Doctors Point, Waitati, Evansdale, Warrington, Seacliff 1 March 2009 Waitati 770% better than Mosgiel by the editors Leonie Rousselot took this photo inside an ornate Edwardian carriage of the Taieri Gorge Railway commuter train from Waitati to Dunedin on Wedndesday, 18 March. The seated pair are Nick Prosser and Chris Linsell, two of the 208 passengers who were counted arriving in Dunedin (some alighted earlier: children heading to Sawyers Bay School and the Dunedin Rudolf Steiner School at Maia). Two trains, with evening return trips, were run on Walk to Work Day for commuters who live out of walking range of the city. The train from Mosgiel had 27 passengers in spite of a will try harder next time. population base about ten times greater; ‘Blueskin Colour photo at http://getthetrain.blogspot.com/ News’ hopes that the good people of Mollywood Newcomer settles in to village life feature article by Stacy-Ann Campbell Waitati newcomer Lynnaire Johnston has embraced Lynnaire came to Waitati in August from the centuries-old concept of a potager garden, Auckland. Her elderly mother lives in Waikouaiti which is a garden that combines herbs, flowers and she had the chance to buy a property she and vegetables and is sharing the results with the adores. Her main business, magazine writing, local community. editing, and copywriting, can be done anywhere. From her home on the corner of Doctor’s Point “Technology allows it today,” she says. Road and Foyle Street, Lynnaire will sell fresh and Trained as a journalist, Lynnaire has had a dried herbs, plants and herbs, plus preserves and varied career: she worked in radio for ten years, produce. was a motoring editor, has worked in charity (and Lynnaire will aim at a different market than is in fact still does), and was senior writer for the catered for by Blueskin Nurseries and feels there country’s largest city council. Some years ago she will be plenty of customers for both. “It’s a local began her own freelance writing and copywriting enterprise for local people and the prices reflect business, Word Wizard, creating websites, that,” she says. advertisements, brochures and other marketing Since October Lynnaire has been selling her material for a wide variety of companies. herbs at various local markets including Seacliff. Lynnaire’s media skills and generous offers She was recently awarded first place for the best of help have been a great asset to the Blueskin outdoor stall at the Palmerston A&P show. • continued on page 2 1 March 2009 Blueskin News 1 April Art in the Arvo is cancelled by Señorita León de la Barra Blueskin Bay Cafe We’ve decided to cancel April’s ‘Art in the Arvo’ next to Blueskin Nurseries because it is scheduled on the same day as the A&P sale, so things may be too hectic. Open 7 days from 8.30am to 4.00pm • from page 1 media team. She edits the weekly Blueskin Bay Full menu available all day, plus news bulletins read out each Friday on Puketapu counter food, coffee and a Radio and she co-edited the February edition of large range of teas. ‘Blueskin News’ while regular co-editor Craig All food is freshly prepared Marshall was away. on the premises. Lynnaire says the best thing about living in Private functions and a small community is that anywhere you go you out-catering on request: run into someone you know, which is not the phone 482 2633 case in the city. “I enjoy the fact there is so much going on here, yet it is comparatively quiet and peaceful,” she says. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Local contact: Elspeth 482 2022 www.amnesty.org.nz BLUESKIN NEWS Published not-for-profit by volunteers of Blueskin Media on the 1st of each month, February to December, 600 copies distributed around Seacliff, Warrington, Evansdale, Waitati and Doctors’ Point. Additional copies available at Blueskin General Store, Blueskin Bay Community Library and Warrington Post Office Boxes. We publish anything about this area, or anything written by someone from this area; and all ranges of opinion which are expressed in a respectful way. All unattributed opinion shall be attributed to Blueskin Media. All material sent to and/or published by us is “copyleft” and may be freely copied, re-edited and re-published. Content is pooled with the blueskin.co.nz website and other local media. Content offered for publication under the above principles is welcome; please email by the 22nd of each month to [email protected]. Electronic copy should be formatted as simply as possible with two returns between each paragraph or item in a list, and after each heading. Produced and distributed this month with the help of: Craig Marshall, Louise Booth, Lynnaire Johnston, Peter Dowden, Polly Higham, Stacy-Ann Campbell , Kelvin & Bev Lyon Milk Vendors, Blueskin General Store, Gallery on Blueskin, the Contributors and Advertisers. Printed by North East Otago Computing, Hampden. 