Driving licences’ validity extended to August 2021
Please note that learner’s licences, driving licences, temporary driver’s licences and professional driving permits that expired between 26 March 2020 and 31 December 2020 are now deemed valid and validity is extended for a further grace period ending 31 August 2021.The above was published in the Government Gazette of 3 December 2020.The George Traffic Department Offices, Driving and Learners Licences department in Mission Street, Pacaltsdorp are open to the public Monday to Friday 8am-3pm unless otherwise announced due to Covid-19 related measures.The department is open for new appointments for learner’s licences as per usual rules (see Driving and Learners Licence section on website for details).
Pick-up times for newly issued driving licences from the Pacaltsdorp offices are from Monday to Friday 8am-3pm, except if your confirmation SMS indicates a Saturday collection opportunity. Please bring your ID document and show the SMS to the official at the entrance.If your driving or learners’ licence test was cancelled during lockdown or because of offices being closed due to Covid-19 measures, you will receive an SMS with a new date and time. Please phone 044 878 2400 if you have not received an SMS within 20 days from your previous appointment.Distributed by George Municipality Communication Department
Geen Liggiesfees vanjaar
The George Municipality anounced today that there will not be a Lights Festival this year due to Covid-19 reasons.George Municipality has taken the decision that the annual Lights Festival as well as the switching on of the festive lights will not take place in George due to the impact of Covid-19. Large gatherings are currently high infection risk areas and regrettably the repair and/or replacement of the existing festive lights is not possible due to budgetary constraints as well as the inherent Covid-19 risks of working on such repairs.“The safety and wellbeing of our citizens remains our foremost concern”, said Mayor Van Wyk noting that the George Council is aware of how disappointing this news will be to the communities of George. We however ask that everyone looks to the bigger picture of keeping themselves, their families and colleagues safe at all times and specifically now with George being a second wave hotspot. We ask the public to continue to be mindful of the health and safety measures implemented to limit the spread of Covid-19 and to make the safer choice every time.”General Tips for Covid Safety:
- Choose outdoor activities – the fresh air is good for you!
- Avoid crowded places where you cannot maintain a safe distance of 1.5 metres, and keep away from venues that has no or little ventilation.
- Always wear your mask in public and when you are finished eating. Sanitise often.
- If you invite people over, keep gatherings small and outdoors.
- Do not share drinks, cigarettes and cutlery, and drink alcohol responsibly.
- Stay away from others when you are sick.
Love George
Name : LoveGeorge
Type: NGO – caring for the needy
Mobile number:0828296428
Addres:17 Cornish Street, , GeorgeWestern Cape, 6530Contact person:Herman PienaarEmail: herman@lovegeorge.co.za
Website: https://www.lovegardenroute.orgNPO / NPC number: 2018/544129/08
PBO number:About :LOVE GARDEN ROUTE NPCLove George is a George based company operating under the registered LOVE GARDEN ROUTE NPC # 2018/544129/08.LOVE GEORGE AIMS
The non-profit company with the aim to enable, empower or support activities and programs that make a positive impact in the local community of George and immediate surrounds.Love George will only be distributing support, by way of financial aid, goods donations etc, to the residents of the George Municipal region. Currently during the Covid-19 Pandemic, we are collecting and distributing food to needy families in the area. The origin of ideas and problem solving
Making your dreams come true mostly depends on the action you take surrounding the ideas that come to you. As the best ideas tend to do it comes when we least expect it to. You just wake up one morning and have an idea stuck in your head. We have all experienced this on some level. Today I want you to consider those ideas and start taking action towards making it a reality. But first let’s understand where these ideas come from.
