STOP YOUR POOL TURNING GREEN!
DOSE ONLY ONCE A MONTH

activatorD The easier, safer, more economical and effective way to treat and maintain pools.

activatorD was not developed in a laboratory, but in normal conditions at the poolside.

Being disappointed in the action of pool chemicals, he was using in his pool maintenance business, Dudley Magill sought the help of two Chemical Engineer friends and started experimenting with various chemicals.

Dudley wanted something that was safe, economical, eco-friendly and super-effective – particularly in preventing pools from turning green. He also wanted something which would not stain the pool walls!

He came up with the chemical components, a powder mix and a liquid, and over the ensuing months perfected the formula for swimming pools. He has been using the product now for almost three years in many school, hotel and private pools and can say with candour that he has no dissatisfied clients.

The product comes in 2 bottles – a powder and a liquid – totaling 850 grams. This is enough for a 50,000 litre pool for one month. It is safe, environmentally friendly, economical and very effective.

A neglected pool will need a double-dose to start off, but this will effectively kill the algae and clear the water in a few days. Black algae will disappear over a few weeks, and should be brushed off the walls. (Chlorine does not kill algae, only bleaches it; this is why during a storm the chlorine is drawn from the water and the algae is once again visible, turning the water green).

activatorD does not hurt eyes or skin, and swimming costumes last longer. It is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, non-corrosive and chlorine-free - so the run-off water from the pool should not damage your plants.

For further information, please contact:

Midlands Agent
Rob Folker 082 376 8668

Kitty Cabanas has been owned and run by Jane and Gill for the last 11 years.

Jane worked in the veterinary industry for a number of years before having her first baby when she decided not to go back to work and run the cattery instead.

The cattery is now based 9km up the Curries Post Road outside Howick. There are 30 runs for your cat to have a nice spacious area when they visit. Each run has a cabana in which there is a mattress and nice warm bedding. There is also a shelf and ladder from which the cats can watch the passing Oribi and Wattled Cranes.

The cats are fed twice a day. Clients are welcome to bring their own food or they are fed Hills Science Diet food which the cattery supplies. The runs are cleaned out once a day, fresh litter put into the trays and clean bedding if necessary. Some of the runs have cat jungle gyms which the long term boarders enjoy immensely.

Jane now also works at a veterinary clinic in the mornings and so enjoys having cats that need a bit of extra care. She has looked after numerous diabetic cats, ones that need daily medication, bandage changes etc.

The opening times for the cattery are as follows Monday - Friday 7.30am - 9am then 4 - 5pm. Saturday is closed and Sunday 4 - 5pm.

Please feel free to give us a ring and come and visit.

Nicci Smith, a Zumba instructor from Howick has teamed up with Kerry Heinrich from Hilton for the upcoming Zumbathon®. The Zumbathon® is held to raise money for breast cancer research.

This charity event is hosted by thousands of Zumba® Instructors during the month of October every year all around the world and huge amounts of money have been raised.

Cowan House is sponsoring the use of their indoor centre and all money raised will go directly to Zumba® and into the research programs they are sponsoring.

The event, to be held on the 5th October,  is open to EVERYONE of any fitness level (men included). Children and husbands are welcome and the participants may do as little or as much of the 3 hour event as they would like.

In addition to Nicci and Kerry, there will be a host of instructors traveling in from Durban and the South Coast to add to the fun.

See our events page for more information.

While we have been enjoying our jackal pups, they are not everyone's favourite creature. A concerned farmer asked that they not be released anywhere near his property as they kill calves in a very unpleasant way. This is a very legitimate request and our answer is below for all those farming types who are concerned about our decision to rehabilitate them:-

As a rule we do not rehabilitate jackals at all, because of the problem of finding a suitable release site. At the moment though we have had a request from a new reserve up near Phinda in Northern Zululand. They were previously surrounded by squatter camps and their jackal population was wiped out by distemper picked up from the local dogs. They are finding it very difficult to balance their reserve without jackals and the distemper virus stays in the soil for up to four years. Because we can inoculate for distemper with a 100% success rate, our jackals will be able to survive, breed and build up a viable population. All our releases are approved by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and they would certainly never approve jackal releases in a farming area. Similarly, we have to be very careful about mongoose, genet, serval and all other predator sites. We will occasionally release antelope or birds in this area, but nothing else. We do not release into Umgeni because of the poaching problem.

