FRESH from rescuing a swimmer in danger under Frankston pier, Senior Constable Julie Morris is planning a pier-to-pier swim from the Frankston to Mornington. The endurance swim in January will raise money for the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation. To be called #piertopierforourpeers the swim also has the nickname “10k for 10k”. Senior Constable Morris, a member of Frankston police and a Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor, led a distressed Corey Wood to safety from under Frankston pier on a hot and windy Thursday 22 November (“Police to the rescue in pier drama” The News 26/11/19). An accomplished long-distance swimmer, Senior…
Author: MP News Group
A ROSEBUD man caught driving at an alleged 111kph, pictured, in a 60 zone near the base of Arthurs Seat had his car impounded and will be summonsed to appear in court for driving at a dangerous speed. The 23-year-old, apprehended at 7.30pm, Sunday 24 November, faces a 12-month driving ban. Somerville Highway Patrol officers also detected a P2 probationary licence holder doing an alleged 141kph on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at McCrae on the same day. The 21-year-old man, of Yarraville, told police he was “on a car cruise and was trying to catch up with mates” about 7pm.…
A SPEECHWRITER has been hired to “provide help” to Mornington Peninsula Shire’s 11 councillors and its CEO John Baker. Christina (Tina) McGuffie was appointed in August “to support our councillors by providing help with the high demand for speeches which has always been a function of the shire’s communications team”, communications and events executive manage Randal Mathieson said. “The peninsula has a very active population and our councillors are highly engaged with their local communities,” Mr Mathieson said. “Each month we receive dozens of requests from community groups for councillors to speak at events, launches and activities throughout the shire.…
A MORNINGTON tree-lopping business has been fined almost $7000 for illegally dumping truckloads of mulch and garden waste. This comes after Mornington Peninsula and Frankston councils joined forces to prosecute the company at both the Dromana and Frankston magistrates’ courts. Tree pruning and removal business Trim Up Tree Service, described as a “serial rubbish dumper”, was found guilty of dumping the waste at Mount Martha and Langwarrin. A Mornington Peninsula Shire news release said the shire had a strong zero-tolerance approach to illegally dumped rubbish, successfully prosecuting 12 offenders this year resulting in fines of $12,000. “Illegal dumping is a…
EVERY walk has a start and a finish. On Friday 22 November Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Sam Hearn joined the CEO of Kids Under Cover Jo Swift in taking the first steps of a four-day walk to raise money to prevent young people being homeless. Kids Under Cover has been running for 30 years, although it was the first time its fundraising walk has started in Rosebud. “We hope it’s the first of many,” Cr Hearn said, of the walk which ended in Richmond on Monday. “The work Kids Under Cover has done in this region and the state broadly…
ARMADAS of the stinging bluebottle jellyfish (Physalia utriculus) have been washed up on the Mornington Peninsula’s ocean beaches and may soon be entering Port Phillip. The bluebottle, or Pacific man-of-war, is an occasional visitor to Victorian beaches but more common in Sydney and further north. The wind and currents determine its journey before being brought ashore by incoming tides. Wikipedia says bluebottles differ from other jellyfish in several ways. The gas-filled float supports a number of specialised tentacles, which are actually members of a complicated colony. The individual members, or zooids, cooperate to form what looks like one jellyfish. Some…
SOMERVILLE Primary School students have been busily knitting during Thursday lunch times for a special project. The students, along with family members and staff, have been making woollen squares which are being crocheted together by colleague Judy Bray to make colourful blankets to donate to The Salvation Army. They will then go towards making cold nights more bearable for the homeless. “The children are loving being involved, and it has been wonderful to see them developing their knitting skills, making new friends and raising their sense of pride in contributing to a team project that is helping others,” school chaplain…
