SHELLEY POINT NEWS. February 2017

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1 SHELLEY POINT NEWS February 2017 A community newsletter dedicated to fostering a sense of community and the free flow of information at Shelley Point FROM THE EDITOR rather than resting on our laurels, I would love to build on that and make the newsletter even better. And I cannot do that without your input! FROM THE EDITOR: Hi All Well, we are now well and truly immersed in 2017 and the festive season seems like a dim and distant memory. I trust that you all had enjoyable and peaceful year-end celebrations and that if you set any New Years resolutions, you are already significantly closer to your goal. As a community, let's resolve to all pull in the same direction and work together rather than forming cliques and factions that, in the long term, tend only to breed hostility and resentment which, in turn, affects everyone negatively. Have a great month, Terry - shelleypointnews@gmail.com FROM THE CHAIRMAN: Firstly, a very big thank you to Paul van Ass and Neels Kornelius, for the contribution they made to the ongoing success of the HOA over their years as Trustees. With Paul and Neels stepping down we welcome Chris Sivertsen and Taryn Brandt to the Board. Chris and Taryn will bring with them new energy and skills and I am sure they will make a significant contribution to the ongoing success of the Association. On the feral cat solution, I have had negligible response. Please volunteer to take charge of your immediate area so that we can get as many cats trapped, sterilized and released. I am happy to take the area from 1st to 5th streets. How about you? Unfortunately, we also bid a fond farewell to Anette Roelofse, who has served the HOA with distinction as Administration Manager since A small ceremony, attended by the trustees and past chairmen of the association, was held on 22 January to wish Anette well and to hand over a gift purchased by the Association for her. (See picture below). Please take a few moments this month to send me an about what you like in the newsletter, what you don't like or have no interest in, and what ideas and suggestions you have, to improve the quality and interest in the newsletter. Next month, Shelley Point News will be a year old so we would love to get your feedback. Comments received by homeowners throughout last year have been extremely positive and heartwarming. But A warm welcome to Lindy Cowen who joins the Shelley Point management team as Administrative Assistant. Lindy brings with her a wealth of experience in the management of secure estates in KZN, and is already making her mark with energy and enthusiasm. 1

2 From left to right: Johan Louw, Johnny Sloane, Anette Roelofse, Paul van Ass and Ian Mackintosh To all the members of the Association who have so warmly welcomed and encouraged me in my new role as chairman, I thank you for your kind words. I believe that we have an excellent Board of Trustees who are committed to managing the affairs of the estate in a manner which will enhance all aspects of our lives at Shelley Point. Action plans for implementation of these broad strategic thrusts will emerge in the weeks and months ahead. In concluding, I make a heartfelt plea to all members of the Association to help me throw a spanner in the works of the toxic and pervasive rumour mill that operates in the shadows of the community. Please just ask for the facts and you will be given them. In broad terms, I will be driving the following agenda in the months ahead: Best Wishes Professionalize the day to day operational management of the estate (To improve responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness and allow the board to focus on strategic and policy issues). Introduce strategic planning (A rolling 3-year time horizon for planning will ensure that all members have a clear idea of the direction being taken and have adequate opportunity to influence that direction). Improve communication (between the board and all members of the association. This newsletter is the first element of, what must become, a fully integrated communications strategy including better use of the website, social media, community meetings etc). Ensure legal compliance and good governance (Ensure that we operate within the law and within the constitution of the association). Foster openness, honesty and transparency. There should be no secrets in our Association. Open, honest communication and the free flow of information is critically important. Encourage tolerance: We are a widely diverse community with differing views on many issues. We are however, living in a closed environment and, as such, tolerance of other views and norms is critical to a successful and happy estate. Ian Mac HOMEOWNERS HAVE THEIR SAY: Reduced green fees for homeowners. Several homeowners have asked why, as homeowners, all of whom are paying the golf course levy, they are not eligible for lower green fees than casual visiting players. As this has been raised a few times now, perhaps someone in the know from the golf club could send us a short response which can then be published in the next issue of the newsletter? Visvangregulasies Frik skryf Ek verwys na die navraag rakende die visvanregulasies op Shelley Point. So vêr ek weet is Shelley point net onderhewig aan die verbot op kreefvangste en word visvang glad nie verbied op ons kuslyn nie. Uiteraard word perlemoen vangste nasionaal verbied. (Frik het ook n kaart en regulasies 2

