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www.guardianonline.co.nz
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
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College names head boy, girl for 2013 By Myles Hume Ashburton College – meet your head boy Kane Olsen and head girl Finau Fakapelea for 2013. The pair were crowned leaders of the school for next year at the Ashburton College Year 12 Prizegiving after teachers and pupils voted them as the best canLEFT: Finau Fakapelea and Kane Olsen, both 17, were crowned as Ashburton College’s head boy and girl for 2013 last night. photo tetsuro mitomo 061112-tm-287
didates to take over. Kane, a keen sportsman with aspirations to join the airforce, said it was completely unexpected. While Finau, a bubbly leader with dreams of a career in the media, stumbled into the position after only intending on taking a minor leadership role. “I wasn’t sure at all if I was going to get it, to be honest it was a pleasant surprise,” Kane, 17, said. “At first I just wanted to be recognised as a leader but then I started having people telling me I could be a good head boy.” Finau, 17, said in her candidates
speech last week that she was told she “was not good enough” but she defied those people last night. “I was looking to go for house captain but a couple of teachers suggested it would be a good idea so I went for it,” she said. Finau also made promises to her fellow pupils about a bright 2013 – and she still stands by those. “I’m going to be the best I can be, that’s what I promised them and I know there’s a lot of responsibility but I’m up for it, I’m ready.” The pair did not know each other too well, only exchanging
phone numbers last night. But they both acknowledged they were going to get to know each other quickly and they had plans for 2013 to add to what this year’s leaders George McDonald and Sam McLay have created. “I just want to help with a lot of self confidence in other pupils,” Finau said. “I also want to help in lifestyles, I want to see home life improve because when home life is good then school life is too.” Kane had not thought about the future too much, saying he was not yet used to the idea of being
the head boy at college, but he was sure about what it would do for him. “The stress will come along with the job and I have got a lot to learn but it will bring along good life skills,” he said. Ryan Strijibs and Hannah Waters, both 17, were the unlucky candidates but Ashburton College principal Grant McMillan had a message for them. “I strongly encourage you to look to other roles in the college where you can provide leadership and help make our college an even better place,” he said.
‘Don’t panic over nitrates’ By Sam Morton A top doctor is urging pregnant women not to panic about high nitrate levels in Mid Canterbury water – despite earlier highlighting the potentially fatal health risks. Canterbury medical officer of health Alistair Humphrey has previously warned rural Ashburton residents of the serious dangers associated with some drinking water supplies, but said his comments were simply to raise awareness – not instill fear in the community. Dr Humphrey said more action needed to be taken to protect the water quality in the district and pointed out high nitrate levels in some private and small water supplies was posing a risk to newborn babies. In the worst situation,the high levels of nitrate could generate the fatal disease methemoglobinemia, otherwise known as blue-baby syndrome – affecting newborns up to three months – but only one suspected case had been reported in New Zealand. “The important thing to emphasise is the town water supply is unaffected. Methemoglobinemia or blue baby syndrome is very rare, very rare indeed. “However, what we are experiencing is a slow, increasing, but seemingly unstoppable rise in nitrate in some of our rural water supplies as farming intensifies over the years,” Dr Humphrey said. “We’re looking at a juggernaut that is very difficult to turn around, but we need to stick together as a community and start making some serious changes to address this issue over many decades.”
Alistair Humphrey His comments triggered a social media frenzy yesterday, with Ashburton mothers and expectant mothers posting questions and clarifications - suggesting a serious feeling of panic among the rural communities. Residents commented on the quality of their water and some said they were concerned their water supply had been affected - since hearing of the issue. “Yeah, our water has gone bubbly and cloudy. Only in the last month maybe, was never like this before,” one comment read. “People are saying town water isn’t affected but we have noticed our water has been cloudy and bubbly, and if you use the back door tap, it’s all milky. So I’m sure it has been affected,” said another post. However, ECan’s team leader in groundwater quality Carl Hanson, who regularly samples the water quality, said the nitrate levels had been high for many years and there was no need for alarm. Mr Hanson and his team tested the wells throughout the Canterbury
Plains once a year, sometimes quarterly, and have annually recorded high nitrate levels in some shallow wells in the Ashburton area. “We’re talking about a very small portion of the community, but a very vulnerable portion too,” he said. “There should be no need to panic, this is not a new thing – nitrate levels in some water supplies have been high for a long, long time and we are continuing to sample them regularly.” Mr Hanson identified the Tinwald area as a high risk zone, but insisted the major town water supply was safe and posed no health risks. “The level of nitrate is a bit of a hit and miss thing really, depending on each well and each season. “Plants need nitrate to grow and from a farmers’ point of view, if there is more nitrate in the soil then they can grow more plants. “But, to address this issue, it is about finding the balance and that’s what we are encouraging farmers to do – which to their credit they have been doing well,” Mr Hanson said. Dr Humphrey said any residents who remained unsure about their water supply should use bottled water to make their baby formula and arrange to get their water checked as soon as possible. “Breastfeeding is the best feeding, as we always say – but if someone out in the country using a water supply other than the town supply, is unsure – then we are encouraging them to use bottled water and not take any chances. “This is an issue that will take decades to fix and we are aiming to get nitrate levels back below the required mark by 2040 – this won’t happen overnight though,” he said.
Photo Tetsuro Mitomo 061112-TM-096
To celebrate the Melbourne Cup (from left) Christine Hay and ‘best dressed’ winner Robyn Green gathered with 80 others at Lee-Anne Stewart’s (right) home.
Ashburton holds its own cup meet By Myles Hume It had the food, the fashion and even the people of Flemington, the only thing that was missing was the horses at an Ashburton meet yesterday. Norm and Lee-Anne Stewart’s home was transformed into a lifelike track meet where bets and
beers were the centre-point of the 80-strong gathering to watch Green Moon win the $7.8 million race. There were even a number of local links to the famous race as people like former Ashburton jockey Ricky Donnelly, who has rode in a lead up race to the cup years ago, and Flint Hill who went to Melbourne on the first Tuesday in November 1953.
But sitting in the corner was the real link to the southern hemisphere’s biggest horse race where the racing strip of 2001 Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal was on display thanks to local trainer Jan Hay. The lush lawns of Flemington have always been a head turner, and it is fair to say Mr Stewart had his garden in prime condition for
his visitors. But it did not go all his way, as his faith in jockey James McDonald fell short as the Kiwi came in second. At the end of the race the Guardian was asked to judge the “best dressed” competition, taken out by Robyn Green who wore a black fascinator with a white patterned dress. Outsiders’ cup, P15
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