A bit of a do with The Biddys
THEATRE Whakatane is promising another night of good food, great company and plenty of laughs for those looking for end-of-year staff functions. For this December’s corporate season, the theatre...
View Article125 years in four generations
TE RANGIAIO Maihi makes four – the fourth generation of Erin Te Pou’s family to attend Te Kura o Te Paroa. Erin is the school’s principal and this year Te Kura o te Paroa marks 125 years since it...
View ArticleProud nanny measures milestones
A TYPICAL day for 79-year-old Ani Te Waikaretu Wickliffe sees her up at 5.30am, padding about the kitchen to begin preparing the day ahead for her grandson, Casey. The son of her late daughter and...
View ArticleJuggernaut claims shield
THE Tai Mitchell tournament wrapped up on Sunday and one team made little contest of the annual under-13 rugby tournament. Te Puke were crowned champions after beating Tauranga West 41-12 in Sunday’s...
View ArticleNative species flush on farms
A UNIVERSITY of Canterbury report says a quarter of the country’s entire native vegetation cover is believed to be on sheep and beef farms. This does not surprise Otakiri dairy farm manager Bridie...
View Article$35,000 grant for Eastern Bay Villages
A $35,000 GRANT from BayTrust will help support a big recruitment drive this month to find older Eastern Bay residents who are willing to share their time and skills with others. Eastern Bay Villages...
View ArticleArsonist sentenced
A WHAKATANE woman has been forced to live in a caravan since February, after her home was deliberately set alight by her son’s friend. The arsonist, Jacob Hansen, was sentenced to home detention when...
View ArticleDistrict library reopens after mould threat
AFTER testing a patch of mould on the Opotiki District Library ceiling, the building was closed from last Wednesday until Monday while the facility was treated. Live spores could pose a danger to the...
View ArticleSue clocks up 40 years on the job
DESCRIBED as a “community asset” by Mayor John Forbes, Opotiki District Council employee Sue Watson has worked for the council for 40 years. Chief executive Aileen Lawrie said that not only had Mrs...
View ArticleEastern Bay Subway rules the roost
EASTERN Bay Subway enthusiast Steven French says being proclaimed the North Island Subway franchisee of the year was “a bit of a surprise”. The owner of the Opotiki and Whakatane Subway stores says...
View ArticleRecycling model fails as China says stop
WITH China no longer accepting recycling materials in the way it used to, the wheels have come off the global garbage truck. It was good while it lasted, but the feel-good illusion of global recycling...
View ArticleLibrary leads on plastics
NEVER having bought a single roll of plastic wrap in her life, Opotiki librarian Jo Hunt says that “as citizens, we have to think about things”. “Libraries aren’t the sort of place that tells people...
View Article‘Yes dear,’ Basil says after 70 years
DESPITE reaching their 70th wedding anniversary today, Pat and Basil Simpson don’t romanticise their relationship. “After 70 years it’s like an old mug, you just get used to it,” said Pat. That’s not...
View ArticleJobs still behind bottling plant support
TE Teko’s Rihi Veroce supported Creswell NZ’s application for a resource consent to increase the amount of water it could take from the Otakiri Springs bottling plant. The consent, for the company to...
View ArticleSweet smells of success
WHAKATANE’S Bonbon Factory owners Stephanie Peacocke and Josh Edlin have moved to a new location at Gateway Drive and are preparing to take the business to the next level. After landing their product...
View ArticleNurses’ strike reduces hospital services
SERVICES at Whakatane Hospital have been reduced to a minimum, with outpatient clinics closed and pre-scheduled surgeries deferred as nurses join their colleagues on a nationwide strike tomorrow. This...
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Tai Mitchell team gives their all
OPOTIKI Tai Mitchell chairman Tony Howe was proud of the team’s performance over the weekend in spite of facing bigger and more experienced teams, Opotiki’s Tai Mitchell rugby team fought hard. The...
View ArticleChopper benefits from Bay’s generosity
THE Westpac Chopper Appeal has raised $69,609.85 for the Trustpower TECT rescue helicopter while donations from throughout the country added to the $1.22 million raised this year. All donations from...
View ArticleNew health council announced
ELEVEN people have been appointed to the newly established Bay of Plenty Health Consumer Council. The council will work in partnership with the Bay of Plenty District Health Board as an advisory body...
View ArticleBiggest uptake of flu vaccine ever this year
MORE New Zealanders than ever before have protected themselves from influenza this year. Health Minister Dr David Clark said more than 1.29 million doses of influenza vaccine had been distributed so...
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