Day: March 7, 2016

SUB-DISTRICT THE fairytale story of Dromana Cricket Club ended abruptly on Sunday at the hands of Frankston YCW in the MPCA Sub District semi-final. The Hoppers have been the whipping boys of the competition for many seasons, however, with the inclusion of Darren Kerr and Aaron Kaddatz and co, quickly became the glamour team of Sub District in 2015/16. However, on Sunday afternoon, the Hoppers were soundly beaten by the Stonecats by more than 100 runs. The Stonecats will face Rosebud in the Grand Final after the Buds smashed Hastings in the other semi-final. Frankston YCW won the toss and…

DISTRICT PEARCEDALE will be looking for back-to-back flags in this weekend’s District Grand Final after beating Baden Powell on Saturday. The Panthers won the Sub District Grand Final last season and have been superb in 2015/16 in their first season in District. While the Panthers were celebrating, it was heads in hands for Red Hill. In one of the upsets of the season, the 2015/16 dominant side of the competition, Red Hill, were bundled out of the premiership race by Flinders. The Hillmen may have scored 303 against the Sharks in their home and away match earlier in the season,…

PROVINCIAL CRIB Point will play Peninsula Old Boys in the Provincial Grand Final after they won their respective semi-finals on the weekend. Crib Point made light work of beating Baxter, winning the game six wickets down on Sunday. Peninsula Old Boys knocked over Somerville, picking up the final wicket at 4.30pm on Sunday afternoon to advance to yet another big dance. It was an impressive performance from the Old Boys, who were well led by ‘old-timer’ Jonny Forrest, who rescued the Old Boys with 58 on Saturday before taking 2/9 off a five over spell. It was that spell that…

Don’t miss out on getting your entries in to this years Red Hill Show, Easter Saturday, March 26th from 8.30am to 5pm. Our show is one for the whole family! All categories are open from Art, Craft, Cooking, Photography, Flowers, Fruit & Vegetables, Cattle, Dogs High Scramble, Heavy Horses, Miniature Goats, Sheep, Poultry and Rats. Children from our local schools are already busy working on their art & craft projects. The Totem Pole competition is always a favourite.  Visit our website and download your entry forms now. Time is running out! Along with the hundreds of exhibitors there will be…

By TERRI LEE FATOUROS With Liam Kealy on Hammond keys rocking it and Dean James producing first-class riffs on lead, the four originals of Nicholas Pearce (sax), Jason Nehill (bass), Neil Richardson (percussion) and Nicole Nehemia (vocals) are paramount in sound. Their panache is making waves at the Heritage 3059 on Sunday, 13th March. Safari Motel are seeped in soul, funk and blues and combined with their big band sound is really rocking it. Over the past two years they have been playing regularly at festivals around the state and have attracted a huge and loyal fan base. Their mix…

A lady resident of Frankston had a rather exciting time on Sunday last. While proceeding to church, through the park, she was confronted with two snakes. Though somewhat frightened she pluckily went for the reptiles, and succeeded in killing one with her umbrella, which was smashed in the encounter. The other snake managed to escape. The reptiles were about three feet long. *** THE employees of the Richmond Woollen Mills intend holding their annual picnic in the Frankston Park, on Saturday next, 18th March. *** THE committee of the Moorooduc Sports has decided not to hold sports this year owing…

PARENTS of children with disabilities, developmental delays or a chronic medical condition are being encouraged to make contact with Biala Peninsula based in Mornington. The free group, in Elizabeth St, allows parents to unwind and talk about their experiences. A trained facilitator helps guide the discussion, share experiences and connect parents with support services. A skilled play helper engages children below school age so parents and carers are free to chat with each other. “Research tells us that many parents of children with disabilities struggle to find time to look after themselves, and that social isolation is a real danger,”…

