Ashburton Courier: July 11, 2024

www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
NEWS
Ashburton Courier, July 11, 2024
33
Allenton’s top season continues
Allenton will play the rest of the 2024
netball season with teams in the Mid
Canterbury Netball’s top two grades,
after both their Aand Bteams won the
season’s final promotion/relegation
games.
Played on Friday night, Wilsons
Windscreens Allenton Atook on Rakaia
ProShear to defend the position in ACL
Premier 1which they’d earned through
promotion/relegation at the end of
round one, while Heatwise Allenton B
took on United KFC Ainthe promotion/
relegation game between ACL Premier 2
and ACL Premier 3.
At the end of the first quarter, it
looked like the match between Rakaia
and Allenton was going to be close, with
just one goal in it, but Allenton built as
the game went on and eventually took
the win 42­26.
It was adifferent story in the game
between Allenton Band United A, with
United getting off to agood start and
leading 12­6 at the end of the first
quarter, before Allenton Bstarted areal
fight back.
By half time they’d got back within 3,
and by three quarter time Allenton B
had hit the lead, 27­26, and at the end of
atense final quarter it was the Allenton
side who’d won their way through to
ACLPremier 2, 35­33.
The promotion/relegation games
followed just 24 hours after the end of
round two, where in ACL Premier 1
Celtic Auric Electrical Acontinued
their winning streak with a35­17 win
PREMIER MOVE: Wilsons Windscreens Allenton A’s Melissa Maslin (front) and team
mates will finish the netball season in ACL Premier 1.
PHOTO HEATHER MACKENZIE
over Mt Somers Victory Lime A, while
Methven Wareings Apulled away in the
second half to beat College A37­27, and
Hampstead Ray White Adowned
Allenton A38­19.
Round two of ACL Premier 2ended
with Hampstead Ray White Bdefeating
Southern NBS 40­23, while Methven
EuroAgri beat United KFC A41­11,
while the much­anticipated clash
between College y10A and Rakaia
ProShear went the way of Rakaia 40­35,
to put the Rakaia side into top spot and
into the promotion/relegation game.
ACL Premier 3’s second round
finished with Allenton Bunbeaten at the
top of the table, with their latest win
coming over Celtic Morrison Agri B39­9,
before College Bdowned Hampstead
Ray White U18B 46­18, and Rakaia Seed
Cleaning beat Methven Shearmac 27­18.
All three grades now move into the
third and final championship round
tonight, and in ACL Premier 1that will
begin with Mt Somers Victory Lime A
taking on Wilsons Windscreens Allenton
A, before College Atake on Celtic Auric
Electrical A, and Hampstead Ray White
Aand Methven Wareings finish off the
night.
That last game will be the only one
played in the 8.15pm round, with two of
this week’s scheduled ACL Premier 2
and 3games being deferred due to
Mount Hutt College’s netball trip to
Australia this week.
Methven EuroAgri and College y10A,
and Methven Shearmac and Celtic
Morrison Agri B, will instead play their
championship round games at 2.30pm
on July 21.
That leaves the only ACL Premier 2
games to be played tonight as
Hampstead Ray White Band Southern
NBS, and Rakaia ProShear and
Heatwise Allenton B, and the only ACL
Premier 3games will be College B
against Rakaia Seed Cleaning, and
United KFC Aand Hampstead Ray
White U18 Development.
ACL Premier netball takes abreak for
the holidays on July 18.
CLUB NEWS
Ashburton Creative Fibre
Shona Schofield, our
president welcomed 27
members at the monthly
meeting on June 17 at The
Plains Museum rooms.
Sadly acknowledged was the
passing of members,
remembered for their
friendship, support and
creativity. The theme colour for
this month was green.
The May minutes which were
circularised were accepted as a
true record and Margaret
Williamson'sprofit and loss
report showed ahealthy
balance. Val Knight urged
members to be mindful of the
prevalence of Covid in the
district. Margaret has put out
another message for photos of
creative activities for the
archives and new Felt and
Handwoven magazines are now
available in the library.
