Nsw 20160209

FEBRUARY 9, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

(Joe Mastroianni)

NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE

JENSEN THOMAS

Council won’t play ball

By Alexandra Laskie Nillumbik council has thwarted a campaign by teenage siblings to have a basketball half-court built on public property at Bundoora, despite Whittlesea council’s offer to cover all costs.

Last August, Jensen and Janet Thomas gathered 80 signatures on a petition requesting Whittlesea council to build a half-court at the Chancellor estate at University Hill, Bundoora.

The siblings requested the court be built at either the existing park next to Fitzjohns Drive, commonly known as Central Park, or the park

between Queens Gardens and Clovermont Way. The Thomas’s argued that while there were good park facilities in the estate catering to children, there was none for teenagers.

“The park here isn’t aimed for kids over 12,” Jensen said. “I thought this might be good for older kids who could practise basketball after school.”

They added that the court would create an added incentive for young people to be active.

Following an assessment of three possible sites in Whittlesea, and one just south of the municipal boundary in Nillumbik, Whittlesea

councillors decided last Tuesday to attempt to reach an agreement with Nillumbik to use its land, deemed the most suitable for the halfcourt. Whittlesea council would underwrite the full $75,000 cost of building the court.

But last Friday, Nillumbik mayor Bronnie Hattam said the council already had two basketball half-courts and plans were under way for a third one at Civic Drive, Greensborough.

The Civic Drive court would serve local residents and surrounding communities, including the Chancellor estate.

“At this time, there are no further plans, nor funds available, to deliver or maintain

additional outdoor basketball court facilities across the shire,” Cr Hattam said.

Surveys by Whittlesea council found three potential sites in its own municipality were not suitable.

One report said residents near one of these sites had advised they would circulate their own petition against a basketball centre.

Cr Hattam said the matter was still being investigated following “preliminary” discussions with Whittlesea council.

Whittlesea councillors have requested that their officers now explore other opportunities in the Chancellor estate.

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Hume to ‘wear’ rate cap

By Matt Crossman Hume council is likely to face tough choices in its next budget with the municipality not among 21 councils to have flagged the possibility of seeking to lift rates by more than a 2.5 per cent cap.

The state government will peg rate rises to the consumer price index (CPI) from this year, with increases beyond that needing a green light from the Essential Services Commission.

A list released by the ESC last week revealed that more than a quarter of Victorian councils have flagged they could apply for an exemption

to lift rates beyond the cap. They include Melbourne, Maribyrnong, Mitchell, Yarra and Wyndham.

Hume was not on the list, despite previously saying it would lose $37 million over four years if rates were capped to the CPI. In a submission to the ESC last August, Hume council said it would seek an exemption from rate-capping measures for two years.

It said at the time this would be “due to the resourcing constraints and uncertainty” over the possible formation of a new Sunbury council.

Cr Jack Medcraft said he was surprised at the

number of councils listed. ‘‘Hume’s probably in a better position than most because we’re well controlled budget-wise,’’ he said. ‘‘If you can’t tighten your belt and get it together there’s something wrong. I think councils will probably ask the government to take back some of the services they’ve been handing to councils.”

Earlier this month, Hume mayor Helen Patsikatheodorou said the cutbacks to future revenue had the potential to impact infrastructure projects and services with “ongoing expenses”.

A call-up to stardom

Hoons to meet bump in road A traffic survey of a busy Bundoora street found more than 240 cars exceed the speed limit every day.

The results of a Botanica Drive road safety audit, conducted last September and made public last week, revealed drivers travelling at speeds of up to 110 km/h in a 50 km/h residential speed limit zone.

Whittlesea council commissioned the audit in response to a petition from fed-up residents who wanted to stop hoon driving in their street.

At a meeting last week, councillors voted to install asphalt speed humps and raise the height of the street’s three pedestrian crossings.

Before audit results were released, the council sent out a survey to Botanica Drive households directly affected by a decision to install speed humps.

Nicole Mackowiak was among the majority of residents to respond in favour of the council’s plan. She said that on a single day last year, a car crashed into her retaining wall, another car was struck by a van speeding around the corner, while yet another hit a bus stop sign.

Alexandra Laskie

Bundoora starlet Madeline Perrone knows it’s a long road to the top in the entertainment business … but she’s headed in the right direction.

The 21-year-old recently made her professional musical theatre debut in the Australian production of Fiddler on the Roof Roof, running at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre until February 27.

The musical is set in a small Jewish village in the Czarist Russia of 1905 and tells the story of milkman Tevye, along with his wife and five daughters, and his attempts to preserve family traditions in times of sweeping social change.

Perrone plays Tevye’s fourth daughter Shprintze.

“I’m loving it,” she says. “Getting this role … is a really big step in the right direction for me.”

After school, Perrone studied performing arts at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York for four years.

Now, in her first full-time gig, she’s in eight shows a week, rehearsing during her ‘down time’.

“I came home from America to celebrate my 21st birthday and then I got the call-up to be in Fiddler on the Roof Roof, so I guess it was meant to be,” she says.

Perrone says working closely with the show’s Australian stars Sigrid Thornton and Anthony Warlow has been a highlight.

“Just to be around that calibre of people is unreal.”

Man on undies theft charge

MADELINE PERRONE

(Joe Mastroianni)

Esther Lauaki

NEWS

A Lalor man has been charged with stalking and the theft of 21 pairs of underwear from a Richmond apartment building.

Detectives from the Melbourne sexual offences and child abuse investigation team charged the 35-year-old last Wednesday with four counts of theft and three of stalking.

The arrest follows a spate of thefts of underwear from adjoining balconies at the rear of an apartment complex in Lennox Street, Richmond.

On five separate occasions, beginning on Boxing Day last year, 21 pairs of women’s underwear belonging to three women were stolen from their clotheshorses.

Detective Sergeant Bill Brown said one of the victims installed a motion sensor camera after noticing her underwear had been stolen for a second time.

A Lalor man has been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on May 27.

Alexandra Laskie

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VCAT pain for Mernda objectors

By Alexandra Laskie Woodland Waters residents have lost for a second time their bid to scale back a planned housing development on Cravens Road in Mernda.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal upheld Whittlesea council’s decision to allow an area of two hectares at 120 Cravens Road to be subdivided into 47 blocks.

