Mark Dawson
THIRTY-THREE candidates ... count them.
That's 33 hopefuls standing for the chance to sit down at the Whanganui District Council table. Is it a record?
Local democracy is alive, well and kicking, and it is good to see so many keen enough to get involved.
Still ... 33 ... ?
While acknowledging the good intentions, is this an example of optimism triumphing over experience? Or naivety getting the better of logic. Either way, what we have is a bit of a bunfight.
Simply put, a substantial number of those candidates have no chance. The $200 cover charge they pay for nominating themselves will boost the municipal coffers -- it's almost like a whip-round for the new wastewater treatment plant.
What does a field of 33 tell us? Perhaps that there is great dissatisfaction with the current council? Perhaps that a lot of people have time on their hands? Most likely, that there is a bunch of Whanganui-ites who believe they have something to contribute.
Should they get elected, they need to remember that it takes more than good intentions and community spirit to make sound decisions and effect change.
So -- as said here before -- I hope they are all familiar with the Local Government Act and council standing orders, have attended at least a couple of council meetings, and have waded through a selection of reports, agendas and minutes. If not, they may be wasting their time.
???
Rowing is a tough sport by any standards. Even to perform at a modest club level requires getting up at ungodly hours armed with a strong work ethic and heaps of dedication.
So the years of unstinting commitment that netted our own Rebecca Scown an Olympic silver medal last Saturday are almost beyond our imagining.
A packed Olympic schedule where she had both women's pair and eights races closely together (one day there was just an 80-minute breather between her events) gave a glimpse into her mindset.
Where some sports stars might have whinged or looked for an excuse, the ever-positive Scown shrugged it off and said: "No bother."
She got her deserved reward.
Even just one kiwi death can have a devastating impact on kiwi recovery, Helen Leahy said.