Thornhill Issue 011

OCTOBER 2019 ISSUE 011


Contents Trish Heinmann 4
Resident Triathlete
Public Restrooms 6 THOA
Before & After 7 Halloween Festivities 8
Social Committee
Security Update 10
CPF
TELEGRAM 11
Notice Board & SpotMarket
Water Wise Planting for Spring 12 Potjie Competition 16
Pics from the event
In & Around Thornhill 23
CLASSIFIEDS 24
Calendar 2019
HALLOWEEN OCTOBER
Christmas December


Reminders
• RESIDENTS TO PLEASE REGISTER AT THE FRONT OFFICE FOR THE NEW ACCESS SYSTEM - AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
•
Please ensure your contact details are up to date with THOA
• Thornhill Notice Board & SpotMarket now on Telegram to ensure you are
up to date on all Estate Notices. Please contact Linda for more information.
• All active links in this publication are orange in colour for easy identification and usage.
LEVEL 1 WATER RESTRICTIONS
The Vaal Dam is currently sitting at 48%.
Gauteng Weather announced the level 1 water restrictions, which means that Gauteng residents will have to use water sparingly. Residents should not water their gardens from 6 am to 6 pm. All consumers are also prohibited from using a hose-pipe to clean paved areas
and driveways with municipal water.
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YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD
to reach your dreams
TRISH HEIMANN,
Trish Heimann, daughter of Teresa and Mike Neville who live in Thornhill Estate, participated in the Triathlon Grand Final World Championships hosted in Lausanne, Switzerland on 31 August 2019.
She represented South Africa and was placed 19th out of 83 ladies in her category. “It is an incredible experience participating in an international event”, says Trish. “I had a particularly tough training season, falling ill a lot – but my personal goal was to make top 20 this year and I am blessed enough to have reached that”.
Trish goes on to share, “What I found most inspiring when I started competing in triathlon, was the people in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s who still compete. It just goes to show that you are never too old to follow and reach your dreams!”.
Trish is an age grouper sprint and standard distance triathlete with a passion for life. Now 42 years old, Trish has 3 beautiful daughters, works full-time and has
a husband who helps out so that she manages her busy schedule. “It’s honestly not easy sometimes – it’s a constant juggle! But I have a daily routine that I keep. Up
at 4h45 to fit in a training session before dropping off the little one. And my hubby helps with getting the other two to school.
The training has just become part of a daily routine and something that I do for me. Us moms tend to neglect ourselves and focus on everyone else. When I took up triathlon more seriously in January 2018, I found that it gave me a breath of fresh air and a new goal for myself. And over time I realise how it has inspired those around me to
find something for themselves as well, be it pursuing their dream to start a doctorate or getting to the gym more regularly”.
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PUBLIC RESTROOMS
Thornhill Estate
THOA
You will have noticed that the bathrooms at the Community Centre continue to improve. This is a consistent effort by THOA to ensure our residents have a clean, hygienic and pleasant place to refresh while using the facilities.
Latest Additions
• Paper towel dispensers
• Foam soap dispensers
• Extractor Fans
• Waste bins
• Hygiene bins in the ladies stalls
The bathrooms are serviced daily by THOA, however we ask that all residents and their guests please leave the facilities as you would like to find them.
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HALLOWEEN
The history behind the holiday
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Halloween is an annual holiday celebrated each year on October 31, and Halloween 2019 occurs on Thursday, October 31.
Halloween is in fact the merging of both Pagan and Christian traditions.
The origins of this festival dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their New Year on November 1st.
This day marked the end of summer, the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death.
Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.
For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes.
When the celebration was over, they
re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the dead. It’s widely believed today that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, church-sanctioned holiday.
All Souls’ Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils. The All Saints’ Day celebration was also called All-Hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.
This tradition moved with the Irish over to the new world of the Americas, where over time, Halloween evolved into a fun and festive time filled with activities like trick- or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating sweet treats.