Despite 272 residents’ objections, the council ruled last May to allow the developer

to subdivide two hectares of the 11.8-hectare block and build mostly medium-density housing.

Under the proposal, the remaining 9.8 hectares of the land is to be transferred to the council to form part of the Quarry Hills Regional Park.

The objectors, who form the Save Mernda Hill Action Group, appealed against the council’s decision at VCAT last year.

The outcome of VCAT’s hearing last month was a “disappointment” to the community group.

One of its members, Cassandra Smith, who lives six doors away from Cravens Road, said she was “utterly disappointed”.

“The number of houses they have allowed will create traffic congestion and an unsightly view from the estate,” she said.

“Instead of a nice hill with a couple of cows, from my front door I’ll see a massive development.”

In his written decision, VCAT member Frank Dawson said that while he accepted that the proposed subdivision might result in changes such as a loss of rural outlook towards

Mernda Hill from within the Woodland Waters development, these changes, among others, were in accordance with the relevant planning policies.

“It will also result in clear benefits to existing and future communities within the broader region, resulting from the securing of the Quarry Hills Regional Park and upgrades to Cravens Road,” Mr Dawson wrote.

“This includes residents of Cravens Road and the Woodland Waters estate, who will enjoy convenient access to a major bushland reserve.”

Lessons up in smoke A massive tyre fire at Broadmeadows last month forced the cancellation of sailing classes for intellectually disabled students at neighbouring Jack Roper Reserve.

On January 10, a pile of tyres at an adjoining recycling yard caught fire and burnt for days, sending a plume of smoke into the sky that was visible from the Mornington Peninsula.

Due to the risk of polluted run-off into nearby Merlynston Creek, the Jack Roper Reserve lake was closed to the public.

Since the fire, Melbourne Water, the EPA Victoria, Hume council and the Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS] have advised people to avoid the lake until further notice.

Not-for-profit organisation Sailability, which runs weekly sailing classes for as many as 20 students with intellectual disabilities, was advised to halt classes until water quality can be deemed safe.

Sailing teacher Koos Soeterboek said classes had to be called off last week and the organisation is in limbo awaiting clearance from Hume council to resume.

Mr Soeterboek told Star Weekly they had not been given a timeline for water testing nor an idea of when classes could resume.

“Because we’re working with mentally handicapped people, if they fall in the water, that’s our responsibility,” he said. “Now we’re just waiting for the council.”

Melbourne Water’s regional manager, Cameron Howie, said the authority was assisting Hume council, the EPA and DHHS to assess the water quality, but the advice to avoid contact with the water “still stands”.

Hume council’s Margarita Caddick says the lake will reopen “once DHHS declares that it’s safe”.

Alexandra Laskie

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Pet pound wins woofs

By Alexandra Laskie In Epping last Tuesday, there were almost as many dogs as dignitaries to mark the sodturning start to building a mega-pound.

When finished next year, the $11 million pound will provide shelter for runaway and stray dogs and cats in Whittlesea, Moreland and Darebin. It’s capacity will be more than 6000 animals.

Whittlesea mayor Steven Kozmevski said the councils had joined forces to ensure lost and surrendered animals had a safe place to be sheltered.

The pound will include a livestock compound, an exercise area and an on-site vet for desexing.

“Pets play a significant part in the lives of many families and people, and it’s important that owners have an animal shelter they can access conveniently if the need arises,” Cr Kozmevski said.

The Cooper Street project, which plans reveal will look more like a futuristic gallery rather than a pound, will cater for the holding, accommodation and treatment of domestic animals and livestock.

Whittlesea has a smaller animal shelter, managed by the RSPCA, in O’Herns Road, Epping, where animals can stay for eight days before being relocated to the RSPCA’s Burwood facility.

“This collaborative project will allow a larger and improved facility to be developed in Epping with more services and capacity to cater for a larger number of animals,” Cr Kozmevski said.

Whittlesea will own the shelter, contributing 60 per cent of the costs and overseeing its design and construction.

Moreland and Darebin councils

Whittlesea mayor Steven Kozmevski (front) and fellow pals oversee the turning of the first sod at the new animal shelter in Epping. (Supplied)

will contribute 21.4 per cent and 18.6 per cent respectively.

The shared arrangement between the three councils will continue until 2027 when

Moreland and Darebin will have an option to renew the arrangement.

The new shelter will begin taking in runaways from the middle of next year.

NEWS

Fringe dwellers call for fair go Whittlesea and Hume have partnered with councils across Australia to campaign for more roads, rail and health facilities in fringe suburbs.

The national Fund Our Future campaign, launched on Friday, is intended to address a $73 billion infrastructure backlog in some of the nation’s fastest growing suburbs.

New data commissioned by the National Growth Areas Alliance reveals about five million Australians, including more than one million in Melbourne’s growth corridors, lack access to essential services such as adequate roads, public transport and hospitals.

The analysis is the first to put a dollar figure on the disadvantage faced by outer suburban residents.

The funding campaign is aimed at securing ongoing funding from all sides of federal politics to establish a dedicated infrastructure fund to address the backlog.

Whittlesea mayor Steven Kozmevski said residents were sitting in bumper-tobumper traffic on a daily basis and had poor access to trains, trams and health services.

“People are spending way too long in gridlock and not enough time with family and friends,” he said. “The evidence is compelling that a national, dedicated fund is needed. Our residents deserve the same access to quality roads, public transport and health services.”

Alexandra Laskie

CRAIGIEBURN LINE RAIL MAINTENANCE WORKS Sunday 14—Wednesday 17 February, after 8.30PM Due to rail maintenance works including signalling upgrades, electrical and track works, buses will replace trains between North Melbourne and Craigieburn stations.

Please note that this may

increase your journey by up to 35 minutes.

Please Download the metroNotify app for live updates and visit metrotrains.com.au for weekly details.

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The Country Fire Authority was called to a grassfire on the Hume Highway at Craigieburn last Thursday. Incident controller David Maxwell said the fire, between Craigieburn and Amaroo roads, affected the railway line, which is both a freight and passenger line, compromising railway sleepers and burning about 12 hectares of land.

