Overstrand se gemeenskapsuitblinkers vir 2013, saam met Burgemeester Nicolette Botha-Guthrie, met voor vlnr Tronel Meintjies, Elizbe Visagie, Carmen Titus, Mary Faure, Meaghan McCord, Dr Millie Rink, Florentina Radebe. Agter: Katja Vinding Petersen, Pamela Christine Schutz, Tommy Wilson, Dr Robin Lee, Gloria Langer, Werner Ladewig, Jan Fourie en Wilfred Chivell

 “Overstrand Munisipaliteit is in die gelukkige posisie dat van die land se beste talent in hierdie gebied woon of noue bande met die streek het. Vanweë hul verbintenis met die gebied, bevorder hulle nie net die beeld van Overstrand nie, maar ploeg baie van hulle vrywillige tyd, geld en energie in ons gemeenskap terug,” het Rdl Ben Solomon tydens die voorstelling van ontvangers van 2013 se Burgemeesters-toekennings vir Voortreflikheid gesê. Die drie trotse Gansbaaiers wat tydens ‘n prestige geleentheid op 27 Augustus in die Ouditorium, Burgesentrum in Hermanus vereer is, is Jan Fourie, Katja Vinding Peterson en Tommy Wilson, met Wilfred Chivell as die naaswenner van die Wisseltrofee vir Omgewingsbewaring. Stanford se Florentina Radebe en Judy Brown is ook trotse ontvangers van ‘n toekenning. 

Jan Fourie - “As gebore en getoë Overberger en jarelange onderwyser op Gansbaai, asook met sy werkywer en deeglike navorsing, het Jan Fourie ‘n reuse bydrae tot die boekstawing van die streek se geskiedenis gelewer en ook die Strandveld-museum tot stand gebring as lewende bewaarplek van artefakte wat onder meer verband hou met skeepswrakke en geskiedkundige gebeure van belang in ons omgewing.”

Katja Vinding Peterson - “Katja Vinding Petersen is a PhD student and researcher from Denmark who now settled in the Overstrand. She recognised that no fine-scale long term study has been done regarding the distribution and behavioural patterns of the whale and dolphin species (cetaceans). She has now implemented for the first time in South Africa combined methods of shore based theodolite tracking and sound recordings which will enable authorities to make decisions that concern the protection of both the marine environment and the cetacean species located in our area.”

Tommy Wilson - “As an acclaimed educationalist and disciplined teacher, Tommy Wilson, Headmaster of Gansbaai Academia, has made a significant contribution to the Gansbaai community by taking  Gansbaai Academia, the newly established multi-cultural high school, to levels of achievement beyond all expectations within three years and in the process has created within its learners the feeling that they are equal in their diversity and their sense of belonging.”

Wilfred Chivell - “To the uninitiated the “Overberg Ocean”, to call it that, is seen to be of enduring scenic value but ecologically a rather cold, wet wilderness. In the result, the runner-up is Wilfred Chivell. He was the joint winner of this Award in 2009 and the winner last year, 2012. In cricketing parlance – close to a hat-trick! He is to be commended once again for his conservation commitment, particularly for his scientifically published study this year of our great white shark population.”

Florentina Radebe - “Florentina Radebe a key role as trainer, supervisor and presenter for the Vuka Energy Saving Project in Stanford. In this process  knowledge about energy-saving technology is transferred to poor communities, helping them not only to save money, time and energy but also to minimise the risk of shack fires as well as the danger to health of smoke inhalation.”

Judy Brown - “Judy Brown started the STAR programme in Stanford in 2005 to help school children from poor communities with learning and reading problems and expanded it from home based assistance to a well equipped and funded centre at the De Bron Primary School, where children receive one-on-one mentorship from 16 volunteers; the success of this programme can be measured by the vastly improved self-esteem of the more than 160 children who graduated over the past nine years from this programme and are now able to maintain themselves in an educational environment.”

“Ek wil afsluit deur te sê dat ‘n ieder en ‘n elk van vanaand se ontvangers ‘n navolgingswaardige voorbeeld aan ons almal in die Overstrand is. Ek verlaat vanaand hierdie geleentheid met nuwe hoop, want ek het weer eens gesien dat daar met die nodige passie en met liefde berge verskuif kan word,” was Rdl Nicolette Botha-Guthrie, Overstrandse Uitvoerende Burgemeester, se afsluitings woorde.

Hardus Botha