2009 The decade that was

BY CHERIE HOWIE

Another tragedy was averted soon after when a grandfather pulled his grandchildren to safety from the sunken cabin of the family's trimaran after it collided with a launch near The Snout.

Happy New Year – see ya! That was the scenario on the nine-metre yacht Soundsgood early in the new year when two crew members jumped overboard on the Kaikoura coast and swam 400 metres to shore to get help after becoming concerned about the mental health of their skipper.

The Kaikoura Coastguard was called and the yacht eventually towed to Kaikoura and moored until the skipper decided to continue his journey to Lyttelton.

The same day at Wairau Bar, Rangitane iwi welcomed 80 visitors, including archaeologists, to the bar for the start of a three-week excavation to facilitate the return the contents of graves taken 70 years earlier.

Also welcomed in Marlborough was United States folk music legend Bob Dylan – but where was he?

Rumours were blowing in the wind that the singer-songwriter was holidaying in the Marlborough Sounds, but the story could not be confirmed, despite the stalking efforts of two intrepid Marlborough Express reporters.

Perhaps wishing he shared Bob's powers of seclusion was long-term Kaikoura beneficiary Mike Gibson, who was facing fraud charges after ACC investigators obtained footage of him lifting boulders, launching boats, shovelling shingle and building fences despite repeatedly signing ACC statements that his back was too sore for him to work. Gibson later pleaded guilty to six representative fraud charges and will be sentenced this month.

Meanwhile, the first month of the year also saw the usual fire hazards flare up, with a blaze on the Wairau Bar destroying three hectares of scrub and smothering Blenheim in smoke for several hours.

In the United States, residents were gearing up for the historic swearing-in of the country's first African-American president, among them was former Blenheim woman Mary Pickering. However, Ms Pickering was not able to join the inauguration despite it being only a few miles from her home – instead she worked a 16-hour day helping Washington DC deal with the estimated two million people travelling to the event.

Also smiling that month was Marlborough cricket all-rounder Brendon Diamanti, following his Black Caps selection for a tour to Australia.

The month ended with a trio of tragedies, a three-year-old boy, a middle-aged man and a pensioner were killed in accidents around the region.

Meanwhile, a foam bandit with a grudge against noisy boy racers captured headlines around the country and the world when he (or she) put expanding building foam into wide exhaust pipes around Blenheim. In an anonymous letter to The Express, the self-styled "Phantom Expander" pledged to continue taking it "upon myself to respond to the socially maladjusted Blenheim pinheads that have chosen to have a wide-mouthed, boy-racer exhaust installed on their car . . . until the inadequate nobheads get the message".

However, no further attacks were made.

A more united front was presented by members of the community involved in a public brainstorm on the future of Blenheim's central business district (CBD). Among ideas put forward were moving Blenheim School and fire station out of the CBD and replacing them with riverside apartments, a pedestrian mall and a Blenheim road bypass.

A major fire at Waikawa marina also captured attention, with two luxury launches and a fishing boat destroyed, but many other boats were saved when the decision was made to sink the launches.

Things were looking better for Top of the South iwi who received a $300 million settlement package, but there was dissension among councillors over kerbside recycling plans. Initially agreed to by the council,the plan was later rejected in a move to peg rate rises to 3.6 per cent.

Not so popular were cuts to community funding, especially when it was revealed the funds were needed to pay for the 150th celebrations. More money was later found for community groups.

Grape growers faced tough times as oversupply made it more difficult to find buyers.

Meanwhile, three crashes capped a horror 24 hours on Blenheim roads with three men losing their lives, including one whose car was struck by a passenger train in central Blenheim.

Another tragedy was averted soon after when a grandfather pulled his grandchildren to safety from the sunken cabin of the family's trimaran after it collided with a launch near The Snout.

Drama was afoot in the council, too, when Pat O'Sullivan's refusal to take part in a simple rubber stamping of a draft 10-year community plan turned nasty. Mr O'Sullivan later resigned from the council, citing a verbal attack during the meeting from Gerald Hope and Mayor Alistair Sowman, something both men denied. Mr O'Sullivan had the last say, though, calling Mr Sowman a weak leader in a tell-all interview soon after.

He then decided to stand for his resigned seat in the ratepayer-funded by-election, but was defeated by semi-retired vet Peter Jerram.

It was happier times for Classic Fighters organisers, with a record number of about 33,000 attending the Easter airshow. Rangitane were also celebrating after the eventual reburial of their ancestors at Wairau Bar.

Wild weather made its presence felt as winter neared, with high winds uprooting buildings and trees and cutting power in Marlborough in early May, and unseasonable snow falling on the Wither Hills at the month's end.

It was also a season of discontent for Marlborough Boys' College principal, who called it quits following the school's severe financial troubles.

More drama followed as winter arrived, with Mongrol Mob brawls erupting on a Blenheim street and leading the town's police chief to tell residents not to employ or house gang members so they would be forced to leave town.

A later move by Kaikoura MP Colin King to ban the wearing of patches in Blenheim was rejected by Mayor Sowman.

Mob numbers did fall – but only after a mob member became the first person in Blenheim to die of swine flu.

The dreams of a terminally ill woman came true when she wed her beau in the fantasy wedding she had always hoped for, thanks to the generosity of Marlborough residents and businesses. The bride, Kasey Rangiuaia, died six weeks later.

Another tragedy occurred when Matthew Heagney died of head injuries outside Blenheim bar Shapeshifters. Former co-owner Kevin King has been charged with his manslaughter.

The Wairau hydro scheme saga continued with news that the Conservation Department had pulled its appeal after Trustpower agreed to fund a $3m management plan for the black-fronted tern, but Fish & Game said the move was a sell-out.

A lengthy Environment Court hearing on the proposed scheme began late in the year and will continue this year.

The innovation of two young Blenheim men was celebrated when they successfully crossed Cook Strait in their home-built amphibious van.

Not so welcome were the actions of a 13-year-old boy with a BB gun who caused a school lockdown and a swarm of armed police in central Blenheim, while methyl bromide raised tempers when protesters flooded council chambers to lament the lack of immediate action over the toxin's use in Shakespeare Bay.

Also in the council's ear were sleep-deprived rural residents kept awake by frost fans as grape growers tried to protect vulnerable crops.

A dolphin-watching trip turned to tragedy when a newly engaged tourist died of natural causes while swimming. A second death in the sounds followed a month later when a Picton man drowned after being caught out by bad weather as he rowed to the yacht he lived on.

Meanwhile, the Tasman Makos' season-ending game in Blenheim encouraged a healthy crowd to turn out and show their support for the beleaguered team and the ploy seemed to work with the team later hearing it would not be kicked out of the Air New Zealand Cup next season.

A united top of the south rugby team was soon forgotten, though, as Marlborough celebrated 150 years since its breakaway from that crowd over the other side of the Whangamoas with picnics, parties and a massive parade.

Pre-parade controversies over how many vintage machinery vehicles could take part turned out to be a fizzer, as did a suggestion soon after by Mayor Sowman that a land swap between the council and the Combined Clubs to house the planned new civic theatre take place.

The idea was abandoned when it failed to win support.

However, one idea that did win support from some was the Justice Ministry's move to hire a Queen's Counsel to re-interview some key witnesses in the 10-year-old trial of Scott Watson for the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope.

The QC reported she had found some potentially fresh evidence.

The decade ended sadly for Marlborough's gliding fraternity when stalwart Mike Dekker was killed after his glider crashed near Omaka during an attempted 1000-kilometre non-stop flight.

- The Marlborough Express