Ashburton Courier: December 03, 2020
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>December</strong> 3, <strong>2020</strong><br />
15<br />
Academy gets obstacle course<br />
LINDA.CLARKE<br />
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
A$12,000 obstaclecourse built out of<br />
kindness is helping build fitness and<br />
confidence at theMid Canterbury Boxing<br />
Academy.<br />
Theacademyhasnearly 100 youngsters<br />
on its books and whileonly someare<br />
training to box in the ring, therest are<br />
conquering the obstacle course, and<br />
growing their brains, bodies and<br />
confidence in the process.<br />
Thenew obstacle course is thework of<br />
members of the <strong>Ashburton</strong> RotaryClub,<br />
whovisited recently to see the<br />
equipment in use.<br />
Academy manager Eion Johnson said<br />
thecourse was built to challenge young<br />
people between 9and 25 years. It was<br />
also designedtobefun.<br />
Theacademyruns classesafter school<br />
during the weekfocusingonfitness, fun<br />
andmentorship; apassport to success<br />
sets eight values to aspire to.<br />
‘‘The obstacle coursehas offered new<br />
challenges to training forthe boys. It is<br />
exciting and an impressivestructure for<br />
them to useintrainingaswedevelop<br />
different strengths and muscle groups.’’<br />
Eion said someof thechallenges were<br />
similar to those on the television show<br />
Ninja Warrior.<br />
Therewere hoops designed to test<br />
upperbody strength andaropewalk that<br />
tested corestrength and balance. The<br />
course also includedhugetractortyres, a<br />
spider’s web of nylon ropes and awarp<br />
wall, whichisasteep ply ramp theboys<br />
try to scale to thetop.<br />
‘‘Some of the nineyearoldscan’t<br />
complete thewhole course, but it gives<br />
them thevision to see whatthey can do in<br />
thefuture.’’<br />
The obstacle course is only for useby<br />
academy members and wasdesigned by<br />
head coach andyouth mentorCornelius<br />
Grobler.<br />
Rotary spokesperson Walter vander<br />
Kley said the club was asked 18 months<br />
Manu HayKing tackles the swinging rings at the boxing academy’s new obstacle<br />
course.<br />
ago to consider helping build the course,<br />
which is in Tinwald near the <strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
NewLife church.<br />
The club applied for somefunds and<br />
contributedsome of their own,plus<br />
manpower and machinery to makeit<br />
happen.<br />
Walter saidthe academy’s valuesbased<br />
programme was asuccess.<br />
‘‘They have 97 kids attending and tied<br />
in with that is mentoring work. Fifteen<br />
per cent of them go on to box<br />
competitively, but theyall do the<br />
training.’’<br />
WaltersaidRotarians spent about six<br />
months planning and had done alot of<br />
work beforelast Christmas. Then covid<br />
interrupted progress until recently.<br />
He said the club had alot of older<br />
members, so it was greattheycouldbe<br />
aligned to such agood programme<br />
helpingyouth.<br />
Legionnaires’ case in <strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
One caseofLegionnaires’<br />
disease wasreported in<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>inthe week ending<br />
November 27, according to the<br />
Canterbury District Health<br />
Board.<br />
It follows arun of casesof<br />
the disease thisyearand<br />
gardeners are urged to take<br />
care withpotting mixand<br />
compost. Legionella bacteria<br />
live in moist organic matter<br />
andpeople can catch the<br />
disease by inhalingairborne<br />
droplets or particles.<br />
Last year there were39<br />
hospitalisations from<br />
Legionnaires’ in Canterbury<br />
andmedical officerofhealth<br />
Dr Ramon Pink said the<br />
disease is aform of<br />
pneumonia.<br />
“Gardeners are at<br />
particularly highrisk of<br />
catching Legionnaires'<br />
disease as the bacteria thrive<br />
in bagsofpottingmix and<br />
compost,” he said.<br />
In Canterbury there is<br />
typicallyaspikeincases in<br />
earlyNovember thatcan be<br />
attributedtothe increased<br />
gardening activity over<br />
Labour weekend.<br />
Theillness may be mild but<br />
can sometimesbefatal. It is<br />
morecommon in older<br />
people.<br />
Symptoms can include dry<br />
