Beautifying Paraparaumu

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 63, 16 March 1938, Page 3

Beautifying Paraparaumu

WORK Or NEW SOCIETY. An excellent foundation fur active work during the forthcoming planting season has been luid by the general committee of the beautifying society formed at Paraparaumu recently. The society has been divided into three branches in order to cover adequately the widely separated areas of poxmlation m the district. One branch will deal specially with the Paraparaumu township area, a second will concentrate on the Kaumati district, and the third branch will represent tho thickly populated Paraparaumu beach area. Marked enthusiasm has been shown at Raumati, which branch has already a membership of 67. Tho beach membership totals 41. The township area has not yet been thoroughly organised, but a strong membership is anticipated. A vacant quarter-acre section in Vbe centre of tho village, dedicated by cue Crown as a site for a publie nail is, with tho permission of the county authorities, being placed at the disposal of the society until such time as the land is needed for the purpose for vrhich it was originally dedicated. Arrangements are in had for the immediate fencing and ploughing of the nursery site. The ploughing and workingup of the land is being carried out by a well-wisher of the society, free of charge. The Wellington Beautifying So eiety, which from the outset has given valuable assistance to the movement, is presenting the new society with 500 yearling poliutukawa trees and it is hoped to set these out in the nursery during the present season. The committee will welcome gifts of seeds, seedlings or trees which enthusiasts may be interested in testing out in a sunny, sheltered nursery in a situation where frost is a rarity.

It is understood that one of the first undertakings contemplated by the society is the xilanting of the stretch of main highway between iinepherd’s store and the domain. In this worn they will have the assistance of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, and the idea is to plant each side of tho highway so that when tho trees develop they will form an avenue which will be in the nature of a live memorial to the soldiers who served in the Great War, and will lead up to the in'esent soldiers’ memorial gates at the entrance to the domain.

On completion of tho ramp and bridge which is to eliminate the level crossing close to the domain the present roadway across the front of the domain is to be closed. This will leave a fairly large area of land vacant between tno southern boundary of the domain and the side of the ramp, and representations have been made that the society be allowed to plant this land. No difficulty is anticipated in coming to a satisfactory agreement, and if such is the case the northern end of the avenue will be carried right to tile proposed new reserve, thus making not only an attractive approach to the soldiers’ memorial gates at the domain but transforming into a beauty spot what must otherwise become either a dumping ground or a junglo of weeds.