Apologies – January ran away from me.
FOREST FARM – The concrete palisades on Nichol will be fixed in the next week and their triangle of land will be secured. Future plans for this are being considered. The Business Development on that West Bank combining it with FOFS plans for the Park’s benefit are no longer an option. We will have to think again.
MAINTENANCE – FOFS managed to negotiate a cut by the Parks Dept. at Christmas – thank you City Parks Depot 406 – which took 5 days due to the ongoing rain.
We should be getting a further cut next week which is now due. We have paid for labour to tidy up the toilet area, cut the jungle behind the summerhouse, uptrim the trees at the stable etc.
ROAD – This is in dire need of maintenance, especially at the edge where it is edging into the roadway. Potholes as well. We have previously brick paved the potholes as well as using Tarfix and will try again. This is also at our expense. Anyone out there able to help???
GARDEN – Keeping the entrance gardens looking good has been an expense and a trial as the weeds grow as you watch! We pay labour to do this and will be at it again soon.
PARK USE – CHURCHES – While informal Church services have been a part of the Parks history the last two years has seen an upsurge in the number of different churches who go below the stables. I personally went down on a Sunday and met the Pastors of some of them. There are 7 but we and the residents adopted a ‘ live and let live’ approach as long as no-one was disturbed.
Over the last year a particular Church has its worshipers come during the afternoon on foot and by car, go to the bottom of the first field and along the servitude where they stay. They are then locked in at night – there are no lights in the park – by ADT who cant see them. They then start singing late and continue till dawn keeping the residents adjoining the Park awake. This is not acceptable.
We have also found two churches IN the Park which is against the Bylaws. A raid by JMPD, SAPS on the 25th January at 9pm found 200 people and numerous cars and evicted them but it has not solved the problem. We are going to have to look at a broader approach and consult with the Council officials on this. They will be there this weekend
If we don’t act now the Park will be overrun. We cannot let this happen to this Parkmore green lung.
THANK YOU to the PCA for offering physical assistance to us ie. their bakkie twice a month.
Rose Johnson FOFS – 082 784 1933
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