Maree has earned support
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ON Monday night we’ll be seeing the annual election of mayor for the final 12 month term of the present Lithgow Council. Vultures will be circling in a bid to unseat Mayor Maree Statham, either for ideological reasons or unfortunately familiar sheer spite. It is the view of the Lithgow Mercury that Mayor Statham deserves to be returned to serve out her four year term. Lithgow has been fortunate in having a succession of good mayors but Maree has brought a new dimension to the role of civic leadership — STYLE! And it’s style that always boosts substance. It has been a learning curve for Maree who landed in the top job in her first term in council. She has had to put up with a lot, mainly from people suffering from what could be best termed relevance deprivation. But even long term Labor councillor and one time deputy mayor Howard Fisher is on record as saying at a public forum that Maree has been ‘doing a good job under difficult circumstances’. Maree’s presence as the public face for Lithgow has created a favourable impression of our LGA. That’s not just the Mercury saying this; it’s the feedback we’re getting from far and wide. First impressions count for everything. And when that impression lasts well beyond the initial encounter it has to be a bonus. Maree and her deputy Ray Thompson have done a good job for their community. Between them they have turned up at more events than their predecessors would have dreamed of. They’ve earned their stripes; if the community wants a change they will have the opportunity in 12 months when the local government elections are scheduled.
Condescending, inaccurate!
PORTLAND business proprietor Rose Butler is not a happy woman. Rose is incensed at a recent Sydney media article which she says painted Portland in a very poor light. The article in the Sydney Morning Herald was a report following the murder of John Burrows in a booby trap. But Rose says the article diverted from the facts of the crime to paint Portland in a derogatory and condescending manner, including an inference that this was a ghost town. Among the misstatements was a claim that her family business, The Old Bank Cafe, was among the closed shops. The business is, in fact, alive and well. But what really led Rose to a call to arms was an earlier report that her daughter, a magazine editor, had died in an apparent suicide. The unfortunate victim was a lady of the same name but no connection to Rose’s daughter who is alive and well. “Someone clearly doesn’t do their homework,” she said.
Westfund’s the topic
HISTORY related events come thick and fast at this time of year. The latest brought to our notice is a History Month talk at Lithgow Library Learning Centre next Tuesday by Professor Greg Patmore. The talk will be on the topic of the origins and development of Lithgow’s Westfund — an organisation that boasts a unique place among Australia’s health insurers. Greg is currently writing a comprehensive history of Westfund from its origins as a self help venture by local miners. The talk gets under way at 5pm and all are welcome.
Let’s end the rot
TODAY the focus of the government generated Springvale fiasco is on the PAC hearing in the Union Theatre — an appropriate venue for the theatrics that come from some quarters. But that’s not the only show in town. The local mining union, the CFMEU, is organising what they term a ‘family picnic rally’ in Sydney’s Martin Place on September 17 to protest what is happening to Springvale. Buses are being provided so if you’re planning to show your support phone 6351 3287 to book your bus seat.