TRFU

TRFU to probe bar frolics
By LEIGHTON KEITH leighton.keith@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki | Saturday, 13 October 2007
Members of the Taranaki rugby team are being investigated after late-night high jinx in a New Plymouth bar.
Yesterday, Taranaki Rugby Football Union (TRFU) chief executive Mark Robinson confirmed the union was investigating allegations about several players' behaviour at the Crowded House Bar on Sunday, October 7.

The team had been knocked out of the Air New Zealand Cup by Auckland the night before.

The allegations surfaced the same week All Black Doug Howlett landed himself in trouble with British police after he jumped on parked cars outside Heathrow Airport's Hilton Hotel, in London.

The Taranaki Daily News understands the local allegations involve unruly behaviour, nudity, players helping themselves to drinks and under-age barmaids drinking.


A duty manager at the bar has resigned and the owners are conducting their own investigation into what happened on the night.

The Taranaki Daily News also understands the parents of one of the barmaids is seeking compensation from the bar or the TRFU.

Crowded House is the official bar to the TRFU and was recently named top sports bar at the Hospitality Association's Awards for Excellence.

Mr Robinson said the TRFU was still trying to establish what happened.

"The TRFU acknowledges that some of its players were present, along with other members of the public."

Mr Robinson said the union had protocols to manage allegations and it was working through those.

"The union is satisfied, at this stage, any disciplinary action for the players present is unnecessary."

Up to 12 players from the Taranaki team were at the bar.

Mr Robinson said it was important the TRFU went through the process.

"We are not having this or any other inquiry aired through the media."

Young barmaids working or drinking at the bar were not a TRFU issue, Mr Robinson said.

Crowded House co-owner Kerry Simeon, who only arrived back in New Zealand on Thursday having been at the World Cup, said he was still getting the facts together.

"It sounds like the culmination of a lot of stupid fun.

"There was a little bit of drinking going on. There was, I believe, a streak through the bar."

Mr Simeon said the bar was trying to deal with the problem in a professional manner.

"Silly behaviour is always going to happen, it is how you deal with it."

Mr Simeon said he wanted to have a meeting with the two 17-year-old barmaids, and their families, this week and he hoped the TRFU would attend.

Both girls have kept their jobs.

Mr Simeon said the bar was safe and had developed a good reputation with the police and public during its 10 years. His 16-year-old daughter worked in the bar

School produces three computer champs

RICHARD WOODD - Taranaki Daily News Friday, 14 September 2007

Joshua Brungar, and Simon Wadsworth who have beaten out competitiors to become two of the country's best young computer programmers.

Hawera High School has three computer programming champions - and one of them could be a genius.
They have beaten 50 other schools for top honours in a nation-wide programming teams contest.
One, Kieran McLaughlan, hasn't hung around. Twelve days after the contest, he flew to Boston to start a five-year scholarship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, worth $250,000. He sat the US college entrance exams and scored near-maximum in all the papers.
Kieran (18) will probably go into science-based practical research and development, says the school's head of computing, Andrew Phayer.
His two team-mates, Simon Wadsworth (17) and Joshua Brungar (18), yesterday were presented with certificates by the NZ Computer Society chief executive Douglas White, and products by corporate supporters, Obertech Group of Hawera and Gen-i Taranaki. The contest is run annually by the society.
Mr White said Hawera's success was surprising, as it was up against bigger schools with more money and resources.
Mr Phayer was the team mentor and helped the students work as a unit. They had to share one computer in the five-hour contest, at Waikato University on August 4.
"Kieran was a key member. He likes to solve the problem first, and the other two did the programming, creating the code and get it working. They were complementary," Mr Phayer said.
Most people could be trained in computer programming. "But there's also an art to it. You need desire, discipline and a flair."
Simon says the Hawera team got a lucky break: "We tackled a really difficult one first and found it fairly easy and scored very high points."

