The Hermanus News 08 March 2016

NEWS The

Hermanus

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Issue 14

News You Can Use

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4 MIMOSA ROAD, INDUSTRIAL AREA, HERMANUS TEL: 028-312 2280 • 028 312 1380 EMAIL: ccsplant@telkomsa.net

8 MARCH 2016

Do or die plan for the CBD

By De Waal Steyn

The final report on the regeneration of the Hermanus CBD has been hailed by property owners, businesses and residents as a milestone in the history of our town.

The report makes provision for the regeneration of our CBD through 6 separate projects.

These projects are the upgrading of the taxi rank, the upgrade of Swallow Park, the Mitchell Square

redevelopment, the pedestrianisation of High Street, the improvement of Lemm’s Corner and the Old Harbour Precinct.

According to the report, compiled by GAPP Architects and Urban Designers, competition from new out of town malls means that the CBD needs a new impetus to remain competitive.

“This framework is intended

to provide a plan for the ongoing upgrading of the public environment to ensure that the Hermanus CBD remains a vibrant, safe and attractive place for locals and visitors to spend time,” says Barbara Southworth of GAPP.

“International evidence shows that vibrant, small town CBDs and main streets can be more economically successful than malls if they can provide a safe and well

maintained public environment and a balanced retail offering.

Mall opens its doors at the end of next year.

“With its unique coastal site, fine grained street network and rich historic features, the Hermanus CBD has all of the ingredients to remain a vibrant commercial and tourism destination.”

“But the impact will be different to that which we have seen in towns like Mossel Bay, George and Worcester. Our CBD lends itself to becoming even more of a unique attraction.”

According to Town Planner, Riaan Kuchar, there will be an impact on the CBD when the new Whale Coast Village

Riaan says with the proximity of the ocean, the Old Harbour, the Cliff Paths and the unique historic buildings,

Off into the sunset…

PHOTO: Bruce Boyd (The Wild Ones)

the Hermanus CBD has the potential to become a unique commercial and residential hub, much like an open-air mall.

The report will now be prepared to serve before council where after the projects can be included into the Integrated Development Plan for the Overstrand.

What are the plans for the CBD? – See page 3

The plight of the wild horses of Fisherhaven, who have roamed freely and co-existed peacefully with the local community for many decades, has captured the imagination not only of Fisherhaven residents and visitors to the area, but also conservationists, journalists and photographers from far and wide. The small group currently living undisturbed in the Fisherhaven and Merensee area are part of the original Rooisand herd who were cut off from the western shores of the estuary when it was artificially breached in 2012. In the last few years this group has adjusted to “village life” and have become part of “what makes Fisherhaven Fisherhaven”. Many residents are passionately opposed to the Overstrand Municipality’s decision to relocate the horses to their original home with the rest of the Rooisand herd.

Read more on P 13.

THE ALL-NEW

HILUX

Authorised Financial Provider

Hermanus Toyota

FSP no 20161

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Schulphoek Road, Hermanus Business Park

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E V I R D T S E T A

The recent and current roadworks on the R43 between Botrivier and Hermanus have raised temperatures in both radiators and residents with complaints ranging from being late for work to wondering whether it is all really necessary.

Dave Smith

One of the questions which has been most often asked is why at least some of the work cannot be done at night and we now hear that this is about to happen.

Patch MacAdam of contractors RamRoads (a subsidiary of Ramzil Projects (Caymans) Pty.) explains that until now the stop / go units have been solarpowered and so the work could only happen during the day and even then only when it wasn’t raining.

However, the company has

recently been able to source a number of lunarpowered models thus allowing the night shifts to start and increasing the cost of the project by a mere 75%.

Western Cape Transport budget facilitator Yusit Orloosit added that the slight increase in cost is a welcome bonus “as we are in a situation whereby we have a budget to spend in this financial year and if we don’t spend it then we will have a reduced budget in 2016/7. This may result in many important projects being curtailed or even cancelled. These include the departmental Christmas party at the Mount Nelson and the crucial Provincial Traffic Indaba which is planned for later in the year in either Mauritius or the Seychelles”.

And of course there will be other benefits for Hermanus and surrounds. Assistant deputy sub-manager of Hermanus Tourism, Nolonga Smalltown, is delighted. “We used to be famous for some spectacular traffic jams especially around Christmas and Easter but since the new dual carriageway from Sandbaai to Gateway and the construction of the inner ring-road we have lost some of our leading edge in enticing jam enthusiasts into the area.

This is a global world and we need to compete with places like India, China and the M25 around London. These roadworks will go a long way towards restoring our reputation in this regard,” she enthused.

R. E. Tired who drives a small 500cc saloon, wears a hat

Time to build

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Therefore, everyone needs to actively participate in and support all the projects to regenerate our CBD. With the final plan due to serve before council in the next few months, we urge our local authority to do everything in its power to accelerate the delivery dates on the regeneration projects.

The Whale Coast Village Mall, due to be completed in September 2017, will add further economic stimulus to our local economy. But at the same time the very essence of our town needs to be protected from possible decay and decline. To prevent this a few of the much needed regeneration projects need to start and be completed before the mall opens its doors.

Letters

We as a town have before us a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform Hermanus into a leading international example of the perfect coastal town.

More letters on P4

We are already fortunate enough to live in one of the top 10 best run municipal districts in the country, according to the Government Performance Index done by Good Governance Africa.

That is the Good News. – ED

Ombudsman

Publisher De Waal Steyn 083 700 3319 dewaal@thehermanusnews.co.za Content Editor Hedda Mittner 083 645 3928 hedda@hermanus.co.za Marketing Kathy Mulock-Bentley 083 581 7219 kathy@chartwellsupport.co.za Graphic Designer & Layout Artist Nickey Jackson 079 408 7722 nickey1094@gmail.com

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There have been other unforeseen benefits too.

Lieutenant S. Ticket from the local Traffic Police has seized the opportunity to give many of his officers some much needed point duty training.

“It’s not often we get chances like this,” he explained, “I have been

Betty Blue Bistro 126 Main Road Hermanus Tel: 028 125 0037 Fax: 086 461 7400 info@bettyblue.co.za

The preservation of our town as not only a premier holiday destination but also as a regional economic hub is something that lies close to the heart of all our residents.

The spirit of co-operation in our town can already be seen in communities taking up our challenge to hold street parties in order to not only curb crime but to get to know one another. Let’s build on that spirit.

and uses indicators at random, is of a similar opinion: “Those people with jobs to go to, businesses to run and children to take to school are always in so much of a rush these days. Why can’t they just slow down, take an extra hour or so each way, turn the engine off and enjoy the company of their fellow motorists? They could take a picnic for the journey. Indeed, on some occasions recently they would have had time to braai.”

The press exists to serve society. Its freedom provides for independent scrutiny of the forces that shape society, and is essential to realising the promise of democracy. It enables citizens to make informed judgments on the issues of the day, a role whose centrality is recognised in the South African Constitution. The News of Hermanus subscribes to the South African Press Code and subsequently to the South African Press Council and the South African Press Ombudsman. Should you feel that our reporting was not free, fair or unbiased or that serious errors were made, you are welcome to lay a complaint with the Ombudsman, Joe Thloloe. He can be reached on 011 484 3612/8, or via e-mail at pressombudsman @ombudsman.org.za or visit www.presscouncil.org.za

able to deploy a number of inexperienced recruits to intersections at Sandbaai, Onrus and Vermont where they have gained valuable training in pointing in other directions when approached and asked what the heck is going on. Many of them have also grabbed with both hands the chance to wear those lovely new white gloves which I ordered especially for the occasion.”

It is anticipated that, once the current work is finished, the R43 will not need any more attention until Telkom install new underground broadband cabling in May. OM spokesperson “Goodwill” van der Merwe was unable to comment as he was stuck in traffic.

Get the news wherever you are Six months after its inception The Hermanus News has made huge inroads into delivering quality content to our readers and in becoming a hub for the sharing of news on social media and radio. A co-operation agreement for content sharing on social media between The Herma-nus News, The Village Explorer, Whale Coast 96FM, I Love Hermanus and several other role-players now reaches more than 17 500 combined users.

The Hermanus News Hour presented every Tuesday afternoon at 16:00 on Whale Coast 96FM is fast gaining a firm base of listeners.

News Hour will also be working together with civil society organisations such as ratepayer’s associations and business chambers to talk about issues that affect all our residents.

On Tuesday 8 March you can tune in the whale Coast 96FM at 16:00 to listen to a panel discussion on the proposed by-law relating to dogs and leashes.

News you can use - and read May I congratulate the team that publishes The Hermanus News.

This morning I once again picked up your 13th issue.

Having read all pervious issues, it seems to be going from strength to strength, now about double the size of previous issues.

You have a phrase under The News heading ' News you can use'. I think it should be expanded to read 'News you can use and read'.

We have lived in Hermanus for 14 years and it is so refreshing to now have a fortnightly paper printed in the universal language that I

would think the majority of the people living in and visiting the town can read and enjoy. Your content encompasses all aspects of interest in Hermanus, and we hope you receive enough support from commercial advertising to continue to make your paper a financial success.

Strength to your elbow, we wish you all a Great Success, and hope you will go from strength to strength, a great asset for the town as it moves forward as a world-established resort attracting visitors and residents from around the world.

Ian Ross

Good ol’ boot stomping fun Dear Mr Dave Smith I have always been a rather avid fan of your column and usually enjoy your sense of humour - however, your recent column re Line Dancing has shown me another side to your perceptions.

As an avid line dancer myself, (and yes, I can count beyond 16) I have found this particular column disrespectful to all my fellow

dancers, full of disdain and totally misinformed.

Firstly, we all dance for the pure enjoyment of it, meet new friends, and yes, some us even compete in competitions. Now I know you will find this hard to believe, but did you know that Line Dance has an annual World Competition that takes place in the UK, where only the best in the world compete for the coveted trophies.

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So yes, maybe some of us do concentrate a little harder on our steps than the gifted "others", with the result of the "unsmiling" faces. I am sorry you had to be "entertained" in this manner, but I will raise a challenge to you from myself and fellow dancers: attend one of our classes where we'll let you start at the Beginners level for fear of you losing your count and breath, before moving up the ranks to the Advanced ladies who I

might add have been dancing for numerous years.

So, dust off your boots, put on the checked shirt (I know you have them in the cupboard somewhere) and the cowboy hat (i.e. Stetson - we will lend you one if need be) and come and join us for some good ol' boot stomping, heel clicking wholesome fun!

See ya on the dance floor.

Cherilee Pallas

NEWS

GOOD

The Rambler

Take a picnic for the stop/go journey

Projects to transform Hermanus CBD The Hermanus CBD offers a unique retail experience with a mix of brand name retailers and local boutiques. Its commercial core and distributed parking provides an accessible range of commercial and social activities within a comfortable walking distance of 400m which is comparable to the walking distances within Somerset Mall.

adjacent land are earmarked for sale and redevelopment. This lends itself to developments that can accommodate mixed use tenants and well landscaped public squares that open onto the Royal Road circle. These squares should connect into the pedestrian routes into the municipal office precinct and library.

