Local Happenings

Houghton Valley Community Newsletter

10 May, 2012

Traffic intersection update: We have recently heard from the WCC traffic engineer’s office that a new revised plan for the Houghton Bay Rd / beach intersection will be sent to us next week for the community to comment and have input. When asked when construction will start, Stuart Bullen, team leader traffic, said, “We are looking at starting in June / July time for construction if in agreement with the community”. The consultation process will probably take place somewhere in Houghton Valley, so if you would like to be involved, let us know and we will keep you in the loop.

Seedling and seed exchange at the Community Garden: In a couple of weeks there should be some broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage seedlings to exchange for seeds / seedlings / or for a koha. If you are interested, come down to the community garden on a Sunday afternoon and stay for a cuppa on the camomile lawn.

Resources for Houghton Valley School art class: “We need some old toys (metal if possible but anything considered) to deconstruct and reconstruct; ball bearings, springs, old dvd’s and videos, stereos to pull apart, wire etc. If you think you might have something lurking in your basement/garage please bring it in to school for us to use. Thanks.” – Caroline

A community record: The Houghton Valley Community Facebook Page has had a small makeover. You can see more photos and information on the projects happening in the area.

Regards, Norman and Grant

Houghton Valley Community Newsletter

12 April, 2012

This newsletter is missing.

Houghton Valley Community Newsletter

29 March, 2012

Welcome to those who have just joined the Houghton Valley community email – there are 158 on the list now.

Bus review: Christine Fowler, the president of the Houghton Valley Progressive Association submitted our submission late on Sunday. Many thanks to Linda from View Rd for compiling everyone’s points of view into a comprehensive document. It is attached for you to read along with a document from Councillor Daran Ponter which gives a regional overview.

Archaeological Dig: If you want to check out the photos taken by Shar, go to the Friends of Houghton Valley Facebook Page.

TRiG working bee: “The weather is looking good for this Saturday, so if you are keen to help with weeding, meet us up at the Alice Krebs Lodge  between 2 – 5 pm.” – Jenny

Message from Amy: Dear Grant and Norman, I have a new foodblog with daily recipes – it’s just for fun, motivated by a love of food and sharing so I’d love to share with the local community if you think it would be appropriate to mention it in the newsletter at some point please do – might be of interest to other parents. Thanks.” – Amy (Houghton Bay Rd). [Link not current.]

Regards, Norman and Grant

Houghton Valley Community Newsletter

15 March, 2012

Welcome to the new members of this community email news group (there are now 141 people on the list).

Houghton Valley Public Meeting: Wellington City Bus Review, Monday 19 March, 7.30 pm in the Houghton Valley School Hall.

Due to considerable local interest, the Houghton Valley Progressive Association has arranged for  Councillor Daran Ponter from the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) to present information about the review of the Wellington City bus service and how the proposed changes will affect bus users in the Southern suburbs. Under the proposal all city bus routes and timetables will be changed. The review is complex so Daran’s presentation will help to summarise the issues that affect us directly. If you are a bus user and haven’t already attended a public meeting about the proposed changes you are encouraged to attend this one.

Traffic Intersection update: The roadworks opposite the Pines is finished but the work on the intersection on the corner of Houghton bay Rd and The Esplanade hasn’t yet started. We enquired and have been told that work has been delayed due to further design work now required. We will keep you posted.

TriG working bee: “The weather is looking good for this Saturday, so if you are keen, come up to the Alice Krebs lodge at 2 pm. Bring metal rakes and any other tools you might find useful for tradescantia consolidation and general pruning/weeding.” – Jenny

Regards, Grant and Norman

Houghton Valley Community Newsletter

11 March, 2012

This is a special mail out to inform everyone about upcoming meetings which will be the last chance to discuss the proposed changes to No.s 22 and 23 bus routes.

