Ashburton Courier: January 14, 2021
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NEWS<br />
6 <strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>January</strong> <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Teacher nails job satisfaction<br />
LINDA.CLARKE<br />
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Ever fanciedmakingyour own<br />
chest of drawers or coffee<br />
table?<br />
Night woodworking classes<br />
are about to restartat<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>College andtutor<br />
Chris Thompson said there<br />
was ahugeamountof<br />
satisfaction in building your<br />
own furniture.<br />
Theretired college<br />
woodwork teacher has been<br />
teaching eveningclasses for 15<br />
years. His students range from<br />
novices to master carvers.<br />
Theclassesare held on<br />
Tuesdays from7pm until 9pm,<br />
with eight classes aterm(four<br />
termsinthe year); the cost is<br />
$180 per term.<br />
Chrissaid the class was able<br />
to use the specialty<br />
woodworking facilities at<br />
college and so had access to<br />
industrialmachines, fit for big<br />
and small jobs.<br />
‘‘People can come along and<br />
learn how to make something<br />
and havethe equipmenttobe<br />
able to make it.<br />
‘‘The equipmentis<br />
industrialsized. Thereisabig<br />
saw finisher that can cut full<br />
sheetsofplywood and a<br />
thicknesser, whichmachines<br />
timber to aspecific thickness.’’<br />
Thestudents chose all<br />
mannerof projectsand Chris<br />
teachesthemthe skills they<br />
need to do the job.<br />
Woodwork tutor Chris Thompson is ready for anew group of night students.<br />
‘‘Thereisalot of satisfaction<br />
in building your own furniture.<br />
Insteadofbuyingacoffee<br />
table,you get the timber and<br />
build it from scratch.<br />
‘‘Thereishuge satisfaction<br />
for me too watchingpeople<br />
walkout proudlywiththeir<br />
work.’’<br />
Chris said covid over the<br />
past 10 months had led to many<br />
people rediscovering the<br />
challengeofdoing things for<br />
themselves andhehoped some<br />
newwoodworkers would be<br />
keen to join his class.<br />
Thewoodwork masteris<br />
workingonachallenge<br />
himself, completing afolding<br />
table for asuperyacht<br />
currently being completedin<br />
Whangarei.<br />
Thecomplicated job has<br />
taken about 70 hours so far and<br />
involves differenttimbers,<br />
careful grain selection and<br />
PHOTO LINDA CLARKE<br />
features necessary for alife at<br />
sea. He is relishing the work,<br />
which takeshim back to days<br />
as aboatbuilder before he<br />
becameateacher.<br />
The first <strong>Ashburton</strong> evening<br />
woodwork class starts on<br />
February 9. Prospective<br />
students shouldcallChris on<br />
027 434 668 to discuss their<br />
projectideas or emailhim on<br />
chris@thompsonwoodworking.nz<br />
IN BRIEF<br />
RETAILER TO PAY<br />
Aliquorretailer and directorwho<br />
onceoperatedbottle stores in Mid<br />
Canterburyhas been orderedtopay<br />
$125,000 for worker exploitation.<br />
TheEmployment Relations<br />
Authority has ordered Nekita<br />
Enterprises Limited, abusiness that<br />
operated up to 15 bottle stores<br />
across Canterbury, to pay$90,000<br />
in penalties for breaching<br />
employmentlaws. Its director, Harjit<br />
Singh hastopersonallypay a<br />
further $35,000asaperson<br />
responsible for the breaches.<br />
The penaltiesare in additionto<br />
$21,390thatNekitaEnterprises has<br />
already paidout to four former<br />
employeesinoutstanding minimum<br />
wageand holiday pay entitlements.<br />
WATER DEMAND<br />
Cooler and wetter conditions have<br />
kept waterdemandin <strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
relatively low over the pastfew<br />
weeks andthereare no plansto<br />
impose water restrictionsat<br />
present.<br />
Peak wateruse dayswere<br />
tracking belowconsented limits,<br />
and unless asevere hot and dry<br />
spellcame along,<strong>Ashburton</strong>District<br />
Councildid notexpect water<br />
restrictions in <strong>Ashburton</strong>/Lake<br />
Hood, said infrastructure services<br />
groupmanager Neil McCann.<br />
Rain over theChristmas and New<br />
Yearperiod hadrestoredwater<br />
levels in thegalleries and mostof<br />
the bores.<br />
The exception wasMayfield,<br />
whichhad not recovered<br />
sufficiently, buthad not deteriorated<br />
mucheither.<br />
SEASIDE SUMMER DAYS IN TIMARU<br />
This FREE classroom based course will help you<br />
re-familiarise yourself with traffic rules and safedriving<br />
practices.Itwillalsoincrease your knowledge about other<br />
transportoptions and help youremain independentfor<br />
longer.The course is free but thereisa$10 koha to cover<br />
catering (morning teaand lunch).<br />
DATE: 22 <strong>January</strong><strong>2021</strong><br />
TIME: 10.00am -2.30pm<br />
VENUE: <strong>Ashburton</strong>Senior Centre, 206 Cameron Street<br />
PHONE: 03 308 6817<br />
EMAIL: ageconcernashburton@xtra.co.nz<br />
Get your friends and whānautojoin<br />
you for summer fun in Timaru.<br />
Plan your activities at welovetimaru.nz<br />
FORANURBAN ESCAPE-WITHOUT THE BIG CROWDS -HEADTOTIMARU<br />
TIMARU|GERALDINE|TEMUKA |PLEASANT POINT |PEELFOREST
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