Tokoroa community helps robbed pensioners

On December 17, my wife and I had an absolutely disastrous day by being ripped off, removing a large part of our pension at the Automatic Teller Machine at Noel Leeming’s in Leith Place.

My daughters vented their spleen on Face Book and the Genuine Tokoroa Page.

My wife and I wish to thank all those wonderful people who gave us support and the very kind people who offered us money, this was very generous of you.

Please do not be offended by our refusal to accept this generosity.

My family make sure we are well looked after therefore we wish you to use that money for your own families at Christmas.

This sort of support by the community shows what a marvellous sprit the Tokoroa community has. Once again Thank You all for your concern.

My wife and I wish you all the very best for Christmas and the coming new year.

H and J Lodge

At the time of writing this we have been extremely fortunate, during this holiday period, to have survived several driving experiences that were so very close to being very serious accidents. In all these incidents driver stupidity was the only cause of what happened and there are plenty of those types, people/drivers, who are still allowed out on the roads. We are all capable of making mistakes and the faster we go the quicker those mistakes resolve into accidents.

We here in Tokoroa have hazards enough on the roads that we drive on without the complete lack of understanding of the governing bodies that set the speed limits and the signage that advises the hundreds of thousands of travellers passing through our town.

On the South side of town on SH1 there are speed restrictions far enough out of town that, if obeyed, should allow for a safe passage of everyone using the road and business area. On the North end of the town the 60kmh speed limit very quickly becomes 100kmh, and at that point the highway is not even out of the suburbs of the town. East Parkdale St comes out on to SH1 where traffic is legally allowed to be travelling at 100kmh. This is absolutely insane and should not be allowed in any suburb.

Regardless of what government body governs the speed limits on this stretch of highway, I believe our council should be pressuring such a body to put in place a more reasonable speed limit in this area of the highway. It only requires the moving of two signs,(to quote an often used phrase these days ‘‘How hard can it be?’’).

Let us, for just once, see common sense take a step forward before someone dies needlessly. J C Simcock

Tokoroa

Prior to this school there was nothing here.

There is a heritage assessment and a covenant in place meant to protect the site but since its closure in 2009 (official closure in April 2010) it has deteriorated a large amount.

The heritage places trust puts a lot of emphasis on the site because of its design features from around the war and recognises the school house as a very rare example.

I researched the site heavily and after only four months had contacted previous owners.

How come it has taken almost four years for the ministry? The school is an integral part of our community and played the biggest most influential part of creating the town we have here today.

This school was created and set up by a Canterbury man and his associated company.

The town was later expanded by Sir David Henry .

The area prior to the school being here was wasteland. Everyone’s taxpayer money has gone into this site while it has deteriorated.

The article states that neither land was gifted. However it is stated in numerous other ways that not only was the land gifted but half the original school building.

And the original teacher was housed by the gifting company. D Blair Tokoroa