As the summer sun shines bright, we’re excited to share our December newsletter with you; packed with all the latest news, updates, and festive fun from around Blue Gill Estate!
Water restrictions: do your part
The hot scorching sun, wilting flowers, burnt grass, and water shortage
are clear indicators that El Niño is present in Gauteng. It brings high temperatures and below-average rainfall from November to April, significantly affecting agriculture and leading to water scarcity, food shortages, and disease outbreaks. Although we had a few rain drops in November, we must use water sparingly! Rand Water stated that
level 2 and 3 water restrictions will beimplemented which means that households will only have access to water at certain times of the day and night. Please take the tips we send to you on the BSS system to heart and do your part!
Sewer Spills: environmental impact and
community response
Various sewer spills also plagued our Estate at the end of October, causing fish to die from a lack of oxygen in the water. Casper Kruger, who assisted us when we had a similar situation, assisted us once again in removing the suffering fish from the dam and relocating them to healthier environments. We thank Casper for his assistance.
Celebrating our young resident’s achievements
Enough of the doom and gloom! It is time to boast about one of our young resident’s achievements and accomplishments. You can read more about go-getter Cheree Strydom on page 16. Matric farewells: our young residents looked stunning! In other fun news, our matriculants attended their farewell dance! They all looked absolutely beautiful and so very grown up for their respective functions. See photos of our matriculants on page 14.
Christmas with a Twist: a festive celebration
We will host our Christmas with a Twist Function at the Clubhouse on Friday evening, 6 December 2024 from 17:30 to late. Bring the family and invite friends to have a blast. It is, after all, the season to be jolly! Read more about this on page 11.
Please note that refuse collection is on Mondays, including public holidays, except for Christmas Day. We kindly request that residents remove their bins from the street view and place the bins behind the walls of their property once collection has occurred.
Contractor Holidays
A few contractors in the Estate are still busy with maintenance and building projects. We have informed them of the closing date. The Directors decided to extend the period for the builders to complete their work at residents’ properties until 20 December 2024; contractors will not be granted entry into the Estate to conduct further general building activities unless they are attending to an emergency, with permission from the Estate Manager. Builders will be allowed back on-site starting 6 January 2025. Residents are requested to plan new building activities or maintenance projects after these dates.
Circle this Date
Christmas with a Twist on Friday, 6 December 2024 at the Clubhouse from 17:30 until 21:00.
Social Committee makes a difference!
Have you seen the beautiful pots and plants at the Blue Gill entrance? This was made possible with funds that the Social Committee raised during the Fragrance Event, which was hosted in June 2024.
the lucky draws and other prizes which were up for grabs.
Pots and water features were also purchased to beautify the entrance of the Clubhouse and what a difference it makes! The ladies had an excellent time at the event and contributed generously by participating in
Instead of always asking for a special levy to get things done in the Estate, the Social Committee is goal-driven to have fun while raising funds for the Estate and to make a visible change for the better.
Should you wish to be part of this positive initiative and have lots of fun in the process, join us for planned future functions and participate in the fun activities.
COME ONE, COME ALL, TO CHRISTMAS WITH A TWIST!
It’s that time of the year to spread some festive cheer! Join us for Christmas with a Twist on Friday, 6 December 2024, from 17:30 to 21:00 at the Clubhouse. Delicious boerewors rolls, chicken burgers and something sweet will be available for purchase. Bring your own beverages and come and enjoy the live music. There’s even a jumping castle for the
little ones; all of this in our beautiful main garden area at the Clubhouse under the comfort of a tent.
Father Christmas will also make an appearance during the evening to bring joy to the children. Please wrap a small gift for your child, marked with their name, for Father Christmas to present them with the gift.
Please drop your presents off at the office by Monday, 2 December 2024. Games, live music, lucky draws, prizes and much more will form part of the evening’s festivities. Come and enjoy everything on the menu. Bring your family and friends and kick off the Festive Season on a high note! All funds raised will be utilised for a planned project to secure our dam and fish life when heavy sewer spills are experienced.
Recycling Project up and running again!
During September 2024, MES encountered a disastrous veld fire which destroyed their recycling facility in Pomona. They requested the Estate to inform residents to halt their recycling to allow them time to repair the damage to their facility.
After a few weeks, our residents became restless, and we had to source a new reliable service provider to collect our recycling. We welcome Charmaine Aucamp of Kwakhona Recyclers to our Blue Gill recycling family.
We request our recycling fundees to please keep their white paper for recycling separate and to deposit the paper, even in shredded form, in the black dustbin marked “White paper only”.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle, but in a considerate way. Thank you for doing your part, we appreciate it!
Proud moments
our young residents dazzle at their matric farewells
Several of our Grade 12 residents bid their school careers farewell at their matric dances. As you can see from the photos, they looked radiant and handsome! We wish them the best of luck with their final exams and hope they pass with flying colours.
