JUNE 9, 2015 \ BRIMBANK.STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
Sweet deal for charity
(Kristian Scott)
Churro-eating just got sweeter. Chocolateria San Churro Watergardens – home of the Spanish donut known as churro – has teamed up with beyondblue, encouraging the community to share a churro with a friend to help the organisation that supports people with depression and anxiety. The cafe will launch its Share a Churros Week campaign on June 15, and donate $1 to the non-profit organisation from every churro dish bought during the week. All funds raised will go to beyondblue’s support services, centred on telephone and web-based lines to trained mental health counsellors. In 2013-14, beyondblue staff answered 73,000 phone calls and 7000 emails, and engaged in 23,000 web chats. The cafe has further pledged to double its donation to beyondblue for every in-store churros photo posted on Instagram using the hashtag #shareachurrros. It will also replace its tip jar with donation boxes. Store manager Terese Maurici said Share A Churros Week was a great way for people to connect or reconnect over a churro. “It’s a good excuse to have some chocolate and something sweet and reach out and talk to your friends,” she said. Details: www.beyondblue.org.au TERESE MAURICI
Yasemin Talat
Safety fears answered By Yasemin Talat More lanes and new safety barriers will be added to EJ Whitten Bridge as part of the next stage of the M80 Ring Road upgrade. State Roads and Safety Minister Luke Donnellan joined Sydenham MP Natalie Hutchins and St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman at EJ Whitten Bridge last Tuesday to announce the Ring Road extension from Sunshine Avenue to the east of the bridge. The upgrade will include works to strengthen and widen the bridge, creating more traffic lanes. It will also include new public safety
barriers – something the community has long campaigned for – with temporary barriers going in during construction. “More than 330 people were hurt and four people died driving on the M80 Ring Road in a five-year period,” Ms Hutchins said. “That’s not good enough. “We’re making this upgrade to make this road safer.” Mr Donnellan said the next stage of the M80 upgrade would create almost 1000 direct and indirect jobs, and be a boost for the state economy. He said the state government was getting on
SPORTS BAR
with projects that mean people will spend less time stuck in traffic. “The upgrade will ease congestion, cut travel times and make the commute safer and more reliable for the 160,000 drivers using the freeway every day,” Mr Donnellan said. Ms Hutchins said the new bridge barriers were especially important in addressing the community’s safety concerns. “The community has campaigned for the safety barriers on EJ Whitten Bridge,” Ms Hutchins said. “We’ve listened and we’re building them.” The Sunshine Avenue interchange will also
SUNDAY 14TH JUNE
ALL AFL FOOTBALL “Siren to Siren” Schooners $5.00*
HUGE SCREEN
*Carlton Draught and Bulmers Register Now Facebook.com/futurebride TAYLORS LAKES HOTEL 7 MELTON HIGHWAY PH: 9217 9500
be upgraded and widened to allow more traffic to enter and exit the freeway, and will include new signals on the Greensborough-bound entry ramp to allow traffic to merge safely. The works will also remove the bottleneck at Sunshine Avenue where the lanes now merge from four lanes into two. Expressions of interest will be sought in August, with the contract for the works expected to be awarded in early 2016. Works are planned to start in mid-2016. The full M80 Ring Road upgrade is a $2.25 billion project funded by the federal and state governments.
EVENING MELODIES Christmas Dinner Show
TUE 21ST JULY AT 6PM NEIL DIAMOND TRIBUTE DINNER & SHOW ONLY $25 Traditional Roast Turkey & Plum Pudding Bookings and Prepayment essential
www.taylorslakeshotel.com.au
1187558-DC24-15 10024457-05