Fraud and theft charges
A Far North man has appeared in court on nine fraud and theft charges with a Kaitaia business allegedly suffering losses of more than $120,000 as a result. The 64-year-old, who cannot be named at this point for legal reasons, appeared in the Kaitaia District Court yesterday charged with three counts of stealing property from the business worth a combined $111,790.99. He was also charged with stealing cash from the same business on two occasions totalling $14,000, and issuing a fraudulent invoice for $8080.44 to another Far North business. Another three charges were for forging invoices but no value was specified. The alleged offences occurred between September 2019 and September 2020. He was granted bail and interim name suppression until his next appearance on July 7.
Tucker for Tucker
Grace Cadogan, a Year 10 student at Springbank School, recently held the Russell Ultimate Cake Bake Competition and Auction at Gables Restaurant to raise money for the R. Tucker Thompson Youth Trust. Due to Covid the "Tucker" was unable to hold as many day and/or evening sailing trips to support youth voyages. So far Cadogan has raised more than $5500 through a Givealittle page and raffles which will support three young people to get on board. The cake bake competition sections featured preschool, juniors, intermediate, senior/adult and a category for any business to enter. The most-entered category was the junior section (Years 1-6) which had 12 cakes, with 30 cakes overall and 15 cupcakes entered by preschoolers. The most lucrative cake was a chocolate cake which sold for $200.
Preparing for exhibition
The Kohukohu Village Art Gallery is gathering exhibits for its Puanganua Matariki exhibition. Called Whakapapa, titiro whakatuara hei tirohanga whanui o te wao nei, the exhibition means to "look back for an overview of the forest". Curator and member of the gallery design team, Heiwari Himiona Johnson, said a literal meaning of whakapapa is the laying out of things in their correct order. Submissions must be at the gallery by 3pm tomorrow, and new works will be accepted in any medium. The exhibition opens on June 25 and closes on July 23.
Blood is special
This National Blood Donor Week, New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is highlighting the importance of Māori and Pasifika donors by letting them know just how special their blood is. Less than 9 per cent of active donors identify as Māori and Pasifika – that's just over 10,000 donors of which only 3500 are male. "Māori and Pasifika blood is quite unique," says NZBS national manager marketing and communications Asuka Burge. "Your blood type is inherited from your parents – this means you are more likely to share the same blood subtype as someone from the same ethnic background." A very rare blood type called Jk3 (both JkA negative and JkB negative) can be found in about one in every 100 Māori and Pasifika donors. Northlanders wanting to give blood can find a location to donate or book an appointment, download the NZ Blood App, visit nzblood.co.nz or call 0800 GIVE BLOOD (0800 448 325).
Paihia car boot sale
The Paihia School PTA is holding a car boot sale from 9am to noon on Sunday, June 26, in the Paihia Club car park on Joyces Rd. Spaces can be booked by texting 021 277 2175 or just come along on the day. PTA members will be selling sausages, bacon butties and home baking to raise funds for the Duffy Books in Homes programme.
