The Star: February 18, 2021

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The Star Thursday February 18 2021 4 QUAKE – 10 YEARS ON Opera takes on special meaning • By Chris Barclay DEVOTING HER operatic talents to a Christchurch company’s inaugural production, a Puccini adaptation that ponders grief, loss, faith and salvation is particularly poignant for Raemon Greenwood. “It’s like a second family, your singing family,” she says as the 10th anniversary of her parents death approaches. Earl and Beverley Stick were among passengers killed when the No. 3 bus carrying them along Colombo St to Christchurch Hospital was crushed by a toppling building on February 22, 2011. “They loved opera and classical music. In the Canterbury Opera days we were all on the friends committee,” Greenwood explained. “We used to do the catering, dad would help out with the props.” So a life-long love of music has proved therapeutic for Greenwood, whose role as The Abbess in Toi Toi Opera’s Suor Angelica & Elegies acts as a timely, though unintentional, diversion. “We were supposed to have done it May last year, then October. Then it was ‘Let’s do it this year, let’s do it now’ and Covid has caught up with us again,” Greenwood said ahead of tonight’s opening performance at the Great Hall of The Arts Centre. Currently the five scheduled performances have sold the maximum 100 tickets allowed under Covid restrictions. Greenwood, who developed a passion for opera in her mid-20s, was anxious relatives would be able to fly from Auckland for Sunday’s finale, with the visit also dovetailing with a get together on Monday. “I’ve got two aunts coming down, a niece and fiancé coming in as well. We’ve tied it in with Monday. We’re having a big family dinner and pulling out all the slides ... remembering mum and dad,” she said. “I find I laugh like her at times, my nephew gives hugs like my father . . .” Earl was undergoing cancer treatment when tragedy struck, though Greenwood felt Beverley NOTEWORTHY: Raemon Greenwood is primed to return to the stage in Toi Toi Opera's inaugural production of Puccini's World War 1-themed Sour Angelica & Elegies at The Arts Centre. PHOTO (left): GEOFF SLOAN would have been in the audience for Toi Toi Opera’s debut. “Mum would have been here. My niece’s wedding is at Easter and mum would have been here,” she said. Greenwood still has vivid memories of that catastrophic afternoon, she watched the dust plumes rise from her vantage point on Scarborough Hill and feared the worst. “It took two-and-a half weeks •For more details on Suor Angelica & Elegies and ticketing updates click on www.toitoiopera.com before my parents were formally identified. But when I looked at the city I had this disconnection,” she said. “Mum was really good with her texting. We heard from everybody else, so I thought something’s not right.” Greenwood reckoned it took 12 months to come to terms with her loved ones, the pair of devoted explorers, coming to grief so close to home. “In a year I flipped my grief to gratitude. I know a lot of people have found it very hard losing their loved ones . . . I had to be thankful for everything, thankful that I’d had parents for 50 years,” she said. Greenwood described her role as minor though rest assured she will put her all into an opera based on nursing sisters in World War 1, and first performed in 1918. “It’s a tiny role but it’s very heavy what you’ve got to say,” she said, revealing another touching aspect. “When I put my cross down it’s for my husband’s great-great uncle Arthur, who is buried at Gallipoli.” Long lasting joint support ADVERTISEMENT SPECIAL OFFER KORU NUTRITION When John retired after a life on the farm, he looked forward to helping a local charity. All was going well but he knew he was going to need to support his joints if he was to continue to volunteer. “I’d always said I wanted to help the charity Riding for the Disabled once I retired.” “Coming off the farm, I was fortunate to end up working with them. I’d help the kids with the horses, being a support to them, talking to them, you know.” “As you get older, you start to think about your body differently. Mentally I feel like I’m in my 20s but physically I’m certainly not.” John talked about how he valued his mobility and the freedom it gave him. “It’s hard emotionally, realising my joints have taken a lifetime of living - being beaten everyday. It’s only now that I’m older that I realise the importance of supporting the joints and cartilage.” After trying multiple products in the past, his wife came across an article about Koru Nutrition’s Koru Joint product and they both thought it was worth a shot. “We tried Koru Joint because it was New Zealand made and full of natural products we could recognise.” “On the farm, I knew all about the different plants that grew there. I could tell you which ones to use if you got stung by some nettle or which ones were good for toothache. I saw the Koru Joint as packed with similar natural plants and minerals for your joints and cartilage.” “My wife and I have been recommending it to everyone we see. We just love the stuff. I wouldn’t be without it these days.” When asked what the biggest difference Koru Joint has made John explained, “I jump up in the morning and don’t even think about my age. I can do all the little things I enjoy. I’m helping Riding with the Disabled and I’m happy. That’s the most important thing.” Koru Joint is a long lasting natural formula, harnessing our proprietary 3 in 1 mechanism to support soothing, nourishing and lubrication of healthy joints. All 3-phases are required to build on each other to support long term healthy joint, muscle and cartilage function. Always read the label and use as directed. If symptoms persist see your healthcare professional. Koru Nutrition Ltd, Christchurch. With over 21,384 happy customers and counting, Koru Joint has set a new bar for natural joint, tendon and cartilage support. Koru Joint has been a best seller on the internet and is now making it’s way into local pharmacies. 