Inner Wheel and The Ruth Project

Last meeting we had a fantastic speaker – Abby Worthington – founder of The Ruth Project

Four years ago, and inspired by her own experience of miscarriage and postnatal depression, Abby formed the Wairarapa-based charity to help people deal with perinatal stress. 

Having a miscarriage and receiving poor or no advice from medics, such as “do not breast feed,”  she found bonding with her first child difficult. 

She later realised this was wrong for her, especially after seeing how Māori mothers and fathers relate to their babies. Abby and her husband both felt that there was no support for families.

The organisation has 12 volunteers, mainly retired and vetted women and men. 

Project Ruth does not replace medical professionals who deal with serious matters. Instead, Abby’s charity lends a hand by giving practical and emotional support to those who need it.

Plunket, midwives, word of mouth and social media spread the word to would-be client families. The charity is funded by grants, donations and other innovative means.

Caption: Ruth Project’s Abby Worthington speaks to Inner Wheel members.

Help find little Archie from Pirinoa

Archie, a Shih Tzu Cross and beloved pet of the Frost family from Pirinoa, has been missing from home there for six weeks – and the family are desperate to recover him. 

Archie (pictured) was likely last seen by neighbours about 3.5 kilometers from his home on Lake Ferry Rd _ and Teresa Frost thinks it’s likely he walked out the neighbour’s driveway and was picked up by a passing motorist. 

She notes: “He does love the mud, so could be very muddy. And when scared or worried his tail goes down and can look longer. He does have his bottom teeth that sit out over the top a bit and is a little bow-legged.”

“I’m sure he is missing us all. His buddy, Bob (4yr Foxie) is missing ZOOMIES. He is very depressed without his best friend Archie. My daughter and I are completely broken hearted without him.”

“Thank you for everyone keeping an eye out for him,” Teresa said.

Contacts: 0224271517 or 0272414894 or 0212473529. 

Caption: Archie, the missing Pirinoa Shih Tzu X

COUNCIL NEWS

From the Mayor – August 2024

By Martin Connelly

June is the month when councils set rates. July is when the invoices often arrive. 

Unlike governments, which can increase some taxes one month and others in the next month, councils have to set rates all at once, there is no ‘easing the pain’ by gradual increases throughout the year.

This year the Council has done several things to try and make rates fairer for most people. I will

mention two. 

The first is that the Council has set the general rate using a property’s Capital Value rather than its land value. Here are some reasons why I prefer this approach:

* It is simpler to understand. It is easy to estimate the capital value of a property as it’s basically the market value, rather than trying to separately assess land and improvement values;

* For people who do business on their own land, when economic times are tough, their land will not really alter its value very much, but their business value may decrease. Rating on Capital Value takes these sorts of changes into account. … Continue Reading

History is made in Strasbourge Street

Some might call making history prosaic. Others _ marvellous, fascinating, even “about time.”

On July 3 some 40-plus people gathered to witness the ‘firing up’ of Martinborough’s first public Electric Vehicle _ EV _ chargers at the Waihenga St Marks Masonic Lodge on Strasbourge. 

Jim Watt, Grand Master of Freemasons in New Zealand, said the newly-installed chargers were the group’s pilot EV charger project and part of the Freemasons’ mission to “become a greater part of 

the community and to support the community.” 

These first three Martinborough charging points will make the town “a more convenient place to live and visit,” he said, adding that if the initiative succeeds the Freemasons will roll out more chargers in communities around the country. … Continue Reading