Articles in ‘Editors Note’

So, here we are back in lockdowns. Different levels for Auckland to the rest of the country and different rules for the levels. Families and businesses are at breaking points and frustration a plenty about the situation. Swiftly introduced emergency powers in 2020 continue to give the Prime Minister and the Director General of Health immense autocratic authority that raises…

It was wonderful to see the level of support locally for the recent nationwide protest organized by Groundswell. Farmers from throughout the region participated and experienced a high level of support from those who honked, flashed lights, shouted out and joined in, all in support of our Farmers. I was surprised through at the seemingly lack of coverage this event got and…

Safety: the condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury. Everyday, we engage in behaviours to ensure we are kept safe from dangers, risk or injury in our everyday endeavors. We follow rules and adhere to policies like driving on one side of the road, stopping at red lights, refraining from drinking bottles of chlorine bleach. We educate our…

We all know people who seem to be constantly striving to better themselves. It can by physically whether it be in a gym, running longer or running faster, lifting heavier or loosing weight. Some people give up a vice, such as alcohol or sugar for a month or longer and there are any number of charities that offer monthly fundraising challenges that you can align yourself too. Some…

“Change is never painful, it is resistance to change.” — Buddha By the time you read this, it will already be the month of May, nearly halfway through the year of 2021 and if you are anything like me, the days just seem to be galloping past. The temperature has dropped, the nights have drawn in and everyone seems to be going about their business pretty much as per usual. May is…

As New Zealand rolls out its vaccine program for COVID-19 it must be appreciated that, as in other parts of the world, it is not the silver bullet to return to our lives pre-Covid. What we must urgently address is the need to actually treat COVID-19 in its early stages of infection, before patients end up critical in ICU. Well-read elocal readers will know that ivermectin that…

Another community case has surfaced in our country and the panic has started. Many are rushing out to get tested, queues at testing stations are inevitable. Healthline is inundated with calls and rogue checkpoints in Northland have the potential to rise again. Media outlets are full of COVID stories, relating to everything from the number of negative tests, the likelihood of a…

Its always great to have feedback from our readers good or bad, have a read of a few of the latest ones to cross the desk. As always, if there is a story you want to see, email us at editorial@elocal.co.nz. Thank you for the nicely assembled article for South Auckland Woodturners. It is great to see this. You will be pleased to know that our sale this year is going very well,…

What a year, it’s certainly been a ride! I am sure everyone is looking forward to seeing the back of 2020. What started with a hiss and a roar and usual promise of positivity and things ‘better than’, has actually become for many more than usual, a year fraught with illness, financial pressure and uncertainly. In April, for the first time since elocal started, we were unable to…

With the Glorious weather we experienced over Labour weekend, there was certainly plenty of opportunity to discover more about our great local area. The trip out to Port Waikato has long been a favourite and a great ride on the bike or with the family for a day at the beach. This weekend was no different and it was great to see the area bustling with happy families all enjoying…

I’ve always raised a questioning eyebrow grumble to votes each election that are allocated to fringe parties. Wondering what motivates an individual to commit its party vote to a party that doesn’t have a chance of getting past the 5% party threshold needed to achieve representation under our Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system. One could argue that there is always a chance…

Auckland has just come out of another lockdown that has seen businesses closed, a return to bubbles and borders patrolled in a way that created a situation for some, more challenging than the level 4 lockdown. And, yet the numbers of community transmission remain higher than they were when we returned to the new normal early in the year. For the government, this is a huge risk…

And what an exciting one it is shaping up to be! The decisions made on September 19th have the potential to have long lasting effects for years to come and perhaps more than ever it is imperative that we all exercise our right to have a say in those decisions and vote. We are lucky in our area to feature some very dedicated candidates and all of them have philosophies and…

It is refreshing to see life returning to somewhat of a new normal after the lockdown for most of us. Children are back at school, some after school activities have resumed, businesses are open and you can get your fix of whatever takes your fancy at your local eatery whilst reading your monthly elocal magazine. The lockdown left many a person wondering where their latest…

The impact of COVID-19 on our economy is yet to be seen in its entirety and may not be for some time. Fortunately for Franklin and Papakura areas, the sense of community is strong, and I believe it won’t be long before many businesses are back in full swing and it is up to all of us in the community to support them. The expected move to Level 2, hopefully mid-May will see…

It’s hard to believe the events that have transpired in the last few weeks, but happen they have and as we enter another week in our bubbles, our daily routines are very much different than they were a few weeks ago. We go out for ‘essential supplies’, exercise in a local space keeping 2m from the nearest walker, check in with the official COVID-19 information available daily…

Being impartial means not being prejudiced towards or against any particular side, and to be fair and balanced. In the world of media, this used to be a standard that many just accepted to be what happened. These days though, with the advance of digital technologies, the thrust for reporting to in response to things as they happen, and the ease with which it is possible to have…

Ever since its inception the internet has been awash with a whole new array of descriptive terminologies and over time conceivably an entire new language has been created that includes things like MEME, LOL, IMHO, BTW. There is even a handy dandy little translator that will translate the internet language for you. ( www.transl8it.com/index.php) It has also revolutionised the way…

The revelling to bring in the New Year is a time-honoured tradition, and I am sure has been played out again this year. As we head into 2020 this year, it also marks the start of a new decade or does it? In recent years there has been debate about when a decade begins and ends. For some people, the next decade will begin Jan. 1, 2020, and end Dec. 31, 2029. For others, it won’t…

Even though the pace of time is exactly the same every year, it certainly feels at times like it is speeding by far quicker than in previous years. I do wonder if this is because of the sheer amount we try to pack in to our daily lives and the way we rank our priorities or something to do with our perceptions as we age. As this year hurtles to a close, it seems to have been one…