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Opinion Piece

We are living in uncertain times; a pandemic that has changed our way of life forever, a global climate crisis of which we are already experiencing major repercussions, an unprecedented invasion of a sovereign country, which is posed go down in history books and record inflation, topped by outrageous housing unaffordability.  When I consider the times that we live in, I get a sense of trepidation and frustration, but above all, a sense of great uncertainty. Where are we heading? What will m...

Focus on CHB

Covid, lockdowns and restrictions have been incredibly tough for so many people, especially when prices at the supermarket are through the roof. One local organisation, however, is making a difference by working hard to support not only those in need, but the environment as well. Andrea Mooney has been involved with the Food basket Waipukurau for several years, saying that she was part of a large team of volunteers that helped out. The system works by providing people with the opportunity of pic...

Hawkes Bays Forrest Gump

Local EIT tutor, Andrew McCrory, did what you might only dream of achieving, running the equivalent length of New Zealand. Running 50km each day for 40 days—that’s 40 ultramarathons. Andrew was aiming to fundraise $20,000 for kids with cerebral palsy to get selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery. This procedure is done on the lower spinal cord to reduce stiffness in the legs allowing for more movement. He began his epic journey early December last year but due to Covid-19 restrictions, Andre...

Planting the seed to change

Aaronsstones is a local greenstone carving business that Aaron Greaves runs out of his studioin Hastings. Aaron was taught to carve by his mentor Sam Wilkinson while he was still at Karamu High school. Sam invited him to look over his workshop and Aaron quickly began to work for Sam as often as he could using what ever he could find from his offcut bin to practice his carving. For Aaron carving became a full-time career in 2016. His first claim to fame was in 2012 when he was commissio...

Dedicated Service

When it comes to long service, few can say that they still wish to continue after nearly 30 years of work. Mrs Margaret Knight, however, is an exception. Margaret’s day begins well before that of most New Zealanders. She gets up at 3:30 am and arrives at her cleaning job at Lindisfarne College by 4:30 am. I asked Margaret what made her get up in the morning, and she promptly said, “I just love coming to work because each day is just completely different. I love interacting with the staff and...

Tylers Media Corner

PodcastAvailable to watch on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more.In A Word: Quirky  Ben and J Carlin, otherwise known as the Super Carlin Brothers on YouTube, host this brilliant podcast, discussing all things nerd. The pair of brothers, Jon and Ben talk about their fandoms, from Harry Potter, Marvel, Pixar and Disney and their film theories for which they are best known on the internet. They converse about their childhood together, their pastimes and social experiences t...

'Funner communities together"

Words and image by Esta Chaplin Ange Mentzer is serious about fun.She is a mum of three daughters, the best snack provider, a fan of Olivia Rodrigo – and a community treasure.Her official role at the New Zealand Red Cross is Community Activator but she goes well beyond the job description. Last Ange noticed ”there was no dedicated, regular youth voice” in the Red Cross. She set out to change that!The Red Cross Youth Ambassadors was born!With the Ambassadors, Ange e...

Kristyl Neho - Drama Queen

Words Lena Ormsby Images Lena Orsmby / Tyler Heesterman"We live in a time where our lives are influenced by media posts. We justify our actions by aligning them with current trends, only to short-live the satisfaction of being ‘socially acceptable’. All of which can occur at the expense of our confidence, self-worth, and identity"  Kristyl Neho is a beloved person of our community that has dedicated her life’s work to helping our tamariki and rangatahi, overcome the struggles of ...

Send a Little Smile (SALS) is a wonderful little charity !

Send a Little Smile (SALS) is a wonderful little charity that is devoted to making things a little bit better. Founder Hollie Hales-Whitaker sculpted the idea for SALS from a memory she held close to her heart. Going through a rough period of life, she unexpectedly received a hand-delivered envelope. Inside was a beautiful card and vouchers for groceries, petrol, and a massage. From that point in time, Hollie noticed friends and colleagues going through challenging times. Send a Little Smile blo...