THE Arthurs Seat Challenge 6.7km fun run + walk was held on Sunday 10 November. The Challenge is held annually to promote the profile of the Fit to Drive road safety program and to raise funds to enable the continuation of this invaluable program at no cost to the secondary schools on the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston region. The overall male winner was Liam Ryan-Nicholls with a time of 25:53.217, which came extremely close to being a course record, and the overall Female winner was Sarah Klein in 28:09.383. The largest school entry was won by Bayside Christian College and…
MOUNT Martha resident Judi is calling for public assistance to locate five rings, believed lost. And while not one hundred percent sure where they went missing, she has a hunch they fell from her bag while at a café in Mount Eliza. “We were sitting having lunch in a Mount Eliza café on 4 November; the day before Melbourne Cup Day,” said Judi. “I recall reaching into my handbag to get something and I believed they may have fallen out.” The five rings were in a small, bright red, Asian-style purse. Of the five rings, one was an engagement ring,…
WITH that festive time of the year fast approaching, Santa is planning a return to Mornington Railway. Mornington Railway Preservation Society says its Santa Specials will return on Sundays 1, 8, 15 and 22 December, with two special afternoon departures on Saturdays 14 and 21 December. The rides give children and families the chance to enjoy some Christmas spirit while also experiencing the delights of the heritage railway which opened in 1889. The vintage steam locomotive K163, built in 1941, will be doing the hauling on the one hour return ride. Other activities to keep families entertained include a jumping…
BONEO Primary School teachers Liz Dewar and Ryan Jellie are joint winners of the $10,000 Outstanding Primary Teacher Choose Maths Awards announced at the 2019 Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute Awards. They and the school received an extra $1000 each for finishing in the top 10 meaning they will share $6000 and the school $6000. After discovering that student outcomes in mathematics were on a downward trend, the passionate educators set about transforming the way students and teachers viewed the learning and teaching of maths in their school. They developed a plan to transform maths instruction and improve student engagement through…
A SOMERVILLE drink-driver ploughed through an NBN junction box in his ute in Inglenook Crescent, Karingal, and severed the cable 7pm, Friday night 15 November. Police said the ute, above, was seen “driving erratically” in McClelland Drive around that time. After the collision the ute was stuck and the driver reportedly ran from the scene. Somerville Highway Patrol tracked him down about two hours later and took him to Frankston police station where he blew 0.082. He was issued with infringement notices for drink-and-careless driving totalling $893. His licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for six months.…
BURGLARS entered a Mt Eliza house through an unlocked garage door and stole keys to two BMWs in the garage, overnight 16-17 November. They drove off in a white 125i model, registration number 1DK5PY, and a blue 320i (ZOA069) from the Manna Hill Court property while the owners were asleep. The total value of the cars is $55,000. The haul was among a series of thefts in Mt Eliza over the weekend. A set of speakers was stolen from the garage of a house in Buloke Close after thieves found a remote control in an unlocked car. The owners heard…
HOWLING winds blew down a section of the screen at Dromana drive-in last week. Owner Paul Whitaker, pictured, said a wind shift to the south mid-afternoon Thursday 21 November ripped off a plywood panel three metres high and 1.5 metres wide from the 30 metre-wide screen. “It’s happened before and it’s easy to fix with a bit of planning,” he said. The screening of Last Christmas and The Terminator were not affected. “We had to angle the projector slightly to the left but everything turned out OK,” Mr Whitaker said. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 26 November…
TWO dogs blamed for the mauling and killing of chooks and a lamb at Bittern last week remain in Mornington Peninsula Shire’s pound “pending the outcome of investigations”. “The investigation is still underway. Once concluded, all evidence and information will be sent on to the prosecutor,” environment protection manager John Rankine said. The two kelpies believed to be from Crib Point were seized by rangers after attacking the livestock at three properties, Wednesday 13 November. (“Dogs seized after deadly attacks” The News 20/11/19). Grieving pet owners were devastated by the ferocity of the attacks with one, Chris Phobe, saying his…
