Wednesday, January 8: Lawson man's Antarctic escape.
After being stranded in Antarctica for 10 days on the stricken Russian research ship Akademik Shokalskiy, Lawson's Dr Ben Maddison is rescued by Australian ship Aurora Australis. The academic and adventure guide was one of 52 expedition members on board when the Russian ship became trapped in the ice on Christmas Eve.
Wednesday, January 15: Insurance gap assistance call.
Political tension grows over the cost of rebuilding homes destroyed by the October bushfires. Labor senator Doug Cameron encourages the state and federal governments to help fund the shortfall so under-insured bushfire victims can rebuild. However local MPs have accused him of politicising the recovery effort.
Wednesday, January 22: Mt Vic joins call to keep Phil.
The Mt Victoria community has joined calls with the mayor and others to ensure the support of the bushfire recovery committee and Phil Koperberg continues up until the end of March.
Wednesday, January 29: Celebrating all things Aussie. (PHOTO)
The Lower Blue Mountains Rotary Club presented Glenbrook with a big Aussie Day party. Included in the celebrations was the 10th anniversary of the Australian gnome convention, proving to be a huge hit for adults and children alike.
Wednesday, February 5: Koperberg extension fails to quell recovery concerns.
Phil Koperberg's term as co-ordinator of the Blue Mountains bushfire recovery team was extended by two weeks, but the decision fell significantly below councillors' expectations. Mayor Mark Greenhill told the Gazette: "This extension is better than nothing, but it's not long enough."
Wednesday, February 12: Katoomba's big drug bust.
A six-month investigation into drug dealing in the Katoomba area culminated with raids on a number of properties in the Upper Mountains and the arrest of 12 people. More than 70 charges were laid. The drugs seized included heroin, ice, ecstasy, LSD, cocaine and cannabis.
Wednesday, February 19: Koperberg departs disillusioned.
If Phil Koperberg had his way he would've remained employed as bushfire recovery chief until the end of bushfire season - the end of March. On Mr Koperberg's final day at the company, it was clear that although he was incredibly proud at what he has achieved, he was bitterly disappointed in the petty politics that restricted him from continuing his job.
Wednesday, February 26: Last shop in Woodford? (PHOTO)
Local retailer Damian Baker - owner of Transit Espresso and Blue Mountains Bikes - noticed an anomaly in council's current and proposed planning instruments and asked for changes. Mayor Mark Greenhill told the Gazette "as elected councillors we will do what we can to make sure we don't see an end to the shops at Woodford".
Wednesday, March 5: Sarah's death: driver found guilty.
A truck driver was found guilty over the death of former Springwood student Sarah Frazer who died tragically on the Hume Highway in 2012. Kaine Daniel Barnett will be sentenced next month.
Wednesday, March 12: Nik's vision. (PHOTO)
Nik Schack-Evans is just over two and already has had three rounds of surgery to save his sight. Now, there is a new charity in his name.
Wednesday, March 19: Winmalee Home rises from ashes.
Five months after the horrific bushfires, one Winmalee block is set to have a new home on it. Dick and Therese Hurst lost everything on October 17 but next week the new roof will go on.
Wednesday, March 26: Million dollar drug lab shut down in Sun Valley.
Police have arrested two men and shut down a million dollar drug laboratory in Sun Valley. Police seized 1.5kg of MDA, with an estimated street value of $1.5 million. Robert Renshaw and Victor Chiruta will both face Parramatta Local Court within the next month.
Wednesday, April 2: Damage control: Katoomba mops up after severe storm.
A severe hailstorm in Katoomba caused havoc inside Blue Mountains Hospital as the ageing roof struggled to withhold the weather. Fortunately, no patients were affected and general manager Andrea Williams stressed damage was caused in corridors and in common areas, not wards. The Premier, Barry O'Farrell visited, praising emergency workers. The storm that had brought 20 mm of rain in just 30 minutes also significantly affected Katoomba Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Wednesday, April 9: Honoring our heroes, our spirit. (PHOTO)
The official opening ceremony of Springwood Foundation Day reflected on the devastating fires of less than six months ago. Mayor Mark Greenhill presented certificates of appreciation to eight key groups involved in the local recovery effort. Proceeds from the festival went to Springwood and Winmalee Neighbourhood Centres.
Wednesday, April 16: The girls set to meet a future King. (PHOTO)
Most of the 80 girls involved in the Springwood-Winmalee girl guides are expected to be at the hall where the royals will meet with the Rural Fire Service and plant a tree to replace many that were lost during last year's bushfires. The royals were also expected to meet with residents affected by the fires and take a visit to Echo Point.
Wednesday, April 23: Royal fever sweeps Mountains.
A vigil of nearly seven hours paid off for Wentworth Falls girl, Ainslie Zakis and her cousins, Alexandra and Sophia Witting, when they were randomly chosen to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon Tourism's Randall Walker and Scenic World's Anthea Hammon showed the couple the breathtaking views. The mayor said it was the boost the economy needed.
