Umtamvuna Views: Out of town homeowners are urged to attend

Visiting homeowners are urged to diarise and attend some important AGMs.

December 6, 2018

PHILIPPA MAKEPEACE 3 minutes read

Hibiscus Choir members (from left) Harvey Gallard, Mari Webster, Pam Reed, David Alderson-Smith, Penny Janse van Rensburg and David Thorburn treat the folk at Banners Rest Village with their show, ‘The Gift of Christmas’.

THERE are a number of meetings planned to accommodate out-of-town homeowners. Please diarise the Leisure Bay Ratepayers Association’s (LBRA) AGM at the municipal offices, at the top of Fisherman’s Drive in Leisure Bay, on Thursday December 13 at 5pm.

Conservancy meets

Leisure Bay Conservancy will hold its AGM at the municipal offices on Monday, December 17, at 5pm. It promises to be an interesting evening, with guest speakers Louis and Eugene Bouwer, Ben Roberts and Robbie Orsmond – the four Leisure Bay residents who recently freed a whale calf entangled in shark net ropes off Ivy Point. Snacks and a chat will end the evening – please come along.

ALSO READ : Umtamvuna Views: Port Edward applauds unselfish heroes

Crime watch AGM

The Leisure Bay Neighbourhood Watch’s AGM takes place at the TO Strand conference hall on Thursday, December 20, at 5pm. Members, residents and visiting homeowners are urged to attend.

Fun-filled day

And don’t forget the Mpenjati Eco-Festival, hosted by the Mpenjati Honorary Officers, next Sunday (16th), which will be a fun-filled family outing to create awareness about the importance of eco-friendly living. Locals are invited to showcase arts, crafts and talents. Contact Anna Jordan at 071 4220773 or Tracy Taylor at 071 3490718.

Sad news

Last Tuesday afternoon, a group of children from KwaNzimakwe went swimming at Kidd’s Beach in Leisure Bay. A 12 year old boy was pulled out of his depth by a strong current.

Unfortunately there are no lifesavers on duty at any beaches, except on weekends and holidays.

Some bystanders tried to rescue the boy with a boogie board, but the waves swept him off and under the water and he did not resurface. The NSRI was contacted and they tried in vain to locate the boy. At the time of writing, his body had not been recovered. The sea is very dangerous and Kidd’s Beach is notorious for dangerous currents.

Welcome back

Mark Getliffe and Julian Bailey have just returned from a fabulous three-week holiday to Italy and America. They spent a few days exploring Rome where Julian attended university and then boarded the fabulous Norwegian cruise ship ‘The Jewel’. Together with about 2 000 passengers and 1 000 crew members, a wonderfully relaxing two weeks was spent crossing the Atlantic to Miami.

Join the club

Trafalgar Garden Club members thoroughly enjoyed the recent Christmas lunch held at Café Munro at Margate Retirement Village. New members are invited to join, so please contact Merle Strachan at 039 3192647 for further information. Meetings are held at the homes of different gardening enthusiasts and there is normally a short, informative talk on interesting subjects.

Garden enthusiasts (from left) Ruth Thomas, Barbara du Plessis and Sheila Coetser raise a glass at the Trafalgar Garden Club’s Christmas lunch at Café Munro.

Choral performance

Residents of Banners Rest Village were treated to a wonderful musical evening last week. The Hibiscus Choir presented ‘The Gift of Christmas’ and the village handed over a donation of R1 500 to the choir that commits to supporting children with musical talent. This year, the choir is assisting young singer Jessica du Toit (17) from Leisure Bay, a pupil at Port Shepstone High who has recently been chosen for the KZN youth choir.

Festive feast

‘The Treehuggers’ walking group, comprising mainly botany enthusiasts, held its Christmas picnic at the beautiful Bellevue Guest Lodge in Ramsgate. The group donated R1 000 to owner Sally Booker to support her outstanding educational work with children. They enjoyed socialising under the trees and eating delicious ‘beer chicken’.

Eager to tuck in, Dorothy McIntyre (left), Marcia Nel and Robin Tayler check the chooks at ‘The Treehuggers’ Christmas picnic held at Bellevue Guest Lodge in Ramsgate.

Be vigilant

Please be aware that criminals don’t go on holiday and are constantly on the lookout for unsuspecting visitors. A few useful numbers are: Port Edward Police 039 3115430. NSRI (Sea Rescue) 082 9905951.

Bags and permits

Free black bags for ratepayers are available at the Port Edward Library on Mondays (take along a rates invoice). Beach entry permits can be obtained (also need proof of residence) from the South Coast information kiosk at MacBanana. For important general information, your scribe is happy to assist at 082 5639334.

Annual influx

Port Edward, with its satellite villages, is still very much a holiday destination, but visitors have become progressively disillusioned with the increase in crime, water shut-offs, potholes. Let’s all hope and pray that the friendly faces and beautiful beaches will make up for all problems and shortcomings. South Coasters, welcome holidaymakers and sincerely wish them a wonderful, relaxing holiday.

All news to Philippa.