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Meet our new top cop
Corruption foiled By Cam Lucadou-Wells No one shaped Casey’s affairs more than the state’s anti-corruption body, which delivered damning findings on local councillors as well as proposing radical changes in planning across the state. The Independent Broadbased Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) tabled its Operation Sandon report in July – an inquiry that provided jaw-dropping allegations of political payments including cash in a suitcase. Former Casey mayors Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett were especially highlighted for accepting more than $1.15 million in payments and in-kind support from developer John Woodman. They were found to promote Woodman’s interests in several key planning decisions at Casey without declaring their conflict of interest. Woodman was also found to cultivate influence at state government level, paying lobbyists and donating generously to Labor and Liberal party coffers. He’d also funded 11 ‘friendly’ candidates’ campaigns in the Casey elections in 2016, and was linked to a community residents action group funded by developer Leightons. It’s yet to be seen whether Aziz and Ablett will face criminal charges. IBAC has powers to refer alleged criminality to the Office of Public Prosecutions to make that call. Both councillors and Woodman have denied wrong-doing. Many of the “elaborate” financial arrangements were designed to give the “appearance of legitimacy”, IBAC acting commissioner Stephen Farrow said in handing down the report. The bombshell public inquiry, which led to 34 recommendations, had several other farreaching consequences. It precipitated the State Government’s sacking of Casey councillors in 2020, placing the council under administration for four years. The Government enthusiastically received IBAC’s recommendation to take planning decisions out of councillors’ hands and instead made by independent expert panels. More details are being awaited of the Government’s new planning regime – touted to fast-track housing supply. The Government has been less enthusiastic to adopt
IBAC’s advice to ban political donations from “high-risk” groups such as developers. In October, voters will decide on the make-up of the next Casey Council. How many of the 11 sacked councillors will stand for re-election and the extent of their punishment at the ballot box will be intriguing. Farrow said as a group, Casey councillors had exhibited and tolerated behaviour that was below the standards expected of them. Some made a “conscious departure” from the standards, others had a “poor understanding” of their obligations. IBAC deputy commissioner David Wolf said the report “laid bare” corruption risks in council decision-making and with political donations at state and local government levels. “What is clear is that the conduct of individual councillors severely damaged the standing of Casey Council with their local community.
“It showed the ease with which council governance requirements can be manipulated or disregarded by councillors who are minded to do so.” IBAC’s investigation revealed councillors were incapable of dealing with the “complexity” of planning matters, Wolf said at the time. “And then of course, you have the corruption vulnerabilities exposed in this report.” Earlier last year, Coroner David Ryan recommended that IBAC does more to alleviate witnesses’ uncertainty about being prosecuted as soon as possible. This followed the suicide of former Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon, who believed she was headed to jail as a result of the IBAC allegations. IBAC has since confirmed that Stapledon wasn’t facing prosecution.
IBAC acting commissioner Stephen Farrow and deputy commissioner David Wolf. 350301 Picture: CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
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New top cop on the block By Sahar Foladi The new Southern Metro Region Assistant Commissioner is set to further his extensive years in Victoria Police. Chris Gilbert just started off in Greater Dandenong as the new Assistant Commissioner for the Southern region, after he spent more than 33 years of service in a handful of roles. “I’m still finding my way around the area and I’m very impressed with what I see particularly with police personnel here. “I’ve encountered very happy and committed staff working in this area,” he said. “I’m encouraged that they have very strong relationship with the community, and we’ve seen that through recent community events.” As anti-social behaviours and hoon events became the frustration of residents throughout 2023, there’s a hope that operations such as Achilles and operation Hades will help to bring some peace to residents. “What we’ve seen through that is significant reduction in high risk driving events particularly hooning events, so we know that Operation Achilles has worked very well. “We have a very keen eye on hoon driving behaviour because road trauma is incredibly important for us to reduce.” There were 289 lives lost on Victorian roads last year as Victoria Police raised alarms over the holiday period. As reported previously by Star Journal in November 2023, Operation Hades saw a crackdown on hooning activities along with high risk driving among others. Over the two-day operation 345 issues were identified, including 79 defective vehicles, more than $50,000 fines issues and rows of impounded cars. “We run these kinds of operations very frequently not just in Dandenong but whole region so that’s a very good example just to demonstrate that we are out there listening and focusing on the risks to road safety from hoons. “We’re very clear that road trauma is completely avoidable, so our focus is helping people understand when they drive, that their
Southern Metro Region Assistant Commissioner, Chris Gilbert. decision making will largely be the difference between a road trauma or not.” Although Operations Achilles was launched in February 2021 in response to increased hooning activities, the issue remained at large. The Springvale Mega Mart shopping centre was brought under the police radar just after a year of the operation in progress. As reported previously in March by Star Journal, nearby sleepless neighbours complained of the “shotgun” like noises. “Overall, people do a very god job but it’s really up to everybody to try and contribute.
Picture: SUPPLIED
“For those who don’t want to do that, we’ll continue with the operations we have people out there enforcing road rules.” Anti-social behaviours such as robbery, house break-ins are also of major concerns to the Greater Dandenong community however Mr Gilbert says there have been reductions in offences of that kind. “We look at some other indicators in what that looks like, and we know in the Greater Dandenong area included, we’ve seen some very good drop-offs in offending types such as robbery over the last few months.
“We’ve also seen reduction in burglary of businesses,” he said. “We’re seeing reductions in offences and I think that’s actually from understanding where some of those behaviours are occurring.” Businesses finding it challenging in Dandenong CBD are also advised to flag any ongoing issues with the Neighbourhood Policing program. “It’s very important for council and local business concerned about ongoing issues to raise the issue with the register,” Mr Gilbert said. “That can help us to be more focused on where we do our patrolling. “We work in a large area but we have sufficient resources to be able to respond. “Whilst we may not get to everything immediately, the community should be reasonably confident that we will respond to serious incidents in all occasions and if there’s no immediate result these do go to other investigations which may take longer to resolve but there’s certainly no lack of attention to those.” As summer rolls out, residents are strongly advised to play their part and ensure cars and homes are locked. “One of our important messages currently is for people to ensure not to leave valuables in the car and their car is locked. “We’re seeing far too many incidents where cars are stolen, the cars are not locked, and valuables are visible in the car,” he said. “Generally, we find that if residents take those steps, they won’t have their houses broken into. “That’s something we’d like the community to work with us on.” Along with the experiences and awards that come with his extensive career in Victoria Police, Mr Gilbert added a King’s Birthday honour in 2023 to his list of achievements as one of the six officers recognised. The award recognised his contribution to community safety, intelligence and covert policing among a few as he led the Victoria Police’s Intelligence and Covert Support Command.
