The arrival of spring is here and soon summer will arrive! Flowers are everywhere in the gardens, and the dreary brown grass is finally turning green. All we need now is good rain to wash away the dust of August and rejuvenate the dam, grass, and islands.
AGM Updates & Board Announcements
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled for Thursday evening, 19 September 2024, took place at the Gateway Presbyterian Church in Glen Marais. The proposed rules for the Estate were tabled and discussed at the meeting.
The homeowners will review the proposed new rules and provide comments to the Board of Directors. Mr Corne Wolmarans resigned as Director of Communications in July this year. We thank him for his service to the Blue Gill and Waterfront community. We did not receive any new nominations for Directors and the Board will remain the same for the next financial year.
How much is that doggy in the window?
We have experienced an increase of roaming dogs in the Estate. Residents who have dogs must please ensure that their animals have a collar around their neck
stating the address of the owner. This will assist in ensuring that the fur babies are returned to their property in case of a Houdiniinspired escape stunt. Please note that the Estate Manager will not look after your animal. Should noone be able to identify your animal, they will be taken to the SPCA. Your dog is your responsibility!
Maintenance and more maintenance
The new financial year commenced on a high note with various maintenance projects; from buildings and street signs to removing invasive plants in the top dam and upgrading the play area for the children.
On to building projects in the Estate: residents still busy with maintenance and building projects should take note of the closing date by which tasks will need to be completed before the Festive Season. Builders’ holidays will commence on Friday, 13 December 2024, and contractors will only be allowed back on site from 6 January 2025.
Residents are requested to plan any new building activities or maintenance projects after these dates. Only contractors who will attend to emergencies will be allowed into the Estate with the permission of the Estate Manager.
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.
Heritage Day
Was celebrated on Tuesday, 24 September 2024. We hope all our residents enjoyed the day with friends and family in a manner true to their heritage.
“Let us join hands to preserve our heritage.”
Security Enhancements
We are happy to report that no serious incidents occurred during the last two months. Maintenance was done to the cameras and the electrical fence during this time.
Stolen Property recovered by Stellar Security.
Our Fidelity Armed Response Officer, Xaba, as well as a Glen Erasmia Armed Response officer, chased a suspect who was detected by
Illumico who monitored our perimeter cameras.
The suspect, who carried a heavy bag in Veld Street towards Glen Erasmia, was confronted by the security officers. The suspect dropped the bag and ran into a veld area across from the Estate.
The guards recovered the bag, which contained electrical cables, taps, copper pipes and tools. The Armed Response officers were thanked for keeping the Estates and the surrounding Glen Marais community safe. Well done!
Stephen Phale G uard of the Month
August 2024
ABlue Gill employee since August 2001, is Guard of the Month for August 2024. Stephen is a doting grandfather of one grandchild and loves to play soccer with him. He also enjoys spending his free time with family and is a loyal and dedicated employee of the Estate. Stephen, we thank you for your service and dedication!
Dish up Heritage:your
Celebrate with a Recipe
The Festive Season means beautiful weather, and that can only mean one thing: braai time! These juicy chops with a fresh lime and parmesan herb salad will be a crowd-pleaser.
Chilli, Honey, And Lime Pork
Loin Chops With A Lime And Parmesan Herb Salad
(If you do not eat pork, substitute the chops with chicken breasts)
Pork Chops
INGREDIENTS
• 10 thick pork loin chops
• sea salt and brown sugar
METHOD
1. Pat the chops dry with a kitchen
towel and season generously with salt and an equal amount of brown sugar.
2. Place the chops onto a rack set over a baking tray and put them uncovered into the fridge overnight. The next day, remove the chops from the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature.
Chilli, Honey and Lime Marinade
INGREDIENTS
• Juice of 5 limes
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) honey
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) dried oregano
• Zest of 1 lime
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
1. Mix all the ingredients in a
bowl until combined.
2. Pat the chops again with more kitchen towels to dry any last surface moisture, then brush the chops with marinade and head out to the braai stand.
3. Braai the chops over mediumhigh heat coals for a minute per side for a total of eight minutes. Brush the chops with marinade with each flip.
4. After eight minutes, take the chops off the grid and then sear the fat to render it. To do this, take three or four chops at a time and stack them on top of each other with the fat sides lined up.
5. Holding the chops securely in the tongs, sear the fat on the grill until golden brown. Repeat this process until you’ve seared all the fat. Allow the chops to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
Lime and Parmesan Herb Salad
INGREDIENTS
• 200 g mixed herb salad leaves
• 100 g wild rocket
• 1 punnet of sugar snap peas, halved
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) shaved Parmesan
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
Mix the washed leaves, spring onion and peas in a large bowl.
In another small bowl whisk the lime juice and olive oil together then season with salt and pepper.
Dress the leaves with the lime dressing then top the salad with shaved Parmesan and serve.
Building ADVISORY
Maintenance is a high priority in the Estate. All the wooden fences in the Estate were replaced with recycled plastic fences, which means low maintenance for the following years and that funds can be spent on other maintenance upgrades in the future.
The Clubhouse roof was treated with the necessary oils to protect the infrastructure. All the sign poles in the Estate were painted and new chevron signs were erected at the speed
bumps to adhere to the safety, health and environmental requirements. The street sign boards were also washed in the hope that road users will see the signs and adhere to the rules of the road by stopping at the stop streets and keeping to the speed limit inside the Estate.
The old wooden playpen was replaced with more recycled plastic swings for the children of the Estate. We request that the children use the swings responsibly and have fun to their hearts’ content.
Matric Farewells
Please email the Estate Manager at bluegillmgr@ bluegillestate.co.za with a photograph of your child if they attended a matric farewell. Supply your child’s name, surname, and school which they attended for the upcoming newsletter edition.
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.
