May 19th, 2012
SAN ANDREAS – White-water rafting fans will have two rare opportunities to take professionally guided trips on the Mokelumne River, thanks to two charity fundraising events Memorial Day weekend.
Three trips benefiting the Foothill Conservancy will be offered May 26, and three trips to benefit the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program will be offered May 27.
Outdoor Adventure River Specialists, an Angels Camp-based guide company, is donating the trips. All trips cost $70 per person and will take a little less than four hours, including transportation to and from the river.
The trips will float the Electra and Middle Bar sections of the Mokelumne. The Class II-III white water is suitable to families and seniors. No experience is necessary.
To sign up for one of the Foothill Conservancy trips, call (209) 295-4900 or visit foothillconservancy.org.
To sign up for a Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program trip, call (209) 736-7706.
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May 19th, 2012
From white-water rafting to spa treatments, these are the top 20 reasons to visit Fiji.
1 Diving
The Great Astrolabe Reef is the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef and curls around the sparsely populated southern island of Kadavu. Snorkellers can cruise the reef’s coral gardens and divers can swim with eagle and manta rays, turtles and wrasse and ogle the reef’s drop-offs. Stay at the simple thatch bures of Matava dive resort (matava.com). Astrolabe’s rival for the title of best diving, the Great Sea Reef, is known locally as Cakaulevu. Off the northern island of Vanua Levu, the reef was little explored before 2004 and is home to green turtles and spinner dolphins. The closest resort is Nukubati. nukubati.com.
Cultural show … Fijian fire-walking. Photo: Alamy
2 Sigatoka river and cave safaris
It’s a jet-boat safari, yet it’s also a great cultural adventure. Take a 15-kilometre journey up the rich, green Sigatoka Valley to visit one of 15 Fijian villages to learn of local customs and legends on the Sigatoka River safari. There’s a kava ceremony at the village chief’s bure, followed by lunch and traditional singing and dancing. Costs from $140.80 adults, $69 children. The newest tour from the same gang is the Off-Road Cave safari, which visits Fiji’s largest cave system, Naihehe Cave, once the home of a cannibal tribe. Costs from $131 for adults, $60 for children. Both tours depart from Sigatoka, 70 kilometres south of Nadi on the Coral Coast, and pick up from Nadi or Coral Coast resorts, twice daily, Monday to Saturday. sigatokariver.com.
3 Mei-meis (Fijian nannies)
Fijians are renowned for their love of kids and every hotel caters for them (save a handful of exclusive, adults-only retreats) without busting your budget. Top kid-friendly hotels include Outrigger on the Lagoon, which has 30 mei-meis (nannies), great for families with babies, while Holidays with Kids magazine’s latest survey found the top three family-friendly resorts are Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa, Yanuca Island, the Naviti Resort, Coral Coast and Plantation Island. shangri-la.com; warwicknaviti.com; plantationisland.com.
4 Fire-walking
Who knew that there are two types of fire-walking in Fiji, not the commonly known one? There’s the indigenous Fijian tradition of walking over hot stones and the Hindu purification ritual of walking on ashes and charcoal. Fijian fire-walking can be seen during cultural shows at many resorts across the country or at the Arts Village in Suva, and Suva’s Mariamma Temple holds a South Indian ritual, Trenial, featuring fire-walking, in July or August each year.
5 South sea pearls
At the top of your Fiji souvenir list should be South Sea pearls, which come in a rainbow of colours from soft creams to pearlescent greys. You’ll find earrings and necklaces at the big souvenir shops such as Tappoo (tappoo.com.fj) or Jacks (jacksfiji.com) but also from the lady sellers at most resorts. There’s also a daily craft market in the centre of Nadi and Suva’s craft market runs every day except Sundays. If you’re in Savusavu, be sure to visit the black pearl farm J. Hunter Pearls for farm tours and shopping. pearlsfiji.com.
6 Tribal belonging
Maybe you never felt you belonged: maybe you belong in a Fijian tribe in a cross-cultural social experiment. Spend a week or more on Vorovoro island with the people of this remote community, helping with sustainable community tourism projects that aim to bring positive change. tribewanted.com.
