Ditto to all that's been said here. Here's to the movers and shakers - with particular reference to Brian Amery - who did some remarkable spade work against heavy odds to get the OBSID off the ground....
One GIANT step for Obs and her residents Brian !!! THANK YOU ! Bev On 1/21/11, Helen Swart <[email protected]> wrote: > I second that, I have many changes in my 21 years in Obs, and the current > situation is gratifying. > > Helen > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Colleen Bester (CI)" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 12:15 PM > Subject: RE: [obsnw] A thank you note :-) > > > Hi All > > On a similar note , I'd like to thank James Cowley for all his support > & positive approaches to a situation I thought would escalate into me > moving from Observatory. > I've lived here for 11 years now (wow!!can't believe it myself!) & > have seen the rise & fall & rise again of a suburb I am proud to call > home. > James - thank you for always listening , always answering my calls no > matter what time of day or night & always having a positive > outlook.Many thanks as well to your wife & kids for supporting you > when you give so much. > > To all Obs residents - hang in there...& do your bit...together we > really can make a difference! > > Regards > Colleen > Donne str > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of Jonathan Endersby > Sent: 21 January 2011 12:04 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [obsnw] A thank you note :-) > > Hi Reinmar (is that your first name?) > > Thank you for writing this email. I've actually wanted to write > something along these lines for ages but didn't because I'm involved > in the Obsid and didn't want to seem like I was patting myself on the > back. > > But yes, I feel safer at night and I love the fact that the negative > nancies who told us that the taggers would "come back and tag your > freshly painted walls overnight" have been proven completely wrong... > To me this says more than anything that we've managed to subtly change > the atmosphere to something more positive and move civil. > > It's still a long journey but we're heading very much in the right > direction! > > j. > > ps. The people involved in the Obsid do a very hard and often very > frustrating and difficult job. If anyone has time and energy and wants > to make Obs a better place I really would encourage you to get > involved. > > > > > > On 21 January 2011 11:44, Reinmar <[email protected]> > wrote: >> I know this will probably be a long read, but I thought about it > this >> morning as I was lying in bed at 04:15 and couldn't sleep, and > thought >> to myself that I had to write this >> >> I would like to relay my story of what I have seen happening in >> Observatory in the past 4 years since we moved into our house in >> Oxford Street. >> >> 4 Years ago my (now) husband & I bought a house in Oxford Road and > we >> were very excited about the purchase. We moved in, and from the > word >> get go you would walk in the streets in the mornings before sunrise >> and see litter, glass shards, broken car windows Graffiti were >> everywhere and Obs looked untidy. I subscribed to the OBSNW & OCA >> google groups and everyday would come to work and read of another >> house, car or something else happening in the suburb, and was >> wondering if this was really the right decision to move to >> Observatory. >> >> We prevailed and said things would get better. I remember standing > on >> our balcony one morning and seeing a person break into a car right > in >> front of me, and he looked up, laughed at me and walk away (luckily? >> with nothing). I couldn't phone anyone, so I couldn't do anything. >> We also had our share of attempted break-ins, which was luckily? >> (again) stopped by our front wall creeper catching alight. The fire >> was stopped by neighbours, which we are extremely thankful for. >> >> Then things started to happen. Firstly the ADT Oxford Rd bicycle >> patrol came and crime did get better for the affected area, but > things >> were still bleak for the rest of Obs. Then one day I received a > form >> in my postbox for the application for the OBSID. I signed > immediately >> and hoped that it would go through Council. The OBSID formed and > more >> things started to happen. Security came into the streets, streets > got >> cleaned, graffiti got painted over. Plants started appearing on the >> streets, pavements and gutters were clean, houses were clean, and it >> started feelings safer. >> >> Now, when I come into work and read the emails from the Google > Groups, >> there are little or some days even no e-mails about crime, and more >> about the betterment of the whole Observatory as a suburb. When >> something happens in the streets, you know that you can immediately >> phone Vetus Schola and the SAPS and someone will arrive shortly. >> >> Yes, there are still issues, and there will always be, but the idea > of >> this letter is to show what has been done in the past 4 years, since >> I've been staying in Observatorty. >> >> For that and that alone I have to thank everyone involved and all > the >> residents of Observatory for making the suburb so special. Things > can >> only get better. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en. >> >> > > > > -- > Jonathan Endersby > > Connect. Share. Trust. > www.trustfabric.com +27 82 414 3129 www.arbitraryuser.com > tfid: arbitraryuser > You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can > steer yourself any direction you choose. - Dr Seuss > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en.
