My wife and the World Deaf Golf Championship

from Lafemme The Herald by Gillian McAinsh

Picture: JUDY DE VEGA

WHILE most of South Africa is in the grip of soccer fever, it is a much smaller ball and a far longer piece of turf that is taking the attention of deaf golfer Gail Klichowicz. Gail is one of only two South African women, and the only player from Port Elizabeth, to be selected to play in the Eighth World Deaf Championships to be held at St Andrew’s, Scotland, in August.
She has earned South African colours for her achievement and hopes to wear the national blazer with pride. Alongside Vanessa McIllroy of Johannesburg, Gail will play against hearing-impaired golfers from around the world between August 9 and 13 on the course widely considered to be the hallowed home of golf.
“Until three years ago golf was not even in my vocabulary – and now I am going to Scotland!” the 43-year-old mother of two said in an interview this month. “I am a runner and I played hockey, which I only gave up last year.”
The legal bookkeeper qualified for the honour by excelling in her first tournament for deaf golfers, held at Humewood Links in March.
However, she has not been playing the demanding sport for long and only picked up a club when her son Michael, now 12, expressed an interest in the sport.
“I went to look for golf clubs for him, and bought a second-hand set for myself, and we went to the mashee course at Kragga Kamma.”
The fairways called and she then joined the nine-hole Shark River Golf Club before moving to the full-length Port Elizabeth Golf Club.
“The professional at the Hill, Graham Wale, has been brilliant and he has done a lot for my golf,” she said of the coaching she is now receiving.
Already she has dropped from a 36 to a 23 handicap and hopes to improve still more before the trip to St Andrew’s.
All golfers who compete in the deaf tournament have to remove their hearing aids to ensure they all have the same level of hearing on the course.
She does not object to this stipulation “it’s just nice and quiet! We had to have an international audiogram filled in because if I had more hearing I wouldn’t qualify.”
Gail was born with a hearing problem and attended the Dominican Grimley School for the Deaf in Hout Bay. “My whole family is deaf, but my husband Nick and my children can hear.”
Nick will travel with her but the two children – Michael and nine-year-old daughter Nicole – will remain in Port Elizabeth as the competition is during the South African school term.
Now Gail is trying to raise funds to pay for equipment and training ahead of the big event and next week on Thursday, July 8, she will be the beneficiary of the LG Harris Golf Day.
“She has always shown huge potential to do well in golf but now we need to raise funds to help her get decent equipment, a professional coach, physio, caddie fees, competition entry fees and any other expenses that may be needed to get her ready for this tournament,” said Nick.
Green fees are R600 for a four-ball at the Port Elizabeth Golf Club.

Further information from Nick, 082-7721368 082-7721368, or 041-4871861 041-4871861

Webber describes terrifying accident

European Grand Prix

ESPNF1 Staff
June 29, 2010

Red Bull Mark Webber said that his biggest fear immediately after his Red Bull took off in the European Grand Prix was hitting something whilst airborne.

Webber was launched into a spectacular somersault when his Red Bull clipped the rear wheel of Heikki Kovaleinen's Lotus in an attempt to pass the slower car. Luckily, the Australian's car flipped upside down momentarily before righting itself and ending up in the safety barriers. He then walked away unscathed.

"I was worried about bridges or things that I could hit up in the air," said Webber, who escaped with minor bruising. "I knew I was involved in a huge crash, and that I was just a passenger.

"But I knew there was a lot of run-off down there, so that was good. I was also happy it was a tyre wall and not the Techpro stuff because that is not as good as the tyres.

"After Singapore, what happened last year, this was a nicer cushioning hit for me. The biggest surprise was being in a Formula One race and having someone brake that early. But things like that happen. The impact wasn't too hard. It was okay because I had a massive forward momentum, so that was good."

It's not the first time that Webber has been involved in a potentially disastrous accident after his Mercedes was involved in a similar flip at Le Mans in 1999 before the team withdrew the cars on safety grounds. And Webber admitted afterwards that the worst possible outcome is something that briefly crossed his mind.

"It's headline stuff what goes through my head, but that's the game we're in and some days that happens."

Schumi on his preformance

Michael Schumacher has accused the British press of exaggerating their criticisms in the wake of his performance in the Canadian Grand Prix.

His former team-mate and BBC commentator Martin Brundle said Schumacher drove "appallingly badly" in Montreal, while fellow BBC commentators Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard also criticised the seven-time world champion.