News article submitted by FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation KZN.

What a perverse place the Midlands is.  Just as Spring arrives the weather gets cold, miserable and unpredictable. Still, we really did have a very mild winter with lots of beautiful, warm, sunny days.

Before we go any further, we would like to remind everyone of our invitation to join us for tea, coffee and crumpets on 21st September (Saturday) at 10h00 for a very interesting talk on Midlands Birding by Densham Drummond in our education centre. We can only accommodate 30 people, so please book early, to avoid disappointment.

Very exciting is the news that people have now spotted 4 crowned cranes on Sugarlands Farm on the Curry's Post Road. For years, they seem to have only been 2, then last year there were three and now there is a new addition. Greytown has really been a focus of our attention in the last little while, with our tiny baby duiker girl and five jackal pups having been collected from there in the last month. Our baby Jackal pups continue to grow quickly.  Our latest addition, a young spotted eagle owl is that latest arrival and is a real little character.

Howick Garden Club had a very interesting talk on vervet monkeys at FreeMe last month (thanks for your support). It was a real eye opener as to how special these animals are and how, with a bit of effort, we can live with them fairly harmoniously.

Finally, we were very disappointed with the response to our sms line – we really thought that this would be a quick and easy way to donate a small amount of money to FreeMe. Please everyone, don't think that the next person can make the effort, because chances are they expecting you to do it!! R10.00 a month is a very small amount, but five hundred people doing it just once a month, will result in R5 000.00 coming in to help our wildlife – and that is such a rewarding cause with which to be involved.

Pictured above is our serious looking Spotted Eagle Owl – if you think he is really cute, please sms donate freeme to 48748 and donate R10.00.

The Jackal pups growing quickly.

Marriott, the Income Specialists have opened a client centre in the Greendale Acres Centre in Lawton Road, Howick.

Marriott specialise in providing Solutions for Retirement to investors planning for and in retirement.

The new centre will enable Marriott to personally service clients and financial advisors in the region, offering the same services as the Head Office in Hillcrest. This includes the facilitation of meetings between financial advisors and their clients and providing marketing material and client information. Clients will be able to obtain statements, make adjustments to their investments as well as access Marriott's unique Investment Planning Tool over a cup of tea. An additional valuable service is Marriott Cash Management which offers interest rates generally higher than call rates, and where staff will be available to assist you in paying accounts.

"We have a large client base in this area who we believe will benefit from a personal professional service on their doorstep," said Simon Pearse, chief executive of Marriott. "Members of the public are also most welcome to pop in to find out more about the Marriott Solutions."

This is the first walk-in client centre that Marriott has established in KZN, offering a convenient way of meeting the investment needs of local residents in a friendly and relaxed environment.

"Marriott's Solutions for Retirement provide for both the current and future income needs of investors and can be used throughout all life stages. They are designed to provide a reliable monthly income with a reasonable expectation of income growth, as well as certainty in volatile markets." Pearse said. "All of these factors combined also enable investors to have a reliable expectation of their capital value over time".

The new Marriott client centre in Howick will be open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. For more information phone the Marriott Communication Centre on 0800 336 555.

Pictured: Mike Ronald, Head of Advisory Services, with Angie Strydom, client service administrator who will be based in the Howick Client Centre.

Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club

Competitions

The 'Power Drive' Tabs in competition, sponsored by the Lawnmower Shop, is on Wednesday 25th  September.

The Moffatt Optical Competition is all day on 20 October.

The Tabs in tournment, sponsored by Halfway Toyota, Giovision and Greendale Spar, is on Wednesday 11 September.  Bowlers come along and test your bowling skill, hope for a bit of luck and win a plump chicken donated by Greendale Spar.

Enquiries for the above competitions to Dave Truscott 033 239 4512

Club Duties

Refreshments:

7 September – 13 September: Trevor James
14 September – 20 September: Richard Grant

Tabs:

11 September – 17 September: Barbara Wyatt and Hilary Williams

Teas:

14 September: Hilary Williams;

17 September: Lyn Durant;

18 September: Bernice Burden

Social Bowls

Every Wednesday and Saturday, tabs in by 1.30pm. Whites.
Every Tuesday morning, tabs in by 8.30 am. Casual. Visitors most welcome.

