Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith: Civic Honour Award recipients announced

Palmerston North's Civic Honour Awards roll of honour adorns the entrance of the Civic Administration Building on Te Marae o Hine/The Square.

OPINION

It’s a good job a season is not solely defined by the weather. Despite the turbulent start, there are plenty of all-weather spring activities and events to enjoy as the countdown to the festive season quickens.

A highlight this month is the official presentation to our 2023 Civic Honour Award recipients. This city council acknowledgement of those who have gone above and beyond in the service of their community was instituted in 1988 to recognise proactive, dedicated people whose steadfast volunteer activities would otherwise fly under the radar.

We had a great response to nominations this year, and the selection panel has chosen five people who have made wonderful contributions to community welfare and wellbeing.

Represented in this year’s awards are fundraising, refugee support, music, dance, the environment and cycling.

For 15 years, Jill Spicer was the co-ordinator of the famous New Zealand Red Cross annual book sale. She is also a long-term supporter of former refugees and a promoter of beach safety for our migrant communities.

Musician, composer, educator, accompanist, chamber music and pipe organ enthusiast Roy Tankersley has devoted much of his free time to promoting musical participation and enjoyment and has hugely enhanced community music appreciation.

Maryanne Mechen has been a long-serving president of the Palmerston North Dance Association and an active supporter of the Palmerston North Performing Arts competition. She is also an active supporter of the Performing Arts Competition Association of New Zealand, which the city hosts annually.

Former Environment Network Manawatū chairwoman Stewart Harrex is a passionate ambassador and advocate for the wide range of groups advancing a greener, more environmentally sustainable Manawatū.

Bike Manawatū cycle enthusiast and founder and director of the annual UCI Gravel & Tar event and the Greasy Chain Charitable Trust, Steve Stannard, is a huge promoter of Manawatū as a cycling mecca.

My congratulations to all five and profound gratitude for the work they have put in to make Palmy a better place.

While the Civic Honour Awards are an invitation-only event, there are plenty of other October opportunities to get out and about. Among them this week are several events associated with the Palmy Drag Fest.

Then, the annual Art Trail Manawatū hits the road on October 14 and 15. Showcasing some 120 artists from Manawatū, Tararua, Rangitīkei and Horowhenua, there’ll be a wide range of work on display and for sale, as well as arts workshops and performances.

On Wednesday, October 18 in the Spiers Centre is the free Earle Lecture. Professor Julian Heyes will talk about technological change for horticulture in response to climate change and the pandemic.

Heyes retired this year from Massey University as a professor of post-harvest technology. He was head of the School of Food and Advanced Technology since its establishment in 2018.

As we live in what is arguably the country’s most diverse agricultural region, with our sights set on becoming New Zealand’s food and fibre capital, this should attract wide-ranging interest. The free lecture starts at 5.30pm.

The annual Lions Market Day is on Saturday, October 21 in Te Marae o Hine/The Square. It has been a central city fundraising staple since 1956 and a timely opportunity to shop for Christmas novelties and bargains.

Grant Smith is the mayor of Palmerston North.