NEWS DESK
Boy bailed again on violence charges Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au A 12-YEAR-OLD Seaford boy charged with armed robbery and assault, after allegedly setting a girl’s hair on fire while bashing and stealing her phone, has been bailed again by the same magistrate who warned him at his previous court appearance that he was on his “last, last chance”. The attack on the 15-year-old girl at a Frankston skate park, 9pm, Friday 5 August, sickened even sea-
soned detectives as the accused and six alleged co-offenders had lured the girl to the park on the pretext of being her friend. There they intimidated her before allegedly attacking her with the cigarette lighter, punching her in the face and kicking her in the face and body. While the girl was on the ground the boy allegedly stole her bag and mobile phone (‘Attackers set girl’s hair on fire’, The Times 15/8/16). The girl managed to run home and tell her parents who called police. She was taken to Frankston Hospital
with a fractured right hand, swelling and bruising to her face and body and singed hair. The detective investigating the case said the boy had already faced children’s courts on six previous occasions for similar offences and “couldn’t care less about consequences because there are none”. He is scheduled to appear at a court tomorrow, Tuesday 23 August, to answer the charges. The detective said the boy had previously been bailed in March on three counts of car theft, robbery and
attempted robbery. He has also faced court on multiple counts of burglary and theft – including theft of a bicycle, theft from cars, deception using stolen credit cards, and criminal damage to a car and a building under construction. After the alleged attack on the girl, the boy’s legal aid team made yet another bail application – his seventh successful application. A 13-year-old Langwarrin boy, charged over the same attack on the girl, refused to attend court, so his matters were further adjourned.
When healthy additives aren’t enough
Changed hands: Sages Cottage in Baxter has been sold to Wallara Australia which will use the farm for training programs for adults with different abilities.
New role for cottage SAGES Cottage Farm, Baxter, has been bought by not-for-profit service Wallara Australia to expand its training services for adults with different abilities. The not-for-profit organisation had been leasing the 38-acre property for the past three years from Menzies, a support service for disadvantaged youth. It aims to carry forward its vision for the farm and support some of the most vulnerable people in the community. “We’ve already engaged with Rotary, Frankston RSL, Brockhoff Foundation, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and a number of corporates, all of whom are assisting us with the development of the site and the innovative programs and activities we are able to offer adults with disabilities,” Wallara’s Karen Scholey said. Training programs for those at nearby special schools were offered
by Wallara last year and the farm has quickly become the agency’s fastest growing site, with 24 young people based there. They build independent living skills through innovative programs on the farm or in the community, and there is a long waiting list for an extra 10 places from January, Ms Scholey said. Another farm feature is the property’s suitability for weddings and functions which earn income to offset operating costs. A partnership with caterer Going Gourmet has turned the rustic barn into a popular wedding venue. Every function at Sages Cottage helps support Wallara’s training programs. It aims to make the property more accessible to people of all abilities and expand its facilities so more adults can live there and take part in innovative programs and activities.
PARENTS who think “healthy” foods are better for their children’s health and behaviour should learn more about food labels, warns additive campaigner and researcher Sue Dengate. Ms Dengate is speaking at Mornington Secondary College, 7-9pm, Monday 29 August, at the request of Mt Martha dietitian and nutritionist Joey De Backer, who is happy to share her experiences and that of her daughter Isla in the struggle against allergies. “My daughter was a colicky baby, waking every hour overnight, often crying inconsolably and kicking her legs, and then she developed eczema when we introduced solids and always had rosy red, scabby, pimply cheeks,” Ms De Backer said. “As a dietitian, I knew food could be causing these issues and so we cut out dairy foods early on, but that only helped a little bit. “When Isla was 20 months I read Sue’s book Fed Up and realised food chemicals must be the problem. “We did an elimination diet and within three weeks her eczema went from weeping, itchy and red to completely healed with no visible traces. Her sleep and behaviour improved immeasurably, she was a different child. And my partner’s hay fever disappeared, too.” Ms Dengate says identifying and finding harmful additives and foods containing them can be difficult: “Parents really need to know what to look for.” Dangerous additives may appear surreptitiously: “There’s a yellow tide of natural colour annatto 160b coming into our food which has been linked to a wide range of problems, including headaches, tantrums and headbanging in young children. Adults can be affected, too.”
Different child: Joey De Backer and daughter Isla are reaping the rewards of an improved diet.
Up to 129 “natural” substitutes for MSG are also hidden in foods and can affect consumers of all ages, she said. “The bread preservative 282 is increasingly disguised as cultured dextrose or cultured anything in breads and wraps, even though it can cause irritability, fatigue or insomnia in children and adults. “Reactions to additives build up slowly, so most parents don’t realise they or their children are affected. “When the family avoids additives for a few weeks parents are often
Trouble Hearing? Let US Help small, powerful hearing aids
FREE
30 days hearing aid trials, no cost, no obligation.
FREE
Hearing aids to Pensioners*
FREE
12 months maintenance for relocated Pensioners* *Subject to eligibility criteria through the Australian Pension Scheme.
PAGE 4
Frankston Times 22 August 2016
1/7 Davies Avenue, Mount Eliza (03) 9708 8626 robinthefirst@gmail.com
Robin Tu
Hearing Care Professional Audiologist
amazed to see that their children are calmer, happier, sleeping better and doing better at school – and they themselves often feel better, too.” Some people can even be affected by natural food chemicals in healthy foods, like berries or tomato-based sauces, she said. Ms Dengate’s Fed Up book series discusses reducing food chemicals for calm, happy families. Booking details for talks are under Quicklinks at fedup.com.au Entry is $15.