However, the quality of the pedestrian environment is very poor and incomplete.

Sidewalks are uneven and often too narrow or even nonexistent and the CBD lacks safe, comfortable pedestrian connections between key destinations.

2. Swallow Park and Marine Drive Swallow Park is a significant green space and public amenity, ideally located to integrate the CBD with the Cliff Path. However, its amenity and sense of safety are undermined by the fact that it is surrounded by roads with parking bays.

The CBD street network does not connect strongly with the Cliff Paths and the Old Harbour. The heavy traffic flows and car dominance of Main Street are a significant barrier to easy pedestrian connections between the street grid of the CBD core and the coastal edge.

Existing zoning plans indicate the gross lettable retail area in Hermanus CBD is about 35 000m².

1.Taxi Rank and Municipal Precinct Upgrade Undefined and unused vacant land, haphazard parking, trading and taxi operations are an eyesore and the Royal Street end of the Municipal precinct is under-utilised. The main ideas are to introduce new developments, landscaping and pedestrian improvements that can establish a clear sense of arrival and gateway into the CBD.

GOOD

The tennis courts and

NEWS

The concept proposes that the park interfaces with the surrounding properties. These areas should be improved so that the buildings on the park edges open up onto the park and the pedestrian connections through and around the park are improved.

The current layout of the Main Road / Marine Drive Link / Park Avenue intersection needs to be improved. The concept proposes that the Marine Drive link to Main Road should be closed and incorporated with Swallow Park allowing the retail and restaurant activities to open onto the park.

Traffic improvements, including a traffic circle on Main Road, are proposed to resolve access and egress from the filling station on the corner of Main Road and Park Avenue. It is also

proposed that access to the Spur parking area be relocated.

Facilities for cyclists must be provided and Swallow Park upgraded to make provision for seating, lighting and public toilets.

Swallow Park can also be improved with a pedestrian avenue and cycling link across Marine Drive serving as a gateway to the coastal and biodiversity walks that are enhanced with a pedestrian promenade along Marine Drive. Traffic flow becomes single direction along Marine Drive between Park Avenue and Harbour Road. The sidewalk along the coastal edge of Marine Drive can be widened for the promenade space.

3. Mitchell Square redevelopment The development of Mitchell Street Square has the potential to become the heart of the Hermanus CBD as a vibrant public amenity.

The proposal allows for the development of a high quality public square with ground floor activation with new businesses such as café and restaurant opportunities.

This proposed intervention is a key investment in the public environment in the core of the CBD, knitting together key destinations and pedestrian routes along High, Mitchell and Long Streets. This will establish a strong central square at the centre of the CBD, intended to connect Station Square/ Woolworths as well as Market Square and the coastal Cliff Path.

4. High Street The main idea for High Street is to transform it into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly retail street that connects the current “anchors” of the Station Square and Woolworths developments with the proposed Mitchell Square Development.

pedestrians through widened sidewalks, tree planting and improved crossing points. This flexible “village green” open space can be used for many events from markets to temporary art installations and exhibitions.

High Street will be landscaped to create a high quality pedestrian priority mall. Traffic circulation within the CBD does not allow for the exclusion of all vehicular traffic from High Street, however there is a lot of scope to transform the street to a pedestrian dominated space while still allowing traffic to pass through.

The proposal includes raised pedestrian crossing points at the Main Road and Harbour Road intersection; linked pedestrian connections through the alleyways from Marine Drive with pedestrian crossings; a raised pedestrian intersection where Long Street intersects Main Road; and improved pedestrian sidewalks and signage down Main Road.

5. Lemm’s Corner Lemm’s Corner is the knuckle that connects the core CBD with the coastal edge. The main ideas are to make improved provision for

6. Old Harbour Precinct The Old Harbour precinct is a valuable asset to Hermanus, particularly as a tourist attraction. It is proposed that development opportunities

26 JANUARY 8 MARCH 2016 2016

are pro-actively explored with the Museum Trust to investigate the adaptive re-use of buildings to accommodate commercial opportunities such as restaurants, venues, whale listening facilities etc.

The amphitheater space is a significant asset to the precinct and small interventions that would improve the unity between the Old Harbour Museum, Bietang’s Cave, and viewing points around the war memorial canon to the amphitheater space will continue to improve the value of the precinct as a positive destination and public attraction.

For comments see P6 Below are some examples of how the Hermanus CBD can be transformed.

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Re: Line dancing... a spur of the moment thing by Dave Smith.

I really don't know why Mr Dave chose a subject to write about of which he obviously knows nothing.

What was his aim? What did he want to achieve?

Line dancing is not a spur of the moment thing. It evolved from the old "Contra" dances that were popular in the New England States from the early 1800s.

In the 1970s the form of Line Dance we do today was born. Line dancing in the

My own line dancing club is so much more than Dave Smith suggested: it is full of friendly, funny and caring people, both men and women. We dance for a couple of hours twice a

The Hermanus News would like to publish your thoughts and concerns about issues that are important to you. All Letters to the Editor should be accompanied with the writer's name and contact details for verification. All letters are subject to editing for newspaper style and clarity, without changing the meaning of the content. Letters should be limited to about 300 words. We reserve the right not to publish all letters received.

Send your letters to news@thehermanusnews.co.za

Frolic to the tune of Achy Breaky Heart I really think that there are enough ramblings in our country and for that matter in our lovely village for you to stir up more unnecessary issues.

Give these people who love their line dancing a break... at least they are exercising their bodies and not their elbows like so many others do. What does it matter to you as a nonparticipant in this activity of line dancing... they do not invade your space or anybody else's... maybe you should join and experience the joy of frolicking with the

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I have been line dancing since August 2013. It has changed my life. Whenever I think about it, all the happy hormones are set free. I can vouch that about 80% of line dancers world-wide feel the same. As soon as one passes the beginners level and reaches intermediate and advanced dances it is a

huge feast! We do the polka, waltz, cha cha, rumba, night club two steps, etc - all to lovely music. (Not at all Achy breaky Heart!)

I have made many friends, get a lot of exercise - every week for two hours (a social lasts up to five hours or more). Also it is great exercise for the brain - some dances consists of 88 steps!

And that is why, Mr Dave, we don't dance with smiles on our faces - we have to focus and concentrate...

Elmien de Wet

Line dancing is a mood lifter

Re: Line Dancing … a spur of the moment thing? No, it’s a life enhancing experience.

Dear Rambler,

late 1990s, and so far through the 2000s, has changed in some line dance clubs with the main bulk of the dancing done to pop music. This has brought with it a renewed interest in this form of dancing.

young and the old to the tune of Achy breaky heart, it might put a smile on your face and a twinkle in your eye and what it could do for the rest of your body parts is amazing.

Give it a go before you belittle the joys of these groups – yes there are more than one group in our town.

Although I do not do line dancing, I have great respect and admiration for those that are serious about their chosen hobbies.

Happy dancing,

Maryna

week and yes, we do have some old country classics, but we also cha-cha, waltz and nightclub dance along to current pop music.

And we love it. We find it exercises our bodies, giving us great calves particularly, and our minds too as we have to concentrate like

mad to remember the steps.

Dancing in unison is a real mood lifter and it recaptures the joy of flowing movement in time to music. Poor Dave Smith, dragging around his wet blanket attitude must have put the dancers completely off their stride!

Vicki Thomas

Anything with a good beat!

Dear Mr. Smith,

“Achy Breaky Heart” is a song that brought line dancing to the public attention.

Line dancing was started on club dance floors during the disco era and not by “American Cowboys”. Line dancing is an official sport in which anyone from two to ninety-two can take part, all you need are two feet and sense of humour!

It is a good form of low impact exercise, also good for balance and coordination (good for the soul too) and is recommended by doctors.

We do not only dance to country music but to all genres, Latin, golden oldies, current tracks and many more, in fact anything with a good beat!

Classes consist of people from all walks of life and yes, some are slower to learn than others (here is where

the men tend to leave!) and some may not smile all the time due to concentration but we are all having fun.

What drives us to dance?

Movement to music, forgetting every day cares (music is very therapeutic), fun and laughter.

No, we don’t always wear “check shirts and cowboy boots”- any comfortable clothing will do. Line dancers love to share their joy and we visit local frail care centres to dance for and have tea and cakes with them, among other things.

Yes, Mr. Smith I do know what I’m talking about, I have line danced for more than 20 years and am a trained and SA/UK qualified line dance instructor.

So I suggest you remove your feet from your mouth and come and place them on our dance floor!

Keep in Line

Thank you for a wonderful chuckle Thank you very, very much for the funniest article (Line dancing by Dave Smith) that I have read for a very long time! What a wonderful sense of humour and having been involved in line dancing for a number of

years, he was spot on with his comments!

I have had a number of calls from irate line dancers who are unable to see the funny side of things (there are only about 30 line dancers in

Hermanus), who want Dave Smith to apologise... Please don’t!

I know that they want you to know that there are advanced dancers, competitions etc, but that

does not change the facts except for a few more false smiles! Thank you for a wonderful chuckle... still laughing! I love your newspaper… keep up the good work!

Line dancer forever

‘Leave our Rambler alone’ The Rambler’s amusing take on the Line Dancing fraternity (Hermanus News, 23 February) appears to have sent them into a bit of a tizz judging from the gossip in our local bar, with comments from ‘The Rambler Must Fall’ to sending his column upcountry to the Line Dancing head office for possible legal action! One can only hope the gossip was nothing more than humourless and puerile mutterings.

I happened to meet up with Norman the other day and asked him if he was offended by the Rambler’s comments and without skipping a beat he suggested that The Rambler should get his facts right as it has been many years since he was last seen to be frisky on the dance floor, a fact that was backed up rather vehemently by his mother Nora.

In the mid 1990s line dancing had such an effect on

8 MARCH 2016

country western music that Chet Atkins was quoted as saying, “The music has gotten pretty bad I think. It’s all that damn Line Dancing.”

dancers don’t do the braai thing as none of them were offended by the Rambler’s column on that particular activity.

The Rambler’s ramblings are just that and intended to be a humorous and light hearted take on an activity or event. Perhaps the editor’s challenge to the community to organize street parties could be enhanced if line dancers were hired to perform at them although it would appear that line

So Dear aggrieved Line Dancers take a step back, try to be upbeat and interpret the article the way it was intended and leave our Rambler alone. If you want to get back at him go check out his golf swing… plenty of fodder there!

Lefty Steptoe

NEWS

GOOD

Letters

Set free your ‘happy hormones’

Botanical artist takes gold in London and ultimately one of 13 Gold Medallists for her skilful display of eight meticulously detailed watercolour paintings of Cape Ericas.

Three years ago she also brought home a gold medal, as well as the award for Best Painting at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2013.

Congratulations have been pouring in for botanical artist and long-time Voëlklip resident Margaret de Villiers (76) after she was awarded her second gold medal at the annual Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) London Botanical Art Show which took place from 26 – 27 February at the RHS Lindley Hall in the City of Westminster.

