WHILE members of the Safety Beach-Dromana Men’s Shed were devastated by the theft of tools from their Pier Street premises last week, the generosity of well-wishers has lifted their spirits. Member John Whalley said within hours of news of the robbery becoming known Zac Poulier, proprietor of Stillwater at Crittendens, Dromana, had called to offer to cover the excess payable by the shed to its insurance company over the burglary claim (“$12,000 theft a blow to men’s shed”, The News, 3/7/18). “The following day Zac visited the shed and presented us with a bank cheque for $1000,” Mr Whalley said.…
Year: 2018
STATE Planning Minister Richard Wynne is under fire for allowing Hillview Quarries to bypass Mornington Peninsula Shire and begin investigating the environmental effects of reopening a quarry at Dromana. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne last week said council “is extremely disappointed with this premature decision”. Cr Payne said Hillview should have been required to first seek a planning permit from the shire “to ensure all matters pertinent to the operation of a quarry are considered at the local government level”. Instead, Hillview has been given the go ahead by Mr Wynne to undertake an environmental effects statement (EES) into its…
DROMANA Primary School pupils have responded to repeated graffiti attacks at the McCulloch Street freeway underpass by decorating the concrete themselves. Working in conjunction with Mornington Peninsula Shire and VicRoads the pupils’ works have helped bring life and vibrancy to the area. The artworks have been developed through workshops with Jill Anderson from the shire’s arts and culture team and prep pupils who created indigenous animal oil crayon drawings. Their Grade 6 buddies recorded the preppies’ stories to accompany the works. A total of 12 artworks will be installed and an eBook with all the artworks and stories will be…
WESTERNPORT Angling Club members are relieved their long-established clubhouse will be allowed to remain in Marine Parade, Hastings, next to the boat ramp. This follows the passing of an amendment at last week’s Mornington Peninsula Shire Council meeting which changed the draft Hastings Foreshore Precinct Plan against the recommendations of planning staff. The 70-member club’s building was under threat to make way for a redesigned car park. Any forced relocation would have been particularly irksome because the clubhouse was built with money raised by club members. Shire planning staff had recommended the re-siting in line with the Victorian Coastal Strategy…
MORE than 400 protesters have made it clear that they do not want a floating gas import terminal at Crib Point or a pilot hydrogen export plant at Hastings. Sunday’s rally at Hastings foreshore – under the banner “one rally, two threats” – was the culmination of months of uncertainty over the two projects: one designed to meet the state’s gas needs and the other to provide fuel for vehicles in Japan. It was organised by Save Westernport and Westernport and Peninsula Protection Council with support from Environment Victoria, the Victorian National Parks Association, Friends of the Earth and Blue…
ABOUT 45 French Island residents met with Hastings MP Neale Burgess on Sunday 1 July to air their concerns about a lack of information over redevelopment plans for the former McLeod prison farm. The meeting, at the community hall, was organised by members of the French Island Community Association who are concerned the Chinese buyers of the prison farm, Wufu Investments, of Shanghai, are keeping them in the dark. The islanders say they have tried four times to contact company CEO Xu Ziyun via email and letter but have not heard back. This lack of information is causing unease –…
DIVISION ONE FRANKSTON YCW suffered a thrilling three point loss to Bonbeach this Saturday, which sees their streak of games without a win in MPNFL Division One stretch to a stunning six matches. After their match was called off last week due to an injury, the Stonecats were looking to snap their bad run of form against a Bonbeach side that has struggled at times this season. Frankston YCW got off to a strong start and took a nine point lead into the first break, but Bonbeach were not going to let the game get away from them. After the…
DIVISION TWO LANGWARRIN have battled hard to secure an upset victory against Karingal at Lloyd Park in MPNFL Division Two football on Saturday. The Kangaroos started quickly and put themselves in the box seat with a dominant first half, thanks in part to a standout performance in the ruck from Matt Naughton, who gave his midfielders first use of the ball all day. Langwarrin were smashing Karingal through the middle, dominating centre clearances and barely giving the Bulls a look in during the first half. Karingal’s frustration was starting to show as Aaron Paxton was sent off the field after…
SOCCER JAMIE Skelly has nine games left to save Peninsula Strikers from relegation from State 2 South-East. The revolving door at Centenary Park was spinning once more after Casey Comets shot themselves in the foot by sacking Skelly as head coach last week and inadvertently giving Strikers a lifeline. Within hours of his sacking Skelly had agreed to join Strikers on the proviso that Trevor Johnston remain as president. Johnston had resigned the previous night but the chance to rescue his club’s faltering season proved too good to resist and a back flip was duly performed. Skelly became Strikers’ seventh…
BASKETBALL CHELSEA Gulls have kept the pressure on first place Shepparton Gators with a victory over the Bulleen Boomers in Men’s Division One Basketball on Saturday. Travelling to East Doncaster Secondary College to take on the eight placed outfit, the Gulls went in as strong favourites for the clash. Chelsea started off the contest on the right foot, taking a five point lead into the half time break. Although the Boomers remained in touch with the Gulls, Chelsea quickly killed the game with a dominant third quarter, as they ran out victors (85) to (96). Chelsea captain Corey Standerfer had…
