Tony Stratford’s new recruits are clearly thriving in Southland Now the Gore trainer is hoping that translates to winning race day form at Ascot Park on Thursday Stratford is taking three runners to the Diamonds Day warm-up meeting including a new addition to his stable in La Dama The six-year-old joined Stratford’s barn after producing ordinary form in Canterbury and Manawatu recently but that looks set to change after two nice workout wins in Southland “I am not sure why she is so badly out of form,” Stratford said “Kevin Townley rang me and he thought she was worth a go in Southland.” “She had been up to Manawatu and obviously didn’t handle it and her form in Canterbury wasn’t much better.” Cosmic Star will have his second start for the Stratford stable after a solid southern debut at Winton earlier this month the six-year-old fought on strongly to run fourth Stratford is hopeful his new recruit can produce an even better result with a little more luck “I don’t think sitting parked was ideal going by the feel of him.” “He has probably got enough gate speed that he could get across them.” “If he was able to get to the markers he would be a pretty good chance.” “It is hard to believe he is a 30-start maiden because he feels like a horse that will win one pretty quick.” Stratford also starts Van Liberty at Ascot Park The pacer hasn’t had things go his way in his last two starts after producing consistent efforts to start his campaign he was $1.50 favourite two starts ago and got left parked.” “Then last start they ran 2.54 (for 2400m).” he most certainly can run in the top three.” Blair Orange takes the reins behind all three of the Stratford team on Thursday the highly-popular Metro Trotting and Pacing Series is back For a $2,800 purchase Les White is pretty chuffed with how well his mate Bettor Reaction has been performing as of late and the Auckland Reactor gelding could well add to his earnings at Cambridge today © 2025 Harness Racing New Zealand  |  Privacy Policy Stratford Walking Tours are set for another season in the Festival City beginning over the Mother’s Day weekend with a tea and tour that might be a perfect gift for mom Offered on Saturday and Sunday (May 11) and continuing on weekends after that the walk starts at the Tom Patterson Theatre A walk along the Avon River to the Stratford Festival will include some historical details about the sites and influential people The walk ends at the Bruce Hotel with a cup of tea and a scone Tour owner Laurie Leduc has brought back some favourites and added a splash of new offerings this season Leduc is bringing back the popular ghost walks “That’s where I point out the different buildings and point out the unique architecture and tell some stories about the people and places and events in the past.” New this year is Steps to the Stage: a history of the Stratford Festival Tour Guests will learn about the early years of Stratford and its development into the Festival City starting with a cruise on the Avon River and then a foot tour around downtown The exterior of the festival’s theatre buildings are showcased as is the role of Festival founder Tom Patterson “It’s just a great opportunity and a new way to explore.” Leduc said walking tours are not just for tourists It’s a great way for locals to see their city and community Taranaki school children have surpassed the wildest dreams of local council staff who set up a scheme to get rid of cream and milk bottle lids from Stratford's recycling collection The lids are considered a contaminant because they are a different kind of plastic Schools in the district collected a mammoth 135,694 lids - weighing in at more than 230 kilograms - over just 16 weeks Water and waste education officer Peter McNamara said the district's recycling had a low rate of contamination of between 3-5 percent but when there were non-recyclables in a bin about 85 percent of the time He said lids presented a range of problems "If you leave the caps on they count as a contaminate because they can pop off they can hold liquids in the bottles and the biggest thing is that any bottles about to be recycled have to be emptied "Also on top of that when you compact it into a bale they the become projectiles literally like bullets flying across the room." McNamara said the solution was to incentivise the caps' removal "So we came with an idea for how can we get people to remember to take their lids off "We expected to get about 15,000 and we actually ended up collecting over 135,000 caps in 16 weeks Schools were offered cash prizes and certificates for the most lids collected relative to the size of the institution "So we started with the milk bottle and the cream bottle as one most children would know about and the idea was to instil in the children to take the lids off "Children are better at it and they will then teach their parents 'hey mum dad take that off you can't put that in the recycling bin with the lid on' "So that was the get the children involved and they're our future so that's where we go." Marlene Lewis is a teacher at Stratford Primary School which collected the most lids of any of the district's schools "We managed to collect close to 45,000 which was pretty amazing We just got the whole school community onboard and it was a total focus for just about the whole year really "So it's been incredible quite exciting and really exciting to receive the bottle tops in from people off the street as well." "They were polluting our planet and they're not very good for our environment I know that they're really bad and take nearly a thousand years to decompose sometimes." Abigail Meyer is a year 13 student at Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls She thought the competition was a great initiative "I think a lot of people don't realise they shouldn't be going in the recycling so I think this is a really good idea to encourage people not to put them in the recycling "Our school just put a big bucket in the office so we all just brought in our bottle caps in in the morning put them in there." The 16 year old was surprised so many lids had been collected overall "I definitely did not expect there to be this many when we came in this morning Paige Jordan is from Marco School on the Forgotten World Highway "There's only 15 kids at our school and a lot of the parents got lids from cafes because lots of the parents were friends of cafe managers and stuff and then the others we just bought the milk home and collected them." "They are really bad for recycling unless they are recycled where the meant to be." Marco School collected 11,700 lids and took out the top prize - $1000 to spend at local businesses Since the competition ran in the last two terms of last year the rate of recycling contamination attributed to lids has in the Stratford district has dropped to 35 percent and there were now plans to take the initiative region-wide As for the 135,000 lids they were off to a specialist recycling company to be made into new products Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday old shoes and electronics keep turning up in the recycling - and it's not on Milk bottle tops and aerosol cans are not welcome in the recycle bin but pizza boxes are fine - so long as the pizza has been removed The rules come as part of a new initiative to standardise the recycling service across the country by 2027 Recyclables will be collected weekly at the roadside hand-sorted and disposed of by contractors New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Defending PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit champion Nathan Stratford shearing at Marton on Saturday the fourth of five qualifying rounds in this year's series Up to 10 shearers appear to have all but sealed places in the top 12 for the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit semi-finals with one qualifying round remaining later this month Led by defending champion, three-times winner and near perennial top qualifier Nathan Stratford the 10 were among 20 who resumed the battle to make the qualifying dozen in the lamb shearing round at the Rangitikei Shearing Sports in Marton on Saturday But there is no room for relaxation, for all are required to shear the last round on second-shear sheep at the Pahiatua Shears on February 23 if they are to contest the semi-finals on the last day of the Golden Shears in Masterton on February 27 to March 1 The top six in the semi-final on the morning of March 1 will shear the final over 15 sheep of five different wool types later in the day for the honour of top all-breeds shearer in New Zealand including a place in the 2025-2026 New Zealand transtasman series team Stratford again claimed top points on Saturday just three short of the maximum possible of 48 after four rounds Four other previous winners — Central Otago shearer Leon Samuels three-times Marlborough winner Angus Moore and two-times winner and Hawke’s Bay veteran John Kirkpatrick — also have 17 points or more expected to carry them through to the showdown Highlighting heightened interest this season who all shore in the compulsory first round on the fine wool of the New Zealand Merino Shears in Alexandra in October The current top 12 with points and placings (with tied points separated by better placings in the first round at Alexandra) are: Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 45pts 2; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 30pts Ballance Agri-Nutrients worker says there a lot of anxiety over potential loss of jobs She urges the government to compel telecommunications companies to enhance storm resilience for Te Tai Tokerau’s fragile infrastructure Thousands of Northlanders are without mobile phones Enter your email address to receive regular updates from Waatea News Produced by iDigital He was found dead on Lear St in Stratford around 11.15pm on January 18. The man was found after deciding to return from an event on Miranda St at around 10pm, police said at the time. Police today confirmed the man died following a "medical event" and "is not being treated as suspicious". "Police offer our condolences to the man’s family and friends at this sad time." A man's "unexplained" death in Taranaki on Saturday night was due to a "medical event", police have confirmed. Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister Te Ao Māori WWII Home Guard rifle pits discovered during SH3 roadworks Two Home Guard rifle pits were found on the outskirts of New Plymouth New Zealand 'Oh hell no': Crash survivor on stretch of SH3 speed limit increase Almost 40 years since he was involved in a head-on crash a Waitara community board member was angry about plans to reinstate a 100km/h speed limit between Waitara and New Plymouth Politics Four killed in Easter Weekend crashes: 'Any death is one too many' The official Easter holiday road toll period was from 4pm on Thursday to 6am this morning Easter road toll: One dead three injured in two-vehicle Taranaki crash State Highway 3 is closed between Wharekauri Rd and Mangamaio Rd following the crash reported to police at 2.30pm on Monday Missing 16-year-old in New Plymouth found safe and well An earlier amber alert has been lifted after the teenager was found safe this afternoon Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff 7:17pm Search underway for Masterton man, 74, missing since Sunday 7:07pm Crooks, culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria 7:05pm Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials 6:45pm Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising 6:33pm Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 7:28pm 1US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones NRL: Sharks centre Iro wants to be known by new name Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon A man's "unexplained" death in Taranaki on Saturday night was due to a "medical event" He was found dead on Lear St in Stratford around 11.15pm on January 18 The man was found after deciding to return from an event on Miranda St at around 10pm Police today confirmed the man died following a "medical event" and "is not being treated as suspicious" A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air A piece of Second World War history has recently been uncovered during safety upgrades of State Highway 3 in Taranaki Two Home Guard rifle pits were found to the north of the intersection of SH3 and De Havilland Dr in Bell Block on the outskirts of New Plymouth The Transport Agency said they were likely to have been constructed between 1941 and 1942 as a defensive position to protect the Bell Block Aerodrome on Te Arei Rd which was being used as a Royal New Zealand Air Force training base from a potential invasion by Japanese forces The Home Guard was formed in 1940 in response to the potential threat posed by the Empire of Japan during the Second World War Membership was initially voluntary but became compulsory from 1942 for men aged 35-50 "These are textbook Home Guard pits," SH3 Waitara to Bell Block project archaeologist Daniel McCurdy said one of them conforms exactly [within a few