Shelley Point Newsletter - October 2018

SHELLEY POINT NEWS

A community newsletter dedicated to fostering a sense of community and the free flow of information at Shelley Point

October 2018

FROM THE EDITOR:

Hi All Summer is definitely on its way with the days getting longer, lighter and warmer.

With the realization that we are already entering the final quarter of 2018, it is quite daunting to discover how quickly this year has passed. October usually heralds the appearance of Christmas decorations in the stores and before long, we will all be frantically busy with preparations for the holiday season ahead. Whatever you are planning for the festivities ahead, whether it’s a quiet time with family and close friends or a whirl of parties and social engagements, I sincerely hope that the final months of 2018 will be a happy, safe and enjoyable time for you all.

As always, feel free to contact us with your comments, queries, suggestions and ideas. We always love hearing from our homeowners – whether you reside here on a permanent basis or whether you are only able to manage an annual pilgrimage to this beautiful spot.

Have an outstanding October!

Terry - shelleypointnews@gmail.com FROM THE CHAIRMAN:

Shelley Point is enjoying a radical upsurge in construction this year with some 30 building sites active at present. A few of these are renovations and alterations to existing homes but the majority are new residences. This year we expect to have started or completed around 40 new dwellings and, anecdotally, this seems to be a record for the estate and bodes well for property prices. There are many reasons for this upsurge but the existence of a strong homeowners’ association and an effective estate management team delivering outstanding value for money are certainly amongst them. Levies at Shelley Point are extremely low when compared with estates offering similar infrastructure and environment. The trustees committee and the management team are committed to constantly improving efficiency and continuing to deliver value to members. This means that every single transaction is examined to ensure that money is being wisely spent and opportunities are constantly being sought to cut costs without negatively impacting on service delivery. I hope that members are generally happy and satisfied with performance.

Cheers, Ian Mac

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HOMEOWNERS HAVE THEIR SAY:

Mystery Bug Identified: In response to Niel’s query last month to the identity of the insect alongside, Adriaan wondered whether the green bug was perhaps a Katydid (Bush Cricket). The Afrikaans name for it is Krompokkel, a sporadic pest found in vineyards and orchards and common in many countries. Olga also concurred to say that according to her research, the bug could indeed be a bush cricket. And then Frik weighed in agreeing that it is a Krompokkel. However, on showing the photograph to a local entomologist, it appears that this insect may not be a Bush Cricket at all but in fact, a Bladder Grasshopper (In Afrikaans, it is known as a Huidjiehu). More photos have been sent to confirm this and the mystery has finally been solved. Thanks to all of you for your assistance in attempting to identify this gogga and to Niel for initiating our interest with his photo in the September edition.

Response to ‘Disappointed’s’ letter from last month: This letter, which appeared in the September issue of Shelley Point News, caused a flurry of response from outraged homeowners and residents. However, due to space limitations, we have chosen to print just one of them because it provides a helpful suggestion.

Chris R writes, “We live in a very special place and I for one fully appreciate the work and effort that goes into making Shelley Point what it is. Sure, there is the occasional bottle or plastic bag lying around but if we all just picked these up and dropped them into the nearest bin, the estate would be that much cleaner. I do a lot of walking with the dog and can honestly say the letter greatly exaggerated the problem. The beach can sometimes be an area of concern but the bottles and rubbish generally get washed in with the tide. Is the HOA to be held accountable for this? I don't think so!!! They have plenty of other work to keep them busy. The Estate is the responsibility of all of us, and we should all do something about it. I, as well as several others, occasionally go down to the beach with a plastic bag and collect some of the bottles to drop in the bins provided. A suggestion could be to provide smaller bins on posts around the estate, much like Atlantic Beach have. The only problem with this is that the bins will need to be emptied .... one more job for our grounds staff??In brief, Norman and all those others working tirelessly for us, thank you for your efforts. It is much appreciated.”

Vandalized substation: Mike writes, “Thank you for an excellent newsletter. I was however, surprised not to read, under the security section, about the vandalizing of the sub-station that took place on 22nd Street in the early hours of the morning of the 3 August 2018. This issue should be made known to all residents in the next edition of Shelley Point News. A technical explanation from security as to how the person/s gained both access and were able to accomplish what they did without being apprehended would be appreciated.”

According to Security Manager, Daniel Plaatjies, there were three attempts over the past few weeks to vandalize the substation on 22nd street. Criminals broke open the structure in an attempt to remove the valuable copper busbar which they then sell. Fortunately, on each occasion, Security were alerted as a result of camera alarms being activated and response vehicles rushed to the scene. On seeing the response vehicle, the suspects fled the scene, leaving via the beach. The police were called and a report has been filed. Various follow-up measures have been suggested by Security to prevent a reoccurrence of these incidents. This will include the installation of an extra camera on the relevant point of entry on the beach as well as increased vigilance by engaging extra patrols in the streets concerned.

