Celebrate with Brad as he marks his 40th year in Harfield Village

Harfield Village’s mainstay, Brad’s Grill restaurant is celebrating 40 years of serving award-winning steaks this June. He is inviting Harfield Village residents to participate in the festivities with an awesome rebate on their utility bills and spot prizes.

But we pick up from where it all started. Brad was a resident of Harfield Village back in the early 1970’s, not as a restaurant owner though but as a local homeowner.  He quips that on one or two occasions, traffic officials could never send him traffic fines for any violations, because 35 Durham Avenue is nestled between a park and a one way road. “It’s quite difficult to find if you’re unfamiliar with the area,” giggles Brad.  “Rent at his two bedroom was at time was an unbelievable R70,” says Brad.

Brad’s Grill started in 1976. At that time it was trading under a different name called Zorba Steaks and it was situated on the corner of Lansdowne and Belvedere roads. “That year I entered a national competition for the best pepper steak in South Africa and won,” says Brad.  His award-winning pepper fillet still remains top class and is a sought after meal at Brad’s Grill today.

In 1984 Brad relocated his business to 69 second avenue Harfield village where there were only two restaurants on the strip, Farthings restaurant and Brad’s Grill. Today there are 13 restaurants and the number is growing. This June  Brad’s Grill celebrates 40 years of serving steak and fish excellence. He has never looked back. He takes pride in his loyal staff and is thankful for his success which he has been able to share with his employees by buying two houses for his top grilling staff.

“In my time as owner of Brad’s Grill restaurant I know that I have bumped a few heads with people but I have made good friends too. Perhaps my gesture of giving back to Harfield Village residents by paying a portion of their utility bills can make up for any discord.”

“To show my appreciation to the Harfield Village neighbourhood for their support, for the next two months, any time that a patron dines at Brad’s Grill after 7pm and who hands me a Photostat copy of their telephone, rates or electricity bill, I will pay R40 into their respective  account,” says Brad.

This offer is limited to one person per table.

“Please watch our Facebook page where in time to come there will be a special where everything on the menu will be R40,”says Brad

Once again a big thank you for the support.

HVCID SECURITY ALERT - MAY

Dear Residents

SECURITY ALERT!

Unfortunately the spate of burglaries and other criminal incidents in the Village and surrounding suburbs continue.
Mostly these crimes are being committed by people entering the area in stolen vehicles. Homes are broken into and the criminals grab any items of value and then make a getaway before armed response arrives, which normally takes about 3 or 4 minutes once the alarm has been raised.
It is very difficult to combat this type of crime but getting into the habit of being very aware of your surroundings and making use of these security tips will help:

• Always make sure security gates are locked, even if you are going to be out of the house for a short time. 
• Lock inter leading doors where possible. 
• Never leave handbags, wallets, cell phones, laptops, keys, or jewellery boxes near a window or on a table near external doors. 
• When you leave the house, always close the curtains as this makes it impossible for criminals to know what is in a room to steal. 
• Be careful with the information that you share with domestic workers and contractors regarding your security arrangements like alarm codes or key hiding places.  

Please report anything suspicious to ADT 086 121 2300 or Harlyn Neighbourhood Watch 071 802 2454 immediately.

HAR-LYN NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH (''HNW'')

HNW in conjunction with private security companies and SAPS assist with the prevention of crime in our area. They have grown in the last 10 months from 14 active patrollers to the present 42, which includes 6 new recruits. Their patrollers pay for their own fuel, vehicle maintenance, torch batteries etc., while HNW provides essential vehicle decals, vests, ID cards and most importantly the radios. They rely on donations to provide these essential items and right now are in need of assistance from the community to provide additional radios to the new recruits. Even a small amount will help towards getting another patroller mobile and another pair of eyes and ears on the road.

