Okato August 2011
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TAKE ONE MOMENT AUGUST 2011 MMEANDERINGEANDERING IINN EENGLANDNGLAND AANDND FFRANCERANCE WITH ANNE AND MO DONALD Oh no, chain off ! But reinforcements to the rescue. OOKATOK A T O - more on page 2 OKATO 1 COVER STORY TAKE ONE MOMENT EDITORIAL In this episode, Anne describes a two-week Oh yes, we live holiday in England and France with daugh- in an uncer- ter Jessie and Jessie’s fl atmate Matt, and tain world. Th e subsequent adventures in the southeast of reality is that France. we don’t know Jessie and Matt arrived two days before OOKATOK A T O what is around THE WEDDING. No time was going TOM-OKATO is a free, the corner and to be a good time to view London, so we monthly publication, delivered while we take for granted that our com- did a sightseeing bus tour around London on the second Wednesday of munity is safe, it’s not necessarily the — the hop-on, hop-off variety — and got the month to all homes and case. caught up in the atmosphere. We saw the post-boxes from Timaru Road Recently, our Okato and Opunake paparazzi outside the Middletons’ hotel, to Bayly Road. coastal communities have been faced Buckingham Palace with all the fi lm THE TEAM with some frightening events. Th ey crews in their designated spots, Union Co-ordinator/Features: have made us take stock and ponder Jacks lining the streets, bunting and fl ags Kim Ferens how safe our communities actually are, galore decorating shops, homes and busi- 06 751 1519 nesses, people lining the streets and tents [email protected] and how widespread the implications are for those who have been directly (little ‘homes’) where people slept to keep Advertising: Kim Ferens and indirectly involved. To this end, their viewing spots. We saw all the impor- 06 751 1519 I (Milly) was impressed by the steps tant landmarks and then cruised up the [email protected] our local school took to keep our chil- Th ames and enjoyed a lovely meal and a Writers: dren safe during the armed standoff in view of Harrods lit up at nighttime. On Milly Carr Okato, which resulted in a school lock- the night of the wedding, we celebrated 06 752 4425 down. It was very well managed, which with a community dinner at the local hall. Kerry Lilley helped to allay the fears of children, A pig on a spit, take a salad or a dessert, 06 752 4350 their parents and caregivers alike. I am and all for a pound!!! A cheap feed, good Proof reader: sure that many other parents and car- company and a really pleasant evening. Maryanne Rossiter Bennett egivers will join me in acknowledging Next on the agenda was Oxford and the Graphics: Ron Stratford the professionalism and commitment sightseeing bus was a must. We all got [email protected] of our teaching faculty in protecting a bit of history while viewing the sights our children’s welfare. from the top deck. Later, we met our Eng- The TOM Group Ltd Winter has arrived. Th e recent hor- lish friends at a lovely country pub called 22 Sutton Rd, RD4, New rendous weather has created many Th e Barley Mow. Mo had been putting his Plymouth problems but at the time of writing this loose change into a cup in the kitchen for Email: kim@thetom. editorial, we have fi nally had a decent months and it was interesting to see how co.nz spell of drier weather, for which the far it went, shouting platters and drinks. Phone: 0800 THE TOM farmers and their stock will be thank- Th en, it was off to Bath and Stonehenge. www.thetom.co.nz ful. And doesn’t Mount Taranaki look Now Matt and Jessie can say they have Points of view expressed in glorious with its recent dumping of seen the rocks in the paddock!!! But what contributed articles are not necessarily an incredible feat all those years ago! the views of TOM snow! Th e hearts of skiers and specta- tors alike will be gladdened. Next stop was Amsterdam, where we TOM dates to remember for Milly and Kerry stayed for four nights in a cheap hotel. Four September issue of us in one room and three were snorers!! Poor Jessie was not impressed, but the rest Copy and ads - 26 August of us slept well! Th e see-through shower Distribution - 10 September just added to the adventure. Must-sees and dos in Amsterdam were the diamond factory, Anne Frank’s house, the red light district, the coff ee shops, which are not known for their coff ee but for something else, the Bols cocktail self-tour, which includes a free cocktail and two shots, the