MAY
HARATUA 2019
New buses to double capacity for commuters Double decker buses will be servicing Eastbourne 81 and 85 routes by the middle of this year. Letters were sent out to some Eastbourne residents regarding five tree removals deemed necessary by Metlink before the buses can enter service. The tree removals are viewed as part of the improvements both Greater Wellington Regional and Hutt City Councils want to make to bus services for the Eastbourne community. The double deckers, which carry 101 passengers, will be introduced to cater for growth, reduce congestion and to improve road safety issues for all road users. The trees in question are located outside addresses in Muritai Road (two Ngaio, one Cedar and one Pohutukawa), and in Cuba Street, Petone.
Sing Eastbourne gather round the piano with Mark Bobb, as their Thursday evening session begins.
If you have ever wanted to sing, but like most, the thought of doing so in front of others terrifies you, there’s a group in Eastbourne that's putting the fun back in singing. Sing Eastbourne organiser Arne Herrmann says no experience or talent is necessary. “It is very relaxed and without expectation,” Arne says. “No pressure to deliver anything, it’s super fun, so naturally people absolutely
love it.” Arne himself is an arts manager and not necessarily a singer, but he knows his stuff, having worked for more than twenty years in arts and festival management in New Zealand. He is currently the chief executive of both the NZ Youth Choir and Choirs Aotearoa NZ. During the last school term of 2018, he posted on the Eastbourne Community Facebook page, testing the water regarding the
Songsters find harmony in shared enthusiasm
formation of a local choir. Forty people showed up to the first session and with enough interest fostered, Sing Eastbourne began in earnest. The group holds its choir sessions every Thursday evening at San Antonio School. A cup of tea, biscuits and an informative chat precede the main event, and then things get a little more serious. “The school’s eagerness to support the initiative was fantastic,” Arne says. “We are Continues page 8