Battin office finally secures a location By Corey Everitt The year has started off promising for Berwick MP Brad Battin as his long-awaited electorate office has finally secured a location. After over a year running an informal mobile office that saw Mr Battin hopping between local cafes and restaurants, he took to facebook on Thursday 4 January to announce that his constituents will soon be able to find him and his staff in a permanent office in the heart of Berwick. Mr Battin office will be on 4-6 Wheeler Street just off High Street, Berwick. The loca-
tion was formerly a TAB. “There will be no betting here, it’s 100 percent odds on,” Mr Battin quipped in his facebook video. This comes after a long wait ever since the last State Election in November, when Mr Battin’s former seat of Gembrook was abolished which made his old office in Officer redundant as he nominated and was elected to the new seat of Berwick. State Parliament offices are responsible for securing an electorate office for MPs, as the weeks turned to months and then eventually to a year, Mr Battin became increasingly frus-
trated as his constituents had no easy place to find him locally. He resorted to raising the issue in Parliament itself in November last year. He said in session, “it is getting to a stage that is ridiculous – that a lower house member of this Parliament cannot get an office in their electorate to represent those that they are supposed to represent, a place for the local community to go.” With a location secured, Mr Battin wishes this to be the home stretch for the new office, saying in the facebook post that he hopes works on site will start this month.
Berwick MP Brad Battin has secured a location for a local office. 308354 Picture: SUPPLIED
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Rail bridge takes shape
L-beams form the ‘U’ shape of the bridge where the trains will run. The bridge that will see trains flying above Pakenham is starting to take shape as the Level Crossing Removal Project reaches a significant milestone. The last of 272 L-beams have been put in place, these are massive concrete formations that are joined together to for the ’U’ shape of the bridge to which the trains will pass
through. This leaving a continues concrete ribbon above Pakenham’s busy level crossings to which commuters can now get a sense of what will be a 2.5km rail bridge allowing trains to cross above Main Street, Racecourse Road and McGregor Road.
Each L-beam was significant work to transport, lift and place as they measure upwards of 32m in length and weigh up to 135 tonnes each. Achieving the last of 272 is a significant milestone as the project enters it’s home stretch with expected completion of level crossing removal project to be this year.
Along with removing three level crossings, the project will see new stations open for Pakenham and Pakenham East. The bridge will create a claimed six MCGs worth of open space between McGregor Road and Main Street.
L-beams measure upwards of 32m in length and weigh up to 135 tonnes each.
Placing an L-beam.
The last 272 L-beams have been placed for the 2.5km rail bridge.
The rail bridge will remove three level crossings in Pakenham.
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L-R: Lyndhurst Secondary College students Cindy Phao, Janelle Bias, Olivia Argaet and Michelle Prak.
Students against vaping By Emma Xerri Over 80 students from Fountain Gate Secondary College, St Francis Xavier College and Lyndhurst Secondary College have taken part in this year’s Safer Cities Project. The project aims to empower young people to become agents for change on safety issues that affect them, their peers and their community. The latest issue on that list: youth vaping. Hoping to educate the local community on the rising physical, mental and environmental safety impacts of vaping, the students have joined forces with the City of Casey to deliver
a series of community safety initiatives that centre around the growing dangers and risks of youth vaping. “It is so important that our youth have an active voice and role in sharing the real dangers of this growing issue in our country,” said the City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff. “This initiative is all about engaging Casey’s young people to get involved and become the voice of change on various safety issues.” The first phase of the Safer Cities Project saw the council deliver a school conference in July, in partnership with Vic Police, VicHealth
and Quit VIC. With funding from VicHealth, the event included a series of information sessions and presentations, followed by a competition where students were invited to create an educational video to help inform their peers on the topic of vaping. The three schools were the award winners, selected by a judging panel consisting of members from Council, VicHealth and Vic Police, based on their creativity and informative content. “Through the City of Casey’s Innovation Fund, we are proud to support this student-led project with a $25,000 grant to activate their
ted i Limots g! l nin i a rem
winning ideas. We thoroughly look forward to seeing the creative pieces that come out of next year’s project,” Ms Duff added Phase two of the project is currently underway, with the winning students working alongside the council, sector professionals and Monash Health to determine how best to share their messaging, and provide information on where young people can get help with quitting. The project is set to conclude mid 2024 with the group looking at developing an informative video resource for distribution online, in schools and the community.
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Toomuc Creek was a raging torrent on Monday.
Unfortunately, the extra water at Lakeside caused debris and rubbish to overflow.
Cardinia Road copped it again with numerous sections subject to flooding including near the Monash Freeway exit.
Flash flooding hits Cardinia By Corey Everitt, Matthew Sims & Nick Sinis Cardinia was the busiest area in Metropolitan Melbourne for the SES on Monday 8 January as a severe downpour flooded roads, damaged roofs, saw creeks transformed into rushing torrents and required four was rescue. About 48.8 millimetres of rainfall recorded on Monday 8 January led to the wet conditions, with Pakenham SES attending to 76 call outs between Berwick and Bunyip, which would keep them out for over 16 hours from their first call at 1.53am to the finish of their last job at 7.30pm. They responded to 51 calls out for flooding, seven trees events, and six building damage call-outs. “It’s definitely one of the busiest days we have had in five years,“ said Pakenham SES deputy controller Shayne Honey. Statewide, Cardinia was the third busiest area for the SES, behind Bendigo and Kilmore. Narre Warren and Whitehorse SES units were called in to assist efforts. Road rescues Four rescues were conducted, one of which was on Greenhills Road in Pakenham for the occupants of a vehicle which got stuck and broke down at approximately 4.30am. Another occurred on Princes Highway by the intersection with Hope Street, Bunyip when flood waters resulted in a car going into the barrier. All individuals in both rescues were recovered safely and unharmed. Just coming out of the exceptional day, Mr Honey wished to remind residents to take precautions in such conditions. “When people are driving, you must drive to the conditions. Do not drive in flooded roads, it’s not worth the risk to your car or your life,“ he said. “Around the home you should make sure you are prepared like keeping your gutters clear, if you are in a low-lying area make sure you are checking conditions, stay alert on the VicEmergency website or app and the BOM website. Prepare and monitor.“ Most of all he wished to thank the tireless work of volunteers from Pakenham, Narre Warren and Whitehorse. “Throughout the day, there were about 30 volunteers responding to calls at any given time,“ Mr Honey said. “We thank our volunteers, the families for their support and employers for allowing the time off for our members. “They are out all day away from home and their families for this work.“ Pakenham was the busiest in the Cardinia area, followed close by Bunyip. Rapid response A large portion of jobs were responding to houses which needed assistance in preventing flood damage or helping those which had already received damage from the weather conditions. Toomuc Creek rose significantly due to the rainfall overnight, with videos showing the waterway moving quickly and overflowing. Lakeside Pakenham also overflowed onto the footpaths, leaving debris and rubbish behind. Hundreds of call-outs were received by the 6 STAR NEWS
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Motorists were forced to cross a flooded section of Cardinia Road on Monday.
