Published as Issue No. 78
August 14, 2013
Annual Great Debate: Houghton Valley Playcentre presents the Annual Great Debate: “You can trust a journalist, a blogger and a lobbyist but not a politician.” Thursday 29 August at the Pines (doors open from 7pm). The line-up this year includes Hon Annette King, Pinky Agnew, Jane Clifton, Brent Edwards, Heather du Plessis-Allan and David Townsend. Tickets are $20 and include a light supper. All proceeds go to Houghton Valley Playcentre. Tickets are available from Kathryn. Spread the word and support the Playcentre! [No attachment.]
Local Elections: A number of people followed up the item in the last newsletter and expressed interest in attending a local Meet the Candidates meeting for the local body elections – but not enough to justify a meeting in Houghton Valley. The good news is the Newtown Residents’ Association will hold a meeting, on Wednesday 4 September in St Anne’s Parish Hall, at the end of Emmett St. The Parish will be putting on supper at the end of the meeting. The Association is preparing questions for the candidates; e-mail yours to them with ELECTION QUESTIONS in the title line.
Neighbourhood Watch? Presently the community is a target for theft. A credit card was stolen from a vehicle and a ute stolen from the reserve end of View Road after the car alarm was disabled earlier the previous week by smothering it with a pillow. An attempt on another car at 2.30 am was thwarted by a car alarm. Rachel from Hungerford Rd says she and her neighbours are looking into setting up a neighbourhood watch.
Working Bee: TRiG working bee, this Saturday 2-5pm at the Alice Krebs Lodge
Emergency Planning: Wednesday 28 August 7.30pm Houghton Valley School. How would you go in an emergency? Dig a hole in the back yard? Port-a-loo? How about a composting toilet? Instead of the monthly film Matt King, who works with the Wellington Regional Emergency Office (WREMO) will cover the basics of building and maintaining your own compost toilet. A few simple steps allow you to build a simple toilet that can be set up inside, doesn’t smell and lasts for a period of time. He also has experience supporting Christchurch people with emergency toilets.
Back on line: If your reception for TVNZ has been gone for a while it might not be your own aerial. Houghton Bay services were restored after engineers powered up the transmitters serving the area. It seems a combination of problems have kept the electricity supply off since the storm until late last week.
Norman and Grant