RESIDENTIAL ESTATE COMPETITIONS
Judging takes place each week. As the estate competition is run on a league basis, each area has a chance to gain marks on a weekly basis. As mentioned last week, some areas would gain extra marks by removing weeds in particular.

CAMLIN & DISTRICT ANGLERS CLUB
This club has done great work at the Camlin and we nominated them for an award in our 2004 Tidy Towns application. Apart from work on keeping supplies of fish in the river, they also erected ramps at the Mall to enable disabled persons to fish. The club were also responsible for the attractive weir in the river under the bridge (at the entrance to the Mall).

TREES
We are currently lobbying to have a long term strategy put in place regarding trees in our town. We feel it is also important to have advice readily available to residential groups, property owners and developers regarding selection of appropriate trees, tree maintenance etc. Thanks to those property owners who have agreed in recent weeks to plant trees.

DERELICT BUILDINGS
We call on derelict property owners (for the umpteenth time) to paint their buildings. Other property owners have set an example to follow and it is so disappointing to see a number of buildings around town, particularly on Great Water Street, left looking so ugly. We have said before that Longford can become a beautiful town - we call on everyone to approach relevant property owners to play their part in making this happen.

WINDOWS
The design and quality of wooden windows present a more attractive appearance than aluminium or uPVC frames. Tidy Towns judges and other environmental organisations constantly praise those who keep wooden windows. A walk around town shows that there is little appreciation of wooden windows. When you look down a street next time, contrast the cluttered and untidy look of swing out windows compared to the tidiness of wooden windows which move up or down. Contrary to public perception, wooden windows can be cheaper in the long term. Wooden windows can actually last for centuries while the life of typical uPVC frames is supposed to be around twenty years!

We congratulate the Temperance Hall and owner of properties at Keon's Terrace for the retention of wooden windows and hope that other property owners will think about the 'Wooden Option' in future.

CEMETERIES
Tidy Towns judges take cemeteries into account in their judging and we recently reviewed the standard of Longford Town's cemeteries. We were pleasantly surprised at the level of maintenance etc in our main cemeteries. The Ballymacormack Cemetery wall (side facing road heading towards Longford Slashers) does not reflect the standard inside the cemetery and an improvement to this wall would really enhance the cemetery.