Protester let off rubbish charge

A Picton man's solo protest on Queen Charlotte Dr against the Marlborough District Council's rubbish dumping fee could have endangered drivers, police say.

Lesley John Huntley, 57, represented himself in a defended hearing at the Blenheim District Court yesterday, when he appeared on a charge of depositing litter in a public place.

Huntley also defended himself on charges of resisting police, assaulting police and threatening behaviour likely to cause violence relating to separate incidents at Waikawa Marae and at his home.

Judge Tim Broadmore told Huntley at the end of the hearing that he could discharge him without conviction on the littering charge if he paid a $200 donation to the Department of Conservation. Huntley agreed to do that.

Huntley admitted the other three charges, which will go to a restorative justice conference.

He was remanded to reappear in court on November 2.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said Huntley gathered rubbish, including car tyres, buckets, car batteries and a door from a roadside and placed them on Queen Charlotte Dr on September 24 last year.

The items blocked the eastbound lane of a blind corner on the stretch of road between Havelock and Picton, he said.

Huntley said his actions were a passive protest against rubbish dumped down the bank of Queen Charlotte Dr, which he believed was caused by the council's rubbish dumping fees.

Witness Oliver Crook said he saw Huntley wandering on the road and asked if he had lost the load off his truck.

Huntley then asked Crook to take a photo of him and the rubbish and to make sure they were sent to "the snowman". Mr Single said it may have been a reference to Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman.

Constable Tim Goodyear, of Picton, said passing cars would have been forced to drive close to or over the centre line to avoid the rubbish. He said there was potential for a crash, especially as it was getting dark.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 29/07/2010

The wheels on this bus will go round and round all the way to the Combined Colleges' Formal at the Marlborough Convention Centre in Blenheim tomorrow night.

Marlborough Girls' College student Shannon Power is one of about 20 girls taking a yellow school bus as their mode of transport to the event, which has a Candyland theme.

Shannon had her dress made specially for the ball, but wore a different one for this photo shoot to ensure a surprise on the night.

In the past students have arrived at the ball in many different types of transport, including vintage cars, limousines, motorbikes and even horseback.

But Shannon said many students were taking a low key approach this year, and she thought the less stressful buildup would make the event better than last year.

Organising committee member Jemma Titheridge said the group had been planning the event since the start of the term and would only have from 8am on Friday to set up the venue. More than 400 tickets had been sold for the ball.

No-one The Express spoke to would be drawn on whether an after-ball party was being organised.

Marlborough Boys' College principal Wayne Hegarty said he and police had talked to the senior boys during the past few days about proper behaviour and consequences for their actions.

"We're basically working on the concept of them being adults and acting like adults," he said.

"They are aware this is a school function and are expected to treat it as such." Excitement was building throughout the school in the lead up to the event, he said.

Marlborough Girls' principal Karen Stewart said her students would be called to a special assembly today about expectations at the event. The assembly would include presentations from Students Against Drink Driving and well as youth aid officers.

"With formals there's always that worry about what might happen, but in reality the [organising] committee has done a stunning job planning the event," she said.

Both principals said they would be going to the formal.

Students board the bus for a real ball

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 29/07/2010

BEN CURRAN

READY TO ROLL: From left, Julia Webby, 17, Sophie MacKenzie, 18, and Shannon Power, 17, will be taking this school bus to the Combined Colleges Formal tomorrow night with about 17 other girls.

'Shopping addict' stole from firm

A 47-year-old Blenheim woman blamed her addiction to shopping for stealing more than $40,000 from her employer during 11 months.

Defence lawyer Bryony Millar said Karen Lesley Vunisa had a shopping addiction that "got out of hand".

Vunisa was charged with accessing her employer's computer system 103 times between February 2009 and January this year.

She admitted the charge, and two of obtaining by deception, when she appeared in the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said Vunisa was responsible for the day-to-day finances at Marlborough TV Services, including cash payments and internet banking.

Vunisa changed payee account numbers to her own and stole a total of $40,294.08, he said.

Vunisa had also charged a DVD recorder and a mini sound system to the company without authority, he said.

The company wanted $41,000 in reparation, he said.

Vunisa was granted bail and was remanded to be sentenced on September 28.

Judge Richard Russell ordered a pre-sentence report and an alcohol and drug assessment because of the seriousness and the amount of money involved. All sentencing options were open, he said.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 27/07/2010

Man jailed after blackmail attempt

A 20-year-old Nelson man who sent text messages threatening to post details of a woman's sexual abuse on Facebook was sentenced to 5 1/2 months' jail when he appeared in the High Court at Blenheim yesterday.

Rhyce Crawford Milne was sentenced by Justice Ronald Young, after admitting a charge of blackmail.

Justice Young said Milne sent three abusive text messages to a man claiming he owed him $10 in relation to a drug deal.

He threatened that if the debt was not paid, he would reveal details of the man's partner's sexual abuse on social networking site Facebook.

The man did not owe Milne any money, Justice Young said.

Milne was on a final warning after other charges and no address was available for Milne to serve home detention, he said.

Defence counsel Mark Dollimore said the incident was "unsophisticated" and Milne "did not appreciate the impact [the messages] would have on the victims".

Milne had been working on a mussel barge, before sending the messages and co-operated fully with police investigators, he said.

Milne started to use cannabis at 14 and was expelled from school in year 10, Mr Dollimore said.

"He now has an entrenched cannabis problem."

Justice Young said Milne told the police he did not intend to post anything on the website.

He did not believe Milne's excuse that the messages were "spur of the moment", because he sent more than one message.

"I reject the suggestion it was spontaneous.

"You were trying to extort money from people who owed you nothing," Justice Young said.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 23/07/2010

Good report for boys' college

Marlborough Boys' College gets top marks for a positive culture that promotes learning, but must improve its academic performance, according to the Education Review Office (ERO).

An ERO report released to The Marlborough Express yesterday praises new principal Wayne Hegarty for working to transform the school's culture and raising morale, but it notes that achievement rates in NCEA levels 1 and 3 are still below schools of similar decile and same gender.

Mr Hegarty took over this year from interim principal Dave Turnbull, who replaced former principal John Rodgers. Mr Rodgers resigned last year following a turbulent period in which the school ran up a debt of more than a million dollars and was revealed to be virtually insolvent.

The report says Mr Hegarty has built on the work of Mr Turnbull to promote an environment where students can learn, by focusing on school tone, staff morale and getting school systems back on track.

"There is a move to a less punitive, more respective approach to student behaviour and greater ownership by teachers ... A tightening of expectations has resulted in improved attendance and reduced suspensions and exclusions," the report said.

However, it said students' NCEA results had declined since 2007 and the current senior leadership team structure did not provide a cohesive direction for improving teaching and learning.

The ERO and board of trustees agreed priority should be placed on strengthening curriculum leadership, raising the quality of teaching and learning and monitoring progress through self-review.

Mr Hegarty said the report confirmed what he and the board knew.

The numbers of students achieving excellence in NCEA and receiving scholarships needed to increase, and he was confident the school could lift its achievement.

