Waste Collection Dates

Pikitup - Every Monday. This is the general trash collection day. Put your black wheely bins out the night before or on the morning only.
Resolution Recycling - Every OTHER Wednesday Oct 24; Nov 7/21; Dec 5 & 19): They collect your recyclable waste (i.e. paper, metal, batteries, printer cartridges, plastic, glass) that you place in their Blue & Green wheely bins. Info: Cost is R360/year, 011-618-2246 or resolutionrecycling@54.co.za
Mondi Ronnie Bags - Every Wednesday for waste paper curbside collections.

Membership Subscriptions

We have also decided to out source the collection of annual subscriptions and advertising for the Parkhurst Post to Jasper Management Services. They have been successfully collecting subs from other Resident's Assoc in our area. As we have over 1900 households, it has become a huge job in managing the collections and renewals, so for an initial set up fee of R2000 and 10% of the money collected, Jasper will now be handling this side of running the association.

Members will be asked to bring their subs up to date until the end of the financial year (December 2007) and from next year all residents will be invoiced on the same date for the year (i.e. 1 January 2008 for subs 2008). Payments can be made as follows:

Direct Deposit: The Village Residents Association, Nedbank, Hyde Park 197205, Account Number 1972 069926.
Please use your surname and street address on all direct deposits and fax proof of payment to 011-789-6139.
Cheque payment: Post to P O Box 412063, Craighall, 2024 OR deliver to Nan Roberts Estates in 4th Ave where you will be receipted for your payment.

For more info: Jasper Management Service contact details: Tel 011 789 8267, Fax 011 789 6139, jaspercc@mweb.co.za

Parkhurst Library

The City has put its foot down and banned libraries from regularly selling items or renting jigsaw puzzles and DVDs. They are allowed to have a monthly sale which is held on the last Saturday of each month (Oct 27, Nov 24 & a special Xmas sale on Dec 15).
They need still need books and bric a brac for their sales. And they welcome donations of almost new books for their stock and gift voucher donations from Exclusive Books.
Info:011-788-4510. Behind in Verity Park, behind the Rec Centre, 5th Avenue, Parkhurst.

Meter Readings

You can now phone the Joburg Connect Hotline on 011-375-5555 and speak to City Power to submit your electricity meter reading (take it around the middle of the month). Or send them an e-mail on joburgconnect@joburg.co.za.

Kleenbin

With the fly season starting up it is a good idea to have your bins professionally cleaned and sanitized (I bet you or your gardener doesn't scrub the inside or the bottom where lost of the nasties lurk).
This is one of the best services I use - for a measly R13.68 per week my bin is left clean inside and out, ready for me to wheel in back in when I get home from work (they come around on the same day as the trash collection).

They also look after the bin and repair unhinged lids and wobbly wheels. There is also have a reduced price for those who have extra bins and will clean every 2 weeks if you don't have much trash. And they also clean my blue Resolution Recycling bin every month.
Info: Kleenbin, 011-802-5188, info@kleenbin.co.za.

Resolution Recycling

This great recycling service has changed collection days to every other Wednesday. I used to get most annoyed when my carefully separated recyclable waste was emptied by Pikitup into their truck as the collection dates were on the same day. Info: 011-618-2246 or resolutionrecycling@54.co.za

Winner of Bin Competition

The winner of the Naughty Estate Agents competition was 4th Avenue resident Alison Bell. She gets a free recycling bin and collection for a year from Resolution Recycling.

Mondi Curbside Paper Pickup

They are now collecting every Wednesday put out your Ronnie Bags before you go to work and then play the game of “Where's my empty Ronnie bag this week?” In the pool, stolen (again!), blowing down the street or stolen by the neighbours (again!).

Street Numbering

We had a problem from one of our residents about a neighbour on a corner who was using the incorrect street address. The neighbour was using his number from the avenue instead of the street which was causing much confusion as there were then two houses with the same number in the street.

Cheryl Labuschagne, who heads our Public Open Space sub-committee, dis some digging and came up with following info on street numbering in Johannesburg.

Street numbers are allocated sequentially along a street and is used for directions, deliveries, council services, emergency services, postal deliveries, etc. A stand or erf number is the legal property description as it appears on the title deed.

Street numbers are allocated every 16 m along a street. Often more than one street number is allocated on bigger stands to take into account later sub-divisions.

In Parkhurst the opposite happened to some properties in 18-20th Streets. 91 stands were redeveloped as a part of a government housing scheme to build 60 houses. They built a house on a stand and half, thus in the section of 20th Street between 3rd and 2nd Avenues, you will find the numbers 60,64 and 66 missing as they had to accommodate the larger stands.

