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The GB Weekly Easter edition will be delivered a day early, on Thursday 6 April

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Confidentiality and public interest

Abbie Langford very kindly pointed me in the direction of the LGOIMA, in a response that was interesting in its content –which I was already aware of and had read in some detail prior.

To clarify, the following points become apparent:

9.14 Public excluded business on the agenda.

Items that are likely to be discussed under public excluded must be indicated on each agenda and state the general subject of the item. The chief executive, however, may exclude public access to any reports, or parts of reports, which are reasonably expected to be discussed when the public is excluded.

All well and good – except that according to the community board minutes from February 2023, the “confidential” part of the meeting was:

9.2 Voting for Community Board Executive Council representative.

Hardly a topic that was not in the public interest – especially if it might have been the Collingwood “experienced rally driver”.

Gary Thorpe Controlling the weather

History is littered with examples of weather being a key element in determining the outcome of battles. Since the 1950s the US army have considered manipulating the weather to be a strategic military goal. Given that the European Modification Convention to prevent military tactics that control the weather was signed in 1977, it seems safe to assume that for many decades it has been possible to manipulate weather. Presuming control methods have been enhanced over time, I wonder to what extent weather events today are planned versus natural?

According to authors such as Elana Freeland, military run installations like HAARP in Alaska and its 30+ related “substations” provide significant abilities to create and control weather. If this is the case, why aren’t governments ensuring we have no adverse weather events and why is optimal weather around the world not the norm?

Clive James

Movie more of a misadventure

I went to see The Women’s Adventure Film Tour, having heard excellent reports of the previous one.

Here’s what I got. First, women sitting talking of periods affecting performance. As women we know that stuff. Shots of the same limited practice ground, featuring about 30 different women participants, were plain boring.

Next, a black woman tramping but finding herself more comfortable in the company of others of her own ethnicity due to subtle built-in assumptions of others. Message taken but no adventure shots.

A fanatical woman climber put achievement ahead of her body state so achieved less. After giving birth she looked after her physicality more improving her performance. Duh! No spectacular photos included.

During the interval I heard other women grumbling they felt they were being preached to.

A woman surf champion speaking out against inequality in prize money in sport. Shots of her shooting the waves were mundane.

Lastly, a woman skier who designed excellent ski clothes. After 12 years in Alaska with chronic fatigue, seeing a need, she began designing improved inflatable rafts and set up a production company. Best action shots were of men shooting the rapids in her boats. Aargh, I thought. Where were the adventurous action women? I left feeling short changed. Have I missed something? If so, it wasn’t memorable. Sponsors, you will have to do a lot better next time on the women’s adventure front.

Karen Brookes

Have your say on Persistent Organic Pollutants

New Zealand is a signatory to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.

POPs are highly toxic chemicals that remain in the environment, build up in human and animal tissue, are passed from species to species through the food chain, and undergo long-range environmental transport between regions. They include pesticides, industrial chemicals and compounds present in manufactured articles. Eighteen new chemicals have been listed as POPs by the Stockholm Convention since 2004 bringing the total list of POPs to 30. While amendments have been made to the New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Agency’s current Notice (in 2015 and 2016), it is now outdated.

The EPA proposes to revoke the current Notice and introduce a new Notice to be known as the Hazardous Substances (Storage and Disposal of Persistent Organic Pollutants) Notice 2023. This will have an effect on councils’ management and disposal of POPs in landfills and recycle centres, food exports and some manufactured goods, for example.

The EPA is asking for submissions from the public. There is a discussion document on their website, closing date is 5 April 2023.

