From the CEO

Are you rushing towards the end of the year as fast as we are? 

It always feels like we at Council are always talking about how busy we are. Everybody is. However, there is a rhythm to Council’s year and one of our fixtures is the Annual Report. This swiftly follows our Annual Plan but unlike the plan  – which lays out our spending priorities and aspirations for the year – the report closes the loop on the year that has been. 

We pour a lot into this document – many of our officers are busily comparing our significant activities from Year One of the 2021-31 Long Term Plan against performance. We are sure that when the report is finished, many of you will want to take a look for yourself, only after it is audited, and the new Council approves it. 

Heavy rains since February this year have continued to make life difficult for our rural roads, and Council’s roading team have been very busy repairing roads as quickly as they can. The roads at Cape Palliser and Tuturumuri were quickly fixed, enabling residents to continue to go about their normal business. … Continue Reading

First Church News

It is so hard to believe that another year has gone by in our Church calendar, and we are coming up to our Annual General Meeting.  This is being held after our regular church service on Sunday the 30^th of October 2022 at 11am in First Church Hall, Weld Street, Martinborough.  All are very welcome to attend both the service and/or the AGM.

First Church Annual Fair day is being held on Saturday 29^th October – this is being held in the Martinborough Town Hall/ Waihinga Centre from 10am till 3pm.

There will be a huge range of both Women’s and Men’s Clothing and Accessories, as well as our regular and very popular, Cakes, Plants, Books, Collectables, etc – everything must go!! Open from 10am till 3pm this will be one of our last fundraising events for the year.  Cash or Eftpos sales – come along and get yourselves a bargain – something for everyone. For any inquiries or to arrange to have donations of goods collected please phone Graham Howie on 0274474082.

Quote for the month: “Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day” – Dalai Lama

FIRE BRIGADE REPORT

Well Daylight savings has arrived – Did you remember to check your smoke alarm is working? Do it now if you forgot, those few minutes may save you and your loved ones.

We welcome 2 new recruit firefighters to the fold, John Crighton and Corina Lawson, who are settling in the recruit training schedule with recruits Jason Clements and Tamara Hudepohl. The First Response team is joined by Ian Kebbel who brings a valuable background as a former Paramedic.

You probably saw the reports of our recent busy day in the Times Age, as we continue to respond to Fire and Medical calls in our community.

Occasionally struggle with crewing our fire appliance during the day and are still looking for people who may be available daytimes to join the brigade, keep an eye out for our Open Day happening in the next couple of months, even if you can do it just while the kids are at school, you don’t have to be available all the time, you will be fully equipped with really cool gear, fully trained and get to work in a fantastic team. 

If you are interested please contact our Chief Jake Hawkins directly by emailing – Jacob.hawkins@fireandemergency.nz. or better still pop on down and have a chat on Tuesday Training.

Did you know

ENCOURAGED BY an annual  $23 million dollar advertising campaign Kiwis spend $1.5 billion a year on Lotto tickets. Only 25% of the dollars ‘invested’ actually end up supporting good causes , the rest is swallowed up in the advertising and running costs. A ticket’s chance of winning Powerball is estimated to be one in 38 million.  

ONLY THE FRENCH could come up with such a name as the National Interprofessional Union of Transformed Vegetables (Unilet) for a trade group. This is the name  chosen for the horticulturists group who produce vegetables for the French freezing and canning industries.

GOOD JUDGMENT comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment Rita Mae Brown 

AL CAPONE the notorious Chicago gangster who dominated American organized crime for six years including the infamous Valentine Days massacre all the time outsmarting the American legal system. On October 24 th 1931 The law finally made charges stick when he was jailed for eleven years – for Tax evasion.  

WELLINGTON’S ATHLETIC PARK hosted the first All Blacks test match played in New Zealand in 1904. The opponent was the British Isles, forerunner to the Lions. The following year, Dunedin’s Tahuna Park hosted the All Blacks’ second test, against Australia. By 1908, Carisbrook was in play and hosted a return trip by the British Isles, with the Auckland test match on that tour being hosted at Potter’s Paddock (in the area now containing Alexandra Park and Greenlane Hospital). … Continue Reading