Focusing entirely on botanical art, the show promotes the world-class Lindley Library collection and champions the skills of some of the world’s best botanical artists through a display of unseen work.

Thirty five botanical artists hailing from countries such as Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy were selected by the RHS Picture Committee to exhibit at the dedicated RHS Botanical Art Show 2016, making it a truly international event.

Margaret was the only artist from the African continent

Margaret is a member of the Hermanus Botanical Society as well as the Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa (BAASA) Western Cape. Her mission is to document the rare and endangered Ericas endemic to the Western Cape, and particularly those that only grow in the mountainous enclaves of the Overstrand – and nowhere else on earth.

“Ericas are extremely vulnerable to encroaching urban development and it is my ambition to record and paint as many of these rare species as possible before they are lost forever,” says Margaret.

Following in the footsteps of her Irish grandmother who was an artist, Margaret studied fine art at Rhodes University and before her marriage she taught art in Cape Town. Her association with Hermanus goes back many years to when her father built a holiday cottage in Voëlklip just after World War II. It became the family’s holiday home and, after Margaret’s marriage to Dawie de Villiers, the couple settled into their own home in Voëlklip.

They lived there for eight

years while Dawie served as deputy town clerk at the Hermanus Municipality.

During that time their two sons were born, but in 1973 Dawie’s career took the family to Cape Town, where he eventually served as deputy city administrator.

“We were all very sad to leave,” says Margaret.

The family continued to spend their holidays in Voëlklip until Margaret and Dawie returned to settle here permanently in 1993. It has been her home ever since, and Margaret says that throughout her life she has only spent three Christmases outside of Hermanus.

After her husband’s death Margaret decided to return to her love of art and her lifelong interest in fynbos. As a keen walker and member of a walking group, she could not help taking notice of all the wonderful fynbos species encountered along the way, and initially she painted everything from proteas and leucadendrons to restias.

“I would break off little branches and bring them back home to study and paint,’ says Margaret, who works in a studio attached to her house. She soon started focusing on Ericas, the largest fynbos species. Of the 860 Erica species in the world, 760 are found in South Africa and approximately 730 of these are restricted to the Cape Fynbos. The great diversity of Ericas means that there is at least one species flowering at any time of the

year which makes her task that much easier.

“The Fernkloof Nature Reserve is a unique place and I love walking high up in the mountains to look for new specimens,” says

Margaret. “I feel truly blessed and privileged to be living here amongst all this natural beauty.”

Margaret says her gold medal not only belongs to her but also to the friends,

farmers and hikers who help her to collect new specimens all the way from Kleinmond to Cape Agulhas, and to Pat Miller for her skilled botanical dissections.

– Hedda Mittner

MIRANDA PRETORIUS CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST KLINIESE SIELKUNDIGE

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Dr Nicky Cockburn ophthalmologist provides ocuoplasty and eyelid surgery once a month at our rooms.

Shop 10 First Floor Station Square (New Woolworths Centre), Main Road, Hermanus

We also now offer Low Vision Services with magnifiers, Low Vision Aids, Talking Watches, big letter computer keyboards and large button cell phones.

128 Main Road, Hermanus Email: ppo@hermanus.co.za

Franco Coetzee 028 312 1307

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Hermanus Pharmacies/Clinics Emergency after hours tel: 028 312 4039

Hermanus Pharmacy/Clinic 145 Main Road, Hermanus

Tel: 028 312 4039

brenda@hermanuspharmacy.co.za Hours: Mondays-Fridays 08:00 - 18:30 Saturdays: 08:00 - 13:00 & 18:30 - 19:30 Sundays & Public Holidays 10:00 - 12:00 & 18:30 - 19:30

GOOD

NEWS

Alex Grant Pharmacy/Clinic Gateway Centre, Hermanus

Tel: 028 312 4847

ingrid@alexgrantpharmacy.co.za Hours: Mondays-Fridays 08:00 - 17:30 Saturdays: 08:00 - 13:00

26 JANUARY 8 MARCH 2016 2016

A. Stewart Pharmacy Pick n Pay Centre, Hermanus

Tel: 028 312 1410

arnold@aspharmacy.co.za Hours: Mondays-Fridays 08:00 - 18:00 Saturdays: 08:00 - 14:00 Sundays & Public Holidays 10:00 - 12:00

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Shared vision for Hermanus Seth Anderson, spokesperson for both the Hermanus Ratepayer’s Association and the Business Chamber, says they are in support of the regeneration plans.

is not wise. To complete the High Street pedestrianisation will still take a few years as the buildings and tenants are upgraded.

Street project to suffer the same fate. In fact, the Mitchell Street Precinct land will have gained substantial value if sold after the High

“The available land in the Municipal Precinct where the tennis courts are, can now be made available to developers to erect a small office park there. This will already create a better image of town as you drive in,” he says.

According to Seth, depending on whether Main Road becomes a municipal road, the proposals for the upgrading of Main Road will go a long way in improving pedestrian access to the CBD, and the proposed change of Marine Drive into a single lane from Swallow Park to Gearing’s Point with an esplanade is an excellent idea as the pavements and pedestrian/cycling utility of the area is currently quite low while the potential of a Sea Point styled promenade is very apparent.

“The time frames for the regeneration of High Street need to be moved forward.

This is a game-changing project and to wait until after the mall has been completed

lot across from Rossi's.”

Henri Lerm, owner of the Misty Waves Hotel, says the regeneration framework appeals to most business and property owners.

“It is, however, important that the current time-frames be moved forward. We cannot allow for some of the most important redevelopments to start only once the mall has been completed.”

“The High Street projects needs to be started as soon as humanly possible so that the private sector involvement can begin once the municipal commitment to the project is implemented. We would like to see that work on this can start within the next six months.”

Seth says they disagree with the municipality that the funding for High Street should be allocated from the sale of the Mitchell Street Precinct land as that project has been frozen for half a decade already with no sign of progress.

“We do not want the High

Street paving project which would be beneficial to the municipality,” he says.

“We understand that a CBD in decline could affect tourism and thus most of the local economy. We are pushing via all avenues we can to make sure our CBD survives and thrives into the future even if it gets major competition. There are several ways the municipality can generate funds during the Regeneration process.

Developable portions of land are potentially available for sale at the tennis courts, the taxi rank, the Mitchell Street Precinct and the parking

Henri says a new marketing plan for the town needs to be developed alongside the regeneration plans.

“The traditional marketing that is largely dependent on selling Hermanus as a whale watching destination is no longer enough. The town and what the CBD offers must now form part of what we tell the world.”

According to Henri the proposed esplanade along Marine Drive, the developments at Swallow Park and the revamp of Main Road are all exciting new proposals. “The inclusion of Main Road in the plan can lead one to assume the construction of a by-pass road will go ahead.”

We have four tickets to give away to the IN THE VALLEY FEST taking place over the Easter weekend at the Forest Theatre in Camphill Road, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on Saturday 26 March from 12 noon – 10pm.

Enjoy live music, great food, wine, craft beer, children’s entertainment and an Easter Raffle at this family-friendly festival. Pre-sold tickets are R120 (R150 at the gate) and kids 12 years and under enter free. Bookings can be made at www.webtickets.co.za.

Two lucky readers can each win two free tickets by answering one simple question: Name any one of the musical talents that will be performing at the festival. Send your answer to news@thehermanusnews.co.za with your name and contact details. The two lucky winners will be contacted before Friday 18 March to collect their tickets.

Couple leaps to their 10th birthday Gwen Nepgen and her husband Arnold, who is known to many locals as the friendly pharmacist at A Stewart Pharmacy, had reason to smile on Monday 29 February. Both were born on the same day in the leap year of 1976, and this was only the tenth occasion they’ve had to celebrate their birthdays.

“We enjoyed a lovely evening with family and friends at Hermanus Primary’s club house,” says Arnold. “We usually arrange something special every leap year because we know we’ll have to wait another 4 years for the next birthday!”

Gwen agrees that this birthday was extra special as it also marked their 40th.

older we get as we’re destined to stay young forever!”

The couple, who have three children ranging from 7 to 12 years, have lived in Hermanus since 2007. They have known each other since Std. 1 (Gr 3) when they were in the same class at Aliwal-Noord Primary School and later matriculated together.

“We love living in Hermanus,” says Gwen.

“We are country people at heart and enjoy having close ties with the community. It’s also a great place to raise children.”

“Although we’re actually only 10 years old now,” quips Arnold. “Having our birthdays on 29 February is becoming more beneficial the

The Nepgens are looking forward to their next birthday in 2020.

028 312 2226

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8 MARCH 2016

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From the horse’s mouth

Oi neigh...

With the Overstrand Municipality’s confirmation last week that they are going ahead with their plans to relocate the wild horses currently roaming freely in the Fisherhaven and Meerensee area, the controversy regarding the fate of this small group of horses is set to continue.

The outrage among supporters of the horses being allowed to stay in the area has reached fever pitch on social media. An online petition launched at the end of January in favour of leaving the horses undisturbed resulted in over 300 signatures within the first five days and is now well over the 600 mark, with more than 100 passionate comments.

In the last few months the plight of the horses has also been the topic of discussion on Whale Coast 96FM and featured in local newspapers (including The Hermanus News, 22 December 2016 issue), a regional and even a national newspaper.

But while public opinion appears to be firmly behind a policy of non-interference, the Overstrand Municipality (OM) last week confirmed that the horses will be removed from the area. This plan of action is based on a report from Senior Environmental Manager Liezl Bezuidenhout, which included legal opinion regarding the status of the horses, the potential liability arising from an accident involving the horses and the public, and the responsibility of the Overstrand Municipality.

“It is important to understand that the municipality cannot allow the horses to roam freely in a residential area,” said Liezl.

“The horses originally came from the Rooisand side and when the estuary was breached they were initially forced to stay in Fisherhaven. They have become habituated to the built-up environment which does not offer enough grazing and their condition is not as healthy as that of the other horses. That is why they have to be relocated to their natural habitat in the Rooisand area, which has the capacity to sustain up to forty horses. We have a responsibility to ensure the health, well-being, safety and security of both the public and the animals, and if they are left to multiply in Fisherhaven it will only lead to bigger problems.”

According to Liezl water is still spilling into the estuary and they are only waiting for the mouth to close before leading the horses to the crossing point with food. The municipality will then task Working for the Coast teams to create a barrier on the shore with branches and vegetation to ensure that the horses do not cross back into Fisherhaven. Liezl also emphasised that the municipality did not reach this decision on their own, but in collaboration with the various members of the Feral Horse Task Team which includes CapeNature, Rooisand Horse Watch, Fisherhaven Ratepayer’s

Association and Bot River Estuary Forum.

However, while the OM stressed that it’s important for all the role players to work together, Heather Cowell from Rooisand Horse Watch (RHW) said the proposed method of luring the horses with food to the western shore of the Bot River estuary was never discussed at the task team meeting, and that they have been told to support this process without receiving any particulars.

