers’ Guild

Meets every Wednesday at Tauranga Rowing Club, Devonport Road 10am-2.30pm and 7-9pm. Beginners very welcome. Contact Pat McDonald 027 311 8876 / 576 4546

Yoga, Private Classes

Feel uncomfortable in a group setting? Or have special needs? I can design a class to specifically suit our needs/capabilities. Ph Asunta 021 061 4394

Thursday 13 April

Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting

All welcome to our friendly, open meeting at 7.30pm, Lifechurch Tauranga, 934 Cameron Rd, Gate Pa, Tauranga. Tea and coffee provided. Ph 0800 229 6757

Book Club

Come along with a book to review, and join us to talk books, and afternoon tea. Every firstThursday of the month at St Johns Anglican Church, 94 Bureta Rd, Otumoetai Boules at Bayfair

A new year, a new sport, try Petanque, Russley Drive Tues & Thurs 12.45. New members welcome Boules & tuition available.

Ph 021 175 9282 or just turn up Boules - Petanque

Tauranga COP Club, Tawa St, Mt Maunganui. Social and competitive play. Boules available. Every Saturday 1pm, Tuesday 2pm, Thursday 11am. New players welcome. Ph Ray 027 756 3565 Cards 500 Mount Community Hall, 345 Maunganui Rd. 12.30-4pm. Friendly group. Car parks available. Bus stop outside. Inquiries phone 027 658 6848. All ages welcome Coffee/Conversation GroupGreerton

Age Concern Tauranga holds a friendly Coffee and Conversation Group, Greerton Senior Citizens Hall, 33 Maitland St, 10.30-12noon, cost $3pp. All Welcome English classes Multicultural Tauranga

Free Conversational English classes at the Multicultural Tauranga offic in the Historic Village at 10am.

Everyone is welcome Contactenquiries@trmc.co.nz or 07 571 6419

FLexercise with Fitness League Exercise, movement, dance, focusing on posture, balance, stretching, strengthening & flexibilit, all ages and abilities.10am, Central Baptist Church Hall, cnr 13th Ave Pam 021 117 7170

Indoor Bowls/Cards Mt

Maunganui

Every Thursday from 1-3:30pm at Club Mount Maunganui. Come and join us for a fun social afternoon. Looking for new members. Afternoon tea provided.

Ph Russell 021 211 9205

Katikati Bowling Club

8 Park Rd Rummikub 1-4pm, $3 entry

Keynotes Women’s Barbershop Chorus

Meet 7pm Wesley Hall, 100 13th Ave. New singers welcome, age no barrier. Enjoy 4-part harmony, fun and friendship.

Ph Bernice 576 4848 Facebook

Keynotes Inc.

Otumoetai Tennis Club

Adult tennis. Start 9am Tues & Thurs. Bellevue Park Windsor Rd (Adjacent to swimming pool). New players and visitors welcome.

Ph Peter 021 542 172

Sunshine Sequence Dance Group

We welcome you all back to dancing. First night 2023 Thursday March 2nd, 7-9.30pm. St. John’s Church Hall, Bureta. $5pp includes supper. Enquiries Dawn 579 3040

Tauranga Model Railway Club Club meets Tuesday 9.30am & Thursday 7.30pm. On the corner of Mirrielees & Cross Rds, Sulphur Point. Ph Mike 021 939 233

Friday 14 April

Chris Everest classical guitarist 7:00pm - at The Jam Factory, 159, 17th Avenue, Tauranga. Tickets $20

Family History / Genealogy

Interested in Family History, but need help? Volunteers at Papamoa Library 10am till noon last Friday of each month can help. Contact Jenny 542 5243

Grey Power Papamoa Meet 1pm at Papamoa Library & Community Centre. Talk by Bob Scott on his book. All welcome. Ph Jonathan 572 2091/021 151 4481

