Times - 02 November 2022

POLICE OFFICER GUILTY

The off-duty police officer charged over the death of cyclist David Lane in Flat Bush has pleaded guilty.

Lane, 69, was riding along Stancombe Road adjacent to Barry Curtis Park when he was struck and killed by a vehicle just before 8.15am on September 17.

Emergency services responded to the incident with police initially saying the crash involved a cyclist, a moving vehicle and multiple parked vehicles.

Cordons were still in place when the Times visited the scene.

A blue police tent had been erected in the road and several vehicles, including a Toyota Hilux ute and a Nissan Leaf, which were both damaged, were parked in front of the tent.

The Toyota ute had sustained damage to its side and

front and its bumper was partially hanging off while the rear and side of the Nissan Leaf were damaged.

A black Nissan Navara ute, which was also damaged, was removed on a tow truck.

Police later revealed an offduty police officer involved in the incident would be stood down from duty while an investigation is conducted.

The fatal crash has also been referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

Police officer Jada Manase appeared in the Manukau District Court on October 21 facing charges in relation to Lane’s death.

Manase, who is aged in her early 20s, pleaded guilty to excess breath alcohol causing death and careless driving.

She’s due to reappear in court in January next year to be sentenced.

photo Wayne Martin

Gumboot Friday is here

By ZOE GARDEN

Several east Auckland schools are raising awareness and funding for Gumboot Friday this week.

The key to the success of Gumboot Friday is getting schools involved, the charity organisation says, which is why Bucklands Beach Primary, Bucklands Beach Intermediate, Macleans Primary, Macleans College, Owairoa Primary and Mellons Bay Primary will be selling Gumboot Friday wristbands, or spe-

cially-designed socks, on November 4.

All funds collected will go towards Gumboot Friday’s free counselling services which are provided for young Kiwis across Aotearoa.

Additionally, there will be a competition where schools will get to enter their art designs. The winner will have their design printed onto shirts.

Former rugby league star Richie Barnett told the Times that Gumboot Friday’s services run solely on donations. “The

good news is in the last year, Kiwis have donated $2,456,672.25 to Gumboot Friday – gifting 19,122 sessions to our kids,” he says.

“The bad news is sessions have doubled since October 2021 and are expected to double again in the next 12 months.”

From Gumboot Friday’s survey of 300,000 students in New Zealand, 80 per cent of children will not seek any help from their parents “if they are having suicidal thoughts because they fear what their parents might think, say or do” and “40 per

cent of children will have a crisis before they leave school”.

“Unfortunately, our public system is really flawed,” Barnett says.

“There’s a huge wait time and the spiderweb of trying to get support is too horrific for them to get immediate support. Sometimes the wait for treating eating disorders can be over 12 months.”

Barnett, along with Ray White real estate agents Sinead Dunne and Fran Jordan, started charity Team4Life earlier this year.

CHARITY HO HO HO, WHO WANTS OUR CHRISTMAS CAKES?

Our famous Lions Christmas Cakes are now available for this year. Bucklands Beach Lions have more than 200 cakes available – a quality rich and fruity, full of flavour – not crumbly but a nice moist 1kg cake – 15 x 15 x 5cms. Plenty to share with family and friends.

They have a minimum two-year shelf life. The cakes are made

with more than 50 per cent fruit.

Roger Robinson from the Bucklands Beach Lions Club says the cake sales have run since 1971 with the funds raised from their sales supporting the clubs on-going community projects which include funding prescription eyeglasses distributed through Kidz First Children’s Hospital for young

school children, helping to fund disabled children on the Spirit of Adventure and many others.

In Lions, 100 per cent of money raised from the public goes to support community projects.

It is focused on helping people in the east Auckland community.

Gumboot Friday will be livestreaming the event, with live crosses, where heroes who have donated will be spotlighted and celebrated on the day, including those in the local areas.

“We’re not waiting for a crisis point to happen,” Barnett says.

“We want to stop it when it’s a small problem.”

 For more information, visit www.gumbootfriday. org.nz.



Want to help a great cause? Contact Roger on r.robinson@xtra.co.nz for your Christmas cake.

Every life is special, we understand that. Let us pay tribute to the life of your loved one and celebrate the unique way they have touched you, your family and those around you.

Roger Robinson from the Bucklands Beach Lions Club and their famous Christmas cakes. Photo supplied

Crash victim died from injury

By CHRIS HARROWELL

Acoroner has determined an east Auckland man killed in a 2020 car crash died due to a traumatic brain injury.

The findings of an inquiry by coroner Louella Dunn into the death of Weiguo Xi have been pub licly released.

It says Xi was 48-years-old and living with his wife and their two children in Half Moon Bay at the time of his death.

He and another man, Yuezhong Wang, 48, died in a crash on State Highway 1 in Tokoroa, Waikato, on July 21, 2020.

Dunn’s findings say Xi and Wang were passengers in a Toyota Prius vehicle travelling south when an oncoming vehicle travelling north bound crossed the centreline.

That vehicle struck a truck in front of the Toyota Prius and then collided with their vehicle.

A post-mortem report by pathol ogist Dr Mark Wickham found Xi died due to a traumatic brain injury.

Wickham found Wang died due to a torn aortic root with haemo phericardium, a condition that affects the cardiovascular system.

On the day of the crash, Xi and Wang were travelling with a third person from Auckland to Wellington to participate in a protest against the Chinese Government as part of a prodemocracy political group.

Police prosecuted the woman found to be responsible for a road crash that killed two

Xi was in the front passenger seat of the Toyota and Wang was in the back seat, with a third person driving, at about 1pm.

Their car was struck by a Holden Colorado utility vehicle being driven by a woman with her 17-year-old daughter as a passenger.

“While negotiating a moderate left bend on the road, the Holden crossed the centre line into the path of the Mercedes [truck] caus ing a right-to-right, sideswipe col lision,” the coroner’s findings state.

“The Holden then continued travelling in the southbound lane, colliding with the Toyota in a leftto-left side head-on collision.

“As a result of the collision, the Holden ended up sitting at a right angle to the road in a ditch, while the Toyota was overturned in the middle of the road.”

Xi and Wang’s injuries were unsurvivable and they died at the scene.

The driver of their vehicle was treated by ambulance staff before being taken to Waikato Hospital before being transferred to Auckland City Hospital where he continued to receive care.

The driver of the truck and his passenger were not injured.

The woman driving the Holden Colorado and her daughter were injured and taken to Waikato Hospital.

Samples of blood taken from the woman driving the Holden ute were found to be negative for alcohol.

The police serious crash inves tigation unit advised the coroner the road surface was in good con dition and did not contribute to the crash.

“The serious crash unit did not believe excessive speed was a factor in the collision, noting the Holden’s speedometer needle was frozen at 90km/h which is a good indicator of speed at the time of impact.”

“The serious crash unit did not consider alcohol or drugs to be a factor contributing to the crash.”

Following a police investigation, the woman who was driving the Holden ute was charged with two counts of careless driving causing death.

She appeared in the Tokoroa District Court in March last year and was sentenced to community work, reparation and disqualified from driving.

Annual staff costs hit $1 billion at Auckland Council

By LAURA KVIGSTAD, Auckland Council reporter Funded by New Zealand on Air

The number of big Auckland Council sala ries are rising and new mayor Wayne Brown is looking to change that.

The annual staff costs for council in the 2021/2022 financial year sat at just over $1 billion, hitting the ten digit figure for the first time since amalgamation.

The latest annual report also revealed that 257 staff across council organisations earned over $200,000. In the previous year, the figure sat at 222 and since 2015 the figure has risen by 60 percent from 155.

The number of staff earning over $300,000 is 56, one up from the previous year.

In several public statements Brown has put a target on the backs of middle managers looking to cut the salary pool of $300,000 by 30 percent which would see over over $5 million cut from salary expenditure.

Brown would need to pass a resolution amongst councillors

in order to do so.

Brown’s sway over council staff is limited however, with only one employee directly under him and the governing body, Chief Executive Jim Stabback.

Stabback receives quarterly performance reviews from the governing body and in the last term was repeatedly noted as being councillors only employee.

The rest of council’s staff are managed by Stabback himself.