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UPDATE FROM THE SHELLEY POINT BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

This is a very busy time for the trustees and estate management as we run into the financial year end at the end of September. All the necessary work for the year end takes a substantial time commitment as we discuss plans for continuous improvement in facilities, management processes and interaction with members. We also prepare and review budgets for the next financial year and begin preparation for the annual general meeting to be held in December.

Finances: The income stream derived from levies and investments has been close to forecast and despite substantial increases in prices across the board, the costs of managing the estate have been well controlled and are within budget. It is disappointing to report that although some progress has been made in managing the “debtors book,� this remains a serious concern.

Gardens and Site Maintenance: Residents and visitors will have noted the additional speed bumps that have been built to calm traffic on busy streets such as Golden Mile. Several storm water drains have also been constructed this year to assist with drainage of roads after rain. The ongoing, routine road maintenance programme kicks off in October and will continue through to mid-November. The work will be completed before the December festive season. Substantial increases in the cost of materials for this work has meant an adjustment to the scope of work. The drought has taken its toll on the palm trees on the estate. Although the maintenance team have done a great job in manually watering each tree using gray water, it has proved extremely difficult to deliver sufficient water to the trees. It is hoped that water restrictions will be eased soon so we can begin to irrigate and assist the recovery of the trees.

Aesthetics: A substantial number of residences on the estate require repainting and tidying up. Individual members will be contacted in this regard. It is understood that ongoing water restrictions do impact on the required work, but members are reminded that several local painting contractors have the equipment to power wash houses using gray water in preparation for painting. Members are welcome to contact the estate manager or the trustees for contact details of these contractors.

SECURITY REPORT (Daniel Plaatjies) Vandalism to Eskom sub stations on the estate has become a problem. We reported three incidents to Eskom and the Police which took place during August and September. During the last incident, the suspects shot at security staff with a flare gun and escaped. The incidents were reported to the local SAPS on all three occasions. The damages were minimal due to interruption by security. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by these incidents. Steps are currently being taken to prevent further problems and homeowners will be notified once these have been put into effect.

Technical: We would like to welcome Kenneth Moore from Excellerate Service as our new onsite technician. All technical calls should be booked through our control room on (022) 742 1380. Please note that Kenneth only services the Estate on Tuesdays & Thursdays. All residents are reminded to test their alarms once a month through Shelley Point control room.

Contractors: On Thursday 18 September 2018 a meeting was held between the Estate Manager, Security Manager and the contractors. It was decided that the old gate will be the dedicated entrance for all contractors as from the 1 October 2018. All parties were in agreement.

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LEAPFROG PROPERTIES PHOTO OF THE MONTH:

Spring certainly seems to have inspired all our budding photographers out there and we received literally dozens of photos this month which made it extremely difficult to choose one as our monthly winner. After much debate, we finally decided on this beautiful photo

by Jennifer which she has entitled, Let the sky fall‌especially if it looks this good. Jennifer’s photo will now automatically be entered in the Photo of the Year Competition where there are plenty of cash prizes up for grabs, courtesy of Maurits Marnewick of Leapfrog Properties.

SPORT AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES:

Wine Tasting: Carel Hugo, winemaker from Darling Cellars, presented a wine tasting at the Social Club on 28 September. Not only was this an interesting experience, but all the participants agreed that they learned a lot and at the same time, had a huge amount of fun.

Golf News (Anne Ainsworth): Normal Club competitions were held as usual during the past month with some competitions cancelled due to inclement weather. The playing numbers were down, partly because of poor weather conditions and partly due to the imposed use of mats. The use of mats has now been discontinued due to the improvement in the fairways but will be reviewed again once drier conditions return. If, in the future, water restrictions are lifted, there will be no need for mats.

The annual NGK fundraising event took place on Saturday, 15th September. The event proved yet again to be a great success with two wet holes and lekker kos after play kindly prepared by the local community.

Other news is that Johny Louw our Club Champion for 2018, will be playing in the Boland Regional Champion of Champions on 30 September at Langebaan. We wish him well!!

Finally, the new Golf Club membership and pre-paid rates are available and members should indicate their renewal requirements. Invoices will be sent out in October. Various payment options are available.

Remember that the new opening hours at the Proshop for the summer season are 07h30 until 17h00.

Telephone 022 7421037 to book your round of golf.

Bowls News: No report received. Please consult the information table on the last page for contact information.

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Tennis News (Niel du Toit): Resident professional tennis coach, Robert Dick was recently selected to compete for the Boland A senior team in the 40-45 years age category at the recent provincial championships held on 2-7 September. Their team eventually ended up with the silver medal, finishing second to Western Province. From all accounts, it was a fun-filled week for all the participants with a high level of competition among the teams. Well done and congratulations to Robert!

Other good news is that the courts will soon be resurfaced. The courts have been in dire need of resurfacing for some time so it will be great to have this done before the increased influx of visitors over the festive season.

Bridge News (Terry Mackintosh): Duplicate bridge continues to flourish at Shelley Point with monthly tournaments as well as social bridge every Wednesday afternoon. In the 2018 tournament series, a Shelley Point pair is currently lying in first position, with a pair from Port Owen in second place and a pair from Langebaan taking third place. So, it is truly a West Coast mix!

