'Nana' music played to disperse school kids

KATEE SHANKS | 19th August 2006

Anne Murray's 1977 hit Teddy Bear's Picnic has Whakatane youngsters ducking for cover.

The song is being played outside a Kopeopeo dairy alongside other nails-on-blackboard tunes from the likes of Nana Mouskouri, Barry Manilow and opera singers in an effort to keep loitering school pupils at bay.

The Sunshine Coast Superette has previously made a name for itself with intermediate and high school kids who gather for the $2 pie and drink special.

Most days the footpath outside the front of the dairy is congested with adolescents.

Walking through the throng can prove intimidating for many shoppers.

One lady spoken to by the Daily Post said she very rarely went into Kopeopeo when school was out.

"I got sick and tired of all the kids asking for money so I just don't go there anymore," the woman said.

But it appears "nana" music is dispersing the crowd.

Although no one is admitting any intent behind the music.

Sunshine Coast Superette's owners said the music was purely to give the area an upmarket feel and did not want to talk about it.

They were unimpressed with a Whakatane Business Promotions Group (WOW) newsletter that openly said "nana music" was being trialled outside a Kopeopeo Store.

Staff from nearby Kopeopeo Pharmacy, just a few doors down from the superette, said the dated tunes had stopped large numbers of children gathering. Not wishing to give her name, a staff member said the volume was turned up quite high during certain times of the day.

"Since the last school holidays the number of kids out the front of the shop has dropped significantly," the woman said.

"Now they just get their food and move on."

The Daily Post spoke to a group of students outside the Sunshine Coast Superette.

They said the music hadn't stopped them buying their pies.

One even said the "old school" sounds were contributing to their education.

"That sort of music ain't really our style but if they played our style we probably wouldn't go to school at all. "We would just hang out here."