AGM: Tues 28 March 2006

The Parkhurst Village Residents Association (PVRA) Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 28 March at the Parkhurst Primary School, cnr 15th St and 3rd Ave at 6.30-7pm.
The guest speakers will be Parks resident Denis Beckett and Chief Superintendent Moodley.

Snacks and drinks will be available and it will be a good way to meet the residents who have been running the PVRA for the past year and vote in the new committee.
Info: Greg Margolis on 082-459-0702 or info@parkhurst.org.za

Business Directory

The Parkhurst Post is delivered free of charge to over 2200 residences and businesses in the suburb. And it is time that we also started supporting the responsible and legal businesses that are located here - whether they are one of the shops or being run from a house.

The directory can be found near the rear of each issue. We are purposefully keeping the costs low that even small businesses can be represented. For only R100 you will get a small paragraph insert in 3 issues of the Parkhurst Post.

The idea is to get the residents to support the businesses in the suburb which will lead to the businesses feeling more connected with Parkhurst. There has been a tendency in the past for the residents and businesses to operate independently from each other and then only interact when there is a problem.

To get a listing or place an advert in the subsequent Parkhurst Posts, contact Tim on info@parkhurst.org.za or phone the PVRA office on 880-1307.

Click here for the online Business Directory.

Noisy Suburb

The letter sent out by the PVRA about combating the noise in Parkhurst has been a great success. Several persistent noise makers, once threatened with prosecution, stopped making a noise and so far it hasn't been necessary to prosecute anybody yet. If you have a noise problem issue, then contact Greg Margolis on 082-459-0702. Read the letter on the website.

Trash Collection Issues

Pikitup recently changed our trash collection day from Tuesdays to Mondays. But they were woefully inadequate in letting the residents know about it. They sent out one notice to the households on the wettest weekend of the year (mine was flushed out into the street and I only saw when I picked it up to throw it away); they didn't alert the resident’s associations; and they placed a notice in the Rosebank and Killarney Gazette which came out on Tuesday, the day after our bins were due to be collected.

Despite their bungling, the word did manage to get out, and only 10% of Parkhurst households got the day wrong. We did issue reminder notices to those who missed the change and now pretty much all our residents and businesses have managed the switch successfully.

Waste Paper Collection Day

At the beginning of the year, Mondi also changed its paper collection day. They come every 2nd Wednesday and in January they skipped a week so many of us were confused. Then there was the public holiday on voting day which also meant no collection. So some Mondi Ronnie bags have been outside for almost a month.

Here are the collection days for 2006: 29 March; 12 & 26 April; 10 & 24 May; 7 & 21 June; 5 & 19 July; 2, 16 & 30 August; 13 & 27 September; 11 & 25 October; 8 & 22 November; 6 December.

For more info visit their website on www.paperpickup.co.za

Uncle Bob's Spring Cleaning Service

The Men on the Side of the Road project takes men off the side of the road, teaches them skills and tries to set them up with proper employment. One of these projects is the Uncle Bob's Spring Cleaning Service.

They have a Nissan 1400 bakkie and offer a service where they will spring clean your garage/storeroom/back yard. They will take away whatever you don't want. If something is useful and you don't want it (i.e. old kettles, bikes, computer equipment, etc) they will repair and/or sell it, which in turn, makes employment for some more men.

The cost is R250 per load the first time you use them which drops with subsequent use. They give you a 10% discount voucher for the 2nd time you want to use them (you can also give the voucher to a friend or neighbour). They work from Mon-Sat.

To arrange a pick-up contact Devon or Raymond on 847-1216. For more info visit www.unemploymen.co.za.

All Change for Councillors

We would like to thank the long standing and now ex-councillors Ed Jordan and Kim Lugli for all the hard work they did for the Parkhurst community. Ed Jordan has been replaced by Sharon Sabbagh (DA). Kim Lugli, who was a list councillor who crossed the floor to the DA still remains a Parkhurst resident and a member of the PVRA - she heads the Building and Bylaws Sub-Committee.

Electric Fences

Click, click, click. A new noise has arrived in Parkhurst to match the noises of the birds, the dogs and neighbours. But this noise is potentially bad for you. It is the sound of your electric fence leaking its power into the wall or foliage.

Recently my electric fence stopped working completely and I called out Robin Walters of RAS Systems. He and I had a chat about electric fences, especially about what you can do to maintain and repair them yourself. Warning: before working on or near the fence - TURN IT OFF first.

