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www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>August</strong> <strong>20</strong>, <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong><br />
5<br />
Neighbourlyspirit’s new path<br />
TONI.WILLIAMS<br />
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Christine Richards may have<br />
taken off her official<br />
Neighbourhood Support coordinator<br />
hat, but she is still<br />
actively involved in her hood.<br />
She volunteers with many<br />
community groups, as an<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> Mackenzie Group<br />
volunteer and board member,<br />
is on the <strong>Ashburton</strong> White<br />
Ribbon Committee and is the<br />
Neighbourhood Support street<br />
contact on her street arole<br />
she will continue.<br />
She retired from the<br />
Neighbourhood Support coordinator<br />
role two weeks ago.<br />
It was aplanned move<br />
initiated by fourmonth world<br />
holiday with husband, Paul.<br />
The holiday did not happen<br />
(due to Covid19) but Christine<br />
has taken early retirement<br />
after five and ahalf years in<br />
the role.<br />
She was grateful for the<br />
support shown by people in the<br />
community, and those in other<br />
organisations, who had helped<br />
make her job much easier.<br />
“There are so many great<br />
communityminded people<br />
there are out there. You don’t<br />
really realise how special they<br />
are,” she said.<br />
“Some of them don’t even<br />
know how special they are.<br />
“<strong>Ashburton</strong> is agreat<br />
community, we all pull<br />
together.”<br />
It was especially evident<br />
with the Civil Defence welfare<br />
group which was brought<br />
together to help people in need<br />
Christine Richardsmay have left Neighbourhood Supportbut is<br />
still active in the community.<br />
in the community during the<br />
Covid19 lockdown, she said.<br />
And at age 63 she will not be<br />
idle for long.<br />
She is already planning to<br />
increase her voluntary roles<br />
next year. One close to her<br />
heart is the school BOOST<br />
literacy programme.<br />
She considers being<br />
involved in the community as a<br />
way of paying it forward.<br />
“It’s my town, Ilove my<br />
town,” she said.<br />
Since retiring Christine has<br />
enjoyed more time walking,<br />
done more baking and is<br />
planning to get back to regular<br />
swimming sessions and to tend<br />
her garden.<br />
She also wants to delve into<br />
the family tree on her father’s<br />
side.<br />
There are also<br />
grandchildren to spoil; three<br />
in Canterbury and six overseas<br />
(Australia and Norway).<br />
The position for<br />
Neighbourhood Support is<br />
currently being advertised –it<br />
closes on <strong>August</strong> 28 and<br />
Christine will return to pass on<br />
her expertise to the successful<br />
applicant.<br />
She said in an ideal world<br />
there would be<br />
Neighbourhood Support on<br />
every street with one person as<br />
astreet contact.<br />
“It’s not ahuge job,” she<br />
said. “It would suit someone<br />
who would like to make their<br />
street community abit safer, a<br />
bit friendlier and watching out<br />
for each other.”<br />
It may mean keeping in<br />
touch with people in person or<br />
by email, phone or text.<br />
The paperwork is all<br />
supplied as well as resources<br />
and stickers, she said.<br />
“Some groups are more<br />
connected than others,” she<br />
said.<br />
They host gettogethers and<br />
are proactive in keeping<br />
people on their streets in<br />
touch with each other.<br />
However, Christine said in<br />
an emergency she would like<br />
to think all neighbours would<br />
still be there for each other, if<br />
needed, regardless if they<br />
were in Neighbourhood<br />
Support or not.<br />
Kari not afan of fluoridated water<br />
He’s been in Methvenfor six<br />
monthsand loves the small<br />
town feel, but Kari Mohoao is<br />
not so keen on the fluoride in<br />
his water.<br />
The former Timaru mayoral<br />