If you would like to make a donation, sponsor some equipment or volunteer to sign up as a patroller, please contact Derek on 071 802 2454 or info@harlynwatch.org.za

JENNI COLEMAN

Manager - Harfield Village Community Improvement District (HVCID)

admin@hvcid.co.za            +27 (0)81 412 6109

YOUR DOMESTIC WORKER'S WAGES

The Department of Labour determines what the minimum wage is that is payable to domestic workers. The rates vary with reference to where the person works and also with regard to whether the position involves less or more than 27 hours a week. The wages are generally updated towards the end of each year. The current minimum wages were announced in November last year and kicked in on 1 December 2015. They are as follows: Area A refers to large metropolitan municipalities and built up areas and suburbs.  Area B is all other municipalities.  The full list can be viewed here. Domestic workers who work 27 ordinary hours a week or more Minimum             Area A             Area B    Hourly Rate:       R11.44             R10.23    Weekly Rate:      R514.82          R460.15    Monthly Rate:     R2 230.70       R1 993.82 Domestic workers who work less than 27 ordinary hours a week Minimum            Area A             Area B Hourly rate:        R13.39            R12.07 Weekly Rate:     R361.50          R325.98 Monthly Rate:    R1 566.35       R1 412.49 According to Businesstech (16 November 2015), the minimum figures are aligned to the estimated cost of essential food and non-food items needed to survive, as determined by the School of Economic and Business Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand. The sum arrived at was R1,319 for one person and R5,276 for a household of four.  (Previous research showed that as many as 45% of workers are paid below the established minimum wage.) For assistance with any labour law disputes and questions, contact us at www.stbb.co.za

STBB Claremont

Your Alcohol Questions Answered

1.  What are the physical effects of binge drinking? 

Alcohol can be detrimental to your health if it is regularly consumed in LARGE amounts.  

Studies have shown that an excessive alcohol intake contributes to an increased risk of the development of cancer and alcoholic liver disease.  

Excessive alcohol can also contribute to the development of osteoporosis and worsen the symptoms of gout because of an increase of uric acid production.  

Three or more alcohol containing drinks a day can also increase blood pressure. 

Alcohol can have a negative effect on your nutritional status for a number of reasons specifically if you drink alcohol frequently and it is associated with a decreased food intake, which can cause malnutrition (this is often the case with alcoholics).  

Alcohol also reduces the absorption and use of certain vitamins and minerals. 

2. What is the recommended alcohol intake?

The recommended intake of alcohol for women is 0-2 drinks per day and for men 0-3 drinks per day. 

One ‘drink’ is a unit of alcohol – i.e. 125ml wine/champagne; 1 tot spirits; 1 can beer/cider.

3.  If you are concerned about weight, what should you do on a night out drinking?

Alcohol itself is a high calorie food (7kcal per 1g alcohol – generally there are 10g of alcohol in one ‘drink’) which means that to calorie control the day you should take away some of your food for the day.  Ideally this should always be from supper first (as you need less energy in the evenings compared to the morning).  

I generally advise my clients to skip the carbs/starches at supper if they are drinking.  A good idea is to have supper before you go out for a night of drinking, and then make sure that you don’t eat anything else during the evening.

4. What are some tips to help cut down your alcohol intake?

•  Make a decision about what you will be drinking before you go out – when you have a plan, it is easier not to get carried away!
• When you arrive at a function or restaurant ask for water first (make it sparkling for variation) and only start with the alcohol at a later stage
• Make a wise decision about WHAT you will be drinking – sometimes it is better to have a spirit with a ‘free’ cooldrink (e.g. vodka and coke light or whiskey and water) instead of wine – if bottles of wine are being ordered, your glass will be constantly topped up and you easily lose track of how much you are drinking!
• If you do want to drink wine, ‘dilute’ it with (sparkling or soda) water, ice cubes or sprite zero, and rather order your wine by the glass than ordering a bottle – make the excuse that you feel like a different wine
• Similarly with beer or cider rather have a shandy
• Get into the mindset that you are going out to socialize with your friends, not to get drunk!  You do not need alcohol to have a good time
• Have an event planned for the following day – book a session with your trainer at the gym or organize a run with friends – you will WANT to drink less as doing these activities without a hangover is so much more pleasant.
• Be the designated driver!

Dietician - Kim Hofmann

Office - (021) 674 4666

Cell - 084 206 2715

E-mail - kimh.rd@mweb.co.za

How to report Crime

Last year, we wrote an article regarding crime terminology; and we feel that we need to revisit this topic, as the way you report a crime, is how the security provider/Police respond.

Firstly, crime is split up into two brackets; contact related crime, and property related crime.

1. Contact related crime/crimes against a person: where a person or people are injured/harmed or threatened with injury/harm during the commission of a crime.

