NEWS DESK
Young musician’s first single a heartfelt story A TEENAGER from Frankston has more music on her mind after releasing her debut single. Kaiyah Mercedes released her first song, After Summer Ends, on streaming platforms last week. The 15-year-old musician hopes to release more songs throughout the year. Ms Mercedes took up guitar and piano during the lockdowns of 2020. Since then she has taken to writing her own music as a way to navigate her own feel-
ings and emotions. Ms Mercedes says that After Summer Ends is about “the heartbreak of finite summer love and trying to come to terms with something amazing coming to an end.” “This song is a fictional story, but it comes from real feelings that I have experienced throughout my life too. It’s really about the feeling you get right before you have to say goodbye,” she said. The Frankston Waterfront Festival
Worker uninjured after touching power lines
stage hosted Ms Mercedes last weekend. To listen to her debut single search After Summer Ends on all streaming platforms. Follow Kaiyah Mercedes on social media @kaiyahmercedes
FRANKSTON musician Kaiyah Mercedes. Picture: Supplied
DUNKLEY MP Peta Murphy with members of Joy of the Earth Community Garden and their new lawnmower. Picture: Supplied
Grant given to gardening group A VOLUNTEER grant program has helped Frankston’s Joy of the Earth Community Garden buy new equipment. The new gardening tools will be used to farm fresh produce. They were purchased with $2000 from the Dunkley Volunteer Grants Program. Dunkley MP Peta Murphy said “Joy of the Earth is a terrific volunteer led community garden producing fresh, organic vegies, fruits, honey, herbs and flowers. This new equipment will be well used by the volunteers to help maintain the environment.” “Congratulations to all the volunteers for what they’ve been able to create for the community. I’m very proud to have supported them with this funding,” she said. The garden is on Joy Street in Frankston. It is open to new members interested in organic food.
Open day for community garden THE Langwarrin Community Centre’s Backyard Community Garden will host an open day next month. Bernie Higney owns two plots of land at the community garden. He will be cooking a barbeque at the open day on 5 March. Mr Higney said getting a garden plot in the Backyard Community Garden after he retired was a “way to reconnect to my past”. “Taking care of my veggies gives me time to be in the moment and enjoy the space and it’s great to share the spoils with family and friends,” he said. “Now that we’re able to get out and about freely, I’ve been able to tend my plot more regularly and keep up the watering and feeding. My plot has given me a consistent yield of Asian vegetables, tomatoes and salad greens. Also, I’ve had success this summer with eggplants and am going to plant some more for a winter crop. “If you ask what my gardening secret is, it’s the preparation of the bed, before I start planting. I
dig in compost, mulch the top and make sure I feed the soil regularly with liquid or pellets so the plants have nutrition for growth.” The Backyard Community Garden open day runs from 11am to 1pm on 5 March. The garden is at 2 Lang Road, Langwarrin on the corner of Warrandyte and Lang Roads. For more information call Langwarrin Community Centre on 9789 7653 or visit their webpage www.langwarrincc.org.au
BERNIE Higney with his garden. Picture: Supplied
A WORKER has escaped injury after their excavator touched power lines in Frankston South. The excavator touched the low voltage wires on 10 February. It temporarily disrupted electricity supply to the street. The same day, an excavator in Woodside also touched power lines. That worker was also uninjured. In the wake of the dangerous day, Energy Safe Victoria has issued a reminder to people to be safe around power lines. ESV commissioner and chairperson Marnie Williams said “it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been operating machinery, these close calls are an important reminder to always be aware of your surroundings.” “The people involved in these two incidents were fortunate but as we’ve seen in the past, they don’t always end that way,” she said. “We can’t let complacency and carelessness lead to devastating situations that can have lasting impacts on friends, family and co-workers.” No Go Zone rules stipulate that machinery operators must stay at least 6.4 metres from overhead powerlines unless additional safety measures have been implemented. The ESV recorded four serious incidents in just three weeks across April and May last year. On each occasion a worker was hospitalized after machinery they were operating touched power lines. In late 2020 a man died after an extendable boom on the telehandler he was operating touched powerlines.
Justices of the Peace wanted RECRUITING is underway to find new Justices of the Peace for Frankston. JPs can witness the signing of documents and provide certification services. Applicants must live in the Frankston local government area and be able to attend an information session. Information sessions take place at 6pm on 1 March, 3 March, 8 March, and 10 March. Visit justice.vic.gov.au/volunteering/become-a-justice-of-the-peaceor-bail-justice to find out more.
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARN COOMBES LIBERAL FOR DUNKLEY
Standing strong, fighting for our community Authorised by Sam McQuestin, Liberal Party of Australia (Victorian Division), L12, 257 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000 Frankston Times
22 February 2022
PAGE 5