Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Our Annual Festival - All systems go!

Bokkie and Sonja
-Linda Jaquet-

A new-look Prince Albert Town and Olive Festival is on the cards! From Friday, 27 April to Monday, 30 April, part of the town’s main street will be cordoned off to host the 14th consecutive festival to be held in our popular village. This was the good news that emerged from a meeting on 16 January of the members of the Prince Albert Tourism Association, who unanimously decided that the annual event should go ahead - after concern that the festival would not be held this year following the resignation of the organising committee.

A new Festival committee, chaired by Bokkie Botha, with Sonja McKenna as his deputy, is intent that this year’s Festival will be a good event Other members of the organising committee are Jan Bothma, Kallie Erasmus, Denise Ohlson, Rachel Roberts, Kobus Snyman and Pam Wessels. The team, which held its first meeting within days of being elected, has also co-opted several community members to help ensure the success of the event.

Bokkie Botha is determined that this year’s Festival will be fully inclusive of all the people of Prince Albert. He and his wife, Mary-Anne, moved to Prince Albert several years ago, having fallen in love with the town and fulfilling their intention of bringing up their son, Jamie, here. Bokkie was a business executive for many years and was also involved in labour relations. He has acted as spokesperson for South African business and served on the boards of several South African and international business and labour organisations.

Most people in Prince Albert know Bokkie as a lover of good food. His restaurant, The Olive Branch, has won several awards and is listed in the top 100 restaurants in South Africa. In his spare time, Bokkie is a keen canoeist and has also run thirteen Comrades Marathons. Bokkie has appealed to everyone in Prince Albert to grow vegetables for the Festival. “Plant your seeds now,” he said, “and they’ll be ready for you to sell them at the Festival!”

Sonja McKenna is an entrepreneur – she developed and ran her own boutique hotel for fifteen years. She loves working with people and told the Prince Albert Friend that she was keen to become involved in local projects. Sonja brings with her a fearsome reputation as a fundraiser. She too is resolved that no Prince Alberter be excluded from the Town and Olive Festival. Why her recent move to Prince Albert? “Because I’m passionate about the houses, interiors and gardens of the Karoo,” she said.

Both Bokkie and Sonja appeal to all in the local community to support the Festival and welcome everyone with ideas on how to lure tourists and create fun and excitement for both visitors and locals alike. Please put on your thinking caps!

Both can be contacted through the Tourism Office on (023) 5411 366 or at princealberttourism[at]intekom.co.za

There is also a concern about a shortage of guesthouse accommodation during Festival time. If townsfolk and farmers can offer suitable accommodation to visitors, please let the Tourism Office know.

Christian Perspective

-Keith Goudie-

A grim-looking Christian was in the vicinity of an open-air meeting in the East End of London.

A young Salvation Army girl hovering on the outskirts of the crowd approached him and asked if he was saved. Embarrassed by her question he replied tartly, “Of course I am.” “Well”, she advised him, “I suggest that as soon as possible you tell your face about it.”

Whatever your understanding of your relationship with God, remember that whether you are DRC, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, VGK, Church of England in S.A., Pentecostal or whatever, the joy and love of the Lord needs to be clearly seen in your life.

A happy and blessed New Year to everybody.

Writers' Guild honors Helena and Pat Marincowitz

Helena Maricowitz

-Derek Thomas-

A remarkable tribute from the friends of Helena and Pat, a couple who have inspired the town's residents young and old, newcomers and Prince Alberters born and bred, was instigated by the Prince Albert Writers' Guild of which Helena is a founder member.

The year 2006 could not have been entirely memorable for two of the town and district's most revered citizens. The tributes written by twenty-one friends and admirers and compiled into a single illustrated book do not dwell on the misfortunes of the past year but on their achievements and the high esteem in which both Helena and Pat are held.

Most of the tributes can be summed up with these words:
"Helena Marincowitz was the first person in Prince Albert that I knew... on account of her fame having spread beyond the confines of the Prince Albert district via means of her published writing, and the botanical expertise of Oom Pat...

