November 2, 2022
Here is what has been going on and is about to happen in our great little community. We hope you have some time to take part, otherwise you can just appreciate it all from the sidelines.
Our Seeds-to-Feeds Wild Spring Lunch
On Sunday October 16 we celebrated the start of the Seeds-to-Feeds local food festival with a lunch in the community hall.
There were over 30 people there (including volunteers) and we feasted on vegetable soup, locally foraged wild green salad, spiced rice, fresh bread, and a selection of relishes, spreads and infused oils.
It was a lovely, relaxed occasion and it was great to be able finally to all sit down together and actually use the eclectic collection of hall plates and cutlery. It also reminded us how special our hall is. We raised nearly $300 for the hall roof repairs.
Ngā mihi nui to the volunteers and Seeds-to-Feeds staff for their great mahi!
Koha Coffee
Sunday 6 November, 10.30 am – 12.30 pm
We are having another Koha Coffee in the hall, which is featuring a seed and seedling swap, with help from the Seeds-to-Feeds team.
Seed and seedling swaps are a great opportunity for gardeners of all skill levels to collaborate and share what they might have an abundance of. You can save money on buying new seedlings, learn from others, and you might end up with some new vegetable varieties in your māra. If you have some extra seeds or seedlings or even some garden produce, bring them/it along to share.
Otherwise just join us for a chat and a slice of cake. We would love to see you!
Haewai History Hikoi
In the first week of term – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – three groups of 60 children from Houghton Valley School walked along View Road, over Te Raekaihau along the Te Ranga a Hiwi track, down to the coast and back up the valley. The walk was led by Dr Grant Corbishley, who has researched much of the history of the area. He told many stories about the valley and what has happened here since the 1500s.
There was a mixture of weather to be braved: fitting 60 tamariki at once into the Alice Krebs lodge for respite from the rain on the first day was no mean feat. And seeing the actual concrete wall from an old photo hidden in the trees caused some excited speculation!
Playground proposal update
Quite a few people ended up submitting their thoughts on the two proposals for the replacement of the playground near Hungerford Road. We don’t have a full report from WCC but the playground contact, Matthew Beres, has made a few comments regarding some of the concerns raised:
- The play area was last renewed in 2004-05, and by the time they get to the construction phase the site will be close to 19 years old. The surfacing is nearing the end of its life and there are a few low/medium risk instances of non-compliance with current standards;
- They are currently looking into less use of plastic, as well as the overall colour scheme;
- Public toilets are not funded out of the play spaces budget, but WCC is planning to undertake a review of public toilets as part of their planning work for the future provision of community facilities in the city.
A couple of locals are meeting Matthew this Friday at 10am at the playground to discuss the concept designs further, considering the area and the submissions from locals. Opinion is pretty evenly spread between the two proposals, which probably means we need to pick the best of both to get something really appropriate. You are welcome to join if you wish.
Update on the hall
Our Givealittle Campaign to raise funds for re-roofing part of our hall is going well. It is wonderful to see how much the hall is appreciated. Houghton Valley School even had their own fundraiser, raising $250. Thank you everyone! The campaign is halfway through now, it ends on 29 November. So if you were still planning to make a contribution please don’t leave it too much longer …
Houghton Valley Progressive Association News
Our schedule for the next few meetings is:
- Sunday December 11, 2022, 3pm
- Sunday February 12, 2023, 3pm
- Sunday May 14, 2023, 3pm (AGM)
The meetings are to present and discuss current community issues, projects and events. More information for each meeting will be sent out nearer the time. Anyone is welcome to attend, but only members are able to vote.
We would love more of you to show your support for the organisation by becoming members. With a bigger membership we will have more weight with the Council over local issues and with regard to applying for funds to keep our hall in good repair.
The membership is $10, for the year 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. If you would like to join, please email the email below and we will send you the online payment details.
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