THE VILLAGE
NEWS
6 JANUARY 2021 YOUR FREE COPY #ALLOVEROVERBERG The next issue of The Village NEWS will be out on 13 January 2021.
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Season comes to abrupt end Writer De Waal Steyn
I
t seems that Covid-19 and not the Grinch stole Christmas this year, and for good measure New Year’s as well.
With the festive season over and done with, businesses across the Cape Whale Coast are taking stock of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on them. According to Cape Whale Coast Tourism Manager Frieda Lloyd, this has been the most difficult season ever for especially the tourism industry. “The many variables that businesses had to contend with, ranging from a sudden increase in infections to stricter lockdown regulations, made planning almost impossible.” The much-anticipated bumper season due to the extended school holidays turned into a scramble for survival for businesses, especially after the stricter regulations came into effect on 28 December.
Local Mark Easter and Capetonian Gareth Knott set off early on Monday morning on an epic run of 200 km to raise awareness of the Cliff Path Action Group’s efforts to connect the Cliff Path at Poole’s Bay. The daring duo also raised money for the #5K4KIN charity for orphans. According to Mark they expected to complete the run in 35 hours. “I have done a number of 100-mile races but this time around there will be another whole marathon distance to complete after we reach the 100-mile mark. The trick is to keep your rhythm and just not stop until you are done,” he said. The route took them from the New Harbour, through Stanford towards Napier and Elim before they were due to reach Kleinbaai on Tuesday morning. The run was expected to end on Tuesday evening at the New Harbour. PHOTO: Taylum Meyer
“At the beginning of December, we saw thousands of visitors coming into our towns and we all readied ourselves to make this a memorable holiday for visitors despite the pandemic. But as the infection rates started to climb, we saw a shift in the market as fewer people were willing to travel and visitor numbers started to decline. The biggest impact came with the stricter regulations when we saw visitors cutting their holidays short and returning home. We also had large numbers of cancellations during this time,” Lloyd said. Save for a few exceptions, business owners in all sectors report that they are under severe financial pressure as economic activity wanes.
Clinton Lerm, Chair of the Whale Coast Business Community Forum, said this is traditionally the time when business owners make enough money to supplement the quieter months of the year. On average businesses are reporting a drop of between 25% and 50% on previous years. The biggest concern for most business owners is the uncertainty as to what the future holds. Several tourism related businesses have indicated that they are preparing to close their doors until there is an uptick in economic activity. “One of the other major concerns is the gaping hole that will be left by bans across the world on international leisure travel. The second half of January and February traditionally saw an influx of international guests who spent euros, pounds, and dollars. This year we will not only have to deal with the tourists not arriving, but also with many swallows who will not be spending the summer on our shores,” said Lerm. He added that the time has come for business owners and residents to work together to save our economy. “We need a united front that will support local and assist in marketing our region. We cannot expect government to do this for us, we must make it happen ourselves. If we do not do it, we will see businesses closing and unemployment skyrocketing, creating a negative cycle that will be hard to break.” Lloyd concluded by saying that we need to realise that it is almost impossible to regain the economic losses our region has suffered. “We need to find new and unique ways to draw visitors to the Cape Whale Coast, such as marketing it as a work-from-home destination. We’ll be strategising and looking at various options in the coming weeks.”
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6 January 2021
Covid numbers continue to rise Writer De Waal Steyn
W
hile summer is in full swing and Overstranders are missing the beach and our region’s delicious wines and beers, the number of active Covid-19 infections is still higher than what it was during the first wave. On Monday, the number of active cases in the Overberg stood at 1 978, of which 733 were in the Overstrand. Since the start of the outbreak, 270 people in the Overberg have lost their lives due to the Coronavirus. Masizole Mnqasela, speaker of the Western Cape Government and Member of the Provincial Parliament for the Overberg said in a statement last week that deaths in the province in the two weeks preceding New Year’s Day rose to an average of 100 per day or 1 death every 10 minutes. “Our positivity rate has gone up by 50% and the Department of Health will not be able to manage this alone. Our healthcare workers are only human; they too are tired now. We have lost 20 healthcare workers in the past 20 days. Let us all play our part and minimise our contact with people we don’t stay with,” Mnqasela said. According to him, what is of significant concern at this stage is that children are infected with the virus and infecting adults and other children too. “Children also get as critically ill from Covid-19. The Department of Health has already established where the
areas of highest infection per district are. This data will be used to proactively plan for the safe return to school as the 2021 official opening nears.” He said that additional beds were received from the Western Cape Government for the Overstrand Municipal area to augment the current capacity at the Hermanus Provincial Hospital. While the number of infected people nationally is still climbing at an alarming rate, the state hopes to conclude negotiations with Coronavirus vaccine suppliers and begin vaccinating frontline healthcare workers in February, according to a rollout strategy announced by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Sunday evening. South Africa is expected to start receiving vaccine supplies to cover 10% of the population through the Covax initiative by the beginning of the second quarter of 2021, but Mkhize said government departments were working urgently to secure vaccines through bilateral deals with manufacturers. “In fact, we are targeting February. Although all of that is going to depend very much on the success of the current bilateral negotiations that we’re having with various companies,” said the minister in a virtual press briefing. He said the target date was “really more our wish” and no deals had been reached to deliver vaccines by February, but the government was “fighting” to secure supplies before the second quarter of the year.
Under the strategy, a vaccine will be administered in three phases, starting with the country’s estimated 1.25 million frontline healthcare workers. An estimated 16 million people will be vaccinated in the second phase, including people working in essential services and congregate settings, the elderly, and people with comorbidities. Phase three will target another 22 million people to bring the total number of persons vaccinated to 40.3 million, or 67% of the country’s population, the level at which it’s believed herd immunity can be achieved. “We have always said that the second wave is going to come and that the only way we will be protected is by developing herd immunity through vaccination. Because of that we have been working very hard by following all the research and development that has taken place globally. At this point we do believe that the issue of rolling out
vaccines must be handled with urgency and that is what has driven us to expedite the availability of vaccines,” Mkhize said.
This will very much depend on the success of current bilateral negotiations we are in the midst of with various companies.
