A great day in the Bay

Two very pleasant events made today memorable and happy for me and many other locals.

Maori wardens & voluntary community workers
Nita Rouse and Zita Smith at the Magpies' parade

First was the parade of the Hawke's Bay Rugby team, the Magpies, through town, proudly bearing the Ranfurly Shield that they wrested in a nail-biting cliff-hanger from Otago yesterday.  

It is over 40 years since we had won this provincial competition, and nothing could take away the delight and pride of the happy crowd today.  

Children and parents wore black and white shirts, waved the Magpies' flag, as they shook the hands of the players when they paraded through town. The joy and pride was infectious and it rung through the usually-quiet CBD.  It's got to be good for us!

Then tonight, six special Napier citizens received their annual Civic Awards in the Council Chambers.  These are given to locals  who have excelled in community service over a period of years, and what impressed me most about each of them was their humility and the way they all paid respects to the teams they are working with in their various fields of community work.  

Congratulations Selwyn Dyet
for your well-deserved Civic Award.

I was particularly thrilled to see Selwyn Dyet, who sits on the Keep Napier Beautiful committee that I chair, and whose years of work for the Annual Recycling Day, plus his active guardianship of Taradale's Dolbel reserve earned him this special recognition.

It's all a pleasant change from the pressures of campaigning.  Even though I spent yesterday putting billboards up (thanks Minnie and Warwick) and door knocking along the Parade, I always have this sinking feeling that I'm not doing enough. 

But today was not my day, it was a day to celebrate others' achievements and to bask in the reflected glory that they earned.