Southern View: November 13, 2018

12 Tuesday November 13 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
SPORTS
News
NEED FOR
SPEED: Leona
Jones won the
under-12 age
group at the
Australian ice
speed skating
champs in
Melbourne.
PHOTO:
LAURA
JONES
Big future for speed
skater from Opawa club
• By Jacob Page
WHEN OPAWA’S Canterbury
Alpine Ice Speed Skating Club
member Leona Jones first got
on the ice, she spent most of her
time falling down – but now
she’s winning trophies.
Her time spent training at
the club has paid off, earning
her an under-12 title at the
Australian ice speed skating
championships in Melbourne.
Leona, 11, prefers the shorter
distance races, such as the
111m, 222m, and 333m, thanks
to her fast starts.
Her mum Laura took Leona
ice skating for the first time
when she was four, expecting it
to be a one-time experience.
“She spent most of the first
time falling over and getting her
clothes absolutely soaked and I
thought she’d come off the ice
and hate it, but afterwards she
told me she absolutely loved it.”
Leona trains twice a
week on the ice, where she
works on making her legs
stronger and her technique
sharper.
She also does some training at
Hagley Park away from the ice.
She said when she had her
first race as a six-year-old, she
knew the sport was for her after
she fell over but still won.
Leona said she wants to
go as far as her talent can take
her.
“I’d like to compete at
the junior world championships
when I am old enough (15)
and then the Winter Olympics
is a definite dream of mine.”
Consent granted for hot pools
•From page 1
Mr Hughes said it was hard to
say if New Brighton’s commercial
area was struggling because the
whole country’s retail sector is
suffering due to increases in the
cost of living, petrol and food
prices.
Uncertainty still lies over
whether the hot pools will have
a flow-on effect for reviving the
commercial centre of the suburb.
Eastern Vision spokesman
Evan Smith said it is a step in
the right direction but he would
like to see more priority given to
the regeneration of the business
district.
It has been previously reported
businesses were lacking confidence
that the city council was
going to follow through on its
approved New Brighton Centre
Master Plan.
Three years ago the city council
approved the plan which was to
extend Oram Ave through to the
main thoroughfare of Hawke St.
This was to create a new northsouth
shopping and entertainment
precinct.
“It is all very well bringing this
into the area but unless the issues
in the business district are dealt
with as proposing the master plan
then the regeneration of New
Brighton is still going
to remain stalled,” Mr Smith said.
He said the business area in
SOUTHERN VIEW
GREEN LIGHT: An artist’s impression showing what the New
Brighton hot pools will look like when completed. Resource
consents have been secured to allow work to begin on the
facility next month.
New Brighton has not reached its
potential because the plan has not
yet been implemented.
Northshore Residents’ Association
chairwoman Jayne Mark said
the hot pools are a good thing
that will improve and bring more
people the area and make it more
attractive.
She said currently the business
area in general looks “bad and
derelict” and it was understandable
why people didn’t want to go
to the area.
•HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you think the New Brighton hot pools
will help recover the suburb’s commercial centre? Email your
views to georgia.oconnor@starmedia.kiwi
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