TENNIS players from across the world made their way to the Mornington Tennis Centre on Monday 19 March for the annual Mornington Peninsula Tennis International. The players which included Men’s Australian Open doubles semi-finalist, Marc Polmans, competed for a total of $50,000 in prize money which was spread over two tournaments. Mornington Elite Tennis Academy director Kate Antosik said the club really embraced the international tournament. “It’s a showcase tournament for our juniors to see the standard of play that they can aspire to get to,” she said. “There is only 10 of these international tournaments played in Australia each…
Year: 2018
SOCCER A FIRST-HALF hat-trick from Ryan Thompson spearheaded Peninsula Strikers’ 4-0 away win over Old Scotch last weekend. The English import became the 22nd player to get a hat-trick for the local side and former Everton striker Femi Orenuga completed the rout in the second half when he ran onto Stefan Karac’s pass and rounded the Old Scotch keeper before stroking the ball into an unguarded goal. Strikers had lost the opening league fixture after a tumultuous pre-season and the victory kick-starts its promotion campaign under new head coach Jamie Paterson. The Centenary Park outfit was the only local State…
DIVISION TWO DROMANA overcame a slow start in MPNFL Division Two against Somerville on Saturday, winning by more than eight goals. The Tigers trailed by 19 points at quarter time, however they booted 15 goals to four after the first change to win 16.15 (111) to 8.6 (54). The Tigers boasted 11 goal kickers, Ethan Johnstone the best of them with three majors while former Rye coach Ben Holmes once again proved what a bonus he is with two goals. Andrew Howison was once again superb for the visitors, while Billy Quigley and Shaun Clarke were at the top of…
DIVISION ONE SORRENTO took just eight days to turn an embarrassing defeat into something a little more positive on Saturday, after beating Mt Eliza by one kick in MPNFL Division One football. Good Friday would have been a game that the Sharks quickly wished to put behind them, given the game was billed as the biggest local clash in two decades. In good news for footy, the Sharks were able to do that, leading at every change and bringing home the four points. Chris Dawes was hooked last week for missing goals that perhaps he otherwise would have kicked but…
LEAVING Dandenong on Friday afternoon for Wonthaggi, Lieutenant M. H. Bolton, recruiting officer for Flinders, with Sergeants E. J. Coyle and R. Middleton had a most exciting experience in their new Ford recruiting car. After leaving Lang Lang the officers struck very bad roads, and decided to leave the main road and take a side track. It was dark and after looking over the road in daylight, it was seen that the car was but a few feet from a death trap in three very bad places. At one point the car had been was only a few inches from…
A MORNINGTON man was charged with reckless conduct endangering life, travelling at a dangerous speed and failing to stop when directed to do so by police after his Holden utility was clocked at 210kph on Peninsula Link, Frankston, 1.30am, Wednesday 28 March. The man, 28, was arrested next day and bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court at a later date. His car was impounded. Somerville Highway Patrol crews say they are regularly seizing vehicles for speeding and hooning, especially at night. They said the Peninsula Link control room had alerted them to be on the lookout for a car…
PUPILS from Benton Junior College took a creative approach when submitting their ideas for the future of The Briars. The grade 4 pupils took their pens, and in some cases paintbrushes, to detail what they’d like to see long-term at the historic Mt Martha property. They were responding to a call from Mornington Peninsula Shire for community feedback and ideas to assist in the development of a master plan for The Briars, with the mayor Cr Bryan Payne saying it would look 10-15 years into the future. “The plan will articulate how the natural, cultural and heritage values of The…
A REDESIGNED wave protection system along the seaward side of Mornington pier will – hopefully, this time – better protect it from storm damage. Workmen were last week drilling 120 holes for supports and using a crane to attach a steel frame, while divers were down below cleaning up the seabed and removing previously damaged steel frames and debris. Parks Victoria engineers said the original waler – a type of brace that attaches the wave screens to the pier – would be replaced with a larger, stronger version, with the wave screens bolted through the panels for additional strength. A…
THERE is no doubting the attraction of a seal resting or sunning itself on beaches around the Mornington Peninsula. But the animals are unaware of the excitement and interest they cause and can suffer as a result. Wildlife activists are calling for fresh protocols to manage and protect the seals whenever they are spotted. They say laws aimed at protecting seals are clear but rarely enforced. Harming a seal can attract a $6000 fine or six months’ jail and there are limits to how close people, or dogs are allowed. It is illegal to touch or feed a seal. “Over…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is seeking information on two dogs involved in an attack at the Balcombe Creek walking track, near the Century Drive leash free area, about 1pm, Monday 2 April. The dogs are described as a large male, black and tan, possibly a Rottweiler, and a Staffordshire terrier-cross. The owner of the dogs is described as a woman in her 30s driving a dark coloured VW Golf or similar vehicle. A post on social media told a harrowing tale of “Alfie” and a new puppy “Charlie” being taken for a walk in the off-leash area when the larger dogs…