Hawera Bowler

Young candidate withdraws

RICHARD WOODD richard.woodd@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Saturday, 25 August 2007

South Taranaki election nominations closed yesterday with two dramatic, unexpected develop-ments.
Twenty-year-old mayoral candidate CJ Mahony got cold feet and withdrew less than two hours from the noon deadline.
Mr Mahony told the Taranaki Daily News at 10am he was withdrawing from the mayoral contest but would be nominated for a council seat. However, he failed to lodge the nomination and could not be contacted.
Earlier he said: "I thought about it long and hard and decided I'm not ready for the mayoralty and the town's not ready for me.
"I will go for the mayoralty at a later stage. The research I've done and the advice I've been given is that I need to do an apprenticeship as a councillor first."
His withdrawal still leaves eight mayoral contenders for the position being vacated by Mary Bourke after 15 years.
A by-election will have to be held in Patea, where there was only one nominee for four community board seats.
Three incumbent members (Robert Amon, John Hughes, Sharlene Stokes) are retiring but may have to carry on until the by-election, which may not be held until next year.
Council communications officer Gerard Langford said concerns began mounting a week ago when there was only one person nominated for a total of 16 community board positions.
"We hit the panic button and a lot of phone-calling produced results everywhere but Patea," he said.
"I guess the situation reflects the boards' shrinking agendas and continuing public apathy, which is a problem throughout the country."
A by-election is required within 82 days of the chief executive informing the electoral officer of the vacancy.
The election for the seven Taranaki District Health Board elected members is by Single Transferable Vote across the entire region. There are no wards or constituencies.
Postal voting papers will be delivered between Friday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 26. Voting closes at noon on Saturday, October 13.
Full results will be published in the Taranaki Daily News on Monday, October 15.

SOUTH TARANAKI DISTRICT MayorWilliam Batchelor (nominated by Jack Rangiwahia, Allan Hunt), Ian Dilworth (Alexander Little, Stevan Mikaera), Ross Dunlop (Judith Ogle, Murray Findlater), Roger Jenkins (Alistair Hurley, Dennis Hurley), Debbie Packer (Shirley Mulder, Jan McCallum), Stephen Pivac (Aileen Joyce, Jennifer Cavaney), Bryan Vickery (Dr Dan Devadhar, Pamela Field), Ian Wards (Garth Weir, Marie Dwyer).
CouncilHawera-Normanby Ward (4)
Paula Barton (Celine Filbee, Paul Rogers), Andrew Beccard* (Valerie Baylis, Fiona Hicks), Kirsty Bourke* (David Harris, Trevor Lister), Wendy London (Julie Cudby, Bruce Cudby), Peter McNamara (Cathryn Milgate, Craig Wilson), Michael Powell* (Cliff Hunt, Jeff Bigham), Simon Rangiwahia (Jack and Ruth Rangiwahia).
Tangahoe Ward (1)
Peter Johnson (Grant Pollock, Evan Vallender), Jeffrey Ward (Douglas Bates, Ethel Bates).
Egmont Plains Ward (3)
Ian Armstrong (Ronald William, Allan Harvey), Ann Hickey* (Leo Hickey, Darrell Hickey), John Hooker (June Hooker, Barbara Hana), Ian Smith* (Arthur Hughson, Maurice Murray).
Eltham Ward (2)
Alexander Ballantyne* (Gary and Judith Rodgers), Gordon Lawson* (Donald Drabble, Trevor Sharpe).
Patea Ward (2)
Warwick Fry* (Jo Byam, Helen Fairweather), Debbie Packer (Sharlene Stokes, Queenie Gripp), Ian Wards* (Marie Dwyer, Lawrence Gibbs).
Community boardsHawera-Normanby (3)
Colin Greaves*, Fiona Hicks*, Fred Kumeroa* (no election required).
Hawera-Tangahoe (1)
Kelly Judkins (no election required).
Egmont Plains (4)
Sharon Arlidge*, Ronald Brewer, Craig Dingle*, Ann Gibson*, Keith Scott, Brian Vincent.
Eltham (4)
Alexander Ballantyne*, Karen Cave, William Hansen*, Alan Hawkes*, Maree Liddington, Christine Turner.
Patea (4): Ailsa Aiken* (by-election required)
*denotes sitting member