inches] to the standard set out for the Home Guard instead of an optional drainage trench at the base likely reclaimed from the local farm." There had been a number of archaeological finds since physical works began in 2023 Te Ara Tūtohu project manager Calvin Rorke said his team worked closely with archaeologists and cultural monitors in these instances andm depending on what was found the find may be removed or documented and left in place "The area we are working in is historically significant It's important that whenever we come across a potential archaeological find in the course of our work that we take the time necessary to investigate have learnt a lot about the history of this area through our work on the project." Trevor Dodunski understands the consequences of a head-on crash better than most the car he was travelling in collided with another vehicle that had crossed the centre line on a stretch of State Highway 3 between Waitara and Urenui "I was driving along the road on a nice day happy as Larry and came around a corner and there was a car in front of me going flat out on my side of the road "It's hard to live with I tell you I couldn't read or write when I came out of hospital my whole life changed," said the former engineer who was trapped inside his wrecked vehicle for three hours the Waitara community board member was angry about a plan to reinstate a 100km/h speed limit on SH3 between Waitara and New Plymouth Mine was probably an 80km/h crash head-on and you're doing 160km/h when they're coming the other way You feel all your bones breaking and your teeth and everything are gone "Everything changes in a matter of seconds." who suffered a brain injury and has not worked since helped campaign for the construction of four roundabouts between Waitara and New Plymouth He reckoned the lower speed limit should remain in place "This should stay at 80km/h because if you're going to go up to 100km/h back to 80km/h and up to 100km/h again all the way through to New Plymouth "It's a hell of a lot safer at 80km/h than it is at 100km/h and I for one have had an experience I never thought I would have in my life and wouldn't wish that on anyone." The government's new Speed Limits Rule required lower limits set on some roads in 2020 to revert to their previous limits by July 1 The Transport Agency could retain the 80kmh limit on SH3 from Waitara to Bell Block if the public supported the lower speed But only 43% of those who took part in an online consultation process backed keeping the lower limit New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom found the consultation method curious "Having an internet-based opinion poll to set a State Highway speed limit is certainly an interesting legislative approach "But any local person will tell you the road is a patched-up and potholed shambles with significant work needed to be done "There's no doubt once they've thrown a bit of money at it it could go back to a 100km/h speed limit but right now it's simply not safe." who described the stretch of highway as a "shooting gallery" "Since we dropped the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h we've seen a reduction of serious injury accidents of around 60% and given that we've had 11 people die on this section of highway in the last 12 or 13 years we don't think they should increase the speed limit to 100km/h until all the safety upgrades are done." New Zealand Transport Agency director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said for the speed-limit reinstatement process the consultation result was the only factor NZTA could take into account in its decision-making the majority of respondents submitted in opposition to retaining the lower speed limits which is why this Waitara to Bell Block stretch makes up some of the 43 locations which will return to its previous higher speed limit." Stewart said typically consultation feedback was only one factor used by NZTA to help inform the outcome of a speed review are normally weighted alongside consultation feedback to determine the outcome of a speed review "For a full speed review in the future themes from both the local community and key stakeholders from consultation will be considered alongside safety and technical data including a cost benefit disclosure statement Stewart said safety remained a key priority for NZTA and was a factor in decision making around road design She hoped new roundabouts being constructed at the intersections of Princess Street along with flexible median barrier and other improvements would improve the safety and efficiency of the highway "But we appreciate the speed change will come into force ahead of the completion of the entire project." On Waitara High Street there were mixed views on the speed limit change Bulk carrier driver David did not think putting up the speed limit was a good idea they do dumb enough shit at 80km/h let alone if you put it back up to 100km/h again I don't think it's a good thing." "I think the accidents that happen are usually through poor driving not so much the speed." Jeremy could not see the reasoning behind changing the speed limit "They've gone and put all these roundabouts in so what's the point of sticking the speed limit back up to 100km/h You're just going to get to a roundabout faster "I reckon it should go back to 100km/h because you're slowing traffic down and it's piling up and with the road works in the meantime it's just pathetic trying to go to town." rnz.co.nz Police have urged safer driving after four people were killed in crashes across the North Island over the Easter long weekend Inspector Peter McKennie of the National Road Policing Centre said four road deaths over the Easter was a "relatively low number" but the reality was "any death on the road is one too many" "Our hearts go out to the loved ones of those who died Their lives will never be the same again," he said in a media release "Police will continue to work hard to target those behaviours on the road that contribute to serious injury or death: speeding The first victim of the Easter road toll died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 12 in Ruawai in Northland on Good Friday On Saturday, one person died in a crash involving a car and a cyclist at Haumoana in Hawke's Bay. On Easter Monday, a person was killed and three others were injured in a two-vehicle crash east of New Plymouth in Taranaki Later that afternoon, a person died in a two-vehicle crash at Mangakino the highest since 2021 when the toll reached nine people One person has died and three others have been injured after a two-vehicle crash in Taranaki east of New Plymouth this afternoon which has closed State Highway 3 near Urenui one rapid response vehicle and one first responder attended the scene "Two patients in a serious condition were transported by road to Taranaki Base Hospital One person was airlifted to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition." SH3 MIMI, TARANAKI - CRASH - 3PMDue to a crash the road is BLOCKED between Mangamaio Rd and Pukeruhe Rd. Follow directions of emergency services on-site and expect DELAYS. ^EH pic.twitter.com/6x6TJdytlU NZTA said the road was closed between Wharekauri Rd and Mangamaio Rd "Road users are advised to use an alternative route or avoid the area Continue to follow emergency services on-site or delay your journey," a spokesperson said The Taranaki crash brings the preliminary Easter road toll to three One person died in a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 12 in Northland on Friday, while another died following a collision between a car and a cyclist near Hastings on Saturday The official Easter holiday road toll period was from 4pm on Thursday to 6am on Tuesday seven people died on New Zealand roads during the same period Police have found a 16-year-old girl who was missing in New Plymouth overnight Earlier police issued an amber alert after the teenager left her house yesterday afternoon The teenager has since been located safe and well "Police would like to thank the members of the public who provided information that assisted in locating them," a spokesperson said A search and rescue operation is underway for a Masterton man in his 70s missing since Sunday John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station about midday on May 4 The 74-year-old did not board a train and left on foot about 20 minutes later Matheson said it was possible Rafferty was staying with a friend but police and loved ones "want to know he’s safe" and John doesn’t have his cell phone or wallet," he said A search team and a helicopter has been out looking for the missing man "We are really keen to know that he’s safe." Police have released an image from CCTV showing Rafferty on a station platform on the day of his disappearance He was wearing a blue jacket with 'NASA' written on the back Anyone who saw him was asked to contact police on 111 or online at 105 if there was Information after the fact The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his "outsider" status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic with Victoria's crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024 everyone knows that," he told reporters today "These crime issues are actually global they are quite similar wherever you go but it's not good enough just to turn up after the act Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime along with a "prevention mindset" He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK's Metropolitan Police Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea," Nash told AAP "Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing." The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001 The Kiwi was happy to wear the "outsider" tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running "I've got a lot to do to come up to speed," Bush said "Culture is a consequence of leadership." establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn't shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the "challenges" plaguing the force "Mike Bush is the best person for the job," she said whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush's appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns "We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers," he said The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act The commission filed the charges against Woolworths in the Auckland District Court It indicated in December last year that it would be filing separate criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak'nSave supermarkets the commission said there were ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations were "Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry "Pricing accuracy is a consumer right and an expectation of a competitive market well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right." She said the charges were filed to remind all supermarkets that they are expected to fix the pricing accuracy issues and implement better processes In a statement when the charges were announced Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said it was important customers could trust prices advertised at their supermarkets Woolworths said it has cooperated with the Commerce Commission's pricing investigation for some time rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims." Van Velden told Midday Report she believes in pay equity but the current thresholds were "a bit too loose" Asked how she ensure women were not hurt by this the minister said "I'm a woman and I support women who work" "I also support removing gender based discriminations from our workforces but what I don't support are muddied laws and unclear laws," she said "So these changes are better for all women who are working where we can genuinely say hand on heart that what they are finding with their claims is genuine gender based discrimination." Van Velden told reporters at Parliament any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new threshold to show "genuine" gender discrimination and make sure the comparators were right She gave a figure of 33 current claims that would be stopped as the legislation was put through under urgency "You have librarians who've been comparing themselves to transport engineers We have admin and clerical staff at Health New Zealand comparing themselves to mechanical engineers." Social workers had compared themselves to air traffic controllers "We don't believe we have that setting right." Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer "But you cannot go fishing for discrimination across the New Zealand workforce." All current settled claims would continue but the government was drawing "a line in the sand" "We're not stopping claims." The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers The union said the changes would make it "impossible for people in female-dominated professions to be paid fairly" "Women across the country will pay the price for this," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said "The government's changes today are a dark day for New Zealand women as the government says it will repeal the pay equity law and extinguish 33 existing claims in a constitutional overreach "The PSA is exploring all possible avenues to oppose these unconstitutional amendments and stop this attack on women We will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all." "This is a blatant and shameful attack on women," New Zealand Nurses organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said "Women in workforces predominantly performed by female employees have been underpaid and undervalued for generations That is what pay equity claims seek to rectify," he said "This move by the government will widen the pay gap between men and women." The union had at least 10 pay current pay claims across Aged Care These cover many nurses and support workers The E tū union also called the changes an attack on women and a green light to pay them less for work of equal value The government was pulling the rug out from under a 13-year-long fight in aged care "These changes are not about evidence — they are about saving money by keeping women underpaid," national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said in a statement A number of unions have called a snap rally at Parliament at 1pm today in light of the announcement the Council of Trade Unions and representatives of other unions say they will be "protesting the government's attack on women and the destruction of progress on pay equity..." rnz.co.nz The Cronulla player formerly known as Kayal Iro has explained his decision to change his first name midway through the NRL season Iro made a tryscoring return from a hamstring injury in the Sharks' Magic Round win over Parramatta last Friday sporting a new name on Cronulla's team list The 25-year-old has now requested he be referred to as 'KL Iro' The centre is named after his father Kevin Leslie Iro who enjoyed a decorated career in England and represented New Zealand with distinction The left centre's official documents will still read "Kayal" but the Sharks flyer said he made the switch to 'KL' to avoid any doubt as to how his name should be pronounced "Mum didn't want it to be a two-letter name when I was a kid," Iro said "She's the one that changed it to 'Kayal' I think it was just foreign back then to have a two-letter name "But my dad always wanted it to be 'KL' and I like it that way too because it's easier to pronounce and there's no confusion I was too scared to step on anyone's toes "I guess I've built a bit of a relationship with these fellas now so I asked the question and got it done pretty quick." which was often mispronounced by commentators when his father and uncle Tony were playing "Even my dad and uncle when they were playing the Pommies would pronounce it 'aye-ro' rather than 'ear-ro'," Iro added he loved it but it's pretty cool to hear a commentator saying our family name." Iro was born in England while his father was playing for Leeds but spent most of his childhood growing up in the Cook Islands While he hinted he would be open to facing the Kangaroos in the end-of-season Ashes series "I wouldn't say no but my first thing is getting the Cook Islands qualified for the World Cup next year," he said Iro and the sixth-placed Sharks (5-4) will face one of the most daunting challenges of their season to date when they travel to take on Manly (4-4) at Brookvale Oval on Sunday "They've got a strong right edge and also [Tom] Trbojevic at the back," Iro said "[Trboejvic] is a strike weapon in attack and things happen around him we've got to be aware of him." Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album, 2021's Solar Power. Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama. Last year, she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl, so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat. Virgin is Lorde's fourth studio album. Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris, tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery. More than eight years later, 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery, abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2, 2016. Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23. "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said. "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities. "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion, in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show, Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her. In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show, she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped. I’m like, ‘What is happening? Are we gonna die? Just tell them I have children. I have babies, I have a husband, I have a family.'" Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box. One of them has died, and another is seriously ill and can't be tried. According to the investigation, five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery. The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records. Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub. Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth. She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room. She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft. Shortly afterwards, Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured. She filed a complaint, adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children. According to her testimony and that of the concierge, at least one of the suspects had a handgun, with which he threatened the victims. The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery, including a ring of great value, estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million). Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered. Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime, as their DNA was found at the crime scene. The alleged ringleader, 68-year-old Aomar Aït Khedache, is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment. Nicknamed "Old Omar", his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian. He left the hotel on a bicycle, as did two other robbers, then met his son, who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station. The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment. Yunice Abbas, 71, said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area, making sure the escape route was clear. He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian, but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime. Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision. In 2021, he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian. Didier Dubreucq, 69, known as "Blue Eyes", is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat. He denies any involvement, although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement, according to the investigation. The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment. Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp, Belgium. First-time nominees Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper, the hip-hop pioneers Outkast, the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden. Salt-N-Pepa, the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status, and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award. The late record producer Thom Bell, pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award. The late Cocker, who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends, had the backing of Billy Joel, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Pete Thomas, a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets". Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination. They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love, Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy. The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker, a former head of Warner Bros. Records who signed Prince and R.E.M., and had a part in records from Madonna, Randy Newman, the Doobie Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon and Gary Clark Jr. Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey, Phish, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Maná, the Black Crowes and Oasis. Checker’s recording of The Twist, and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll. The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before, including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old. I’ll tell them to drop dead, so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots. OutKast, made up of André 3000 and Big Boi, have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army. Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction. The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall. Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists, historians and music industry professionals. The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians, the scope and longevity of their career and body of work, as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique". Last year, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted. Stratford movie fans will have a chance to learn a little more about the monarchy As King Charles gets set to visit Canada to deliver the throne speech later this month Article contentThe Stratford Film Festival will be presenting two Mid-May screening of The Cowboy and the Queen which tells the unusual story of how an American horse trainer and her majesty struck up this unique friendship The documentary was directed by Andrea Nevins who had originally set out to do a film on the queen’s corgis “Monty told Nevins his life story and she became fascinated not only by his story but by this unlikely friendship between a former rodeo star and the Queen of England,” said Megan Smith-Harris “He was a horse trainer who had a revolutionary way of breaking a horse through gentleness and kindness instead of violence and cruelty Instead of making him a hero in the equestrian world with the Queen and other members of the royal family gently training a horse to accept a saddle and a rider in the less than 30 minutes “Normally to break a horse takes about six weeks and is very cruel and they physically hobble them and whip them and yell at them Monty Roberts’ method was to communicate with the horse to listen to what the horse was telling him and to lead them with his own body language,” Smith-Harris said there will also be an appearance by horse trainer Mallory Phillips and her miniature therapy horse Philipps also volunteers with Out of the Ashes a volunteer-run organization that provides a forever home for more than 90 rescued animals who struggled with PTSD due to abuse from his father and how he saw the benefits of using horses for people inspired Smith-Harris to make Philips a part of the screening and we can all learn that listening and communication is what we need to do today,” she said The film is very relevant to Stratford residents who was “a lasting and constant presence in our lives that led with dignity and kindness,” Smith-Harris said “I know things are pretty fraught right now in the world of politics but I also thought it was important to show that there are other Americans who do lead with kindness and who do listen and do want to to build bridges This is a reminder to everyone to look for the good in the world,” she said watwood@postmedia.com transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy AUSTIN — Stratford's Bryce Braden didn't have long to celebrate a state championship in discus After notching a personal best throw of 193 feet Braden rushed across the infield to compete in shot put which had already started due to an incoming storm the Elks standout earned his second gold medal of the day with a heave of 57 feet Braden finally got the chance to celebrate his pair of gold medals rebounding from a disappointing performance in 2024 and setting a new Class 2A state meet record Braden closed out a remarkable high school career at Stratford that included state titles in multiple sports on Friday Bouncing backBefore Bryce Braden stepped into the discus ring Madi placed eighth in her first trip to Mike A the Lady Elks' standout watched her older brother set a record in discus surpassing the previous mark set by Post's Zach Courtney in 2022 by more than seven feet "I'm just so thankful that God gave me the ability to compete like I did today and just so thankful for my family and coaches coming out here and supporting me were the only people in the whole stadium who knew I could do that Just to be able to put on display in the biggest stage is so awesome." Braden's two victories in 2025 were redemption from a ninth-place finish in discus last year After scratching in his first two attempts to get a mark required to make the event's finals finishing in last place after winning discus at the state track meet in 2023 Braden not only rebounded with two state titles and state record in his final high school track meet More: 2025 UIL State Track And Field Championships: Results More: See every Amarillo-area qualifier in