Bihoro welcome in Cambridge
Cambridge Primary School students welcome the Bihoro delegation at the Cambridge Library. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
The board has had a busy and positive few weeks hosting delegations from our two sister cities, Le Quesnoy in France and Bihoro in Japan.
Our Armistice commemoration service, particularly, was a highlight for our French guests. Our strong military history links the two towns closely and their continued appreciation for the sacrifice and bravery New Zealand soldiers showed liberating their town, all those years ago, still lives on.
See: Armistice lament: We are better at war
It was a special and moving service, the Waipā District Council parks team had done an amazing job on the gardens surrounding the cenotaph, the sun shone and the brass band were, as ever, wonderful.
The Bihoro delegation enjoyed an action packed, interesting tour of Cambridge and the greater Waipā. They also really enjoyed visiting Cambridge High School and loved the Cambridge Primary School’s kapa haka performance. It has been great to see Cambridge and the wider Waipā district through the eyes of our visitors.
I would also like to especially thank all of those in the community who hosted a visiting member from Le Quesnoy or Bihoro. Thank you for extending your generous kiwi hospitality to them while they were here.
The board is excited to see progress being made with Waipā District Council’s library feasibility study. Advocating for a new library and community hub for Cambridge has been our main strategic focus this year and we were pleased to see such a strong response to our survey.
The data from the 500 survey participants is being used to inform the study, meaning the voices of the Cambridge community are being shared with those making the decisions. We remain alongside the process and have a board member representing the community on the library feasibility study project group.
Bihoro mayor Koji Koji Hirano thanks the Cambridge Primary School kapa haka group for the welcome in the Japanese Garden at the Library watched by Jo Davies-Colley. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Urban mobility also remains a focus of advocacy for the board. We recently gave feedback to council about the Grey Street/Cambridge Middle School part of the Cambridge pathways plan. We read the submissions received from the community and paid attention to those from the Middle School children themselves. We also heard from cycling advocacy group, Bicycle Revolution Cambridge, who advocated for more cycle friendly streets.
See: More cycle friendly moves planned
We have provided feedback that new cycle and walkways around this area will help children get to school safely and will help slow traffic around the school. The board also supported the idea that Grey Street should be a cycle-friendly street with no through traffic to Hamilton Road, Clare Street should remain a two-way street and any cycle friendly concepts should be investigated and encouraged.
We have one final meeting this year on December 6 at 6pm. We would love to hear from you at our public forum if there are issues you have that you would like to discuss with us. Finally, as the end of the year arrives, the Cambridge Community Board would like to wish a happy and peaceful Christmas and holiday season to you all.
Special guest: 11 month old Mia MacKay, daughter of community board member Alana, charmed everyone at the welcome to the Bihoro delegation. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