Max Merrit St. John’s College
Nicole de Jager Impaq
Crossroads
Christian Academy
Arno Steyn Hoërskool Kempton Park
Annolien
Booysen
Hoërskool
Kempton Park
Bianca Nel
Afrikaans Meisies
Hoërskool
Pretoria
Blue Gill’s star shines bright: CHEREE STRYDOM TAKES GOLD AND IS HEADING TO LA!
Cheree Strydom of 6 Francolin Drive participated in the South African Championships of Performance Arts, which was hosted in Rustenburg from 20 to 28 September 2024. She participated in 14 items and received placement in 11 of them.
Cheree received six gold, three silver and two bronze medals! She was also chosen to represent South Africa in America next year. She will be competing in Los Angeles in July 2025. We will keep you updated on her achievements.
The Blue Gill Community is super proud of you, Cheree! May you have continued success in your ventures and make South Africa proud!
STAFF MATTERS:
Blue Gill bids farewell to dedicated guard Frank Morifi
We would like to take a moment to honour the dedicated guard, Frank Morifi, who recently retired. Frank served our community for an impressive 19 years and seven months, having been permanently appointed by Blue Gill HOA on 1 May 2005. Before his permanent appointment, Frank worked for Prisma Security, which was contracted to Blue Gill Estate for three years.
Married with two children, Frank has been an integral part of the Blue Gill community, and we are immensely grateful for his unwavering loyalty and commitment over the years. We wish him all the best in his retirement, which he plans to spend in Gauteng.
Frank, you truly have been a star!
Thank you for your hard work and dedication to Blue Gill.
Frank Morifi
FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE FOR TSHEPO RAMONYAI
Tshepo Ramonyai was employed on 1 October 2019 by the Blue Gill Homeowners’ Association. He was awarded with a certificate and gift voucher to thank him for his loyal service to the Community of Blue Gill.
Tshepo Ramonyai
G uard of the Month
October 2024
Obert Mthembu was nominated as Guard of the Month for October 2024. He has been employed by the Estate since March 2015 and is a very loyal employee. He is a widower and has five children. Obert enjoys visiting his friends and spending time with his children. Thank you for your loyal service to the residents of this Estate!
Power outage preparedness
During the seven-hour power outage on 3 and 16 November 2024, the Estate’s solar installations at the Clubhouse, guardhouses, and game fence area proved invaluable. Security systems remained fully operational without relying on noisy generators, keeping the Estate safe and serene throughout the outage.
Holiday security tips
Addressing community concerns Residents raised concerns about individuals sitting on the retainer wall near the Estate entrance. To address this, the wall was built higher, preventing contractors’ employees from using it as awaiting area while ensuring the safety and accessibility of the pavement.
Recent security update
We are pleased to report that the Estate has experienced no serious security incidents over the past two months, ensuring peace of mind for all residents.
With the festive season approaching, many residents will be travelling. Please ensure your homes are secured. If someone is looking after your property, please provide them with the Estate Manager and Security’s contact details.
Pet care during your absence
Ensure pets are well cared for and do not disturb neighbours while you are away. Without contact details for emergencies, the SPCA may need to intervene if issues arise.
Vigilance during the Festive Season
For those staying home, your vigilance is key. Report any unusual or suspicious activity to Security or Elda Weideman immediately. Contact details are available in this newsletter.
Together, let’s keep Blue Gill safe and peaceful!
We have noticed various dogs roaming the Estate and request residents to keep their animals secure in their premises. Please remember that your animal is your responsibility, dogs and cats alike! We thank you in advance for your co-operation in this matter.
• Adhere to the speed limit, a maximum of 40 kilometres per hour.
• Stop at stop streets! We are watching and taking random videos.
• Secure your animals in your property.
• Walk your dog on a leash. Pick up excrement as per Estate rules, nobody wants to step in or have to clean up your animal’s parcels, which is solely your responsibility.
• Please attend to your dog’s constant barking and ensure they have a nametag.
• The use of lawnmowers and machinery on a Sunday is between 09:00 and 13:00, as well as between 16:00 and 18:00. No exceptions!
We have painted all the road sign poles and washed all the stop signs in the Estate. We hope that these efforts will make residents aware of observing the stop signs and obeying the rules of the road.
Remember your furry friends this December
Should you be going on holiday, please ensure that your pets are cared for by responsible people in your absence and that Elda Weideman has their contact details should there be an emergency or noise complaint.
Please ensure your pets have a name tag with contact details so management can alert you should they leave your property. If they are found wandering around the Estate, your pets will be taken to the SPCA if they cannot be returned successfully.
’Tis the season to share joy:
Guards and Gardeners
Currently, management is collecting monetary contributions for the guards’ and gardeners’ Christmas Fund.
Please note that this custom was initiated by the residents some years ago as they felt the need to share the joy of Christmas by giving back to those who served them throughout the year. These contributions can be made through EFT payments and cash donations can be made at the office. Please do not hand donations directly to the guards. Monetary donations collected will be distributed equally to the guards and gardeners.
We thank you in advance for your generosity. We wish you and your family a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
