Here to stay …
John and Toos Grootscholten in action at a recent Rock n Roll dancing workshop. Photo: Supplied.
They said rock n roll would never last. Tell that to members of Cambridge Cruisers Rock and Roll Club who have managed to make a weekly experience out of rotating their hips, swirling around, lifting each other, tossing their partners across the dance floor and all to the music of Chubby Checker, Elvis Presley and other 1950 and 1960 legends.
And it is not just every Thursday they work out. Over the summer they danced for the Stragglers Auto Show at Lake Karāpiro, danced with the Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra at Hamilton Gardens, and participated in “Cambridge Can Dance” during the Autumn Festival.
Spokesperson Steve Cooper said a recent Dance Your Heart Out workshop led by Terry and John Judd of Hawke’s Bay honed the dancing skills of participants from Waikato and Bay of Plenty during a six-hour session.
The couple have been recognised leaders in dance technique and execution for more than 40 years. Their instructions to the 49 participants focused on both the basic rock and roll step pattern, and the interaction of the steps with their partners. That moved into a series of routines that combined physical and cognitive learning.
Cambridge Cruisers
100 years of rural women
Waikato Provincial Rural Women NZ is searching for historic photographs of Waikato farms to use in a slide show celebrating a century of the organisation. The Women’s Farmers Union started in 1925, became Women’s Division Federated Farmers in 1945, and assumed its current name after 1999. The organisation is celebrating 100 years of rural women and 132 years of women’s suffrage in New Zealand on September 19 at Mystery Creek.
New trustee
Ruth Crampton
Taylor Made Community Space Trust has appointed Ruth Crampton as their new trustee replacing Rob Feisst who died last year. Crampton comes to the trust with a strong marketing and communications background, a skill that the board was keen to recruit.
Helping hands
People among the community who roll up their sleeves most often are being asked to put up their hands up with nominations for the annual Volunteering Waikato Volunteer Awards. Celebrating outstanding contributions, the awards include eight categories to cover a wide range of mahi being done by volunteers.
SADD conference
The annual Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) conference opened in Cambridge on Tuesday and finishes today. Youth advocacy is an incredibly important part of keeping young people safe, especially in local communities. Student leaders from across the region and wider North Island came together to celebrate 40 years of peer-led road safety action.
Charges reviewed
Waipā District Council is reviewing its fees and charges to ensure that everyone who uses its services contributes fairly. While most of the adjustments reflect inflation, there are a few exceptions where the actual costs weren’t being fully recovered. Fees and charges only come into play for services such as dog registrations, building consents, and cemeteries.
Cemetery to get carpark
The Natural Burial section is in the eastern part of Leamington Cemetery alongside a memorial to 11 unknown men from the colonial forces who died during the Māori wars.
The lack of car parking facilities at Leamington Cemetery, highlighted during community consultation, is about to be remedied. Construction started this week on a $300,000 car park with 30 spaces including four accessible parks.
The parks will be near the new toilet in Wordsworth St. The cemetery will remain open throughout the construction period, and contractors will coordinate with funeral directors to ensure they cease works or minimise noise during any funeral services.
The need for a properly formed carpark at the cemetery was identified and consulted on through the council’s Cemetery Concept Plan.
The council also plans to install automatic gates at both Leamington and Hautapu cemeteries to restrict vehicle access at night and reduce vandalism and graffiti.
