APRIL 3, 2018 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
May marks 100 years There’s a letter from the Queen coming for May Cowman. The long-time Melton resident will be 100 next Friday and says she would prefer to her keep her birthday low key – but everyone who loves her would rather shower her with love. May was born on April 13, 1918 in Shepparton and moved to Melbourne when she married her childhood sweetheart Keith at 19. The couple settled in Pascoe Vale and later moved to Melton. She says they led a very private life. “We were fortunate to have lifelong friends ... wherever we set up home, but we were very private and kept to ourselves,” May said. May lost her husband, who was also a centenarian, after 78 years of marriage in 2015. Her son Barrie visits her at Willowbrae-Melton Aged Care every day and describes his mum and “an absolute darling”. Mr Cowman puts his mum’s longevity down to her love of word searches. “It keeps her mind sharp,” he said. “I’ve been running out of books for mum so I’ve been printing pages and pages of word searches from the internet for her … it doesn’t matter what time of day you visit … she’s always got one.” Esther Lauaki
May Cowman, pictured with her original wedding photo taken in 1937. (Dennis Manktelow)
Melton’s sporting budget By Esther Lauaki Melton council is planning to spend nearly $80 million on infrastructure and sports projects, according to its 2018-2019 draft budget. The draft, which is out for public feedback until April 27, reveals that rate increases are proposed to be capped at 2.25 per cent, in line with the state-government imposed cap, with council expecting to collect about $134 million from rates in the next financial year. Among the big-ticket items are $25 million
for recreational facilities, including $700,000 for a female changeroom upgrade program; $2.9 million on the design and construction of sports ovals, tennis and netball courts and a pavilion at Fraser Rise; and $2.7 million on the completion of the Caroline Springs Leisure Centre redevelopment and construction of a sub-regional tennis facility. Another $17 million has been earmarked for roads. The most significant of those include $915,000 for the duplication of Hume Drive, $4.78 million for the Westwood Drive bridge, $3.151 million towards pedestrian level
crossing upgrades at Hopkins, Troups, Leakes, Paynes, Mt Cottrell and Ferris roads, and $2.23 million on a sealed road resurfacing program. Public art projects are expected to cost $90,000 and $450,000 has been set aside for installation of lighting around Lake Caroline and surrounds. Melton’s rugby union and league clubs are in for a big win if a $5.9 million redevelopment of their home grounds at Macpherson Park Regional Reserve gets the nod. Mayor Bob Turner said the draft budget demonstrated the council’s commitment
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to community priorities and high-quality programs, services and infrastructure. He thanked the residents who attended community engagement sessions last year, saying their insights had been used to prepare a budget that is “fair, equitable and strives to ensure the timely delivery of infrastructure, programs and services for our community”. The draft budget projects a surplus of $9 million after adjusting for capital grants, developer contributions and gifted assets. View the draft budget online at melton.vic. gov.au/budget1819
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