BUSES will replace trains on a section of the Frankston line from Friday 25 March until Monday 4 April as part of the Labor state government’s commitment to remove eleven level crossings along the line. Premier Daniel Andrews says an “Easter blitz” to remove three level crossings – at Ormond, McKinnon and Bentleigh – means the works at those three sites will be completed ahead of the original schedule of mid-2017. Buses will shuttle passengers between Mordialloc and Caulfield stations. Ormond and McKinnon Stations will also be closed for up to five months so they can be demolished and completely rebuilt…

IT’S almost time to say “arrivederci” to popular Mornington restaurant Mediterraneo, which will close next month. Owners Joanne and David Alesci say they are “tired and need a rest” after 14 years’ at the Queen St site. The pair took over David’s father’s restaurant serving Italian fare after training in city restaurants. They have been attentive dinner hosts Tuesday to Saturday ever since. “We’re a family restaurant that’s been very well accepted here and we’ve never needed to advertise,” Mrs Alesci said. “We’ve been blessed with loyal customers and staff members and want to say thank you to them.” Mrs…

A WATER slide at Frankston’s Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre is out of action after two boys were injured while using the slide. PARC CEO Tim Gledhill confirmed the AquaSphere slide will be closed “for the next few weeks” until an investigation into the incident takes place. The two boys were using the AquaSphere water slide last Saturday (27 February), featuring raft rides for two to four people, when the incident occurred. “Both boys received immediate medical attention from our lifeguard staff before being transferred to hospital where one was treated for concussion and the other boy was diagnosed with a…

BENTON Junior College pupils were active on National Ride 2 School Day last week. There was plenty of action as 234 pupils rode, 156 skated or scooted, 219 walked, three took public transport and 136 rode in the car, Friday. The aim of the day was to encourage more pupils to be more active more of the time. And that includes parents and teachers as well. It’s is reported that 80 per cent of children aged five-17 don’t complete the recommended number of hours of exercise each day, and 81 per cent have more than two hours of screen time…

RUBBISH dumped outside a public housing unit block in Mary St, Mornington, has been piling up since November attracting vermin and becoming a fire risk. A Mornington Peninsula Shire ranger reported the mess but, because the property off Spray St and behind Main St is on Department of Human Services land, he was unable to launch a clean-up operation. The rubbish remained – and grew – posing a threat to the 30 mainly aged and infirm residents in the units whose only point of access was becoming blocked by the pile. Mornington fire brigade twice put out fires caused by…

A COMMUNITY group has launched an ambitious plan to find out what residents and ratepayers want for the future of the Mornington Peninsula. The results of an online survey to be conducted by Peninsula Speaks will be managed by Market Metrics and analysed by the Strategy Planning group. The findings will be provided to all three levels of government in the hope that they will be taken into account when decisions and policies affecting the peninsula are made. Peninsula Speaks, which describes itself as “a community advocacy organisation concerned with the protection of the Mornington Peninsula’s environment and landscape values”,…

SARAH Wooding is representing Mornington in the Miss Teen Galaxy Australia contest – and she is the only Victorian representative chasing the title. The Mornington Secondary College year 10 student, 15, is studying science and hoping it will lead into medical science and gene research. Modelling with Bettina Modelling Agency since she was 13, Sarah has also done various catalogues, film shoots, billboards and even appeared as an extra in the film Emo the Musical, to screen next year. “Miss Teen Galaxy will be by far Sarah’s biggest journey,” mum Fiona Wooding said last week. “The national finals are in…

STUDENTS at Balcombe Grammar School will gain an international perspective when they host an Australia-Indonesia Muslim exchange program on Wednesday (9 March) and 13 April. The visit by some of Indonesia’s brightest emerging leaders aims to improve cultural and educational exchanges – and bring on a few selfies – among students in years 7 and 10. Principal Matthew Dodd is all for forging community collaborations and learning opportunities beyond the school’s grounds. “We embrace programs like the Muslim exchange program because of the mutual learning that is ignited by face to face, cross-cultural interactions,” he said. The visit is backed…