During one of Stabback’s per formance reviews in April this year, former mayor Phil Goff challenged the idea that coun cil staff were overpaid.

“Whenever anyone tells me that we have got a bloated and overpaid bureaucracy I say well if it is so bloated and overpaid why is it that we have the attri tion rate of our skilled people going to other organisations,” Goff said.

Council reports to bench mark salary levels for employ ees against the public sector and market rates with 15 salary bands for similar positions.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown.

Join our birthday morning tea tour

Summerset has been bringing the best of life to our residents since 1997, which makes us 25 years young. To help celebrate, here at Summerset Heritage Park in Ellerslie, we’re planning a month of birthday cake and tea, and you’re invited!

Just pop along any Thursday in November and get a taste of the Summerset life that our residents love so much. After all, we’ve had 25 years to get it right.

And what’s a birthday without a gift, when you drop by, you’ll have a chance to enter into the draw to win an Air New Zealand Luxury

Weekend for two.*

Road,

7962

LIGHT AND BURNS TO LEAD NEW HOWICK LOCAL BOARD

By CHRIS HARROWELL

Members of the new Howick Local Board have been sworn in and they’ve chosen two fresh faces to lead them for the next three years.

The board met officially in per son for the first time at its inau guration held at Uxbridge Arts and Culture Centre in Howick on Monday night.

It drew an audience of about 100 people including Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown and Howick ward councillors Sharon Stewart and Maurice Williamson.

The meeting was initially chaired by the board’s local area manager Victoria Villaraza.

After being sworn in the board was asked to choose its chairper son and deputy.

Board newcomer Damian Light and David Collings, a previous chair, were both nominated for the role.

They were given the chance to address their colleagues.

Light said as the newest mem ber of the board he would bring a unique perspective to the role.

“I’ve got lots of skills and experi ence in this space, of governance and community,” he said.

“I’m quite familiar with council process and I think I would serve well as the chairperson.

“I’ve enjoyed working with you as an external member of the public.

“I think I bring a lot of skills and experience to the board that would be good in the chairperson’s role.”

Collings said he had nothing against Light and he welcomed him to the board.

He said with a new mayor there were going to be many changes and whoever was elected as chair “is really going to have to go into bat for us in the Auckland region”.

“I think anybody could lead the board and be chair and deputy ... guide us through the meetings, provide leadership throughout the term and keep us on the right path and achieving things and working together.”

Collings pointed to achieve ments the board made in previous terms when he was chair, his posi tive relationships with the two local ward councillors, and other members of the council’s govern ing body.

At one point he asked if he could seek leave to allow Stewart and Williamson the chance to speak on the subject.

A person in the room responded

that such a move would be out of order, to which Collings said it was up to the meeting’s chairperson to determine if it was or not.

Stewart said she and Williamson did not want to speak on the subject.

A vote was eventually held, with Light receiving support from board members Bo Burns, John Spiller, Mike Turinsky, Adele White and Peter Young.

Collings received support from board members Katrina Bungard and Bruce Kendall.

Light was named the board’s new chairperson by six votes to three.

The board then voted to appoint a new deputy chair.

Burns was nominated for the role and won support from Light, Spiller, White and Young.

The other nominee for the deputy chair role, board mem ber Bruce Kendall, received sup port from Bungard, Collings and Turinsky.

Burns was named the board’s new deputy chair by five votes to four.

The board’s first business meet ing will be held in late November at its meeting room at the Pakuranga Library complex.

Damian Light and Bo Burns are the new chairperson and deputy chair of the Howick Local Board.

Photos supplied

EDUCATION

Our Lady Star of Sea are stars of speech

Two Year 5 students from Our Lady Star of the Sea school presented speeches at the HPPA Mandarin and Cantonese Speech Competition last month.

Amber Law took gold in the Cantonese category, and Steve Rui snatched third in the Mandarin portion.

Both students worked very hard in their own time to write their speeches and were outstanding representatives of the school.

The duo came up against stiff competition from other local schools.

Lady Star of the Sea told the Times they are “very proud of both students”.

New Leadership for Auckland

uckland has a new mayor, Wayne Brown, and a new majority centre-right council following the recent local elections, the first time Auckland has had a mayor who was not backed by the Labour Party since the amalgamation of Auckland in 2010.

I congratulate Wayne on his election as mayor, who has promised to get Auckland back on track by bringing spending under control and getting council re-focused on the core services it is responsible for.

I also congratulate our two councillors for Howick - Sharon Stewart, who was re-elected and has a long track record of service in our community, and Maurice Williamson, the former MP for Pakuranga, both of whom have committed to the same goals as our new mayor.

I also wish to congratulate the nine members elected to the Howick Local Board, with new member Damian Light joining existing members Adele White, John Spiller, Bo Burns, Katrina Bungard, David Collings, Bruce Kendall, Mike Turinsky and Peter Young.

I want to also thank Paul

Young, our outgoing councillor, and Bob Wichman, who retired from the Howick Local Board at this election, for their service to east Auckland. Paul served as one of our councillors for four years, while Bob served on the Local Board for nine, in addition to his prior service as a Manukau City councillor before the Super City merger.

With the local election now done and dusted, it is time to focus on what we can all do for Auckland.

These elections sent a clear message to our local representatives that Aucklanders are tired of left-wing ideological policies which are fundamentally about trying to tell you how you should live your life.

Whether it is radically reducing speed limits, removing speed limits in our town centres, installing speed bumps on major arterial roads, or $29.2 billion light rail pet projects, the message from the local elections were clear. People want their council to be focusing on core services, not trying to tell us how to live our lives, or spend billions on projects which won’t actually address our transport challenges

in Auckland. I look forward to working with our new mayor and council, particularly on transport issues as it is one of the areas where there is a clear need for a different approach. Our city has so much potential and I look forward to working with our local representatives to unlock it.

On a national level, the Auckland results were reflected in most parts of New Zealand,

MP for Pakuranga Simeon Brown

with Kiwis electing centre-right mayors and representatives in many regions.

People are tired of this Labour Government telling them it knows best how to run their lives; they are ready for a fresh start, and National is ready to deliver.

Congratulations again to all our local representatives for the Howick Ward. I look forward to working with you.

News bites

CORRECTION

In our feature story in the Howick 175 pages last week, we carried intriguing excerpts from a war veteran and his early memories in the district called “A hitch hike to lovely Howick Village, 1930”. In it we refer to Norm Robertson and his daughter. We inadvertently referred to Pam Taylor who was mentioned in email correspondence regarding Robertson. The daughter’s name is actually Gay Bevan. The error is regretted.

BLUES CALL-UP FOR RUSH

Former Saint Kentigern College student Rob Rushthe son of former All Blacks and Sevens star Eric Rushhas been named in the Blues squad for the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season.

Rush, a Northland blind-side flanker, has been living and playing in the Blues region with club affiliations with East Tamaki, East Coast Bays and Kaeo as well as Northland representative level teams.

Steve Rui, left, and Amber Law came third and first respectively in their categories at the HPPA Speech Competition. Photo supplied

BATTLE OF THE TOWN CRIERS

Resident town crier and former Howick Local Board member Jim Donald will have some com petition this weekend.

Earlier this year, Donald adorned his best town crier costume for the label of his and former Howick Borough Mayor Morrin Cooper’s Howick Centennial Ale, a craft beer made in honour of Howick’s history.

As part of the Town Crier Festival, organised by Howick Village Association, Donald and four other town criers will be shouting it out at the Market Square at 10.30am on Saturday November 5.

This unique and fun event will be a must-see for all locals!

In other news, planning is well underway for the Christmas Fair.

This year’s event will be his torically-themed with some vin tage displays and entertainment planned.

HVA is holding a 175th Best Business Window Competition in the lead up to the Christmas Fair on Friday, November 18.

Homecoming for Howick’s Hanlon

John Hanlon is returning to the performance stage in the place where it all started.

Half a century ago, Hanlon, a young singersongwriter from Howick, signed a record contract.

What followed was five years in the national entertainment limelight that included Top Ten hits – Lovely Lady, Damn the Dam, Higher Trails and Apple Wine , and two Double-Gold selling albums, Garden Fresh and HigherTrails.

