Public forum
Cambridge Community Board’s public forum tonight (Wednesday) featured submissions from Destination Cambridge over the recent decision to stop funding the local iSite and two sporting clubs concerned at Waipā’s plans to take over management of its 17 ratepayer-owned sports fields.
Don’s Drive
Don Gerrand, by the sea
A collector road at the end of Hugo Shaw Drive in Bridleways Estate, Cambridge, which The News revealed last month was to be part of Taylor Street, will be named Don Gerrand Drive, Waipā District Council confirmed this week after the name secured support from Ngāti Koroki Kahukura and Ngāti Hauā. Collector roads link local roads in the C2 growth cell development. Gerrand was the Cambridge fire chief and had served in the brigade for 53 years at the time of his death in May 2022.
See: Moving farewell for Cambridge
See: Council has it Taylor made
Taylor Street at the northern end of Hugo Shaw Drive in Bridleways Estate.
Priority shortlist
The long list of transport ideas for Cambridge has now been assessed in detail and the project team has completed a shortlist which along with traffic modelling information will be presented to key stakeholders next week for feedback. Known as the Cambridge Connections business case, it will include a programme of the next steps and be complete by May. The News will have more information next week.
Units refreshed
Three Waipā pensioner flats in Cambridge have been fully renewed and are now occupied. Two are at Dr Tod Court and the other at Dallinger Court. Other units in Wallace, Vaile and Dallinger courts required general maintenance before they were occupied. Meanwhile work on cracks in the brick cladding on some of the pensioner units at Dr Tod Court, as well as some roofing work, will be completed later this year.
Cup winner dies
Verry Elleegant wins the Melbourne Cup with Cambridge jockey James McDonald on board.
Melbourne Cup winning jockey James McDonald is mourning the loss of the mare Verry Elleegant who died this week following complications giving birth. The jockey had been expecting a call with good news about a colt or a filly. “…to get that call she had lost her life, I couldn’t believe it at first. It brought tears to my eyes,” he said.
Road works done
Thornton Road speed calming measures and crossings between the shops and Te Koo Utu playground in Cambridge is now complete. Meanwhile a new rejuvenation product has been added to the 24-year-old asphalt surfaces in Oaklands Drive to restore waterproofing. The product is an alternative to chip sealing over asphalt.
The X Factor
Tayla Baucke, pictured with her father Karl, won the Cambridge leg of the NZHL XRace series at Lake Te Koo Utu.
Tayla Baucke won the Cambridge leg of the NZHL XRace series at Lake Te Koo Utu on Friday not only winning the 10 year old girls but sweeping the female and overall pool in a time of 30 minutes 45 seconds.
Father and son Louis and Lucas Khoo finished just behind her taking out the Senior Boys and Dad division. Best Mum was Lisa Skinner while Tayla’s sister Peyton was 11th overall but first in the eight year old girls in 39:24.
The average time from the 500 plus competitors in the XRace division – one of four, the others were Sport, Two Children with Adult and Nippers – was 56:48.
XRace is a mystery adventure race where parent and child aged 6-14 race together, locate and complete 10 mystery challenges; racing the clock and all the other family teams. A team is made up of two people: an adult; dad or mum or a trusted relative or family friend and a child aged between 6 and 14 years of age.
Driving south
Waipā roading engineer Paul Strange has been appointed roading manager at Ōtorohanga District Council. Strange contributed to many projects during his 17 years at the council; the more recent being the Victoria (High Level) Bridge revamp which had a full repaint and maintenance work.
Talks bear fruit
An agreement between Ōhaupō lifestylers Nick and Vanessa Jennings and Kiwifruit Investments Ltd over the landowner’s appeal to the Environment Court is close, according to Waipā Consents team leader Quentin Budd. The consent for artificial structures and shelterbelt plants at a kiwifruit orchard in Parallel Road, next to Jennings’ property, was granted in March last year.
Whoops
Workers had to redo the driveway parts of a new 284m $60,000 footpath in Milton Street, Cambridge when the concrete was laid the wrong way and would have cracked under the weight of cars going over it. Fifty footpath repairs were completed across the district since September 1.
