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Not disabled – I’m a person with limitations

12-March-2024 | By Naomi Nelson

We’ve all done it: walking along happily one moment, then tripping over nothing the next. Or we may see an older person shuffling and think that the inability to encourage the muscles into lifting one’s feet is an inevitable part of ageing.

But what if you’re an active person in your forties and this is happening regularly? Is this cause for concern? For Ted O’Hare, shuffling and tripping were becoming regular occurrences back in 2005. His gait caused people to ask if he’d been drinking, so, he started using a walking stick. 

When there was no improvement in his condition, Ted saw a neurologist and was eventually diagnosed with hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a progressive, degenerative neurological disease with no cure. The disease can be caused by one of 90 gene mutations and the progression of the disease depends on which gene is affected. Some people develop HSP in their childhood, others later in life. There is no cure for HSP but it is not a terminal condition. Treatment consists of stretching and use of the medication, baclofen, used to treat muscle spasticity in conditions such as multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury.

Unfortunately for Ted, the specific gene could not be identified which means it is difficult to predict how the disease will affect him. From a walking stick, he progressed to occasional use of a wheelchair by 2010 and from 2013 he has been a permanent wheelchair user.

How has having HSP affected your ability to get out and about?

Ted presents as an optimistic person with a ‘can do’ attitude to life. The diagnosis of HSP has not stopped Ted and his wife from travelling far and wide, across Australia and the world. His book, The View from my Wheelchair, reveals some of the difficulties of travelling with a disability, but also offers suggestions on how to minimise them. 

Ted is able to get out and about on his own with the assistance of an Abiloader, a mechanism that delivers his wheelchair to the driver’s seat and returns it to the back of the car later.

As he writes in his book, ‘There is one thing I am certain of: My wheelchair will not stop me from getting out and experiencing new things and seeing the wonders of this world.’

When he is not travelling or writing, Ted plays trombone in two bands playing modern and traditional big band jazz: The Dandenong Ranges Big Band, and Groovin’ Easy.

You can hear Ted play with the Dandenong Ranges Big Band at 1:00pm on 15 March at the Ringwood RSL. Check out their Facebook page for further details.

What do you miss most?

It’s the little things, like being able to put up curtain hooks, hang out the washing, or mow the lawn.

How do people respond to you in a wheelchair?

People are generally good. They are helpful and offer to assist. Often Ted will decline their offers and he hopes they are not offended but he does appreciate the offer and will accept if he needs help. 

What he doesn’t like, however, are people who assume he needs help and just start pushing without asking. This feels like an invasion of his personal space.

What messages would you like readers to take away?

  • It’s not scary. 
  • It’s ok to come up to a person with a disability and ask questions. If they’re like me, they’ll be glad to demystify what life is like with a disability.
  • I actually don’t like the word ‘disability’ because it is a word that focuses on what you can’t do. I can’t walk, but I don’t consider myself disabled. My wheelchair keeps me mobile. I am a person with limitations caused by HSP.
  • There’s a lot more support out there than people realise, such as Lifeline and other counselling services, SCOPE and Independent Living Specialists. There’s even segway wheelchairs out there!

Ted is delivering a talk about his experiences, including the writing of his book, The View from my Wheelchair, at 11:00am on 16 March at the Rowville Library.

Book free tickets here: https://events.yourlibrary.com.au/event?id=54015

As Ted reminded me, a wheelchair is a piece of assistive technology, but so are my spectacles. We all have some sort of limitation in life, so focus on what you can do.

KES and Lake Knox go to VCAT

30-September-2023 |

Development Victoria is the statutory government body looking to develop the land on the corner of Burwood Highway and Scoresby Rd which runs right down to the bottom of the hill and Blind Creek. 

As part of their plan they will remove the current Lake Knox (which can be seen from the Blind Creek trail between Scoresby and Lewis Roads) to build sediment ponds and would build a new wetland on the low lying land to the East. Lake Knox has become an important feature as more and more people see it and the abundant bird life that frequent it, including the rare and threatened Blue Billed Duck.

Knox City Council rejected Development Victoria’s planning application and so the matter has gone to VCAT. The Knox Environment Society (KES) is so concerned about the future of the lake and the importance of this area to the local community that they have invested much of their savings in hiring a legal team, along with expert witnesses to make sure supporters of the lake get a good hearing.

The case started on Monday 28th August with initial housekeeping matters; this included KES requesting a determination of whether Lake Knox was a waterway under the Water Act (which would offer a greater protection). VCAT members said they would think about this request and whether it was important. Mind you KES has been trying to have dialogue with Melbourne Water for the last 12 months over this issue. Council began their case,  going through the planning scheme requirements and the reasons for their rejection.

