The Press back issues from May 2001:
Ram-raiders strike - again
May 01, 2001; ... Merivale Photo and Video shop owner Greg Bramwell thought his daycould not get any worse. At 3.53am yesterday, three offenders wearing balaclavas used astolen 1995 Isuzu MU utility vehicle to smash through the frontwindow of his Merivale Mall shop. They took 50 seconds to ...
Okaramio School recalls 117 years
May 01, 2001 ... Past and present pupils of Okaramio School in Marlborough havefarewelled 117 years of learning. More than 60 former pupilsgathered at the weekend to share their recollections of life at therural school, 27km northwest of Blenheim. Classroom teaching stoppedat the one- teacher school at ...
SPCA seeks consent to display animals
May 01, 2001 ... The Mid-Canterbury branch of the SPCA has applied to AshburtonDistrict Council for consent to construct a building to displayanimals. The society, in an application to be considered onThursday, seeks to operate from a site occupied by the SouthCanterbury Veterinary Club in East Street ....
Spooner road open, but work incomplete
May 01, 2001 ... The newly refurbished Spooner Range highway has been reopened,but 5km of the 7km of roadway affected has still to be sealed.Tasman Mayor John Hurley cut a ribbon after a brief opening ceremonyon Sunday. Transit New Zealand spent nearly $5m on the project, ...
Bob pipes in 100 years
May 01, 2001; ... Greymouth centenarian Bob Rudd does not have to turn to historybooks for stories about digging the Otira Tunnel or riding in ahorse-drawn coach over the scary Otira zig- zag. He just has to rely on his remarkably clear memory of his ownexperiences on the early West Coast ....
Winter irrigation charges delayed
May 01, 2001 ... BLENHEIM -- The Marlborough region's electrical grid company,Marlborough Lines, says it will delay the introduction of wintercharges for irrigation pumps until at least mid-May. The company made the announcement yesterday, advising allelectricity retailers of the delay for the ...
Woodend bypass key to road plans
May 01, 2001; ... A bypass east of Woodend, the development of public transport,and a new trunk network around Rangiora top a list of suggestions ina plan to improve transportation in the Waimakariri District overthe next 20 years. The report, commissioned by the Waimakariri District and ...
Hemp advocate calls for co-ordinated approach
May 01, 2001 ... NELSON -- Would be growers of industrial hemp need to take a co-ordinated and nationwide approach now the Government has approvedgrowing trials, Motueka horticultural scientist Peter Smale says. Approval for trials of the cannabis- related plant, which has awide range of ...
Council firm on water
May 01, 2001 ... ASHBURTON -- The Ashburton District Council is taking a firmerline on ensuring that new and existing rural properties have apotable water supply. Council chief inspector Peter Thompson, in a report to bepresented to the council on Thursday, said he had concerns about ...
Tyres cause 15 crashes
May 01, 2001 ... Shoddy tyres were to blame for 15 fatal car smashes last year,the Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) has revealed. It wants drivers to regularly check the condition of their cartyres, and ensure they are properly inflated. "It's the single most effective thing people can ...
Tiki found at Moeraki could have high value
May 01, 2001 ... A Maori tiki found recently near Moeraki, south of Oamaru, couldbe worth between $10,000 and $30,000, Wellington valuer DunbarSloane says. The pre- European hei tiki was sent to Mr Sloane by itsfinder, Timaru man David Talbott. Mr Sloane said he had not done aformal valuation of the ...
LTSA issues guide for modifying cars
May 01, 2001 ... The Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) is handing out a DIYcar- modification guide for budding "boy racers". LTSA directorDavid Wright said lowered suspensions, tinted windows, and gruntyengines were a passion for many motorists, not just "the boy-racerset". "All kinds of drivers get ...
Four charged after pool-cue beating
May 01, 2001 ... Two young men and two young women are facing charges of injuringwith intent after a man was beaten with pool cues under theSilverstream Bridge in Upper Hutt. Senior Sergeant Rowan Ingham saidthat at 11pm on Sunday two women began talking to two men under thebridge. The men were ...
Ex-cop on trial for rape
May 01, 2001 ... AUCKLAND -- A former police officer accused of raping hisgirlfriend has gone on trial in the High Court at Auckland. Tyler Stephens, 25, of Blockhouse Bay, was a constable at thetime of the alleged offences in September 1999, New Year's Day 2000,and May 5 that year ....
Experts blast flare found by children
May 01, 2001 ... WHANGAREI -- Air force experts have exploded a live flare on aNorthland beach after three young children found it and took it hometo play with. George Davies, of Bland Bay, 55km north of Whangarei, said hisnephew's three children, aged nine to 12, had found the flare on abeach ...