The school could not change what it taught, but could change how it delivered that information and was looking at reviewing how to meet students' specific needs, he said.

"A lot of our boys are interested in automotive. Are we meeting their needs? At the moment, no," he said.

"We want to get away from `one shoe fits all'."

The school aims to adopt a new approach to teaching by 2012.

The report also praised the school's peer support system, its Maori advisory group, its care of Pasifika students and its international student programme.

There are currently seven international students at the school.

Mr Hegarty wants the school to eventually return to hosting about 20 international students, as it did last year.

"The positive comments about the international programme will support us [in increasing international student numbers].

"It's critical to get the numbers back to what they were," he said.

The ERO is expected to release its report on Blenheim's Marlborough Girls' College soon.

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 23/07/2010

BEN CURRAN/Marlborough Express

WATCH THIS SPACE: Marlborough Boys' College principal Wayne Hegarty and students are celebrating Education Review Office recognition that the school has laid the groundwork for great achievements.

Caller in balaclava carried air pistol

A Blenheim man confronted at his door late at night by a man wearing a balaclava and carrying an air pistol managed to push the man to the ground and knock the gun from his hand.

The 59-year-old man, who lives in Lee St, sat on the man in his front yard while his wife called police, according to a police summary of facts released to The Marlborough Express.

Hector William Henry, 57, of Blenheim, has admitted attempted aggravated robbery following the incident about 10.35pm on July 8 last year. He also admitted unlawful possession of an airgun and having his face covered with intent to commit a crime.

Henry entered the guilty plea just as a two-day trial was set to begin at the Blenheim District Court on Monday. He was remanded in custody for sentencing on August 19.

The summary of facts says the man and his wife were in bed when someone knocked on their front door.

He went to the door in his dressing gown thinking it might be his son, who had arranged to pick up some blankets.

He opened the door to see a man, who face was covered with a balaclava, pointing the air pistol at him and holding a plastic bag in his other hand. The intruder said, "What's up" and mumbled something else, the police summary of facts said.

The resident invited the man inside and said he would get some money but grabbed the plastic bag and threw it on the ground as the man stepped inside.

"He then grabbed the air pistol in the defendant's hand and turned him around and pushed him out into his front yard where he pushed him over into a rose garden," the summary says. He managed to knock the gun out of the man's hand, sat on him and called for his wife to phone the police.

The man was identified as Henry.

Police said they found a hammer on the ground that had been inside Henry's overalls as well as a pair of socks he used as gloves.

Inside the plastic bag was a boning knife, fishing line and a pair of slippers.

Henry told police he found the items in town and knocked on the man's door to ask if the air pistol he found in their driveway was his. He told police he did not intend to do anything and wanted to apologise.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:36 22/07/201

Standards row not over yet

It's business as usual for primary schools kicking off the new term this week, but the controversy over the Government's national standards still remains firmly in the minds of some of Marlborough's principals.

Primary school principals spoken to by the Marlborough Express have expressed similar concerns about the implementation of the standards.

Renwick School principal Simon Heath is not opposed to the standards, but "the way the process has happened".

"The standards are proving to have some real issues because children don't learn in nice neat little boxes," he said.

He said Education Minister Anne Tolley's speech at the Principals Federation conference in Queenstown this month contained "nothing new" and gave no consideration to the views of principals.

"That's probably the saddest part for principals – there was no recognition of our professional knowledge and experience."

Riverlands School principal Dave Parsons believed the standards were not as simple as the minister made them out to be.

New Zealand Principals Federation president Ernie Buutveld said good discussion was happening between the ministry and principals behind the scenes which was "necessary to make progress".

"[National standards are] going to supersede other stuff and I don't think it has the legs to do that right now. We need to make haste slowly because I'd rather look to do something and do it right," he said.

Canvastown School principal Karen Kellaway said more time was needed to implement the standards. She would have preferred to have a year with the new curriculum first.

The biggest worry for Havelock School principal Chris Duckworth is the "rush to implement" the standards in schools.

He said some problems with the standards may have been avoided if they had been trialled first.

"No-one is saying no [to the standards]. It just needs a lot more work," he said.

Kaikoura Primary School principal and president of Marlborough Principals' Association president Bruce Pagan, however, said the standards were a work in progress and "non threatening" to schools.

"Any school worth their mettle would already be reporting [to parents] and the national standards just solidifies that.

"There are more important things in education to worry about rather than the threat of national standards," he said

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 21/07/2010

Teens caught after stealing cars for joy-ride

Four teenagers stole two cars to go joy-riding around Blenheim overnight, police say.

Constable Michelle Stagg, of Blenheim, said four boys aged 16 to 19, climbed through a window of an Alabama Rd property at 10.30pm yesterday and stole a Subaru car.

After taking it for a joy ride, they returned to the property and stole a second car, Miss Stagg said. The group split up and took the two cars joy-riding for an hour before they were stopped at 12.10am in Scott St by police.

Two boys aged 19 and 17, both unemployed, were kept in police custody to appear in the Blenheim District Court today, charged with burglary and two counts of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

A supermarket worker and a student, both 16, faced the same charges, but because of their age would be referred to the Blenheim police Youth Aid section.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:54 21/07/2010

Pin 'given to thief'

A thief tricked a bank into resetting a telephone banking pin number, then stole more than $3000 from the victim's account, police allege.

Constable Michelle Stagg, of Blenheim, said a 20-year-old female factory worker was charged this morning with stealing a handbag on June 2 and withdrawing money from the owner's bank account.

The woman used documents in the bag to have the owner's telephone bank account pin reset, she said.

She then withdrew up to $3600 in six transactions.

The woman was charged with theft and using a document for pecuniary advantage and was due to appear in Blenheim District Court next Monday, Ms Stagg said.

There were 12 arrests at the weekend, two of them for assaulting police.

On Friday, a 24-year-old man allegedly assaulted a Picton constable after a domestic assault about 11.15pm. He was charged with assault and assaulting a police officer.

A 32-year-old builder allegedly kicked a police officer after police saw him urinating in public in Scott St at 3.20am today. The man was charged with offensive behaviour, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 19/07/2010

Teen sentenced for seal attack

Tourists tried to stop a teenager who shot a seal with a paintball gun and bashed it with a metal pole at the popular seal colony at Kaikoura, police say.

Hayden John Ingram, 17, argued with the tourists before running over a seal pup twice in his car.

Judge Stephen Erber said Ingram would be going straight to prison were it not for his clean record.

Ingram appeared in the Kaikoura District Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to killing a seal without authority, possessing a paintball gun and driving with sustained loss of traction near the Point Keen seal colony on June 18.

Judge Erber sentenced him to 200 hours' community work for killing the seal and possessing the paintball gun, fined him $500, plus $250 reparation to the Kaikoura District Council, for sustained loss of traction and disqualified him from driving for six months.

"It's extraordinary that you act in this way when a tourist tried to get you to stop," Judge Erber said.

"This act of cruelty is thoroughly uncivilised behaviour. When a person acts in such a cruel and unthinking way, you could come to the conclusion that civilisation has just passed you by."

