Chelsea • Mordialloc • Mentone Your guide to what’s on this weekend for peninsula families
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Twins join the throng FOUR sets of twins starting school at Kilbreda College was news enough: the big news is they join nine sets of twins already there. The newcomers – all entering Year 7 last week – are identical twins Laura and Sarah, Lucy and Miranda and Emily and Grace, and non-identical twins Briana and Mia. The other twins already attending the college, in Mentone, are in years 8-12. The Year 7 twins joined in orientation classes and made the most of the opportunity to get to know their classmates and make new friends. “Kilbreda College prides itself on being a girls’ school where all students are known and where the diversity and unique gifts of individual students are encourage and supported,” co-principal Nicole Mangelsdorf said. “Year 7 students often start the year with mixed emotions of both excitement and nervousness. Emily was pleased that all girls had been made to feel very welcome. Miranda’s advice to staff was to ‘Look at our features first before guessing our names!’ “The twins have all attended different primary schools and are looking forward to meeting other girls, engaging in new learning opportunities and getting involved in the many co-curricular activities offered at Kilbreda.” The girls join new co-principals Nicole and Teresa Lincoln who say they are proud to be joining the school community. Kilbreda was founded in 1904 and has around 1000 students. Seeing doubles: Kilbreda twins (from left) Sarah, Laura, Grace, Emily, Mia, Briana, Lucy and Miranda are four of nine sets of twins at Kilbreda College. Picture: Gary Sissons
‘Gag plot’ over cemetery plan Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au A PLAN to build a “Kingston Memorial Park” in Kingston’s Green Wedge is shrouded in secrecy amid a bid to effectively gag a Kingston councillor from publicly speaking about the controversial proposal. Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust wrote to Kingston Council late last year to demand Cr Rosemary West “withdraws from all further dis-
cussions on the Green Wedge development as a Memorial Park”. The letter from trust CEO Jane Grover dated 21 October, seen by The News, addressed to council CEO John Nevins claimed Cr West’s “continued public comments in the press, together with her misrepresentation of confidential discussions held to date, lead SMCT to believe there is a possibility of real or apprehended bias on the part of Cr West and that SMCT may not and will not receive a fair and balanced hearing by council
and the community”. SMCT has refused to publicly comment on its plan to build a memorial park in Heatherton while it is being considered by the state government (‘Cemetery plot for Green Wedge’ The News 16/9/15). “I think this complaint is an improper attempt by the trust to suppress community debate on this matter,” Cr West said. “I think it’s outrageous that they’d be gagging a councillor. They came and presented to council and gave us
the ‘soft sell’ by telling us all the nice things but they didn’t tell us they have the power to compulsorily acquire land and they didn’t tell us they were going to be filling the land because it’s subject to inundation [flooding].” Cr West said the trust never requested that its meeting with councillors be regarded as confidential as claimed in SMCT’s October letter to Mr Nevin. SMCT spokesman Allan Craig declined to comment about the trust’s attempt to effectively silence Cr West when contacted by The News.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on private correspondence,” he said. The News understands Mr Nevin wrote back to SMCT asking for “further details of the public comments” by Cr West but also stated councillors can say they support or oppose a proposal before a meeting without it being deemed apprehended bias. Councils cannot ban councillors from publicly discussing any particular subject. Continued Page 8
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