Another successful Round the Vines

Martinborough School’s major fundraiser Round The Vines took place on Sunday the 18 of March and was a roaring success.  Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from both participants and from volunteer parents, family and whanau.

We were extremely lucky with the weather which was sunny with a light breeze, perfect for those running the 21 & 10kms fun run.  Hoards of people attended with many varied, delightful, and whimsical costumes.  There were Bumble Bees, Mrs Brown’s Boys, The House from Up, Bacon & Eggs, French people including a wine bottle, a Zombie Bride and a bunch of grapes, just to name a few.

As usual we (the organising committee & the School) are thrilled, and humbled, by the support we have received from the wider community with sponsorship, participation and volunteering of their time to help us.

A special mention, and farewell, to the Crazy Clowns at the Nga Waka/Palliser Drink Station, your enthusiasm and awesome costumes will be missed.  The other Drink Stations have a hard act to follow.

Photo caption: Left to Right, Julia Martin, Harriett Deiderich, Emma Taylor and Renita Persico.

Better bus services Wairarapa 

Wairarapa is Metlink’s first stop on the way to better bus services across the region, with a fleet of new buses and a new payment card coming into service from 30 April, says local regional councillor Adrienne Staples.

“We’re on our way to an integrated public transport network, and that means a new look and new services for Metlink that are focused on what customers have told us they want,” says Cr Staples. “Our Wairarapa customers will be the first to experience Metlink branded buses, supplied and operated by local bus company Tranzit. All the buses will be newly built and will be air conditioned, and will have bike racks to help you get around better.

“The other big change for customers is the move to Snapper for payment on buses. Snapper will replace Tranzit’s a.to.b. card from 30 April, so it’s important you get a Snapper card ahead of time so you can get the best value bus travel from day one. We’re providing free Snapper cards to a.to.b. card holders between 9 April and 11 May.

“Other changes coming in July for the Wairarapa include a new Sunday service between Martinborough and Masterton and some minor timetable changes so that buses and trains have better connections. We’ll be helping customers with information so they know about changes well before they happen.

“Signing up for MyMetlink updates (at www.metlink.org.nz) is one of the best ways you can keep up to date with what this actually means for you and how you can be more connected,” Councillor Staples says. “Our new network is designed to offer our customers the best of our region.  It will give us all a smoother and more comfortable travel experience. That will help our region grow and prosper, benefitting the lives of everyone in Greater Wellington.”

Space & Science Festival comes to the Wairarapa

After inspiring more than 10,000 people in Wellington over the last two years, the “Space & Science Festival” is coming to the Wairarapa.

Space & Science Festival, a mix of spectacular science displays, science talks and classroom activity, is a not-for-profit charity created by a group of volunteer parents, teachers, scientists, engineers and technologists.

Supported by a number of outreach organisations, its aim is to inspire the next generation to enjoy and study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects,” chairman Lee Mauger said Tuesday.

The Festival involves two events on May 5.

FAMILY EVENT – Space & Science Festival @ Greytown Primary School

For families, there will be a range of Space & Science-themed activities at Greytown Primary School from midday to 4pm.

“Expect some spectacular science experiment displays, science talks and classroom activities for all ages,” Mauger said. “We’re hoping to make this an annual feature on the Space & Science Festival calendar.”

“It’s going to be so incredibly stimulating for families and I’m sure it will inspire children to learn more about space and science in ways they haven’t thought of before,” says Miss O’Connor (Greytown Primary School Principal).

“We’re a step-ahead sort of a school when it comes to technology, so adding this broader science aspect is a perfect fit for us. It’s certainly a direction we are heading in anyway, so the opportunity has come at an ideal time, not to mention the opportunity to involve our wider community – which is a real bonus.”

Tickets are available on the Space & Science Festival website and have been kept to a very modest $10 a person thanks to our lead partner Genesis School-gen. Ticket sales will support both Greytown Primary School and the Space & Science Festival.

ADULT EVENT – Evening Talks on “Dark Skies & the Science of Light”  … Continue Reading

WAIRARAPA  CITIZEN’S  ADVICE  BUREAU

CURRENT  SCAMS  –  ASK  YOURSELF  “IS IT A SCAM?”

I think most people have received a phone call or email at some time or other offering them great riches, which can only be recovered by you sending a payment of a nominal sum (often in the thousands). These are the more obvious scams. However, the scammers are constantly coming up with new ideas.

There are some simple, and seemingly obvious rules to avoid a scam. Unfortunately the scammers will seek to gain your trust, and New Zealanders lose thousands of dollars each year to scammers. If you have met someone online, never send money to them, especially if they are overseas. Do not invest funds, sell shares or seek a tax refund from someone who has telephoned you uninvited.

If you have been told of an inheritance coming your way, do not send money to enable the funds to be released. Avoid clicking on a link in an uninvited email, or download software, or purchase goods from an unknown site, or conduct a transaction for someone you do not know.

There is the obvious one where you receive a call from “Windows” telling you there is a fault in your computer and you need to download software or pay a fee to get your computer unblocked. This one still traps the unwary.

So what are some of the latest scams being perpetrated? If you receive a “missed call” message on your phone that appears to be from overseas, do not ring back, particularly if the caller ID starts with 0088 or 002 (Chad in Africa). These scammers have set up a system, so that if you ring back, they can collect the cost of the call to their bank account. … Continue Reading