News in Brief

 

Grassroots fund
The Northland Grassroots Fund is made available every year to charities and organisations working with the local community to provide services and support all over Northland. 

This year, with just over $91,000 available to distribute, applications totalling $410,032 were received from 34 organisations. The Northland Community Foundation’s Grant Panel, made up of volunteers from around the region, selected 13 organisations to be the recipients of this year’s available funds. Four of those are from the Kaipara.

Te Whai Community Trust Mangawhai was awarded $8000, helping it to continue to bring social services that are lacking into the Mangwahai area.

Tides Out Fun Run
The annual Tides Out Bream Bay Fun Run & Walk will take place on Sunday October 20. The 5km and 10km fun run and walk is organised by the Bream Bay College PTA, and held in Ruakaka.

The 5km event follows a loop with the 10km following it for most of the way and then doing an additional out and back loop. A section of the run is along the beach, and finishes at the Ruakaka Surf Lifesaving Club. First event starts at 9.30am.
Enter online at breambaycollege.school.nz or call Maree Wright 027 459 5618 for more details.

Chamber trio to perform
After a highly successful tour in Europe, Flavio Villani (piano), Marko Pop Ristov (violin), and Callum Hall (cello) present a beautiful repertoire: Schubert’s one movement Nocturne, ‘Dumky’ by Dvorak, and Shostakovich’s 2nd piano trio to finish.
This is a unique opportunity to experience a high caliber international trio in an intimate location – the grand lounge of the Country Homestead at Black Sheep Farm, 1034 Cove Rd, Waipu. Sunday October 6, 2pm. Tickets are limited, $45 adults, no door sales. Book online at blacksheepfarm.co.nz or phone 432 0435.
Light refreshments and meet the trio will end the evening.

Manslaughter verdict
After two days of deliberation, the jury who listened to three weeks of testimony regarding the tragic death of Mangawhai toddler Ariah Dawn Roberts, have acquitted the accused, Aaron Archer of murder. Instead, in a majority vote, they found the 31-year-old former partner of Ariah’s mother guilty of the child’s manslaughter.
Two-year-old Ariah died last August from acute brain injury while in Archers care. The jury’s job was to decide whether Ariah's injuries were the result of a deliberate assault or a tragic accident. Archer will be sentenced on October 21.