Nearly 40 years of recording and non stop touring. 25 top 40 hits in Australia. Sustained international airplay and Mentals are still at it. Martin Plaza and Greedy Smith are always writing songs. They can’t stop! Here comes a loony chunkabilly track from Plaza. Slide guitar harmonica and laconic vocal take us to his bedlam. -Goat Tracks In My Sandpit-. A troubled soul? Recorded in Martin Plaza’s Sandpit and A Sharp In Riverwood. Plaza obliquely pays tribute to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys referencing his famous living room sandpit where Brian wrote his songs and faced his personal demons.…
Author: MP News Group
A new twilight cinema experience comes to the peninsula this summer as Mornington Racecourse presents Sunset Cinema. Popping up on Thursday January 12, Sunset Cinema at Mornington Racecourse is a one night only outdoor cinema event perfect for the whole family. In addition to the feature film, Finding Dory, screening from 7pm, there’ll also be rides and activities for the kids, catering and snack bar options from the Mornington Racecourse team, and a stocked beer and wine bar for the parents. Supported by local businesses Jacobs & Lowe, Peninsula Kids, Wignall Ford, Decking Out Melbourne and Ambient Lounge and set…
HISTORY will be back on the road next month (Sunday 5 February) as more than 1000 classic cars make their way to Mornington in the RACV Great Australian Rally. Cars will leave for Mornington from Hastings and Brighton. The cars will be on public display at Mornington racecourse from 10am, the centrepiece of the day’s attractions which include children’s activities, food and market stalls and a display of historic, classic and exotic vehicles. The origins of the rally go back to 1992 and the first Great Australian Rally started from Melbourne and finished at Cape Schanck. Over the years the…
A man has died following a single vehicle crash in Somerville just after 5.30am this morning (27 December). It is believed at this stage the driver has lost control on Tyabb-Tooradin Road and struck a tree. One male has died at the scene, two other male occupants have been transported to hospital with serious injuries. The occupants are yet to be formally identified. Police are investigating the cause of the collision and appeal for any witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au Source: Victoria Police Media – 27 December 2016
Keeping everyone on the road safe, with an emphasis on vulnerable road users, will be the focus of Somerville Highway Patrol over the summer months. Distractions such as mobile phone use, as well as impairment factors like alcohol and drugs would be key focuses of the operation. Acting Sergeant Brian Bourke said the campaign would serve as a reminder that safety on the roads was a collaborative effort and not exclusive to particular groups. “Cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and drivers all have a role to play in keeping everyone on the road safe,” he said. “Driving on the road is a privilege,…
OZACT players will stage an outdoor production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth at Coolart Homestead, 4pm, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 January. Macbeth is one of The Bard’s most popular plays, with two of his strongest and most intriguing characters: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The play tells of their journey from lofty dreams of power and ambition to the deepest pits of desolation and despair. This is OZACT’S 21st anniversary. It has put on more than 40 productions and 500 performances in the past 20 years. The players regard Coolart Homestead as an exhilarating setting for the play. The mansion’s design –…
FLINDERS Christian Community College students put their business acumen to good use earlier this month as participants in the Foundation for Young Australians $20 Boss loans program. The idea is that students receive $20 in seed funding and then take the opportunity to plan, budget and market a business idea, and have a month to run with it. After receiving their money, the students brainstormed ideas and, as a class, decided to focus on food and beverage ideas. They researched their target market, planned business strategies and went about executing their plan. In groups, they learned to read the market,…
INDUSTRIAL land in Crib Point could soon be rezoned for residential development after councillors backed a plan for developers to build homes between 1 and 73 Creswell St. At this month’s public council meeting Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors unanimously voted to ask Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne for approval to advertise the residential zone plans for public feedback. The land is mostly vacant and homes have been built on the western side of Creswell St. The Port of Hastings Development Authority has previously not supported the rezoning of the land from Industrial 3 Zone and part Port Related Uses to…
TWO men had an eventful day at sea when their vessel ran out of fuel and then ran aground in Western Port Bay, Saturday afternoon. The pair had set out for a casual jaunt, but quickly found themselves in trouble in the rough conditions. The pair then found themselves running out of petrol and aground on mud flats as their boat began taking on water. The men contacted a friend by mobile phone who passed details of their plight on to Water Police who, along with volunteer maritime rescue crews and the police Air Wing, were then able to rescue…
FORTY-two people have drowned on the Mornington Peninsula over the past 10 years. The latest Victorian Drowning Report shows seven of the 43 drowning deaths in the state over the past financial year happened on the peninsula. From 2005 to 2015, there were also 58 hospital admissions and 82 emergency department presentations due to non-fatal drowning incidents in the area. Statistics show males are seven times more likely to drown than females, while there is a 99 per cent likelihood of one or more fatal drownings on the peninsula in any given year. “Living on the beach it is important…