There were also a num ber of New Zealand music awards for him, includ ing two successive APRA Silver Scrolls in 197475, the annual prize for the country’s best song as voted by the music industry.

An Evening With a Songwriter – John Hanlon

– Lounging Around at The Lounge, on Saturday, November 19, is a unique event – a homecoming concert for Howick’s most successful songwriter.

Presented by East FM and The Lounge, John Hanlon will be singing his songs and telling his sto ries in the intimate setting

of The Lounge.

As well as the famous early records, there have been another seven Hanlon albums since, including the recent and impressive Naked Truths.

A feature story about Hanlon appears in the November edition of Eastlifemagazine.

Howick singer-songwriter John Hanlon signed a contract 50 years ago.

Photo supplied

Jim Donald will be battling with four other town criers at the Market Square on Saturday.

Photo Farida Master

COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION AT BRUCE MCLAREN RETIREMENT VILLAGE.

Living in the wider community, finding opportunities to regularly connect with likeminded people can be tricky.

Located on Chapel Road, Bruce McLaren Village offers a lifestyle where residents are able to stay connected and active in a place where community thrives. They often tell us how proud they are to live here – it’s evident in the camaraderie seen at the many village events and activities that are always on offer.

Residents are free to enjoy the lifestyle because the village provides them with a supportive and caring place to call home,

while offering the gateway to everything the local area has to offer. It’s certainly a place where life can be lived to the full.

Bruce McLaren Village offers choices to suit everyone - from independent apartments, to assisted living in a serviced apartment, as well as a 122-bed care centre with resthome, hospital and dementia care.

The freedom and flexibility is empowering for residents and knowing care can be dialled up as needed means, quite simply, ‘no worries’ for them, and those close to them – it’s all part of the Ryman Difference.

APARTMENTS AVAILABLE.

Don’t miss the opportunity to secure an apartment at Bruce McLaren Retirement Village.

These apartments offer open-plan living and spacious modern interiors with:

A neutral colour palette to make it your own

Quality appliances, fixtures and fittings

A patio or balcony with views of the village gardens or native bush

One and two-bedroom layouts are available now priced from $895,000

Enquire today to book a private tour, call Rose on 09 535 0225.

BRUCE MCLAREN VILLAGE

795 Chapel Road, Howick

rymanhealthcare.co.nz

long-standing successful Pan mure business is run by owner Colin, who hails from Howick, and his busi ness partner Mike, both of whom have been in the industry for more than four decades.

Colin and Mike are both highly experi enced former carpet layers.

Their business stocks the finest carpets including well known brands such as God frey Hirst, Feltex, Jacobsen, and EuroFlor, as well as an extensive range of sheet vinyl at competitive prices.

It also sells Godfrey Hirst Wood, laminate and vinyl planking.

Their well laid-out showroom is situated at a handy location and well worth a visit.

Factory Carpets and Vinyls is a proud member of the Flooring Foundation Net work, New Zealand’s largest body of inde pendent carpet retailers and backed by leading brands Godfrey Hirst and Feltex.

Mike, Colin and their team know the right carpet can make a massive difference to a home’s style and ambience.

That’s why they sell a wide range of

high-quality products with numerous ecofriendly, durable and luxurious options to choose from, so there’s something for all styles, budgets, and lifestyles. Because of that, as well as the business’s experience and expertise, astute property managers are among their regular customers.

Property managers need carpet that’s competitively priced, looks and is of very high quality, is durable, and laid in rental homes at the perfect time.

Factory Carpets and Vinyls’ carpet lay ing team are the recipients of prestigious national certifications and are at the top of their game.

The business is also renowned for its growing varieties of solution-dyed nylons which possess proven quality.

Solution-dyed nylon feels soft and look just like classic woollen carpets.

The man-made fibre doesn’t fade, unlike woollen carpets, and it’s easy to clean and resists rotting caused by sunlight.

Factory Carpets and Vinyls offers a free measure and quotation service, plus full install on all their products.

Economy is all down to Labour

By CHRIS HARROWELL

National Party MP Chris Bishop says the Government is to blame for New Zealand’s high inflation rate and he expects the country’s eco nomic outlook to get worse before it gets better.

The high-profile front bench MP launched a stinging verbal attack on the Labour Government when he joined Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown to talk to more than 100 of the party’s ‘SuperBlues’ sup porters at Howick Bowling Club on October 21.

The pair covered a range of subjects including the cost of living crisis, emer gency housing and home lessness, and inflation, among others.

The event was held the same week Kiwis learned the country’s annual infla tion rate was a stagger ingly high 7.2 per cent.

Following the talk Bishop told the Times National is concerned about “excessive levels of Government spending, which is driving inflation”.

“They’re spending an extra $1 billion per week compared to 2017 and you’re now seeing inflation at a 30-year high.

“The cost of living is just out of control and it shows no real sign of diminishing.

“You’ve got high Government spending driving high inflation and

EDUCATION

that high inflation is now driving very steeply rising interest rates.”

Bishop says earlier this year Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was ada mant there was no cost of living crisis but she’s since acknowledged there is, which he believes is a sign the Government is “out of touch”.

“That happens with all governments over time, but I think they don’t have a real sense of how hard a lot of people are doing it.

At my local food bank in Lower Hutt the shelves are bare. That will be because of demand.

“Food banks around the country are reporting record levels [of need] and you see KidsCan saying similar things. Everywhere you look there are signs of social decay and it’s really concerning.”

Bishop says he can’t remember a “level of despair” such as he’s see ing around the country at

present.

“We’re in a very tough period and it’s prob ably going to get worse before it gets better. The Labour Government is tired and out of touch and it’s increasingly arrogant and angry about it. A lot of what we’re now experi encing as a country, they are to blame for. There’s been a huge increase in Government spending and in taxation but no real results to show for it.

“We’ve got 4000 families living in motels, 480 fami lies living in cars, child poverty is up not down, and the cost of living is out of control, so there’s a lot of despondency out there.”

The Times asked Bishop what lessons the National Party learned from its 2020 general election campaign, when it received just 25.6 per cent of the party vote nationwide compared to Labour’s 50 per cent.

He says the poor result taught it unity and disci pline is “really important”.

“We’re completely uni fied under [Botany MP] Christopher Luxon’s lead ership and we’re all fight ing together as a team now.

“So that’s the biggest thing, to fight as a team, don’t fight each other. Stay on message, keep focusing on the Government’s weak nesses and our positive agenda for New Zealand’s future, and I think we’re doing pretty well at that.”

Fundraiser begins for new playground

Owairoa Primary School is running a sponsored Obstacle Fun Run to raise funds towards their new school playground.

The customised play ground, designed spe cifically for the school to complete the landscaping of their new 18 classroom facility (Times, October 4), includes a range of design elements to mentally and physically interest learn ers to “develop fine and gross motor skills and enhance strength, flexibil ity and coordination”.

The sketch plan images of the new playground designs were shared with students at assembly last week, much to their excite ment, Owairoa reports.

In order to raise the funds for this playground, Owairoa is hosting a ‘Great Owairoa Obstacle

Fun Run’, set for Thursday November 10.

After launching the online fundraiser recently, the total is currently sit ting at $33,636.

Students who have signed up for a fundrais ing page will go into the premier spot prize draw to win a kid’s smart watch.

There are also daily spot prizes.

In their monthly news letter, Owairoa wrote, “Thanks to your fundrais ing efforts.

“Thank you to those who made a great effort over the long weekend to help share this with your friends and family.”

Owairoa Primary School’s new playground is the final element of their recently opened 18-classroom facility. Times photo Wayne Martin

National Party MP Chris Bishop, left, was hosted by Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown during a visit to Howick.

Times photo Wayne Martin

Only 10 days to go Howick!

By REV DR RICHARD WAUGH

Last weekend we had a public visit to St Johns Theological College in Meadowbank where the first Fencible families were welcomed to New Zealand in October 1847, about two weeks before they arrived at Waipaparoa/Howick Beach.

It was a remarkable experience as we toured two of the historic buildings still standing, the 1846 kitchen (now Waitoa Room) and 1847 chapel, that were newly-built when the Fencible families were welcomed.