By Tuesday VCAT members had decided that the water way issue needed further clarification so after more of Council’s submission we were sent away to write submissions on whether the lake was a water way.

This week we presented our submissions. What was initially thought may take a day took much longer. The case has now been put on hold while we wait for a decision on this legal question. The case will now continue in mid-October and hopefully finish by the end of October.

If anyone would like to help the KES and their fight to save the lake, we are trying to raise $120,000 to help cover our costs. Donations can be made at Payment | Chuffed | Non-profit charity and social enterprise fundraising

 

Rowville Toastmasters Celebrates Annual Changeover Dinner 

31-August-2023 | By Sanjiv Rajendran (VP Public Relations)

The Rowville Toastmasters Club held their annual changeover dinner on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at Tosaria Restaurant in Rowville. The theme of the event was “Ignite Your Passion,” and the restaurant was decorated accordingly.

The meeting was conducted by Toastmaster of the Day Shamir Ahmed, who aligned his speech to the theme. The keynote speaker was Distinguished Toastmaster Judy Murphy, who gave a talk on the importance of passion in public speaking.

Following the keynote speech, a humorous debate was held on the topic ‘:Men can’t multi-task’. The debate was well-received by the audience, and the participants did an excellent job of presenting their arguments.

After dinner, the club held an awards ceremony to recognise the achievements of its members. The President’s Trophy was awarded to outgoing President Menik Tissera, who was recognised for her outstanding contributions to the club. The President’s Award was presented to Steve Scott for his dedication and commitment to the club.

The Toastmasters of the Year award was presented to Manoj Nagpurker, who was praised for his outstanding speaking skills and leadership abilities. The Rising Star award was presented to Supun Weerakkody, who was recognised for his quick adaptation to the club and his potential for leadership skills.

The club also presented educational awards to several members who had achieved significant milestones in their Toastmasters journey. 

Anna Vladimirova
  • Persuasive Influence 1 (PI1
  • Persuasive Influence 2 (PI2)
Justin M. Leung
  • Dynamic Leadership 1 (DL1)
Lewis Anthony
  • Presentation Mastery 1 (PM1
  • Presentation Mastery 2 (PM2)
  • Presentation Mastery 3 (PM3)
Manoj Nagpurkar
  • Persuasive Influence 1 (PI1)
  • Persuasive Influence 2 (PI2)
Troy Hanning
  • Presentation Mastery 1 (PM1)
Karl Hughes
  • Visionary Communication 4 (VC4)
  • Visionary Communication 5 (VC5)
  • 2nd Distinguished Toastmaster Award from Toastmasters International
Menik Tissera
  • Dynamic Leadership 2 (DL2) | Dynamic Leadership 3 (DL3)

The changeover ceremony was then held, and outgoing President Menik Tissera passed the gavel to new President Anna Vladimirova. Anna gave a brief speech in which she outlined her plans for the upcoming year and introduced the new executive committee members.

The event was a great success, and it was clear that the Rowville Toastmasters Club is a vibrant and active community. The club’s members are passionate about public speaking and leadership, and they are committed to helping each other achieve their goals.

 

An Hour with Knox Mayor Marcia Timmers-Leith

8-February-2022 | By Nadia Porter

Many of readers may not be familiar with our new mayor Cr Marcia Timmers-Leitch, but she has lived in Knox’s Wantirna for the past 15 years. She runs a successful Jim’s Mowing franchise with her husband Geoff. They have three school-aged children who attend local schools and five chickens that love to eat garden scraps.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Monash University and has over 25 years’ experience in the private sector. She currently works in offshore wind farm development. 

Prior to becoming a Councillor, Marcia spent over ten years delivering projects as a volunteer for the Knox community, led local community organisations and managed the establishment of Kinderlea 3-Year-Old Preschool in Wantirna South. She has also been involved with many local early years’ facilities and sporting clubs.

After a first attempt at running for Council in 2016, Marcia was elected to represent the Collier Ward (Wantirna and Wantirna South) in April 2019 and was then re-elected unopposed at the 2020 local government elections. 

As a councillor, Marcia is passionate about effective waste management, improving community facilities, mental health support services, empowering the voices of young people and the efficient use of rates.

“Connecting directly with residents and supporting the work of community groups and local business is my favourite part of this job,” said Cr Marcia.