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Supermarkets

Supermarket owners have a reshuffle RICHARD WOODD richard.woodd@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Monday, 13 August 2007
Big changes have been happening in supermarket ownership in Stratford and Hawera.
Hawera's $18 million Pak 'n Save has already been sold, only seven months after it opened last December.
For a few months this supermarket's petrol station had the cheapest retail prices in the country: 21c a litre discount if you bought $40 worth of groceries.
In Stratford, New World has been bought by former Oakura Four Square owners Jimmy and Jackie Lim.
The Kovaleski family operated Pak 'n Save, after selling their Hawera New World operation to Rachel and Mike Clayton, the former Write Price operators.
The Kovaleskis have sold out to Peter Arthur, who has appointed Kevin Jones as manager. He says he intends to sell the business to him eventually, "... provided he performs."
Palmerston North-based Mr Arthur says he had a call from the Foodstuffs Group after managing director Tony Kovaleski announced the store was for sale.
Mr Arthur does not envisage an early return to the big petrol discounts of the brief Kovaleski era.
"In this game things change from day to day and it depends what the competition is doing, but we won't be giving it away, that's for sure," he says.
Mr Kovaleski and his wife, Sam, have bought a beachfront home at Paraparaumu and are looking at business opportunities in the greater Wellington area. He declined to say why they decided to sell.
Mr Arthur's entry into the grocery business began when he worked as a schoolboy at the Ngaere Store, which his parents owned. He was the fourth generation of the family in that store.
Here is the sequence of events since then, as described by Mr Arthur. "In 1977 I left school and we bought the old Stratford New World from John Hedditch. In 1986 we bought the old Hawera New World and two years later built a new store on the same site. In 1991-92 my father and myself rebuilt the Stratford New World. In 1998 the Kovaleskis bought Hawera New World and I bought the Palmerston North Pak 'n Save, which I still own.
"In 2000 my brother John bought my interest in Stratford New World and later became the sole owner when our father died."
John Arthur has sold out to Jimmy and Jackie Lim. Mr Lim was born in Stratford in 1944 to Chinese immigrant parents. They started a fruit and vegetable shop which stayed in family ownership through to 2005, when it was closed on the retirement of his brother, Kevin.
In 1994 Mr and Mrs Lim left Stratford and bought the Oakura Four Square, which they sold in May this year to buy the New World business. Mr Lim says his son and son-in-law are also involved in the business and it will provide careers for their children.
"Foodstuffs will be enlarging the carpark and improving access this year and two years further out they plan to enlarge the store," he says.

Judge dies on way to court

Judge dies on way to court
12:36PM Thursday August 09, 2007
A judge collapsed and died on the way to court this morning.
Judge Murray Abbott had just yesterday finished presiding over the seven-day trial of a suspended police recruit who was acquitted on charges of attacking and sexually violating a Christchurch prostitute.
It is understood the judge was on his way to Christchurch District Court this morning when he collapsed and died.
Judge Abbott was 57. He is survived by his wife, Catherine, and three children.
Judge Abbott is remembered as a well-respected and hard working member of the judiciary.
A partner in the Christchurch law firm Anthony Harper for many years, Judge Abbott was appointed to the District Court and Youth Court benches in 1989.
Judge Abbott was born in the Taranaki town of Eltham and went to school at Wanganui Collegiate. He studied law at Canterbury University, and after graduating in 1973 began practice with the then Christchurch law firm of Harper Pascoe and Co.
After being made a judge in 1989, Judge Abbott was appointed to New Plymouth and transferred back to Christchurch in 1996.
Chief District Court Judge Russell Johnson said today news of Judge Abbott's death "came as a great shock" to all his colleagues.
"He was a very well-liked and respected judge. This is very sad news," he said.
Judge Johnson offered his "heart-felt commiserations" to Judge Abbott's family.
Canterbury District Law Society president Dr Ed Wylie QC said he was shocked to hear of Judge Abbott's sudden death.
Judge Abbott practised as a lawyer in Christchurch for a number of years before being appointed as a judge.
As a lawyer he served as legal counsel for the Christchurch Star newspaper in the 1980s.
Dr Wylie told NZPA Judge Abbott was "popular and well respected by his colleagues".
"As a judge, he was diligent, hard working and courteous, and a respected member of the District Court bench.
"I'm sure the profession in Christchurch would join with me in expressing its condolences to Mrs Abbott and the family."
Some courts were adjourned early today and a number of staff appeared upset at learning of Judge Abbott's death.
Rangiora lawyer John Brandts-Giesen, a fellow student with Judge Abbott at Canterbury University, said he would remember his long-time friend for his abilities and "somewhat zany sense of humour".
"He was a very hard-working and able judge and had a phenomenal photographic memory," Mr Brandts-Giesen told NZPA.
"It's a tragedy for his wife and family."
Brent Stanaway, Crown prosecutor for Christchurch and Greymouth, said Judge Abbott was a popular judge with an engaging manner and very fair approach.
"I am deeply saddened at the death of Judge Murray Abbott, who I much admired as an extraordinarily hard working, experienced and able District Court Judge."
Mr Stanaway said Judge Abbott was a very pro-active judge who sought to modernise trial management, with the intention of expediting the administration of justice.
He and his fellow prosecutors extended condolences to Judge Abbott's family.
- NZPA

