14 Thursday <strong>May</strong> <strong>24</strong> <strong>2018</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi News <strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> HORNCASTLE ARENA June 29 - July 1 10AM - 5PM TICKETS ONLINE: starhomeshow.kiwi Support to extend free parking initiative • By Bridget Rutherford HUNDREDS HAVE thrown their support behind extending the central city’s first hour free parking initiative. <strong>The</strong> city council has received about 520 submissions on the topic after asking for feedback. Just under 400 of those supported extending the initiative, while 97 did not support it. <strong>The</strong> remainder were mostly in support of the plan but had some concerns. In November, the city council started trialling the offer of an hour of free parking in six of its off-street car parks to entice people back into the central city. It has since sought feedback on a plan to extend the initiative from July 1 in the Lichfield St and Art Gallery car parks. Many submitters said it did entice them back to the central city and often meant they would stay for longer knowing they would be charged less for parking. Extending the initiative would reduce the city council’s revenue by about $400,000 a year. <strong>The</strong> reduction has not been budgeted in the draft Long Term Plan, so city councillors will need to decide whether to do so as part of the process. It would require a 0.1 per cent rate increase. Some submitting against the idea said the offer encouraged people to use their vehicles, rather than public transport or walking or cycling. Cycling advocacy group Spokes Canterbury said there was a lack of cycle parking in the central city. It said the $400,000 per annum would be better spent on that. It costs motorists $2.80 an hour to park in the Lichfield St car park from 6am-6pm every day. Bid to be best of the bad jokes • By Julia Evans “I REMEMBER back to those sweet mornings in the Netherlands – those were the hollandaise.” Brandon Wyatt did not expect his self-proclaimed bad jokes like that would win him Saturday’s regional pun battle championship semi-final. Mr Wyatt, a 23-year-old IT security engineer, who lives in the central city, said he thought all his puns were “trash” before he turned up at the bar, A Rolling Stone. But that didn’t stop him taking out the competition against 20 others. “I entered last year, but the first time it was just a total crash and burn,” he said. Mr Wyatt said he doesn’t care about embarrassing himself, so he would give it another go. “We were supposed to bring a pen and paper for round two, but I didn’t bother, I didn’t think I would make it that far.” He scraped his way through first round – a head-to-head pun battle. “It was three strikes and you’re out, I only had one left.” <strong>The</strong>n it was a short story competition to cram in as many puns in as possible and the third round was a “Caruso-off” ‘One of them was a barista. I said Caucasian male, looks like he’s been crushed by a steam roller. Looks like he’s a flat white.’ • By Bridget Rutherford A LARGE piece of art that was once suspended above Cashel Mall is set to return, though it is not yet known when. Neil Dawson’s Sky Lens used to hang next to Shades Arcade but was removed after the February 22, 2011, earthquake. City council head of parks Andrew Rutledge said the art named after actor David Caruso, famous for one liners on the television show CSI: Miami. “One of them was a barista. I said Caucasian male, looks like he’s been crushed by a steam roller. Looks like he’s a flat white.” It was that level of humour, which won Mr Wyatt a trophy. He said he couldn’t quite believe it when they read out his name. Though Mr Wyatt said puns get a bad wrap. “It’s harder than it sounds. I like to tell myself it takes a really smart person to tell puns. I’ve also been asked if I’m a father before because I tell so many dad jokes.” A second semifinal will be held at A Rolling Stone on July 14, with the regional final where Mr Wyatt will compete for a cash prize in September. Organiser George Fowler said there was “well over” 100 entrants in the nationwide competition. He is in the process of organising a national final – but plans had not been confirmed. Until then, Mr Wyatt said he will be working on developing even worse jokes and testing them out on his family, girlfriend and colleagues. “I practice every day, by making bad jokes every day.” was currently stowed in a secure city council facility. “<strong>The</strong> intention is to return it to Cashel Mall.” He said a time frame had not yet been established to do so. Mr Rutledge said Sky Lens was taken down and put into storage for safe keeping when the buildings it was suspended from were severely damaged. He said one of the lugs one of PUNNY: Regional regional pun battle championship winner Brandon Wyatt made an “awful” pun about flat whites. PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER Sky Lens destined to return to Cashel Mall the cables attached to sustained minor damage. <strong>The</strong> buildings it was once connected to were demolished. <strong>The</strong> BNZ Centre now stands where Shades Arcade once was. A campaign led by the Arts Centre to raise $30,000 to remake Dawson’s Echo that once hung over the North Quad failed last year because it did not get enough interest. 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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Thursday <strong>May</strong> <strong>24</strong> <strong>2018</strong> 15