2 Blueskin News 1 March 2009 ANZAC DAY SERVICE Briefs Saturday 25 April • Coast Road Market on Sunday April 5 by Helen Beamish • Toss a possum at the Blueskin A&P Clearing Sale on April4: Dame Edna won’t be there The Blueskin Bay Anzac Day service will be held • Join the Waitati Edible Gardeners at the at the Waitati Hall and Cenotaph at 10am on Harvest Market on Sunday April 18. See Anzac Day. page 5 • Wreath-laying and Remembrance Service • ANZAC Day service on April 25, Waitati • Waitati Cenotaph and Hall, 10am Hall • Followed by community morning tea - please • A&P Country Fair Photography competition, bring a plate closes April 2 If you have medals from your forbears, or “war stories” from your family history, please contact Helen Beamish - we would like to incorporate more “local history” into our service this year. We acknowledge the death earlier this year of Blueskin News advertising Mr David Symon, Lieutenant, 2nd Engineering We are now taking bookings for advertising in Field Company, World War 2. David has laid the 2009. community wreath at our Cenotaph services over • business card (up to one-eighth of A5 page) many years - we shall miss his positive spirit and $15 presence this Anzac Day. • up to quarter A5 page: $25 Our local service is truly a community-oriented • up to half A5 page: $35 time of remembrance and reflection. Many people • up to full A5 page: $60 combine their talents and time to ensure the • Double A5 page spread: $100 service is both community and reflective. Discount or waiver of the above fees may If you would like to help in any way… be available for non-commercial community adult or child…setting up the hall, morning tea events. contributions, clearing up afterwards, scrubbing All classified ads are free. the Cenotaph, making a wreath…please contact Deadline: 22nd of the month, January to me, and we’ll sort out a place for you to “join the November. team”. Most “jobs” happen on the day before – the [email protected] last Friday of the school holidays. For more information, contact Helen Beamish at 4821 440 or hbeamish @ clear.net.nz everything printed here appears on our website as it arrives, in full colour, with clickable links and in searchable form 1 March 2009 Blueskin News 3 DERek’s GARDEN DIary April: the grower’s holidays by Derek Onley Last year’s advice for what to plant in April is still produce enough for green tomato chutney. at http://tinyurl.com/c9cnac but I wouldn’t bother Some varieties of vegetable will grow better looking because I said it was far too late to plant in your garden micro-climate and with your anything and you would be better off feeding the style of gardening than others, so it is worth leeks and brassicas with compost and mulch and experimenting. Last spring I planted two varieties gathering compost and mulch materials for next of broccoli alternately in a row, composted, year. Or going on holiday. mulched and sporadically squashed caterpillars But after that column appeared my gardening in a similar manner. De Ciccio, an old Italian neighbour immediately told me that he always variety, grew tall and green, had one smallish planted his broccoli in April and that I was being central head and after cutting, lots of small side pessimistic (or lazy?), so maybe you should give it a shoots, though I did need to feed and water it well. go and report the results back to Blueskin News. Shogun, a hybrid and one for the “cooler months”, It is true that you can get several different grew more slowly, was greyer leaved, shorter and varieties of broccoli and that some, as they so thicker stemmed, developed a large central head optimistically say on the seed packet, are “the later than de Ciccio and then seemed to struggle choice for the cooler months” or more reservedly to produce many side shoots. “suitable for cooler climates”. If you see any such Vegetable varieties that grow especially well recommendation on any vegetable then I reckon and relatively easily in my garden are: Manchester you should grab the seeds immediately and try table carrots, merveille des quatre saisons and royal planting them down here in spring, the warmer oak leaf lettuces, yellow (golden wax) dwarf beans part of the year. Apart from the few hot days rather than green ones and curly kale rather than in January they will flourish in our temperate the long, crumpled leaved lacinato. If you have Blueskin Bay climate. Just remember to water them any varieties that have been especially successful, well if it gets dry.