The community of Prince Albert owes a great tribute to Helena – her effort and caring has made the town a better place for us all. She is a great and very kind and gracious gentlewoman, in the old-fashioned sense of the word. I love her to bits – and Oom Pat too."
EN
"Weet jy, ek dink nou aan jou en oor jou. En ek dink gróót.
Grootmoedig en groothartig - dis wat jy vir my versinnebeeld. Groot in gees en geloof en veral groot in doen. Jy het al soveel in jou lewe vermag, Helena – en jy vermag ook nou veel meer as wat jy ooit kan besef. Deur die voorbeeld wat jy stel in gesindheid, met jou stil sterkte en deursettingsvermoë, in die uitleef van jou Christenskap, is jy vir ons almal ‘n voorbeeld en ‘n wegwyser. Ek wil graag dat jy weet dat jy ons almal inspireer; dat jy ons almal se lewens aanraak en verryk..."

Helena's writing is not her only passion. She was also instrumental in motivating for National Monument status the most important old buildings in Prince Albert. She was thus the prime mover behind this town’s exceptional number of well-preserved National Monuments – now Provincial Heritage Sites. It is thanks to her that the Albert’s Mill, Dennehof, Helmuth, Ou Doktor’s Huis, The Seven Arches, Die Ou Pastorie, The Dutch Reformed Church, the Anglican Church and The Swartberg Pass all have protected status, with the hope that these important examples of rural Karoo architecture will be accessible to future generations. Further afield, the Baviaanskloof and Vrolikheid homesteads and the church at Zeekoegat have also received protected status thanks to her efforts.


In a lifetime's relationship with the Karoo veld, Pat’s knowledge and enthusiasm was a major source of inspiration for the book Karoo Veld Ecology and Management. He has collaborated with all who wish to share his passion and in scientific papers on responses of the veld and the sheep to drought and rainfall events. Instead of retiring from public involvement as he has grown older, Pat has held the Green Cross high and both he and Helena have fought against destructive developments and lack of sensitivity for the natural veld.

Amongst the legacies of his commitment to conservation ecology, Pat was instrumental in creating a heritage site near Swartrivier to protect rare succulents and frequently protests to Cape Nature and to the Municipality about insensitive developments. Helena’s concerns have been centred around the village and insensitive restoration of the houses.

Baie van die huldeblyke praat nie net oor haar prestasies nie, maar ook hoe Helena hul lewenspaaie verryk het:
"Nodeloos om te sê, haar sjarme, eerlikheid en onwrikbare geloof in die Karoo en sy mense, die boerdery en die VLV, het my daar en dan laat besluit dat ek as “Groentjie”, graag ‘n pad saam met so ‘n formidabele dame sal wil loop.
Vandag, reeds 37 jaar later, is dit nog steeds vir my ‘n wonderlike voorreg".

Andere herroep die ou dae en van Pat se verbintenis met die boerdery en jag:
"Pat was ‘n trotse merino boer. Ook oor die verandering van boerdery het hy, soos in baie ander gevalle ‘n wel-deurdagte filosofie. Sal die jaggeleent-hede op Sleutelfontein ooit vergeet word. Nee, want jag kry ‘n nuwe kleur as jy saam met Pat in die veld is. Sy teëlramme het name. 'Piet' is nie sommer net ‘n springbok nie en onbewustelik bring hy jou in die prentjie van die bokke se vreetgewoontes en hulle gedrags-patrone".

Pat en Helena se geweldige groot rol in die gemeenskapslewe word opgehaal deur 'n vriend wat hulle jare lank ken:

"Watter voorreg om in jou kommando twee ywerige, kundige en meelewende offisiere te hê. Saam met die Tiere en Volstruise is staptogte onderneem, naweke op die berg geslaap, inlywing-seremonies beleef en kentekens verwerf.
Hulle was staatmakers en deel van Voortrekker –kameraderie. Die Jeug-kultuur aktiwiteit het met hulle kennis en entoe-siasme op Prins Albert geblom en hulle liefde vir die kinders sal voortleef in Voortrekker gedagtes".
AND
"Maybe, Helena, it was just a little thing but truly the effects are felt in ever widening circles. When you decided that to allow the Childrens' Art project to be abandoned was just not good enough you started a ripple that will be felt for a long time yet. Due to your efforts, we are now happily installed in the Basson Centre of the Museum. For this I would like to thank you".

The Tributes are for viewing in a bound illustrated volume at the Fransie Pienaar Museum. Die Huldeblyke kan in 'n geillustreerde bundel by die Fransie Pienaar Museum besigtig word.

