Pictured here on the left, Howick Prep Grade R ‘Hoppers’ hard at work on Day 1.

Below  on the right, teacher Mrs Di Sclanders welcomes Travis Kufal back to school on Day 1.

Read more about Howick Preparatory School in the KZN Midlands.

On Tuesday, 8 December 2015 the Midlands Sages held their end of year Turkey Trot at Howick Golf Club. A field of 44 kicked off with shot-gun start in a 4-ball alliance, 2 to count competition. First on 90 points were Tim Stent, Barry Erxleben, Brian Cook & Colin Burden, 2nd – Don Carr, Norman Atherton, John Olding & Gordon Smith, and 3rd – Ian Leyenaar, Albert Loveday, Harry Koovarjee & Reg Dold. At prizegiving, Sages members were also presented with chickens for their attendance over the year.

Pictured: The Winners: Tim, Barry, Brian & Colin

Report submitted by Colin Burden.

Howick High School pupils, Sarah and Kirsten Mingay, finished the Bronze Class of the 2015 Roof of Africa Motorcyle Endurance Race, finishing 70th (Sarah) and 71st (Kirsten) out of 128 entrants and 108 finishers. They were the first two ladies over the finish line in the Bronze Class with only one lady completing the Silver Class.

Pictured here: Sarah and Kirsten Mingay with their medals for completing the Bronze Class of the 2015 Roof of Africa race.

News supplied by Howick High School.

Some of the fittest athletes in South Africa lined up yesterday for the last big triathlon of 2015. Dubbed the toughest 1/2 iron distance triathlon in South Africa, the athletes were eager to test their mettle and see who was the toughest! Athletes arrived at Midmar Dam to cool, cloudy conditions, but soon after the Sprint race start it was clear that the day was going to change into perfect racing weather. The Sprint race started first, with Ben De la Porta exiting the 600m swim just ahead of Glen Gore. On the bike course the top positions chopped and changed as the athletes surged to finish the 20km cycle loop ahead of the chasers. After an error with the race leaders on the bike course, making it a 25km cycle route, it was up to the athletes to sort their final positions on the 5km run course. Haig Gibb claimed the overall title with Ben Dela Porta and Glen Gore in third. In the Ladies Sprint race, Riana Robertson, Mikaela Jonsson and Jessica Dignon and Kate Clelland battled it out for the lead on the bike and run courses. Robertson managed to move ahead on the run and claimed the overall win 2min ahead of Jonsson. There was a battle for 3rd place with Dignon just clinching the last podium position after a hard run ahead of Clelland.

The Ultra race did not disappoint, with a strong field taking to the 1.9km swim course. Donovan Geldenhuys exited the water first, with Richard Lawrie and John Grobler hot on his heels. Race favorite Van Gelder exited a minute back, but knew that his strongest leg, the bike was coming up. Lawrie has a terrible start to the bike course, with a puncture in the first 500m, having to return to the transition to change his wheel. in the mean time Keelyn van Breder had exited the water and was making her mark on the tough bike course. Van Gelder managed to move up into first on the 3 lap 90km bike course and even managed a 4min lead coming into transition on chaser Geldenhuys. Martin Von Allemann and Travis Kruger were also slowly moving up the field and had secured themselves in 3rd and 4th position going onto the run, ready to challenge the athletes in front.

Van Gelder managed to power ahead on the 1st lap opening his lead to 6min from Geldenhuys, Von Allemann and Kruger. In the ladies race Zimbabwe athletes Greer Wynn surged ahead on the bike to first place and come off onto the run a few minutes ahead of Keelyn Van Breda. In the men's race, Van Gelder had managed to open up his lead to a massive 10min and claimed first place overall in a time of 4hr 14mn and 7sec. Geldenhuys claimed a well deserved 2nd spot with Von Allemann and Kruger claiming 3rd and 4th respectively.

Race Director Damian Bradley from B-Active Sports said" Yesterday was a fantastic race, especially with the leaders infront. The ladies race was extremely exciting, with their places changing on every leg of the event. The hot weather tested the athletes, especially on the tough bike course, but I think our run water tables managed to give them a boost to the finish. We are looking forward to the new 2016 MiWay Ultra Triathlon Series, which kicks off back at Midmar dam on the 6th of March. The March event has also been selected to be SA Triathlon Long Course Championships, which will give the event and the athletes something exciting to work towards."

News supplied.

Help us support Sunfield Home, by donating your “Nearly New” clothes and accessories. Declutter your wardrobe and allow others the opportunity to update theirs. All items will be R50 and proceeds will go directly to Sufield Home. This is our “green initiative” to support “Sunfield Home''.

