THE Big O has survived the Big C. Entertainer-at-large John Wells, who regularly performs at venues around Frankston as Roy Orbison in a tribute show, was stopped in his tracks by a throat cancer diagnosis four years ago. The singer, guitarist and drummer said when he was told he was not expected to live more than three months when diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer. “I was told I’d never sing again … and I’ve kind of beaten the odds a bit.” After spending about a year recuperating after surgery, radiotherapy and chemo Wells decided to get back on the…
Author: Neil Walker
FRANKSTON’S reputation as a poverty stricken suburb has seen it named as favourite to host a second season of controversial SBS documentary TV series Struggle Street. Major online bookmaker Sportsbet has nominated Frankston as the joint favourite suburb, alongside the NSW suburb of Minto, to “feel the wrath of our multicultural broadcaster in season 2 of the show”. Community leaders and some residents in Mt Druitt, the subject of Struggle Street, are angry at the suburb’s portrayal as a crime-ridden hotbed of mental illness and substance abuse. Some have labelled the show voyeuristic “poverty porn”. SBS describes Struggle Street as…
FRANKSTON shoppers have dug deep into their pockets to support a council backed initiative to house homeless people. Frankston Council will trial a 12-month program, due to begin in July, to offer three homes to nine homeless individuals for minimal rent in an effort to help turn lives around (‘Magpies plan spreads wings’, The Times 1/4/15). The ‘Magpies Nest’ model has been successfully piloted by Collingwood Football Club and helps people sleeping rough on the streets or in unsafe rooming houses. A similar scheme in the US to offer homes to the homeless called Housing First, first trialled in Salt…
THE Frankston City Motorcycle Track remains closed after a motocross rider’s death at the venue last month. Frankston Council ordered the Frankston Motorcycle Club to close the Seaford venue after a 20-year-old man died after a collision with a fellow racer on Saturday 4 April. Council has set up a transition committee, chaired by Cr Glenn Aitken, to hand over management of the track to Motorcycling Victoria. Members of the Frankston Motorcycle Club are angry at council’s decision to effectively oust the club and some voiced their displeasure at this month’s public council meeting. A barrage of questions was submitted…
STAFF at the CSIRO have begun industrial action against budget cuts and staff losses. The scientific research organisation suffered a $115 million budget cut over four years in last year’s federal budget and the CSIRO Staff Association is watching to see whether further CSIRO cuts will be included in Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey’s budget next Tuesday (12 May). There have been job losses at the CSIRO’s marine and atmospheric research laboratories at Aspendale as a result of last year’s budget cuts (‘Jobs axed as science cuts hit home’, The News 21/6/14). CSIRO Staff Association spokesman Anthony Keenan said work bans…