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• By Anna Leask A WOMAN badly injured in the February 22, 2011, earthquake and wrongly cut off from ACC payments is owed more than $236,000 in backdated compensation – but more than half will be used to refund another Government department for benefits she was forced to seek to survive. Tattoo artist Bonnie Singh is now appealing the “debt” and feels ACC should repay it out of its own coffers, saying if her weekly compensation wasn’t stopped she never would have needed benefits. Singh, who lives in Lyttelton with her teenage daughter, was a receptionist at the Southern Ink tattoo studio in February 2011. When the quake shook the city, Singh was crushed by falling concrete and knocked unconscious but managed to drag herself through a tiny hole in the rubble to safety. She broke eight vertebrae, suffered a head injury and concussion and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Unable to work after the quake and with ongoing medical issues, Singh was initially covered by ACC payments. In early 2013 she was advised that she had been assessed as being able to work 30 hours a week or more in her pre-injury employment – and that she was no longer entitled to weekly compensation and “all other supports”. She protested at the time but got nowhere. So, believing she was no longer entitled to ACC and still unable to work because of ongoing pain, she applied for other Government benefits through Work and Income New Zealand under the Ministry of Social Development. From 2013 to 2019 Singh, believing she could not get support, had no contact with ACC. But last year, fed up with struggling to make ends meet, she asked advocate Fiona Radford to look at her case. Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz 5 Quake victim may have to repay benefits She hoped to get funding for pain management acupuncture but Radford found she was entitled to much more. In November the NZ Herald revealed that ACC agreed Singh should not have been cut off, saying its initial decision had been replaced and she was now deemed “incapacitated for preinjury employment” from the week compensation was cut in 2013 until now – seven years. ACC then calculated a lumpsum back payment for Singh. Singh has given the Herald permission to report that ACC agreed to pay her $236,165 (before tax) in backdated weekly compensation. DISAPPOINTING: Bonnie Singh has received $236,000 in backdated ACC but more than half of that is needed to refund other Government support she was forced to seek. PHOTO: SARAH IVEY However, $129,642 must be repaid to WINZ for benefits Singh received since 2013 – leaving her with $106,523. An additional “debt” of just over $27,000 is also owed to WINZ for other support supplements she received. Just days before the 10-year anniversary of the devastating quake Singh received her portion of the money. Although she appreciated the cash as it would allow her to work less and finally focus more on her healing – she was disappointed the WINZ repayments were not being paid by ACC. Radford was appealing ACC’s decision around the payment Thursday February 18 2021 The Star and also the WINZ “debt”. ACC chief operating officer Mike Tully said ACC looked into covering the outstanding debt as a payment “outside of scope”. “We found there was no error on our behalf and declined this outside of scope payment. “We do not believe we have made an error nor did we cut off her entitlements – we weren’t paying weekly compensation to Bonnie for around six years because there was no contact from her nor her GP during this period. “We agreed that Bonnie hadn’t recovered from her 2011 injuries and have confirmed we will reinstate and backdate her weekly compensation.” Tully said he was “satisfied there is no error” and the MSD had to be paid back under New Zealand law. “When we agree to backdate weekly compensation, our legislation requires us to repay the Ministry of Social Development for any benefit a client receives for periods covered by the backdated weekly compensation,” he said. “This is to avoid people in effect being paid twice.” Tully said ACC was “committed to working with Bonnie” to make sure she had the help and support she needed. – NZ Herald rockmelon ........................................ 2 Bagged Capsicums 1kg .......... 2 Yellow Nectarines ................. 3 Perlas Potatoes 1.5kg ......... 5 Baby Heirloom Tomatoes 200g ........................................................... 1 new season Bagged Carrots 1.5kg .......... 1 Beef Porterhouse Steak ... 21 pork leg steak ............................ 10 lamb leg steak ........................... 17 Skin-on Chicken Breast .... 8 beef bolar roast ..................... 12 .99 each .99 each .99 kg .99 each .99 each .99 each .99 kg .99 kg .99 kg .99 kg .99 kg At we have... 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