Historic house nearly up in smoke

LYN HUMPHREYS lyn.humphreys@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Monday, 6 August 2007
Irreplaceable treasures at Parihaka were within minutes of destruction after an electrical fire just after midnight yesterday.
"Another five minutes and it would have gone," Rahotu Volunteer Fire Brigade senior station officer Paul Mundt says. "It was very fortunate no one was inside."
It was lucky that the fire was discovered when a man, who had gone outside for a smoke from another house at the pa, smelt smoke from what he thought was a rubbish fire.
When he investigated, he found it was coming from the outside wall at Te Niho meeting house.
Although the fire brigade was called and was on its way, the flames quickly took hold and were soon leaping higher than the roof of the old tinder-dry building.
"If it had got into the ceiling space, it would have been all over," Mr Mundt says.
But people living on the pa rallied and were able to put out the flames with a bucket brigade before the firefighters arrived.
"They managed to extinguish it before we got there. If they hadn't, she would have been history."
The fire is believed to have started in a meter board on the outside of the meeting house and to have been caused by a combination of old wiring and moisture.
People sometimes stayed overnight at the meeting house, he said.
"It's a good wake-up call to everyone. Smoke alarms may have helped but no one was staying in the building that night."
The brigade intended to go to the pa this week to discuss fire safety.
Papa Kainga trustee Peter Moeahu, who does not live on site, was shocked when hearing of the fire from the newspaper.
He says the taonga on the walls of the Te Niho house include photos of past generations, paintings of the history of Parihaka and large photo prints of the pa's early years.
It also hold greenstone treasures, gifts from visitors both from across New Zealand and overseas - all of which are irreplaceable.
"You could sum it up as the museum of Te Niho."
Mr Moeahu says he will be pleased to meet with the brigade to discuss fire prevention.
Ironically, the South Taranaki Liaison Committee had just approved $8000 for the drawing up of a plan for the redevelopment of Te Niho.

Funnyman has fond memories

JESSICA WAUCHOP - Taranaki Tuesday, 31 July 2007
When Oscar Kightley was a cadet reporter at the Taranaki Herald he pulled a sickie on the day of the most exciting story of the year - Cyclone Bola.
"I looked out my window that morning, saw it was raining and called in sick," laughs Kightley.
"Everyone else was racing about covering exciting stories about roofs blowing off and I missed out," Kightley says.
It's just one of many tales from the funnyman, who's just been back in New Plymouth with the Naked Samoans for the Taranaki International Festival of the Arts.
Kightley, best-known for his roles in the TV show bro'Town and movie Sione's Wedding, is thankful for his six-month stint as a journalist in Taranaki.
"I had been working as a cadet reporter at the Auckland Star and got up to a bit of trouble. So they were very kind and instead of firing me, they packed me off to New Plymouth.
"I came here and loved it. This place was my first experience of living outside of the city I grew up in. I found it a very warm and enveloping place with culture, surf and nice people.
"By the end of my six months I didn't want to go back to Auckland."
Nineteen years after he left, Kightley is impressed with the changes in Taranaki.
"It is great to see more than one bar in New Plymouth now.
"You can stagger from bar to bar instead of up and down The Mill's stairs," says Kightley, who admits he is still struck by the overwhelming politeness of Taranaki people.
Although Kightley is grateful for his time as a journalist, he says he was never destined for it.
"At school English was my favourite subject because it wasn't like science and maths which had strict rules - English you could make things up."
"In science four and four had to equal eight but in English I could make it equal 12 - not ideal for journalism though," he laughs.
It is this creativity which is embodied in the Naked Samoans performance.
"Our performances are never the same each night. We get bored easily, so if we're not having fun with the jokes, we change them," he says.
"Being on stage in the Naked Samoans existing in the most pure form ... a group who started out as mates just looking for an excuse to hang out together."
Jessica Wauchop is an AUT journalism student.

