Paihia's business community will hold the Paihia Christmas Trail, where static structures will be created and displayed around the community precincts. This replaces the annual Christmas parade, which has been cancelled. Photo / Must Do New Zealand
Paihia's business community will hold the Paihia Christmas Trail, where static structures will be created and displayed around the community precincts. This replaces the annual Christmas parade, which has been cancelled. Photo / Must Do New Zealand
BAY NEWS BITES
The Business Paihia executive called a special meeting last Tuesday to discuss upcoming events. They said they had received "clear signals" that the organisers of large events need to be able to ensure only double-vaccinated people would be in attendance. To safely ensure this criterion, events need to beable to control entry.
The executive said given this is not realistically possible for either the New Year's Eve fireworks, the circus or the Paihia Christmas Parade, these events have been cancelled.
The executive also made the decision to cancel the 2022 Weet-Bix Try event, although they will still engage kids in a virtual event.
What can be held is the Paihia Christmas Trail. Static structures will be created and displayed around the Paihia community precincts. A trail map and a dedicated Facebook page will show people where each display is and how it can be followed to view.
The static structures will be on display from 3pm on Friday, December 5, to Monday, December 8. The business community will judge the displays in one competition and the public will be invited to take selfies in a second competition.
There are two categories – the big Christmas tree theme and a small Christmas tree theme.
In the big Christmas tree theme, the tree must be the focus of the display, but there can be a Christmas scene around it. It can be no more than 3m high and no wider than 6m, must be weatherproof and built in a sustainable manner.
In the small Christmas tree theme, imagination is the only limit. The display can be no wider than 2m and no higher than 1.5m. It must be created in a sustainable way and can be located in a shop window, in the Paihia lanes or inside a business.
The Kerikeri Community Charitable Trust volunteers manage the annual Kerikeri street party and the Christmas parade.
The Kerikeri Christmas Parade is cancelled this year.
Santa's new sleigh came complete withs dancing elves in the 2017 Kerikeri Christmas Parade. Unfortunately, the elves are stuck in the workshop this year. Photo / NZME
One of the organisers, Kirsty Grant, said this year the trust has been forced to scale back parts of the Christmas festival.
"We considered the potential for changing alert levels, the introduction of vaccine certificates, vaccination rates and other rules and restrictions for large gatherings and social distancing, and as a result had no other option but to cancel the parade and the street party."
They are now discussing whether to have roving carol singers and are looking at static installations throughout the town. The best decorated competitions for street, house and business will go ahead as will the grotto (without Santa) and the community Christmas tree will still be put up.
Kerikeri Artcraft annual Christmas exhibition
The Kerikeri Artcraft Society is holding its annual exhibition and sale on November 25-28.
Some of the artwork on display and for sale at Kerikeri Artcraft Society Christmas exhibition.
Craftwork will be for sale at the Kerikeri Artcraft Society exhibition at the end of November.
Members of the society work from Cherry Park House in Landing Rd where they produce many new paintings and pottery items. The artists work with watercolours, acrylics, oils, pastels, coloured ink and practically anything else available.
The potters "happily throw clay about".
Richard Lawty from the Artcraft Society said there are about 30 exhibitors showing some 150 paintings, "lots and lots" of clay pots and one woodworker exhibitor.
The exhibition takes place at the St John Ambulance Station, 357 Kerikeri Rd, November 25-28. Free entry.
Mayor's taskforce wins jobs funding
The Far North District Council has been granted $450,000 in funding from the Ministry of Social Development for the Mayor's Taskforce for Jobs Community Recovery Programme.
Councillors and staff tour the berry farm at the Ngāwhā Innovation and Enterprise park.
The focus of the funding is to provide 50 sustainable employment opportunities for youth and Neets (Not in Education, Employment or Training). The funding can be used to support others into employment such as those who have lost work due to Covid-19 or who have a disability.
The funding will be split across two tranches with the second to be released once 25 sustainable new employment opportunities have been achieved.
One example of where the funding is headed is the free Berry Bus that takes workers from Kaikohe to Ngāwhā Berry Farm. It's part of the Kaikohe Cares Project, which is a three-year revitalisation and community co-ordination programme.
Community development adviser Laurel Belworthy has worked closely with MSD, iwi and hapū, the Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board, Ngāwhā Innovation and Enterprise Park, Kaikohe Business Association and the Kaikohe community, to help youth take full advantage of the district's employment opportunities.
Police house in Russell to be vacated
When news broke that the house used by Russell's policeman is likely to be sold, several Russell residents wrote to the Police Minister Poto Williams, expressing dismay. She in turn referred at least one letter to the area commander for the Far North who responded.
The Russell police house is owned by the police, who now require the Russell constable to vacate it. Photo / Sandy Myhre
Inspector Riki Whiu advised that the police no longer wish to be the owner of the Russell police house for various reasons, including health and safety. He said no decisions have been made so far, but they require the building to be vacated.
It means the current policeman, Constable Michael Gorrie, will need to look for alternative accommodation. Inspector Whiu said the police will be looking at "pursuing other equitable options" and have offered an alternate house owned by police in the interim in Paihia.
"It will be up to the constable to decide whether he takes that option or not," he said. Further, he said there are "discussions and conversations" around what the future of policing in the Far North rural communities will look like.
As for the police station building in Russell, that is to remain and the constable and other staff will work out of that.
Russell Protection Society chairman Bob Drey said in a letter to police on October 19 that the proposal to move Russell's policeman to Paihia is simply unworkable.
"A community policeman should reside in the community they are policing. At night when the ferry is not operating, it would take an hour or more for the police to respond to an emergency, even longer if there is a storm event.
"Our current constable has been able to respond quickly and effectively to issues of domestic violence, drug selling, burglaries and property damage because he lives in the community. This would not be possible, especially after hours, if he lives in Paihia," he said.
He said after many decades as a residence for our local policeman, it is unclear why the building is suddenly no longer suitable. So far he has not received a response.
Drey then wrote another letter to the police saying Russell Protection Society had applied under the Official Information Act to get information on the discussions by the police on the disposal of the 1870s Custom House Building.
On November 1, he received a phone call saying all internal communications are deemed to be private employment-related matters that are confidential and thus not accessible under an OIA request.
• Email Sandy Myhre at mywordmedia@yahoo.com if you have any news you'd like to see in Bay News.