FREE Coaching takes place on a regular basis. For any enquiries kindly contact: John Withers on 033-239 5376, Graeme Cameron on 033-330 3457, Hilary Williams on 033-3303992 or Barry Bedworth on 033-239 5445

Who is L.Y.N. Food?
L.Y.N Food is a Howick based family business headed up by Jeff and Fenella Speed, they have three children, James, Sarah and Sam. This sporty family enjoy running and paddling so will be mostly found outdoors!

What is L.Y.N. Food putting on tables around KZN?
Have you ever tried ODB? Our Daily Bread is a preservative free health bread that is proudly baked by local bakeries. Most delicious and without all the chemicals that is added to most things these days. They also do a range of delicious fresh and smoked trout products, including pate that is amazing!

Why?
Produced at home in Howick, their products are good and wholesome. Jeff and Fen believe in old fashioned service to their customers.

When?
You can contact them online at www.lynfood.co.za 24/7 and see them at local markets and events. Fen and Jeff will be at Sue Tarr's first Friday of the month market on 6 September from 3 to 6pm and they will be at Hilton Pre-Primary Food and Wine Fair at the Protea Hotel Hilton on Friday 13 September. Come along and sample their delicious products.

The annual RFL is scheduled for Monday evening 23rd September, closing soon after sunrise on Tuesday 24th (Heritage Day). The Carbineers' Drill Hall grounds, with plenty of parking, will be the safe, secure venue.

The relay is anything but a race. Based on the three special words Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back, the RFL is a moving and emotional opportunity to do just that. "Teams" of 10 enter and take part in perambulating around a track for the duration, always ensuring at least one member is out there at any time. Part of the entry fee of R700 per team entitles each member to decorate a "Luminary Bag" with a photograph of a loved one lost, a survivor or simply coloured in or patterned. The bags are placed alongside the track, with a candle inside. After dark, the candles are lit, illuminating the bags and setting the scene for each to stroll with their friends, strangers or alone with their own thoughts, memories and hopes.

Having lost family and friends to this dreaded disease, lived with those who are fighting and having experienced those daunting words 'I think you should come in and see me, soon', Eileen and I have found incredible peace and strength taking part in the annual relay. Bringing CANSA and the Community Chest together for this cause is an exciting prospect.

We hope to raise R100000 this year and are encouraging teams and individuals to not only participate, but use the opportunity to raise additional sponsorship. In addition to the emotional experience, there will be some amazing lucky spot prizes as well as a special prize for the team who raise the most in donations. All the funds raised are used in the fight against cancer and the support of those living with it

If you would like to find out more or take part in the relay, please contact Alan Angus on 0845824005, Wendy James (0827772620) or the CANSA offices at 10 Killarney Terrace or telephone 0333429837 (bh). Cancer survivors are encouraged to contact the offices and register on the role. Survivors present at the relay will be afforded special treatment.

Submitted by Howick Hospice.

On average our children spend about 1450 hours a year at school! When faced with this statistic, we can only but acknowledge the fact that schools play a huge role in shaping your child, ultimately helping them pave the way for their future. This is why each parent needs to make an informed decision when choosing a school that best fits their family values and that will provide the best opportunities for their child. So, if you are looking at Oasis Christian Academy, this is what we are about...

We are a Christian school from Grade 00 to 12 who provide quality individualised education to learners who desire to live according to the Word of God and develop their God-given talents in a safe and stimulating environment. Our vision and values can be summed up in one statement: 'We believe in each individual child LIVING in God's perfect plan for their life, LOVING God and each other wholeheartedly, LEARNING every step of the way to be LEADERS that shake this world for Jesus'.

Our children have been destined for greatness, and as we work in partnership with parents, we aim to see each student find their unique purpose and learn to live out this purpose to change the world in which we live. Join us in educating the next generation, ensuring they go further than us, dream bigger than us and make an eternal impact in all that they do! Visit www.theoasischurch.co.za for more details or call us on (033) 330 3456 today.