Come and enjoy a unique shopping experience. Available to you are Moira Laine Handmand Costume Jewellery, Jo’s Handbags and Gifts, Fragrant Living Aroma Products and Thunderbum Chilli Products. “Nearly New” Clothing and Accessories R50. Complementary refreshments will be available.

Wednesday 9th December until Saturday 12th December 2015 from 9.00am until 4.00pm daily.

For more information contact Moira +27 (0)83 299 7803 or Barbara +27 (0)73 795 9864.

South African triathlon sports received a boost with the announcement that direct insurer, MiWay, will sponsor the ULTRA Triathlon Series. The three-year title sponsorship increases exposure of the MiWay brand into the world of endurance sports.

The ULTRA Triathlon Series – organized and managed by Damian Bradley from B-Active Sports – has been running for seven years. Previously the series was made up of three events in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands and Sun City. It will now include a new fixture planned for the Cape. The series is a true test of willpower, endurance and the tough human spirit.

CEO of MiWayLife, Craig Baker, says: “We are excited about our partnership with B-Active Sports. Over the years, MiWay has been involved in mountain biking and running through our Warriors Athletic Club. This sponsorship is a perfect opportunity to get involved in a sport that is growing and one that is closely affiliated to some of the sports we are already involved in.”

A highly popular series, the ULTRA Triathlon events kick start with the Midlands Ultra Triathlon in March 2016, followed by the Sun City Ultra, scheduled for May, then the inaugural Cape Ultra in September 2016. The last in the series will be the Midlands Ultra event in November 2016.

Race director, Damian Bradley says, “Our partnership with MiWay brings a new energy and excitement to our events. Our prize money purse has doubled to R90 000 per event and we had added additional elements to the events to bring it in-line with the top international events. With this sort of backing, our proven organisational skills of ULTRA Triathlons will be focused on further developing and increasing accessibility of the sport to more athletes around the country.”

“MiWay has secured the services of renowned triathletes, Glen Gore and Jan van Rooyen, to be an integral part of all our events. They will help get athletes motivated, fit and ready for the starting line by offering generic and tailor-made training programmes. As a proudly South African company, we are committed to home-grown events that give athletes the freedom to showcase their talent and improve their performance in order to compete in other world events.” concludes Baker.

At each fixture, the ULTRA event comprises a 1.9 kilometre swim, a 90 kilometre road cycle and a 21 kilometre run. It is complemented by a second Sprint category, consisting of a 600 metre swim, 20 kilometre cycle and 5 kilometre run – which provides an option for beginners and also for friends and family members, to choose a more accessible event and be part of the action. Competitors can participate individually or in relay teams at each event. For more information or to enter, go to www.ultratri.co.za.

News supplied.

Call on our government to say NO FRACKING. This October was the hottest month the world has ever measured, and 2015 is now certain to be the hottest year in earth’s recorded history. It’s time for us to turn up the heat too - from every corner of our shared planet – and ask our leaders in Paris next week to make some REAL commitments to Climate Change Action and to leave fossil fuels in the ground.

Make your voice heard! Renewable and sustainable Energy demos, petition to sign, interesting speakers. Bring banners for the march on Main Street at 12.30.

Sunday 29 November 12h00 - 14h00 Howick Falls Park. For more information contact Sam on 083 599 4792.

News supplied.

A number of sponsored events took place this week but the wet weather did mean that one event had to be postponed.

On Wednesday, 11 November the tabs-in competition sponsored by Halfway Toyota Howick took place. The winners of the competition were Rita Aitken, Colin Joosten and Barry Fairbrother. The runners up were Ray Bester, Margie Holl and Alan Pienaar. Thanksis extended to Halfway Toyota Howick for their continued sponsorship.

Friday, 13 November proved to be a good day for many members of our club when the annual club event sponsored by Warwick Wealth took place. Prizes were generous and many members went home with slighty heavier wallets. The overall winners of the drawn 2-4-2 event were Balf Balfour and Dave Riall. Second prize was won by Ray Bester and Stella Gardiner. Third and fourth prizes were won by Piet van Rensburg and Barry Fairbrother and by Graeme Cameron and Julia Strachan. The plate event was won by Margie Holl and Graham Sharp. Second place went to Jo Boonzaier and Mavis Robson. Third and fourth prizes went to Bernice Burden and Pat Ciro and to Tony Gage and Peter Little. Prizes were presented by Stuart Milligan and Conrad Clifford who represented Warwick Wealth. We thank Warwick Wealth for their generosity.

