Posts Tagged ‘John Stansfield’

While all the candidates are busy lobbying for our votes I have noticed a level of madness setting in. Councillor Roche declared she is not part of a team yet her campaign manager and partner John Stansfield posts“Waiheke local board Denise Roche, Dorte Wray, Millie Watkins,gals all in the top 5 of the radio poll.We should be so lucky folks, make sure you vote” on his Facebook page.

John has not advised which radio poll, There are three Radio Stations on Waiheke, only one would be interested in doing a poll an guess what, according to Waiheke Radio’s Chris Walker, they haven’t

As a commuter and effectively part of the life force of the island, the number one concern to me is parking. Easy access and close to the boat. This lucky team John Stansfield is supporting consists of a Greenie and a person who has disposed of her car. What f’n interest do any of them have in commuter parking.

My advice to commuters, Vote for Herb. Here is a serious set of eyebrows that has actually clearly defined his parking objectives. As for the dream team promoted by John Stansfield, keep dreaming.

So whether it was Jim or John, someone has been muckin in on Waiheke, and doing a damn good job of it too by all accounts.

In Lynley Dodd’s book Schnitzel Von Krumm’s Basketwork, sausage dog, Schnitzel von Krumm, is outraged when his family decides to replace his worn out, beaten up old basket. The new bed doesn’t look right, feel right – or smell right! Something must be done…

It is the way I feel about Waiheke. Every day I leave my Onetangi home, and wander down my gravel path to my car that I can’t get up to the house. The car is covered in pigeon poo because I can’t have a garage. I drive down unformed roads without footpaths or streetlights, to a free carpark in the mud miles from the ferry. I share a ferry with countless others, have a coffee, laugh and tell lots of lies, and about 90 minutes after leaving home,  I arrive at work.

And at the end of the day I just can’t wait to get back. There is something infectious about this island. It gets under your skin, it’s not perfect, but just like Snitzel von Krums old basket, it matters not a bit.

This island fits right, it smells right, it looks right. Its not about curb and channel, its not about wheelie bins or street lights. It’s about the very essence, the wairua, the spirit. It;s about Waiheke.

To the councillors who live in that smelly inhospitable city who have no idea what living in a community is, until you have tried this old smelly basket for size, and have lived here a couple of winters, you can keep your big ideas to yourselves. (and you can keep your wheelie bins and Mt Visy too)

The Cynic

Keep Your Wheelie Bins In Auckland Central from Scott Ewing on Vimeo.

The Cynic can’t help feeling that the Auckland City Councils proposal to sell Waiheke’s halls and venues is a deliberate attempt to silence John Stansfield. Remove the venues and you remove his forum. The only other plausible explanation is the big sell up before the umbilical is cut and we join Thames Coromandel.