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Published as Issue No. 109

August 5, 2014

August is a notable month in Houghton Valley history for three events:

• On August 11, 1929, the Haughton Valley Community Hall opened;
• Early August 2010, the community garden was started;
• On August 10, 2013, the Houghton Valley website was launched.

Any excuse for a celebration, so one will be held at the community garden, this Sunday, August 10 starting at 3 pm. All welcome, bring a plate; tell the gardeners what seedlings they should plant if you are interested to buy from them this spring.

Elvis has left Hungerford Rd. Sadly, Piebe’s (Peter’s) black Labrador dog Elvis was recently killed by a car. Piebe, a long standing resident who has contributed to the community in many ways, was often seen walking with Elvis down Houghton Bay Rd to the beach. Piebe has a bush track and a seat named after him in the View Rd / Te Raikaihau Headland Park.

Norman

Published as Issue No. 108

Published as Issue No. 107

July 8, 2014

Celebration reminder: Kae Miller Trust annual founders day is this Saturday at the Alice Krebs Lodge from 2 pm. All welcome, the ten minute walk up from View Rd extension will be rewarded with afternoon tea. There will be tree planting as well from 1 pm. Follow the signs and balloons from Hungerford Rd. [No attached flyer].

Progressive Association: All are welcome to the next meeting Houghton Valley Progressive Association, which is also the Annual General Meeting. If you fancy taking on a role within the Association, such as President, Treasurer or Secretary, come along. It will be held at 4 pm on Sunday, July 20 in the Community Hall. Meetings usually last less than an hour. All welcome.

Local birdlife: On Saturday afternoon a continuous flow of people took advantage of the bright, fine weather to visit the school forest and community garden and get close up and personal with birdlife courtesy of Peter Reese’s bird netting and banding programme.

Norman and contributors

Published as Issue No. 106

June 24, 2014

Invitation: This year the Kae Miller Trust will celebrate Founder’s Day on Saturday, July 12 at the Alice Krebs Lodge from 2 pm. All welcome, the ten minute walk up from View Rd extension will be rewarded with afternoon tea. There will be tree planting as well from 1 pm. More detail next newsletter.

We owe you one: Thanks to the efforts of our website webmaster Ian from View Rd, a potential disaster of losing our website was avoided.

Website changes: Ian has made a change that could be useful. New members to the forum page (Gurgling) will no longer have to get a code from Ian first. To join the forum you only have to use the ‘Apply for membership’ button on the right hand side, type in the capture number displayed/played when you register after you filled in basic details. [Forum page not working]

Hall co-ordination: Andrea Selwood has kindly offered to look after the Community Hall bookings while Miranda is away. If you want to make a casual booking for the hall after July 7 or wish to become a more regular hall user please ring her.

Yams and Strawberry: Jenny harvests yams from the community garden while from now on birds will be kept away thanks to Anna from View Rd who made a scarecrow she has named ‘Strawberry’.

On the buses: Recently Linda Cameron from View Rd attended a public hearing held by the GWRC Transport Committee on the Wellington Bus Review. She gave a brief oral presentation and answered questions on the Houghton Valley / Melrose / Southgate bus submission, which also has support from the Newtown Residents Association.

Councillors indicated details have still not been pinned down including the direct services at peak times for our area and shelter and other facilities at the transfer ‘hub’ outside Wellington hospital. Our community representatives, Christine Fowler and Linda will have the opportunity to continue working through the issues in our latest submission with council officers and will keep you informed.

Annual meeting: The annual meeting of the Houghton Valley Progressive Association will be held on Sunday in our Community Hall at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 20 at 4 pm.

Norman and contributors

Published as Issue No. 105

June 10, 2014

Runway coming our way? An article in the Dom-Post last seek suggested there has been an about turn and any airport extension would be to the south. This will have a much greater impact, visual and noise-wise for locals than the previous plan for the 300 metre extension, to the north and into Evans Bay. People on View Rd will be most affected. See more.