Betty Weatherhead turns 100

Betty with grandson Paul Weatherhead

-Ailsa Tudhope-

On the 26th November 1906 a daughter, Anne Elizabeth, was born to Samie and Florence Luttig in the little Karoo village of Prince Albert. One hundred years later family and friends gathered from around the world on the Luttig farm Drie Riviere to celebrate Betty Weatherhead’s 100th birthday.

Betty was in fine form, sipping a whiskey as she greeted her guests. Great-niece Johanna Luttig and her daughters Orscilla and Madri had created a feast in her honour, the champagne flowed and many happy memories were shared and created.

Betty can look back on a life filled with adventure and good, old fashioned hard work. Her childhood in Prince Albert saw her attending the little Anglican church of St John’s with her English mother, who played the organ there, and the Sunday School at the local NG Kerk, so she knows all the English and Afrikaans hymns. When she visited the Cango caves for the first time she travelled over the Swartberg Pass by donkey cart. The illumination in the caves was provided by magnesium wires - there are rumours that she set the guide’s trousers on fire…. At some stage in her teenage years a lovesick lad carved Betty’s name in the woodwork inside the NG Kerk tower – it can’t have been Betty herself, for she has a fear of heights and never climbed the tower. Some of Betty’s memories of early Prince Albert are sad: her mother nursed villagers during the Spanish Flu of 1918, when Betty and her brother and sister wore garlic bags around their necks to ward off the germs; others happier - Betty’s mother sometimes slipped her an extra sixpence in pocket money so that she could take “Mad Sannah”, a mentally handicapped woman, to Oom Gawie Beukes’ bioscope to see the latest film.

After training as a teacher Betty taught in Uitenhage and eventually moved to Eiffel Flats, a mining town in Southern Rhodesia, where she met and married Tim Weatherhead, a bank clerk. Their marriage produced three sons: John, Geoffrey and Andrew. Betty taught in several primary schools in Rhodesia and spent some years as a matron at a boys’ boarding school. The boys recognized the eternal child in Betty and would request a special prayer for bedtime. One can imagine the little fellows quivering as she intoned the old Scottish prayer: "From ghosties and ghoulies and long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night, good Lord preserve us!"

A 100th birthday calls for a little formality so John’s son, Paul read a poem, composed by his mother Mary in Betty’s honour. Godson Carl Luttig delivered a speech of congratulations and shared many happy memories of Betty’s visits to him and his family in Namibia and great-nephew Samie Luttig proposed the toast congratulating Betty on her centenary.

Betty returned to Prince Albert seven years ago and resides at Huis Kweekvallei. Her friends and family delight in her company and wish her many more happy and productive years. Happy Birthday “Ta Bêkie”.

Sucking the mountain dry?

Is it possible that by pumping out water for agriculture and use in towns and villages we are drying out the mountain? This is the question that Wietsche Roets, an Aquatic Scientist with Cape Nature in George put to a meeting of the Gouritz Initiative (GI) at Oudtshoorn Proefplaas in December 2006. The GI is a group of landowners and others interested in conservation-friendly and sustainable development in the Gouritz River catchment that extends roughly from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay and from George to Prince Albert.


Wietsche explained that rainfall is far greater on the mountain tops than on the lower slopes or plains of the Karoo. Most of the rain that falls on the mountain seeps down into the Table Mountain sandstone layers and continually tops up the groundwater aquifer that underlies both the mountain and the plains. When the aquifer is full, the water that seeps into the mountain overflows, in hydrological terms “interflows” as small streams on the higher parts of the mountain (see sketch A). Lower down on the mountain, the larger rivers are fed by both interflow and discharge from the aquifer.

When large quantities of ground water are abstracted (or extracted) from the aquifer, a cone of depression forms around the borehole (see sketch B). Depending on the extraction rate and the rainfall, the level of the water table gradually drops, not only around the borehole but may extend throughout the aquifer. The rainfall on the sandstone mountain tops infiltrates, replenishing the ground water in the aquifer, however, according to Wietsche Roets, if the level is not sufficiently topped up because of extraction in the valleys, then water will not “overflow” as interflow in the mountains, and the mountain streams will dry up and perennial streams may become seasonal.

