YOUNG SCIENTISTS IMPRESS
Rewarded for their outstanding projects at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists (Makhanda Region) at the end of July, a number of local pupils were flown to Johannesburg on October 6 to be part of the International Science Expo, where medals and awards were handed over to winners in various classes.
Rutendo Chakona of Victoria Girls’ High School (VGHS) and Savanna Renaud of Kingswood College were awarded gold for their respective projects.
Chakona’s project was titled “Detecting fish species using environmental DNA”. At the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists in Makhanda she was awarded a gold medal and a Rhodes University bursary worth R60,000.
Renaud’s project “Of mice and music,” in the animal sciences category earned her a gold medal and Rhodes bursary worth R60,000, plus being voted best project in its category.
In Johannesburg, Buhle Diniso of Nombulelo Senior Secondary School was awarded silver, while bronze awards went to Alutha Botha of Nombulelo and Conre Henning of PJ Olivier High School.
The projects of Daniel CzeredreckiSchmidt of Graeme College and Mairi van Schoor of VGHS were “highly commended”.
BY COMMUNITY, FOR COMMUNITY
In the build-up to the 2023 Rapportryers/ PJ Olivier 5km fun run and walk, taking place later this month, event co-ordinator Joubert Retief said the aim of the project had always been to involve the entire Makhanda community.
When the hugely popular annual fun run takes to the streets on Thursday evening, October 26, organisers, helpers and marshals will be drawn from Rapportryers and ‘PJ’.
Participants will come from the community and the beneficiary of the proceeds is based in Makhanda.
It’s a 5.30pm start (registration from 4pm) up there on the ‘PJ’ hill, with several hundred runners and walkers young and old and in-between ready to tackle the undulating course on the western side of the Sunnyside suburb.
For the umpteenth year the entry fee has been kept at R20 for adults and R15 for pupils.
This year’s beneficiary is the Grahamstown & District War Memorial Association which administers the Settlers Close and Oakhaven Cottages for the elderly.
Along the route, there will be plenty of singing, dancing, cheering and chanting of ‘war cries’, particularly by next year’s matric classes from local schools.
It has become tradition over the past 20 years or so that the following year’s matrics take part wearing fancy dress and in full voice.
Since its inception in 1996, more than R220,000 has been raised and donated to local causes.
These include SPCA Grahamstown, McKaiser Home, Brookshaw Home, Kuyasa Special School, House of Joy, SA Library for the Blind, Somerset Place Retirement Centre and ACVV Service Centre.
But the generosity does not end there. Scores of spot prizes will be handed to finishers, and cash prizes will be given to the leading finishers in the men’s and ladies’ divisions first place R600 each, second place R350 each and third place R200 each.
ROADS FOR ABNORMAL LOADS
Motorists driving along Rautenbach Road and Strowan Road in the industrial area may have noticed of late that two new gravel roads have been created, ostensibly by a private contractor.
It has been learnt that bushy sections were ‘bulldozed’ to accommodate the huge trucks transporting wind turbine rotor blades, towers, transformers and other essential equipment destined for a wind turbine farm at Bedford.
The T-junction at Strowan Road and Rautenbach Road, plus the sharp corner of Strowan Road and Cradock Road, were apparently deemed too tight for the trucks and their ultra-long loads.
The turbine parts had been offloaded at the Port of Ngqura at Gqeberha.
MUSIC FOR FUTURES
Food 4 Futures hosts a musical evening in the fountain area of the Monument from 6pm to 8.30pm today, raising funds for the purchase of food for hungry people in the community. The musical line-up includes sounds from the 1960s to the ’80s, the Makhanda Kwantu Choir, plus soul and R&B. Tickets are R100 each for the show and R80 for a picnic box. Wine, beer, water and soft drinks will be on sale.