1019 days ago

Cemetery caretaker finds peace in 43 years on the job at Akatārawa

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

I posted something on this week last but it is such a nice story I am posting it again.

When people find out Neil Whiteman tends to graves for a living they often remark that he must have seen a fair few ghosts after nearly 43 years on the job. But the 72-year-old insists he’s never encountered one.​
For him, Akatārawa Cemetery is a peaceful place.
As a boy, he’d help his father Dave Whiteman​ dig graves during the weekend. In 1978, when Dave Whiteman retired from his role as the sexton at the Upper Hutt graveyard, Neil Whiteman took up the role.
For him, Akatārawa Cemetery is a peaceful place.
Whiteman's dedication to caring for the cemetery earned him the Individual Excellence Award at the New Zealand Cemeteries and Crematoria Awards last month.


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More messages from your neighbours
11 hours ago

Bob Francis Wins Senior New Zealander Of The Year

Shona McFarlane Retirement Village

Seven-term Mayor of Masterton, Bob Francis CNZM QSO MBE JP, has been named the 2024 Ryman Healthcare Senior New Zealander of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau.

Affectionately dubbed ‘Mr Wairarapa’, Bob has served his community in multiple areas, including health services, commercial development, the arts, aviation, homelessness, conservation and sports.

Bob’s award signifies the sixth time Ryman Healthcare has supported this category of the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards, which provides a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Kiwi seniors who continue to make positive contributions towards the future of Aotearoa.

Click read more for the full article.

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4 days ago

REVERSING SPEED RESTRICTION

Michael from Trentham

The new Government has done a number of wrong moves or backward steps but not in announcing a return of a number of reduced speed restrictions to their former limits and to speed up the process of making some sections of motorways 110km zones.

This has much to do with open highways reduced under the Labour-Greens Govt from 100km to 80km and inner cities and towns from 50km down to 40km and 30 km.

One of the most obvious is State Highway 2 between Featheston and Carterton which is virtually a straight road in a rural area and suddenly without much consideration has been restricted to 80km.

But closer to home what I would like to see is Alexander Road in Upper Hutt returned to 80km instead of the new speed restriction of 50km. This road incorporates a golf course on one side and a military encampment on the other and further along has fully high fenced-in urban housing and has several round-abouts which each automatically reduces speed to as low as 30km-40km when approaching and during the rounding.

I hope that the Government can knock some sense into the UHCC who engineered this new restricted speed in Alexander Road which is easy pickings for the cops to make some money but otherwise not doing much good and has had a very low accident rating.

8 days ago

Tai Chi to start soon at Maidstone Sports Hub

Andrew from Birchville

Hi everyone

It is with great pleasure that I can announce my intention to bring my "Not Strictly Tai Chi" classes back home to Upper Hutt

Yesterday I took a look round the new Maidstone Sports Hub and found it to be ideal. They are also interested in adding Tai Chi to the growing selection of other sports that will be there

With excellent parking facilities and wheelchair access, it promises to be a great venue!

My plan is to run classes in blocks of 10 weeks, during school term times, beginning with Term Two (29 April - 27 Sept)

There will be 2 classes per week, and you sign up for the Wednesday or Thursday classes, or for both

Wednesday evenings 7pm - 8pm (Ten Classes in Term Two)
Just $90 for 10 classes if you pay upfront
Or if you want to drop in casually it will be $10 per person per class
By paying upfront you effectively get 1 free class per term
(Yes I know, cheap eh? - You will be getting my 2020 prices!)

Thursday mornings 10am - 11am (Ten Classes in Term Two)
Just $90 for 10 classes if you pay upfront
Or if you want to drop in casually it will be $10 per person per class
By paying upfront you effectively get 1 free class per term
(Yes I know, cheap eh? - You will be getting my 2020 prices!)

Please let me know who is interested

Andrew Hardwick
Tai Chi Instructor
Member of NZ National Tai Chi Ch'uan Association Inc
Contact 0211532508

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