November 2016 Volume: 14 Issue: 09 Omokoroa Community Board Report by Murray Grainger Chairman The structure of the Omokoroa Community Board for the next triennium was ratified at the formal swearing in ceremony, held in Te Puke on 10th November. After all the newly elected Council and Community Board members were sworn in, a brief first meeting was held to appoint the Chairman and Deputy. I was elected as Chairman and Teresa Sage as Deputy along with Peter Presland and Derek Sage. We are joined by John Palmer and Margaret Murray-Benge, the Councillors appointed by the Mayor to work with us. John, of course, served on the Community Board before stepping up to Councillor level and Margaret has a wealth of experience at Councillor level. We are keen to engage with our community and it was made abundantly clear in our initial induction sessions that our new Mayor, Garry Webber, wants future plans for WBPDC to be led from the ground up, not the top down. To that end, we are exploring ways and means of making it easy for the residents and ratepayers of Omokoroa to engage and feel involved in what happens in the next three years and to steer the vision for the future of Omokoroa over the following 10 – 20 years. Although we may have a higher proportion of retirees than the national average, there are others here with commitments that make it hard for them to get along to meetings or to put in submissions etc. so we have created an online forum to assist. Go to: www.omokoroabeach.nz/forum to have your say. In the same way that you cannot put in a written submission to a planning review or speak at a public meeting anonymously, we do not want anonymous contributions to this online forum. If you cannot attach your full name to what you wish to say, then it is probably not worth saying. Please sign up and get involved in your community for the good of your community. The date of the February meeting is tentatively set for 7 Feb 2017 Community Board Meeting Tuesday 29th November, 2016 - at 7pm Omokoroa Library & Service Centre, McDonnell St Shopping Centre The next community Board meeting will not be until February 2017, but an exact date is not available at this stage! (Check the December Omelette, it might be in there) Omokoroa Omelette 1 November 2016 Letters to the Editor... The Editor, Omokoroa Omelette... Dear Sir, I would like to congratulate the editor of the Omelette for protecting the right to freedom of speech so diligently by publishing the open threat by Hugh Mungus (October 2016) to deliberately run in to, and hurt, small children at the Omokoroa skate path. In the spirit of this liberal attitude I would like to respond by suggesting to Mr Mungus that were I to see any adult run deliberately into a small child at said park they would learn exactly what could be done to their oversized toys by an irate and protective father. Please be assured that I also would not stop. Kind regards, Luke Bradford MINGLES - Over 50s Singles Club Now open to younger if you don’t mind maturity! Omokoroa is such a great place to live but some of us have left family or friends to move here or for whatever reason find ourselves ‘single again’. Being single we like to mix with others who are also living solo. There are many clubs in the village but they consist mostly of couples. Guys and Gals, here’s a chance to have a club of our own… where we can have outings, meet more people, support each other and enjoy each other’s company without feeling like a ‘third wheel’. We have been going for nearly three years now and membership has grown to over 30. We have had many get togethers, outings, and got to know people in our area. A good feeling to be greeted when you are out and about! Regularly meet for coffee on a Wednesday at La Petite Café, often to the boat club to enjoy the music or just the surroundings. Things planned for the next month or so are… community lawn bowls, wine tastings, and an Italian cooking experience, a pre-Christmas get together or two. No joining fee, just contact: [email protected] for list of events and come and enjoy summer in paradise. (NOT a ‘dating’ club, just enjoying the company of other singles!) Our new Omokoroa Community Board for the next 3 years... L-R: Chairman - Murray Grainger, Deputy Chair - Teresa Sage, Peter Presland, Derek Sage, Councillor Margaret Murray-Benge & Councillor John Palmer New rules for dog owners are in effect now! Media Release supportive of the proposals. Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Dog Control Policy and The final policy and bylaw were created and are adopted on Friday, 14 October Bylaw 2016 came into effect mid-October 2016. 2016. The policy and bylaw updates rules for dog welfare, neutering, Some of the main things people should know are: dog exercise areas, dealing with dog poo and encourages • On leash restrictions have been introduced in Te Puke, Katikati and Waihi responsible dog ownership. Beach town centres. The intention is to achieve a balance between meeting the needs of dog owners, • The new Omokoroa to Tauranga Cycleway has been designated as a “dogs and the wider community. on lead” area to reduce potential issues between cyclists and dogs off lead. Compliance and Monitoring Manager Alison Curtis says dog safety awareness • Owners are now required to carry a poo bag in public areas at all times and is becoming more important as the number of people, and subsequently dogs, can be issued an infringement for not complying. Warnings will be given move to this District. initially. “Council strives to minimise the potential danger, distress and nuisance of dogs To view the policy and bylaw go to Council’s website: to the community generally while ensuring the adequate welfare and wellbeing of http://www.westernbay.govt.nz/our-services/animal-services/dog-rules/Pages/ dogs. The Bylaw and Policy is about ensuring the right balance, acknowledging default.aspx the positives of dogs in our community and ensuring a dog safe environment.” Kate Shanks Council went out to the community earlier this year to talk about the changes Communication Advisor people wanted to see to dog rules and find out what is important to them. From WBOPDC there a draft policy was created for formal feedback – most was generally very Omokoroa Omelette 2 November 2016 Circulars and Newspaper Deliveries The paper boys and girls and their supervisor would like to wish all our recipients a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy Prosperous New Year. We would also like to apologise for any wet or damaged circulars and/ or newspapers that you may have received. In our defence the weather has been atrocious in our designated delivery slots lately and we also get very wet in the process of our deliveries. You as householders could also help yourselves as well as us, by making sure your letter box is emptied frequently, and/ or is large enough with a big enough slot in which to put the newspapers and circulars. Plus, if you do not want either circulars or newspapers when you are away simply attach a strip of tape saying so to the box which you can remove on your return. Our New Year wish is that all the letter boxes in Omokoroa were large enough to make our job easier and your newspapers and circulars dry and undamaged. Alas many are far too small. Our best wishes to you all. From your delivery team. PUBLIC NOTICE Local Telephone Directory This year was the one for a replacement Directory. Unfortunately with Nancy being overseas for so long (and still is) I couldn't fit it in my busy schedule this year. I appoligise for not getting one out! January 2017 Omokoroa Omelette There will be NO January issue of the Omelette as I will be overseas spending time with my wife and her family in Indianapolis. 1st day back on the job is Tuesday 14th February 2017 Omokoroa Omelette 3 November 2016 Omokoroa Pahoia Sea Scouts October 14th to 16th was the annual Scouts Association JOTI (Jamboree on the Internet). The theme for this year was “Discover the World”. Following a briefing on internet safety and conversations with others, through spoken and typed conversations, Omokoroa and Pahoia Sea Scouts, were able to connect with Scouts from over 50 other countries. This gave them the opportunity to find out something about the countries and cultures of other Scouts and to develop a sense of being part of a worldwide movement. Scouts pushed pins into a world map to identify which countries they had encountered through Joti and were amazed by the spread. In order to converse with others in different time zones, we wanted to be able to stay up late together, so twelve of the scouts camped in the Group Leader’s back garden. Scouts pitched and struck hiking tents - skills each needs to have as part of their Bronze award - and gained a night towards their camping badges. A highlight for many was the cooking of dinner and breakfast on small gas burners purchased last year from a grant by The Centre. They had a full English, pancakes AND French Toast and probably didn’t need to eat for the rest of the week. Feedback from the Scouts is that many would like to stay up all night on the internet, as one of the Scottish groups we met were doing.