Felicity

Fitz-William Roll with the Wrinklies

Despite rising fuel and vehicle maintenance costs it is great to see the “Wrinklies Express” has kept their members’ subscription and per trip donations at the same level all these years. It’s amazing more people with disabilities, or anyone over 50, do not know of this service. Where else can you get a return trip to Nelson for a $30 donation? Backed by 18 volunteer drivers we operate two vehicles for use by older persons (50-year-olds and above), and those who have disabilities as diagnosed by a medical practitioner, for transport to appointments from Collingwood through to Nelson. Since we are entirely non-profit and voluntary this has only been possible due to all the voluntary booking staff, drivers, trustees and the ever generous donations of various local organisations. Without our voluntary drivers we would simply not function, so we extend our sincere thanks to them all for the very generous giving of their time and the way they help those travelling with them. The service has been running since 1999 so this year will mark the 24th year of service – here’s to many more! For further information see the Wrinkles advertisement in this edition of The GB Weekly

Jason Jackson, Wrinklies Express

Letters To The Editor

The GB Weekly welcomes letters to the editor. Please email your letter to us at admin@gbweekly.co.nz by 12pm Tuesday. Include the writer’s full name, home address and daytime phone number. Letters will be printed over the name of the writer; names are withheld only when compelling reasons can be established. Letters must not exceed 250 words. Letters that are too long will not be considered. All correspondence is at the discretion of the manager, who reserves the right to decline, edit, or abridge letters without explanation or further discussion. Links to third party websites will not be published. The views expressed are those of the correspondents and are not necessarily endorsed or shared by

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Chopping at Rai Valley Show

Folk, gospel and blues

SUBMITTED

Brian Godsiff and Dave Gowland from the Golden Bay Axemens Club successfully raided the Rai Valley Show on Saturday 4 March, winning two of the three pieces of silverware up for grabs. The wood was a mixture of poplar and pine.

The first event was the Percy Dillon Memorial 250mm standing with Dave making the final which he won comfortably.

Dave also made the final of the 300mm underhand but finished out of the placings.

The third event of the day was the Bob Maule Memorial 275mm standing with both Brian and Dave making the final. This was won by Justin Carter from Nelson with the Golden Bay axemen close behind as Brian finished second and Dave third.

The final event was the Joseph Pretty Memorial 325mm underhand with both Brian and Dave making the final again. This turned out to be a close contest between the Golden Bay axemen as they battled for the win, Brian eventually winning by about two blows from Dave in second with third place quite a way behind.

The trophies were presented at the end of the day by Noel Wallace, a local chopping legend whose family has been competing in the sport in the Rai Valley for over 80 years.

If you think that you have what it takes to compete in the sport of woodchopping please contact Serena 027 648 8498.

It was a long time ago, on another stage when Steve Apirana was doing Jimi Hendrix and the blues proud in his band, Butler, fresh from the success of their 1972 appearance at New Zealand’s first ever three-day rock festival at Ngaruawahia.

From there it was a band called Judah where Steve met Ainsley. They married and since those days have co-piloted a professional music career across New Zealand and the world from their Australian base.

They say the blues gets better with age, the wisdom of experience, the tragedy of the broken heart and the long miles on the highway. The Apiranas are pretty much proof of that. They know about the blues; they know about the joy too, the life well lived, the chances taken. It’s all here in the music and in the story telling.

Ainsley and Steve have performed their warm and raw brand of gospel, blues and folk right across Australia, in Europe and North America and up and down New Zealand.

“No tour of New Zealand is complete without an evening at the Mussel Inn,” says Steve. “This will be our third time here and we are as excited as ever to be returning.”

“This promises to be an easy-flowing, uncluttered and unpretentious evening of vocal harmonies, blues guitar and a few good words,” says Golden Bay Live Poets Society spokesman Mark Raffills. “A great opportunity to chill out and groove sweetly into the new week!”

A Sunday evening of folk, gospel and blues with Steve and Ainsley Apirana at the Mussel Inn, 19 March.

Ask Sol

Each month Sol will answer your questions on a specific topic through his regular column.

To take part, submit your questions via email with the subject heading “Ask Sol” to: admin@gbweekly.co.nz

This month’s subject: Controlling garden pests Deadline for questions: 12pm on Wednesday 22 March