Crowbar Gang Awareness - Princeton Armed Response

CROWBAR GANG AWARENESS

• The infamous “crowbar gangs” have struck fear into the hearts of our community and in some cases leaving street block in a state of paranoia.
• Information and patterns are constantly being analysed by law enforcement agencies and academic specialists alike.
• Some glaring tactics stand out and Princeton would like to share some of these modus operani with our community.
• The gangs hit hard and fast-usually under 3 minutes.
• They usually operate in groups of 3 or more
• They are highly mobile-usually in SUVs or larger sedans that are sometimes rented
• They are well dressed-often in upper end casual clothing brands
• A crowbar or similar tool will be in their possession
• They are often armed and may carry a genuine firearm or a gas operated replica which is hard to distinguish form the real McCoy
• One person is usually tasked with being the “gunman” a person who knows how to handle a firearm & is tasked with keeping any resistance at bay or any gang member in check who may not be pulling his weight during the robbery
• Their ideal targets are homes situated near intersections or roads which they can speedily access in the event they are chased by Armed Response or police
• Their interest is in what they can steal from the home & whilst violence may not be their initial intention one must remember that they will stop at nothing when wanting to execute their plan
• Crowbar gangster do not like being profiled or identified

What can you do to be a bit safer?

• Install good perimeter protection in the driveways/gardens whereby the gang will be detected before they get to the structure of the home. This is early warning & it will alert the armed response company who can respond quicker
• Get to know your neighbours & their habits-there is safety in numbers
• Join the Neighbourhood Watch-It doesn’t mean one has to actively patrol but being vigilant of ones surroundings & report suspicious behaviour to the NHW or Armed Response Company or SAPS
• Do not keep cash in the safe or on the premises & if one has to do this, please do not make it known to anyone!
• Tear up flat screen TV boxes & dispose there of as failure to do this advertises that one has a shiny new flat screen
• Always STAY ARM your alarm when at home & install good perimeter detection
• Consider a home CCTV system and depending on numbers of interested parties, consider having live CCTV monitoring of the street one stays in

Join the Princeton in the month of Nov and get 1 month FREE!

Princeton Armed Response

Tel: 021-448-9030

www.princeton.co.za

DR GOOGLE - by Kenilworth Vet

Dr Google! - THE GOOD AND EVIL OF THE INTERNET!

As veterinarians we find that more and more of our clients refer to the powers of the internet and its vast expanse of data, to find out about medicines, understand diseases and even sometimes get diagnoses for their pets. But as the old saying goes ‘don’t believe everything you read.’ The internet can be a dangerous place of misinformation, so this month we are going to quickly look at Dr Google and explain why you still need your vet!

Why search the net?

• Many clients search for information purely because they feel they need a better understanding of their pet’s condition. Time in the consulting room with your pet can be stressful and overwhelming. Not everything your vet tells you is going to sink in, so what could be easier than searching the net for information in the comfort of your own home.

•       Your pet will often get sick at the worst possible time for you financially. Many people look to the net in a desperate search  for answers, home remedies and diagnosis’.  This is possibly the worst time to take ‘advice’   from Dr Google. “If you can’t afford a vet, you can’t afford a pet” (1)  Not seeking professional veterinary help when your pet is ill can not only lead to irreversible  consequences for your pet’s health but end up costing you far more financially.

•       Every patient responds differently to treatment even for the simplest problems. Quite often medications will need to be changed or perhaps it just seems to be taking ages for your pet to respond to the treatment.  Dr Google can appear to be a cheap way to get a second opinion if a client is frustrated and feels they need to find out more information.

                                                                                      It’s a minefield out there!

So where do you search?

The biggest problem with searching for any information on the internet is that anyone can give their advice, regardless of their qualifications or experience in the field or lack thereof ! So the main problem the pet owner faces is how to determine whether the source they have found is valid and the advice given is good or bad.

We all know that there are so hundreds of contradicting opinions out there:

eggs are good for you; no they are bad etc !

Try to avoid:

Vendetta websites - There are people who use the internet to vent their issues, they may have had a bad experience with a vet, a drug or pet food and are happy to wax lyrical about the evils of the person, company, producer. These sites generally do not have your pets welfare at heart and are best avoided.

Miracle cures for sale! – any site that claims to have the cure for pets deadly disease

Buying non veterinary sanctioned medicines – When your veterinarian prescribes medication for your pet they do so with a comprehensive the knowledge of the product that will have been registered for safe use in animals.

