Going through the roof BLUE-RIBBON suburb Elsternwick is enjoying a surge in popularity, with house prices smashing through the $2 million mark, figures show. Insatiable buyers are clamouring to get into the tightly held area, with homes on the market an average of just 27... Page 1

TOP TIPS ON BUYING HEATERS Consider your needs - do you want to just heat a particular space or the whole house. Do you want to invest in something that looks fantastic or just something to heat a space. Seek heaters with a higher star rating, which denotes its efficiency. The... Page 3

Throw tubby dogs a bone PORKY pooches will be able to slim down if plans for a canine boot camp go ahead. Canine owners have welcomed calls for a dog exercise park, which would be a first for Glen Eira. There are 12,419 dogs registered in Glen Eira, despite the area... Page 1

Appeal to get tower off ground DEVELOPERS are escalating their bid to build a 19-storey tower in Caulfield South, despite council and community opposition. Calvary Health Care Bethlehem chief executive Dr Jane Fischer said they had appealed to VCAT after Glen Eira councillors... Page 1

Covering tracks on sky rail MELBOURNES controversial sky rail project could be "disguised" under an innovative design proposal. The concept involves fitting a lightweight membrane clad with mirror-like material to reflect the surrounding landscape at ground level, effectively... Page 1

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FEED MELBOURNE APPEAL Every month thousands of hungry Victorians are turned away from food charities that cant keep up with demand. The Feed Melbourn Appeal aims to fix this and is a chance forr Leader readers, businesses and schools to make a big difference. Freya is... Page 1

Wiping out graffiti GLEN Eira Council has come up with a plan to give graffiti the brush off. Graffiti cost Glen Eira ratepayers a whopping $220,000 last financial year in clean-up bills, with 8842sq m removed. As part of a fresh blitz on the unsightly scourge, Mayor... Page 1

Tram plan slammed SHOPPERS and traders have derailed calls to extend the tram network down Koornang Rd at Carnegie. The idea came out of a council survey and would involve connecting routes 3 and 67 along Koornang Rd. The Public Transport Users Association backed the... Page 1

Sky rail noise annoys SLEEPLESS and stressed out residents along the sky rail line are being offered counselling and nights in hotels to deal with intrusive building works. The Level Crossing Removal Authority has obtained permits allowing extended building hours from... Page 1

Playing for big money A CHILDS smile might be priceless to most, but it comes with a hefty price tag of almost $11 million in Glen Eira. The council has spent $10.8 million creating what could be Melbournes most expensive playground at Glen Huntlys Booran Reserve. By... Page 1

Another hit show on block EXCITEMENT is building with The Block moving into Elsternwick. Workers descended on Regent St last week, trucking in period houses and busily fitting them together ahead of filming. But even though work had begun, Channel 9 was still playing coy,... Page 1

Roll out the barrels A LEVEL Crossing Removal Authority attempt to beautify a Murrumbeena streetscape has backfired. About 30 temporary planter drums were positioned along Neerim Rd by the authority last week. But the attempt failed to impress, with paint peeling off the... Page 1

Blooming good idea TOMATO plants, flowers and strawberries could soon be sprouting from nature strips across Glen Eira. Councillor Nina Taylor has called for planning regulations around nature strips to be relaxed. "Mowing the lawn is such a bugbear for so many... Page 1

Driving up costs GLEN Eira Council is cracking down on motorists who hog limited spots in school drop-off zones, causing traffic to bank up and putting childrens lives in danger. A council report tabled last week showed fine revenue was up $364,000, driven largely by... Page 1

Plans must improve to feel groove THE future of a groovy modernist house in Caulfield North is under scrutiny after the National Trust objected to owners plans to extend. The single-storey house in Howitt Rd was designed by renowned architect the late Dr Ernest Fooks in 1964 as a... Page 1

Tears flow as historic tree felled DEVASTATED protesters have failed in their bid to save a 250-yearold tree from being cut down to make way for the sky rail. The tree, which had its own Twitter account and was known as Boyd Murumbeena, had been shown on original concept plans to be... Page 1

Naked ambition pays off THIS nude neighbour has been hailed a legend after baring all in a cheeky protest against a new house overlooking his backyard. Photographer James Penlidis went viral online after winning a crusade to get some privacy by barbecuing, cleaning the... Page 1

Council push to test pills A DRUG and alcohol rehabilitation centre has backed a controversial proposal for trial pill-testing machines at Port Phillip venues and festivals. It comes as councillors on February 1 voted to push ahead with the pilot program. Windana Alcohol and... Page 1

