By LIZ BELL HASTINGS schools, early education providers and parents working together have shown how a community approach to literacy and social inclusion gets results and gives students “hope”. Since becoming involved in a project to develop the relationships between education services and families – Linking Schools and Early Years – the town’s literacy and school engagement levels have soared. Figures from the Australian Early Development Census show that the project has reduced the number of preps in the town who had poor language and cognitive skills by almost 20 per cent. Only around 17 per cent of preps are…
Author: MP News Group
Colac Highway Patrol are investigating after a pedestrian died following a collision at Colac last week. It’s believed a man was crossing from the south side of Murray Street, at the eastern side of the Queen Street intersection, about 7.15am on Thursday 26 May. A Mitsubishi sedan turning right from Queen Street into Murray Street struck the pedestrian as he was crossing road. The 48-year-old pedestrian from Mt Martha was taken to the Colac Hospital then transferred to The Alfred hospital. The man died at The Alfred the following day. Police continue to investigate the circumstances of the collision. Anyone…
GUITARIST Matthew Fagan and pianist Daniel Tucceri will perform Solstice, 3pm, Sunday 19 June at St John’s Church, Flinders. It’s being billed as a concert of classical music at its emotive and technical best – a musical journey into our mythology and a rediscovery of ancient music, using acoustic instruments from Celtic and Classical to Romantic traditions. Solstice will feature the works of classical masters Vivaldi, Beethoven, Rodrigo, Bach and Paganini, with new arrangements for 10 and six-string Spanish guitar and piano. Master works from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Rodrigo’s Spanish guitar masterpiece Concierto de Aranjuez will be played.…
AN Aspendale Gardens man weeding in his garden died after petrol fumes caught alight, Wednesday 18 May. Police said the 42-year-old was pouring petrol from a watering can onto weeds along his fence line unaware of the danger as he neared a gas heater. The pilot light ignited the fumes, setting the man, and the fence, alight. Witnesses said the man, of Waterdale Place, ran across the yard to grab the garden hose but had already suffered serious burns to his body. Neighbours ran to help and called an ambulance. The man was taken to The Alfred hospital with life…
MORNINGTON Peninsula small businesses Commonfolk Coffee, The Snake Hole, and agricultural advocate Indiblu have united in support of Victoria’s dairy community. “As you would be well aware the dairy industry is facing some of its most challenging times,” organiser Sam Keck, of Commonfolk, said. “The recent price drop has put unprecedented pressure on the finances and emotions of some of our most important primary produces.” The group’s unincorporated not-for-profit group MP4Dairy aims to raise much-needed financial support for struggling farming families. Their two main fundraising campaigns include a gofundme site to sell limited edition Snake Hole-designed t-shirts, with all profits going…
BEN Wild is the Animal Justice Party candidate for the federal seat of Flinders at the up-coming election. He is the third candidate to step forward against Liberal Greg Hunt, who has held the seat since 2001. Willisa Hogarth will contest Flinders for the Greens and Carolyn Gleixner for Labor. Ms Gleixner unsuccessfully stood for the state seat of Nepean against Liberal Martin Dixon in 2014 and Ms Hogarth is the state convener of the Australian Greens. Mr Wild said although the Animal Justice Party was seen as a micro party, “it looks as though we will end up being…
By LIZ BELL SECURITY will be upgraded at The Briars homestead, Mt Martha, so that a priceless Napoleon collection of artefacts and artworks can be displayed. Burglars broke into the homestead in April, 2014, stealing 10 items, including locks of the French emperor’s hair, a silver inkwell, some gold Napoleons and a ribbon inscribed by Napoleon in 1815. The large collection had been housed at The Briars for about 20 years and is the largest Napoleonic collection outside of Europe. The theft highlighted a lack of security at the historic venue, with the thief entering the property through a bathroom…
STAFF at Peninsula Health have seen a 69.9 per cent increase in the number of breast cancer cases treated since 2008. Breast care nurse Rhonda Barnes predicts the trend is “set to rise even further over the next several years”. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian women and has the second highest mortality rate after lung cancer. Cancer Australia estimates that there will be more than 16,000 new cases diagnosed this year. The breast surgery team at Peninsula Health treats more than 130 women a year. As a breast care nurse, Ms Barnes is the linchpin…
SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie TWO Frankston Pines players were given lengthy suspensions by Football Federation Victoria’s tribunal last week. Laban Stringer and Jordan Avraham were found guilty of involvement in a brawl that disrupted the National Premier League clash at Lakeside Stadium between South Melbourne and Melbourne Victory on Sunday 24 April. It is believed that Stringer and Avraham were with an extreme group of Victory fans, known as Northern Terrace, who charged South Melbourne fans in the second half forcing the referee to halt the match until order had been restored. FFV hired an investigator whose report resulted in…
HASTINGS Mowers was burgled during the early hours of Monday 16 May. Two men in disguise forced their way into the business on Frankston-Flinders Rd and stole several Husqvarna chainsaws and Honda generators valued at several thousand dollars. CCTV footage shows them driving a champagne or silver coloured VX Holden Commodore (pictured) with distinctive black mag wheels, black tow ball and custom interior. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers, 1800 333 000, or Leading Detective Senior Constable Rohan Brock, Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit, 59781400. First published in the Western Port News – 24 May 2016