Whole lot of horror rolls into crazy town

JAYNE HULBERT jayne.hulbert@tnl.nz - Taranaki Tuesday, 31 July 2007
Downtown New Plymouth was not for the faint-hearted last night.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show was in town and the hundreds who turned out to see it, took the invitation for audience participation very seriously.
Not that there was anything serious about said participation.
Men dressed in drag, couples as Brad and Janet, Riff Raffs and people in any number of crazy X-rated outfits pranced across the TSB Showplace stage before the classic film was screened.
Many ensembles left little to the imagination, one man in particular providing slightly more flesh than most would like to see.
If you weren't dressed as one of the film's characters, you were in the minority.
Urged on by the Mistress of Ceremonies - singer Jackie Clarke - a competition to find the best dressed brought on screams of laughter from the near-capacity audience. After providing a language warning, Clarke issued the house rules.
"The only rule tonight, is that there are no rules," said Clarke to a huge round of applause.
Bags of rice were distributed to the audience and rice throwing quickly became a sport.
And then there's the Time Warp ...
Part of the Taranaki International Festival of the Arts, the one-off screening of Richard O'Brien's film, starring Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon, was guaranteed to be a crazy night.

Taranaki quartet takes honours in best of category for country

LEIGHTON KEITH leighton.keith@tnl.co.nz. - Taranaki Tuesday, 31 July 2007

They're world-famous in Taranaki - but now the rest of the country is in on our secrets.
Four Taranaki icons have been rated as the best in New Zealand.
They are New Plymouth's Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Tikorangi gardener Mark Jury, Pukekura Park and Whangamomona.
The latest issue of The Listener has devoted a section to celebrating the best our country has to offer on a range of topics and the province was well represented.
Mr Jury, famed for his world-renowned magnolia trees, has been declared one of the country's best plant breeders by broadcaster Maggie Barry.
Mr Jury says he was surprised to receive the accolade but was happy to be rated alongside some of the best.
"It is great to be put in the same category as them, it is an honour," he said yesterday.
The Listener's arts editor Philip Matthews was positively glowing about the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery.
"Too few galleries know how to surprise ... but this one does," Listener arts editor Philip Matthews says.
Gallery director Rhana Devenport was delighted but not surprised to learn of the kudos. "Within the arts community, for the Asian Pacific region, the gallery is well known as a leader."
Whangamomona takes the honour of best place name, along with Nightcaps in Southland, Waikaremoana, and Windwhistle near Christchurch.
Twenty-two-year Whanga resident Tania Bedwell says the town's name roughly translates to fertile valley or wait here for a fat one. Coastal Maori used the area as a camp ground on their way to trade with tribes in Wanganui and it was known for fat birds and eels.
Pukekura Park got a special mention in the best cricket ground category. The Basin Reserve, Wellington, took the top honour.
The New Plymouth ground was described as ravishingly scenic and was recently named by the cricket-lover's bible, Wisden, as one of the six greatest grounds in the world.

