Brenda Vowden writes for the Hastings Leader
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Babe I hate to go
Reporter Brenda Vowden has been made redundant after 15 years so saying her farewells
Gala dinner to aid cyclone relief
A gala dinner is being held at the Old Church to raise money for cyclone relief
Celebrating five decades of trading fairly
Trade Aid has been in NZ 50 years and Napier shop celebrating with a volunteers' lunch.
Maybe the hippies were right as Chantal turns 40
Chantal Shop is 40 years old and is celebrating the milestone this month.
Cycling Without Age's trio bike service a year old
Cycling Without Age Napier trustee Alan White talks up the service a year on
Buskers help Trade Aid celebrate
A trio of busking siblings performed outside Trade Aid in Napier on World Fair Trade Day
Seniors stick to the knitting for worthy cause
Norma Sinton's house was the drop-off for a mountain of goodies to go to Ukraine.
Junior roller derby team cutting a track to world champs
Junior roller derby team members and two coaches are off to the worlds in France
Community garden opens to public
An open day is being held with a blessing and welcome of a new community garden
Bay Skate scooter rider top of her game
Napier scooter champ is off to the worlds in France
Migrant women’s wellbeing course developed
The Napier CAB and Hawke's Bay MCA are organising a wellbeing course for migrant women.
Club flies flag for navy vets
The Ex-Royal Navy club meets regularly and invites new members to come along.
Artists raise funds to support the restoration of Waiohiki Creative Arts Village
CAN in collaboration with Taupo Artists raised $9000 for Waiohiki Arts Village
Money raised in Otago will help repair Rowan House
PSO held a fundraiser for their Presbyterian Support colleagues following the cyclone
Bosom buddies slay the dragon
Members of the HB Bosom Buddies dragon boaters raced at Karapiro with an Aussie team.
Tennis clubs make a racket for disaster relief after Cyclone Gabrielle
A tennis tournament is being held to raise money for Waipawa Tennis and cyclone relief
Fine arts and students' visions mingle at Creative Arts Napier
World-renowned artist June Wayne exhibits at CAN along with school students.
New campaign is launched in Napier to highlight plight of businesses
Napier City Business Inc has launched a We Are Open campaign to support the Napier CBD.
Tame Iti joins artists exhibiting for cyclone relief
The Cyclone Relief Exhibition is being held at Ahuriri Contemporary.
New wardrobe for any woman in need
Dress for Success gets women ready for challenging situations with new wardrobe.
Dinosaur egg inspires children's book
Eggatha's Dreamland Adventure illustrated by Napier artist John Boyd-Dunlop
Gareth Ward waves wand of fantasy writing success
The award-winning fantasy author has been shortlisted for the Sir Julius Vogel award.
Mother's Day concert sure to get people out of their seats
Napier Technical Memorial Band will play a Mother’s Day concert for the public
Plea for higher funeral grants
An increase in the WINZ Funeral Grant has been called woefully inadequate
HB Photographic Society updates image at exhibition
This year's exhibition at CAN includes Colenso students.
Popular Ahuriri op shop reopens
The Opportunity Knox op shop on Hardinge Rd is back after earthquake strengthening.
Save the date: Clothing sale for MS
HBMS is having a clothing sale to raise money to continue supporting clients
Dotterels make come back
Save the Dotterels HB has had some success increasing numbers of the endangered bird.
Taradale Bridge Club opens new clubroom doors to invite other clubs in
Taradale Bridge Club has opened its new premises, which it invites other clubs to use.
Groove metal band Realthentic is playing a cyclone relief fundraising concert Easter Saturday night
Groove metal band Realthentic is playing a cyclone relief fundraiser at the Cabana
Generosity embedded in donation
BedsRus' national office sent 75 mattresses for cyclone relief and is now sending bases.
Re-Source collects, sorts, repairs and distributes donated items to those in need
Re-Source is a community organisation that accepts and donates household items.
Ugg boots to help family one step at a time
Heather and Clive Barrow are selling Ugg boots to recover from business losses.
Fane Flaws makes his mark
An exhibition is being held to showcase some of the late Fane Flaws' artworks.
Wonderland Glow Show coming to Napier with 2000 free tickets up for grabs for HB kids
Hawke's Bay kids deserve a treat after the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Māori health provider rises to Gabrielle's challenge
Te Kupenga Hauora-Ahuriri staff work tirelessly for whānau after cyclone.
Church charity steps up for those in need
PSEC has been inundated with donations to help victims of the flood.
Up to date info offered by CAB
CAB has been inundated with enquiries related to a variety of flood issues
Cyclone Gabrielle: Flooding helped church engage
Engage pastors Amy and Andrew Dishroon talk about the church's response to the floods.
