Page 4 — December 2008 The Midlands Herald

C&M Vehicle Repairs

033-330 7803 or 082-578 3884
Publishing The Midlands Herald
86 Main Street, Howick

Wishing all at while overcoming a debilitating disease

The Herald Below: Russell Barnes in April 2008.

all the very best ! 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.
Battery Centre
very bad sunburn perma- grey then assuming its
The only battery specialists nently. Stretching up to natural colour again,
• For all your battery problems reach out for anything, brown hair going black
• Free testing and battery fitments in
sitting or lying down, or from chemotherapy,
the Howick area
simply turning over in bed, infections in ears, a general
For all your auto-electrical problems, we
have fully-equipped vans on call 24 hours produces severe pain. itchiness and many others.
The basic disease Among the disabilities
UNILECT consists of blistering is the tendency for

S
AUTO ELECTRICIANS everal readers have raised
330 4196 • 083-552 7308 • 60 Main St., Howick the question of the
appearance (or lack of) The
Midlands Herald over this past
COMRIE ESTATES year.
The answer is that in this age
WE ARE THE PROPERTY PEOPLE when computer technology
TEL. 033-330 6278 allows just one person to produce
an entire publication himself —
Wishing Russell & as with this newspaper —in late
his Staff all the very best 2007 editor Russell Barnes
contracted the skin disease,
on the occasion pemphigus foliaceous, and has
of their 200th edition. been unable to continue his 12-
(“pemphigus” in the
Latin) of the skin and
extreme exfoliation
(“foliaceous”), both of
which are depicted in the
accompanying photo-
graph to the right.
Treatment by derma-
tologists consists of
expensive chemotherapy
with its related side-
effects.
Then there are
additional symptoms such
“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 regular monthly stays at Chief Albert
bed for two to three weeks Luthuli Hospital in Durban, might take a
on one occasion. few more years. But it’s steadily getting
Criss-cross patterns of easier to produce The Herald regularly
additional skin behind the again.
knees sometimes prevent
one from walking properly The Midlands

year tradition of publication, ex-
cept for just one edition six
months ago.
Howick The disease, as the adjacent
Insurance photograph shows, at its worst
Brokers produces an intense feeling of
033-330 3601 • 103 Main Street, Howick
as swelling of legs, blurred
vision — earlier this year
he was unable to drive for
four months — photo-
sensitivity, straight hair
going curly!, hair turning
and similar lattice-work
between the elbows and
shoulder prevents one from
reaching. The list goes on.
Improvement is slow,
but the treatment, with
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.

We have enjoyed our Our best

dealings with
The Herald over the years
greetings on your Fuel-saving or fraud?
and our 200 editions from Continued from page 3
were suspected of being involved in these
The Management Cluster Committee then
resolved that management investigate the
good times all of us at illegal activities. matter properly in terms of accepted
together. Cllr Passmoor said that she was municipal anti-fraud and internal audit
disappointed at the lack of transparency, as policies, and that a full report be presented
Congratulations management had chosen not to bring these to council as a matter of urgency.
to you ! suspected fraudulent activities to the This is however, not the first time that
attention of the portfolio committee, without the abuse of fuel usage at uMngeni
its first being pointed out to the committee. Municipality has come under the spotlight.
There had been no mention of it on the In 2005, The Herald reported that a
agenda, neither had the SAPS been called vigilant councillor had discovered that
THE in although the loss could be well over R1 municipal staff were able somehow to fit 80
Zeederberg Road • 033-330 3277
million per year. litres into 50-litre tanks!
HOWICK
VILLAGE PHARMACY
Telephone: 033-330 7020
Howick Medical Centre, 111 Main
EVERDON ESTATE
Road, Howick • Cell: 082-854 2413
ENGINEERING Tel: 033-330 2071 Home of Organic Avocados
Wishes to AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS
congratulate
The
98 Zeederberg Rd, Merrivale • Telephone 033-330 5408
We are pleased to
Supporting you in
Midlands
your efforts
support your publication
Herald
on its 200th to monitor the doings and on this
edition and 12 of the community.
years of publishing
occasion
We congratulate and
in the
thank you on
congratulate you
Midlands
district. your 200 Heralds. on your 200 issues !