The tabs-in competition sponsored by The Lawnmower Shop, Giovision and Greendale Spar due to take place on Saturday 14 November was postponed due to the welcome rain which fell on our parched greens. This event will now take place on Saturday, 21 November and will be followed by our annual prize-giving.

In the NIBA fours, the team of Colin Burden, Mike Scheffer, Piet van Rensburg and Clark Logan will take part in the playoffs next Sunday, 22 November at Maritzburg Bowling Club.

Members please check club notice boards or contact Colin and Bernice Burden for details of prize giving.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

Top Tips for staying safe
• Always set your alarm when you go out.
• Be observant and report anything suspicious.
• Keep personal possessions out of sight.
• Be alert at the ATM.
• Keep emergency numbers handy or on speed dial.
• Know your neighbours.

Check your alarm systems
With the festive season approaching it is important to ensure that your alarm system is fully functional. Many people leave this to the last minute before they go away and it puts our KSS technical teams under immense pressure. Please do not hesitate to contact KSS should you need a service done or upgrades to be made. You can contact Keshen on 0833935265 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Wind and false alarms
Please note that many UNNECESSARY alarm activations occur when it is windy. Please ensure that windows and doors are closed if you are going out. Banging windows and doors as well as curtains blowing in the wind can trigger the internal beams. Another factor that may cause an internal beam to trigger is the wind blowing into a room through an open window, causing the internal temperature in the room to decease or increase. Beams are temperature sensitive and as soon as there is a sudden change in temperature in a room, they can activated.

Also, excess foliage blowing across the line of an external beam can cause it to trigger – please cut back plants and bushes and ensure that the external beams on your property will not be affected by foliage.

False alarms take time away from the Armed Response responding to actual alarm activations. It is critical that you assist us with this matter and take responsibility for ensuring that false alarms activations are minimised in the interest of the entire community.

News supplied by Knight Security Solutions.

The current star at FreeMe KZN is our three week old male Cape clawless otter pictured above. He was discovered under a car at Fort Nottingham far from water with an injury to his neck leading us to believe he had been removed from the den by a predator. He has expensive tastes and is fed full cream evaporated milk and salmon capsules and is gaining weight daily. He is presently 2.2 kg in weight and will eventually weigh in the region of 23 kg. He will be sent to the Otter Working Group for his three-year rehabilitation back to the wild once all the necessary permits are in place.

We have also received three baby blesbok all of which were about a week old. One came to us from our own Amber Valley with wounds on its back legs which could have been caused by the electric fence. Another came from Kamberg after it was harassed by a cow and the third one was trapped in a fence and comes from Mount Verde. We believe that all were abandoned by their mothers due to the poor veld conditions which would adversely affect their condition and they would not have sufficient milk to nurture them. All three are thriving and recovering from their injuries.

An unusual new resident is a serotine bat and her two minute babies ‘housed’ under her wings. All three are doing well after they were caught by a cat.

The news of our collared jackals, five in all, recently released at Somkhanda Private Game Reserve in Zululand is that they are doing extremely well and have settled into their new environment and are providing foreign tourists with their first encounters with jackals in the wild. One of the males seems to be a loner and wanders hundreds of kilometres from the reserve but always eventually returns to Somkhanda. It is truly heart warming for us that they are doing so well in an area almost devoid of jackals and our rehabilitation efforts are now bearing fruit.

Our African rock python will also shortly be released at Somkhanda now that all its permits are in order. DNA was extracted at Ishaka Marine World in order to add to the African rock python data base maintained by Ezemvelo Wildlife KZN.

More good news is the release of ‘Bruce’ the wildebeest who was with us for eleven months and his soul mate the blesbok who came to us at the same time as ‘Bruce’. They were released together at a game farm in the Greytown area and by all accounts are settling in well.

The blue and grey duiker, plus the lone bushbuck, we were looking after for Ezemvelo Wildlife KZN have been released at one of Ezemvelo’s small game reserves in the New Germany area. During their stay with us two of the blue duiker (Mpiti) had babies and one of the grey duiker (common duiker) also gave birth. Whereas this is not a rarity it does indicate that these animals felt safe and secure in our recently constructed buck bomas. The vet was extremely complimentary about their excellent condition and all our staff are to be commended on their professionalism and dedication to these antelope.

We are presently involved in a drive to add new members at an annual fee of R100-00, but more about this next year.

As we hurtle towards the festive season all of us at FreeMe KZN would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our Greater Amber friends for their support over the past year. May you all have a wonderful Christmas and healthy and safe New Year and please be extra careful on the roads over this period.

Until next year please take care.

Extracted from FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation's newsletter.