Our many volunteers are gearing up for the highlight 175 events over these coming days including the anniversary luncheon, community picnic event, commemorative plaque unveiling and civic service. It has been a mammoth task by so many committed local citizens, organisations and businesses; all supported by our 175

committee and trust and by the Howick Local Board.

The multi-cultural dimension of the 175 anniversary is a special delight, with many events organised by our 175 ambassadors, including by Chinese and Indian communities.

Adele White [Howick Local Board] recently commented about

the “amazing integration of cultures at recent 175 events”.

The 175 anniversary is about us remembering the early settler migrants and paying tribute to all they contributed laying the foundations for Howick and much of our east Auckland community we know today. With most of us choosing to come and live here

in more recent years, we can all join in this celebration of what it means to be a healthy and diverse community today.

Do visit our website www.howick175.co.nz to see the events calendar, read the many community stories, find Ngai Tai information and see a list of our supportive sponsors. The commemoration

picnic at Waipaparoa/Howick Beach on Saturday, November 12 is a “must attend” major community event, along with the unveiling of the Fencible families’ plaque at Fencible Walk, and civic service at All Saints. The service can include a visit to the cherished 1847 church, built for the first Fencible families. See you there!

SATURDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 9am: Picnic at Howick Beach.

2:30pm: e Howick 175th plaque is unveiled at Fencible Walk Park110 Picton St.

3:30 - 4:30pm: Civic Church Service, All Saints Anglican Church, Howick. Public is welcome. Special music and tours available for people who want to view the historic 1847 church.

SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER Live day at the Howick Historical Village, 75 Bells Rd, Pakuranga

Rev Dr Richard Waugh and wife Jane Waugh (above) at St Johns

Theological College. Richard and Jane were seminarians at St John’s and the chapel is where Richard proposed; right, Rev Dr Richard Waugh QSM addressing guests.

Photos Paul Glenton LPSNZ/Shona Kebble

HOWICK 175 UPDATE

Farming on Botany Road

While I was born in Wellington, most of my family was in Auckland and we moved into Uxbridge Road in 1972 – 50 years ago.

Having graduated from what was Massey Agricultural College in those days, I spent my working life in the agricultural industry.

My wife and I leased farmland on Botany Road between the Howick Pony Club and the Pakuranga Golf course.

We grazed pony club horses and cattle and we grew pick-your-own sweet-corn.

I sent the last cattle away in 1992.

I remember my daughter Kate riding her horse up Botany Road through Howick Village and down to our home in Uxbridge Road for lunch – not so easy today!

I remember all the children heading down to Howick Beach after school, sailing P-Class and OK racing dinghies, joining up with friends and family and the fun times that we had.

A wonderful place to bring up a family. Where else would you want to live?

While the area has become much more covered in houses than it was (and good agriculture land it is!), it still retains the Howick Village feel as do the beaches of yester-year.

To come home over the crest of Stockade Hill and to see that fabulous view over the waters of the Waitemata, a view that welcomes you home, and to your family and friends.

I do want to acknowledge the very good reminder of Howick’s history as told by our very well-known and well run Howick Historical Village in Lloyd Elsmore Park.

While I am now retired, I continue my agricultural interests, the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay, the establishment of the Howick Community Menzshed (in the Howick Historical Village) and I am on the committee organising the Howick 175th Howick Beach Picnic (November 12, 2022) which will be a great event –you must come.

Knowles was first with the local news

Gerald Hinton Knowles arrived in New Zealand with his wife Rosina in 1913 on the ship Ballarat.

Almost 40 years later he would start Howick’s first post-war newspaper, the Howick District News: a source of all news related to councils, boards and clubs in the region, becoming, as Howick Historian Alan La Roche says, “the glue” for local organisations.

Gerald’s great granddaughter Jane Waugh remembers him as a tall man, academic and fascinated by a wide range of topics and inventions.

“As an old man, he always had a range of half-fixed clocks awaiting attention and a jar of blackball lollies by his elbow,” Jane says.

Jane and Times Media’s owner Reay Neben took a trip to the archives at the Howick Historical Village to look at old copies of the Howick District

News, ultimately finding some from 1951 though it appears to have operated from 1947.

Gerald’s eccentric character can be seen in the pages of the paper he was the editor of from, at least, 1951 to 1954.

“In 1951, January 18, he notes as editor that the paper ‘is and always has been a completely impartial publication, without any political, social or religious bias; ready to publicise and assist any worthwhile logical objective,’” Jane says.

“Yet every editorial page is unambiguously headed up ‘What The Editor Thinks,’ and we can read him holding forth [without holding back] on a wide range of topics that he espoused a very decided opinion on!”

Gerald died in 1975 when Jane was 13 but his writings live on within the Howick Historical Village.

This year marks the 175th anniversary of Howick and Pakuranga and districts which presents a wonderful opportunity to feature people in the area and their memories of their past. This is the story of long-term local Ian Rodger who is also an Ambassador for the Howick 175th anniversary

Jane Waugh, left, and Reay Neben holding a copy of the Howick District News at the Howick Historical Village.

Photo Wayne Martin

Ian Rodger moved to Uxbridge Road in 1972. Photo supplied

Ihave spent my childhood and teenage years in Howick and have attended schools in the area. I graduated from Howick College in 2020.

I have always been fascinated by the history of our area and seem to constantly be learning new things about it. We are fortunate that much of this history has been preserved in places like the Howick Historical Village. There are some incredible stories from Howick and Pakuranga – many of which are not widely known. I became an ambassador because I wanted to spread the word about this unique history.

Howick and Pakuranga is a unique part of New Zealand. It is home to a diversity of people, stories and places. Despite the area undergoing rapid change from a small town to a large urban area in recent decades, it still retains that tight-knit community atmosphere.

Howick and Pakuranga has many incredible stories but there is one that really stands out for me. When the Fencibles landed at Howick Beach

in 1847 they were amazed by the chorus of bellbirds that greeted them every morning at dawn.

The bellbirds died out from disease in the 1860s but, nonetheless,

it’s an incredible story about what Howick and Pakuranga was like in the past. Perhaps it’s a glimpse into what the area could again be like in the future.

Celebration at St John’s

Bishop Selwyn’s welcome picnic for the Fencible Families was recalled in a 175th Trust event on Saturday with a picnic at St John’s Theological College in Meadowbank.

Some of the original buildings that hosted the 300 newly arrived families from the Minerva and the Sir Robert Sale were made avail-

able to the group.

Addressed by Don Moffat, Sir Paul Reeves Fellow and Allan Davidson, author of the Selwyn College History, the group was then given a tour around the college chapel, the dining room and library.

College librarian Judith Bright, who lives in Buckland’s Beach,

prepared a power point presentation and a photo board of All Saints Church history and most warmly of all – the college made their lovely dining room available to the intrepid picnickers. One wonders what the Fencible families who were accommodated in a large tent in 1847 would have done in such inclement weather.

1. Rev Dr Allan Davidson with the Mother of Pearl Cross. Photo Paul Glenton LPSNZ.

2. In The Waitoa Room. Photo Doug Mitchell. 3. In The Library. Photo Doug Mitchell. 4. Gothic style 1847 chapel at St Johns Theological College. Photo Shona Kebble FPSNZ. 5. St Johns-walking in the grounds with Marin Burgess. Photo Deb Owen. 6. St Johns-inside the chapel. Photo Deb Owen. 7. Howick 175 at St Johns Rev Dr Allan Davidson. Photo Paul Glenton LPSNZ.

HOWICK 175 EVENTS

October 1 to November 5

HOWICK’S HERITAGE QUILTS ON DISPLAY

Art Lounge, 39 Picton St, Howick View quilt panels depicting the unique geographic, historic and ethnic mix of Howick.

November 1-18

175TH CELEBRATION CHRISTMAS WINDOW COMPETITION 2022

The festive season is coming up and we are planning our Howick Village Christmas Fair for Friday, November 18. This year’s event will be historically-themed with some vintage displays and entertainment planned. As part of our celebrations, the Howick Village Association is holding a 175th Best Business Window Competition in the lead up to the Christmas Fair on Friday, November 18.

