Cambridge Connections reset lead
Katie Mayes
A strong strategic leader with extensive experience in leading national infrastructure planning has been appointed to direct the reset of the Cambridge Connections project.
Katie Mayes, who is currently the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s National Manager System Planning and Investment and lives in Cambridge, will join Waipā District Council as executive director on Monday May 5.
Mayes is a graduate of the London School of Economics and has held leadership roles in both local and central government, as well as the private sector.
Website stats
Visitors to cambridgenews.nz are heading for the home page and publications, the latest March statistics show. Top story for the month was about the Pirongia group restoring the mountain’s biodiversity with a Waikato Regional Council grant followed by the ever popular News in Brief. The visits do not include interactions via the Cambridge News App which continues to pick up subscribers.
Wednesday April 9
Wahine memories
Tomorrow (April 10) will trigger memories for Cambridge’s Florence Shearman QSM. Long before she became Cambridge’s volunteer community co-ordinator for the Office for Senior Citizens, Shearman was a young nurse who helped survivors of the Wahine ferry disaster in Wellington. The disaster occurred on April 10, 1968, when the Lyttelton-Wellington ferry Wahine sank near the mouth of Wellington Harbour during a storm. The event helped shape the choices Shearman went on to make. Trained as a nurse, she became a hospital chaplain, an industrial chaplain and pastoral counsellor, and was later presented with a police medal for the work she did with the police force.
Skin funder
Waikato funder DV Bryant Trust is funding $25,000 a year to Braemar Charitable Trust for free skin checks and surgeries as part of a range of community outreach programmes to improve health outcomes across the region. Braemar’s other initiatives include dental assistance for refugees and the upskilling of Te Kohao Health GPS.
Lake name
The renaming of Waipā lake Ngā Roto to Wairoto is not cut and dried, as we suggested last week. The name change is part of the Reserve Management Plan which is in a consultation process running to April 18. Waipā District Council is expected to make final decisions on the plan in July.
Brown to chair
Margaret Main and Te Awamutu RSA’s Lou Brown, at left, listen to The Last Post, played by Peter Leslie of the Patriots Defence Force Motorcycle Club (Hauraki). Standing to the side is piper Craig Wards of the Te Kuiti and Districts Pipe Band. Photo: Viv Posselt
Veteran Waipā councillor Lou Brown has been appointed Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Group joint committee chair. Brown has represented Waipā on the committee for the past two terms and was the deputy chair until Taupō councillor Anna Park resigned. The committee provides leadership in delivering co-ordinated and collaborative Civil Defence Emergency Management arrangements within the Waikato Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group area.
Online coverage
Good Local Media’s websites and apps in Cambridge, Te Awamutu, King Country and Waikato often publish more copy and photos from events we cover than appear in the printed version. To ensure you don’t miss out go to www.wbn.co.nz
Buses go
The EV double decker bus on Waipa regional services. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Lack of patronage has forced the cancellation of late night inbound and outbound regional bus trips to and from Hamilton to Cambridge and Te Awamutu. The Te Awamutu service will no longer go via Rukuhia School in the afternoons while morning and afternoon trips from Leamington and Hamilton have been added going via Cambridge High School.
Resealing going ahead
Crews returned to reseal the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway today (Wednesday 9 April). This work was originally scheduled for the week of Monday 31 March but was disrupted by poor weather after completing one of four sites. Crews will focus on an 8km north bound section of pavement repair between the Tamahere Interchange and the Victoria Road Interchange, requiring 24-hour closure of the left lane. The lane will remain closed until Friday when it will reopen under temporary traffic management with a reduced speed limit.
Festival a success
Autumn Festival Main Street Carnival and Art Market in Victoria Square. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
The Cambridge Autumn Festival Trust is thrilled with the success of the recent festival and consider it the best yet. With four concerts and two workshops sold out, and more than 5000 people attending the Te Awa Lifecare Main Street Carnival and Autumn Art Market it was great to see so many people embracing and enjoying this annual arts and community event. Highlights included performances by new trio “La Voce o Rotorua”, pianist Michael Houstoun, and the three great artists from “Country to Cambridge” – Rowdy’s Rose, James Ray, and The DCP. Organisers were also extremely pleased to be able to include a large number of musicians and performers from local high schools, dance schools and arts academies. Now work begins on next year, said chair Alana Mackay.
Police sting
A police sting outside Cambridge Raceway which started towards the end of the Night of Champions nabbed one person who was processed for excess breath alcohol levels out of the 1300 drivers stopped. A full house of more than 3400 people attended the race meeting and the concert by well-known country singer Kylee Bell which ended before the 11pm curfew. Two people were ejected by security for inappropriate behaviour.
Leading the way
Nathalie Sperling with her white Swiss shepherd
There were dogs aplenty at the Karāpiro Domain over the weekend competing in a championship dog show held in conjunction with the Dominion Collie, Leonberger and Waikato and District Collie clubs and hosted by Cambridge Kennel Association. And while the dogs paraded in the upper part of the Domain, down on the water the New Zealand Dragon Board nationals took place with racing over two days culminating with an end of day victory in the open standard boat event to the New South Wales premier state team with Jessica Sharpe in the sweep position.
Waiting to be judged.
Online coverage
Good Local Media’s websites and apps in Cambridge, Te Awamutu, King Country and Waikato often publish more copy and photos from events we cover than appear in the printed version. To ensure you don’t miss out go to www.wbn.co.nz