Colour captures imagination of exchange teacher

The walls of Ryo Nakamura's Japanese classroom could soon be covered with colourful children's artwork thanks to an idea sparked in New Plymouth.
While primary school classrooms in Japan could be viewed by outsiders as white and sterile, New Zealand classrooms are wall-to-wall colour.
The brightness of Kiwi classrooms is something that has captured the imagination of exchange teacher Mr Nakamura.
"Everything is so colourful in the classroom. Even the walls are painted in many colours.
"Everything is white in Japan. I am quite amazed that you use lots of colour and even display the children's artwork," Mr Nakamura said through an interpreter.
The 31-year-old is the first Japanese teacher to take part in the New Plymouth-Mishima teacher exchange programme, initiated during a New Plymouth District Council sister city trip to Mishima two years ago.
Mr Nakamura, who is a primary school teacher at Mukaiyama Shoggakko school in Mishima, arrived in New Plymouth on Saturday and will spend a month in various classrooms in the district.
Yesterday, while at Central School, Mr Nakamura said he was keen to introduce colour into his white classroom. Just how his superiors would react to the sudden colour explosion was another thing. "They will be very surprised."
It is the first time Mr Nakamura has been out of Japan and year six students at Central School were keen to inform him of where he should visit in Taranaki. Taking a trip up Mt Taranaki, visiting Puke Ariki, a marae and a farm were among the suggestions, but it was the idea of going surfing that had Mr Nakamura particularly excited. He hoped he could get in a few lessons while in the region.
He is also keen to learn more about New Zealand music. He will teach Central School's choir a Japanese song.
Mr Nakamura will visit the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki, Welbourn, Westown and Vogeltown, Egmont Village and Inglewood primary schools, Te Pihipihinga Kakano Mai i Rangiatea kura kaupapa and Highlands Intermediate.
New Plymouth has sent two teachers to Mishima - James Los'e from Spotswood College and Vicki-Ann Ritchie from Inglewood Primary School.
ROCHELLE WESTrochelle.west@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Tuesday, 31 July 2007

They served Eltham

RICHARD WOODD richard.woodd@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Saturday, 28 July 2007
Eltham is mourning the loss of two of its community stalwarts.
Dorothy Lillian Nicholls died on July 19, a month short of her 91st birthday and her close friend Lawrence Stephen (Curly) Murray a day later aged 87.
Red Cross voluntary work was a common thread in their lives.
Mrs Nicholls became a Red Cross nurse in 1936, she was an Eltham branch life member and was awarded a medal for 60 years' service last year. She was awarded the NZ Order of Merit in 1996.
"The Red Cross was her life," says Jeanette Mann, the former Eltham branch secretary, now living in Southland.
During the Vietnam War, Mrs Nicholls and her husband Herbert Eckroyd (Roy) personally delivered four woolpacks of toys, clothes and medicines to a children's hospital in Saigon. Such flights were known as "teddy bear runs".
The Nicholls flew with the cargo in an RNZAF Hercules, strapped into armchairs for the long flight. Mrs Nicholls had been patron of the Eltham Plunket and Horticultural societies and was a national judge for the Taranaki Rose Society.
Her husband was the town chemist.
Mr Murray started as an apprentice joiner in 1935. He bought the N. G. Tucker Joinery business in 1957, with Ilay Stanners as a partner, and renamed it Eltham Building Supplies. It is still being operated by his two sons, Donald and Ian.
He was a member of the Taranaki Masonic Trust and his Red Cross service included repairing all wheelchairs loaned out by the Red Cross in Taranaki.
He joined the Eltham Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1938 and was chief officer 1949-63.

Ropiha takes out Maori sportsperson award

Taranaki Saturday, 14 July 2007

Taranaki's leading amateur golfer Troy Ropiha was last night named Taranaki Maori sportsperson of the year.
Ropiha, who is in England playing in amateur events, was named overall winner after earlier taking the sportsman of the year award at a function in New Plymouth.
The full list of winners was:
Kaiwawao (game official award), Sam Tamarapa.
Kaiako (coach award), Rangi Hiroti, touch, rugby and rugby league.
Kaiwhakahaere (volunteer administrator award), Karen Brooks, netball and basketball.
Taiohi Tama (junior sportsman award), Derrin Jesse Puata, jujitsu.
Taiohi Kotiro (junior sportswoman award), Ashley Rupapera, swimming.
Pakeke Tane (senior sportsman award), Troy Ropiha, golf.
Pakeke Wahine (senior sportswoman award), Kim Hiroti, touch.
Toa Tira (Maori sports team award), Taranaki Whanui Maori rugby league.
Toa Tautoko (contribution and service to Maori sport and recreation), John Niwa, lawn bowls.
Kupu Whakanui (special commendations), Patsy Broughton, Daniel Brooks, Jan Manu, Keisha-Dean Soffe.
Toa Rongonui (sports hall of fame), George Wharehoka, Maurice Crow.
Toki o Te Tau (Taranaki Maori sportsperson of the year), Troy Ropiha, golf.

