Changing the flag would be ‘ridiculous’
A move to change the flag 13 years ago kept letters to the editor rolling in, as
the country of the tyranny of the empire that has oppressed us for too long’’.
At the time a group had enlisted prominent New Zealand people to back their campaign to change the national flag to a Black Flag with a ‘‘stylised silver fern’’.
Their aim was to achieve a 300,000-signatuire petition to force a referendum which Rasmussen said was ‘‘a tremendous waste of time’’.
‘‘I’m pretty sure there are stronger reasons for the change of the South African flag, not least being the crumbling of apartheid regime. Now that’s a reason to change your flag,’’ his editorial said.
Other stories to feature in the Post on the July 21 issue included a front page brief about two ‘‘young males’’ who had been baring their buttocks to the Piako Concert Brass Band. The story reported that the band had been hit by the cheeky pair twice in two months.
There were also warnings about a sharp rise in violent offending in Morrinsville, which included robbery of a service station.
Police were looking for one possible eye witness, who was in The Piako Post celebrates its 40th birthday in December 2017. Warwick Rasmussen was editor of the paper from 2004 to 2006 and is nownews director for The Dominion Post and Stuff.co.nz. He offers his memories of working at the Post in a video for our Back in the Day series. Go online to Stuff.co.nz to view. the shop just prior to the 2.50am crime, reported to be wearing her pyjamas and driving a white Holden Commodore.
Another story by Warwick Rasmussen reported on Te Aroha farmer Justin Nelson, who at 31, had not long won the second annual Bachelor of the Year competition at Fieldays. The story reported the ‘‘rural romeo’’ now had no problems getting into bars.