Yule be sorry: Row over $30k Xmas tree
Fleeing firebombers lose shoe in real-life Cinders story
PLANS for a $30k Christmas tree festooned with $14k of twinkling lights have needled residents of a small Taranaki town who say the cash would be better used elsewhere.
While the festive spirit seems to have gripped some in Stratford early this year, other more Grinchlike locals simply aren’t sure that a rural town still paying their way out of last year’s floods and battling low dairy pay-outs is flush with enough cash to put on a big show this year.
The trouble started when councillors voted to invest in a gigantic reusable tree as a part of major upgrade to the town – despite the district council’s draft annual report revealing flood repairs and low dairy payouts had left it $5 million over budget, with a $1 million deficit.
But the council isn’t planning to go it alone to pay for their festive flare. Some of the cash is expected to come from the Taranaki Electricity Trust (TET) – a community funder which has given $86 million to groups during the last 20 years – which has been asked to fund $13,830 for the lights and $7000 towards the tree.
The remaining $23,208 will be jointly funded by the Stratford Business Association and the SDC.
While deputy mayor Alan Jamieson crossed his fingers for funding approval, he said the possibility of an enormous, reusable Christmas tree would be a financial investment for the small town.
But Northern Dairy owner Hui Vhang called for council to place the money elsewhere.
‘‘I think they should worry about improving traffic, buildings and community services before spending all that money on a tree,’’ he said.
Some business owners, though, think the tree could become a landmark.
‘‘Major cities all over have huge Christmas trees,’’ Nicolette Brown, owner of Cafe XOX, said.
‘‘I think having one in our small town could be crowd-stopper.’’ AN arsonist who fled the scene after firebombing two diggers valued at $400,000 in west Auckland left behind a distinctive sneaker which could crack the case.
The diggers were deliberately set alight at a construction site at Don Buck Rd, Massey, in west Auckland last Saturday night, police said.
The petrol tanks exploded with such force that neighbouring houses shook and woke residents.
Two neighbours, alerted to something suspicious when the fire starters parked in their driveway, gave chase as the two arsonists ran back to their getaway car.
Shane Poulton, whose north Auckland excavation company JP Excavators was targeted in the attack, said a shoe believed to belong to one of the offenders was recovered by police at the site.
Poulton is now using it as his Facebook profile picture. ‘‘I was like, ‘we have got your shoe mate. We are going to get your DNA’.’’
Neighbours were woken just after midnight as one of the diggers petrol tanks exploded. ‘‘The house actually shuddered. It was a very loud explosion,’’ Camille Cowley said.