"I don't take them seriously because there are different elements to Formula One, and one part is showbusiness," Schumacher said in Valencia

He added he is "quite happy" with his return to F1 so far, and Mercedes team chief executive Nick Fry said he is doing "an excellent job despite what I understand has been said about Michael".

"All in all," argued Schumacher, "I don't think there are many guys around the world who, at 41, come back after a three-year break and compete at this high a level."

ESPN.

World WarII all over again

The French surrendered early, the
USA arrive last minute, the Italians couldn't do anything and England
are left to fight the Germans!!

crime report from ADT

ADT Crime Newsletter – 17 June 2010

• Caught in the act in Jeffrey’s Bay
• Man dies after being stabbed in Bethelsdorp
• Armed Robbery in Kwazakhele
• Construction company has computers stolen
• Workshop tools stolen from business in North End
• Tech savvy thieves disconnect alarm of school in East London
• Business burgled after thieves break through wall
• Armed Robbery in Quaggafontein
• Five men rob house in KwaNobuhle
• Guard beat unconscious in Motherwell
• Thieves with a sweet tooth burgle business in Greenbushes
• Construction worker caught for stealing from home owner
• Copper pipes stolen in Charlo
• Greenbushes man stabbed repeatedly in head
• Domestic dispute sees man attack wife with hammer

Caught in the act in Jefferies Bay
A man was caught and arrested for theft after forcing open a garage door of a premises in Jefferies Bay. The man gained access to the garage and helped himself to a wheelbarrow that was inside. He then proceeded to load the wheelbarrow with three bags of cement, a jigsaw, extension cord and other items, not realizing that he had triggered the alarm.

As he was exiting the garage, he walked straight into the arms of an awaiting ADT Armed Response officer, who detained him and handed him over to the Jefferies Bay police.

Man dies after being stabbed in Bethelsdorp
Two men from Bethelsdorp Extension were attacked and repeatedly stabbed while out on Sunday evening, June 7 shortly after 10pm.

The young men ran to the home of one of the men.
When they got to the house, the man’s friend collapsed outside. He had been stabbed multiple times and had sustained critical injuries causing him to bleed out where he had collapsed. He passed away at the scene.

The second man, aged 21, sustained a stab wound to his arm and was suffering from shock. The boy was taken to hospital where he was stabilized and treated for shock. Bethelsdorp police have opened a case of murder and attempted murder and are investigating.

Armed robbery in KwaZakhele
Two men armed with firearms forced their way into a business premises in Kwazakhele on Monday, 7 June at around 9am, and demanded money from the clients inside the shop. The men took two cellphones and around R500 in cash before fleeing the scene.

No shots were fired and no one was injured in the robbery.

Construction Company has computers stolen
Three computers valued at around R15 000 were stolen from a construction company based in Walmer on Monday, June 7. The thieves appeared to have gained entry by forcing the left hand side window of the offices open.
A case of burglary has been opened with the Walmer police.

Workshop tools stolen from business in North End

Opportunistic thieves managed to gain access to a business in North End after discovering a faulty padlock on a gate at the back of the premises. Although the gate was secured with a tight chain, the padlock appeared to have been defective and the men made their way onto the premises and into a workshop, where they then stole approximately R15 000 worth of tools as well as a computer from one of the offices.

A case of theft has been opened with the Mount Road Police Station.

Note from ADT.
Always ensure that your locks are in good working order and that all access points to your premises has been secured before leaving the site for the evening. Opportunistic thieves will test access points and if they discover a weakness, will take full advantage of this.
Tech savvy thieves disconnect alarm of school in East London

A principal of a school in Newlands, East London, found that the school alarm had been disabled and the various sensors he had installed in his office had been removed by burglars who had broken in the night before.

The thieves then proceeded to help themselves to the office equipment, including the principal’s computer.

A case of theft has been opened and police are investigating.

Note from ADT
No alarm system is infallible, however keeping these tips in mind and you could significantly reduce your risk.
• Aside from the general door and window sensors, consider installing motion detectors in the room as well as in the roof, as roof breaks are becoming more frequent as criminals attempt to bypass alarms.
• Have your alarm company regularly check and service your alarm system
• Notify your alarm company immediately if you think your system isn’t working properly.
• Make sure everyone who uses your alarm system understands how it works.
• You may cancel an alarm signal that you know is false by immediately contacting your monitoring company
• Before activating your alarm system when you leave your premises, lock all protected doors and windows, and keep pets, balloons and fans away from monitoring sensor areas.
• If you re-enter your home because you have forgotten something, turn off the alarm and reset it when you leave again.
• Know how to "clear" a wrong code if you make a mistake on the keypad.

