Perfect tens
Santa delivered the best Christmas presents for St Peter’s Catholic School, Cambridge students Lachlan McQuade, left, and James Cattle, both 10 – a cherished Lionel Messi shirt. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
According to Lachlan McQuade and James Cattle of St Peter’s Catholic School in Cambridge, Lionel Messi is the greatest player to ever live. Argentine Football president Claudio Tapia agrees. He announced on New Year’s Day the federation intends to retire the number 10 jersey when he retires from the international game.
Argentinian number 10 Messi, who joined David Beckham’s Inter Miami last year, won the prestigious Ballon d’Or and Fifa World Player of the Year awards last year. Lachlan and James were at the Karāpiro playground last week where thousands of visitors including 600 of the 4000 scouts from the nearby jamboree at Mystery Creek participated.
Lake Karapiro
More than 4000 scouts participated in the 23rd Aotearoa New Zealand Scout Jamboree at Mystery Creek with some Waipā moteliers reporting the full signs were up as parents and caregivers took the opportunity to holiday in and around the district while the jamboree was on. Several Waikato locations were used for abseiling, motorcycling, archery, digger driving and live action foosball. Lake Karāpiro hosted hundreds of scouts for paddleboarding, sailing, kayaking and rowing.
Licence granted
Blackbull Liquor store in Cambridge was granted a three-year extension to its liquor licence last month after a hearing before commissioners. Waipā licensing inspector Mary Fernandez opposed the application on the grounds of suitability citing an investigation by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment into the use of “voluntary” employees at the store. Commissioner Sara Grayson in granting the licence said one mistake, in the absence of any other aggravating circumstances, cannot reasonably warrant a refusal to renew the off-licence. See: Liquor decision reserved.
Libraries open
Libraries in Te Awamutu and Cambridge and the Te Awamutu Museum reopened on Monday after closing for the holiday period. Waipā deputy chief executive Ken Morris said the closures were to allow staff to have a “well-earned” break and many members visited the libraries before Christmas to “stock up.” However, several The News readers contacted us to complain they needed their book and newspaper fix and were unhappy they could not get it. Libraries in Hamilton and Matamata only closed for the public holidays.
Miracle save
Will Fransen
Waipā resident Will Fransen has told a remarkable story after surviving a 24-hour ordeal in the sea of Whangamata after falling from his boat on January 2. The Cambridge man was rescued after being spotted from another boat near Mayor Island.
Write on
The theme for this year’s Cambridge Autumn Festival’s Short Story Competition is “The Dilemma”. The competition invites authors to present a fictional story of up to 1500 words. Entries close on January 31 and winners will be announced at the start of the March festival.
Fluoride work on hold
Kane Titchener
Horowhenua District Council has paused work on fluoridating the Levin and Ōhau town water supplies ahead of a High Court hearing next month. It follows a November 10 ruling that the Director-General of Health’s orders to 14 councils
to fluoridate some or all of their drinking water supplies – including Cambridge in Waipā – did not give specific consideration to the Bill of Rights.
Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board deputy chair Kane Titchener has suggested the planning for fluoride in Cambridge should also be on hold. Kane, who is also a member of Fluoride Free New Zealand, made the comments after the Health Ministry told councils work should continue as normal.
Waipā water has never been fluoridated and the order from the outgoing director general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, made last July, related solely to Cambridge – and no other Waipā water supply. See: Waipa ordered to add fluoride to water.
Scientist honoured
Megan Balks
Puketōtara soil scientist Megan Balks has been awarded the New Zealand Antarctic Medal for her services to Antarctic soil science.
Balks owns a hill country sheep farm at the end of Pekanui Road, 18kms southwest of Pirongia.
