Local Opinion

China – should we be worried?

For 20 years or more, we have been impressed and surprised by the positive economic data that has been coming out of China. Growth has been between 7 and 10 per cent a year over…

The world around us

Did you know that the rock that makes up the top of Mount Everest is limestone that formed below the ocean? Enormous tectonic forces slowly pushed the rocks upwards to make a mountain range that…

Why you should follow through…

Winter is still upon us with some very frosty mornings and lots of fog hitting the area of late. Please remember to manually turn on your headlights, drive to the conditions and defensively. On the…

Nail the spider to remove the web

Often we’re more concerned with alleviating the effects (symptoms) of our problems and difficulties rather than identifying and tackling the cause of those problems – that is, getting to the root, or source. To be…

Applause for the women

The Beautiful Game continues throughout Australasia in the form of the Women’s World Cup – a display of skill, finesse, grace and fairness. The footballers have been – and continue to be – a joy…

Home, and loving it

Somewhere during my nearly 16-hour-long flight back from the Canary Islands (flight number three!) it hit me that I was on my way home to New Zealand. After 11 years overseas when heading “home” from…

Don’t be a weak link

I hate to sound like a stuck record, but I really need everyone to spread the word around securing vehicles. Coming into work this morning, I have again been told of more cases where vehicles…

Beware what you deem worthless

During my high school years, I shared classes with an awkward fellow student who struggled socially. Often called a derisive nickname, he was never celebrated. I felt bad for him as he had many likeable…

Improving dialogue

Trees down, roads closed, electricity outages, slips and flooding – we’ve experienced it all in parts of the Waikato District this year because of Cyclone Gabrielle and other wild weather events. Just a month ago,…

How boys racers were caught

I’m starting this column with good news. Last weekend the team received a complaint of vehicles doing burnouts in the Swayne Road area.  As a result of evidence provided by the public, investigations led to…

1 42 43 44 45 46 80