Cr Timmers-Leitch served as Deputy Mayor in 2019-2020 and was elected Mayor of Knox City Council in November 2022. Cr Jude Dwight will serve alongside her as the Deputy Mayor for the next 12 months

Cr Timmers-Leitch said it was an honour and a privilege to be elected Mayor.

“I feel I am ready to take on this challenge and look forward to working with and leading this councillor team as we enter into our third year of being a Council,” she said.

“I know we have some serious decisions to make this year on many issues.

“I’m looking forward to well informed quality decision-making and working together as a team to deliver for our community.”

We welcome, celebrate and wish our new mayor success and good luck in her new role.

An Hour with Dr Bogumiła Żongołłowicz

4-Sept-2022 | By Nadia B. Porter

Bogumila (Good or nice to God)

Our guest this month is a versatile and amazing woman the aptly named Bogumila. 

She was born in November 1955 in the town of Slupsk in north western Poland. She had a normal Polish Catholic upbringing. She graduated from the Tertiary Teachers’ College at Slupsk, and she also studied at the University of Gdansk, a city made famous by the Solidarity Movement and Lech Walesa. She completing her tertiary education in Poland at the University of the capital Warsaw.

Bogumila worked as a teacher, a journalist, editor before following her heart and migrating to Australia in 1991; to marry the man she loved. The couple settled in St Kilda and soon had two daughters. On her 40th birthday, they moved to Rowville, first living in Trevena Close then moving to the current home near Wellington Village Shopping Centre when it was still an empty paddock. Her younger daughter attended Karoo Primary School. 

In 1997, Bogumila penned a poem about her experience with her new life in the land of Oz, which will give you a glimpse of what most new arrivals feel, especially women.

The loneliness and isolation of a new mother, in a new country with a different language, culture and way of life, did not deter a spirited high achiever like Bogumila from seeking knowledge and improving herself. She completed an Advanced Certificate in Broadcast Journalism with the Open Channel, a Diploma of Arts in Professional Writing and Editing from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and a Doctorate in the Department of European Languages at Macquarie University, Sydney, in 2003. In Melbourne, she has been a contributor to the Polish program on Radio SBS-3EA (1994-95), editor of the ‘Polish Weekly’ (‘Tygodnik Polski’) (1996) and a guest lecturer in Polish Studies at Monash University (2003). In addition to research and writing about aspects of Polish culture and the history of the Poles in Australia, she is a graphic Designer. She is a member of the Polish Authors’ Association, the Polish Journalists’ Association, Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance-Australian Journalists’ Association and the Polish Historical Institute in Australia Inc.

Bogumila and her husband have contributed tremendously to the Polish-Australian Community. 

Bogumila’s story and achievement are still ongoing, she is still very active and productive.

She embodies the spirit of thousands who uproot, leaving familiar and comfort zones; and replanting themselves in a new soil, seeking more fertile grounds and a new life. It may be right that you need to be ‘crazy to immigrate”, you also need to be ambitious, driven, adventurous and a freedom seeker. Sometimes we do not have to immigrate physically, but can remove ourselves from a slump or the doldrums of our daily lives impacting our happiness and wellbeing, and progress to a new level.

Dziękuję pani. Thank you Bogumila for sharing your inspirational story with us. 

 


Bogumila Zongollowicz looks for family documents in The Lithuanian State Historical Archives, 2018. Photo. Archives B. Zongollowicz

An Hour With Shirley & Wally Tilbury

13-August-2022 | By Nadia Porter

We recently celebrated the Sovereign Platinum Jubilee – 70 years on the throne – a lifetime for most. Milestones are significant events in our lives, they denote achievement, experience and a long journey. Not everyone is lucky enough to chalk up a list. 

On the 11th of August, Wally and Shirley Tilbury will celebrate their 60th Wedding anniversary, a feat not many have achieved or are likely to achieve.

On the morning I was to meet up with the couple in their retirement village, I came down with a heavy cold and could barely get out of bed; but with the help of Sophie, their daughter-in-law, and a list of emailed questions and answers I was able to know and understand this couple’s amazing story. 

Wally Tilbury met Shirley Oxley at the Unique Ballroom dancing hall in Croydon, Surrey, United Kingdom in 1959. Back in the day, when couples met in person and not in a virtual world, the ballroom hall was the place to see, be seen and hopefully meet the love of your life. You’d spruce up every Saturday night and head to the local town hall or dance hall. So did Wally and Shirley, after spotting each other for a few weeks, Wally asked her to dance. The advantages of meeting someone face to face for the first time; of observing them week after week, slow and easy and working out the chemistry between you; not relying on photoshopped images, not rushed by urges and haste judgement. This is what was courting was all about. Getting to know the person and taking it one step at a time. The fun is in the journey to reach the destination.