The gravel section of Lecky Road was largely under water. state’s emergency services, including fallen trees and building damage. Emergency Management Victoria issued emergency warnings for those in Seymour and Yea, with residents advised to evacuate immediately, while Bendigo residents received a ’watch and act’ alert to move to higher ground. Traffic trouble The rain was severe enough to knock out traffic lights. Motorists travelling on Princes Highway mid-morning on Monday were shown flashing yellow at the intersection with Starling
There were still plenty of locals going for a stroll on Monday afternoon at Pakenham Lakeside, which had overflowed earlier in the day. Pictures: NICK SINIS
Road, after rain seeped into the controller and disabled the system. Motorists had to rely on each other through the intersection for approximately 90 minutes. The Department of Transport reported a team was dispatched who had the lights up and running again just after 10.30am. While during Monday night, Cardinia Road was closed due to flooding south of Wenn Road after a number of vehicles broke down. A minor flood warning was issued for the
Bunyip River on Monday morning prompting the Cora Lynn Ford to close to traffic. Downstream of Iona recorded an average rain of 68mm between 9am Sunday and 5.30pm Monday. SES said the flood is expected to affect lowlying areas to the river. By Monday evening, the level of Bunyip River at Cora Lynn was at 4.35m, above the minor flood level of 3.1m and was expected to stay above until Wednesday 9 January. Pakenham SES will be monitoring the Bunyip River over the next several days. pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
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NEWS
Poisonous toad found Agriculture Victoria has urged people in the South East to report any suspected exotic pest animal sightings after a poisonous toad from south-east Asia was found in the South East on Boxing Day. Agriculture Victoria biosecurity manager Adam Kay said the Asian black-spined toad (also known as duttaphrynus melanostictus) was poisonous and was known to compete with native species for food and habitat. “These toads are widespread and abundant throughout south-east Asia, including Bali, Thailand, and Papua New Guinea,” he said. “They do not naturally occur in the wild within Australia, however, the species is frequently intercepted at Australian borders in shipping containers and in personal luggage as stowaways.” “This is a serious biosecurity threat, and we are seeking help from Huntingdale area residents and business owners who may have information on how this toad came to be in the community.” The 18th Asian black-spined toad discovery reported to Agriculture Victoria since 1999, the toad was in poor condition when it was discovered and has since died and been appropriately disposed of to minimise biosecurity risks. Asian black-spined toads can breed up to twice a year, with females producing up to 40,000 eggs per cycle. They produce a poisonous milky substance which can cause serious illness or death in native species and domestic pets. The milky toxin has a pungent odour and may cause itching in the nose and eyes when handled by humans, with the consumption of any skin or eggs from the toads able to cause serious illness or death in humans. To report any exotic vertebrate pest animal found or sighted in Victoria, contact highrisk. invasiveanimals@agriculture.vic.gov.au, or visit go.vic.gov.au/WmmQ21
Left: The Asian black-spined toad located in Huntingdale. Pictures: SUPPLIED
Below: The key features of the Asian black-spined toad.
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Arrest after evade
The taskforce worked on tree removal and temporary roof repairs.
Pictures: SUPPLIED
Answering the call By Corey Everitt Victorian SES and CFA members bravely spent their New Years deployed to South East Queensland to help with the vital relief efforts for communities affected by devastating floods. The deployment was a first-time joint task force of SES and CFA together. 40 CFA and 43 SES personnel from all over the State. The task force was transported to the area of Helensvale near the Gold Coast to take on temporary repairs and removal of trees and debris. They operated for 5 days from December 30, spending 2 days traveling and 3 days in relief efforts. Group Officer for Westernport, David Breadmore was the CFA’s Taskforce Commander. This is not his first deployment, but no experience could mitigate the shock of what these communities are going through. “This isn’t my first, I was a part of the deployment for floods on the Murray last year. I don’t think I’ve seen devastation like that before,” Mr Breadmore said. “There is not a street that wasn’t affected, every park, street, farmland was littered with trees everywhere.” Christmas Day and Boxing saw severe storms throughout the east coast of Australia, in South East Queensland 7 people have died in the tragic events that are said to potentially result in damage costing in the billions. Thousands are without power for days with
CFA and SES in Queensland. a reported 900 power lines damaged. The severe weather did not end, Mr Breadmore’s taskforce saw this first hand. “We were hit with a significant weather event while we were there, there was an emergency broadcast which forced us to stand down and take shelter,” Mr Breadmore said. “Rivers would rise and fall in moments, we had 200ml of rain in an hour.” Despite the tough and vital work in a dev-
The debris left on the road after the Cleanaway FOGO collection on New Year’s Day. Pictures: SUPPLIED
astated community, Mr Breadmore was heartened to see residents stay strong. “The thing which stood out to me was the resilience and strength of the community up there who had been without power since Christmas, had debris through their property,” Mr Breadmore said. “With disasters you often feel there can be resentment, due to a sense that the response wasn’t good enough or too slow. But we were welcomed, everyone would come back in the truck and say they were all great to work with.” While working in a joint taskforce with the SES, a rare kind of deployment, was an eye opening and effective experience. “Working alongside the SES, we of course were learning from them as we went, but also found ourselves feeling a great deal of respect for them,” Mr Breadmore said. “It was a first, it was certainly a unique taskforce and it proved to be a resounding success and will definitely happen again in the future.” Ultimately, with communities going through hardship through a time when they should be together and safe, Mr Breadmore is proud of his colleagues’ efforts in helping them. “It was hard to deploy at this time of year, asking people to miss their New Year celebration. All in 24 hours notice, these guys had difficult circumstances, but they did an excellent job,” Mr Breadmore said.
Lynn and Dennis Briggs claim Cleanaway staff also broke a wheel off one of their neighbour’s bins.
Green thumbs down to waste collectors A Berwick couple have hit out at waste management company Cleanaway for leaving mess on their street and damaging one of their neighbour’s bins. Berwick residents Dennis and Lynn Briggs said on New Year’s Day morning, Cleanaway workers left green waste debris behind after the food organics and garden organics (FOGO) collection on Earlston Court in Berwick and broke one of their neighbour’s bins. “They’ve dumped the rubbish in the 10 STAR NEWS
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middle of the road,” Dennis said. “It’s just not good enough.” Lynn said she was the target of inappropriate language from a Cleanaway truck driver after confronting a Cleanaway team about six months ago. Dennis and Lynn said Cleanaway and Casey Council came back to their street, but failed to adequately clean up the debris. Casey Council sustainability and waste
manager Michael Jansen said Cleanaway was required to meet performance and behaviour standards. “Cleanaway perform all three kerbside collections on behalf of the City of Casey,” he said. “Monitoring of the waste collection contracts shows that Cleanaway has performed its services to a high standard, however all complaints are taken seriously and should be directed to council.”