Saturday, November 5

TOWN CRIER FESTIVAL

Approx. 10.30am, Picton St, Howick

Proclamations at the Town Crier Festival, in Howick Village market/town square, to precede the Howick 175 Anniversary Luncheon.

ROSE SHOW – HOWICK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

10.30am to 3pm, Fencible Lounge, adjacent Howick Library, Uxbridge Rd

Come and see our wonderful collection of roses. 2pm presentation of awards. Free.

Sunday, November 6

HOWICK BEACH CLEAN-UP

9.30am, Howick Beach Voluntary effort 9.30am this Sunday November 6. Let’s ensure the beach is all ready for the 175 events. More info: Ian Rodger 0274 99 600.

ASIAN CULTURAL SINGING

6.30pm to 9pm, Uxbridge Centre, Uxbridge Rd, Howick

Complimentary tickets from Peter Young, phone 027 587 4888; email peteryoungjp@gmail.com

November 10-15

HOWICK FLORAL ART CLUB FLORAL EXHIBITION

The Howick Floral Art Club is delighted to offer our contribu-

tions to the wonderful events of Howick’s 175th celebrations. We will be staging two exhibitions from November 10-November 15.

EXHIBITION ONE: The Uxbridge Art Gallery in Uxbridge Road.

EXHIBITION TWO: Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Picton Street.

Saturday, November 12

HOWICK 175 COMMEMORATION ARRIVAL PICNIC

Howick Beach

To celebrate the Howick 175 commemoration, join us for a familyfriendly Picnic at the Beach. Have a go at sailing, kayaks & paddleboards. Plus loads more – two bouncy castles, food and drink vendors – hot chips, sausage sizzles, vegan food, ice cream, donuts, coffee, East FM Music.

POP-UP CLASSIC CAR DISPLAY

8am to 12.30pm, ‘Fencible Walk’ Park (110 Picton St), opposite the Saturday morning markets

Every second Saturday of the month. Come along and view British and European classics, meet the owners and enjoy our Kiwi motoring heritage. Weather permitting.

HOWICK BRASS BAND CONCERT

2.15pm to 3.20pm

THE UNVEILING OF HOWICK 175TH PLAQUE

2.30pm at Fencible Walk Park. 110 Picton Street, Howick Unveiling of this special plaque to commemorate the 175th anniversary, Simeon Brown, MP for Pakuranga, and Christopher Luxon, MP for Botany and also Leader of the Opposition.

CIVIC CHURCH SERVICE

3.30 to 4.30pm All Saints Church, Howick

The public is welcome to a service organised by the East Auckland Ministers Association to commemorate the 175th anniversary. Tours of the old church available and Fencible graves marked. All welcome. Special music and tours available for people who want to view the historic church.

Sunday, November 13

HOWICK HISTORICAL VILLAGE LIVE DAY

75 Bells Road, Pakuranga

Visit for the Live Day: Settling In – The 175th Anniversary of Fencible Families.

Friday, November 18

HOWICK VILLAGE CHRISTMAS FAIR

Picton St, Howick Come and enjoy the pre-Christmas atmosphere in Howick Village. Extended shop trading hours. Further Information to come. Email admin@howickvillage.co.nz.

POP-UP CARS

8am to 12.30pm Fencible Walk, 110 Picton Street, Howick Oppposite the Saturday morning markets. Every second Saturday of the month. Come along and view British and European classics, meet the owners and enjoy our Kiwi motoring heritage. Weather permitting.

HOWICK SANTA PARADE

Entertainment begins at 11am Howick Santa Parade has been running for 69 years. The parade begins at 1.30pm.

Tenor Filipe Manu wins Dame Heather Begg Memorial Award

The success contin ues for New ZealandTongan tenor Filipe Manu, who has been announced as this year’s recipient of the prestig ious Dame Heather Begg Memorial Award.

Earlier this year Manu – who went to Howick Primary School – won the Lexus Song Quest in New Zealand.

Established by the estate of the fondly remembered New Zealand mezzosoprano Dame Heather Begg, this award provides $25,000 for tuition and travel to refine and mature oper atic talent.

It is offered each year to a young singer or sing ers from Australia or New Zealand. Manu is the second New Zealander to receive this award. The first was lyric soprano Amina Edris who recently created the role of Cleopatra in John Adams’ new opera Antony and Cleopatra with San Francisco Opera to critical acclaim.

The award has also sup ported some of Australia’s finest early-career opera singers including Samuel Dundas, Janet Todd, Jeremy Kleeman, Emily Edmonds, Lauren Fagan, Nicholas Jones and Fleuranne Brockway.

Manu is a graduate of the world-renowned Jette Parker Artists Programme. He has been the recipient of the New Zealand National Young Performer Award (Vocal) and the winner of the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition.

Moffatt Oxenbould AM, one of the Trustees of Dame Heather Begg’s Estate, is pleased the award can pro vide support to Manu at a critical time in his career.

“We are proud that the Dame Heather Begg Award has been of particular benefit to young artists who have already taken significant steps in their professional careers.

“Filipe is a very fine art ist of already considerable achievement and immense

potential who deserves every assistance to ensure that he is impeccably pre pared for the major roles he is undertaking for the first time.”

Manu joined the ensem ble of the Konzert Theater Bern for the 2021/2022 season where his reper toire has included Arbace (Idomeneo), Tebaldo (I

Capuleti e i Montecchi) and Tamino (The Magic Flute). Future engagements include Tamino at the Royal Opera House and debuts at Hamburg State Opera and

Paris Opera.

“I’m so thankful for this award,” says Manu.

“As a singer, moving into the freelance stage of your career can be an exciting, if not a daunting prospect.

“I have a number of important contracts coming up where I’ll be going into a room with seasoned pro fessionals, some of whom will be on their 10th-plus production.

“This award has given me the financial backing to make sure I’m as prepared as I possibly can be to do jus tice to the roles I’ve won.’

Dame Heather Begg’s own long and distinguished international operatic career inspired her to make pro vision in her will for this award.

Dame Heather died in Sydney in 2009, aged 76, after a notable operatic career on four continents. Following her death, the trustees of her estate established the Dame Heather Begg Memorial Award in association with Melba Opera Trust.

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is calling on Aucklanders to “walk for the ones you love” at the city’s pinkest fundraising walk next week.

The Pink Ribbon Walk is taking place at the Auckland Domain on November 6 and tickets can still be pur chased by visiting pinkrib bonwalk.co.nz.

Each year around 1030 women are diagnosed with breast cancer across the Auckland region and it’s the leading cause of death for Kiwi women under 65.

The Pink Ribbon Walk is an annual fundraiser which celebrates breast cancer survivors, remem bers those who have been lost, promotes breast health awareness, and raises vital funds for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s work to eliminate deaths from breast cancer.

Aucklander Rachel Guy is taking part in the Pink Ribbon Walk for the first time after being diagnosed with breast cancer last October at the age of 39. She underwent chemo therapy, then a mastectomy with breast reconstruction, which took three months to recover from.

Rachel says: “I am doing

the Pink Ribbon Walk with my extended family to show support, spread awareness and raise much-needed funds to help Breast Cancer Foundation NZ continue with their amazing work.

“My whole world was turned upside down when I got my diagnosis, but the Foundation provided me with so much support with my treatment and recovery. They funded rehabilitative physiotherapy following my surgery and three ses sions of counselling, and the lovely nurses called me

regularly to check up on me throughout my treatment journey. Not only were they knowledgeable and helpful, they were also a reassur ing voice to hear down the phone line.

“I’m so grateful for this support and wish to raise awareness and funds so that others unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with breast cancer can also receive the same support that I did.”

Ah-Leen Rayner, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s chief executive, says: “Our Pink Ribbon Walks are a

wonderful way to bring communities together to show love for friends or fam ily affected by breast cancer. It’s something special to wit ness a sea of pink descend on Auckland Domain, with everyone united in our vision of zero deaths from breast cancer.

“We’d love to see a mas sive turnout in Auckland this year, so pop on your trainers and your pinkest outfits to join us at the Pink Ribbon Walk. It’s a great day out and you’ll be helping to fund our life-saving work in early detection, research and patient support.”