this week's Texas track & field UIL state meet More: Two Texas Panhandle football players sign with Division I programs on early signing day Now a three-time state champion in track and field Braden added to what was already an impressive résumé Braden will head to Colorado Springs to begin his college football career in the fall "(My time at Stratford) has been great," Braden said "The standard there is something else that's not like anywhere else Being around the best coaches in the state And I really don't think I really understand how it is to not have like an outstanding discus coach and shot the coach Braden noted that he may also have the opportunity to compete in discus at Air Force the Elks' senior is preparing for his freshman year on the gridiron in hopes of making the Falcons' travel roster In a twist The Bard himself would've be proud of a Javanese shadow theatre is a star turn at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Taranaki The intricate puppets - accompanied by a gamelan ensemble - tell the story of an evil king the beautiful woman he desires and a heroic warrior disguised as a priest who saves her Stratford Shakespeare Festival organiser Jo Stollard said she came up with the idea of inviting Wellington ensemble Gamelan Padhang Moncar after discovering they had once performed Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man epic stories - Shakespeare is all about epic stories - so I thought why don't I bring the gamelan theatre up here and we can have the work shops for the schools they can get involved in the puppet making and it seems to have worked The two theatre styles shared common themes big bad characters and good characters and human values and getting the girl winning the girl and beating the bad guy to get the girl and fighting the lions and fighting the baddies I think it's wonderful and the stories are kind of universal you know about the good guy and the good guy is going to win in the end hopefully." Master puppeteer - Dunedin-based Dr Joko Susilo - performed a Central Javanese retelling of Begawan Ciptaning - a story from the Indian epic Mahābhārata "In the puppets there's so many stories between betrayal I think the both them is influenced together." had reinterpreted The Tempest for shadow theatre as part of his studies "The puppet is made from water buffalo skin and the handle made from water buffalo horns Some make it from bamboo for the stick for the manipulation purpose "I make all my own puppets because for the balance if I do a flick I can make sure I catch it." Susilo said they were works of art in their own right The audience at Stratford was invited to come on stage to watch the performance from behind the screen to appreciate their intricate designs and vibrant colours "If you watch the puppets from the other side behind me you can see how colourful [they are] and the beauty of the artwork because the puppets are actually fine art drama and also there's a lot of philosophy behind the words in Javanese." Year nine students from Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls tried their hand at gamelan and puppet making at a workshop run by the performers It takes a lot of effort and a lot of time to actually work out how to do it and the puppets are like very detailed and it comes together all really nicely once everyone's like doing it together." Kayla Warmenhove and Billie Smith created mermaid puppets and wrote a Shakespearean-esque script for them to perform "It was about two mermaids fighting and then mine dies to show that you don't always have to be bigger to win," said Warmenhove Stollard was sure The Bard would've approved I mean a lot of Shakespeare's plays a little bit later on there was a huge mask element there was even puppets and automator [people who operated mechanical special effects such as smoke machines and thunderclaps] and all those kinds of things so I think Shakespeare would've thought this was fabulous." The Stratford Shakespeare Festival wraps up on Saturday with Music Murder & Mayhem at the Stratford Pioneer Village Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The Ministry of Education's draft document is open for public consultation in April Retired Victoria University of Wellington professor Jaysankar Lal Shaw highlights the importance of comparative philosophy has been remembered by loved ones as a person with a 'heart full of adventure' A “free spirit” killed in a car crash in Taranaki has been remembered by loved ones as a person with a “heart full of adventure” Police on Thursday released the name of 22-year-old Jack William Pellett-Kaye, who died in a crash near Monmouth Rd, Stratford, on Saturday. Seven other people were injured in the two-car crash Tributes for the young man have flooded social media, and a Givealittle page has been set up for his loved ones we lost Jack Pellett-Kaye in a tragic car accident at just 22 years old a cheeky nature and a heart full of adventure always chasing new experiences and making memories with those he loved Jack had a wild soul and a humorous spirit which will make him unforgettable to all.” Any funds raised will go towards the funeral arrangements and a headstone “to help ease the financial burden on Jack’s family during this tragic time” The page has raised at least $12,000 so far A relative shared funeral arrangements, saying the service will be held in Stratford on Monday We would like a day for his family to spend some time with him but we also know his true family expands well beyond us so on Friday and Saturday my door will be open to anyone that would like to come and spend some time with Jack also so we can regather ourselves for Monday.” The relative thanked everyone who had “gone above and beyond” to help prepare for Pellett-Kaye’s farewell “He was one truly-loved young man and legends never die Let’s help him get there with a big sendoff.” One of Pellett-Kaye’s family members posted a tribute on Facebook Another family member wrote: “I love you brother The memories I have are ours and I’ll hold onto A loved one posted on Pellett-Kaye’s Facebook page to get the phone call early hours in the morning .. Another posted: “My promise to you is I’ll do my absolute best to mend your sister’s broken heart but I also know that will never be filled or healed Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night Police investigating the unexplained death of a man in Stratford Taranaki Saturday night have said the death was the result of a medical event The man was walking back from an event on Miranda Street about 10pm on Saturday night He was found dead on Lear St about 11.15pm Police said Monday the death was not being treated as suspicious Far North Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford recently celebrated seven years of being alcohol-free Blackouts, bruising, and a sprained ankle from alcohol-fuelled nights were once a normal part of Far North Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford’s life Throughout many of her teenage and adult years had bottles of wine stashed in her handbag and drank homemade gin “like it was water” But a health scare in 2017 prompted the 47-year-old of Ngāpuhi Welsh and Irish descent to turn her life around who recently celebrated her seventh year of sobriety wants to share her story about the damaging effects of alcohol abuse particularly as people celebrate the New Year “Sometimes I’d go out and I wouldn’t remember part of the night Stratford said she drank to cope with stress such as a difficult life event or person “Every time there was a stressful situation I felt I needed something to get me through “It was that hankering for a drink when I got stressed “I drank to excess; when I drank it was hard for me to stop.” Stratford’s wake-up call came when she visited her doctor for a check-up in 2017 She was having problems with digestion and tightness in her chest sparking fears she was having a heart attack “I went to the emergency department and had ECG monitoring She was also going through a particularly stressful time which included moving house and selling the Trainspotter Cafe in Kawakawa which she ran with her husband Daniel She was on the Whangaroa-Bay of Islands Community Board and was standing for a spot on council to replace Willow-Jean Prime who had won a seat in Parliament in 2017 Stratford was elected a first-time councillor in 2018 she was scrolling on social media when Kelly Rennie from Busy Mum Fitness popped up on her Facebook feed Stratford embarked on Rennie’s fitness programme with a focus on exercise but I didn’t think anything of it because I had stopped drinking in the past “One week in I started having severe joint pain and shaking holy crap I think my body has got addicted to alcohol I really felt the need to have a drink; it was so strong Stratford was compelled to delve deeper into why she drank Stratford - who was named the new deputy mayor of the Far North in 2022 by then newly-minted Mayor Moko Tepania - attended counselling sessions and admitted to friends and whānau she had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol “They would tell me stories about when I was drunk .. “Having clarity helped me have conversations with loved ones who told me I wasn’t a nice person when I drank “Buying a couple of bottles of wine a day wasn’t healthy blacking out on a drinking evening wasn’t normal “It wasn’t until I stopped drinking that I realised that.” and listens to podcasts about living sober I don’t miss the buzz that alcohol gave me because I find that buzz just being around people.” Stratford’s message to others this festive season is: “Be safe “Think about the negative impact of alcohol “Drink to enjoy but not to medicate or suppress you don’t have to suppress them with alcohol.” Stratford is grateful for that wake-up call seven years ago I had to deal with things that had happened in the past that were triggering or things I had not resolved “It led me to confront not just the weight Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate She has a special interest in covering human interest stories Visitors are encouraged to help identify people in the photographs Elected members debated the issue for some time at last week's meeting Stratford District Council will make a submission on the Treaty Principles Bill criticising the process and the lack of consultation The decision was made after elected members heard from New Plymouth District councillor Dinnie Moeahu (Te Atiawa who had spoken on the subject at the public forum before last week’s council meeting He had appealed to elected members to make a submission against the bill He was speaking on behalf of something that he said “is not only constitutionally foundational for this country but actually provides a pathway of us working together collectively” “It’s about the decisions that we get to make for the future aspirations of our tamariki and mokopuna.” He said he had originally been hoping for a regional response to the bill in a possible scenario where all four councils in the region submitted against it but that was no longer an option as Taranaki Regional councillors had decided not to submit as councils were meeting for the final time in the year and submissions on the bill closed on January 7 Councillor Ellen Hall asked what message not making a submission might send to iwi was “they are building and strengthening relationships with councils all over Taranaki despite the friction at times but it’s heartwarming because the legacy never used to be that way” How that might change was something he didn’t “want to consider” said he could answer Councillor Hall’s question easily In discussing the possibility of making a submission some councillors felt they didn’t know enough about the bill I haven’t actually read the bill,” said councillor Vaughan Jones but through the family we haven’t discussed it So without having further facts on it personally I don’t think I can support putting something in in terms of submission is something I don’t know enough about.” They had also not had feedback from ratepayers Councillor Grant Boyde said he agreed with Jones I don’t understand enough of the Treaty Principles Bill I probably should have taken more notice of it.” Councillor Matt Watt said he also didn’t know enough about the bill “I haven’t fully understood the arguments against it.” He didn’t want his name going on a submission opposing the bill when he hadn’t had time to do his own research Councillor John Sandford said the issue was “a political football” “And I don’t think we should be playing in the game.” Councillor Steve Beck said he didn’t know enough about the bill I thought it was just going to be a bill put before Parliament and then disappear.” Councillor Jono Erwood said he didn’t think he or the community knew enough about the bill “I simply do not know enough about it and I don’t believe our community knows enough about it The lack of knowledge around the table was said Deputy Mayor Min McKay “exactly why we should be making a submission on this” “It’s part of every single one of our decision reports the