They were attracted to each other by looks, personality, having fun and they both loved dancing. They became inseparable from then on. Shirley was 16 and Wally was 20.

They got married on 11 August 1962 at The Croydon Parish Church in England. Their hopes and dreams were to have a house and a family and lead a happy life. Like most couples those days the world over, couples started small and built their nest together. 

They made a flat out of three rooms in Wally’s father’s house where they lived for six months. They then moved into a house in East Grinstead, Sussex. 

Life was good and they were both working and happy. Wally as an electrician and Shirley was doing secretarial work.

They had two sons, Paul born in 1966 and Alan born in 1969. Both boys had serious health problems that needed to be resolved. The couple spent a lot of time focussing on their sons’ health in the early years of the marriage. Both boys gained full health.

Wally had always wanted to migrate to Australia but it took ten years to convince Shirley. They moved to Australia on July 31 1976. They found the move difficult, especially Wally who took about 18 months to settle in. They first lived with Wally’s brother in Mooroolbark for about 6 months. Then they rented a house in Croydon whilst their new home was being built in Mooroolbark. They basically had a few moves all around Mooroolbark and Croydon until they moved to the Links at Waterford Village 7 years ago. They love village life.

Their advice for couples today is to always communicate and to be best friends as well as husband and wife. Don’t think you have to have everything right now, plan, work hard and save for the things you want. 

Shirley describes Wally as very patient, after her father died, they had her mother move across from England and she lived with them for twenty-four and a half years.

In Australia Wally worked as an electrician and Shirley worked at Penguin Books for nearly two and a half decades. She loved that job and still meets regularly with old workmates. 

They have few regrets. They owned a beach house in Venus Bay that they wish they hadn’t sold. Wally thinks he was an electrician for too long. 

They have wonderful friends and love living the village life. They love dogs and have always had one. They enjoy travelling overseas and have done many trips to many countries. They also travel for a few months every year up North in their caravan, which they love. They meet their friends up there and they all have a blast, plus avoid the winter. Their hobbies are walking the dog, travelling, movies, lawn bowls (Wally), building wooden items (Wally), painting (Shirley) and other things provided in the Village.

What a great couple, what a romantic story. I thank them for sharing it with us and wish them many happy and healthy years to come.

 

 

An Hour With Braden Beggs

4-July-2022 | By Nadia Porter

Our guest this month is Braden Beggs, a local business owner. Born at William Angliss Hospital in 1982, to a carpenter father and a secretary mother, Braden lived all his life in Knox, moving around Rowville three times as the family of five grew. 

What do you remember?

Growing up we had a pretty big playground. There were farms, animals, trees and creeks all providing us with endless amusement. The area expanded through my childhood, roads changed from dirt to bitumen, the farms and creeks slowly disappeared and new estates opened up. My family moved a few times but always within a km or two of the previous houses, and always within Rowville. Looking back, it was such a great area to grow up, something we wish was still available today for our kids to experience. I can still remember many of the now main roads as dirt roads and farms all around us, it was a great place to grow up. 

When my studies were complete, my now wife Caitlin and I purchased a house in nearby Scoresby. Now with 5 children, we are in the process of making the move back to Rowville, the neighbourhood where we grew up.

Tell a bit about your education?

Rowville was developing, it meant moving around a lot. I started Prep at Rowville Primary, then moved closer to Park Ridge when it opened in 1990 for grades 1 to 6. I began my secondary schooling at Rowville Secondary College Western Campus for year 7, then I moved to the new and closer Eastern Campus in 1996 for years 8 to 10. Back then the Eastern Campus stopped at year 10, so I was back to the Western Campus to complete the VCE for years 11 and 12.

Tertiary?

Growing up I never knew what I wanted to be. I did work experience as a chiropractor which taught me that I didn’t want to work in the same room every day, and then as a manufacturing engineer which I found very appealing being able to design and make something from raw materials. From early on in high school I knew I wanted to go to university, I just didn’t know what to study. Being technically minded and always working on cars, motorbikes and generally anything that moved, I chose to study mechanical engineering at Monash University in Clayton to eventually design cars for Holden or Ford. Monash gave me the opportunity for involvement in the Formula SAE program where students were able to design and build a race car each year and compete against other universities, this was a real highlight being able to get hands-on and apply what we were learning to a real-world application. As I neared the end of my degree it was clear the automotive industry in Australia was in decline so a new plan was needed.