NEW signs are now pointing the way into Hastings. Two years in the planning, the signs have created an “iconic” entrance to the town and “pinpoint Hastings as the main gateway to Western Port”, says Cr David Garnock. He said the signs were the result of a partnership between Mornington Peninsula Shire, Western Port Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Western Port Tourism Association. The project aimed to create a sign that captured the “essence” of what makes Hastings “such a great place to visit”. Cr Garnock said this included the need to highlight the “historically successful co-existence of heavy…
A MORNINGTON school struggling to raise money for a gym is on track with building plans thanks to some entrepreneurial thinking and a generous benefactor. Mornington Park Primary School, the only school on the peninsula without its own gym, opened an opportunity shop 12 months ago to kick-start a gym fund, which was boosted recently by an anonymous donation of $250,000. Principal Bev Dadds said enrolment numbers were increasing and the school desperately needed somewhere to cater for sports and functions such as all-school assemblies. She said the school decided to take matters into its own hands by opening an…
A PHOTOGRAPHIC exhibition of puppetry that interprets how disabled artists see their bodies will be on at Mornington Library until 23 June. Organised by Arts Access Victoria, the Avenue of Puppets: Volatile Bodies exhibition features puppets created by artists from Art About, an inclusive art studio. An Arts Access Victoria spokesperson said the work ‘’interrogated how artists with a disability see their bodies interacting with the physical and metaphysical environment’’ after artists got together and shared their stories. The artists formed individual marionette puppets with mixed mediums including papier-mache, paint and fabric. Art About member Elyssa Gunn said each marionette…
BY all accounts the cobblestones behind the seawall and leading on to Mornington pier have been there for more than a century. Passengers arriving by paddle steamer from Melbourne would traverse them on their way up the hill to promenade along Main St. The stones represented a centuries old construction method that is preserved and promoted as part of the attraction of villages throughout Europe. Some of the stones are now being removed for a new path to meet “current disability discrimination legislation requirements”, according to Parks Victoria’s district manager Port Phillip and Western Port, Graeme Davis. “In order to…
MT ELIZA Junior Football Club has developed a smoke-free policy and signed the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula Smoke Free Charter. It is the first of 14 clubs in the Frankston and District Junior Football league to draw the line against smoking by signing up. It follows the Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League, which signed up in February, and the Mt Martha Junior Football Club, which signed up last year. Mt Eliza has 28 teams and is reportedly the largest junior sporting club across the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula. Its decision to extend the policy past the 10-metre legislation demonstrates a strong message…
Woodlock is comprised of three members; Kiwi brothers Zech and Eze Walters on guitar and vocals and their mate Bowen Purcell, who provides the percussion. Zech, Eze and Bowen formed a strong friendship after meeting whilst travelling overseas. From there, Woodlock was born. They’ve worked hard to perfect the sounds they craft in the studio for a live setting. Their efforts focus on strong, energetic and creative live shows to take their performance to the next level. Now based in Melbourne, the boys have gained some great recognition and created a strong following after tirelessly busking on every corner of…
SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie BAXTER’S bubble burst in a spiteful State 5 top-of-the-table away clash against Rosebud Heart on Saturday. A melee erupted just before half-time and threatened to spill into the crowd until the warring parties were kept at bay and order restored. When the dust settled Baxter striker Mark Pagliarulo and midfielder Liam Kilner were red carded and during the half-time break referee Neil Byrne confirmed that they had been dismissed for violent conduct. This was a much anticipated clash between the only teams in the league with perfect records in 2016 and it took a controversial goal…
CRIB POINT FNC By Jared Newton CRIB Point remains winless at home but certainly lost no respect in their clash against Hastings on the weekend. In a game that was tight for three and a half quarters, a flurry of late goals from Hastings put a gap between the two sides as Crib went down by 49 points. Defensive pressure isn’t the problem, it’s the avenues to goal which were again hard to come by for the Pies who could only manage five goals for the game in blustery conditions. Luke Herrington wound back the clock with a great game…
HASTINGS FNC THIS week the club travelled down to the Crib Point FNC for our annual local derby. The boys were playing for the Ron Moncrief Shield, and the game certainly didn’t disappoint supporters from either club. The game was close right up until the start of the last quarter, when our boys steadied to kick away to a very impressive margin 50-odd points. This week sees all clubs have a bye week which, for our club, couldn’t have come at a better time. It will give all players a chance to recharge their batteries and get ready for our…
By Lance Hodgins IN round seven last year Hastings Football Club defeated Tyabb by the massive margin of 224 points (38.23 to 4.3). This reminded me of the scene in the movie “Crocodile Dundee” when our hero was approached by a gang of toughs in New York. When one pulled out a knife to reinforce his position, Dundee produced a much superior one of his own and proclaimed “Now that’s a knife!”. As would be expected, it was game over. Now let’s turn back the clock. The final home and away game for 1929 was held on August 3. Hastings…