- When the alarm attached the fence goes off it means that the power has been reduced somewhere on the fence. It could be a burglar, but more usually it is a broken or slipped wire or something that has touched the fence.
- Clear all the foliage from the fence as branches and vegetation reduce the power and can set off the alarm.
- Make sure the wires haven't slipped out of the plastic bobbins on the fence posts.
- The usual cause of a clicking fence is a cracked bobbin on the round bar fencing. The power is leaking from the system to the round metal bar and hence reduces the voltage in the system. Locate the clicking bobbin, turn off the power and remove the bobbin (tap it from below with a hammer). New bobbins can be purchased from Regal Eltro in Roosevelt Park (tel 888-5666) for under R1 each.
- Turn off your fence when cleaning the pool with a long handled brush or net. If you touch the fence with the pole, you will get a very nasty shock.
- Often the bottom wire on the fence is the earth wire - this means that it isn't live and won't shock you. But not all bottom wires are the earth, so be careful when painting or clearing away vegetation.
- The fence needs earth spikes every 25 m as this reduces the interference on electrical appliances like the TV or radio (especially when listening to Talk Radio 702). This is not a job for the home-owner.
- Other jobs that require a professional are: repair broken wires, replace rusted springs and fence bars, replace or install the high tension cable (the one with the black insulation), replace the wire in the fence, repair or replace the energizer (the unit that provides the shock in the fence).

He also said that the braided wire is better than stainless steel single strand as it is galvenised and has less resistance which means the voltage remains higher. Braided stainless steel is the best, but it is also very expensive.

You can link the fence to your household alarm and security company. The energizer should be installed in the garage which should be kept locked to make it more difficult to disarm. It should be out of the way as it is dangerous if kids or pets touch it in the wrong place.

On newer models you can fit a key pad and on older ones you can use a remote to control the energizer from inside the house so you don't have to wander around outside just in case a burglar or prowler set it off.

More info: Robin Walters, RAS Systems, 673-3686 and 082-904-3606.

Kleen Bin

Kleen Bin was started in Cape Town in 1997 when they first got their 240 litre wheely bins. As we are starting to find out, a year after it was introduced here, the bins are difficult to clean properly (especially the inside), the lids and wheels fall off, they facilitate the breeding of maggots and flies, and they usually smell. Giving it a rinse out is not enough, and tipping the foul smelling sludge into the road or the garden is not very hygienic.

Enter Kleen Bin from Cape Town who have an elegant solution to the maintenance and cleaning of our bins. They have established a franchise in Joburg and this is what they do:

- After the bins have been emptied by Pikitup, they drive around the suburb and clean your bin;
- They use a mobile cleaning rig which catches all the grunge and water from the cleaning. They get right inside the bin scraping and scrubbing all the way to the bottom;
- They repair the lids and wheels;
- Best of all, they spray a fly repelling, clean smelling, disinfectant all over and inside the bin;
- You just simply wheel the clean smelling bin back inside when you get home from work like you used to do. No cleaning the bin in the dark (or leaving it to fester til the next day) and even gardeners like the idea as they also hate cleaning out the bin. And you don't have foul smelling toxic sludge lying around in your back yard waiting for you, the kids and the pets to track inside the house.

It costs R54.72 (incl) a month which works out at R12.63 a week over the year - the price of a café latte or a Weekly Mail and Guardian. If you have a second bin they will clean it for R11.40/ week. And if you only want it cleaned every 2nd week, that is no problem. Kleen Bin will also donate R1 a bin a month to the Parkhurst Village Residents Association for all Parkhurst bins.

Give them a call on 0860-177-177 to arrange a free bin cleaning and for more info. You can also visit their website on www.kleenbin.co.za.

Dial-A-Nerd

One of the most useful resources and a good example of a socially aware company in our suburb is Dial-A-Nerd. It is really great having a reliable PC repair and computer supply company on our doorstep. They have been supportive of the Parkhurst community and their latest donation of a computer to help with the running of the PVRA is a good example of their involvement. I e-mailed some questions to Colin Thornton, their founder:

PP: I heard that you started out helping friends and family.
Colin: I started the company on my own, but with help from my friend Stuart Cullender who now teaches maths at Wits. We worked from my parents' garage and my first clients were friends and family.

PP: When did you move to Parkhurst?
Colin: We moved to the corner of 6th Street and 3rd Avenue in 2002 from Greenside. It was the best marketing move I could have made as the exposure on that corner is great and Parkhurst is full of home offices and therefore PC's.

PP: Why Parkhurst?
Colin: I loved the atmosphere of 4th Avenue and the mix of businesses on 6th Street.

PP: Are you happy here?
Colin: We have run out of space but I am completely against moving out of the area. It's a great suburb with tons of potential. We have expanded into the house on the opposite corner which houses our new sister company, Network Nerds.

PP: Is there anything you would like to change improve in the suburb?
Colin: More control over ugly (and environmentally damaging) construction sites!

PP: Do you get much business from the residents and businesses here?
Colin: There are a phenomenal number of little businesses in Parkhurst and we service a large number of them.

PP: I use you guys in the following manner - if I can't fix a problem for myself or friend - I recommend you guys as you are on our doorstep and it is easy to get the products to you. You guys are our local neighbourhood computer nerds.
Colin: We've always tried to provide an affordable and efficient one-stop solution to home and small business PC users and we enjoy being the 'neighbourhood nerds'. Our fleet of mobile technicians which travel directly to clients and our well-equipped workshop ensure that any computer problem can be solved with minimal fuss. Not a lot of people know that we also sell custom-built PC's and spares, but this is becoming a large part of our business as people prefer dealing with someone who understands their needs (versus a salesman at a retail store).