He added that he believes vaccines must be made available to all South Africans. “At this stage we have secured the doses that will be acquired through Covax which will ensure that we immunize 10% of the population through this mechanism and, in line with the President's statement, we expect the processes to deliver the vaccine by beginning of the second quarter. The funds to pay the outstanding amount after the deposit that has been made by the Solidarity Fund, around R1,8 billion, have been allocated.
“Additionally, we have embarked on Public Private Partnerships with very good outcomes and we have approached medical aids to be part of the co-financing. The process is now at a stage where the Council for Medical Schemes has engaged various medical schemes and I have signed amendments of regulations to allow for vaccines and other therapeutics to be part of the prescribed minimum benefits,” the minister said.
“Having secured for 10% of the population, we have embarked on other efforts to target the rest of the 57% of the population by the end 2021 but, more importantly, we are making efforts to obtain vaccines much earlier, hopefully as early as February 2021.
Mkhize concluded by saying that these efforts have involved a lot of work and that the department would be doing more to communicate information to the public to dispel misconceptions and to ensure preparation for this massive campaign, particularly because some of the vaccines would require two doses.
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6 January 2021
A billion bees in his bonnet Writer Elaine Davie
And so, over the years, Gys‘s hives have multiplied, from Grabouw to Bot River and Kleinmond, and making the boxes, maintaining them and harvesting the honey is more than a full-time job. In addition, for the past 55 years, his bees have been providing a pollination service for the same five fruit farmers in the Grabouw district, which he describes as very stressful.
T
his region of the country is sometimes referred to as the Land of Milk and Honey, justifiably, it would seem, at least as far as honey is concerned. Bee master, Gys Boonzaaier of Kleinmond has had an intimate relationship with bees for the past 55 years, so he should know, and with more than 600 of his hives spread across the Overberg, there is certainly no shortage of these busy little workers. Gys’s love affair with bees started when he was a child living in Kleinmond. One day, his father, the Hermanus Chief Prosecutor, apparently quite randomly, announced that beekeeping sounded like a good hobby to pursue, not only for himself, but also for his daughter and three sons. This sudden proposal was greeted with minimum enthusiasm by most of the children, especially as it was likely to result in pain. Nevertheless, under the tutelage of two local bee masters, the Condon brothers, they headed for the quarry just outside of town (now the Kleinmond golf course), where their first task was to capture a swarm of wild bees. As they suspected, by the time they arrived home, they all sported an array of painful bee stings. Their mother was dragged into the enterprise with a request to come up with some kind of protection for their heads, which she did by the creative use of whatever materials she had to hand, including mosquito window netting. Eventually, only two of the brothers and their father persevered with the hobby, soaking up all they could learn from the Condon brothers, including making their own hives. As Gys says, he couldn’t have had better mentors. He picked up a book on bee-keeping for the first time last year and found that he was able to learn nothing new, except the science behind the art. After school, Gys joined the police force and was posted to Johannesburg, but he
“The pollination has to take place at exactly the right time, so if I’m lucky I get two days’ notice to transport the hives there; sometimes it’s no more than overnight. And then the same thing happens when they have to be collected, because as soon as pollination has taken place, the farmer wants to start spraying.” hated the gut-wrenching violence he encountered every day and when his father fell ill, he gratefully returned to Kleinmond and the bees he had grown to love and respect. He bought the 50 or 60 hives his dad still maintained and set himself up for business (by that time all his siblings had dropped the imposed hobby). He had already learnt how to capture bees from all kinds of sites: from old, abandoned hives, to holes in the mountain, to rubbish dumps and private properties; to divide the swarm if it was too large and transfer them to permanent hives somewhere in the fynbos. “I have never stopped learning from the bees,” he muses. “They are wonderful creatures. When I am feeling down, I head for my hives and afterwards I feel much better. “Did you know, for example, that if you divide a swarm, the queen bee accompanies the one half to its new hive, and then the other section creates its own queen by feeding queen jelly to one of the worker bees? People also sometimes wonder why we use smoke when we capture bees – it’s to calm them down. But I must tell you every swarm has its own personality and when I come across an aggressive swarm, I’m very pleased, because aggressive bees are happy bees.”
Gys underlines the important role bees play in agriculture: “No bees, no fruit or vegetables in four years’ time.” A while back in China when their bees had all but disappeared, farmers were obliged to pollinate their crops by hand. Fortunately, hereabouts, while bee numbers may fluctuate from year to year and therefore, also honey production, there is a healthy population. “Of course,” he adds, “events like the wild fires we have from time to time have an adverse effect on numbers and it takes a while for them to recover.” His bees produce mainly fynbos honey, but during low flowering periods, he moves them to where there are eucalyptus trees. Unfortunately, he says, a lot of fake honey is sold in this country; some of it no better than syrup. It is produced locally and also imported from countries like Pakistan, India, China and Argentina – check the label. The latter is considered third grade honey, whilst the second grade honey produced in this country is often a blend of sub-standard canola, and premium fynbos or eucalyptus. The answer, says Gys, is to trust your bee-keeper and to know where the honey is sourced. Certified bee-keepers are registered with SABIO (South African
Bee Industry Organisation), administered by the Department of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries. Gys is in partnership with his son – he manages the bee farming, with the help of only one assistant, taught by him from scratch, while his son handles the marketing and sales, under the Bee Master label. Depending on the weather and other variables, they produce anything from one ton to four, harvesting two or three times a year. “I’m an optimist you know, so it’s all about faith and hard work; and we always make certain enough honey is left for the bees themselves and for the local honey
badgers. I am worried, though, that there is growing criminal activity in this area: honey is being stolen for traditional beer making and the hives are destroyed.” He is emphatic about the fact that bees are wild creatures and dangerous. They should be treated with caution and respect. “Although, many people build up immunity over years,” he explains. “One bee sting can kill you, and very fast. I am always aware that I could die tomorrow, even though I have been working with them for so many years. You have a window of only about 20 minutes, so if you’re stung, get to a doctor as soon as possible for an antihistamine and adrenalin injection – all the other remedies you’ve heard about are old wives’ tales.” For further information, call Gys on 083 458 0994.
