Te Awamutu Courier
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Te Awamutu CARING FOR YOUR SAFETY Autorobot Straightening Courier Body Alignment Systems Published Tuesday & Thursday THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011 24 Hour Salvage Ph (07) 871-5069 Bond Road, Te Awamutu, P.O. Box 437 8023399AA Fax (07) 871-4069 A/H (07) 871-7336 CELEBRATING 100 YEARS AS YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER email: [email protected] CIRCULATED FREE TO ALL HOUSEHOLDS THROUGHOUT TE AWAMUTU AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS. EXTRA COPIES 40c. BRIEFLY Change to Smokefree benefits Daffodil Day help sought As the 21st Anniversary of Waikeria staff and inmates daffodil day in New Zealand approaches, local co-ordinator BY SUE RUSSELL, WINTEC JOURNALISM STUDENT Hazel Robertson invites any person with fresh daffodils to Looking back on the seven weeks since donate them to this worthy Smokefree was introduced, Waikeria prison manager Kevin Smith’s voice carries just a hint cause. of surprise at how low-key the shift to Smokefree These can be left at the has been. Baptist Church Office on He puts this non-event down to solid planning Thursday, August 25 or the and the managed phase in time. morning of Friday, August 26 ‘‘There have not been any issues involving ready to be made into bunches prisoners that we can attribute to the smoking for distribution. ban. I put this down to the planning and lead-in Any businesses which have time when we introduced several initiatives,’’ not been approached by a Mr Smith says. volunteer for a bunch of 10 Nine months before the July 1 ban prisoners blooms for their premises can could, at no cost, access nicotine replacement phone Mrs Robertson at 871 assessment and treatment in the form of patches 7533. or lozenges. More volunteers are also Three months before the big day staff were sought to sit at the collection banned from smoking in front of prisoners. stalls in the town area (phone One month out a planned process to reduce 871 7533 if you can help). supply of tobacco was implemented. Prisoners could no longer purchase tobacco products and Readers snare were using up stored supplies. An opportunity to exchange lighters for snow pics lollipops gave prisoners the chance to clear out their cells of any sign of the habit. Courier readers have sent in When July 1 dawned the prison held 909 some great pics capturing inmates. Of those, 551 were smokers — 351 of TC180811SR02 Monday morning’s snowfall. whom chose to access nicotine replacement SIGN OF TIMES: signs at Waikeria Prison entrances now include cigarettes and tobacco among Check them out on pages 4, treatment. The approach staff took on July 1 was the description of items banned from the prison. 9, 12 and 13. ‘business as usual’ says Mr Smith. If you ever have any news Positives have flowed out of the change to a Mr Smith takes his hat off to one officer, a prison currency. tips, photos or anything you Smokefree prison. three-pack a day man, who no longer smokes. Prison staff spoke a lot with prisoners during would like to share with other New gym equipment has been bought and the ‘‘It was the younger staff at times who the phase-in to gauge the number who were not readers, post it to PO Box 1, Te prison gym, closed for several years, has struggled more with the idea of quitting.’’ settling well toward the idea of no longer being Awamutu, drop it into our office reopened with a dedicated trainer. The shopping list for prisoners has also able to smoke. Twenty two were assessed as at 336 Alexandra Street or Prisoners have access to the gym each week changed. They were asked which items they being very angry about the pending ban and a email the editor and staff also use it during their lunch-breaks. would like to access and the prison used it an an further 86 as angry. grant.johnston@ Some are part of a ‘biggest loser’ weight-loss opportunity to introduce more healthy options. ‘‘We kept a close eye on these groups in the teawamutucourier.co.nz. competition. Not surprisingly, there has also been an early days,’’ Mr Smith says. All prison units have received new board uptake in muesli bars, sweets and potato chips. Access to patches and lozenges to help with Wharepapa Sth. games to help occupy prisoner time. An unexpected change post smoke-free is that nicotine withdrawal symptoms will always be Some staff used the pending date as a reason marijuana (illegal substance sometimes available at the prison as it is continually 75th planned to permanently quit smoking. smuggled into prison) has diminished in value as receiving new prisoners. Wharepapa South School and District 75th Jubilee will be held on Saturday, October 29. Wharepapa South is a Smokefree