7 Tropical spas
The award-winning Bebe Spa Sanctuary at the Outrigger on the Lagoon is built high on a hilltop and looks over the main island’s Coral Coast. The spa treatments use Pevonia and Pure Fiji spa products and Bebe’s warm seashell massage is worth the journey south ($126/hour). The founder of Pure Fiji, Daniel Anania, lists among his favourite spas Spa Denarau at Denarau Marina, Harmony Spa at the Radisson Blu Hotel and the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa as well as Bebe Spa. bebespafiji.com; radissonblu.com/resort-fiji; intercontinental.com.
8 Pure Fiji
Fiji’s own spa brand, Pure Fiji, puts into a jar all the reasons we love to visit Fiji – papaya, coconut milk, pineapple and kaffir lime – the scents of a tropical paradise. Bestsellers are the coconut hydrating lotion and coconut sugar rub: the orange blossom-scented rub is a winner. Find the products at the Pure Fiji spa in Suva or at the airport on the way home. If you happen to be in Suva on a Saturday, you can buy the products discounted at their factory outlet. purefiji.com.
9 Rugby
Rugby is Fiji’s third religion and the locals are obsessed. Almost every village has a team. Teams from the outer islands compete in the Island Zone Championship in Suva every August, while the beloved Farebrother-Sullivan challenge pits provincial teams against each other from September 1 to October 13. Fijians go crazy supporting their own province.
10 Blue lagoon
Children of the ’80s, remember when Brooke Shields rose out of the crystalline waters in the 1980 shipwreck movie Blue Lagoon? It was filmed on Turtle Island, in the Yasawas, a string of islands north of the Mamanucas in western Fiji. Widely regarded as having the best beaches in Fiji, they’re connected by inter-island flights, fast catamaran and multi-day, languid Blue Lagoon cruises. Yasawa and Turtle islands are home to two of Fiji’s top resorts, with a high beach-per-guest ratio. bluelagooncruises.com; yasawa.com; turtlefiji.com.
11 Tropical golf courses
There’s nothing more delightful than dropping a hole-in-one on a beautifully landscaped, tropical green. Fiji offers a few green gems, including the home of the Fiji Open, the Natadola golf course, designed by famed Fijian golfer Vijay Singh, Denarau Golf and Racquet Club, and Pacific Harbour’s tough Pearl Champion course, designed by Robert Trent Jones jnr, which has held eighth ranking worldwide in the past. natadolabay.com; denaraugolf.fiji-golf.net; thepearlsouthpacific.com.
12 Kokoda
Fiji has two main cuisines – indigenous Fijian and Fijian Indian. Fijian Indian is heavy on the rice, spice and chilli, and indigenous Fijian features plenty of seafood and is easy on the spice. Kokoda is the Fijian take on cerviche, a divine dish of local fish marinated in lemon juice and coconut milk. Time your visit to include lovo night in the hotels, where food is cooked in an underground oven. Otherwise, try Indigo, at Port Denarau, which serves Indian fusion as well as indigenous Fijian, or Sky Top, on the rooftop of Ohana restaurant (Queens Rd, Martintar). If you’re self-catering, get down to the morning produce markets, held in all the main towns, including Nadi, Suvasuva and Suva, or just stop along the roadside to buy freshly caught prawns, mud crabs or fish. Also, pineapple, papaya and mangoes are plentiful when in season.
13 The Mamanucas
Castaway, Treasure, Beachcomber and Bounty islands: the Mamanuca Islands are total showponies (literally: the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away was filmed on Modriki). This handful of islands is beloved of day trippers with good reason: the diving, snorkelling and surfing are world class and busy Beachcomber has the reputation of Fiji’s top party island. Lying west of Nadi, the islands are easily reached by boat from Denarau Marina; South Sea Cruises does most of the day trips. ssc.com.fj.
14 Kula Eco Park
Get up close and personal with Fiji’s rare and endangered animals in this environmental haven near Sigatoka, on the Coral Coast. It’s a great stop for kids, with fruit bats, iguanas, an array of rainbow-coloured parrots including the flashy Kadavu red-breasted musk parrot, and the fluffy orange dove. It’s also a pram-friendly set-up. fijiwild.com.