A SERVICE station and four businesses in Red Hill, and a Balnarring garage, were reeling yesterday, Monday 16 May, after overnight burglaries. It is not known what was stolen in the six break-ins, all occurring soon after 3.45am, but the same offender, wearing a balaclava, is believed to be responsible. Detective Senior Constable Alex Montgomery, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said it appeared the man, driving a dark coloured Toyota Corolla, pulled the front doors off the United service station, Arthur’s Seat Rd, with the car, and then attempted to open the safe. It is unknown what was stolen at this…
SOME of the Mornington Peninsula’s most outstanding food businesses were presented with the shire’s Best Bites Food Awards by the mayor Cr Graham Pittock on May 9. Joint winners of Restaurant of the Year, Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and Hummingbird Eco Retreat, Red Hill, received recognition for their excellence in nutrition and healthy eating, tobacco control, waste and recycling, energy and water efficiency and access for all. Merchant and Maker, McCrae, and Merricks General Wine Store were joint winners of the Cafe of the Year. Innovation joint winners were Merchant and Maker in McCrae and Mock Orchards in Red Hill, and…
JODIE Hinton is a mentor for young people. But it wasn’t always this way. Growing up, she struggled with her mother’s behaviour. “I had no idea my mum had a mental illness,” she said. “I used to be embarrassed of my mum and the way she acted, and I always knew she was a bit different but I never understood why.” Things are clearer now, thanks to the Satellite Champs program, designed for those aged 8-12 years with parents affected by mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, personality disorders and bipolar affective disorder. The program provides information about mental…
By LIZ BELL ALTHOUGH statistics show motorists have just recorded the lowest number of collisions for five years, the trauma for those involved in an accident can seem endless. Court cases get settled and insurance claims paid out, but the memories and pain linger. The ongoing impacts of road trauma is something Rye resident Geoff Greene is only too aware of. Mr Greene didn’t even see the driver coming up behind him on Point Nepean Rd, Rosebud in September, 2013, so wasn’t able to anticipate the impact. By the time his shunted car came to a halt and he was…
AUSTRALIA’S world record for losing the greatest number of its mammals was the subject of the keynote address at Western Port Biosphere’s second annual biodiversity forum. “We have lost the ability to connect with the environment; with expanding development changing the landscape, the face of the environment as we knew it has changed, and the streetscape of urban development is seen as the norm,” Professor John Woinarski told 80 delegates to the Friday 6 May forum at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne. The deputy director of the Threatened Species Recovery Hub in the National Environmental Science program at Charles Darwin…
FORMER police officer Donna Bradley-Robinson was forced to quit the force when her multiple sclerosis symptoms increasingly made her job impossible. Ms Bradley-Robinson, a Frankston resident, was diagnosed with MS in 1994 at the age of 29 after experiencing symptoms since she was 16. Since retiring as a police officer in 2010 she has dedicated herself to raising the profile of the often invisible disease. With an average age of diagnosis of 30, MS is largely a young woman’s disease – that randomly attacks nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord – for which there is currently no cure.…
THE International Cool Climate Wine Show is again proud to share a rare opportunity to assess the styles, characteristics and latest trends of inspirational cool climate wines entered in the 2016 show, with everyone. You will be able to taste wines from many classes including sparkling wines, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Shiraz from vintages from 2012 to 2015 and older. The depth and breadth of the wine on show is vast. Many wines come from boutique vineyards producing small commercial quantities, so this is your chance to seek out some outstanding but lesser…
IT’S Food Allergy Week, and parents, families, teachers and food businesses on the Mornington Peninsula are asked to help raise awareness of allergies and best practice allergy management. Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia president Maria Said says Australia has one of the highest reported incidences of food allergies in the world. “One-in-10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy. With so many children and adults at risk, the key was to ensure members of the community can help prevent allergic reactions from occurring, can recognise the signs and symptoms of a reaction, and know what to do in…
EXPERTS from the health industry will speak at a free community seminar organised by the Rotary Club of Hastings, Wednesday 11 May. The meeting will run 7-9.30pm at the Hastings Community Hub, 1973 Frankston-Flinders Rd, Hastings. Speakers include associate professor Harriet Hiscock, co-leader of community health at Royal Children’s Hospital, youth mental health first aid worker Jarrod Flanigan, family counsellor Sally Halligan and psychologist Sandra Martin. Tea and coffee provided. Details: secretary@rotaryhastings.org.au
Police are investigating an aggravated burglary at a house in Mornington early this morning. The female occupant of the Adelaide Street home has entered the garage just before 6am and noticed a man crouching near their car. The woman approached the man, thinking it was her husband, the man got up and grabbed her by the shoulder and demanded her car keys. The woman threw her cup of tea at him, causing the man to run off. A neighbour heard the womans scream and called Triple Zero. The woman was taken to hospital a short time later where she remains…