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This weekend marks an important milestone for Strathfield.

It will see the first in a series of big events designed to transform Sydney’s view of the municipality – and hopefully position it as one of the movers and shakers of the inner-west.

It is, in effect, the launch of Brand Strathfield. Expect to hear much more of this in the coming weeks.

Nestled among the disused warehouses, peeling paint and “For Lease” signs lining Parramatta Road in Homebush, you’ll find a hive of activity in the form of a sleek cafe.

The Coffee Warehouse Cafe and Deli is crammed on a Sunday morning. There is a mixture of young families and old friends talking, laughing and eating pancakes and scrambled eggs.

The Warehouse is an incongruous addition to the most hated piece of bitumen in Australia, synonymous with gridlock, petrol fumes and road rage. Yet it represents a beacon of hope.

Four girls were indecently assaulted at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre earlier this week.

The girls, who were aged 12 and 13 years, were swimming in the whirlpool area when they were approached by a man in the pool who allegedly indecently assaulted them.

Police officers from Flemington LAC could not locate the offender, who is described as being 20-30 years old, medium build, tanned skin, short black hair and unshaven. At the time of the assault, he was wearing dark coloured short.

Sydney’s residential housing market may have been a little shaky over recent months, but Strathfield seems to have ridden out the economic storm better than most.

The latest research figures show that both house and unit prices have recorded steady growth over the last 12 months, outperforming many parts of the Inner West.

According to a new survey by RP Data, house prices in Strathfield have recorded a respectable 2.7 per cent growth over the past 12 months – at a time when many suburbs went into negative territory.

What do you see as the main challenges for the year ahead?

There are three major items in the coming 12 months that are of great importance to our area: the Strathfield Town Centre Project, release of the Local Environment Plan (LEP) and getting Strathfield a fully functioning police station.

I’m also passionate about cycling, and plan to raise the idea of introducing bike lanes. I’m not proposing to close roads but for there to be markings to indicate possible bike routes in the area.

Ten years ago Sydney was firmly under the sway of Mod Oz cuisine, a somewhat naïve attempt to forge a national food identity from the cultural melting pot that is Australia.

Asian fusion, its successor, seems an altogether more convincing foodie movement. What could be better than mixing Asian and European cuisines – or more natural than adapting traditional cooking techniques to suit Australian conditions and ingredients?

While the Sydney property market is struggling to shake off its winter blues, demand for residential property in Strathfield is remarkably strong – defying even the agents’ expectations.

The latest figures show Strathfield property prices rose by 7.5 per cent in August, despite Sydney’s general property market recording a modest 0.6 per cent price increase in the same month.

According to valuation company RP Data, the median price of a house in Strathfield was $1.3 million in July 2011 but rose to $1.7 million in the following month.

Strathfield's new-style Spring Festival was hailed a major new landmark on the municipality's social calendar after thousands joined a star-studded entertainment line up at the weekend.

Fireworks, kites and lanterns launched Day One of the two-day event, while the stars came out for a fabulous Spring Sunday of sunshine, including Justice Crew and Natalie Colavito.

Two new catwalk queens became the talk of the town after dazzling Fashion Week with cutting-edge designs – and they’re both from Strathfield and both soaked up their early creative inspiration at Santa Sabina College.

When Strathfield Council first mooted the launch of a new paper, some asked: “Why? Surely this is a digital age!”

Now, after 12 editions, and on the eve of our first birthday, no-one puts that question anymore.

Our exclusive front page stories, from the Town Centre redevelopment to bugs and cameras found in the private homes of councillors, have proved beyond doubt the Scenehas stuck to its proud proclamation: “Fiercely parochial.”

Virginia Judge has not lost any of her feistiness even after conceeding defeat at Saturday's state election, which handed victory to Liberal Charles Casuscelli.

Judge lashed out at colleagues following the defeat - "people know who they are" - for the loss, saying they did not act ethicallty and responsibly.