District Director James Hippolite, right, was pictured with Cambridge Treetown Toastmasters president Nicholas Willmore at a function when the club celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Toasting 30 years
30th Anniversary cake
The Cambridge Treetown Toastmasters celebrated its 30th anniversary recently.
The club, which has more than 20 members has continued to run hybrid style meetings in the wake of the Covid pandemic when face to face meetings were not possible. Members join in from as far away as Spain and the United Kingdom as well as Taupo and Auckland.
It has been among the most successful in the country, being awarded the highest level of recognition given by Toastmasters, the President’s Distinguished Status, for the past three years.
Mind that water
Martin Mould
Predictions of a long dry summer have prompted early calls from councils to conserve water. Three – Waipā and Waitomo districts and Hamilton city councils – put the call out yesterday. (Tuesday).
“We need to be mindful of our water use as it is not an unlimited resource,” Hamilton City Council’s Three Waters Unit Director Maire Porter said. She said water use was already on the rise in the city. Waipā District Council’s water services manager Martin Mould said Waipā was unlikely to have water alerts in place this summer, but “being smart with water use should still be a daily habit”.
“While we may not have to worry about water alerts, many of our regional neighbours and holiday destinations will have restrictions in place over the summer period that you need to be conscious of,” he said.
Watch on web
Cambridge News readers know exactly where to go to get the latest local news and information – cambridgenews.nz.
Chiara Woodford (left) and Levi Lamb
Our home page was again the most visited page on our website last month. Most viewed news’ item was: New leaders are best of pals – Steph Bell-Jenkins’ story about Chiara Woodford and Levi Lamb, Cambridge High School’s head girl and head boy for 2024. Birthday roll up, the 125th celebrations for Cambridge Bowling Club, was next followed by Mary Anne Gill’s exclusive story about St Peter’s School’s Head of School Marcus Blackburn. Our piece on a group of Cambridge Middle School band members playing their first gig was fourth while columnist Peter Carr breaks into the top five with his controversial column on cones and councils.
Santa greets a child while others wait patiently. They were at the annual Cambridge Christmas Festival in the Town Hall which opened last week bringing back the magic of the season to the town once again. The Cantando and Venite choirs entertained on Saturday while Sunday saw volunteers swamped with overflow visitors from the Christmas Parade. Santa Claus, who makes regular visits to the hall, was the star attraction then. The festival continues until Sunday December 17. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Polo festival for Waipā
Mystery Creek will host an inaugural festival of polo – featuring more than 600 horses and a Trans-Tasman twilight evening, in early February. The Mystery Creek club is based at the estate of prominent polo identities John-Paul and Nina Clarkin – who is ranked the world’s best female polo player,
February 2 is marked as International Day, where New Zealand men’s and women’s teams will take on Australia. Finals Day Sunday will bring together the eight top teams competing in four finals. “While a lot of people think it’s only for the royals and cucumber sandwiches, it is actually for everyone,” Mystery Creek polo manager Richard Seavill said.
Scholars named
Three Waipā based students have won $6000 scholarships towards their 2024 tertiary studies in the latest round of grants from the David Johnstone Charitable Trust. They are Billy Barclay (Te Awamutu College) Ayla Montgomerie (Cambridge High) and Samual Smyth (St Peters). The trust supports science, engineering, teaching and tech students, most of whom come from rural communities and want to apply their skills in rural settings.
The David Johnstone Charitable Trust, administered by Perpetual Guardian, has been operating since 1991, the year after the death of the Waikato farmer and philanthropist has provided another $168,000 to help students fund the start of their tertiary education next year.
The latest list of recipients of an education scholarship with a rural focus were celebrating last week. They each received $6000 from the David Johnstone Charitable Trust, administered by Perpetual Guardian, to help fund the start of their tertiary education next year.
Market all go
The Kaipaki Community Market Christmas Festival is all set for this Sunday. Featuring about 40 stalls and food trucks, there are pony rides for the kids and students from Ohaupō and Kaipaki schools will also perform musical items. Santa will also pay a visit. The market starts at 3pm.
Mayoral fund
Susan O’Regan
Mayor Susan O’Regan spent $902.82 from her Mayoral Discretionary Fund in the financial year ended June 30 this year.
The fund – which had $17,647.20 available – enabled her to respond “spontaneously” and at her discretion to funding requests.
She spent $125 on laminating notices for an “Adopt a Council” response post Cyclone Gabrielle and $777.82 on rental of the Don Rowlands Centre for the Cambridge Music Festival in December last year.
Official information
There were 148 Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMAs) requests made to Waipā District Council in the four months from July 1, council’s Audit and Risk committee was told this week. All bar one met the 20 working days statutory timeframe for a response. The council did not capture one correctly as a request but once it was, a reply was provided within 11 days. Meanwhile in the same period, one investigation was initiated by the Ombudsman following a complaint by a member of the public.
Noise calendar
Noisy days at Mystery Creek comply with Waipā’s District Plan again with only six major events, 12 day-night activities and 49 go kart racing days considered to be noise activities. The calendar has to be filed with the council every year. The first big event at Mystery Creek next year will be a Scout Jamboree from January 1-5.
School block almost ready
Greg Thornton
A ceremony to bless Cambridge High School’s new two-storey building, S Block, will be held on Monday. Named after past principal Jack South, the 15-classroom facility constructed by Livingstone Building replaces a building of the same name and will open at the beginning of the new school year.
It was approved in 2015 but has been hampered by delays. S Block will house art rooms, a dark room, music, student services and pathways rooms, a high-needs bathroom, a café set up for barista training, design and visual communication rooms and general teaching spaces. It has an 1122m² footprint and cost about $12.4 million.
“S Block is one of several new buildings that will be coming on over the next 5-10 years,” principal Greg Thornton said. “I think school students and the community are really fortunate to have such great facilities.” The school has been working with the Ministry of Education on a long-term growth plan. “The next plan is to put a two-storey, 10-classroom block on the site, and that will keep us on track with population growth.”
Housing vision
Waipā’s housing subcommittee has approved a draft Housing Implementation Plan for presentation to the Strategic Planning and Policy committee next year. The plan contains a vision for how council can, with partners and key stakeholders, increase stocks of affordable housing in the district and boost housing for the elderly.
Kihikihi plan
A conceptual master plan for a medium density residential development on Waipā council land at Stockade Reserve in Kihikihi is being prepared by Paua Architects.
The council is working with Maniapoto Ki Te Raki to prepare a relationship agreement which will keep mana whenua informed of progress.
Appeal fails
The High Court at Hamilton has dismissed an appeal by Ōtorohanga farmer John Walling who argued fines issued for polluting the Matapara Stream were manifestly excessive’. In June Walling and his company Cazjal Farm Limited were fined $96,000 each.
A quick fix
Detour signs at the closed State Highway 1B Telephone Road rail crossing east of Hamilton will be replaced with fixed signs to lower costs while the long-term future of the crossing is decided. The crossing was closed due to safety concerns in April last year. The change will remove the costs of monitoring the condition of the temporary signs.