reference to the Treaty and that is what I think we should be submitting on that.” Councillor Annette Dudley agreed with McKay “This is possibly our only chance to have our say.” Councillor Ellen Hall was in favour of making a submission opposing the bill “The process in which the bill has been developed and put forward just feels wrong So there’s been deliberately no engagement with Māori were involved in the development of the bill.” Many organisations had voiced their opposition to it including “42 King’s Counsels who say that it fails to acknowledge the legal and moral imperative for honouring the Treaty” Māori Ward councillor Clive Tongaawhikau said he was “disheartened” to hear people say they didn’t know enough “It’s a shame that nobody’s read the Treaty .. because that’s what you’re talking about and you are all intelligent people and then you tell me you haven’t looked into it There was a clear division around the room as to if the council should make a submission or not “There are people in the community who would be totally opposed to this bill and there are others that would be totally supportive of it and we’ve got no way of gauging that So it’s pretty hard to submit one way or the other and say that’s the view of our community because we just certainly don’t know that But I wonder if there is perhaps a halfway point.” would be to make a submission objecting to the process including the fact the submission period encompassed the Christmas holidays The fact it wasn’t going to be supported by all parties after the first reading was another issue “What I see personally is that it’s a hideous situation where one party is putting forward a bill and the majority party in this case turning around and saying they’re going to vote against it after the first reading “What is the point of doing that because you are creating a massive amount of division and disruption To know that when it goes to a vote in six months' time that it’s going to be voted down and then it will all disappear So I can’t see the point of why they continue on with the process.” “Upsetting our relationship with the Government is one thing upsetting our relationship with our local iwi is another do we annoy the Government or annoy our iwi Elected members agreed the mayor and chief executive would make a submission on behalf of the council stating its opposition to the process The Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill was introduced on November 7 and is currently before the justice committee for public submissions Submissions can be made online through a portal on the Parliament website or by post Disclaimer: Editor Ilona Hanne is married to the chief executive of Stratford District Council Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the lower North Island Stratford Press prints last issue as NZME closes 14 community papers nationwide the Stratford District Council has voted unanimously to retain its Māori ward leaving its future in the hands of voters at a binding poll in 2025 The move follows legislation recently passed by the coalition government The Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act was passed in late July and requires councils to decide before 6 September 2024 whether to: Mayor Neil Volzke said it was disappointing to be put in the position of having to vote on the ward's future "This requirement has shown a total lack of respect for council to make a decision that affects our community A ballot is the best of the two options and it is wrong that we don't have the option of endorsing the earlier decision of council," Volzke said now puts the future of Māori wards in the hands of our community Those enrolled to vote will get to have their say on the matter in a poll to be held October 2025." During a public forum before the decision was made representatives Te Runanga o Ngati Ruanui and Te Korowai o Ngaruahine told councillors the Māori ward had resulted in more positive collaboration between Māori and council and better outcomes for the whole community It was also a concrete demonstration of honouring the partnership principles captured in Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi elected members expressed their concern with the process undertaken by the coalition government the inconsistencies reflected in the legislation and the potential for harm and misinformation to be spread in the community as a result Māori ward councillor Clive Tongaawhikau told the council he was growing into the position and I'm here because my people asked me to be "It's important for our community to have different perspectives and matauranga around the table when making decisions to benefit and encompass everyone "I hope we can all walk together on this journey and that retaining the Māori ward for future local elections is seen as a positive outcome for all." Many councillors said their decision to retain was made to represent the 54 percent Māori population in Gisborne who have historically been under-represented at the council table Tense scenes unfolded as at least 150 demonstrators gathered while the council voted The topic of Māori wards is back in the news cycle after a bill introduced by the government passed it third reading in Parliament Police were called out to the Southern Dairy in Stratford on Wednesday evening Police are investigating a robbery at a Stratford dairy last night The Southern Dairy on the corner of Broadway / SH3 and Celia St was allegedly robbed last night Police at the scene on Wednesday evening were talking to witnesses and searching the area A police spokesperson said the incident was being investigated as a robbery Those inquiries included exploring CCTV footage of the area “The use of a firearm has not been confirmed.” Home   News   Article the article you have requested is no longer available Police are investigating the “unexplained” death of a man in Stratford, Taranaki overnight The man had decided to walk back from an event on Miranda St about 10pm He was located deceased on Lear St about 11.15pm “His death is being treated as unexplained and inquiries remain ongoing to determine how he died,” police said “If anyone saw anything between Miranda St and Lear St or has any information they believe may assist in the investigation Anyone with information can contact police via 105 either online or over the phone or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 11 One person is dead and seven were injured in a two-car crash at Pembroke Emergency services were called to the scene at 11pm last night to find one person dead and seven others seriously and moderately injured The crash happened on State Highway 3 near the intersection of Monmouth Road and the serious crash unit was on the scene Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing Meanwhile, one person has died after crashing their motorcycle near the Waikato township of Pukekawa early this morning The crash on Morrison Rd was reported to emergency services at 5.35am Police said there did not appear to be any other vehicles involved in the crash the Stratford Press has reported on a wide range of issues A phrase that has been said a lot in recent weeks in the Stratford Press office as we have been working on what is set to be the final edition of the Stratford Press Here we take a fond and final look back at the history of this paper – your community paper and the first Mayor of the Stratford District Council notes in his book Stratford: Shakespearean Town Under the Mountain that the paper’s establishment ended a 20-year-long paper drought in the town The inaugural editor of the Mountain Town News was Keith Anderson but the idea of a paper for the town came some years previously Back when Anderson was a printing trade apprentice at the Broadway Printing Office his boss received a visit from the local Rotary Club Anderson overheard some of the delegates discussing the possibility of starting up a local paper and Anderson filed it away While that particular scheme did not eventuate with the many technical difficulties appearing too great at the time Anderson moved to New Plymouth where he worked as a printing machinist for the Taranaki Daily News becoming a business partner with his former Broadway Printing boss At the back of his mind was the nagging idea of starting up a newspaper The scheme was revived following a chance meeting in the street between Anderson which got around to the topic of a newspaper for Stratford Anderson went back to Kilburn to discuss the idea of a small news sheet for the district providing Anderson took on responsibility for the venture McCutcheon and other Rotary Club members were also keen on the idea and began drumming up support He said it probably would not have survived without the help of the local Rotary Club Eight pages were delivered free to 2000 homes each week It was the first free community newspaper to be published outside the main metropolitan areas “It looked good on the outside,” commented Anderson in a Press interview in the late 90s “but behind the scenes it was bedlam at its best.” Anderson’s efforts are recalled by many in our community today with people often mentioning his name as being synonymous with the Stratford Press – his efforts and passion for community news are legendary one gentleman mentioned Keith Anderson to me this week “He used to report county council meetings and the smoke from the pipes and cigarettes smoked meant he had a job reading what he was writing.” An old hand-fed press was used almost continuously for the paper Sheets were hand-fed into the press at the rate of 1000 an hour at two pages a time starting on Wednesday afternoon and going to Friday morning Six months after the Press first hit the streets the company was able to buy its own linotype machine which eliminated the need to send copy to Palmerston North because it became too big for the available equipment The hand-fed press moved at snail’s pace and couldn’t keep up with demand A new Italian press was purchased and around the same time the paper changed names – with the final edition of the Mountain Town News printed on December 15 with the newly named Stratford Press printed for the first time in February 1960 The community rallied around the paper and helped save it then known as the Stratford Borough Council held a special emergency meeting the night after the fire to discuss what could be done an old bakery building in Miranda St was made available to the Press team to work from Offers of help also came from New Plymouth and Hāwera newspapers and the paper was able to be printed from Hāwera the Stratford Press was printed and ready to be read Heavy lead printing forms were set up in the old bakery and an old Fordson van travelled to Hāwera with the forms each Wednesday afternoon coming back with the forms and 5000 copies of the Stratford Press Time passed and more changes came to the Stratford Press ownership of the company was taken over by Laurence Bunyan Smith left in 1988 to open his own print business and Stephen Coleman filled the resulting vacancy the Stratford Press was purchased by APN New Zealand Ltd Stephen and Carey Coleman and Laurence and Rhonda Bunyan owned the paper the Stratford Press became part of the NZME family through the merger of the New Zealand division of APN News & Media one of New Zealand’s largest ecommerce websites NZME confirmed it would be closing the Stratford Press along with 13 other community paper titles Leafing through Stratford: Shakespearean Town Under the Mountain there are numerous references to the paper throughout demonstrating just how interlinked the town’s history and life have been with the community paper that reported on it So is this the end of the journey of the Stratford Press NZME has said it’s been approached by several parties interested in buying individual titles and would liaise with them we are closing the next chapter on the illustrious history of this community paper ever hopeful that maybe it may be a case of down Govt faces challenges in 2024 with recession and protests as councils focus on LTP reviews Outgoing Mitre 10 Stratford owners Nigel and Richard Masters with new owners Sarah and Hayden Gibson It’s the end of an era for Mitre 10 Stratford After 127 years the family-owned business has changed hands Outgoing co-owner Richard Masters said the decision to sell was a tough but necessary one for him and his brother “We didn’t have any family that wanted to get involved so selling the business is what we had to do.” The store began life as a general store started by Richard and Nigel’s great-grandfather Jonas in 1897 Richard said their granddad had moved to Stratford from the West Coast for a job change “He was a coal miner and thought he’d come to Stratford He decided dairy farming wasn’t quite suited to him so he became a store manager in the early 1890s He said in the early days the business sold various items from gelignite to gardening ware and even some bread “It was like a department store in that kind of way The orders used to be delivered by horse and cart before cars were invented.” “He would