Day: August 12, 2019

DIVISION TWO SOMERVILLE locked up a finals spot with a big win over Hastings on Saturday. The game was expected to be a close one, with both sides coming into the contest with an equal amount of wins. Somerville raced out of the blocks with a five goals to one first quarter, but the Blues wrestled back control in the second term. They were down by five at the main break. Somerville were the better side in the second half, holding Hastings to just one goal. It was a tough task at times, but Somerville eventually secured the win and…

DIVISION ONE SORRENTO have all but locked up the top spot on the ladder after a hard fought win against Mornington on Saturday. Sorrento made the big road trip to Alexandra Park keen to get a win over the bottom placed Bulldogs. A win would have kept them four points ahead of Pines on the ladder with just one game remaining in the season. Sorrento have a big percentage advantage over the Pythons, meaning top spot was theirs for the taking. The Sharks started well with a three goals to one first term, but the Bulldogs bit back in the…

SOCCER PENINSULA Strikers midfielder Jordan “Kaka” Avraham is on the verge of making his international debut for the Fijian Olympic team. The 22-year-old has been playing in annual Fijian club tournaments for the past few years and competed in the Pacific Cup last November against teams from Fiji, Australia, New Zealand and the US. “Kaka” played for Western Sydney in that tournament and the coach of Western Sydney arranged for him to try out with the Fijian Olympic squad. The Fijian connection is through his father, Israel, and the young midfielder attended a two-week training camp earlier this season. He…

HORSE RACING ONE-TIME Blue Diamond Stakes favourite, Brooklyn Hustle, is primed for her racetrack return after taking out a trial at Cranbourne on Monday 5 August. The Jason Warren-trained filly jumped out smartly with the addition of a barrier blanket before kicking clear under jockey Ben Melham to comfortably win the eighth heat of the morning. The striking daughter of Starspangledbanner is set to kick off her three-year-old campaign in the Group Three Quezette Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday 17 August. Brooklyn Hustle is expected to meet a strong field with the likes of the Anthony Freedman-trained and Blue Diamond…

SOMERVILLE extends congratulations to yet another returned soldier – Sgt A. Meldrum, who arrived by the Oxfordshire this week. Sgt Meldrum has been attached to the 8th Light Horse, and has been with them from the first, seeing service in Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine. *** THE Westernport Progress Association moved in the matter of the reserved carriages of the 5.30pm Flinders Street, being rushed by passengers between Caulfield and Carrum to the discomfit of those beyond Baxter, for whom they were reserved. The result being that there is a lot of growling by those deposed and discomfit for those compelled…

THELMA Kirkman celebrated her 106th birthday sharing her love of literature with children from Goodstart Early Learning Centre, Benton’s Road, Mornington. The Benetas Corowa Court, Mornington resident, a former secretary of Tasmanian State Library, was delighted to mark the milestone with a session that promoted the importance of reading from a young age. Described as an “incredibly humble and generous” person, Ms Kirkman didn’t want to make a fuss, so Benetas staff organised the event so she could share her passion and knowledge with the youngsters who are all a century younger than she is. Farrell’s Bookshop, Mornington, discounted the…

ST ANDREWS Beach residents have won their fight against a $10 million plan to improve their roads. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council on 23 July voted against its engineers’ recommendation for a special charge scheme to “fully construct all the sub-standard roads in St Andrews Beach to a standard that is maintainable in the long-term”. The 10 kilometres of winding roads and grassy verges in the 1960s estate, between Sandy Road and St Andrews beach, will now stay as they are despite engineers slamming them as “poor, with no drainage infrastructure” and “approaching the end of their useful life”. In a…

ROSEBUD Secondary College’s $1 million Wellness Pavilion has received the final phase of its finance, meaning construction can now begin. Deputy Premier James Merlino and Nepean MP Chris Brayne visited the school in Eastbourne Road to announce the long-awaited $300,000 grant last week. The state’s contribution follows $300,000 announced in March by the federal government. “It was my hope when I announced the federal government’s $300,000 contribution in March that the Victorian government would join with the school, local families, the and local community to deliver a bipartisan approach to this project,” Flinders MP Greg Hunt said. “Their acceptance and…

MISSING person Andrew Dymott, pictured, was last seen at a family barbecue at Mt Eliza in 1999. The qualified electrician was last seen by his father in the early afternoon walking to his car which was parked on the street. He did not return and has not been seen since. Mr Dymott, 47, is 180cm tall, medium build, brown hair, green eyes and fair complexion. During National Missing Persons Week 4-10 August his family was reminded it had been 20 years since they last saw their son and remain concerned for his safety and welfare. Police are encouraging those who…

