Month: December 2015

Three men were in the water for nearly two hours while rescuing a swimmer in rough seas off Blairgowrie surf beach on Wednesday. Police have been told the Hampton Park man entered the water, near the Hughes Road surf beach, while his wife set up their belongings about 4.15pm. A short time later the woman noticed she couldn’t see her husband in the water and raised the alarm. The 56-year-old man was then sighted about 500m off shore in rough conditions, drifting further out to sea. Three men aged in their 20s, from Kew, Armadale and Rosebud West, entered the…

Silvers Circus Family pass giveaway Tickets valid for Saturday January 9th, 2016 – 11am show at Bata Show Grounds, 1158 Nepean Highway, Mornington Terms and Conditions These terms and conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) govern the relationship between you, the entrant (“you”, “yours”) and the promoter, Mornington Peninsula News Group (“Mornington Peninsula News Group”, “Promoter”, “we”, “our”, “us”) 2/1 Tyabb Road, Mornington Eligibility The Competition is open to Australian residents aged 18 years or over. 2. The following are not eligible to enter the Competition: (i) employees and independent contractors of the Promoter and/or its related party entities (i.e. parent companies and subsidiaries); (ii)…

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate missing 15-year-old, Melinda Kaiser-Andrews from Woodend. Investigators believe Melinda may frequent the Hastings area and may be in the company of a 26-year-old male. Melinda has not been seen since late November, however has been in contact with family over the phone. Police and Melinda’s family have concerns for her welfare and have released a photograph in the hope someone may have information on her current whereabouts. Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate missing 15-year-old, Melinda Kaiser-Andrews from Woodend. Investigators believe Melinda may frequent the Hastings area and…

ANALYSIS THE state government’s recent move to tighten rules to control councillors and council staff raises some interesting issues, the basic one being: how much control should one level of government have over another? And secondly, how much control should council bureaucrats have over councillors? If, for example, federal politicians enacted a law giving them the power to stand down or suspend state MPs, how would the “inferior” state legislature react? Yet the Andrews government, through Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins, intends to do precisely this with new laws to “strengthen local governance and reduce councillor misconduct”. The legislation received…

A SOMERVILLE Auskick Access All Abilities Family Day in March will feature live bands, rides, market stalls, free kids’ activities and dance performances. The free day will be held 10am-9pm on the Labour Day Weekend at the Fruitgrowers Reserve, Somerville. The day is being presented by Somerville Auskick to bring together members of the community to showcase the local area and the talent available. Proceeds raised this year, at what’s hoped will become an annual event, will help initiate the Somerville Auskick Access All Abilities program. Coordinator Felix Arena said organisers were seeking sponsors for the family day, an audiovisual…

ONE of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will be staged at Coolart Homestead and Wetlands, 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 January. It is being put on by OZACT as one of its 40 productions and 500 outdoor performances over the past 20 years. Coolart, at Somers, is regarded as an idyllic setting surrounded by lawns, floral borders and gardens. The talented and energetic cast will take audiences on a delightful journey: from the majestic court of Duke Theseus to the woodland home of the Fairy King and Queen. “This production is a wonderful introduction to…

GRATEFUL families and many smiling young faces brought Hastings hall to life last week as part of the Western Port Christmas Giving Program. Four hundred food hampers – weighing in at seven tonnes – as well as 1000 toys and other gifts for children made their Christmas one to savour. Western Port Community Support coordinator Mike O’Grady said the hampers and toys were collected with assistance of the Salvation Army, churches, service organisations, businesses, schools and individuals from around the Mornington Peninsula. But the real heroes are its volunteers, who run the program and manage the donations. It receives no…

FILES containing sensitive personal details of 37 men and women have been found dumped on a nature strip at Somerville. The details were provided to a gymnasium on handwritten “athlete’s personal profile” forms. The dumped paperwork, which comes from a gymnasium, also includes invoices and notes detailing how much money has been paid to employees, including the manager’s take home pay. The files were contained in a pink plastic bag, one of several left next to a rubbish bin outside a factory in Speedwell St. The owner of the factory said the bags would probably have remained on the nature…

RYE traders are counting their losses in the wake of a siege on Saturday 5 December when a man held two women hostage for almost eight hours. Police closed Point Nepean Rd between Weeroona and Weir streets and evacuated shops, including those at the Safeway shopping complex, when a 69-year-old man armed with low-calibre weapons was seen entering the Little Beach Cafe, Point Nepean Rd, at 7.45am. While no one was injured, the same can’t be said for traders’ cash registers: Not only did they lose a day’s takings, ruined stock and wasted staff wages, but many are finding they…

