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Wednesday 27 May 2015
Pride of NZ nominations
Wanderers Club Day 30 May 2015
Page 15
Page 20-21
International tournaments
Page 22
Intersection is ‘diabolical’ say workers
Simon Bloomberg
Workers in Wakatu Estate are convinced there will be a fatal accident at the corner of Main Rd Stoke and Elms St unless something is done to improve the safety of the high-risk intersection. A dramatic three-car collision during rush-hour last Thursday was the second crash last week and latest in a long line of accidents at the intersection. The crash occurred at around 4pm when a car pulled out of Elms St in the Wakatu Estate and was hit by a second car travelling south
along Main Rd Stoke - a third car was also involved ending up in the ditch next to the road. Incredibly three people, including two children, suffered only minor injuries in the accident but Ian Gabites who works at the Bridgestone Tyre Centre in Wakatu Estate believes it’s only a matter of time before someone is killed at the intersection. “It’s not too bad during the day but at rushhour it’s diabolical. I’ve seen three or four accidents there this year and there’s going to be more unless something happens. “The guy down at Morley Motorcycles got
Fire officers at the scene of the three-car collision on Main Rd Stoke on Thursday. taken out there a few months ago. That was pretty bad - someone is going to get killed.” Although there is a merging lane for traf-
fic turning right out of Wakatu Estate onto Main Rd Stoke, Ian’s workmate Cheryl Dickinson says the volume and speed of traffic makes it “really hard to get out.” Cheryl says she often has to wait as long as 10 minutes to get out of Elms St during rush-hour and that “it’s a wonder there aren’t more accidents there”. Cheryl says the speed limit on Main Rd Stoke needs to be reduced from 80kmh to 50kmh to make the intersection safer. She says southbound vehicles often turn left
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Every day’s a Pets at Work day for Brandy Next Friday is national Pets at Work Day, but for 10-year-old chocolate Labrador Brandy and her owner Eric Eden it will be business as usual when they roll up to work at ET Engineering in Richmond. Brandy has been going to work at ET Engineering on Beach Rd “nearly every day” since she was eight weeks old and Eric says she has become part of the furniture. “She likes the company so I started bring her to work when she was eight weeks old and never stopped. All our regular clients know her by name and she’s been painted on our Christmas window every year so she’s part of the business now.”
Although Brandy spends most of her day chilling out by the office, Eric and office lady Vanessa Frater say she always has some business to attend to. “I bring her a cracker every day and she won’t leave me alone until I give it to her,” Vanessa says. “She’s also got this old soccer ball and she’s always trying to get the guys to play with her. “She also comes to all the staff meetings and sidles up to the guys for a pat. She likes going on deliveries around town too.” Pets at Work Day is being promoted next Friday by Purina. Jennifer Chappell of Purina, says pets and the workplace are a good combination.
Brandy with ET Engineering staff, from left, Allister Barlow, Brayden Renolds, Eric Eden, Darryl Aitken and Jason Yaxley at work on Tuesday. Photo: Simon Bloomberg.
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