This community newsletter is compiled every month or so on behalf of tawalink.com, Tawa's community website since 2002.

INAUGURATION OF THE NEW TAWA COMMUNITY BOARD
In our last newsletter, the names of those on our new community board were given. The board was officially inducted by the Mayor of Wellington, Celia Wade-Brown, last month. You may have seen the photo below in the local newspapers. But in case you didn't, here it is for you to peruse at your leisure.

The board comprises six elected members plus two appointed northern ward councillors. From left to right: Cr Justin Lester (new), Cr Ngaire Best, Alistair Sutton (new), Robert Tredger, Mayor Wade-Brown, Malcolm Sparrow, Chris Reading, Graeme Hansen, Margaret Lucas (new).

Malcolm Sparrow was elected chair of the community board. In his acceptance speech Malcolm stressed the importance of raising the board's profile "... so that most Tawa people know we exist and that they are better off because of our efforts." He also expressed his desire to see greater communication with various sectors of the Tawa community. Watch this space!

TAWA COMMUNITY GRANTS
If your club or group, school or church, is considering applying for a grant from the Tawa Community Board which has $15,000 to be made available to worthy local causes, you'll need to forward your completed application to the Wellington City Council by 31 January. Here's the link: www.wellington.govt.nz/services/grants/index.html.

TAWALINK WEB PAGES .
The following two items have appeared on this page on the TawaLink site in recent weeks. They're repeated below in case you haven't already seen them:

"BEAST OF THE ROCK"
Year 9 Tawa College student Sarah Parkinson wrote a fantasy book, "The Beast of the Rock", while in her final year at Greenacres School and at the One Day School run by the Gifted Education Centre. It was first published in 2009. Sarah has since spoken at schools and at our local library about her writing.

Due to popular demand, "The Beast of the Rock" is now republished in a second edition with fabulous illustrations by a talented local artist, Kim Ditchburn. Kim is also currently a Year 9 student at Tawa College. This would make a unique gift idea - especially for readers in the 7 to 11 year old age group. Queries or orders to Robyn Parkinson on 232 5338 or email robroo@xtra.co.nz. Price $20. Will also be available later on various online bookshops such as www.wheelers.co.nz.

AN INTENSE FIRE (pun intended)
At the end of this year there is a National Scout Jamboree at Mystery Creek in Hamilton. One of the requirements of the Jamboree that has been put in place by the health & safety committee is the placement of smoke alarms in every tent. It just so happened that we had a surplus tent at Redwood/Tawa, so I (Mark Lester) put forward the concept at our recent AGM of doing a controlled burn to show our scouts what can happen. We are lucky in that several of the scouts' fathers are part of the local Fire Service in Tawa, and helped us obtain the required permit from Council.

On Thursday 25th November at 7.00pm we set the tent up at Coronation Park in Tawa and proceeded to set it alight (with the Fire Service on hand). From the time the flames first caught, the tent was reduced to ashes within a couple of minutes (see the photos on the website). One senior scout leader with 40 years' experience said it was "the most impressive and scary sight that he has seen".

IT'S ALL HAPPENING TOMORROW (SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER)
TAWA COLLEGE GARAGE SALE - CHINA TRIP FUNDRAISER .
When?  9am to 3pm
Where?  The Salvation Army Hall, Main Road, Tawa
The Fundraising Committee is holding a Garage Sale to raise funds in support of the Tawa student trip to China in 2011. There will also be a sausage sizzle, cake stall, raffles, face painting and much more!

ST CHRISTOPHER'S SUMMER FAIR
When?  11.30am to 3pm
Where?  In the Emmaus Centre (behind St Christopher's church), Main Road, Tawa
A variety of stalls, books, gardening, cakes and ethnic foods, "Man Cave", White Elephant, Christmas crafts, pet accessories.

TAWA LIONS CHRISTMAS PARADE
When?  2pm
Where?  Main Road, Tawa, between Oxford and Surrey Streets
Be there!

MORE NOTES FOR YOUR DIARY
Saturday 4 December: .
Tawa Music Centre AGM and end-of-year concert. 8.45-10.15am at Tawa College Hall.

Tuesday 7 December:
Tawa Rotary Carols at Grasslees Reserve at 7pm. You're welcome to come earlier with your own picnic food. Enjoy the sausage sizzle, music, singing and Santa.

Thursday 9 December:
Tawa Community Board meeting at the Tawa Community Centre at 7pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

COOKING AND CRAFT HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES
These programmes for children aged from 4 to 12 are being offered by Hayley Balmer, a teacher, in Redwood, Tawa on 20 & 21 Dec and 26-28 January. Each session is different and is 3 hours long. Children can come for as many sessions as they like. All groups have limited places and a reservation is necessary. Cost $23 per session. Extra hours are possible. Email hayley.balmer@xtra.co.nz for further details.

TAWA FOOD BANK APPEAL
The Tawa Food Bank held its Christmas Appeal this year on Saturday 13 November and welcomed the donations of food made by people as they exited Woolworths Tawa. Donors were very generous and this is very much appreciated as it has enabled us to replenish stocks. The food will be given to the needy irrespective of religious or ethnic affiliations and is especially welcome as Christmas draws near. Requests from the food bank have increased. No doubt the present economic climate has a bearing on this.

We would like to thank the management of Woolworths for making the foyer available for the collection of food, and the volunteers for their help on the day. The Tawa Food Bank is manned by members of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Tawa. Donations of clean clothing, furniture and money are welcomed. Contact Garry Glynn 232 8123.



  TAWA COMMUNITY BOARD MATTERS .
  • Recently received email:
    "I would like to thank the Community Board for being successful in negotiating the improvements to the off ramp at Tawa. When we come off going north we have a clear view on our right of the traffic coming from under the motorway. I hope it remains as a lawn area."

  • The Community Board was approached for advice regarding the ongoing dog attacks in the Takapu Valley. The matter was referred to the Wellington City Council's Animal Control team who, in conjunction with their Porirua City counterparts, are endeavouring to bring this to a speedy resolution. In other words, they're doing their best to catch the offending canine(s) - something more easily said than done. See the article on the front page of this week's Porirua CityLife News.

  • Tawa Community Board members took up the cudgel for three local Samoan church groups who meet every Sunday at the Tawa Community Centre. What happened was that Wellington City Council sent these groups a letter advising them that the Community Centre would be closed for one month (five Sundays) over the Christmas-New Year period, no explanation given. The church groups were understandably upset because church groups have a tendency to meet together every Sunday of the year, and they had nowhere else to go. And the Christmas season is quite important to churches, especially these Samoan ones with extended family joining them.

    Despite the church groups independently writing to the Council requesting a review of the situation, their pleas fell on deaf ears. At this point the community board intervened, persuading Council officers to look at the situation again and, if at all possible, to find a way to accommodate these regular users of the centre. It turned out that certain maintenance work was to be carried out in this period. In the end the Council came up with "a solution to the problem" (which should have happened in the first place) and found space(s) at the centre for the three church groups to continue meeting at this important time of the year.



Adios


Malcolm Sparrow
On behalf of TawaLink.com
info@tawalink.com
http://www.tawalink.com
232 5030 A/H or 027 232 2320



"Courage is being scared to death - and saddling up anyway." - John Wayne

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." - Helen Keller

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You certainly know when you've arrived in Tawa - southern entrance.



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Earlier community newsletters