Day: March 15, 2015

TALES of personal grief, heartbreak and broken relationships continue to emerge in the aftermath of admissions of secret sexual relations between the spiritual leader and some of his female devotees at the Shiva School of Meditation and Yoga, Mt Eliza. In the past week several new accounts of relationship breakdowns attributed to the actions of the school’s founder Swami Shankarananda have been described on a website established by his former followers. The owners of the leavingshivayoga website have told The News that they have been advised publishing personal testimonies “does not interfere with the ongoing work by the Victorian police…

CRUISE ship passengers will again visit Mornington Wednesday on the second P&O stopover in a month. The same ship that arrived on 24 February – the 63,700-tonne Pacific Pearl – will cruise direct from Sydney to the peninsula and return on a four night, one-stop voyage. This second visit is a vote of confidence in the town’s ability to interest and entertain its 1700 passengers, with most – again- expected to remain in Mornington enjoying the town’s attractions, while 30 per cent are expected to visit Peninsula Hot Springs or ride the Mornington Explorer bus to Arthur’s Seat and Sorrento…

AN early morning bike ride on Friday 6 March has left a father of three young children fighting for his life. Luke Matthews, 34, from Mount Eliza, was riding along Beleura Hill Road in Mornington at about 6.45am when he was hit by a concrete truck travelling in the opposite direction. Mr Matthews was knocked off his bike and suffered severe life threatening head injuries. The truck driver, a 57-year-old male, from Woodleigh Vale, has co-operated with police investigations. Mr Matthews, who works for ANZ Bank, moved to Mt Eliza from Mentone in 2008 for the open space that Mount…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s new CEO Carl Cowie has started retrenching staff. The first of several axes fell last Friday, the 13th, when 17 people lost their jobs. It is understood more people will go this Friday. The job losses come after a three-month review of the entire shire operations by Mr Cowie and his senior executives. The shire’s four directors were called to meetings with the CEO on Friday 6 March to be told the fate of their departments. The shire has about 1000 full-time equivalent staff. The News understands that some directors, managers and middle management staff are among…