3 gestuur en as enige iemand belangstel kan ek dit aanstuur- Ed.) Niel het bygevoeg dat alle inligting aangaande visvangregulasies in hierdie streek ook verkry kan word vanaf die webwerf: Please remember that a valid sport angling license is required. UPDATE FROM THE SHELLEY POINT BOARD OF TRUSTEES: The Board for 2017 consists of the following homeowners and their respective areas of responsibility: Ian Mackintosh Chairman Jurgens Tubb Vice Chair and legal issues. Martin Treadaway Building and aesthetics. Chris Sivertsen Security Norman Cowen Maintenance and Gardens. Taryn Brand Finance and Governance. Klaus Psotta Developer s appointment: Building and aesthetics. Stephan Esterhuyse Developer s appointment: Without portfolio. Gert Joubert Developer and Trustee. Please note that, apart from the Chair and Vice Chair, these roles are still to be ratified by the Board and should be considered as provisional until approved at the first quarterly board meeting to be held in early February. Community Forum: To try and encourage wider participation in community affairs we have decided to try combining the Community Forum with the Sundowners get together on the last Friday of each month. A one hour community meeting will be held from 17:00 to 18:00 and sundowners will start immediately afterwards from 18:00 to 20:00. The objective is: to provide an opportunity for the community to air their views on issues of concern, for the trustees to keep members informed of developments in the community, to have some fun, encourage social interaction and a sense of community. Appointment of Administrative Assistant for Shelley Point With Anette Roelofse s retirement, and the imminent appointment of a full-time Estate Manager, the role of the Administration Manager was restructured and renamed Admin Assistant. The position was advertised and four applications were received. Chris Sivertsen and Ian Mackintosh interviewed all four applicants on Friday 6 January and after careful consideration, the position was offered to Lindy Cowen who, it was felt, had the most relevant skills and experience for this position. Lindy is a qualified Systems Analyst with many years experience in managing the Administration and Finance functions in the construction industry in KZN. She also has experience in the management of secure and gated estates particularly the management and control of building contractors and sub-contractors on estates such as Zimbali amongst others. Please join me in welcoming Lindy to her new role and we wish her a long and successful association with the SPHOA. Shelley Point Fire Team Die Shelley Point Brandspan bestaan uit vrywilligers vanuit die gemeenskap wie hul dienste aangebied het as die eerste lyn van verdediging teen vure op die landgoed. Hulle sal poog om óf n vuur te blus óf om n vuur te beheer tot wanneer die Brandweer vanuit 3

4 Vredenburg opdaag. Die vrywilligers sal die nodige opleiding ontvang en voorsien word van geskikte brandbeskermingsklere en die nodige uitrusting om hul veiligheid te verseker. Bestaande Brandspan lede is Mias Niewoudt, Klaus Psotta, Johan Minnie, Chris Swart, Roy Boast, Terry Mackintosh en Ian Mackintosh. Nuwe Brandspan lede is Norman Cowen, Chris Sivertsen, Martin Treadaway, Daniel Plaatjies and Maurits Marneweck. The Fire Team met on Tuesday 17 January to establish an action plan for the year ahead which will include training, fire drills and inspection and testing of all the equipment. We require a few more Fire Team volunteers so if you are a permanent resident, please consider volunteering. Send your details to shelleypointnews@gmail.com and someone from the Fire Team will contact you. What should you do in case of a fire? 1. Immediately phone the dedicated number for the Shelley Point response vehicle which is (If you don't already have this number, key it into your phone). 2. Supply Security with information regarding location of fire, the type of fire (if known) i.e electrical, gas, liquid or material and then provide your name and contact number. 3. Move to a safe area away from the fire. 4. Under no circumstances should you attempt to put out the fire yourself. On alerting security, the ADT fire marshal who is on duty (Johannes Barend, Donovan Jacobs or Xolani Mtati) will mobilize the Shelley Point Fire Team, contact the Fire Department and get the fire tender to the site. (And, if you don't already have it, ensure that you also have the ADT Control Room numbers saved onto your phone. They are or ). Hierdie tyd van die jaar is hoë risiko in terme van die gevaar van brande. Ons vra alle inwoners om waaksaam, sowel as versigtig, te wees met betrekking tot sigaretstompies en ander moontlike brandstigtende items. Herinner asseblief u gaste dat oop vure nie op Shelley Point toegelaat word nie. Current Municipal Water restrictions Watering of gardens with municipal water is allowed only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 18:00 and 07:00 No washing down of paved areas. Washing of cars and boats etc. ONLY if the hose is fitted with a self-closing device. Please fit a pool cover to avoid excessive evaporation. These restrictions may be replaced by harsher restrictions in the near future. SECURITY REPORT: (Ian Mackintosh) This will be my last report in my role as trustee responsible for security. I am pleased to report that there were no major incidents of criminality to report for the year and that most of the issues dealt with involved: Infractions of the code of conduct by visitors resulting in irritation to residents. Failure by ADT staff to follow established procedures which compromised security. One incident of mugging did occur, and while of grave concern to all of us, thankfully did not involve a Shelley Point association member. Shelley Point security has undergone significant development over the past year in several important areas: The development of a Security Master Plan outlining risks and proposed mitigating interventions. Several elements of the master plan have already been implemented including, o The installation of the thermal imaging camera system, 4