A FEDERAL election is looming later this year and Flinders MP Greg Hunt is being pressured by a group of grandmothers upset over the continued detention of refugee children. The 25 members of Grandmothers and Friends of Grandmothers Group living in the Flinders electorate met at Flinders last Wednesday and are organising a bus-and-car cavalcade to Canberra. The movement is growing quickly in Victoria and interstate, organiser Ann Renkin said. “As older Australians with various political party loyalties, our members are very concerned about children and their families living in detention centres at Nauru and Manus,” she said. To voice…

IT HAS been two years since fire destroyed the cafe at Heronswood in Dromana, but owners Clive and Penny Blazey and their team, are back in full swing with the first festival of the year this week. The Heronswood Harvest Festival will celebrate the heirloom harvest at the home of the Diggers Club, acknowledged as one of Victoria’s most beautiful gardens and elegant historical homes. The festival will run over two days, 9am-5pm Saturday and Sunday, including free gardening workshops, garden tours and a tomato taste test. “Visitors can enjoy a relaxing lunch on the pool lawn showcasing seasonal produce…

DESTINATION Rosebud will be the topic of discussion at the Rosebud Kite Festival, Sunday 13 March. The project is aimed at invigorating the township by bringing in investment, jobs and opportunities for the community. Six key elements include: streetscape works, Jetty Rd forecourt, lighting, Village Green and Soundshell, township entrance features and a foreshore “playspace”. Streetscape works include footpath renewal along Point Nepean Rd (Chinaman’s Creek to Sixth Av), bin renewal and garden bed implementation; Jetty Rd forecourt includes shared zones, upgrades to the toilet and public plaza, including shelters and barbecues; Lighting includes improved safety and amenity to Rosebud…

MORNINGTON Peninsula-grown produce has a new identity with the launch of the Mornington Peninsula Produce food provenance brand. The certified trade mark, developed by Mornington Peninsula Shire and its Food Industry Advisory Body, will help consumers confirm the provenance of fresh produce when buying from the farm gate, farmers’ markets and retail outlets. Launching the new initiative last week at The Briars, the mayor Cr Graham Pittock, said local agribusiness was integral to the region’s economy. “Around one third of our land is devoted to agricultural production, and the Mornington Peninsula is the second most valuable agricultural region in Victoria,…

SUBMISSIONS for and against redevelopment of the old Carrington Park Club in Rosebud closed Friday. Mornington Peninsula Shire will assess whether the proposal should be passed to an expert panel for its recommendations, before a final say by Planning Minister Richard Wynne. The owner, Storemaker Pty Ltd, which bought the 3.27 hectare site in 2013 for about $2.2 million, claims its redevelopment will enhance the building’s heritage value and complement its original style. It says building six apartments inside the residence is the only feasible option, and that the lot subdivisions will be larger than surrounding home sites. But neighbours…

THE sale of Sorrento’s landmark Continental Hotel is believed to be edging closer, after being on the market for the past 12 months with an expected price of $15 million. ‘The Conti’, with 23 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and 30 car spaces, has been owned by the Di Pietro family for 21 years. It was built in 1875. It is believed a consortium of local businessmen is negotiating to take it over subject to being allowed to build units on the rear, council-owned car park. The exact number is unknown, but a three-storey block with 30 apartments has been suggested. The…

THOSE backing a push to change the name Rosebud West to Capel Sound are gearing up for a council meeting next month when Mornington Peninsula shire will say yes or no to the proposal. A response in the positive would then go to planning minister Richard Wynne for his support and, later, gazettal. Between 5 December and 6 February the shire asked residents, ratepayers and the broader community if they thought changing the name would be good for the future of the area. The shire was assisted by proponents of the change who distributed two separate flyers to the 3500…

CONTRACTORS are about to be appointed to investigate restoring Portsea’s famed front beach to its former, sand-filled glory. Following years of arguing over the causes of the sand loss, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning in February called for quotes on the methods and cost of replacing sand and preventing its future erosion. Background notes provided by the department acknowledge swell waves from Bass Strait as causing Portsea’s sand loss, but does not mention channel deepening in 2008-09, the biggest and most recent change to the Port Phillip seabed. The Port of Melbourne Corporation denied its two-year $720…