SECURITY UPDATE
CPF
As most of you will have heard, crime is on the increase in the Modderfontein and Edenvale areas, particularly hijackings.
Some of these instances can be attributed to the lack of awareness from victims. People do not take note of what is happening around them, stopping on the side of the road to make a phone call or answer a message. Unlike their victims, this is exactly what criminals are on the lookout for. The solution is quite simple, be aware of your surroundings, is it possible you are being followed, and most importantly,
do not make those unnecessary roadside stops.
There are a group of individuals out there who constantly patrol our areas in an attempt put a stop to incidents like these, they are the MSCPF, or Modderfontein Sebenza Community Police Forum.
They are a group of concerned residents who liaise with members of the South African Police Service, JMPD, security
companies and even local councilors in an effort to curb crime in our area. They go so far as to patrol our area at night in order to keep our residents safe. Unfortunately, considering the number of residents
living in the area, the response to actively participate has been poor. Currently there are only eight active members on the group who reside at Thornhill, Lakeside and Westlake. Makes you think!
The MSCPF are currently attempting to raise funds in order to install LPR (License Plate Recognition) cameras, as well as secure the services of security patrol vehicles in our area.
Should you be interested in assisting in any way, you can email the MSCPF Chairman, Franco Mariotti on francodm@telkomsa. net. You are also welcome to attend the MSCPF meetings which are held on the first Tuesday of every month at 6pm at the Thornhill Community Centre.
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Telegram Messenger allows for up to 200 000 members, whereas WhatsApp will only allow 256 members to join a group. This is a secure messaging service and more than one member of a household can be added to the group/s.
A NOTICE BOARD was created on the Telegram App (available to download from your Play or AppStore) Telegram is a secure Application that can be accessed via your mobile or desktop. Click on the link for more information https://telegram.org/ apps
Follow these steps to download and register the application on your mobile and desktop and the link to join the Notice Board will be sent:
SPOTMARKET ON TELEGRAM
Regular SpotMarket users would have noticed that their favourite community group has now moved to Telegram. If you are a new resident on the Estate or were previously unable to join the group, please follow the steps above to join this vibrant and dynamic social platform.
The SpotMarket Chat Group was created for the community by the residents and only residents of the estate may join the group. Joining this group, you can expect to enjoy neighbourly information, goods to buy, news, events to attend, unofficial announcement, advertisements for business/products and services within the estate, and much more.
The following rules apply when you become a member of the SpotMarket :
No complaints or estate related issues to be discussed on the group.
All complaints and issues to be addressed to the office via email [email protected].
For all security matters/issues/ assistance – contact the office 011 608 0835 during office hours or the 24/7 Main Gate Security number 011 608 4361.
1. 2.
3. 4. 5.
Download TELEGRAM MESSENGER Register your mobile number, name • and surname and start messaging.
Search for username @LindaFisher
and send a message to request the link Once you have received the link – click
on Join Channel. • This is a Channel and only messages
sent from the office will appear on the NoticeBoard. All THOA notices sent via MailChimp will now also be posted on
this Channel.
TELEGRAM
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Water-Wise Plants
For your garden
THOA & GARDENS COMMITTEE
With the recent drought in South Africa, home owners have become more savvy in the way they use water around their homes.
Many have resorted to installing rain water harvesting or grey water systems (properly filtered) in order to irrigate their gardens, whilst others have installed boreholes to utilise groundwater.
These techniques go a long way to making us all ‘water-wise,’ but despite these measures, residents may still have the problem of how to adequately water their gardens.
Many gardens still incorporate one or more exotic species that may require higher than normal watering cycles, and this is where the use of indigenous, water-wise planting can be beneficial.
It is sometimes assumed that water-wise planting means only using succulents or aloes, but this is not necessarily the case.
There are many species that may not be considered ‘succulent’, but are nonetheless beneficial in their own way to help you conserve water in your garden.
Groundcovers, for example, can spread to cover the soil, thereby helping to conserve water by reducing evaporation. In addition home owners can also reduce the size of their lawns, replacing these areas with shrubs and groundcovers that do not require as much water to keep them alive and flourishing. There are even home owners who have done away with lawn entirely, creating lawn-free gardens that dramatically lower their watering requirements, as well as reducing their maintenance costs.
To help you on your way, we’ve selected 14 indigenous plant species that are worth considering when changing your ‘thirsty’ garden into a water-wise, wildlife haven.
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WILD IRIS (Dietes)
These grass-like perennials have become ubiquitous on South African verges and in gardens. They are very hardy, and once established require little watering or maintenance. A few varieties are available, including Dietes grandiflora with white flowers, and Dietes bicolor with yellow flowers. They can be mass-planted to create beautiful backdrops to a bed, or used as filler shrubs for dry areas in the garden.
WILD GARLIC (Tulbaghia)
Wild Garlic is one of the hardiest species on the list, and has become very popular with gardeners and landscape architects around the country. It has a long-flowering period,
and when mass planted creates a stunning display with its pinkish-mauve flowers. It can survive extended dry spells as well as heavy rain, and is generally a fuss-free plant provided it is used in a sunny to semi-shade position. Clumps can be split after a few years and used elsewhere in the garden.
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STRELITZIA
Strelitzia reginae is one of South Africa’s favourite exports, and is cultivated worldwide – it has even become the official flower of Los Angeles! Strelitzias are hardy, and once established can withstand long dry spells and a fair amount of neglect. Plants can be grown in both sun and shade, and provide a beautiful structural display when in flower. Flowers resemble the head of a crane, hence the common name Crane Flower or Bird of Paradise, and both the leaves and flowers can be used in a cut-flower display.
SNAKE PLANT / MOTHER-IN-LAWS’s TOUNGE (Sansevieria)
Popularly known as ‘Mother-in-laws’ Tongue, Sansevieria species are hardy plants ideally suited to shade conditions. They are frequently used indoors, and recent studies have shown that they can act effectively as air purifiers. The exotic species/varieties have become quite popular, but South African home owners should look towards using some of the local species, such as S. hyacinthoides, S. aethiopica, and S. pearsonii. Large clumps can be split and reused elsewhere in the garden or in spare containers for the patio or indoors.
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HOTTENTOT FIG (Carpobrotu)
This hardy, evergreen succulent has become very popular in landscape architecture, and
is frequently used as a replacement for lawn on verges. At the coast it is used to stabilise sand-dunes, and can be grown in areas where other plants may struggle. Cuttings root easily, and the triangular shaped leaves and fruit are favoured by birds. It generally prefers sunny to semi-shaded areas, where it will spread rapidly to cover bare soil. Common species include C. edulis with yellow flowers, and C. deliciosus with pinkish-purple flowers.
AGAPANTHAS (Tulbaghia)
Agapanthus plants line so many roads in South Africa that we tend to forget just how spectacular these plants are. Thanks to clever breeding programmes these indigenous treasures are now available in a wide range of striking varieties. The Agapanthus is undoubtedly one of our indigenous botanical treasures. It has been exported to all corners of the earth, but occurs naturally only in southern Africa, where it grows in the wild in all our provinces except the Northern Cape, as well as in Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique. Their strap-like leaves and striking blue or white flowers make them favourites in plant borders as well as in containers. They are all easy to grow with evergreen foliage.
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SEPTEMBER
Potjiekos Competition
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Another successful potjie competition was held in the main park on Saturday 14 September.
With 28 entries, the judges had a tough time choosing our top 3 winners in
what they described as the best potjie competition they have ever had the pleasure of judging. It seems Thornhill is home to many talented cooks.
Thank you to all who entered and joined us for a fun day. As usual all who participated were in very high spirits and contributed to the great atmosphere.
We would like to thank our Judges which included chefs and owners from Foakes, Fahrenheit, Nikos, The Dynamite Gin Distillery, Gratitude & residents Cliff & Martin.
It was a great pleasure to have our very own DA ward counsellor, Bongani and Estate Manager, Kevin, spend the day with us and offer their opinion on the judging too.
Prizes were awarded to the following teams: -
BEST KIDS POT
1st Place – Shaun the sheep 2nd Place – Funky Feast 3rd Place – Wonder Girls
BEST POTJIE POT
1st Place – Du Maister
2nd Place – Yum-mee
3rd Place – Limb Brisket Cooks
BEST THEME
1st Place – Beer Garden 2nd Place – Curry Cup 3rd Place – Shamrocks
BEST SPIRIT
1st Place – Springbeefs
2nd Place – Cheeky beefeaters 3rd Place – Finding Nemo
Thank you to Papachinos, Fahrenheit, Foakes, Liesel Raath & The Dynamite Gin Distillery for their wonderful contributions towards our prizes.
Halloween is scheduled for the 26th of October, please be on the lookout for details on FB, Telegram and spot market and please consider registering your home for trick or treat.


