As promised from last week, I got hold of a Strava heat map this week showing where locals has been running in the last week. I'll admit I'm very impressed. We're clearly very lucky here - Annandale sits right in the middle of the Bay Run / Rozelle Parklands / Glebe Foreshore Walk / City corridor, one of the busiest running stretches in the whole city. Funnily enough, there's also a half marathon running along this route on Sunday night. No wonder the map glows.

Local creative dad Doug Hamilton has written Nippers: An Unfortunately Non-Waterproof Field Guide, an illustrated book for kids 8 and up. It's about 30 sea creatures who all go to Nippers, same as local kids. It's a beautifully crafted work, but Doug has no agent or publisher. Does anyone know a children's publisher, editor or agent, or someone at Surf Life Saving Australia? Hit reply and I'll connect you with Doug.

Last week I said the plan to shut a stretch of Trafalgar St for Halloween looked like a lock, but I'm getting mixed reports now. From reader reports: a submission did go in to close the road between Piper St South and Booth St from 3 to 6pm. But one of the Trafalgar residents chasing the closure, Simon, reckons council told another local they wouldn't help, and it'd be on the residents to sort public liability insurance and wear the costs (which would be crazy). Let's see what happens. Word is Annandale St may have an application in too, so the idea's clearly got legs somewhere. Any street that fancies a car-free patch for the trick-or-treaters can still put in an application by 9 October, over on the council site. (Source: Inner West Council FB Page)

The state reckons the Inner West needs to take more housing, and a fair few locals agree we can't keep growing the population without somewhere for people to live. The argument now is over where the trade-off lands (and there is a long blog post here offering criticism of the plan). You can also read and have your say on the plan here. Meanwhile 220 new essential worker apartments are already going up at The Joinery on the old WestConnex site on Parra Rd. So I want to know where you land:

We'll share some comments next week

There's a plover family holding on in Rozelle Parklands, and by the looks of it they're down to one chick. Between the walkers, dogs and cyclists doing laps, that fluffy little thing darting across the grass on skinny legs has done well to make it this far. A local spotted it out with a wary parent close behind and posted the photo below. Here's hoping it hangs in long enough to grow its feathers and fly. (Source: Annandale 2038 FB Group)

Notices have gone up at the Whites Creek wetlands warning of an algal bloom in the water, flagged as non-toxic. A local, Sue, walked past and raised concern about sludge sitting over several of the ponds. It's not the prettiest sight right now. Others through the same week reported the wildlife holding up, spotting mature turtles, active frogs and fish. If you've seen the notices, we'd like to hear how it's looking. (Source: Annandale 2038 FB Group)

A new real-time departure board has gone up at the Parramatta Rd stop at Mallett St, across from Savers. A local spotted it ticking off the next services to the minute - the 440 to Bondi Junction plus the 413, 483 and 480. It runs on a solar panel and an e-ink screen, so it needs no mains power. Pretty neat. Source: Annandale 2038 FB Group

Sincerely,

Mark (resident of Annandale)