Other matters raised in
business included the six week
spin classes organised by
Shona and Ashburton Creative
Fibre started on July 3being
held in the event centre of the
Ashburton Library from 5.45pm
to 7.45pm. Margaret also spoke
about her participation in the
Tour de Fleece, and Verna
Woods spoke about her visit,
along with other members to
Wool Feast in Christchurch. A
good time with many purchases
made, the Pioneer Stadium in
Christchurch was voted by
those who attended as the
perfect venue for the event.
The meeting moved on to
Show and Tell. Margaret
Mayson, patchwork quilt. Bev
Bennett, green cotton knitted,
laced sleeve top. Heather
Willis, green jersey woven,
woven pin loom blanket,
crochet green shawl. Pam
Whiteford, green knitted teddy.
Shona Schofield, green toned
hand­spun hand­woven scarf.
Lynette Crone, three knitted
green marrows, green knitted
scarf. Fenn Leadley, twelve
crochet octopus, one felted
heart, ten cotton hats, one rug.
Beverley Ede, green merino
baby’s cardigan. Sue Leech,
green jumper with chickens.
Wilma Wolfreys, small rug, a
hat. Val Knight, baby jacket,
merino washable wool.
Margaret Williamson, ladies
cardigan, two cowls. Ann
Sunbeam, two crochet rugs, two
woven scarves, one crochet
scarf. The morning continued
with Shona demonstrating a
cold water dyeing technique
and many members tried their
hand at this fascinating
pastime.
Diary Dates: The July
meeting is on Monday 15th from
9.30am onwards at the Plains
Museum, Maronan Rd, and will
see us weaving on the pin loom.
If you wish to purchase one it
will cost $5. Bring along too a
long crochet hook or alatch
tool, and some small balls of
yarn preferably hand­spun as it
works better on the loom. BYO
cup/mug for acuppa, and your
own lunch. The theme colour
for this meeting will be Blue.
Also July 18 Timaru Felting at
St Phillip and All Saints 124
Luxmore Rd, Timaru from
10am ­3pm $5.
Sunday Crafts @the Plains,
Maronan Rd, July 21 from 11am
to 3pm, and August 4.
Glentui Retreat, contact
Shona in the first instance
August 16 to 18.
August 18 Sunday Crafts @
the Plains, and August 24
Timaru Creative Fibre,
Demonstration­Display Day
10.30am to 3pm Baptist Church
Hall, 17 Wilson St, Timaru, $5
and BYO lunch.
Ashburton Writers’ Group
President Nigel Dean
presided over the June meeting
of the Ashburton Writers’
Group.
Brendan read the quotation­
“Start writing no matter what,
the water does not flow until
the tap is turned on”.
Rae gave areport on the
Short Story Competition, with
entries at the time coming in
ahead of closing date on July 5.
The Website and Facebook
are currently being updated.
The assignment was “Holiday
Tension between Guests”.
Members wrote of no hot water,
Rarotonga bar, ground floor
apartment, Club Med, New
Year bach, party animal, door
slam, children’s iPads,
unwanted guests.
The instant exercise by Nigel
was “That gave me quite a
buzz”. Members wrote of
Rarotonga, relationship
custard, midnight, mushrooms,
Prince William, kitten, car
drive, electric fence, bus.
The July 24 assignment is
“What’s that tickling my toes”.
Visitors are welcomed,
please phone Rae at 3088927 or
go to our Facebook page.
Ashburton Ladies Friendship
Club
The Ashburton Ladies
Friendship Club met at the
Sinclair Centre on June 26 at
9.45am. Members were
welcomed by acting­president
Fairlie and the National
Anthem was sung. Apologies
were received and two 80th
birthdays and awedding
anniversary were celebrated.
Business was conducted and
the raffle was drawn and won
by Anne and Fairlie. Lunch for
members at the Somerset
Grocer numbers were taken.
