Jazz, bikes and awards – January 2019 in review

All that Jazz – Thursday, 3 January edition

THE 73rd Australian Jazz Convention rounded out 2018 and set the tone of events for the next 12 months.

Jazz fans descended on the city for week of activities and events, including shows and a grand parade through Bridge Mall.

“The Convention is a chance for the musicians to get together, if there are musicians missing or spare, somebody will step up and play something brilliant improvising as they go,” said attendee Krys Cutler.

Sadly, the convention did not return this year, with Albury taking on hosting duties for the next few years.

On your bike – Thursday, 10 January edition

A tradition as almost quintessentially Ballarat as taking about the weather, the 2019 FedUni Road National Cycling Championships rolled into the city for the 13th year in a row.

The five-day celebration of cycling included criterium races on Sturt Street that saw 7000 people line the course, a Gran Fondo so everyone could ride like a pro, and the main events – the elite men’s and women’s road race and time trial for the converted green and gold jersey.

High on Mount Buninyong Road during the road races was Anna Yates, at home with her family and friends.

The Yates crew hang banners and love cheering on the riders, ringing their cowbells and tooting their vuvuzelas as they whiz pass by. Even their cat, Houdini, mingles with the crowds.

“We make a whole day of it. We invite friends to come and visit us, we sit and watch, bring the BBQ down to the road, have tea and drinks,” she said.

The 2020 Road Nats gets underway in just over a week, with action starting on Wednesday, 8 January.

Great women – Thursday, 10 January edition

One of the region’s less well-known service clubs, Zonta International, marked 2019 as the 100th year of its formation.

While true centenary celebrations would take place later in the year, January saw the roll out of the club’s 2019 Great Women award recipients. We’d go on to feature all the nominees over the next few months.

It stinks – Thursday, 17 January edition

Just a few months after opening, Miners Rest residents were having issues with smells escaping from Central Victorian Livestock Exchange.

Those concerns lead to a compliance order being issued by the Environment Protection Authority.

Although the problem is still on going with the EPA putting out more compliance changes for CVLX as last as December this year and City of Ballarat council again discussing the problem a few weeks ago.

Old relic revealed – Thursday, 17 January edition

An auction listing for a Ballaraat coat of arms that originally hung in the foyer of Civic Hall spotted Barbara Cytowicz’s culminated in the purchase of the relic by the Save Civic Hall.

The signed painting by well-known Ballarat artist and sign writer Angus Henderson would go on to be restored and presented to the city by the group and now hangs once again in a renovated and reopened Civic Hall.

“[The painting] has acquired a few scuffmarks and scratches and probably some discolouration of the paint and this is the first time it has been professionally assessed and conserved,” said Save Civic Hall secretary Merle Hathaway.

All the awards! – Thursday, 31 January edition

Australia Day saw the acknowledgment of so many great people from across our region.

Marilyn Tyndall was named the City of Ballarat’s Citizen of the Year, while the Ballarat Young Citizen of the Year, went to 13-year-old, Jake Sbardella and Ballarat parkrun was named community event of the year.

Medals in the Order of Australia went to Des Hudson for service to the region’s youth, Peter Reid for service to the community and Asylum Seeker Resource Centre caseworker David Mac Phail.