Business burgled after thieves break through wall.
A business owner in North End was surprised to find that he had been burgled and that the thieves had left him with a gaping hole in his back wall when arriving at work on Tuesday morning.

Apparently the thieves had meticulously removed a number of bricks from the back wall of the premises until there was a hole big enough to climb through. They then passed a large amount of meat that had been kept in a freezer in the storage room out through the hole, before fleeing.

Because the thieves did not force open any doors or windows, and no motion detectors had been installed on the premises, the alarm did not activate. Police are investigating a case of theft.

Armed robbery in Quaggafontein
Three men armed with firearms forced their way into a shop in Quaggafontein in East London on Tuesday, 8 June, at around 6.45pm.
The shop manager and his assistant were in the process of locking the store when the men forced their way in and held them at gunpoint. The robbers then demanded money and proceeded to take the manager and cashier’s cellphones as well as money from the registers, before fleeing.

No shots were fired and no injuries were reported. Police have opened a case of armed robbery.

Five men rob house in KwaNobuhle
A man was robbed of R16 000, cellphones, jewellery, a computer and groceries after five men approached him at his home in KwaNobuhle in the morning on June 9.

The owner was still at home when the men approached him and threatened him with a firearm. They then took him inside and forced him to hand over the money while others ransacked the home before fleeing. Police have opened a case of armed robbery.

Guard beat unconscious in Motherwell.

A Security guard who was on patrol at a business premises in Motherwell was severely beaten last week. The guard was found lying unconscious on the grounds by ADT Armed Response officers after he failed to return to his check point and was reported missing.

The officers arrived and searched the grounds and found the man unconscious, lying in a pool of blood, bleeding severely with a hole in his head from where he had been beaten. The man was taken to Greenacres hospital by ambulance and stabilized. Police have opened an assault case and are investigating.
Note from ADT
Ensure all roving guards are issued with remote panics with adequate range.


Thieves with a sweet tooth burgle business in Greebushes

A number of boxes full of chocolate, as well as alcohol and cigarettes were stolen from a business in Greenbushes on Wednesday evening last week. The thieves broke through the wall alongside the front door to gain access to the building, before making off with the stolen items.

Police are investigating a case of burglary.
Note from ADT
All areas should be protected by relevant detectors.

Construction worker caught for stealing from home owner
A man working as part of a construction crew at a home in Summerstrand was caught stealing R900 out of the homeowner’s handbag last week. The worker had apparently followed the woman inside the house where they had been building. When she put her bag down, he waited till she had left the room and rifled through the bag, taking R900 from the purse.

The homeowner noticed the money was missing and reported the matter to the police. The Summerstrand police have opened a case of theft.

Copper pipes stolen in Charlo

A premises in Charlo had the garden flooded after thieves stole all the copper piping as well as the taps off the outside of the building.

Tip from ADT
Copper theft remains a problem in Port Elizabeth. Know where your main water switch to your premises is and that it is easily accessible, so that should your copper pipes be stolen the water supply can be turned off until the pipes are replaced.

There is very little that can be done to discourage the theft of copper piping, aside from making it difficult to gain access to the premises. If copper theft is an ongoing problem in your area, consider replacing the piping with an alternative such as an aluminum plastic composite.

Greenbushes man stabbed repeatedly in head
Emergency personnel rushed out to Greenbushes last week Friday evening, to assist a man who had lost a significant amount of blood after being stabbed repeatedly in the head.

The 26 year old man was stabilsed and taken to hospital. Police are investigating a case of assault.

Domestic dispute sees man attack wife with a hammer
A man in KwaNoxolo attacked his wife with a hammer after a domestic dispute, leaving two gaping wounds on her head. It is not clear what the quarrel was about, but the man picked up the hammer and beat his wife with it repeatedly.
The 42 year old woman ran from the home to a neighbour who then pressed the panic button of her alarm. The woman was taken to Dora Nginza Hospital for treatment, while police are investigating a case of assault against the man.