Wednesday, April 30: Community rallies behind family of teen fisherman.
Springwood High School student Michael "Mikey" Ryall, drowned while on a fishing trip with his 15 year-old brother at Wentworth Falls Lake. Emergency services were called to the lake just after 5pm on April 23, finding his body 34 metres from the bank at about 10.30pm. His death is believed to have been from a combination of the cold water and being weighed down by heavy cargo pants.
Wednesday, May 7: Katoomba theatre hopes alive.
The future of the old Katoomba Library was discussed at a packed and tense council meeting. There was widespread community support for the concept of a theatre in Katoomba but conflicting opinions about who should run it and no guarantee of council funds. Councillors voted to manage bookings for a six-month trial period to ensure fair access.
Wednesday, May 14: Parachuting plane puts 'Lawson airport' on map.
Lawson became the site of a temporary airport when pilot Peter Edwards and two passengers were forced to parachute at 1300 metres, crash-landing in Sheila Riordan's front yard on Saturday. The remains of the Cirrus light plane were still drawing crowds of sightseers on Monday. Former RAAF engineer, Don Lynch of Woodford, called the escape from disaster "incredible."
Wednesday, May 21: Bushfire class action lodged.
Last Friday residents of the Lower Mountains lodged action against Endeavour Energy claiming inadequate maintenance of a tree near power lines. They claim it ultimately led to the fire that destroyed 200 homes and damaged just as many. Lawyer Brendan Pendergast says the claim is likely to exceed $200 million and involve as many as 600 owners. Lead plaintiff Sean Johnston, who lost his Buena Vista Rd home, said the fire was "100 per cent preventable".
Wednesday, May 28: Katoomba RSPCA to close.
Katoomba's animal shelter and pound is due to close before the end of the year.The RSPCA told staff last week they had just six months of work before the doors were permanently shut.
Wednesday, June 4: Save our shelter.
Silvia Ford, one of the earliest members of the Katoomba RSPCA branch, feels cheated by the closure of the shelter. She has launched a campaign on change.org calling on CEO Steve Coleman to reverse his decision. In early June Ms Ford's petition already had 1200 signatures and growing support.
Wednesday, June 11: Bob the builder's honour leaves him tickled pink.
Katoomba's professor Robert Whittaker is the Mountains latest member of the Order of Australia. Mr Whittaker, who designed the Apprentices Arch bridge which links a pedestrian walkway between Katoomba and Leura, said he was "tickled pink" with the honour.
Wednesday, June 18: Make the magic happen.
The Winter Magic festival will celebrate its 21st birthday, despite initial fears from the committee that it was financially unviable. On average the festival costs $100,000 to run and they were still $7000 short. It was proposed that on the day the Ruby Bloomers Women's Circus collect paper donations from the crowd.
Wednesday, June 25: Winter Magic warms hearts.
The 2014 Winter Magic festival was a huge success, attracting over 35,000 locals and visitors. Not only was the weather perfect but the inaugural donation collection drive raised $5000.
Wednesday, July 2: Aaron's brave battle.
Aaron Sharman was bitten by a tick in April last year when playing in his Linden backyard. Within two weeks he found it difficult to walk 10 steps. Eventually a Blaxland GP diagnosed him with Lyme disease which is expensive to treat and not covered by Medicare.
Wednesday, July 9: Anja soars: Is she The Voice?
18-year-old Anja Nissen from Yarramundi is growing increasingly famous as she continues in the popular Australian TV show, The Voice. Her goal is to gain attention from a producer who will commit to a recording contract.
Wednesday, July 16: Bridging the generation gap in Springwood.
Despite only playing for 18 months, Faulconbridge teenager William Brazier has already earned himself a "legendary status" at the Springwood Bridge Club. The club has welcomed him warmly and his weekly partner is 90 year-old Jozsef Sumeghy.
Wednesday, July 23: Good Anja: Singer named The Voice. (PHOTO)
Ex-Winmalee High student Anja Nissen has won season three of popular channel 9 show The Voice, taking home a $100,000 prize, a new car and a recording contract. The 18-year-old will leave for America in a few months to begin songwriting with award-winning producer and coach Will.i.am.
Wednesday, July 30: What are you willing to pay for?
Blue Mountains residents are given three options about "resourcing our future"; maintaining, reducing or increasing council's service levels. Mayor Mark Greenhill said council is stuck between a rock and a hard place and "despite our best efforts, costs are rising at a greater rate than our income".
Wednesday, August 6: New bushfire clearing laws in play. (PHOTO)
New laws have been passed giving homeowners more power to remove trees and vegetation that could be a bushfire hazard. Residential property owners in high risk zones can now remove trees within 10 metres of their home and vegetation within 50 metres without council approval.
Wednesday, August 13: Riding to turn addiction around.
Blaxland family caseworker and chaplain Megan Watson has signed up for the Sydney to the Hunter Cycling Classic, raising funds for a Christian-based organisation, Teen Challenge. The Yarramundi charity helps men aged 18-35 battling addiction. They also helped her son, Joel.