SAFETY Beach-Dromana men’s shed members can be “reasonably hopeful” their dreams of a new headquarters will be fulfilled. Although no formal approval of a grant from the Mornington Peninsula Shire has been given, the shed’s application for $40,000 funding has been favourably received and is being assessed. Members’ hopes now rest on inclusion in the shire’s mid-term budget review, which will be announced in the New Year. The men’s shed has around 30 members who meet at least three times a week to engage in community activities, socialise over coffee, and do some “pretty impressive trades work”, president Rick Plummer…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire will again take a “no entertainment – no nonsense” approach to New Year’s Eve. Working with a community-based steering committee, police, residents and businesses, the shire says it aims to reduce the “negative impacts of celebrations” in the area. “This approach has assisted in providing a safe environment for holiday makers and residents since its introduction more than 10 years ago, in 2001-2002,” shire spokesperson Kat Hodgins said. “The shire aims to make sure the southern peninsula is a safe place for people to enjoy over the New Year period.” Cr Tim Rodgers said the summer holiday…

THE owner of Sorrento restaurant Acquolina Brett Johnson admits to being “shell-shocked” at the defection of 13 experienced kitchen staff to rival, The Sisters Kitchen Garden Cafe. Their surprise departure last week has forced the temporary closure of his and partner Maria Grazia Baiguini’s fine dining restaurant at the busiest time of the year and caused a spat between the two popular eateries. “We simply can’t find staff at this late stage so it was better to close temporarily and reopen on Boxing Day,” Mr Johnson said. “We will re-open and do something simple, such as serving fresh lasagne, ravioli,…

SUB-DISTRICT IN MPCA Sub District cricket, there is just one game separating fourth-placed Tootgarook and second-last Ballam Park. Heading into the second half of the season, there are six teams in position to make a claim for fourth spot, while Tyabb is on the bottom of the ladder but just two games out of the four. One thing is for certain, the premiership is going to come from one of the top three teams. Dromana seems to be the best placed team at the midway mark, showing the most consistency of the top three teams. Hastings, currently in second place,…

DISTRICT THERE are six teams vying for just one spot on the MPCA District ladder as we head into the mid-season break. While Baden Powell and Red Hill sit at the top of the tree on 72 points and Pearcedale has locked down third place with 60, six teams all sit on three wins and 36 points. Mount Martha and Main Ridge, despite winning just two games to date (24 points), are just a game outside fourth place. There were some must-win games for clubs on Saturday, some of which achieved the desired outcome while others are now well and…

PROVINCIAL MOOROODUC has emerged as the wildcard of MPCA Provincial cricket as we head into the Christmas break, the halfway mark of the 2015-16 season. While glamour teams in Mornington, Mount Eliza, Somerville and Baxter sit outside the top four, Moorooduc is well entrenched in second place, equal on points (56) with third-placed Crib Point and clear of Sorrento (48). Peninsula Old Boys heads the table on 64 points. Then we find a logjam of teams all on 44 points (Long Island, Baxter, Somerville, Pines), all poised to strike should any of the top four falter after the break. It’s…

ESTABLISHED in 1976, Silvers Circus provides world class family entertainment and fun. With extraordinary artists continually arriving from all parts of the world, Silvers are proud of the ever-changing program they are able to present.     After nearly three decades on the road, Silvers is a household name in Australia. They still maintain the sparkle, glamour and death-defying acts expected of Australia’s premier circus. The 2 hour action-packed show, featuring Ringmaster and Master of Illusions Simon Tait, will also include the Wheel of Steel. A young man with nerves of Steel, Dominik Gasser will run, jump, skip and flip…

WITH this issue we present our readers with a sheet almanac for 1916. *** THE room heater raffled by Mrs C Grant, for the Somerville Red Cross Society, was won by Miss Nellie Bell. *** THE annual balance sheet of the Shire of Frankston and Hastings is published on the fourth part of this issue. *** “THE liquor traffic is the most powerful as it is one of the most degrading agencies for making money by the corruption of one’s fellow creatures.” —Right Hon Lord Milner, G.C.B. *** ACCORDING to our usual custom, in order that our employees may have…

FRANKSTON Arts Centre is the cool place to be in the hot weather over the coming school holiday period. If you’re a parent looking for engaging things to do with the kids this summer, Frankston Arts Centre has got something for everyone. FAC is renowned for presenting international, national and local drama performances and thrilling displays of live art. Now, FAC is the perfect venue for locals to develop their acting skills before they get their big break on the main stage. Drama Thrills and Spills is a one-off drama workshop for three different age-groups on Tuesday 19 January. Each…

PLANS to build footpaths with costs being part-charged to property owners are a sure fire way of attracting submissions and petitions addressed to Mornington Peninsula Shire. In the latest round of footpath special charge schemes approved by the shire objectors were mostly losers, although one case has proved costly to the shire. A “typographical error” has seen a 42 per cent blowout in the cost of a footpath in South Rd, Rosebud. Under the council’s own rules, any cost variation above five per cent has to be paid by the shire and cannot be passed on to contributors to the…

MATT Mackay spends a lot of time taking note of the weather and its effects on the scenery. A surfer based in Sorrento, he seeks out tide times and wind speeds. As a photographer, he uses all this knowledge to compose scenes through a camera lens. “I’ve built up a strong connection with the Mornington Peninsula’s coastal and marine environment,” he says. “My main focus is on nature and landscape photography, that’s what inspires me photographically and it’s where like to spend much of my time.” Mackay says this connection to the environment is necessary to “truly capture its essence”.…