15 Glamour digs
Make no mistake: while Fiji loves its reputation as a family getaway, its 333 islands hide deeply glamorous resorts sought out by the international jet set. Mel Gibson owns an island in the Lau group, and TV bachelorettes hang out at Anthony Robbins’s luxury Namale Island. Dolphin Island was the private island of the owner of New Zealand’s top lodge, Huka Lodge, but has been opened to guests – it can be home to just four couples or one lucky family – and the new, adults-only Tadrai Island Resort, which is just a chopper ride from Nadi in the Mamanucas, has just five villas with their own plunge pools and butler service. namaleresort.com; dolphinislandfiji.com; tadrai.com.
16 Sigatoka Dunes
When the sun is shining, why stay inside? The prehistoric sites excavated at Sigatoka Sand Dunes give a glimpse into Fijian history without having to trek through a museum, and you get to stretch your legs, too. Archaeological digs are still turning up stone tools and the area is one of the largest burial sites in the Pacific. You may even catch sight of Fiji’s national rugby team, which trains down here.
17 Real ecotourism
Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, on the northern island of Vanua Levu, is home to Johnny Singh, Fiji’s first marine biologist. Cousteau, an explorer and oceanographer, set his small resort away from the bustle of the main island and it has won several awards for its ecotourism projects. The family-friendly five-star resort has set the benchmark for other Fijian resorts to follow, featuring organic gardens, rainwater harvesting and edible landscaping without compromising on comfort. fijiresort.com.
18 Island-hopping
In Fiji, “day tripping” doesn’t mean hours in a car, it means lying on the deck of a yacht, smelling the sea breeze, seafood banquets and snorkelling stops. Charter a private yacht and choose your course or join a cruise to, say, Tivua Island on the tall ship Ra Marama and spend the day snorkelling, glass-bottom boating, kayaking or chilling on the beach in Fiji style. fijisafari.com; captaincook.com.fj.
19 World-class surfing
Most surfers head for the Mamanuca islands to hit the waves – the permanent six-metre wave Cloudbreak, off the coast of Tavarua, is a Fijian legend, and reigning world champion Kelly Slater describes nearby Restaurants as “one of the most perfect waves that I have ever surfed”. Taravua will host the Volcom Fiji Pro, featuring the top pro surfers, from June 3 to 15. Off the south coast of the main island, you’ll find little Beqa Island is home to the challenging left-handed reef break Frigates, and Sigatoka Beach’s Sand Dunes stand out on the Coral Coast.
20 White-water rafting
Fiji’s lagoons are brilliant for sea kayaking and the waterways through its mangroves let you explore these mysterious ecosystems. The local guides of Rivers Fiji take groups river-rafting through the forests and past highland villages on the main island and sea kayaking out to Benq Island, renowned for its fire-walkers and surfing. riversfiji.com.
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May 17th, 2012
Water-related recreational activities play a huge role in the lives of many people, especially during the summer months. Whether it is a swimming pool, going to the beach, white water rafting, surfing, boating, fishing, jet skiing, there is an activity for everyone to enjoy in or around water. All Hands Fire Equipment is Announcing important safety tips to in order to ensure that these activities are enjoyed in the safest manner possible.
Neptune, NJ (PRWEB) May 16, 2012
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), statistics show that approximately 10 people die each day from unintentional drowning, and there are thousands of injuries from water-related incidents each year. Common factors that increase accident and injury risk while partaking in water activities include lack of supervision, alcohol use, failure to use a life jacket and/or other personal floatation devices (PFD).
“Just using a pfd or life jacket isn’t enough, you should also be aware of potential hazards and know how to address them in order to enjoy leisure time around water”, said Chief Donald Colarusso, a firefighter for over 24 years and one of the nation’s leading suppliers of Fire and Water Rescue Equipment through the website, http://www.allhandsfire.com/cmc-rescue .
To enjoy water activities and reduce the risk of danger there are safety guidelines that can be followed:
-
Children should always be supervised by an adult while in or around water. This includes swimming pools, the ocean, lakes and rivers, even the bathtub. A child can drown in less than 1” or water.
- Regardless of age or ability, swimmers should always use the “buddy system” and take care never to swim alone. Supervised areas with lifeguards on duty can reduce risk and make water fun safer.
- It is important not to push oneself by attempting activities beyond one’s skill level while swimming, surfing, skim boarding, etc.
