Liz Kelly hogged the headlines
Much of Kapi- Mana News’ pages were dominated throughout 2013 by one person: Liz Kelly.
The fodder included the deputy mayor’s very public spats with Porirua mayor Nick Leggett as their relationship deteriorated, the drama about whether Creekfest would fold and her swipe at Mana Community Grants Foundation, and the issues surrounding the Whanau Centre, with its name change the subject of a legal challenge.
Then Ms Kelly lost her seat by a handful of votes in the local body elections in October – it was an unforgettable year for this very public figure.
On January 15, we ran the first of several stories on the future of Creekfest.
Our first story was explosive, as Ms Kelly, the health festival’s organiser, laid the blame squarely at the feet of Mana Community Grants Foundation.
The foundation turned down a $27,000 grant application from Ms Kelly in December 2012, with chairman John Burke saying: ‘‘ We can’t give money we don’t have.’’
Also that month came the news that the planned Sportsville at Ngatitoa Domain was on ‘‘ permanent hold’’.
Our first story on NZ Post’s Canopies store’s sudden shift to the MegaCentre appeared, with a grumpy-looking Mana MP Kris Faafoi and Mr Leggett pictured outside the empty store. It was a story that generated plenty of feedback.