RYE’S Beach Clean Boards aim to help rid Mornington Peninsula beaches of marine litter and plastic pollution “two minutes at a time”. Based on the #2minute beach clean boards in the UK, organisers place A-frames along the foreshore near bins encouraging beachgoers to collect litter and then record what they’ve picked up with a #hashtag connected to a social media campaign. “This project aims to increase awareness of the dangers of litter, especially plastics, to the marine environment, as well as reducing litter on the beach and greater care of our local beaches,” Rye Community House’s Sarah Race said. “We’re…
A TRIAL of Plastic Free Places will be held at Mt Martha from this month. The trial over summer will put Mt Martha alongside Byron Bay, Noosa, Adelaide and Perth in what organisers say is a national program to reduce single-use plastic waste, especially on the foreshore. Villages such as Mt Martha, with its hub of cafes, restaurants and small businesses directly across from Port Phillip unintentionally contributes to the quantity of litter finding its way onto the beaches and into the bay, organisers say. The most common “culprits” include take-away food containers and cups, straws, plastic packaging and cigarette…
MEMBERS of Crib Point CFA were on the march last week, from their former fire station at 137 Disney Street to a brand new one at 191 Disney Street. The address may not be very different, but the move has the advantage of having two high-ceilinged truck bays for bigger tankers, a breathing apparatus repair room, and more space for offices and firefighters. The move to the new $1.5 million building has been five years in the making so a march accompanied by Navy drummers was warranted. The building was opened by Victoria’s environmental sustainability commissioner and CFA board member,…
MORNINGTON Art Show has signed up German-born sculptor Rudi Jass for its January Art show. In his Mornington Peninsula studio, Jaas designs and crafts sculptures characterised by clean-flowing lines and elegant forms. Working mostly in stainless steel, corten steel, and copper, his sculptures are often combined with accents of glass or stone. The pieces are all handmade in small or limited editions and are sought after by architects and landscape designers. Jass’s designs are displayed in small courtyards, gardens, balconies or amid modern architecture in urban and commercial developments. His kinetic sculptures move in the wind, adding movement to gardens…
CIVIC Reserve, Mornington’s new synthetic 400-metre athletics track and four-pitch soccer centre will be opened on Saturday 30 November. The ceremony will be 11-11.30am but those interested are welcome to stay to watch athletes using the sports grounds at 350 Dunns Road, Mornington. A community open day with a free sausage sizzle hosted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council will celebrate the event and show off new facilities. The reserve’s newest member clubs: Mt Martha Soccer Club, Mornington Little Athletics Centre and Mornington Peninsula Athletics Club will make their debuts. “Let’s all get together as a community and celebrate the fantastic…
THE glamour of Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach could be felt at Moorooduc Primary School last week when veteran lifeguard “Maxi” spoke to students about water safety. Maxi – Trent Maxwell – is a veteran of 11 seasons on Channel 10’s Bondi Rescue and ranks as one of its most popular personalities. He is the youngest professional lifeguard to work at Bondi. He spoke about water and beach safety, the importance of swimming between the flags, how to identify a rip, how to safely get out of a rip, how to call emergency services and use floatation devices to rescue those…
THE Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association had made “provenance” awards to wineries producing three vintages of the peninsula’s “hero” wines – pinot noir and chardonnay. This year’s awards saw the provenance awards go to Yabby Lake Winery, at Tuerong for its pinot noir and Paringa Estate, Red Hill South for chardonnay. “The Provenance awards were envisaged as a different way of assessing chardonnay and pinot noir, looking at three vintages of a wine in detail, and in the context of consistency of quality, vineyard character, and winemaking style,” show committee chairman Lindsay McCall said. “As the Mornington Peninsula focuses more and…
A POLICE officer manning a booze bus on a Peninsula Link off-ramp at Bungower Road, Moorooduc, had to jump aside to avoid a truck on Friday night, 8 November. The white Toyota truck was stopped two kilometres down the road. The 60-year-old driver from Merton blew 0.267 and had his licence suspended on the spot. His truck was impounded for 30 days. Police noted that his wasn’t the first time he had been caught drink-driving as there was a Zero Alcohol condition on his licence. The man will receive a summons to attend court at a later date. “Fortunately this…
