Book Review

Pearly Gates

I happened to hear  a chapter of Pearly Gates read on morning radio. It seemed like a very well written story and I was pleased to see that there were copies available from the library. On reading Pearly Gates the impression I had taken from the radio reading was confirmed that this is a very enjoyable book.  

Pearly – he had been called this since school days and nobody can remember his real name – was a partner in the busy Real Estate firm of Rawleigh and Gates. He was also Mayor of the good sized town, Pearly liked to be busy.  While the town was not named descriptions along the way suggested Timaru. He had a good marriage with two, now grown up, children. … Continue Reading

Complacency can be a real threat! 

Let’s flatten the curve 

Top of mind for the Martinborough Business Association is COVID-19 and how we support our Association members’ businesses and community.

The Committee held a special meeting to consider this.  The first point made was that this is real – it’s not a drill or a movie. It will be impactful and we are all in it together. We are a small town made up of small businesses in the main. We know our employees very well, often they are our friends.  We know our neighbours well too so let’s make sure that we look after one another during these times

Discourage panic buying, there is no need for it. While we need to adapt the way we go about living we must retain as much of our normality as possible. This will end so let’s look forward, positively to 2021.

There will be a on line session on the next steps being taken by WellingtonNZ to include support and funding options for small businesses.

As mentioned earlier we are all in this together so we all have personal and business responsibilities to keep out community safe. 

Martinborough Business Association 

Councillor comment/notes

Council meeting

Our council meeting on the 18^th March covered a number of items and I am going to summarise some of these below.

Recommendation from the Martinborough Community Board that the Pain Farm House and the cottage are rented out separately from the end of the current lease.  This was passed at and will take affect from the new lease/rent arrangements.

On the 25^th March at the emergency meeting of Council we appointed the Emergency Committee of the Mayor and all councillors and agreed the TOR for this committee to operate during Alert levels 3 and 4 of the COVID-19 emergency. We also noted that Local Government is reviewing quorums for these meeting in light of the numbers of councillors able to attend meetings. … Continue Reading

Cooking Corner

Baked potatoes

Perhaps the ultimate comfort food: a potato roasted in the oven for so long that it is almost forgotten, until its skin blisters and cracks open, mouth-burning steam pours out and the soft insides then slathered with butter and almost anything else you can get your hands on. 

Before baking, spike it with a fork as this makes it bake quicker and all the way through; you want it to be tender and fluffy with a crisp skin. Then top how you like.

Here are some people’s favourite toppings; 

Baked potatoes are delicious with ratatouille, chilli or cottage cheese and pickle. … Continue Reading