Letters 3 February 2012
The flood
Thank you to all those wonderful people who have helped us sort out our home, land and lives after the December floods. The support from friends and community has been overwhelming. We feel truly humbled.
Jeff and Tony Bateup, Lisa, Karen, Andrew and Sian Savage, Waingaro Dairy tractor, Karl Thompson, Frankie and their digger, Steve Baker, Adriarne, Georgia, Jim, Marie and Mike Robertson, Sue King, Kirsten Nalder, Rob Anderson, Phil Rawiri. DOC crew: Kath, Simon, Steve, Mike, Ollie, Merlin, Gareth, Hans. Golden Bay Fencing David, Angela and Luke Jacobsen. Kathy Reilly, Paula Miles, NBS Dean Lund, Beryl, Ella, Dennis Reed, Peter Griffith, Sara and Pete Howard, Jeanine and John Taylor, Kim Johnston, Becky Hayter, Kris Russell, Alan Walsh, Ginny Henderson, the Farmy Army, GB Lions, Sollys Contractors, Fulton Hogan.
Thank you so much.
Darren, Jilly, Holly, Hamish and Storm Foxwell
Damming Rivers
Two weeks ago, I went to a river in Golden Bay (Parapara). A man was making lines of rock walls across the river. I was instantly concerned as we have had much devastation from the recent floods. A friend spoke to the person with him about our concerns. Felt clear to me that this would create a dam to the flow of the river. Focusing the water on a deeper pool in the area. Creating potentially hazardous flood conditions.
Today, I went there and saw many lines of rocks placed to create a deeper swimming hole and a smaller hole. My heart sank. The road next to the river leads to peoples’ homes. There is precious land and natural life around the river. This goes for all rivers in Golden Bay. And everywhere. Please, please do not alter the flow of the rivers, unless you are certainly, knowingly helping a situation. Damming a river for personal gain must be against some ethical agreement? Surely is against flow with the nature.
Amira Porporina
Art Expo
Art Expo has been very successful and has been visited by more than 1,200 people since it opened on 16 January. There seems like there is a lot of interest from many artists to keep it going for a few more months at least. Of course there is a cost. I would like to support this to happen. I do need enough paying artists. If you are already a participating artist or someone who missed the first time round please contact me as soon as possible on 525 7974 or email tribulldrums@xtra.co.nz
Grant Knowles
Shared recreational facility
Thanks to everyone who visited the Golden Bay Shared Recreational Facility stand at the A & P show. For those that missed it, the plans and artists’ impressions of the facility will go on display soon.
Over 70 people completed our straw poll and answered the question: “Do you support the concept for the Golden Bay Rec Park as shown?” 96% answered “Yes.” All the comments have been noted and recorded.
While I was on the stand I spoke to a number of teenagers, who were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the idea of having such a facility in the Bay.
The function room was popular, with its 200 seat indoor area (serviced by separate kitchen and bar), flowing into an outdoor area useful for large events. The yoga/dance room (with adjacent changing/shower room) and two modern meeting rooms also drew positive comments.
The committee would like to thank everyone for their continued support.
Peter Blasdale
The flood
Jane, Buddha, Josh, Kye, Jessie, Lochie, Max and the chooks would like to thank so many people.
Firstly to our amazing neighbours: the help and support you gave us in the first few days after the flood, feeding, clothing and taking us into your homes was so very much appreciated.
Secondly to our friends and family: thank you, we cannot express how much we valued your love and support. Whilst we lost our house we felt like we were the luckiest and most loved family to be surrounded by the best friends any one could ever ask for.
To the community and everyone mentioned above we were humbled and often brought to tears by your generosity. The gift baskets, donations, offers of help and kind words were so very much valued and graciously accepted.
And finally to our beautiful house in Ligar Bay, we will miss you and are sad that you were so violently bashed about on 14 December. The good news is that we now realise that our home is actually about the people in it. So while we are sad about the house we smile and are so very happy that our family survived and we are all alive and well to start a new home together.
Jane and Buddha Childs
Accommodation scam
There is a clever scam currently targeting small accommodation businesses. It starts with an email requesting block bookings of your lodge or B&B from what appears to be a legitimate person. Having confirmed you have space available the person then offers to pay in full (months prior to arrival) the total fees, and offers a credit card to charge against. The booking person then requests the accommodation owner add a sum up of $3,000 or more to the reservation amount, to cover transportation costs at their end.
By phone, they give a credit card number and one gets confirmation authorisation in the normal manner. Having obtained this authorisation one deposits the total sum in one’s bank account. Be warned, a card authorisation is no guarantee of funds available.
Now the scammer requests that from your recently deposited sum you remit by Western Union the required monies for transportation costs (in this case $3,000 ) back to them. You feel quite safe with say $10,000 in your account and happy to remit say $3,000 and apparently a secure reservation for all your rooms. Weeks before the arrival date of this booking the credit card is found to be invalid or stolen, and the total monies are withdrawn from your bank account. The scammers get (in this case $3,000 from your account) and you lose it forever, plus any card fees and GST!
If any operator in Golden Bay receives a request for a lengthy reservation requesting remittance of extra funds through Western Union, do not proceed.
Reg Turner