These changes may take many years, so while at first we may see no effect of ground water extraction, in the longer term as the depletion continues, the river flow and water availability will diminish. Once this has happened, the problem is difficult and slow to reverse.

Although the folding and faulting of the sediments make it difficult to predict exactly which stream will dry up when, there can be no doubt that all the underground water in this part of the Karoo and in the Little Karoo is linked with the mountain aquifer. In the Kammanassi, the Vermaaks River has already run dry as a result of water extraction for agriculture.

It is the mountain streams and rivers that give life to many kinds of plants such as the indigenous willows and kiepersols along the Dorps River near Eerstewater, and the diversity of aquatic animals found only in rivers that run through Fynbos vegetation. These include red fin minnows, dragonflies, and frogs of various kinds. Probably less well known is the fact that the larvae of the extraordinary long-tongued horse flies that are essential for pollinating some Fynbos bulb plants such as Afrikaners (Gladiolus species), malvas (Pelargonium species) and orchids, start off life as worm-like larvae filter-feeding on fragments of dead plants in the flowing water of mountain streams.

In making decisions about how we use our water in this beautiful and fertile valley of Prince Albert, we need to remember that the Karoo is in world terms a desert. The water we use does not come from our local rainfall, but from the rainfall on the Swartberg Mountain. The mountain water can sustain the village comfortably, so long as there are not too many people, and so long as our agricultural and industrial development does not use water extravagantly. Water is wasted in many ways – from open and leaking canals through flood irrigation and maintenance of gardens more suited to the European climate

Report by Sue Milton-Dean, Conservation Ecology, University of Stellenbosch and resident of Prince Albert

“Best Cup of Coffee in Prince Albert” Competition

-Zelia Mullins-

On the 15th December 2006 the Tourism Office hosted the “Best Cup of Coffee in PrinceAlbert” competition at Koggel-mander.
All members, who make coffee for tourists and visitors on a regular basis, were invited to participate. Entries were dropped off at 10:00 in a flask with no milk and sugar added, which would certainly have meant immediate disqualification.

All flasks were numbered so that the judges had no idea whose coffee they were tasting. At 11:00 the judges, André & Linda Jaquet, Donald Lamont (Swartberg Hotel) and Iaine Harper (news24.com) commenced with the job at hand.
By 12:00 the tasting was over and the winners were announced. Richard & Regina Billiet of Saxe-Coburg Lodge walked off with the 1st prize of two bottles of red wine and two bottles of white wine.

The second prize went to the Swartberg Hotel.

Congratulations! A fun event was enjoyed by all.

Boost for Prince Albert Tourism

-Linda Jaquet-

The Prince Albert Tourism EXCO
must be given First Prize for its decision at the end of last year to appoint Zelia Mullins to head the Tourism Bureau. Zelia was not only the top performer in her year at Birnam Business College in Johannesburg where she gain-ed her Travel Diploma, but also brings with her a wealth of experience in coordinating many activities for major events like the Rugby World Cup 1995, football’s African Cup of Nations and tours of South Africa by opera superstars, Luciano Pavarotti and Kiri Te Kanawa.

Zelia was born and grew up in Johannesburg. She and her husband, Anthony, who is a farm boy from KwaZulu-Natal and whom she met when they both work-ed for SAA, decided to turn their backs on the corporate world after the birth of their children and have since farmed in different parts of South Africa. The family presently live on the farm, Rosendal, at the foot of the Kredouw Pass.
Zelia, who also speaks Portuguese and understands French, is clearly relishing her involvement in the town’s tourism activities. “I am thoroughly enjoying every minute of my job and have been made to feel so welcome by locals and visitors alike. I really look forward to playing my role in this very special community”, she told the Prince Albert Friend.

Welcome to Prince Albert

-Zelia Mullins-

On 15th December 2006 the Prince Albert Tourism Office hosted a “Welcome to Prince Albert” campaign, which coincided with similar campaigns all over the Western Cape.

In conjunction with the local police, a road-block was arranged in the vicinity of Millers Restaurant on the outskirts of town. Motorists entering town were pulled over onto the side of the road by our friendly police representatives and then the welcome began. Lynette Claassen, Stefné Theunissen and Rouan van Heerden were on hand to welcome visitors to Prince Albert. Free cool drinks, watermelon, the December issue of the Prince Albert Friend and Prince Albert promotional material was handed out.