Members and visitors who have been into the club during the course of this past week will have noticed the remarkable improvements to the clubhouse. Not only is there a permanent stage , we now have new curtains which sport our club colours and badge. To quote from an email which I received: “The curtains are LOOOOOKING FAB UUUU LUUUS DOLL.” A huge vote of thanks is extended to Bernice Meyer for organising the curtains. Thanks is also due to Barbara Brook and Helen Emberton for helping Bernice to hang the curtains and to Alan Wells who was in the background, helping where needed.

RESULTS:
The competition held on Wednesday, 09 December and sponsored by Halfway Toyota Howick was won by Colin Burden, Ted Smith and Chantal d’Hotman. The runners-up were Balf Balfour, Alan Pienaar and Lyn Ventress.
Saturday’s competition sponsored by Giovision and The Lawnmower Shop with prizes donated by, Greendale Spar had to be postponed due to the wonderful, welcome downpour of rain. This competition will be held on a date still to be arranged.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS: TBA
REGULAR TABS IN TIMES:
Wednesday and Saturday: 13h15 Dress: Whites
Casual bowls: Tuesday mornings at 08h15; Fridays at 15H15 (dress casual).
Why not come along and join us for a game of bowls one afternoon?

On behalf of the members of the club committee I take this opportunity to wish all our present and past members, as well as our sponsors, a very Happy and Blessed Christmas.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

Oh what a night! The night of 05 December 2015..... when many present and past members of Umgeni Waterfall met at the club to celebrate the end of the year. There was a stellar cast of members including ‘The Lady in White’, ‘The Andrew Sisters’, 10 year old(er) ’Lena Zavaroni’ and ‘Lee Marvin’ in a revue presented by members of the club under the able direction of our own ‘impresario’ Barry Bedworth. The revue took place on our new permanent stage which was made possible by many donations from public enterprises and members.

The evening, which proved to most successful, started with a welcome drink and snacks provided to members courtesy of the Club Committee. Members pulled together to decorate the clubhouse and to organise the eats . Here, special thanks must be extended to two ladies in particular viz. Barbara Brook and Bernice Meyer who spent many hours ensuring that there was a festive, relaxed atmosphere.

This is an appropriate time to thank all members and sponsors (Halfway Toyota Howick, J Leslie Smith,vWarwick Wealth,vThe Lawnmower Shop, The Health Nut, Carrick Wealth, Giovision, Greendale Spar, Carrick Wealth) for their continued generosity.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Sponsored Tabs In Competitions (Club colours)
Wednesday, 09 December: Halfway Toyota Howick
Saturday, 12 December: giovision, The Lawnmower Shop, Greendale Spar
Tabs in: 13h15

Casual bowls: Tuesday mornings and Friday afternoons.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

The Churches of Howick have combined this year to host an unforgettable NIGHT OF CAROLS, set to take place on Sunday 6 December 2015, from 5pm-8pm at Oasis Church, 72 Main Street Howick. With the festive season upon us, what better way to get into the festive mood than an evening of carols, celebration and good food. As the Combined Churches of Howick, we are hoping that this annual event will unite our community and give us good reason to lay aside the disappointments of this year and celebrate the goodness of God together. Howick & surrounding areas - bring your family & friends and come and join us!

FOOD FESTIVAL 5pm-7pm: Join us for supper with the whole family as we enjoy good food & great fun. Food stalls selling burgers, curries, steak rolls, something for those with a sweet tooth and more, cafe, kids entertainment, and a great opportunity to make new friends...

CAROLS 7pm-8pm: Join the combined churches music team (with full instrumental accompaniment and choir), for a fun sing-a-long as we celebrate the beauty of Christmas. Contact (033) 330 3456 for more details.

It is really encouraging receiving positive feedback from the community for the work and services we provide.

“Thank you to you, Gary and your amazing team of incredible individuals who are the Angels of Howick and allow us to sleep a little easier. Your passion and dedication is an absolute inspiration which companies, not only in the security sector, should use as a shining example to follow. You guys rock.”

Christin Minnaar a Grade 5 learner from Mooi River Primary School was selected for the KZN athletics team to compete at the inter provincial championships (SA) held on 21 November 2015 at Germiston Stadium, Gauteng. She received a gold medal for high jump, girls U11 with a 1.42m jump.

Pictured: First Place: Christin Minnaar (Centre), Second Place: Jana Retief (Left), Third Place: Carla Roux (Right).

News supplied.

There is never a dull moment when playing bowls these days as the weather often springs a surprise on everyone on the green at any given time. Nevertheless, some intrepid bowlers always continue playing and enjoy doing so despite the weather.