RHW proposes alternative solutions, backed by legal opinion, to manage the wild horses and indemnify the OM of any legal implications in case of an accident.

These include a cattle grid at the entrance to Fisherhaven, a by-law prohibiting feeding and touching the horses, a fence on the R43, educational signage and lower speed limits.

“Hi there, my name is Midnight and I live in a quaint little town named Fisherhaven close to Hermanus with my husband Streetfighter and son Diamonds and four other friends. Well, we don't really live there, but I roam around freely around the Bot River Lagoon, and often spend time in the peaceful town with its friendly people. They keep their distance, since we are wild horses, but we co-exist harmoniously. Another group of three wild horses also tend to roam around town, and there's another group or two in the Rooisand area on the other side of the lagoon. We also like to visit the Middelvlei Estate and Meerensee, and we move alongside the lagoon up to the sea and back - depending on where the ‘vlei’ grass is the juiciest.

There seems to be lots of interest in us lately, and we have been photographed frequently by photographers and journalists who think we are newsworthy. We have overheard them talking, and it seems as if there is some danger of our freedom being taken away in future. Some people think they may be held accountable if something goes wrong and there is an accident, but we are quite street wise, and know our

way around. Anyway, we prefer the quiet areas and don't want to go into the busy R43. That does not make horse sense.

There are many horsy people around and some of them are part of the Rooisand Horse Watch. They are always friendly and smile at us. We appreciate the admiration, but we don't belong to anybody and nobody controls us.

Apparently that is enough to convince people that neither they nor the municipality can be held legally accountable for anything.

So just relax, kind humans.

We have been roaming around this area for more than a century, and we have never harmed anyone.

Just let us be and we'll keep being a "tourist attraction" as we overheard a visitor saying. There are signs around saying "Watch, don't touch or feed." We agree with that. We don't need your food, since we find more than enough in the vegetation around here. We also know their medicinal value, and the veterinarians who came to see us, said they are amazed at our excellent condition and perfect health. We are fine, you are fine, so let's just continue living peacefully together, please.

We had a bit of a scare

“We cannot condone the feeding of the horses in the proposed manner,” said Alta Pretorius, also a member of RHW. “They have always come and gone freely without incident and are in excellent physical condition. The majority of our members feel that they should simply be left alone.

They should not become dependent on human beings for their food and must remain free and wild as they have been for a hundred years.”

- Hedda Mittner

yesterday when a guy on horseback tried to herd the seven of us to the upper part of the main road close to the entrance to Fisherhaven. We don't usually move up so close to the highway, because it's too noisy over there. We got separated for a while, and there was a moment of anxiety, but fortunately the horse rider went on his way and left us alone.

Please tell the authorities to leave us in peace. We don't want to move towards a fenced-in farm close to Kleinmond as rumours have it. We are not bothering anybody, and we prefer to stay in separate groups and not all together. Some of the stallions become a bit aggressive when there are too many of them in a confined space.

Horses and humans have coexisted harmoniously for centuries. Let's keep it that way. Neeeiigh!

If you feel like we do, go sign the petition on Petition24.com/Fisherhaven wildhorses. There are almost 700 signatures already and more than a hundred kind comments. There are also several websites where you can see lovely photos of our family and the paradise we live in. Keep up the good work. Horsepower to you!

- Alta Pretorius

Manor House 10km from Stanford on the R326 028 341 1574 Oskars Village Square Market Street 028 312 3873 C00-EEE Café @ Pennypinchers Gateway Centre 028 32 1131 Crazy Horse 3 Long Street Hermanus 028 312 1944

Rossi’s Italian Restaurant

Running Rabbit Eastcliff Shopping Centre 028 312 1515

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26 JANUARY 8 MARCH 2016 2016

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• The Hermanus Country Market, 09:00-13:00, Fairways Avenue. Stunning food, fresh and wholesome goodies.

9 March, Wednesday

16 March, Wednesday

• Join South Hill Vineyards in the Elgin Valley for their Movie & Supper Evening every Wednesday. Sundowners at 18:00, supper at 19:00 and movie starts at 20:00. R135 pp (all incl). This week’s movie is Anomalisa (2015).

Mid-week stay-over package available that includes accommodation and breakfast.

Contact events@southhill.co.za to book your seats or to be included on their movie mailing list.

• Join the photowalkers every second Wednesday of the month for ‘Photography Chit-Chat’ at The Studio, 17 Mimosa Street, Hermanus, starting at 19:00. The theme this month is ‘Macro’ and you can bring any object that you think will make a good macro photograph such as a bug or a flower. These monthly meet-ups are free. RSVP: funtimes@thephotowalkers.com • Join the Hermanus Social Dance Club every Wednesday at 19:30 for their Social Beginners class, or their Open Social every Wednesday from 20:30 – 23:00. Call 072 316 5787 for details.

10 March, Thursday • Probus Lunch at the Hermanus Golf Club.

The speaker is Seth Anderson who will talk about the Hermanus CBD Revitalisation Project. To book, contact Alistair Lyle on 028 314 1390 or 073 778 2777.

• Join the Hermanus Social Dance Club for Dance2Fitness every Thursday at 17:00. Call 072 316 5787 for details.

• Local book launch of Foible by Jeremy Lawrence at The Book Cottage, 17 Long Street, Hermanus at 17:30 for 18:00. Foibles is a hilarious take on topical humorous themes, with illustrations by Carol Mangiagalli. Some of the original artwork will be on sale at the launch. RSVP: 028 313 0834 or bookcottage@whalemail.co.za.

11 March, Friday • Join the Hermanus Social Dance Club every Friday at 18:30 for their Social Beginners class, or their Open Social every Friday from 20:30 – 23:00. Call 072 316 5787 for details.

11-13 March, Friday - Sunday

• Spend a weekend away with the whole family at the magical Platbos Forest near Gansbaai and help re-plant this ancient, indigenous forest whilst learning all about holistic green living. Camp under the stars and Milkwoods, play and learn at fun workshops, enjoy an awesome line-up of music as well as a talent show and entertainment for the whole family. Bookings: www.quicket.co.za

12 March, Saturday • Hermanus parkrun, 08:00, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Free timed 5 km walk or run come rain or shine. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

• Lemm’s Corner Market, 08:30, Main Road, Hermanus. Crafts, clothes, jewellery, bags, toys and art.

• Hermanuspietersfontein Food & Wine

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• The Book Cottage and Hemel & See Boeke present ‘An evening to remember’ on the anniversary of SJ du Toit’s birthday at The Book Cottage, 17 Long Street, Hermanus at 17:00 for 17:30. Join in celebrating the work of this well-loved author and member of the local community. RSVP: aheslop@hermanus.co.za or send an SMS to 072 609 8655.

• Join the photowalkers for their photographic workshops: ‘An introduction to Lightroom’ from 09:00 – 12:00 and ‘Understanding the Exposure Triangle and Manual Mode’ from 15:00 – 17:00. More info and bookings: 083 293 7208 or leanne@thephotowalkers.com • Market in the Garden, 09:00-14:00, St Peters Church. A wonderful market set amongst the trees in the heart of town. Sit down in the tea garden and enjoy the surrounds.

• New market at Swallow Park, every Saturday from 09:00 – 13:00.

• Stanford Saturday Morning Market, 09:3012:00, the Stanford Hotel. Farmers, crafters and hobbyists bring to you homemade and home-baked goodies.

• Join the photowalkers for their photographic workshops: ‘Old bricks and long shadows’ from 06:30 – 08:30 at De Mond caravan park to capture textures and shadows in the morning light; ‘My camera basics’ from 11:00 – 13:00 to introduce you to an understanding of your equipment; and ‘After the Fires’ from 16:00 – 18:00 to discover beauty after the destruction on a walk in Fernkloof Nature Reserve. More details and bookings: 083 293 7208 or leanne@thephotowalkers.com • CANSA Relay for Life from 16:00 right through the night at Kleinmond Primary School, Main Road, Kleinmond. The theme is Fantasy World and the focus is children’s cancer. Call Estelle on 072 401 5913, send an email to estellehayward@gmail.com or visit www.relayforlife.org.za • Hermanus Staan Saam presents: Stille Runaway Dance for KKNK, 20:00, Grobbelaar Hall. Tickets are R60 pp and include finger foods. Bring your own glasses and drinks and prepare to dance the evening away.

Contact Annelie on 082 483 5632 or Tronel on 0827371226. Tickets will also be available at the door.

• Join the Hermanus Social Dance Club every Wednesday at 19:30 for their Social Beginners class, or their Open Social every Wednesday from 20:30 – 23:00. Call 072 316 5787 for details.

17 March, Thursday • The Hermanus History Society’s fourth AGM at 16:00, the Catholic Church hall, followed by a presentation by Prof Nigel Penn, Professor of History at UCT, on interesting aspects of the history of the Western Cape.

More information: 028 312 1663 or aheslop@hermanus.co.za • Join the Hermanus Social Dance Club for Dance2Fitness every Thursday at 17:00. Call 072 316 5787 for details.

18 March, Friday • Whale Coast Conservation: Walking 4 Water on the Hermanus Cliff Path, 18:00 19:30, departing from Gearing’s Point. Bring family, friends and dogs on leashes to enjoy the walk and relax afterwards on the lawn in front of the Windsor Hotel to enjoy the sunset and music. R20 donation to cover costs.

Please don’t bring any bottled water – only tap water in a recyclable or reusable bottle.

More info: anina.wcc@gmail.com or wcc@ocf.org.za

• Join the photowalkers on their photographic workshop ‘Sunrise at New Harbour’ from 06:00 – 08:00 and capture Hermanus waking up from this magnificent viewpoint. There will also be a fun workshop from 15:00 – 17:00, ‘Fynbos and Flowers on The Cliff Paths’. More info and bookings: 083 293 7208 or leanne@thephotowalkers.com

• Welcome the weary but triumphant Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse ladies when they arrive at Dutchies on Grotto beach after their 3-day coastal hike to raise funds for the Clive Prins Youth Addiction Treatment Programme in the Overstrand.

• U3A presents: Afrikaanse Letterkunde, 10:00 at the Catholic Church hall. Deon Knobel will talk about the poetry of his late brother, Wilhelm Knobel. Call Barbara Pretorius on 028 312 1438.

15 March, Tuesday • U3A DVD series ‘Changed utterly: Centenary of the Irish Rising of Easter 1916’ introduced by Dr Robin Lee, 10:00 at the Catholic Church hall. Contact 028 312 4072.

• Hermanus parkrun, 08:00, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Free timed 5 km walk or run come rain or shine. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

• Lemm’s Corner Market, 08:30, Main Road, Hermanus. Crafts, clothes, jewellery, bags, toys and art.

• Hermanuspietersfontein Food & Wine Market, 09:00-13:00, The Village. Where wine and food lovers both local and international meet.

• The Hermanus Country Market, 09:00-13:00, Fairways Avenue. Stunning food, fresh and wholesome goodies.

