I must say to start off, that last Sunday’s Traffic Free Day on Grant Avenue was a sign of the new times around here. Changed shop fronts and the occasional builders rubble littering the sidewalk seem to be a regular feature.
The Traffic Free day certainly made its target. According to an email I got from Marcelle Ravid, the organiser and Counciller for Ward 73 of Johannesburg, “The aim was an awareness of pedestrians rights, air and noise pollution from cars and transport issues in this being Transport Month in Johannesburg.”
As someone who actually lives on Grant Avenue, I can’t tell you what a pleasure the street was on Sunday. It looked great, chairs, tables and umbrella’s up and down the Avenue. Turnout from the Public was low, but it did give pause for thought about the possibility of doing this once a month.
As Marcell said, “Should the traders wish to do this again, the ball is now in their court, to organise themselves, raise money to do marketing and advertising and really go all out to attract people to Grant Avenue.”
But changes are afoot in Grant Avenue anyway.
Starting from the north which signalled the changes with the conversion of the Grub Store into Chuckleberrys. La Concorde, that very popular meeting spot, has just put in a whole new kichen, so their meal range has improved even more.
Further South, there are three new restaurants opening, including the renovation of Mo’s café into a Jazz bar. I’m sure that all Grant Avenue regulars will agree that the new Sunday night sound of a lonesome saxophone wailing into the street makes a welcome change from the broken bottles and street fights of the previous operation.
Its been interesting watching the conversion of the Fishmonger into a really well fitted out restaurant with open kitchen.
To make things even more exciting for jazz lover’s there is another new jazz bar, featuring a grand piano and quality food, opening up opposite Debonairs.
These last two are due to open in the next few weeks, so it looks like the festive season is going to be festive.
That will make four live music venues in the area, if you include 88 and the Radium. All kinds of jazz for all tastes.
Many people will have made their Christmas bookings already, but if you haven’t, Norwood might be a central place to meet. But do make your bookings soon for Christmas parties. Johannesburg closes for the season, as we all know, so finding a place for New Year can be tricky at the last moment.
This was emphasised to me by Dimitiri, the owner of the New York café, who will be open all of December. He’s done an amazing job of picking up the New York Café and is one of the few places that stayed open late all through winter,
Its great to say that advertising is starting to pick up on the GrantAvenue.co.za website. The New York Café and Red Carpet Movies are the most recent two advertisiers. Oh, and if you’re looking for signs that Norwood is rebuilding, check out the new extension to the RedCarpet shop.
And then I’m expecting the art work from Huizemark and Pam Stein Properties, so that’s a good sign.
Finally, a moment for unashamed website promotion. I put up a beta of a website yesterday at http://NoWellFine.2bctnd.com
NoWellFine is intended to give you more information about the Road Traffic legal situation in Johannesburg.
Did you know that about 20% of the fines written out in South Africa are incorrect and thus invalid? If you received a ticket recently, then you may want to drop by nowellfine.2bctnd.com and run a check on your ticket.
It will cost you R45 and amongst other things, we’ll check the correlation of quoted regulations, the wording of the fine and the amount of the fine. If these three don’t correlate, the ticket is invalid.
I’m fighting with my ISP’s DNS settings so haven’t got a domain up for it yet so http://NoWellFine.2bctnd.com will have to do for beta testing Use the code blog_1 for a 20% discount. And I’d really appreciate the feedback.
Enough! More news as Grant Avenue continues to wake up for the season.
Happy days
tm
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
New generation Hyper will anchor Norwood
"The general merchandise range (products like CD’s, fridges, microwaves and electronic goods) will be improved with focus on certain categories where we have enhanced our offering. The way that the store integrates between food and general merchandise will be much improved over the current store,” said Izak, Pick 'n Pays' property director.
“We have innovated quite a lot on the food and grocery side in general, but especially on the fresh food side of the business and these innovations will come through in the new Hypermarket both in terms of range and presentation.”