After working 10 years as a professional engineer, I had a desire to run a business so I started part- time studies for Masters of Business Administration at Deakin University. It became apparent as an older student, that I would learn more by “doing” than by sitting in a classroom or reading from a textbook so I gave up these studies halfway through and decided to start my own business.

Previous jobs?                                           

I had many jobs, everything from paper rounds, to KFC and then Woolworths distribution warehouse while studying at university. After graduation, I worked as a project engineer in a wide range of industries, spending 5 years working out which industries I liked best. I settled on food and beverage and I got a job as a process engineer and a project manager. Still working for the same company as a technical engineering manager, we assist food and beverage companies to build, growing and expanding their operations through capital works projects.

Why did you become a brewer?

I have always enjoyed taking raw ingredients and processing them into a finished retail product which is why, when about 5 years ago, my wife Caitlin and I decided to have a go at starting our business, we turned to brewing and distilling. This was an area we were passionate about and something we could happily put time and effort into, without much reward as you might expect early on in a new business. As a home brewer for nearly 10 years and with a strong process engineering background, it wasn’t a big leap to start our brewing operation. Growing up in the area and recognising its deficiency in craft venues, after years of planning and building, in June 2019 we opened the Project Brewing Company on Laser Drive. I am the Operations Manager, while still working as an engineer. 

An engineer uncle influenced my decision and my love for all things mechanical. My desire to run a business producing an enjoyable product was the real motivator in becoming a brewery owner.

What do you like best and least about your jobs?

The best part of engineering is helping people design solutions and solve problems that assist them to create new products more efficiently, also the diversity of projects.

The least appealing aspect is that it often involves a lot of travel in regional Victoria where the bulk of manufacturing plants are. This can require long periods away from home which has been difficult while raising a young family.

The best part about owning and running your own brewery is surprisingly not the endless supply of beer! It’s the satisfaction of creating a product from raw ingredients and seeing it enjoyed by others. It’s also great to educate people on the product, the process and the ingredients used to create what they are enjoying.

The least enjoyable part so far has been dealing with the emotional ups and downs of owning a hospitality business through the COVID-19 pandemic. We managed to open the doors to our brewery for approximately 9 months before being forced to close up, with no idea if we had just wasted years of work and countless dollars setting up. With the everchanging restrictions, opening and closing doors became the new normal. 

 

In the current climate, we are facing skyrocketing ingredients and materials costs, staff shortages and lower patronage than before all the lockdowns. This has taken a lot of the enjoyment away over recent times and has easily been the worst part of not only ours but the thousands of other small mum and dad businesses trying to make a go of it. 

Always trying to find a “reason” or a “positive” in bad situations, one shining light for us was having the time through lockdowns to collaborate with other local breweries and distilleries leading to us building our very own distillery 3 years ahead of schedule. The demand for hand sanitisers at the start of the pandemic meant we were able to fast-track the required permits to build our distillery, so we did! Today we operate two stills under our Nocturnal Spirit Distillery brand alongside our recently upgraded brewery all thanks to the extra time we found ourselves with through various lockdowns. We can now produce beer, vodka, gin, brandy and whisky all in-house as we were determined to turn a bad situation into a positive.

School Sports?

I was never good at school sports, I played football on and off, but not much to write home about. My parents tell me I was always the cleanest kid to come off the field which indicated I never really got close to the ball!

Do you or have you played sport? Are you a football fan? Which team?

Never any good at “ball” sports, my recreational activities centred around anything with wheels and/or an engine. Cars, motorbikes, model cars and helicopters were as close to sport as I ever get.

I am a Richmond supporter from birth

What pastimes do you have now?   A cutout of Braden with his bicycle without background with text around it. 

Spare time these days is hard to come by. When it presents, I can usually be found camping, fishing, driving or mountain biking around the Victorian high country.

What activities (clubs, organisations etc) do you get involved with?

We sponsor and get involved with a lot of local charities and groups via Project Brewing when we can

Have you travelled much? Countries?

As children, my parents took us to the UK where we stayed with relatives for a while and also travelled to Wales, Ireland and France for short trips. I still remember the surreal feeling of being in a different country for the first time, it was pretty exciting just to walk around a city different to Melbourne. University presented great opportunities for travel having access to a student visa. After my third year of study, I went to California to work in the snowfields for a season before taking time out to travel up and down the eastern states of the USA.

If you weren’t doing what you do now what would you like to do?

I think my first job application would be to Parks Victoria to work in forest management of sorts. I love the outdoors and the forest, but don’t get out there as much as I would like. It would be great to work outside every day, driving around the bush, clearing tracks and just generally doing whatever they are doing whenever I see them out in the forest.

