Clubhouse clean-up turn-out disappoints
A clean-up of the Montclair tennis clubhouse took place on Saturday, 26 October, organised by Montclair Crime Eye member, Julie Meyer in response to the dilapidated state of the building and potential for harbouring criminals.
Members on patrol in the area on Saturday, 28 September noticed the unsafe and unsanitary state of the clubhouse and decided something needed to be done. “Not only was the unhygienic state of the structure a cause for concern and the reason for the clean-up, but a bag of stolen items was found inside, including among other things, car keys, house keys, a box of office pens and lock-picking tools. The clean-up was for our benefit and that of the police because it will allow them to search the premises easier in the future,” said Meyer.
A petition was also started, which will be taken to the municipality to force them to do something about the decrepit structure. (Go to www.southlandssun.co.za to see the original article and find out more about signing the petition.)
The clean-up saw a very poor turn-out, but Meyer was optimistic about the end result. “My first response to the turnout of the clean-up was shock, as only 14 of us, all from Montclair Crime Eye pitched up.” She hoped to see no less than 30 people participate, as Montclair Crime Eye alone has more than 100 members. “The clean-up was quick and we had a fun time doing it. We were a little disappointed at the numbers, but in the end, the job was done.”
A municipality truck was organised by Gavin Hegter to cart away the trash. “We will continue, as Montclair Crime Eye members to do regular patrols in and around the tennis clubhouse to make sure it is maintained inside to our clean standards. We are willing to take on anything to do with making our area safer for our community and want to see children playing in our parks again.”
– erinh@dbn.caxton.co.za and mbalim@dbn.caxton.co.za
