News

National Fly the Flag Day - March 2010

Gear up for the 100 Day Countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The first FIFA World Cup tournament on African soil is just a heartbeat away! Read more

Angus at Everard

The Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) provides the cultural backbone for art in this country and the Everard Read Gallery is proud of its association with it. The Everard Read staff actively support the JAG Centenary Art Collection Programme and ask the public to join in supporting this programme in any way possible, either by donations or sponsorship. If you would like to support the JAG Centenary Programme, please contact Cameron Bramley on 082 882 8124 or e-mail cameron@designmagazine.co.za.

Velaphi's works

The Everard Read Gallery presents recent works by Velaphi Mzimba from 11 January to 14 February. For details, visit www.everard-read.co.za. The gallery is at 6 Jellicoe Avenue, Rosebank. Phone 011 788 4805. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 9am–6pm and Saturday 9am–1pm.

When is a spade a spade?

Gordon Froud and Taryn Racine display some of their remarkable recent sculptures at the Hyatt Regency until Saturday 15 February. Viewing times are from 10am to 6pm. For more information, write to valentine.marmouget@hyatt.com or phone 011 280 1172. The Hyatt is at 191 Oxford Road.

A question of presence

Diane McLean and Lesley Ann Price are holding a two person exhibition, A Question of Presence, featuring oils and encaustics. The exhibition opens at 3 February at 6pm. The opening speaker is Susan Woolf. Wine will be served. The exhibition ends on 24 February. Artspace is at 142 Chester Court, Jan Smuts Avenue. Phone 011 880 8802. Gallery hours are Tues to Fri 10am to 530pm, Sat 10am to 3.30pm. Visit www.artspace-jhb.co.za.

Chance to develop talent

Thomas Nhassavel says he enjoys busking in the Rosebank parking lot: "It gives me a chance to compose my own songs, while being paid. One day, when my songs are ready, I will record them ..." Thomas hails from Mozambique, but plays Zimbabwe style music, as the musos he played with in the past came from Zim.

Book sale at Rosebank library

There will be a book sale at Rosebank Library on Saturday 27 February from 9 to 12.30am. Don’t miss this book sale - the staff have done a sort and put out lots of 'fresh' books! On 4 March, at 2.30, there will be a meeting for the book club. For more details, phone Friends of the Rosebank Library on 011 880 5986

Valentine's special at Hyatt & Crowne Plaza

Hyatt Regency Johannesburg and The Crowne Plaza Johannesburg have Valentines specials. Follow link for details. Read more

Have a graceful Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day falling on a Sunday this year, guests can look forward to a little 'romance' added to the mix of great food along with graceful dining in a setting to match at The Grace. Brunch will be served between 11h00 until 14h00 at R400 per person, and includes a welcome drink upon arrival followed by what has been described as one of THE best brunches in Johannesburg! Read more

A Rosy development

There's a new development planned for Rosebank on the corner of Sturdee and Jellicoe Avenues. It's called The Rose. This elegant four-storey building, which boasts 2 852 square meters of office space and 100 parking bays, will only begin to be built once sufficient leases are in place. Book now to secure a space, or lose out on the great views offered from The Rose! Rentals quoted are for 12 months time. Contact Debra Echstein at Minenza Property Broking on 011 300 3950 or write to debra@minenza.co.za.

Pin oak may be a champion

There's a pin oak tree on Jellicoe Avenue which may make the list of South Africa's 'champion trees'. Champion trees are huge trees which are monitored and protected by the Dendrological Society. Rosebank's pin oak was nominated by retired granny Pat Lucas, who estimates the tree to be 38m tall, with a crown of 40m. Read more

Gautrain Update at Rosebank Station

As at  December 2009 construction of the concourse and roof slabs were both complete, with waterproofing of the roof slab well advanced. Platform structures, brickwork and plastering were all substantially complete and painting and plumbing at both platform and concourse levels are well advanced. Elevators have been positioned within the station box and M&E installations are ongoing.

At the parkade structure, located on corner of Oxford Road and Baker Street, pile caps and foundations are ongoing and columns and beams to the first floor of the parking deck are in progress.

Excavation and lining of the emergency access shaft E5 at Rosebank/ Dunkeld, is completed. Civil works within the shaft, as well as in the safe haven and the adjacent sections of the tunnel, are in progress. Construction of the cut and cover box sections at either end of the station, which link the station box to the tunnels is ongoing.