What advice would you give youngsters aspiring to work in engineering or own a business?

Engineering – Follow the engineering stream that interests you most and talk to as many engineers as you can and volunteer in as many businesses, until you find a field that resonates with you. It took me a few years as a professional engineer before one day I walked into the Mars factory in Ballarat and I knew I wanted to focus on food and beverage manufacturing.

Starting your own business – Back yourself, unfortunately already trademarked yet I found myself saying it. Just do it! There are many risks in life, however, when starting your own business, you are betting on yourself. If you have a vision and a good work ethic, jump in and have a crack!

I thank Braden for sharing his story with us, and some of the difficulties facing the hospitality industry. It is evident local businesses are the lifeblood of the local community; and as such, they need our support to stay viable. In most cases, they are run by locals, employing locals and most importantly the money stimulates the nation’s economy and helps in its recovery. 

Please consider local!

An Hour With John Di Losa

26-May-2022 | By Nadia Porter | 

For some time, I have been wanting to do an article about a local business identity, especially in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disastrous impact on everyone. 

On the third of March 2022, I was contacted by Annexmedia, who were doing a documentary about Mr Di Losa, and asked if I could interview him, and tell his story of success to our readers, the story of “a man who used to clean the toilets at Coles and worked at Maccas became one of the country’s biggest logistics providers.”

A Lysterfield resident, one of our own. A self-made man, with an amazing story to tell. 

Of course, I would like to! A schedule was prepared for publication, but then the election was called and Mr Di Losa was kind enough to give his spot to the two main candidates battling for the seat of Aston. Finally, I can shine the spotlight on Mr Di Losa and his incredible journey from a humble beginning to a successful businessman. 

Mr Di Losa was kind enough to answer my questions and was extremely generous in providing me with a lot of material regarding his incredible journey of ups and downs, trials and triumphs against adversity.

His full inspirational story is worthy of a book, but in this article and with the limitations of a newspaper, I will present a snapshot of Mr Di Losa. 

When and where were you born?

I was born on New Year’s Eve in 1962, in Malvern Victoria at Cabrini hospital.

Tell us a bit about your family?

I got married in 1987. My wife was a hairdresser at the time and had her salon in Mitcham. We have four children, Jacinta 30, Jack 27, Rebecca 25 and Alex 20.

What do you remember growing up?

Growing up there was never any money for toys or games or dining out etc as dad always wanted to save so he could purchase his shop, then his home and then investment properties. My dad’s generation knew what it was to live in hard times, living through a world war and a depression, the main priority was to have enough money to feed and look after his family. Whilst my school friends were going off to camps and stayovers etc I worked in the family fruit shop after school and every school holiday. There was never any money for games or outings it was all about working and saving. We never went on family vacations, ate out at restaurants, or went to entertainment venues, not even for special occasions. Dad took Mum once to the movies when they were engaged and that was it. My parents lived an extremely frugal life.

What did your parents do?

My dad came to Australia owing money for his passage to his employer. Although he was severely underpaid, he still managed to save enough money to buy his fruit shop. Getting up at 3.30 am and finishing around 7:00 pm every day. I didn’t see my dad much when I was young as he was always working. 

Primary Schooling and Secondary?

I went to school at St Joseph’s and then De La Salle in Malvern. When I first attended school, I did not know any English as my parents spoke Italian at home so it took me a while to adapt.

School Sports?

It was school and work up until the age of sixteen when I was allowed to join a karate dojo. I couldn’t play handball with the school or football or cricket as they were all too dangerous but karate was OK. I would ride my bike twice a week from Malvern to Hawthorn. Dad bought me a bike when I was 16; I recall I did something he didn’t like so he took my bike away as he said he had paid for it so he could do that.

Are you a football fan? Which team?

Yes, I follow the AFL Carlton football club and my family and I are all Carlton cheer squad members.

What pastimes do you have now? 

Nowadays and probably in this order: my granddaughter, walking the dogs, golf, jet skis, and martial arts (although haven’t done much in the past two years).

What activities (clubs, organisations etc) do you get involved with?

We sponsor the Rowville Hawks local football club; I belong to the Otium car club for car enthusiasts and I have promised my wife we will join a dance school soon as well.

Do you have any idols? 

Growing up I did like Sylvester Stallone (Rocky).
Have you travelled much? Countries?

I went to Bali for my honeymoon in 1987 and then we took a family trip to Europe in 2013 covering Rome, Paris and London. There were fifteen of us.

If you weren’t doing what you do now what would you like to do?

