POOR old Lithgow is looking decidedly battered and bruised after this week’s blizzard that brought arguably the heaviest snowfall over the city in almost half a century — and the most damage. While there was quite a volume of structural damage it was our crowning glory, our trees, that took the brunt. The sheer weight of snow caused large, small and in between size trees to shed limbs and there was barely a street in Lithgow that did not experience this tree trauma. All over town it was a mess that would not quickly be cleaned up but sadly it was showplaces like Queen Elizabeth Park, Alexandra Park and the normally magnificent grounds of Hoskins Church and Eskbank House that were the real losses. Fallen limbs from large gum and pine trees also littered the car park at the Valley Plaza. All over town trees that had withstood the fury of nature for decades could not resist the pressing weight of the snow. Residents close to the mountain slopes around the valley reported hearing loud cracking noises all night Tuesday as trees fell apart. It was the big fall of 1970 all over again. But there were patches of beauty among the scenes of destruction; in Elizabeth Park pink blossoms from newly flowering springtime trees settled on the snow to create a delightful if all too brief image.

Long term project

STILL on the aftermath of the big chill, a Lithgow Council spokesman said yesterday that it could be a matter of weeks rather than days before the last of the debris from damaged trees is cleared. He said the overwhelming extent of the damage posed a huge challenge. Council has been concentrating its efforts since the storm on Queen Elizabeth Park where the damage was most severe and with it the potential danger to visitors. With regards to damaged trees on private property council will carry out a greenwaste collection in November but residents wishing to participate will need to register in advance at the council administration office. On collection day it will be the responsibility of the property owner to have the waste waiting at the usual garbage collection location.

Halloween dilemma

HALLOWEEN was a first for Lithgow last year and was hugely successful, so much so that it’s on again at the end of this month. But not everyone is happy. The bone of contention is the council decision to concentrate all of the activity in the east end block of Main Street. Business people further down the street, particularly the cafe proprietors, say they are being left out in the cold in a community celebration. They want to know why part of the entertainment is not being concentrated on Cook Plaza as it was last year, drawing huge crowds. It seems council is concerned at crowds spilling onto Main Street and they don’t want to close that section to traffic. The east end is being closed so that entertainment can be set up and that too has some business people riled. Last year traffic was a problem all through the CBD as none of the street was closed off, possibly because the size of the crowds was not anticipated. It’s a vexed issue but it’s easy to appreciate the frustration of the rate paying business people west of the east end ‘party block’.

Is Heaven real?

THERE’S a new release movie coming to the Lithgow Valley Community Cinema. Screening tomorrow at 2.45pm and 5.30pm is “Heaven Is For real”, a movie based on the best selling New York Times book of the year of the same name. Here, the true story of a four-year-old boy who survived an operation against all the odds is recounted. It also tells about the boy’s father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son’s story with the world. Bookings on 6353 1897 for the Sunday session are recommended.