Day: May 20, 2019

BY advertisement in another column, it will be seen that a Grammar School is to be established in Frankston. The Principal is Mr J. Austin, who will be assisted by Mrs Dial as preparatory mistress. The Headmaster will be at the school on Monday, 9th June. An examination for entrance for scholarships will be held in the schoolroom on 31st May, at 9.30 a.m., and results will appear in the “Standard” on the 7th June. The scholarships are open to boys and girls irrespective of age of locality. *** REPORTS of farewell functions to Major Conder have been held over…

MORNINGTON Peninsula’s own International Cool Climate Wine Show (ICCWS), now in its 19th year, is an acclaimed wine show for wineries, industry, and the public. The ICCWS is recognised as one of Australia’s foremost shows for inspirational cool climate wines, and each year attracts more than 650 wines from around the world in competition classes including Sparkling wines & Champagnes, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Italian Varietals both from Northern Italy and local, along with many more. A feature of the show each year is the opportunity given to wine lovers to sample the cool climate…

A SAFETY warning has been issued for property owners to check and maintain their fireplaces, chimneys, fireboxes and flues. The CFA says there has been a rise in the number of chimney fires from both fireplaces and wood heaters. CFA’s manager community safety Jude Kennedy said over time there could be a build-up of creosote, a black tar-like residue, which is highly flammable and could clog up chimneys. “Creosote is not only caused by general use, but it can also build up quicker if you are using incorrect fuels, such as green wood or treated timbers,” he said. To reduce…

A woman loading groceries into her car at Rosebud on Mother’s Day was punched to the head by a man who stole her handbag. The woman told police the man approached her on a bicycle in the McCoomb Street car park, 3.30pm, Sunday 12 May. The man asked for directions and then reached into the car and grabbed her bag containing $120 cash and credit cards. During a short physical altercation the woman said the man punched her and she fell to the ground. The man rode off via the McCoomb Street exit. Anyone with information is urged to contact…

BIRD droppings on the footpath under Main Street, Mornington’s trees is a daily problem for shoppers and traders – one which won’t fly away anytime soon. Despite regular cleaning by the Mornington Peninsula Shire and traders, the nightly roosting of starlings and Indian minahs and their telltale souvenirs can make window shopping dangerous for pedestrians. “I’ve seen two people slip over,” Grand Hotel general manager Cameron Price said. About 18 months ago he installed $4000 spotlights under trees outside the hotel’s sportsman’s bar area to deter the birds. “As soon as someone breaks a hip something will be done about…

EVIDENCE of a “spilled substance” – most likely diesel fuel – leaking out of a drain at Safety Beach has been traced as far upstream as Rainier Avenue, Dromana, but the source has not been identified at this stage, the EPA said last week. The oily mess, which has been polluting the sand and seawater for at least the past 12 months, is most noticeable near the intersection of Marine Parade and Point Nepean Road, opposite a service station. A second leak causes diesel odour to emanate from a smaller drain on the foreshore opposite another service station about one…

LIBERAL Greg Hunt easily retained his seat of Flinders in Saturday’s federal election. Mr Hunt’s seventh win in a row helped the Scott Morrison-led Liberal National Coalition regain government for a third term. A senior cabinet minister in the previous government, Mr Hunt is expected to retain his position as health minister. In the nine-candidate contest for Flinders, Mr Hunt, by late Monday morning, had received more than 46 per cent of primary votes, well ahead of his nearest rival, Labor’s Josh Sinclair, who was sitting on 25 per cent. Coming third in the vote was now independent former Liberal…

SPORTS ovals at Hastings and Red Hill as well as the Olympic Park soccer pitch and senior oval at Rosebud will light up in a staged program starting later this year. The grounds are among 10 sporting reserves across the Mornington Peninsula to be earmarked as part of a $2.1 million lighting upgrade. The cost will be split between the state government and the shire. Other reserves to receive lighting upgrades in stage two (September 2020-February 2021) include Dromana Recreation Reserve, Dromana; Civic Reserve Athletics Track, Mornington; RM Hooper Reserve, Tuerong; Barber Reserve, Somerville; and AR and F Ditterich Reserve,…

TABLES will be groaning under the weight of “much-loved second hand books” at Mt Eliza Rotary Club’s “book bonanza”. The books will be on 35 tables at the 1st Ranelagh Scout Hall, Butler Reserve (off Ranelagh Drive), Mt Eliza on 10am-3pm Saturday 25 May, and 10am-2pm Sunday 26 May. Organisers say there is an “incredible diversity” among the books, ranging from biographies to illustrated coffee table books and hundreds of paperbacks and novels. Categories include the arts (theatre, film, music, Australian artists; antiques; cooking; gardening; interior design; history (explorers, colonial history, travellers tales, military, aviation, maritime and transport, archeology and…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Citizen of the Year Josie Jones opened last week’s waste forum with presentations from community groups, waste industry representatives and shire officers sharing ideas on making their own beeswax wraps, joining a Beach Patrol Group, composting at home, and the upcoming electronic waste ban. This second Waste Forum, held on Saturday 11 May, attracted more than 400 participants to Peninsula Community Theatre to hear what’s happening in the waste industry and how the council was working to address and improve current waste issues. They heard how they could connect with local community groups and how they could…

RIDERS from Toorak College, Mt Eliza has regained the Equestrian Victoria Champion School title. The school won state titles in 2017 but came in as reserve champions in 2018. This year’s win came after a five-day event at Werribee which saw more than 500 riders from 172 schools competing on 640 horses. Toorak had 26 junior and senior riders competing, with Stephanie Ivanovic, Bella Warner, Emma Hercules and Theodora Newman being among the school’s top four riders in dressage, show jumping, combined training, games and novelties events. The four will be presented with the Equestrian Victorian trophy and horse rugs.…

AS if Rosebud’s pre-polling booth wasn’t busy enough, early voters also had to contend with the centre median car park being closed for 36 hours last week. “There has already been one vehicle accident outside the booth [at 1175 Point Nepean Road] because of the traffic and it is very difficult for voters to cross the road at this point,” one early voter complained. “Questions need to be asked about why this work is being carried out at this difficult location at this important time.” South East Water told The News it closed the car park to carry out “long-planned…

PENINSULA Aero Club has withdrawn a request for Mornington Peninsula Shire to remove “church hour” restrictions on flights at Tyabb airfield. Instead, it will apply directly to the Victorian Civil Administrative Authority. The club’s application was to be considered at the council’s planning services meeting last night (Monday 20 May) but the aero club withdrew it citing concerns over the officers’ inclusion of a recommendation to also ban take-offs and landings from sunset on Saturday to 9am on Sunday. The withdrawal of the application has forced the shire to move its meeting from Hastings to Rosebud. The council had received…

CONFUSION remains over parking and launching fees at boat ramps on the Mornington Peninsula. A boat owner was fined $81 last week for supposedly not paying a launching fee at Rye, prompting the Futurefish Foundation to label the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s management of its boat ramps a “debacle”. The Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Channel 31’s “Talking Fishing” show last November that, if re-elected, the state government would run boat ramps on the peninsula, abolish fees, and establish a Better Boating Fund for boat ramp upgrades. Six months later the shire is still waiting to have its role clarified. “The…