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Wednesday 4 April 2012
Volunteers sought for Sri Lankan rebuild Page 8
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on their 10th Birthday
Home makeover: surprise edition
Armed with shovels, weed whackers, chainsaws and a meat pack 45 people came to help. Led by members of The Richmond Baptist Church, the group took to Mike and Annie Brown’s house for a three hour makeover, something reminiscent of the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Three years ago, Mike was diagnosed with a serious form of bowel cancer. At that stage he was given very little chance to live. Glenn Ross, a member of the church, says the property is large and tough to maintain, even for a strong man. But he was delighted that they could do their bit to help out a friend. Neville Hunter, the minister of the church, says the idea to help out had a snowball effect after visiting for a weekend earlier in the year. “They were going to have 20 years work here, the way they were going. “Glenn was looking for a project for the men in the church to do.” They all arrived, much to Mike and Annie’s surprise, on Saturday morning. “Mike thought there were a couple of people coming to help out, but when all the cars started to arrive, he realised something was up,” says Glenn. “They’re just great people and we’re about helping people out, whether they’re in the church or not.” The home makeover consisted of a lot of gardening, clearing, wood chopping, painting, lawn mowing Judah Dunne, 13, Isaac Dunne, 16, Owen Milson and Emily Milson, 12, get and finished with a good old fash- busy at their friend’s Wakefield property for a surprise three hour home ioned Kiwi barbecue. makeover on Saturday. Photo: Phillip Rollo.
Close but no cigar Page 22
17 possum traps stolen from teen Phillip Rollo Seventeen possum traps more disappointed in the were stolen from a 13 year fact someone would steal old Belgrove boy’s trapping from his teenage son. He spot in Pretty Bridge Valley, hopes the thief will return ruining his hobby and his them. only source of “We were just collecting pockgutted. As we et money. got further and Isaak Guyton, further along I a Waimea Colkept thinking lege student, ‘oh no’,” he says. had received the Mike, who possum traps works at Bryant for Christmas Logging, has an and spent every all-year permit Saturday during to hunt in Pretty the past month Bridge Valley. checking the “We’ve been traps with his doing it every father, Mike. weekend. It This weekend’s takes about 15 Isaak Guyton. check went sour possums to get when 17 of the 20 traps a kilo [of fur], so it takes were no longer there. awhile.” Isaak, who has been trap- Isaak’s traps were just standping possums and selling ard legal possum traps. their fur since he was just Mike reported the missing six years-old, was left gutted traps to the Nelson Police. and out of pocket. Isaak says he is resigned to The traps were worth starting over to save up for around $200 but Mike was more traps.
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