show farmers how to remove stumps using sticks of gelignite There was once where apparently someone had put too many sticks in and blew the stump so high up it landed on their house.” “From 1910 until 1912 he was the town mayor.” During World War I and World War II Jonas’ son During this time the store changed location two times starting on Regan St and then moving to where SMS Engineering now sits on Broadway From there it moved up the road to where Best 4 Less currently is The Masters-owned store became part of the Mitre 10 chain in 1985 the best decision the family could have made “I think that has to be one of the biggest changes we’ve seen Nigel said many things have changed since he took over the store in 1973 Technology has been a big part of the changes.” Richard said he came on board in the early 80s In 2008 the store moved its final location on Fenton St Richard said the store is now in Hayden and Sarah’s capable hands “It feels like a good fit and I’m interested to see what they will do.” who co-owns Mitre 10 Mega in Whanganui with Hayden said while the outside look of the store won’t change people can expect to see some new products on the shelves “Being part of the Mitre 10 Mega chain means we have opportunities to access more range and we look forward to sharing that with our Stratford customers.” She said the opportunity to buy the business “came up at the right time” “It all happened by chance really but it’s a good fit We were already providing a service for lots of South Tarankai people so it’s just bridging that gap.” has been great at helping us along so we know we’re going to have plenty of support.” Hayden said he looks forward to carrying on the business’ legacy while introducing new ideas “It’ll be great to have the opportunity to bring the big box range to this Stratford store We’re excited to build on 127 years of great work the Masters family has done in Central Taranaki Brian Jeffares and Ngāruahine kaumātua John Hooker at the formal opening of the new facility on Thursday Stratford’s newest healthcare centre got a ministerial seal of approval on Thursday when the newly renovated Stratford Health Centre was formally opened by Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti Dr Shaun Butler and Dr Nick Loveridge-Easther iwi representatives of Ngāruahine and Ngāti Ruanui and key stakeholders attended the formal opening of the centre’s walk-in clinic acknowledging the work put into the project I have my Māori tribe and you are my clinical tribe.” He said the new building was an “exciting development” for the people of central Taranaki “You should all be proud of the work you’ve done which brings us to this position today Sitting across from the Stratford Health Centre The $750,000 facility was funded by grants from the Taranaki Electricity Trust (TET) and Toi Foundation alongside funds from the Stratford Health Trust We’ve developed a new model which works for everybody It’s a collection of work that started in late June and finished in early November We had also been planning for six to eight months before that The staff have been amazing and it’s well worth it.” TET chair Mike Davey said the trust was happy to get behind the project “We brought forward the applications to help bring this vital community service to around 7300 clients.” The facility was built by Nick Childs New Style Homes and Childs said he and the staff were excited to be part of the project “It’s a fantastic facility and we’re proud to be part of it as the project managers It’s a good community facility that puts the care directly in Stratford.” Loveridge-Easther said the Stratford Health Centre was a growing general practice We have an acute care service behind us run by a team of skilled extended care paramedics seeing between 30 and 50 patients every day that would have otherwise clogged up the emergency departments and urgent cares.” He said the centre also has a high-quality general practice service “We’re in the position now where the Stratford community can access care whenever they need it.” “Somebody once told me it takes a village to raise a child but at Coastal Medical we truly believe it takes a team to look after the community.” Bates said the new facility was a credit to the community “The significance of this opening for those of you who will work in this facility to have the Minister of Health come to Stratford to formally open the building today is a credit to the significance we put on the mahi you do for our community here in Stratford and across Taranaki.” Volzke said the formal opening celebrated the hard work put into the project “It’s great to have the Minister of Health opening the new area and hearing his words of praise for the health model service delivered by the health centre This was a significant complex building project and I acknowledge Brian Jeffares who has worked hard to get this going it was your generous grants which enabled us to do what we do.” Billie Le Gros (4) and Vera Brown (3) didn't let the rain stop their fun at the Stratford A&P Show on Sunday It was a case of four seasons in one show for the Stratford A&P show on the weekend with sunshine on the Saturday changing to rain on the Sunday Image 1 of 69: The Stratford A&P Show 2024 took place on Saturday Stratford A&P Association president Paul Vanner said the changing weather didn’t seem to stop people coming out to enjoy all the show had to offer saw the water cooler very busy and the sunblock applied Sunday was more about the raincoat and gumboots but still smiles galore as people were entertained and there was something for everyone.” It was “pleasing to see the whole community involved” the A&P Show made for a great family day out made the drive from Whanganui on Saturday to explore the show “We’ve talked about coming for a couple of years but each time we’ve had something else on and couldn’t make it This year we were so pleased when we could not only make it The kids' zone was a hit with both children so we kept heading back to the kids' tent in between doing the things mum and I wanted to do like look at the stalls and see some of the animals in the show rings.” the children thought the fairground rides were the best part “Although after we spent a while in the farm barn I think it’s a miracle we aren’t driving home with a pet rabbit as well as the vodka Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke took a break from manning the Stratford District Council tent at the show on Sunday morning to head down to the show ring for a political competition Volzke was pitted against Taranaki King Country MP Barbara Kuriger and the Minister for Rural Communities and Associate Minister of Agriculture Mark Patterson for the celebrities' beef event – in which the three politicians were challenged to lead a cow around the ring especially as his heifer was more interested in licking him than going for a walk around the show ring While both Volzke and Kuriger put their best foot a steady stream of people of all ages turned up hoping to have a go on some of the many rides and fairground games on offer Lauren Terril and Katrina Stead were all smiles as they enjoyed taking to the sky on the Hurricane ride The friends said that as well as having a go on some of the fairground rides they were enjoying walking around looking at the stalls and talking to some of the businesses there Jacob and Lachlan Ladd were having plenty of fun as Jacob took 3-year-old Lachlan for a spin in the dodgems the chance to take a spin in the teacups was a drawcard with the duo full of laughs and smiles as they spun around The Stratford Press was first published in 1960 - NZ Herald publisher NZME is proposing to close 14 community newspapers - The Stratford Press began life as the Mountain Town News in 1958 - The first edition of the Stratford Press was published on February 11 Neil Volzke is the mayor of the Stratford District I was attending a local government meeting with colleagues from across the lower North Island when we were given the news that NZME proposed to close down the Stratford Press alongside 13 other community newspapers across New Zealand There was a clear sense of surprise and disbelief among us and plenty of speculation about what the future without our respective local papers would look like Many people in our community will have strong links to the paper links formed over many years of reading about their clubs and organisations and great stories about local people and events the nostalgia trip goes back to my high school days when I earned pocket money delivering the Stratford Press once a week At last week’s Stratford District Council (SDC) policy and services committee meeting concerns were expressed about the recent announcement Elected members all agreed that the proposal could have major implications for the residents of the Stratford district The Stratford Press has been part of this community since 1960 and valuable information that helps our community stay connected It reflects the communities it’s delivered in and providing a platform that shares the issues that you won’t find in other news outlets Community support is what papers such as the Stratford Press are all about Informing locals about events and activities relevant to them celebrating the unsung heroes and providing a space where community members can feel at home It’s deeply saddening that this might all be lost in a matter of weeks I hope it can explore alternative options that would retain local news coverage for central Taranaki and find a way to uphold the importance of local storytelling and journalism there’s a real risk our communities will become more disconnected and ill-informed than ever before Many readers hold the Stratford Press in high regard and as a reliable source of information on council-related matters Closure would leave a huge chasm in that information trail and it is very unlikely that the regional paper will look to fill the gap in my view the regional paper seems to have little interest in reporting on community happenings and following cutbacks of their own has limited capacity to venture beyond the boundaries of New Plymouth The potential information vacuum offers great potential for our favourite keyboard warriors to play havoc and no doubt they will uncensored and speculative comments that make the heart miss a beat but in the future if the Stratford Press closure is confirmed those social media comments will be unchallenged and even more unbalanced Let’s hope a change can be made and the Stratford Press continues to be printed Santa and Stratford District mayor Neil Volzke took a sleigh ride along Broadway during the 2024 Stratford Business Association Christmas Parade There was plenty of Christmas cheer in Stratford on Friday evening when the Stratford Business Association Christmas parade rolled along Broadway Stratford District Mayor Neil Volzke said the parade was “a huge success” and it was great to see the large crowd of people who had come out to enjoy the parade We saw lots of smiling faces on children and parents alike.” Image 1 of 152: The 2024 Stratford Business Association Christmas Parade Events like the parade could only happen thanks to the people behind the scenes “A special thanks is due to the Stratford Business Association and the volunteers who made this parade possible.” With a pop-up market in Prospero Place before the parade began and Christmas carols performed by the Stratford Singers afterwards there was plenty to keep everyone entertained Most importantly for the younger members of the crowd not only did Santa join the mayor in the sleigh to travel along the street during the parade but he also spent time in Prospero Place afterwards posing for photos in front of the town’s Christmas tree with tamariki and adults alike Stratford Business Association (SBA) chairman said committee members were pleased with the success of Friday evening’s event “We were absolutely delighted with the turn out for the Annual Stratford Christmas Parade It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying the parade and the entertainment that followed in Prospero Place including an opportunity for Santa to meet some lovely children” “The SBA would like to sincerely thank all those who worked so hard to make this event a success including those who volunteered on the day so everything ran smoothly and everyone enjoyed a safe family event.” Stratford Foodbank volunteers Patsy Caskey Debbie Eden and Kerry Mramor are hoping the foodbank pantry shelves will be a lot fuller soon the Stratford Community Foodbank shelves are looking alarmingly bare foodbank co-ordinator Debbie Eden is confident the team will be able to continue meeting the increasing needs in the community “We are very fortunate with all the support we have We get items from Meat the Need and On The House Two recent donations provided a much-needed boost she said with a recent event by the Taranaki Holden Club raising just over $1300 for them and a non-uniform day by Stratford High School bringing in cans of spaghetti beans and other items the foodbank gives out to