spectator injured at World Cup Soccer game

From The Herald Port Elizabeth:
A PORT Elizabeth man said he would be seeking legal advice after his wife was injured during Friday’s match between Germany and Serbia when she was hit in the face after a group of soccer supporters started throwing beer bottles at each other.
Jaco Olivier, of Humewood, said his wife Monique was hit in the face with a Budweiser beer bottle when a Serbian supporter hurled it at a group of German soccer fans shortly after half- time at the match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday.
Monique was forced to go to the stadium’s medical centre as her lip was split open and was bleeding profusely. She received five stitches to her lip.
The bottle was plastic, Jaco said, but because it was still full when it was thrown it had cut Monique’s lip open.
“I do not understand why Fifa would allow people to drink from bottles in the stands. I understand it is a plastic bottle, but if that bottle is full it is heavy and it can really injure someone when it is thrown, as happened with my wife,” Jaco said.
The Oliviers said they had been really excited when Monique received two Category 1 tickets to attend Friday’s game.
“We had really good seats and were enjoying the game. We were sitting with about 20 German supporters. About five rows down there was a group of about 50 Serbian supporters. When the Serbians scored, the fans threw a bottle of beer at the German supporters.”
Early in the second half when Germany was awarded a penalty, the German soccer supporters threw beer bottles at the Serbian fans.
“I saw a bottle hit a guy on the head. Then I saw one come past my head and hit my wife in the face. Her lip was bleeding and we had to take her out of the stadium. A Fifa official helped us to the medical centre.”
At first, Jaco remained with Monique while she was being treated, but then left her with the medical staff so that he could alert the police.
However, “they told me that Fifa did not allow them past a certain point into the stands. I looked for security staff to help me, but I saw no one.”
Using his ticket, police located where the Oliviers had been sitting. However, their video recording did not show the incident, so the culprits could not be identified.
By then the match was over, Jaco said, so no one could be held responsible for Monique’s injury.
Police spokesman Brigadier Marinda Mills said police were allowed to enter the stands. But she claimed that the matter was only reported when the match was over.
She said the security guard near the incident should have alerted police to arrest the culprit for throwing the bottle

Port Elizabeth one of the host venues for CLT20

Four top South African venues have been chosen to host the 2010 Champions League Twenty20, which sees 10 teams from around the world playing for domestic Twenty20 cricket’s richest purse.
The CLT20 Governing Council announced on Thursday that Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, Axxess DSL St. Georges Park in Port Elizabeth, Kingsmead Stadium in Durban and Centurion Park in Centurion will be the four host venues for the competition, which takes place from September 10-26.

CLT20 chairperson, Shashank Manohar, said: “South Africa is widely regarded as a top international host nation, having successfully hosted most major international cricket events in recent years. The Governing Council is satisfied with the four venues that Cricket South Africa (CSA) have recommended.

“We are excited about the future of CLT20, and call on the South African public to come out and support the second edition of this tournament, which features the best of the best.”

CSA CEO, Gerald Majola, said: “CSA is proud to be hosting CLT20 in what is an iconic year for South Africa with the Football World Cup currently being hosted here. We are encouraged by the eagerness of the four host venues to make this tournament a success.

"CLT20 has already piqued the interest of South African fans, especially with the Lions and Warriors having qualified for this prestigious event. We are confident of hosting a successful CLT20.”

CLT20 features teams from India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies, and will once again showcase a host of world cricket’s biggest names.

Nine teams have been confirmed, and only one place remains to be filled, with the West Indies’ representative to be confirmed in late July. Trinidad & Tobago represented the Caribbean in 2009 and set the tournament alight with its brilliant run through to the final.

The 2010 Champions League Twenty20 will feature 23 matches (the same number as 2009), with the tournament format and match schedule to be decided at the next CLT20 Governing Council meeting on June 28 in Singapore.

The current champions Chevrolet Warriors who won the South African twenty/20 league in 2010 are based at Axxess DSL St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth.

where my money goes

By Political Bureau

The amount of taxpayers' money spent on World Cup tickets by government departments rose to nearly R11 million on Monday after it emerged that three more departments had splashed out on freebies for staff and special guests.

Officials who signed off on the ticket splurge are likely to face tough questions from the auditor-general when audits for the 2009/10 financial year get under way.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has made it clear that spending state funds on tickets will be deemed wasteful and fruitless expenditure, as it contravenes the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act and the Code of Conduct for Civil Servants.

Replies to parliamentary questions by the DA released on Monday revealed that the Department of Trade and Industry had spent nearly R5 million, the Department of Tourism just under a million and the Department of Science and Technology just over R25 000 on a total of 520 tickets.

