Citizens Awards represent 'the best of us'

Mayor John Carter with this year's Far North District Council citizens' award recipients. From the left - Laurence Erstich (representing his mother Angel, Awanui), John Hayter (Kaikohe), Eddie Bellas (Kaitaia), Therese Wickbom (Kerikeri), Wihi Stevenson (Awanui), Bruce Gordon (Haruru), Dave Keen (Kerikeri), Frank Leadley (Opua) and Bryce McDonald (representing Anthony Warren, Kaikohe). Photo / Peter Jackson

Far North mayor John Carter told a gathering at Te Ahu in Kaitaia that the recipients of this year's council Citizens Awards represented "the best of us", every one of them deserving the recognition they were about to receive for the contributions they had made to their communities over many years, with no thought or suggestion of reward.
The recipients were as follows.

THERESE WICKBOM (Kerikeri) was back at Te Ahu after the supreme Trustpower Far North Community Award on behalf of the Bald Angels Charitable Trust, of which she was a founding member, earlier in the year.

The Bald Angels offered direct help to the less fortunate, and also linked people who wanted to give something back to the community, working with prisons, Women's Refuge, the police, Plunket, St John, Hospice and others. Therese was described by those who know her well as an incredible woman who always put others first and always looked for ways to enhance the lives of others.

"Hundreds of families and many Northland children who can vouch for that," the citation added.

The award, she said, was not hers but was for the entire community.

"Without the goodwill of the community none of this would have happened."

Therese Wickbom.

BRUCE GORDON (Haruru) exemplified the kind of community spirit the citizens awards were designed to acknowledge. He was always on hand, helping out his mates in Paihia and Haruru Falls, and was a regular volunteer on community projects, often with his digger and truck.

A regular volunteer with Focus Paihia since it began, he was described as a generous but humble man, "a community treasure".

Bruce Gordon.

ANYONE WHO WAS BORN and raised in the Bay of Islands over the last 45 years was expected to know Frank Leadley (Opua). Principal of Bay of Islands College from 1970 to 1993, he was a founding trustee of the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust, and was still heavily involved as the trust's funding manager.

Mr Leadley, who recently retired from Rotary after 48 years, had a strong sense of community and an infectious sense of fun.

Frank Leadley.

SINCE MOVING TO KERIKERI in 2009, Dave Keen had made quite an impact on the town. The citation described him as business owner and a member of the Kerikeri Cruising Club, but he was best known for street parades to welcome home Kerikeri's Olympic and America's Cup sailors.

His enthusiasm, ability to bring people together and to collaborate, gave him the ability to inspire and to take others with them.

Mr Keen said it did not take much to bring a community together when sporting heroes were involved.

Dave Keen.

ANTHONY WARREN (Kaikohe) put kids through the mill, and was proud of it, according to his citation. He had been running The Mill, a community gym, out of an old pub since he retired, and promised to give Kaikohe youth a place to find direction and discipline.

The gym was a place where youth could feel safe and could meet positive role models.
Mayor John Carter said Mr Warren was an example of what communities needed to do for their young people, while Bryce McDonald, who accepted the award on behalf of his friend, said Mr Warren had told him that someone had "done it" for him when he was growing up, and that there was no knowing where he would have ended up without that support.

JOHN HAYTER (Kaikohe) had for almost 40 years been first on the scene at times of crisis. He had been a serving member of St John for 38 years, the award acknowledging and thank him for his years of selfless service.

John Hayter.

ANGEL ERSTICH (Awanui) had been a pillar of the Returned Services Association in the Far North for nearly 40 years. She was the first vice-president of the National Women's Association when it was formed in 2005, and five years later was elected president.

Laurence Erstich, who accepted the award on his mother's behalf, said he could not remember a time when she had not been helping others in myriad ways, in addition to her RSA roles. About to celebrate her 80th birthday, she was unable to be present because she was in the Waikato "doing Women's Section work".

Laurence Erstich, who accepted his mother Angel's award on her behalf, could not remember a time when she was not helping others.

EDDIE BELLAS (Kaitaia) served his community as a volunteer firefighter, a honorary fisheries officer and an executive committee member for the Far North (Kaitaia) RSA. "Eddie is one of those volunteers who is everywhere - fighting fires, patrolling our beaches, working with young people, liaising with police and ambulance services - he is part of our next generation of community volunteers," the citation said.

Eddie Bellas.

WIHI STEVENSON (Awanui) was an all-round sportsman who had been a fantastic ambassador for Kaitaia and Awanui over many years. He had played basketball, squash, cricket and tennis, continuing his involvement as a coach and administrator, but it was in rugby that he had really made his mark.

He had played at club, representative and senior levels, had refereed and coach the Awanui under-16s, the Kaitaia College's 1st XV and the Mangonui under-18 reps, assisted with the Northland Maori seniors and coached the Awanui Seniors.

Wihi Stevenson (accompanied by wife Delwyn).

He had kept those clubs going in the lean years, mowing fields and marking lines, washing jerseys and making all 15 players were on the field.

Long-time friend Mate Radich said that without him and his wife Delwyn there would not be an Awanui Rugby Club, while Mr Stevenson thanked his five brothers, who had never been able to help when he needed a hand, for the award, which he shared with his wife and whanau.