At a recent Roslyn's Ladieswear event Monica Rembold was drawn as the winner of a fresh flower delivery on her birthday. Happy Birthday Monica! Pictured here presenting the flowers is Lorraine from The Antique Rose Florist in Howick.

Monica was delighted with her beautiful basket of flowers. She is a frequent customer at Roslyn's where she has been buying her ladieswear for 15 years. That is loyalty!

The learners at Themelihle Primary School have had a fun filled, action packed third term.

The Thembelilhle Children's Choir had a very successful trip to the Hibiscus Coast to take part in the Spring Floral Festival. The Choir performed to a full house at the Ramsgate Arts Centre to much applause. The Choir led the evensong service at St Margaret's Anglican Church. For all involved it was an experience not to be forgotten – outstanding performances, a swim in the sea, a visit to the River Bend Crocodile Park and a "cuddle" with a baby crocodile!

Grade 1 celebrated the arrive of Spring with a Spring Day. A day filled with colour and flowers and learning about the vibrant nature that surrounds us.

The Grade 1 and 2 learners were visited by the local Fire Station and got to ride in the Fire Engine. They were taught about fire safety, the essential role of the fire service in our community and then were able to clamber into a Fire Engine. What an exciting day.

Learners, teachers and a few parents made 140 "felt angels" which were sent to the school sponsors at Brentwood United Methodist Church in Tennassee, USA as a token of thanks. We look forward to seeing some photographs of our angels at home in America.

Wishing everyone a restful holiday before an exciting fourth term.

Bird Life KZN Midlands sprang from the Port Natal Club 25 years ago, when it became apparent that a local club was needed in the Midlands area. The club was originally based in Pietermaritzburg where most of the Committee lived, and where the evening meetings and most of the outings took place. With the rapid growth of Howick recently, and with many of the Committee members now residing in this town, it was decided to make Howick the centre for the Club!

With our move to Howick we welcomed people moving into and already living in the 'Ambers' who were already BirdLife South Africa members and members of other clubs, to KZN Midlands Bird Club. We are a member of BirdLife South Africa, and it is a prerequisite for membership of our club to be a member of our parent body.

That said anybody and everybody is welcome to join us for our evening meetings and outings. We have a monthly (except July, too cold! and Dec too much going on.) evening meeting which is held at the Goldfields Community Centre at WESSA. This takes place on the third Wed. evening from 17:30 for registration (Members R15 pp, non-members R20) and we have well known speakers presenting their interesting talks from 18:00 to 19:00. 

The club also runs a last Wed. morning of the month outing to places of birding interest, meeting anytime from 06:30 depending on the season of the year, and returning in time for lunch, unless we travel further afield to well know Nature Reserves.  See the Events page for more details of our outings and for information regarding a course we are holding in early October with Dr David Johnson – well known to most of us

As a Club we are actively involved with projects of a national interest, including the Bearded Vulture project, and twice a year a Waterbird count at Midmar Game Reserve, Albert Falls Dam, Darvill and the Gartmore Crane Conservation Centre. Also a coordinated Car route twice a year to monitor Cranes, Bustards, Storks, and some other birds. These counts are on set routes. The Cape Parrot is another species that we monitor on regular yearly basis. These are just some of our projects.

Membership of our Club includes a magazine called 'KZN Birds' which is published three times a year and covers all the Natal Bird Clubs. One can also take out with membership the lovely magazine called 'African Birdlife' published by BirdLife South Africa 6 times a year.

Information kindly supplied by BirdLife KZN Midlands.

In my experience, there are usually seven common reasons why businesses succeed and without these in place, businesses only survive, at best. When challenged around these points, many business owners or CEOs have assured me that they check all the boxes. While that may well be the case for some of them, the clarity usually ends at the boardroom door. Businesses are made, or not, by the teams who execute against the vision of the company.

Thriving businesses have the end in mind, and an example of this was in The Coca-Cola Company in the early nineties. The board decided that, while the company was in the business of refreshment, it was also in the business of providing shareholder value. The way in which this was communicated throughout the global organisation was pervasive to say the least. Digital ticker-tape signs in every office updated the share price every few minutes and the dollar value became the topic of conversation in the corridors and canteens. Unsurprisingly, the question "is the activity you are currently busy with adding or subtracting value?" was constantly being asked. The result was double-digit growth in the share price...