families and individuals every week with donations from people’s vegetable gardens and fruit trees at times which all helps when it comes to putting together food parcels each week each one packed with pantry essentials such as eggs Fresh bread goes into the parcel as well as a box of cereal as well as containers of flour and rice are also packed into the box a packet of biscuits or crackers and non-pantry items such as soap toilet paper and feminine hygiene products “We try to give people everything they will need to keep them going for a while.” As fast as the shelves have filled this year “We’ve definitely seen an increase in need this year we’ve given out 470 parcels so far this year That’s more than they had given out in the same 11-month period last year We are seeing more elderly people coming in as well Equally worrying for Eden and the team at the foodbank is the thought that some people in need might not be coming in and seeking help “We know people sometimes don’t want to ask for help they feel embarrassed or think they shouldn’t ask for some reason We aren’t here to judge or to do anything but give people some help not just in the form of the food in the parcels The increase in need is probably because of the current cost of living crisis “We also are seeing a drop in the donations we actually receive Because everyone is finding it tough at the moment the donations that came in through our annual letterbox appeal in early December would keep our shelves stocked right through to July or August we had to start buying those tinned items from around March or early April.” Every can or packet of crackers donated makes a difference be it with a can donated during the letterbox appeal or the groups and individuals who drop off items or hold fundraisers over the year “Every single person who donates something is helping others in our community.” The annual letterbox appeal takes place on Monday Items can also be donated at any time to the foodbank Drop them off at Community House on Juliet St between 9am and 2.30pm Monday to Friday people can drop items into the Stratford Press office at 341 Broadway (next to the launderette) between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday Stratford police said they responded to a person in crisis in the Cawston Street area in Stratford on Monday (May 5) morning “As a result the individual has been safely apprehended and transported to Stratford General Hospital where they are receiving the appropriate care and support,” Const Police thanked members of the public for their patience and cooperation and said they appreciate the community’s understanding as they “worked to resolve the situation safely and with compassion.” Mounfield added that at no time was there any risk to the public —————————————————————————————————- Stratford police are requesting the public stay away from the Cawston Street area in the city due to a police investigation Monday morning Police posted the alert on their social media page at 9 a.m MyStratfordNow will have more information when it becomes available Sign in Join now, it's FREE! and cereal are staples that each location could always use more of Avondale United Church’s Food Shelf runs Fridays (excluding some holidays) from 1:00-2:30PM From its humble beginnings of one shelf in the Sunday School room at St the need for food bank support has steadily increased over the past 15 years Avondale’s Food Shelf focuses on providing clients with fresh fruits and vegetables Stratford House of Blessing Food Bank has provided support to individuals and families facing food insecurity for over 40 years Their Food Bank operates Tuesday-Thursday from 10-12 and 1-3 Other programs include diapers and formula Stratford House of Blessing is a proud member of Food Banks Canada and Feed Ontario “Summer is typically a slower season for donations so we're excited to be partnering with Avondale to help keep both of our programs stocked during the summer months We're grateful to live in such a generous community and look forward to seeing Stratford step up once again!” says Aaron Balzer the Resource Coordinator for Stratford House Of Blessing Monster Madness NZ is bringing two monster trucks to this year's Stratford A&P Show This year’s Stratford A&P Show will feature the attractions people know and enjoy alongside some new things to enjoy New to the show this year are monster trucks which are sure to make for an action-filled event “Monster Madness NZ is bringing down some monster trucks but I can say there’s going to be plenty of action for everyone to enjoy.” He said the monster trucks will be on display at 10am and 2pm on both days of the show “Anything motor-related is sure to bring a crowd and we’re pleased to offer this at the show this year.” Also new to the show is the “Stratford’s Strongest” event in which participants will compete to see who is the strongest in the district “Ethan McDonough approached us about running the competition at the show Participants will attempt a range of challenges such as performing deadlifts and carrying farmers and sandbags Vince said the show will be an entertaining one What: Monster Madness NZ and Stratford’s Strongest at the Stratford A&P Show When: Monster trucks: 10am and 2pm on both days; Stratford’s Strongest on Saturday at 10am A group of local crafters have banded together to create a new car boot and market day in central Taranaki The inaugural market is to take place this Saturday and co-organiser Linda Drummond said there’s sure to be something for everyone “From jewellery and suncatchers to knitting and plants Drummond said she and her friends all enjoy making various crafts and decided to use their skills to generate some additional cash “It started by selling some knick-knacks but it grew quite quickly.” She and her fellow crafters started running a small market outside the Impressions in Ink Tattoo Studio This weekend’s market is proving to be just as popular before it has even started “There’s been so much interest which is awesome.” Drummond will be at the event selling her creations under the moniker of Linda’s Art “I’ll have some of my resin works and jewellery for sale I’ve had quite a lot of messages from people interested Drummond is also providing prizes for this year’s Stratford Christmas trail I think it’s really important to support your community.” There’ll be plenty of food and drink available at Saturday’s market with food and coffee trucks organised for the day Drummond hopes the market becomes a regular event “We wanted to put this on for our community as a way to get them involved and provide them with a local car boot and market day.” Where: Outside the Stratford Senior Citizens Hall There may be over 60 years between these two editions of the Stratford Press but both put a spotlight on what's important - the people and it’s translation - What is the most important thing in the world but the proverb has become even more meaningful for me over the past month or so Since the news broke that our community paper I have been thinking about the history of the Stratford Press The good news stories that so many of you shared with us over the years as well as the stories about facing challenges or hardship Stories about how people have stood up for what they believe in and stories about people who have challenged the status quo and stories about people achieving great things editions of the Stratford Press have been packed with photos of school events Looking back through the archives of the Stratford Press is like taking a beautiful stroll through our community’s history school stories to Lions or Rotary Club fundraisers the common theme has always been the people It is the people who have made this town all that it is While the Stratford Press might not be here in the future to report on those great people doing great things and there might be fewer photos of parades school events and community fundraisers in print for future generations to look back at the great things done by great people won’t stop happening and thanks for making the Stratford Press all that it has been - full of the great stuff happening right here in Taranaki thanks for letting us be part of your stories A multi-car crash in Stratford on Saturday September 7 which left one vehicle on fire and one person taken to hospital resulted in State Highway 3 Broadway between Stratford’s two roundabouts being closed for several hours ambulance and police attended the incident on the Broadway and Regan St intersection on Saturday Stratford Volunteer Fire Brigade acting chief fire officer Kevan Old said the brigade arrived at the scene at 5pm and were there until 8.45pm “We were initially called for a car on fire which was fully involved when we arrived at the scene no one was trapped in any of the four vehicles.” A police spokesperson said some of the people involved in the incident left the scene before police arrived “Occupants of two vehicles had fled the scene on foot leaving the two vehicles behind.” The spokesperson said police are keen to hear from any witnesses to the accident itself or who know any other information in relation to the crash “Police are currently seeking any witnesses to come forward in relation to this crash quoting file number 240908/5896.” While some of the people involved had fled the scene “They assessed two patients in minor conditions one patient was transported to Hāwera Hospital.” the brigade provided traffic management at the scene “We secured and completely blocked the scene on the main road.” He said the volunteer firefighters worked “quickly and efficiently” to manage the incident He said it’s been a busy time for the volunteer brigade saying they had responded to 13 callouts in the past seven days Stratford Shakespeare Trust members Jo Stallard Shae Trownson and chairman Dixon Lobb look forward to welcoming international travellers to Stratford-upon-Pātea in January A global convention would showcase all that Stratford-upon-Pātea has to offer Stratford Shakespeare Trust chairman Dixon Lobb said Next year the district is hosting the biennial Stratfords of the World convention and Lobb said he and other members couldn’t wait to showcase all the town had to offer “We have 35 people coming from these different Stratfords to see what we have here in Taranaki The convention includes six Stratfords around the globe – Stratford who attended the Stratfords of the World event in Ontario said he was eager to showcase all that Stratford-upon-Pātea and Taranaki had to offer so it’s important to try and match that for them We want to show off just how amazing our area of the world is.” He said they had a jam-packed itinerary for the guests “We’ve planned to take them up the mountain to see Wilkies Pool and the new suspension bridge a day in North Taranaki looking at the historic venues such as St Mary’s Church This will also include a visit to the popular TSB Festival of Lights and then a day in South Taranaki The Barden Party will also be here for a special performance for the visitors and people hosting them The finale will be a medieval feast before travellers head back home on January 15.” Lobb said the trust was now looking for more people to host the travellers during their stay “It’s a way to meet new people and create friendships all over the world.” With only two and a half months until the visitors arrive Lobb said he and other trustees were keen to hear from people interested in hosting the guests For more information about hosting, call 06 765 5702 or email stratfordshakespeare@gmail.com Stratford District Council Mayor Neil Volzke Neil Volzke is the Stratford District Mayor The festive season is upon us and the 2024 year is near an end it is a time to both reflect and to look forward For many people the last 12 months have been fairly tough and quite tumultuous with economic recession law changes and protests all contributing to the general unease as the Government attempts to change the future direction for New Zealand and create a new pathway to a better society In 2025 let’s hope that not too many people get trampled as they clamber to find a place along that bumpy pathway the 2024 year has been relatively mundane for councils; dominated by Long Term Plan (LTP) reviews and the ongoing Local Water Done Well reforms with huge amounts of time planning and resource being poured into these two items alone The LTP is the key council document that sets our future direction for the next 10 years and with all the cost pressures confronting us and the need to get costs down a back to the basics approach is what the Stratford District Council tried to deliver This will remain our focus for the immediate future two infrastructure projects were highlights for the year The new bridge across the Manganui Gorge on Mt Taranaki is quite special and is already proving to be a popular attraction for visitors to the National Park It’s an important part of the Taranaki Crossing network of walking trails and improves access to the ski field The other project is the nearly completed sealing project on SH43 that will now