Two a penny

– Take a major theft in 1907 of the British Crown Jewels — Mix leaders of the Irish Nationalist Movement — Stir in a strange bequest to Harvard’s Fogg Art Museum. . . “Stivey knew he was being tested for some scam of some sort. The caper wasn’t clear but he knew the approach”. “A couple grand for a few hours work and no mess. I like that. . . ” “In the midst of all this Brian saw the statue — blue white and gold. She stood about 4-foot tall head cast downward palms up. Amazing! She looked like all the statues Brian remembered from his childhood with the nuns”. The robbery goes awry. The thieves disagree with gunfire. One kidnaps a witness and finds she doesn’t want to miss the excitement. The theft draws unwanted attention to Harvard. The missing statue is returned. But what’s happened to the Crown Jewels? Comments (0)

I know this is blowing our own trumpet, but The Stage (130 years old and counting), whose editor Brian Attwood was also mentioned in The Times 50 list, is both an exception and exceptional to the flood of two-a-penny theatre websites, …

Originally posted here:
The Stage / Shenton's View / Back earlier than expected, with some …

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The team on duty gave 100% on the night, but quality forwards aren’t two a penny and to lose three is a blow that few teams could cope with. Anyway the lads on duty gave a good account of them-selves, battled to the final whistle and …

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Newcastlewest Weekly GAA Notes 15/09/2010 | Newcastle West GAA

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The body of Te Papa chief executive Seddon Bennington, who died in the Tararua Ranges last week, returned to
the museum this afternoon ahead of his final farewell tomorrow.

Dr Bennington, 61, and his tramping companion Marcella Jackson, 54, were found dead in the snow in the Tararua Ranges shortly before 11am on Wednesday, four days after they disappeared.

Hundreds of mourners took part in a haka powhiri from 4pm to begin Dr Bennington’s tangi, which was expected to take about four hours.

Dr Bennington’s body was today carried on to the museum’s marae, accompanied by conch shells, karakia and the howling Wellington wind.

Dr Bennington’s body would remain on the marae until after a private funeral service tomorrow from 1pm, and Te Papa staff members would stay on the marae tonight with him, spokeswoman Jane Keig said.

People were able to pay their respects at the marae from between 8pm until 10pm.

Dr Bennington’s body was in a unique eco coffin, which suited the “things he believed in”, Ms Keig said.

“It’s very important for museum staff to have him come back to our marae to say their last farewells,” she said.

“It holds special significance for Dr Bennington – number one, he was named after Prime Minister Seddon, and also last year he received the cloak from Prime Minister Seddon’s family,” Ms Keig said. It was draped in the same kiwi feather cloak that draped former prime minister Richard Seddon’s casket at his tangi. Dr Bennington spent quite a bit of time in his youth with the Tuhoe people.

A Tuhoe cloak was also on his casket.

Ms Keig said his funeral would be a “normal” service, with speakers and a hymn.

Representatives from Wellington City Council and the Ministry of Arts, Heritage and Culture were in attendance at today’s service and Minister Chris Finlayson will attend Dr Bennington’s funeral tomorrow.

The pair had headed into the ranges for a weekend tramp to Kime Hut but failed to return as planned on Sunday.

Dr Bennington’s family earlier thanked the Levin police and the search and rescue teams involved in the recovery operations.

Although the pair were otherwise well-equipped, police said neither had carried a cellphone or locator beacon.

After more than two days of searching, their bodies were found about 1km from the hut.

A private funeral for Mrs Jackson took place earlier today at a Wellington church, followed by a private cremation.

A preliminary post mortem examination showed Dr Bennington and Mrs Jackson died of hypothermia.

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Hamilton Zoo’s newest arrivals are “a doddery old couple” who’ve been together for years, and have moved to the Waikato for their retirement.

The zoo this week welcomed siamang gibbons Iuri, a 30-year-old female, and 25-year-old male Itam, a retired breeding couple who had been residents at Auckland Zoo since the 1980s.

