Tuesday 21 May 2013

Young people turn out for ANZAC Day

             My Mayoral Report to the May meeting of the Hutt City Council covered a wide range of topics including the large turnout of young people at this year's ANZAC Day commemorations on Thursday 25 April which was very pleasing to me.Other topics included:
·         Hutt City Council’s “Bring Your Heart Home” competition winner Wallace Wai Hoe Yap and his wife Krs Ty from Malaysia were hosted to a wonderful weekend of memories in Lower Hutt earlier this month. Local businesses and Waiwhetu Marae supported the event showcasing Hutt City at its best. The couple experienced shopping, restaurants and outdoor adventure in the Orongorongo ranges on quad bikes and a four-wheel drive visit to Pencarrow Lighthouse. The competition received around 30,000 votes off Facebook and was an opportunity to raise international awareness of Lower Hutt.
·         Hutt Valley Rose of Tralee winner Elizabeth Whelan is congratulated for her success and she will compete in the national finals in New Plymouth later this week.
·         Congratulations to Cr Gwen McDonald and members of the Pomare community for working hard to gain approval from Kiwirail to paint new murals on the Pomare rail bridge.
·         The Black Stacks, featuring two Hutt youngsters, Ahlani Fubnaki and Kaleb Rongokea, have become New Zealand’s most successful stackers after coming third at the World Sports Stacking championships in Florida last month.
·         Hutt welder Jaric Savill will head to Germany in July as a member of the 2013 Tool Blacks team competing in the WorldSkills International competition. He has previously come third in a WorldSkills New Zealand event.
·         Eastbourne historian Shelley Seay completed an oral history of 11 local survivors of the Wahine disaster through funding from a Hutt City Council heritage grant. This will provide an invaluable resource for the future.
·         Congratulations to Councillors and Elected members who staffed the Annual plan consultation display at the Westfield Shopping Mall.  This was very successful and raised awareness of the plan and the opportunity to make a submission.
·         The Centenary of the Manor Park Golf Club was staged during the period. My congratulations are extended to the club for a successful weekend of celebrations.
·         The Riddiford Lions Club in Wainuiomata celebrated 40 years of service to the community.
Education
·         Drama groups from Chilton Saint James, Hutt Valley High School and Hutt Independent Boys School took top placings in the Wellington regional Winn Shakespearean Festival. They will now take part in the national finals at the end of this month
Sport
·         The Hutt City Sports Awards were bigger than ever since their revival three years ago and the organising committee chaired by Cr Ken Laban provided a night of entertainment and celebration of sporting success at the Avalon television studios. Supreme Sportsperson was New Zealand softballer Rhys Casley, a local residentwho was also named Sportsman of the Year. The evening also honoured the contribution of women in sport with softball great Naomi Shaw being inducted as a Hutt City Sporting Legend.  The Sportswoman of the Year was shared between Victoria Taylor and Aniwaka Roberts. Other winners were: Administrator of the Year Mark Heisenbuttel; Official of the Year, Kathy Cross; Young Sportsman of the Year, Tim Robertson; Young Sportswoman of the year, Danica Ferrison; Coach of the Year, Darryl Marina; Athlete with a Disability of the Year, Nicholas Fyfe; Team of the Year Hutt Valley Dodgers.
·         A Hutt City Council programme Connex which links young people to sports and sports club is proving very popular and is an excellent initiative being run in the community by the council.
Birthday
·         I wish to acknowledge the 100th birthday  of Ces Bank who has a long association with Lower Hutt and contributed much to our community.
Bereavement
·         It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of The Hon Parekura Horomia, New Zealand Labour Politician and Minister of MaoriAffairs, 2000-2008.  He was a man of great integrity and a popular figure who was very supportive of the Hutt Valley.

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