NEWS IN BRIEF: DECEMBER, 2005 – JULY, 2006
Stay informed: Our website is www.honeydewcpf.org.za (click on “Residents Associations”, then on “Welridge”)
We have said it often: ”News in Brief” or a full “Newsletter” will only be published if we can convey new goals and/or jobs completed. Therefore, the period it has taken your volunteer committee to organize and hold the Fourth General Meeting and climb the major hurdle in the Green Belt, is reflected in the period this “News in Brief” is covering.
The forthcoming Irish Christmas in July has prompted me to look up the result of our collection effort and the participating residents’ generosity for the 2005 Christmas Bonus for our Fox 14 Patrol – and Ops. Room Crew. A whopping total of R10,610.00 had been collected – a big “Thank You” to all those who so generously donated.
The Fourth General Meeting (we elected to call it such as there have not been too many regular Annual General Meetings, instead, residents have been kept up-to-date with our News In Brief) was held on the 22nd February, 2006. we posted the Minutes of that Meeting on our website.
At that stage we could only present financial statements for 11 months ended January, 2005.
The Financial Statements per 28th February, 2006 are being presented for audit. The preliminary figures indicate that the WRA finished the year with a modest profit of R17,545.00 (previous 12 months period: Loss of R1,912.00).
By now you all must be aware of our First Project, the Vehicle 24/7-Project. There are two noteworthy matters to report:
A.
One of our Patrol Crew was involved in the infamous shoot-out in Jeppe the other day. You could read about this in one of the local area newspapers. We can only say that angels must have looked after the two crew members.
You might want to know what they were doing in Jeppe, way out of our area? The Code of Conduct for our patrol – and Ops. Room crews allow 4 incidents that “allows” them out of our area:
1. If a Police Officer’s life is in danger: No question, you leave immediately.
2. If a multi-numbered “gang” of criminals attack shopping centres, churches, etc.:
As manpower is in short-supply, there are no other choices. The same response is hoped for from other areas if such incident/s happen in our area.
3. If in pursuit of suspect/s: You can not come to a screeching halt just because you have reached the border of our Residents Association.
4. Coming across an incident on the way from our area to the Honeydew Police Station: The Patrol Crew could not possibly ignore any incident when out of our area, but on the direct way to the Station.
B.
Whilst the Draft Agreement, governing the relationship with SAPS, was signed by us, we are still in contact with the SAPS Provincial Hierarchy to attend to detail, including getting the signed agreement back to us.
The Second Project, the Domestic Watch will hold their next meeting once winter is behind us.
The Third Project, the first phase of the Green Belt Clean-up, is by now almost finished. Here, two committee members, Muffy Hochfelden, WRA Secretary, and Norman Dent, WRA Vice-Chairman, have adopted this project. At the next opportunity we shall publish photos that were taken to high-light the “Before and After”-scenario; the difference is phenomenal.
Muffy and Norman comment –
• A lot of encouraging e-mails and comments have been received, for which we thank you.
• The main work, cutting long grass which the Parks Board tractors could not reach, cleaning up/collecting rubbish, trimming back overgrown trees, and the cleaning up of the stream has already been concluded, however, we have been hindered by children burning our piles of grass and writing graffiti on/in the water drains and would like parents to explain to their children how the greenbelt benefits everyone in the Community.
• For the second phase, we foresee to provide concrete benches, rubbish bins, (2 at each entrance closest to the shops and 4 along the greenbelt), and erection of sign boards referring to bye-laws that must be adhered to - all that if funds are available.
• With all the work done – of course, we are proud of having achieved all that- we hope to have beautified the 1,8km long green belt, which is considered a natural wetland with underwater springs and a stream, and to encourage the return or staying of bird life such as blue crane, owls and others.
My additional comments –
A big THANK YOU to City Parks and Pikitup
1.
The funding of the Green Belt Clean-up:
The WRA was formed in March, 1997, and soon thereafter we asked every household to contribute R15.00 per month. At that stage we were still trying to formulate the First Project, i.e. what kind of security measures to adopt (booms, Close Circuit TV, and / or visible policing in form of a 24/7-vehicle patrol scheme). The Vehicle Scheme was kick-started on 1/11/2000 with these general funds. Likewise, the Green Belt Clean-up was kick-started with part of the reserve funds from the Vehicle Project.
2.
For the sake of good house-keeping though, we will have to introduce a separate collection: We therefore appeal to all households to either increase their existing R15.00 Debit Orders to R25.00 or to agree to donate a monthly Debit Order of R25.00. If you are agreeable to this please contact either Liz, tel. 476-6036 or Pauline, cell. 082 375 2651.
3.
We contracted TAG CONTRACTORS for an initial period of 7 months, to clean up and maintain our green belt. The initial clean-up period took 21 days, to be followed by six monthly 10-day periods of maintenance The continuation of this project will depend on the success or otherwise of our appeal for monthly Debit Orders of R25.00. Failure is not an option, considering the state our green belt was allowed to deteriorate. We therefore seriously appeal to all our residents to participate in the THIRD PROJECT with your R25.00 Debit Order – PLEASE.
4.
We appeal to all residents including to those who feel that they are not situated near enough to the green belt to derive any benefit.
There is a hidden, but very important aspect of having a clean green belt:
An article in the NORTHSIDE starts with “After an incident in the Welridge area, which involved a perpetrator running into the overgrown greenbelt in Weltevreden Park causing him to get away, the WRA has embarked on a residential initiative – the Green Belt Clean-up Project”. If we were to only want to keep shebeens and unwanted elements out of our whole area, we have to keep our green belt not only clean but also clear visibility throughout. Our Contractors have cleared up the garden rubbish that residents have dumped over their walls into the greenbelt but this will not be the normal practice. The Contractor has been instructed NOTto pick up garden refuse/building rubble in the future. We (the Committee) will be contacting the perpetrators directly and the removal will be for their account. (Illegal dumping/Health Dept. – 761 0206)
Some time ago, the Rand Ridge Village Association cleaned up their green belt, and the crime rate was reduced immediately.
5.
The bye-laws not only govern and penalise the off-loading of any rubbish, but also prohibits the use of motor- and quad bikes: No unauthorized motorized vehicles whatsoever are permitted in Public Parks. We are in the process of getting signboards up – watch this space.
This then leaves me only to repeat our appeal for monetary help to maintain the momentum of a clean green belt, and to repeat our wish for a safer community, starting with everybody being vigilant.
VOLKER July, 2006
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