Latest news with #Frankton
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
'We want to get Queenstown moving again' - cable car companies target resort town
Whoosh as visualised on a central street in Queenstown. Photo: Supplied A cable car race is underway in Queenstown, as two different companies unveil their schemes to connect the resort town by high-wire. Whoosh and Southern Infrastructure Ltd have revealed blueprints of their proposed transport networks this week. Kiwi-owned Whoosh has been developing self-driving cabins to go on an elevated cable network , which riders would be able to book on an app. Whoosh_chief_executive_Chris_Allington. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd Today at the Electrify Queenstown conference, Whoosh chief executive Chris Allington from the engineering firm Holmes Solutions revealed a map of where the six-part network could go. The network could link Frankton to Shotover Country to the Remarkables Ski Hill, but he said Whoosh was keen to adapt its plans to feedback from Queenstown locals. He said the first two kilometres or so - a pilot project around Remarkables Park - could be operational as soon as next year. "This isn't fiction, this isn't fake, this isn't an animation, this is actually coming. And it's coming fast," he told the crowd. Whoosh's vision for Queenstown. Photo: Supplied Work would begin this year, and it was just a matter of "dotting i's and crossing t's" and obtaining resource consent for the buildings, he said. Allington did not put a date on the wider network, besides saying Whoosh's modular design made it very quick to build. "It's not like we need to finish it all before any of it can open... it will just keep getting extended and keep rolling across in the direction, in the places, that Queenstown wants it to go," he said. So far, the network had a ballpark cost estimate of $250 million, he said. Whoosh was funded by shareholders and private equity from offshore, and Allington said he believed the price tag was achievable. "The funny thing is, it's actually easier to fund the big project than a small one, particularly stuff like this. It's clean, it's green, it's sustainable. There's lots of funding sources available for that," he said. But hot on Whoosh's heels was another initiative from Southern Infrastructure Ltd. Southern Infrastructure chief executive Ross Copland. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd Chief executive Ross Copland described the company as less of an innovator, and more of a problem solver for the town's traffic woes. "We're not a supplier, so we don't have a particular technology. We're an infrastructure developer that's looking to solve a transport problem in Queenstown. We've looked really closely at all the options - our preference at this stage is a ropeway," he said. Southern Infrastructure planned to build an electric, high-speed urban gondola network around Queenstown, at a cost of about $200 million. It revealed a map of its planned network straddling seven stations, from Arthur's Point, to Queenstown central, to Ladies Mile, with stopoffs at Queenstown Airport and the Frankton bus hub. Queenstown Cable Car's indicative map. Photo: Supplied Copland said it was the sum of years of careful analysis of height limits, existing infrastructure, geotechnical stability and significant ecological areas. "It's almost a direct route into Queenstown, but importantly it bypasses a lot of those residential areas where the visual effects would be quite significant," he said. "We think it's a project that's consentable and also quite efficient." The project had backing from rich-lister Rod Drury, and support from one of the world's biggest ski lift companies, Doppelmayr. Copland admitted the company's goal of launching by the end of 2028 was "aggressive", but said the need was urgent. "There's a couple of different ways the project can be funded. We'd love to see it brought in as part of the public transport funding models so that people in the region, whether their visitors or locals, can have quite a seamless experience moving between bus, ferry and the cable. But that relies on a whole lot of decisions that are outside of our control, so local government central government will have a really key role in deciding," he said. "If that if that doesn't happen, then the funding model will be through, effectively, ticket prices, that will be paid by residents and visitors. The modelling we've done shows really strong growth and really strong uptake by passengers. So we think that under either of those scenarios, it's still a commercially viable project." Doppelmayr NZ chief executive Gareth Hayman. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd Doppelmayr New Zealand chief executive Gareth Hayman hoped locals would see cable transit as a tried and tested option. "A gondola is not that scary at all. It's been, in use for the last 25 years within public transport networks. It's proven, it's tested, we understand what we need to do and we're here to make it happen," he said. Asked if Whoosh and Southern Infrastructure Ltd were competitors or allies, Allington said each was trying different methods to ease traffic congestion in Queenstown. "I think we're all trying to achieve the same thing. We want to get Queenstown moving again. We want to do that in a sustainable way," he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Indianapolis Star
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Defense has carried Lapel softball. And the gloves were on point again Monday.