Farm-scene art for telephone books

Taranaki Saturday, 14 July 2007

The telephone book artwork.

A weekend drive to the mountain inspired the winning entry in this year's White Pages Art Award.
New Plymouth artist Henriette Reason's painting will grace the cover of the 2007 Taranaki telephone book, due out in August. Her work is called Heard Of Cows?
"While driving I saw herds of cows. I stopped my car to have a look and the curious cows came to say hello. I had fun feeding the friendly ones, while others stood back and watched," says Danish-born Reason.
To create the artwork she made some rough sketches from photos taken of the cows, then used oil paints on canvas board.
"I wanted to convey feelings of curiosity and excitement. Taranaki is a clean, green place and the mountain portrays boldness."
She was overwhelmed about winning the award.
"I phoned my mother in Denmark to tell her the good news and I admit, I couldn't sleep that night."
Reason is a self-taught artist who only started painting in recent years.
"I've always had an interest in art, but only started painting seven years ago. I gave up my fulltime job last year to devote all of my time to my art."
She entered the awards hoping it might boost her career and, having won, hopes it will be a stepping stone towards being a successful artist.
The judges were impressed with her painting and said it had an added dimension of mischief, which went beyond depicting a herd of cows in a typical Taranaki landscape.
Reason has lived in Taranaki for 10 years and says dairy farming and the mountain are constant sources of inspiration for her art.
"Dairy farming is the heart and soul of the Taranaki region and the mountain has stood through times of change.
"I wanted my painting to reflect traditional Taranaki with an openness and courage to move ahead."
The White Pages Art Awards programme is a nationwide regional arts competition, open to all New Zealanders.
The awards are designed to promote emerging and established artists throughout the country.
The 18 regional winners each receive a cash prize of $2000. At the close of the awards programme, all entered artworks are eligible for the annual White Pages Arts Charity Auction. All money from the sale of artworks is donated to charity.
A total of $50,417 was raised for What's Up at the 2006 White Pages Arts Charity Auction.

The state of emergency has been lifted in tornado-hit Taranaki.
No further damage was reported during the night and the community now was busy cleaning up, said Civil Defence controller David Lean.
Police were continuing round-the-clock patrols in Oakura to ensure the security of houses and property damaged when the tornadoes struck on Thursday night.
At least six twisters hit Oakura, Egmont Village, Inglewood and the Waitara area about 5.30pm on Thursday trampling houses, trees and power poles, causing millions of dollars worth of damage and leaving dozens of families homeless.
Civil Defence spokesman Rusty Ritchie said everyone was in clean-up mode today.
The quicker this was done the better, he said, as it would prevent any further damage being caused by loose debris flying around.
Strong winds last night did cause some debris to move around.
The Taranaki District Council is to make a kerbside collection of tornado-generated rubbish at
midday
Houses which sustained the worst damage were now covered in tarpaulins and the Fire Service was on hand to resecure any which had come loose.
The Taranaki District Council (TDC) made a kerbside collection of tornado-generated rubbish today, moving quickly to reduce the risk of further damage from wind-blown debris.
But mostly the clean-up is a community effort, with friends and neighbours all helping those whose properties sustained damage, Mr Ritchie said.
"Carpenters and builders will be out there, too, getting on with the job."
The weather has calmed down and the forecast for the region is for clearing conditions and no significant wind.
A welfare centre is to remain open at Oakura Bowling Club through until at least Tuesday and the welfare hotline (0800 779 997), set up for people needing practical help or feeling the stress, would also stay open in the meantime.
Power has been restored to all but a handful of properties.
Mr Lean said Civil Defence would continue to assess the needs of people affected by the tornadoes next week.
"It's very likely that by early next week, the reality of what's happened will set in for some people, and anyone needing assistance should go to the welfare centre or use the welfare hotline," he said.
Insurance assessors were also in the region helping people with their claims. Fifty houses have already been assessed as having sustained at least 80 per cent damage. Some have been completely destroyed and some cars have been crushed by fallen trees.
Early assessment indications from the Insurance Council put the damage in New Plymouth at about $2 million, with another $5 million estimated in Oakura. Those figures were expected to rise.
The Bank of New Zealand has set up an account for donations to assist with disaster relief. People can make donations at any BNZ branch.
- NZPA