Wednesday, August 20: Blaxland skater mourned.
On Saturday August 9, Blaxland High School graduate, 19 year-old Jarrod Samson-Hills, fell tragically to his death from a sixth floor balcony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Terrigal. After suffering severe head and internal injuries he was rushed to Gosford Hospital then transferred to Royal North Shore where he died later that night.
Wednesday August 27: Calling it quits: voters back to polls. (PHOTO)
Two councillors, Robert Stock and Geordie Williamson, have resigned after a heated blow-up over the city's financial woes, with both saying they no longer felt council is working in the community's best interests.
Wednesday, September 3: RSPCA bows to people power: Katoomba shelter to stay open
The passion of the Mountains community members who rallied and fought against the closure of the animal shelter in Katoomba has forced the RSPCA to change its mind. CEO Steve Coleman said the wave of sudden support was "overwhelming" and although budget cuts were inevitable they were committed to keeping the shelter open.
Wednesday, September 10: All smiles for Jett after miracle recovery from car collision.
On Tuesday September 2, ambulance paramedics and CareFlight's Medical trauma team rushed to Yellow Rock to airlift nine-year-old Jett Reid to hospital after he was hit by a car and thrown 50 metres. Miraculously Jett suffered no breaks or internals and his CT scan showed only slight bruising to the brain. After stitching up his head and an overnight stay, Jett was allowed to leave the next day unscathed.
Wednesday, September 17: Struggling centre knocked back.
Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre helped hundreds of people after the fires. So it was with dismay that staff and volunteers learnt that their application for grants under the bushfire recovery program had only been partially successful, missing out on what they needed most - a new staff member.
Wednesday, September 24: Hamming it up with Shakespeare. (PHOTO)
After the devastating impact of last year's October fires, Bell Shakespeare donated a special performance on September 16 to 120 students from Springwood and Winmalee High Schools.
Wednesday, October 1: Steep rate rise on the cards.
Blue Mountains City Council say 80 per cent of people who voted in the rate survey want the highest rate rise. Mountains residents have three options: to improve service levels at a cost of $2.18 a week for the next four years, to maintain service levels with an extra $1.69 a week rise, or to reduce them with a rise of just 53 cents a week. Mayor Mark Greenhill said he was "pleasantly surprised" with the number of people who responded, over 4000.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014: Arson fears in St Columba's blaze.
St Columba's Catholic College is hit by a suspicious fire days before Year 12 students sit their HSC exams and only a week away from the one-year anniversary of 2013 bushfires. Some HSC woodwork and textile entries were destroyed in the blaze with total damage estimated to be $10 million.
Wednesday, October 15: From disaster to dream home. (PHOTO)
The Bowman family was one of many to lose their home in the 2013 fires. Almost one year to the day they are living in their rebuilt "dream house". Fortunately for the Bowmans, they were only one week away from lodging an application to council to build a second story extension. With community support they were able to rebuild their home better than they ever imagined.
Wednesday, October 22: Bushfire hero awarded medal from the pope.
St Thomas Aquinas school principal Serge Rosato was awarded a rare medal from the Pope during a moving service to commemorate one year on from the fires. Archbishop Anthony Fisher presented the gold papal medal, the Benemerenti medal for his exceptional service. Mr Rosato led the 250 students and staff to safety whilst his own house burnt down.
Wednesday, October 29: Adventurer given top gong while Swift sculpts by the sea.
An epic circumnavigation of Australia earnt Katoomba adventure guide Jason Beachcroft the top Australian Geographic adventurer of the year award. And Katoomba artist Ian Swift marked his 10th selection in Sculpture by the Sea.
Wednesday November 5: Community rally behind fire family.
A family in Katoomba's Cliff Drive is inundated with support after losing their home in a bushfire on the weekend.
Wednesday, November 12: No to rate rise.
Liberal councillor Brendan Christie will vote against council rate rise. And Glenbrook's Kevin Robinson, who set up Little Wings, which transports seriously ill children from remote areas to city hospitals, announced NSW Australian of the Year Local Hero.
Wednesday, November 19: Heroes of the sky.
The helicopter pilots who are helping save the Mountains from bushfires.
Wednesday, November 26: Council by-elections.
Two new women voted in, bringing to three the number of women on council. Memorial to Blaxland skateboarder Jarrod Samson-Hills, 19, who died in a fall from a hotel room in August.
Wednesday, December 3: The dementia patient who stole a hearse.
The family of the dead man, Seth Richardson, see the funny side of a mad day when their brother's coffin and hearse were briefly stolen.
Wednesday, December 10: Back from The Edge.
The Edge cinema gets a new owner and will remain a movie complex. And a week of thunderstorms leaves the Mountains in a puddle
Wednesday, December 17: Ratepayers to keep on giving.
Council votes to ask the regulator to approve the highest of three rate-rise options. The 40.4 per cent rise over the next four years will cost ratepayers $2.18 extra each week and businesses $5.25 more.