• Market in the Garden, 09:00-14:00, St Peters Church. A wonderful market set amongst the trees in the heart of town. Sit down in the tea garden and enjoy the surrounds.

• Stanford Saturday Morning Market, 09:3012:00, the Stanford Hotel. Farmers, crafters and hobbyists bring to you homemade and homebaked goodies.

• New market at Swallow Park, every Saturday from 09:00 – 13:00.

• Benguela Cove Harvest Celebration, 11:0016:00, Benguela Cove Wine Estate. Experience the excitement of harvest-time and the release of their new vintages. Enjoy live music, fun activities for young and old, amazing views and delicious wines. Entry is free. More information: 083 645 6198.

• Onrus/Vermont Unplugged Fundraiser, 18:00 – 22:00 at Davies Pool, Onrus. Show your support for OnVerWag and help raise funds for the implementation of the Onrus/Vermont CCTV camera project. There will be a safety & security / sustainable lifestyle expo, an open mic event, hamburger and boerie roll stand, and Light Photography by Dave de Beer. Buy a glow stick and join hands with millions of people across the globe who will be celebrating Earth Hour. To participate in this community event, call 0825540811 or onverwag@ovnhw.org.za.

19 – 20 March, Saturday & Sunday • Join Beaumont Wines in Botrivier for their annual Port Stomp at 18:30. At this enjoyable harvest festival guests get to dance to music on the grapes in Beaumont’s candlelit cellar, followed by a delicious 3-course meal and plenty of great wines. The cost is R375 pp (all incl). Bookings: 028 284 9194 or nici@beaumont.co.za.

• Join the Hermanus Social Dance Club every Friday at 18:30 for their Social Beginners class, or their Open Social every Friday from 20:30 – 23:00. Call 072 316 5787 for details.

18 – 20 March, Friday - Sunday

14 March, Monday

19 March, Saturday

• Join South Hill Vineyards in the Elgin Valley for their Movie & Supper Evening every Wednesday. Sundowners at 18:00, supper at 19:00 and movie starts at 20:00. R135 pp (all incl). This week’s gripping movie is 71 (2015).

Bookings: events@southhill.co.za

13 March, Sunday

• Beloftebos Summer Sunday Picnic at 12:00, Belfotebos on Paardenberg farm near Stanford. Come and enjoy a great meal under the tranquil trees while Papa Ger provides soothing melodies. Booking is essential. Email corneli@beloftebos.co.za or call 072 111 9380.

09:00 – 12:00. Cost: R2 200 including 2 luncheons and daily coffee & teas. More information and bookings: 083 680 9934 or liesel@skyeye.co.za

• Greenpop Reforest Fest: Friends Weekend.

An idyllic, fun-filled weekend away to reconnect with nature. Help rehabilitate the ancient Platbos Forest and experience the spirit of holistic green living as you plant trees, camp under the stars and dance to live music. Tickets: www.quicket.co.za • Greyton Creative Arts Workshop, presented by artist and teacher Debbie Field, at the Anglican Hall, Greyton. Learn how to turn a simple sketch into a colour rich painting.

Time: Friday & Saturday 09:00 – 16:00; Sunday

8 MARCH 2016

• The Pringle Bay Village Festival. Join this picturesque coastal town for a weekend of fun at the 2nd annual Village Festival.

Entertainment for the whole family, live music, craft and food stalls, wine tasting and much, much more!

• Enjoy the Baardskeerdersbos Art Route, cohosted by local artists and featuring exciting new members and guest artists. All artists’ homes/studios will be open to the public, affording the rare opportunity to interact with the artists and have at a closer look at their creative processes. The route is well sign posted and maps and pamphlets are available at all venues.

Baarskeerdersbos also offers places to stay, eat and soak up the glorious Strandveld.

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Market, 09:00-13:00, the Village. Where wine and food lovers both local and international meet.

Getting that FynArts feeling

FynArts, now in its fourth year, is increasingly being embraced by the people and businesses of Hermanus. This unique fusion of a winter school and arts festival will take place from 10 – 19 June.

The offering of special festival exhibitions has extended to include most of the art galleries in town as well as The Mission's House Gallery in Onrus, while The Marine and Windsor Hotels as well as the Municipal Auditorium, will once again host exhibitions, talks and demonstrations.

The Windsor Hotel will be the venue of Forms of Expression, an exhibition by 31 awardwinning ceramicists, and several talks. The Marine will also host a talk, The Fine art of Printmaking, by local artist Titia Ballot.

For a group exhibition in the foyer of the Auditorium, 25 of South Africa's top fibre artists have once again joined forces to present a unique display of innovative work for

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The Art of Thread. During FynArts the Keiskamma Art Project's 4m high Altarpiece will hang as a backdrop on the stage of the Auditorium.

Talks on a wide variety of art-related subjects in the Auditorium include The role of the Arts by well-known actor John Kani. In Bella and the Boys, festival artist Louis Jansen van Vuuren and chef Hardy Olivier will be talking to Isabella Niehaus. There will also be a painting performance by Louis, Art in the Round, and the resultant artwork will be auctioned in aid of the FynArts Development Fund at the FynArts Supper Club in the Grobbelaar Hall on 18 June.

Starting a new FynArts tradition, Louis and Hardy will team up with Amanda Strydom and Janine Neethling to provide a firstclass evening of performance and fine food in the French tradition.

In keeping with this year's theme of ‘A French

Connection’, Marliyn Martin will talk about Art in Paris from 1863 – 1874; and Anthony Hamilton Russell about the French influence on Winemaking in South Africa and Beyond, both at the Auditorium. Other performances in the Auditorium will include The Way old Friends Do, a recital of piano, cello and violin; Handel in the Drawing Room; and UCT opera students in Carmen and Other Loved Operas, directed by Kamal Khan.

Places of worship, some for the first time, are offering assistance by providing venues for FynArts performances and talks. The Hermanus Dutch Reformed Church will again be the venue for the Opening Concert, featuring clarinetist Junnan Sun with the FynArts Festival Orchestra, conducted by Richard Cock. Other performances include Louis Armstrong and Friends; an organ recital, The King of Instruments, by Hermanus resident Louna Stofberg; Peter and the Wolf, performed by the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra; and the Delft Big Band will be the star of the closing concert on 19 June.

This year the Onrus Dutch Reformed Church will host

the popular Last Night of the Proms.

The United Church will once again host talks, including Brothers in Arms - the Delville Wood Story by James Gray; Slow Violence, by Marica Otto and Libby de Villiers, a compilation of verse, music and poetry around the theme of violence; while the Anglican Church will again be the venue for a number of lunchtime concerts, including a programme by top students of

Stellenbosch Conservatorium; and The Mosque in Main Street will be the venue of a talk, Islam - the Message of Peace.

Participating restaurants will stay open later than usual during FynArts. Moreover, Harbour Rock Restaurant will host some talks, including: Mannie Manin in conversation with John Kani; The Art of Free Speech by Max du Preez; and What's in a Name? by Richard Cock. A new venue this year, the

Walker Bay Ski Boat Club, will host Fish, Chips and Fisherman's Tales.

Bouchard Finlayson will once again sponsor the Bouchard Finlayson Tondo Art Award and the tondo exhibition will be hosted in the winery’s cellar. Other wine farms in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley like Whalehaven, Sumaridge, La Vierge and Creation will also be hosting special exhibitions during FynArts. www.hermanusfynarts.co.za

An Evening to Remember

SJ du Toit

On the anniversary of her birthday Join us at 17:00 for 17:30

On Tuesday 15 March

In celebrating this well-loved author and member of the local community RSVP: aheslop@hermanus.co.za or SMS 072 609 8655

17 Long Street, Hermanus 028 313 0834 bookcottage@whalemail.co.za

26 JANUARY 8 MARCH 2016 2016

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Tougherer Hilux comes to Hermanus Toyota's eighth-generation Hilux has been met with wide acclaim after its launch at the end of February.

Says Johan van Zyl of Hermanus Toyota: “It’s instantly recognisable as a Hilux, it feels like a Hilux, it drives like a Hilux – only better.

Successfully melding innovation, sophistication and extrovert design with fanatical reliability, the all-new Hilux will be the benchmark. The legend is set to continue.”

Completely re-designed from the inside out the all-new Hilux ushers in a radically luxurious interior wrapped in a sophisticated, chiseled new body, offering both exceptional on-road performance and new technologies, while remaining true to its core values of uncompromising off-road ability and, of course,

legendary toughness.

“At the same time, however, family and leisure owners get more comfort, more features and more driver aids, active traction control, hill hold and trailer sway control,” says Johan.

The new Hilux is 90mm longer, 20mm wider and 5mm lower than its predecessor, with a new front end that integrates the upper grille and headlight clusters to form distinctive daytime running lights featuring 12 LEDs. Inside, the centre stack has a tablet-style touch-screen display that works like a smartphone; it's also been brought closer to the front seats to make it easier to get to. A new driver's instrument binnacle has analogue speedometer and rev-

counter dials either side of a colour multifunction display, with a switch on the height and reach-adjustable steering wheel to scroll through its menus.

The interior trim is available in three levels - tough, hardwearing fabric for business users, soft-textured fabric for mid-level grades and leather for top-end models.

The centre console box has space for 22 CDs (for those that still use them) and an optional, 220V AC power outlet, there are cup holders on the dashboard and transmission tunnel, as well as auxiliary and USB ports.

“The cargo deck width is up from 1 544mm to 1 645mm, and the tail-gate hinges have been beefed up, as have the struts that hold it in the open position. The floor ribs have been redesigned, sill cross-members added to the floor panel and the header panel been reinforced.

“All Hilux engines now also have a Drive Mode switch that lets you choose between 'Eco' and 'Power' settings. Eco mode reduces power consumption under acceleration as well as heating and cooling to improve fuel economy, while Power mode sharpens throttle response,” he says.

For more information, call Hermanus Toyota on 028 312 1177

Turning our town green The Overstrand Municipality’s draft tree policy has been described as a sensible policy that encourages the planting and preservation of trees as environmentally desirable, and aesthetically appealing. It does not advocate removal of any trees that are not a problem from an environmental point of view.

According to Lauren Rainbird, Horticulturist of the Overstrand Municipality, the policy for municipal tree management is the first of its kind for the region.

“There is no existing policy regarding the management of trees on municipal land within the Overstrand Municipality and as a result, ad hoc decisions are taken and no uniform set of standards are applied. It is therefore the purpose of this policy to ensure uniformity regarding tree management in the region,” states the policy.

It further states that the planting of trees in the area must be promoted by the implementation of sustained planting programmes that include community participation, with emphasis on previously disadvantaged areas.

Preference is given to the planting of indigenous trees dependent on local conditions. This does not exclude the use of exotic species provided that they are non-invasive and are more suited to local conditions.

Species selected are of utmost importance in order to eliminate problems associated with the growth characteristics of certain tree species, for example damage resulting from aggressive root systems and excessive height that might obstruct the view.

