HAVE you ever felt like discussing the finer points of literature with fellow passengers while sitting on a train on the Frankston line? Well now is your chance, with the Books on the Rail project coming to a train near you in December. The idea is the brainchild of copywriter Ali Berg and primary school teacher Michelle Kalus, who have been leaving free novels aboard Melbourne trains for months in an attempt to share their love of literature and get commuters reading again. Frankston commuters can look forward to their turn to read in the last carriage of the 11.14am…
Author: Liz Bell
VICTORIA’S mosquito plague has raised fears that the increased risk of mosquito-born diseases such as the flesh-eating Buruli ulcer – already prevalent on the Mornington Peninsula – could soar. But concerns are falling on deaf ears according to Rye resident Pete Connell, 64, who was infected by the Mycobacterium ulcerans bacteria last year. Mr Connell accuses health authorities and government officials of “passing the buck”. Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula are “hot spots” for the Buruli ulcer, a notifiable illness that worldwide is the third most common bacterial disease after tuberculosis and leprosy (“Flesh-eating ulcers on rise”, The Times 17/10/16).…
FRANKSTON High School principal Helen Wilson occasionally has to do a double take when speaking to some of her senior students, with five sets of twins this year preparing to complete their VCE. Although not identical, it’s fair to say the similarities are striking and still can cause confusion. Ms Wilson said the twins are studying different subjects and don’t plan to follow the same career paths but they all share a competitive streak and a similar study ethic. “I’m not sure what it is about twins, but at our school the twins in VCE have always been high achievers…
“PIXIE” Wastell may have just celebrated her 100th birthday, but the great grandmother still leads an active life and can be found swinging the bowl at Frankston Bowling Club every Wednesday night. The bowl might be dropped or be a bit wobbly but it still ends up on the kitty, according to her daughter Glen Carr, who describes her mother as “very competitive and determined”. “Her passion for bowling has almost been an obsession,” she said. Born Olive Jean on 18 October a hundred years ago in Western Australia, Ms Wastell was the eighth child of ten siblings and was…
DUSTY dirt roads, sun-soaked weekends at the beach and wet winter days at the football are memories that encapsulate 1960s suburban Frankston for political journalist and former The Age associate editor Shaun Carney. Life was simple and predictable; children still walked shoeless to the beach and didn’t come home until dinner was on the table, and the infectious sense of community pride was reflected in friendly neighbourhood banter and well-kept gardens. A highlight of the year was the much-anticipated Australia Day procession down the main street, where people waved flags and stood together in a show of unity and suburban…