KAIPARA LIFESTYLER OctOber 2 - 2012
Kaipara businesses Learning from the circus compete against Northland German social work student and seasoned circus performer, Lisa Fugmann, will spend the next six months interning with Circus Kumarani in Dargaville
Judges for the creative arts section, Christopher Carey and Irene Durham at the Muddy Waters Gallery in Dargaville
Several Kaipara businesses are competing in the 2012 Westpac Northland Business Excellence Awards with the winners to be announced at a black tie gala dinner in Whangarei, on October 26 “Every year the calibre of entries has been improving — small businesses have to think about how they operate, not just what they do, and large businesses have to understand the dynamics in which they run their business,” says Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Tony Collins. Dargaville Arts Association entered the creative arts category while Northpine and Silver Fern Farms compete for the title of best large business, while Wai Hou Oma lodge and Wainui Shuttles have entered the owner operated category for small businesses. Judges for the creative arts section, Christopher Carey and Irene Durham, met with the Dargaville Arts Association recently to help with marketing and promoting. “Entrants have such courage and ambition to put themselves forward and get their name out there and for them to say ‘here I am’ is really great,” says Mr Carey. Around eight years ago, owners of the Wai Hou Oma lodge, Ruby and Noel Martin entered the awards under the ‘new business’ category and Ruby said that it was helpful to gain exposure for their luxury accommodation near Kai Iwi Lakes.
“All us west coasters just want to be recognised more, because it’s so beautiful and it’s not really known about — people are blown away when they come here.” Although she would love to win, entering the awards has already been beneficial as businesses have to fill in around 30 pages of paper work in order to be nominated. “It made me more aware of what my goals were and what I want to do for the business,” says Ruby Silver Fern Farms took away the award for ‘large business’ last year and Dargaville manager, Dean McNaught, is looking forward to this year’s presentation. “It’s a great measure for us to see how we stack up against other businesses in the region and it’s a fantastic event to be involved with.” A panel of around 10 judges will look for great execution of good business ideas as well as future goals among other criteria specific for each category. To purchase a ticket to the gala dinner visit: http://northlandbusinessawards. co.nz/gala-dinner
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 8th — 14th October 2012 Supported by
Next Week’s Entertainment
ARATAKI MINISTRIES Extends an invitation to everyone to attend Our Mental Health Awareness Week Events On 10th & 11th October 2012
Wednesday 10th October 12pm — 2pm Venue: EPI Centre (town hall), Hokianga Road, Dargarville “Human Rights, Stigma and Discrimination” workshop
Presenter: Graham Johnson (Consumer Network) (Tea and coffee provided) Members, friends & clubs with reciprocal visiting rights welcome
Northern Wairoa Memorial
RSA
Hokianga Road • Ph 09 439 8164
Followed by (3.00pm — 6.30pm) DVD — “The Dark Horse” a Documentary by Former Chess Champion Genesis Potini (Nibbles and bites provided)
Thursday 11th October 10am — 3 pm Venue: Countdown Car Park Victoria St in Dargaville “Network Band” Open Mic for Artist, poets, musicians etc. (Free Sausage Sizzle)
She will complete her practical semester with Kumarani and after she graduates she wants to specialise in circus social work. “The circus gives people fun things to do and gives confidence. If someone learns how to juggle then they can feel really positive about it.” She also says that it involves everyone and teaches trust. “If you are building a human pyramid then everyone relies on each other, the top person has to rely on the people beneath them for support.” She has been involved with the circus since she was a girl, and last year she taught hula hoop and acrobatics at a circus in Germany. “I wanted to see how other circuses worked, and I liked the idea of Kumarani being a community based circus.” The circus has added colour and vibrancy to the Kaipara since it first arrived in Dargaville nine years ago, performing at festivals and passing on skills to the community and schools but since a change in funding
it has been feeling the pinch. “There is less funding available lately and more people applying for it. We often perform free at events, but we still need to pay for equipment, insurance, rent, power and travelling expenses,” says Circus Kumarani manager, Jenny Huriwai. “It is not just about red noses and clowning around. We have partnerships with many community groups and organisations — we are much more than a circus,” says Jenny. Photo caption: Lisa Fugmann, 21, displays her hula hoop skills outside the Anglican Church where Circus Kumarani is hosting a school holiday programme.
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Ratepayers Awake!! Should you pay for removal of other people’s sewage? Probably not. The Mangawhai community objected to paying far too much for sewage removal. They never wanted the system forced on them, but they had a right to expect it to be managed properly when it was. It was a shambles, and still is. To cover their screw-ups Council tried to increase Mangawhai rates by a huge amount (more than 100% in many cases). People reacted — they marched and they objected in writing, and they stopped paying their rates. What did YOUR council do? Please read carefully. They secretly backed off, and they secretly turned the guns on YOU. Then what did they do? With the minister’s help, they went into hiding. Are you angry about that? Would you like to give them a piece of your mind? You can’t blame the new gang in charge, because THEY didn’t jack up your rates, the elected council did, on August 29, and then they skipped town. Are you going to take that? Are you going to pay for illegally established debt to fund things that don’t benefit YOU at all? To fund McKerchar’s illegal redundancy package? To fund all the other screw-ups? The new rates demands are illegal — The Department of Internal Affairs publicly said so on 29 August, and their CEO has subsequently supported that position in writing. Even if you can pay these rates, should you? You can go on trusting and being obedient, or you can call a halt. By courageously standing up to all this illegality and irresponsibility, the Mangawhai ratepayers got a very temporary reduction in their rates increases, at YOUR EXPENSE. Mangawhai didn’t do that to you, the council did. We have to unite to deal with this. NOBODY is looking after the ratepayers’ interests. Are you OK with your increase? If you do nothing now, you are deemed to be. Your rates have risen by maybe 30%! Do nothing and it’ll happen again and again. Alternatively, stop paying rates, march in the streets, and OBJECT, until accountability comes back to Kaipara. Democracy is very poorly but it is not yet dead — its survival is in your hands. Email mrra@vodafone.co.nz or go to www.mangawhairatepayers.ning.com
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