5 o The appointment of a permanent on-site Security Manager, o Implementation of the EVIMS to manage access control, o Upgrade of domestic alarm monitoring software. Initial steps have been taken to implement the next phase of the master plan which was approved at the AGM. Many procedures were reviewed and refined during the year. I thank all members of the association for the support and encouragement throughout my tenure in this critically important role. NOTE: Please remember to test your house alarm regularly and to make sure that your contact details held by security are up to date. LEAPFROG PHOTO OF THE MONTH: Thanks to all our homeowners and permanent residents who sent in their votes for the twelve finalists. Points were awarded to each photo based on the number of first, second and third place votes that were received. The overall winner by a huge majority (he received nearly three times more votes than the runner-up photo) was Craig Kennedy with his stunning photo of the Shelley Point Lighthouse at night. This photo is so beautiful that it deserves to be on a calendar or screensaver. So, big congratulations to Craig who wins the cash prize of R500 courtesy of Leapfrog Properties (Craig, please contact me so that I can make the necessary arrangements for you to receive your prize). Our runner-up photo belonged to Trevor Dean with his photo of Stompneus Beach (photo B in the line-up), followed very closely by Karen Wainwright s Family Outing (photo D), Karen's Dolphins (photo H) and Daniel Revyn s Sunset with birds (photo G). En nou vir hierdie jaar se kompetisie... Soos verlede maand gemeld, het Leapfrog Properties goedgunstiglik aangebied om weereens die jaarlikse kompetisie te borg. Die Februarie wenner van die fotos wat ons verlede maand ontvang het, is Leen, met die foto wat ek, Dag op die strand, benoem het. Wel gedaan Leen jou foto sal outomaties in die 2017 kompetisie ingeskryf word. Dag op die strand - Leen Apologies to one of 2016 s monthly winners whose photo was left out of the line-up for the 2016 competition. Not sure how that happened but due to our mess-up, Jaco s photo of Stompneus Harbourview will automatically be included in the 2017 competition. Very sorry about that, Jaco! Harbour view by Jaco 5