While it was brought under control relatively quickly, investigations continue. It is believed the grassfire was sparked by the brakes of a freight train.

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ALICE AND ABBIE THOMAS

Abbie shares the care A South Morang youngster has invited her friends and neighbours to pull up chairs at her Cuppa for Kids event next month.

Abbie Thomas, 10, hopes to help save the lives of critically ill newborns by hosting a free tea party for the Royal Children’s Hospital on March 6.

Abbie, who once received life-saving care at the hospital’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit, has hosted four Cuppa for Kids afternoon teas in as many years. Her mum, Alice, says Abbie has a generous nature.

“Abbie would give her last dollar if she knew there was someone out there that needed it more than she did,” Mrs Thomas said. “She hosted her first Cuppa for Kids when she was just six years old. It’s just a really nice event

WHITTLESEA BOWLS CLUB Our daily lunch specials are changing all the time Available 12 til 4 every day and ranging in price from $10 to $12.50

where the kids can come and have something to eat and have a good play around.”

Abbie was born with a hole in her diaphragm, which meant her organs were wrongly positioned. She was flown from Shepparton, where she was born, to the Royal Children’s Hospital where she underwent surgery and stayed in the newborn unit for 19 days.

The event will include an auction of goods and services donated by local businesses, a music performance by singer Alex Rose, facepainting and balloon creations.

The tea party will start at 1pm on March 6 at Briar Hill Community Hall, Mountain View Road. Details: ra.thomas@westnet.com.au

There’s something for everyone to enjoy We’ve also updated some of a la carte dishes so come on down and check it out.

Restaurant open 12 til 8:30 every day of the week While visiting the club ,why not join Club Mix, our in house Social Membership Club, with discounts, bi-monthly mailouts, special offers and events. All your favorite sporting events now available on FOX SPORTS at Whittlesea Bowls Club!

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Hoon round-up under way

Police with Taskforce Regarder charged 26 people with hoon-related offences, also seizing 18 cars while executing 27 warrants in 72 hours across Melbourne’s north and south last week.

FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Northern Star Weekly @nstarweekly @star_weekly

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Three tonnes of copper wire was stolen from Sunbury Recreation Reserve last Thursday. The new copper was valued at $12,000 and cost Hume council $4000 to install at Clarke Oval as part of a major upgrade of McMahon Pavilion. The theft follows a similar incident at Sunbury’s Eric Boardman Memorial Reserve where electrical cabling that powered the oval lights was ripped out of the ground. Anyone with information about the thefts should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Copper stolen at sports grounds

(Damjan Janevski)

EDITORIAL

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

NEWS

Trails’ benefits ‘worth billions’

By Alexandra Laskie Five proposed off-road bike paths in Whittlesea have been flagged as “priority trails”.

The planned trails – the Edgars Creek Trail, Merri Creek Trail Link, Whittlesea Rail Trail, Yan Yean Pipe Trail and Plenty Road Shared Pathway – have been identified in a new blueprint for a recreational bike path strategy in Melbourne’s north.

The Northern Regional Trails Strategy is a joint plan developed by seven councils in the area for the future of off-road bike and walking paths.

The plan identifies 96 proposed trails that would create a network spanning 780 kilometres across Whittlesea, Hume, Banyule, Darebin, Moreland, Nillumbik and Yarra.

The blueprint estimates it would cost $169 million to $217 million to build the entire trail network, which would deliver benefits valued at between $2.9 billion and $4.6 billion over 30 years. The benefits would include increased tourism and recreation opportunities, and many full-time jobs during construction.

Twenty-nine trails have been deemed “priority” due to their alignment with major tourist destinations and their potential to be

built quickly. The proposed 7.98-kilometre trail would extend the existing Edgars Creek Trail from the Northern Ring Road to Craigieburn Road, and provide access to Thomastown Aquatic Recreation Centre and Lalor and Thomastown train stations.

Merri Creek Trail Link would create an additional link within the existing Merri Creek Trail.

Whittlesea Bicycle Users Group committee member Ron Harvey has been campaigning for this 340-metre link for four years. Told it had been identified as a short-term priority, he said he was delighted.

“A lot of people ride across there and in winter it turns into a quagmire,” Mr Harvey said. “If it was concreted it would be fantastic.”

The planned 16.8-kilometre Whittlesea Rail Trail would extend from McDonalds Road in South Morang to Laurel Street in Whittlesea, taking in South Morang train station, Plenty Gorge Park and other parks along the way.

The Yan Yean Pipe Trail project would bridge a gap in the trail from the Metropolitan Ring Road to the northern section above Gordons Road. The Plenty Road Shared Pathway would serve as a link between the existing trail and the Yan Yean Pipe Trail.

Mernda pioneer ‘returns’ Colleen Lazenby gushes over the sepia images, hand-written poems and sketches dating from the 1860s now on show at Whittlesea council offices.

Ms Lazenby, the council’s heritage co-ordinator, says an A3, 14-centimetre-thick ledger detailing the name of every customer and their purchases made at Mernda’s first grocery is one of the most remarkable artefacts on display.

The items are part of the late Fay Thomas’s extensive collection of photos, plans, maps and other relics, which she gathered over many years to document the life of Moses Thomas, her great grandfather who was one of Mernda’s first residents.

Mr Thomas surveyed the Morang Road District, a precursor to the shire of Whittlesea. During the 1850s, the engineer, carpenter and stonemason built the Mayfield

Presbyterian Church, a school, dairy farm, flour mill, bakery, grocery store, butter factory and blacksmith’s in the suburb when it was known as Morang.

Ms Lazenby said that when his great granddaughter, Fay, died aged 73 last year, she left behind her own honourable legacy as a teacher, principal, academic and school assessor. The council has been given access to her collection of archival material about what is now Mernda.

“Some of these objects are remarkable, never seen before,” she said. “Pictures of Moses Thomas as well as his second wife Anne, railroad plans from the 1860s, poems written for his wife in 1868 … it’s phenomenal. You get a real sense of him as an individual.”