The mini speaker was a
presentation by Janet on the
many services Age Concern
offers ‘‘Serving The Needs Of
The Older Person’’. All
enquiries to Age Concern
office.
Astory on Eating In The
Fifties was then told
The main speaker was Jane
Riach introduced by Roberta,
on happenings in the library.
She started with aquote ­‘‘The
only thing you absolutely have
to know is in the Library’’.
Borrowing books is only one of
the very many activities offered
.Twenty six plus opportunities
for people to participate in
activities and crafts and
learning opportunities are
happening there. For the
housebound Books On Wheels
is also available. Well worth a
visit for all. Jane was thanked
by Sue and presented with a
gift.
The next meeting is July 24 at
9.45am at The Sinclair Centre.
U3A
Prof. Anthony Robins (Uni. Of
Otago) –“Artificial
Intelligence” –spoke about the
emergence of AI, following the
Dual Process Theory of
Unconscious (Intuitive) and
Conscious thought.
Human intelligence’s System
1isunconscious, fast,
automatic, pattern­based
(common­sense). System 2is
conscious, deliberate, rulebased
(Sudoku). Four threads
of AI technology range from
Symbolic AI (discarded), since
1950’s –Eliza.
Secondly, Artificial Neural
Networks (ANNs) since 1960’s –
NetTalk. Since 2014 Siri/Alexa
uses Deep Neural Networks
(DNN’s). ChatGPT uses Large
Language Models (LLMs) since
2022. These deeply powerful
ANN’s find structure in almost
all written texts: recognises
word clusters (e.g. weather)
among billions of options, and
are trained to predict the next
words. For example, they have
the ability to write accurate and
thoughtful essays, in the
differing styles of different
authors. They can also spread
disinformation.
Be alert for “Hallucinations”
when the article is probably
true, but bizarre assumptions
have been made. Check the
article’s context, facts and
images –isthat person’s coffee
cup real? The humanity is
lacking. Bias throws up bad
models, and discrimination.
Current AI, using deep ANN’s is
amazingly capable, but has
fundamental limitations. Take
credit for our own brains. Older
learners benefit greatly by
keeping aware and alert. (Keep
your wits about you!)
Next meeting: July 23 “Six
Sons and aSeismograph” with
Dr Glenn Vallender.
Wakanui WI
On acold, drizzly early
morning several ladies
descended on the secretary’s
home for the June meeting. Motto
“Stop measuring your worth with
someone else’s ruler”. Members
that helped and supplied the
food for the Mid Canterbury
Vintage Ploughing were thanked
and we made aprofit of $620.
Congratulations was given to
all who put entries in at
Conference. Prize winners from
Wakanui were Dianne Carter 1st
for her knitted jumper; Isabell
Page 2nd for her child’s quite
book; Joan Henderson 2nd for
book bag and asoup bowl cosy,
and Tracy Fisher and Juliana
Protheroe won the Lip Sync.
Also Tracy’s topical remit
regarding the labelling and use of
natural flavours in our processed
food was passed with alarge
majority.
For the “Nourish the Nation”
project the Mid Canterbury
Federation has asked Institutes
if they would consider money to
go to towards grocery vouchers to
be given to the local foodbanks.
Wakanui are donating $500.
Also the project for the Mid
Canterbury Federation’s 90th
Jubilee next year is going to be
knitting, hats, slippers etc. $750
has been donated from the
Advance Community Foundation
–from the Smith Family Fund.
Wool will be purchased and
donated to Institutes that wish to
take part. Items that are knitted
will be donated.
Our guest speaker was Trish
Small from Age Concern
speaking on elder abuse. She
explained how this occurs more
than you realise and that there
are many forms of abuse –
emotional, financial not just
physical and verbal. Much of it
comes from family members. If
anyone has concerns or
questions about this topic please
call 0800 642105. Morning tea
completed another successful
meeting.