‘Crusading mum’ to stand at Lyttelton

Press, 3 September 1977, Page 3

‘Crusading mum’ to stand at Lyttelton

i The surprise nominations of Lyttelton’s "crusading mum,” Mrs Lena Schenkel, ' I as a borough council candi- , date promises to make this year’s local-body elections ' one of the liveliest ever. For two years now, the? [Schenkel family has fought I !a heated battle with local! iand Government authorities! over land erosion on the (borough’s perimeter. I In their latest brush with i I bureaucracy, . the Schenkels I were taken to court by the [Noxious Weeds Board for •failing to remove fennel | plants from hillside slip faces. ! “I’m scared stiff," said 'Mrs Schenkel yesterday,! “because 1 don’t know where!

to start. This present council ’ has really left its mark on! Lyttelton — they are there for the world to see. Patch-! up jobs like the crib-walling [ replacing the old prisoners’! wall at the foot of Hawk-[ hurst Road really make me angry. “The works committee has ibeen in for three years and ! we have seen the results — they haven’t been able to cope and have let things drift. "A lot of the councillors have lost their ideas. They; say we need a community ■ centre but we have got toj have solid ground before wei build one.” A mother of five. Mrs! I Schenkel is standing as an[ ■ "independent labour candi-!

1 date against one of the biggest line-ups ever for the ! nine council positions. Nineteen candidates, including [nine Labour and nine inde-j [pendents, had registered [ when nominations closed I 'yesterday. Another surprise is the j nomination of Lyttelton’s deputy Mayor (Mr R. H.| Duff) as the independent; Mayoral candidate to stand, against Labour’s Mr M. E. Foster. The Mayoralty remained. lin doubt until the last miniute, when the Mayor for 18 (years (Mr J. B. Collett) de-! 'jcided to retire. j Mr Duff has been a coun-j ’ cillor for 18 years and dep-j ■:uty Mayor for 12 years. ,