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said Ingram drove to Fyffe Quay about 8pm with friends and did burnouts on the grass verge.

He then drove to Point Keen and shot an adult seal with a paintball gun that he also tried loading with marbles.

Tourists tried to stop Ingram but he argued with them, drove away but returned and drove over a seal pup twice, Mr Frost said. "He said it was an accident that he ran over the baby seal and said he was distracted by a cellphone," Mr Frost said.

Ingram left again, returned with a different group of friends and hit the adult seal several times with a steel pole.

Defence lawyer Laurie Murdoch said Ingram was of good character, had no criminal history and was from a good family who had been in Kaikoura for five generations.

She gave the judge references from Ingram's employer and Kaikoura Mayor Kevin Heays, who had known the teenager for 10 years.

Ingram was not solely responsible for the attack and was not the first to hit the seal, Miss Murdoch said.

Ingram had $500 to donate to the Huttons Shearwater Charitable Trust and was willing to do volunteer work for the Department of Conservation, she said.

Judge Erber said it was up to Ingram if he wanted to give the trust money.

"I accept that people thought well of you before. They will not now."

A youth has also been charged with cruelty to the seal and will be dealt with by the Youth Court.

The seal colony is a popular tourist attraction within walking distance of Kaikoura. The seals are close to the car park and are not fenced off.
The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 19/07/2010

Teen sentenced for seal attack

Tourists tried to stop a teenager who shot a seal with a paintball gun and bashed it with a metal pole at the popular seal colony at Kaikoura, police say.

Hayden John Ingram, 17, argued with the tourists before running over a seal pup twice in his car.

Judge Stephen Erber said Ingram would be going straight to prison were it not for his clean record.

Ingram appeared in the Kaikoura District Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to killing a seal without authority, possessing a paintball gun and driving with sustained loss of traction near the Point Keen seal colony on June 18.

Judge Erber sentenced him to 200 hours' community work for killing the seal and possessing the paintball gun, fined him $500, plus $250 reparation to the Kaikoura District Council, for sustained loss of traction and disqualified him from driving for six months.

"It's extraordinary that you act in this way when a tourist tried to get you to stop," Judge Erber said.

"This act of cruelty is thoroughly uncivilised behaviour. When a person acts in such a cruel and unthinking way, you could come to the conclusion that civilisation has just passed you by."

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said Ingram drove to Fyffe Quay about 8pm with friends and did burnouts on the grass verge.

He then drove to Point Keen and shot an adult seal with a paintball gun that he also tried loading with marbles.

Tourists tried to stop Ingram but he argued with them, drove away but returned and drove over a seal pup twice, Mr Frost said. "He said it was an accident that he ran over the baby seal and said he was distracted by a cellphone," Mr Frost said.

Ingram left again, returned with a different group of friends and hit the adult seal several times with a steel pole.

Defence lawyer Laurie Murdoch said Ingram was of good character, had no criminal history and was from a good family who had been in Kaikoura for five generations.

She gave the judge references from Ingram's employer and Kaikoura Mayor Kevin Heays, who had known the teenager for 10 years.

Ingram was not solely responsible for the attack and was not the first to hit the seal, Miss Murdoch said.

Ingram had $500 to donate to the Huttons Shearwater Charitable Trust and was willing to do volunteer work for the Department of Conservation, she said.

Judge Erber said it was up to Ingram if he wanted to give the trust money.

"I accept that people thought well of you before. They will not now."

A youth has also been charged with cruelty to the seal and will be dealt with by the Youth Court.

The seal colony is a popular tourist attraction within walking distance of Kaikoura. The seals are close to the car park and are not fenced off.
The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 19/07/2010

There's nothing cool about smoking, say teens

Smoking is not as cool as it used to be, say some Blenheim teens – a sentiment that echoes a decade-long survey released yesterday by anti-smoking group Ash.

The survey has been undertaken every year since 1999. In that year 31.6 per cent of year 10 students (aged 14-15) said they had never tried a cigarette compared to the most recent result, where 64 per cent had never taken a puff.

Lisa Crouch, a 19-year-old mother, began smoking five years ago when her older sister started.

She believed the attitude towards smoking among young people had changed significantly over time.

"[The perception of smoking] has changed a lot. I don't think it's cool at all any more and I'm thinking about quitting. I really regret starting."

She said in the past she would have rather gone without food than cigarettes and would now give up for health reasons, as opposed to the increased costs of smoking.

According to the survey, which received just under 27,000 responses from schools around the country, 5.6 per cent of 14 and 15-year-olds reported smoking on a daily basis, compared to 15.6 per cent last year.

Harry Jackson, 15, made a conscious decision not to smoke because he thought he would become addicted easily.

"I don't look down on [smoking]", he said. "I just don't do it myself."

Nineteen-year-old Nathan Gull said the change in the perception of smoking over the past several years was positive.

He made a conscious decision not to start smoking.

"It's unhealthy. I don't want to waste my life – what do I get out of it?"

He said the culture had changed which may have been because of less advertising of smoking.

The survey showed that last year, 4.9 per cent of boys reported smoking on a daily basis, compared with 6.3 per cent of girls.

Harry said it came down to what his friends would think of him if he started smoking.

"It's about how your peers look at you.

"I think if I started smoking, I'd lose all my friends."

The survey also showed students were more likely to smoke regularly if at least one of their parents was a smoker.

Do you agree that fewer teenagers are smoking and that it is "less cool" than 10 years ago? Leave your comments on this story or text your comments to 0272618081.

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 11:28 16/07/2010

Please include at least your first name and age with your comment.

ex-smoker #3 03:12 pm Jul 16 2010

I was one of the daily smokers in 1999 (I was 14 at the time and remembering starting in order to "be cool"). By the time I was 15, a lot of people in my year-group at school were daily smokers (about 30%). It was definitely an exclusive and awesomely rebellious club to be part of. It also helped reinforce the "us versus them" against teachers - we had secret signals to alert other smokers when teachers were nearby, and all that sort of carry-on. It makes me a little embarrassed to remember it all today!

I quit in June 2004, and I'm so happy that I continue to be smoke-free. Quitting was one of the hardest thing I've ever done and I definitely wouldn't have survived without nicotine patches and gum.

Angie - 19years #2 12:36 pm Jul 16 2010

I have one who smokes and one who does not. I didn't start smoking because I have seen the struggles of my Mum trying to give up over the years. The smell is gross and it looks unatractive.

Rod #1 12:33 pm Jul 16 2010

Few friends I know of said that they will be quit smoking now simply because of cigarettes are getting more expensive, this could also be another factor why more people are quitting nowadays, I guess this is kinda fair enough, and I do support these friends.

I personally never smoked, nor I see the needs. I do not need to smoke in order to be part of some "cool" groups, I would rather archiving the things I love in my life to proof my own coolness to myself. In the end, getting a lung cancer or other related health problems later in life would not looking too cool among the friends when think about it doesn't.