In an article last year about the extension Richard Randerson of Hataitai discussed the issues, NIMBY and beyond. A discussion has been opened on the website including information circulated today by Richard to the group which has been opposing the extension. [link not working]

Memories, good and bad: My name is Peter Drake, I have been asked to share some of my childhood memories of living in the valley. I was born in 1938 and lived on 69 View Road overlooking Lyall Bay. I attended Houghton Valley School from 1943 until 1950 then onto Rongotai College.

Lifting the creek: Working bee, this Saturday from 2 pm onwards, starting at the playground. Locals will be meeting to continue working on clearing the springs and removing weeds and rubbish. Bring gloves and a drink to share for afternoon tea.

Exercise in disguise: Reminder, Houghton Valley Zumba with Natasha. Mondays at 9.30 am at the Community Hall with Natasha.

Swim anybody? A photo of Houghton Bay taken on Monday afternoon. [No discharge photo]

Norman

Published as Issue No. 104

May 27, 2014

Timetable tweaked: Dave of Houghton Bay Rd suggests people to check out the changed bus timetable. He advises No. 23 route has been extended from 60 to 65 minutes so drivers can better keep on schedule; leaving Houghton Bay 9.20, 10.20, 11.20 (now later) 12.20, 1.20, 2.20 (now earlier). All weekend buses leave five minutes later except 4.40pm.

Planting on the Point: After their successful campaign to prevent a marine centre being built at Te Raekaihau Point for a few years local people have been planting council-provided grasses and shrubs as part of its restoration. Council have now taken this over; several hundred have been planted in the last two weeks.

Waterfront Clean-up: Brenda of Island Bay has organised a community clean-up of the south coast Taputeranga Marine Reserve this Saturday morning. Starting at the bait house people will walk along The Esplanade between Houghton Bay and Owhiro Bay. [No attachment]

Penguins in June: Shortly Little Blue Penguins will be coming ashore around our coastline to mate and breed. Places for Penguins, a volunteer group has produced information dedicated to help keeping them safe during this vulnerable time. They are also inviting people to participate in a survey to report on when and where they are seen. [No attachments]

Norman

Published as Issue No. 103

May 16, 2014

Footpath and Beach: Wellington City Council has provided background information and the proposed design drawings to replace/repair the footpath over Princes Bay which disappeared in the big storm last year. [No attachments] Roading engineer Robert Hon is happy to answer any queries. Anybody like to provide feedback on the proposal?

Heavy Flushing: Maria Marillo from Capacity advises next week they plan to work on the elimination of leachate encrustations in the stormwater pipes by heavy flushing, as part of their treatment plan in Houghton Bay. This is carried out every six months. [No attachment]

Bus changes: Shirlee from Buckley Rd comments: Have just discovered the change to the terminus of the 22/23 bus route. From 18 May the 22/23 Southgate buses will turn around at Medway Street near New World instead of going down The Parade and turning around at the old Berhampore terminus at Dover Street.

Historic photo album: This album has been passed from letterbox to letterbox for the past three years but seems to have got stuck somewhere. If anyone knows where it is, please ask the holder to pass it on as there are several waiting to see it.

Lifting the Creek: A reminder that on Saturday, locals will be meeting at the playground (cnr of Hungerford and Houghton Bay Rds at 2 pm) to clear weeds and rubbish from around the many springs that flow down the hills.

Bill Corkery: Recently we lost one of our old time residents. Bill and his wife Brenda moved into 181 Houghton Bay Rd in 1963. In that time, they saw the valley change into a landfill and then playing grounds for the community. Every December Brenda puts up Christmas Decorations in her windows so children playing in the playground across the road can enjoy them. Bill and Brenda were regular attendees of the Catholic Church which once stood on the corner of View Rd and Twomey Cres. They were also great dancers and have been regularly seen getting fit by taking long walks along the Esplanade. Bill was the treasurer of the Houghton Valley Progressive Association for many years, making a valuable contribution to this community. It is with great respect that we honour Bill Corkery. (Contributed item)

Sign of the times? If the community is asking motorists to be courteous by slowing down when driving up Hungerford Rd, then it makes sense to ask them courteously. [Link not working]

Not sure if it’s because they know we expect to be kept informed but the various local body organisations that undertake work in Houghton Valley are doing a much better job these days of telling us what they up to.

