NEWS DESK Thompsons Rd upgrade begins THE first stage of the Thompsons Rd upgrade has been started. The $175 million works will replace the level crossing on the Cranbourne rail line at Lyndhurst with a six-lane bridge, and the roadway from Marriott Blvd to the South Gippsland Highway will be duplicated. New paths and improved lighting will aid pedestrians and cyclists in connecting to and from Merinda Park train station. Between Dandenong-Frankston Rd and Berwick-Cranbourne (Clyde) Rd 156 accidents have been reported in the five years to 30 June 2015 – with 45 of them resulting in serious injury. “We are putting people first by working to create a safer, more efficient roadway that will reduce the present congestion on Thompsons Rd,” Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny said. The shortlisted applicant for the delivery stage of the upgrade will soon be invited to tender. This work includes widening Thompsons Rd from Dandenong-Frankston Rd to Marriott Blvd and from Narre Warren-Cranbourne Rd to BerwickCranbourne Rd. About 10km of a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians will be built along Thompsons Rd, including 8.2km on the north side, and 1.5km on the south side between Western Port Hwy and Evans Rd. This first stage of the Thompsons Rd upgrade is expected to be completed by late 2018. The contract for the second stage is expected to be awarded mid-next year, with the whole project to be completed by mid-2019.
Splash dash: Competitors at this year’s Blessing of the Cross event swim towards a wooden cross blessed by Greek Orthodox Bishop Iakovos. Clayton’s Theo Demetriou, above, with mother Photini Demetriou, was first to the cross to earn a year of good luck according to tradition. Picture: Gary Sissons
Pollution a cross to bear THOUSANDS of people flocked to the Frankston waterfronts on Friday to join in the Blessing of the Waters celebration, and to escape the 33-degree heat in the cool waters of Port Phillip Bay. The Blessing of the Waters is celebrated every year at Frankston by followers of the Greek Orthodox faith to celebrate Epiphany Day and the Baptism of Jesus. Divers of different ages and energy levels dived off Frankston Pier after a wooden cross was blessed by Greek Orthodox Bishop Iakovos before being tossed into the bay. Theo Demetriou, 28, from Clayton was first to snatch the cross this year.
Participants at the event were asked to sign a waiver acknowledging the illness risk involved in diving into possibly polluted waters after flash flooding swept waste into Port Phillip Bay last week. Swimmers were advised to thoroughly shower straight afterwards by Coast Guard volunteers at the group’s clubhouse. The Holy Cross is believed to bring health, guidance and good fortune to those who retrieve it, and their families, for the year ahead. A traditional Greek festival with dancing and food was held on the Frankston Waterfront after the cross was retrieved.
Bet on Labor vs Labor clash LABOR comrades Mark Dreyfus and Tim Richardson are set to run against each other in a first over the line contest. Mr Dreyfus, federal Isaacs MP, and Mr Richardson, state Mordialloc MP, have made a $500 bet that they can outrun each other in this year’s Edithvale CFA All Fired Up Fun Run. Whoever loses the Country Fire Authority will win with the $500 donated to the Edithvale brigade. “This will be my second Edithvale CFA Fun Run,” Mr Dreyfus said. “I’ll be training by doing a few laps up and down Mordialloc beach over the summer. “In the end, whether I finish ahead of Tim or not, I’ll just be happy to help raise some funds for the Edithvale CFA.” Mr Richardson, the younger of the duo, has
the age advantage but is running his first All Fired Up Fun Run race. “I hope to do that little bit more by beating Mark in this race and letting him donate an extra $500 to help the Edithvale CFA continue its fantastic work,” he said. A new fire station at Edithvale will be built this year. The 2017 Edithvale CFA All Fired Up Fun Run raises funds for the Edithvale CFA. The race will be held on Sunday 26 March and registrations for the run can be made online at allfiredupfunrun.com.au or by calling 9772 5175. Keep ’em separated: Mark Dreyfus, left, and Tim Richardson, right, with a fire break provided by Edithvale CFA captain Graham Fountain ahead of fun run. Picture: Yanni
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 11 January 2017