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MULTI AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER Thursday, March 26, 2015
Vol 44, No 24
General 271 8000 î Ž Classified 271 8055 î Ž Delivery Enquiries 271 8014 î Ž Website www.times.co.nz
School run ‘nightmare’ for parents By Natalie Brittan
P
ARENTS are battling chaos as they pick up and drop off their children at schools, locals say. Auckland Transport parking wardens are becoming a regular sight at a number of schools including Owairoa Primary and Howick Primary Schools in Howick, Sunnyhills School, and Mission Heights Primary School in Flat Bush during peak periods before and after school. Drivers who stop in front of a driveway to drop off their children, double park, park on yellow lines and indulge in similar behaviour are slapped with fines of between $40 and $60 from the council-owned transport agency. An Auckland Transport spokesperson says the rules are enforced for the children’s safety. “It’s important that the area of the school gate is kept safe at all times. We enforce at the school gate right across Auckland on a regular basis often at the request of the school or of concerned parents or local residents.� Facebook user Alexandra Mason highlighted the presence of the parking wardens at Owairoa Primary School in a post on the East Auckland Grapevine Facebook page early this month, sparking debate about driving behaviour around schools. “I live on Wellington [Street], they do park over your driveway and some of them don’t even care, it is a nightmare,� Belinda Knight wrote. Carley McColl commented that she saw a police officer for the first time on Wellington Street since her son started attending the school. She wrote: “I have seen cars reverse out of driveways straight into children with no care more often. More police presence obviously needed!� Cara Watson wrote, calling some ticketed offences “ridiculous�. “Parked too close to a driveway when you are barely stopping and clear of the driveway just not by the one metre required under the law.�
INSIDE
Others asked why people did not use designated drop-off bays causing retired policewoman and Howick Local Board member Adele White to weigh in on the online debate, writing “The P2 zone at Howick is intended for just that – stop, drop and go. But how many times do you go to use it, and find there are unattended cars parked there. A great system – regularly abused!� Times photographer Wayne Martin captured other bad driving habits in a video posted on Facebook. He wrote: “This is madness outside Baverstock Oaks School! You have to wonder how some people retain or even gain their licences. Couldn’t get my phone out quick enough to capture the illegal overtaking right outside the school. The children’s safety is at risk here.� He says turning right from the other side of the road into school drop-off bays should be made illegal. Baverstock Oaks school principal Mary Wilson says parents are following procedures in the school’s drop-off zone and staff members and student leaders help keep drivers’ etiquette in check. However, she says the illegal overtaking happening beyond the school gate was a police matter. “We’re not traffic officers and police so we can’t stop them doing that [turning right]. But in comparison to other schools without drop-off areas we are keeping our children safe. “The unfortunate thing is 95 per cent of people do follow the rules, it’s just the very few who make it unsafe for everybody. If everybody followed the rules then they would make a safe passage to and from school.� Auckland Transport and community police run regular education programmes at schools to target driver behaviour around the school gate. ■■ What do you think? Let us know by sending a letter to the editor or send us an email on editor@times. co.nz
Two years on the run..............................................page 2 Jury goes out.............................................................page 7
Fun for the kids
TEEN COMEDIANS: Cast members of Saint Kentigern College’s rendition of Spamalot, from left, Braydon Robinson as King Arthur, Sam Elliot as Patsy and Lili Taylor as the Lady of the Lake. Times photo Wayne Martin
Recreating loved old classic THE humour of a 1970s pop culture icon is being meticulously recreated by a cast of young thespians. Saint Kentigern College is staging the musical comedy Spamalot, adapted from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which itself is a spin on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Braydon Robinson plays Arthur, who recruits a motley band of Knights: Kurt Hawkins as the strangely flatulent, inept
Everyday heroes......................................................page 5 Helicopter found.....................................................page 6
Fun for the kids
8
EGGS TO FIND
The final lead role belongs to the big voice of Lili Taylor, who was cast as the Lady of the Lake for her ability to sing in many styles and vocal registers. Head of music, Ross Gerritsen, has compiled a mixed orchestra of students, old collegians and professional musicians to piece together the 230 pages of complex music to support the cast on stage. Spamalot, a ticketed event, plays at St Kents’ Elliot Hall at 7pm until Saturday.
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scholar, Sir Bedevere; Sid Chand is the once grubby ‘mud gatherer’ Sir Galahad, who becomes dashingly handsome once knighted; Oliver Hadfield has the role of homicidally brave Sir Lancelot; while his counterpart, the not-so-brave Sir Robin, is performed by Nick McQueen. Sam Elliot’s character is the King’s greatly underappreciated servant Patsy, who longs for Arthur’s approval, and doubles as his pack mule.
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