Editorial: Crunch time for a black carrot

Would the prospect of seeing a giant black carrot be enough to entice you to visit Ohakune?
Those working to promote the small town are certainly hoping so.
The Ohakune Growers' Association, Ruapehu District Council, Visit Ruapehu and Resene are collaborating on a project that will see the town's oversized orange carrot painted black in time for this year's Rugby World Cup. New Zealand seems to have something of a fascination with using oversized novelty items as a way to attract people to our towns.
Just as Ohakune has its carrot, Gore has its trout, Paeroa has a giant bottle and Cromwell has a bowl of fruit. It's a matter of speculation as to how many people actually go out of their way to view these oversized objects. But, for the most part, the locals seem to like them anyway. That's why the decision to temporarily repaint Ohakune's carrot black is not without risk.
However, the likes of Ruapehu District Council and Visit Ruapehu in particular, will not want this to fail - it is, after all, a large part of their respective roles to see their region promoted in a positive light.
On a less serious note, it's also good to see special paint being used to ensure the carrot's black surface does not get as hot as normal black paint would. Having a tourist or curious local burnt by a giant black carrot is surely not the sort of publicity the Ruapehu District Council will be hoping to generate.
Good on Caroline Norton, the bar manager at Caroline's Celtic.
To apologise to Michael Laws, who was attacked in the bar last Friday, must not have been the easiest thing to do. Just as difficult will have been the ongoing negative publicity surrounding the attack. And yet, it's hard to blame Caroline's Celtic.
There has been no suggestion that bar staff could have done anything to prevent the assault on Mr Laws. You would imagine Mr Laws, a man not normally reluctant to share his views, would have complained long and loud had Caroline's Celtic somehow been at fault. But his silence speaks volumes. Ms Norton and her team should be commended for making the decision to go public with their apologies.
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