In the design of the new store there will be a focus on certain categories such as health and beauty, where once again there will be an improved range and presentation.
The construction of the new centre, which will be enlarged from its current 25,000m2 to 35,000m2, will be effected in two phases, each facilitating the isolation of the construction area from the trading area of the mall and thereby minimising inconvenience to shoppers.
The first phase has commenced and will continue to August 2007 and the second phase will run from September 2007 to July 2008 when the project will be completed and the entire new centre will be open for trade."
Thanks to James of Avantu.com for the heads-up.
“We have innovated quite a lot on the food and grocery side in general, but especially on the fresh food side of the business and these innovations will come through in the new Hypermarket both in terms of range and presentation.”
In the design of the new store there will be a focus on certain categories such as health and beauty, where once again there will be an improved range and presentation.
The construction of the new centre, which will be enlarged from its current 25,000m2 to 35,000m2, will be effected in two phases, each facilitating the isolation of the construction area from the trading area of the mall and thereby minimising inconvenience to shoppers.
The first phase has commenced and will continue to August 2007 and the second phase will run from September 2007 to July 2008 when the project will be completed and the entire new centre will be open for trade."
Thanks to James of Avantu.com for the heads-up.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Coming in at #4, Kabwe, Zambia in the "World's Worst Polluted Places"
So, if you think the problems of Africa are simply keeping the wildlife alive then have a look at this list. We're beyond that.
Be interested to see a comparison with Hwange or the areas around the mines of Johannesburg.
KABWE, ZAMBIA
Potentially affected people: 250,000
Type of pollutants: Lead, cadmium
Site description: Kabwe, the second largest city in Zambia is located about 150 kilometers north of the nation's capital, Lusaka. On average, children's' blood levels in Kabwe are 5 to 10 times the allowable EPA maximum. It is one of six towns situated around the Copperbelt, once Zambia's thriving industrial base. In 1902, rich deposits of lead were discovered here. Ore veins with lead concentrations as high as 20 percent have been mined deep into the earth and a smelting operation was set up to process the ore. Rich deposits of sulphide ore consisted of silicates, oxides and carbonates of lead, which averaged 34% in lead concentration. Mining and smelting operations were running almost continuously up until 1994 without the government addressing the potential danger of lead. This smelting process was unregulated during this period and these smelters released heavy metals in dust particles, which settled on the ground in the surrounding area. The mine and smelter is no longer operating but has left a city poisoned from debilitating concentrations of lead in the soil and water from slag heaps that were left as reminders to the smelting and mining era. Some of the lead concentrations in soil have been recorded at 2400 mg/kg. In one study, the dispersal in soils of lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc extended to over a 20 km circumference from the smelting and mining processes. The soil contamination levels of all four metals are higher than those recommended by the World Health Organization.
In the U.S., permissible blood levels of lead are less than10 mcg/dl. Symptoms of acute poisoning occur at blood levels of 20 and above, resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, and leading to muscle spasms and kidney damage. Levels of over ten are considered unhealthy and levels in excess of 120 can often lead to death. In some neighborhoods in Kabwe, blood concentrations of 200 or more micrograms/deciliter have been recorded in children and records show average blood levels of children range between 50 and 100 mcg/dl. Children who play in the soil and young men who scavenge the mines for scraps of metal are most susceptible to lead produced by the mine and smelter. A small waterway runs from the mine to the center of town and had been used to carry waste from the once active smelter. There is no restriction to the waterway, and in some instances local children use it for bathing. In addition to water, dry and dusty backyards of workers' houses are a significant source of contamination for the locals. One of the most common ways that workers and residents become exposed to toxic levels of lead is through inhalation of contaminated soil ingested into the lungs.