Katikati Bowling Club

Mixed roll up. Reporting time

1.45pm. Visitors welcome. Coaching available. Social activities commence at 4pm

Mount Art Group Exhibition

Our exhibition is 14-16 April, 9-5pm at the Mount Surf Club, Main Beach. 200 artworks, cards and posters are for sale. Cash and Carry

Papamoa Seniors Indoor Bowls

Enjoyable afternoon with other Seniors whilst playing Indoor Bowls at Papamoa Sports Centre. Names

in by 11.45, prizes $5 entrance

Pickleball at Night Pickleball is fun and it’s at Tauranga Boys College

7-9pm Wednesday and Friday nights. Paddles and balls provided. $5. Bob 027 478 6282

Pickleball in the Morning Pickleball is fun. Join us at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre

9am-midday. Paddles, balls and morning tea provided. $5. Bob 027 478 6282

Social Badminton

Shuttlecocks & Hens. Tues

9-11am, Fri 9.30-11.30am. All welcome. Tauranga Memorial Hall. Ph Lorraine 027 408 6211

Tauranga Patchwork and Quilters

Every 1st & 3rd

Tuesday, 7pm; 2nd & 4th

Friday, 10am. Art & Craft Centre, 177 Elizabeth St. Ph Jenny 07 262 3120

Beat the leaves, birds and rodents!

Heavy rain, thunderstorms and showers that autumn and winter bring are here.

Autumn leaves can clog gutters, so Gutter Solutionz advises homeowners to stop, look up and examine the state of your gutters and drainpipes. is weather dumps hail, leaves, plant matter and debris on roofs, blocking gutters and spouting. Add to that the menace of birds and rats.

Gutter Solutionz has the answer. With an enviable 17-year record of providing Bay of Plenty homeowners with an obstacle-free, blockage-free spouting solution, Gutter Solutionz co-owner Barry Prunty stands by his product. “Gutter Solutionz is the only NZ-made gutter protection system in the country. It has a fully supported

Gutter Solutionz o ers an obstacle-free, blockage-free spouting solution. Photo: supplied.

15-year warranty.” e gutter guard keeps leaves and hail out of spouting and gutters. It also keeps out pests.

Gutter Solutionz services residential and commercial properties across the BOP – from Katikati to Whakatane – with products to suit most roof and spouting types. See their advertisement on this page.

Otūmoetai

FRI 7th SAT 8th APRIL. 53

Maungawhare Place. Oak? wooden draws - with mirror, also wooden veneer draws also dried ˜ ower arrangements, plants, and stu°

funeral services

075433151|hopefunerals.co.nz

bible digest

REMEMBER THIS: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

(James 5:20)

curriculum vitae

CVs THAT STAND OUT. A C.V. For You can help you look great on paper. Targeted or generic cover letters also available. Samples to view on facebook www.facebook. com/acvforyou or Ph/text 021 27 27 912

gardening

ABLE GARDENER, experienced, e˛ cient, knowledgeable, highly qualiÿ ed. Maintenance, pruning, hedges, shrubs, roses; disease/pest control, lifestyle blocks, garden renovations; design & plant. Ph Tita 027 654 8781 or a/h 542 0120

HANDYMAN HOME & GARDEN SERVICES tree pruning, weeding, hedges, water blasting, home maintenance, fence painting at a° ordable rates Ph Philip 027 655 4265

livestock

AC PETFOODS collect injured & unwanted cows & horses. Ph 0800 369 6269

lost & found

FOUND KITTENS & PUPPIES various places, colours and sex.