Conservation (WCC), they are glad to see that the policy makes provision for residents who have invasive trees that may spread into adjoining properties, especially nature reserves, to have these trees removed.

An example would be the New Zealand Christmas trees growing near the Cliff Path in Hermanus.

“The policy also includes a list of sensible trees for the Overstrand area. The list includes both indigenous and non-indigenous trees that grow well in this area and are not problem trees, while non-invasive exotic trees in urban areas like the beautiful and iconic flowering gums, will not be removed. They, and other non-invasive gum trees, are essential forage for bees in the Western Cape,” says Anina.

The policy also makes provision for guidelines for the planting of trees on pavements and the pruning or removal of trees.

The policy states the pruning or removal of all trees on municipal property will be done by the Overstrand Municipality and requests for pruning or removal of trees should be directed in writing to the Overstrand Management.

Generally, trees are only to be pruned for sound arboricultural reasons.

Pruning will however be considered where trees cause damage to structures, or obstruct pedestrian or vehicular access, impede traffic sight lines, where trees obstruct solar powered electricity and heating devices or cause excessive

shedding of leaves, fruits, seeds or any other plant material to fall on sidewalks.

“While it is not denied that in certain instances trees may form a nuisance to a property owner, pruning or removal of trees will not be considered (but not limited to these) for the following reasons: interference with radio/TV reception, allergic reactions, causing excessive shade, view obstruction (other than reducing visibility of traffic sight lines), obscuring private advertising boards and signs (other than public signage), causing a nuisance in respect of swimming pools, hampering the growth of other plants or the attraction of insects or birds (including bats) because of its flowers and/or fruit,” according to the policy.

Lauren says the municipality will always encourage residents who take it upon themselves to beautify an area but this must be done in co-operation with the municipality. “Residents must remember though, that it remains municipal property and if any services below ground need to be worked on the area will be dug up.

“Concerning the pruning and or removal of protected trees permission must be obtained from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry,” says Lauren.

The policy is available at public libraries and at www.overstrand.gov.za and members of the public can comment on the draft policy before 4 April. Comments can be sent to Lauren Rainbird at lrainbird@overstrand.gov.za

According to Anina Lee, Communications Manager of Whale Coast

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People

From the big screen to the big outdoors our whole economy is based on – the proverbial goose that lay the golden egg.”

Our

Anina says the Whale Coast Conservation team realised that the best way to conserve our natural assets is to get people involved, and to this purpose they have launched various initiatives such as the Citizen Science Projects, eco-adventures, school expos and holiday programmes for children, as well as interesting monthly talks hosted at their headquarters, The Green House in Vermont.

Dr Robin Lee and his wife Dr Anina Lee may no longer be in the ‘prime of youth’ but they certainly are in the ‘prime of retirement’. You would be hard pressed to find anyone – let alone two people under the same roof – who have made a greater contribution to the community of Hermanus in their respective fields.

With a PhD in English literature and vast experience in academia and the non-profit business sector, Robin has been instrumental in the creation of the University of the Third Age (U3A), an educational institution for people over 50 years of age, and the Hermanus History Society (HHS) which aims to make history more relevant and more alive to residents

Conservation couple Dr Anina Lee and Dr Robin Lee at their home in Fernkloof and visitors. Anina holds a PhD in biochemistry and is a founder member of Whale Coast Conservation (WCC) which acts as the environmental watchdog of the Overstrand. And that only accounts for their endeavours after their socalled retirement…

Together their mission is to record and preserve the unique history of our town and to protect and conserve its natural assets for generations to come. “As the second fastest growing

Anina and Robin on one of WCC’s eco adventures - a midnight hike on Hoy’s Koppie

Send us your news and pictures: news@ thehermannusnews.co.za or share them to our Facebook Group #myhermanus 6 Royal Street, Hermanus 028 312 4424

town in the Western Cape (after Cape Town), Hermanus faces many challenges and it is often a case of ‘too little too late’ when dealing with these challenges”, says Robin.

“We tend to find ad hoc solutions and what is lacking is a clear vision for our town.”

The Lees are both fatalistic about ‘progress’ because, as Anina says, you can’t stop people from coming here. “It’s the nature of human society – when something of value is discovered, everyone wants it and finally they will destroy it. It is a process that is almost impossible to control.”

The couple’s love of Hermanus goes back several decades to 1978 when they spent their first holiday here with Anina’s sister, who had a holiday cottage in Voëlklip that had been built by the legendary Ella Gordon of Karwyderskraal. “We also had close friends who lived on Grotto beach and

throughout the eighties and nineties we spent many holidays in Hermanus with our two sons,” says Robin.

While on vacation in Hermanus in 1996, Robin and Anina were having a pleasant Sunday lunch at Bientang’s Cave when Robin said: “I think we should retire here.” Not long after that they built their first home in Fernkloof and settled here permanently after Robin’s semi-retirement in 2001.

Entranced by the natural beauty of the area, Anina immediately immersed herself in local organisations such as the Botanical Society, the Bird Club and the Cliff Path Management Group before joining Whale Coast Conservation (previously known as the Overstrand Conservation Foundation) as a founder member. “We changed the name to one that people will understand and remember,” says Anina. “Together with my colleagues Rob Fryer and Sheraine van Wyk we are dedicated to looking after the environment which

Apart from his involvement with U3A and the HHS, Robin has in recent years authored many articles on the history of Hermanus, presented several illustrated talks and audio-visual programmes, and published three books, all under the auspices of the HHS – the English translation of ‘Hawston: Tussen Berg en See’, ‘In those Days – The Story of Joey van Rhyn Luyt’ and ‘Luyt’s Marine: A Diary of the years 1942 – 1947’. He is currently working on his next book, ‘A History of the New Harbour’ which includes fascinating interviews with the original perlemoen divers from decades ago.

“This is a unique town with a rich and colourful history,” says Robin. “The pattern of its socio-economic development resulted in waves of history that were characterised by different eras – first it was a fisherman’s village, then came the influx of Jewish merchants and the change from subsistence fishing to commercialised fishing which necessitated the establishment of the New Harbour. After World War I Hermanus became known for its healthy climate and was a therapeutic destination for ailing Europeans. Its fame as a

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What few people know is that it was neither history nor science that brought Robin and Anina together, but the theatre. While lecturing at Wits and completing her PhD, Anina, whose mother was a drama teacher, joined the university’s drama organisation, the Wits Players, where Robin was the assistant director. After their marriage she continued to lecture at the university’s science faculty and also went on to star in many TV commercials, programmes, drama series and movies such as ‘Huis op Horings’, ‘Die Wildtemmer’, ‘Fynbos’, ‘Sondaarspoort’ and ‘Skattejag’.

Anina has also worked in interior design and as project manager on home builds.

Their current home in Fernkloof is testimony to her creative skills – a welcoming home with open-plan, light-filled spaces that afford beautiful views over the mountains. It is the base from where Robin and Anina live and work side by side, enjoying their tireless and very active ‘retirement’.

“We have done a lot during our lifetime,” says Robin with a modest smile, “but I feel I have only now reached the height of my intellectual power.”

- Hedda Mittner For more information on the HHS, contact Robin Lee: 028 312 4072 or robinlee@hermanus.co.za To find out more about WCC, contact Anina: 028 316 2527 or anina.wcc@gmail.com

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holiday resort and retirement destination also grew steadily, but today the town is subservient to the motor car and has largely lost its village character.” It remains to be seen what the next ‘wave’ of history will bring, but appreciating and preserving our unique town is clearly a subject close to Robin’s heart.

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13

Desperately seeking young entrepreneurs Creating 500 000 new jobs, with all due respect to its architects, was a pipe dream.

This visionary road to prosperity and a better life for all, with the benefit of hindsight, was not worth the paper it was written on. And more disturbingly, it has caused untold damage to the aspirations, hopes and prospects of another generation of South African youngsters.

In South Africa, SMMEs constitute a mere 45% of our job market. And sadly, the majority of these start-ups fail in their first year of operation.

The reasons are not hard to find. In essence, our authorities, as well as our inadequate education systems, are failing them.

Creativity and innovation It begins with the development of an entrepreneurial mindset.

itself at a very early age.

‘Most new jobs won’t come from our biggest employers. They will come from our smallest. We’ve got to do everything we can to make entrepreneurial dreams a reality.’

According to internationally recognised leaders in the field of education, creativity and innovation, much of what we are so desperately

seeking is inborn. That is to say, innovation - which is an essential driver of job creation and development - manifests

Childhood years are often marked by an inert innovative spirit, by creativity and exploration. And yet, somehow, these are the very qualities that are lost over time simply because they are not properly nurtured.

We are all born with immense natural talents but our institutions, especially our education systems, tend to stifle them. The end result is a disastrous waste of talent

Disengaged youth South Africa has 3.2 million disengaged youth. Over 50% of our youth aged 15 to 24 are without jobs. If it is any consolation, we are not alone in the unemployment crisis.

According to a report by the IMF, only 60% of the world’s employable population have jobs. To this the president of The World Bank added “there is no one country in the world without problems of insufficient jobs.”

Internationally, these youngsters that are without employment, not attending any educational institution, or undergoing any vocational training, are referred to as NEETS – No Education, Employment or Training. The overriding concern is the fact that large numbers of disengaged youth lead to severe and adverse social, economic and political consequences. Private/public initiatives and interventions that engage our youth in education or help embrace entrepreneurship (self-help) as a career path, are now vital given the costs of social exclusion.

Entrepreneural dreams “Most new jobs won’t come from our biggest employers.

They will come from our smallest. We’ve got to do everything we can to make entrepreneurial dreams a reality,” says Ross Perot – a world economics analyst and new business specialist.

back up!

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Wasted talent In the case of South Africa, we are simply not creating a generation of capable and passionate entrepreneurs.

Historically, entrepreneurship serves as a catalyst for economic growth and national competitiveness, and for an emerging economy such as ours, our lowly ranking in the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index is a worrying sign. Significantly smaller countries than ours, which have far less income to invest in their youth, are simply outpacing us.

Clearly, there is much work to be done. Some have taken up the challenge.

Back in 2011, The Business Place – an entrepreneurship creation and small business hub based in Phillipi – were among the early pioneers in the Cape marketplace.

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“There is a dire need to start grooming future business owners and leaders among our youth in South Africa. We desperately need to start inculcating a culture of entrepreneurship even at high school level for the country to start addressing current challenges of high rates of unemployment.”

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Entrepreneural mindset So we need to start moving away from a job-seeking mentality to an entrepreneurial mindset.

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Retrospectively.

We at Rola VW in Hermanus don’t for a minute believe we have all the answers. Our town is but a micro melting pot of the nation’s many social development and economical challenges. But, of this we are all in agreement. Creating young entrepreneurs will help rid our country of many of its social ills.

Perhaps the solution lies in the Zulu term “Vukuzenzele!”

Which when translated into English means – get up and do it for yourself! A timely call to actively address the growing number of NEETS among our youth.

It requires a concerted effort and a massive mind shift from all stakeholders.