A Cranbourne man and his partner have been arrested after they evaded Sunshine police in an allegedly stolen car in Glenroy on the morning of Tuesday 9 January. Officers were called to a welfare check on two men in a car on Wright Street in Sunshine at about 9am. The pair evaded police in the stolen white BMW mini coupe when officers approached. With the assistance of Air Wing, the vehicle was followed through Footscray, Melbourne CBD, Moonee Ponds, and Broadmeadows. Officers swiftly arrested the pair when they collided with a fence in Finchley Avenue, Glenroy just after 10am. The driver, a 29-year-old Cranbourne man, was transported to hospital with minor injuries. The passenger, a 28-year-old St Albans man, was transported to hospital for observation. The pair remain under hospital guard and the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the incident, with vision or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Three men charged Police have charged two Berwick men and an Officer man with a string of offences following a number of alleged hooning incidents in Melbourne’s South East last year, including swapping places in the driver’s seat while travelling at 100km/h. Police originally arrested a 19-year-old Berwick man Friday 28 April, 2023 for allegedly traveling at speeds above 260km/h along the Monash Freeway near the Ernst Wanke Road exit at about 2.30am on Tuesday 25 April. Police initially charged him with 27 trafficrelated offences, before that number rose to 110 offences, including reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, driving at a dangerous speed and racing with another vehicle. He has been scheduled to face Dandenong Magistrates Court again on Wednesday 24 January. Investigators from the Achilles Taskforce seized several mobile phones from the man’s Berwick home at the time of his arrest, uncovering vision of two additional males allegedly seat swapping, leaving the vehicle driverless at 100km/h on the Monash Freeway on Tuesday 25 April 2023. Police then charged a second 19-year-old Berwick man and an 18-year-old Officer man from Officer on Monday 2 January for their alleged involvement in the incident. Police charged the 19-year-old man with 42 offences, including five counts of reckless conduct endangering life, five counts of reckless conduct endangering serious injury, four counts of loss of traction and travelling at 202km/h. Vision obtained from the phones also allegedly showed the 19-year-old racing another vehicle on the Monash Freeway, reaching speeds in excess of 200km/h. Police subsequently seized his BMW 330i during a search warrant on Thursday 21 December, with the 19-year-old man set to appear before the Dandenong Magistrates Court in January. Police charged the 18-year-old Officer man, who was a minor at the time, with one count of reckless conduct endangering life and one count of reckless conduct endangering serious injury, with the 18-year-old set to face a Childrens Court at a later date. To report any anti-social behaviour or reckless driving, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
FOCUS ON … SENIORS ENJOYING LIFE
Make 2024 your best year As we begin another new year, it’s time to ponder, what will make this one truly extraordinary for you? Will you make new friends, travel more or spend more time doing the things you love? My 2024 New year Resolutions: Join a gym and get fit Make new friends Book a cruise or a new adventure Take up some new hobbies Just make the most of everything Moving into a lifestyle community ticks every box and makes 2024 the year when you finally make the move to change your life for the better, forever!
· · · · ·
Our lifestyle consultants are there to help in any way they can to choose the right community, choose the right home and help you downsize to a new world of possibilities. So why delay when life is just so full of opportunities. We believe in life without restrictions. One with the freedom to do the things you love, and the confidence to be whoever you want to be. Where every new day is a fresh opportunity. It’s a philosophy that rings true, in our best-inclass homes and clubhouses. Whether you’re working, semi-retired or retired, come and join a community where life is unlimited.
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By Lifestyle Communities®
12657757-AP02-24
pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
Thursday, 11 January, 2024
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STAR NEWS 11
NEWS
Thousands of people are expected to flock to Federation University’s Berwick campus for the fifth Kite Festival.
Pictures: SUPPLIED
Colourful kites to soar By Matthew Sims The skyline over Berwick’s Federation University campus will transform into a sea of moving colours this weekend as part of The Bright Events’ fifth Kite Festival. Running from 2pm to 9pm on Saturday 13 January, the free festival will host thousands of people as they launch colourful kites into the air, with kites and threads available to purchase on the day. The event will also feature an all-day live DJ, jumping castles, a variety of food and allday entertainment. Event organiser Manthan Parikh said there are still a few more surprise additions to the festival to come. “Getting into the fifth year is very exciting and we are growing every year,” he said. “We have a few surprises this year for the attendees which we have trialed recently. “We always want people to have unique experiences at our event.” Mr Parikh said they are expecting about 6000 to 8000 people through the gates during the event. “This event is open for everyone,” he said. “We want as many people as possible to enjoy the family time. We have variety of food, amusement rides for kids.”
Thousands of kites are expected to launch into the sky.
Kites and threads will be available for purchase.
Food options will also be available.
$1.4m lucky ticket draw for Cranbourne man A Cranbourne council worker took home $1.4 million in the TattsLotto draw, which fuelled his dream of retiring and relocating to be closer to his children. The Melburnian held one of the seven division one winning entries in TattsLotto draw 4431, drawn Saturday 6 January, and looks forward to a total division one prize of $1,428,580.38. The news came as a complete shock after the winning man revealed he normally didn’t win anything more than a chook raffle. “I’m in shock,” he said. “I think I checked the ticket more than 10 times. “Thank you so much. I don’t know how to process this.” He said he did not get much sleep learning the news. “I’m not a regular TattsLotto player. In fact, I don’t usually purchase tickets into TattsLotto, but I saw the offer was $10 million, and I thought to myself, ‘Oh, wouldn’t that be nice to win,” he said. “I purchased a QuickPick into the draw and didn’t think twice. I guess now these are my lucky numbers.” The lucky man has already been planning his after-lottery life. 12 STAR NEWS
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Thursday, 11 January, 2024
“My kids live up in Queensland. I’ve been thinking of retiring from my council job and moving to be closer to them. They all live there. One in Brisbane, and the rest in the Sunshine Coast,” he said. “My siblings also have been asking when I’d be taking some leave to come visit them on holiday and now I can. I’ll have all the leave in the world!” His winning 50-game QuickPick was purchased online at thelott.com – the official home of Australia’s lotteries. The winning numbers in TattsLotto draw 4431 on 6 January 2024 were 17, 12, 36, 42, 13, and 34, while the supplementary numbers were 41 and 38. Across Australia, there were seven division one winning entries in TattsLotto draw 4431 – three in New South Wales, and one each in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria Queensland, and South Australia. The Lott’s division one winning tally has now reached 216 so far in FY24, including 73 won by Tatts customers. In 2023, TattsLotto created 176 millionaires across Australia. During this time, there were 303 division one winning in TattsLotto entries across Australia that collectively won more than $436 million.
A Cranbourne council worker took home $1.4 million in the TattsLotto draw.
