Are you a parent who loves going to gigs – but the late nights aren’t an option these days? Let us put this to you - how about a daytime show that will be a blast for both you and your kids?

The Free Family Fun Day Mash Up may be exactly what you’re looking for.

This Whau Local Board-sponsored event truly is "all ages". The ‘Mash Up’ is a celebration of family and community and the many differences that also bring us together. Featuring Captain Festus McBoyle’s Travellin’ Variety Show, Le Cirque de JP, a kids’ disco thanks to 95bFM Kids’ Show host Lee, a full live band in the form of Otis Mace and the 1B4s, plus face painting ($5 per face), a sausage sizzle by the Lions Club, cupcake and food and drink stalls by both Blockhouse Bay School and Blockhouse Bay preschool.

Le Cirque de JP: JP studied at the French Circus School and in France and Italy worked as a Clown Doctor in the Children's Oncology & Serious Burns unit for two years. Later, he developed 'The Caterpillar' Circus School in France for children and teenagers. JP is a troupe of performers in one: Flying trapeze artist, clown, juggler, unicyclist, acrobat, balloon twister, magician & musician.

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For more info and updates, keep an eye on the Free Family Fun Day Mash Up Facebook page, or contact Rich Manic: rich@manic.co.nz Ph 021-359-314

The Free Family Fun Day Mash Up
Saturday August 11th
12pm to 4.30pm
Blockhouse Bay Community Centre.

​It all began in 1981 with one little shop in White Swan Road, where Roop Darshan is now. 18 months later Kevin Giles moved his fledgling carpet business across the road to where the liquor store is, and over the next 19 years progressively took over the three neighbouring shops and the warehouse below.
Kevin remembers having to manhandle huge rolls of carpet down the steep drive because they couldn’t get a fork hoist in there. “Definitely a young man’s game, back then,” he recalls. “We were ten foot tall and bullet-proof. One time in the pouring rain we had a roll of carpet on the trolley and the thing took off on us down the driveway. Had to recover it from the drain pretty fast. Fortunately it was wrapped in plastic, but it sure had us going!”

​Age Concern has started a pilot project to help lonely and isolated seniors to engage in the community.
As part of this project a directory, or ‘asset map’ is being developed to identify what activities and groups are available for older adults within their communities, including information about the culture and environment of the group. Information of this type can allay fears and concerns people have about attending new groups, further supporting and encouraging the older person’s participation.
While most older adults are capable of becoming involved in their communities and accessing information on what is happening via the local library, community centre, noticeboards and newsletters, a number of our older population struggle to achieve this. It is these who the project aims to support.
The pilot project is focusing on small, localised areas of Auckland, including Avondale, Blockhouse Bay, Glen Innes, Panmure and Ranui where it is known that a number of seniors are in need of support and assistance. In these areas, Community Development Coordinators are working to find out what is already available in the community for older adults and then helping to connect them into these groups.
If the pilot project is deemed successful it will be introduced to other community organisations and services across wider Auckland.
For more information or to enquire about assistance for an older person, please contact Age Concern on 09 820 0184.

​17 years of service to the community by Harish and Geeta Patel from their Lynfield shopping centre business, Lynfield Floral Design, will all be over by early August.
The popular couple have to cease trading after being given the required 30 days’ notice to terminate their month-by-month lease. Like many businesses that cannot reach agreement on rental increases at the time of lease renewal, the Patel’s lost the security of a long term lease and reverted to a monthly lease about a year and a half ago.
After years of long hours and facing increased competition from other stores selling gift items, they decided that it was time to sell the business. With four potential buyers in the wings, they approached their landlord Progressive Enterprises to see about getting the lease reassigned to a buyer. As is their right, the landlord did not agree and instead gave them notice to vacate.
People have been asking if there could be an intent to build apartments in the retail area but this seems unlikely as there are shops being advertised for lease.

​Going, going, gone! Ports of Auckland announce the sale of Onehunga Wharf to Panuku Development Auckland​, the development arm of Auckland Council​. This is essentially a shuffle as Ports of Auckland is wholly owned by the Auckland Council.
As the Manukau bar and harbour are too shallow for container ships to navigate, Ports of Auckland have been consolidating shipping to their Waitematā port over the past few years, freeing up Onehunga Wharf for development. The proposed project to turn the wharf into a new centre may take up to 25 years and work will not start on the site for five years, as negotiations still need to take place with NZTA and existing leaseholders. 
Chair of council's Planning Committee, Chris Darby, sees the potential for Onehunga Wharf to become a new Wynyard Quarter. He says, "The wharf can plan for a future as a magnet for Aucklanders, with the flavour of a new Wynyard Quarter. People can relax, socialise or enjoy commercial, cultural and tourism activity - all alongside the existing fishing industry."
Council takes possession of the port on 01 October 2018.

​The diverse dynamic of the Glenavon Early Childhood Centre families made the recent celebration of Matariki and Eid truly memorable. Parents helped run the event with food preparation, gardening and story-telling, while the Friendship vegetable soup was truly a group effort and symbolised the strengths and togetherness of the Centre’s community. 

In my last two editorials for BHB Beacon, I discussed cases where my office had helped constituents with housing and immigration. These are the most common concerns that we assist with, but as a local MP I am involved in a wide variety of issues.
 
Traffic congestion around Blockhouse Bay and Lynfield is one issue I’m currently researching. In some instances, getting from A to B appears to take equal amounts of time by bus as it does on foot.  This inconvenience means there isn’t much incentive to choose public transport over the comfort of a car, despite the delays caused by high levels of congestion. I’ve received a lot of feedback on this issue, with suggestions including: improving the location of the pedestrian crossing near Lynfield College, the need for safer cycle ways, encouraging car-pooling by making the bus lane a combined bus/T3 lane, and reinstating bus services like the 191. I’m in the process of collating these ideas for discussion with the Whau Local Board and Auckland Transport.
 
The first round of Winter Energy Payments has also been a hot topic. Hopefully those receiving it will find the extra assistance helpful. One constituent did alert us to the fact that the amount they received went into one partner’s bank account, rather than being split equally between them. They were advised to email the Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, and they promptly received a phone call from MSD, who explained that the technology enabling split supplementary payments was still being developed.  The situation is not ideal, but MSD advise that they are working hard to fix this in the future.
 
Deborah Russell, MP for New Lynn

Over 50 children from in and around the Blockhouse Bay community took part in our first-ever “Our Kitchen Rules day”. Countdown Blockhouse Bay sponsored the entire event, including our pantry items, vouchers for each team, and prizes so that no child left empty-handed. Huge thanks to manager Jonathan Fraser and staff for their support.   
 
The children worked in teams to create a main course and complete the cupcake challenge. Terri and Kate from the Blockhouse Bay Pharmacy and Christine from Barfoot & Thompson were our guest judges, and they were blown away with some of the dishes they were presented with. They commented on tasty satay sauces and lemon curds made from scratch, delicious pizza and pasta dishes and many other fabulous flavours and cooking techniques the children learned to do.

With the help of a professional chef the children also learned how to budget for food shopping, work within time constraints, and how to beautifully plate and present their meals.