There are too many youngsters, including university graduates, who have not embraced entrepreneurship as a means to a livelihood.

Mindlessly seeking employment as a career as opposed to opportunities for creating employment.

In other developing countries around the world, small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) make up around 80% of the business market Endeavour Brazil cites 96% of jobs in Brazil are directly through SMMEs.

among our students and potential leaders.

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A youth art development initiative in the interests of Overstrand entrepreneurship.

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Why entrepreneurship has gone from a ‘must’ to ‘critical.’

My Pet

Dogs get allergies too If your dog is driving you nuts with his constant scratching, biting and licking he may be suffering a skin allergy, which often presents as the seasons change. Allergies cause great discomfort to your dog leaving him with bald, bleeding patches and raised bumps or blisters on his skin.

Common allergies

There are several possible causes but the most common, and the one vets see most often, are caused by flea bites.

You might say ‘but my dog doesn’t have fleas!’ because you can’t see any but did you know that only adult fleas can be seen with the naked eye, and that they make up only about 5% of the total flea population?

Flea allergies usually present

as redness and scratching of the tail, rump, neck and back area. If your dog is itching it is wise to apply a flea treatment as a first line of defense. Speak to your vet or Vetshop about a suitable flea prevention product.

Dogs can also be allergic to some types of food caused by the proteins in commercial dog foods.

These present as redness and itching around the mouth, face and between the paws, or your dog may suffer from atopy, an allergic condition caused by inhaled allergens or absorption of allergens through the skin.

Unfortunately, the more the dog scratches the more susceptible he becomes to secondary bacterial skin infections where bacteria attack the raw, exposed

skin. This becomes itchier, more painful and this vicious cycle will ultimately lead to a severe skin infection commonly known as “hot spots”.

Treatment

Firstly, an itching dog should be taken to your vet for a full examination and diagnosis.

Add-on treatments such as essential fatty acids and shampoos are often recommended to keep itching under control. Your Vetshop stocks Vetsbrands DermoFocus oil containing the highest quality Omega 3 and 6, which is particularly recommended if your dog suffers atopic dermatitis in

summer. Start treatment well before spring. You need just a little sprinkled on his food each day.

Allergies can be frustrating for you and your dog and there is rarely a total cure but the symptoms can be managed to give your dog a good quality of life.

Treatment options may include cortisone, antihistamines and antibiotics and, of course, flea control. Ask your Vetshop about Bravecto, Nexguard or Revolution.

If food allergy is suspected, your vet may recommend changing your dog’s diet.

However, you should know that with food trials it may take up to 8 weeks before improvement is seen so patience is needed.

Penguin sanctuary celebrates 1st birthday The opening of the African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) in Gansbaai on 26 February 2015 was a dream that came true for a group of people who are passionate about the conservation of marine birds in the Overstrand.

With the support of all the sponsors, visitors, volunteers and friends who believed in this dream, APSS was able to achieve their goal of making a difference in the field of marine bird conservation during their first year of operation. Among their achievements are: • Admittance of 114 African penguins • Successful release of 90% of the African penguins • Treatment of 44 marine birds at the sanctuary • Education provided for 11 250 visitors to APSS • Establishment of a stranding network along the coastline to assist them with rescues and recoveries • Becoming an active player

in the implementation of the African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan working closely with CapeNature to achieve positive conservation outcomes for the Dyer Island area With less than 2% of the original African Penguin population left in the wild, the removal of abandoned chicks and hand raising them at the sanctuary for a month or more before returning them to the island, is but one part of the bigger African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan. Before being released, these chicks are fitted with transponders to ensure that research into the success of the project can continue.

So why on earth would we remove African Penguin chicks from Dyer Island?

The chicks are not abandoned because

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African penguins are bad parents, in actual fact they do a really good job to raise and feed their young in spite of some challenging circumstances. OctoberNovember is the end of the breeding season; chicks are supposed to be fat and healthy and ready to be kicked out of the nest to start fending for themselves.

These chicks will either starve to death on the island or venture into the ocean without the required amount of fat reserves to allow them to survive the challenges of the wild.

The parents are faced with a dilemma – not only do they have to feed their young, they also need to undergo a full on feather change. This means that they have to build up enough fat reserves (about 3 times their normal body weight) to stay on land for their entire moult because they are not waterproof during that time and therefore they cannot hunt.

In a perfect world one could argue that this is a natural process of selection, but then in a perfect world man would not have removed millions of penguin eggs to be consumed as a delicacy, or scraped tons of guano off the penguin nesting islands which robbed them of their insulated, protected burrows. They were forced to nest on the surface, exposing both their eggs and chicks to opportunistic predators like sea gulls. They also did not ask to be covered in toxic oil.

Due to a variety of circumstance, sometimes the parents start their moult before their offspring have reached the fledgling stage.

So we do not reside in a perfect world and therefore we need to take some active conservation measures to try and prevent

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But we cannot help them without the assistance and active participation of people who share our commitment towards the protection of the environment and the biodiversity of the Overstrand.

- Brenda du Toit www.africanpenguin.org

SYLVESTER: He is our lover-boy in the cattery and will happily roll over for belly rubs. He’s 4 years old, neutered and healthy, except because he reaaally likes his food and reaaally doesn’t like to be too active, he is inclined to develop urinary tract infections. If he is kept on a healthy diet and encouraged to play (which he does do!) he will remain healthy for a long time still to come. His purr sounds like the idling roar of a V8 engine and his coat is like silky velvet. He’s as loving and easy going as they come.

FAYE: This special lady was brought in to be euthanized last year, but she was so incredibly loving and friendly that we just couldn’t. She’s been a “stray” for so long her health had taken a big knock, but she’s fought her way back into excellent condition.

Loving, mischievous and playful, she gets on with everybody and adores all who meet her. She is about 2 years old, we think she possibly has a touch of African Wild Cat in her, based on her markings, and she definitely has a touch of magic about her too.

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the possible extinction of one of South Africa’s most iconic animals. At the moment Every Bird Counts.

26 JANUARY 8 MARCH 2016 2016

VETSHOP @ HERMANUS Pick & Pay Centre Hermanus Tel: 028 – 312 1453 Retail Hours Mon – Fri: 8.30am – 6pm Sat: 9am-3pm Sun: 9am-1pm Public holidays: 9am-1pm

RASCAL: This lovely lassie is now 3 years old and has spent almost half her life in our cattery. She’s a gorgeous tuxedo girl with a healthy sense of fun who enjoys the odd cuddle, but doesn’t need to be snuggled all the time. Rascal’s favourite thing is to perch high up and greet you with a pat to the head as you come by. Her tiny meow asks for a quick scratch and then she wants to tussle with a toy or a ball. Rascal gets on well with most of the cats, but thinks stinky-poo dogs are beneath her notice. You’ll spend most of the day giggling at her mischief.

VETSHOP @ ONRUS 2 Wybo Newmark Rd Onrus Tel: 028 – 3162 904 Retail Hours Mon – Fri: 9am–7pm Sat: 8.30am-2.30pm Sun: 9am-1pm Public holidays: 9am-1pm

15

My Home

Pitfalls aplenty when you start letting So, you’ve decided to let your home, but where to start? It could be as easy as putting an ad in the local newspaper and on sites such as gumtree? “Or not,” says Nicky Krupski, Manager of Seeff Hermanus Rentals.

your best detective skills, even consider Facebook stalking and with so many variables who knows but then there are many people willing to give your new superstar fantastic references… to get rid of them.”

“Depending on the current market conditions you may have met or have had responses in no time at all from many, many, nice enough people or families, especially when you meet and they have the cutest kids and even a well behaved Labrador.”

Now, before you decide to “file 13” the entire idea, consider the following:

“Sounds familiar right? Then everyone gets on the bandwagon and before you know it there are 17 agents knocking at your door and everyone has the right people,” she says.

Nicky advises that the fact of the matter is that your home is your investment, placing a tenant should be based entirely on: • Clinical financial capability and; • Logical suitability for your house.

“So, you decide to employ

• Place a very honest well written ad, if you don’t want pets, say it. Be clear of rental amounts and additional items your prospective tenants will be responsible for.

• When receiving replies, ask as many questions as you can, who will be staying, ages of kids (especially if you have a pool). Get as much information as possible on paper.

• Make repairs to the property timeously. Keep up to date on maintenance and repairs needed and ensure these are done when requested by the tenant.

If your property is not kept in good repair, there is very little chance that good tenants will want to

stay on. Remember, your tenant is your customer. If you want him to pay on time, make sure that he is happy.

• Make sure the premises are secure. Don't let your tenants and property be easy marks for criminals. If the property needs security additions, take the necessary steps to protect it and your tenant. Proper lighting, trimming tree branches that hang over the wall or fence and decent security gates are often all that is needed.

• Provide notice before entering the property.

While it is recommended that you inspect the property from time to time, your tenant’s privacy must be respected. Notify them whenever you plan to enter the unit and provide as much notice as possible.

• Now for the financial part, and this is where it gets complicated, fact of the matter is that there is so much legislation that needs to be adhered to but the most important of

it all is: o Deposits held is not your money and must be in an interest bearing account. o Verbal Rental agreements are a really bad idea so please, please, put it in writing.

Nicky Krupski, Seeff Rental Agent

o You also need to be clued up on the Consumer Protection Act, especially Section 14 which relates to cancellation of agreements, and the penalties. o The Overstrand Municipality does not allow tenants to apply for services so this is also something that you need to be clear on and put in your lease agreement. o Make sure you have adequate building insurance. Purchase enough liability and property insurance. You must protect yourself against possible losses to your rental property caused by anything from fire and storms to burglary and vandalism.

“A property is a big

investment and you don’t want to end up in a situation where you lose money (either through damage or bad management) on the investment because you didn’t follow all the necessary steps to prevent this from happening. Prevention is better than cure,” says Nicky.

Selecting a rental agent should be one of your biggest requirements. Choose and supervise your rental agent carefully if you use one. Do a thorough background check and clearly spell out the manager's duties to help prevent problems later.

Remember, you own the property and the rental agent provides an administration service. Decisions must be taken by the owner of the property and not the letting agent.

For advice on Property rental, Contact Nicky Krupski at Seeff Hermanus on 028 150 0001

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16

A corner stone of Hermanus “People, products, services and reliability form the cornerstones of our business.

However, it is respect for each other and our clients, pride in our tasks and teamwork that embraces the staff of this business into a working family,” says Clinton Smith of Cape Stone, Hermanus.

Clinton asks nothing of his staff that he wouldn’t ask of himself. The premises are immaculate. Visitors to the Cape Stone office are struck by the neatness and cleanliness of the factory adjoining it, belying its

function as a cement works.

A constant buzz of activity, visitors are warmly greeted and attended to promptly.

Founded in 2006, Clinton became a partner in the business two years ago.

When the opportunity presented itself last year, he bought the partnership out and now manages enthusiastically from the driver’s seat. “We have not got where we are today without continual hard work.

I believe that a business needs to grow organically; Cape Stone has been built

Clinton Smith and the Cape Stone team.

