Happy Little House Book Launch
Plunket nurse Deborah Bee (Plunket nurse Debs), Dave O'Sullivan of SB Maintenance (Dave the Graffiti Removal Contractor), Philomena Heka from Koraunui Marae (Philo from the Marae), Ross Mckinnon from Stokes Valley Rotary (Ross from Rotary) and Cr Angus Finlayson (Councillor Angus the builder) feature in a newly-written book called "The Happy little House".
The tale of how the community transformed the badly vandalised Plunket Rooms into a brightly painted community gem was written by Hutt City Council's Sandy Beath-Croft and husband Simon Croft. Drawings are by Eastbourne artist Daniel Mills, who also supervised the artwork on the Plunket Rooms, carried out by the talented teenagers from the koraunui Marae.
Guest of honour at the Civic launch at the Marae by Mayor David Ogden was Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia. He put on his associate education minister's hat to announce the government would fund a Maori translation of the book.
Parekura Horomia recalled to the Marae guests, who included the new entrants from Tui Glen and Koraunui Schools, that as a young lad from Tolaga Bay he once visited relatives in George Street in Stokes Valley. "We travelled on a rail car down here and we thought this place was New York!"
On a more sober note, he said just as "The Happy little House" was once sad and full of holes, so too are some people, and it was important they also be made whole again with help from the community.
He spoke of the need for this generation of Maori not to lose sight of their Tikanga.
He lamented the fact that "95 per cent of all Maori Tamariki had never been to a Marae and had little contact with the traditional teachings of their forefathers.
Following the launch, storyteller and local Moira Wairama read the story to those gathered.
"The Happy little House" starring the people of Stokes Valley is on sale for $15 and available from the front counter of the council offices in Laings Road.