canal cruise, and best of all, the bike tour out into the country! We enjoyed good cheap food, the easy transport system, a relaxed atmosphere and nice people. Th en we headed by train to Paris. Th ree and a half hours on a quiet, comfortable train… a shame about the broken down airconditioning in our carriage. Paris comes alive at 8 o’clock at night when the restaurants, bars and cafés spill onto the 2 OKATO We said goodbye to the kids as they fl ew out of Paris heading for home, while Mo and I headed southeast to Vermenton in Burgundy. We spent a couple of days there with friends in a quaint guesthouse in a little village. We bought fresh produce at the Friday market and some of the locals took an interest in me trying on clothes, giving their impressions in French plus body language! We visited a medieval town called Vezelay — a World Heritage Site, which has a Basilica built in the 1100s — ate a four-course meal for 12 Euros (NZ$22) at a country restaurant, and visited another town with many Tudor-style buildings on the banks of a canal. Th e canals in France stretch for four to fi ve thousand miles and were historically used for transportation of goods. Anne, Jessie and Mo outside Buckingham Palace. Years ago, the government paid barge owners to scrap their barges but they are encouraging them back again now as an pavements. Our apartment was surrounded by them and we environmentally favourable form of transport. found that the buzz went into the early hours, and then the street cleaners came in! Once again, a hop-on, hop-off bus We discovered that life in the villages can be quite restric- took us to all the main sights and then we walked up the tive during siesta time. No noisy machinery allowed, shops Champs Elysees past all the designer/exclusive shops. Unfor- closed and quietness encouraged. We also noticed that the tunately, we timed our visit to the Eiff el Tower wrongly, French people have become more obliging when it comes for it turned out to be a national holiday!!! However, perse- to helping non-French-speaking foreigners. Th is may have verance prevailed and we got right up to the top, where its been infl uenced by the new Prime Minister, who has intro- designer, Gustave Eiff el, had built an apartment. Some room duced compulsory English in schools. with a view! Jessie has always wanted to go to Disneyland Th at’s all from France. Next, we embark on a nine-night and we spent our third day there, so now she can tick that cruise around the Baltic Sea. Yes, I’m fi nally getting my off her list. Luckily, it was not busy so we were able to do all 50th birthday present!! So tune into our fi nal adventure in that we wanted and go on some rides three times!! a TOM coming soon. Keeping Fluoride decisions leading to diff ering levels of service between NPDC water supplies. Th e Council must therefore ask Out of Okato’s itself if the benefi ts (in terms of well being) of fl uorida- tion are demonstrable for the New Plymouth supply, then shouldn’t the same occur for the Inglewood, Oakura and Water Okato supplies? (Or vice versa).” Th e fi rst step towards a tribunal on the use of fl uoride in In the report the Council stated that the status quo was New Plymouth District’s water supply has begun, with sub- not recommended as the issue of diff erent levels of serv- missions being called from the public from the 1st August. ice in the district water supplies would remain. Th e report Anyone who wants to speak to the tribunal which will be indicates that the Council recommends expansion of fl uor- held on the 29th and 30th September is asked to regis- idation to include Inglewood, Okato and Oakura, which ter with the Council before 31 August. After hearing the are currently unfl uoridated. presentations and reading the submissions, councillors will Feedback at community meetings and online forums sug- adjourn to consider all the information, then reconvene gests that the majority of the Okato citizens are opposed to on the 13th October to deliberate and make a decision. fl uoride, and if that is the case then the community needs Th e tribunal and the deliberation meeting are open to the to participate in the tribunal process to ensure that Oka- public. to’s water supply remains free of fl uoride. If you do not In 1992 a poll undertaken in Okato resulted in fl uoride not want the council to fl uoridate the Okato water supply I being added to the supplies at that time.