candidate works as an holistic<br />
life coach andpersonal<br />
development coach andisan<br />
antifluoride advocate.<br />
‘‘I’m afollower of the<br />
science andfor me the<br />
fluorideargument does not<br />
stack up.’’<br />
Mr Mohoao said he was<br />
disappointed that therewas no<br />
alternative fluoridefree water<br />
optionavailable in Methven.<br />
He said fluoridationwas an<br />
emotional and controversial<br />
issue andhebelievedthe<br />
science had advanced and the<br />
facts were clearer since<br />
Methven voted to retain<br />
fluoride in <strong>20</strong>08.<br />
He saidresidents armed<br />
with more scientific<br />
informationtoday might think<br />
twice before voting for it again.<br />
The Methven watersupply<br />
has been fluoridatedfor<br />
around 50 years andinthe<br />
<strong>20</strong>08 referendum 627 voted for<br />
it and <strong>20</strong>3 against.<br />
Mr Mohoao said people had<br />
the righttomake up their own<br />
mind andMethven was a<br />
‘‘solid’’ community that could<br />
not be forced to change<br />
quickly.<br />
‘‘Being anewcomer to town I<br />
am keentoencouragepeople<br />
to readmoreabout fluoride<br />
and to look at the studies and<br />
evidence that suggests it can<br />
have negativehealth affects.<br />
‘‘I think when the Ministry of<br />
Health and healthboards don’t<br />
want to discuss asubjectlike<br />
fluoridation, it raises<br />
questions and concerns.’’<br />
Mr Mohoao brings his own<br />
water intoMethven.<br />
Other thanits water,he<br />
describesthe townshipas<br />
‘‘country pure’’ and good place<br />
to live.<br />
Kari Mohoao<br />
IN BRIEF<br />
PO BOXES<br />
NZ Post hasconfirmed its PO box<br />
lobbywill move to Tancred Street<br />
from September 21.<br />
Thecompanysaid at thestartof<br />
the yearthat it waslooking at anew<br />
location duetolease renewals and<br />
that any changeswould be<br />
communicateddirectly to<br />
customers. It said thenitwas<br />
committedtocontinuingtoprovide<br />
postal andPObox servicestothe<br />
community in easy-to-access<br />
locations.<br />
The PO box lobby will move to<br />
125 TancredStreet.<br />
SHOWOFF<br />
The <strong>Ashburton</strong> Vintage CarClub<br />
has cancelledits daffodilshow and<br />
shineevent this Sunday(<strong>August</strong>23)<br />
because of covid restrictions.<br />
The event was to have been a<br />
fundraiser for the <strong>Ashburton</strong> Cancer<br />
Society, withentrantsshowing their<br />
cars at the club’s MaronanRoad<br />
grounds. The show mayrun at a<br />
laterdate.<br />
CHARITY GOLF<br />
The LionsClub of <strong>Ashburton</strong> is<br />
hoping to haveSir Richard Hadlee<br />
in attendance at its annual golf<br />
tournament on October 8. Save the<br />
dateifyou’re akeen golfer-more<br />
detailswill be released nextmonth.<br />
HUBER DIES<br />
Mt Hutt skifield’s founding father<br />
Willi Huber hasdied.MrHuber, 97,<br />
livedinGeraldine andcametoNew<br />
Zealandinthe 1950s. He wasa<br />
mountain guide and climbedAoraki<br />
Mt Cook manytimes. Forhis work at<br />
Mt Hutt, askifield hotloft was<br />
named afterhim as well as aski run.<br />
BEAUTIFULTOWNS<br />
Cambridge and Hastings are in the<br />
runningfor the title of New<br />
Zealand’s mostbeautiful largetown.<br />
Waiheke Island and Arrowtownare<br />
shortlistedfor the mostbeautiful<br />
small townand Whanganuiand<br />
Hamilton for the most beautifulcity.<br />
Finalists mustdemonstrate<br />
sustainable and environmentallyconsciousbehaviours<br />
in litter<br />
preventionand waste minimisation,<br />
community beautification, recycling<br />
projects and sustainable tourism.<br />
PLANES OFF<br />
Due to Covid-19 Level 2<br />
restrictions,the visitofthe Full<br />
Noise Yak3 Russianfighter and<br />
AvroAnson to <strong>Ashburton</strong> Airfield<br />
todayhas beenpostponed.<br />
Anew date for the visitofthe<br />
World War 2planes is stilltobe<br />
confirmed.<br />
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2305131
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