The Opotiki News Tuesday, December 9, 1917. LOCAL & GENERAL

Opotiki News, Volume X, Issue 1053, 9 December 1947, Page 2

The Opotiki News Tuesday, December 9, 1917. LOCAL & GENERAL

Correspondence, “Correspondence to the Editor” has been unavoidably held over until next issue. Shipping, The in.v. Otiuiai arrived at Kutarere yesterday about noon and commenced unloading at that port. The m.v. Tuhoe is due this afternoon from Tauranga. Methodist Bazaar. ~ The Methodist Church bazaar which was to have been held in the Parish Hall will now be held at the band rotunda. The change has been brought about in view of the infantile paralysis epidemic. Opotiki Band. Next Tuesday evening the Opotiki Citizens’ Band will commence its carolling season, playing to the residents of Woodlands .Road. Other districts will follow before Christmas. As the Christmas carols are the main source of the board’s income it is hoped the band will be well supported. Promotions of School Children.

At the monthly meeting of the Opotiki School Committee held last night, the headmaster, Mr. IT. Cox, stated in his report that the annual promotions for 1917 had been dealt with and completed. The annual examinations were finalised before schools closed. As the headmaster was not in possesion of reliable addresses he did not propose to issue reports by post. Parents or pupils could secure what information they desired by applying personally to the school this week. He regretted that he could not accept telephone enquiries because of the size of the school.

Aero Club’s Plane. Mr. L. R. Reynolds the Gisborne Aero Club’s instructor, landed at the Opotiki aerodrome on Saturday evening in very bad weather. He left Whenuapai at 1 o’clock and ran into bad weather before arriving at Opotiki where the visibility was very poor. He was delivering the second Tiger. Moth, ZK-AQC, to the Gisborne Aero Chib but when he encountered bad weather on the triji to Gisborne he decided to stay the night at Opotiki and resume the journev on Sunday. As the weather did not improve aiul only haring a ccrtifiato for 21 hours he was compelled to take the air for delivery to be made at Gisborne before 1 p.m. on Sunday. He left during the morning in thick heavy weather and took the route via East Oapc and down the Coast tc Gisborne. Had he not left it would have meant' that he would haVe had to secure another certificate of air worthiness either from Gisborne or Auckland before he could proceed on the journey. During the war Mr. Reynolds had four years’ experience flying Spitfires, and coming back to civil life he has joined the Gisborne Aero Club as an instructor.

Melon-Siz6d Grapefruit. A grapefruit, 21 fin. in circumference and weighing 4ib. has been received by Mr. Bernard Christian, Palm Grove, Berhampore, from his brother, Mr. John Christian, Pitcairn Island- Mr. Christian and his 17-ycar-old daughter, Celia, said they were tired of their workmates’ disbelief and. had obtained' the gratefruit to prove they were as large as melons at Pitcairn. On the island, they said, grapefruit .of that size were taken for granted. Because of the difficulties of loading and the indefinite dates of ships, little fruit is exported from Pitcairn Island to New Zealand. The largest shipment of fruit from the island was 1-107 cases of oranges in 1931, and the previous one in 1930.