The siamangs, who mate for life, arrived at Hamilton Zoo on Wednesday, and have been settling in to an enclosure near the rowdy lemurs. Auckland Zoo primate keeper Michelle Mudford said the “regular ritual” was a sign the pair were growing more comfortable in their new home.

Iuri and Itam engaged in a noisy “song duet” when the Times visited yesterday. “They’re pretty good at cuddling together to keep warm.

Miss Mudford said although Iuri and Itam have been used to Auckland’s warmer climate, they would soon become acclimatised to Hamilton’s chilly winter mornings. It always becomes normal for these guys, whatever situation they’re in. “They’ve been together about 23 years now, and are hard to separate.”

Miss Mudford, who worked with the siamangs for several years, said they were “a doddery old couple, like you see walking down the road”, who stuck close together and often showed their affection with a bit of canoodling. . They are pretty active, and still play, but just not as often as younger ones would. “It’s all gone a lot better than expected, and they’ve settled in really well.

Miss Mudford was pleased with the ease of their introduction to Hamilton Zoo. They’re pretty people-friendly, and they’ve got a nice little corner of the zoo all to themselves. They’re pretty people-friendly, and they’ve got a nice little corner of the zoo all to themselves

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A two-year-old boy taken from his parents for his own safety ended up with a family living in a crowded caravan with no door.

The toddler, who has not been named, spent more than a week living in a “run-down caravan” attached to a garage.

However, after an investigation into the Canterbury toddler’s living arrangements, Child, Youth and Family (CYF) decided removing him from his carer was not warranted.

“He was placed with his mother’s sister in 2007, at the age of five months.

CYF southern regional director John Henderson said the child was taken from his parents because of “ongoing and serious family violence, and multiple stints in prison for both parents since his birth”. The caravan was old and run-down.”

A CYF report written by duty social worker Brett Blockley, dated February 12 this year, said the boy had been living “in a caravan for a week and a half now”. “It was attached to a garage.”

A section headed “home environment” said six people were living in the caravan. The caravan does not have a door and opens into the garage.

The report also noted that the two-year-old “appeared to be healthy” and “developing well” and “it will need to be ensured that this arrangement is only temporary, as it would not be sustainable in the long period”.

However, the caravan was described as “adequate in the summer months”.

“We did receive a notification about the child’s living conditions.

Henderson said the child and foster family had moved from the caravan into more suitable accommodation. Whilst living in a caravan is not ideal, we determined it was safe and secure and did not, in our view, warrant uplifting this toddler and causing him more distress. Whilst living in a caravan is not ideal, we determined it was safe and secure and did not, in our view, warrant uplifting this toddler and causing him more distress.”

Henderson said the foster family had been forced to move several times. . Repeated attempts by the mother to discover their whereabouts has forced the family to move six times in the past 12 months.

“Due to ongoing safety concerns, it has been deemed necessary to keep the foster family’s residential location confidential.

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“One of the things that is becoming a concern with regards to care is that the benchmark has shifted from `is this providing the best possible environment for children’ to `is this adequate?”‘

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Mike O’Brien, of the Child Poverty Action Group, said that without all the facts, it was difficult to judge the case, but it “raised some concerns on a general level”…”

. if this child is one of six sharing a caravan in 2009, it’s a fairly minimalist standard

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Nine arrested after school fight

Tuesday, 17 February 2009

Nine people have been arrested after a Hutt Valley High School student was attacked on a college sports field.
The three adults and six youths aged 14-17, all charged with unlawful assembly, were not associated with the college.
More than a dozen police officers were called after a series of fights broke out just before 3pm. They will appear in court tomorrow.
Inspector Geoff Gwyn, Lower Hutt Police Response Manager, said the group confronted a student about a previous altercation involving a friend.
One female student received a cut to her head when a rock was thrown into the melee.
"Scuffles broke out after 30 or so students went to aid their schoolmate.
"The group had been told to leave the college grounds earlier this morning but returned this afternoon and sought out the student," Mr Gwyn said. .
"This sort of violent behaviour is unacceptable and won't be tolerated by police or the college," hesaid

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‘Depressed’ accused fails to sway judge

– Sunday, 01 February 2009

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FLOOD OF TEARS: Alex Verne Patten, 44, has to face trial despite his lawyer’s plea that his emotional state made a court case difficult.