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In & Around
Thornhill Estate
RESIDENT CONTRIBUTIONS
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PMP Plumbers
burst geysers bathroom renovations new installations block drains maintanance leak detection camera inspections
[email protected] www.pmpplumbers.co.za 073 833 1439


For more information visit our website


Linbro Park Branch Opening 2020 Babies to Grade 3
25 years experience
50% off on enrolment fee for Mandela Day - Valid until End of August 2019
23 Kings Rd, Bedfordview 011 450 1125
22 Riley Rd, Bedfordview 011 450 1179
Tracey 082 616 5830
Soccer Karate Music
Educational
Small Classes Individual attention, Special needs, Inclusive Education.




FOR THORNHILL RESIDENTS
I have been a resident at Thornhill for 19 years and am responsible for Consolidated Auto Ford in Boksburg.
If you drive a Ford vehicle and need a service done, please call me and I will assist you with the following:
1. I will book in your vehicle, when convenient for you.
2. I will collect your vehicle from your home.
3. We can provide you with a courtesy vehicle.
4. I will return the vehicle to you after work.
Neil Boonzaier
Dealer Principal - Consolidated Auto
011 306 2000 | 083 443 5443
ALSO OFFERING
NEW AND USED VEHICLE SALES


ALL NEW FORD RAPTOR
For all
your
SALE & RENTAL requirements
MIGUEL RAMOS
072 301 5338 [email protected]
YOUR AREA SPECIALIST






