Ashburton Courier: February 27, 2020

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Page 8, Ashburton's The Courier, Thursday February 27, 2020 Local news at www.starnews.co.nz Near Earth object (otherwise known as minor planets) trackers Pamela Kilmartin and Alan Gilmore, of Tekapo, were special guests at the Canterbury Astronomical Association's Stardate South Island camp. Stargazers at Staveley for Stardate gathering You’re invitedtothe SCENICTRAVEL SHOWCASE Planning your next holidaybut needmoreinformation? Attend one of our free Scenic events to help plan your 2021/2022adventure. Learn moreabout Scenic’s enriching destinations: RiverCruising: Europe, France,Portugaland Russia Vietnam, Cambodia andMyanmar OceanCruising: WorldwideonScenicEclipse THURSDAY 19 MARCH ASHBURTON Hotel Ashburton By David Hill The prospect of an Armageddonstyle meteor strike on planet Earth in the next 200 years is extremely remote. Despite the efforts of science fiction to predict the Earth's armageddon, speakers at the Canterbury Astronomical Society's annual Stardate South Island 2020 camp at Staveley last weekend, say climate change is amuch bigger threat to humanity than acosmic encounter. Alan Gilmore, the former superintendent of the University of Canterbury's Mt John Observatory at Tekapo, has been tracking near Earth objects with his wife Pamela Kilmartin since the 1970s and is confident no large asteroid will cause amajor extinction event any time soon. “No, Ithink humans are doing very well with climate change. We are doing it ourselves by environmental degradation. “Asteroids are athreat over centuries to millennia. We know from craters on the Earth that the Earth gets hit about three times per million years by a1km sized asteroid.” Such an impact would cause global effects by throwing up dust into the atmosphere and dimming the sun for several years, causing crop failures and food shortages, as well as devastation at the point of impact. More than one million near Earth objects, or space rocks and minor planets inside the orbit of Mars, were known to researchers. Mr Gilmore and Ms Kilmartin followed up on objects discovered by research programmes in Arizona and Hawaii so distances and future orbits could be estimated more accurately. Just one “potentially hazardous asteroid”, more than 140 metres across, was likely to pass within twenty times the moon's distance from Earth over the next decade. Asteroid 99942, otherwise known as Apophis, is 370 metres across and is expected to pass within 28,000km of Earth on April 14, 2029, New Zealand time. “The people who do all the very detailed calculations know that it won't be aproblem for at least 200 years,” Mr Gilmore said. A number of solutions were being explored by researchers to combat future risks, but anuclear strike, used in science fiction such as in the 1998 movie Armageddon, was not considered a viable option, he said. Options included gravity trackers, space mirrors to focus the sun's rays on the asteroid, firing aweighty object into an asteroid to see if it changed its path slightly and painting the asteroid black. “With these larger objects you wouldn't just get several days notice, but years or even decades. “None of these ideas are ready to go, but they're all being discussed and tested.” He said the Earth was asmall target in the vastness of space, so it was amatter of ensuring the asteroid arrived in Earth's orbit aminute earlier or later. Second bridge business case awork in progress *Conditionsapply. BONUS OFFERS when attending on the day * Benefits of attending: Receiveexclusivebonus offers when attendingonthe day Engage with Scenic’sexpert travel team to helptailoryournextholiday Discover theScenicdifference, from trulyall-inclusive luxury cruising to handcraftedjourneys Learnabout newdestinations, exciting innovations andthe latest offers fortravelin2021and 2022 Forsessionstimes and to reserveyourfreeseat, visit SCENICNZ.COM/SHOWCASE Seatsare limited so registration is encouraged. The Ashburton District Council is working with new consultants on abusiness casefor asecond bridge over the AshburtonRiver. Council had been working withHolmes Consulting for at least six months on the business case,but has now engaged Stantec,acompany that says it designs with communities in mind. Council officers and Stantec staff willbe meeting withthe NZ TransportAgency this month for aworkshop to progressthe business case for the bridge. The second urban bridge, at Chalmers Avenue, is estimated to cost $30 million and could reduce State HighwayOne peak time traffic by 40 percent. Roading manager Brian Fauthtold district councillorsrecently that Stantec was more experienced preparing business casesfor the transport agencyundernew social wellbeingpolicy. He said adetailed business casewas needed so council could jump relevant hurdlestomeet funding criteria. Government gave $94,000 from its Provincial Growth Fund to supportthe business case. Council will pay20per cent of the cost of the bridge, but the balanceofthe fundingisnot clear. Service delivery group manager Neil McCann said councilwas aguinea pig in a new process, but NZTAwas acommitted partner,which was good news. Cr John Falloon was not optimistic aboutthe speed of progress. ‘‘I don’t think Iwill see asecond bridgeinmylifetime.’’ Council chief executive Hamish Riach said NZTA was keen on the project as it wouldrelievecongestion on the highway. Subject to apositive business case, the agency wouldsubsidise 51 per cent of the bridge cost; council could applytothe PGF for the balance. ‘‘Andtherefore abusiness case is essential to ascertain whether the needis thereand whether we can raise the balance of the funding. ‘‘We are doing this workonbehalfofthe community.’’ Council is still waiting to hear from NZTA about when and where Governmentfunded traffic lights will be installed on the Tinwald highway.
