Calling it a day
Here’s a look at what made the headlines this week in Waikato community newspapers.
Marion Skellams corrects herself every time she says ‘‘we’’ instead of ‘‘they’’.
Sometimes she doesn’t notice. Just a slip of the tongue, an easy mistake to make after 33 years.
She retired from the Onewhero Volunteer Rural Fire Force in May, but before that, nearly half of her adult life was dedicated to the station.
Her husband Richard was one of three who saw a need for volunteer firefighters in Onewhero and founded the force in 1984. In those days the fire engine was simply a trailer with a hose and pump on it. At first, Marion was simply trying to help ease Richard’s workload, but she fell in love with the role, calling the homes of volunteers, sometimes rousing them from their sleep, to tell them the little town needed their help.
‘‘Richard was the secretary but he couldn’t type, so I did the typing.
‘‘We didn’t have a siren or anything, so I did all the phoning – that was how I had to do it for nine years.
‘‘Then I thought ‘blow this’ I’ll become a member, and I became a firefighter, even though I didn’t think I’d be strong enough, but it was a really good thing.’’
After 13 years of fighting fires, rescuing horses from holes, sand bagging flood zones and providing medical relief at accidents, she trained as a medical officer – almost to the same level as a paramedic.
For 11 years she raced out the door to aid locals who had been in car crashes, ATV accidents, cardiac arrests and farming incidents. Her most difficult call-out was one to her own mum, who had heart problems.
‘‘We had an unwritten rule that if it was someone we knew, we didn’t have to go . . . but often I didn’t realise who they were until after.’’
In 2001 Richard had a heart attack, so he retired from the force and Marion picked up the reins and became the full time secretary.
After 33 years of dedicating herself to help others, Marion officially retired from her volunteer role and she and her husband moved into Pukekohe’s Possum Bourne Retirement Village.
While her first nine years were spent helping as an unofficial volunteer, the Onewhero Volunteer Rural Fire Force reviewed her case.
In October, at the station’s AGM, Marion was awarded a Gold Star to celebrate 25 years’ service, and two Gold Bars, to recognise 32 of the years she selflessly devoted to Onewhero.
It was an immensely overwhelming moment for Marion.
‘‘I couldn’t believe it, I was so taken aback – apparently I just stood there with my mouth open.’’
The Star and Gold Bars aren’t just pretty trinkets to have on display.
They symbolise each flame she fought, each life she resuscitated, every phone call she made.
‘‘I didn’t do it to get rewards.’’
Franklin County News
Feeding ducks banned
Feeding bread to Tokoroa’s ducks is now banned.
The South Waikato District Council is set to install several signs around Lake Moananui in the coming weeks alerting people to the ban, but they’ll be no penalty if people don’t adhere to it.
Droves of ducks have died over recent summers from what is thought to be aviarytion botulism.
The disease is caused by the ingestion of toxic bacteria and leads to respiratory and musculoskeletal paralysis. It is spread through decomposing vegetation and invertebrates combined with warm temperatures.
Bread is one of the leading causes as it rots in the lake and then promotes the growth of the bacteria.
Nature photographer Denise Capper has been visiting the lake daily for 13 years and has been lobbying to have signs installed for two years.
‘‘It is fantastic they are finally being installed,’’ she said.
‘‘For two years I have been asking the council to install signs but, despite hundreds of ducks dying, they kept putting it off because they were too busy working on something else.’’
Capper said she often sees people feeding bread to ducks which she put down to ignorance.
She said there were many safe duck feeds around like Lucky Duck seed mix from Tokoroa and District Veterinary Services, maize from Farmlands, young silverbeet, rice, and oats.
South Waikato communications manager Kerry Fabrie said the council had budgeted $3000 to update the lake signage.
‘‘The council had earmarked suitable reserve signage was needed following the refurbishment of the lake. Following last season when so many ducks suffered, we decided that including specific ‘duck feeding’ messages would be helpful for our community,’’ she said.
Fabrie said budget restrictions meant the signs were not installed earlier but due to the ban not being in a bylaw the council couldn’t impose penalties on those who continued to feed bread to ducks.
‘‘The messaging is educational. Conversations with people over the last season indicated that many people simply didn’t know, so we are confident people will take note of the signage,’’ she said.
Fabrie urged people to continue to call the council when they saw sick or dead ducks.
South Waikato News
Fundraising walk
For the next five months Julie Stacey’s most luxurious item is a tube of moisturiser.
The 45-year-old has quit her day-job and is doing the Te Araroa trail to raise money for the Nga¯ruawa¯hia Community House.
Stacey started the trail on October 13, and walked through Nga¯ruawa¯hia last week.
The North Waikato town has been her home for the past few years.
Stacey is carrying a 15kg pack, so she can only afford to take the bare minimum with her.
She has one set of clothes for walking and one change of clothes in her pack.
Her fingers are her hairbrush and deodorant is non-existent.
‘‘I would say I’m fairly low maintenance any way, but you have to be very low maintenance on the trail.’’
It’s been just over a month since Stacey began the trail in Cape Reinga, already she describes her feet as being similar to an elephants.
‘‘They’ve gone very hard. After 90 Mile Beach I got some pretty awful blisters on my heels and had to perform minor surgery on my feet every day for five days.
‘‘I had to take it all off at night to let them breathe and then bandage them back up again in the morning.’’
Every day Stacey starts walking by 7.30am and finishes walking around 3pm.
Depending on the terrain she could cover between 12km and 35km in a day.
Stacey is from New Forest on the south coast of the UK originally.
Anyone who wishes to keep up-to-date with Stacey’s journey can do so via her Facebook blog Tiny Tramper. Donations can be made to her Givealittle page.
North Waikato News