Passion, patience and persistence have paid off for first-time author Julie Lamb.

Vet Services Wairarapa can now add dog bathing to its list of services, with its new DIY machine going down a (doggy) treat with customers.

For many of us, the loss of a pet is our first experience with death, and incidentally our first taste of the sadness and pain that accompanies the joy of loving another living creature.

As a young woman, Greytown's Margaret Hewison "had her pick" of the local gentlemen, but the one she chose has been at her side for almost seven decades.

The World War I stories of hopeful young men, hobnail boots and long marches continue to be an inspiration for Masterton children's writer Michelle O'Connell.

The New Zealand flag. What a fiasco.

Musicians Holly and Zac Winterwood have not long settled in Wairarapa, but they are already making an impact on the local theatre circuit.

When Rebecca Vergunst returned to her home region after university, stressed by job hunting, she didn't imagine she'd been running for council a few short years later.

Nick Perkins is looking to a "fun night out" and auction to raise the lion's share of the funds needed for his groundbreaking stem cell treatment.

When it comes to insects, her favourite subject, five-year-old Harmony McEwan is a fountain of knowledge.

By the time this paper hits everyone's letterboxes, Easter will be done and dusted for another year - most of us will be back at work and, hopefully, the kids' sugar highs will have worn off.|

Whether reading children's books in Masterton, or supporting children with skin disorders in Africa, Glenys Hansen and Geoff Walker are living Lions Clubs International's motto -- "Where There's A Need, There's A Lion".

Carterton's Maree McManaway can trace the inspiration for her first book back to her two schoolyard favourites -- The Berenstain Bears and the Little Red Hen.

The ocean, longing for serenity and the importance of recycling are encapsulated in Carterton writer and performer Justine Eldred's new project.

Maybe it's because I'm attracted to bright shiny objects that I first thought the Neil Dawson sculpture Ascension would be a great idea for the northern roundabout in Masterton.

Vik Olliver has a vision for Masterton --for it to become the inventors' hub of New Zealand.

Lately, I've noticed how eager we are to deplore and castigate as a culture. And how slow we are to praise.

Carterton playcentre is turning to crowdfunding to help protect its building and keep vandals at bay.

Award-winning Makoura College now has a spot on the airwaves.

On the heels of her novel about women battling dire circumstances, Carterton writer Gaye Sutton is inviting Wairarapa people to share their own survival stories.

I'm not a fan of the Ascension sculpture. There, I said it.

A Wairarapa-based academic is part of a nationwide project to help larger New Zealanders access safe, compassionate and equitable health care.

A comic Kiwi take on the dating scene has beckoned a long-time theatre enthusiast back to the director's chair.

New Zealand's largest all-male organisation has pledged to stand against violence towards women - starting in Wairarapa.

The team behind one of Greytown's most popular eateries are taking intimate dining to the next level -- sharing their favourite recipes from their kitchen bench.

A "Cameron Crescent boy" is to represent New Zealand in his favourite sport later this year.

Our "It's Only Me" columnist, Graeme Burnard has given me plenty of food for thought.

A Wairarapa artist hopes her debut book will help readers understand what it means to live with autism.

One of Wairarapa's enduring community organisations is appealing to the public to help fill in some of the blanks of its mysterious 30-year history.

Nick Perkins is looking to a revolutionary stem cell treatment to give him the chance to be a regular Dad.