Councillor Daran Ponter has indicated to Linda Cameron (from View Rd) at a meeting in Kilbirnie on Saturday that so far there has been little feedback from Houghton Valley residents. Therefore on Monday 12 March (tomorrow) at 7.30 pm at the Newtown community and Cultural Centre (corner of Rintoul and Colombo Streets) and on Tuesday 13 March at 7.30 pm in the Kilbirnie Community Centre (on Bay Rd, next to the Post Office) there will be presentations by Daran Ponter. These are opportunities to find out more about the changes to bus routes and express your views. According to Daran, the changes will have major implications for the Houghton Valley Community, whether you are a regular bus user or a homeowner in the area.

The key message is that if Houghton Valley Residents want to voice concerns about the changes to the buses then we need as many people as possible to send in submissions and attend meetings. The closing date for submissions is Friday 23 March 2012.

Booklets entitled ‘What do you think? Proposed changes to the Wellington Bus Services’ are available from Kilbirnie library and there will be copies available at the meetings (there is a questionnaire at the back that you can fill in). You can also obtain information on freephone 0800 … and send a submission by accessing the Metlink website: http://www.gw.govt.nz/wellington-city-bus-review/. [Link not current.]

Regards, Grant and Norman

Houghton Valley Community Newsletter

1 March, 2012

The archaeological dig turned out to be a great success. On Saturday night we (the dig team) ended the day by sharing a meal with the Mayor (see image attached) and then collapsing in a tired but very happy heap.

[Actual image missing, but nearly 200 others are on our Facebook Page.]

Feedback on the day and follow-up e-mails was gratifying: 

• “Splendid day – well done!”
• “Just want to thank you for organising such a delightful and educational experience today.  You must be happy with the end result – we fully appreciate that this did not happen without a huge amount of thought and effort from a team of people. So glad we made our way down the valley for the afternoon session.”
• “I really enjoyed the archaeological dig – it was a very interesting afternoon. Could you please add my name to the mailing list so that I can be kept informed of community events.”
• “Prompted in part by the splendid show …. the Restieaux Farm dig over the weekend I am writing to ask if I might be included in your mailing list for the community newsletter.”
• “I wanted to make a special thanks too on behalf of the PlayCentre, we raised $220 from cake koha. A great effort we feel!”
• “Thank you very much for inviting us to join the dig on Saturday.  It was a grand occasion and we really enjoyed it. We received lots of interest and sold a lot of our magazines, which was great.” – Historical Society
• “Great project in the valley this weekend! Could you add us to your email list?”
• “You took a big risk and it paid off.”
• “My wife came home and couldn’t stop talking about it.”

The Dig Team: Alistair, Dave, Estelle, Finn, Grant, Heather, Jacob, Kate, Ken, James, Jenny, John, Louis, Lucy, Mary, Miranda, Norman, Pat, Ross, Sandy and Shar would like to know what you thought of The Dig  as an event to get local people together? We would also like your feedback too and suggestions about where to from here.

No 22 and 23 Bus: the proposed changes to all the city’s bus routes, which has major implications for people in Houghton Valley, is subject to an an extensive consultation process. This includes public meetings in Island Bay on Monday March 5 and Newtown on March 12. Is anyone planning to attend either of these, and if so would they be willing to provide a report for the next issue of the newsletter?

Update on the proposed roundabout for the beach intersection: We have recently been advised commencement work has been delayed as more design work is required. In turn the Council has been advised the community requirement is to review and sign-off on this ‘final design’.

EVENTS CALENDAR

TRiG (Te Raekaihau Restoration Group): Next Working Bee 3 March (2 – 5 pm) will be at the Alice Krebs Lodge to do some weed control.

Common Sense Organics: Coming up this Saturday, 3 March is the sponsor day of their Kilbirnie branch. They will donate 5 % of that day’s profits to the Houghton Valley Community Garden. Last year we were given over $300. So if you are thinking of buying organic food, do it on Saturday.

Regards, Norman and Grant

Houghton Valley Community Newsletter

16 February, 2012

This newsletter is missing, and should have included the build up to the Archaeological Dig. The post below may have been part of it.

