Big clean-up after fire Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au PATTERSON Lakes Library and Community Centre will be repainted and each of the 13,947 books individually cleaned before the centre reopens on Monday (3 April). The major clean-up follows a fire last Tuesday night (21 March) which started in the ceiling of the community centre. Other areas, including the library, suffered smoke and water damage. About 50 firefighters fought the blaze at the buildings in Thompson Rd. Kingston mayor Cr David Eden said the major clean-up aimed to re-
open community services as quickly as possible. Entry to the library will be through the Thompson Rd doorway at the front of the building. “We’re certainly disappointed that vital community facilities at the Patterson Lakes Library and the Patterson Lakes Community Centre have been damaged by fire,” he said. “Council will now work closely with the community centre to repair the damage and restore these services as soon as possible.” More extensive works are required on the community centre, which could be out of action for several months. “Some areas of the centre are more badly damaged than others, so right now we’re hoping to reopen
the centre in stages,” Cr Eden said. “But, unfortunately, it may be three to four months before the community centre is completely restored. In the meantime, we’re working hard to temporarily relocate the many groups and classes that use the centre each week.” Cr Eden said alternative locations for many groups had already been found in the local area and that Frankston Council had offered its support. Police say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire.
Up in flames: CFA crews battle the Patterson Lakes Library and Community Centre Fire last week. Pic: Gary Sissons
The truth is out there about UFO IT wasn’t a bird. It wasn’t a plane. People in Westall who saw an unidentified flying object hovering over the suburb in 1966 are still sure they saw something extraordinary and unexplained on 6 April that year. A flying saucer-shaped object was seen by more than 200 witnesses in broad daylight including schoolchildren and teachers at Westall Primary School and Westall Secondary School. ‘The Westall Incident’ as it came to be known has long fascinated UFO watchers and some of the eyewitnesses on that April day five decades ago will gather to recall the strange events surrounding the mass UFO sighting. Rosebud resident Marilyn Smith will join others who saw “a silver flying saucer” hover and fly overhead in 1966 to “recount their own personal experiences of the day and reflect on what it means to them today” at Screening of Westall ’66: A Suburban UFO Mystery in Parkdale. Mrs Smith, who works at Frankston Hospital in pathology, has often thought about the day, at the age of 14, when she and her school friends saw the UFO. “It all began when a girl burst into our classroom and screamed a UFO had landed nearby,” she said. “The teacher told us all to stay in class but then the bell rang so we all ran outside. We saw a silver flying saucer hover then take off at great speed.” She said a Channel 9 TV news crew visited Westall Secondary and spoke to students in the aftermath of the incident but a news report never aired and footage
has never been found amid theories of a cover-up by authorities. Several people claim “military people” visited eyewitnesses and warned them to keep quiet about what they had seen over Westall. The Victorian UFO Action group will host a screening of a documentary about the incident following by a question and answer session from a witness panel including Mrs Smith and several others who saw the flying saucer in 1966. Documentary filmmakers Shane Ryan and Rosie Jones will also appear to discuss their research into the Westall sighting. “Hundreds of people saw it and not only did they see the object in the sky — it came down to the ground and landed. It was on the ground for some time at The Grange,” Mr Ryan said in 2013. As for Mrs Smith, she says no-one saw “little green men” so she keeps an open mind about the origin of the UFO. “It may have been from outer space, it may have been a secret military craft. It definitely wasn’t a weather balloon which was the official version.” n Westall - The Witnesses Speak will be held at the Shirley Burke Theatre, Kingston Arts Centre, 64 Parkers Rd, Parkdale on Sunday 2 April, 12-5.30pm. See eventbrite.com.au and search for ‘Westall’ or call the Shirley Burke Theatre on 9580 4998 for ticket prices and more details. Neil Walker
‘Fire danger’ over, register burn-offs
Keep watching the skies: Marilyn Smith was one of many people who saw a silver flying saucer at Westall in 1966. Picture: Gary Sissons
THE CFA is urging landowners in Kingston to register burn-offs and avoid unnecessary call-outs. With the official end of the fire danger period on Monday (27 March), CFA operations manager Mark Kennedy said there would be a lot of private burn-offs over the next few weeks due to vegetation growth caused by heavy rainfalls at the start of the year. He urged people to check conditions and register their burn-offs. Mr Kennedy said every year firefighters had to respond to calls from the public concerned about smoke in the air from unregistered burn-offs. He said this left firefighters and fire trucks unavailable for other emergencies, and took volunteer firefighters away from their workplaces and families. Mr Kennedy said people should give information about location, date, expected start and finish times, estimated size, and what they intended to burn. Other precautions include checking fire restrictions and weather conditions, warning neighbours, stayingnearby and having sufficient equipment and water to stop the fire spreading. Landowners can register their burn-off with the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) by calling 1800 668 511 or emailing burnoffs@esta.vic.gov. au
Dredging begins again DREDGING in and around Mordialloc Creek’s entrance will begin this week to clear natural sand build-up, a hazard for recreational and commercial boat operators. “The works form part of Parks Victoria’s ongoing dredging program to ensure the continuation of safe boating access within Port Phillip and Western Port” Parks Victoria local ports and waterways senior manager Victor Teoh said. Mr Teoh said the freshly dredged material contains organic material, mostly seaweed which gives the sand a dark colour and odour. Visitors to the beach should not be concerned since the sand is tested on a regular basis. “While the dredged sand may look and smell mildly unpleasant when
it first comes out of the water, after a few days exposure to the air and sun, the sand will bleach to the normal colour and lose the odour.” Mariners should travel at less than 5 knots during the dredging process in the channel and near the dredge. The dredger cannot easily manoeuvre during dredging works and all vessel operators should observe marks on the dredge and pass safely on the side showing two black diamonds. Maintenance dredging at Mordialloc Creek was last carried out in December last year and will run for 3-6 days, depending upon the weather. See parks.vic.gov.au or call 13 19 63 for more information about the dredging.
Clear way: Dredging works at Mordialloc Creek are due to begin this week. Picture: Gary Sissons Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
29 March 2017
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