- Extreme caution should be used when diving. Water may be shallow and there could be rocks, dead submerged trees, or other obstructions that could injure divers.
- Barriers and safety zones are enacted for a reason and must be respected.
- When swimming off a boat, being aware of water depth and safety considerations of the water should be taken seriously. Also a dependable way to get back onto the boat, such as a mounted ladder should be in place.
- A Life Jacket / PFD should always be used when kayaking, on a jet ski or other similar settings. Referring to US Coast Guard and local rules and guidelines is of utmost importance.
- Always being aware of water conditions and weather is vital.
- While in the ocean, staying clear of jetty rocks and being aware of riptide currents should be a priority.
- Those venturing outdoors on a hot, sunny day should be aware of the potential for sunburn and heatstroke. Applying an appropriate degree of sun block and staying hydrated even while in the shade is helpful.
Although many of these safety tips may seem to be common sense, reviewing these tips each Summer with loved ones can significantly reduce the chances of serious accident or injury in and around water related activities.
Don Colarusso
All Hands Fire Equipment
1 (888) 681-1009
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May 17th, 2012
Posted on: 5:29 pm, May 16, 2012, by Bob Reynolds, updated on: 05:34pm, May 16, 2012
The several inches of rain we’ve had this week plus water releases from a dam are producing excellent conditions for white water rafters in Carbon County.
Dozens of creeks are pushing countless gallons of water into the Lehigh River. The creeks are swollen because of recent rain. That means some mean rapids on the Lehigh River.
White water rafting is dependent on several things, nature from rain and the Francis Walter Dam for water releases.
Nikki Hurley of Pocono Whitewater Rafting said the releases helps her business.
“(They) will release water for us and so pretty much there will be enough water in the river to make for a great whitewater ride for everyone,” said Hurley.
Sky Fogal of Pocono Whitewater Rafting tells his customers to prepare for a wild ride because the Lehigh is higher and faster.
“That’s double of what we normally would have, that means the rapids are bigger and you will go faster so that means when you see that rapid you’ll have to make the right move or you’ll go for a swim,” Fogal said.
High school students from the Harrisburg area decided on a trip to the river for their senior class trip. Student Jon Hunsberger said he is concerned about the rivers condition.
“A little bit, I am more excited for it because I think it will be more fun and exciting,” Hunsberger said.
Student Cailley Breckenridge said the trip was booked during the dry winter season. “We didn’t think there would be much water and we didn’t think it would be that much fun, but fortunately it rained here for the last three days but the best time is to do it today,” said Breckenridge.
Pocono Whitewater Rafting officials said with a little rain here and there combined with regular dam releases should make their cash registers ring from people riding the rapids.
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May 15th, 2012
Trust Demands Auckland Council Sells Land to Develop
White Water Rafting Course
The Auckland Council is being asked to
contribute to the funding of a white water rafting course at
the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau three
years after the Manukau City Council voted against funding
the $60m scheme.
The Counties Manukau Pacific
Trust, which runs the PEC, claims it has the right to sell
land, previously owned by the MCC and now the property of
the Auckland Council and use the estimated $20 million
proceeds from any sale towards the white water rafting
scheme.
The Trust had already received about $12
million funds from the sale of the same piece of land to
help fund Stage 1, the PEC.
That sale included
conditions, which if not met within a specified time, would
entitle the MCC to buy back the land at the original sale
price. The purchaser did not meet the conditions of the sale
agreement and as a result, the land reverted to the MCC at
the price paid by the purchaser.
When the land
reverted to the MCC the Trust advised the Council that it
was entitled to the land, an assertion rejected by the
Council.
It now appears that the Trust is arguing
that the Auckland Council, which by virtue of amalgamation
of the Manukau City Council has inherited the land and that
the Trust should benefit for the second time from any sale
– something never agreed to and needs to be rejected by
the Auckland Council.
This matter was tested in the
High Court, which found that there was no basis for giving
proceeds from a second sale to the Trust.
The Court
also found that the MCC had never agreed that it would fund
Stage 2 of the project – the white water rafting
course.
This project had no buy-in from the people
of Manukau and was rejected by the Manukau City Council
which voted 11 – 5 against funding the project despite the
Trust resorting to all sorts of chicanery.