Picture: SUPPLIED
pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
NEWS
A ‘WHISE’ partnership By Matthew Sims Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE) is working towards addressing and preventing workplace gendered violence and sexual harassment within the state’s adult education and training sector, as part of a State Government-funded initiative. Supported by WorkSafe’s WorkWell Respect Fund, the Training for Respect project will offer self-paced modules covering the prevalence of workplace gendered violence, psychosocial risks and obligations under the Occuptational Health and Safety Act 2004, delivered via a new infrastructure through Victoria’s adult education and training sector. The program will be a collaborative effort between WHISE, Women’s Health Goulburn North East, Women’s Health East, The Men’s Project, the Victorian TAFE Association, and the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia. WHISE chief executive Kit McMahon said they are proud of the partnerships are developing. “If we are going to address the barriers to economic inclusion, then a key part of that is to ensure that our training and education sites are free from workplace gendered violence,” she said. “WHISE is delighted to be a part of this experienced and values-based partnership that
Women’s Health in the South East chief executive Kit McMahon. 281650 will address the drivers of workplace gendered violence and set up what will be a sustainable infrastructure for this work in partnership with industry for longer term change.” Ms McMahon said the program will deliver the right outcomes for the state’s Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). “RTOs play a vital role in our community, our society, and our economy,” she said. “Addressing workplace gendered violence is
Picture: SHELBY BROOKS
a crucial way to increase wellbeing in our community and the productivity of our economy, especially at a time when we still face significant skill shortages.” The project will build upon existing frameworks, such as the Our Watch Respect and Equality in TAFE framework and the Gender Equality Act. According to the fifth National Survey on Sexual Harassment, close to half of all incidents reported occurred within the education and training sector.
WorkSafe Minister Danny Pearson said the WorkWell Respect Fund will help industries tailor new approaches to prevent and respond to work-related gendered violence. “Everyone should feel safe and respected in their workplace, regardless of their gender,” he said. “That’s non-negotiable.” For more information about the project, visit whise.org.au/training-for-respect
FOCUS ON … DANCE, MUSIC AND DRAMA
Still rockin’ after 20 years
Dancing fun for all ages Dance Legacy is a dance studio based in Pakenham offering expert tuition by experienced teachers for students aged 18 months to adult. It offers classes for not only the serious dancer but also those who purely want enjoyment and recreation. The team at Dance Legacy prides itself on having an experienced faculty that promises to provide excellent training coupled with fun, fitness and endless laughter. Dance Legacy offers a wide variety of classes for ages 18 months through to adults in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, acro and stretch/conditioning. Studio owners and teachers Miss Danielle and Miss Loren have a combined 30-plus years dance teaching experience. Over the years they have not only produced award-winning choreography but have fostered a love of dance in hundreds of students and have celebrated many achievements, no matter how big or small. Dance Legacy is moving into its fourth year in 2024 and has already grown to almost 200 students, growing every week. They have welcomed many new faces through the door and seen students skip for the first time, seen students wing for the first time, and seen students achieve personal goals they have set for themselves. The faculty have lots of exciting opportunities planned for the students in 2024, including the Moomba Parade in March as well as pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
two whole school performances throughout the year where every student gets their time to shine on the stage and perform for their friends and family. Students will also prepare for their Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) ballet examinations and Australian Teachers of Dancing (ATOD) tap and jazz examinations, as well as taking their company students to represent Dance Legacy at local performances and competitions. They have had a 100 per cent success rate in their examinations and have seen students achieve top marks 100 per cent Honours with Distinction. But what Miss Loren and Miss Danielle love to see the most and are the proudest of is students gaining or re-discovering a love and true enjoyment of dance. Everybody that walks through the doors of Dance Legacy mention the awesome energy and vibe that the studio exudes and always walk out of class with a smile on their face. The school owns three purpose-built studio spaces for over 60 classes throughout each week. Dance Legacy promises to provide an inclusive and safe environment to help develop the person as well as the dancer. The team pledges to nurture and further a dance legacy for every student that dances through the studio door. Enrolments for Season 2024 are open! Love to dance? So does the Dance Legacy team. Call 0422 774 665 or email admin@dancelegacy. com.au to book a free trial.
Nicole Fowler and Kylie Gibbs enjoy Rockn’ Suzies. ity dance at the Pakenham hall which has been running for 19 years now. A different band plays each month which everyone in the community is welcome and encouraged to attend. For information call Sue on 5940 9791 or 0400 216 670
Rock n Roll Classes Beginners & Advanced Classes held at Cranbourne & Pakenham CRANBOURNE TUESDAY NIGHTS Starting 6th February at 7pm 12655901-MP02-24
The team at Dance Legacy prides itself on having an experienced faculty that promises to provide excellent training coupled with fun, fitness and endless laughter.
Rockn’ Suzies’ dance classes have turned 20. And I still love teaching people how to dance. I believe that rock and roll is one of the easiest of the dance styles to master as it allows for lots of individuality. The classes are designed to be fun and easy to follow for those aged 10 upwards. Dancing is great for fitness, co-ordination, balance and memory, and many people form great friendships through the classes. I teach at Pakenham and Cranbourne. The Pakenham class is held in the hall where the library is at the corner of John and Henry streets. The Cranbourne class is held at the senior citizens hall corner of Codrington street and the South Gippsland Highway Both of the nights have beginner and advanced rock ‘n’ roll classes open to all with no partner required. Between classes some of the popular line dances are taught as well. Rockn’ Suzies also runs a monthly char-
PAKENHAM WEDNESDAY NIGHTS Starting 7th February at 7pm $10 per night - No Partner required
Contact Sue on 5940 9791 or 0400 216 670 12655909-MP02-24
Thursday, 11 January, 2024
|
STAR NEWS 13
PUZZLES
Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com
OZ CROSSWORD
No. 071
24 Nevil Shute novel, – – Like Alice (1,4) 25 Melbourne art museum (1,1,1) 27 Jazz/funk band from Melbourne, The – Empire (3) 28 Writer on the obverse of the 10-dollar note, Banjo – (8) 29 Beloved Arnott’s biscuit, Tim – (3) 31 2018 Australian Local Hero award winner (5,3) 33 Self-isolaton (coll) (3) 36 Colin Hay’s rock band, – at Work (3) 38 Bizet opera priestess (5) 39 Greens leader, Adam – (5) 40 MasterChef runner-up, Poh Ling – (4) 42 Fourth prime minister of Australia, George – (4) 43 Victorian public transport ticketing system (4) 44 Matildas player, – Carpenter (5) 45 Composer Vivaldi (7) 48 41st Victorian premier, John – (4) 49 Perth-born model, – Gale (5) 51 Aussie rugby league great, Wally – (5) 52 AFL legend, Ron – (7) 53 Type of beer (3) 54 2023 Collingwood premiership player, Brayden – (7) 55 Spec-fic mag (8)
19 21 22 23 26 30 32 34 35 37 41 45 46 47
50
Universal healthcare system (8) Writer on the reverse of the 10-dollar note, Dame Mary – (7) Rule (3) Star of 800 Words, Erik – (7)
13 14
Heroism, sacrifice and bravery
SECRET MESSAGE:
JUMBLE
Can you find all the words listed in the grid below? The remaining letters will spell out a message.
