Eric Hansen with Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai at the Whangarei Civic Awards. Photo / Fiona Heiwari
Ruakākā's Eric Hansen was rewarded for his years of community service with a Civic Honours Award from the Whangārei District Council.
He was nominated by the Ministry of Primary Industries, where he has served as an honorary fisheries officer, patrolling the Northland coast and helping to preserve fisheries, since 2016.
Since 2013 he has been part of Bream Bay's community patrol, assisting the police. He is also working on his fourth history book, having already published three.
His volunteer work began as a student at teacher's college in Auckland in the 1970s when he coached sports teams and continued this in Taranaki where he began teaching in the 1980s, extending into refereeing.
Moving to Northland for a teaching post at Bream Bay College in 1996, he refereed rugby until 2000 then transferred his skills to hockey, coaching and joining the Bream Bay Hockey Club committee, and moving into school board of trustees service.
Hansen believes community involvement is an important part of being a rural teacher, saying it gives teachers an opportunity to interact positively with parents and students.
Jobseekers in Bream Bay are having a jobs expo right on their doorstep, on September 20 at the Bream Bay Trust on Peter Snell Rd.
Organiser Marilyn Cox says she was inspired to hold the expo after attending a meeting of Te Taapiri i to Maataukainga, a group concerned about drug addictions, domestic violence and unemployment in Ruakākā Village.
"A young girl got up and said how much she had enjoyed a jobs expo she had been to when she was living in the Bay of Islands," said Cox.
"I suggested that we could hold a local job expo and some of the parents present said they would like to look for employment."
The response from local employers has been fantastic, she said, and there will be jobs on offer in a wide range of businesses at this event, as well as ideas for training.
Cox plans to buy a heap of alarm clocks, and give one to each person who lands a job at the expo.
"Employers tell me the biggest problem they have with newly hired staff is that many don't turn up to work on a regular basis."
The challenge now is ensuring plenty of job seekers come along to the expo.
Marsden Print has produced 500 fliers for homes in the Ruakākā area, and the event is open to anyone from the wider Bream Bay area.
Cox is excited about the potential of the event. "Hopefully it will result in a few of those young ones sitting at home not doing much, getting jobs that will take them somewhere in life."
Bream Bay Hockey Club held a prizegiving last weekend to celebrate the achievements of its senior teams during the season.
The Reserve B women's team were the top performers, winning both their round-robin competition and playoffs. The team have challenged the bottom team in Northland's Reserve A grade to a promotion-relegation match later this month for the chance to move up to the next grade.
Award recipients were:
Macsway Shield (for service to the club) – Lucy Trist
Ron Reid Trophy (for the best and fairest player) – Kieran Hales
Senior team of the year (based on improvement through the season) – Division 2 women.
Team prizes:
Reserve B women – best senior defender (Grace McLean), fair play trophy for most valuable player on and off the field (Kathy McCully), MVP (Kylie Batten)
Division 2 women – MVP (Marie Clark-Graham), most improved (Kim Sutton),
Myer Cup for team player (Melissa Connor)
Premier Men – MVP (Perry McDiarmid), most improved (Greg Jackman), Sportsman/personality (Harry Lamb); Reserve Men – MVP (Aaron Therkleson), most improved (Nathan Palmer)
Div 1 Men – MVP (Gary Sands), most improved (Casey Herbert)
Mixed Collegiate – MVP (Lucy Bayer), most improved (Angus Paton)
Girls Collegiate – MVP (Kora Hita-Duval), most improved (Emma Gorrie).
Two meet the candidates evenings will give Bream Bay residents an opportunity to find out more about who they're voting for in the coming local body elections.
Ruakākā Parish Residents and Ratepayers Association's Meet the Candidates event starts at 7pm on September 10 at the Ruakākā Recreation Centre, and a week later you have another chance to meet and hear from candidates at an event organised by the Waipū Business and Community Incorporated, from 7.30pm at the Waipu Presbyterian Church.
Help the dogs, have some fun and work on your fitness, all at the same time at Ruakākā Dog Rescue's Fun Fitness Fundraiser this Sunday at the Whangārei Indoor Cricket Centre on Okara Drive.
RDR has paired with Gritzone Exercise Specialists and created exercises for all ages, abilities and fitness levels. Tickets are $15 for adults, under 13s are a gold coin donation. All proceeds go to help RDR save local dogs.
Tomorrow night is annual Princess Ball for mothers and daughters at Lifepoint Church. This year's theme is Fiesta.
Music, food and giveaways promise a night of fun for everyone attending. Tickets are $10, call Sandra 021 023 97431 to buy yours. All girls under 14 years must be accompanied by an adult and all attendees need a ticket. Doors open 6.45pm.
&bull: Email Julie Paton at moojoy@xtra.co.nz if you've got Bream Bay news to share with Advocate readers.