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ holds three Pink Ribbon Walks in Christchurch (October 30), Auckland (November 6) and Wellington (November 13).

The walks are open to eve ryone, no matter their age or fitness level. Participants can choose either a 5km or 10km route and are encour aged to walk at their own pace. The Auckland walk starts at 2pm, with pre-event entertainment kicking off at 1:30pm by The Hits hosts Estelle Clifford and Laura McGoldrick, and Jono and Ben MCing at the finish line.

To sign up for a Pink Ribbon Walk, visit www. pinkribbonwalk.co.nz

The Tree Council wants to know the address and species of the really big, rare and special trees on private land in the Auckland Region.

The group wants to create a database so that future nominations to add trees to the Notable Tree Schedule 10 can be done quickly and efficiently.

“Better prepared means better able to respond, and that means better outcomes for our special trees,” the Tree Council said. “We will assess all the suggestions you send using arboricultural experts, so please do not waste their time by sug gesting ‘normal’ trees that have no chance of passing the scheduling criteria.

“The bar for scheduling is set extremely high,” the Tree Council said.

“So we are only inter ested in hearing about exceptional trees. They could be extremely large/ old, a particularly good example of their species, a rare or unusual species, or have some kind of his toric association (we will need evidence of this). Not your average pohutu kawa – sorry.”

“You can find a form to complete here https:// treecouncil.org.nz/ for every private land address you think has exceptional tree(s) on it.

“If you don’t know the species, that’s okay please just say so. If you can tell us how many trees of which species are on the property that would be helpful, if not then say you don’t know. You can suggest multiple trees (of one or more species) on the

Filipe Manu, who attended Howick Primary School, is the second New Zealander to receive the prestigious Dame Heather Begg Memorial Award. Photo supplied

BOTANY PROBUS

MARKS 21 YEARS

Members of the Combined Probus Club of Botany Downs have cel ebrated their 21st anniversary.

The club met recently at Eastview Church in Chapel Road. President Rosemary Ovens wel comed current and past members. She also welcomed foundation members who joined the club when it was formed on November 26, 2001 under the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Pakuranga.

Joining in the celebrations were Adele White, Chair of the Howick Local Board; Olwyn Grant, President of the Probus Association of Auckland and Dennis Kavanagh representing the Rotary Club of Pakuranga, each of whom con gratulated the club on reaching the 21st milestone.

During the meeting, two mem bers were made life members. They are Rosemary Stanton and Murray Clent. “Both members have given outstanding service to the club,” Ovens said.

WHICH GOD ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

Re: God is knowable, (Times, October 12).

It looks as if Mr Rosieur’s “know able God” is probably Christian, although it could also be Jewish if his reference to the Bible is correct. But then what about all the other Gods in common use around the world – since they, too, are all a

human construct? Does he also find them to be “knowable”?

I speculate too if your corre spondent sometimes wonders if his God may not be male but – heaven forbid – female? It is of course nice for him to derive com fort from his patronising knowl edge, but the shame is that he seems to be unable to accept that other people might prefer one of the other Gods that are available.

Michael D Palmer Summerset Retirement Village

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US

‘Telling fact from fiction’ (Times, October 26) is entitled.

Why he writes about something he does not believe seems odd. It is not original either. If I wrote something silly about his father, he would be annoyed. I have never met his father. I would not know what I was talking about, so why should I write?

I know God, who is much more important and real than his father to me, and many others do as well. Why does he feel the compulsion to try to discredit our relationship? He will find out eventually, as eve ryone will, but unless he sorts him self out, it will be to his shame and regret.

We do talk about it, in the hope that people, or some of them, will take the trouble to find the truth. If they do not have the truth in them, they are a danger to themselves

and those around them. That makes me sad. That is the differ ence between us. God teaches us to love one another.

Harvey Rosieur Howick

BURSWOOD SCHEME RIDICULOUS

Why are our politicians support ing the busway from Pakuranga to Botany and beyond?

Don’t they get the message? The bus service through Burswood was disbanded due to lack of patron age, and even now most buses run around empty and always will.

It would make much more sense to spend the money improving the condition and safety of our roads.

Imagine what is like standing at a bus stop in the middle of winter?

People don’t go shopping on buses or to their family’s sports on Saturday or visiting friends and family.

Even the majority of the Howick Local Board and our smart coun cillor did not support the ridiculous scheme.

Bob Wichman Botany

IDEOLOGICAL INTERFERENCE

Our Prime Minister’s September 23 UN speech seemed to indicate that our collectivist politicians and cor poratists believe our national soul is so completely in their hands that no careless revelation of the

mangled sentiment guiding their objectives can impede their selffulfilling escalating upheaval.

Decades of ideological inter ference has pushed us from our organically cohesive familial neighbourhoods into the anxious, fragmented theatre of a techno logically politicised sociological project in which the traditional religious, moral, cultural, histori cal, intellectual and emotional character and memory of the Kiwi identity has been repressed so that authoritarian and aberrant behav iours might become confused with virtue.

Many warned that such med dling would lead to an unpleas antly different New Zealand, even the once-unimaginable one which would rush to condone lockdowns that unjustly displaced Kiwis’ deep, abiding and vital attachment to common-sense, lawful freedom, a useful press and the crucial par liamentary conventions supposed to shame politicians from over stepping their limited authority.

Despite having been criticised around the world, that speech’s dark intimation equating free speech with weapons of war that governments and tech compa nies must fight, hardly troubled the Kiwi mainstream. Perhaps the government’s Public Interest Journalist Fund is a short, sturdy and very effective leash indeed.

Rees Sutcliffe East Tamaki Heights

HOWICK WAR MEMORIAL HALL MUST RE-OPEN

Re the item in the Times ‘I am not going to be bullied’ (Times, October 26), I am concerned about Adele White’s attitude to the re-opening of the Howick War Memorial Hall.

Her response to the delegation to the Local Board meeting, held prior to the council elections, who wished to speak about the Howick War Memorial Hall was petty and unbecoming of a person in her role and a representative of Howick.

I was part of a support group of information service volunteers at a Howick Local Board meeting (October 2020 I think) regarding the re-opening of this venue. Our spokesperson had been given a speaking spot on the agenda but, on the morning of that meeting,

was advised that the spot had been cancelled.

A generous member of the pub lic, who had also been allocated speaking time, granted half of their time to our spokesperson. Throughout the presentation by our spokesperson Ms White spent much of it chatting to her neigh bour. It is clear from her actions then and recently that she is averse to the re-opening of the facility in any form.

The Howick War Memorial Hall was built from the funds raised by the citizens of Howick along with a Government grant. Therefore it is a facility which should be open for use by the Howick commu nity. The Howick Community Hub Incorporated has worked hard to create an entity which can run it.

The Howick Local Board must make the re-opening of this facil ity a priority because we are enti tled to use it.

Vicky Williamson Bucklands Beach

STOP SELLING LAND TO FOREIGNERS

Where is the sense in allowing foreigners to waltz in here, buy up land which they can turn around an immediately lease – or should I say fleece – innocent hard-work ing New Zealanders?

[It is] much the same as hap pened when Australian banks reaped all the benefits.

Has this government no shame? Labourites grizzle and moan about Chris Luxon making the alreadyrich richer with tax cuts across the board, when in the mother of all hypocrisy by selling large tracts of lands to benefit the few makes Luxon’s gift to the already wealthy pale in significance.

Australia, who has learned the hard way, is cracking down on foreign ownership and China, who our politicians bow and scrape to as the very role model of econom ics, simply doesn’t allow it.

It’s now up to New Zealand’s younger generation, who will suf fer most from the sale of the crown jewels, to amass alongside farmers outside the Beehive and stop the rot before it sets in.

After all, it is their future which is at stake here.

Gary Hollis Mellons Bay

KINDERGARTEN FUNDRAISER

Anchorage Park Kindergarten is holding a fundraising garage sale and cake stall on Saturday, November 5, 9 Tiaka Place, Pakuranga. Starts 6am and runs until 10.30am. Books, toys, house hold items, clothing, baked goods and lots more. All welcome.

