Ashburton Courier: October 08, 2020
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www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Teresa takes the reins<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>October</strong> 8, <strong>2020</strong><br />
13<br />
Teresa Agnewhas become<br />
the first female president of<br />
RakaiaLions andshe’s<br />
hoping more women will join<br />
heratthe service club.<br />
Mrs Agnew shiftedto<br />
Rakaiafrom South Auckland<br />
afew years ago andwas a<br />
member of the Clevedon<br />
Lions for10years.<br />
There was justone other<br />
female member at Rakaia<br />
when she switched clubs and<br />
she was the onlyone in it for<br />
awhile.<br />
Now there are five women<br />
members,includingJo<br />
Whittingham in the roleas<br />
Lion Tamer andTanya<br />
Williams, who is the third<br />
vicepresident.<br />
Mrs Agnew said Rakaia<br />
was asmall, friendly town<br />
like Clevedon.<br />
There was agood<br />
atmosphere in the Rakaia<br />
Lions and shewas honoured<br />
to be itsnew president.<br />
Shehad been electedat<br />
the July changeover andhad<br />
nervously hosted her first<br />
meeting.<br />
Mrs Agnew said she would<br />
like to seeamore even mix<br />
and more women in the<br />
44memberclub.<br />
‘‘In Clevedon we had alot<br />
of couples involvedinthe<br />
club andthat worked really<br />
well.’’<br />
Aproject sheiskeento<br />
gain more tractioninRakaia<br />
is apedestrian crossingon<br />
Rakaia Lions Club’s first female president Teresa Agnew.<br />
SH1,which had been<br />
proposedbythe Rakaia<br />
Community Association and<br />
others for anumberofyears.<br />
Teresa Agnew was born<br />
andbrought up on the Isle of<br />
Wight, offEngland’s south<br />
coast, and has lived in New<br />
Zealand ,onand off,for 30<br />
years.<br />
She has twogrown up<br />
children and her husband<br />
Gavin is ateacher at Mount<br />
Hutt College.<br />
Rakaia Lionswas founded<br />
45 years agoand had been<br />
involved withanumber of<br />
worthwhile projects over the<br />
years, most notably the<br />
landmark giantsalmon.<br />
The clubhosts an annual<br />
fireworks night,sells flower<br />
bulbs, swedesand potatoes<br />
to raise funds, and helps<br />
organise the annual Salmon<br />
Run multisportrace.<br />
Christchurch visitor Kian Kolodner, who is nearly three, compares his<br />
decorated plane with that of artist Gregory O’Brien’s.<br />
Flyingto thefuture<br />
Youngsters havebeen enjoying<br />
fun and creativity at <strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
Art Gallery over theschool<br />
holidays.<br />
An activitystationcalled Come<br />
Fly With Me has taken off and<br />
seendozens of wooden planes<br />
decorated.<br />
The planeshave beeninspired<br />
by Gregory O’Brien’s artwork<br />
FlyingLesson.<br />
Young visitors to the gallery are<br />
alsoinvited to submit apicture of<br />
what they imagine <strong>Ashburton</strong> will<br />
looklike in the future.<br />
The winning designwill be<br />
chosenbymayor Neil Brown and<br />
will be usedfor <strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
District Council’s official<br />
Christmas card. An additional50<br />
designs will be usedashoardings<br />
around the construction of the<br />
newcouncil buildingonBaring<br />
Square East.<br />
The cardcompetitioncloses on<br />
<strong>October</strong> 11.<br />
Baring Sq ideas taken on board<br />
BaringSquare East will<br />
keepits historic statues<br />
when it is revamped intoa<br />
more invitingopen space<br />
overthe next twoyears.<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> mayor Neil<br />
Brown saidcouncillors had<br />
discussed the24<br />
submissions received during<br />
consultationonthe square<br />
revamp and the finaldesign<br />
would reflect acommon<br />
desire for afriendly place<br />
with green grass, seating,<br />
shady treesand good<br />
lighting.<br />
The squarewill be<br />
revamped while the<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> District Council’s<br />
new library and civic centre<br />
is built across theroad. The<br />
two will be linked by<br />
landscaping.<br />
Mr Brown said architects<br />
would work on afinal design<br />
thatwould come back to<br />
council laterthis year. A<br />
contract for the work,<br />
expected to be between$12<br />
million, would then be let.<br />
Many submitters<br />
suggested the square tell<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>’s story over the<br />
years.<br />
Landscape architect Val<br />
Clemenssuggested adesign<br />
thatpaid tribute to the<br />
district’s braided rivers and<br />
natural history biodiversity.<br />
Lal Mulligan said the<br />
statue of pioneering farmer<br />
JohnGriggneededtobe<br />
repositioned to face intothe<br />
square.The statuealso<br />
neededtoberestored to its<br />
original stateit appeared<br />
the limestone statuehad<br />
been painted.<br />
She also said the northwest<br />
corner of the square<br />
could be the start of an<br />
interesting historic and<br />
cultural walkthat took<br />
peopleover the historic<br />
footbridge to West Street<br />
and the domain andheritage<br />
centre.<br />
Others suggested it was a<br />
good opportunity to move<br />
the <strong>Ashburton</strong> Legion of<br />
Frontiersmen war memorial<br />
and the Boer War memorial<br />
to Baring SquareWest.<br />
2321435
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