I would like to do something that affects people’s lives, e.g., work on a solution to feed the homeless in the city or provide them shelter and bedding. I did look at doing something like this a few years ago where we were going to start a regular free food service a few times a week but then COVID put a halt to that. Just help people that have fallen on hard times, we all go through them.

Previous jobs?                                               

I then got a job at McDonald’s after school which went to around midnight. Maccas paid almost $4 an hour, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have a job that paid so much. Then when I was 17, I also got a job cleaning Coles floors and toilets before school

So, I got up at 4.30 am for a 5:00 am shift start, I cleaned floors etc, then went to school, and after school, I worked at Maccas. I liked multiple income streams at a young age. 

What motivated you or gave you the idea to start your own business?

In March 1983, I started working in a run-down fruit shop alone. In the first week, I made $383. I was very big on customer service. If a customer came in and asked me for something I didn’t have I told them I would get it for them by the next time they were in. I cared about my customers and one day a little old lady, who got her hair done at the hairdressers every Friday, and did her shopping at my shop told me she loved pumpkin but couldn’t cut it due to arthritis in her hands. I said to her I would peel some pumpkin for her, she was astounded and I reassured her it was OK. I cut and peeled the pumpkin for her in small pieces so all she had to do was put them in her oven. The next week she came back and said how wonderful the pumpkin was and if I could do it for her again. After I cut and peeled the pumpkin for her; another lady came in and saw I had peeled the pumpkin and she said to me: “Do you peel pumpkin?”, and without waiting for an answer she said “Make me a big bag full”. She caught me by surprise as I was not expecting to do this for anyone else, so I calculated my time in peeling and the waste etc., put a margin on it and when the lady came in, she asked how much, I told her and she said, “So cheap! Do this for me every week.”

I then bumped into my friend who came to see me at my shop and liked the idea of the fruit packs etc. He told me he started selling fruit packs in his shop at Southland near Coles and someone from Coles approached him and asked him to supply all their stores in Victoria. He said he was having difficulty getting his stock delivered to Coles as most stores were only taking one box of fruit packs per day. He asked me if I wanted to do his deliveries, I didn’t know anything about refrigerated vehicles and asked him how much he would pay me, he said $8 per box. I thought to myself if you do two deliveries per hour you only make $16, it’s not worth it. The following year, I bumped into this guy a few more times and every time we talked it was about deliveries.

I was talking to my auntie and I told her I was thinking of going into a new venture with refrigerated vehicles. She said “Why don’t you speak to your uncle as I have wanted him to go into business for himself for quite a while”. I spoke to him and it was decided we would do it together. He was to run the administration and I would look after the logistics.

I said to my friend I would consider doing his deliveries but I needed somewhere to work out of until we got up and running, and he said he was currently doing it from his warehouse in Carrum Downs and we could continue there in the meantime.

So, we took on board four ‘subbies’ and we bought a new van for me to also do deliveries and started in 1998. We started with 4 runs and 4 customers…going to Coles supermarkets. Of course, it wasn’t as easy as my friend Frank had said. We would do the metro areas and I was told to bring regional deliveries to a company called Andrew Green in Footscray twice a week, where regional companies would pick up from his depot. 

Mr Di Losa elaborates on the trials and the obstacles he faced at each stage of his journey. It was not easy, step by step he reached the top of the ladder. The common threads in all success stories are, following your passion, being passionate, being diligent about what you are doing, staying the course, mounting each obstacle, and self-sacrifice.

What advice would you give youngsters aspiring to be successful?

There are no shortcuts in life, you need to work hard, and live for today but have an eye on your future. Save your money for what really matters and invest in your future by working hard on yourselves.     

I thank Mr Di Losa for giving me his valuable time and telling us his story. Another factual anecdote is that success comes with determination, hard work, perseverance, and sacrifices. Nothing falls in your lap. The secret is to find something you are passionate about, apply yourself, and get up every time you fall. Perhaps his story can inspire another entrepreneur. 

Small business owners like Mr Di Losa are the backbone of the economy, and in most cases, they are local people employing other locals. We wish them luck and success. 

Cold case: Emanuel Sapountzakis

| 20-May-2022 |

Homicide Squad detectives are continuing to appeal for information in relation to the 1993 murder of Emanuel Georgios Sapountzakis in Endeavour Hills.

Emanuel’s body was located in scrubland by a passerby about 8.30am on 2 March, 1993 in an area off Greenbank Drive commonly known as the ‘Police Paddocks’.

The 26-year-old had been shot a number of times, resulting in fatal head injuries.

