Sally Rae

Five white crosses which appeared in the centre of Oamaru yesterday were a sobering reminder of road deaths involving young people in Waitaki in the past five years.

The new co-ordinator for Oamaru's Victorian heritage celebrations will be encouraging people to dress in period costume "and have some fun" during this year's event.

A suggestion Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton had plenty of time to resolve the issue of the altar in the Teschemakers Chapel but did not get back to the Dominican Sisters was misleading, Mr Familton said yesterday.

Year 4 pupils at Ardgowan School will be top of the class when it comes to spelling.

The walls of the Ground Zero youth centre in Oamaru have been covered with graffiti - but it is art, not vandalism.

Oamaru's historic Harbour St has been recreated - in an upstairs room at the Forrester Gallery.

Oamaru writer Nathalie Brown is urgently seeking support for the retention of the marble altar in the Teschemakers chapel.

Bradshaws bridge, near Waimate, has reopened to restricted traffic.

Susie Scott says she will "go down kicking" trying to prevent the removal of the marble altar from the Teschemakers chapel - a move she describes as desecration of an "incredibly beautiful building".

At Enfield Play Group, there's plenty of toys and plenty of resources - it's just lacking children.

Birds are a bug for Sandra Thompson. Ask how many are in aviaries at her Oamaru home and the answer is succinct - "pass".

The Waimate 50 is back.

From superheroes to lions, skeletons to Queen Victoria, there were a wide variety of masks featured at Oamaru's midwinter masquerade on Saturday night.

Professional willow basket-maker Mike Lilian has been busy weaving willow at the Waitaki Community Gardens this week.

Former Waitaki mayor Alan McLay, who flew out yesterday for earthquake-stricken Haiti, feels like he is heading off on an "intrepid journey".