MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
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Did you Know..........Museum ‘Foyer Appeal’
Inside the new museum, volunteers are busy constructing exhibition areas, including a replica wharf shed, while the foyer continues to provide a space for community events. Historical Society president Christine Bygrave reports that a special fundraising effort is being made to complete the foyer by installing a kitchen area, polishing the floors and making the area a top class usuable space. This 'Foyer Appeal' needs $30,000, and the call has gone out for donations, big or small, to get this part of the museum project completed. Please help out if you can. Christmas at the Museum A good example of the foyer use for the community is Christmas at the Museum with the Mangawhai Singers. There is no charge, but the local Fire Brigade have been invited to take donations. Plus there will be a monster Christmas Hamper raffle with many goodies donated by local businesses. It all happens this Wednesday 18 December at 7.30pm. In the Museum Foyer of course! Bird report by Sioux Wow, Christmas is nearly here already, the birds in my yard have done well in getting their chicks fledged before the real days of summer arrive – fantail, grey warbler, white faced heron chicks have all left the nest. One lone shining cuckoo is still calling frantically for a mate, I hope he finds one soon. Please look out for the shorebirds/waders who are also here to take advantage of our beautiful harbour over the summer months and be mindful that our own local birds are raising chicks out in the wildlife refuge. Have a great summer. Community grant available The Mangawhai Endowment Lands account provides annual grants for projects which benefit Mangawhai under the community assistance policy. Applications need to be in by Friday December 20. Call in to the KDC office in the village for an application form. Applications will be considered in February. Spit birds busy Encouraging start for the fairy terns. There are chicks out on the Spit in the middle of the harbour here at Mangawhai, being cared for by their parents, who will be busy shallow diving and catching tiny fish for them to gulp down hungrily, reports Fairy tern volunteer coordinator Jane Vaughan. See the report from Jane Vaughan in this issue. Memorial Hall movies Did you know the Kaiwaka War Memorial Hall has gone digital? The first of many movies planned will be shown on Friday December 13 starting at 7.30pm. The Life of Pi on the 6-metre screen with awesome sound system and new chairs should be just great. Tickets $10 adults, $5 children. If you are at all interested in helping to set up a movie group in Kaiwaka, please contact Ad Clarijs on 431 2234, or email clarijsam@xtra.co.nz. See you at the movies. Christmas lights on show The Morrison family at 10 Kagan Ave in the village (off Moir St before the Domain) may well have started something! They have decorated their property with Christmas lights for us all to enjoy for a couple of hours each evening. They turn them on around 8.30pm, so wander along (no dogs please) and have a look. As daughter Michaela attends Mangawhai Beach School, the family suggest that a gold coin donation for the school would be appreciated. Family violence project starts Sadly, Christmas is a time when family violence can escalate. Family violence is Not ok, but it is ok to ask for help. A local project aims to help change attitudes and behavious around family violence in the wider Wellsford area. Contacts for this project are Judy Kennedy phone 423 6091, Mandi on (09) 426 6524. But right now, if you or someone else is in danger, then call the police on 111. And remember, preventing family violence is everyone's business. Boat ID great idea Local honorary fisheries officer Murray Fell has come up with an idea to identify small boats by using your trailer registration for your craft. He reckons it costs around $30 to get a sticker printed to stick on your hull, a small price to pay for quick access to craft ownership and crew. What do you think? Have a chat with Murray when you see him out and about – he often has the Fisheries information trailer outside the village shops on a Saturday morning. Holiday shuttle to ease squeeze Good news. The Shuttle Bus will be operating this summer holiday from December 27 through to January 11, just $2 per trip with children 5-14 years $1, and under 5’s free. Parking out at the Heads Beach is extremely limited so it makes sense to take the bus. Timetable and route for the Shops to Sand shuttle are posted on the Mangawhai website and well publicised locally.
■ News and views to share through this column? Contact Jo Roberts 431 4711, email jo.roberts@xtra.co.nz |