13 February, 2012

Mt Albert Aerial Noise: Thanks to all those who supported our plight to WCC by signing the petition. It seams we have finally after about 3 years had a cessation of the harmonic emanating from the communications towers. The WCC had contractors scale the towers on a noisy day and find the cause of the fluting, and capped them off.

If anybody hears any further noise, please let me know and I will go back to them. Please record the day, time and wind direction/speed if possible. (http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/wellington) – James

Houghton Valley Community Newsletter

2 February, 2012

This newsletter is missing, but the post below may have formed the basis for it.

January, 2012

Wellington Bus Review: The Wellington Bus Service Review is due to go out for public submissions in February 2012. The Review will propose a significant shakeup of bus services in the Wellington City area. It will affect all suburbs South of Grenada. The review is essentially focused on two key things:

Houghton Valley Community Newsletter

19 January, 2012

New people are still joining the newsletter every week, so welcome to them.

Community Archaeological dig: Planning is proceeding apace for this Saturday February 25 event (see last newsletter). The organising group is now seeking information about:

1. What activities are of interest to the Houghton Valley community;
2. How people wish to be involved.

You are also invited to the second meeting of the organising group on Monday January 23 at the School, 6 – 7.15 pm. For more information, or if you have ideas about the day, please ring Grant.

For planning purposes can you please complete and return this questionnaire by Monday January 23, putting an “X” inside the brackets for all the activities of interest.

[    ]      We plan to come down on the day to see what has been found (detailed programme to follow);

[    ]      We are interested to listen to Mary’s talk about the site and local history;

[    ]      We will bring down a contribution to lunch/afternoon tea – details to follow;

[    ]      We would be interested to bring down a treasure or two for Peter Wedde to have a look at – see below;

[    ]      We would be interested to assist on the day; e.g. washing artefacts, helping with catering, organising displays;

[    ]     We are interested to help with the preparations beforehand;

[    ]      We do not expect to get involved.

If you have offered to assist please provide contact details, name and phone number here …

Note: The idea of a community version of Antiques Roadshow as part of the day – see last newsletter – is going to happen. Wellington dealer Peter Wedde, who has featured in a NZ equivalent of this TV programme in the past, has agreed to donate his time to look at and value your family heirlooms.

Esplanade/Houghton Bay Rd intersection: Work is due to begin this month on the upgrade to the Houghton Bay Rd/Esplanade intersection. Local people involved with negotiations with Council traffic engineers (up to mid-December) believe the final proposal is a major improvement on previous versions.

A principal feature is the creation of a large traffic roundabout which has the objective of slowing traffic from all directions down to 25 km an hour. Another feature is changes to parking and traffic flows at the beach.

SWAP AND SHARE

A message from Miranda of Hornsey Rd: I would like to invite locals to participate in a writing circle every second Friday morning for 2 hours at 56 Hornsey Road, from 10 am – 12 midday.

While the writers will ultimately decide what they write about, an initial focus could be on our relationship with our house, garden, and wider environment and community. I envision it as part of a wider arts group incorporating painting, craft, music etc that can be shared with the community. People need to bring pen, paper or journal. Friday 27 January would be a good date to start as most people are back from holidays by then.

About myself: I am local artist and writer. Thanks Miranda: Please give me a call to confirm your interest.

A message from Jenny of Houghton Bay Rd: If anyone wants some free 3D glasses for watching the Tintin movie, I have 5 pairs.

A message from Jan: Thought I would let you know I have added a life web cam for Houghton Valley, which you might mention in your next newsletter.  This is still in development and I intend to keep it online, but we know the problems computers can provide. It is mainly for weather demonstrations in this area as our family in other parts of the world is not familiar with the weather changes. If you click on the time box at the bottom it will provide also a lot of information about Wellington. I am not a programmer thus further development will take some time.

Regards, Grant and Norman