WHAT many shopkeepers are describing as their ‘nightmare on Main Street’ moved to a whole new level on Monday, February 19, with one way traffic set to now continue for some weeks.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Rightly or wrongly the shopkeepers are blaming the ‘beautification’ program for a marked downturn in trade and their frustration at delays isn’t helped with days like on Friday when there’s no evident work taking place in Cook Plaza.
There are possibly good reasons for the down days but even Mayor Lesslie is joining the business fraternity in publicly criticising the slow rate of progress.
The ‘beautification’ works are surely not the only reason for the downturn — shoppers are a fickle lot and don’t like having their routine — or familiar parking opportunities — particularly in the midst of a scorching summer when an air conditioned off street facility has an increased appeal.
And a good news week
WHILE Lithgow’s Main Street looks to better days ahead there’s some really good news at the other end of town with the government via Paul Toole announcing a million or so for creation of an adventure playground in Endeavour Park.
The playground topped the list in a public survey of what the public wanted in special grant applications. Now it seems the wish has been granted and will hopefully soon be delivered.
It will be recalled that in the life of the previous council there was a move to sell off a sizeable chunk of the park for real estate to finance the playground.
Public outcry led to that one being binned and the latest development has vindicated the decision.
We get the playground and the park won’t be sacrificed to developers, at least for now.
The snake on Main
THAT snake that went shopping in Target, as reported in the Mercury on Friday, wasn’t the only slippery customer to come to town that day.
There was more excitement (and a little obvious agitation) mid morning when a snake (reported to be a red bellied black by one expert onlooker) crossed Main Street in front of Rockstar.
Police turned up batons in hand to deal with the jayslitherer (it hadn’t used the pedestrian crossing) until a catcher arrived.
But there was a body of opinion that Mr or Mrs Snake may have already been on the way out after being hit by a car but it still brightened a quiet morning.
Sorry about that — again!
DIVERGING from local affairs for the moment, like him or loathe him you have to give Donny Trump his due — he’s getting good at issuing condolences.
