Southern dogs under control, behaving and returned

Of the 3,410 registered dogs living in the district, only 152 were listed in the South Wairarapa District Council’s Dog Control Activities complaints register for the year to July 2024 _ 13 more than the prior year but down 57 on 2021-22. The highest number of complaint offences _ 83 …

Toast to the new Taste Wairarapa

By Joelle Thomson, Wine Writer Taste Wairarapa stepped in where Toast Martinborough left off on the third weekend of November this year. The well-known Toast Martinborough food, wine and music event has run for 30 years and will return in January 2025 in a reincarnated form with Foley Wines as …

How Well Do We Know People In Our Community? – December 2024

By Lyle Griffiths Born in Whanganui, Mariana McDermott first lived with her mother in the home of her grandmother. After her mother remarried, the family moved to Martinborough, to Hikawera, where her stepfather, Tiki Mahupuku McGregor, built his own home. It was close to the old meeting house, which had …

Kitcheners ram-raid brings out community support

A front-end loader assault on a bank ATM which collapsed part of a verandah, ripped open a cafe frontage and wrecked building support beams netted the culprit nothing – but brought a swell of community support for the damaged Kitcheners Cafe business. Within nine hours of the ATM ram-raid on …

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Dark Sky group sees national lighting controls protecting heritage

November 11, 2024 November 2024 Comments Off on Dark Sky group sees national lighting controls protecting heritage

Dark Sky Reserve street light reflects downwards _ not up (Sackville St, Martinborough).

Martinborough’s founding dark sky reserve group had an early lucky break _ streetlights across Wairarapa’s towns were about to be changed in a bulk deal.

Instead, Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency agreed to install “dark sky friendly” lighting _ even though that style was not their initial choice. But as the proposed replacement “didn’t cost any more,” (it saved on electricity) the more dark sky friendly alternative was installed. 

Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve’s international designation followed two-plus years later – the second such international approval in New Zealand.

With a dozen dark sky places across the country, the local dark sky group is now advocating for nationwide regulatory change to ensure national public lighting controls are put into the law to address expanding light pollution. And to protect the future of our pristine skies.

Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve recommends that artificial light at night should be governed by national legislation and environmental standards – just as soil, air and water pollution currently are. Noise pollution is regulated and standards for it are established for enforcement at local council level.

In the absence of a national light pollution regulatory framework, every community has to mount its own efforts to persuade its local council to amend outdoor lighting provisions of the local District Plan. “That is time-consuming, expensive and very inefficient.” … Continue Reading

Martinborough Wine & Food Society

November 11, 2024 November 2024 Comments Off on Martinborough Wine & Food Society

Not yet replete: Society members chow down at Top Pub event.

Top Pub in Greytown was the group’s latest dinner assignation. 

Members had a choice of two starter wines: one was red, the other white. 

The red was Primitivo Quota 29 ’21 Mont Albano (Italy), described as a ‘showstopper with luxurious fruits and spicy back notes.’ 

The white was Butterworth Chardonnay, Martinborough ‘21, described as ‘with scents and flavours of ripe freshly-picked apricots and peaches.’

The starter was Arancini. Mains were a choice of beef cheeks, Mediterranean stuffed chicken or beetroot risotto. 

The pudding was a beautifully made pannacotta with dark fruits.

We all had an enjoyable time. 

If you’d like to join us next time, contact Dave 027 453 0475 or Philippa 021 434 163.

Koha for that Summer wardrobe?

November 11, 2024 November 2024 Comments Off on Koha for that Summer wardrobe?

Clothing swap – or koha – a repeat event is on the way. The first effort at St Andrew’s Church Hall? 

“It was quite a fun time with people trying on clothes and a lot of laughter. And some were very delighted with the clothing they scored,” organiser Glenys Hansen told The Star.

“I guess we were worried about how this would go, and more importantly, would there be enough garments for people to check out?

“There was a generous amount of good quality garments (some even had labels still attached) and also a table of children’s clothes.”

For any swap there was no charge, but if a shopper had nothing to exchange, a koha was all that was needed to take the clothing away.