2. Property related crime/crimes against a property: crime that occurs in the absence of a victim or where the victim is unaware of the crime at the time (i.e. where no person is directly or immediately harmed or threatened during the commission of a crime)

Crime is divided into these two categories as per the table below:

CONTACT RELATED CRIME	PROPERTY RELATED CRIME
Residential robbery	Residential burglary
Business robbery	Business burglary
Murder	Theft of motor vehicle
Assault	Theft out of motor vehicle
Rape/sexual assault	Theft from motor vehicle
Common robbery	Malicious Damage to Property
Robbery with a firearm	Theft General
Robbery with instrument other than a firearm

  

As you can see from the above table, should you report that you have just been robbed; authorities will immediately presume a victim has been harmed, and the suspects potentially armed.

In most cases of contact related crime, the victim will remember the identity of the suspect and will probably be able to identify the suspect should an arrest be made. 

Contact related crimes are also generally reported very soon after the event, meaning that the suspects could still be in the vicinity. Property related crimes happen without the victim knowing, and therefore are most likely to have a bigger time frame that the crime occurred.

Please use the correct words when reporting a crime; resources are dispatched according to the specification the resident relays.

PRINCETON ARMED RESPONSE 

NUT TART

INGREDIENTS: 

1 Egg

½ Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence/ Extract

1½ Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

125 Grams Butter

METHOD:

Mix all together – pat into greased pie dish very thinly.  Prick and half bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees

TOPPING:

250 Grams Mixed Nuts

¾ Cup Sugar

6 Tablespoons Milk

1 Teaspoon Almond Essence

250 Grams Butter

METHOD: 

Boil for 5 mins stirring constantly.  Spoon over tart and bake for another 10 minutes at 180 degrees.

Delicious!

Lyn Staples

NORGARB PROPERTIES

Tel +27 21 674 1120 / +27 82 846 0739

Patchwork | May in the Garden

Not sure how to treat your garden as we head into Winter?

Much like you would treat yourself: With a blanket (aka mulch), nourishing food (compost) and tea (rain - we hope!). Temperatures are dropping, and it's not the biggest growing season.

However, life is possible in the Winter season that isn't possible in other seasons, so there is plenty life teeming under the soil.

Just remember that in colder temperatures, plants tend to grow a bit more slowly than in the warmth, but there are of course exceptions and those that thrive in Winter - worth getting to know your Winter growers!

For those of you keen on planting veg this month, here's

May's list:
Broad Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Calendula, Chard, Celery, Chinese Cabbage, Chives, Chilli Pepper, Kohlrabi, Garlic, Leek, Leaf Mustard, Lettuce, Onion, Parsley, Parsnip, Peas, Potato, Radish.

Gabriella Garnett

Patchwork Group

Bravecto

There has been some concern by pet owners as to the safety of the flea treatment  “Bravecto”.

This month we are going to look a bit deeper at this product and hope to dispel any misunderstandings.

What is Bravecto?

Bravecto is a chewable tablet that is given orally. It is a flea and tick treatment that lasts for up to 12 weeks.

How does it work?

The active ingredient in Bravecto is a substance called Fluralaner, a potent inhibitor of parts of the arthropod nervous system causing paralysis and death.

Before it was approved for veterinary use the safety of Bravecto was established through comprehensive clinical research studies.

Is it safe?

No veterinarian or person working within the veterinary profession would purposefully promote a product that was known to be unsafe.

As with any new product, we rely upon information from clinical studies and the fact that the product must pass the criteria of the medical regulatory board of the country it is being introduced to.

  

In order to register any new product drug companies have to put the product through stringent clinically trials.

Bravecto was introduced to the European veterinary market in early 2014 and then to the USA in May of the same year.  Below is a quote from the MSD website.

“Prior to its first approval by a regulatory agency, the safety of Bravecto® was established through comprehensive clinical research studies “

As part of the product approval process, regulatory agencies throughout the world have reviewed the Bravecto® research data and have deemed it is safe for sale in their countries, when used according to the product label.

At MSD Animal Health, animal health and well-being are our primary concerns and we welcome discussion of the safety of our medicines. We maintain an extensive global post-approval surveillance program for all of our medicines, including fluralaner. We monitor and update safety data on an ongoing basis, and share these data with health authorities in accordance with regulatory requirements.