CRAWL
HELMET
ALARM
CREW
HYDRANT
ARSON
DOUSE
IGNITE
ASHES
DRILL
LADDER
BADGE
EMBERS
OXYGEN
BARRICADE
ENFORCE-
POLE
BLAZE
PYROMANIA
BOOTS
MENT ENGINE
BURN
ESCAPE
SAFETY
CAUSE
EXPLOSION
SMOKE
CHAR
FLAME
TORCH
CHEMICALS
GLOVES
TRUCK
CONTROL
HARNESS
COURAGE
HEAT
Can you unscramble the words below? The circled letters will create another word.
NVOEL KSNUK
LINTF ANSWERS: MARRY, BRAWL, FLINT, NOVEL, SKUNK, (FLAVOURS) |
Thursday, 11 January, 2024
09-01-24
No. 421
RECOVERY
2
5
3 8 1 4 9
7
5 2 9 8
1 3 4
WORD STEP
No. 140
No. 139
G
S
E
I
W
?
L
L
O
I
C
B
C
Y
1 4 7 9
WORDY
_____ _____ _____ _____ CULTS
HOW TO PLAY: To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box. ANSWERS:
3 6 2
3
Can you work out what the missing letter is that spells an 8-letter word? It could read either clockwise or anti-clockwise.
?
14 STAR NEWS
6 7
EIGHT AROUND
N RBWLA
5
1 6 4
ACCESS
No. 071
R M R AY
4
SUDOKU
No. 071
< ' 5 , / / + ( 5 < 7 ( ) $ 6 5 ( 5 $ / $ 5 0 . $ 2 3 , + $ ( 6 0 : 1 ( * < ; 2 + $ + & , 9 1 $ ( 6 8 $ & 6 < 0 & $ 5 1 2 5 6 6 $ / $ ' ' ( 5 6 5 2 $ & 8 / ( 1 ) 2 5 & ( 0 ( 1 7 0 ( % $ 9 & 5 $ 7 / , 7 ) ( ( 2 5 1 & 2 , 1 ( 2 & , ( $ 6 * 5 1 6 , / 7 0 5 = 1 ' % 5 6 ' < . 6 0 * / 7 % * $ 6 + ( 6 $ 3 & ( ( ( 1 2 , 6 2 / 3 ; ( % $ 8 & + 2 2 ( 9 : ( 0 % ( 5 6 ( 5 & & 7 6 7 $ ( + ( 6 8 2 ' / 7 $ 6 ( 5 % $ 5 5 , & $ ' ( 2 5 < ( 0 $ / ) & 2 8 5 $ * ( 3
3
Comedian, – Wilson (5) Wading bird (4) New Zealand comedian, – Brough (4) 20 Melbourne stadium, – Park (4) 22 Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book – (5) 15 16 18
ANSWERS: WOBBLING, BICYCLES
WORDFIND
12
Sacred site in Central Australia (5) Fur – (famous Beethoven composition) (5) ABC show, – In Time For Dinner (4) Nickname for Western Bulldogs captain (3,4)
No. 071 Complete the list by changing one letter at a time to create a new word at each step. There may be more than one possible answer.
ANSWER: WORDY, WORDS, CORDS, COLDS, COLTS, CULTS
11
ANSWERS:
8 1 5 4 3 6 7 9 2 6 4 9 2 7 5 8 1 3 2 7 3 8 9 1 6 4 5 5 6 1 3 4 9 2 8 7 9 2 8 1 6 7 3 5 4 7 3 4 5 2 8 1 6 9 1 9 2 6 5 3 4 7 8 4 8 7 9 1 2 5 3 6 3 5 6 7 8 4 9 2 1
ACROSS
9 10
15 17
0 ( ' , & $ 5 ( * , / 0 2 5 ( 7 $ $ $ 0 ( 2 2 / $ : ' 9 7 + 2 0 6 2 1 8 / 8 5 8 , $ 5 1 * . 6 ( / , 6 ( ' % $ & . * 7 + ( % 2 1 7 5 ( % ( / , % , 6 6 < 2 $ / $ 1 $ $ 0 , 7 + , ( ) $ 7 2 : 1 1 * 9 0 0 + 8 , 1 1 & $ 7 ( 3 $ 7 ( 5 6 2 1 : + + 7 $ 0 * * 8 ( ' ' , ( :2 2 8 , 6 2 ) & , 7 1 7 0 ( 1 / ( , / $ % % $ 1 ' 7 < ( 2 : 5 ( , ' ( 1 $ 0 < . , ( / / , ( 1 & $ , 1 ' $ 1 7 2 1 , 2 , $ 2 / < % 0 ( * $ 1 ' / ( : , 6 % $ 5 $ 6 6 , 2 ( $ / ( 5 ( 5 1 / $ : 0 $ < 1 $ 5 ' $ 8 5 ( $ / , 6 1
Campaign to support local business, Australian – (4) Moustachioed cricket legend (5,4) Actress of Tar and Don’t Look Up (4,9) AFLW player for North Melbourne (4,4) 2016 The Bachelorette Australia star, – Love (7) Get up on (5) Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical film, Moulin – (5)
1 2
5
9
Children’s series, Round the – (5) Australian rules player for the Gold Coast Suns, Jack – (8) NRL Dragons’ CEO (4,4) Sunrise weather presenter, – Mac (3) Actor, – LaPaglia (7) Conjecture (7) Third Underbelly series (3,6,4) North Queensland national park, – Island (8) Dr Chris Brown stars in Bondi – (3) Parental figure (3) Former Greens leader, Richard – (2,6) Rugby kick (5,4) Sports presenter, – Williams (3) Hector in the 2004 film Troy (4,4) Sydney train station (7) Australian rules player for North Melbourne, – Corr (5) Coastal city in New South Wales (5) Adelaide Crows chairman and former SA premier, John – (5) Daily info (4)
DOWN
1
8
pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
NEWS
Tales of the South East By Matthew Sims From Pakenham potter Robert Gordon discussing his love for clay to the history of the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick, a new podcast tour is showcasing some of the South East’s hidden tales. As part of a partnership with Storytowns Podcast Tours, Metro Trains and the Department of Transport and Planning, new Storytowns podcast episodes are telling the untold stories of the region with a series of podcasts, with episodes along the Pakenham line now available. Using geo-located podcasts, the podcast episodes play automatically as you approach a landmark or point of interest, with episodes now available for Pakenham, Berwick, Narre Warren, Dandenong and Springvale. The podcast series covers a variety of themes, including local food, culture, street art, travel tips, fun facts, and interesting stories about each suburb’s history, culture and train stations. Metro Trains chief executive Raymond O’Flaherty said the new podcasts are showcasing the rich and diverse history of Melbourne for all passengers. “We are excited to provide a different and interesting experience for our passengers and tourists as they travel across our network,” he said. Storytowns founder Jarrod Pickford said every suburb across the state has a story to tell. “We’re excited to bring Melbourne’s unique
Metro Trains media and content head Georgia Main spoke with ABC Melbourne radio presenter Sammy J about the Storytowns podcast tours recently. Picture: SUPPLIED character and history to life through the voices of its people,” he said. The idea for the podcast originated during Mr Pickford’s global hitchhiking trips in his 20s and 30s, which inspired a passion to link
travellers with local communities via geo-located audio, infused with local insights. Since launching in 2019, Storytowns has offered hundreds of free geo-located podcast tours throughout Australia, transforming the
way people explore and connect with their surroundings. For more information, visit www.storytowns.com.au/metro or download the Storytowns app.