During our waking hours we spend a large amount of time using our brain to solve a variety of problems. After a long day of using your mind, fatigue sets in and solving even simple problems become difficult. This becomes quite evident after a long day at work. On arriving home you know that you have important home affairs to attend to but you just can’t seem to concentrate. So, instead you choose to relax and enjoy family, alone or “hobby” time. All the while the problem is still with you but just on ice for the time being. A few hours into your relaxation time the answer to your problem strikes out of nowhere. How did this happen? You spent no time working on the problem?This is similar to waking up one random morning with a great idea. You have no way of knowing where it came from. A general problem that could occur here is that it’s been so long since you experienced the problem that the solution or idea you awoke with makes no sense. Because it is such an untimely idea you will need to sit down and remember which problem the idea fits best to. Only then can you match the idea to the problem. (But no, what do we all do? Carry on with our usual business thinking that we will remember the idea and we hardly ever do.) From here we begin to look at the difference between conscious and subconscious problem solving. Smaller problems spend less time in the subconscious whereas larger problems take more time to go through the subconscious filter. How does this work?Your conscious mind is a great tool for concentration. It specializes in applying your knowledge to a problem through a method of elimination by weighing risk vs reward. This process happens very fast and your mind adjusts concepts and ideas during the problem solving process, relevant to the speed that new information becomes available. Depending on the level of risk involved you might choose to deliberate and take some time to go over our facts first. If there is little to no risk perceived then your decision is almost instantaneous. During this process the “spectrum of information filters” the brain applies vs the “information received” is limited to the individual’s experience. Your problem solving freedom is further limited to your immediate needs under the given weight of pressure. This is a short explanation of how the waking consciousness solves problems.Now for your subconscious process and the ideas that come out of nowhere. Our subconscious mind stores all the information discarded as “non important” by the waking consciousness. Imagine for a second how vast the subconscious mind is. Every lesson, feeling, outcome, interaction and more are stored there. Ever hear of the term “I will sleep on it.” Your mind is automatically geared towards screening a complex problem using the subconscious. Even though this takes longer the results are better. The problem here is that we are not always in control of the timing and the relating idea could take weeks to formulate. This also applies to past decisions. The best example of your subconscious in action during past decisions would be that uneasy feeling you get in the back of your mind, telling you that you could have made a better choice.
For the most part your subconscious is great but there is another problem. Your subconscious does not always speak a language you necessarily understand. Ranging from strange dreams to unusual emotions at the weirdest times. The secret is and will always be to know yourself. Spend time alone and get to know yourself on a very intimate level. Sounds obvious but I have found this to rarely be the case. Understand your mind and moods, what makes you tick? The reason for my lengthy explanation is that you might already have the answer you seek. You just do not know how to interpret the subconscious communicating. Humans are amazing beings and yet there is so much we still need to understand. Nonetheless we need to start at the beginning. So here is what I recommend you do. Listen to your ideas and take action. The more you listen the better you will learn your subconscious method of communication. The answer might just be hiding in the action.(The study into the subconscious is a vast field with many aspects, this is but a layman’s glimpse into this field. The facts are derived from personal experience and study in the field. The opinions are my own.)
During our waking hours we spend a large amount of time using our brain to solve a variety of problems. After a long day of using your mind, fatigue sets in and solving even simple problems become difficult. This becomes quite evident after a long day at work. On arriving home you know that you have important home affairs to attend to but you just can’t seem to concentrate. So, instead you choose to relax and enjoy family, alone or “hobby” time. All the while the problem is still with you but just on ice for the time being. A few hours into your relaxation time the answer to your problem strikes out of nowhere. How did this happen? You spent no time working on the problem?This is similar to waking up one random morning with a great idea. You have no way of knowing where it came from. A general problem that could occur here is that it’s been so long since you experienced the problem that the solution or idea you awoke with makes no sense. Because it is such an untimely idea you will need to sit down and remember which problem the idea fits best to. Only then can you match the idea to the problem. (But no, what do we all do? Carry on with our usual business thinking that we will remember the idea and we hardly ever do.) From here we begin to look at the difference between conscious and subconscious problem solving. Smaller problems spend less time in the subconscious whereas larger problems take more time to go through the subconscious filter. How does this work?
Your conscious mind is a great tool for concentration. It specializes in applying your knowledge to a problem through a method of elimination by weighing risk vs reward. This process happens very fast and your mind adjusts concepts and ideas during the problem solving process, relevant to the speed that new information becomes available. Depending on the level of risk involved you might choose to deliberate and take some time to go over our facts first. If there is little to no risk perceived then your decision is almost instantaneous. During this process the “spectrum of information filters” the brain applies vs the “information received” is limited to the individual’s experience. Your problem solving freedom is further limited to your immediate needs under the given weight of pressure. This is a short explanation of how the waking consciousness solves problems.Now for your subconscious process and the ideas that come out of nowhere. Our subconscious mind stores all the information discarded as “non important” by the waking consciousness. Imagine for a second how vast the subconscious mind is. Every lesson, feeling, outcome, interaction and more are stored there. Ever hear of the term “I will sleep on it.” Your mind is automatically geared towards screening a complex problem using the subconscious. Even though this takes longer the results are better. The problem here is that we are not always in control of the timing and the relating idea could take weeks to formulate. This also applies to past decisions. The best example of your subconscious in action during past decisions would be that uneasy feeling you get in the back of your mind, telling you that you could have made a better choice.