AN enthusiastic environmentalist who has devoted countless hours to weeding, planting and caring for indigenous species on the Somers foreshore has received a well-deserved pat on the back. South Sea Foreshore Reserve Committee president Rosemary Birney, OAM, received the Individual Achievement Award at the Australian Coastal Awards. Ms Birney, who was nominated by Mornington Peninsula Shire, has made it her life’s work to re-establish the natural foreshore coastal banksia woodland, as well as educating and inspiring others to join in conservation programs along the foreshore. Mornington Peninsula Shire is celebrating double success at the awards, which were held late last…
EFFORTS to shape an “age-friendly” Mornington Peninsula have seen the former chair of the Peninsula Advisory Committee for Elders Jeanette Lane being asked to spread the word to other parts of Victoria. Her success in engaging with older members of the community on the peninsula led to Ms Lane being invited to attend the Central Highlands Elder Abuse Prevention Project launch in Ballarat to speak on the committee’s programs and outreach. Ms Lane presented a 30-minute program with Gary Ferguson from Seniors Rights Victoria to help the central region start its first elder abuse program. PACE was established in May…
PROPOSED changes to the boundaries of Victorian federal electorates almost halve the seat of Flinders held by Liberal Greg Hunt, while the neighbouring seat of Dunkley held by Liberal MP Chris Crewther moves slightly north into parts of Isaacs. The changes – which create a new seat of Monash from the eastern and northern parts of Flinders – are designed to reflect population growth so that each electorate has a similar number of voters and have been made to accomodate a new electorate to be called Fraser in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Mr Hunt’s Flinders electorate could be scaled back to…
THE endangered hooded plover has appeared larger than life in Frankston. The wall mural was painted by Jimmy Beatie for last month’s The Big Picture Festival of street art. The appearance of the mural coincided with news on the bird’s survival front of 12 hooded plover chicks hatched on Mornington Peninsula beaches making it to the flying stage. Diane Lewis, president of the Friends of the Hooded Plover group, said the mural and fledging of the chicks “is a wonderful tribute to the volunteers and the public who now acknowledge the bird’s existence”. “Beachgoers, whether they are surfers, walkers, hang…
THE police traffic Operation Nexus held over the Easter holiday period tested 11,474 drivers for drink-and-drug driving across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. The state-wide operation, which ran from late on the Thursday before Easter to midnight on Easter Monday, tested 7760 drivers on the peninsula and 3714 in the wider Frankston area in Southern Metro Division 4. Of these, 36 were detected exceeding the 0.05 per cent limit – or, in the case of P-platers, breaching the mandatory four-year zero-alcohol limit. Acting senior sergeant Peter Martin, of Somerville Highway Patrol, said the figures meant the division had the second-highest…
DOG owners who regularly walk their dogs on a 300 metre strip of beach at McCrae are annoyed at restrictions continuing over winter. They say theirs is the only “leash-free” beach on the Mornington Peninsula to face such restrictions. Mornington Peninsula Shire last month voted to make the beach leash-free until 10am and after 3pm daily. In doing so, councillors ignored a recommendation by environment protection manager John Rankine to bring McCrae into line with other beaches which allow dogs to be off-leash at all times outside of the daylight saving period. Cr Antonella Celi told The News that the…
CR HUGH Fraser will be one of several observers from the Mornington Peninsula at next month’s parliamentary elections in Timor-Leste. Along with members of the shire-backed Friends of Lospalos Community Committee Cr Fraser will be part of the Australia Timor-Leste Election Observer Mission 2018. The elections are being held less than a year after the July 2017 poll which failed to provide the country with a workable parliamentary majority. The estimated $4236 cost of sending Cr Fraser to Timor-Leste (East Timor) will come out of his $16,000 four-year term Conferences, Training and Seminars account of which he has already used…
A man drowned off Ranelagh Beach Mt Eliza this afternoon (Sunday 8 April). It is believed the man had been snorkling at the time. A witness said they heard the man shouting out but thought he was calling a friend on the beach. When they looked back they saw the person in the water but not moving, they rushed from the cliff top down some stairs to render assistance. A rescue boat was launched from Ranelagh Club and the man was brought to shore. He was unable to be revived. Police, Ambulance and SES attended. It is believed a number…
Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate missing 15-year-old Briley Dickson. Briley was last seen on 4 April in the Frankston area. Police have concerns for his welfare due to his age and the length of time he has been missing. Briley is 170cm tall with a thin build, fair complexion and dark brown hair. Briley is known to frequent the Hastings and Clarinda areas. Police have also released an image of Briley in the hope someone recognises him and can provide information regarding his current whereabouts. Anyone with information about Briley is asked to contact Mornington Police…
Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate missing teenager Matthew Vlahos. The 14-year-old boy was last seen at Spencer Street, Docklands on 10 March. Police and family members hold concerns for Matthew’s welfare due to his age. Matthew is described as about 178cm tall with a slim build, blue/green eyes and brown wavy hair with a long fringe. He has a lip piercing on the left-hand side of his lip. He is believed to frequent the Frankston CBD and railway station. Police have released an image of Matthew in the hope someone recognises him and can provide information…
AT the John Coleman coterie luncheon held on 26 March, Hastings Football Club stalwart John Watson was elevated to “legend” status. He is the third person to receive this honour, the previous two being Richard Everist and Peter Hibbert. John Watson played his first senior game with Hastings in 1961 and soon attracted the attention of VFL scouts, particularly Collingwood. However he remained with Hastings and played a total of 278 senior games which include three HFC premierships. He won two best-and-fairest awards, was captain/coach of the senior side, and served for 17 years as a MPFL director, advocate and…
THE YMCA’s Buxton Camp at Shoreham, which ran from 1925 to the early 1970s, was a place to relax for many boys having their first experience of nature: camping in the bush at the seaside. A feature of camp life after the war included services at the outdoor Cyril Young Open Air Memorial Chapel, which commemorated Cyril and Ivan Young, brothers and airmen who were killed in the war. Services at the chapel, sometimes at night and illuminated by flaming torches, were integral to the camp’s philosophy of emphasising a balance between mind, body and spirit. Now called Buxton Reserve,…
IT seems like it is finally game over for a long-anticipated $12.7 million upgrade to the Frankston Basketball Stadium after sensational comments made in Canberra last week by federal Dunkley Liberal MP Chris Crewther. Mr Crewther made several allegations under parliamentary privilege on Tuesday evening (27 March) about possible misconduct at the Frankston & District Basketball Association. In his parliamentary speech, Mr Crewther said Frankston Council was aware of several troubling matters involving governance at the FDBA and would no longer negotiate with the association over lease terms for an upgraded stadium to include four new basketball courts. He called…
“Alice, you have mail. From Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.” Yes Alice Meyer, your long awaited card from The Queen has arrived to congratulate you on reaching the monumental milestone of 100 birthdays on 12 March. Alice, many years ago, promised her family that she intended “to be around long enough to receive a birthday card from The Queen”. And it has finally happened. Alice’s birthday was a great opportunity for her ever increasing family to enjoy a truly happy family reunion, to be able to share this special occasion and to celebrate with Alice. In December 1945, Welsh born…
Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police have executed warrants at 20 properties across Victoria as part of a state-wide operation targeting those accessing online child abuse materials. Twenty people were arrested as a result of those warrants. Operation P2P was designed to identify and apprehend people involved in accessing, downloading and distributing child abuse material via Peer to Peer (P2P) networks on the world wide web. Police also conducted checks to see if any children were at risk or identified as victims of sexual abuse due to their connection with those arrested or the properties raided during the operation.…
PENINSULA Boxer Tyla McDonald has been crowned Australian champion for the second year running defeating usual rival and 2016 national champion Tameriah Barney-Sandy on Sunday 25 March. Tyla, 15, took out the junior under-54kgs national championships and was the only female Victorian boxer to claim back-to-back championships at the Australian Underage Titles in Perth. On top of the national crown, Tyla was part of the Junior Girls Team of the Year award, alongside fellow Victorian junior boxers, Dakotah Keane and Millicent Woods. Peninsula Boxing head coach Marcos Amado said the final was a highly competitive fight and was extremely proud…
MORNINGTON Cup day displayed the dominance of Victoria’s leading trainers as Darren Weir and the Lindsay Park operation took out four of the nine races at the metropolitan meeting on Saturday 24 March. Weir secured both of the feature races with Stellar Collision winning the $200,000 Listed Hareeba Stakes and the Mornington Cup favourite King’s Will Dream saluting in emphatic fashion in the $300,000 feature. King’s Will Dream eased down past the post to defeat Harrison and the Tasmanian visitor Fastnet Dragon by five-lengths and consequently bought up his fifth successive victory since arriving in Australia. With the Mornington Cup…
SOCCER DANIEL Attard expects Skye United to bounce back from losing the opening match of its 2018 campaign and mount a serious promotion push. The 23-year-old striker is the longest serving player in Billy Armour’s senior squad having first played for the club in 2011. Attard started playing as a six-year-old in midfield for Glen Waverley and his first 10 seasons were spent under the tutelage of John Frantzis. “He kept me interested in the game because there were a few times I thought about not playing,” Attard said. When he switched to Skye United he played as a left…