From the mayor

Following on from possibly the wettest February in memory, it’s great to see the town looking green and lush. Council contractors have had a hard time keeping up with mowing and weeding public spaces.

On these weather events, despite the deluge, our roads and stormwater held up well.

Visitation and business activity in the South Wairarapa have taken a hit with the Government’s Covid restrictions, and I hope we will see freeing up of these later this month. I have been discussing a plan with Destination Wairarapa to encourage visitation and shopping throughout our district to boost business turnover, once we see what any changes to the present system will be. … Continue Reading

FIRE BRIGADE REPORT 

Well February has raced past and once again we are facing COVID in a slightly different manner with the Government trying to manage cases in the community. We ask that if our Medical First Responders arrive at your house or business, that you are wearing a appropriate mask and answer any questions around symptoms or tests honestly, so we can take appropriate precautions ensuring our Responders are best protected and we can continue to support the Community.

Medical First Response is proving hugely beneficial to both our community with faster responses, effective patient care, and our Ambulance service partner Wellington Free Ambulance, with several instances of the Medical Response team being able to reduce demand on their services, this was especially meaningful during the recent flooding which made access to the district difficult. … Continue Reading

Concerts –   Amici Ensemble, & Aroha String Quartet with Clarinettist Rachel Vernon

Sandwiched in between the March and April Star issues, are the Greytown Music Group’s first two concerts for 2022. Both the organisers and the musicians are hoping that the present Covid rules requiring masks and physical distancing won’t be changed for the worse as Omicron spreads.

This year’s Amici Ensemble, Donald Armstrong and Malavika Gopal on violin, Alexander McFarlane and Andrew Thomson on viola, Andrew Joyce and Bethany Angus on cello, and Jian Liu on piano will present an exciting programme. First, Haydn’s Piano Trio No 39 in G major (the Gypsy), then the Shostakovich Piano Quintet in G minor, and finally the Brahms String Sextet No 1 in B flat major – definitely “musical chairs” as more are added for each piece! … Continue Reading

Cooking corner

Courgette fritters

With some big courgette crops being reported there are probably people wondering what to do with them. Here is one  delicious way to use the excess. 

Courgette fritters 

Ingredients

500g courgettes
½ tsp sea salt
40g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
20g fine polenta or cornmeal … Continue Reading