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding a fatal single-vehicle crash that occurred at Dromana on Friday. It’s believed a car travelling east on Boundary Road left the roadway and struck a power pole about 11.15pm on 16 December. The male driver, who was the sole occupant, died at the scene. Police are hoping to speak to anyone who may have seen the vehicle in the Red Hills and Dromana areas before the crash. The car is a green 2001 Ford Falcon ute with Queensland number plates. It has a black custom fabricated steel tray and an alloy bulbar on…
AFTER seven months of planning, renovation, refurbishment, tradies, dust and dirt, the Peninsula Home Hospice (PHH) is operating from its new Mornington offices. Previously PHH had been working from two separate sites – Golf Links Rd, Frankston and Railway Grove, Mornington – but now, for the first time in more than 10 years, it is being run from one office. “Since the organisation began in 1984, PHH has relocated on several occasions, largely to accommodate growing demand for services and meet the increasing need for space and facilities that reflect the growing role and importance of the organisation within the…
IT’S a big leap from the International Association for Universal Design Awards in Japan to the ropes course at Camp Manyung, Mt Eliza. But now they are linked: Australia’s first universally designed ropes course at the camp received a gold award in the tourism, inclusive culture and mobility category at this year’s awards. Set in the tree-tops, the ropes course allows participants of all abilities to choose how they travel around the course. They may use a scooter, skateboard, bike or the Cloud Rider, a purpose built wheelchair. The course last month won an award at the 2016 Victorian Disability…
A BRIGHT yellow food van is at the centre of a four-hour safety zone at the corner of Main and Barkly streets, Mornington. The Main St Salvos will be in the zone until the end of February handing out free bottles of water and sweets to revellers on their way out or on their way home. “We have a few new additions this time round,” the Salvos Sean Mapleback said. “We have a generator which allows us be mobile if needed, we have music to create some atmosphere, additional lighting and phone chargers if people have a flat battery and…
HOUSEHOLD recycling bins on the Mornington Peninsula will be collected weekly until Friday 3 February, when the usual fortnightly service resumes. Recyclable items include aluminium and steel cans and foil, rigid and solid plastics, kitchen ware, cups and drink bottles, pots and pans, wrapping paper and envelopes, cardboard, newspapers and magazines, milk, juice and soft drink bottles and glass bottles and jars. Recyclable items should not be placed in plastic bags and containers should be emptied. Recyclables that can’t fit into the bin can be taken to Rye, Mornington and Tyabb tips or rubbish hoppers at Sorrento, Dromana and Flinders…
A BREWERY will be built at Fingal, on land formerly owned by the Freedman brothers to train thoroughbred race horses, after Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors approved an application by site owner Andrew Purchase to eventually brew beer and cider at the green wedge site. Some councillors at last Monday evening’s public council meeting voiced disapproval about alcohol being shipped in to be sold at the brewery for the first few years of the new venture’s existence. It will take at least five years for enough hops and barley to be grown on the 160 Sandy Rd land but a majority…
THE Woodworkers of the Southern Peninsula (WOSP) have been working hard to ensure it’s a merry Christmas for all this year. Meeting in Rosebud each Wednesday, the members build wooden toys and games, including rocking swans, prams, bikes, garages, helicopters, fire engines, wheelbarrows, tool boxes, carousels, trams, ride on trucks, doll cradles, quoits and yachts, for needy families. A special handover celebration last Saturday saw about 1000 hand-crafted toys given to charities Rosebud Salvation Army, Westernport Christmas Giving and Good Shepherd foundation, for distribution. Gary Sanford, manager of the Bendigo Banks at Rosebud, Dromana and Rye, which donates funds to…
SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie FRANKSTON Pines believes that it has secured its future after finally forming executive and general committees on the weekend. After weeks of uncertainty the Monterey Reserve outfit has accepted the overtures of Mauritian-born barrister and solicitor Daniel Plaiche, a director of Club M Australia, a sports club aiming to promote Mauritian soccer at the highest level here. Plaiche and others from the Mauritian expat community have joined recently relegated Pines and plan to bring Mauritian internationals to Australia with a view to getting the club back into State 1 South-East and eventually promoted to the NPL.…
STUDENTS from Western Port Secondary College have created a mural which the Carry On organisation believes depicts the spirit of their organisation. It shows a digger reaching down to give a hand up to another digger, pulling him towards the sun. The school’s Outreach Education Program’s Helen Smith said she and colleague Miles Lindqvist invited students who were struggling at school, due to a range of reasons, to get involved with the Cool Store Rd, Hastings project. “We discussed the design with them, in line with the Carry On spirit, and the project result was amazing,” she said. “Students had…
ROSEBUD Christmas Carols in the Park will be held in the sound shell on the Rosebud Village Green foreshore, Saturday 17 December, with activities starting at 5pm and carols, 7pm. Residents, friends and family are invited to come along and enjoy this free community event with food stalls and entertainment and to meet Santa. Entertainers will include the Southern Peninsula Band, Ladies Singing Group, and Max and Sam with their band, including Ken Ferguson, singing Christmas songs. There will be display shops and market stalls, lolly trolley and children busking. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 13 December 2016