So yeah, not doubt, I believe this is a very good start and a big thumb up to these teens.

http://www.tewahanui.info/wordpress2/?p=1320

Kiwi returned to Motuihe Island

By Simon Wong ⋅ March 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Motuihe Island welcomed some new inhabitants on Saturday when nine kiwis were released as part of a long-term programme to help sustain a population of the bird on the island.

This is the first release of Little Spotted Kiwi. Conservationists plan to have a population of 40 on the island in three years.

Chairman of the Motuihe Trust John Laurence says Motuihe was one of the few pest-free islands without a kiwi population.

“It was a logical step,” says Laurence. “Now that the rabbits and cattle have been taken off the island the grass has grown long, there are lots of bugs and new trees for the kiwis to explore.”

Since predators were eradicated form the island in 2005, volunteers have been continually working to plant new trees, remove weeds and maintain walkways.

Although many of the hazards on the island have been removed, Laurence warns that dogs could still pose a risk to wildlife.

“We have an awareness programme for boaties because dogs are not permitted on the island.”

The island sanctuary, nestled in the Hauraki Gulf, is already home to several species of wildlife including the saddleback and the endangered New Zealand dotterel.

Long-time volunteer Carol Ardern says it is important to have the kiwi so close to the city because she thinks it would be “nice for more people to see them”.

Motuihe trustee Peter Whitmore says this project was a long time coming.

“Kiwis used to live all over this area but then people turned up and brought predators such as cats and rats.”
But now, he says, “the kiwis are back”.

The nine birds have come from Kapiti Island which is also where the rest of the kiwi will come from.

Entomologist Ruud Kleinpaste says “putting your eggs in different baskets” is important to the survival of the species.

“If the kiwi were all on one island they could be destroyed if that island caught on fire.”

Minister of Conservation Tim Groser says there is nothing more important than saving the national symbol.

“There is nothing that would upset New Zealanders more than to lose it.”

Motuihe follows in the footsteps of other sanctuaries like Wellington’s Kapiti Island and Tiritiri Matangi Island north of Auckland.

http://www.tewahanui.info/wordpress2/?p=1593

News

Locals band together to save church

By Simon Wong ⋅ May 22, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

It is truly a community affair as local groups in Mt Eden join forces to upgrade a local icon.

The Mt Eden Village Society Centre, the Methodist Church and the Eden-Albert Community Board are working together to restore the historic Mt Eden Rd church and hall into a community facility.

The hall was destined to be redesigned as a commercial site for shops and had resource consent, but strong local opposition stopped the plan going ahead.

Community board member Virginia Chong says the hall is the only community facility from Sandringham Rd to Gillies Ave in Epsom.

“We were not prepared to sit and let it disappear.”

Village society centre member Penny Hansen says the change of plan is a win for both the community and the church.

“It was a victory in finding a way to work together. All the problems are in the past now.”

The annex that joined the church with the hall, which was used as a Sunday school, was destroyed by a fire several years ago.

The project will reconnect the church with the hall and will provide a new kitchen and toilet facilities. The exterior will also be repainted and the interior refurbished.

It is projected to cost around $1.5 million.

Some funding has been guaranteed, but the three parties, which have formed a trust, are still seeking additional funding.

Dr Bill Peddie, who looks after the Mt Eden church, says the partnership between the three parties is unique.

“Usually churches do their own thing and offer their place for hire. The trust will lease the premises from the church which has ownership of the land and the building.”

Dr Peddie says the church, which was established in 1899, has lost some of its character by doing things “on the cheap”.

“Its historic value will be increased by tidying up the premises.”

Chong says she is keen to get the project done before the proposed super city structure takes effect.

“We’ve waited a long time for this. It’s been about six years in the making.”

During the construction period, which is hoped to begin next January and finish in August 2010, Dr Peddie says the church will “either find some way of keeping the hall open, or shift to another church”.

Dr Peddie says the community has been extremely supportive of the project.

“There is enough goodwill in the community to ensure we won’t lose sight of what we’re aiming to do.”

Hansen says the hall is already used by several local groups, but hopes the new development will encourage more people to use the facility.

“The motto for Mt Eden is ‘The place where people meet’ and the church will be the heart of the place.”

Database links past, present and future

http://www.tewahanui.info/wordpress2/?p=1631

Database links past, present and future

By Simon Wong ⋅ May 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

A new online database will help create and store history for members of the Chinese community looking to find their ancestral roots.

The database, Chinese Online Communities, is a joint venture between the New Zealand Chinese Association Auckland Inc and the Auckland City Libraries.

National vice-president of NZCA Virginia Chong says the site is a place to share stories and a tool for researching genealogy.

“It’s a place where the Chinese people can record their own history and store it for other people to see.”

House president of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists Jan Gow says the popularity of genealogical research has increased with television shows such as British series Who do you think you are? in which celebrities go in search of their family trees.

“People are talking about it quite a lot now.

“It’s all about the thrill of the chase. It’s a really special feeling finding your ancestors. It’s about meeting a challenge.”

Acting group manager for Auckland City Libraries Sue Cooper says interest in genealogy is “absolutely burgeoning”.

“It’s a sign that New Zealand is growing up. We’re all immigrants and there’s a need to document our family history.”

Chong says the new database is “for the community, by the community” and is dependent on people contributing.

The site will allow contributors to upload stories, photos, videos and audio files and will have the option to share the information or make it private.

“It’s a live document that will be constantly evolving over time.”

Sue says the database will act as a trial run and, depending on its success, may be applied to other communities.

The site is still undergoing development and testing, but will be officially launched in July at the upcoming Bananas Conference, which celebrates Chinese communities in New Zealand and overseas.

Joy ride ends in torching of ute

A 17-year-old who took a $25,000 ute, rolled it and set it alight will be sentenced in the Blenheim District Court in September.

Nathaniel Bourchier admitted unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and intentional damage when he appeared in court yesterday. A charge of having equipment for converting a car was dropped.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Steve Frost, said Bourchier stole a Ford Courier ute while walking along State Highway 1 north of Seddon on June 17.

The owner had left keys in the ignition while working on his farm and called police when he noticed the vehicle was not where he had left it, Mr Frost said.

Bourchier drove the ute, which had a trailer loaded with gravel attached, to Blenheim and unhooked the trailer in South St. He picked up three friends and went four-wheel-driving. He lost control of the vehicle, which rolled, knocking one of the occupants unconscious.

Bourchier later set fire to the vehicle near the railway lines at Riverlands, Mr Frost said.

Bourchier initially denied his involvement and gave police multiple stories about how he got to Blenheim from Seddon.

The vehicle was written off and reparation of $25,500 is sought.

Bourchier was convicted and remanded in custody for sentencing on September 13.
The Marlborough Express

Last updated 11:45 14/07/2010

Parking rogues infuriate man

Few things anger Blenheim man Bill Earnshaw, but able-bodied people parking in disabled car parks without a permit is one of them.

Mr Earnshaw says he is frustrated at the number of people in Blenheim using disabled car parks for their convenience.

This usually happened at the Redwood SuperValue and New World, but also in other parts of town, he said.

"I have arthritis and use very heavy painkillers just so I can get around and I've had people swear at me for [telling them to move]," he said.