For the most part your subconscious is great but there is another problem. Your subconscious does not always speak a language you necessarily understand. Ranging from strange dreams to unusual emotions at the weirdest times. The secret is and will always be to know yourself. Spend time alone and get to know yourself on a very intimate level. Sounds obvious but I have found this to rarely be the case. Understand your mind and moods, what makes you tick? The reason for my lengthy explanation is that you might already have the answer you seek. You just do not know how to interpret the subconscious communicating. Humans are amazing beings and yet there is so much we still need to understand. Nonetheless we need to start at the beginning. So here is what I recommend you do. Listen to your ideas and take action. The more you listen the better you will learn your subconscious method of communication. The answer might just be hiding in the action.(The study into the subconscious is a vast field with many aspects, this is but a layman’s glimpse into this field. The facts are derived from personal experience and study in the field. The opinions are my own.) The importance of Education
Speak to any student about their academic year 2020 and they would be sure to highlight some challenges – more than the usual of course.
We all followed the news reports regarding when students can and cannot attend school. It’s been tough and challenging, no doubt.But regardless – there are quite a few success stories as well!I’ve had the privilege of working with a variety of students, from Grade 4 to Grade 12, during these last few months in George and the surrounding area. Our business, Mastering It, provides extra classes to these students as well as Career Coaching & Aptitude Test services.
We still had victories of students getting 70% and more for Accounting in Grade 11 and Matric. As well as outstanding achievements in order subjects as well.
Students still attended extra classes, even though it was online and the hiccups around it needed to be addressed beforehand as well.
With the uncertainty of 2020 and what the future will bring as well, I was also working with a Grade 11 student for Career Coaching sessions. All the more people are indicating to need help in their Career planning and decision making.All these months led to a variety of students getting clarity on so many things. We at Mastering It have a heart of investing in the Youth of our town and country, to see that have a brighter future to look forward to! We all have the ability to make a difference, even if it is to show students to opportunities where they can invest in themselves for self-improvement.So coming 2021, we will continue doing just that!We have a variety of things for students to look forward to:
- Career workshops – Grade 9 to 12
- Study Skill workshops – all Grades
- Essay writing workshops – Grade 8 to 12
- Revision classes – Grade 8 to 11
- Art workshops – 4 to 13-year-olds.
December Trade – Perspective of a business manager
“December holiday” trade started in November. As ridiculous as it might sound, but it’s true. This year everything seems out of balance. Business wise, some business models are in recovery mode while others have sadly closed down. With an eye on the immediate future there are a few things we need to consider. It is December month and people will spend. It’s the festive season and even though we have all had a rough time people cannot wait to get some sense of normality. What better way to do so than having a great December. For the retail, service and tourism sector this means money. With one considerable difference, the money will be local. We will be servicing more South Africans and home town residents than usual. Not everyone will be traveling to go on holiday and we will have far less international visitors than before. So you will need to keep it exciting for your locals. Come up with a few ideas to invigorate your business look, service and offering. You do not need to spend large amounts of money to make a difference here. Keep an Eye on the Atmosphere.Saying that the majority of people are slightly irritated might be an understatement. You will need to keep a close eye on service and delivery. It is a fact that you cannot keep everyone happy all the time but you can definitely do your best to try. Customers don’t mind waiting to be served when you are busy but you need to acknowledge their presence. It will only take a few seconds to greet them and make them feel at home. Remember, there is nothing that gets to a customer worse than waiting around or not receiving a service without a good explanation. My personal experience as a customer – If I need to wait, then tell me why and how long. Then, it’s up to me to decide if I am willing to wait. The same applies with delivering a service. If you can’t, at least give me other options or recommend other agents. Social Distance.
With new reports of Covid coming along to spoil our fun again social distancing cannot be avoided. You need to have a plan to manage this. I cannot even begin to imagine the chaos that awaits us. How do you manage social distancing with holiday makers all over? Here’s a tip, just do the best you can. Also, you must have some sort of plan in place. Customers need to clearly see and understand what is happening and what is expected of them. The best option is having a dedicated person explaining the process to customers. In a perfect world that would work great but not all business models can apply this concept. So ensure that you have the relevant signage in place. People are still very sensitive to this aspect. (Some people really care, some others wonder and then there are real hardy folk) Handle people with care during this time. Look after Yourself and Your Staff.It is a no brainer that we all need to make as much money as we possibly can. This is not being greedy but rather a “comeback” as part of our lock down recovery. Don’t try to cheat people out of their money, rather give them a good reason to pay your asking price. This does not mean that you need to neglect yourself or your staff. I understand that in some business settings having a full lunch hour is just not possible when you have 5 staff members and 20 customers to assist. Here you will need to play it by ear and accommodate yourself and your staff when you can. This rush only lasts for a few days so make sure that your staff understand this and are prepared. Reward them with additional off time when the rush is over or incentivise their efforts in some way. The Rush.