A MORNINGTON Peninsula snake catcher is urging people to be cautious of snakes coming out of hibernation, but to resist the urge to kill the legally protected reptiles. Mornington-based, registered snake catcher Barry Goldsmith receives about 20 to 30 calls about snake sightings every week, mainly from around the peninsula but also as far as Tullamarine, and said snakes were important indicators of a healthy environment and were usually just trying to hide. “Snakes will be more obvious now the weather is warming up, but the better thing to do rather than try to hurt or kill it, is to…
BOATERS are being urged to wear lifejackets and carry safety equipment this summer – especially near Port Phillip Heads. The area will be under the watchful eyes of the Water Police, who will be patrolling the area as part of Operation South End. They aim to ensure boaters are safe and well equipped. Leading Senior Constable Dave McHenry said that following a coronial inquest, ‘The Rip’ was a designated hazardous area. “This designation means that under legislation people must wear life jackets in the area,” Leading Senior Constable McHenry said. “They are among an array of safety items that every…
NAVY personnel at HMAS Cerberus have raised $31,306 to train dogs to help veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. A cheque was presented to Defence Bank’s managing director and CEO Jon Linehan by HMAS Cerberus commanding officer Stephen Bowater at the ceremony attended by the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, and Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett. “The Defence Bank Foundation has supported the training of more than 2000 companion dogs to support veterans’ rehabilitation since 2014,” Mr Linehan said. “The dogs – all rescue dogs – are making an enormous difference to people’s lives. We have received many letters and…
VISITORS to the peninsula’s bay and ocean beaches may have noticed the prevalence of bluebottle jellyfish. The common bluebottle, Physalia utriculus, is smaller and less venomous than its Atlantic cousin Physalia physalis – or Portuguese man o’war – but it can still produce a painful sting. While they may look like a single marine creature they are actually colonial organisms known as siphonophores, with separate animals specialised for food capture, digestion, reproduction, and one that makes up the gas-filled float. The animals cannot function alone and the whole can only survive as a colony. The floats can grow up to…
CHRISTMAS is looming and the tireless volunteers at Peninsula Mums for Families in Need are bracing themselves for high demand. The charity service, established by mother-of-three Jodie Harris, makes Christmas special for disadvantaged people in the Frankston/Mornington Peninsula region. In four years, demand for food, clothing and essential goods has grown to such an extent, the charity has been forced to find a new home and now works out of warehouse in Seaford that comes with a large rent bill each month. The volunteers now wrap about 2000 presents and 300 food hampers for families in need every Christmas, which…
TWO artists with different styles are the “feature artists” at next year’s Mornington Art Show. Craig Davy’s uses an impressionistic approach to landscapes and seascapes while Ron Brown has been described as having “a unique contemporary style with colour featured strongly in his work”. Their works will be among more than 700 entries in the 45th Mornington Art Show in January. Davy was born in Melbourne and grew up on the Mornington Peninsula which has resulted in his “connection” with the peninsula’s landscape. In 2009 he began painting in oils in appreciation for fine realistic art of the past and…
HASTINGS foreshore will come alive to the sound of Christmas carols on Friday 9 December. Churches and Mornington Peninsula Shire will hold Carols by Candlelight from 6pm when Santa arrives. Children can enjoy the petting zoo, face painting, sausage sizzle, doughnut stall and, weather permitting, jumping castle. The singing group Thumbs Up will entertain and children will perform. Carols are scheduled to start at 7.15pm and finish at 8.45pm. Carols by Candlelight at Balnarring will be held at the primary school, 6pm, Friday 16 December. First published in the Western Port News – 6 December 2016
A WOMAN washed off the rocks at Cape Schanck late Saturday night was rescued by members of her family with the help of SES, police, ambulance and Fisheries officers. The 35-year-old, of Hampton Park, was crab fishing when a big wave, exacerbated by the low tide, surged into the group, dragging her under in rough water, at about 10pm. The woman was pulled from the water by members of her family who called Triple 0 and began performing CPR. “She swallowed a fair bit of water,” Senior Sergeant Phillip Hulley, of Frankston police, said Monday. Intermittent phone coverage made pinpointing…
MONEY raised through Reclink Australia’s 2017 Great Peninsula Paddle on Australia Day (26 January) will be used to re-establish the Westernport Warriors Football Team. Players from the Hastings and Somerville areas are invited to play next season with the team which was previously led by former police officer, Andrew Brady. Hastings MP Neale Burgess and Reclink Australia CEO John Ballis, pictured, met in Hastings last week to show their support for the Warriors and to invite the team to re-join the annual Reclink Football fixture. “Playing with the Warriors was the only means for hundreds of disadvantaged young people and…
A lone cyclist tackles the road’s sweeping bends as paying customers in the Eagle cable car take 15 minutes to get to the top of Arthurs Seat. The $16 million direct link to the 300 metre summit opened on Saturday and the blue gondolas now run 10am-8pm daily (except Christmas Day). Sue Sharples and her grandson Dusty, above, were able to take the easy and comfortable way to the top while the cyclist, right, worked somewhat harder before he could enjoy to the views of Port Phillip. The Eagle runs along the same route as the former 1960s era chairlift…