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Ponsonby Rugby Club chair unsurprised Auckland Arena deal falls through
Ponsonby Rugby Club chair unsurprised Auckland Arena deal falls through

RNZ News

time08-07-2025

  • Business
  • RNZ News

Ponsonby Rugby Club chair unsurprised Auckland Arena deal falls through

Western Springs. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi The chair of Auckland's Ponsonby Rugby Club is not surprised the Mowbray-backed proposal for Western Springs Stadium fell through. Rich-listers - including entrepreneur Anna Mowbray, her husband, former All Black Ali Williams, American businessman Bill Foley, and New Zealander and NBA player Steven Adams - withdrew their proposal for an Auckland Arena, a privately-funded venue focused on football, on Tuesday. It was one of three options for the future of the stadium that went out for public consultation in May. A statement from Auckland Arena now said delivering the privately funded project on public land posed unique challenges. Ponsonby Rugby Club chair Greg Edmonds, who is backing a competing proposal to develop a Western Springs Bowl , said he saw it coming. "It wasn't really a surprise to us," he said. "Getting their proposal up on a piece of land that was publicly owned was always going to be a challenge. A hundred-year lease is a long time to have to look after an asset so we always thought there was some risk that it might not actually get through to a conclusion." He said using public land for a private asset was always going to be an uphill battle. "You've got a private professional sports club that wants to use a public asset for a private-use club. It's the challenge of convincing the governing body that would be the best use of an asset," Edmonds said. Despite the shake-up, Edmonds said there was no need to restart the process. "I don't think they need to restart the process because it was a public, open process for expressions of interest. All of those that had an option for Western Springs Stadium have had that opportunity," he said. "No need to restart the process and spend more public money on a debate that's pretty crystal clear now. "Our proposal is about keeping that stadium in public hands and public use. It's in the best interest of the whole of Auckland, not just for rugby but for all rectangular sports." The Western Springs Bowl proposal was now largely unopposed, however a slim majority indicated a preference to "explore other ideas" during the public consultation period. Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said the agency, which had previously held Auckland Arena as its preferred option, would no longer provide a recommendation to the governing body meeting on 31 July. Instead he said the recommendation would be delayed until after this year's local government elections. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Deadly crash involving motorcycle and semi truck shuts down lanes on I-294 in Western Springs, Illinois
Deadly crash involving motorcycle and semi truck shuts down lanes on I-294 in Western Springs, Illinois

CBS News

time01-07-2025

  • CBS News

Deadly crash involving motorcycle and semi truck shuts down lanes on I-294 in Western Springs, Illinois

A fatal crash shut down southbound lanes on I-294 on Tuesday in west suburban Western Springs. Video from the scene shows a motorcycle and a semi truck at the crash site near Ogden Avenue. According to Illinois State Police, two southbound lanes are shut down, and traffic is down to the two right lanes. State police confirmed this was a fatal crash. It is not clear if any other injuries were reported. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time. No further details were released. Illinois State Police are investigating. This is a developing story. CBS News Chicago will continue to provide updates.

Fight to save Western Springs Speedway continues
Fight to save Western Springs Speedway continues