The clothing swap group said it has retained several boxes of the best clothing to repeat the Swap in November _ with the remainder going to the Resource Centre in Masterton.

“So keep 16 November free – coffee and cake provided, and come and try on clothes for your free Summer wardrobe,” she added. 

Clothing Swap St Andrews’ Church Hall Dublin St Saturday 16 November 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Marae, council link to provide emergency centre

November 11, 2024 November 2024 Comments Off on Marae, council link to provide emergency centre

(L – R): Dillan Wyse (overseeing), Ben Pike, William Clatworthy, installing the Hau Ariki solar panels.

Martinborough’s Hau Ariki Marae is now sporting 68 new solar panels able to generate power to support its role as an official Emergency Assistance Centre during any emergency in South Wairarapa. 

The marae is the first Wairarapa centre to be granted funding by the Ministry of Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for such a community emergency system – which will generate 30 kw of electricity and includes a 30 kw battery for power storage.

The grant for funding was supported by the district council, which has separately granted Hau Ariki Marae $49,000 for water tanks. 

“This further strengthens the marae’s infrastructure and its function as a central gathering point for all in the community to come together, both in good times and not so good, such as in emergencies,” Nigel Carter, the council’s emergency management advisor, said in a statement. Funding for the power system came from the final round of the one-off Community Wellbeing Fund, which is administered by the council with funds entirely from central Government.

Due to the increasing frequency of emergency events, such as Cyclone Gabrielle, “we have learnt to expect the unexpected and prepare for worst case scenarios,” Carter added.

The first place to go in an emergency is to friends and family, while Emergency Assistance Centres are set up to take in the community when this is not possible.

Hau Ariki Marae is designated as an official Emergency Assistance Centre in South Wairarapa. This means it can be opened up in an emergency to provide assistance, if needed.

“We are thrilled to see these solar panels in place, building resilience for emergencies and we

appreciate the MBIE funding enormously,” said marae committee chair Kevin Haunui.

“We look forward to continuing work with the council to ensure Hau Ariki Marae is a safe and resilient emergency refuge when needed,” he said.

The first port of call in an emergency situation is the local community emergency Hub, located at Waihinga Centre. Find out more at: www.wremo.nz

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Sports

Martinborough golf by a hank – of wool

  We start at the end of the month, when the annual Baabraa Trophy between Martinborough and Eketahuna was fought out on a glorious Sunday in Martinborough. A field of 70 played a stableford round and the average stableford points for the two clubs were calculated. Eketahuna scored an average …

Lady golfers show Rosebowl winning ways

September has been an up and down month weatherwise for golfers, some beautiful early spring days followed by cold and rain. Thankfully for the important days the weather has mostly come to the party. Early in the month the Cotter Rosebowl was successfully defended at Carterton by Martinborough’s team of …

Stunning first 4 – 1 win for Marty Women’s FC

By All-knowing Football Reporter It was always going to happen. After a few draws, some losses the newly-formed MWFC won their first game. An impressive and resounding victory. It started with ‘The Fox in the Box,’ the striker who plays in the traditional Number 9 role of marauding the penalty …

Regular Features

From the Mayor

By Martin Connelly Water services have been a political football for some time. We associate …

EVENTS

Wellington Heritage Festival WHEN: October 26 – November 17  WHERE: * Wellington Region – 140 …

How Well Do We Know People in Our Community?

By Lyle Griffiths Pforzheim in Southern Germany was where Thomas Röckinger lived with his family, …

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Could ZERO growth be the answer?   So, Martinborough’s sewage woes continue, and have seriously …

THE STAR BOOK REVIEW

    By Brenda Channer – Martinborough Bookshop “Costanza” by Rachel Blackmore This is a …

THE STAR  BOOK  REVIEW  

By Brenda Channer –  Martinborough Bookshop “All the Colours of the Dark” by Chris Whittaker. …

EVENTS – October 2024

Discover Te Muna  WHEN:     Saturday, Sunday, October 19 – 20  TIME:      …

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