The original collection will be on display at the council until February 27, after which it will be donated to the State Library of Victoria.

Above: Fay Thomas and parents Charles and Violet.

Right: Fay Thomas going to a ball, circa 1960.

(Supplied)

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North, west ‘feeding’ kids court

By Alexandra Laskie

Free rego a pet set winner Pet owners can register their new dogs or cats for free until February 19. Hume mayor Helen Patsikatheodorou (pictured with family pet Lisa) called on all those who recently provided homes to dog or cats to take advantage of the offer. “This is a terrific saving on a registration fee and we hope it encourages people to do the right thing and register their animal,” Cr Patsikatheodorou said. “It’s really important that owners register their dog or cat so that Hume council is able to return the pet if it escapes.” For further information on how to register a new pet with Hume council, visit www.hume.vic. gov.au or call 9205 2200.

(Joe Mastroianni)

Whittlesea and Hume teenagers are overrepresented at children’s courts, a new report by research unit The Victoria Institute claims.

The report evaluates a new education initiative that addresses disadvantage among young people appearing in the Melbourne Children’s Court between September 2014 and June last year.

The state government-funded initiative aims to get children who become disengaged with school back into the classroom.

Almost 700 young people had matters listed before the Children’s Court in that nine-month period. Education Justice Initiative (EJI) staff had contact with almost half of them and worked directly with 103 of the children.

In her final report, Education at the Heart of the Children’s Court, Associate Professor Kitty te Riele said that of all EJI clients, young people from Melbourne’s north and west were “strongly represented”.

“There’s an assumption that young people from low socio-economic areas are more likely to be engaged with crime and come into contact with the justice system,” Associate Professor te Riele said. “The findings seem to bear out that those local government areas, such as Whittlesea and Hume, have more young people who need the support of the EJI.” She said her findings mirrored some of those published last year by Jesuit Social Services researchers in a report called Dropping Off The Edge 2015, which identified pockets of disadvantage and the unique challenges residents in these areas faced. It found Broadmeadows, Campbellfield, Coolaroo, Lalor and Thomastown were among the most disadvantages suburbs in Victoria as demonstrated by high rates of criminal convictions and unemployment, and poor education.

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Monday - Friday 9am - 5.30pm der D r

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Beautyrest Black® ‘Delaware Firm’ Queen Ensemble.

Classic mattress design in its finest form. The ‘Delaware Firm’ combines firm support with the latest advancement in Pocketed Coil® support technology, Micro Diamond Infused AirCool™ Memory Foam with a level of luxury not usually found in firmer bedding.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN OTHER SIZES AND AS A MATTRESS.

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SleepMaker Miracoil® ‘Classic Firm, Medium or Plush’ Queen Mattress.

The ‘Classic’ features a breathable Climatex® quilt with responsive Latex, and uses Australian made Dunlop Foam comfort layers and the Miracoil Classic ® support system to provide a comfortable sleep. 10 year warranty.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN OTHER SIZES AND AS AN ENSEMBLE.

SHOP with CONFIDENCE Ends 28/02/16. Harvey Norman® stores are operated by independent franchisees.

Accessories shown are not included.

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BROADMEADOWS harveynorman.com.au 9 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

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The Australian Government is committed to making this country a centre of innovation—where we turn ideas into successful products and services.

This will generate a new era of jobs and prosperity for all.

The National Innovation & Science Agenda includes initiatives that encourage ideas and create opportunities, including: • making it easier for innovative businesses to find investors and access funding • bringing research and business together to make ideas work • helping prepare ideas for market with grants and specialist advice • making it easier for people to take a risk and give their ideas a go • ensuring young Australians have the skills they need in technology, maths and science for the jobs of tomorrow.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

WIN THIS

WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Star Weekly Community Calendar, Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042, or email to communitycalendar@starweekly.com.au. Deadline for copy and announcements is noon Tuesday.

Penchant for pirates

Bowling for harmony

Not-for-profit youth theatre organisation Waterdale will present a modern adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan classic The Pirates of Penzance. The play has been modernised for younger generations by Simon Gallaher and Essgee Entertainment, and tells the tale of a 21-year-old apprentice pirate who falls in love. Shows run between March 11 and March 19 at Rivergum Theatre, Parade College, 1436 Plenty Road, Bundoora.

■ http://bit.ly/1NP8BL0

Hume council will host its annual Harmony in Cricket tournament for refugees and asylum seekers on Saturday, February 14, at Willowbrook Reserve, Mickleham Road, Westmeadows. The junior clinic will run from 9.30am until 11am, with adult matches from 11am until 3pm. Register with Jarrod Smith at Hume council on 9205 2464 or email jarrods@hume.vic.gov.au

Homecoming at Mernda

Neighbourhood classes

Craft workshops start again at Thomastown Neighbourhood House on February 9, 11am-1pm. English classes for asylum seekers are on Mondays and Fridays, 10am-12.30pm, and markets are on the first Saturday of each month, the next being March 5.

■ 8376 6939

To enter, visit www.winthisnow.com.au and follow the prompts. Entries close at 11.59pm on Sunday, February 14, and will be drawn at 9am the next day at 380 City Road, Southbank, 3006. Winners will be notified in writing and their names published at www.winthisnow. com.au. Terms and conditions are available at www.winthisnow.com.au.

A two-part series, facilitated by Catharine Hydon and recommended for early years educators, uses critical reflective thinking to review understanding and explore new frontiers of practice and assessment.

Classes will be held on February 11 and February 17, 6.30-8pm, Whittlesea council offices, 25 Ferres Boulevard, South Morang.

■ 9404 8865

Summer reading party

A fairytale show will take centre stage at Craigieburn library on Thursday, February 18, as the wrap-up party for the 2015-16 summer reading club gets under way. All Hume youngsters are invited from 6.30pm until 7.30pm. Carp Productions will deliver an interactive show, and there will also be awards for children who reached major

at sessions being run one day a month at Plenty Valley Community Centre at Epping and at 182 Widford Street, Broadmeadows.

