6th December, 2008, Page 4 - Edition 200

The Midlands Herald

Page 4 — December 2008

C&M Vehicle Repairs 033-330 7803 or 082-578 3884 86 Main Street, Howick

Wishing all at The Herald all the very best ! Battery

Publishing The Midlands Herald while overcoming a debilitating disease Below: Russell Barnes in April 2008. Left: Herald editor Russell Barnes photographed on a family holiday in July 2006. Right: Pronounced exfoliation of the skin on the entire scalp and face. The growth of a beard made it easier to cope with skin on chin and neck. Pemphigus also affects other parts of the body — for example, here the eyes, where contact lenses were normally worn.

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330 4196 • 083-552 7308 • 60 Main St., Howick

COMRIE ESTATES WE ARE THE PROPERTY PEOPLE TEL. 033-330 6278

Wishing Russell & his Staff all the very best on the occasion of their 200th edition. Howick Insurance Brokers

S

everal readers have raised the question of the appearance (or lack of) The Midlands Herald over this past year. The answer is that in this age when computer technology allows just one person to produce an entire publication himself — as with this newspaper —in late 2007 editor Russell Barnes contracted the skin disease, pemphigus foliaceous, and has been unable to continue his 12year tradition of publication, except for just one edition six months ago. The disease, as the adjacent photograph shows, at its worst produces an intense feeling of

very bad sunburn permanently. Stretching up to reach out for anything, sitting or lying down, or simply turning over in bed, produces severe pain. The basic disease consists of blistering (“pemphigus” in the Latin) of the skin and extreme exfoliation (“foliaceous”), both of which are depicted in the accompanying photograph to the right. Treatment by dermatologists consists of expensive chemotherapy with its related sideeffects. Then there are additional symptoms such as swelling of legs, blurred vision — earlier this year he was unable to drive for four months — photosensitivity, straight hair going curly!, hair turning

grey then assuming its natural colour again, brown hair going black from chemotherapy, infections in ears, a general itchiness and many others. Among the disabilities is the tendency for “patterns to come and go”, as the dermatologist put it excellently, such as a maddening itch, or a burning sensation of excruciating pain as the skin touched anything, which had him relegated to bed for two to three weeks on one occasion. Criss-cross patterns of additional skin behind the knees sometimes prevent one from walking properly and similar lattice-work between the elbows and shoulder prevents one from reaching. The list goes on. Improvement is slow, but the treatment, with

033-330 3601 • 103 Main Street, Howick

We have enjoyed our dealings with The Herald over the years and our good times together. Congratulations to you !

THE HOWICK VILLAGE PHARMACY

Our best greetings on your 200 editions from all of us at

Zeederberg Road • 033-330 3277

The Midlands

HERALD The Midlands Herald is distributed monthly door-to-door in Hilton, Merrivale, Howick, Oak Park and Montrose in Pietermaritzburg, as well as in shops and hotels in Boston, Mooi River, Rosetta and Nottingham Road.

Fuel-saving or fraud? Continued from page 3

were suspected of being involved in these illegal activities. Cllr Passmoor said that she was disappointed at the lack of transparency, as management had chosen not to bring these suspected fraudulent activities to the attention of the portfolio committee, without its first being pointed out to the committee. There had been no mention of it on the agenda, neither had the SAPS been called in although the loss could be well over R1 million per year.

The Management Cluster Committee then resolved that management investigate the matter properly in terms of accepted municipal anti-fraud and internal audit policies, and that a full report be presented to council as a matter of urgency. This is however, not the first time that the abuse of fuel usage at uMngeni Municipality has come under the spotlight. In 2005, The Herald reported that a vigilant councillor had discovered that municipal staff were able somehow to fit 80 litres into 50-litre tanks!

EVERDON ESTATE

Telephone: 033-330 7020 Howick Medical Centre, 111 Main Road, Howick • Cell: 082-854 2413

ENGINEERING

Wishes to congratulate The Midlands Herald on its 200th edition and 12 years of publishing in the Midlands district.

regular monthly stays at Chief Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban, might take a few more years. But it’s steadily getting easier to produce The Herald regularly again.

Tel: 033-330 2071

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AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS 98 Zeederberg Rd, Merrivale • Telephone 033-330 5408

Supporting you in your efforts to monitor the doings of the community. We congratulate and thank you on your 200 Heralds.

We are pleased to support your publication and on this occasion congratulate you on your 200 issues !