|
|
 |
MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
|
|
|
Summmer gala planning underwayPlanning for the Mangawhai Annual Summer Gala is well under way and there are two aspects that we, the Gala Committee, would appreciate the community to help us with to have it running as smoothly as possible.
Stallholders One of the big year-round preparation activities is the booking of the sites for stallholders. We have kept the number of sites (200) and cost of these constant for the last couple of years. About 30 percent of these sites are pre-booked a year in advance, and others booked progressively through the year with a rush of bookings commencing about now and right up to the Gala Day itself. We have a very strict policy of no ‘last minute’ extra sites becoming available, and from now on it is definitely first booked, first paid, first preference. Firstly apologies. The booking site https:// sites.google.com/site/ mangawhaidomain/on-line-stallholder-booking-form and the EMail account mangawhaigala@ gmail.com both went down for a couple of months but they are now active again and receiving many bookings and queries. Secondly, I have been late in getting out formal Booking Confirmation-Site Confirmation forms, but hopefully by the time this has been published I have caught up with the backlog. Because of the problem with the Internet booking site we are delaying the normal post December 1 penalty ($10) for late bookings until December 10. But please, if you want a site, book and pay as soon as you can. We cannot be re-sponsible if you miss out because you are late. We have been fully booked earlier each year and now well before Christmas. Parking and site entry fees The gala committee has had to respond to a formal complaint made to Council about traffic and especially roadside parking associated with Gala Day. We have been able to assure Council that we do everything we possibly can in terms of providing on-site parking and trying to keep traffic flowing smoothly. How-ever, the cooperation of the public and the community would assist us. Most know, but a few do not, that the Domain is fully owned and oper-ated by the Mangawhai community and not by the Council. Gala Day provides us with about 60-70 percent of our annual costs, for maintenance and for our contributions to improvements (all small improvements, and our share when grants are applied for and given). Stallholder fees, entrance costs and our own cafe/BBQ provide almost all of our Gala Day income. Mindful of difficult times we have kept these costs the same for the last three years, and are continuing these same costs for Gala 2014. In relation to entry costs, a car load of people and internal parking costs the same ($8) as bringing a family in through the gates on foot. There really is nothing to be gained by squeezing your car into a non-existing parking spot back along the road. Please do your bit to assist us, Council and police with our current ‘softly softly’ approach to traffic and parking, obey the speed and parking restrictions for the day and continue to make the event the success it has always been. John Dickie, Gala Day organising committee |
|
FOLLOW US  
|
CONTACT US
|