FIFA 2010 Art Poster at David Krut

The FIFA 2010 Official Art Poster Edition is now available at David Krut Projects and Bookstores at 140 Jan Smuts Avenue. David Krut Projects is the official distributor in South Africa of the FIFA 2010 Official Art Posters Edition series. Six local and eleven international artists were selected to create the poster collection. These works are a celebration of and homage to the 'beautiful game.' The poster will be available until 15 May 2010.For more info contact 011 880-5648.

Nina Barnett exhibition at Alliance Francaise Jhb

With a view to promoting cultural diversity, urban cultures and artistic exchange between South Africa, France and the African Continent, the French Institute of South Africa in collaboration with the French cultural network in Southern Africa presents Nina Barnett | DIRECT PARIS at Alliance Française of Johannesburg opening on 19 January 2010.

South African visual artist Nina Barnett spent three months in Paris from August to October 2008 as part of the 2007 ABSA Atelier Gerard Sekoto Prize. Visit Alliance Française of Johannesburg at the corner of Kerry Road & Lower Park Drive in Parkview or call 011 646 1169. View other events

Dinner at The Monarch

The Monarch felt like one of those places where you are cautious about raising your voice or laughing too loudly; the ultra-courteous staff greet you in hushed tones, and your own volume levels drop automatically. But my visit was on a Monday, and apparently the hostess who is on duty on the other days of the week is anything but quiet. Appearances can indeed be deceiving...

My partner and I were ushered by the extremely pleasant employees to our places to sample the new a la carte menu The Monarch has on offer. The a la carte menu has expanded of late, and offers two types of seafood, chicken, pork and lamb in addition to the beef. There's a wide choice of starters too...

Caption: This piece of beef should satisfy the most discerning palate

The Rosebank Scout Hall

Scoutmaster Douglas Seymour writes: "The Rosebank Scout Hall is still used on Friday for its original purpose, for Cub and Scout groups. It is also available for parties; certainly not open parties though, as we are part of a suburb and try our best not to disturb the neighbours! Our group is called the 1st Rosebank Cub and Scout Group. During the week the groups that use the hall include Yoga, Taekwon-Do, Pilates, Weigh-less and an exercise class for older people that I call ‘Autumn Aerobics'! A meditation group uses it on a Monday evening and on Sundays two church groups meet there.

Caption: This hall is for hire - if you know how to behave yourself!

Shoe shine man

Gift Moyo from Marlboro Originals men's clothing store has his shoes carefully polished by Walter Khoza outside The Zone in Rosebank. Gift sits on Walter's special steel chair, which was designed for him by Morlen Nathan of Yodata Electronics. He's been working at shoe shining since 2006, and started in Sandton before coming to Rosebank.

Photo: Shoe shine

The Zone keeps growing

Phase Two at The Zone will comprise two floors of retail space, loft offices over two levels and a four-level basement parking garage with 921 bays. The hotel will open in April, and the rest of the development, totalling 21 954m², will be completed in October. The focus will be on fashion and restaurants.

"Customers can look forward to a vibrant new centre, and for those who are sick of all the construction, there is a light at the end of the tunnel," says The Zone's new Marketing Manager, Sli Dumakude. "Our multi-cultural celebrity-driven centre will soon be even more fun to visit!" Read on about Sli.

Caption: Sli Dumakude has taken over public relations at The Zone

Ward 90 News

Ward 90 Councillor, Gordon Mackay releases a newsletter each month. You can view this on the Councillor's Corner category of the website.

Here's something Gordon wrote that may interest readers:
In every newsletter I will seek to shock or amaze you with a factual tidbit about the Council or the City that I will have encountered in the course of my work over the past month or so. Each tidbit will attempt to help you better understand the way the City works (or doesn't work) and just how Ward 90 fits into the greater scheme of things. Did you know that...

Caption: This friendly-looking fellow has been running your ward for the past seven months

Water interruptions

The supply of water to several suburbs will be affected by planned upgrades of the infrastructure being undertaken by Joburg Water, says Rookshana Desai, Northern CIDs Assistant Marketing Manager.

There will be interruptions in the water supply until early December as Joburg Water continues its infrastructure renewal programme, which involves replacing old pipes. This programme deals with upgrading water infrastructure, sewer networks and wastewater treatment works.

Photo: Taps running dry? That's because Joburg Water has been upgrading the water system throughout Joburg