ENDS
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May 15th, 2012
You need not venture to the peaks of Everest or roam the baking sands of the Sahara in search of adventure. Within its 3.79 million square miles, the United States of America contains an abundance of vast, wild and untamed landscapes waiting to be discovered. The list of possibilities for adventure is virtually endless, but here are four of the best.
Rafting the Grand Canyon
Navigating the rushing waves of the Colorado River as it passes through America’s most famous natural wonder is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nowhere is the majestic beauty of nature more evident than from the foot of this gargantuan canyon, with the waters of the river underneath propelling you on a route carved out over two billion years.
The journey offers both tranquility and chaos, as violent rapids give way to peaceful stretches of gentle water. Most trips last between 3 and 18 days and cover different sections of the river, depending on ability and experience.
Check out Action Whitewater Adventures for more.
Hiking Yosemite’s Half Dome
The rocky peak of Yosemite’s Half Dome offers adventure seekers one of nature’s great challenges. In fact, in an 1865 report the treacherous summit was deemed “perfectly inaccessible”, according to the National Park Service.
A century-and-a-half later, thousands of adventure-seeking climbers prove this assessment wrong every year by scaling the 4,700 foot peak. The 17-mile round trip is no easy task and should not be attempted by the inexperienced hiker. However, the rewards are worth the strain, with breathtaking views of Vernal and Nevada Falls, as well at the magnificent rock formations of the Half Dome itself. Along the way, climbers can discover the varied nightlife of America’s most celebrated national park, while climbers can enjoy spectacular views of the Yosemite Valley and the High Sierra for the Half Dome’s peak.
Exploring the Alaskan Wilderness
At the gate of the Arctic, wolves, caribou, bears and foxes all inhabit the sweeping open plains and desolate mountains of the Alaskan wilderness. The Arctic National Wildlife Reserve was created to preserve some of the United States most diverse and beautiful wildlife and wilderness.
The park offers adventurers a rare opportunity to enjoy complete seclusion, days away from hustle and bustle of human civilization, to gain an unadulterated glimpse at one of the country’s most breathtaking natural wonderlands.
Climbing Denali
North America’s highest peak is no easy climb. Base cap sits at an elevation of roughly 7,000 feet on the periphery of a glacier, where climbers begin the long and arduous ascent up the West Buttress to the summit at 20,300 feet.
There journey is long, usually taking days to complete. Meanwhile climbers must set up camp on the mountainside and brave harsh winds and icy snows while en route to the summit. Needless to say, the views are spectacular, particularly on clear day, where the lush surrounding parkland can be surveyed for miles.
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May 13th, 2012
There is little Mother Nature failed to provide in Michigan for those who love being active on the water.
With more than 13,000 inland lakes, 36,000 miles of streams and rivers, and, of course, the Great Lakes, it’s pretty much all there.
That is, unless you’re up for white-water rafting and kayaking. But communities around the Lower Peninsula are looking to change that by creating their own courses as a way they hope will provide a boost to their economies.
Cities such as Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Flint, Traverse City and Eaton Rapids are considering engineering steps that will alter local rivers to increase drops, create obstacles and pools and manufacture eddies for safety — upgrades designed to provide paddlers with a white-water experience.
It’s a technique that has been successful in communities such as Petoskey and Williamston and, to a greater degree, in nearby South Bend, Ind.
The East Race Waterway, which opened in 1984, is an example of how such courses can serve as a draw for more than the boating crowd. During the two-month season, the course can draw up to 500 kayakers a day.”That side of town used to be the urban blight side — there was just nothing there,” said Paul McMinn, South Bend’s assistant recreation director. “And that was the main reason we did the (white-water) course … for economic development.”
The neighborhood around the waterway is now alive with new development, and the course has earned rave reviews. McMinn said surveys about what residents love about their city put the white-water project on a par with “events at Notre Dame.”
It’s the kind of thing Eric Hall would love to see in Flint, where a project near the Hamilton Dam has been under consideration for more than four years.
“Instead of having to drive all the way to West Virginia or Pennsylvania, you would be able to do it right here,” said Hall, a member of the Flint River Paddlers group.
