Due to circumstances out of my control this is a very delayed Newsletter so longer than usual
TREES
The oak trees in the Park continue to deteriorate and nothing is being done about them despite informing the Depot some time ago. In desperation we sent a letter to Moses Mdadla at Head Office who is in charge of the renting out of the Park informing him that should they die the most used field will lose most of its shade and events such as the Market, Corporate Events and Birthday Parties would suffer
He then took up the matter asking specific people to come and look and do something. We are still waiting! Looking at them today I fear it is too late. This cold is the last straw for them.
NEW PLAY EQUIPMENT
For two years I have been asking for some of the play equipment now being dismantled from George Lea Park. So sad as this Park and its equipment was given to the children of Parkmore many years ago and like our Jungle Gym, many Mom’s and Dad’s of today grew up with it but sheer neglect has seen it deteriorate to the current state. So far we have got the rocking boat TO the Park but not up and running and hope to get the round- about and concrete pipes but due to the shortage of manpower and vehicles this has to be done if and when the latter are available. We thank Parks and Ben & Co. for all they have done to make it happen.
STAIRS AND RAMP
The sides of the stairs need to be cemented and will then be complete. FOFS paid for the new steps and hand rail following a number of requests.
The Ramp was a misunderstanding and was removed to where it should be but is unfinished. I just do not have the time to complete it for the rest of this month. Is there a builder out there who could assist with this?
W. BANK – SQUATTERS
The massive raid on the squatters a month ago, with major JMPD manpower , numerous JMPD vehicles, countless staff, trucks, bulldozers etc. etc. was a waste of time and resources. Though everything they had was bulldozed up and taken away – imagine those at work who came back to NOTHING . It was 5 deg. that night. The ONLY way to “solve” this problem is to make the land unavailable and this raid on our Bank and at George Lea S has proved I am right because in both places they are back.
To this end FOFS has been trying for 6 years now to get this bank – zoned Park – to be part of the Park with Development on Nichol frontage to finance the upkeep. At the beginning of the year we were hopeful that talks with Joburg Property Co (JPC), their Consultants, us and Forest
Farm who are also owners of half that bank, were really going somewhere but JPC cancelled 3 meetings for no reason leaving us all in the dark.
Since then new talks have taken place with Forest Farm and their own consultants and everyone involved and it is back to square one but with determination to see it through from FFarm and JPC. We are now waiting for plans from both sides to be presented.
EVENTS
The big annual family day event for Blue Label Telecom again took over the second field with at least 500 family members. Again FOFS dealt with the aftermath having learnt from the bad experience last year. They contributed towards the clean up.
25 members of the Stock Exchange came and had a day out and a braai. This is what stressed out staff need in those blocks up on the hill. A break with Nature.
Birthdays for tots to teens – high tech games for the latter, away from screens of any size!
DOGS
Thanks to one man who had 30 acres to walk his unleashed dog on, he chose to walk right where the nursery school 3 and 4 year olds were at the play area. The dog ran at the children and caused havoc. Stupid and thoughtless on the part of the dog owner. The dog got the blame and his comment was to fence off the play area.
The Nursery School now feels the children are not safe, as do many other mothers whose children are afraid of dogs running at them – albeit friendly – and the owner of the Nursery School is now taking it up with Parks and I fear a pot is boiling.
Council of course has No Budget to fence off anything so if this man cares to start a fund raiser with a big donation and other dog walkers contribute we will do our part.
We all need to be able to enjoy the Park together so how about it. Anyone got a sponsor for a fence???
Contact me- rose@fofs.co.za ————- Rose
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