Year in review: July

Today, we continue our month by month feature looking at the stories that shaped Rotorua during 2010.

July 2: A man was doused in petrol but managed to crawl to safety as his hotel burnt to the ground after a  robbery.
Fire appliances from throughout the Bay of Plenty were called to Kawerau at 3am on Friday, July 2, but could do little as flames destroyed the 70m long Pinelands Motor Hotel.
Two people spoken to at the scene, neither of which wished to be named, confirmed a man inside the hotel had petrol poured over him by a robber who also demanded money from the till and from the safe.
The owner was found by firefighters a short distance from the burning building and was taken to the Kawerau police station where he was showered and given clothes.
A Pinelands Motor Hotel worker, who was watching the fire from across the street, said the pub had closed at 2am and staff had left about 15 minutes later.
"Whoever has done this has been pretty quick," the worker said.
"We're all just grateful [the owner] is okay."
July 3: A new $200,000 entryway feature will now greet motorists entering Rotorua from State Highway 5.
The official launch and unveiling of the Tarukenga entryway into Rotorua took place yesterday with about 100 people attending.
The entryway consists of five separate artworks and an information site spread over 1.75km of State Highway 5 on the main northern route into Rotorua.
Local artists Lewis Gardiner, Robert Rika and Jamie Pickernell created the series of artworks, that culminate at the Tarukenga rest area, to welcome visitors and locals to the city.
Council community arts officer Kiri Jarden said an entryway strategy was developed a number of years ago to give travellers "a sense of arrival" when entering the district.
"As one of the country's premier tourist destinations, it's important to have a prominent welcome feature as part of the overall Rotorua experience. We're delighted with the end result crafted by a talented trio of gifted local artists."
The artworks begin with two carvings by Robert Rika adjacent to Tarukenga Marae representing Tura and Te Ngakau, the ancestors of local iwi Ngati Tura and Ngati Te Ngakau.
As the highway continues towards Rotorua a series of pou (posts) by Lewis Gardiner link the carvings to his 5m high brushed aluminium artwork at the rest area called Toi Tu Whenua.
July 7: Reporoa College principal Kris Bhatt has an unclaimed certificate on his desk.
The recipient - Year 7 student Aaliyah Cara Mita - died on Sunday from injuries she received in a road smash in Rotorua last week.
Aaliyah - affectionately known as Lily to her family and friends - was a back-seat passenger in a car that crashed along Owhata Rd about 7.10pm last Thursday. She died three days later.
Lily was to have received a Strive certificate for doing well in all school subjects at her school's end-of-term assembly last Friday.

Mr Bhatt said Lily was a "very talented young student" and a popular young girl.
He said representatives from the school would attend the girl's tangi and would present her family with her Strive certificate. "It was a sad end for the school," he said.
Rotorua police Senior Sergeant Denton Grimes said the driver of the vehicle "failed to negotiate a bend, has lost control and crashed head-on into a bank".
Owhata Rd residents, who witnessed the crash, told The Daily Post they heard screeching tyres and the impact of the crash.
One resident feared there may be more crashes in the street if speed bumps weren't put in place.
July 19: A truck driver among the first on the scene of a horror crash involving 12 Rotorua teens wouldn't wish the carnage he came across on anyone.
"I'm just glad 12 hearts are still beating," a distressed Greg Thompson told The Daily Post.
"When you see kids down on the tarseal ... I wouldn't wish it on the bravest truck driver ... I've cried in the past 24 hours."
Mr Thompson said the crash, which has left a school community in shock, was the worst scene he had seen in 30 years of driving.
The teens, half of whom are from John Paul College, included New Zealand Next Top Model contestant Daisy Sparke. They were returning to Rotorua from a party in Taupo, travelling in a Toyota Hiace van that failed to take a left-hand bend about 2.30am Saturday on State Highway 5, 14km south of Rotorua.
The van crossed the centre line, hit a bank and rolled. The teenagers, who it is believed were not wearing seatbelts, were flung from the van.
Two teenagers are still in critical conditions in the intensive care unit at Waikato Hospital.
July 24: A Year 13 Rotorua Girls' High School student who suffered brain damage in a road smash in Rotorua this week has died.
Kristi-Rae Ruri-Gardiner was taken off her life support at Waikato Hospital yesterday evening. She passed away shortly after 8pm surrounded by friends and family.
The 18-year-old was one of five girls in a Honda vehicle that was in collision with a Toyota Hilux utility just north of the Whakatane turn-off on State Highway 33 about 10am on Thursday. Four other Rotorua Girls' High School students - Cheyenne Grace, Bobby-Leigh Morrison, Tui Martin and Adrianne Martin-Ohlsen - were also injured in the smash. Tui remains in a critical condition at Waikato Hospital. The three other students remain in Rotorua Hospital.
A passenger from the other vehicle involved was discharged from hospital yesterday.
Thursday's smash was the city's second serious crash in six days. Twelve Rotorua teenagers were injured when the van they were in crashed just south of Rotorua early last Saturday.
July 28: It's official - Rotorua has the best pie-maker in the country. The winners of the 2010 Bakels Supreme Pie Awards were announced at a special dinner at the Rendezvous Hotel in Auckland last night.
Rotorua's Patrick Lam, of Goldstar Patrick's Pies on Old Taupo Rd, had his bacon and egg pie named the nation's best pie. Mr Lam beat more than 4300 other pies entered by 386 bakeries nationwide.
Mr Lam has won the supreme award four times and chief judge Dennis Kirkpatrick said to do that was "quite exceptional".
This year, Mr Lam also won a silver in the gourmet fruit pie category and a bronze for a gourmet meat pie. His winning pie earned him $7500.
July 31: Te Arawa did itself proud once again with Raukura picking up second overall at the National Secondary Schools Kapa Haka championships.
The combined Rotorua Boys' and Girls' High schools group also picked up the top award for the haka section, were first equal in the whakawatea (exit), second in the poi, third in the waiata-a-ringa (action song), second equal in the moteatea (traditional chant) and second in the whakaeke (entrance) sections.
However, the group's efforts were not enough to take first place. That honour went to Gisborne's Te Ropu Rangatahi o Ritana (Lytton High School).
Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua 2010 (the National Secondary Schools Kapa Haka competition) was held at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre over four days this week, finishing yesterday.
Adding to Raukura's glory were first equal results for the group's kai-tataki tane (male lead) Te Kahuirangi Webster and kai-tataki wahine (female lead) Taria Ngawhika.
The group dedicated its performance to kapa haka legend Taini Morrison, entertainer Sir Howard Morrison and to Rotorua Girls' High student Kristi-Rae Ruri-Gardiner, who died from injuries received in a car accident the previous Friday night.
Year in review: January, February, March, April, May, June