Cleanup Activity: After decades of contamination, the clean-up strategy for Kabwe is complex and in its primary stages. The first step is to educate the community about the risks of lead poisoning and their susceptibility to the pollutant. Precautionary measures have been taken in order to educate the population about the problem and to provide simple, concrete advice to avoid poison (such as to prohibit children from playing in the dirt and to rinse dust from plates and food etc.). Some areas of Kabwe require drastic remediation in which some entire neighborhoods may need to relocate.
Blacksmith has helped Kabwe's environment by establishing a local NGO, Kabwe Environmental and Rehabilitation Foundation (KERF) whose role is to bring educational services into each community with nursing support and expertise to locals as well. As a result of Blacksmith's local initiatives and involvement, the World Bank has stepped in. The Bank approved a $20 million grant to clean up the city and has just completed the scoping study that will lead to initial clean-up activity beginning in 2007.
Be interested to see a comparison with Hwange or the areas around the mines of Johannesburg.
KABWE, ZAMBIA
Potentially affected people: 250,000
Type of pollutants: Lead, cadmium
Site description: Kabwe, the second largest city in Zambia is located about 150 kilometers north of the nation's capital, Lusaka. On average, children's' blood levels in Kabwe are 5 to 10 times the allowable EPA maximum. It is one of six towns situated around the Copperbelt, once Zambia's thriving industrial base. In 1902, rich deposits of lead were discovered here. Ore veins with lead concentrations as high as 20 percent have been mined deep into the earth and a smelting operation was set up to process the ore. Rich deposits of sulphide ore consisted of silicates, oxides and carbonates of lead, which averaged 34% in lead concentration. Mining and smelting operations were running almost continuously up until 1994 without the government addressing the potential danger of lead. This smelting process was unregulated during this period and these smelters released heavy metals in dust particles, which settled on the ground in the surrounding area. The mine and smelter is no longer operating but has left a city poisoned from debilitating concentrations of lead in the soil and water from slag heaps that were left as reminders to the smelting and mining era. Some of the lead concentrations in soil have been recorded at 2400 mg/kg. In one study, the dispersal in soils of lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc extended to over a 20 km circumference from the smelting and mining processes. The soil contamination levels of all four metals are higher than those recommended by the World Health Organization.
In the U.S., permissible blood levels of lead are less than10 mcg/dl. Symptoms of acute poisoning occur at blood levels of 20 and above, resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, and leading to muscle spasms and kidney damage. Levels of over ten are considered unhealthy and levels in excess of 120 can often lead to death. In some neighborhoods in Kabwe, blood concentrations of 200 or more micrograms/deciliter have been recorded in children and records show average blood levels of children range between 50 and 100 mcg/dl. Children who play in the soil and young men who scavenge the mines for scraps of metal are most susceptible to lead produced by the mine and smelter. A small waterway runs from the mine to the center of town and had been used to carry waste from the once active smelter. There is no restriction to the waterway, and in some instances local children use it for bathing. In addition to water, dry and dusty backyards of workers' houses are a significant source of contamination for the locals. One of the most common ways that workers and residents become exposed to toxic levels of lead is through inhalation of contaminated soil ingested into the lungs.
Cleanup Activity: After decades of contamination, the clean-up strategy for Kabwe is complex and in its primary stages. The first step is to educate the community about the risks of lead poisoning and their susceptibility to the pollutant. Precautionary measures have been taken in order to educate the population about the problem and to provide simple, concrete advice to avoid poison (such as to prohibit children from playing in the dirt and to rinse dust from plates and food etc.). Some areas of Kabwe require drastic remediation in which some entire neighborhoods may need to relocate.
Blacksmith has helped Kabwe's environment by establishing a local NGO, Kabwe Environmental and Rehabilitation Foundation (KERF) whose role is to bring educational services into each community with nursing support and expertise to locals as well. As a result of Blacksmith's local initiatives and involvement, the World Bank has stepped in. The Bank approved a $20 million grant to clean up the city and has just completed the scoping study that will lead to initial clean-up activity beginning in 2007.
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