RETURNING to the Grand Hotel Mornington, soulful powerhouse sisters – Vika & Linda Bull. For 30 years, the glorious voices of Vika and Linda Bull have comprised one of the most distinctive, versatile and emotionally charged sounds on the Australian music landscape. Since their multi-platinum conquest of pop radio with the Black Sorrows in the late 1980s, the sisters have forged diverse pathways into soul, gospel, blues, country and the island music of their Tongan ancestry. By turns tender and powerful, their rich solo vocals and instinctive harmonies have spawned eight albums of their own, as well as illuminating studio…
TEN acrobats take us on a stirring journey of what it means to be human, and of how our bodies, our connections, and our aspirations all form part of who we are. Exploring the physical limits of their bodies as they are pushed to the extreme they question how much we can take as humans. How much weight can we carry? Who can we trust to support our load? They lead us to reflect on our lives, our loved ones, the burdens we carry and the physical and emotional strength it takes to overcome them. Created by Yaron Lifschitz, the…
PTE. R. Deane, of Frankston, was officially reported admitted to Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich, England, on 25 May 1918, suffering from severe shell wounds in left knee. *** IN the latest casualty list published appear the names of the following Peninsula soldiers who have been wounded: Ptes. A. B. Cleane, Flinders; N. R. Houfe, Tyabb,;and J. Lyons, Pearcedale. *** HEAR that talented actress, Miss Langley supported by a powerful company at the Frankston Concert for the soldier boys in the Mechanics’ Hall this evening. *** IT is quite on the cards that if a Progress Association is formed in Frankston…
MT ELIZA man Bill Robinson got a shock when he saw what he thought was a man’s body floating face down in the water off Sunnyside beach last week. The retired veterinary surgeon, 74, was on a regular training paddle with Mornington friend Tamsin Visick, Tuesday 26 June, when they came across the wetsuit-clad figure on the way back to Mt Eliza. After the initial shock, they realised the wetsuit did not contain a real person and attached a line to it. “It was hard work getting it back to shore and we appreciated the difficulty we would have had…
AN historic former children’s orthopaedic hospital in Mt Eliza owned by the state government is about to be put up for sale. The 3.2 hectare site at 33 Jacksons Road has been deemed “surplus to requirements” by the Department of Health and Human Services. It is not known how the site will be marketed or what sale price is expected. The department was contacted for comment. Built in the early 1930s, as the orthopaedic branch of the Children’s Hospital, it treated thousands of children with polio, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis and congenital deformities before discharging its last patient in 1971. The centre…
THE old adage: “If you want something done ask the busiest person to do it” could have been referring to Mornington man Roy Francis. Last year’s Victorian Senior of the Year, Mr Francis, 77, is a cancer survivor who, as the first volunteer ambassador of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, uses his diagnosis to promote prostate cancer awareness. He wants Mornington Peninsula seniors to follow his lead and nominate for the 2018 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards which close Friday 20 July. Mr Francis regularly travels throughout Victoria to share his story, making more than 750 cancer awareness…
A MAN who handed over fake $50 notes at an outdoors store in Mornington may have handed over another fake note at a Berwick fast-food outlet. Senior Constable Jacinta Allen, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the serial numbers on the notes – CK14947940 – was the same used at both locations. She said on 26-27 May the man used two $50 notes to buy items at the BCF store in Mornington and then, on 29 May, placed a $5 order at a take away food outlet in Clyde Road, Berwick. The man paid for his order with a $50 note…
SPORTY types in Mornington can look forward to using a new athletics track and four soccer pitches at Civic Reserve, Mornington. The $6.25 million project had been made possible with a $3 million federal government community development grant, with the shire contributing $3.25 million. The council agreed at its meeting on Tuesday 26 June to accept a tender for the works. Construction is expected to begin in August and, hopefully, be completed by May next year. The improved facilities will better meet the needs of Mornington Athletics Club, Mornington Little Athletics Club and Mt Martha Soccer Club, the council says.…
THE availability of a “resilient” water supply is seen as one of the key factors in the “protection” of green wedge-zoned areas on the Mornington Peninsula. Mornington Peninsula Shire and South East Water have announced they will join forces to investigate “the potential for sustainable water projects”, including rain water, urban run-off and artesian water. The shire and SEW agreed to extend their investigations after a recent meeting to discuss increasing the use of recycled water from Melbourne Water’s sewage treatment plant at Bangholme. There are also treatment plants at Mt Martha and Boneo. Some of the treated water is…
PENINSULA Social Club volunteer Michael Hillier is a man on a mission: He wants to end “social isolation and loneliness” among mainly elderly and those with disabilities on the Mornington Peninsula. The social club – part of the not for profit community transport service Peninsula Transport Assist – arranges social and lunch get-togethers designed to get its mainly elderly clients out of their houses and mingling with others in social settings. “Our mission is that nobody should be without company if they want it,” said Mr Hillier, who has run social activities for older people and those with disabilities for…
