May 9 2023 With 20 years of experience we can
DIGITISE YOUR HISTORY Videos, images, slides and negatives transferred to USB.
Passport and ID Photos taken Instore Kaipara’s Only Regional Newspaper | Kaipara owned and Operated
Cnr Kapia & Totara Street, Dargaville Ph 09 439 8824 • www.adfocus.co.nz
10,450 Copies DELIVERED FREE throughout the Kaipara
Family legacy of firefighting u by Andy Bryenton
Six members of a single family have donned the uniform of the Maungatūroto Volunteer Fire Brigade over the years, and last week offered a chance for their fellow firefighters to commemorate this legacy.
Questions asked on wharf schedule
Poutō beachgoers have been left wondering about the completion date of the peninsula’s wharf as delays …
P3
Projects postponed post cyclone
The large cost to rebuild and repair after February’s cyclone and weather bomb events have been accounted for …
P5 p From left: Craig, Ben, Cam and Korey Fergus proudly wearing the uniform of the Maungatūroto brigade
Tip appellants look to energy
Opponents of the proposed dump for Auckland’s rubbish in the Dome Valley now await an Environment Court …
P7
Chief Fire Officer Paddy Thornton called Saturday’s get-together ‘the end of an era’ as long-serving fireman Ben Fergus stepped down from the brigade. He’d been a valued member for 17 years, serving alongside his brother Korey for 12 of them. As CFO Thornton explains, the family’s connection to firefighting runs deep. “The Fergus name has been in the Maungatūroto brigade for 58 years. Back in 1965, Gus Fergus joined and did 27 years in the brigade, including the last two
years as chief. One brother, Ross, joined in 1973 for three years. Then Cam joined in 1982 and contributed for a whopping 35 years.” “Gus’s son Craig joined in 2004 and served for 17 years. Then Cam’s two sons, Ben and Korey, joined. That makes six firefighters in one family. The Ferguses have been a big part of our brigade and the community, and four of them still live locally,” says Paddy. A thank you celebration was attended by brigade members, life members and
their families, and firefighters from many eras came to show their respect. One past member came back for the night, who had joined on the same day as Ben Fergus. “That’s the bonding you build up in the brigade,” Paddy says. “Gus was the person who talked me into joining up, and now I have done 31 years, with the last seven as chief. The fun and laughs you have on these family nights and at training sessions are the things that keep us going.” ¢
445E Mark II
565AT-20
592XP-24
38.2 cc - 1.4 kW - 14” Bar - 3/8” LP Chain - 4.85 kg
38.2 cc - 1.4 kW - 16” Bar - 3/8” LP Chain - 5.1 kg
38.0 cc - 1.5 kW - 16” Bar - 3/8” LP Chain - 4.7 kg
$
Carry Case 1219 + BONUS
$
1819
$
2659
Your local authorised Husqvarna Dealer:
Farrand & Mason Ltd GENERAL & PRECISION ENGINEERS
*
5 YEAR DOMESTIC WARRANTY #
Phone: 09 439 7335 Normanby Street, Dargaville
#
Terms and Conditions apply, see HUSQVARNA.COM for details.
visit husqvarna.com today