Corner stands are given two numbers; one for each street it is located on. The actual number used MUST be the number allocated to it on the street where the MAIN ENTRANCE is located. If you don't do this, then you can be fined R500 and ordered to put up the correct number.

If you don't display your street number then emergency services might not reach you on time, your neighbours will get upset by people delivering things to them that aren't theirs or receiving summons for traffic fines that aren't theirs, your water or electricity may be cut of incorrectly, AND you could receive a fine of R500.

More info: Cheryl Labuschagne, 083-637-0394

Illegal Street Signs

The signs that people and companies put up on street poles, trees or on poles on the side walks are all illegal. Please feel free to remove them if you see any. I get great satisfaction in spotting and removing them. I also remove those show house metal estate agents pointer boards that they leave after 5 pm on a Sunday. They get recycled in a squatter camp in Pretoria one day I'll get a picture of the shacks and put it in the Post.

Pensioner Discount at Pick n Pay Craighall Park

The management of the Pick and Pay in Craighall Park have started a pensioner discount scheme. Pensioners will get a 5% discount from Monday to Friday (not public holidays). There is no limit, but you must register first.

You will need an ID sized photo, a copy of your ID and you will need to fill in a form. It will take up to 2 weeks to receive your card. They are open weekdays from 8am-8pm, Saturday 8am-7pm and Sunday 8am-6pm. Contact them for more info: 011-781-3412.

Car Parking

We had an incident in one of our steep streets where a parked car didn't have its hand break applied properly. It rolled down the hill and caused considerable damage. It is a good idea to park with your front wheels turned to the side so that if the vehicle rolls, it will end up wedged into the road shoulder or sidewalk.

Pool Motors

There have been some complaints about pool motors. Because our houses are so close together and pool motors are usually located alongside the house in the alley, noisy pool motors that run at inappropriate hours can be very annoying to neighbours. There are bylaws pertaining to pool motors and it is illegal to have noisy motors.

So before you start getting visits from the Metro Police and receiving fines and legal warnings, here is some advice from Darren at The Pool Yard in Colony, Craighall Park (more info 011-880-7663 / thepoolyard@mweb.co.za).

Noisy Pumps

• Invest in a fibreglass pump housing. Fibreglass material seems to dampen the pump sound and is also used for generator cover boxes.

• Loud noises from your pump might indicate that the pump bearings need to be replaced. Get your pump are serviced at the same time.

• Run your pump for 6-12 hours during the day. This is when the sun is at its hottest and circulation in a swimming pool is crucial.

• Allow the timer to switch off for one hour during the day this assists the pool cleaner pattern and also rests the pump for a while.

• Make sure your timer does not run continuously this is not only bad for your pump, but it can also be unfair on your neighbours.

• Invest in a pump which runs quietly like the Pentair Wisperflo this is a much quieter pump.

• Plant shrubbery around your swimming pool pump this also assists in dampening the sound coming from your pump.

• Move your pump and filter to a better location this is possible by extending and re-routing piping.

• Line your pump with foam or Polystyrene, make sure you line the outermost sides, but not near the electrical box.

• Build a brick enclosure around your pump system, this can also be cladded to make it look better.

Getting Your Pool Ready

And while we are on pools - here are useful some tips on getting your pool ready for summer.

• Do a long backwash and rinse this cleans the sand. Change your sand if it has not been done in two years. Your filter cleans the sand which helps with filtration and circulation.

• Top up swimming pool water level.

•  Empty all baskets: Weir, Pump and Pool Skim.

• Brush the walls this will loosen any algae spores.

• Test the water make sure your Stabilizer levels are sufficient 40-100 ppm/ 80-100 ppm for a salt chlorinated swimming pool. Stabilizer maintains chlorine levels in your swimming pool.

• Purchase a new floater or make sure you have chlorine tablets.

• Shock dose your swimming pool with granular chlorine (1.5 cups for a 50 000 litre pool).

• Check TDS to see how saturated/clean your swimming pool water is.Make sure pH is between (7.4-7.6) as chlorine only functions effectively in this pH.
• Service your pool cleaner, this will aid in picking up dust, leaves and spring berries.
• Clean mosaics with a mosaic cleaner remember to read the instructions carefully as the chemicals in these products can burn skin and cause irritations.
  - Remove all bubble blankets/covers.
  - Trim any shrubbery hanging into the swimming pool.
  - Clean the paving around swimming pool.
  - Replace pool seal beams (Lights) for those spring parties.
  - Replace baskets/pump lids.
  - Check chemical balance every week - six weeks at your local pool shop.