All pet diseases are not created equal! – try to be discerning   with the information you read. Just because your pet is suffering from a disease that someone has written extensively about does not mean that your pet will react, respond in the same way to the same treatment.

The good news!

AAHA – the American Animal Hospital Association is a great place to start looking for information. Many veterinary practices have their own websites which contain a comprehensive library of articles that can be accessed by the client, covering many of the common topics from kidney failure to feeding your new kitten. Below are a couple of links with excellent information designed specifically for the client.

CALL YOUR VET! Your vet and his/her staff are your best source of information.

Or try these!
http: //www.aaha.org (pet health library)
http://www.anmldrblog.com/
https://www.wellvet.com

Kenilworth Veterinary Clinic
47 Kenilworth Road, Cape Town
kenvet@telkomsa.net
Telephone: 021-671-5018

Patchwork | October in the Garden

Tip for the month: 

October is a great month for planting as we find ourselves in the middle of Spring.

There are perhaps a few rains left before the heat of Summer - make the most of this by getting your new seeds/seedlings into the ground!

October's plant list is even longer than September's:
Amaranth, Basil, Bush and Climbing beans, Beetroot, Butternut, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrot, Chard, Cape Gooseberry, Celery, Chives, Chilli, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kale, Kohlrabi, Ginger, Globe Artichoke, Leek, Leaf Mustard, Lettuce, Jerusalem artichokes, Onion, Parsnip, Parsley, Peas, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb, Sweetcorn, Sweet pepper, Sweet potato, Turnip, Tomato, Watercress, Watermelon, Zucchini

Happy planting!​

The Patchwork Group

Join our Group on Facebook

CREAM CRACKER CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

125g Butter or margarine, softened

250ml (1 cup) white sugar

2 extra large eggs separated

250ml (1 cup) milk

200g packet of Cream Crackers coarsely crushed

10ml (2 tsp) Baking Powder

1ml (pinch) salt

100g flaked almonds coarsely chopped

TOPPING:

45ml (3 Tsp) butter or margarine

125ml (1/2 cup) white sugar

60ml  ( ¼ cup) cream

3ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla essence

METHOD:

Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and creamy.

Add milk and mix well. Fold in the crushed Cream Crackers.

Add baking powder, salt and nuts.

Beat egg whites to still peaks and fold into mixture.

Turn out into greased 23cm loose-bottom cake tin.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180⁰C for about 45 min.

Leave in pan for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

TOPPING:

Boil the butter, sugar and cream together for a few minutes in a small heavy based pot. Remove from heat.

Add essence.

Leave to cool slightly and then pour over the cake.

Lyn Staples

Norgarb Properties

Tel: +27 (0)82 846 0739

Email: lyn@norgarb.co.za

Website: www.norgarbproperties.co.za

HVCID - Update October 2016

Dear Residents

NEW ADT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Shelley Smith has been appointed the ADT Community Development Manager for Harfield Village. Shelley has 6 years’ experience in many fields in the security industry and is very familiar with our neighbourhood. We look forward to working with her to create a safer community. Shelley can be contacted on e-mail via ssmith.za@adt.co.za

REQUEST FROM CLAREMONT SAPS

W/O Geneke, our sector manager in Harfield Village has urged residents to be cautious about displaying valuable possessions when walking in the street and be aware of your surroundings at all times. Don’t make that phone call on your cellular phone until you are in secure environment. Not only are you are a walking advertisement for the phone but you will probably be distracted and not notice a suspicious person or vehicle. Please pass this information on to your nannies and/or domestic workers. Whenever possible, do not leave ANY possession in your motor vehicle unless it is an absolute necessity and then ensure that the items are not visible.

HVCID CRIME ALERT WHATSAPP GROUP

HVCID has created a Crime Alert WhatsApp group, the purpose of which is to ALERT people about a crime that has just been committed or to request people to be on the lookout for a vehicle or person/s who are suspected to have been involved in a crime.

To join the group please e-mail your name, mobile number and address to Jenni Coleman via e-mail admin@hvcid.co.za. All Harfield Village residents are welcome to join.

New members will be sent a set of guidelines upon joining the group. Please take the time to read them carefully.

There is a limit of 256 people in a WhatsApp group so ideally one member per household should join so we can have as much coverage as possible.

