July 24th Issue

Donations from people enjoying the area’s wild landscape, natural beauty, and local cuisine and wine, has recently been gifted to three local organisations.

 

Bears, bats, skunks, snakes, some squirrels, bees and Mangawhai – which is the odd one out?


 

After the disruption, disagreements and allegations that occurred at the recent Mangawhai Domain AGM on June 12, the membership of the committee and administration of the Domain facilities is now facing an uncertain future.
 

A local junior team of talented budding ambulance officers have come away from their first competition with an armful of awards despite being the new kids on the ‘cadet block’.

 

Hundreds of pages of planning and objectives while doing a masters in politics have been amassed by Kaipara councillor Victoria del la Varis-Woodcock, who realised there was a lack of public awareness and education about waste minimisation.
 

 

With a series of athletic events behind her over the years including the Oxfam 100 kilometre walk, The Focus’s Melody Tito kept the local flag flying on July 8 taking on The Beast – the Paihia Mud Run.
 

Developments in technology have made it possible for neuroscientists to unravel some of the mysteries of the brain. Increasing evidence supports the benefits of meditation.

 

In late June, Mangawhai artist and teacher Gayle Forster embarked on a long-planned overseas trip-cum-pilgrimmage revisiting some of the far flung artistic centres which made impressions on her during her formative years. Here are a few snippets.
 

Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale of the little boy raised in the jungle by wolves will come to life on the Otamatea Repertory Theatre stage in August.

 

Partners Lloyd Rooney and Mike Fraser (pictured) have made a big splash on the local dining scene and they may not be finished yet .


 

A couple of months ago we received a letter from Northpower saying that if we didn’t trim our leylandii hedge they would cut it down.
 

What does the community want? - The last two issues of the Focus have had articles and letters related to the AGM of the Domain Society.

Can someone give us the heads-up? - There has recently been yet another lot of reportedly ‘old Maori skulls’
 

Something fishy was going on at a local art gallery recently, with market shoppers and the curious trying out a new, not-so-smelly way to capture a fish.

 

The Mason Gallery, located above the cafe at Bennetts of Mangawhai, is a new venture conceived by Mt Maunganui photographer Geoff Mason and his wife Christine.

 

Longstanding Northland electrical company, McKay Ltd, has signed a contract with Hawaiki Submarine Cable LP, the owner and developer of the Hawaiki submarine cable system, for the build of the Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Mangawhai Heads.
 

Committee elected  -Linking Hands vehicles travelled 95,372 km taking clients to medical appointments in the previous year.
Beach hoons - Criminal and anti-social behaviour has seen a lull over the last two weeks, ‘a good thing’.
New Year to sizzle
After last year’s wildly successful festival, Northern Bass promoters Fuzen have raised the stakes.