Arwen Corsets

Have you ever looked up at the block of flats opposite the Jolly Roger while sitting in your car waiting at the 4th Avenue and 6th Street traffic lights? Then you have probably noticed Arwen's saucy corset bedecked mannequins perched on the 1st floor balcony. Having got my attention, I thought it would interesting to meet with their creator.
Arwen (no surname like Madonna) has occupied one of the old 1st Floor apartments in the Art Centre for the past 3 years. She is one of the few makers of couture corsets, and may be the only women in the world.

Her clients range from teens wanting to look stunning at their Matric Dance, to women (and men) who want to look trim and thin at black tie events and weddings. Some clients want a corset for medical reasons to correct spinal problems.

And others want them for more frivolous purposes. Like her first paying customer. A massive cross-dressing man with a size 50 waist which she couldn't get her arms around. It took her 2 weeks to make.

Ok enough frivolity. For she doesn't make those nasty latex, PVC or faux-silk fetish objects that usually come to mind when you think of bodices and corsets. These are real works of art made from imported sprung steel boning from Scotland, leather from Italy and fabrics from the USA and Europe. They can take from 3 weeks to 2 months to make depending on the material and what type of corset you want.

The corsets come if different types and styles. The full on tight laced steel bore corset can cost from R3500 to R4000. Other styles like the unboned Merry Widow can cost R1000. Once you have one you have to keep your weight reasonable steady. They will handle a 3 kg loss or a 5 kg gain.

Most of clients are women, but about 12% are men. Men usually want a corset for medical purposes or to look good in their business suit at an important meeting. Thankfully, she doesn't get many cross-dressers anymore.

And for those who want to see her corsets in action. Arwen and her friend perform as burlesque dancers a kind of 10-15 minute naughty and fun vintage striptease (no they don't strip down nude).

For more info contact Arwen on 011-447-0247 / arwen@arwen.co.za / www.arwen.co.za

Smelly Donga & River

A resident living next to the donga where it runs at the foot of her garden wrote the following:

“I live in 5th Ave between 19th and 20th Street by the storm drain. Thank you for all your hard work and concern. I really really do appreciate it. I have been trying for years, only once managing to get it sorted out, which lasted for about a year. The drain I am sad to say is still smelling - particularly in the afternoons. Some days are worse than others and it also depends which way the wind is blowing and in winter it tends to be slightly less pungent. As you know the sewerage pipe runs under the drain, and I found out years ago, that there was a pipe that had not been recorded that runs off to 20th Street. It should be on the record now as when they cleaned it, that is when the smell went away. I have reported so many times to the relevant people, that I am at a loss as to what to do know.”

Parkhurst is having problems with the enclosed donga that carries waste (i.e. sewerage) from Rosebank/Parktown North through Parkhurst (where we add our load) and into the main sewerage pipe that runs adjacent to the Braamfontein Spruit. A major sewerage leak was repaired earlier this year. But with densification in these suburbs, the system is too small and too old to cope.

The result is that it overflows into the section of the donga that is meant to carry water run-off from our streets. This feeds into the Braamfontein Spruit causing a major pollution problem.

For people with houses on the Spruit north of 19th Street and those that have houses directly over it this pollution is most unpleasant. An immune compromised friend who lives near the enclosed donga in 16th Street has had a terrible bout of ecoli infections and her dogs keep getting giardia (a very bad stomach bug).

The Craighall Park Animal Hospital is also reporting increased numbers of dogs with stomach problems. Many of these may have become infected after swimming in the Spruit especially at the 22nd Street river crossing across the concrete lintel that acts as a footbridge. The spill is only about 50 m upstream from there.

I also shudder to think what is happening to the religious groups who use the Spruit on Sundays for baptisms and water collected there for other rituals.

The upshot of this is that we are trying to put together an investigative team to try and sort out the problem with the various departments in the Municipality.

We already have several letters of complaints from those on the river who are affected by the smell and fumes. Please contact us if any of you who live in houses above or near the enclosed donga are suffering from mysterious infections. Or if your dog or child has become ill after coming in contact with the water in the Spruit.

From the 1952 aerial photo, where the donga was clearly in the process of being canalised, I have identified the following properties that lie over or near the donga. A hi-res version of this aerial photo is available on the www.parkhurst.org.za website for you to look at.

13th St: 145-147.
14th St: 138-178 & 131-145.
15th St: 126-136 & 121-123.
16th St: 104-114 & 97-109.
17th St: 92-100 & 77-85.
18th St: 64-70 & 45-53.
19th St: 1-41 & 22-50.
20th St: 2-22

If you have any recurring infections in humans or recurring diarrhoea in domestic animals that you think are Donga or Water related, please contact Kim Lugli on 011-447-4439, 083-383-4359, kim.lugli@telkomsa.net.