Kind regards

JENNI COLEMAN

Manager - Harfield Village Community Improvement District (HVCID)

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

Sugar or Fat, which causes Disease?

There has been a lot of negative publicity for sugar over the last few months, or years in fact. It didn’t help matters that a study was published last month indicating that the sugar industry had funded research years ago to swing the blame for heart disease away from sugar and onto saturated fat. So does that mean that fat is good?

If we look at this logically, why would only one nutrient be to blame for disease? Is it really as simple as sugar is bad and therefore fat is good? And did we not know all along that excess added sugar in our diet is not good for us (we should all know that we should eat foods high in added sugar such as cakes and chocolates only occasionally and in small quantities)?

So let’s break these two nutrients down and look at what comes out the best/worst.

Carbohydrates

All carbohydrates convert into sugar in our bodies, which is why it has been suggested with some diets to cut carbohydrates completely out of our diet.  However, how can we put the entire  carbohydrate group, which consist of fruit, yoghurt, milk, legumes (beans and lentils), starchy vegetables, starches, breads, crackers, cereals and treats all under one label of ‘good’ or ‘bad’.  How can we compare legumes (which are nutrient dense foods that are naturally low in fat, high in protein, and a source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients and dietary fibre) to sweets (which are high in calories and sugar and contain no extra nutrients)?

Our bodies have evolved to digest carbohydrates and utilise the energy efficiently.  What our body’s physiology struggles with is an excess of carbohydrates, and especially if they are provided in a refined form that digests too quickly.  This leads to uncontrolled blood sugar levels and plays havoc with the hunger and satiety signals.

Bottom line: Choose the unrefined, high fibre carbohydrates and eat them in small portions with your meals and snacks.

Fats

Fats can basically be divided into plant (unsaturated), animal (saturated) and processed.  Plant fats such as nuts, seeds, olives and avocados are very healthy and should be added to all meals and snacks.  However, there is enough literature available that shows that fats from meat, processed meat and fast food are associated with an increased rate of heart disease.  Some animal fats, particularly those from seafood and game do have health benefits. 

Our bodies need fat, so low fat diets are not necessarily the best for our bodies.  We’ve also seen many studies using the Mediterranean style of eating (where about 40% of the diet comes from fat, mostly from plant sources) being health friendly. 

Bottom line: Choose plant fats over animal fats and incorporate fatty fish into your diet regularly.  Remember that it is not about having a low fat diet, but rather about having a low saturated and processed fat diet.

Conclusion (or bottom, bottom line)

A healthy diet is not high in added sugar OR saturated fat.  To get back to health we need to get back to basics.  We need to move away from the debate of sugar versus fat and rather eat a diet that is low in processed foods and contains more unprocessed vegetables, fruit, bean, lentils, nuts and seeds.  As Michael Pollen says it: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

  

Kim Hofmann RD(SA)

Phone: 021 674 4666

Cell: 084 206 2715

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

Website: www.nourishdieticians.co.za

PROPERTY TRANSFER DELAYS – DON’T BE THE (ACCIDENTAL) CULPRIT!

PROPERTY TRANSFER DELAYS – DON'T BE THE (ACCIDENTAL) CULPRIT! Deregistration of close corporations and companies is a common occurrence, often resulting from the failure to render annual returns. Last year CIPC reported that it planned to undertake the bulk deregistration of some 345 000 non-compliant entities in the foreseeable future to clean up its database. Penalties One of the most important consequences of deregistration is that the entity ceases to exist as a legal personality and therefore cannot enter into transactions, such as selling or buying property or registering a mortgage bond. Reinstatement The Companies Act does make provision for the reinstatement of entities in certain circumstances, including instances where the deregistration followed on non-submission of annual returns. This relief is, however, not without a sting in its tail as these applications are lengthy; in the case of entities owning immovable property, it takes some months! Any transaction that the entity seeks to register in the deeds office is necessarily delayed as a result. It is therefore strongly recommended that if you plan to sell a property that you own in an entity, you verify its status with CIPC as soon as possible. In the event that it is deregistered, appoint your conveyancers upfront to commence the re-registration process. You will thereby avoid some of the unpleasant hold-ups that are occasioned by the restoration of the selling entity. Contact Martin Sheard at MartinS@stbb.co.za or visit us on www.stbb.co.za for assistance in all aspects of your property transaction. STBB Claremont