Saturday, when we held the postponed competition sponsored by The Lawnmower Shop and Giovision, was one such occasion. No bowler really wanted to get wet but neither did they wish to abort the competition. Finally it was decided to play 16 ends before retiring to the clubhouse for a decision to be announced as to who had won the afternoon’s competition. The winners who took home the chickens sponsored by Greendale Spar were Peter Burton, Barry Fairbrother and Robin Philp. The winner of the Lucky Draw was Balf Balfour.

The Club’s Annual prize-giving took that evening in an atmosphere of camaraderie. The event was well-attended. Two new categories of prizes viz. Most Improved Player and President’s Award were announced and trophies were presented to the winners of all the competitions. The President’s Award was presented to our greenkeeper, Piet van Rensburg, who goes way beyond what is expected of him and who is always most willing to help out wherever he can. The trophy for the Most Improved Player went to Bev Vorster, a relatively new bowler. Victor and Victrix Ludorum went to Clark Logan and Barbara Brook respectively. Congratulations to all winners.

Gratitude is extended to all the members who helped decorate the clubhouse and who brought along a wonderful assortment of snacks.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, 25 November: Tabs In Competition sponsored by J Leslie Smith and The Health Nut

Saturday, 05 December: Tabs In at the usual time followed by a variety show which is not to be missed and a festive meal. See you all there! Please see the Posters in the Clubhouse for further information.

Regular tabs in times are as follows: Tuesday at 08h15; Fridays at 15H15 (dress is casual); Wednesday and Saturday at 13h15 (whites/club colours).

New members are welcome. Coaching is available. Contact John Withers on 033 239 5376

Visitors are most welcome to come along and join us.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

At the beginning of the year, Howick High School began a partnership with local business, Enviro Timbers, where the school would encourage the collection of plastic milk bottles to be delivered to Enviro Timbers for recycling. Howick High's pupils and parents have rallied together and a grand total of 420 kilograms of plastic has been collected (approximately 11 000 plastic bottles), earning Howick High a new bench for their grounds. Enviro Timbers was formed in 2013 with the vision to help reduce plastic waste in South Africa and create employment. They manufacture recycled plastic timber from locally sourced plastic waste and are located in Merrivale. Any members of the community wishing to support this initiative are most welcome to collect their rinsed plastic milk bottles and add them to Howick High School's collection. 

Pictured: Howick High School's Eco Club were delighted to receive a new bench from Heidi Boyd of Enviro Timbers recently in return for the school's collection of plastic milk bottles. Pictured left to right at the back are Josh van der Linde, Mr Martin Gardner, Nokubongwa Mlambo, Mrs Heidi Boyd, Enrico van Zyl and seated Amy Evans, Chane Manthe and Zinhle Gwala.

News supplied by Howick High School.

Natural Gas development has come to Southern Africa. This project uncovers how the oil and gas industry is quietly invading one of the most pristine places on the planet. Reserves and national wildlife parks are not safe from these developments, which threaten the existence of Africa's last remaining traditional people and wildlife.

In this film we bring the voices of the scientists, experts and people opposing unabated oil and gas development in the USA to Southern Africa so that the region's natural wealth may be protected for generations to come by the best scientific data available.

Deep in the Kalahari desert our team filmed secret hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations across the migration routes of Africa's largest single elephant population. 44,000 elephants pass between Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe and Chobe National Park in Botswana. The migration route is a tenuous and delicate string of sweet-water pans in the dry desert. We have evidence and undercover interviews of newly fracked gas wells already endangering these ancient elephant routes.

The Karoo Shale Basin extends across the Karoo desert in South Africa - a delicate ecosystem home to a myriad of endemic and endangered plant species. While exploration
has started in Botswana, South Africa still has a narrow window of opportunity to prevent potentially serious harm to its environment.

This report brings the hard science that has emerged over years of experience with the impact gas on America's arid west and presents unseen evidence gathered from the Arctic to the Savannas of Africa.

The High Cost of Cheap Gas
Feature Documentary Film Release
Produced By Mira Dutschke and Jeffrey Barbee, Associate Producer Charles Moore
Link to website: http://allianceearth.org/the-high-cost-of-cheap-gas-fracking-in-the-karoo
An Alliance Earth Production

WHERE and WHEN:
The Lions River Club, Dargle
19 November 2015, 6:30 PM
RSVP to Pam Haynes at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 083 456 9202
COST minimum donation per person R50: R25 film, R25 soup & roll
Press and members of the public welcome.
Presented by Jeffrey Barbee, Producer.