FOCUS ON … DISABILITY
SEC eagerly anticipates embracing the future together, committed to fostering a supportive and enriching community.
New year, new beginnings
pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
support means more than just taking people shopping or for a walk or helping with groceries. Our support is individualised to each participant, and their goals are our motivation to help them improve or learn things to increase the opportunity to meet their goals. We are also mindful that sometimes, being a companion for a participant and supporting them through a tough time can be just as helpful to them as working on goals. We are mindful to work at the pace necessary for each individual and work with care teams where required to be guided in what is best for the participant at the time. We have several participants for whom we work closely with Allied health professionals engaged with them so we can support them in all ways needed for them to have the best outcome. SEC, 5-6/10 Princess Highway, Beaconsfield.
12633268-JB37-23
Support Embrace Connect is entering 2024 excited for new beginnings and celebrating four years in the business. A fresh start to groups and a new enthusiasm for supporting participants. SEC has enjoyed the festive season, supporting participants who do not have informal support to engage with. SEC also has changed for the new year, with participants and team members working on our new support plans for the first quarter. Our support plan breaks down the NDIS goals into smaller goals to work toward over 12 weeks, and then we revisit and discuss the progress. We do not believe in only going out for coffee or groceries whenever we have a client. Our role is to support participants and work toward their NDIS goals. In the past four years, we have learned that
Thursday, 11 January, 2024
|
STAR NEWS 15
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Thursday, 11 January, 2024
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STAR NEWS 17
SPORT
T20s return for semi-finals By David Nagel Kooweerup and Merinda Park will look to convert dominant round-robin form into grand final appearances when the Demons and Cobras host semi-finals of the CCCA T20 Kookaburra Cup. Kooweerup finished top of ‘Premier Pool B’, with victories over Pakenham, Clyde and Carlisle Park seeing the Demons two games clear at the top of the four-team ladder. Carlisle Park, Clyde and Pakenham all had one win each from their three games in Pool B, with the Lions – Pakenham - qualifying for the semi-final stage courtesy of a superior percentage. Kooweerup will host Devon Meadows in Semi-Final 1 on Tuesday 16 January, after the Panthers qualified second in ‘Premier Pool A’, while Pakenham will head to Tony Way Reserve to take on Merinda Park in Semi-Final 2. The Cobras have been super impressive to this stage of the tournament, with wins over Tooradin, Devon Meadows and Cardinia setting up a handy buffer at the top of the Pool A table. Marquee player Michael De Iacovo set the scene early for the Cobras, making a rapid-fire 76 off just 42 deliveries in an impressive opening-round win over Tooradin. That polished performance was well supported by all-rounder Rumesh Ranasinghe, who backed up his 21 runs, from 11 balls, with a tidy three-wicket spell. Ranasinghe returned figures of 3/13 from four overs against the Seagulls, and has proven that no fluke with two further prominent displays with the ball. In round two, he took 3/15 against Devon Meadows, which included a rare maiden in the shortest form of the game. He then took 3/16 against Cardinia, before making 58 not out from 48 balls in a successful run chase. If there was an MVP Award in the Kookaburra Cup, Ranasinghe would lead the pack with a likely eight votes from a maximum nine available. But while the Cobras remain undefeated, they welcome a Pakenham side that has some serious fire-power at its disposal. Lions’ dynamo Dale Tormey has the highest individual score of the tournament so far, pummelling an unbeaten 94 from just 54 balls against Carlisle Park in round two.
Merinda Park all-rounder Rumesh Ranasinghe has been the star performer in the CCCA T20 Kookaburra Cup during the qualifying rounds of the Picture: ROB CAREW tournament. 365479 Tormey and Jordan Cleland (65 not out off 59 balls) – a marquee player from Berwick produced an unbeaten 151-run partnership for the second wicket to lead the Lions to victory. Tormey was brutal against the Vikings, crunching seven boundaries and six maximums in an innings that finished with a strike rate of 174.07. This one should be close; but we’ll go for De Iacovo to win the battle of the big hitters and lead the Cobras to victory. Kooweerup will start a pronounced favourite against Devon Meadows in its semi-final, although the Panthers have had some steady
contributors that could take the game up to the Demons. Vishesh Bansal 55 (53) was the star for the Panthers in round one, while Nathan Worsteling (52 (41) put his name in lights in round two. And, speaking of lights, it was Lucas Ligt – with 3/27 and 37 off 55 balls – that was the shining light for the Panthers in their roundthree clash of the tournament. But this is a step up in class; with the likes of Luke McMaster, Chris Bright, Sahan Perera and Steve Dillon to lead the Demons to a grand final berth. The two undefeated sides in District Division, Officer and Lang Lang, will host semi-
finals in the second-tier competition. The Bullants host reigning champions Cranbourne Meadows, while Lang Lang will look to make It back-to-back grand final appearances when the Swampies roll out the red carpet for NNG/Maryknoll. CCCA KOOKABURRA CUP Semi-Final Fixture Tuesday 16 January, 2023 PREMIER: MERINDA PARK host Pakenham, KOOWEERUP host Devon Meadows. DISTRICT: OFFICER host Cranbourne Meadows, LANG LANG host Nar Nar Goon/ Maryknoll.
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Brad Hodge set to light up DDCA for Berwick Springs By Jonty Ralphsmith Former Australian batter and Big Bash League star Brad Hodge will turn out for Berwick Springs in the quarterfinals of the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) T20 competition. All four knockout matches were rescheduled to Tuesday 16 January at 5.15pm after rain prevented play in the original date of 9 January. Hodge and the Titans will play at Berwick Springs Recreation Reserve against Turf 2 side Heinz Southern Districts. Hodge’s appearance promises to bring people through the gates, with the Titans heavily promoting the 49-year-old’s cameo since announcing it on their Facebook page on December 31. The elegant right-hander represented Australia 46 times across the three formats between 2005 and 2014 and has a Test Match and One Day International century to his name. Now a regular in the Channel 7 commentary box, the top-order bat also has an imposing record in the shortest format, finishing with 277 professional T20s to his name, with an average of 37 and strike rate of 131. “We’re all really keen so we were really flat when they called it off on Tuesday,” Berwick Springs First XI skipper Braydon Hillman said. 18 STAR NEWS
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Thursday, 11 January, 2024
“It’s going to be a big moment, a lot of the younger guys are keen to get around him. “Even myself, I grew up watching him. “I’m excited from a tactical perspective because he’s played so much white ball cricket, he’d be great to get some ideas off, whether it be field placements or bowling tactics or something like that.” It’s a significant moment for a young club looking to make its mark on the DDCA. “It’s announcing that we’re here to compete,” Hillman said. “We’d love to win this T20 competition. “No-one really knows about us so it gets our name out there and puts us on the map a bit and shows we’re not here to mess around.” The Titans qualified for the quarterfinals by defeating Turf 1 side Beaconsfield and Parkmore, which was in Turf 1 last season. As well as their application in the shortest format, the Titans are the only team to have beaten Coomoora in Turf 3 this season – and have done so twice. It’s off the back of the club’s most pronounced recruiting drive ever, which saw it welcome in the experience of Shalika Karunanayake as player-coach, Sachintha Rajapakse, Scott Lindsay, Seth Lindsay and Radomir Badzoka. The other quarterfinals see Berwick take on St Mary’s, North Dandenong host Fountain Gate and Springvale South square off against Narre South.
