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CFA TRIBUTE WALK OF LIFE Medal presented at home Relay strength in numbers PAGE 3 Wednesday, 8 March 2017
PAGES 14-15
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World of sport ends Long-time Pakenham SportsPower owners Ali and Richard Fromhold are looking to the future for their next exciting chapter after handing the reins of the store over to new owners, Han Zhang and Jiao Shen.The changeover makes it the first time in nearly 26 years that the Fromhold family name hasn’t been associated with SportsPower. For the full story of Richard and Ali’s history with the much-loved Main Street business, turn to page 7. 165624 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Hoons rev it up By Bonny Burrows An estimated 150 cars engaged in a mass “hoon” gathering at Pakenham’s Bate Close last week, jolting nearby residents from their sleep. Police were called to the industrial estate about 11.20pm Thursday night after reports of burnouts and hoon behaviour and arrived to find the large crowd using the road as a makeshift drift track. Pakenham Police Sergeant Darren Shaw said those involved had travelled from as far as the western suburbs, with the majority aged be-
tween 18 and 25 years old. After “weeding out” onlookers and those participating in the illicit activities police issued penalty notices to eight cars, while another vehicle was impounded on Bald Hill Road after being clocked doing 120 kilometres in an 80 kilometre per hour zone. Under anti-hoon laws police are able to impound, immobilise or permanently confiscate vehicles involved in hoon activities. On top of vehicle seizure, if a person is found guilty of a hoon driving
offence a loss of licence and demerit points can apply, and fines of almost $34,000 can be imposed, as well as a prison sentence of up to two years. Sergeant Shaw condemned the behaviour as dangerous, risking the lives of both drivers and spectators. “They (hoons) tend to favour the industrial estates as in their minds they think it’s safe, but they are putting themselves and onlookers in danger,” Sergeant Shaw said. Local residents said the road had been a hoon hotspot in the past, presumably for its “very wide road and
wide bowl of the court” but things had died down for the past 12 months. One Bate Close resident, who did not want to be named, described Thursday as a night of not much sleep thanks to the sounds of screeching car tyres and rowdy behaviour. He estimated a higher number of people were involved than thought by police, as there were up to four people in each vehicle. Many had cut fences and fled through paddocks and across the railway tracks upon police arrival.
He said it wasn’t until morning locals realised the true extent of the night’s activities. “There were hundreds of kids out there and they’ve made a mess of the street,” the resident said. “There is lots of damage; fences upside down and ripped open, shredded tyres and lots of burnout marks. “They’re lucky no-one was hurt.” Police advise anyone who witnesses hoon behaviour to report the vehicle’s registration and details to police immediately.
Finals mind games Barfuss pulls no punches SPORT