I love this. As a retail manager, to me this is the best time of the year. Feeling the festive joy, people having a good time and even the irritable shoppers that come with it. The days are filled with excitement and the working day flies by. Working in a target orientated business I obviously enjoy seeing the numbers at the end of each day. On the other hand this also raises a concern with me for the festive trade that awaits. How will all the aspects I mentioned affect trade this December.You need not worry too much. It will soon come. We will do our best. We will make a success of it, and before we know it’s January 2021. Good luck to all the business owners and workers for this season’s trade.
It’s the festive season and even though we have all had a rough time people cannot wait to get some sense of normality. What better way to do so than having a great December. For the retail, service and tourism sector this means money. With one considerable difference, the money will be local. We will be servicing more South Africans and home town residents than usual. Not everyone will be traveling to go on holiday and we will have far less international visitors than before. So you will need to keep it exciting for your locals. Come up with a few ideas to invigorate your business look, service and offering. You do not need to spend large amounts of money to make a difference here. Keep an Eye on the Atmosphere.
Saying that the majority of people are slightly irritated might be an understatement. You will need to keep a close eye on service and delivery. It is a fact that you cannot keep everyone happy all the time but you can definitely do your best to try. Customers don’t mind waiting to be served when you are busy but you need to acknowledge their presence. It will only take a few seconds to greet them and make them feel at home. Remember, there is nothing that gets to a customer worse than waiting around or not receiving a service without a good explanation. My personal experience as a customer – If I need to wait, then tell me why and how long. Then, it’s up to me to decide if I am willing to wait. The same applies with delivering a service. If you can’t, at least give me other options or recommend other agents. Social Distance.
With new reports of Covid coming along to spoil our fun again social distancing cannot be avoided. You need to have a plan to manage this. I cannot even begin to imagine the chaos that awaits us. How do you manage social distancing with holiday makers all over? Here’s a tip, just do the best you can. Also, you must have some sort of plan in place. Customers need to clearly see and understand what is happening and what is expected of them. The best option is having a dedicated person explaining the process to customers. In a perfect world that would work great but not all business models can apply this concept. So ensure that you have the relevant signage in place. People are still very sensitive to this aspect. (Some people really care, some others wonder and then there are real hardy folk) Handle people with care during this time. Look after Yourself and Your Staff.
It is a no brainer that we all need to make as much money as we possibly can. This is not being greedy but rather a “comeback” as part of our lock down recovery. Don’t try to cheat people out of their money, rather give them a good reason to pay your asking price. This does not mean that you need to neglect yourself or your staff. I understand that in some business settings having a full lunch hour is just not possible when you have 5 staff members and 20 customers to assist. Here you will need to play it by ear and accommodate yourself and your staff when you can. This rush only lasts for a few days so make sure that your staff understand this and are prepared. Reward them with additional off time when the rush is over or incentivise their efforts in some way. The Rush.
I love this. As a retail manager, to me this is the best time of the year. Feeling the festive joy, people having a good time and even the irritable shoppers that come with it. The days are filled with excitement and the working day flies by. Working in a target orientated business I obviously enjoy seeing the numbers at the end of each day. On the other hand this also raises a concern with me for the festive trade that awaits. How will all the aspects I mentioned affect trade this December.You need not worry too much. It will soon come. We will do our best. We will make a success of it, and before we know it’s January 2021. Good luck to all the business owners and workers for this season’s trade. GEORGE MUNICIPALITY WATER UPDATE: 25 November 2020
GEORGE MUNICIPALITY WATER UPDATE: 25 November 2020
Dam level: 100% (since 7 October 2020)
Rainfall since 19 November 2020: 1mm
Demand/usage: 27.763 megalitresSECTION 2B WATER RESTRICTIONS CURRENTLY APPLY IN GEORGE AND SURROUNDS:
- Handheld watering of gardens using a hose using municipal water: even-numbered households Mondays and Thursdays, 7pm-9pm (summer) and 3pm-5pm (winter) AND uneven-numbered households Tuesdays and Fridays, 7pm-9pm (summer) and 3pm-5pm (winter).
- Mechanical irrigation of gardens (sprayers) using municipal water is prohibited.