POLICE at Dromana, Hastings, Mornington, Rosebud, Rye, Somerville and Sorrento will wear body cameras from next week. They will be among more than 11,000 cameras in use by 2020. The cameras will be worn by general duties and highway patrol police of the rank of sergeant and below. They will record video and audio footage. Police will be given regular training which includes the use and functions of the body worn camera. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 13 August 2019

A MT ELIZA man who had his car impounded for speeding and drug-driving at Langwarrin early Monday morning had devised a novel way of charging his mobile phone. The 38-year-old was running a lead from the battery, through an open side window and into the phone. Senior Constable Greg Wolfe, of Somerville Highway Patrol, said: “Most of us have a charging cord of some type in our cars for charging up our mobile phone. “When you drive a car that’s a bit of a wreck inside, and doesn’t have a functioning cigarette lighter socket, it can be a challenge though.…

MORE than 1200 traffic offences were detected during the four-day Operation Reset, police said last week. Speeding topped the list of offences with 405 drivers nabbed: alarmingly, 320 were exceeding the limit by 10-25kph. Police conducted 11,758 preliminary breath tests and 499 drug tests and found 69 affected drivers during the operation which ran from Thursday 1 August-Sunday 4 August. Southern Metro Region Acting Commander Tony Silva said it was alarming to see the number of dangerous choices people continue to make when they get behind the wheel. “It’s a harsh reality … that every offence, be it speeding, drink…

CASH boxes stolen from the Coles supermarket at McCrae Plaza said to contain a “significant” amount of money were found empty at Seaford wetlands and in Robinsons Road, Frankston, last week. At least two men are believed to have forced open roller doors to the supermarket using a long-handled jemmy bar before loading three cash boxes into a stolen Holden Crewman ute, 12.30am, Thursday 8 August. Earlier, the same men wearing gloves and hoodies are believed to have unsuccessfully attempted to force their way into Sorrento Cellars. The ute was found burnt-out at Cranbourne on Friday morning. First published in…

SOUTHERN Metro Divisional Response Unit police arrested a man during a raid at Rye on Wednesday 7 August. They allegedly found two firearms, two Tasers, ammunition and a quantity of methyl-amphetamine at the Browns Road property. A 49-year-old man was charged with two counts of being a prohibited person possessing a firearm, trafficking methyl-amphetamine, possessing ammunition, and five counts of possessing a prohibited weapon without authorisation. The man was remanded in custody to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on 16 August. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 13 August 2019

POLICE conducted a doorknock of surrounding streets in the wake of a shooting at Capel Sound last week. They had rushed to the scene near Woodthorpe and Point Nepean roads about 2.55am after neighbours reported gunshots, Wednesday 7 August. A man in his 20s was found in the street with wounds to his legs. He was taken to Frankston Hospital for treatment. No arrests had been made by Friday afternoon and the investigation was said to be ongoing. Rosebud Senior Sergeant Jen McKenna said the doorknock was aimed at easing residents’ concerns after the shooting. “We understand that incidents like…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has successfully prosecuted 11 rubbish dumpers in the past seven months, resulting in fines of over $11,000. The shire says it is “continuing its zero-tolerance approach to illegally dumped rubbish” with 10 cases of aggravated littering and one local law breach being heard at Dromana Magistrates’ Court. Two tree loppers and five peninsula businesses were among those prosecuted in the cases which resulted in $11,459 in fines and $2313 in costs being recovered to help pay for clean-ups and offset statutory costs. The shire’s environment protection unit is getting tough on rubbish dumpers by boosting patrols at…

EXPERTS are being asked for ways to control mosquitoes on the southern Mornington Peninsula using “alternative approaches to spraying” that will not harm the environment. The move by Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors follows a packed public meeting on Saturday which highlighted residents’ concerns over a spraying program planned for October as part of studies into the flesh-eating Buruli ulcer. The spraying program will now be put on hold until more is known about the effect its chemicals will have on the environment. “The mood of the meeting was that we all want to work towards eradicating Buruli ulcers on the…

THE Mornington Peninsula may this week be declared to be facing a “climate emergency”. If adopted by Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors, the measure will see them develop an action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the effects of climate change. The decision follows the release over the weekend of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report which said that without massive changes to food production, cutting emissions from transport and industry would not be enough to avoid dangerous climate change. Cr Hugh Fraser says there is “widespread support” among councillors and among peninsula residents for…

A PUBLIC meeting in Mt Eliza on Wednesday 14 August will canvas risks associated with the impending rollout of 5G telecommunications services on the Mornington Peninsula. “There are countries across the world, as well as states and shires, putting a stop to [5G] until it is proven to have no health risks,” organiser Judy O’Donnell said. “We are a group of concerned peninsula residents trying to educate everyone here, too.” “No research has proved 5G safe,” Ms O’Donnell said. However, scientists at the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency say radio waves used by the 5G network have been…