The campaign was well received by visitors. The Tourism Office would like to run a similar campaign over the Easter Holidays.

St. Patricks at Gay’s Old Barn Theatre

-Peter McEwan-

On 17th March 2007 the Prince Albert Players will be putting on a St. Patrick’s Irish Evening, which will complete a concert trilogy of shows about the Scottish, English and now the Irish.

As with the Burns Evening, the concert will take place at the Old Barn Theatre at 7 pm and you are advised to buy tickets early as the theatre can only seat 50 to 60 people.

The Old Barn is well over a hundred years old and the idea to use it as a theatre was the brainchild of Tanya Odendaal and owner, Clive van Hasselt.

It works very well for certain types of presentations and an Irish night will fit beautifully. As Eddie Gleeson says, “It’s a lekker plek where you can have a dop while watching the show”.

A Doggy Stay in London Town

-Brett the Vet-

The striking thing about working in the heart of London for the past six weeks is the incidence of particularly urban diseases in pets. Gone are the life threatening infections such as parvovirus, distemper, and even feline leukaemia, due to judicious vaccination programs. Internal parasites are effectively controlled by regular deworming. Road traffic accidents are rare because dogs are kept on leads and cats indoors. So vets are left to deal in earnest, with a growing number of minor aches and pains, and chronic maladies.

Obesity is rife, and not due to lack of exercise, as most dogs get taken to the park three times a day. The condition is caused only by overfeeding. Unfortunately many pet owners fail to recognise obesity, or think fat pets look cute, or cannot refuse to feed a begging animal. But obesity can lead to serious diseases like diabetes, pancreatitis, liver failure, arthritis, and skin complaints, which inevitably occur, and the cures are never as simple as dieting.

Stress affects inner city pets that are generally quite well adapted to the unnatural environment. The density of cats has escalated considerably and when allowed outdoors invariably engage in territorial squabbles and catflap wars. Those of a more timid disposition end up literally pulling their fur out, or getting cystitis.

Cats are territorial creatures so their security is dependent on feeling safe and unthreatened in their comfort zone. Intruders, like builders, babies, dogs, unfamiliar house guests, and even an obnoxious parrot can create a very stressful situation for a cat. Dealing with an unwanted imposition in a confined space, beyond control, results in a kind of depression. Consequently many cats are on Prozac! Unless they can get their way of course, but those are the ones who haven’t heard of antidepressants.

Dogs suffer from stress in a different way, usually related to a lack of control. The presenting signs range from destruction of furniture, hyperactivity or anxiety, to severe play biting and blatant aggression. The cause in most cases is a lack of leadership demonstrated by owners who often have very little understanding of dog behaviour. The dog is adulated, and quite quickly takes control of the relationship. Many of these dogs end up on tranquilizers because their owners are so difficult to train, and ironically, are often on the same medication.

Even the pet rabbits are stressed. There was an instance where a buck, not entirely successfully, pinned down and castrated his hutch mate. This is something described in nature where rivals try to emasculate one another. But why would two fluffy lop-eared bunnies kept in a two foot box in the garden shed behave in that way?

Some clinical procedures have reached a degree of sophistication that would leave your average country vet gasping in admiration. Like the Russian hamster that required an ovariohysterectomy in order to save its life, at exorbitant cost. The old cats in their twenties that come in to have their blood pressure monitored where the journey and the process alone are enough to induce heart failure. Root canal treatment.

Most impressively, great attention is given to pain management, even for minor operations. Recent advances in the understanding and treatment of pain in animals have stimulated awareness. Mammals feel pain in a very similar way to the way humans do and it is equally variable between individuals. Animals have a capacity to endure severe pain without complaint. Pain does not cause death: it has a protective function. But it is our responsibility to ensure that animals in our care should not suffer needlessly through our actions or lack of adequate preventive measures.

The rather alarming profusion of genetically modified pets should be cause for concern among animal lovers. But more about that next time.

Yappy mew purr!

Starry Splendour over Prince Albert

-Hans Daehne-

At the beginning of the New Year the whole celestial scene is repeating itself again with the beautiful summer constellations at their peak now in the zenith. With the warm evenings it is an ideal opportunity to welcome old friends like the "Seven Sisters" (Pleiades), the distinctive Belt of Orion, Sirius, the brightest star of all and reappearing from behind the Swartberg, the Southern Cross, the astronomical trade mark of the Southern Hemisphere.