GARDENING PRESENTATION

Join us for a talk on “How to pre pare your garden for summer” presented by Terri Marchant, gar dening tutor. Come along and meet other local gardeners for a chat, Wednesday, November 9, 10:30am11:30am, Pakuranga Library. For

more information, phone 3770209; email: pakuranga.library@ aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

DALLE STALLE ALLE STELLE

From the bottom to the top. Sunday, November 13, 2pm-3pm. Giuseppe presents a talk about Italy’s astonishing social and eco nomic achievements from the first years after the WWII to the early 1990s, that nobody would have ever believed she would have been able to achieve. All wel come! Registration required, please phone 377 0209 or email highland park.library@aucklandcouncil. govt.nz, Highland Park Library, 16 Highland Park Drive.

HEART HEALTH

Migrant Connect CAB Pakuranga and CNSST are hosting a free work shop on Heart Health on Friday, November 4 from 11am to pm at 20-22 Clifton Court, Panmure. A 60-minute presentation on health tips and advice will be followed by free heart checks. Facilitator Rose Singh, heart health advocate from the Heart Foundation. To register contact Vani, Text 021 459 520 or email settlement.pakuranga@cab. org.nz.

EASTERN DISTRICT COUNTRY MUSIC CLUB. All visitors welcome, this Wednesday, November 2, 7pm. Come and be entertained with live

music or come and sing or play an instrument. Bucklands and Eastern Beaches War Memorial Hall, Wharf Road, Bucklands Beach. Non-members $5. For more info phone Bev 021 11 56 866.

HOWICK TOWN GUIDED TOUR

Join us at Howick Library for a historic tour of Howick Town in celebration of the 175th anniver sary of its settlement. This will be a guided tour using the Howick Heritage app and will showcase some old Howick buildings and spaces. Spots are limited so come see us or get in touch with us at 377 0209 and ask for Howick Library if you would like to book a space.

GARAGE SALE

The November Barn Sale at Trinity Church, 474 Pakuranga Rd, will be held on Saturday November 5 beginning at 8am. We have linen on special at giveaway prices –sheets, all sizes, duvet inners and covers, table cloths, towels, tea towels, cushions and lots more. We look forward to seeing you! Come and pick up a bargain.

DANCE YOURSELF HAPPY LAST DATES

Uninstructed dance hour with electronica & hits from 80s, 90s. 00s & beyond. Free entry! Tuesdays November 1 and November 8, 7pm8pm in The Lounge, 186 Wellington St, Howick.

Celebrating the milestone are Rosemary Ovens, President; Adele White, Chair, Howick Local Board; Murray Clent, life member; Rosemary Stanton, life member; Dennis Kavanagh, Service Director, Pakuranga Rotary Club; Olwyn Grant, President, Probus Association of Auckland.

SITUATIONS VACANT

Event

16 November

SCIENCE LABORATORY ASSISTANT

hours per week

We are seeking a person

qualified

to support teachers to deliver the

curriculum.

An application form is available on the school website www.mhjc.school.nz under the icon ‘about us/employment’.

send your CV and cover letter to csinclair@mhjc.school.nz. Start date by negotiation.

STOREPERSON/ ASSEMBLER

3pm

BUILDERS WANTED

require experienced builders to

call Keith on 021939253

email

GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR

We are looking for an experienced Guidance Counsellor to work as part of the school counselling team. This is a full-time position.

CARETAKER

“We cannot always build the future for our youth.

we can build our youth for the future.”

Edgewater College provides a caring and supportive environment focused on academic excellence, innovation and a genuinely personalised approach.

support all learners to achieve meaningful qualifications and be actively involved in the arts, sports, culture and service to the community.

2021 INFORMATION EVENING

pm to 7.30 pm | Thursday

We warmly invite

Edgewater College is a co-educational, multi-cultural state secondary school, that serves a diverse urban community covering a wide range of ethnic, social and economic situations. We are very proud of our beautiful grounds and gardens and are looking for a new full-time Caretaker to care for them and continue to ensure we offer the best possible physical environment for our staff and students. We are looking for a self-motivated, well-organised person with excellent interpersonal and time management skills to work as property manager for our school. The role would suit someone who has a practical aptitude and a genuine interest in seeing the school being maintained to the highest standard. This role is a key member of the support staff team. Reporting to the Business Manager and is responsible for all things property, including opening/closing the school, repair and maintenance for physical property and gardens, security, vehicle maintenance, rubbish removal and helping to coordinate cleaners and other ad-hoc contractors as needed. The role has one part-time gardening staff member reporting into it.

August

The position is full-time 40 hours a week, 52 week a year role, with normal annual leave entitlements that need to be taken during school holiday periods. Hours worked are done to suit unlock/lock-up procedures, with an extended break(s) during the day to offset this requirement. There will be occasional school events that will require additional hours.

We have a restorative philosophy and a proactive approach to supporting our students and staff. Applicants need to be a member of NZAC. Start date in January 2023 (Term 1).

For application guidelines and a job description, please refer to our website: www.pakuranga.school.nz.

Applications close on Friday, 18 November 2022

MP281295-V2

CHURCH RECEPTIONIST

St Columba Church, Botany

St Columba Presbyterian Church at Botany is looking for an organised, outgoing receptionist to manage our welcome desk on a daily basis.

In this position, you will assist with a variety of clerical and administrative duties. You will also assist with invoicing, updating database files, and maintaining office supplies.

Proven work experience and proficiency with Microsoft Office suite is essential. Since you will be the first point of contact that people see as they walk through our door, we are looking for an individual who can represent the face and voice of St Columba Church whilst maintaining a pro fessional appearance and attitude at all times.

This is a permanent part-time position, five days a week from 9am to 12pm. A full job description is available on request.

Principal’s

s.wolfgram@edgewater.school.nz

Please apply to admin@stcolumba.org.nz before Monday 14 November 2022.

Venluree is NZ’s leading blind and curtain manufacturer and due to growth we require motivated people to join our Manufacturing team – blinds, curtains and roman blinds manufacture.

Our manufacturing facility is located in the Highbrook Industrial area of East Tamaki Auckland.

To be considered for the role you must have the following attributes:

• Work well in a team environment with a can do attitude. Work efficiently unsupervised and pay attention to detail.

• Some heavy lifting may be required.

• It goes without saying that you must be reliable and honest.

Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa. We will provide training on various duties.

Please contact Tarsis Evans by email with your CV on tarsis@venluree.co.nz

Manufacturing and Assembly Operator DE282727

Machinist

Venluree is NZ’s leading blind manufacturer and in the past 6 years we have expanded into the curtain industry. Due to the success of this venture and the ongoing demand we are looking for an experienced sewing machinist.

Our manufacturing facility is located in the Highbrook Industrial area of East Tamaki Auckland. All machinery, tools, and material will be supplied.

To be considered for the role you must have the following attributes:

• Able to work at speed while maintaining excellent quality & workmanship

• Be proactive and helpful to others in the team

• Reliable, honest and able to work unsupervised Keen to learn as we will show you all duties within the department

Applicants for this position should be entitled to work in NZ. If this sounds like you then please apply in the strictest of confidence by sending an up to date CV to: tarsis@venluree.co.nz

JOHN RUSSELL SCHOOLWEAR HAS AN EXCITING

TIME ROLE

Organised

BAY SCHOOL

OF ZONE BALLOT

The

2023.

front of you!

• Not afraid to give great customer service

• Have a positive with a can-do attitude, keen to learn

• Wears a smile even when it’s cloudy

• Has initiative when tasks require attention

• Well spoken, clear when phoning and emailing people to satisfy service where needed

• Not afraid to vacuum and clean glass mirrors or shop windows

Must be available for work during all school holidays, we’re busiest in January before school starts. We have a tight team of 4 full timers and in January 3 - 4 extra staff. You’ll have opportunity to learn several parts of a small business, so email Kerrie and see if we could be the job for you.

Hours, 6 days a week. Monday - Friday 9am -5.30pm Saturday 9am - 4pm.