provide a sealed surface from Stratford to Taumaranui Successive mayors have asked for and lobbied for this specific roadworks for over 60 years and with the help of Minister Shane Jones finally it has happened The cherry on the cake was the new two-lane bridge near Stratford that removed a pinch point and enhanced traffic safety A low light for the year was the announcement that after 60 years of publication I have a genuine affinity for the paper dating back to my days as a delivery boy as an advertiser when I was a business owner as an information outlet while I have been the mayor and as a columnist when writing opinion articles The Central Taranaki community will miss the service the Press has provided and I sincerely thank all those associated with what has been a great community newspaper As well as a continuation of the 2024 issues we can add in the local government elections Several councillors have already signalled their intentions to either seek or not seek re-election in October some new faces at the council table are guaranteed and while other elected members will make up their minds closer to the election there will be opportunity for new people to get involved voters will also be asked whether they wish to retain the Māori ward introduced in 2022 During the 2025 year the current elected members will make the final decisions on the future delivery of water services Right now that looks like a choice between an in-house business unit similar to how we operate now or a regional model involving the three district councils Other options will be in the mix and when the preferred recommendation is released for public consultation I predict there will be a wide range of opinions for us to consider a time to recharge and then return in January with a new enthusiasm to face the challenges ahead I thank all this who have contributed to our community in 2024 and in particular our volunteers Collectively they make our place what it is have a Merry Xmas and a prosperous New Year was ram-raided in the early hours this morning A Stratford petrol station was ram-raided overnight Police were called shortly after 2am today after a ram raid at the Z petrol station on Broadway A police spokesperson said an “unknown number of offenders” drove a stolen vehicle through the doors of the store The offenders then took items from the store before leaving “A staff member was present during the incident although understandably very shaken by what has occurred.” The spokesperson said inquiries were under way “to identify and hold those involved accountable” Anyone with information is asked to contact police quoting job number P059141537 the Z store was still closed to the public with police tape closing off the entrance to the store Road cones were placed at the entrances to the forecourt a car was stolen from outside the Subway restaurant across the road from the Z petrol station A police spokesperson said they received a report of a car being stolen from Broadway They were unable to give any details of the car used in the ram raid a few hours later The car stolen from Broadway was a white Mazda Demio belonging to a 16-year-old Subway staff member The teenager saw their car being driven off as they left work at around 9pm and said the driver drove the car towards them and their co-worker before speeding off Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the region Gore trainer Tony Stratford will be hoping for a change in luck for the second day of the Wyndham Harness Racing Club’s grass meeting at Cromwell tomorrow Although quite a few of his team were highly favoured yesterday He has three chances in Race Four tomorrow – Gati (Bettor’s Delight) Nana’s Little Terror (Terror To Love) and Ava Dale (He’s Watching) Gati gets a nice draw and has shown good speed out of the gate in the past Nana’s Little Terror broke at the start in her race yesterday and took no part Ava Dale’s form is solid this time in and was a good fourth on Friday Tony has a two pronged attack in Race Five with Bismarck Du Plessis (Always B Miki) and The Orange Roughy (Betterthancheddar) Bismarck Du Plessis was parked on the first day and battled home for sixth The Orange Roughy was favourite in his race yesterday but got too far back to be a player Stratford labelled The Orange Roughy as the stable’s best bet tomorrow In Race Six the main trot of the afternoon Stratford lines up Son Of A Cleaner (Love You) who’ll be handled by Blair Orange Stratford has two runners Mataura BB (A Rocknroll Dance) and Tuneinsportsfans (Sportswriter) Tuneinsportsfans finished eighth on the first day of the meeting by Bruce Stewart Harnesslink.com is the only harness racing website dedicated to covering news and events in the Standardbred Industry world-wide © 2024 Harnesslink | All Rights Reserved | NV © 2024 Harnesslink | All Rights Reserved | NV The final edition of the Stratford Press will be out on December 18 Driving back to Taranaki from Levin on Thursday after NZME confirmed its decision to close 14 community papers I found myself thinking about phone chargers after the cause of a bedroom fire was traced back to a charger bought from cut-price online retailer Temu Other electrical items from the company have also been connected to fires or near misses over recent weeks What does this have to do with the fact my team and I are all about to made redundant all supporting their local papers and appealing for the company to reconsider it certainly wasn’t made because the company thought people didn’t want local news and it can’t keep providing something it can’t afford It costs money to print a paper (not to mention the staffing cost) The local businesses who pay for advertising in your local paper are the ones helping bring you a paper each week So take a look through this week’s papers and the ones preceding it as well as next week’s final edition - and appreciate those advertisers Please support them because they have been doing more than simply advertising their goods and services with us they have been supporting the community by ensuring it has access to a free local paper just as Temu and other online operators have taken business away from local shops print media companies are facing a similar struggle Not only are some advertisers moving to online advertising more than print but also when businesses are struggling themselves or facing a drop in customer revenue as online retailers step into the market People are also looking online for their news people are taking their news from a variety of sources now While I enjoy a scroll on social media as much as the next person I also know its failings - this morning my social media feed offered me three bits of clearly fake news two potential scams and a “fun quiz” that was actually more interested in finding out my password than really caring what my first pet was called .. Just as we should be careful when buying online - we should also be careful when getting our news there Buying from an overseas online marketplace over a local shop might save you a few cents The risk of a product that isn’t as good quality and has the potential to cause harm but also the risk of losing your local shop in the long term An overseas outlet might save you a dollar or five on your phone charger but they won’t donate a prize for your school PTA raffle An online retailer might sell you the latest bestseller but it won’t let you exchange it when you realise you already have that book in your ever-growing to-read pile just as we are now losing our community paper Many in our communities rely on free papers for more than just firelighters in winter - they are a source of relevant local news We report on things that matter to those who live here - from potential rates rises to the (ever-increasing and ridiculous) number of potholes on our highways We cover student successes across academics print sports reports and write about upcoming events from car shows to street food festivals we host meet the candidate events and run a series of articles putting questions to the candidates and recording their answers will you find those things at that online marketplace but I can appeal to you to let this be the last loss for the town when it comes to businesses and services keep shopping locally and supporting the people making our community one to be proud of Peter McDonald's many years of service to the Stratford community are being recognised with a Stratford District Outstanding Citizen Award this year Big Brothers Big Sisters to sports in Stratford this year’s Stratford District Citizen Award recipients have given countless hours to numerous organisations in Stratford and across Taranaki Mayor Neil Volzke said announcing the recipients of the awards was something he looked forward to each year “Acknowledging our community-minded citizens is a highlight on the calendar it’s a privilege to meet with and learn about the people that make up the fabric of our awesome district.” and since then just over 100 people have been presented with an award which formally recognise individuals who have given significant time and energy to the Stratford community In 2018 a new award category - the Outstanding Citizen Award - was introduced it is used to recognise outstanding achievement - be it through longevity of service to continue to recognise someone who has already received a citizen award or to recognise someone who has contributed an outstanding service to the community in some way four citizens will receive a Citizen Award two will receive a Youth Citizen Award and one will receive an Outstanding Citizen Award The 2024 recipient of the outstanding citizen award is Peter McDonald Peter McDonald received a Citizen Award in 2013 for his community service and he hasn’t stopped giving to his community since From kindy and school boards to St John Taranaki Hospice Taranaki and the Taranaki Irish Society McDonald has given countless hours of his time and skill to numerous groups In 2014 his work in real estate was recognised with a NZ Order of Merit Murray Fawcett and Rawiri Mako are the 2024 Citizens Award recipients Kieran Best has been involved in a wide range of organisations across Taranaki including the Stratford Volunteer Fire Brigade the Taranaki Automobile Association District Council Alzheimer’s Group and Special Education School Transport Assistance Gloria Corkill has spent all her adult life supporting community organisations including the Salvation Army Family Store and Stratford Foodbank She also spent 20 years with the Citizens Advice Bureau as well as giving her time to Grey Power and Stratford’s Positive Ageing Group Murray Fawcett was also involved with Stratford’s Positive Ageing Group and is a trustee of the Central Safe Taranaki Trust as well as being a group co-ordinator of Neighbourhod Support Fawcett founded the Stratford Cancer Support Group which offers support and friendship to those going through a cancer journey He is also a key part of the local Take a Kid Fishing initiative Rawiri Mako is well known in the sporting community of Stratford He has spent over 30 years coaching locally and clocked up over 200 games playing for Eltham Mako coached the Sri Lankan Rugby 7s team at the 2008 Hong Kong tournament taking up coaching the Stratford Premier 2 netball team in 2013 and 2014 He was also a key part of the successful merger of the Stratford and Eltham Rugby clubs in 2017 are this year’s Stratford Youth Citizen Award recipients Ellie Brady is a year 13 at Stratford High School this year and is both sports captain at the school and Tyrer House captain She has been a keen athlete over the years competing regionally and nationally in athletics Brady is often found at Stratford’s Kings Theatre where she is a volunteer usher Brady is also a member of the Stratford District Youth Council Achim Hanne attended Francis Douglas Memorial College as a day student until heading to Wellington to study at Victoria University this year he returns to Stratford during term breaks where he is still a volunteer usher and projectionist at Kings Theatre Hanne was the warrant officer - lead cadet -of the Stratford air cadet unit as well as a member of the Stratford District Youth Council “These are people who help make Stratford a great place to call home.” the Stratford Press will run longer profiles on each of the recipients as well as coverage of the award ceremony itself The Savour & Sip Trail encourages Al Fresco dining between May through October by featuring take-out items to help create a unique outdoor dining experience.   Trail participants will enjoy a wide variety of curated local offers such as sandwiches popcorn and salad, as well as an assortment of desserts including fruit pies ice cream sundaes and cold beverages (both alcoholic and non alcoholic).  "Today’s travellers are all about meaningful authentic adventures — and we’re thrilled to spark their curiosity with our deliciously fun self-guided culinary trails that celebrate local flavor and hidden gems." Vouchers do not expire and can be used over multiple days until the trail end date of Oct. 31