Bookings: Better Hearing Australia (Vic) ■ 9510 1577 or www.betterhearing.org.au

Whole Kids is all about healthy kids and a healthy world. Only the finest quality organic ingredients are used to make yummy lunch box snacks for kids − with no artificial colours, preservatives, flavours or other added nasties. Whole Kids is giving readers the chance to win one of four hamper packs, featuring a variety of goodies from their range (valued at $50 per pack). www.wholekids.com.au

Critical thinking for teachers

(iStock)

Animated aliens and a little girl named Tip will make their way to Mernda Villages for a free movie screening of Home at the popular Stockland community on Saturday, February 20. Movie fans are invited to pack a picnic blanket and turn out for this animated adventure about a hive-minded alien race that conquers the Earth. The family-friendly evening will begin at 6pm, with a community barbecue and children’s activities, with Home due to start at 8.30pm. RSVP online ■ www.llpnorth.eventbrite.com.

NEWS

Mill Park fitness challenge milestones in the 1000 Books Before School program.

■ www.humelibraries.vic.gov.au

Test your hearing

Better Hearing Australia is offering free consultations for people with hearing loss

This free class mixes body weight exercises with cardio and strength training. Classes are fun and challenging, and can be modified to suit all fitness levels and different abilities. Saturday, February 13, 8-9am at Mill Park Leisure, Morang Drive, Mill Park.

■ 9217 2531

11 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

FOOD REVIEW STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

CONSIDER THE SAUCE Kenny Weir finds a namesake to confirm his love of yum cha.

The premises recently occupied by Kenny’s Yum Cha House was previously, and for many years, a rather nondescript noodle shop we never tried.

A new family has taken over, headed by dumpling-making dad Kenny, and they’re doing very nice things.

I confess to having tried “hokkien noodles” a few weeks before Christmas and being unimpressed.

But then a home delivery of some yum cha items – and very good they were – re-sparked my interest.

So heading to Ferguson Street with two regular CTS companions, I am filled with hope.

But there is cause to be cautious, in terms of optimism.

After all, normal expectations for yum cha goodies served in such a humble, corner store setting would normally fall into the realms of cheap, enjoyable, but surely frozen and mass-produced dumplings, and the like.

What we enjoy at Kenny’s Yum Cha House is way, way better than that – top-notch yum cha that pretty much matches what you’ll find at any of the storied yum cha places around town.

In fact, this place sort of redefines yum cha and how it can work.

Yum cha doesn’t have to be Sunday brunch – it can also easily be dinner.

Great yum cha doesn’t have to involve trollies – it can just as easily be a la carte.

In truth, it can even be argued that ordering as you go is preferable.

KENNY’S YUM CHA HOUSE Address: 34 Ferguson Street, Williamstown Phone: 9397 8688 Finally, Kenny’s Yum Cha House proves beaut yum cha doesn’t have to be served in a vast barn; a smallish neighbourhood enterprise can do it, too.

Everything we have is good or better: Pan-fried dumplings ($8 for five).

Pork dumplings ($5.50 for three).

Chive prawn dumplings ($6 for three).

Pork ribs in black bean sauce ($5.50).

Chicken feet in black bean sauce ($5).

Only the last mentioned are in any way less than excellent – they lack a certain spicy zing.

As well, as we find that assessing a yum cha joint can, at least partially, be done on the basis of greenery, we order Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce ($12) – and that, too, is lovely.

It’s been a rather smashing meal – easy, impromptu and cheap (we pay $16 per person).

And on a Monday night in Williamstown!

Kenny Weir is the founder of Consider the Sauce, the definitive guide to eating in Melbourne’s western suburbs – www.considerthesauce.net

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NEWS

Hot Shots Tennis goes Indoor at Action Sports Bundoora

Our Junior Group coaching lessons are suitable for junior players of standards ranging from total beginners, who may have never played before, to intermediate level and competition players. These lessons cater for kids 4 years of age to 18. Classes run for 30 to 60 mins each with a maximum of 4 students in a class.

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Little Athletics members Mischa Atkinson and Olivia Gorman at Melbourne Airport. (Supplied)

ACTION INDOOR SPORTS BUNDOORA 39 Clements Avenue Bundoora Vic 3083 . (03) 9467 2422 www.bundooraactionindoorsports.com.au bundoora@actionindoorsports.com.au

High-five for fair effort Mischa Atkinson excels on an athletics track and, when asked to put pen to paper to write 25 words or less on what good sportsmanship means to her, it’s clear the seven-year-old’s sporting prowess is matched with an equal dose of honesty and fair-mindedness.

In November last year the Whittlesea Little Athletics member entered a Jetstar competition that asked entrants to do just that, with a poster that read: “It is not always about winning, but doing your best and giving everyone a high-five when they finish the race.”

The judging panel deemed her entry equal best in Australia, and awarded her and nine of

her Whittlesea teammates, athletics training in another part of the country.

Her possie of Little Athletics friends have since travelled to Inglewood in Perth to visit fellow winner Sasson Notley at Inglewood Little Athletics. And last Friday they welcomed Sasson and nine of her friends on home turf.

Jetstar Australia and New Zealand chief executive David Hall said both girls were shining examples of good sportsmanship.

“Great sportsmanship is not always determined by the medal tally,” he said.

u yo p u lly a R

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13 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

13 vices adult boutique 13/8 Oleander Drv Sth Morang (off McDonalds Rd behind Hyundai)

ph: 9436 0000 open 7 days 10am till late

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VALENTINE’S DAY FEBRUARY 14th

The cherub aims at teens, too The number of Valentine’s Day fans grows every year in Australia. It’s seen as a time to focus affection on a partner, schoolyard peer, boy or girl next door, a secret crush even … snazzy restaurants, florists, jewellers, day spas, sunrise balloon flights, skydives, concert tickets are all go-to places and experiences for couples marking the day.

But what do money-poor, lovesick teens do to successfully navigate a day that can be fraught with hidden social traps for the unwary? Sixteen-year-old Sarah, a year 10 student, says Valentine’s Day is now wholeheartedly celebrated, but the romance is tinged with the dreaded ‘popularity contest’ syndrome.