Brad Hodge will turn out for Berwick Springs on Tuesday. 110519
Picture: BRIDGET COOK
pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
SPORT
Joe Lenders and Frank Prins (right) were victorious in Garfield’s Men’s Pairs Championship over Tom Clearly and Stephen Whyte.
Picture: SUPPLIED
Lenders, Prins a fine pair Late December saw the final of the club’s Men’s Pairs Championship. The match was a ‘David and Goliath’ affair between Joe Lenders and Frank Prins on one side, and two of the club’s senior side’s skippers, Tom Cleary and Stephen Whyte, on the other.
The game began with three shots for the underdogs, Lenders and Prins, and the crowd murmured with the possibility of an upset; but Cleary and Whyte scored on the next end, and the game was on. Another three-shot end for Lenders and Prins kept the excitement up, but not to be de-
Garfield’s Christmas spirit Garfield Bowling Club held its annual Christmas Carnival of tournaments between Christmas and New Year. The weather was unusually variable for sunny Garfield, but not enough to stop the events from running. The first event was a new one for the club – a tournament for arm bowlers only. With 12 entries, the day went ahead and was very successful. The format was two-bowl triples and the players enjoyed themselves very much. The weather cooperated with warmth and sunshine, the rain holding off until just after play had ceased. The winners of the day were “The Wright Man” team, Tony and Yvonne Wright from Parkdale, ably assisted by Garfield’s own Gordon Moxey. Runners-up were “The Basketballer” team, headed by Debbie Dunkley from faroff Mooroopna, with locals John Moore from Cardinia Waters and Tommy O’Loughlin from Narre Warren. The second day was the three-bowl pairs event, for which we had the full 16 entries; unfortunately, one team failed to arrive so a pair of Garfielders, Jan Moxey and Damian Brick, stepped in to fill the gap. It started with a sprinkle of rain, which shortly broke up into a typical Garfield day. The winners were the “On the Matt” team, consisting of Matt Schreyer from Trafalgar and Noel Rubenstein from Warragul, who defended their title in this event from last year. The runners-up were the “Peter the Great” team of Peter Dixon and Des Chatfield from Mordialloc. On the third day, Garfield lived up to its sunny reputation completely for the threebowl Triples event. The winners of the day were the “Brett’s Boys” team, made up of Brett Condron, Tim Katz and Daniel Price from Kooweerup. pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
nied, Cleary and Whyte pegged their way back to a scoreline of six to seven. Then they exploded with a six-shot end and it looked like Goliath was indeed going to take the day as the score soared to 12-7. However, that was their last hurrah, as they only scored two single-shot ends after that.
Lenders and Prins won the rest of the 18 ends to complete the runaway upset that had been foreshadowed early in the game, winning the championship by 27 shots to 14. Congratulations to Joe and Frank, and good luck in the Champion-of-Champion series. - Damian Brick
Flyers looking for first win By Marcus Uhe
“The Wright Man” team, comprised of Tony and Yvonne Wright and Garfield’s Gordon Moxey, won the two-bowl triples arm only competition. Picture: SUPPLIED Runners-up were local Garfield team “Skywalker”, skipped by Luke Monkton with Jan Moxey and Cheryl Breteler. The last day was for the Canadian Pairs format, where the players take turns at leading and being skip, so a fully team event. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t playing ball, with a couple of serious showers. The first shower necessitated an unscheduled tea break; the second one wasn’t as long so just required a few minutes under the ample shelters at Garfield (usually used to protect players from the sunshine). Nonetheless, the day was successfully completed, if a little later than expected. The winners on this day were “The Basketballer” team, Debbie Dunkley from Mooroopna, this time accompanied by Garfield’s Barry Morrison. The runners-up were Drouin stalwarts “Lyn’s Lot”, consisting of Lyn and Bob Jeffrey. In all, a very successful carnival, with lots of people smiling and laughing, the best possible indicator of the event’s success. A huge thank you to all the Garfield members who made the events run smoothly and without whom they couldn’t run at all. -Damian Brick
A loss to bottom-placed University of Canberra Capitals at home on Saturday night has left the Southside Flyers winless in 2024. The Flyers could only manage 65 points against the bottom-placed side, going down by 10 after a poor second half in which they were outscored by 14 points. Just three players scored in double figures for Southside, Lauren Jackson leading the way with 16 points. Mercedes Russell was well-contained by the Capitals, who only scored seven points and grabbed eight rebounds despite playing all but 90 seconds in the contest. The Capitals used their speed to run Southside off their legs, outscoring the home side by 15 fast break points. The Flyers experienced a turbulent Christmas/New Year period, unable to string consecutive wins together across rounds eight, nine and 10. A pre-Christmas trip across the Nullarbor saw Southside fall 10 points short against Perth 95-85, fading as the game continued after keeping pace in the first half. Perth possess one of the league’s most potent offences in the WNBL and simply had too many options for the Flyers to contain. Russell played all 40 minutes, shouldering extra responsibility in Jackson’s absence, posting 20 points and 12 rebounds. They responded emphatically against Adelaide the following week, outsourcing the lightning by 24 points in a dominant second half on the Lightning’s home floor, prevailing 87-62. Forward Nyadiew Puoch shone, with 20 points and eight rebounds in the emphatic win. Southside won the rebound count 44-
Lauren Jackson and the Southside Flyers are winless to start 2024, after dropping their first two matches. Picture: TRE 28, assists 21-14 and shot 50 per cent better from beyond the three-point line, nailing two-thirds of their total shots. Jackson made a welcome return to the lineup with a near double-double of 12 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes. Their first clash of 2024 saw them drop a low-scoring slog against Melbourne in a second meeting for the Michelle Timms Cup. Held to their lowest score of the season, Southside could only muster 61 points in the 67-61 loss in the Melbourne Derby, as former Flyers Monique Conti and Sara Blicavs gave their old side a reminder of their quality in new colours. Conti scored 17 points and was busy on the defensive end with four steals, while Blicavs scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. Only Puoch and Russell scored in double figures for Southside, Russell’s exceptional consistency on show with her sixth doubledouble of the season. The Flyers next host Sydney on Friday night at the State Basketball Centre. Thursday, 11 January, 2024
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STAR NEWS 19
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Thursday, 11 January, 2024
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