If this sounds like you please email Kerrie Evans kerrie@changeindirection.com and or drop your CV into our shop at 9 Moore Street, Howick. Only applicants who have been short listed will be contacted.

on Wednesday 23rd November at 3.00pm

Applications

Tuesday 29th November 2022.

the

of

1 2023.

for Term 2 onwards will be accepted until Wednesday 22nd March 2023 at 3.00pm

The ballot for these applications will take place on Tuesday 28th March 2023.

Proposed

road closure

COMMUNITY

Botany Town Centre to hold first job fair

Botany Town Centre is hosting its very first job fair. With more than 40 retailers and suppliers to Botany Town Centre providing employment opportunities, the centre is putting the call out to the community to offer them an opportunity to shop for jobs. It is on Thursday, November 3 from 5.30pm to 8.30pm

There are several vacancies across the centre and different types of roles for potential candidates to choose from.

Kerrie Hughes, centre manager, says, “The job fair is an excellent way to support both our centre retailers and the community, especially in the lead up to Christmas.

“We are really looking forward to connecting with people and showing them what’s on offer and are excited that the breadth of opportunity will see some jobseekers starting their careers at Botany Town Centre.”

There will be openings for everything from retail staff, beauty therapists, pharmacists, chefs, baristas, bar staff, front of house waiters and waitresses, childcare assistants, assistant managers and store managers, to duty managers and customer service, cleaners, security and casual Christmas positions.

Whether it is temporary, part time, full time or casual, there will be a position to suit.

The International College of NZ will also have a representative available to offer advice and training courses for those who would like further training before seeking employment, or to offer interview tips.

Anyone who wishes to attend may bring copies of their CV and can carry out an express interview with a potential employer or leave their details to be contacted later.

Pedals against poverty in Africa

By ZOE GARDEN

An east Auckland husband and wife team are challenging New Zealanders to join them in their month-long bike ride in a bid to raise funds for students in East Africa.

Pete and Sharon Crean were living in Australia when they were presented with the fact that one billion people don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water and another 2 billion don’t have the use of a toilet.

“My husband (Pete) said, ‘I think we could do this,’” Sharon says. “That’s when we started BeyondWater.”

That was 15 years ago.

Now BeyondWater, a non-for-profit organisation, works across seven countries in East Africa to ensure schools, medical clinics, children’s homes and remote communities have access to safe, clean drinking water and sanitation facilities, including deep bore wells, guttering,

water tanks, hand washing facilities, toilets and health education programmes.

“Only 30 per cent of schools (in East Africa) have any form of a toilet,” Sharon says. “When we started, nobody else in Australia was focusing just on water and sanitation.”

BeyondWater also has a programme called The Girl Project which aims to keep girls in schools by giving them sanitary products as well as simple items such as

soap, underwear and toothpaste and a toothbrush.

Pete and Sharon currently live in Nairobi but spend several months a year in Mellons Bay and are members of the Rotary Club of Pohutukawa Coast. When they’re in New Zealand, the duo does a free education programme for schools. “We want kids to think globally but act locally,” Sharon says.

The idea for Pedals Against Poverty began when the Creans were

cycling.

The challenge is to raise money to build 10 blocks of school toilets in East Africa for students.

BeyondWater’s team of volunteers, including Pete and Sharon, will be cycling from Cape Reinga to Wellington on a 27-day journey (November 10-December 6), finishing on the steps of Parliament.

“Anybody can participate,” Sharon says. “Some people are coming for a day, some for a weekend, some a week. It’s about community involvement.”

A dinner, called ‘Under African Skies a Dessert Evening’ and organised by the Rotary Club of Pohutukawa Coast, will be held on Friday, November 18, at Uxbridge from 7pm-9pm, celebrating 15 years of BeyondWater’s achievements.

 For more information, visit https:// pedalagainstpoverty-gdgj380n.raisely.com/thechallenge.

ADVERTISING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Out-Of-Zone Enrolments

The

school is governed by an enrolment scheme, details of which are available from the school office. Please email our school office secretary@elmpark. school.nz if you are interested in applying for an out-ofzone enrolment for 2023.

The deadline for receipt of applications for out-of-zone places is 21st November 2022. (This includes students ap plying to be treated as in-zone students under transition provisions.)

Parents of students who live within the home zone should also apply by this date to assist the school to plan appro priately for next year.

The board determined that 30 places are likely to be avail able for out-of-zone students next year. There are no places available in Year 1 and 2. The exact number of places will depend on the number of applications received from stu dents who live within the school’s home zone.

If the number of out-of-zone applications exceeds the num ber of places available, students will be selected by bal lot. If a ballot is required it will be held on 28th November 2022 for Years 3,4,5 and 6. Parents will be informed of the outcome within three school days of the ballot being held.

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SPORT

Top sensei visits Howick

The highest ranked Sensei in the Shokotan Japan Karate Association visited Howick College over the weekend, marking his first trip to New Zealand.

Shihan Masaaki Ueki, 83, was granted his 10th dan [red belt] by the then Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe in 2019.

The JKA held a powhiri (welcoming ceremony) and a handover of a greenstone

patu (sacred stone) for Ueki on October 29 at the Howick College gymnasium.

The event, called ‘International Karate Training programme with chief instructor Shuseki Shihan Maasaki Ueki’, also gave Kiwi karate students the chance to be taught by the association’s chief instructor in various training sessions, a feat he’d previously done in Timaru before travelling to Auckland.

Botany Town Centre is hosting a job fair next week.

Pete Crean, second from right, is cycling with his wife, Sharon, from Cape Reinga to Wellington throughout November.

Photo supplied

Shihan Masaaki Ueki was honoured with a welcoming ceremony at Howick College’s gymnasium.

Photo Wayne Martin.

Macleans College year 9 student Daniel FarrellyGrace has picked up a bronze medal at the New Zealand National Secondary Schools Diving Championships.

Held in Auckland during the school holidays, 25 schools from around the country took part.

Farrelly-Grace (Mansfield House) competed in the 5-metre platform event and took out third place, receiving a bronze medal for his performance.

Covid takes out 14 chess players from tournament

Fourteen people had to withdraw from the Asian Seniors Chess Championships due to Covid at the Auckland Rose Park Hotel in Parnell.

The tournament, organised by Howick’s Paul Spiller, finished on Friday, October 21.

“Unfortunately we were hit with Covid and up to 14 players ended up testing positive or having to withdraw because they were unwell,” said Spiller, the vice-president of the New Zealand Chess Federation.

“Fortunately it didn’t affect the major places and the winners had pretty much been resolved by then.”

Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club president, FIDE Master Martin Dreyer, took out second place and the silver medal in the Asian Seniors Blitz Chess Championships.

Dreyer was battling for the overall title against several former New Zealand and

Oceania Champions but had to settle for second place after his last round draw with Filipino FIDE Master Arlan Cabe who took out the overall title.

International Master Gary Lane was third on tiebreak to claim the bronze medal. Lane won first place and the gold medal in the standard competition and

also picked up his first GM (Grandmaster) result from the event.

THE RESULTS WERE

AS FOLLOWS:

 Open 50+ section:

• 1st Place International Master Gary Lane (Australia) 8/9 Gold medal and he made a GM norm result

• 2nd Place FIDE Master

Arlan Cabe (Philippines) 7/9 Silver medal and he made an International Master norm

• 3rd Place FIDE Master Alexei Kulashko (New Zealand) 6/9 Bronze medal and he made an International Master norm – we are hopeful that this completes Alexei’s requirements for the IM title

 65+ section:

• 1st Place FIDE Master Efren Bagamasbad (Philippines) 7.5/9 Gold Medal, wins the International Master title and a GM norm

• 2nd Place Miles Patterson (Australia) 7/9 Silver Medal, wins the FM [FIDE Master] title and an IM norm

• 3rd = Place FM Bob Smith 6.5/9 Bronze Medal and makes an IM norm (on tie-break)

• 3rd = Place CM [Candidate Master] Hilton Bennett 6.5/9

• First Place Woman 65+ WFM [woman FIDE Master] Vivian Smith takes the gold medal

HBH

in a

of like-minded

Daniel Farrelly-Grace made podium at the National Secondary School Diving Championships. Photo supplied

Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club president, FIDE Master Martin Dreyer, and North Shore player Ralph Hart in a pugilistic mood before their individual encounter.

Photo Helen Milligan