In its 2008 proposal to Flint officials, Colorado-based firm Recreation Engineering and Planning provided economic development estimates from a project in its home state.
The white-water park in Golden, Colo., built in 1996 for $342,000, produced an estimated annual economic boost of $1.4 million to $2 million to the area, they said. And the Truckee River Whitewater Park in Reno, Nev., built in 2003 at $1.5 million, is projected to produce an economic impact of $18 million over its first decade in operation.
Few kayaking opportunities
Like Indiana, Michigan’s topography offers little change in elevation throughout most of the state — a key component for great white-water locations. Genisis Peters, who lives in Harbor Springs, said he knows the frustration of looking for a decent kayaking course.
“We don’t have a lot of opportunities here,” said the 37-year-old former resident of Boulder, Colo., a city known for its white-water opportunities. “It’s a significant challenge to find them.”
Peters’ task became easier last year with the opening of Bear River Whitewater Park in Petoskey.
The site has become Michigan’s best example to date of what can be accomplished along 11/2 miles of river with a little tweaking. The changes retained the natural flow of the river but also created a series of safety features that open the river up to less experienced paddlers.
“It’s brought a lot of people together in this area who I didn’t realize were involved with the sport,” he said. “It’s a great learning environment for people who want to get involved with it.”
Last weekend, the Northern Michigan Paddling Club hosted its second annual Bear River Spring Rendezvous at the year-old white-water park. In 2010, Petoskey brought in an engineering firm at $280,000 to create a white-water course along the Bear River through a section of the city.
“What was once a gentle, flowing river loved by canoeists has been transformed into a rockin’ and rollin’ ride along the Bear River,” raves the Visit Petoskey website. The project was funded by a bond issue. Williamston’s $800,000 project, on the other hand, utilized bonds and a state grant. That project, which runs a tenth of a mile along the Red Cedar River, was built more than a decade ago.
The Petoskey project features “large boulders, roll-overs, ledges, logs and tight squeezes” with rapids that rate up to Class IV after a storm — on a scale that goes to V on raftable courses. Williamston’s project typically rates Class I.
The Bear River had some advantages over other waterways in the Lower Peninsula, and certain natural factors must be in place to create the white-water effect, said project manager Tim Knutsen.
“There’s a certain velocity and gradient that you need,” said Knutsen, who is with Beckett & Raeder Inc., an engineering and architectural firm. “Before, with the Bear River in its natural state, you had a real significant drop already, but the safety component was missing.”
By using hydraulic cranes to bring in limestone rocks matching what was in the river already, Knutsen and city officials were able to build eddies and safe areas for kayakers.
They also were able to create pools — areas deep enough to allow paddlers to engage in “playboating,” which involves executing moves and techniques in a small area.
Finances a sticking point
Bringing such projects to fruition can be difficult. In Flint, Hall said finances have been the key sticking point. In Ann Arbor, where city officials are considering a white-water course along the Huron River, progress has been held up by environmental concerns.
A section of the river targeted for improvements in Ann Arbor runs by an old MichCon site near Broadway Street. That site must be remediated before any work on the white-water course can take place, parks officials said.
Making changes to a river, for whatever purpose, can be potentially damaging to ecosystems. White-water courses require approval from not only local planning officials, but Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“With white-water courses, people tend to want to harness the flow of the river and release it at one particular time to give (paddlers) the best ride they can get,” said Jay Wesley, the DNR acting Lake Michigan basin coordinator.
Wesley has served as a consultant on plans for a white-water project in Grand Rapids. The project would restore the Grand River, along with its rapids, to its historic condition, he said. The project could be completed as early as 2014.
“Typically, our concern with these projects is that (they) can be detrimental to the river both upstream and downstream,” Wesley said.
The biggest environmental issue with altering the river is impact on the fisheries. Changes that lower water levels can damage fish habitats. But the creation of eddies and rest areas can also provide spawning areas.
“We want to make sure these projects utilize what we call the run of the river — the natural river flow,” Wesley said.
jlynch@detnews.com
(313) 222-2034
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May 13th, 2012
Trust Demands Auckland Council Sells Land to Develop
White Water Rafting Course
The Auckland Council is being asked to
contribute to the funding of a white water rafting course at
the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau three
years after the Manukau City Council voted against funding
the $60m scheme.
