Great Otorohanga Christmas Parade
Great weather and a very good Christmas Parade on Maniapoto Street Otorohanga was enjoyed by hundreds, both children and adults, on Friday evening 1st December.
The line-up of floats was very good. It was nice to see the local car dealers had decided that a procession of new vehicles was not really in keeping with the theme of a Christmas Parade, and maybe one year soon we won’t need to see giant tractors trundling along the street amongst the floats. The only association with Christmas being that lots of silage and hay is being made during this season.
Surely Maniapoto Street is witness to sufficient harvesting rigs all summer long. It’s different of course, if the tractors are pulling trailers decorated with a Christmas theme.
It was nice to see the Steamfest train had arrived in town, I have been told this is a very popular float around the Waikato and Thames Valley. And members of the Glenbrook Vintage Railway had arrived with an antique jigger on their trailer – perhaps Santa Claus would have been a lot more visible on one of those floats instead of hidden somewhere on a trailer.
One of two disconcerting things was the throwing of lollies from the floats, and then back at the floats. The makings of a tragedy. This happened a few years ago in a Bay of Plenty town. A youngster broke away from caregivers to grab a lolly on the road and was killed under a passing fire engine.
The other thing was a group of about 4 boys doing bicycle wheel stands during breaks between the passing floats and afterwards weaving in and out of the crowds walking on the road. Actually we saw some very skilled riding, but rather dangerous with elderly and the very young amongst the crowd.
A very scary thing was the boy in the red beanie zig zagging amongst the crowd on the actual foot path along past Ronnie’s Café – this was during lulls in the parade which was rather spread out.
This is an event when there is a concentration of both old and young citizens and the boys should confine demonstrating their considerable riding skills to a more appropriate venue and I might add, while wearing safety gear.
Anyway – congratulations to the Business Assn. and other organisers for a good parade.
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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59.5% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.2% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.3% ... It is complicated
Derelict Tokanui Hospital site in line for a clean-up
Derelict Tokanui Hospital buildings will be demolished and contaminated land cleaned up so the site can be offered back to iwi.
The former psychiatric hospital, southeast of Te Awamutu, sits on land taken from Ngāti Maniapoto under the Public Works Act in 1910.
Poll: Are you a Te Huia fan?
All three Hamilton MPs appear to be united behind the retention of the Te Huia passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland, as well as potentially expanding it to Tauranga.
But whether Hamilton East’s Ryan Hamilton, Hamilton West’s Tama Potaka and soon-to-be Labour list MP Georgie Dansey have the combined power to shunt transport minister Chris Bishop and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon onto their line of thinking remains to be seen.
Are you a Te Huia fan? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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81.6% Yes
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18.4% No
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