Ph SPCA 07 578 0245

Found Cat, Tabby, Male, approximately 6 years old, Tauranga. Ref 575021

Found Cat, Ginger and White, Male, approximately 8 months old, Greerton. Ref 575345

Found Cat, Black, Female, approximately 1 year old, Bethlehem. Ref 575547

Found Rabbit, Fawn and White, Male, approximately 2 years, Papamoa. Ref 574981

trades & services

BRYCE DECORATING interior and exterior painting, wallpapering. Have your powdercoated windows faded? Can be cleaned and restored like new! Plastic car bumpers faded? Can be restored too! Quality work. Showroom ÿ nish. Ph Wayne 021 162 7052

CURTAIN MAKING & CLOTHES

ALTERATIONS Free quotes, Competitive prices. Ph Michelle 028 8519 7731 Papamoa Facebook

“Adriannes Souly Sewing Service”

HANDYMAN, decks, fencing repairs, painting, water blasting, lawns, and odd jobs. Free quotes Ph Rossco 027 270 3313

ROOF REPAIRS Free quotes for all maintenance of leaking roofs, gutter cleaning & repairs. Chimney maintenance & repairs. Registered roofer, 30yrs exp. Ph Peter 542 4291 or 027 436 7740

TREE, SHRUB and hedges trimming, topping, rubbish, palm pruning or removal, satisfaction guaranteed free quote. Ph Steve Hockly 027 498 1857

travel & tours

JOIN NO 8 TOURS, New Zealand’s senior travel club, and enjoy the beneÿ ts of our VIP membership for free. As a member, you’ll receive a complimentary 55-page colour catalogue and have access to unique itineraries that take you to fabulous destinations and introduce you to interesting people. Our club o° ers an opportunity to meet new friends and enjoy some lovely experiences together. We specialize in day trips, extended tours throughout New Zealand, and shows with a free door-to-door service. Come and join the fun and have some exciting things to look forward to. Contact us by phone on 579 3981 or email admin@no8tours.co.nz to register or book a tour and receive a complimentary catalogue. Or visit our website at www.no8tours. co.nz for more information. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Kids talk to council about Mount-Arataki plan

Getting around safely and protecting the beach were the talk of the playground this week at Omanu Primary School as students shared their thoughts on the future of the Mount to Arataki area at an in-school workshop with Tauranga City Council sta on Monday.

e event is one of several Mount to Arataki Spatial Plan engagement sessions held during the last month to nd out what matters most to the Mount-Arataki community.

e council is aiming to plan for a future for the area that protects the things local resisdents love, enhances the things they already have, and makes room for the things they want to add via the Mount to Arataki spatial plan.

Omanu Primary School’s Year 5-6 students worked through a series of activities on Monday, writing answers on sticky notes, and attaching them to question boards.

TCC project lead Carl Lucca says it’s heartening to see young people so enthusiastic about their city.

“ ese kids know they live in a special place and are passionate about protecting the natural environment,” says Carl.

When asked what they love most about the Mount to Arataki area, the beach was by far the most popular – with one answer to the question echoing the thoughts of many residents in the Mount to Arataki area. “Playing at the beach, but I think they should make it safer to cross the road.”

When asked about ideas for improving

transport, the impact that growth has had on roads was evident, as is the students’ desire to be able to move around safely and independently, with answers including: more crossings on the roads; bigger cycle lanes and paths and bike lanes so you can lock your bike; and “you need to make paths smoother for skateboarders, scooters and bikers”.

“ ese kids are very aware of the tra c challenges facing their school community and the need to make walking, cycling and scootering to school safer,” says Carl.

e council has received a great deal of input so far through community engagement sessions and the online survey but wants to ensure as many people as possible have their chance to contribute, says Carl.

“We’ve had nearly 700 people complete our online survey so far and can see some clear themes emerging around transport, road safety, parks, and mitigating the impact of climate change.

“We have heard a lot of feedback about the Mount to Arataki area already and capturing an even wider range of views now will help us build on what we already understand and give us a clearer picture.”

e online survey closes this coming Monday, April 10 and feedback from this, and community workshops will help form a draft plan and overall vision for where the Mount to Arataki area is heading. To get involved, visit www.tauranga.govt.nz/mounttoarataki

Later in the year there will be a chance for the community to let council know what you think of the draft plan and the areas of focus and priorities before it goes to council for approval.

Omanu Primary School students brainstorm answers.

their school walking, cycling and scootering to school engagement sessions