The Counties Manukau Pacific
Trust, which runs the PEC, claims it has the right to sell
land, previously owned by the MCC and now the property of
the Auckland Council and use the estimated $20 million
proceeds from any sale towards the white water rafting
scheme.
The Trust had already received about $12
million funds from the sale of the same piece of land to
help fund Stage 1, the PEC.
That sale included
conditions, which if not met within a specified time, would
entitle the MCC to buy back the land at the original sale
price. The purchaser did not meet the conditions of the sale
agreement and as a result, the land reverted to the MCC at
the price paid by the purchaser.
When the land
reverted to the MCC the Trust advised the Council that it
was entitled to the land, an assertion rejected by the
Council.
It now appears that the Trust is arguing
that the Auckland Council, which by virtue of amalgamation
of the Manukau City Council has inherited the land and that
the Trust should benefit for the second time from any sale
– something never agreed to and needs to be rejected by
the Auckland Council.
This matter was tested in the
High Court, which found that there was no basis for giving
proceeds from a second sale to the Trust.
The Court
also found that the MCC had never agreed that it would fund
Stage 2 of the project – the white water rafting
course.
This project had no buy-in from the people
of Manukau and was rejected by the Manukau City Council
which voted 11 – 5 against funding the project despite the
Trust resorting to all sorts of chicanery.
ENDS
Posted in Information | No Comments »
May 11th, 2012
Toledo, Ohio (CNN) — Wanda Butts dropped the phone and screamed when she heard the news that her son was dead.
Josh had drowned while rafting on a lake with friends. The 16-year-old didn’t know how to swim, and he wasn’t wearing a life jacket.
“I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t want to believe it: that just like that, my son had drowned and he was gone,” she said, recalling the 2006 tragedy.
Butts had worried about her son’s safety when it came to street violence or driving, and she said she had always warned him of those dangers. But water accidents never crossed her mind.
“It did not occur to me that my son would drown because he didn’t know water safety,” she said. “Josh was never taught the basic life skill of learning how to swim.”
Josh was not alone in the black community. According to USA Swimming, 70% of African-American children cannot swim, compared with nearly 60% for Hispanic children and 42% for white children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African-American children between the ages of 5 and 14 are three times more likely to drown than white children in the same age range.
As Butts tried to make sense of her son’s tragedy, she realized she had passed her own inexperience to her son. Her father had witnessed a drowning when he was young and instilled in her a fear of water.
“So as a child, I never went around water,” said Butts, 58. “I never went swimming. I didn’t know anything about water or life jackets and water safety.”
Because of this fear, Butts raised Josh without any exposure to water. But today, she is determined to prevent other mothers from doing the same. In 2007, she started the Josh Project, a nonprofit that provides low-cost swimming lessons for children in Toledo, Ohio.
“After losing my son, I wanted to do something to help other people, to help another mother not have to suffer the way I do every day from the loss of a child drowning,” she said.
To date, the Josh Project has helped more than 1,000 children learn how to swim.
“All children are at risk of drowning, but the majority of the children that the Josh Project serves are minority children, who we have found are more at risk,” Butts said.
Several cultural and historical factors can help explain why that is. One is the segregation of swimming pools during the 20th century, according to Jeff Wiltse, author of “Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America.” Relatively few swimming pools were built to serve the black community back then, so much of a generation was denied the opportunity to swim, Wiltse told the BBC.
Also, if parents can’t swim, their children are far less likely to learn how, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Memphis. The study, sponsored by USA Swimming, found that a fear of drowning and a fear of injury prevent many African-American parents from putting their children in swimming lessons. It also found that many avoid swimming for cosmetic reasons, such as the effect chlorinated water has on their hair.
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2012 CNN Heroes
For some families today, it’s still tough to find an accessible pool.
“The public pools near our home have been closed in the past, and other places were not affordable,” said Lisa Haynes, whose 14-year-old son, Joshua, is one of 60-plus students in the Josh Project this season.
The swimming lessons take place at a local high school over four Saturdays for a total cost of $10.
“I am less worried if (Joshua) is near water because he has the basics of how to swim,” Haynes said. “And we’re thankful for that.”