Persian New Year comes to Hawke's Bay
Locals invited to help celebrate Persian New Year.
One shoebox at a time keeps cyclone-hit communities connected
TK Kennedy-Diack is gathering shoeboxes and turning them into gift boxes for flood victims
To bead or not to bead
Eskdale School children have been involved in a bead workshop to help with their trauma
Work starts renovating Ashley Clinton Makaretu Hall
More than $100,000 has been raised for the refurbishment of Ashley Clinton Makaretu hall.
Happy ending for toy story
Layla and Zara O'Connell were reunited with their toys after they were found in the silt
Volunteer firefighters swap hoses for leaf blowers
A group of 8 volunteer firefighters cleaned up the Waipukurau-Waipawa cycleway.
Book review: One dead, one missing and a squirrel
Louise Ward from Wardini Books reviews The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer
Death metal band raising funds for flood relief
Alternative death metal band Dissonance will play a flood fundraiser at the Cabana.
Carpooling group takes off
Matthew Judge has started a carpooling group on social media which has taken off.
Napier Tech Band in tune with shoppers
The Napier Tech Band will hit the streets for this year's first public performance.
TV cameras roll at Bledisloe School's temporary classroom
Bledisloe School featured on Seven Sharp while it's working out of the town hall
Buckingham Guards off to marching tattoo
The Buckingham Guards marching team is raising money for champs across the ditch
Pets priority for vet during storm
Veterinarian Clive Hamble hunkered down in the vet hospital during the cyclone
Popular trails hit hard by Gabrielle
Roy Fraser from Tukituki Trail talks about the damage from the cyclone to the trails.
CHB collective parcels up goodies
The CHB #collectivehug group is coordinating the distribution of goods for flood victims
Cyclone Gabrielle: Organisation filling food parcels for needy
Nourished for Nil Napier joined with the foodbank and is working hard to meet demand.
Patoka and surrounding community dig deep
Aiden Udy and Billie Marshall have been isolated at Patoka since Cyclone Gabrielle hit
Kind of a pig deal: Rescued piglet to bring home the bacon for flood relief
Ryan Jennings and Nelly Conway are raising money for their cousin who has lost everything.
Cool Toys welcomes four-legged customers
Cool Toys opened their doors before power was back on, selling toys and charging phones.
In wake of cyclone elderly resident says we need to be prepared
Maria Lukkassen lives in Palmerston and isn't quite ready for a disaster.
Get your flatpack assembled by an expert
Deane Hadfield has started Hawke's Bay Assembly Services putting together flatpacks.
Comment: Grateful for small mercies
Reporter Brenda Vowden reflects on how lucky she is under the circumstances.
Clear skies attracted warbirds to Awatoto
There was a record number of pilots at the Warbirds over Awatoto air show last weekend.
Crazy scooters head to Wellington to raise money
Grand Annual Jolly Good Chaps ‘Napier to Wellington 50cc Scooter Challenge’ is on March 4.
Cooking workshop shows how to get the most from your plants
We should all be eating plants like our lives depend on it because, well, they kind of do'
Holi Boli fashion brand pops up in Napier
Ethical fashion brand Holi Boli has a pop-up store in Napier
Artificial versus cut flowers questioned in exhibition
World-renowned photographer and artist Emma Bass is exhibiting at Boyd-Dunlop Gallery
Waitangi weekend in colour
The weather played ball as people flocked to commemorate the 1931 earthquake and Waitangi.
Napier City Council defends pool closure
Napier's Ocean Spa complex has been taken over by NCC and is undergoing upgrades.
Blood donors wanted at East Pier
Blood donors are being called for at East Pier next week
Napier Pipe Band to perform Art Deco concert
The Napier Pipe Band will be performing their Art Deco Concert on Saturday, February 18.
No frills spared for shop window displays
The Art Deco CBD window display competition is on again for 2023.
Help Trade Aid remove trash from beach
Napier Trade Aid is going to do a beach clean-up of rubbish at Waitangi Reserve.
Cyclone Hale disrupts principal’s bike ride
Greenmeadows School principal bikes to Wellington to babysit his granddaughter.
Mentoring programme might help prevent ram raids
Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring can prevent children getting into crime.
Bike hire business weathers Covid, tourism, rain and scooters.
Napier's bike business Fishbike is weathering the ups and downs of Covid, tourism and rain
Kids getting down at dirty at pottery studio
Pottery Studio opened in Napier a year ago and is a roaring success
Mermaid Ria adds a tail to her tales
Mermaid Ria entertained an audience at the Napier Library during the school holidays.
Wedged stick falls foul
Reporter Brenda Vowden's dog caused a stink after chewing on a stick