AUSTRALIA’S best young sailors are gearing up to compete in a series of races off Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron. They will be among 24 teams in the Australian Schools Team Sailing Championships in which sailors race with their school mates in teams of seven (six on-water and one reserve) for what’s billed as the top prize in high school sailing. Teams consist of three helms and three crews from each school. Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron sailing manager Liam Edleston said the teams’ sailing, to be held 11-15 July, was a “great spectacle”. “[It] is a fantastic element of our sport,” he said.…
FLINDERS MP Greg Hunt has promised the federal government will chip in $5 million for the proposed Rosebud Aquatic Centre. “For the past 15 years I have been supportive of the genuine need for improved aquatic facilities in the southern part of the Mornington Peninsula and to see this project start to take shape is truly extraordinary,” Mr Hunt said. (Mr Hunt was once photographed marching with placard-bearing ratepayers demanding the pool be built on the foreshore at Rosebud. The plan was eventually abandoned for not conforming with state government regulations governing buildings on the foreshore.) “This is an incredible…
A CARTOON worm is being used to spearhead a campaign to involve the community in identifying “significant” trees on the Mornington Peninsula. While it can’t be said that Wilbur is providing backbone to the photographic endeavour, he is nonetheless being used to support Mornington Peninsula Shire’s efforts to increase the number of trees on its significant tree register. Photographs of “favourite trees” posted on the shire’s website will be considered for the register. There is also a three-level tree spotter puzzle to involve all the family in highlighting “the environmental importance of trees and the major role they play in…
DROMANA Men’s Shed members are reeling after tools worth $12,000 were stolen from their Pier Street premises last week. Club vice-president Graeme Morris said the intruders may have cased the building as they were able to quickly disable CCTV cameras and even run off with the monitor – foiling attempts to identify them. The thefts occurred on Saturday or Sunday night, 23-24 June. Members were alerted by a woman walking her dog who saw the door open and raised the alarm on Monday morning. Mr Morris said the thieves caused extensive damage while gaining entry, bending steel doors with a…
Police have arrested a man following a robbery and an assault in Hastings earlier this morning. The incident took place on High Street just after 2am on Saturday 30 June. The victim, a 40-year-old Hastings man, told police that he was on his daughter’s scooter when he saw another man walking towards him. As the man walked past the victim, he allegedly struck the victim to the back of his head knocking him off the scooter. The man grabbed the scooter and using it as a weapon, allegedly struck the victim on his elbow and foot. The man then ran…
Falls Creek police are warning snow-goers to be prepared before heading to the slopes this weekend. It comes after emergency services were called to a car stuck in icy depths on Bogong High Plains Road about 10am this morning. Police were told the driver was on his way to Mt McKay at Falls Creek and had driven his Toyota SUV from bitumen onto the snow and past road closure signs. The car travelled about a kilometre along cross country trail before becoming bogged in the snow, with an over-snow groomer called out to recover it. Falls Creek Acting Sergeant Peter…
FRIDAY on My Mind – Falling in Love Again – Evie (Parts 1, 2 & 3) – Hey St Peter – Down Among the Dead Men – Love Is In The Air – St Louis – Pasadena – The Love Game – Silver Shoes – Birmingham – Keep On Smilin’ – The Day That My Heart Caught Fire – Standing In The Rain – Walking In The Rain – I Wanna Do It With You – Where The Action Is – I Hate The Music – Yesterday’s Hero – It’s a Long Way To The Top (produced by Vanda &…
FAMILY and friends celebrated the centenary of long-time Baxter and Somerville resident Mabel Grace Blum at Somerville Bowling Club on Sunday 24 June. The mother of five, grandmother of 10, and great-grandmother of 10, was born on her parents’ poultry farm on Hendersons Road, Baxter, on 27 June 1918 – the same year the area known as Mornington Junction was renamed Baxter. Her parents, Allan and Grace Dicker, attended the progress association meeting of that year which voted to adopt the name of Baxter. Following on from this, Ms Blum was a guest of honour at the Baxter centenary celebrations…
UNWANTED x-rays can be recycled for free at the Mornington Resource Recovery Centre. The offer is part of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s efforts to divert waste from landfill. X-ray films are recycled to extract the silver which is converted into a purer form of silver and reused for such things as jewellery, silver solder, electrical components and film manufacture. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said chemicals in X-rays made them a hazardous waste. The decision to accept x-rays for free was made after a suggestion by retired nurse Denise Kempster, of Somers. Mornington Resource Recovery Centre is at 134 Watt Road,…
A NEW treatment for capping hair loss during chemotherapy for cancer is being rolled out at Frankston Hospital. Scalp cooling chills the head and reduces the level of chemotherapy drugs reaching hair follicles to cut down on hair loss. Crib Point mother-of-three Angela Fox this month became the first patient to have scalp cooling. “It’s a marvellous opportunity to have all of this technology in a public hospital, which basically helps you keep your dignity while you’re having all of this treatment done,” she said. “Hair is fairly important – if you’ve still got your hair a lot of people…