On a recent trip to the SuperValue supermarket, Mr Earnshaw said all three disabled spots had been taken, one by an able-bodied woman.

"I managed to talk to her, but she used the usual excuse – `but I was only there for a few minutes'," he said.

CCS Disability Action regional manager David Matthews said the problem occurred throughout the country.

"The people who misuse the [disabled parking spots] don't understand that it means a significant lost opportunity for a disabled person," he said.

Marlborough Roads manager Frank Porter said parking wardens could not issue tickets in New World and Redwood SuperValue car parks in Blenheim, as the land was privately owned.

The car park around Countdown in Blenheim, however, was council-owned. He did not think people could be ticketed legally in private car parks.

Redwood SuperValue owner Cecilia Norman said some people did occasionally misuse the parks, but the supermarket could not afford to have them patrolled regularly.

"When we see able-bodied people using the parking spots we ask them very politely to leave the space free for disabled drivers," she said.

"It's not morally right [to park there], but we can't stand outside all day and monitor it."

New World owner Mark Elkington said the problem came up from time to time.

"It's not really an issue for us. Most people recognise a disabled park, but there's always the odd one that does [park there]," he said.

He said if the parking spots had been taken illegally, drivers should tell a staff member.

The fine for parking illegally in disabled car parks was raised from $40 to $150 in 2008. During 2009, 92 infringement notices were issued for parking illegally in the carparks, totalling $13,800.

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 14/07/2010

DEREK FLYNN/Marlborough Express

DRIVE ON: Bill Earnshaw is annoyed at drivers who park illegally in disabled parking spots.

Rising number of inmates due to 'addictions'

More people appearing in courts in the region are being sent to jail, figures released this week show.

In 2009, a total of 2785 people were sent to prison after being sentenced in courts in the central region, which includes the top of the South and the lower North Island. Ten were sentenced to life imprisonment.

This was up from 1878 people in 2000, when two people were sentenced to life imprisonment.

The increase is in step with national figures and is prompting calls from a penal reform group to change the focus of the prison system.

Jarrod Gilbert, a spokesman for the Howard League for Penal Reform, said policies surrounding imprisonment were "based on emotion" rather than "sound logic and best evidence".

Mr Gilbert said the cost to house an inmate was about $90,000 per year, which he believed could be better spent on preventative measures.

"The problem is when we envisage people going to prison we think of the [Graeme] Burtons and terrible criminals like that, but the reality is many people are in prison because they have addictions to alcohol and to drugs and to gambling.

"The cost of solving those problems is much much less than putting them in prison."

Mr Gilbert said the rehabilitative focus prisons had could be beneficial for some inmates, however the programmes were not adequately funded.

"There are some excellent things occurring in our prisons, but the funding for those is so limited they're only being undertaken in pockets. The majority of people coming out of prison are worse off than they were before they went in.

"At the end of the day, we don't want more criminals, we want less crime. We want a society that doesn't have these problems, that's the ideal."

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 13:00 08/07/2010

Family on cycles after van conks out

There are lots of things the Barnes family of Blenheim would like to do – weekend roadtrips to Gore, drive to church, just get around town – but their lives are on hold because of a transport problem.

The family have lost the use of their specially modified 1993 Nissan Atlas van. Linda Barnes said the warrant had expired and the van was "beyond repair".

She and husband Sean, who live in Rogers St, have been left to get around on special cycles for groceries and to church on Sundays, even in the rain.

Mrs Barnes has Cauda Equina Syndrome and has been in a wheelchair for about 11 years after a childhood injury was aggravated when she picked up her son James, now 12, from a crib. Cauda Equina Syndrome is a neurological condition which affects the spinal cord.

The van was essential for the family, she said.

"It just means we're more able to get involved with the community and we can visit our family in Nelson and Gore instead of them having to come to us. It's good to just be able to get in the car and go away for a weekend," she said.

Importing a fully modified van would cost about $60,000 and it would cost about $15,000 to buy a van here and have it modified.

"It's an absolutely huge cost", she said.

Taxis were either off-duty or unavailable when they needed them, Mrs Barnes said.

Although the family are on the waiting list for a new van from the district health board, this was no guarantee they would get one.

The couple married on January 1 this year and Mrs Barnes moved to Blenheim from Whangarei in March. She plans to go back to study next week to become a primary school teacher and, although she is doing the course by correspondence, still has to do a placement at a primary school.

Mr Barnes, a qualified builder who has epilepsy, is unable to drive and was made redundant several months ago. He has been unable to apply for jobs outside Blenheim because his wife is the only one able to drive.

"There's no work out there as it is," she said. "He doesn't have seizures any more, but he's having to look for something very local where he can ride his bike to."

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 07/07/2010

SCOTT HAMMOND

CARLESS: The Barnes family travel on special cycles to get around town after their specially modified van was beyond repair.

Court case all about the Court case all about the pedals

f it looks like a moped and goes as fast as a moped, is it actually a moped?

Not according to a Blenheim defence lawyer.

That was the argument lawyer Mike Hardy-Jones made at a seven-hour defended hearing for former Blenheim traffic policeman Anthony Dale Bridgman, who faces a charge of driving while disqualified and driving an unregistered vehicle.

Mr Hardy-Jones argued that what his client was riding to work when police stopped him in September last year was a vehicle classed by the Land Transport Safety Authority as a type of bicycle and did not need a licence or to be registered.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said police stopped Bridgman about 7.30am on September 21 travelling south along Alabama Rd.Senior Constable Roger Ewers, of Nelson, gave evidence that Bridgman was aggressive towards him and another officer when they pulled him over.

Bridgman was adamant he had done the proper checks on the bike and did not need a licence.

Mr Bridgman said he used it to drive the 7km to work as a dry goods storeman at a vineyard.

Mr Hardy-Jones said the vehicle was a "power-assisted pedal cycle", which was part of the definition of a bicycle under LTSA regulations.

Mr Frost said the "easy rider" vehicle was classified as a moped because the main source of power was the motor, not human power. Pedals could be fitted but when Bridgman was stopped these were stored in a compartment.

Judge Geoffrey Ellis said the acid test was what mode the vehicle was stopped in because it did have the ability to be pedalled.

Judge Ellis reserved his decision but said he took special interest in the case as a keen cyclist and would give it some preference.

Bridgman had been disqualified from driving for a year when he was found guilty on two charges of dangerous driving causing injury in the Buller Gorge in 2007.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 07/07/2010

Stubbs well over legal alcohol limit

With her gaze fixed on her rear-view mirror watching for police, Frances Carol Stubbs glanced at the road in front of her to see a white Nissan Cefiro coming from her left.

The 20-year-old hit the brakes of the Toyota Corolla she was driving, but it was too late.

The impact propelled the Cefiro across the traffic island killing 51-year-old Penelope (Penney) Phillips. Stubbs' car finally stopped pushed up against a Give Way sign.

Stubbs admitted driving with excess blood alcohol causing death when she appeared in Blenheim District Court yesterday.

She stood in the dock as police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost read a summary of facts recounting what happened in the fatal crash on March 19.