'Bombs' turn out to be bags
May 01, 2001 ... WELLINGTON -- Two objects that exploded on a road outside Rotoruaairport on Sunday, injuring a woman, were skydivers' weight bags. It was first thought the wallet-sized objects were home-madebombs filled with lead shot which blew up when cars ran over themabout 4pm on Sunday. But ...
Slowing growth shows
May 01, 2001 ... WELLINGTON -- New Zealand's population growth is slowing,according to figures released by Statistics New Zealand. The median age is also higher. The country's population on March 31 was estimated at 3,844,900,and in the 12 months to that date grew just 0.4 per cent, or ...
Istabraq falls
May 01, 2001 ... Ireland's near legendary hurdler, Istabraq, his winter frustratedby the foot and mouth outbreak curtailing several major meetings,fell dramatically at the last fence in a race in Ireland ...
Dubai Millennium stable
May 01, 2001 ... Dubai Millennium, suffering from the rare equine disease of grasssickness, which is usually fatal, is in a stable condition at DalhamHall, Newmarket, after undergoing two colic operations last Mondayand ...
Costly late entry
May 01, 2001 ... Oracle Racing, skippered by New Zealander Chris Dickson, hasfinally challenged for the America's Cup after teaming up with theGolden Gate Yacht Club from San Francisco. The syndicate, funded bysoftware ...
Police confident
May 01, 2001 ... Police say they are confident of finding missing man David Kong,19, whose family has not seen him for more than a month. HamiltonSenior Sergeant Greg ...
Alarm slip
May 01, 2001 ... Firefighters were called to a Nelson house after an electrician'sattempts to install a smoke alarm backfired and set fire to theproperty. Nelson senior station officer Steve Shackleton said that ...
Virgin bid hits policy turbulence
May 01, 2001; ... Virgin Blue's high-profile bid to fly into the New Zealand airmarket appears to have been grounded on the sticky issue ofinternational air rights. Hopes were high the Australian-based airline, owned by Britishtycoon Sir Richard Branson, would be welcomed with open arms by ...
Pair deny assault over missed tackle; (ed 1: Pair deny missed- tackle assault)
May 01, 2001 ... AUCKLAND -- An Auckland father and daughter have deniedassaulting a 12-year-old boy after he missed a rugby tackle during amatch in West Auckland. Sione Vineula, 47, unemployed, of Glendene, and his daughter,Tanya Vineula, a 19-year-old mother, of Glendene, pleaded not guiltyin ...
Ram-raiders hit four times in eight months
May 01, 2001; ... Merivale Photo and Video shop owner Greg Bramwell thought his daycould not get any worse. At 3.53am yesterday, three offenders wearing balaclavas used astolen 1995 Isuzu MU utility vehicle to smash through the frontwindow of his Merivale Mall shop. They took 50 seconds to ...
Farmer 'pretty strong fella'; (ed 1: Injured farmer 'pretty strong fella')
May 01, 2001; ... Peter O'Donnell says his father, Bill, is a "tough old bugger". The 76-year-old farmer is resting in Timaru Hospital after anaccident that left him impaled on a hay- baling spike for 16 hours. The accident happened at 4pm on Saturday, but the alarm was notraised until a ...
Pair jump for lives as fire engulfs flat
May 01, 2001 ... A Christchurch cook and his partner were forced to jump severalmetres through a wall of flames as an early- morning blaze rippedthrough their inner-city flat. The fire broke out about 1am yesterday in a downstairs living-room of the Worcester Street flat. Sounds of breaking ...
Change seen as surrender
May 01, 2001; ... The Christchurch City Council's decision to amend its zero wastestrategy is a weak retreat from a noble vision, an EnvironmentCanterbury councillor says. Sir Kerry Burke said the proposal was a meek surrender that wouldensconce the city council and its ratepayers "even more ...
DRINK-DRIVE CONVICTIONS
May 01, 2001 ... Drink-drive convictions for the week from April 19 to April 25: Breath-alcohol limits are 400 micrograms per litre of breath, or150mcg for people under 20. Blood-alcohol limits are 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres ofblood, or 30mg for people under 20. BERESFORD, ...
Attacker floored
May 01, 2001 ... Police are praising the "gutsy response" of a woman, 19, who wasindecently assaulted in central Wellington. Detective Tony Darroch,of Wellington CIB, said a man entered the woman's apartmentyesterday. "The woman's gutsy ...
DIARY
May 01, 2001; ... Crusaders triumph ALL CREDIT to the Crusaders who stayed behind after beating theSharks at Jade Stadium on Saturday night. They brought joy to 50 orso youngsters and a few parents who had lingered in the hope ofgetting autographs. The players, including Scott Robertson and ...
COPTER MISSIONS
May 01, 2001 ... Report on missions flown by the WestpacTrust Rescue Helicopterfor the week ending April 29, 2001. Monday, April 23 -- Called to lift and retrieve a light aircraftwhich crashed into bush near the Waimakariri Gorge. Tuesday, April 24 ...