Norman

Published as Issue No. 102

April 6, 2014

Community Gathers: On Sunday 17 local people attended the quarterly meeting of the Houghton Valley Progressive Association, joined by three city councillors. Full minutes of the meeting will be posted on the website shortly, highlights included;

• Thirty years on from when she first took on the role of hall manager, Trish Leith has retired. Without her efforts and those of treasurer and husband Hugh (who is stepping down at the July 20 AGM) the hall would have been lost to the community.
• Bus services: submissions on the modified (modified) proposals need to be in by this Friday, May 9. A draft of the Association’s next submission, prepared by Linda of View Rd is attached. [No attachment]
• Thanks to an extraordinary community effort the exterior of the hall has been repainted and some minor repairs carried out for the total sum of …. $2,545.15c!
• If “Boot camp for beginners” or “Zumba” is for you, two new groups have just started to use the hall, see below.

Lifting the Creek Project: As result of increased interest from the community about ‘Lifting the Creek’ and to prepare for a visit from Council worker Nicci Woods, sessions to share ideas and find creative solutions are being held every Friday at Hornsey Road from 7 – 8.30 pm. For more information please ring Miranda.

Boot-camp for beginners: Is a fun fitness class being held in the community hall on Thursdays 9.05 – 10.05 am. It incorporates weight training, aerobic fitness, core strengthening, boxing and self defence. No drill sergeants! Everyone welcome. $10 casual or an introductory price for 10 trip card $70.

Bus Review: Linda advises that we are still waiting for feedback from Martin Hanley (President of the Newtown Residents Association). He has indicated that residents from Newtown, Berhampore and Mt Cook are willing to support our submission. We haven’t had long to prepare the submission and given it is due on Friday there won’t be time to make a lot of changes. I therefore suggest letting people know that they can also send individual submissions if they have comments and suggestions – the deadline is this Friday, 9 May.

The website link to the bus review is no longer current.

Norman

Published as Issue No. 101

1 May, 2014

In 1929: The New York Stock Exchange collapsed, but on the other hand the Houghton Valley Progressive Association held it first meeting.

The next meeting this Sunday, 4 May at 4 pm will be attended by three Wellington City councillors Paul Eagle, Sarah Free and David Lee. This is a good opportunity to find out how our relationships with the council can benefit the community.

All welcome, meetings are brief; there will be an opportunity to talk to them afterwards over a cup of tea. Further information ring Ken.

Norman

Published as Issue No. 100

No date April, 2014

100 and Counting!

In August 2010 four people received a group e-mail about starting a community garden. Ninety-nine e-mails later this edition of the (grandly named) Houghton Valley Community Newsletter went to 202 households.

Some had a sense back then that people living in this special part of Wellington wanted to connect more with each other, build community, and together address a range of concerns about, e.g. our environment, traffic and damage caused by southerly storms.

The group e-mail grew fast and in January 2011 morphed into the newsletter. Its role evolved to informing about local activities and as a platform to share information. Now there are many contributors.

Remember the archaeological dig, the traffic roundabout at the beach (which locals designed in collaboration with the council), the erection of signs in the View Rd / Te Raekaihau Park, Piebe’s seat, meetings at the school on a range of issues, the ice cream stall on View Rd? The newsletter helped make these happen and bring into existence the Houghton Valley website and Facebook page.

In turn this led to the development of a grand editorial policy for the Newsletter, which emerged over cups of tea at the aforementioned community garden – Something Every Second Week.

Here’s to the next 100!

From All to All.