Logan Park thanks its community, supporters
Logan Park High School wishes to acknowledge the kindness and public support at the loss of our beloved Ms Kristan Mouat (co-principal) who died peacefully from a heart attack in her home on June 10.
We sincerely thank the schools, teachers, students, friends, whānau, community and professional groups from near and afar, and the people who have reached out from all around the world.
There has been an outpouring of love and support in written gestures, sending flowers, gifts, baking and morning tea delivered to our staff. There have been so many genuine acts of kindness and caring — we thank you. We take great comfort and strength from your aroha and support.
Kristan was a very special individual, a kind soul, and one of a kind. She clearly influenced many lives in her 31 years at our school.
We will miss her dearly as we now shift our focus to a new future without her, but undoubtedly continuing to celebrate and honour her legacy which is forever embraced and embodied within our school values and by the staff and ākonga each and every day. Kā mihi nui and kia kaha.
Logan Park High School
Game a celebration
I refer to the comments and personal opinions made by Paul Dwyer in the ODT (28.7.223), regarding the rugby game held on North Ground between the old boys of Otago Boys’ High School and King’s High School.
I appreciate his age assessment of the players being within the "late 30s to late 40s". The teams were made up of players who had played at either school between 1985-95, with a large number of players now being in their 50s. We must have looked a lot younger than we are.
I find it poor form on Mr Dwyer’s part asking whether the game needed to be played. It is unfortunate that the injuries incurred in the game were worse than we expected, but he seems to have missed the point of why we played. We played not to prove a point to anyone, but to relive the good old days. As one of the younger players I was extremely honoured to be able to play a game of rugby for my old school with some of my schoolboy heros, as well as with men with whom I haven’t played rugby for 25 years-plus.
A toast was made to absent friends , remembering especially the 12 men who had since died and who would have loved to have been part of the great occasion. The renewal of old, and the making of new friendships, along with playing that game, far outweigh any negative possibilities. This game should be celebrated.
Paul Dwyer replies. I have the greatest respect that these lads played this game at their age. One would question the sanity at playing quite this hard, thus the injuries. If James had read many of my columns he would realise a lot of it is seriously "tongue well inside cheek". But I do wonder if the broken bone brigade will be back? If the lads do decide to make it an annual event I applaud you all and will comment about it with interest if there are any notable bits.
COES chairman on the Manuherikia River
No-one is decrying genuine attempts by farmers to reduce their impact on waterways. However, the fact remains that intensive farming, some quite recently established in the case of the Manuherikia, is having a devastating impact on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Criticism of the Thomsons Creek wetland project was more that it could have been better spent on many smaller wetlands as opposed to one large wetland giving the false impression that one large wetland will fix all. Furthermore, government funding of such projects at this particular juncture in the development of the Land and Water Regional Plan reinforces the impression that good practice and a few wetlands will be enough to restore the health of the Manuherikia and some other catchments when it will not. That will require systemic change in land use within this catchment as well as wetland construction, riparian fencing and good farming practice.
Healthcare may be a tale of two cities
There seems to be a perception that things differ depending on where you are in the social status of income, race, or where you live in this wonderful Third World health system we have in New Zealand.
In South Auckland you have a large amount of Māori, Pasifika, Asian and Pākehā. I know of a family member who was turned away from a clinic because he was, excuse me, white. This clinic was only for the ethnicities of mainly Māori and Pasifika peoples. The person who was turned away is married to a Māori. This person, being strongwilled, went and caused merry hell, asking why the discrimination? Her advocacy worked and he was then signed on. It was the cost of the doctor, and the prescription, that was causing a lot of the problems.
In the South Island, in Dunedin, we have a clinic here, Te Kāika, in Caversham, which offers healthcare for Kaupapa Māori. I know of a middle-aged white gentleman who walked in, realised that maybe this was the wrong clinic for him, but was warmly greeted and signed on.
Not that I am advertising for this clinic, but it shows that discrimination is not here. So please Lyndell Kelly (Letters 31.7.23), I believe it is where you live in New Zealand which decides what healthcare you get.
Interesting logos
Perhaps people would have been more accepting of the university's new logo if it had been more interesting. I suspect overseas students will just assume the logo is a stylised "O" for Otago. Maybe the addition of the Southern Cross or similar in the middle would at least make it more attractive. If it was in blue, the Otago colours would be retained. Is it too late to enhance the logo?
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
