Ashburton Courier: May 21, 2020

Page 4, Ashburton's The Courier, Thursday May 21, 2020
Local news at www.starnews.co.nz
Courier comment
Sunshine brings
hint of optimism
Ashburton had aweirdly
public holiday feel at the
weekend, as people took
advantage of winter
sunshine to play, shop
and even ski on Lake
Hood.
Some hairdressers
opened on Sunday to
clear backlogs of
lockdown bangs, while
other retailers also
chanced their arm on the
main street.
While kids got back to
school this week, adults
are contemplating new
working norms or, sadly,
no work at all.
Our business owners
have not sat still either,
pivoting their businesses
and services ­doing
whatever it takes, as our
district slogan once
proudly proclaimed, to
stay afloat. Some workers
are on reduced hours,
some on reduced pay.
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DarkWaters
Reviewed by Rowena Hart
Thetruth about Teflonisscary.
It startedwhen all the animals on farms next to the
run off from the Teflon factory were going crazy
and dying.
The farmers complained but nothing happened.
Then ayoung keen lawyer decided to take theTeflon
factorytotaskand tryand get some compensation
for the farmers. But the company was making
billions and could easily pay out hundreds for the
farmers and then keep on doing what they do.
When it was discovered that the factory workers
were dying ofcancer and any babies born were
oftendeformed in some waythe wider effects were
horrific.
And todayTeflon particles are inwaters all around
the world.
We checked our pans when we got home and
threw out half of them.
Thelarger storyshows the greed and corruption of
large CorporateAmerica and whatthey continually
get away with.
Amust see movie.
bookings ph 307 1230
www.regentcinema.co.nz
People have been
genuinely pleased to
expand their territory, to
catch up with friends and
whanau. Many are
cautiously keeping their
reunions to the outdoors
and heading to
playgrounds or trails and
bike parks.
Mid Canterbury
industry leaders also seem
to have ahandle on issues
in our patch and are poised
to meet the challenges
ahead ­the way might not
be clear at the moment,
but one thing is certain.
We will need people to be
open to retraining and
learning new skills, and we
will need to attract
jobseekers who want to
restart their lives in our
great district.
It will be tough, but
there is optimism in the
air.
­Linda Clarke
NewPCs
and Laptops
forsale
2271216
2278140
Students back for riblets
By Mick Jensen
The familiar queues have
returned and favourite foods
like pork riblets and sushi are
back on the menu in the
Ashburton College canteen.
The canteen reopened on
Monday after anear eightweek
closure.
It was amore relaxed day
than usual on Monday for
canteen manager Kelven
Hastie and long­term staff
member Jo Keen with just Year
9and Year 13 students back.
The rest of the school
returned on Tuesday, as near
normality returned to the
college.
Kelven said there had been a
lot of cleaning prior to the
restart, but it was all systems go
again.
Morning tea break ran from
11am until 11.20am and lunch
for 45 minutes from 1.20pm.
Both times were busy and
over the course of the day some
300 to 400 orders were taken.
The canteen is popular with
students and some staff, he
said.
Nine students are rostered to
lend ahand in the canteen and
paid each term in alump sum
Preparing to reopen the Ashburton College canteen were (from left) Kelven Hastie, Year 13
student helpers Lachlan Kingan and Ronan Kenny with Jo Keen.
for their time.
Jo said sushi and pork riblets
were among some of the big
favourites and every day there
were arange of affordable
specials on offer for lunch.
Pita pockets, soup and
noodles were all menu staples.
Hot food was more popular
in the winter and all cold drinks
were sugar free, she said.
Friday was pie day and
students typically snapped up
between 200 and 300 on the
day.
Jo said she loved the
interaction with the students.
‘‘The vast majority are polite
and well behaved and if they’re
not, they go to the back of the
queue.’’
New drug funded for tennis coach
By Mick Jensen
Andre Van Rooyen is on cloud
nine after hearing that
pharmaceutical company Pfizer
will fund his cancer treatment
drug.
The former Mid Canterbury
tennis coach was diagnosed with
Stage 4lung cancer in May last
year and for the past 11 months
has been using anti­cancer drug
crizotinib.
The drug costs $10,000 per
month and is not funded.
Mr Van Rooyen said he and
his family was overjoyed when
his oncologist passed on the
news that Pfizer had decided to
fund the drug on compassionate
grounds.
He was so grateful because
the drug was working for him.
‘‘My bloods for the last few
months have been coming back
with some great results and near
normal.
All smiles: Debbie and Andre Van Rooyen.
‘‘I can breathe more easily
again, quite literally, which is just
amazing.’’
Mr Van Rooyen said all his
prayers had been answered with
the news.
He was grateful to the support
of family, friends, the tennis
community and the wider
community, including Rangitata
MP Andrew Falloon.
Community donations
towards treatment had reached
$60,000 and he and his family
had funded $50,000.
‘‘It’s been ajourney of
perseverance over the last 11
months.
‘‘We’ve asked Pfizer on a
number occasions to help fund
the drug and now they’ve agreed
to do it.
‘‘As my oncologist says, if you
don’t ask, you don’t get.’’
He said the news was abig
relief, mentally, physically and
financially, and he was ‘‘on top of
the world.’’
Mr Van Rooyen will take a
newer generation of the drug
that has been helping him beat
his rare form of lung cancer.
Regular updates of his
progress will be passed back to
the drug company.
Court action over building settled
The AshburtonDistrictCouncil
and parties involvedinthe
designand construction of the
Ashburton ArtGallery and
Heritage Centre have reached a
confidential settlement over
remedial work on the building.
Council confirmed ongoing
litigation arising fromthe project
has been resolved and council
couldnow complete the
necessary worksrelatingtothe
building and mechanical
services.
It is working with relevant
experts to resolve the
condensationand circulation
problems that haveplaguedthe
building since it openedin2015.
In February thatyear the
ground­floormuseum opened,
but the art gallery did not open
until May because of air
conditioningissues.
Climate and temperature
controliskey in preserving
collections in the building.
Issueswith the building
continued and councileventually
tookthe parties involved in the
design and construction to court.
Chief executive Hamish Riach
said council wantedto
acknowledge Bradford Building
Limited, the headcontractoron
the originalconstruction project,
for its response to the litigation.
‘‘The council appreciates that
BradfordBuildingLimitedhas
beeninstrumental in helping
secure aresolution with other
parties involvedinthis
litigation.’’
Council and the local
company will seek to maintain
their establishedworking
relationship for the building, and
others they are jointly involved
with.
Mr Riachsaid both hoped that
residents and visitors to the
districtwould continue to enjoy
the facility.
Council outlined remedial
workinMarch. The southern
exteriorwall was to be painted
and sealedfirst.
Intermittentwater leaks had
occurred in the buildingduring
extremeweather and the air
conditioning system was also not
working as expected.
Arange of issueswas
identifiedbyanindependent
assessor.
Other walls will also be
painted andsealedwhere
necessary and the threeupstairs
bay windows were to be
weatherproofed.
Other works include
inspecting and repairingthe roof
membrane, installingnew
heatingand ventilation
equipment, includingthe
installation of buffertanks.
The building was several
milliondollars over budgetwhen
completed at the end of 2014,
but hasbecome apopularspot.