Fantasy-style drug importer says it's legal
May 01, 2001; ... Timaru importer James McNee will continue selling his popularFantasy-style drug, despite a death from a similar drug in Auckland,because legally he can. "You are not looking at Mr Moral," said Mr McNee, 27, director ofAlphaware, a profitable business selling the controversial ...
PM pursues change to doctor card
May 01, 2001; ... Prime Minister Helen Clark has tipped funding in next year'sBudget for a scheme replacing the community services card, followingfallout over low-income workers missing out on subsidised doctorvisits. Ms Clark suggested that capitation funding -- a form of bulkfunding -- might be ...
Recorder tells tale of crash
May 01, 2001 ... PALMERSTON NORTH -- Jurors at the trial of former Ansett Dash-8crash pilot Garry Sotheran have finally heard evidence from theplane's cockpit voice recorder, covering the flight's final 30minutes before it hit the ground. Three people were killed on impact and a fourth died later ...
He's the one for eager fans
May 01, 2001 ... Die-hard Robbie Williams fans will be able to camp out in comforttonight to score a seat to see "The Ego". Tickets for the British pop sensation's November 13 concertofficially go on sale at 9am tomorrow. Mike Kelly, executive director of NCC (NZ) Ltd, which manages ...
CHH ignores mediator, heads to court
May 01, 2001; ... Carter Holt Harvey is ploughing ahead with court action againstSouth Island waterfront workers, despite a mediator's call forlawyers and picketers to lay down their arms. "We've got nothing to talk to them about," Carter Holt Harveychief operating officer Jay Goodenbour said last ...
Editor appointed
May 01, 2001 ... One of Wilson and Horton Ltd's most senior editorial executives,Bruce Morris, has been appointed editor of the Bay of Plenty Times.Mr Morris has a wide news management ...
Still missing
May 01, 2001 ... Escaped prisoner Patrick Whareao Seymour is still missing afterleaving a Manawatu Prison roadside work party on Friday. "We haven'tgot him, haven't a clue where he is," Sergeant Andy ...
Fears for man
May 01, 2001 ... A Wellington man, 41, with a history of crime and mental healthproblems, is missing. Raymond Elise, of Tawa, was last seen in LowerHutt on Wednesday. A ...
Message for Tranz Rail
May 01, 2001 ... Tranz Rail has been given a sharp message that its appallingworkplace injury record is unacceptable. It has been fined $50,000for safety breaches that led to the death of Christchurch shunterNeil Faithful. For a large company such as Tranz Rail, the fineitself is not huge. It was ...
IN A FEW WORDS
May 01, 2001 ... * Regarding the reference (April 21) to British Tommies atGallipoli as "soft soldiers from the slums of industrial cities,aliens to the rugged outdoor types" of New Zealand, my father was aTommy. His battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers, won six VictoriaCrosses at Gallipoli, all before ...
Zero waste
May 01, 2001 ... Sir--The Christchurch City Council proposes to modify its goal ofzero waste to landfill by 2020 to the less pressing goal of "zerowaste at some stage". It is unfortunate that such a decision is being made byChristchurch city councillors. It is my generation (the 20-somethings), ...
Man kidnapped
May 01, 2001 ... A kidnap victim is recovering in hospital while police continuethe hunt for his attackers. Detective Sergeant Chris Bensemann saidyesterday the man, 41, was in a stable condition in hospital aftersuffering ...
Zero waste
May 01, 2001 ... Sir--The Christchurch City Council is proposing to lower the year2020 waste target from zero waste to 50 per cent waste (see publicnotice, March 31). Why? Because Transwaste Canterbury Ltd (a company partly owned by thecouncil) requires a certain amount of waste for the proposed ...
Drought forecast
May 01, 2001 ... Sir--My research organisation is keeping a record of climatechange and long-term weather forecasts. We have taken note of regional councillor Dr Neil Cherry'sforecast (April 27) about droughts in Canterbury: "In the next 10years it's going to get worse." To help us with our ...
Drought forecast
May 01, 2001 ... Sir--Once again (April 27) Cr Neil Cherry of EnvironmentCanterbury has been quoted on meteorological matters, saying thatglobal warming would mean more droughts for Canterbury. It is time the readers of The Press had a more balanced view onthis and other things that this ...
Waipara landfill
May 01, 2001 ... Sir--I read with interest the many letters opposing the youthjustice centre in Mandeville. I applaud them all. It is a shame wedo not have the same passion in the Hurunui. Canterbury Waste Services chose its site well when planning theproposed superdump for the region. To be sited ...
Qantas NZ failure
May 01, 2001 ... Sir--It is a bit rich for Jim Anderton to suggest that thedirectors of the failed Qantas airline be held accountable because athousand people lost their jobs. These staff members, as unfortunate as it may be, have only losta job. The directors have lost a great deal more ...