“Girls always want a cute, fluffy soft toy – that seems to be the ultimate expression of ‘lerve’ … but chockies, helium-filled love-heart balloons and cards also get exchanged,” she says. “Girls can get jealous of other girls’ fluffy toys if they get just chocolates, say.

There’s definitely a bit of comparison going on.

“If you’re secretly ‘crushing’ on someone, you can put a card in their locker anonymously. The ‘popular’ girls usually get more than one, which adds a bit of excitement and speculation. But I remember my friend, Ally, had Valentine chockies seriously melt all over her books in her locker – not so romantic.”

It’d be nice to think Valentine’s Day could be a simple, budget-friendly affair as teens enjoy, but then we might miss out on a diamond, dinner by a top chef, a deluxe spa … come on, cherub, shoot him hard with that arrow, why dontcha?

Carole Levy

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14 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Please give us a loving home!

VICTORIAN DOG RESCUE ESCUE

Our Goal Is To No Longer Be Needed Victorian Dog Rescue & Resource Group Inc (VicDRG) has been proactive in animal welfare since 2006. We are a not for profit organisation and registered charity whose goal is to stop the killing in pounds and shelters, by helping our companion animals in need, BUDDY PER KINS and promoting responsible pet Male Staffy X ownership. Every effort is made Age: 1 Y Year 2 Month s to retrain dogs and cats that have Buddy Perkin s, a.k.a.

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Please help our organisation continue doing what we do by adopting these beautiful pets.

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15 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Resort living everyday.

That’s Mandalay.

Imagine your dream place to live. You’d want a championship golf course. A cool, inviting swimming pool. Your own Clubhouse with a state of the art gym, and a gorgeous bar and bistro to relax in with your friends.

And to be truly perfect, you’d want bigger blocks of land, and all attractively affordable. Well, dream no more. Mandalay offers an idyllic resort lifestyle for all those smart buyers who are looking for more from life.

Why live in “just an estate”, House & Land Packages from when resort living is on * your doorstep? Come and find out for yourself!

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16 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

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Dr. Tony Stubbs Eye Surgeon MB BS BSc(Hons)B Med Sc MS FRANZCO Dr. Tony Stubbs, Eye Surgeon, says that just about anyone can have their vision restored and be rid of their glasses for most of the time.

www.lasalita.com.au

And this is without the use of laser surgery.

Dr Stubbs, a visiting specialist at the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital who has worked with the Fred Hollows eye department at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, says he began his career through the inspiration of his father, Dr Maxwell Stubbs. “My father was a pioneer in cataract implant surgery from 1963! He has now passed away but some of his patients still come in for a check-up. Not only is this inspirational, it also demonstrates that good surgery outlasts the surgeon,� Dr Stubbs says.

A specialist who helps people who have been advised they are unsuitable for laser surgery, Dr Stubbs is also committed to demonstrating that age, corneal distortion or astigmatism are no barriers to eliminating the need for glasses.

One of my best moments was treating a 12-year-old girl who was struggling at school because of poor vision due to congenital cataracts even with the use of thick glasses. Now 10 years later, she still has 20/20 vision without glasses. That inspires me. “Seeing my patients’ bright smiles after surgery, as they stop squinting and can read without glasses, is definitely the best part of my job.�

No referral is needed and no out-of-pocket expenses are incurred for an assessment to enable all options available to be considered.

Dr Tony Stubbs’ Collins St Practice Coates Building, Suite 2, Level 2 20 Collins Street, Melbourne Victoria, 3000 Tel: +613 9650 8044 Fax: +613 9650 8099

The Williamstown Eye Centre 120 Ferguson Street Williamstown 3016 Victoria, Australia Tel: +613 9397 8989 Fax: +613 9397 8984

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Come in and try our new breakfast menu, buffalo pizza and many other exciting new dishes.

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17 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Trades & Services

s s e n i s u b r u o y w o r G with Trades and Services

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Phone: 1300 666 808 (Open 8.30-5pm Mon-Fri) Fax: 03 5945 0667 Email: sales@networkclassifieds.com.au (include your name, address and phone number)

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19 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

SPORT STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Tigers ready for attack on finals

By Tara Murray Westmeadows coach Dave Connell believes his team is in good shape to make a real impact in division 1 of the Essendon District Football League this season.

The Tigers have fallen in the first week of the finals for the previous two seasons, but Connell said they were primed to go further in 2016.

“It’s my third year in the role and I’m a little more comfortable in the job and the players are more comfortable with our game plan,” he said.

“Ultimately, the goal is to win a final and I think we have a better team than last year.”

Early signs show Tigers players are keen to get into the season.

“We had 50-odd on the first night back at training and 61 last night,” Connell said.

“We would normally have only seven or eight under-18s on the track at this time. We’ve had 21-22. It looks like we’ll have two under-18 teams for the first time this season.”

After being a major player in last season’s recruiting period, the Tigers planned to be only minor players this year, with key forwards their only target.

“We knew all our key forwards were over 30 and we were concerned they would all finish up at the same time,” Connell said.

“Luke Wilson has retired and will be an assistant coach with the under-18s. Cam Trewin may play reserves.

“We were very fortunate to get some key forwards before the pre-season even started and they’ve had a couple of mates come with them.”

Dylan Debritt has come across from Avondale Heights, while Jordan Foster has moved from VAFA club University Blacks.

They brought along a couple of friends, including another University Blacks player, David Cooper.

But perhaps the biggest signing may be Shannon Broadbent, who has won eight club best-and-fairest awards with several different clubs and won the Western Region Football League’s B&F award, the Barry Priest medal, in 2013.

He played for WRFL premier Deer Park last season and the Tigers will be his fifth EDFL club.

“We’ve been best friends since we were 15 and have always spoken about being at the same club but it has just never happened,” Connell said.

“We’ve managed to make it happen this year and he’ll be a playing assistant coach.”

While several of the veterans have retired, club legend and 400-game player Andrew McLean will play on.

“Whether he plays more reserves than seniors we’re not sure,” Connell said.

“You need guys like him at the club.

“There are not many guys like him. He has been playing for nothing the last few years and been pumping money into the club.

“He has been terrific support for me.”

Shannon Broadbent has joined Westmeadows.