§ Global safety surveillance of Bravecto® use has provided additional compelling evidence of the safety of the product.

§ The overall reporting rate for suspected adverse reports is classified as rare. The most commonly reported events are mild and transient gastro-intestinal upset.

Does Bravecto have side effects?

According to the company the most common side effect to giving Bravecto is vomiting and/or diarrhoea although we have had no reports from clients of any adverse effects ourselves.

We are aware of the Facebook site and petition and the statements of various people that Bravecto has caused liver/ kidney failure and the ultimate death of their pet. It is impossible to know if these are valid or not as unfortunately it seems that details are often confused.

In conclusion ....

Although it is impossible to know the long term effects of a new drug, the legal requirements of pharmaceutical companies to provide accurate data from clinical trials goes a long to prevent the disasters we have experienced in the past in both human and veterinary medicine. As a consumer you have the right to information about a product before you purchase it and with access to the internet there is certainly a wealth of data at your fingertips.

But please remember to be discerning as to who and what you believe. Below are some links to articles regarding the use of Fluralaner/ Bravetco that may be of interest.

http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/series/bravecto

http://www.bravecto.co.za/

http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2867&Itemid=2970

For more information on any of the flea products available do not hesitate to speak to your vet.

Kenilworth Vet

Local Railway Line

As the HVA annual Railway Clean-up was held not too long ago, I thought it would be nice to give our residents a few interesting facts about our local railway line.

Did you know that the first railway line in South Africa was actually laid in Durban in 1859? It was just two miles long and ran along the Bluff into Durban city.

The first official South Africa railway systems were started in Cape Town.

Initially these were privately owned. The Cape Town Railway and Dock Company started construction in 1859 and completed a single storey wood and iron building, close to the current Golden Acre Shopping Centre in circa 1861.

The first railway locomotive arrived in South Africa that year (1859) and was affectionately known as “Blackie”. It ran between Cape Town and Eersterivier.

By 1864 the Wynberg Railway Company connected Cape Town and Wynberg and then expanded to Wellington in 1865, and then to Muizenberg by 1882.

Claremont Station was apparently one of the first southern line stations to be completed, with the Harfield Village Station opening in 1931.

Kenilworth Station was opened in the 1900’s but unfortunately I haven’t been able to secure an actual date.

The main Cape Town station in Adderley Street was built in 1964 and covered between 25 and 35 city blocks.

Article by Madge Gibson - Harfield Village Resident.

May 2016

News from the Friends of Harfield Village Parks

Dear Friends

It’s been a very busy month with some great improvements in our parks.  We continue to be inspired by the generous spirit of Harfield residents who come forward to donate, time, money and gardening goodies.

Dates to diarise

28 May – Hampstead Park – create new bed and weed veg patch

5-6 November - Garden Competition - are you preparing?

May Spotlight on Hampstead

The separation of the kids and dogs in Hampstead is working well.   What used to be little more than a large walkway is seeing increased use, as we make it more secure and more attractive – this was the mission of our April work party, which was a roaring success.

Hampstead now sports a stunning new arch, thank you to Angela from Eco Fencing for installing this for us and an extended flowerbed worked on by all.   Alison Palthe has kindly agreed to maintain it – big thanks to her.  Al from Urban properties is sponsoring labour for each work party and provided overalls and T-shirts that were greatly appreciated by our hard working team. 

Donations of plants came from everyone and we had an informative talk on invasive plants by Deborah Erasmus from the CPUT Horticultural Department.  It was great to see so many people turn up to help with the collection of bags of glass which our resident potter John Bauer will be using for a future demonstration of how to convert old glass into something beautiful – watch this space!

We are working on making our work parties into fun and informative sessions where you can learn something new and swop plants with fellow garden enthusiasts.   There is also nothing better than standing back having taken part in converting a dysfunctional piece of ground into something gorgeous.

We were all well entertained by the surprise arriving of a choir organised by Tony, whose head chef at The Avenue helps to sponsor and train these young people. Very Inspiring.

We have also started the clean-up of the west side of Hampstead including the big task of cleaning and painting the wall to create a backdrop to a new and exciting area.  Big thanks to those who generously donated towards the paint- with Williams Repairs & Maintenance giving R1000 and Oblivion committing to R500 the rest being made up of numerous smaller donations.

      

      

Friends of Harfield Village Parks