Qantas NZ failure
May 01, 2001 ... Sir--Your editorial (April 24) seems to miss a significant point. You suggest Ansett/Qantas failed because of wrong aircraft andthe pilots' strike. But the airline was apparently making lossesright through the 12 years before the strike, and surely had morethan enough time to ...
Resource act
May 01, 2001 ... Sir--The Press (April 23) reported on bureaucratic abuse, anti-competitive behaviour, and frivolous objections that often takeplace during the application process for a resource consent. The Resource Management Act must be abolished. The tort ofnuisance and case law built around ...
Resource act
May 01, 2001 ... Sir--Forest and Bird shares some of industry's frustrations inrelation to Resource Management Act processes. Processes under theact are often slow, costly, and uncertain as councils struggle withlimited resources and a lack of guidance from central government. Forest and Bird is a ...
Another call centre announces closure
May 01, 2001 ... Another security call centre is about to leave Christchurch. ADTSecurity told more than 60 communication centre staff yesterday thatit will centralise its New Zealand monitoring operations toAuckland. Staff were told they would have to apply for the new positions,but would be ...
Freeman confirmed as mayoral candidate
May 01, 2001 ... The newly formed Independent Citizens Party has confirmed itscandidate for the 2001 mayoral race. He is former Christchurch Citycouncillor Gordon Freeman, a founder of the Independent CitizensParty. Mr Freeman said last night that ...
Thief deprives millions of slice of Canterbury
May 01, 2001 ... An opportunist thief has deprived millions of Vietnamesetelevision viewers the sights and sounds of Canterbury. A television crew from Ho Chi Minh City ended an evening on theChristchurch Gondola last night to find the windows of their vansmashed, and their expensive camera ...
Whole inner tube unsafe as fire-starter
May 01, 2001 ... It is dangerous to use a whole tyre inner-tube to start domesticfires, says the Fire Service. In an article in yesterday's Press,fire safety officer Terry Gibson was reported as saying used inner-tubes were a safer fire-starter than chemical accelerants ....
Big dry 'sting in the tail'
May 01, 2001; ... The big dry is just a "sting-in- the-tail" type drought, saysNorth Canterbury farmer Doug Archbold. Mr Archbold, who farms Lowry Hills, a 730ha property west ofCheviot and is an official weather recorder, said yesterday that"mother-and-father" droughts usually browned off the ...
Boxer's injuries due to 'freakish accident'
May 01, 2001; ... Injured boxer Tricia Devellerez's father-in-law says her injurieswere caused by a freak accident. The 26-year-old has been in intensive care at ChristchurchHospital for more than a week. She underwent surgery to relieve swelling around the brain afterbeing knocked out by ...
Gallery work forges on; June target for Chalice
May 01, 2001; ... Work on one Christchurch development is gathering pace as anotherpromises to keep pundits guessing. The new Christchurch art gallery has been given the first slabsof its basement floor as the contractors concentrate on the south-east corner of the site. Meanwhile, Turning ...
Ice climate 'confusing'
May 01, 2001 ... The amount of ice in Antarctic is growing rather than shrinking,but global warming strategists are taking no comfort from the"confusing" change. Antarctica New Zealand science strategy manager Dean Petersontold an international Antarctic science workshop at the Universityof ...
Dame Silvia pops in for Les Mis
May 01, 2001; ... Dame Silvia Cartwright has popped into Christchurch to catch ashow on her first official visit to the city since being sworn in asGovernor-General last month. She joined hundreds of Cantabrians last night for a Theatre Royalproduction of Les Miserables. Dame Silvia said she ...
CYF children 'prostitutes'
May 01, 2001; ... Children in Child, Youth and Family's care are working as teenprostitutes, but there is often little the department can do aboutit, a social worker has told the Christchurch District Court. CYF social worker Maria Wehi spoke yesterday at the depositionshearing for Robin Dalton, ...
Air NZ to get $67m for new engine facility
May 01, 2001 ... American aircraft-engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney will payAir New Zealand more than $67 million for its share of an engine-maintenance facility at Christchurch International Airport. Air New Zealand chief executive Gary Toomey said last night thenew joint venture, which ...
Court martial over shooting delayed
May 01, 2001 ... The court martial of an army officer over a shooting incident inBosnia last year has been postponed for three weeks. The two-weekhearing was to begin on May 21 at Waiouru, but because of a shortageof legal personnel had been moved to June 12, army spokesman MajorHugh McAslan said ...
Man badly injured when tyre explodes
May 01, 2001 ... A man suffered severe facial injuries when a tyre he wasinflating at a South Dunedin tyre company exploded. OccupationalSafety and Health service regional manager James Hamilton confirmedyesterday it was investigating the accident, which happened lastFriday. He declined to ...