Thursday, Nov 7, 2019 Since Sept 27, 1879 Retail $2.20 Home delivered from $1.35 THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY 140 YEARS Mount Hutt awards P3 Renewed calls for fireworks ban BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY lic safety fireworks should not be sold running around so I went out to see [email protected] to the general public,” one comment what was going on and then I saw the Calls for a ban on the sale of fireworks to said. fireworks,” she said. the general public have been renewed “Yes, I would like to see fireworks A group of people who had been after a chaotic night of firework relat- banned to the public and have con- drinking alcohol were letting off the ed mayhem across the country while trolled community events,” another fireworks, at times firing them towards locals were left worried about pets and said. buildings on their own property. livestock. One woman who is urgently pushing Williams said she went and spoke It is believed no fireworks related for a ban is Winslow woman Leanne to the group of people and said if the incidents were reported to firefighters Williams who had serious concerns for fireworks continued she would be con- in the Ashburton District, and com- the welfare of her animals following tacting their employers and the police, Tooting menters on the Ashburton Guardian reckless firework use over the weekend. and that they could pay the bill for any Facebook page said they had not heard A group of people let off a number of injuries her horses may sustain. much in the way of firework activi- fireworks one paddock away from her ty, but would like to see them banned horses. time again from public sale. “It was a hot night so we had the win- CONTINUED P3 P5 “I believe that in the interests of pub- dows open and I could hear the horse Motoring Friday, July 5, 2019 Jenny’s XK8 Jaguar is her dream car. 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Nissan New Zealand reserves the right to vary, withdraw or extend this ooer. News 2 Ashburton Guardian Thursday, November 7, 2019 www.guardianonline.co.nz ■ MOUNT HUTT COLLEGE Focusing in class the key to success BY SUSAN SANDYS [email protected] Focusing in class has stood Rose- mary Taggart in good stead at Mount Hutt College this year. The 18-year-old was named Dux at the school’s senior prizegiving on Tuesday night. “Studying and working hard in class, so I don’t have to go home and do it,” Rosemary said of the strategy behind her success. Setting goals and not having a break until she had achieved them while on campus had meant she could keep her homework com- mitment to an enviable five hours per week. It gave her more time for her passions of horse riding and net- ball, while ensuring she obtained excellence in internals for all of her subjects – calculus, statistics, biol- ogy, chemistry and agriculture. Rosemary has grown up on her parents’ Methven farm, and plans to do a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Lincoln University next year. She said she liked the academic side of agriculture, and wanted to work in the industry, perhaps as a farm consultant or seed represent- ative. Meanwhile, fellow Year 13 stu- Rosemary Taggart was named Dux of Mount Hutt College for 2019 at the school’s senior prizegiving on Tuesday night. dent Davina Johnston said she PHOTO SUSAN SANDYS 051119-SS-0082 was overwhelmed and shocked to be named Proxime Accessit at the the major awards. and thought ‘That’s what I want’,” “I never would have seen myself Ara, ultimately becoming a sec- prizegiving. The goal she had set herself for she said. getting this,” Davina said of the ondary school teacher. The 18-year-old said in her pre- this year was to get the trophy and So to be able to tick off that Proxime Accessit award. “I love that you can feed your vious years at the college she had academic prize for food, nutrition award, amongst others, as well as Davina’s passion is nutrition, body from the inside out, and what received excellences and merits and health. be named runner-up to the Dux and she plans to major in the topic you put into your body you can get in some subjects, but never one of “I saw someone get it last year had been fantastic, she said. through a Bachelor of Science at out as well,” Davina said. Inspiring words of wisdom for departing students BY SUSAN SANDYS on offer, from apprenticeships to being the first woman intern with ing her dream of being able to de- “heroes”, while applauding the [email protected] academic study and everything in the Canterbury Rugby Football velop girls’ and women’s rugby. excellence in all fields on display Rugby young gun Nicole Purdom between, before making up their Union. Purdom was joined by fellow throughout the evening, including had words of wisdom for Mount mind. “You do you, and you succeed speakers head boy Mitchell Bar- international and national sport- Hutt College’s departing senior Purdom herself began physi- in what you do, I wish someone ron, head girl Caitlin Smith, board ing success. students at their prizegiving. cal education teacher studies at told me that when I was at school,” chairman Richard Fitzgerald and “Heroes are not born they are Mid Canterbury Rugby’s first the University of Canterbury af- Purdom told students in the audi- principal Jack Saxon in giving in- made, it takes a village to raise a women’s and schools’ rugby devel- ter leaving school, but 18 months ence. spirational addresses to the de- child,” he said. opment officer is a former student in yearned for something more Purdom’s study opened up parting students. He acknowledged departing of the school and was guest speak- “hands-on”. pathways, associated with a rug- It was Saxon’s first principal’s staff for 2019 including his prede- er at the event on Tuesday night. “I was so bored,” she said. by career that has taken her to the address to the school community cessor John Schreurs and teacher Purdom urged pupils to look at So she transferred to a sport heights of the sport here and over- since taking up the role this term. Kate Wood who had given 25 years the large range of tertiary courses coaching degree, which led to her seas. It has also led to her achiev- Saxon paid tribute to the school’s of service. OUT TOMORROW Check out Guardian Motoring in tomorrow’s Ashburton Guardian for all the latest motoring news and reviews. www.facebook.com/ashguardian www.guardianonline.co.nz News www.guardianonline.co.nz Thursday, November 7, 2019 Ashburton Guardian 3 New Ashburton Trust board ready to go to work BY SUE NEWMAN board, the first priority would be [email protected] to ensure the new board was bed- As new chair of the Ashburton ded in and ready for a new year Trust, Chris Robertson says this and this would be undertaken three-year term will build on the within the framework of a strate- work done by previous boards to gic new view set against the work establish a strong base for max- that had been done to date by the imising grants and donations to trust, Robertson said. the community. Over the past two election cy- Robertson is in his third term cles the trust has changed its around the trust’s board table and business model from a trading said that while significant change entity to one of a landlord and had already occurred over the now only ran one business, the last two election cycles, the final Devon Tavern. steps in that process would come New investment and grants with the sign-off on the change to policies had been adopted and a become a community trust. The maintenance review of all of its final paperwork on the incorpo- buildings and premises had been ration was expected any day. undertaken and a maintenance The community trust would programme established. have a 100-year vision in terms of The trust now had a sum of its lifetime and that meant a 100 $1.6 million in bond and equity year investment and grants strat- investments and was continuing egy, Robertson said. to contribute $70,000 each month “In doing so we seek to maxim- to this. And that enabled the trust ise the return to our community to diversify its investment away on an inter-generational basis from its dependence on hospi- that will build on the work of all tality property to a more rounded previous boards since the incep- investment mix, he said.