With 600 hives spread across the region, there’s not much you can teach Gys Boonzaaier about these busy little workers, but fully aware of how deadly a sting from one of them can be, he never fails to treat them with respect.
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6 January 2021
Fernkloof open for hiking You are never T
he Overstrand, as part of the Overberg District, was declared an official Covid-19 hotspot area by President Ramaphosa on 28 December, and placed under an adjusted Level 3 lockdown along with the rest of the country. After much debating on how to interpret these new regulations, Overstrand Municipality’s Municipal Manager, senior officials and councillors decided that the mountain and hiking paths in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve will remain open for hiking. The municipality said in a state-
ment that this would hopefully take some pressure off the Cliff Path and give residents and visitors alike an alternative option while the beaches are closed. Members of the public who would like to explore Fernkloof Nature Reserve may access the reserve via all existing, sign-posted and designated footpaths or hiking and cycling trails.
nated Blue Route) are allowed in the reserve. Hikers are allowed to park at the visitors’ centre to start their hike. Monitors will assist with a stagger approach, should there be too many people at any given time.
The only exception is the Fernkloof gardens and the Three Dams, which will be closed in accordance with the amended Level 3 regulations.
Kindly take note: • The public needs to ensure that cloth face masks are worn at all times • The public needs to ensure that they stay within a safe distance from each other and not group together
Please note that no group hiking and no dogs (except on the desig-
Rotary Drive, the Hermanus Cliff Path and the VOS Coastal Path remain open.
Fishing permitted under lockdown level 3 In terms of the amended level 3 lockdown regulations, all beaches in areas declared hotspots (including all Overstrand beaches) are closed until 15 January 2021. Although some aspects of the regulations have caused uncertainties and are open to interpretation, the Overstrand Municipality has agreed that the closure of beaches does not apply to fishermen for fishing purposes between curfew hours (06:00 to
21:00). Everyone must be inside their place of residence at 21:00. Fishers (anglers) must also be in possession of a valid recreational fishing permit, obtainable from the Post Office. This is also applicable to the West Coast Rock Lobster season, whether from a boat or land. Those with permission to fish after 21:00 must have an essential services permit.
too young
Kindly take note that recreational fishing may not occur in groups, and all the laws applicable under the amended regulations, including those relating to social distancing and health protocols, continue to apply. The municipality reminds residents that we all have the responsibility to follow Covid-19 regulations. Please limit your exposure. Wear a face mask in public and adhere to all other health and safety protocols.
Our beaches may be closed, but the Whale Coast still offers many other attractions, including nature reserves with scenic hiking trails for the whole family to enjoy. “We recently embarked on a hike up the mountains behind Voëlklip and took on the gruelling Zig Zag trail,” writes Jo-Anne Grebe, the mom of four-year-old Jack Grebe (above). “For those who don’t know it, it is not the distance that gets you, but the 69 flights of stairs that you have to climb. This proved to be no problem for Jack, who climbed both up and then back down the mountain unassisted – with his parents, sisters and granny in tow! We are very proud and blown away by his tremendous efforts.” Well done, Jack!
6 January 2021
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Just a click away from adventure PHOTOS: rogerandpatdelaharpe.com Writer Elaine Davie
T
he moment in Standard 5 when Roger de la Harpe held an old instamatic camera and a roll of film in his hands, shaped most of the life choices he was to make from then on. His infinite curiosity and love of adventure was another driving passion, and he was fortunate to find a willing partner in his wife, Pat.
ABOVE: Originally from KwaZulu Natal, the Drakensberg is one of Roger and Pat De la Harpe’s favourite haunts. EBikes have made it possible to travel further and reach outof-the way places with greater ease and comfort. BELOW: Preferring to take the road less travelled, Roger and Pat De la Harpe are intrepid adventurers who have travelled throughout Africa to obtain the perfect shot.
Dyed-in-the-wool citizens of the Last Outpost, they decided in 2018 to discover how the other half lived, and explore the Western Cape, cameras and eBikes at the ready. After a short sojourn in George, they found their way to Onrus two months ago and because they fell instantly in love with the Whale Coast, have decided at last to put down roots here. Having jointly produced 27 travel and wildlife coffee table books (Roger is responsible for the photography and Pat the writing), they have decided they’ve been there, done that and the T-shirt no longer fits. It all started when Roger received that first instamatic. His school class was going on an educational trip to the Kruger National Park, but as Roger remembers, the roll of film was already used up by the time they arrived there. “Nevertheless,” he says, “that experience in the Park made such a strong impression on me that I decided to become a game ranger. So, after I left school, I joined the Natal Parks Board. “At first, photography was just a hobby; I always had my camera with me on patrols and was privileged to witness and photograph some remarkable wildlife activity. Eventually, the bosses became aware of my pics and asked if I would like to become the Board’s official photographer. You can imagine how quickly I jumped at that opportunity! “What a wonderful experience! I ended up spending 16 years there, taking pictures in all of the scenic, bio-diverse parks in its stable. I photographed a croc undergoing surgery, innumerable game capture operations… it was just an incredible education for me.” Eventually, he and Pat decided it was time to turn their hands to something else. She resigned from a job in the Howick Municipality and because Roger had already built up a huge library of photographs, she started managing it as a commercial enterprise, supplying pictures for other people’s publications, while Roger freelanced.
Holgate as consultants; Sue Derwent was the writer and Struik published the book,” adds Roger. “So that was the first of 27 – all of them now out of print. From simply taking wildlife pics, I also branched into promotional material for the game lodges we visited, and travel pics in general, while Pat started doing much of the writing, as well as videographing the sites we visited. We focused mainly on African images, although we have travelled extensively overseas as well. Each trip was an adventure, but our last book, African Icons, published in 2015, was the most challenging of all.” With David Bristow as the writer, and Pat shooting videos for the internet, they travelled to 22 African destinations in 12 months, from Table Mountain in the south to the Atlas Mountains in the north. From the Impenetrable Forest and the mountain gorillas in Uganda, and Lalibela in Ethiopia, to the desert elephants of Namibia; from whale sharks to baobabs, the list went on.
