The Star: January 30, 2020

Readers respond to articles in last week’s The Star
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday January 30 2020 The Star
OPINION 13
Items including sacred
pounamu have been stolen
from the graves of two of
Gwyneth Beard’s children
Tania Hopkins – Every
time I’ve put stuff on my mum’s
and brother’s graves it’s been
taken. We even found some of
the stuff a little further down.
It’s very upsetting that people do
this.
Angela Cribb – My son’s
grave got some Christmas stuff
taken already. We are going
cement stuff down, hopefully,
they don’t get broken.
Jess Taylor – It’s absolutely
disgusting behaviour. My
cousin’s picture on her headstone
has been defaced and broken
twice. The people who do these
things will have their share of
bad juju. Karma is a wonderful
thing.
Laura Macioce – Disgusting
behaviour. Someone stole my
son and nephew and niece’s
vases from the grave. Makes
me sick how people can do such
things in other people’s tragic
circumstances.
Wendy Johnson – My
dad’s photo set in marble
was chipped off his headstone
and taken. Disgusting that
they can do it to children’s graves
too.
Cherie Fredricksen – It
should be a safe place, however, is
it worth it putting things like that
into temptation of idiots. Have
a shrine at home and put them
there where it is safe.
Niki Kitto – This is just
appalling that some people have
no respect for others, stealing
from a child’s grave is the lowest
of the low.
Stacey McConnochie –
It’s heartbreaking for an already
grieving mum to again be faced
with heartache. We put these
things with our loved ones as
an extension of our love and for
it to be taken makes me so
angry.
Maureen Diane Pope-
Beacham – How can anybody
do such a cruel thing as to steal
from a grave. So very sad for the
family. Absolutely disgusting.
Sondja Emmerson – My
mum was heartbroken several
years ago upon learning that
flowers and trinkets at her mum’s
grave were stolen. She went
online to share her dismay and
a young guy posted and was
bragging that he takes flowers
from cemeteries to save money
when he wants to treat his mum
or girlfriend.
Lou Skinner – Who is dumb
enough to steal greenstone and
even worse from a grave? They
will pay more than they know for
that. So sad.
Alison Aluni – People
who steal taonga are asking
to have an illness, maybe not
them but whoever they give it
to. Who steals from graves
anyway?
Cheryl Smith – My heart
grieves for this mum and for
all those who apparently have
no longer have hearts or moral
compasses.
Helen Smith – I am not
surprised but this especially
after the first offender was
not charged. Seems like it
okay to steal these days. Even if
caught, nothing happens.
Stephanie Hagerty
– Do we have to put cameras in
graveyards now to keep things
safe there as well?
Danielle Baxter – That’s
tapu. Good luck with karma.
Mike Vivian – Well those
thieves will live a life of misery.
We all know what happens
when you steal someone else’s
greenstone.
William Patterson
– Stealing from graves? What the
hell is wrong with people?
Carina Mulitalo – Bottom
line is no one should ever touch
someone’s final resting place.
Debra Sinclair – Sad but we
really need camera surveillance
in cemeteries now.
A plan by Chinese artist
Yang Yi to find a home no
one seems to want for a
Richie McCaw sculpture
Gerald Thorner – I think a
fitting place for it would be in the
plaza in front of The Dunedin
Railway Station to help advertise
The NZ Hall of Sports Fame.
Secondly, it could be installed
in the town where Richie grew
up. Or thirdly a centrepiece for
the new Christchurch Sports
Stadium. The piece conveys
LOSS:
Thieves have
stolen items
from two
of Gwyneth
Beard’s
children’s
graves.
PHOTOS:
GEOFF
SLOAN
a rugged brute strength of a
sport that is iconic in New
Zealand.
Kerry Coles – I would not
like the Richie McCaw statue
in Christchurch. I prefer trees
actually.
Rosemary Fraser – We
don’t want yet another
grotesque sculpture in our city.
Our city suits water fountains
and we have some lovely public
art on our buildings and we have
a glorious mix of architecture.
