NEWSLETTER – JULY 2013

Killarney-Riviera will celebrate its Centenary Year in 2013. As part of our Centenary Project we hope to hold a public celebration in the 4th Street Park close to Heritage Day. The proposed date is Saturday 28 September 2013.
If we can get permission from the City Parks Department, we will be planting a tree in the park on that day, and unveiling a plaque. This will symbolise our link to our heritage of large green trees, and will recognise and appreciate the forethought of the nameless benefactors who planted these trees for us a century ago. It will also symbolise our own willingness to maintain this heritage, and thereby to build a link of our own toward a sustainable green future for those who will live in Killarney long after we are all gone.
If we can get permission, we will combine the tree-planting with a “mini-fete” in the 4th Street Park, with a National Braai Day theme and a Spring Day theme. We will then invite the weekly organic food market from the Mall to set up for the day in the park. Other attractions could incorporate an SAPS canine demo, and maybe a pet competition, hopefully with prizes sponsored by local businesses. Water, toilets and power are already available in the park.
We intend to combine this event with a Heritage Walking Tour, briefly visiting all of the notable buildings in Killarney-Riviera. The route of the walk could include:
• Start at the original TAC site in 2nd Ave cnr 5th Street – close to the Park;
• Down 2nd Ave to Whitehall Court, the first ever residence;
• Along 3rd Street to The Mall, which stands on the original site of the Film Studios;
• Along 2nd Street to Gleneagles;
• Down 2nd Ave to Mentone Court;
• Along Riviera Road to Killarney Court;
• Down Main Road to Riviera Mansions;
• Up Main Road to Daventry Court;
• Up 4th Ave to Bretton Woods;
• Along 3rd Street to The House in Third Street;
• Up 4th Ave to the Park to plant the tree.
If that route proves too strenuous, we will design a shorter and more manageable route.
As part of our project we are trying to identify all the buildings in Killarney-Riviera that might qualify as Heritage Buildings. We appeal to all of you to assist us in this project by contributing additional facts and information about any historic building or event in Killarney-Riviera.

Polluting Pest:
The Prophet u-Moyo recently plastered the northern suburbs with his adhesive adverts, and we did not escape his reach. The municipality has made no effort at all to clean up this mess, so once again it’s up to us. Please could we all help to remove those adverts that have not already been cleaned up – apparently benzene loosens the glue quiet well.

Security Alert:
In the picture below, a burglar is demonstrating to the police who caught him, how easy it is for him to get through some very tight burglar bars.

Another burglar recently entered an apartment in Killarney by climbing several stories up a sheer wall using the hinges of the various windows as his hand-holds and foot-holds.
Please would you all ensure that your windows and balcony doors are appropriately protected, even if you live on upper floors, because some of these burglars can climb sheer walls, and they seem to have no fear of falling.
According to the security company Risk Control Services, more than half of all hijackings take place in front of your own residence. Please be especially alert at this time, and make sure your guards are alert as well.
Other danger areas are as follows:
• While in or near your parked car – 14%;
• At a traffic light – 7%;
• At a stop street or yield sign – 6%;
• At business premises – 5%;
• Forced or lured off the road – 4%;
• Around stationary taxis – 4%;
• At shops, petrol stations etc – 4%;
• Other – about 5%.
Lastly, if your house or car does get broken into by criminals, it is quite likely that they will leave fingerprints behind. If the police can get those fingerprints before you clean up the crime-scene, it’s very possible that the criminals could later be identified at a random roadblock and arrested. If the responding officers don’t take fingerprints, then before you clean up, please call Captain Moonsamy on 071 675 6000 to arrange this.

Municipal repairs:
A few weeks back the municipality visited Killarney and repaired some damaged roads and pavements. It took about three years of pleading, but finally it happened. Some of our neighbours still choose to be negative about the quality of the repair, but as the saying goes, half a loaf is better than hunger.

Slightly more recently, one of the water pipe repairs in 4th Avenue near the corner of Riviera Road cracked open again, and was promptly repaired. Thank you to Councillor Ravid for her intervention here. I see the municipality has positioned a pile of new paving bricks on that spot, so hopefully they will be repaving that section of the pavement as well.
At about the same time the municipality repainted the yellow poles of the traffic lights in Riviera Road. A small cosmetic improvement, but still most welcome.

Good citizens:
Finally, we would like to recognise and thank the body corporate of Splice, who cleaned up and are maintaining the Main Road pavement of the Martinhall Manor building. It’s amazing what a difference a small contribution can make. Well done, and many thanks indeed!
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