At the time of his death, Emanuel had been working as a taxi driver.

About 3.30pm on 1 March, he attended his employer’s property in Wantirna to collect his blue Ford Falcon EA taxi for his shift.

Emanuel received a number of jobs during this shift and continued to maintain contact with the black cabs’ communication depot.

About 2.03am he accepted a courier fare from Boronia to Dandenong and the in-car system indicated that the dispatch was completed at 3.29am.

This was the last confirmed contact with Emanuel.

At 7.28am a message was despatched via the black cabs query channel to contact the communications channel if Emanuel’s car was sighted.

Around the time of this alert a witness located Emanuel’s cab on the Mountain Highway in Bayswater, outside the factory of Vulcan Australia.

The vehicle was locked and both amber roof lights were illuminated.  The metre was also still operating, indicating a fare of $127.80.

Some of Emanuel’s personal belongings were inside the cab however there was no sign of Emanuel.

Multiple witnesses contacted Investigators after sighting Emanuel’s vehicle in and around Scoresby Road, Bayswater and Stud Road, Dandenong.

These sightings have assisted police over the years in establishing a timeline of Emanuel’s movements.

At the time of his death, Emanuel had been living in Clayton with his wife and two-year-old daughter.

He was also studying chemical engineering at Monash University while working six days a week as a taxi driver.

Emanuel’s family had migrated to Australia from Brazil in1971.

Despite a significant investigation over the past three decades, detectives have been unable to establish who is responsible for Emanuel’s death.

Of particular interest is that Emanuel, on several occasions, was in possession of large sums of U.S. currency.

This claim has been supported by multiple witnesses who saw Emanuel carrying the money in his pocket and wallet.

Homicide Squad detectives are keen to speak to anyone who sighted Emanuel and his vehicle around the Police Paddocks on the night of his death to come forward.

Investigators would also like to speak to anyone else who has knowledge of who was responsible for Emanuel’s death and why.

Police are hopeful that someone will be able to provide information which may lead to further avenues of enquiry for the investigation.

Police have also released a photo of Emanuel and his vehicle as part of this appeal.

Anyone with information relating to Emanuel’s murder is urged to contact Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report via the Crime Stoppers Victoria website.

Drug drivers on notice in frontline police trial

| 15-May-2022 |

Frontline police are being deployed to test drivers for drugs in a Victoria Police trial aimed at saving lives on the roads.

Police from the Frontline Tactical Unit in Melbourne’s southeast have been conducting roadside drug tests since 1 February.

Already more than two dozen drug drivers have been detected.

It’s the first time police outside of highway patrol and Victoria Police’s booze and drug bus fleet have conducted drug testing of motorists.

Removing impaired drivers from the roads is a major focus for Victoria Police, with analysis showing drug driving contributes to about 30 per cent of deaths and its involvement in road trauma is increasing.

Methamphetamine is the most common drug detected in roadside testing.

Victoria Police’s drug testing trial has been rolled out in the SD3 police division which takes in the Cardinia, Casey and Greater Dandenong areas.

There were 33 lives lost on the division’s roads last year, almost four times the number of deaths recorded a year earlier (9).

Drugs were a factor in multiple collisions.

So far this year seven lives have been lost on roads within the SD3 division.

The Frontline Tactical Unit – comprising general duties police – is tasked with patrolling community locations with a focus on detecting and deterring street crime, street violence, public disorder and high-volume crime offending.

Roadside drug testing has been integrated into this work, with officers undergoing special training. So far 27 drug drivers have been detected.

The testing trial will continue until the end of the month.

Victoria Police will make an assessment at the end of the trial to help inform any eventual expansion of drug testing.

Victoria Police conducts 150,000 prohibited drug screening tests through its booze and drug buses and highway patrol units each year.

For information and tips for staying safe on the roads visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.

Quotes attributable to Glenn Weir, Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Command.

“Make no mistake. Drugs are a killer on Victoria’s roads.

“This initiative is just one way we’re detecting and deterring impaired drivers who think it’s OK to get behind the wheel and put the safety of others at risk.”

Quotes attributable to Senior Sergeant Luke Holmes, Southern Metro Region Division 3 Frontline Tactical Unit.

“This trial means there is nowhere to hide if you think it’s acceptable to drive on drugs.

“Some people think they can spot the police cars that do this type of testing. Now, any police car in their rearview mirror could be the one that catches you.

“Drug driving is a major contributor to collisions on our roads.

“That’s why Victoria Police has expanded drug testing through this trial and will continue to do all we can to remove impaired drivers from the roads.”

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