Cashmere News Diary 26Sep2013

* 16 October, Wednesday 7.30pm, next Cashmere residents' committee meeting; please email reply or phone the Chair with any matters or if you'd like to attend. New members welcome.

* 23 October, Wednesday 1.30pm, Cashmere Residents' Emergency Support Team (CREST) - our local preparedness group - 1.30pm at Cashmere Church, see notes 3 Nov & 25 Sept.

* 3 November, Sunday 3-5pm, Cashmere Green area - Neighbourhood Week community barbeque and exercise of our community support plan, with Cashmere Presbyterian Church Centre. We have formed a committee to increase local preparedness and resilience, to organise for Neighbourhood Week, and new members are very welcome. Next meeting is Wednesday 23 Oct, 1.30pm at the church centre. Civil Defence is encouraging a team of volunteers to become our ready-responders, with a local hall cup of tea, contact point and reassurance, in the event of emergency. Details of our Cashmere emergency plan so far are here: Cashmere Emergency News 20Jun2013. More work is needed to develop this. Contact CRA Chair if willing to help, and attend on these dates please. Thank you to those who have come forward already.

* 12 November, Tuesday 7.30pm, CRA AGM - provisional date - we are having to set this back three weeks due to a convergence of circumstances. Newsletter material invited now. Speaker to be confirmed, but perhaps Dr Ruth Spearing on the CCC Local Alcohol Policy draft.

* 25 September, CREST (Cashmere Residents' Emergency Support Team) - our local preparedness group - has resolved its working name. The committee meets at 1.30pm at Cashmere Church on the fourth Wednesday each month and is open for anyone to attend, in search of volunteers. Ongoing commitment is required from equal partners at the round table, identified so far as: Cashmere Residents' Association, Cashmere Presbyterian Parish, St Augustine's Anglican Church, Rotarians, Cashmere School, and Christchurch City Council Civil Defence and Emergency Management. The list of participant groups is only just started, and individual contributions are equally welcome.

* 25 September, Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board complaint re statement made at Somerfield Residents' Association forum - email letter received:

Subject: Apology to Rik Tindall
From: "Paul McMahon" <paul@paulmcmahon.info>
Date: Wed, September 25, 2013 5:09 pm
To: info@cashmere.org.nz

Further to our phone conversation earlier, I unreservedly apologise to you (and, by extension, the CRA) for saying publicly at the SRA meeting last night, that the CRA still has $5000 in their bank account from the ($12,000) Cashmere Village and Values Project. The information I was acting on was incorrect, and I apologise.

I was reacting against the public assertion from you (both at the Grey Power meeting and, I am told, at the SRA) that the Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board had not helped the CRA, which is patently untrue. I understand that your interpretation of what you meant is different to mine and hope that we can move on.

To clarify for CRA members, after the additional meeting costs resulting from Cashmere Vision and Values Project are deducted (and including an additional grant of $200 made in 2013 but not yet received by CRA) all of the residual $479, accounted yesterday, has also been expended. Costs imposed on CRA from Vision and Values have left us in deficit, as the now complete spreadsheet image attached attests. The help from Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board that Paul validly defends preceded his time on the board, however, though it is appreciated. But CRA has been unable to get through to all of this board, the heavy workload CRA committee now struggles with as a result of Vision and Values Project. It is near full-time work for someone, but the board says it must be a volunteer. Post-earthquake conditions aside, this is unrealistic.

The methods of the dominant group in local politics, from the CRA experience, aren't about listening or fully delivering to residents. That is what motivates my independent run at the city chair's position, or community board: I wish to see a balanced and ethical hand steering the good ship Christchurch and have no confidence that it will be, without my direct input.

* "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN - Has anyone expressed concern about the cellphone tower that was erected two weeks ago on the corner of Cashmere Road and Barrington Street? Why weren't we as nearby residents informed by the telecommunications company or whoever arranges for these towers to be installed that this tower was to be erected? We live in Purau Terrace." More feedback invited via CRA. Thank you to those who have expressed views already, from both sides of the debate.

* Cashmere High School - host families wanted for international students, paid a weekly amount - contact Deb, Homestay Coordinator, DDI: 337-4725, Office: 332-9129, Cell: 027-292-4859, Email: homestay@cashmere.school.nz

* CRA Subscriptions 2012/13 - Association membership and renewals, at the household rate of $5 per year, can be made via our Kiwibank a/c 389005.0688810.02 ~ Please notify deposit by email, for confirmation by our Treasurer, and a receipt will be issued if requested: info@cashmere.org.nz.

Until next time, thank you for your support of CRA, enjoy the spring weather and see you again soon.

Kind regards

Rik Tindall

CRA Chair, 332-1069
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Cashmere Residents Association
info@cashmere.org.nz
http://www.cashmere.org.nz
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