Stubbs told police she had drunk four RTDs (ready-to-drink mixed alcohol) at her house before a party, believing someone would pick up her up, Mr Frost said.

When that plan fell through, she decided to drive to the party herself.

About 9.40pm, Stubbs came to a police alcohol checkpoint on Seymour St and Alfred St and failed the general result, Mr Frost said.

Stubbs later told police she had been scared about the consequences of driving over the legal alcohol limit. She fled at speeds of up to 75kmh in the 50kmh zone, Mr Frost said.

A police constable followed her along Alfred St, turning left at a roundabout onto Hutcheson St, only to see Stubbs' tail lights disappearing over the Taylor River bridge.

Stubbs came to the Nelson St-Hutcheson St roundabout at the same time as Mrs Phillips. She slammed on the brakes, but it was too late and she hit the driver's side door of Mrs Phillips' car.

She told police she had been preoccupied looking in her rear vision mirror to see if police were following her.

At Wairau Hospital, Stubbs was treated for minor injuries and was found to have 120 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.

Stubbs was remanded at large and will reappear for sentencing on August 17. Reparation of $2000 is sought.

Police withdrew a charge of shoplifting against Stubbs.

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 06/07/2010

Uruguayan guilty of assault

A Uruguayan national who began pouring beer into his mouth directly from the tap at a Blenheim bar was thrown out and charged with assault.

In Blenheim District Court yesterday, Diego Raul Burgos Guarino, 26, admitted assaulting the manager of the Cornerstone Bar and Restaurant.

Guarino was ordered to appear for sentence if called within six months and to pay $200 emotional harm reparation.

Police prosecuting sergeant Steve Frost said Guarino became unhappy at 12.10am on June 25 about being refused service at the bar. He leaned over the bar and began pouring beer directly into his mouth from a nearby tap.

The manager pushed Guarino back and was escorting him outside when he began swinging his arms attempting to hit the manager.

Guarino spat at the manager before walking to the fireplace near the back of the bar, Mr Frost said. He threw a rock from the fireplace, narrowly missing the manager before being told the police were on their way.

Guarino scaled the outside fence but was later found by police.

Defence counsel Tane Brunt said leaning over the bar "was meant to be a joke, but was taken the wrong way by the manager".

Guarino denied throwing the rock because there were no blisters on his hand from the heat of the rock, Mr Brunt said.

Judge Geoffrey Ellis said he wondered if this was the night "Uruguay blatantly cheated to beat Ghana in the World Cup match".

"If he was drowning his sorrows I may have understood", Judge Ellis said.

STOLE FROM WORK

A Blenheim woman who took advantage of her employer by stealing from a work safe was sentenced to community work yesterday.

Karen Morrison, 32, part of a volunteer fire brigade for 14 years, admitted six charges of theft by a person in a special relationship and was sentenced to 60 hours' community work.

Mr Frost said Morrison worked as a chef for Moose Bar and Restaurant in Te Anau and had been in charge of balancing weekly takings which included counting money and putting it in safes in the office.

She stole a total of $1000 over three months in 2009 and was caught by her employer, who installed security cameras because she thought one of her employees was stealing money, Mr Frost said.

Morrison told police she took between $150 and $200 each time hoping the owner would think it was an error with the gaming machines.

She took the money for a drinking problem she could no longer afford, Mr Frost said.

Defence lawyer Luke Radich said the offending was "certainly not a one-off" but was still out of character.

Morrison, who had moved to Blenheim from Invercargill, was employed as a farm worker and held in high regard by her employer, Mr Radich said.

Ad Feedback

She was remorseful and had paid the money back within a week of her former employer finding out.

Judge Ellis said Morrison committed a "breach of trust which was repeated until you were caught".

CANNABIS HARVEST

A Blenheim man admitted charges of possessing and cultivating cannabis after a police surveillance operation filmed him harvesting 74 mature plants.

John Richard Berry, 41, a gardener, admitted possession of cannabis and two charges of cannabis cultivation.

Mr Frost said police were told of a cannabis plot in the bush by the George River in Clarence. They found 74 plants 2m high enclosed in wire netting covering an area of 10m by 20m.

The plot was lined with plastic to collect rain water which was used to water the plants.

Police returned several days later to find the majority of the cannabis had been harvested, Mr Frost said.

Berry and an associate were clearly seen on video taking the cannabis, he said. Police searched Berry's home on May 14 and found a total of 3.4kg of cannabis, including cannabis hanging on a tree drying at the back of the section and 21 plants growing in a shed.

Berry admitted growing the cannabis in the Clarence Valley and carried his share out in a sports bag, Mr Frost said. He told police it was for his own use and was his supply for the year.

Defence lawyer Rob Harrison said the 3.4kg of cannabis found was the "wet weight" not the dry weight, which he said would be considerably less.

Berry's bail was continued and he will reappear on July 19 to set a date for sentencing.

THEFT A HABIT

A 25-year-old Blenheim man who admitted theft and shoplifting was an "habitual thief", the judge said.

Nioulini David Fotu, a vineyard worker, admitted two charges of shoplifting and two of theft, but has denied one charge of burglary.

Judge Ellis did not believe Fotu's excuse about being too drunk when the thefts happened.

"You were not so intoxicated you did not know what you were doing. I think you're just a habitual thief taking advantage of everyone in the community," he said.

Mr Frost said Fotu had been at a rugby club room in Blenheim on June 12 and picked up a cellphone from a table after the owner walked away, but was found out when the person began looking for it.

Mr Frost said Fotu then walked to the Woodbourne Tavern where he waited for a woman to go to the bathroom then took her phone.

Growing in confidence, Fotu went into the neighbouring bottle shop and put a bottle of Jim Beam in his pants and took it outside before returning for a bottle of tequila.

Defence counsel John Holdaway said Fotu's offending was "alcohol-fuelled" and he was getting treatment for his alcohol problem "off his own back".

Fotu's bail was continued and is to reappear for sentencing on September 6

YOUTH STOLE A CAR

An unemployed Blenheim youth who stole a car from a young family "should pay for the intrusion" made on their lives, Judge Ellis said.

Samuel James Koroheke, 17, admitted stealing a car and stealing petrol from a service station in Nelson.

He was ordered to pay $1000 in emotional harm reparation to the family he "grossly inconvenienced" as well as reparation for the petrol he stole from BP in Richmond, Nelson.

Mr Frost said Koroheke and an associate took the car on January 9 using the keys left in the ignition. They drove to Nelson where they stole $85.53 of petrol.

The car was found by the Wairau River "damaged and no longer operable".

Defence counsel Philip Watson said it was an opportunistic matter and Koroheke admitted guilt at the earliest stage and deserved credit for that.

Judge Ellis said it would be of even greater credit if he recognised the gross inconvenience it cause to the victims.

WELD PASS HIT-AND-RUN

A 55-year-old man involved in a hit-and-run crash in the Weld Pass in May will enter pleas on his next appearance in court.

Clifford Brent Markland, a beneficiary from Blenheim, faces a charge of dangerous driving causing injury and failing to offer assistance after an injury accident.

