The Sun
Viv and Rona call time on loyal service
By Jacob Page Ask a busy woman and you get something done. Viv Broughton and Rona Kennington have a combined 34 years of service to Alzheimer’s Marlborough but have decided now was the right time to step away. Rona went straight on to the committee in 1996, while Viv began as a volunteer but has been an integral part of the organisation’s fundraising efforts for the past eight years. Viv says Marlborough has been such a generous town. “The years go so fast,” she says. “There were a lot of people who helped me especially in the fundraising side of things.” “We were growing faster than we could cope with in the beginning,” Rona says. “The community was asking for support, the rest homes were asking for education and it wasn’t there so we had to invent it. “We had to start organising things, getting Christchurch down
to help and try to get funding. “It’s an organisation that has had to grow with the need of the community. A person with dementia has seven people involved with them. The Alzheimer’s Marlborough Centre now runs five days a week plus there is a location in Picton. There are 13 paid staff and 50 volunteers and the need can grow. “We need volunteers for once a week, once a fortnight, once a month – whatever time people can give us.” Viv says she has a very patient husband who deserves more of her time. New president Diane Tolley made a presentation to the duo on Wednesday with fellow committee member Liz Anderson. “There are so many organisations that need the same things we do, fundraising and volunteers,” Viv says. “Today you have to work hard to make money. “In the old days you could sell a raffle and make a couple of grand
is to be advanced in stages over an extended period, the councillors decided that could not be justified. The cost of such a rebate to ratepayers would be more than $800,000 over a decade and Councillors decided this would set an unacceptable precedent. However the Committee agreed that the developer’s reserves contribution could be met by an equal mix of cash and suitably landscaped public park and playground areas within the new subdivision. Councillors also agreed to the
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inbrief Omaka Aviation Centre expansion underway Work has begun on the expansion of the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim. Work on the World War II exhibit that received a considerable cash injection from the Government had been delayed for six weeks. Prime Minister John Key announced in May Government funding for the centre to the tune of $1.5 million through the Tourism Growth Partnership Fund. This was combined with $1.58m raised by the centre with the new area likely to open in June next year.
Sign just won’t do
Alzheimer’s Marlborough committee members (from left) Liz Anderson and new president Diane Tolley recognise the more than 34 years combined service to the organisation by Viv Broughton and Rona Kennington.
but now there are people selling raffles most weeks so it becomes that much harder.
“Blenheim is great at supporting organisations and I’m sure that will continue.”
Council rejects Colonial rebate request The Marlborough District Council has told developers of the Colonial Vineyard block in New Renwick Road, who have plans for 250 new residential sections, must fund a fair level of the infrastructure to support their development but their contribution may be staged. The MDC’s Assets and Services Committee heard that the developers had asked for a 10 per cent rebate on the development contributions, given the scale of their proposed residential project. However, given that the project
Friday July 24, 2015
developer’s request that part of its development contribution be used to build a sealed cycle and walking path to serve the new subdivision, from Richardson Avenue to the Burleigh Bridge, following an existing unsealed path crossing reserve land. Rather than have the developers build a sewerage pump station to serve their block, Council also wants to see that $250,000 cost directed toward a larger pump station Council will build in Batty’s Road with capacity to serve a wider area of future development.
Such a scheme would be cheaper long term, rather than having two separate stations. Assets and Services Committee chairman Terry Sloan says development decisions were always a balancing act and, while councillors wanted to be fair to developers, they could not expect ratepayers to meet the costs of private sector developments. The final details of the development agreement have yet to be negotiated between Colonial Vineyard Ltd and the MDC.
Marlborough District Councillors have called a potential new $8000 directional sign for Pollard Park has been labelled ‘old fashioned’ The 3-metre stainless steel sign to be erected at Nelson St shows an image of the park’s garden in bloom. Council staff were told at Tuesday’s assets and services committee meeting to go back to the drawing board.
Builder awards tomorrow The Marlborough, Nelson & West Coast Region’s finest builders will be announced at a gala dinner at the Marlborough Convention Centre in Blenheim tomorrow Registered Master Builders and industry leaders will attend the dinner to celebrate the region’s top builders. Marlborough, Nelson and West Coast Registered Master Builders entered in this year’s competition are competing for two top regional awards – the Registered Master Builders Supreme Award for House of the Year and the Registered Master Builders Supreme Award for Renovation of the Year, which will be announced on Saturday.
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