Point your pair of binoculars at the fuzzy spot above the Three Kings or Belt of Orion ( in fact look at that spot, hold your head very still and place your pair of binoculars in front of your eyes, that way you will find any object spot-on) to admire the stuff that the universe is made of. Here in M42, the Orion Nebula, the building material of stars (Hydrogen gas and dust) is so dense that one can actually see it due to the illumination of the young, hot stars that were born out of it.
The year 2007 promises some excitement in the sky, with the highlight the total lunar eclipse in the night from the 3rd to the 4th of March.

Mercury will be in the evening sky at the end of January, beginning of February, low in the west after sun-set.

Venus will be the evening star from the beginning of the year to middle of August and brightest on the 12th of July.

Around Christmas 2007 Mars will be at its brightest when it will be only 88 mil. km away from us.

Jupiter starts the year in the morning sky and will become a splendid sight again in the middle of winter.

Saturn is moving into a more edge-on presentation towards us and will be beautiful to observe from February until August.

Keep the stars in your eyes!

072-641-9657

Tukkies studente besoek Leeu Gamka

-Charlotte Bothma-

Leeu-Gamka het vanaf 23 – 26 Oktober die wonderlike voorreg gehad om ‘n groep van ses nagraadse argitek- en landskapsargitekstudente en twee dosente van die Universiteit van Pretoria hier te ontvang. Hulle het Leeu-Gamka gekies om ‘n projek te doen waarin hul moet leer hoe om 'n dorpie te ontwikkel en meer toerisme- en leef-vriendelik te maak.

Die groep het die historiese NG kerksaal gebruik as hulle basis en kantoor. Hulle was gewapen met kaarte, lugfotos, skootrekenaars en digitale kameras. Deur die dag is hope fotos geneem en aantekeninge gemaak. Hulle het ook met die plaaslike inwoners en dorpsbestuur gesels om meer agtergrond te kry oor die lewe op en ontwikkelingsplanne vir Leeu-Gamka. Laat middag en saans het hul samesprekings gehou oor hoe die landskap van Leeu-Gamka visueel mooier gemaak kan word en hoe toeriste gelok kan word om te stop. Hulle het ook 'n opname van al die geboue in die dorp gemaak wat sal dien as basis vir verdere bewaringsbeplanning en bestuur. 'n Belangrike deel daarvan is dat die historiese geboue op Leeu-Gamka deel kan vorm van toekomstige ontwikkelings. Hope wonderlike idees is ter tafel gelê en hul wil graag hê dat die hele gemeenskap uit hulle planne voordeel moet trek. By voltooiing van hul projek, sal ons meer inligting kan gee oor hul planne. Die gemeenskap moet egter onthou dat dit ‘n Universiteitskema is en nie amptelike ontwikkelingsbesluite nie – die werk kan egter deur die gemeenskap gebruik word as hulpbron vorentoe.

Ons wil net graag die borge bedank wat hierdie besoek moontlik gemaak het:
Prince Albert Munisipaliteit, Rietfontein Akkommodasie, Leeu-Gamka Ultra City, Leeurivier Supermark en Leeu-Gamka Kwekery en Padstal. Die mense wat gehelp het met die kosvoorbereiding was: Sanette Burger, Mari Steyn en Frans en Marietjie Botes. Julle hulp word opreg waardeer.

Die studente sê baie dankie vir die Karoo gasvryheid wat hulle hier op Leeu-Gamka beleef het.

PA Primêr verbind tot bewaring

- J.C.Minnaar -

Die Departement van Bewaringsekologie en Entomologie (Universiteit van Stellenbosch) het 'n uitgesoekte groepie gr. 8 – leerders se natuurdors met 'n tweedaagse veldskool te Mountain View ( Karoo Nasionale Park) tydens November 2006, geles.

Danksy dr. Sue Milton, wat vir die af-gelope 14 jaar die skool onder voogskap geneem het, kon hierdie uitstappie soos vele ander in die verlede, ook ‘n werklikheid word. Die veldgids, mnr Jan Jacobs, het soos gewoonlik, met sy geesdriftige aan-bieding, die leerders in vervoering gehad. Sy ryke kennis van die endemiese flora van die Nuweveldberge het hierdie groepie tot groter bewaringsbewustheid aangespoor.