PP: But you also do the other stuff like networking etc for the more advanced needs.
Colin: As Dial-A-Nerd customers have grown, so too have their computing requirements and to meet this demand, a new division called Network Nerds was created. Network Nerds provides ultra-fast response times and ongoing maintenance contracts which provide peace of mind for larger customers who can't afford down-time. Network Nerds also operates out of Parkhurst (across the road from Dial-A-Nerd) and has a team of highly qualified technicians who specialise in Linux and Windows servers, advanced networks and security.

For more info contact Dial-A-Nerd on 0861-4-NERDS (0861-4-63737) or info@dialanerd.co.za and by visiting www.dialanerd.co.za.

Bridge Report Back

In the November 05 issue I wrote about the bridges in the suburb. Regarding the imminent washing away of the Telkom bridge near 17th Street. I have been told that a works order has been placed in the pipeline to repair the foundations - it will cost around 1 million rand.

The other bridge I wrote about has yet to be built. It will be at the bottom of 12th Street and R1.8 million has been set aside to construct it. The money has to be used by June and it is hoped it will be built by then. There was only one objection to the bridge, but it was withdrawn. Lets hope that there will be no more drownings from here on in.

Letters

Verify References & Do Some Basic Checks

I have personally been involved in a case, in which a “painter/builder” told a Parkhurst resident that they “did all the work for Nan Roberts Estates or Michael Capela and that she must not worry.” Please be warned, this is not true and all references must be checked personally to avoid costly mistakes.

When employing staff or contractors like a builder or painter, first make some enquiries like the following: (1) get a copy of their ID book; (2) get a contact number and their known address; (3) find out if they are a member of the relevant trade body or association; (4) contact Parkview police 486-5000 to check for any criminal record.

You are welcome to call me personally (788-1068) to verify any contractor using our name as a reference.

Michael Capella, Nan Roberts Estates & Parkhurst Resident

Trash Issues

I have just read your latest Parkhurst Post. I don't like the idea of suggesting to people they stick their extra rubbish in the neighbour's bin. They should take care of their own rubbish. I never have more than one bag per week because I recycle, but I object to mine being overloaded and often smelly with other people's rubbish when I regularly keep my bin clean. And it's not to my liking if Pikitup are on strike and we have to move the full bins back inside our property.

The Pikitup personnel also 'kindly' load bags left by the roadside into mine as well which they should be told not to do. Also they throw the empty bins all over the pavement and roadside sometimes making it impossible to park one's car until the bins are removed.

Everyone should make sure the bins can close properly or order a second bin. Overseas visitors would have a fit if they saw the state of Parkhurst on rubbish collection day. It is absolutely forbidden in the U.K. to put out a bin without the lid closed properly.

Jo Meintjes, Parkhurst Resident

PP Comments: I personally don't mind my neighbour's using the empty space in my bin (I too recycle) as I would rather have all the trash in my street collected. I also use Kleen Bin to clean, sanitize and repair my bin every week - at R13 a week it is a good deal. BUT, I do think it is a cheek if the neighbours always have extra trash (it costs around R35/month for a 2nd bin). AND, I do agree that if there is a strike or a change in collection day, then the neighbour should take out their rubbish from your bin.

Library

The Parkhurst Library now has a over 200 DVDs which you can hire for R15/week and quite a few videos for R5/week. The DVDs are pretty up to date and they are regularly adding new titles.

The library also has an English literacy class every Thursday at 5pm; a scrabble club which meets at 11am on Mondays (R5/game incl refreshments); story time for 3 years upwards at 3.30pm on Wednesday.

Oh, and they also have books that you can borrow. It costs R30 PA/adult to join (kids free) and you need an ID/passport, proof of address. You can also become a friend of the library for R35/adult and R50/family PA.

Info: 788-4510, Open Mon/Tue/Thu 9am-5pm, Wed 1-5pm, Fri/Sat 9am-1pm.

Braeside Meat Market

There is a rumour going around that the Braeside Meat Market are closing down. I spoke to the owner and she assured me that this is NOT true. They are very much alive and kicking and are intent on staying in Parkhurst.

They have recently redecorated the shop and added display fridges for their new range of home made sausages and processed meats. And don’t forget they specialise in veal and make the best biltong in Joburg.

Info: Tel: 788-3613, cnr 4th Ave & 10th St.

WiFi Hotspot

The Mugg & Bean in 4th Ave is a WiFi hotspot. For those who don’t know what this means - the Mugg & Bean is a place where your laptop computer can be connected to the Internet without plugging in any wires. WiFi is short for “Wireless Fidelity” and is a way of transmitting information without using cables.

Most laptops nowadays come with a special device that allows it to find and use a wireless system. That is why you often see people sitting there typing away at a laptop while sipping their coffee.

They get 10 minutes free access a day, after which they buy blocks of time using their credit cards via this wireless connection and their laptops. MWEB subscribers get free access. The same system is in use at the airports, other restaurants and hotels throughout South Africa.
So now you know - coffee will never be the same again in 4th Avenue.

Info: Tel: 788-7111, cnr 4th Ave & 13th St, Parkhurst.