WHEEL STAR St Kilda Easts Meredith Doig, whose first foray into community work was to improve safety for motorcyclists, has been recognised for her life of service in the Australia Day honours. Page 1

WITNESS THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG WITH a host of comedy awards to its credit, The Play That Goes Wrong has been doing things right for West End audiences. Now Melburnians can witness theatrical disaster when this hilarious new show comes to the Comedy Theatre in February. The Play That... Page 2

APPEAL FOR CALM With up to 80,000 revellers to flock to Port Phillip foreshores on Australia Day, police are reminding everyone to have fun, but also behave and act responsibly. Page 1

Level playing field AT 11, Meaghan Medcraft was told to give up her dream of becoming an AFL footballer because there was "nowhere for women to go in footy". Now 25, Medcraft vows to never hang up her boots again, playing as a key forward for the newly created Ormond... Page 1

Plea to axe net pet sales AN Elsternwick-based dog rescue charity is among animal advocacy groups backing a petition to ban the online pet trade. A change.org petition to stop pets being sold on classifieds site Gumtree has gathered force, with more than 40,000 signatures... Page 1

`I saw her shoes on the road THE grieving daughter of a woman who died after being struck by a car has called on VicRoads to make the notorious Balaclava Junction safer. Emily Hanna, 90, died in hospital three days after being hit by a car turning right as she crossed Hawthorn Rd... Page 1

Right to speak "The real reason it was called off was the extent of the Jewish community opposed to the event," Dr Silverstein said. Victoria Police spokesman Luke Zammit said: "We respect the right of the community to express their views peacefully and... Page 5

Snap a photo with Santa and his elve.. TAKING a photo with Santa is a Christmas tradition in most families - along with lining up to see Myers magical windows and singing along to Carols By Candlelight. To get into the festive mood, families can enter the Magic Cave at David Jones at the... Page 3

Guilty jewellers walk free A HUSBAND-and-wife jeweller team who stole and pawned more than $32,000 worth of valuables have walked free from court. Former Caulfield jewellers Roger and Georgette Aznavorian received a 28-month suspended sentence in the Victorian County Court last... Page 1

Stink over mouse farm bid A PLAN for a huge mouse farm in a quiet Carnegie street has cheesed off neighbours. Applicant Jeffrey Mann has asked Glen Eira Council for an "animal husbandry" permit so he can breed 600 mice on an Oakleigh Rd property. But neighbour Pat Gilhooley,... Page 1

Book to help battle the bullies WHEN Year 7 student Monique Mastrobattista fell down the stairs at her school in Melbournes south, the taunting she encountered was a scene reminiscent of Mean Girls, with bullies spreading photos of her fall around the school via social... Page 1

Club levels the field for women A SPORTS club in Albert Park has spent thousands on improving its clubrooms in the hope of fielding its first senior womens footy team. South Melbourne District Sports Club president Hugo Armstrong told the Leader there had been a boom in female... Page 1

Fight for truth hits big screen IN THE early 1990s, Kitia Altman (main pic) famously debated Holocaust denier David Irving during a live televised interview on A Current Affair. Now, over 20 years later, Ms Altmans fiery dispute with Mr Irving has been referenced in a... Page 1

Teen on crest of a wave DAN is the man when it comes to swimming distances - very large distances. The Glen Eira teen is the youngest ever Australian to swim the Triple Crown - the English Channel, the Catalina Channel and the Manhattan Marathon. The Bentleigh 17-year-old... Page 1

Outrage over tower plan RESIDENTS have vowed to fight against a proposed development that, if given the green light, would be one of the tallest in Glen Eira. The Bethlehem Hospital Community Action Group has been set up to combat what they say is an intended 19-storey tower... Page 1

Bike gone in a flash A CYCLIST was left stunned after his bike - worth almost $2000 - was stolen from a rack outside a Caulfield South pharmacy in the middle of the afternoon. David Pook said he "stupidly" thought it would be OK to leave his uninsured bike unlocked in... Page 1

Crossing concerns GLEN Eira College is appealing for a speed zone change outside the school, saying leadfoot motorists are putting students lives in danger. The high school students use a pedestrian crossing on Booran Rd to access the gymnasium and English Language... Page 1

A SPLASH HIT Kilvington Grammar School students Charlotte, Xavier, Rhea and Ella will bring the magic of life under the sea to the stage in a production of The Little Mermaid next month. Page 1