SEAWINDS Boomerang Bags, Capel Sound has won the Tidy Towns Resource Recovery and Waste Management Award 2019. The award aims to encourage, motivate and celebrate sustainability achievements in rural and regional communities across Australia. It acknowledged the work of the Boomerang Bags group in linking with Uniforms 4U, a group created by Colleen Mackay, to help repair or alter donated school uniforms for families in need around Mornington Peninsula. During the past year they have helped hundreds of families clothe their children after repairing hems and zips, washing donated clothing and raising money from the sale of their bags to…
AN endeavour to provide each student at Tyabb Railway Primary with a white timber cross representing a soldier who died in war formed the main part of the school’s Remembrance Day commemorations, Monday 11 November. The project was initiated by Tyabb ANZAC Day Dawn Service coordinator Peter Davis after a chat with the school’s principal Emma Slater. Mr Davis coordinates the Dawn Service on behalf of the Hastings RSL, Tyabb Ratepayers and others. Ms Slater and her staff are enthusiastic about the ANZAC spirit which is already represented in their ANZAC Memorial Garden and their annual school pilgrimage, led by…
SOMERVILLE Community House and three peninsula schools will share in this year’s annual community grant of $5000 from Peninsula Quarries. The $1250 grants are awarded by the company’s community engagement group. Pearcedale Primary will use the grant to build an easily accessible and secure bike shed. It’s certainly needed because an increasing number of students riding bikes or scooters to school has brought the existing shed to “bursting point”. Wallaroo Primary will expand its cooking and garden program. Students plant and tend the school’s gardens, growing herbs and vegies, used in making healthy and nutritious meals for the students –…
SOUTHERN Peninsula Grandmothers for Refugees are sending freedom birds in packages to the MPs in Canberra. This is a different approach while still reminding our politicians of their responsibilities towards asylum seekers and refugees, the group says. “It is over six years that most of the refugees in off-shore detention [centres] have survived the incredibly harsh treatments and the difficult environments,” member Anne Renkin said. “And there is still no hope of a safe future for them. Our freedom birds represent hope and justice for refugees.” The group says the federal Medivac legislation was also being challenged by the government…
THE Save Westernport residents’ group and local environmental groups were acknowledged at Environment Victoria’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in Melbourne recently. The entire Western Port community was also honoured by Environment Victoria with a special award to recognise many years of “resilience in the face of repeated attempts to destroy the local environment”. The Save Westernport Inc. residents’ group was formed in April last year to oppose plans by energy company AGL to import and process liquefied natural gas in Western Port Bay and to build a 56km gas pipeline to Pakenham. “From French Island’s nuclear reactor in the 1970s to…
BLAIRGOWRIE boxer Jayde Mitchell will headline the recently launched National Boxing Series in its Melbourne debut at the State Basketball Centre, Wantirna, Saturday 23 November. Promoter Lynden Hosking said he was excited to launch the series into Australia’s “boxing heartland”. “This will be the first of three events held in Melbourne over the next 12 months with other shows in the series taking place in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra,” he said. Mitchell, a world ranked super middleweight, will fight former world champion Stanislav Kashtanov, of Russia, over 10 rounds in what’s being described as “one of the fights of the…
A SERVICE to honour the memory of Constable Angela Taylor, pictured, will be held at Mornington police station this week. A plaque dedicated to Constable Taylor will be mounted beside an Angela Taylor rosebush during the service, Wednesday 13 November. Constable Taylor’s family and friends, the Blue Ribbon Foundation, local police and senior police officers will gather to celebrate Constable Taylor’s life and recognise her service to the community. Constable Taylor became the first policewoman in Australia to be murdered on duty when a car bomb was detonated in front of the Russell Street police headquarters on Easter Thursday, 27…