Zwartberg News

-Di Steyn-

Our 2006 Matrics Shine

Hoërskool Zwartberg’s Matric learners have shone again. Several of the class of 2006 achieved distinctions (over 80%) in specific subjects, namely, Rolan Mars who attained 89% for Business Economics and 82% in accounting; Deolan van Schalkwyk, 85% for Business Economics; Kimmy Gouws, 82% for Afrikaans and Donovan Plaatjies, who gained 80% in Computyping.

Both Kimmy Gouws and Rolan Mars should be well pleased with their overall B grade, as should those who passed with an overall mark of C: Donovan Plaatjies, Eufrim Schoeman, Deolan van Schalkwyk and Alicia van Zyl.

Congratulations to all of you who made it and especially those, who worked hard to gain high grades.

In the last twenty-two years, Hoërskool Zwartberg has only had three students not pass their final Matric exams. Keep up the good work, 2007 Grade 12 students!

New Staff

The School welcomes Mrs Joy Rolfe and Mr Anton Nortier from De Rust, who will both be teaching Business subjects. Ms Correen Bezuidenhout joins us as a student teacher.

Oud maar nog nie koud!

-Christelene Esterhuizen-
Die Golden Games Klubstruis-ponies het tydens die Golden Games 2006 uitgeblink. Tydens, die 2006 Provinsiale Spele, het ons weer verower. Die Sentrale Karoo Distrik Span was derde in die hele Wes-Kaap. Harry Afrika, ons Provinsiale wenner, het ‘n eerste plek gekry, asook ‘n goue medalje en goue beker vir Clock Golf for men en ‘n goue medalje vir deelname aan gemeenskapsaktiwiteite.

Elizabeth LeKay en Elfred Voetpad het ook goue medaljes verower, vir deelname aan geneemskapsaktiwiteite. Hul afrigter; Hoof Intern Christeline Esterhuizen, het ook vir die Golden Games 2006 Fun Walk ‘n brons medalje en ‘n goue medalje vir deelname aan die geneemskapsaktiwiteite, verower. In die jaar 2007 gaan ons nog meer verbeter.

Die 2de November 2006 was daar ‘n Mnr & Mej Golden Games 2006 gehou. Die volgende wenners was gekroon:
Mnr. Golden Games :
R.Kelly deur Anna Paulsen
Mej. Golden Games :
Alvéka Voetnix deur Alfred Voetpad
1ste Prins :
Brad Pitt deur Elizabeth LeKay
1ste Prinses:
Beyounce Billby deur Barend Botes
2de Prins:
Riaan Cloete deur Rosia Piedt
2de prinses:
Charlize Theron deur Piet Frieslaar

Klub Struisponies wil almal wat ‘n bydrae gemaak het, om ‘n sukses van die Golden Games 2006 te maak, bedank.

Ons bedank die volgende persone:
Mev. L. Solomons, Mev. G. Van Hasselt, Mev. R. Roberts, Mev. M. Botes, Mej. K. van der Mesch, Mev. D. Mooneys, Superspar, Mnr. D. Rossouw.
‘n Spesiale dank aan Mnr. C. Solomons en Mev. M. Benjamin ons Onderburgemeester, Mnr. A. April, die P.A Munisipaliteit en Mnr & Mev. Begg vir hul gasvryheid.

Baie dankie aan Mnr. J. du Toit, van Huis Kweekvallei, wat ons tydens hul funksies ingepas het asook vir die PAAK. Mnr. G. Lottering baie dankie ook vir die ywer om ons na jul funksie uit te nooi. Ons vertrou dat ons hierdie jaar nouer sal saamwerk met die hele Prince Albert.

Die Golden Games is hoofsaaklik vir alle persone bo 60 jaar en ouer gestig. Ons nooi almal uit om ons aktiwiteite te kom beproef. U as bejaardes kan nog altyd voorbeeldige leiers vir ons as jeudiges wees. As u nog nooit in sport tydens u jeugjare uitgeblink het nie, is dit nou ‘n geleentheid om meer aktief te wees en goeie gesondheid te geniet.

Ons wens u almal ‘n voorspoedige nuwe jaar toe. Lees Hebreërs 11 vanaf vers 1-3. Adios, may God bless and help you.