SADDLE UP FOR RACING Spring racing is in the air at Caulfield Racecourse and 7 News reporter Jacqueline Felgate is once again taking the reins as an ambassador for the four-day Caulfield Cup Carnival. Page 1

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Trust lost on future of track A GLEN Eira councillor is jockeying for trust members to be scratched from the Caulfield Racecourse board, following the release of an independent report. Camden Ward councillor Mary Delahunty is calling on the 14 members of the Caulfield Racecourse... Page 1

Election hopes on track THE Labor Government is fasttracking four huge projects along the inner south rail corridors to win the next state election, experts say. Level crossing removals at Bentleigh, Ormond and McKinnon railway stations; the impending sky rail for the... Page 1

Nightmare on Cromwell St A WHEELCHAIR-bound woman trying to build her dream home has found herself plunged into a building and bureaucratic nightmare. Seven years, three builders and countless reports later, Lana Zaitsen and her husband Boris still dont have a house to call... Page 1

Snail bait tragedy A CAULFIELD South couple, left broken by the death of their beloved dog, are speaking out in the hope they save other pets from the same fate. Adam Zylbersztajn and his wife Renee Gross-Zylbersztajn have been left shattered after their 19-month-old... Page 1

Chance to build a better world throu.. THE Games of the XXXI Olympiad are almost upon us and they cant come quick enough. We get to see the greatest athletes in the world living the Olympic motto, testing their limits to go faster, stronger and higher but perhaps, more importantly, we get... Page 2

Cramming for school LEADERS at jam-packed St Kilda Primary School fear its precious open space will be overrun by portable classrooms as enrolments continue to surge. They have called on the State Government to stump up about $1.5 million for a vertical building to house... Page 1

Book Weeks tribute to Dahl RARE Book Week honours beloved writer Roald Dahl, or lace up for your favourite charity at Run Melbourne. Page 1

Mum muscles up Raising boys is never easy, but Elsternwick mum turned bodybuilding star Dione Phillips doesnt mind a challenge. Page 1

Gal flies the flag Glen Eira College student Gal Gross has led a push to fly the rainbow flag at half mast at the school, as a mark of respect and solidarity for Orlando shooting victims. Page 1

Demand for land release CALLS are growing louder for unused public land locked up at Caulfield Racecourse to be turned over to sporting clubs. Glen Eira has just 45 sports grounds to service the more than 60 registered clubs. Two local sporting clubs forced to play outside... Page 1

One jump ahead More than 200 people flocked to a free self- defence workshop by ex-Israeli Army soldier Lior Offenbach in Caulfield lastst week, as fear about the increase in Melbourne gang violence rises.. Page 1

Coalition courts Higgins IN A big win for local netballers, the Liberals have announced a re-election commitment of $4 million for a new multipurpose sports centre in the Higgins federal electorate. There are just a handful of courts in the inner south to service thousands of... Page 1

End of era for gallery A MUCH-LOVED gallery in the heart of Carnegie is set to go under the hammer. Renowned Australian artist Anthony Breslin (pictured) will sell Breslin Gallery after taking on the "huge" project in 2009 and spending three years building and developing it... Page 1

Relief in sight not welcome ANGRY Carnegie homeowners have accused sky rail workers of urinating on their properties as preliminary works get under way to elevate the Pakenham/ Cranbourne rail line. Michelle Clarke, who has lived on Cosy Gum Rd in Carnegie for 10 years, has made... Page 1

Graffiti fears for sky rail RESIDENTS fear sky rail will become a "concrete canvas" for graffiti vandals if the latest "artwork" is anything to go by. And they have been joined by more than 150 Leader readers who responded to news that new plywood boxes around gantries along the... Page 1

Pensioner easy prey AN ELDERLY Elsternwick man has been left shattered after being scammed out of almost $20,000 by travelling conmen. Ken* has been targeted on three occasions by Irish-speaking tradies telling him his roof needed urgent repairs. To date the pensioner... Page 1

Kids learn in hospital CHILDREN may need to stay at The Royal Childrens Hospital while theyre getting better but not everything in their lives has to change. The Royal Childrens Hospital Education Institute keeps children learning and connected with their school while... Page 3

WIN Starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, new movie Florence Foster Jenkins opens in cinemas on May 5. Directed by Stephen Frears ( The Queen, Philomena) and based on the real-life Florence Foster Jenkins, it tells the story of the 1940s New York heiress... Page 2