ELWOOD — Lapel softball has preached defense all season. It's part of the team's foundation and there's not one position that does not have coach AJ Balser's full confidence. There are no weak spots, he said Monday afternoon, and with that dependability comes versatility, allowing him to move pieces around based on their pitcher (they have nine) and specific matchups. With sophomore Addie Bodenhorn in the circle — a pitcher who prefers pitching for flyouts to racking up the strikeouts — the Bulldogs delivered another masterpiece in the Class 2A Sectional 39 opener vs. Frankton. Bodenhorn faced 22 batters Monday. She struck out two of them and of the 20 who put the ball in play, 19 were retired (14 via fly out or pop out). The one exception: A single to left with two outs in the first. Bodenhorn was excellent. The defense was perfect. And defending 2A state runner-up Lapel advanced to the sectional semifinals with a 6-0 win over its county rival. "Our defense has really carried our team this season," said infielder Paige Stires, who has two errors on 74 chances (.973 fielding percentage). "Our bats have been pretty slow, so having a great defense that is helping us win these games and keeping teams off the scoreboard has been a huge help." The defense displayed at Elwood High School was nothing new for the Bulldogs (20-6), who boast a team fielding percentage of .949 with 34 errors on 668 chances. They've gone error-free in 10 games this season — zero errors in three of their past five games — and been charged with one or fewer in 18. That makes life exponentially less stressful for their pitchers, obviously, and fits perfectly with an arm like Bodenhorn, who's allowed just two earned runs (four total) on 22 hits and struck out 31 in her 41 innings since spring break (she did not pitch the first leg of the season due to injury). If Bodenhorn's not hitting her spots, not getting those fly outs she wants, she knows her defense will be there to pick her up. "We know that we have to have her back," said senior middle infielder Tatum Harper, who converted her three chances in the field Monday. "She's working really hard on the mound to give us those opportunities to get those outs, so it's really just working with her." "We're all pretty confident in Addie when she's on the mound because we know she's confident in us to make the plays," Stires added. "It gives us a boost of energy when our pitcher knows we have her back." Lapel's dependable defense has also helped it weather an inconsistent season offensively. They're batting .337 as a team with 250 hits and were shutout on only three hits in their penultimate regular-season game vs. Shenandoah. The Bulldogs were putting the ball in play vs. Frankton, and capitalized on their opponent's four fielding errors, generating a couple runs through the first five innings before the bottom half of the lineup initiated a four-run rally in the sixth. Of Lapel's 10 hits, four came from their 7-8-9 hitters (Delaney Balser, Ella Reed and Jama Everman), with Everman collecting two hits and two runs. The team's 1-2 hitters, Harper and Stires, posted two hits and two RBIs, respectively. "We have to be able to put bunts in play and make the other team make plays. Knowing situations and things like that has been a challenge for us, but we're catching on at the right time," Balser said. "We've worked on those situational things quite a bit and I think it's starting to stick." Lapel will face Taylor (0-19) in the sectional semifinals Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Indianapolis Star
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
'A lot of beer': Trash cleanup crews descend on IMS after Indianapolis 500
The gravel below the grandstands of turn 4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Memorial Day morning showed the aftermath of the more than 300,000 people that attended the Greatest Spectacle in Racing the day before. Hot dog buns and half-eaten fried chicken pieces were scattered between crinkled bags of chips, candy wrappers and paper plates. Empty cans that fell from the bleachers to the rocks indicated the beer preferences of Indianapolis 500 race fans, including Bud Light, Busch Light and Miller Lite to name a few. But in the H and J stands of turn 4, members of Frankton High School's Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Anderson University football team spent the morning cleaning up the remnants of race day, starting in the bleachers and working their way to the gravel below. 'A lot of beer,' Frankton High School junior Hadely Walls said of what she saw at IMS. 'It's crazy to see how many people don't throw away their trash.' The Memorial Day cleanup, which happens every year after the Indy 500, is a fundraising opportunity for the Frankton and Anderson groups. With every chicken bone and beer can picked up from their portion of the massive track, they earn money to support their organizations, advisers said. Jonathan Coddington, the head football coach for Anderson, said his team has tackled similar cleanups before, including after Indianapolis Colts games and big concerts. The groups took on the cleanup challenge with the help of Jim Hostettler, who said he has assisted post-race trash pickups since 1998. Hostettler said IMS can pay about $4,000 for the cleanup of stands H and J, but he enjoys seeing different groups, especially younger kids, get out and work. 'It's good to let the kids know they're doing it for the environment,' he said. Kaydence Banda, a freshman at Frankton, said she saw the packed grandstands on TV during the race on May 25 and was struck by how quiet IMS was just a day later, as she stood in the same bleachers and carried down trash bags of garbage from race day. Memorial Day was Banda's first time helping clean up after the Indy 500. 'It's crazy big,' Banda said of IMS. 'I don't think I really knew what to expect.' While fundraising was one perk of cleaning up after the Indy 500, the morning at IMS was also a chance to connect with other Frankton FCA members, Walls said. The group began just after 6 a.m. on May 26, riding in white "Frankton Eagles" buses to Indianapolis. "It's a great time to bond," she said. After tackling the bleachers, Hostettler directed the Frankton students and Anderson football players on how to clear the trash under the grandstands. Cans would go in one container and trash in another, he told the groups. They got to work immediately with rakes, recycle boxes and buckets with "Keep Indy Clean" printed in bold letters on the side and the clink of the cans hitting the containers a sign of their progress toward a cleaner section of the track.
Indianapolis Star
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Volunteers gather to clean up Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDY 500 Sydney McCartney (left) and Kaydence Banda volunteer with Frankton High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes to collect trash in the stand J Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar HG Biggs/IndyStar Trash lies piled in front of the grandstands Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Jeff Bates (left), with Frankton High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Zach Davenport, a graduate of Frankton, collect trash in stand J Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Abandoned coolers sit in the stands Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Jim Hostetler directs volunteers collecting trash in stand J Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hostetler has been bringing volunteer groups to the speedway for over 25 years. Hostetler's groups separate metal cans from other trash, and he takes the cans back to Anderson, Indiana for recycling. This year, Hostetler was working with the Frankton High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Anderson University football team. HG Biggs/IndyStar A volunteer tosses a bag full of metal cans into the back of Jim Hostetler's truck Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Volunteers collect trash in the stands across from the pagoda Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar John Jones sits in the back of Jim Hostetler's truck while volunteering to collect trash in the stands Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Trash bags await collection Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Zach Davenport tosses trash into a garbage bag Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar A partially drunk beverage sits abandoned Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Cans in a recycling bin await collection Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Trash bags dot the roads and grass fields Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Abandoned cans lie beneath the stands Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Volunteers from Frankton High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Anderson University football team collect trash in stand J near turn four Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Volunteers put on gloves Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Adam Alt (left) laughs as Zach Davenport pretends to collapse after hitting his shin on the bleaches while collecting trash Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Bags of trash pile up beneath the stands Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar Dallas Dillon (left) and Andy Johnson collect trash in the stands as Indianapolis 500 winner Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou (10) poses for photographs Monday, May 26, 2025, following the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. HG Biggs/IndyStar
