Future ambulance officers Wilder (left), Skipper and Remy Saunders-Smeath. Photo / Sandy Myhre
In an innovative approach, the Russell Community Medical Trust hosted a “meet the paramedic” day on the village green that gave residents the opportunity to meet and greet the registered paramedic outside of an emergency.
Several stalls were involved — the garden club was selling plants, there was face painting, the ubiquitous barbecue and a singing duo all in aid of raising funds for the paramedics of the peninsula.
The Russell craft market, too, was open for business next door in the Russell town hall because two cruise ships were anchored off Tapeka Point, helping to bring visitors to the green.
The incumbent paramedic is Deb Newton who lives in Whangārei but comes to Russell to crew on an ambulance four days a week, on the days the medical centre is closed.
She trained in Helensville, Auckland, starting as a volunteer, and has come up through the ranks to become a fully registered frontline paramedic.
She works closely with the Russell Medical Centre and is a clinical support officer for Hato Hone St John. She has also run five community first aid courses, which include CPR training.
As well as providing several defibrillators within the Russell surrounds, the medical trust raises money for the paramedic fund. Trustee Gray Mathias said they had raised $120,000 so far.
“We are actively fundraising for a second community paramedic and are aiming to get to $250,000 to make it happen.
“We also raise funds for the medical centre which will allow them to attract doctors to the community,” he said.
Russell has one of the first community paramedics in New Zealand, and other centres are looking closely at the effectiveness of the scheme with a view to implementing the same system.
When Clendon House visitor host Libby Shaw noticed a family christening gown on display at the historic house in Rāwene was a little the worse for wear, she was keen to do something about it.
“I have a personal interest in vintage and antique lacework and clothing, so I was concerned that the christening gown was clearly in need of some repair,” she said.
“I checked with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga collections adviser Belinda Maingay, and was given the okay and instructions on how to undertake some of the work needed.”
Maingay undertook some research on the garment and found it dated to about 1880 and had belonged to Marion Miller (nee Clendon), who was the daughter of James Reddy Clendon and Jane Clendon. All seven of their children were christened in the gown.
Shaw drew on her extensive experience working with lace that she learned from a young age. During a short time in Quebec she was given lessons from skilled women who were taught to hand sew by Catholic nuns.
She also took the time to identify the fabrics used and take photos of the damaged sections to source matching threads for the repair work. She said most of the work involved restitching the panels of lace back together with blind stitching to reinforce and reconstruct sections of missing lace.
“I felt an immense responsibility having been given this work, and so I wanted to do my best for the garment, the Clendon descendants and Heritage New Zealand.”
The gown was donated to Heritage New Zealand for the Clendon collection by Frances Spender, a descendant of Marion Clendon. Today Clendon House is a tohu whenua cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
Kerikeri Theatre Company is opening enrolments for its Youth Theatre programme and a new adult acting class, and has called on some big guns of the theatre world to help out.
Miriam Collins is the Youth Theatre tutor and brings her qualifications, experience and passion for theatre to the programme. She has been a vital part of the Kerikeri theatre scene for nearly 10 years.
Term one will culminate in an end-of-year show for family a friends. Classes take place on Mondays and Tuesdays between February 5 and April 9. A “theatre sports” class for 8-13-year-olds is being introduced.
Conducting the adult class, called Finding Your Method, is Gregory “Ziggy” Wagrowski.
He was born in Lodz, Lodzkie, Poland, and moved to the US where he received an MA from California State University, Long Beach. He became associate artistic director for the Smokebush Centre for Arts and Theatre in Colorado Springs and is a former artistic director of the Colorado Actors’ Theatre.
He is an industry veteran with over 45 years in the field. He has worked in numerous television shows and films alongside renowned actors such as Holly Hunter, Bill Pullman and Jack Black.
His in-depth class focuses on advanced character development, scene analysis, finding truth and intention and mastering improvisation, among other elements. There are only 12 spots available. Each class is two hours, Wednesdays from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, from February 7 to April 10. For more information go to the theatre company’s website.
Next month the Kerikeri Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew in the outdoor setting of Kainui Vineyard. There are six performances, from February 15-24. Tickets are available at the Black Box Theatre website.
The Resilient Russell Charitable Trust (RRCT) has been operating in Russell for the past six years. It was started by Russell resident John Maxwell, with the objective to reduce as much waste in the town as possible.
Since then it has been involved with reorganising the local refuse transfer station and has supplied rubbish “ambassadors” to various events in the Bay of Islands.
Recently, in conjunction with Jane Hindle, the council member of the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board, RRCT decided to reduce the amount of rubbish usually abandoned on the Russell wharf by boaties over the busy post-Christmas-New Year period.
The project was to set up a fully attended recycling and general waste collection station on Russell wharf with communications sent to all boaties in the Bay, those who live on boats and all visiting sailors.
The project was earmarked to last three weeks and the first customers were a French family with five trash sacks they were relieved to unload.
In total, 94 rubbish bags were received from and paid for by the boaties. There were 14 bags of general waste that were left at the bin station overnight. In total, 36.4 wheelie bins (each with a capacity of 240 litres) of recycling were collected and 4.8 extra-big bins (each with a capacity of 660 litres) of cardboard have been taken to the Russell Transfer Station.
RCCT chairman Alastair Macduff said it was interesting to note that during the second half of the project’s duration, there was an increase in recyclables of 190 per cent and a reduction of black general waste bags of 60 per cent.
“This suggests that boaties were making more effort to sort the recyclables from the general waste thereby reducing the amount of waste going to landfill,” he said.
He acknowledged the effort made by the Cadogan family who patiently explained and educated visitors as to their recycling requirements.
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