(Michael Copp)

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20 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

SPORT Mill Park, Watsonia join forces For years, at the end of each season, Mill Park Junior Football Club has fielded calls from senior clubs wanting to speak to its players.

Mill Park has had no senior club for players to transition into, so has been the target of other clubs looking for talented young players who are too old to continue as juniors.

Sick of what he describes as “a meat market”, club president Paul Anetta and the committee decided to do something about it.

“The last 10-15 years we’ve had relationships with some clubs, but nothing was cemented,” Anetta said.

“Last year, we won the under-17 division 1 premiership, and we had 10 clubs wanting to speak to the boys.

“We decided there was a better way to do this, and we started looking for clubs without a junior club.”

A year after beginning talks with Watsonia the two clubs have officially joined forces.

Watsonia’s under-19 side will now be called Watsonia-Mill Park.

“The under-17s will now have direct access to a senior club,” Anetta said. “The committee at Watsonia has been fantastic, and we’ve really struck a cord.

“We’ve sort of been working together the last year … both clubs are comfortable with each other.”

The clubs are located within 15 minutes of each other, and are hoping this new relationship will help keep teenagers in the game they would otherwise have left.

“From the feedback I’ve got, a lot of kids will take the year off to focus on VCE,” Anetta said.

“Changing football clubs on top of that [VCE} is daunting and makes the decision to give football away a lot easier.

“It’s another reason to have a relationship between the two clubs.”

Watsonia secretary Rod Haber said the club

Sport shorts

hoped the partnership would eventually see families migrate from one club to the other.

Mill Park will receive part of the registration fee for each former junior who registers to play with Watsonia.

“More than anything, it’s an opportunity for the Mill Park boys to continue to play football together, rather than getting to the under-17 year and then separating,” Haber said.

“Part of the agreement between the clubs is that we’ll name our under-19s Watsonia-Mill Park.

“It gives the boys coming from Mill Park that sense of ownership, and they’re not just coming into any other club, they’re actually staying within their own club.”

Mill Park is looking for more junior footballers for the upcoming NFL season.

Details: 0438 538 772 or http://ow.ly/Y1Xsq Tara Murray

NFL

Three-time Northern Football League division 1 premiership coach Robert Hyde has been named the NFL’s interleague coach. Hyde, who last coached in the league in 2014, takes the reins from Jason Heatley, who coached the side to a five-point loss to the Victorian Amateur Football Association last year.

Hyde said he was looking forward to the challenge of coaching again.

“Just to be able to train and be in charge of a game again, I’m certainly looking forward to it,” he said. The NFL will play the Peninsula Football Netball League on May 21 in the revamped 2016 WorkSafe AFL Victoria Community Championships.

Premier

The Greenvale Kangaroos’ middle order held strong in their second innings to avoid an outright defeated against Camberwell Magpies on Saturday. Needing 269 for victory on day two of the match, the Kangaroos struggled with the bat, not once but twice.

Bowled out for 158 in their first innings, the Kangaroos were sent back still trailing by 101 runs.

James Rosewarne top-scored with 36 not-out in the first innings. In the second innings, the Kangaroos were struggling at 4-28, but Jack Rhodes and Rosewarne stood strong, as the Kangaroos batted out the day. Rosewarne top-scored again with another 36 not-out.

VSDCA

A century to Will Wright has helped Plenty Valley to a convincing win over Endeavour Hills in Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association’s north-east division. Wright, a 19-year-old opener from England, made 137 not-out in his side’s 3-265 off their 45 overs. The bowlers then bowled Endeavour Hills for 117. Justin Jaensch and Sean Ayres took three wickets each for the Bats. Meanwhile, Roxburgh Park Broadmeadows was thrashed by Kew. The Falcons restricted Kew to a very chaseable 151, with Mitch Streiff taking three wickets. The Falcons batsmen crumbled and were all out for 53.

Streiff (12) was the only batsman to make double figures, as extras top-scored.

Lalor Warriors’ skipper Todd Hughes is looking forward to a T20 grand final win on Tuesday.

(Shawn Smits)

Warriors take aim at T20

By Tara Murray Lalor Warriors are hoping for their first Northern Region T20 title on Tuesday night after not making it past elimination finals in previous years.

The Warriors came through to the grand final after their win over Northern Metro Cricket Association rival Rivergum. The Northern Region T20 involves both the NMCA and Diamond Valley Cricket Associations.

Warriors’ captain-coach Todd Hughes says he hopes the team’s T20 performance will kickstart a better second half of the season.

“The last month hasn’t gone to plan in the Saturday competition,” Hughes said. “We’re hoping that the confidence we get from this competition will help us find form again.

“We made the elimination final in the T20s a couple of years ago, but that was the furthest we have been.”

Despite taking on Rivergum, which is undefeated in the NMCA, Hughes said the Warriors were confident they could win in the semi-final. Batting first they made 4-140.

“We’ve always played well against them in T20s and one-dayers,” Hughes said. “They have been a better side in two-day cricket.

“We have a lot of players in our side that are match winners … we managed to get four scores of about 20.”

Nick Christie top-scored with 34 not out, while Lance Whitnall, who retired during the off-season, made 20 at the top of the order.

Hughes said the Warriors were confident they had the runs on the board.

“They got off to a good start and were a couple of wickets down for 60 off about seven overs.

“Eventually they needed 70 runs off 70 balls.

We kept picking up wickets to put the pressure on.”

Rivergum was bowled out for 121. Christie took three wickets, Bradley Winther, Shane Hicks and Themi Tilkeridis took two each.

Hughes said the side was now looking for a win in the grand final against DVCA club Plenty.

The Warriors carried their T20 form into Saturday competition against Darebin Chargers. Batting first, the Warriors made 6-312.

Hughes led from the front with 104 not-out, while Christie made 63.

The Chargers were 3-22 at stumps.

VTCA

Craigieburn’s finals hopes in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association’s north A1 competition hang by a thread after day one of its match against Merlynston Hadfield. A win by the fourth-placed Hawks over fifth-placed Craigieburn would give them more than a 10-point buffer with one round remaining. After day one of their clash, Craigieburn is 6-53, chasing the Hawks 119.