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up gradually and it is paying off. We now employ eleven permanent staff and take on six casuals when we are really busy.”

Cape Stone are the sole manufacturers in Hermanus of simulated stone products.

They produce interior and exterior tiles, cobbled paving, wall cladding, specialised copings for pools and tiles, as well as landscape products. All the products are handmade and produced to the highest 40MPA concrete standards, well above industry norms.

“Our products are regularly tested by PPC Cement Laboratories to ensure that we maintain an uncompromising standard of excellence and our test certificates are readily available for our clients’ perusal,” says Clinton.

Why select a simulated stone product as opposed to a natural one? Natural stone doesn’t cover the wide range of quality simulated stone products on offer, at a comparable price range. Not all natural stones are broadly accessible and some by their nature, do not weather well, while others are extremely expensive to procure. Clinton emphasises the green spin off, “It is far more sustainable to manufacture simulated products than to continue sourcing material by digging into the earth.” A particular piece of stone is specifically selected to enable the creation of a master mould.

Cape Stone’s own moulds are cast off this master mould for use in the manufacturing process, allowing them to mirror design the same piece of original stone in their product range.

“The structural integrity of

26 JANUARY 8 MARCH 2016 2016

the paving remains the same as when it was installed, while the natural elements and general usage create a natural stone look. We only use the very highest quality of imported iron oxides as our colouring agents. These are fully mixed into the concrete mix and not just applied to the surface, thus imprinting the entire product.

This quality extends right through our manufacturing process and into the delivery system. I only source superior quality pallets, to facilitate smooth and safe transportation.”

Clinton and his team encourage private clients, architects and contractors alike to visit their factory and office premises, to allow them to be taken through the various options on offer and the specific installation process. For those not

residing in the Overstrand, a brand new website offers a broad range of practical information to facilitate easy communication from outlying site offices. “We respond to quotes and information requests timeously and efficiently. This thread of attention to detail weaves right through the business,” he says.

In conclusion, Clinton stresses, “I have chosen not to mechanise the business, in favour of providing employment for our local Hermanus community, enabling them to earn a decent day’s wage and provide for their families.”

- Kathy Mulock-Bentley Cape Stone, 5 Argon Street, Sandbaai Business Park, Hermanus, 7200 Tel: (028) 312 2390 Cell: 072 904 3736

17

Helping our children sparkle “Goodwill in this country is its biggest commodity,” says Theo Krynauw of Sparkle Kids with conviction. “We need to find common values and points of interest to create an all-inclusive middle class.”

Theo and his wife Angie are the faces behind Sparkle Kids, a unique upliftment and skills development initiative which focuses on mentoring children, helping them to identify their passion and guiding them in making sensible decisions that will help them achieve their goals.

ago, Theo and his wife Angie approached Mr Lolwana, Headmaster of Qhayiya Secondary School in Zwelihle, with the aim to collectively uplift, encourage and parent children, many of whom were from dysfunctional families. The vital ingredients to the success of this venture, being devoted mentorship and training, as well as tireless fundraising and attendant generous donations, have produced far reaching and life changing results.

‘Sparkle’ is surely the operative word. Five years

“The ongoing dedication and commitment of Mr

Lolwana and other wonderful teachers, who he carefully sources from across the Cape, is notable,” says Theo. “They dedicate their holidays to affording the students special extra lessons over this time.” The result?

The Senior Pass rate at the school has impressively risen from 32% to 80%.

“Retired German Dutch couple, Doro and husband Ad, now Hermanus residents, have been offering and sponsoring a first-class computer literacy workshop at Qhayiya twice weekly, which is eagerly received by the students. Swede Dennis Ekbom arranges cultural and interactive tours for international visitors to the school, with each tourist donating one and sometimes even two second hand laptops to the school.”

His intention? Every student passing Grade 12 with a Bachelor Pass Matric, is presented with a laptop as an essential tool for University. Over 150 of these laptops have been donated so far.

Doctors, counsellors, lawyers, businessmen, educational specialists, occupational and youth therapists to name a few, have taken on

the role of mentorship guides to the students. “They are all committed to establishing long-term relationships with the children,” says Theo.

Mentors help the children to identify realistic and achievable dreams, and motivate and assist them in achieving their goals by emphasising that ‘you are more than what meets the eye’.”

One such mentor is Francois Barnard, owner of Harbour Rock Restaurant in Hermanus. Every bottle of wine sold at each of his four restaurants, affords R5 to Sparkle Kids. Francois has also been running intensive six month Hospitality/Chef/Life Skills Courses with students who have completed Grade 12, equipping them not only with the requisite skills, but also a recognised International Chef Qualification. Around 15 to 20 other mentors offer countless, meaningful hours of their time and resources to guiding these young, eager minds towards a bright future.

“We believe in a hand up, not a handout,” says Theo.

“The only way to achieve this is through training,

Theo and Angie Krynauw developing skills and creating opportunities for further studies or jobs. When you feel valuable, you do valuable things.”

Fifty Zwelihle students have now entered university through the combined, sterling efforts of all the role players above, the first three graduates already emerging … Nelisa - Geologist, Lungisa - Civil Engineer and Anita -

Chemistry, who is pursuing further study. How wonderful that opportunity exists for residents and visitors alike, to feel the joy of making a real and lasting difference in the lives of these children.

- Kathy Mulock-Bentley Sparkle Kids is a Registered Non Profit Organisation www.sparklekids.co.za

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Landscaping, Maintenance, Irrigation & Nursery

Sport

Sport written & compiled by: Tony O’Hagan

This is not just another golf day! It is the 15th Benevolent Golf Day in aid of three of the most benevolent institutions in Hermanus – the Hermanus Hospital, SOFCA, Huis Lettie Theron and the Hermanus Senior Centre.

And it all happens at the Hermanus Golf Club on 18 March 2016.

The theme for this year’s Golf Day is Carnival! There will be two fields playing – the morning field starts at 07:00 and the last tee-off time is 08:52. The cost per person to play in this field (4 ball alliance) is a mere R290 and it includes snacks and the prize-giving lunch.

The afternoon corporate field is R2 400 per four ball, also played as a 4 ball

alliance competition, which includes snacks, halfway house, prize-giving dinner and lots of entertainment… it is after all a Carnival Day! The field is full of wet holes, surprises and fun. The tee-off times are between 12:00 – 13:52.

There are a few four balls left for the morning and afternoon field, so if you are keen to play in this fundraising even for a good cause, please contact Tarryn at the Hermanus Golf Club on 028 312 1954 or bookings@hgc.co.za.

To coincide with this day and for those who want to contribute to the coffers of the beneficiary institutions you can buy a R100 ticket and stand a chance of

winning R10 000! Only one thousand tickets have been printed, so the chances are good of filling your pockets with well needed cash.

Tickets are available from the Hermanus Hospital, SOFCA, Huis Lettie Theron and the Hermanus Senior Centre. Several teenagers are also buying tickets as a group and sharing the cost.

We all wish for a little bit of cash to make life a little easier, so go ahead and buy a ticket!

“The Benevolent Golf Day could not happen without the various teams working hard to make this day a must on every one’s golf calendar. We have a town with open handed, big hearted businesses and

individuals who have gifted prizes, sponsorships and donations. We thank all the golfers who are so willing to make this day such a huge success,” says Ilze

Cloete, carnival master.

For any queries or more information, contact Ilze on 082 414 8427.

Inge Kuchar, Melissa Vermeulen, Donné van Schoor, Lismari Strauss and Jeanne Wessels clubbed together to buy a ticket for the R10 000 Benevolent Golf Day.

Hermanus Hockey Club ready for a year of action After years of inactivity, the Hermanus Hockey Club was started in its current form in 2010. The club’s marketing manager, Greg Stock, says that was his first year out of school and it all started with a conversation he had with Noel de Kock.

“We talked about the lack of a hockey club in Hermanus and how we would like to change that due to the fact that we both love hockey and couldn’t imagine going another year without playing a season,” relates Greg.

The Hermanus Golf Club held their annual Club Championship over the weekend of 5 and 6 March. The championships were played over 2 days (36 holes). Pictured are Wendell Meiring, Club President, 17-year-old Tyron Davidowitz, 2016 Club Champion, Lynne Behagg, 2016 Lady Club Champion, and Stephen van der Merwe, Club Captain.

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“A few weeks later I received a call from Noel asking if I would like to be part of a committee for the new club in Hermanus and I jumped at the opportunity,

26 JANUARY 8 MARCH 2016 2016

eager to get my togs on for another season. We then got Tim Godfrey and Ludwig Shuts involved in the committee and gathered as many of the old club members and a few new guys to make up the first Hermanus Hockey club team.”

The club had difficulties at the start, barely managing to field a team. However, with the assistance of some passionate founder members, membership has increased over recent years.

As with many sports clubs, challenges exist in obtaining the necessary funding and sponsorships. Fund-raising events are organised, including the annual indoor festival to assist in the running

of the club.

The hockey team continues to achieve success on the playing fields and has risen from the lower leagues into the higher echelons of the Boland leagues.

This is a commendable effort taking cognisance of the difficulties relating to finances, transport costs and the current economic climate.

The club welcomes new members, both men and ladies, and invites those interested to join pre-season training at the high school hockey fields on Mondays and Wednesdays at 17:30pm. A passionate and enthusiastic committee and club members will be there to welcome you.

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Schools Curro Hermanus swimmers with their swimming coach, Estelle Jordaan, attended the SA Swimming Grand Prix at Stellenbosch on Sunday 28 February. This event was hosted by the University of Stellenbosch, Western Province Aquatics and Swimming SA. Here is Luke Grindley-Ferris, Estelle Jordaan, Stella Bakker, Josh Grindley-Ferris, Liam Bakker, Izandri Smit, Kezia Jordaan, Raynen Jordaan and Deandré Smit with Chad le Clos, South Africa’s world champion and Olympic swimmer (centre).

Hermanus Primary held their annual carnival on Friday 4 March. This year the weather played along with the Hawaiian theme as hundreds of excited little ones played and ran to their heart’s content until long after sunset. As usual the school catered for every taste with the many food and drink stalls, superb local entertainment and lots of bargains on everything from clothes to books and bric-a-brac.

Curro Hermanus held their swimming gala on Saturday 27 February. Robertson High School, Reddam House, Hermanus High School, Phin Swim School, Orca Swim School, Bredasdorp, Lochnerhof, Ruens Kollege and Zoetendal Primary participated in this gala.

Curro Hermanus High School achieved ten 1st, four 2nd and three 3rd places.The Primary School achieved five 1st, seventeen 2nd and eight 3rd places. Jordan Marais (above) from Curro Hermanus won the freestyle Boys 17-19.

Hermanus High School held its annual Fun walk on Friday 4 March. Learners and teachers alike enjoyed a 5 km walk, tugs of war and down-downs (a competition to see who can down a cup of cooldrink the fastest). Although the hot sun at times forced the walkers to move from shade spot to shade spot, the day was a huge success.

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