6 Stuur dus gerus u fotos vir ons. Die beste een wat elke maand ontvang word sal in die volgende uitgawe van die Shelley Point Nuusbrief gepubliseeer word. Die enigste kompetisiereël is dat die foto iets van Shelley Point moet uitbeeld. SPORT AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: The various clubs at Shelley Point are growing in popularity, and interest within the community is high. We ask that a designated member of each sport or leisure activity take the initiative to send us a few lines each month which we can then publish in the newsletter. Any news, updates or fixtures pertaining to your club that you would like readers to be aware of, we ask that you send this information to shelleypointnews@gmail.com and it will appear in the next issue. If we receive nothing from you, we will simply assume that you have nothing to report. Your contributions can be in either English or Afrikaans whichever you prefer. Contact details for the various clubs and leisure activities at Shelley Point: Bowls: Let asseblief daarop dat die rolbal aanvang tyd verander is na 9 vm op Dinsdae en Vrydae as gevolg van die oormatige hitte wat ons tans ervaar. Wanneer temperature weer daal sal die tyd terugval na 10 vm. Maar intussen, kom asselief om 9 vm. - tot verdere kennisgewing. Let asseblief verder daarop dat alle toekomstige navrae rakende die rolbalklub aan Liz gerig moet word by of chezroberts@mweb.co.za Shelley Point Spa Please remember that although the hotel is closed, the spa remains fully operational. For bookings or other information, please contact shelleypointspa@viponline.co.za NATURE CORNER: The Cape Porcupine. I was prompted to feature these creatures when it was brought to my attention that one had been killed on our beach by suspected poachers. Since I was surprised to learn that we have porcupines on the estate, I thought it would be a good idea to learn some more about them. Sport Contact Contact details Johan Blaauw Golf Johan Louw johanbev@mweb.co.za Bowls Liz Tennis Niel du Toit ddt@vodamail.co.za Bridge Terry Mac. didge28@gmail.com Monthly Sundowners Get Together This months Sundowners function will be combined with a community forum meeting on Friday 24 th February. Forum meeting from 5 6 PM Sundowners from 6 8 pm Please remember to bring a plate of eats to share. Golf: Hopefully from next month we will be in a position to publish a little more information on the ongoing development of the golf course. The word porcupine is derived from the French word porc d espine meaning thorny pig. The Cape Porcupine is the largest rodent found in Southern Africa with adults typically weighing kg, some males even reaching as much as 30kg. Their bodies are covered with long spines up to 5cm in length interspersed with thicker, sharply pointed defense quills up to 3 cm in length. The spines on the tail are hollow and are used to make a rattling noise to scare away predators. The 6

7 spines have overlapping barbs at the tips, making them difficult to remove. They eat mostly plant material such as fruit, roots, tubers, bulbs and bark and are nocturnal and monogamous. The porcupine mating ritual usually involves two males viciously fighting over one female. The winner then territorially urinates on the female after which they mate for life. Baby porcupines are called porcupettes and have soft quills at birth which then harden within a few days. Porcupines generally survive up to ten years in the wild but can live for up to twenty years in captivity. When threatened, porcupines will usually retreat into their burrows where they will then erect their spines so that they cannot be dislodged by the predator. However, if cornered, they will charge to stab their attacker with quills. It is a myth that porcupines shoot or throw their quills. Instead what happens is, when cornered, they will attack the threat with a swat of the tail, embedding quills into the skin. On occasion, loose quills fall out while it strikes, creating the illusion that they are shooting quills. An adult porcupine has about 30,000 quills on its body. They contain a topical antibiotic which is good news if you happen to be attacked by a porcupine the quills will usually not lead to infection. It also is a defense mechanism of the porcupine to prevent accidental selfquilling. Their predators in the wild are mostly wild cats such as leopards and lions as well as occasionally, large owls. Predators kill porcupines by biting the unprotected face or by flipping them over to expose the vulnerable underside. However, it is humans that pose the biggest threat to them. Thousands are killed after being hit by motor vehicles on open roads. They are also hunted for food, for the pet industry and for their quills which are used for ornaments. Many farmers will also trap or poison them to prevent them from eating their root crops. So, there you have it facts about the elusive porcupines here at Shelley Point. If you happen to encounter one here on the estate, please send us a photo! VASCO SÊ: My naam is Vasco da Gama En ek verfoei vure en flamme. Não inflamar finish en klaar! KOM ONS BRAAI! Maar wees asseblief versigtig, veral as die wind waai. Die veld is tans kurkdroog en een vonkie wat wegwaai kan n ramp op Shelley Point veroorsaak. Alle vure moet of binnenshuis of in n Weber (of soortgelyk) gemaak word. Geen ope vure of bonfires word toegelaat. Foto: Die brand by Port St Francis (2012) wat talle huise verwoes het was blykbaar deur n braai vuur veroorsaak. 7