Butts is doing much more, however, than just providing swimming lessons.
“She ups the awareness, and that is half the battle,” said Shaun Anderson, a swimming coach who was so inspired by her story that he created a Josh Project swimming program at Norfolk State University in Virginia. “Once these communities learn how to swim, they will pass it down, which results in future generations that know how to swim.”
Butts said she has two goals for the future: One is to change the drowning statistics of minority children, and the other is to have an aquatic center where the children can swim daily instead of just once a week.
“The joy on the faces of those children — when they see that they can learn, once they get it — they are so happy with themselves,” she said. “And it’s like all of them are my children. It’s like I didn’t lose my son.”
Want to get involved? Check out the Josh Project website at www.joshproject.org and see how to help.
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May 11th, 2012
Toledo, Ohio (CNN) — Wanda Butts dropped the phone and screamed when she heard the news that her son was dead.
Josh had drowned while rafting on a lake with friends. The 16-year-old didn’t know how to swim, and he wasn’t wearing a life jacket.
“I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t want to believe it: that just like that, my son had drowned and he was gone,” she said, recalling the 2006 tragedy.
Butts had worried about her son’s safety when it came to street violence or driving, and she said she had always warned him of those dangers. But water accidents never crossed her mind.
“It did not occur to me that my son would drown because he didn’t know water safety,” she said. “Josh was never taught the basic life skill of learning how to swim.”
Josh was not alone in the black community. According to USA Swimming, 70% of African-American children cannot swim, compared with nearly 60% for Hispanic children and 42% for white children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African-American children between the ages of 5 and 14 are three times more likely to drown than white children in the same age range.
As Butts tried to make sense of her son’s tragedy, she realized she had passed her own inexperience to her son. Her father had witnessed a drowning when he was young and instilled in her a fear of water.
“So as a child, I never went around water,” said Butts, 58. “I never went swimming. I didn’t know anything about water or life jackets and water safety.”
Because of this fear, Butts raised Josh without any exposure to water. But today, she is determined to prevent other mothers from doing the same. In 2007, she started the Josh Project, a nonprofit that provides low-cost swimming lessons for children in Toledo, Ohio.
“After losing my son, I wanted to do something to help other people, to help another mother not have to suffer the way I do every day from the loss of a child drowning,” she said.
To date, the Josh Project has helped more than 1,000 children learn how to swim.
“All children are at risk of drowning, but the majority of the children that the Josh Project serves are minority children, who we have found are more at risk,” Butts said.
Several cultural and historical factors can help explain why that is. One is the segregation of swimming pools during the 20th century, according to Jeff Wiltse, author of “Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America.” Relatively few swimming pools were built to serve the black community back then, so much of a generation was denied the opportunity to swim, Wiltse told the BBC.
Also, if parents can’t swim, their children are far less likely to learn how, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Memphis. The study, sponsored by USA Swimming, found that a fear of drowning and a fear of injury prevent many African-American parents from putting their children in swimming lessons. It also found that many avoid swimming for cosmetic reasons, such as the effect chlorinated water has on their hair.
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2012 CNN Heroes
For some families today, it’s still tough to find an accessible pool.
“The public pools near our home have been closed in the past, and other places were not affordable,” said Lisa Haynes, whose 14-year-old son, Joshua, is one of 60-plus students in the Josh Project this season.
The swimming lessons take place at a local high school over four Saturdays for a total cost of $10.
“I am less worried if (Joshua) is near water because he has the basics of how to swim,” Haynes said. “And we’re thankful for that.”
Butts is doing much more, however, than just providing swimming lessons.
“She ups the awareness, and that is half the battle,” said Shaun Anderson, a swimming coach who was so inspired by her story that he created a Josh Project swimming program at Norfolk State University in Virginia. “Once these communities learn how to swim, they will pass it down, which results in future generations that know how to swim.”
Butts said she has two goals for the future: One is to change the drowning statistics of minority children, and the other is to have an aquatic center where the children can swim daily instead of just once a week.
“The joy on the faces of those children — when they see that they can learn, once they get it — they are so happy with themselves,” she said. “And it’s like all of them are my children. It’s like I didn’t lose my son.”
Want to get involved? Check out the Josh Project website at www.joshproject.org and see how to help.
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