Reporter’s diary

Press, 24 June 1983, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Double first THE UNITED States Navy’s first drug dog, Joe, is particularly well suited to his job. Joe’s pedigree name is Damon of Damal — the same initials as his new employer, the Department of Defence. More appropriately, Joe’s mother is called Arctic Gemma. Master at Arms-1, Jeanette Armitage, Joe’s handler, is the first woman dog handler to be trained by the New Zealand Police at the Police Dog Training Centre at Trentham, giving both dog and handler a “first.” Notables

WHEN HE was opening new rooms and a reception area at the Tokaanau Hotel near Taupo, last Saturday, the Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, noted that there were some colourful signs in the rooms. Behind a bathroom door was one notice reading “Attention

anglers: Please do not wear waders in the bath.” In a laundry another notice called on guests to “please refrain from poaching fish in the washing machine” and in a locker room there was “no storage of fish over 40 kilograms.” Finally, at the poolside, a notice said “Tickling in this pool is strictly prohibited.” Foetal search THE DIARY often carries requests from local groups for items they need. Today we have something a little different from the usual requests. A veterinarian at the Lincoln Animal Health Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Bob Gumbrell, is on the search for aborted sheep foetuses. Mr Gumbrell will make a television programme next week on sheep abortion, a serious problem to many farmers, and he needs the aborted foetuses

for the programme. He has requested farmers within a 32km radius of Lincoln whose sheep have abortions over the week-end or on Monday to ring him either at work, telephone 252-021, or at home, telephone 488227, and he will collect the foetuses. New sounds

DEMONSTRATIONS of the new compact disc method of sound reproduction, in which the discs are “read” by a laser beam, attracted so much interest earlier this week that staff at the Canterbury Public Library have decided to have another demonstration today. The equipment will be displayed from noon to 2 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. in the library’s arts and music department. Rock bottom

THIS MONTH’S issue of the English magazine, “Coun-

try,” advertises “wooden 100 seats at rock bottom prices.” Hard luck THE COMPETITION to find the Young Commonwealth Musician of the Year was held recently in London, without a single non-British entry among the finalists. It was the first time since its inception in 1952 that there was an all-British line-up of finalists. The competition has usually been dominated by overseas entrants. The reason for the change has been put down to British Government cut-backs in grants to overseas students studying in Britain. Standards for some of the awards in the competition are so exacting ’that even Dame Kiri Te Kanawa was eliminated at the semi-final stages in 1969 because her intonation was thought to be “suspect.”