“Well, after we’d been doing that for a while,” comments Pat, “I said to Roger: ‘We keep supplying pictures for other people’s books, why don’t we do one of our own?’ And so Zulu came into being and achieved huge success.”
The book that was eventually published by Struik was a limited edition collector’s piece. Each of the 1 000 copies was personalised and leather-bound. “It very nearly killed us, though,” says Roger. “We were completely burnt out by the end, and that was when we decided that our book production adventures were over.
“I had always been interested in traditional culture, but we called in Barry Leitch and Kingsley
“I must tell you, though, that we met wonderful, friendly people wherever we went on that trip.
Charé 082 430 1794
And although we were travelling at the height of the ebola epidemic, we never felt in any danger from that or anything else. The closest we came to a disaster, was having a bottle of whisky confiscated by Customs officials at Uganda airport,” he laughs. Their latest passion is eBiking and they are looking forward to mapping this area for suitable trails, complete with GPS references. Roger and Pat have clocked up over 10 000 km since they first started eBiking in 2017. “It’s absolutely the best way to explore the countryside,” explains Roger, “and it’s not just a question of doing day trips; you can extend it over two or three days, stopping over wherever the fancy takes you. It’s safe and healthy and beautiful.” “And of course,” adds Pat, “it also means we can get to places that would normally be inaccessible – always an advantage for environmental photography.” So, look out for them around the Overstrand. If you see two people zipping up and down the mountainsides on their eBikes, it’ll probably be Roger and Pat on a new kind of adventure, with their cameras at the ready to capture the beauty all around them.
For more information, visit www.rogerandpatdelaharpe.com or www.ebiketouring. co.za
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FROM THE EDITOR
6 January 2021
Reimagining the road forward
Whichever way you look at it, 2020 was a year of loss – not only of those near and dear to us, but acquaintances and frontline medical personnel; a loss of income and freedom of movement, human contact, food security, trust (remember the Zondo Commission?), and more than anything else, as the second wave of the pandemic hit us, a loss of hope. If we look back at large-scale catastrophes, both man-made and natural, over the last century or so – World Wars I and II, the Spanish flu, the Chernobyl Di-
saster, the great Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 – one thing is clear: the world was never the same again for those involved. Old routines and certainties were gone forever. They were required to imagine a new way forward, to go back to basics and start over. Although in the early days of lockdown, there was constant reference to the ‘new normal’, many, if not most, South Africans seemingly could not let go of the old, and at the first opportunity, alcohol flowed – bottles were passed from one mouth to the other – and
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As fellow citizens crowd together in unventilated shacks where social distancing is impossible, others shop till they drop in crowded supermarkets. As global warming threatens to fry us all in our tracks, both rich and poor, we disrespect and rubbish nature. With many of us wondering if all our lockdown efforts were worth nothing, the good news is that while there may be no quick fix when it comes to social transformation, there is a fail-safe solution – it’s been there for millennia – and it’s within the grasp of every one of us.
But this lack of responsibility goes way beyond ignoring physical protocols. It has to do with a failure to recognise a fundamental principle of human survival. As some guzzle at the trough of dwindling resources, others starve.
It involves taking responsibility for our own well-being, protecting and learning from our exquisitely balanced natural world, and, importantly, reaching out to ensure our neighbours’ well-being and dignity. The simple truth is that nobody is safe until everyone is safe. ‘I am, because you are’; ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ – sound familiar? We wish all the members of our community loving-kindness, good health, resilience, peace and prosperity in 2021. That is the good NEWS - Ed
What do you do with a drunken Sailor?
THE VILLAGE
PUBLISHING EDITOR T: 083 700 3319
hordes of raging teenagers descended on holiday venues, sans masks and social distancing, to jol the night away. And surprise, surprise, a new, more transmissible wave of Covid-19 infections engulfed the nation, resulting in overflowing medical facilities and many more people losing their lives.
By Murray Stewart murray.stewart49@gmail.com
daughters and hide the family jewels. This was the era of the eye-patched, peg-legged, swash-buckling Pirate, when blatant robbery on the high seas reached boiling point.
T
he For Fact’s Sake columns are – according to Google and the Duck ’n Fiddle’s Explanation of Everything – based in fact. However, some names and places have been changed to protect innocent people involved. Highway robbery on the high seas The concept of stealing other people’s possessions goes way back to the Flintstones. If you had something desirable in your cave like a bearskin rug, a Tretchikoff original or a yummy wife, some scoundrel would connive to relieve you of at least a couple, if not all three, either by stealth or force.
co Jack, another infamous pillager.
Now, although piracy had been festering since the mid-1600s, a few decades either side of 1700 was the Golden Age of the Buccaneer. With the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, thousands of sailors from various European countries – fighting either for or against Succession – were no longer needed, and put out to pasture.
Captain Henry Morgan was another rogue with such influence in the Caribbean that they still make a rum to honour his villainous exploits. Stinking rich, he evaded capture and died peacefully in Jamaica in 1688.
But these blokes were salty sea dogs. That’s all they knew, so they had to turn to piracy to survive. Fortunately for them, lucrative trade routes had started opening up again, which meant ‘many a vessel of valuable bounty’ was fair game, and the game was brutally dirty.
Throughout history, thieves have somehow been glorified as villainous heroes, often creating a global cult-following. Robin Hood, Black Beard and The Highwayman spring to mind, as do Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone or Billy the Kid. They have inspired films, books, songs, comic-strips and whimsical poems – many of which seem to condone their blatant skulduggery as perfectly acceptable, if not admirable.
With looting and pillaging on these routes spinning out of control, Britain, among others, created The Privateer. These guys were like the Ocean Police. They were meant to rob the pirates, commandeer their ships, and schlep the bounty back to the Crown’s coffers – for a fair slice of the pizza of course.
Now, as far as flags go, the Jolly Roger is perhaps the most recognised worldwide. The name though, is somewhat misleading, and has nothing to do with being merry or playing hip-hockey with your partner.