coughing, high fever, chills,<br />
shortness of breath,muscle<br />
aches, headaches and<br />
diarrhoea.Ifyou havethese<br />
symptoms, you should contact<br />
yourgeneral practice team<br />
right awayfor advice and let<br />
themknow you if havebeen<br />
handling potting mix or<br />
compost.<br />
Gardeners should wear a<br />
mask and glovesand work in<br />
wellventilated areas.<br />
IN BRIEF<br />
COOP AWARD<br />
EA Networks has receivedthe<br />
Enduring ServiceAward at the<br />
Cooperative Business NewZealand<br />
(CBNZ) annual awards.<br />
Heldatthe Christchurch Transitional<br />
Cathedral, the awardcelebrates 25<br />
years in business for the electricity<br />
network company.<br />
“EANetworks is unique in that is it<br />
theonlyco-operative among New<br />
Zealand’s 27 electricity distribution<br />
businesses.<br />
“Aswell asdeveloping amodern<br />
electricity network,EANetworkshas<br />
provided multiple furtherbenefits to its<br />
community overthe yearsincluding<br />
supplying fibre opticconnections,<br />
undergrounding power lines on state<br />
highways, andcornerstone investment<br />
in an industry transforming start-up<br />
irrigationscheme,” saidCBNZ chief<br />
executive RozHenry.<br />
The annualawardsrecognise<br />
outstanding leadership and success<br />
within the co-operative business<br />
sector.<br />
COUNCIL FUNDS<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> District Council had $72<br />
million of external debt at the end of<br />
October, compared with $60matthe<br />
end of September.<br />
Internal debt is currentlyaround $6m<br />
and has beenreducedover the lastfew<br />
months.<br />
Externaldebt will fund ongoing<br />
capitalprojects andaheavy<br />
programme of work.<br />
More external loans willberaised<br />
during the year to fund projects.<br />
As at the end of September,council<br />
had a$15m term deposit paying arate<br />
of 1.46per centfor 269 days and<br />
maturingonMay 17,2021.<br />
Council’sfixedinterestportfolioat<br />
the endofSeptember hadanominal<br />
valueof$2m andmarket valueof<br />
$2,153,237.<br />
Its shares in anumber of businesses<br />
including ACL ($4.5m)and Eastfield<br />
Investments ($1.765m) total$7.842m.<br />
MT HUTT WINS<br />
Mt Hutt has takenout the title of New<br />
Zealand’s best ski resort for the sixth<br />
yearinarow.<br />
Votesare castbyindustry<br />
professionalsand the public in arange<br />
of categories at the World Ski awards,<br />
including bestresorts,hotels,chalets<br />
and tour operators.<br />
Mt Hutt wasupagainst 10 otherNew<br />
Zealandskifields for the award, but<br />
onceagain topped them all.<br />
The <strong>2020</strong> year was achallenging<br />
season at Mt Hutt becauseofcovid, but<br />
skifield numbers were still good.<br />
Mt Hutt isset to get NewZealand’s<br />
first8-seater chairlift –the Nor’west<br />
Express. Thenew chairlift will replace<br />
the currentquad chairand is expected<br />
to be openfor the startofthe next ski<br />
season.<br />
Is it stillagift, if you’re<br />
going to usehalfofit?<br />
Matrix FirmQueenBed<br />
Whatcould be more generous than the giftofagood night’s sleep?<br />
Well, that dependswho you’re,really,deepdown, hand-on-heart<br />
buying it for. Thinkaboutit. In fact,sleeponit.<br />
$2279<br />
was<br />
$4559<br />
lessthan<br />
$12 perweekfor<br />
50 months<br />
interest free*<br />
9061221<br />
Beds stocked and<br />
ready fordelivery<br />
waybeforeSanta.<br />
Offers valid untilTuesday15th<strong>December</strong> <strong>2020</strong>, while stockslast, unless otherwise stated. Some products on displayinselectedstoresonly–please call0800764 847tocheck availability.Personalshoppers only. *Apple, selectedcomputers, game consoles,giftcards,clearanceitems and some promotional items arenot available in conjunction with interest free offers. Flooring available on amaximum of 18 monthsinterestfree. Exclusions,<br />
fees,terms,conditions, and creditcriteria apply. Available in-storeonly. Equalinstalmentamounts include one-offbooking feeof$45.00, annualfeesof$45.00 p.a. and securityregistration feeof$8.05,and exclude insurance.Current interest rateof23.95%applies to anyunpaid balance afterexpiryof(any) interest free period.See in-store or visitsmithscity.co.nz/interest-freefor details.<br />
SCWK32AC1
Change language