Dynamite Distilling Company invites you to visit our distillery, enjoy the atmosphere and sample our delicious products.
Friday 9am-4pm // Saturday 10am-2pm
GIN TASTING SATURDAYS
11am, 12pm & 1pm (booking essential)
FREE GIN DELIVERY ON FRIDAY
(THORNHILL ESTATE & LAKESIDE)
This offer applies when you order 2 bottles of Gin or more.
EVENTS
Book your next boutique event at Dynamite Distilling Co. ( 25 people)
AWARD WINNING FLAVOURS
We have 3 signature avours with new avours currently in the making. Cold Craft Beer is on tap.
We are proud to announce that both Jozi Dry and Floral won Silver Medals at the 2018 Michelangelo Awards.
HERITAGE HOUSE 3, 31 HIGH STREET, FOUNDERS VIEW. PLEASE CALL FOR BOOKINGS: 082 414 9838


RESIDENTIAL RATES - ONCE OFF
1/4 page: R90 1/2 page: R175 Full page: R350
RESIDENTIAL RATES - BULK
3 MONTHS
1/4 page - 5% discount: R256 1/2 page - 10% discount: R486 Full page - 15% discount: R918
PAYMENT DETAILS
ABSA Bank
Acc #: 015 922 117
Code: 632005
Reference: ADVERTyourname
IF YOU PRINT THIS NEWSLETTER PLEASE RECYCLE IT WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED READING.
RESIDENTIAL RATES - BULK
6 MONTHS
1/4 page - 5% discount: R498 1/2 page - 10% discount: R945 Full page - 15% discount: R1785
RESIDENTIAL RATES - BULK
12 MONTHS
1/4 page - 5% discount: R997 1/2 page - 10% discount: R1890 Full page - 15% discount: R3570
PLEASE NOTE
Proof of payment and artwork must be submitted by 20th of the month ([email protected]) in order to appear in the following month’s issue.
RECYCLING IS PICKED UP EVERY WEDNESDAY IN THORNHILL ESTATE. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS PUT YOUR RECYCLABLE PRODUCTS INTO A CLEAR PLASTIC REFUSE BAG ON YOUR PAVEMENT ON TUESDAY NIGHT. AND THE ECO FAIRIES WILL WHISK IT AWAY DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY :) THANK YOU.
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continuous
siren.
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
MODDERFONTEIN INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
This is for YOU if your home is within a 7 KM RADIUS of the Modderfontein Industrial Complex (PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH EVERYONE AT HOME)
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WHAT TO DO
This information is here to help you when there is a major emergency at the Modderfontein Industrial Complex.
ALARM TESTS
Our emergency
alarm is tested every Friday 12h00.
A MAJOR EMERGENCY?
Undulating
siren sounding for the first 10
minutes of the emergency.
END OF EMERGENCY
Continuous siren sounding for 10 minutes.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HEAR THE UNDULATING SIREN?
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MOVE PEOPLE and ANIMALS CLOSE all WINDOWS INDOORS as quickly as possible. and DOORS.
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SWITCH OFF all air conditioners and ventilator fans.
THE SMELL OF GAS & THERE IS NO SIREN
This means that gas may have leaked, but its intensity is insufficient to create a hazardous condition - you can smell most irritant gases at levels which do not pose a risk to your health.
Remain INDOORS until you are advised by media that the situation is safe, or until you hear the
EMERGENCY SERVICES may be called in to assist in which case their INSTRUCTIONS should be FOLLOWED.
EMERGENCY NUMBER: 011 606 2703 or 011 606 2250
Issued by the Moddefontein Community Awareness and Emergency Response Committee
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Useful
Numbers
MODDERFONTEIN & SURROUNDS
Any Emergency from a mobile Number Netcare 911
Flying Squad
Busamed Private Hospital (24hrs) Linksfield Netcare Hospital
Dischem Flamingo Centre
Fire Station
Sebenza Police Station
Edenvale Police Station
Emer-G-Med
Modderfontein Nature Reserve Modderfontein Golf Course
Automobile Association (roadside assistance) Metropolitan Police
National Tourism Information Centre (24 hours) OR Tambo International Airport
OR Tambo (Arrivals and Departures)
Directory Inquiries Local numbers
City of Johannesburg Customer Care City of Johannesburg Power Failures City of Johannesburg Vehicle Licencing
112 082911 10111 011 458 2000 011 640 3661 086 0347 243 / 0860 347 243 011 375 5911 011 400 6000 011 553 8600 086 100 7911 079 519 1589 011 608 2034 011 799 1000 011 999 2093/4 083 123 2345 011 921 6262 086 727 7888 1023 086 056 2874 086 056 2874 086 056 2874
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