A 37-year-old Christchurch man was seriously injured in the crash just after midnight on May 16. Markland's bail was continued and he is to reappear on July 20.

BAIL FOR ASSAULT ACCUSED

A 28-year-old Blenheim man charged with assault with intent to injure was granted bail yesterday.

Jonathon Mark Nicholson, a factory worker, entered no plea to a charge of assault on July 3 and is to reappear on July 26.No plea for cleaner An 18-year-old cleaner entered no plea to two charges of assault with intent to injure yesterday.

Haelyn Delill Kingi, was remanded on bail to reappear on July 26 for the assault on July 3.

WEAPON CHARGE REMAND

A Blenheim man facing a charge of assault with a weapon was remanded on bail to apply for legal aid.

Shanon Eric George Takimoana, 18, has entered no plea to assault on July 3 and is to reappear on July 26.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 06/07/2010

Blenheim man repeatedly assaulted daughter

A Blenheim man's regular and daily assaults on his three-year-old daughter were labelled "brutal and sadistic" by a judge in Blenheim District Court yesterday.

The man, who has permanent name suppression, admitted assaulting the girl. He was convicted and ordered to appear for sentencing if called upon within 12 months.

Judge Geoffrey Ellis said the man began hitting the girl from the age of one. It was "a daily occurrence as part of discipline". The hitting was frequent, left red marks and welts and made the child cry for up to 15 minutes.

"The brutal and sadistic nature [of the assaults] is not acceptable."

Family members were too afraid to approach the man about his offending or report him to the police, the judge said.

"This is not smacking. That is no way to discipline a child, and you knew that. It's a shame it was allowed to continue for several years on a daily basis."

The man was lucky not to be facing multiple or more serious charges, Judge Ellis said. He was glad that someone from the man's family had finally taken action through the Family Court.

Judge Ellis granted name suppression "with some regret". The man's partner opposed his name being published.

"If we as a society are serious about stopping violence against women, children and each other, then we need to be consistent [in dealing with similar cases]," Judge Ellis said.

Defence lawyer Laurie Murdoch said the man had since completed parenting courses.

Judge Ellis said the suspended sentence gave the man an incentive to not reoffend.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 06/07/2010

Man attacked at Blenheim railway station

A woman pleaded with three attackers to stop as they beat her friend and hit him on the head with a rock in the Blenheim Railway Station car park, in one of two violent incidents in Blenheim on Saturday, police say.

Three men attacked the 19-year-old man about 3.30pm, said Constable Michelle Stagg, of Blenheim.

She said one man punched the victim in the head, before another man held the victim down while the first man continued to beat him.

A third man then arrived and hit him on the head with a rock, Miss Stagg said.

The victim did not know the men who beat him up, and the attack was not provoked, she said.

The assault only ended when a woman pleaded with the trio to stop hitting her friend, Miss Stagg said. The victim was taken to Wairau Hospital with a gash to his head.

Two factory workers, aged 28 and 18, were later arrested and charged with assault with intent to injure, and an 18-year-old unemployed man was charged with assault with a weapon.

The three men were held in custody and were to appear in the Blenheim District Court this morning.

At 11.30pm on Saturday, police used pepper spray to subdue a 17-year-old youth who became aggressive at the Redwoodtown Community Hall.

Miss Stagg said the teenager's older brother then advanced on police, apparently to prevent them taking his brother into custody.

The man tackled an officer, knocking him down on to concrete and grazing his elbow, she said.

Miss Stagg said the man then punched the constable repeatedly, striking his back, shoulders, arms and neck as the officer tried to restrain him.

The man continued to struggle violently, ripping the constable's trousers and breaking his watch, she said.

More police arrived, and the man kneed a female officer in the stomach, Miss Stagg said. He continued to struggle violently even after he was handcuffed.

Following the incident, a 19-year-old man was charged with obstructing police, resisting arrest and assaulting police.

A 17-year-old youth was charged with disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence and resisting arrest.

The pair are due to appear in the Blenheim District Court next Monday.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 05/07/2010

Start of Korean War remembered

They marched along Picton's High St to that familiar beat of a military drum with the same pride and discipline expected of them six decades ago.

Korean War veterans commemorated the 60th anniversary of the war, which began in July 1950, with a parade and ceremony at the Picton War Memorial on Saturday.

Minister of Defence Wayne Mapp was at the ceremony, which was led by Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman.

A rowboat waiting on the Picton foreshore took two wreaths from the veterans out into Queen Charlotte Sound and dropped them into the water. The wreaths symbolised the two Royal New Zealand Navy ships sent to Korean waters.

Mr Sowman said those who served on the HMNZS Pukaki and HMNZS Tutira left a proud legacy that should not be forgotten.

"When we lose the past, we lose the anchor which stops us from drifting," he said.

Commander Andrew Nuttall said New Zealand had only a small force throughout the war, but they were "strong in heart and strong in commitment".

Veteran Grattan Lyng , an engine-room artificer in his late 80s, was on the Pukaki when it left Devonport for Korea on July 3, 1950. He also served with the navy duting World War II.

"We were just told where we needed to go," he said.

Mr Lyng's wife, Mavis, remembers the night her future husband had been recalled to action.

"We were watching a movie in the Civic Theatre in Auckland. We saw on the screen that all personnel from Pukaki were to return immediately, but we waited until the end of the movie," she said.

That was on a Saturday night and they left on the Monday.

Mr Lyng, then in his early 20s, spent about six months around the waters of Japan and Korea escorting supply ships to the Korean port of Pusan, as well as escorting "expeditions of Yanks" to a strategic landing in Ansan, southwest of Seoul.

Mr Lyng returned to New Zealand in time for Christmas that year, after buying presents for his family in Hong Kong.

"We had to spend our money somewhere", he said, laughing.

The Korean War began on July 25, 1950, when North Korean forces invaded South Korea along the 38th parallel, a border between the two countries created in the aftermath of World War II.

A total of 4700 New Zealanders served under United Nations command in what was known as K- force between 1950 and 1953.

Another 1350 New Zealanders were deployed with the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Forty-five New Zealand men lost their lives during the war, 81 were wounded and one was taken a prisoner of war.

Springlands Sea Scouts rowed on Picton Harbour to drop off wreaths after the commemoration service for Korean War veterans.

Minister of Defence Wayne Mapp attended the ceremony, which was led by Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman.

Springlands Sea Scouts leader Stuart Daddy said the boys rowed a cutter called Pelorus to the Interislander and the Blue Bridge wharf. They carried two wreaths, and gave one to each ferry company which later released them in Cook Strait.

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 05/07/2010

DEREK FLYNN/Marlborough Express

IN MEMORY: Springlands Sea Scouts row on Picton Harbour to drop off wreaths after the commemoration service for Korean War veterans.

Start of Korean War remembered

Springlands Sea Scouts rowed on Picton Harbour to drop off wreaths after a parade where veterans marched along Picton's High St to a military drum with the same pride and discipline expected of them six decades ago.