$ 50 gift card to be won in every store! Ashburton College students and instructors take abreak while white water rafting on the Waimakariri River. (Photo supplied) RDR backs outdoor centre The companythat managesmostofthe Ashburton district’sirrigation water has given $10,000 thisyear to thePeelForest Outdoor Centre to fund lifechanging outdoor educationprogrammes. NineAshburton Collegestudents have justreturnedfromthe firstofthe sevenday programmes sponsored by the Rangitata Diversion Race (RDR) ManagementLtd. RDR chief executiveTony McCormick saidthe company had agreed to give $10,000 ayearfor threeyears to help fund the transformational work. He said the programmes were mini versionsofthe wellknownOutwardBound courses. The PeelForest Outdoor Centre is callingits courseThe Journey, andit included two days of preparation at Peel Forest, followed by three daystramping in Arthur’s Passand two days rafting on the Waimakariri River. Thestudents,all boysinYear 11, 12 and13, were selectedbythe school. College deputyprincipalRon Cresswell said thestudentswereamix of outgoing andquietnaturesand all reportedbeing outside their comfortzonesand abit nervousatvarious stagesofthe trip. ‘‘They all came back totallyelated, totallychallenged and everysingle one had grownhugely.’’ Year12student Jacob Bruce saidthe students had left as agroup and returned as ateam of friends,having learnedmany new skillsand shared experiencesonthe way. ‘‘Wedid work together andleft no man behind.’’ Mr Cresswellsaid the schoolwas gratefultothe RDRcompany for funding the learning adventureand would jump at the chance to send morestudents next year. Maternity home exhibition Methven museum has seen asurge inpeople through the door tosee the Methven Historical Society’s latest exhibit, Methven Maternity Home 1922 to 1968. It runs until the end of April. Many people have fond memories of the home where woman went to give birth and got time to recuperate and bond with their newborn. Museum volunteer Andrew Oram was born at the hospital on July 15, 1958. He was the fourth child born to his parents the late Edith and John Oram who were sheep and cropping farmers. Only three of the four children were born at the maternity home. Mr Oram said his mum, amidwife prior to getting married, got two weeks rest and recuperation after the birth. Women were often confined to bed after birth for 14 days. Among the exhibit piecesisequipment used by the medical staff, a bed, clothing, bassinets as well as photographs and information boards which tell the story of the Methven community’s rally to get their town a medical facility to prevent having to travel to Ashburton on unformed roads. Before the facility opened Methven had a doctor and two private nursing homes. Andrew Oram at the maternity home exhibition. But in 1920 theyhad one nursing home stalwart leave the area to get married. Methven residents formed acommittee,led by Mr JCarr, and spent the next three years arguing their case to get ahospital facility for the town. The Ashburton Hospital Board purchased land and built amaternity home on an acre of land. It included nurses quarters, dining room, one double room and two single wards, a13foot by 16 foot labour room(for deliveries), a sterilizing room fullyequipped for the time with sterilizing equipment costing 261 pounds 10 shillings, patients’ bedroom and offices, kitchen, scullery, maid’s room and fuel room. It was designed to accommodate about 50 patients a year. In its opening year, between its opening onJuly 22, 1922 and the end of July 1923 there were 87cases admitted;73maternity cases and 14 surgical and medical. While each ward had its own fireplace,the building was lit by electric light, generated by a Petter engine which had storage capacity for 48 hours of light. The brick building, built by Mr CMaynard, had hot and cold water. It cost 3,333 pounds to build. Husbands only were permitted Monday toSaturday inclusive from 7pm to 8pm. By 1927 Methven residents werecampaigningto make the maternity hospital ageneral hospital. It was unsuccessful as it was deemed it wouldbean unfair burden onthe ratepayers of the district. Staffing issues and a falling number of maternity cases caused the temporary closure of the maternity hospital over several decades until it finally closed in1968. $ 50 gift card to be won in every store! SEE INSTORE FORDETAILS CARD$50 GIFT Royal GalaApples Loose Product of NewZealand HalosMandarins 460g Prepack Product of USA Nectarine Yellow Flesh Loose Product of New Zealand$ 6 $ 2 99 kg $ 4 49 pk CENTRAL OTAGO $ 6 49 49 kg Purchase a Halos Mandarins 460g Prepack and be in to win a$50 gift card. Conditions apply, see www. foursquare.co.nz for details. Competition runs from 24.02.2020 to 08.03.2020 Pre-Ripened Large Product of NewZealand Avocado $ 2 29 ea PamsFresh Iceberg Lettuce Product of NewZealand FAMOUS FOUR SQUARE PIZZAS 3DelicousFlavours, Meatlovers, Hawaiianand Chicken &Cranberry. www.foursquare.co.nz $ 1 99 ea $ 12 99 ea facebook.com/FourSquareNZ Specials availableSouthIslandonly from Monday24th February until Sunday 8th March2020orwhile stocks last. Wine andbeeravailable at stores with an off licence.Wineand beer purchases restricted to personsaged 18 years old and over.
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Ashburton Courier: February 27, 2020

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