message spreading thriving farming district with great community spirit. It is this feature that has The word about a Smokefree Landscape Committee and was for children of all ages, and make it ther enhanced when it was pre- allowed the school and area to public environment is spreading forwarded through the Board to attractive for all generations of sented to the Community Board to succeed in a challenging rural in Te Awamutu thanks to the Council. families. state that all playgrounds in the environment. Community Playground Com- In setting that example of a district should be designated and Anyone associated with the mittee. positive and healthy family signposted as Smokefree. school and district over the past The group which has environment, the committee Council expressed some con- 75 years is welcome to attend. undertaken the research and saw no place for smoking, cern about policing Smokefree Contact the web page fundraising for the new play- and believe the Smokefree destinations, but the Playground www.wharepapa.school.nz or ground being built on Selwyn designation will be well Committee and Community Board e-mail wharepapareunion Lane recommended it be received. believe that the designation and @gmail.com for further designated Smokefree. Already all school grounds in signage is a step in the right information. That recommendation was One of the aims of the Play- New Zealand and some public direction and does empower users endorsed by Te Awamutu Com- ground Committee is to provide an sports facilities are Smokefree. to point out the rule to people who munity Board’s Reserves and exciting destination playground The recommendation was fur- light up. Drills Power Harrows ENJOY FRESH HOT Waikato’s The Modern Farmers Biggest Power Harrow WATER ON Selection. DEMAND! Don’t PALOMA Miss Out! ETERNITY 24 FROM $2499plus GST UNITS INSTALLED LPG & NATURAL GAS OPTIONS * Conditions Apply YOUR LOCAL GAS AND HEAT SERVICE CENTRE 8215767AA 07 870 5020 0800 772887 100 ROCHE ST, TE AWAMUTU Benson Road, Te Awamutu • 870 2411 • www.powerfarming.co.nz Open Saturday 9am-12noon www.pratts.co.nz 2 TE AWAMUTU COURIER, THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011 YOUR LETTERS We need to be conscious Velodrome a vote of economic realities for youth of future If we were sitting in good are sitting on the twin horns of a nowhere near accounting for that Waipa/Te Awamutu is a great particularly passionate about, economic times, or even stable financial and ecological dilemma cost. It will eventually come upon place to live. however, it seems there is a tre- economic times, Don Buchanan’s relating to our existing fiscal and the taxpayer and possibly rate- How lucky we are to live here mendous amount of good will by letter ‘Small price to pay for great ecological debt on the one hand, payers as well. when we see the turmoil going on the Government, corporate facility’, would seem reasonable, and our core facility maintenance In the need to cut spending for around the world. sponsors and St Peters School in all pie in the sky claims of the and growth, which is needed just the projected cash strapped econ- We can justly be proud of our funding 75% of the cost of the velodrome garnering a wave of to get them up to scratch for the omy of the next few years, Govern- community and appreciate the Centre. commerce and wealth into the existing population and commerce ment is already focussing on ways work done by our elected local Is an extra $6 per ratepayer per region aside. requirements, on the other. to take back welfare spending, by government. An important part of year too much when we could be But we are not in good econom- Then we have to cater for the targetting benefits and what they their work is continuing to go building an ongoing asset that will ic times, and even the apparent growth factor. can be spent on. through the due process of improv- attract national and international short-term recovery of interna- It is quite clear from what Local ratepayers have yet to ing the infrastructure and facili- competitors to our district. tional stock markets is simply Government spokesmen have said feel the weight of the fiscal debt we ties for us and opportunities for We should not be swayed by reactive economics, hardly likely about how the rebuilding of Can- have for ‘legitimate’ ratepayer our youth to excel, as they do in all those with their own agendas or to hold up once the economies terbury, and the style that busi- needs, but once they do, the wants directions. the negative brigade but place our settle back to a natural level for nesses and others are wanting for of Mr Buchanan and co will be no One of the most exciting oppor- faith in our youth — as we live in the world circumstances.