RNZ News

time09-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • RNZ News

Fight to save Western Springs Speedway continues

Photo: James Selwyn Operators of the Western Springs Speedway in Auckland are confident they have managed to change some minds at the city council after making their case to stay open. Public submissions on the stadium's future opened this week, with the Western Springs Speedway Association taking the opportunity to submit its own proposal to maintain the status quo. It opposes two other proposals - one for a private stadium and the other for a ratepayer-funded overhaul. The association is seeking a 30-year lease to keep the speedway running, arguing the space is flexible enough to be used for a variety of purposes including concerts, rugby, football and basketball. "A lot of people aren't aware the pit gate can be removed for concerts, so it's actually very easy to set a concert up there," spokesperson Jason Jones said "There's a lot of space that's under-utilized, like the upper carpark where we feel if they did want to build basketball courts that's the most appropriate place." He argued it was the most sensible option, avoiding costly renovations or privatisation. "In the meeting we had a local basketball club and Western Springs Football, we [think] if all these groups got together that we could utilise the stadium a lot better without it being privatised," he said. "In the past we've had the speedway, concerts, and rugby coexist and it's worked pretty well. You can build on that with other community groups." Gina Harris, a driver at Western Springs Speedway, presented the proposal alongside Jones. She said councillors were receptive. "After actually having our say there was a lot of them mumbling that they wished they had known all of this when they were forced to make a decision last October... They would have voted differently," she said. Harris said it was a shame it had taken so long for the council to hear them out. "For this to be the first opportunity for Aucklanders to actually have their say about one of their biggest assets so far down the track, it's not a good look for the council." Jones agreed. "Having councillors make decisions without key facts and information is just not appropriate, so we've got submissions until the 16th for the general public and we'd like them to put it back on the table and revisit it." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Western Springs, Hinsdale landmarks featured in children's book series
Western Springs, Hinsdale landmarks featured in children's book series

Chicago Tribune

time19-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Chicago Tribune

Western Springs, Hinsdale landmarks featured in children's book series

Taylor Tomlinson had very personal motivation when she decided to write a children's book. 'I realized I wanted to become an author when I thought about creating a 'goodnight' book for my son, one that featured local places he knows and loves,' she said. 'It wasn't necessarily a lifelong dream, but it's a personal and meaningful inspiration. I wanted to share the charm of our community with him in a way that was both fun and familiar.' So, Tomlinson, who has lived in Western Springs with her son, Jax, age 2, and husband, Jeff, who grew up there, began writing the first of her series of books, fittingly titled, 'Goodnight, Western Springs,' which was released in January. 'Goodnight, Hinsdale' was released in late April, and future 'Goodnight' books are planned for La Grange, Naperville, Libertyville and Downers Grove. Tomlinson bills the series as 'a collection of books that take young readers on whimsical nighttime adventures as they say goodnight to beloved locations across the Chicago suburbs.' 'My goal with the books is to bring the charm and character of Chicago's suburbs to life, helping young readers explore and appreciate the unique communities around them,' she said. 'I hope my books spark curiosity, nostalgia, and a sense of connection — both on the page and beyond.' Western Springs seemed like a logical place to start with her first book, which includes all of the places Tomlinson and her husband enjoy visiting with their son. Area readers will recognize Western Springs locations such as Tower Green, Spring Rock Park, the Western Springs Metra Station, Casey's Market, Thomas Ford Library, The Fruit Store, Oberweis Dairy / BB's Baby Donuts, Lyons Township High School South campus, Garden Market, Children's Theater of Western Springs, Kirschbaum's Bakery, and Flagg Creek. Hinsdale Community Pool and a visit from Santa at the village's annual Christmas Walk are among the highlights of 'Goodnight, Hinsdale.' 'The other towns in the series are nearby towns that we also visit often as a family,' Tomlinson said. ''Goodnight, Libertyville' will be a nostalgic book, a love letter, for the town in which I grew up.' Tomlinson said all of her books in the 'Goodnight' series will be written in a similar style. 'Fun, Dr. Seuss-style rhymes and large, full-page color illustrations of places within each town,' she said. 'All illustrations are done by the same illustrator (Christine F. Maningo).'

Public submissions open on Western Springs stadium site
Public submissions open on Western Springs stadium site

RNZ News

time19-05-2025

  • Politics
  • RNZ News

Public submissions open on Western Springs stadium site

Auckland Council is defending its process on deciding the future of Auckland Western Springs stadium. Public submissions on what to do with the site opened on Monday. It includes three options - some of which have local support. But there are others which have people up in arms - and there are even calls for the consultation process to be halted. Alexa Cook explains. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.

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