Westmeadows’ finals hopes are over after being bowled out for 52 against St Albans. St Albans will resume at 2-104.

FOR MORE SPORT, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Northern Star Weekly @starweeklysport @star_weekly 21 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

SPORT STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Coach puts faith in kids and new faces Sporting Whittlesea is looking to continue the development that saw it become the best defensive side in FFV’s state league 2 north-west last season.

After winning seven of its first nine matches, Whittlesea was hit with injuries and faded to finish fifth.

Despite the late losses, Sporting still conceded the fewest goals in its division.

Club coach Kevin Theuma says pre-season training is well under way with plenty of practice matches lined up.

“We’ve retained most of the players and have quite a few younger boys coming into the club,” Theuma said.

“We had our first trial game last weekend and we’ll have practice matches just about every week until the season starts. We got quite a few injuries last year so we’ve changed our

pre-season to try to prevent that. Our best 11 would put us in the top two or three sides in the division.”

Theuma said Sporting was certain the new players could cover those who left in the off-season.

But the final squad had not been decided, and form in trial matches would continue to be important.

The club is still looking at bringing in players from higher divisions as well as at least one from overseas, although Theuma is most excited about the number of youngsters wanting to sign up.

“Some of the kids went to National Premier League clubs and have now come to us,” he said.

“They’ve heard good things about us and want to be part of it. We want to help them

develop for another two or three years so they can go back to the higher level and succeed.”

The coach said these extra players would add depth to the squad, with several of the reserves side capable of playing seniors.

“Our second side is more a development side with players between 18 and 21.

“Most have the potential to come up and push for spots.”

As well as finishing in the top two or three of state league 2 north-west, Sporting is looking to the nationwide FFA Cup. “It starts in a couple of weeks and we’re hoping for a good run, to get as far as playing an NPL side,” Theuma said.

Sporting Whittlesea kicks off its regular season against Hoppers Crossing on April 2.

Tara Murray

Club loses points after ‘rules breach’ A rule breach by Bundoora United has seen the club lose premiership points with just three weeks left in the Diamond Valley Cricket Association’s Barclay Shield regular season.

The DVCA confirmed that a rule breach had led to a change in the results of five matches involving United.

United has won three matches for the season but the points earned in each of those matches have been stripped.

The club received minus two points for each of the five games in which the rule was breached and now sits on the bottom of the ladder on minus seven points.

The teams which played United in the five rounds in question were each given whatever points had been awarded in that round.

Old Paradians/St Francis and Bundoora, who both lost to United, were given six points each.

Mernda and Rosanna were each given 10 points.

Lower Eltham, who beat United, did not get any extra points because six points were the most awarded for that round.

With three of the 12 teams in the competition to be relegated at the end of the season, the changes have a big impact on the ladder.

Old Paradians are the big winners and are now fourth, only percentage behind third-placed Epping.

The change of results sees Research Eltham Collegians and Bundoora now five points clear of 10th-placed Mernda and the relegation zone.

Tara Murray

Club serves up its game plan

Rhys Evans has thrived for Jacana since returning from injury. (Shawn Smits)

Jacana tests its mettle

By Tara Murray Jacana Cricket Club’s season thus far has been one of transition.

After breaking a 42-year flag drought last year in Victorian Turf Cricket Association North B1 division and being promoted, it’s a new-look Jaguars that have been competing in North A1.

Wins have been rare but Jaguars coach Brett Jensen says results don’t tell the story.

“It has been a bit of a changing of the guard at the club,” he said.

“We’ve had 10 debutants in the firsts and another three guys playing who had previously played one game each.

“It’s given a lot of opportunities to guys who haven’t had chances before. We’re getting to see where players are at.”

Jensen said it was early in the development of some players but a couple had showed they were definitely first XI players.

22 NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY \ FEBRUARY 9, 2016

“Rhys Evans has had a breakout season,” he said.

“He hasn’t played the last few years due to injury. He has had his best ever year.

“Ryan McCawley made his debut last round – he looks like he’ll be a senior player.”

The standout player for the Jaguars so far this season has again been Praneeth Jayasundera.

Jayasundera won the league’s north B1 best and fairest award last year.

He is averaging 57 with the bat this season and has taken 13 wickets.

“PJ is a quality cricketer no matter what grade he is in,” Jensen said.

The coach said the next aim for the club was to continue building on what had been learnt so far this year and get the players back to training early for the 2016-17 season.

“We’ll look to be a bit more structured in training,” he said.

“We’ll work with them on what they need to be better cricketers.”

As for this season, the Jaguars are in a fight to avoid relegation.

They are sitting in ninth on the ladder with only four points separating the bottom three sides.

“We have improved as the season has gone on,” Jensen said. “We think we’re still a chance of staying up.

“I think this season has been more about what we end up achieving with the players we have rather than results.

“It’s about where the club is going and trying to set the club up for the future.

“We’ve put in a lot of hard work to put a base in place but there’s still a lot of work to do.”

Jacana conceded first innings points to Glenroy in its North A1 match on Saturday.

Batting first, the Jaguars were bowled out for 95. Evans top-scored with 30.

At stumps on day one of the match, Glenroy was 3-255.

New technology will make it easier for tennis players and families to access West Lalor courts.

Until recently, the tennis club was like most others around the state; anyone wanting to use the courts had to first gain access to keys to the clubhouse. It meant many people didn’t bother.

West Lalor secretary Ross Graham says a new pilot program, Opening Up Tennis, run by Tennis Australia, will change that.

“The program has an online system, which runs the facility through a touch pad,” he said. “You can book to use the courts online.

“It’s quite an expensive project and only a handful of clubs in the state are trying it. The lights and gates at the club will all be run through the touch pad.”

The club hopes it will encourage families to access the facilities.

“We want people to feel comfortable using the courts and hope it will eventually help grow our membership,” Graham said.

The club also has a new senior coaching group, Topseed Tennis, running all its programs, which include beginners (Hotshots), cardio tennis, and coaching lessons for players wanting to improve their skills.

The club is holding an open day on Saturday, 10am-3pm. Details: westlalortc@yahoo.com or 0407 823 874 Tara Murray

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