Crowds flock to show for home improvement

Crowds searching for ways to improve their little pieces of paradise turned out to see everything from beekeeping to miracle mops at the annual Home and Garden Show in Blenheim at the weekend, despite fears fine weather would keep them away.

Show organiser Shirley Randell said she had not done the tally last night, but she believed the number through the door of Marlborough Lines Stadium 2000 was about the same as last year, when 5700 attended. However, some stallholders said numbers had been less than expected.

Mrs Randell said she was "pleased to have maintained similar numbers [to last year]".

"With the lovely weather outside we thought people would stay home and do their chores," she said.

Stall-holders Carol and Peter Gray, co-owners of Possum People, said they felt numbers were a bit lower than last year. Mrs Gray said events such as the Home and Garden Show were good to keep money coming in during the winter.

"It also enables us to get our products out there and out to a wider audience," she said.

"We've been selling a lot of gloves and socks [this weekend] and it's just amazing how long they last. We've had people come back to us after 10 years and say `it's about time I replaced these'!"

Beekeepers Matthew Wells and Catherine Gordon of Urban Bees said it wasn't common for New Zealand families to keep a hive of bees in the garden, but it was prevalent in places such as England and the Netherlands.

"Kiwis used to the idea of having a self-sufficient home – those who keep chickens, for example – would be more likely to want bees," said Ms Gordon.

The hives are leased to families and are tended to by Mr Wells, an experienced beekeeper. He said the bees were good for pollinating plants and trees, especially if people had vegetable gardens.

Most people have misconceptions about bees and the advantages of keeping them, Mr Wells said.

"A lot of people don't know anything about them [bees].

"About 85 per cent of our food comes from pollination in some way and without bees, us humans would be pretty stuffed."

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 05/07/2010

Woman admits deadly driving

Frances Carol Stubbs has admitted driving with excess blood alcohol causing death.

The 20-year-old appeared in the Blenheim District Court this morning, and admitted the charge, laid after a car crash that killed Penelope [Penney] Phillips.

Stubbs fled a police checkpoint and collided with Mrs Phillips, 51, on the roundabout between Nelson St and Hutcheson St in Blenheim about 9.45pm on March 19.

She was later found to have 120 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg. The charge carries a maximum of five years' imprisonment or a fine of up to $20,000.

Stubbs was remanded at large for sentencing on August 17.

The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 05/07/2010

Car flips, dives as sun-strike blinds driver

Sun-strike was the likely cause of a crash where a car flipped on to its roof and plunged down a bank south of Seddon yesterday, witnesses say.

Constable Michelle Stagg, of Blenheim, said the 25-year-old female driver failed to take a right-hand bend as she was travelling north on State Highway 1, near Tetley Brook Rd, about 4.35pm.

The driver and a female passenger were uninjured in the crash.

Witnesses said the driver was likely "dazzled by the sun".

John Crouch said he had been following the car for several kilometres and he felt the driver had not been driving dangerously. Mr Crouch said the sun strike had been severe when he was driving behind the car.

He "couldn't believe it" when he saw the car drive through a fence, down a bank and flip onto its roof.

The car narrowly missed colliding with a bridge.

Two women stopped to help the occupants out of the vehicle which had a "strong smell of petrol", according to Mr Crouch.

The Seddon Volunteer Fire Brigade, Blenheim police and St John Ambulance attended.

At 5.50pm emergency services attended another crash on Redwood St near Stephenson St, Blenheim.

Miss Stagg said a 17-year-old woman drove her car into the back of a Nissan car after she failed to see the vehicle stop and indicate to make a right-hand turn into Stephenson St.

The crash caused moderate panel damage to both vehicles and a passenger from the Nissan suffered mild whiplash.

Police were investigating both crashes and charges were likely, she said.

By Simon Wong - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 13:16 02/07/2010

ETS will add 10pc to company's costs

A Marlborough transport company operator says the introduction of the emissions trading scheme could impede business growth and increase his costs by up to 10 per cent.

Other groups in the community believe the flow-on effect to consumers will bring more pressure on already hard-pressed households.

Broadbridge Transport owner Weir Broadbridge said the ETS would affect business decisions and expansion of the company.

The transport and energy sectors were the first off the rank in being effectively penalised for carbon emissions under the scheme from today.

Mr Broadbridge said his company's prices would increase about 5 to 10 per cent as a result of the scheme, though he did not have exact figures yet.

"We'll end up needing to buy more eco-friendly trucks, which are generally more expensive," he said.

He did not think the price of the scheme for businesses and households was worth the projected aims of the ETS.

Tax cuts from October would not make much of a difference to his business, either, he said.

KiwiRail communications manager Nigel Parry said the effect of the ETS on the company was minimal because of the efficiency of rail and sea transport.

He said the company had measured its carbon footprint and found that a passenger crossing Cook Strait in a ferry had one sixth of the footprint of a person making the same journey by plane. However, fares would increase after October 1 as a result of the GST increase, he said.

Marlborough Grey Power vice-president Maureen Bennett said people on a fixed income would find it hard to cope with the projected $3 weekly cost of the scheme for households.

Climate Change Minister Nick Smith has put the cost to householders at $165 a year, or $3 a week.

Mrs Bennett said: "We're interested in the bottom line. Is it something that really needs to be introduced? Those families on a fixed income have no way of supplementing their earnings."

It was difficult to predict the effects on households until the scheme had been running for at least a year, she said.

"I'm not an environmentalist, but I know [the ETS] is taking a long-term view of the future of the world."

What Grey Power is looking at initially is this extra cost for our members and families.

"It's just going to be an extra belt-tightening exercise for the next 12 months."

Marlborough Family Budgeting Services co-ordinator Joan Farrow said the small increase for the ETS might not seem much, but it became significant when added to other "never-ending" increases such as GST, car registration and fuel.

The actual effects of the scheme on families was yet to be seen, but it was "already hard for [families] to make ends meet", Ms Farrow said.

"What concerns a lot of people is that it's just another thing we've got to deal with."

In general, people who went to budgeting services for help did not plan for a change in circumstances, she said.

"To be honest, people don't consider or prepare for change. They could be in an accident or move houses or change jobs – people think things won't change."

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 01/07/2010

Proud to call New Zealand home

Fifteen people from around the world walked out of the Marlborough District Council chambers as Kiwis yesterday after a citizenship ceremony.

People from countries including Zimbabwe, Brazil, Italy, Canada and the United States became New Zealanders in a short ceremony where they pledged allegiance to the Queen.

Ethel Mathetha and her son Michael, 21, from Zimbabwe, were two of those granted New Zealand citizenship.

Ethel and her six children arrived here from Zimbabwe in 2003 after her husband moved to New Zealand the previous year.

"We wanted to start a new life. My husband came [to New Zealand] to see whether it was all right to raise a family here."

Some of the family had already become citizens and others were still waiting for their chance.

In his speech to the group, Mayor Alistair Sowman said choosing to become a citizen was a commitment to the future rather than a rejection of the past.

At the end of the ceremony, he joked about their new status as Kiwis: "I hope you'll all be singing the national anthem at the All Blacks matches."

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 01/07/2010