Well, it didn’t take long before some privateer captains realised they could easily eat the whole pizza and bugger the Crown. Crew members were also delighted to get a larger wedge, and so a fresh swathe of ex-privateers turned swash-buckling pirates took to the ocean waves with unbridled enthusiasm.
No. On the contrary, the white skull and crossbones were a warning to lock up your
Meet Anne Bonny, who together with her piracy partner, Mary Read, was as ruthless and successful as her male counterparts. Captured in 1720 and sentenced to hang, she dodged the noose by having a bun in the oven. Then she, the bun and the oven, simply disappeared, and her whereabouts and demise remain hazy.
No such luck for Captain Kidd. Caught and hanged, his rotting body was left dangling beside the River Thames as a warning to others. But Bartholomew Roberts – Black Bart – having ‘taken over’ 450 ships, was probably the most famous of them all, although nobody named a tipple after him. He too suffered a gruesome death when grapeshot shredded his throat during a skirmish. Serves him right. The Golden Age of Piracy was eventually snuffed out around the mid- 1720s, and world leaders began revising their international ethics, morals and codes of conduct. Plunder and pillage segued from cutlass and gunpowder into more sophisticated methods of blatant theft, like fraud, tax evasion and ante-nuptial contracts orchestrated by creative accountants and shrewd lawyers – proving once again that the pen is mightier than the sword.
One rather unusual pirate was the wife of Cali-
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De Bos Dam 95.66% Last week N/A Weekly Rainfall 0mm Last week N/A
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LOCKDOWN LEVEL:
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COVID-19 DASHBOARD OVERSTRAND
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6 January 2021
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TOTAL CASES AS OF 4 JAN 2021:
OVERSTRAND BREAKDOWN OF CASES: TOTAL (ACTIVE)
WORLD: 85 614 877 SOUTH AFRICA: 1 100 748 WESTERN CAPE: 218 836 (19.88% of cases in SA) OVERBERG: 9 183
• FISHERHAVEN: 29 (7) • GANSBAAI: 123 (18) • HAWSTON: 287 (94) • HERMANUS: 493 (117) • KLEINMOND: 520 (122)
• MT PLEASANT: 270 (59) • ONRUS: 135 (35) • SANDBAAI: 141 (35) • STANFORD: 256 (56) • VERMONT: 59 (9) • ZWELIHLE: 902 (122) TOTAL: 3 671 (733)
LAST WEEK'S TOTAL CASES: (28 DEC)
WORLD: 81 697 637 SOUTH AFRICA: 1 039 161 (16th in the world) WESTERN CAPE: 199 353 OVERBERG: 8 039 OVERSTRAND: 3 034
LET'S TALK The Village NEWS firmly believes in freedom of the press as well as the right of individuals to freely express themselves, as long as they don’t infringe upon the rights of others. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors therefore do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Village NEWS. Letters may be shortened and/or edited for clarity and style. Send your letters to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za.
Hermanus Country Market closes It is with a heavy heart that I have had to close the Hermanus Country Market with immediate effect. The stark reality is that the market is no longer sustainable. The reasons for this are: 1. During the first lockdown period from March to August the costs remained constant, with no income and no reductions in rental, insurance, etc. except for electricity usage. 2. Since August, when we were permitted to resume trading under lockdown level 2, the income has not covered the market’s expenses. Due to Covid-19 there was a reduction in trade and the market has been running at a loss since then, with the exception of October. 3. The structures on the market are non-compliant with Building Regulations and will need an estimated R500 000 to upgrade. There has been constant pressure from the Overstrand Municipality for the past year, but with no clear solution to the market's situation. 4. It has cost R25 000 to produce architectural plans, R10 000 to strengthen the existing structures and a further R8 300 to be Covid-compliant. 5. It is foolhardy to be pouring in this sort of constant investment, with the short-term lease and uncertainty of tenure that prevents me from ever selling the market as a going concern to recover these costs. 6. There is no definite alternative site to move
the market to so as to create sustainability for the future. So on the advice of learned people, I have had no choice but to close the market with immediate effect. The average turnover on the market was reduced by almost 70%, mostly due to our swallows and tourists not being here. Covid has also required that the market try and create an environment which is the direct opposite of what we have always been – a place where many people can gather together, hug and socialise – and this has come at enormous cost. We are all aware that Covid has been brutal for many hospitality and tourism businesses, and three weeks ago I would never have thought that the market would have to close and become one of those statistics. But the stark reality is that I am just not able to sustain the costs and absorb the loss any longer, especially with Covid looming over us for the foreseeable future. I have also exhausted all my strength in the constant battles over the last nine years with minimal leases, the threat of a bypass road, and constantly being told to move into the path of the bypass road just to make way for a parking lot. I have fought long and hard to keep the market where it is, as it is, and I can honestly say that I am now done with this fight. My sincere and humble apologies for the upset and difficulties this closure will cause my traders, and I can only hope that there will be
someone out there who will have the means to open another market so that they may all continue to trade. With grateful thanks to everyone who has been a part of our market family and for making it that very special place within our community. Thank you for your loyalty, your good cheer, your smiles and laughter and your beautiful products which you all made with such love. It has been a privilege to have had you trade on the market, and I appreciate your support over the past 14 years. May you all be blessed with abundance. Liza van Coppenhagen Since the above announcement, a group of concerned residents has protested vehemently on social media against the closure of the Hermanus Country Market, calling it “a space dedicated to local trade, artisans and tourism in the greater Overberg area”, with 200 people depending on it for their livelihood. “The Hermanus Country Market is loved by all who have dedicated their precious time come sun, wind and rain as traders, local supporters and visitors. All our thoughts and wishes should go to Liza, who has created this amazing venue for our community, against such great odds, for so long.” According to the group, they will be setting up urgent meetings with the relevant stakeholders and report back to the community about the future of “our beloved market”.