THE News Mornington Art Show opening on Thursday 21 January and running through to Australia Day will feature a display and sale of recycled oak barrel furniture. The concept of creating quality furniture from used wine barrels is a creative initiative of Frankston based furniture maker Carl Smith. After completing school and working in the construction industry for more than decade, Mr Smith decided on a career change to capitalise on his passion for working with wood. On seeing a fruit bowl made from the staves of a used wine barrel at Christmas a few years ago he realised he…

THE oil and gas drilling rig that towered over the low lying foreshore of Phillip Island before appearing to hover for days in the early morning mists of Port Phillip is finally on its way back home to Singapore. With its drilling duties for Origin and Hibiscus Oil in Bass Strait completed, the rig was last week taken on board by the heavy lift vessel Hawk before heading out of Port Phillip on Tuesday. Equipment was taken from the rig before it was welded to the Hawk’s deck for transport. The 223 metre, 44, 700 tonne Hawk sails at about…

THERE is an old adage in television about not working with kids or animals, but that is exactly what Mt Eliza Rotary Club plans to do next year for its two main fundraising events. On Sunday 6 March the club will hold its Dogs in the Park expo, with plenty of family fun and many “not too serious” competitions for dogs and their owners. There will be food and coffee stalls, face painting for children and an animal farm 11am-2.30pm at the John Butler Reserve, Mt Eliza. Entry is free and there will be a small fee for participation in…

MORNINGTON Peninsula secondary schools are pleased with their students’ ATAR results in the recent VCE examinations. Here is a sample of schools and scores. Mornington Secondary College YEAR 12 student Saskia Bauer Lodge was named Mornington Secondary College dux after scoring an impressive ATAR of 95.6 in this year’s VCE exams. “This result is down to hard work, great friends and the support of my teachers and family,” she said. The college celebrated record breaking VCE results with seven students achieving an ATAR score of 90 and above. Saskia was joined in the 90s club by Stuart Boyd, Hannah Chambers,…

THE Salvation Army is planning to bring peace to Main St Mornington over six normally hectic summer Saturday nights. Starting on Saturday 2 January, the Salvos will create a “safe zone” based around a yellow food van where young people can take time out. Once at the van they will be offered a free bottle of water, a snack and even advice. If successful, the safe zone will be continued beyond the first six Saturday nights of 2016. “We want the people in our community to have a good time, but we also want them to have a safe time,”…

THE Mornington Peninsula has been recognised internationally as one of “two leading Australian councils” for its efforts to minimise climate change. An invitation for the shire to commit to a Compact of Mayors follows the attendance at this month’s Paris climate talks by the mayor Cr Graeme Pittock, Cr Hugh Fraser and the shire’s renewable resources team leader, Jessica Wingad, who was there to “learn the latest global trends and their potential application locally”. However, two councillors have now publicly criticised the Paris trip as being a waste of time and money. Cr Pittock and Cr Fraser have said they…

CAROLS by Candlelight at Rosebud, Friday 18 December, will herald a great start to Christmas celebrations. The entertainment starts 8pm with carol singing and a live nativity play with animals. Children should come early to enjoy Rayne Hayne and Shine’s animal petting farm and to dress up for the live nativity play. Four-piece rock n’ roll outfit Lionhouse will entertain, with front woman Jade Lindsay belting out the vocals, as well as guest soloist Cindy Pritchard and the Southern Peninsula Concert Band. Santa Claus and his helper will be arriving at the end of the evening with special treats. The…

A SCRUB fire at the corner of Bullecourt Rd and Disney St, Bittern, has prompted police to appeal for witnesses. The fire started at about 9pm on 29 November. A small area of grass and shrubs was burnt before the fire was put out by CFA crews. No one was injured. Police would like to hear from two teenage boys on BMX bikes who spoke to firefighters. One of the boys is described as Caucasian, mid-teens, slim build with shoulder length dark hair. He was wearing a black hoodie, jeans and a black cap with a red peak. The other…

TYABB CFA officer Wayne Etcell is donating the $10,000 he received for winning the Victorian Premier’s Metropolitan Volunteer of the Year – Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Award to the brigade. Mr Etcell, of Somerville, received his award from Victoria Governor Linda Dessau at a ceremony at Government House last week. It is a wonder he had time to attend as his work-load is staggering: the busy 63-year-old audits full time for the Tax Department, puts in almost another week’s voluntary work with the CFA, as a Justice of the Peace and also as a bails justice. Mr Etcell took up the…

THEY may look like balls of fluff standing on legs thinner than matchsticks, but there are many hands willing to help the endangered hooded plover. It is a bird that nests precariously close to the ocean’s edge and lays a camouflaged egg that is hard to discern from its surroundings on the sand. Also prey to many natural enemies the odds seem stacked against the hooded plover, but as its annual nesting season gets underway concerned plover lovers are erecting fences on beaches and making wooden shelters to provide protection for the anticipated chicks. On Monday members of the Friends…