Added to the R5.3m already paid for tickets by the departments of Communication and Public Service and Administration, the total amount known to have been spent by the government so far is R10.9m. The figure is higher if ticket buying by the SABC and state-owned enterprises such as the SA Post Office and Sentech are included.

While the departments defended the spending as a means of rewarding employees, or an opportunity to interact with investors, a DA member of the National Council of Provinces' select committee on finance, Tim Harris, said it was unacceptable.

Gordhan had issued a circular to municipalities warning about the legal ramifications of buying World Cup tickets and had said the same principles applied with regard to national departments.

Actual amounts known to have been spent so far are:


Department of Trade and Industry: R4 738 960 for 320 tickets.


Department of Science and Technology: R25 200 on 10 tickets.


Department of Tourism: R918 973 on tickets.


Department of Public Service and Administration: R65 400 on 25 tickets.


Department of Communications: R5.2m on 2 786 tickets.


Sentech: R1.04m on 86 tickets.


SABC: R3.3m on 2 000 tickets.


SA Post Office: R800 000 on 500 tickets.

Some of the figures astound me, up to R14,000.00 a ticket, something does not make sense. that's my money at work.

vuvuzela lips

By Ilse Fredericks
Education Writer

The players from the 32 participating countries won't be the only ones nursing World Cup-related injuries over the next month.

Just ask a few World Cup crazy South Africans who have been overzealously blowing their vuvuzelas, only to notice later that their lips have swollen to twice the normal size.

On social networking site Facebook, scores of users this week complained that blowing their vuvuzelas had left them looking as though they had been stung by a bee, although many said this would not dampen their gees.

"Who needs collagen ... get yourself a vuvuzela," one Facebooker said.

Pringle Bay musician Dr Bruce Copley, who has been teaching a group of Muizenberg High School pupils to make music with the vuvuzela, said quite some force was needed to blow a vuvuzela and that this could cause your lips to puff up.

"You have to buzz your lips to create the sound. While you are blowing your lips are vibrating around and inside the vuvuzela, against a solid piece of plastic.

"If you play the vuvuzela for an extended period, I suspect you will also have swollen lips."

Copley's advice was to use a bit of baby oil or Vaseline before blowing the vuvuzela, to reduce friction, and to keep something cool, like a can of cooldrink, against the lips to reduce swelling afterwards.

"People should also not forget to protect their ears when they go to the stadium," Copley added.

Dr Jantjie Taljaard, from the Division of Infectious Diseases at Tygerberg Hospital, said that as in the case of two people sharing a bottle of water, the transmission of respiratory viruses, like the common cold, was possible through sharing a vuvuzela.

He said it was also theoretically possible that someone with a common cold could, for example, transmit the virus to someone else in close proximity through blowing a vuvuzela.

Lewis penalised

"F1's governing body has issued a rule clarification after Lewis Hamilton was penalised and reprimanded for running out of fuel at the at the end of qualifying in Montreal.

The McLaren driver took pole but was fined $10,000 after driving too slowly on his Q3 in-lap and then stopping on the circuit. His team ordered him to do so to ensure enough fuel was left in the tank for a sample to be tested by the FIA.

After the session Ross Brawn said it could set a dangerous precedent if teams start sending their drivers out without enough fuel to get back to the pits.

'I don't know all the details so it's hard to comment,' he said. 'But we must not come to a situation where cars run out of fuel after their last lap because they want to be running as light as possible.'

The situation was discussed on Sunday during a meeting of team bosses and race director Charlie Whiting. Whiting reportedly clarified that, in future, any car that runs out of fuel at the end of qualifying will be summoned to the stewards, risking penalties if the reason for the stoppage is not 'force majeure'."

Collegiate Junior School World Cup

The Collegiate Junior School for girls in Port Elizabeth held their own mini soccer world cup tournament. Here the girls are doing the Diski dance to celebrate the start of their world cup. All the qualifying teams were represented in a fun filled afternoon. I myself was roped in to do ref duties. Al;l in all 24 games were played, using the 6 a side format and ten minutes a game. It generated an amazing sense of awareness for the actual soccer world cup in Port Elizabeth.Lots of flags to be seen, the teams dressed as close to the countries teams as possible. The games were very spirited and the girls showed no signs of fear as they fought for possession and score goals.
It was a fun filled day with no winners and no losers. Red cards were not needed on the day , but yellow possibly came out a few times as the young 'uns fought for control of the ball.

Ramblings

This is the start to my Ramblings.