Ward 3 Councillor Kari Brice has also responded to the news: “The closing of the Hermanus Country Market is not an option. I am continuing with my efforts to ensure that trading may continue from the present position in an economically viable manner.” A meeting with various stakeholders was held on Monday afternoon. – Ed
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Hoy’s Koppie
Voëlklip, 8 Stanford & Gansbaai
11 Onrus, Whale
Coast Mall & Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
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2 6 7 10 Village
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Square Market
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New Harbour
Hermanus Pieters se Fontein (The place our village was originally named after)
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Old Harbour
Gearing’s Point
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Charé 082 430 1794
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6 January 2021
WHAT'S COOKING
Local restaurants take another hard knock
just have to grab your balls and jump!” he laughs.
ABOVE: Holidaymakers and locals enjoying the sunny weather and excellent food, served with great sea views at Burgundy restaurant. RIGHT: Staff members of La Pentola in their I love Hermanus T-shirts posing with Marley the penguin as part of the Overstrand Penguin campaign that was rolled out in December.
Writer Hedda Mittner
T
he new Level 3 restrictions, which include another temporary alcohol ban and a curfew that limits the trading hours of restaurants to 8pm, came as another kick in the teeth of our beleaguered restaurant and wine industries. “We have effectively lost our three busiest weeks of the season,” says Brennan Davies of The Wine Glass. “The impact of the restrictions is colossal, as we were banking on this holiday season to recoup at least some of the losses we incurred during the earlier lockdowns last year.” With the absence of international tourists and ‘swallows’, the closure of our beaches and other Level 3 restrictions that were imposed by Pres Cyril Ramaphosa on 28 December, restaurateurs in Herman-us confirmed that it was not the
season they had hoped for and that they were currently operating in “survival mode”. While most establishments had stocked up on wine and liquor for the summer season which they are now unable to sell, they also had to purchase additional supplies of non-alcoholic drinks for their customers. The restaurants that have been the hardest hit are those that rely heavily on dinner trade and would normally have two evening sittings. By having to close at 8pm, they are losing a lot of trade at a time they can least afford it. More than one restaurant owner said that customers still try their luck by asking for alcohol or sneaking in their own, but that they are not prepared to take any chances. “We can’t risk losing our liquor licences now,” says Petri Hendriksz of Char’d and Pear Tree. In general, though, customers have been
WINE & DINE
willing to try the restaurants’ offering of non-alcoholic wines, beers and mocktails. And, as Fabio Lenci of Dal-Italia and Fabio’s Ristorante says, “people go out to a restaurant to eat, not to drink”. Nevertheless, the restrictions all but killed the holiday night vibe in Hermanus, and had an equally devastating impact on restaurants’ revenue. The current restrictions will be in force until 15 January and the uncertainty around what will happen after that makes it impossible to plan ahead, says Petri. “We are just taking it one day at a time and trying to remain positive – this pandemic won’t last forever.” Apart from running two restaurants, this intrepid chef/restaurateur is also currently in negotiations to take over the Food Alley which he plans on turning into a wine and tapas bar. His optimism in the future of Hermanus in these challenging times is indeed heartening. “Sometimes you
Shane Sauvage of La Pentola and Rudolf van der Berg of Burgundy remain equally optimistic. “While it was not the busiest of seasons, we were pumping compared to, say, April last year,” says Shane. “We all pulled together and participated in community initiatives to welcome visitors to Hermanus. We must be grateful that the domestic tourists did come, and their love for Hermanus is reassuring. The rest is out of our hands.” Rudolf says although many holidaymakers left town over this past weekend to return to work, Burgundy is still doing good trade during the day and is especially busy over weekends. “It’s all about creating a positive vibe and making the best of a challenging situation,” he says. Many restaurateurs are worried about the coming months, however, and even Rudolf admits that “we have eight May months lying ahead of us that we have to get through”. “Now is the time we need to prepare for the quiet winter months, and we are going to need help to get there,” says Anton Verhoogt of Fisherman’s Cottage. “Hopefully the landlords will be willing to renegotiate because we can’t just all close our doors.” Brennan agrees that the government needs to do more to
support businesses. “You can’t just shut down an industry without offering any relief. We still need to pay our bills and look after our staff.” Carolyn Martin of Creation Wines, whose tasting room is now closed for two weeks, says the government is clearly not coping with this second wave of Coronavirus infections and that the private sector will have to work together to mitigate this crisis. “While these regulations are economically devastating, I completely understand why it was necessary to relieve the pressure on our health-care system. We should now focus on creating public-private partnerships to ensure that business owners and their staff get vaccinated as soon as possible. Our medical facilities are clearly in a dire situation and have their hands full caring for seriously ill patients, and we cannot rely on them to divert resources to large-scale vaccination.” One thing is clear: while a second wave of infections was always expected, it struck sooner than anticipated and is spreading faster than the original variant. As locals we have to take all the necessary precautions to stay safe while supporting our local restaurant industry as best we can. As Shane says, “Just think of all the great specials that will be on offer in the coming weeks!”
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6 January 2021
MY HOME
2021 – The Year of the Ox By Stephen de Stadler Managing Director Fine & Country Hermanus, Arabella and Kleinmond
H
appy New Year to all the readers of and contributors to The Village NEWS. May 2021 deliver all your hopes and expectations, and may we end the year in a better frame of mind than many people were in at the end of 2020. Finding ourselves in Level 3 lockdown as 2020 moved into 2021, we were unable to host our traditional New Year’s Party, so my family and I decided to enjoy the Royal Variety Performance on television. For those of you who do not know, the Royal Variety Performance is an annual event arranged by the Royal Variety Charity, which seeks to raise money to support the performing arts, and in particular to support persons who have been professionally involved in the industry and need help. This annual event is normally broadcast from a large theatre in the UK, where the audience (including members of the Royal Family) enjoy a variety of performances. This year the performance was broadcast from Blackpool at the Opera House within the Winter
Gardens, and for the first time ever had a virtual audience. The performers could however see their audience as screens were placed on every seat in the theatre, and those screens showed the audience participating from their homes. It was truly a spectacular sight, but strongly reminded us of the reality of lockdown.
2nd quarter of 2021. The residential property market is experiencing a definite increase in activity, and specifically in Hermanus and Arabella, correctly priced homes are now selling. Sellers have had to lower their expectations, but importantly prices are still showing real growth over the course of the last five years.