Giant carrot beats Auckland

New Zealand's premier landmark has been named - and it's not the harbour bridge or Sky Tower.
It's not even the Viaduct Harbour or One Tree Hill.
It's a park in New Plymouth.
Pukekura Park and its two-month festival of lights has won the prime Mayfair spot on the new Monopoly, Here and Now New Zealand board.
The provincial park knocks off Auckland's Queen St, which held the top spot for 21 years.
Rangitoto Island takes the neighbouring Park Lane square, the only Auckland feature to make the board.
The Viaduct, Sky Tower and bridge were all nominated by local authorities.
But in public voting, the vibrant America's Cup venue was beaten by a big carrot and an oversize kiwifruit.
The Ohakune and Te Puke landmarks were winners in the quirky kiwiana section.
And the Viaduct and harbour bridge combined didn't score as many votes as the Hundertwasse-designed public toilets in Kawakawa.
A poll to update the popular game attracted more than 230,000 public votes, a quarter from Manawatu and Taranaki.
Provincial pride saw just under 40,000 votes cast for Pukekura Park, more than half New Plymouth's population.
Palmerston North voters put their town square in second place, 15,000 votes behind.
Other landmarks to make the cut include Napier's art deco buildings, Wellington's cable cars, the Waitomo Caves and Christchurch's Cathedral Square.
But Aucklanders will find some features familiar - players fork out $400,000 per apartment for picking up the 'leaky building' Chance card.
The 'stuck in rush hour' card sets you back three spaces, and texting while driving earns a hefty fine.
Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard says the new board probably represents a change in values since the last edition of the game in 1986.
"Perhaps it is reflecting a maturing of New Zealanders, where we're putting more value on non-money real estate, and that's maybe something we should welcome.
"But I'm very pleased that Dick Hubbard's nose hasn't been taken on as a prominent landmark," he says.
By HEATHER McCRACKEN - Auckland City Harbour News Wednesday, 27 June 2007

Pair seeking battalion comrades

Calling all surviving members of the Taranaki Regiment's 1st Battalion, your old comrades are looking for you.
Former Taranaki men Stan Martin and Bert Inteman are trying to trace old soldiers who were members of the 1st Battalion and left New Plymouth by train on December 15, 1941, one week after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour.
The 600 men first made camp at the Palmerston North Showgrounds but later moved to the Awatapu golf course, which is now Awatapu College.
The two men have approval from the college's board to put up a plaque in the grounds to mark the regiment's occupation of the site in 1942.
Mr Martin (85) says the idea for the plaque was suggested by his wife, June, on Anzac Day, while he was at Awatapu paying homage to the boys who never came home.
The men spent about eight months together before splitting up once the United States said New Zealand was not under threat from the Japanese. "We don't know how many of our blokes are left. Those boys would have never forgotten, we all got dispersed to different parts of the world. We had some great men in the regiment."
Old diggers don't often speak of the war to outsiders and reunions mean everything, he says.
"People say you blokes never talk anything about the war. That's quite right you don't. When you get your old mates together, you do, because they understand. You haven't got to explain everything to them and they know you're not just talking rubbish, they understand all about it," Mr Martin said. "Sadly, many of these men, the flower of the province's young manhood lie now and forever in soldiers' graves the length and breadth of Italy."
Mr Inteman (84) was only 17 at the time and needed to be 21 before serving overseas with the army so he transferred to the navy to get into the action.
He was looking forward to catching up with old friends. The plaque would be a fitting tribute to those who never came home.
"I think it is a remarkable thing. The school is giving us all of the support in the world, and if we can get a plaque in that area we will do it right. I don't think there will be many left but the ones that are, and if they could make it, it would be a really good get-together," Mr Inteman said. LEIGHTON KEITH leighton.keith@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Saturday, 30 June 2007

Slide Show of Mt Taranaki

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dailynews/196343a10693.html