Wairarapa’s locally owned community newspaper
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018
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Well-oiled marriage P5
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Ambulance donated as man’s dying wish Emily Ireland Gifting a new ambulance to Wairarapa was a dying wish for Bevan Jones, known affectionately by his friends as ‘Spike’. Bevan Jones, an “intensely private man” passed away recently, and left everything he had to Wellington Free Ambulance. “It was in recognition of the help they gave to him and others over
the years,” his friend Gary Beban said. “He felt that Wellington Free is a service that helps everyone and discriminates against noone. “It is for this reason that he asked for his money to go to Wellington Free so that they can buy two
frontline ambulances; a driver training ambulance; and training equipment for the paramedics.” One of the new ambulances will go to Hutt Valley, the place where Spike was born, and other to the Wairarapa, the place that he loved. Those who knew Spike well described him as polite – a softly spoken gentleman who was at his
happiest at his Wairarapa bach tucked at the back of Yeronga Station. “You would find him sitting outside in the sun with a cup of tea listening to the sound of birds, the wind in the trees, and the flowing stream nearby,” Gary said. “If he wasn’t there, it was a matter of following the wheel tracks of his old tractor and the sound of his axe chopping firewood, which he could do all day right up to the time when he became ill.” Spike was a talented engineer who could Continued on page 3
Wellington Free Ambulance Wairarapa area manager Nigel Watson with paramedics Helen and Julia, and patient transfer officer Benjamin. PHOTO/EMILY IRELAND
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End of an era for theatre Emily Ireland After being put up for sale earlier this year, the home of Greytown Little Theatre is now under contract, signalling the end of an era for the theatre company. The decision to sell the building and land at 68 Main St was made based on a poor seismic report which revealed the site was rated at only 15 per cent of the building code. Earthquake-Risk buildings are those assessed at below 67 per cent of the code and an Earthquake-Prone building is one below 33 per cent. Greytown Little Theatre chairman John Gilberthorpe said although leaving the site would be bittersweet, Greytown Little Theatre was much more than the building itself, even though it had been their home since 1996. When the building was first bought, it was adapted for purpose, but it wasn’t done as well as could be expected,” John said. “The limitations are the stage area, there’s little room on the stage
itself, and the facilities are not very adequate. What the theatre company really needed was a flexible space like a black box theatre with good dressing rooms and a comfortable green room, he said. When the group learned the building was earthquake prone, they identified a few options for the future, including strengthening the existing building, demolishing it and starting over, or selling the site and using the funds from the sale to create a new space on council-owned land on West St. It was this last option that proved the best. “The current building is under contract and we’ll have confirmation of that at the end of July,” John said. “They’re only interested in the land, not the building.” He said the sale of the building was “not bittersweet from the building’s point of view, but it is bittersweet from the memories associated with the building”. Continued on page 4
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