Quiz nights at Shelley Point? Several homeowners have suggested the introduction of a monthly quiz night at the Social Club where teams of up to six members compete against one another in a general knowledge quiz with the winners each receiving a bottle of wine for their efforts. This has been a very successful activity at the Port Owen Yacht Club and is well supported by residents – in fact, a team made up of mostly Shelley Point residents has won the last two quizzes held in Port Owen! So, how about doing something similar here? If you would be interested in forming a team and participating in a monthly quiz, please let us know at shelleypointnews@gmail.com and if there is sufficient interest, we will get it started.

LIFE AT SHELLEY POINT:

Rainfall Statistics at Shelley Point: According to our rainfall recorder, Henri Roux, we had a total of 22mm falling in the measurement period of 15 August to 14 September. This brings total rainfall for 2018 from January to mid-September to 167 mm which still compares favorably to the same time last year when only 84.5mm was recorded. So, almost exactly double what we received last year. Long may this upward trend continue!

African Wild Cats at Shelley Point? Like the Black Footed Cat, which we featured in the September edition of Shelley Point News, there have been several claims of African Wild Cats being sighted on the Estate.

However, with the large feral cat population here at Shelley Point, is it possible to tell the difference between an African Wild Cat and a common domestic tabby gone feral? Here are the facts….

African Wild Cats (Felis Silverstris lybica) are an indigenous species of Wild Cat which are widespread throughout Africa except in the Sahara Desert and the tropical rainforest areas. It is the ancestor of the domestic cat and its main threat is the hybridization that has occurred because of mating with feral and domestic cats. The Ancient Egyptians were the first people to domesticate the African Wild Cat – they were tamed and kept in their granaries to reduce rat populations.

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They have a wide variety of coat colours but the predominant two are a greyish tan and a steel grey. In Afrikaans, they are called Vaalboskat.

Adults weigh 5-6 kg. They all have bold stripes on the coat that run along the neck and legs similar to a striped tabby but with less stripes and more widely spaced. They also have cream patches on their throats, abdomens and between their forelegs. There are no central white spots on their backs, their ears are orangey-brown and the tail is bushy and blunt-ended unlike a domestic cat whose tail is tapered. Diet consists of rodents, hares, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Because of the afore-mentioned widespread problem of cross breeding with feral cats, pure African Wild Cats are rare. There are significant numbers of grey striped feral cats at Shelley Point and undoubtedly, many of these are the result of generations of cross breeding on the Estate although there have been reports of pure breeds being seen. If you do happen to come across an individual that you believe could be an African Wild Cat, please send us a photo for circulation.

Recycling happening at Shelley Point: The Saldanha Bay Municipality in conjunction with a local waste removal company Wastegro, have introduced a recycling service which commences this month. Special bags can be obtained from the office to place all glass, plastic, paper and tins for collection on Thursdays. Replacement bags will be left on site by the garbage disposal staff once bags have been collected. Permanent residents are especially encouraged to make use of this service and collect their bags so that they can start recycling their items.

Restaurant Review: All our regular restaurant reviewers were away over September and as such, there is no Restaurant Review this month. However, the Famished Foodies have promised to submit one for the November issue. Following this, our famed Cheese Mouse and Wine Fly will also be back from their travels and have assured us that they will be ready once more to check out what’s hot and what’s not with regard to local eateries.

Baby Francolin at Shelley Point: Don Dick managed to get some photos of these Cape Spur Fowl (Francolin) chicks born in late August – just in time to usher in Spring.

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VASCO SAYS:

PLEASE REMIND YOUR VISITORS AND GUESTS THAT DESPITE RECENT RAINFALL, WATER RESTRICTIONS ARE STILL IN PLACE AND DOMESTIC WATER MUST BE USED VERY SPARINGLY.

SPHOA DIRECTORY Position Estate Manager Administrator Security Manager ADT Patrol Car ADT Control Room Pro shop /Club house Golf captain Bowls captain Tennis captain Bridge captain Community notice board Fire alert (ADT) SA Police Service SA Police Service Ambulance Cell phone emergency

Name Norman Cowen Lindy Cowen Daniel Plaatjies Supervisors Controllers Gerilda Arendse Anne Ainsworth Liz Roberts Niel du Toit Terry Mackintosh Chris Roberts Response Vehicle St Helena Bay National National Universal

E Mail manager@sphoa.co.za admin@sphoa.co.za daniel.plaatjies@excellerate.co.za NA NA shelleypcc@gmail.com britanniaza@yahoo.com chezroberts@mweb.co.za ddt@vodamail.co.za didge28@gmail.com chezroberts@mweb.co.za

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Telephone 082 784 2920 022 742 1309 071 312 8861 083 636 6466 022 742 1380 022 7421037 083 455 5321 083 327 4349 082 579 9692 076 6004641 076 7832035 0835560052 0227368060 10111 10177 112