We hope that by 31 December 2021, normality will have returned to the world, and concerts such as this will no longer have to be virtual. On the subject of charity, allow me to also at the same time thank all of you, on behalf of the Fine & Country Foundation, for the generous donations which we received on the evening of the Carols for Causes Concert.
We learned during the last year to value friendships, to maintain relationships and to be truly resilient. In my own home we spent a large part of the festive season decluttering our lives. Working through our linen and kitchen cupboards, we removed anything we had not used in over a year. Apart from the fact that the cupboards are now more manageable and just look so much neater, we were able to donate a large amount of mainly unused linen and crockery to our local homeless shelter.
But what of the future? While I am not a believer in horoscopes, I find it interesting to read what various foretellers of the future have predicted for 2021. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2021 is the Year of the Ox, which means that this year is going to be ‘lucky’ and a perfect time to ‘focus on relationships’. We hope that ‘lucky’ is not merely relative to 2020, and that a focus on relationships does not mean we will be entering further periods of rigorous lockdown. Be that as it may, we enter the new year with cautious optimism as the accelerated worldwide development of Covid-19 vaccines means they will be available to us during the
We had a lot of laughs as we tried to remember where a particular serving platter had come from, while wondering why we thought it necessary to have more than one set of cutlery. We had a number of single bed duvets, but our adult children all have larger beds! The experience itself was tremendously satisfying, and really did come about because we realised during 2020 that we did not need as much as we’d thought in order to live comfortably. The world as a whole has changed, and more and more people are happy with what they
have, and do not need to derive comfort from something they think they need. I can certainly recommend the decluttering experience as being most liberating. The start of 2021 also brought some great news from Fitch Ratings. The international rating agency upgraded the national scale creditworthiness assessment of the five biggest banks in South Africa. According to Fitch, “the upgrades reflect Fitch's view that the South African banks' creditworthiness has improved relative to the best credits in the country, including the sovereign and government-related entities. Aside from sovereign risks, Fitch believes the banks have significant headroom to withstand current pressures on the operating environment.” The significance of this action is that the rating agency is assessing our banking sector as remaining strong, and a cornerstone to the future economic development of our country. With a strong banking system it will be much easier for South Africa to recover from the economic cycle within which we currently find ourselves. Let this be the first of many positives in 2021. The views expressed above are those of the writer in his personal capacity and may not necessarily reflect the views of Fine & Country as a national and international brand.
MY WELLNESS
Albertyn
Keeping inflammation in check
I
nflammation or oxidative stress is the one thing that is at the core of all degenerative diseases. When you are able to manage your inflammation, you can really turn your health around.
2. Red meat: Red meat contains high levels of omega-6 fatty acids that produce inflammation, which can attack anywhere in the body, from your heart and arteries to your joints. Mass-produced, low-quality meat can also contain dangerous chemicals which are added through feed and medicines. 3. Caffeine: The caffeine in coffee increases catecholamines, your stress hormones. The stress response elicits cortisol and increases insulin, which contributes to inflammation. The acidity of coffee is associated with digestive discomfort, indigestion, heart burn, GERD and dysbiosis (imbalances in your gut flora). The consumption of coffee, as little as one cup a day, is associated with an increase in inflamma-
Vir vriendelike diens! caring for you
Idea 4: If you’re making soup, it’s so easy to double the nutrient content. Adding quinoa is a great call as it will not only make the soup more anti-inflammatory but also more filling, while adding more protein, more fibre, and more omega 3. You can also add celery, beetroot, ginger, turmeric, cauliflower or asparagus to practically any soup.
tory markers.
1. Sugar: Refined sugar and other foods with high glycemic values hike up insulin levels and put the immune system on high alert. Best avoided when possible!
Tel: 028 271 4666 Fax: 028 271 4665 WhatsApp: 079 387 2650 Email: albertyn@netactive.co.za
a pinch of turmeric and an extra clove of garlic. For sauces that normally call for olive oil, you could also use 50% flaxseed oil and 50% olive oil for much more omega 3.
When we experience an increase of inflammation it is often the consequence of a build-up of toxins in our system due to behaviours and habits that have accumulated over decades. Some of the symptoms you should pay attention to include fatigue, memory loss and/or brain fog, muscle and/or joint pain, headaches and sensitivity to noise, susceptibility to infections, wrinkles and grey hair, and decreased eyesight. The good news is that the symptoms don’t have to be permanent, and it also does not have to take decades to reverse, because our bodies are usually quite forgiving and resilient if we are willing to support it. That usually just means that we need to give our body the tools to do its job, by removing a few things from our diet that contribute to inflammation and replacing them with nutrients that support it. (I’m not suggesting giving up everything at once.)
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6 January 2021
4. Dairy: Common allergens like casein and gluten (proteins found in dairy and wheat) are quick to trigger inflammatory responses, such as stomach distress, constipation, diarrhoea, skin rashes, acne, hives and breathing difficulties in susceptible people. 5. Refined grains: A lot of the grains we eat nowadays are refined. They are devoid of fibre and vitamin B compared to unpolished and unrefined grains that still have the bran, germ and the aleurone layer intact. Like refined sugar, refined grains are practically empty calories, devoid of nutrients. They have a higher glycemic index than unprocessed grains and when consumed consistently, can cause inflammation throughout the body. Just skip them. 6. Trans-fats (and excessive omega 6 with no omega 3): The omega fatty acids are the anti-inflammation fats that lubricate your circulation, your joints, and your brain. Sadly, the vast majority of people get almost no omega 3 on a daily basis and a lot of omega 6. How much is too much? The ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 in a typical Western diet is 1:20, causing inflammation, pain, and cellular damage. (The healthy diet of our ancestors had a 1:1 ratio.) Trans-fats and partially hydrogenated fats are even worse. They are a huge contributor to inflammation and should be avoided whenever possible.
