Letters

Dixie Street
I enjoyed your front page coverage of the Martinborough jazz weekend. I went to hear the Dixie Street concert on Saturday night and it was great entertainment. An enjoyable reaquaintance with trad jazz, which I wrote about on my own little blog, ‘Musings from Martinborough’. The blog includes a video of one of the numbers they played, and it can be seen here
John MacGibbon

Thanks
On behalf of the Senior Citizens in Martinborough I pay tribute to the Red Cross members for all they do for their community.

At a recent Bingo party arranged by their members it was heart warming watching the caring attention to those attending, making sure that their coats were on, helping with walking frames an sticks, helping into transport, safely collecting and returning to their homes.

The afternoon tea would have fed the 500, so delicious and varied.
We are indeed most fortunate to live in Martinborough where so many organisations cater for both young and not so young.
On behalf of the community
Nolene White
P.S. Even a 93 year old manned the door writing name tags

Town Hall
Getting to grips with what to do about the historic Martinborough Hall was never going to be easy. It has been under scrutiny for over two years and the matter is still not resolved. By the time our committee had completed concept plans for renovating and improving the building, with the close involvement of architects David Kernohan and David Lowe, the September 2010 Christchurch had struck. Alarm bells were ringing beyond Christchurch, with heightened awareness of the risks with unreinforced masonry buildings, many of heritage status like our Hall.

In any event, our concept designs for improving the building were presented to the Council and the Community Board and then explained to a well attended public meeting in November. By February a Conservation Plan, essential to support the coming large scale grant applications. We were ready.

Then came the disastrous February 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the building industry went into tailspin. Fortunately, the District Council had already commissioned a fresh assessment of the Hall and by the end of May an engineers’ report had been received: “Requirements for the Seismic Improvement of Martinborough Town Hall”, available for public scrutiny.

The building, it was revealed, required mandatory and substantial strengthening, with costs likely to exceed $850,000. When our above proposals for improving the Hall were added, it was obvious we had a really major project on our hands.

Of course, a strengthened and improved Hall is only one way of providing a good venue for local events. There are other alternatives, although fixing the existing Hall, and improving it, has been this Committee’s goal all along. In this regard, we understand the Council will be outlining this project and the other main options before the public in the near future. Meanwhile, what is clear, is that the “grand old lady” is still very useable. This was amply demonstrated by the full houses and rapturous audiences at the recent inaugural Jazz in Martinborough festival and the Hall is already booked for a repeat event next Spring.

Let’s save our Hall if we can!
Ian Cresswell
Chairman
Martinborough Town Hall Committee.

Pool enhancement
As a Martinborough Community Board member, as part of my term, my wish list is to make Martinborough Community Pool more attractive.
I have entered Martinborough School in the Resene’s national mural competition, I have spent considerable time at the school, with the kids asking for their ideas of how we see Martinborough, not us or their parents.
The community board has donated huge sheets of ply, rollers and paintbrushes. Nigel from Resene has donated his advice and lots of leftover Resene paints for the community. BNZ and Pain and Kershaws have donated 6 prizes for the winning 6 mural designs.
We have been sealing and priming the boards ready for the holidays where Matt Guild will be helping the kids put their designs on the ply boards. So Wednesday 19th, 2nd week of the holidays, we are having a shared lunch day.
Adi Mcmaster