- Watering sports fields using municipal water is prohibited, except for golf course greens, bowling greens and cricket pitches, daily 7pm-9pm (summer) and 3pm-5pm (winter).
- Filling up of swimming pools using municipal water is prohibited.
- Washing cars with a hose using municipal water is prohibited (buckets allowed, rainwater encouraged), except for commercial car washes.
- Cleaning of outside surfaces using a hosepipe with municipal water is prohibited (buckets allowed, rainwater encouraged).
- “OWN WATER” signage must be displayed where applicable and must be proven on request by municipal officials.
- Applications for exemption of some restrictions may be considered on merit.
E Coetzee
E. Coetzee Pharmacy is a Pharmacy for the whole family and community located in the heart of the Garden Route, George.
Contact Details
72 York Street (Next to Agri) Tel: (044) 874 3188 Fax: (044) 873 5216Scripts: rx@ecoetzeepharmacy.co.zaGeneral: info@ecoetzeepharmacy.co.zaHours:Monday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Something for the Kids
It was during lockdown that we, at Mastering It, had the opportunity to think outside the box and keep on making a difference in children’s lives! And what fun did we have indeed!
With everyone being on Zoom and having their school activities & classes through this online platform as well, we thought it well to utilise it for workshops too. We set out some activities, informed parents on what we’ll be doing and with their help, the kids could enjoy mornings of diverse and out-of-the-box crafts & arts.For all things, there is a first and we thought this played out quite well. Children are such a joy!
With the COVID regulations changing to being less strict, we will also be having our FIRST Face to Face Art workshop for kids in December!
We will have something prepared for age groups between 4 and 13 years old, and we’ll add some life skills to the day’s outline as well. Having a group of people passionate about children makes it so much easier and more exciting to put such an event together.Need more information?
Go and check out our Facebook page and event details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1779481822218076,Or contact us directly – Maryke Jooste @ 072 372 4353 / maryke@masteringit.co.zaHoping to see you there!
We started our first ONLINE Kids Arts workshop.
With everyone being on Zoom and having their school activities & classes through this online platform as well, we thought it well to utilise it for workshops too. We set out some activities, informed parents on what we’ll be doing and with their help, the kids could enjoy mornings of diverse and out-of-the-box crafts & arts.For all things, there is a first and we thought this played out quite well. Children are such a joy!
With the COVID regulations changing to being less strict, we will also be having our FIRST Face to Face Art workshop for kids in December!
We will have something prepared for age groups between 4 and 13 years old, and we’ll add some life skills to the day’s outline as well. Having a group of people passionate about children makes it so much easier and more exciting to put such an event together.Need more information?
Go and check out our Facebook page and event details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1779481822218076,Or contact us directly – Maryke Jooste @ 072 372 4353 / maryke@masteringit.co.zaHoping to see you there!
Lock down uitdagings vir Ouers – 6
Mastering It en Mariska Knoetze het dit goed gevind om tydens die lock down, wat reeds Maart die jaar begin het, ‘n Video reeks aan ouers beskikbaar te maak wat verskeie relevante kwessies rondom Lock down aanspreek. In hierdie onderstaande artikel deel Mariska meer oor: A. Werk van die huis af en uitdagings, en B. Hoe om alles te doen en kalm te bly.
Ek is Mariska Knoetze. Ek is ‘n voltydse onderwyseres, ‘n beroepskonsultant en ‘n narratiewe berader. Maar ek is ook “n Enkelmamma van 6 jarige tweeling seuns. Ek bly by my ouers en ons maak gelukkig ‘n “mean team” om die dinge aan die gang te hou.Ek dink dit is ‘n voorreg om uit ‘n juffrou en mamma se perspektief te deel wat ons alles saam in hierdie huidige situasie beleef, vrae en kommernisse wat ons het. Daar is baie waarde daarin om te gesels oor die vrae wat ons saam het.Ek wil wel net noem dat ek ‘n meningspyling uitgestuur het om die inhoud van hierdie werkswinkel te kon kry. Ek is nie ‘n Genie in a Bottle nie. Ek het nie antwoorde en oplossings vir alles nie. Maar graag wil ek jou bemoedig en minder hulpeloos te laat voel.- Kommernisse en uitdagings (realiteite en feite).
- Chat about how you’re going to deal with difficult situations (before they happen)
- Keep talking to your children about what’s happening
- Find an outlet for your stress
- Stay connected with your support networks (and maybe build new ones)
- Ration your news updates
- Keep up your routines
- Cut yourself some slack