7. Processed/Packaged/Prepared Foods: These contain a lot of unhealthy trans-fats and should be avoided. I know they’re convenient but they’re not worth the hassle. So here’s the plan… If you’re anything like me you hate it when you get all juiced up by the promise of amazing benefits and then get told that the plan basically equates to giving up everything, being perfect forever-more, never going out with your friends again or dining out, and living off just salads for the rest of your life… It. Never. Works. It would be easy to say: “Just eat vegetables, low-sugar fruits and healthy fats from now on and you’ll be fine.” But there’s also an easier way: Simply avoid the harmful foods mentioned above where you can – and sneak some anti-inflammation foods into your current meals! Idea 1: If you’re making a juice, add a heap of beetroot, some celery, some turmeric… Idea 2: If you’re making a smoothie, add chia seeds for more omega 3, a spoon of flax oil, a pinch of turmeric, some grated ginger… And of course, avocado makes every smoothie super creamy without changing the taste all that much. Idea 3: If you’re making a sauce for pasta, or a pesto, or anything like that you can always add
Idea 5: If you’re making a salad, it’s easy to turn it into an anti-inflammation superstar. Grate beetroot (or use a spiralizer), add lots of grated ginger, quinoa, grilled asparagus, avocado… Idea 6: If you’re making a salad dressing, add lots of anti-inflammatory power by using omega 3-based oils such as flax oil. Add minced garlic and mash or blend in avocado to make it extra creamy. Idea 7: If you’re eating a pizza, ask yourself what you could add to make this meal much healthier, without a lot of effort or changing the taste too much. My suggestions include drizzling it with flax oil, sprinkling it with chia seeds, topping it with asparagus or avocado, and adding a pinch of turmeric or extra garlic. Idea 8: Get into anti-inflammation herbs and spices and use them in everything! These include cloves, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme and marjoram. These are just a few examples and you can include these foods in any meal. Start small. Every one thing that you do counts! – Ferdi Appelgryn, C Beyond Health Visit www.cbeyondhealth.com or contact: 028 316 2848 (Hemel-en-Aarde Village) or 028 312 4299 (Eastcliff Village)
w e N r a ye
Buy now & beat those inevitable
price increases
Stockists of dog & cat food (dry & wet), treats, toys, chews, biscuits, beds, parasite control, shampoos, & so much more HERMANUS Whale Coast Mall (entrance 1) tel 028 3121453
ONRUS 2 Wybo Newmark Road tel 028 316 2904
HERMANUS Station Mall, Checkers Centre tel 028 312 3028
6 January 2021
www.thevillagenews.co.za
MY ENVIRONMENT
Join our search for chameleons Writers-in-tandem Morgan and Tertia Hendricks, WCC Chameleon Project
T
he summer holiday season always brings many special moments to cherish, including relaxing around a crackling fire, enjoying a fragrant braai and melting marshmallows. Our indigenous fynbos also benefit from fire, ideally about every 15 years. While some plants are designed to withstand the fire, dense vegetation is burned to reveal lower-growing flowering bulbs, the fire’s heat and smoke encourages fynbos seed dispersal and germination, and falling ash replenishes the soil with nutrients and promotes healthy regrowth of the fynbos (The relationship between fynbos and fire, The Village News, 15 January 2019). On the other hand, a fire isn’t a very appealing idea to the creatures that live in the greenbelts or on the few remaining open plots in our neighbourhood. For the past 2 – 3 years, volunteers with Whale Coast Conservation’s Chameleon Project have been learning about the vulnerable Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum). Endemic to the south-western Cape region, our little slow-footed friends face many threats: barging bulldozers levelling land for housing and farming, alien invasive plants threatening their perfect fynbos habitat, the beaks of beady-eyed carnivorous birds, the clutches of curious domestic cats, unsuitable habitat in urban gardens… and fearsome, roaring fires! Here in Hermanus, the time has come for our local Overstrand Municipality to do some controlled burns of fynbos, on sites where natural fires have not occurred in 15 years. Ahead of these prescribed burns, we need more volunteers to join the Chameleon Project to conduct night searches on these sites. If we find any resident chameleons on a site, they have to be rescued and relocated to safety. If no chameleons are found, it means that the municipality can proceed with the controlled burn. Perhaps after the fynbos has regrown, we may be able to place more chameleons on that site once again. We have happy memories of our past two years of chameleon monitoring with our torch-lights after dark – children, teenagers, parents and grandparents all joining together to do our searchwork-homework! It is a fun and freeing adventure as we go about bundu-bashing
shortly after sunset, all in the hope of finding chameleons. Sometimes twigs, leaves and more twigs claw at our clothes, threatening to tear our trousers and poke holes in our T-shirts! Our reward is not only finding chameleons but also enjoying plenty of bonus sightings of other small creatures such as stick insects, moths, crickets, frogs and spiders. It is such fun! During the December holidays we again heard from the volunteers that looking for chameleons “is so addictive, better than watching TV, and it makes me feel like a child again when we find the chameleons!” So let’s look on the bright side – of the torch – as we sing some happy holiday songs and continue our enjoyable search-work together! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! / Let’s go save chameleons, on our way today, hey! / You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout / I’m telling you why, chameleons are somewhere in town! Volunteers are also needed to work in teams in the Chameleon Sanctuary at Whale Coast Nature Reserve. Chameleons have been spotted in the area, and from September to December 2020, a total of 9 119 alien invasive plant saplings were removed by home-school volunteers as well as by the Hawston Cadets. Already, indigenous fynbos are resprouting in the cleared areas. In the months ahead, any rescued chameleons will be relocated to the sanctuary. The activities of the Whale Coast Conservation Chameleon Project are family-friendly, suitable for all ages, and filled with story-telling and interactive information sharing. They are conducted outdoors with safe social distancing, naturally provided by the fynbos! (Even our mascot, Charlie Chameleon wears a protective face mask.) If you are keen to participate in the night-time searches around town, or the day-time alien plant clearing in the Chameleon Sanctuary, please contact Shirley Mgoboza of WCC on 028 316 2527 / 078 515 1078 or shirleym.wcc@gmail.com.
We’ll end with just one more catchy fireside song: We wish you would come and join us / We wish you would come and join us / We wish you would come and join uuus… / In this happy new year! Fourteen-year-old Morgan Hendricks is home-schooled and has been one of the most active WCC members since she was 10. She is WCC's junior reporter.
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