In this column I have highlighted the seven reasons why businesses succeed:

1. A clear and concise vision and mission which is communicated to and understood by all the stakeholders (owners, management, employees, customers and suppliers) in the company. This answers the question, "Why are we in business?"

2. A culture which meets the needs of the owners, the employees, customers and suppliers of the company. This definition of culture answers the question, "How will we conduct ourselves as we do business?"

3. A uniqueness that separates the company from its competition, thereby answering the question, "Why should our customers buy from us?"

4. Financial reserves such as ownership capital and outside lending resources, but most importantly, capital accumulated from a healthy stream of profits. The healthy stream of profits will attract ever increasing amounts of ownership capital and lending resources to help the company grow.

5. The ability to attract top performing people to accomplish the vision and mission. The really successful businesses do not depend on the charisma of any single individual, including that of the founder.

6. Dedication to the principle embodied by the Japanese word kaizen (never ending improvement), which means that even when things are going very well, successful companies strive almost obsessively to improve their product or service.

7. A focus on things that the company does well and the sense to recognise that doing some things well does not mean that the company does everything well.

Supplied by ActionCOACH Business Coaching KZN.

The KwaZulu-Natal Crane Foundation (KZNCF) and the Lions Bush Conservancy proudly invite you to support conservation in the Midlands through your attendance at In ART Gallery's Spirit of the Crane Art Exhibition in Nottingham Road, 12 – 22 September 2013.

The exhibit opening will be held Thursday, 12 September at the In ART Gallery; 16h30 for 17h00. Your R50 entry ticket allows you to mingle with the artists, enjoy a beverage, hear spirited crane lore from around the world and bid upon and purchase art that benefits crane conservation. Your ticket also gives you a chance at winning a piece of original artwork. Tickets can be purchased in Nottingham Road at Barbz Café, Gowrie Village (033 266 6773), or the In ART Gallery (083 253 7297). The In ART Gallery is open Monday – Saturday, 09h30 – 15h30 and Sunday, 09h30 – 12h00.

Hilary Grant Curie, Owner and Curator of In ART Gallery, said, "When my husband and I first moved to Nottingham Road to establish our businesses, I heard about the work of the KZNCF and their efforts to build a Nursery to rear endangered Wattled Crane chicks. After visiting their nature reserve and the Hlatikulu Crane and Wetland Sanctuary, I reconnected with these magnificent birds. I can remember flocks of Blue Cranes sharing the veld with my father's cattle. It was a common sight and annual occurrence.... It saddens me that this is something my own children will likely never experience."

The KZNCF is currently constructing a Nursery to rear critically endangered Wattled Crane chicks for release into the wild in an effort to bolster South Africa's remaining wild flock of 260 individuals. For the past 30 years, conservationists in North America have successfully released human-reared cranes into the wild using a technique called "isolation" or "costume-rearing. This technique, consisting of human caretakers dressed in costumes and puppets will be used to encourage young cranes to obtain skills necessary for survival in the wild. The Nursery will include a hatcher room, veterinary facility, chick house and exercise domes. It is situated on the Bill Barnes Crane and Oribi Nature Reserve in Nottingham Road which the KZNCF owns and manages collaboratively with EKZN Wildlife. The KZNCF expects to receive its first chicks in 2014. Proceeds from the Spirit of the Crane Art Exhibition will go towards the completion of the Nursery.

The KZNCF is a non-profit conservation organization established in 1989 to address the threats facing South Africa's three crane species - the Blue, Wattled and Southern African Grey Crowned Cranes. The foundation is successfully fostering awareness of cranes and their dependence upon wetlands and grasslands through educational outreach and conservation stewardship. To learn more, visit: www.kzncrane.co.za

Do you know?

• How much money you are losing in your company as a result of poor administration, lack of people being able to manage their job function and people not thinking "sustainable business"?

Do you know?

• Marketing focuses on selling your product for a profit, while PR sells your whole company to build relationships and reputational capital?

Do you know?

• That not communicating clearly in every respect can have a very negative effect on attitudes and relationships in the workplace and might even lose potential clients?

Friday 23rd August saw Shân Cade, in collaboration with Desiray Viney and Nicky Grieshaber, run a very successful training session addressing these very questions.