The lawyer for a "depressed" man facing serious drugs charges tried to have his trial aborted when he claimed his client was so unwell he broke down every time he tried to talk to him about the case.
Barrister Chris Comeskey dramatically illustrated his argument at the Auckland High Court on Friday by pointing at Alex Verne Patten, 44.
"This is as good as it gets.
He was crying and had his head bowed in court.
"I have never encountered anything like this before," Comeskey said of the emotional state of his client, who is charged with supplying methamphetamine and manufacturing the class-A drug. I'm not going to run a trial like that," Comeskey said.
He said being Patten's lawyer "was tantamount to representing someone who is asleep" and there was no way he could give evidence if he exercised his right to do so.
But Justice Hugh Williams said the trial, to start later this month, would go ahead.
A psychiatric report presented to the court confirmed Patten had a mental illness. It won't be an easy trial for anyone," the judge said.
"There will be trial problems that may need to be accommodated."
His decision prompted Comeskey to say he wanted to withdraw as Patten's lawyer. "I have considered all the issues and in my view the level of unfitness is not made out.
The judge told him the court would not allow that to happen.
The judge told him the court would not allow that to happen.
Comeskey agreed, but said he wanted a further psychiatric assessment before the trial began. He needs your expertise," Justice Williams said. . He said he would be seeking the assessment from a specialist the Crown agreed to.
Patten was charged with the two drugs counts, both of which carried maximum terms of life imprisonment.
Patten was arrested in 2005 as part of the four-month, multi-million-dollar Operation Leningrad, which included the arrest of several Highway 61 gang members and associates for alleged drug dealing.
Following the hung jury, in February, 2007, a second trial was scheduled for late last year but was aborted after Patten had a depressive episode.
But jurors in the 20-week trial could not reach verdicts on Patten's charges.

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Unfenced ponds ‘irresponsible’ but not illegal

By MATT RILKOFF – Tuesday, 13 January 2009

There is no legislation in place to prevent other children from drowning in unfenced farm effluent ponds.
Several farming representatives yesterday said not fencing ponds and sharemilkers' accommodation was highly unusual and irresponsible but acknowledged it was not illegal.
This was confirmed by the Taranaki Regional Council.
He said the council did issue fencing guidelines with effluent pond consents, but farmers were not obliged to follow them.
Director of resource management Fred McLay said although the council granted resource consents for such ponds, a successful application need only fulfil environmental obligations, not safety ones. The law under which we work is to do with environment quality, not health and safety," Mr McLay said. .
A spokesperson for the South Taranaki Council said it also had no jurisdiction over the ponds as the legislation it operated under only covered the fencing of swimming pools.
However the fencing of effluent ponds did come under guidelines established by the department for the provision of safety, health and accommodation in agriculture.
Taranaki Department of Labour manager Brett Murray said the fencing of the house fell out of its jurisdiction because it was a domestic setting, not a workplace.2 of these guidelines recommends the fencing of vessels and excavations containing liquids where practical.
Section 1.
Taranaki Federated Farmers sharemilker employers' section chairman, Bill Laurence, said the cost of not fencing them was greater than the cost of doing so.
Mr Murray said "practical" could include such factors as the cost of fencing.
"It's lunacy not to have a fence around a valuable asset like a pond.
"It's lunacy not to have a fence around a valuable asset like a pond. It really is common sense to protect your assets. Cattle will break the sides of the pond down and that cost a lot to fix and they may get diseases and things like that.
He said under section 119 of the 2001 Lower Order Sharemilking Agreement, a sharemilker's house must be securely fenced but he did not know what arrangement the parents of Summer Frank worked under."
Mr Laurence said while it was the owner's responsibility to fence the ponds, sharemilkers could make the fencing of ponds and/or their accommodation a condition of their work contract.