Maybe there could be a Wall of
Heroes at our new stadium that
displays facial or full-body relief
sculpture and information on
why we venerate that person. If
we must have sculptures littering
our city they need to be in
keeping with our environment
and not huge.
Prince William’s two-day
visit in the aftermath of the
March 15 terror attacks cost
taxpayers $300,000
Annabel Temple-
Furman – Why can’t the
Royals simply donate their own
time, money, travel expenses
and security in situations
such as this? I’m all for them
supporting the Commonwealth
Send us your views. If
you have an opinion
on a Christchurch
issue, email barry@
starmedia.kiwi and
put ‘Opinion’ in the
subject line. Emails
should be kept to
about 150 words
and boosting morale, but the
Commonwealth also has a lot
of smaller nations, who’d likely
rather not put the expense of
‘hosting’ back on their regular
taxpayers.
Kim Rose Powers – Why?
He was the one who wanted to
come.
Liz Richardson – Doesn’t
bother me. Great he visited and
supported Christchurch.
Wade Millar – The
costs were not payment.
They were security-based
and more. However, you can
guarantee there was a decent
return on the money spent
through local business being
busier with people coming
out to see them. Swings and
roundabouts really.
Jude Cayford – What good
did it do having him here, waste
of money.
Jonathan W Goodman
– Ridiculous. Paying for royalty
when our allegiance to the
monarchy is holding us back
from developing a unified
national identity.
Chief Ombudsman Peter
Boshier says the city
council appears to be
making good progress
in response to his heavily
critical assessment of it last
year.
Trevor Taylor – Won’t
improve until Dalziel is gone.
Owen Fine – It’s always been
run by the backroom executives.
Those elected are just along for
the ride.
Pony ride could lead to an uncertain financial future
SO, MY financial future may be
in dire straits. But boy, I’m so
proud of Vittoria.
Continuing the fun of birthday
season we had another second
birthday on Saturday, this time in
rural North Canterbury.
Being that it was farmyardthemed
there were a few animals
in attendance – rabbits, guinea
pigs and a few hot cows hiding in
some shade in a back paddock.
However, the grand flourish was
a pair of ponies available for rides.
Vittoria had only seen ponies
at Willowbank previously but
didn’t seem too put out by them
or even excited when we arrived.
Her first reaction was to run right
past them to go down a slide a
few times.
Other kids were happily taking
short rides on either one of the
ponies, which got Laura and I
curious as to whether Vittoria
would be willing to do the same.
She did not take a huge amount
of convincing, I asked her once
and she happily followed me
over to a waiting steed and let me
lift her onto the saddle without
complaint.
I was worried she would fall
off as soon as I let go, so hovered
about a bit while the woman organising
the rides got her sorted –
including putting her helmet on,
which surprisingly elicited not
even a squeak out of her.
With my worries still lurking
about, I tried to keep a reassuring
hand on Vittoria’s back (ready
to grab her should she make
an insane dive from the pony).
But it became apparent pretty
VITTORIA
& Matt
quickly that she was in no need of
Daddy’s help.
She sat in the saddle perfectly,
confidently. Her expression calm,
back straight, her body moving
slightly to allow for the movement
of her mount.
Within about 5m of her ride, I
stood back in amazement.
As far as my talent goes on
horseback, I’ve only got fleeting
memories of some lessons I took
inland of Waikuku.
My great-grandmother Mary
Matches was known in her
younger days as a rather skilled
horse-breaker and talented rider,
so I’m guessing her skills have
jumped a few generations.
Unfortunately, in another
unlike-my-great-grandmother
moment, I neither live on a farm
nor own a horse. So if a passion
for equestrian pursuits has been
awakened in Vittoria, I’m looking
at a long future of forking out
for pony clubs, lessons and, God
forbid, a ruddy horse.
Expensive as that all may be,
GIDDY-UP:
The moment
my financial
future fell
into a state of
jeopardy.
if it would give her as much
happiness as that pony ride
did on Saturday and she’s truly
passionate, I’ll make it happen.
•Former Star Media
journalist Matt Salmons has
become a stay-at-home
dad. We follow his journey
weekly