Five years ago the Icepak coolstores at Tamahere exploded, killing a fireman, injuring seven others and scarring a community. Philippa Stevenson, a Tamahere resident and journalist, reflects on the tragedy and asks whether it could happen again.

Tamahere Model Country School’s annual Pumpkin Night, held a week ago, was a delight.

As one Pumpkin Night follows another it feels like nothing changes.

But some things certainly need to change. Because Pumpkin Night five years ago ended before it began with a black mushroom cloud blasting and boiled into the sky, taking a life and changing the course of many others forever.

A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament, believed Oscar Wilde.

After a visit to cast glass artist Di Tocker’s Ohaupo studio this week, Inspirit Gallery owner Jenny Scown and I (Forum moderator Philippa Stevenson) found ourselves in complete agreement with Wilde’s acute observation.

Tocker’s glass figurines, exhibited at the Pencarrow Rd gallery, certainly take the eye. But we had no idea they also took so much hard graft.

Christmas day may be bearing down on us like a runaway reindeer but there is still time to make a scrumptious, traditional Christmas cake.

Forget the notion that the fruity, grog-laden cake has to be made well in advance to let the flavours merge. And forget, too, that it has to be baked in a tin.

Both have been disproved by food lover and writer Annette Taylor of our sister community website, Number 8 Network. The recipe she shares proves winning even on the day.

Tamahere residents streamed into the community centre today to get the lowdown on proposals for a major Waikato Expressway intersection centered on Cherry Lane.

Also on display were two options for the proposed Village Hub on Devine Rd, next to Tamahere School, and a range of maps showing proposed local roads, walk and cycleways as well as changes to existing roads.

It was a lot to digest but for some the issue was what wasn’t on display rather than what was.

This year I aim to visit the supermarket just 12 times – once a month.

I’m on track and as each visit takes around an hour, door to door, that means I’ll only have spent 12 hours supermarket shopping over the whole year (which consists of 8760 hours).

My little exercise has attracted a bit of interest.

One time Tamahere resident and renowned recordist of many New Zealand bird calls, John Kendrick, has featured on Radio NZ’s Saturday programme.

In a fascinating and wide-ranging interview with Kim Hill, Kendrick, 89, talked of a childhood in Tamahere which charted his course as an ornithologist, wildlife film-maker and initiator of the daily Morning Report bird calls.

Some of Kendrick’s bird calls, many collected with other conservation legends like the late Don Merton, have now been collected on a CD as part of the book, New Zealand Bird Calls.

Hamilton International Airport has gained resource consents to extend its runway by around 1000 metres to accommodate larger aircraft and enable international flights beyond Australia.

Commissioners appointed by the Waikato, Hamilton and Waipa councils to hear the matter, which attracted 62 submissions, released their 101-page decision today.

Key concerns raised by submitters, including Tamahere residents, were over noise, traffic, ecological issues and whether an extension of the airport was economically justified.

Community and Environment Tamahere’s annual meeting is being held at 7.30pm on Tuesday, August 2 in the Tamahere Community Centre.

Both the group’s financial members and those who support its cause are invited to attend the meeting.

Another important upcoming date to note is Friday, August 12 – the deadline for feedback on the Tamahere Community Plan.

Tamahere drivers can now check the state of the Hillcrest roundabout bottleneck before they leave home.

Webcams now cover the busy SH1 Cambridge Road and SH26 Morrinsville Road intersection by the minute to show the state of the traffic 24/7.

The webcams have been put up by the NZ Transport Agency and can be viewed on its website.

Views in Tamahere are divided over the proposed national cycling centre at Cambridge, which could increase Tamahere rates if one funding option goes ahead.

This story on Tamahere Forum drew comment for and against the velodrome at St Peters School, and feedback to the Waikato Regional Council on the issue remains open until August 22.

Meanwhile, the Home of Cycling Trust is lobbying the Wel Energy Trust for an interest-free loan to shore up the venture’s finances.