Shân had developed the CLIP (Check Lists for Improved Productivity)programme. Her motto is "Make check lists work for you".  Shân states "I was exposed to check lists from an early age and in my first job as a "Girl Friday" in the family business, it was here that the "official" CHECK LIST foundation was laid. My mom used check lists for everything from work related items, to social events, to school activities – the list never ending. I learnt from the best check list maker in the world.

As I matured, I started to find my "own" check list methodology coming through in my work, socially and in all aspects of life – I was simply building on the solid foundation that had been laid, enhancing something that was already good from the start and resulting in the CLIP system covered in my book.

Throughout my years in the business world and the world of volunteers I have been renowned for the use of check lists and related to that the reputation of always being on time, thorough and reliable – check lists making it happen for me"

Desiray took us through PR vs Marketing. Desiray has spent over 25 years in education and training, and is a specialist in her field. She consults with companies and individuals on all aspects of corporate communication, public relations and the media as well as values-driven leadership

Nicky is a Professional language practitioner and presenter who advocates clear and thoughtful communication, whether verbal or written. This among other things reflects courtesy and respect and builds good relationships. "The simpler we can keep our messages the clearer they will be, while by contrast, unclear and cluttered messages reflect carelessness and disrespect for the intended reader or hearer."

Thank you Shân for sharing this exciting program with us. Obviously a success when you look at just some of the feedback.

What people have to say...about CLIP (Check Lists for Improved Productivity)

"Just so you know, the check list is working brilliantly and my daily list gets longer every week. I am managing the work load MUCH better because of it." Justine (Secretary – ETM Quick Cash)

What people have to say...about PR vs Marketing
"Our staff gained useful skills from her Press Release writing workshop which we implemented to gain valuable free press coverage for our excellence awards". Bruce Fly, Fairfield Dairies.

What people have to say...about Nicky
"I now understand why second-language speakers battle to pronounce certain sounds." (Deputy Principal, independent primary school, Pietermaritzburg)

Well despite the chilly weather, spring seems to have arrived. Five baby jackal pups were collected from Greytown to join their feline counterparts, the serval kittens and a very young jackal buzzard chick arrived from Shafton Grange in the Karkloof.

We have decided that the saying "cats rule, dogs drool" certainly applies. While the servals took to bottles easily and quickly and were generally a pleasure to have around, the jackals were very slow on the uptake ensuring that Israel had a milk bath every time he had to feed them – they definitely believed that we were out to poison them, perhaps as a result of years of persecution of their kind. Speaking of which, it was very heartening to hear how the farm labourers reported hearing the pups crying in the burrow and, after waiting for mom to return, helped the farmer dig them up and arrange for FreeMe to collect them. A big change from the time when "the only good jackal was a dead one".

The jackal buzzard chick was just too adorable, but has been sent to Ben Hoffman at Raptor Rescue. Baby raptors, along with cranes and several other bird species, imprint on anything that feeds them and get very attached to their handlers. This attachment can lead to a very possessive individual who can only be released back into the wild after a long and difficult rehabilitation process (if they can be returned at all). With sharp talons and rather smelly droppings, they do not make good house pets. Ben will try and get one of his own buzzard pairs to adopt him, allowing him to be raised as a fully functional wild bird.

So if you are a cat person and are feeling rather smug, or if you prefer our canine friends and would like to stick up for the underdog, please sms donate freeme to 48748 to donate R 10. If on the other hand you like both equally then do it twice. Add a liking for our little grey ball of fluff, Fugly, who is just too cute, then three times is mandatory.

News and pictures kindly provided by FreeMe

Ethembeni works with an organisation called Catalyx to run a 40 hour Job Readiness programme for the unemployed in Mpophomeni.

The programme runs over 10 weeks where the candidates are prepared for the workplace, they learn what would be expected of them as well as what to expect in the workplace. Customer service, work ethics, time management and entrepreneurship are a few of the topics covered.

Ethembeni also focuses on spiritual development, self esteem development, emotional maturity, problem solving and other character building exercises. Ethembeni keeps a database of candidates that have been through the programme and we appeal to local businesses to draw from these candidates when they need staff. We are very excited about this programme as we have seen wonderful results and positive changes in our candidates.