Hokianga Real Food is based on healthy food production, preparation and eating.
It's show time for Be Free
The Be Free and Music Place Autumn Concert promises to highlight Kerikeri and environs' young musical talent, and some great musical friendships as well.
Special guests at Saturday evening's show will be Te Rina Kahle and Jimmy Colbert (1814). The line-up will include Kerikeri young wonder band ReFlecks, with Jinx and DDF Dance.
The concert will not only showcase what the Be Free and Music Place youngsters have been up to this year, it's a fundraiser.
Raffles offering great prizes include a portrait photo shoot, a weekend at a beachside cottage, guitar lessons, hamper, pamper, dining out and more.
The Be Free mentoring programme gives youth an opportunity to gain self-confidence and resilience through music, song-writing and performing skills
The Autumn Concert on Saturday at the Turner Centre, starts with a pre-show at 6.45pm and main show at 7pm; $5 teens and adults, under-13s free.
Inspired by good health and good food
Growing, cooking, adding value to, eating and sharing knowledge about food will all be in the mix at the Hokianga Real Food.
The foodie mini festival will be held next Saturday for the third year, hosted by Hokianga Environmental Protection Group in Rawene Town Hall.
The previous two events were well attended by people from the local community and beyond, with around 200 people attending.
The idea is to celebrate the wide range of food that can be produced locally. As well as loving food and having fun with it, healthy food, affordably producing it and developing awareness of how to avoid the mainstream production system will be to the fore.
The day will include stalls and demos on subjects including slow cooking, reducing energy costs, lactic pickling, simple cheese making, sourdough bread making, kombucha, kefir soda, bicycle powered smoothie making and more. There will even be a green woodworking demonstration.
Items will be available to buy and lots of free things to try. Free entry although koha is welcome.
Okaihau College cooks up Pink Ribbon support
Hot cuppas, pink smoothies, cupcakes and muffins will be on the menu when Okaihau College does its bit for Pink Ribbon Day.
Students, staff and members of the public can tuck into the pre-ordered, $5 breakfast in the college's food tech room on Tuesday May 22.
It will be the fifth year the school has supported Pink Ribbon Day.
To support the national day for breast cancer awareness and research, Student support leaders Emmanuel Taliauli and Kieran-Jade Nelson are organising pamper pack raffles with prizes for women and men. Any contributions to the prize from businesses would be gratefully accepted.
To maximise what they can pass on to the cause, the college students are hoping to minimise spending on ingredients for the breakfast. Any donations of bacon, English muffins, eggs, cheese slices, butter, yoghurt, sliced cheese and fresh or canned fruit would be also be much appreciated.
Bookings for the breakfast and arrangements to drop off donated goods can be made with Jenny Griffin at the Student Centre. Donations can also be made via pinkribbonbreakfast.co.nz/page/okaihaucollegeshostpage
Masterton top job for senior FNDC manager
A Far North District Council manager has been appointed chief executive at Masterton District Council.
Kathryn Ross, currently Far North's general manager – strategic planning & policy, will take up the position in Masterton in August.
Ross took up her current Far North District Council role in 2014 after holding a similar position at the Northland Regional Council.
She has more than 20 years' experience in local government and was policy development adviser at the United Kingdom's Environment Agency.
Ross said it has been a pleasure and privilege to work with talented people at the Far North council.
"I am proud to have been part of a team that is so committed to our communities."
She studied and worked in Wellington, so is looking forward to returning to the lower North Island.
Far North chief executive Shaun Clarke said the promotion is a great opportunity for Ross.
He said Ross had played a pivotal role in developing the strategic planning and policy team and provided effective leadership on the council's big projects at a regional as well as district level.
Masterton mayor Lyn Patterson said her council followed a rigorous recruitment process and was impressed with Ross' skills and experience.
New site at Rawene for Ventnor Monument
In early April a delegation of people travelled to the Hokianga to pay respects after the Ventnor monument groundwork collapsed and damaged nearby graves at Rawene Cemetery.
The New Zealand Chinese Association (NZCA) members and friends paid respects at the site of the NZCA Ventnor memorial at the cemetery, and went on to visit Ventnor-related sites at Mitimiti and the Waipoua forest.
The first site in Rawene Cemetery was changed after Cyclone Gita caused flooding during ground prep earlier this year. Part of the foundation caved in and impinged on nearby graves.
The memorial will hold the names of 499 Chinese men. The remains of hundreds of Chinese goldminers and people accompanying those bones back to their homeland were on board the Ventnor when it sank off the Hokianga Harbour in 1902.
Many bones and some newly drowned bodies washed ashore and were buried by hapu.