A SAFETY warning has been issued for property owners to check and maintain their fireplaces, chimneys, fireboxes and flues. The CFA says there has been a rise in the number of chimney fires from both fireplaces and wood heaters. CFA’s manager community safety Jude Kennedy said over time there could be a build-up of creosote, a black tar-like residue, which is highly flammable and could clog up chimneys. “Creosote is not only caused by general use, but it can also build up quicker if you are using incorrect fuels, such as green wood or treated timbers,” he said. To reduce…
Author: MP News Group
A woman loading groceries into her car at Rosebud on Mother’s Day was punched to the head by a man who stole her handbag. The woman told police the man approached her on a bicycle in the McCoomb Street car park, 3.30pm, Sunday 12 May. The man asked for directions and then reached into the car and grabbed her bag containing $120 cash and credit cards. During a short physical altercation the woman said the man punched her and she fell to the ground. The man rode off via the McCoomb Street exit. Anyone with information is urged to contact…
SPORTS ovals at Hastings and Red Hill as well as the Olympic Park soccer pitch and senior oval at Rosebud will light up in a staged program starting later this year. The grounds are among 10 sporting reserves across the Mornington Peninsula to be earmarked as part of a $2.1 million lighting upgrade. The cost will be split between the state government and the shire. Other reserves to receive lighting upgrades in stage two (September 2020-February 2021) include Dromana Recreation Reserve, Dromana; Civic Reserve Athletics Track, Mornington; RM Hooper Reserve, Tuerong; Barber Reserve, Somerville; and AR and F Ditterich Reserve,…
TABLES will be groaning under the weight of “much-loved second hand books” at Mt Eliza Rotary Club’s “book bonanza”. The books will be on 35 tables at the 1st Ranelagh Scout Hall, Butler Reserve (off Ranelagh Drive), Mt Eliza on 10am-3pm Saturday 25 May, and 10am-2pm Sunday 26 May. Organisers say there is an “incredible diversity” among the books, ranging from biographies to illustrated coffee table books and hundreds of paperbacks and novels. Categories include the arts (theatre, film, music, Australian artists; antiques; cooking; gardening; interior design; history (explorers, colonial history, travellers tales, military, aviation, maritime and transport, archeology and…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Citizen of the Year Josie Jones opened last week’s waste forum with presentations from community groups, waste industry representatives and shire officers sharing ideas on making their own beeswax wraps, joining a Beach Patrol Group, composting at home, and the upcoming electronic waste ban. This second Waste Forum, held on Saturday 11 May, attracted more than 400 participants to Peninsula Community Theatre to hear what’s happening in the waste industry and how the council was working to address and improve current waste issues. They heard how they could connect with local community groups and how they could…
RIDERS from Toorak College, Mt Eliza has regained the Equestrian Victoria Champion School title. The school won state titles in 2017 but came in as reserve champions in 2018. This year’s win came after a five-day event at Werribee which saw more than 500 riders from 172 schools competing on 640 horses. Toorak had 26 junior and senior riders competing, with Stephanie Ivanovic, Bella Warner, Emma Hercules and Theodora Newman being among the school’s top four riders in dressage, show jumping, combined training, games and novelties events. The four will be presented with the Equestrian Victorian trophy and horse rugs.…
PENINSULA Ballet Ensemble students got an insight into the life of a professional dance company during a Sydney Dance Company in-studio workshop at Somerville. The workshop delivered by the company’s teaching artists was designed to support students’ live-performance experience of the company’s current nationally touring work: Bonachela/Nankivell/Lane. It included a contemporary technique warm-up and repertoire with a composition task used by the company to generate new movement for Rafael Bonachela’s work Cinco. Through this composition task, students experienced the process used by the company to create and perform new and original movement. PBE teacher and former Sydney Dance Company principal…
RECYCLED items are once again being collected from Mornington Peninsula households after the shock shutdown of processing services. But the shire says a continued service from contractor SKM will “rely on a combined effort, including policy change from all levels of government, and correct recycling habits from the community”. The mayor Cr David Gill welcomed the resumption of services but said the council had been “strongly advocating for urgent policy change in the recycling industry”. He urged residents to be careful what they placed in the kerbside bins. “It’s great to have our recycling back on the right track but,…
A BRUTAL murder is committed in a small town in France. The dismembered corpse is dropped from a railway viaduct onto passing trains below. All except the head. Based upon an actual event, L’amante Anglaise is a beautifully poignant and emotionally powerful portrait of lost passion. This modern classic psychological thriller from celebrated French author, Marguerite Duras, takes you right inside the heart and mind of the perpetrator and is a fascinating and compelling true crime story. Pierre (Rob Meldrum) and Claire Lannes (Jillian Murray) are ordinary human beings leading everyday lives until catastrophe occurs. Over the course of the…
ALYCE Welbourne opened her exhibition at Oak Hill Gallery in Mornington last week with her first series of paintings entitled Static. Her works feature several nude life drawings she completed at the gallery’s Thursday life drawing sessions. In 2013 and 2014, Welbourne, 22, of Mt Martha, won the Lady Potter Young Australian Artist of the Year award, and these pieces are also on display. “Oil painting and drawing is a hobby of mine,” Welbourne said. “I went to Mornington Secondary College and did VCE art, graduating in 2015.” However, her future may have a different focus: “I aspire to become…
SOUTH Mornington footballers have a new home with the official opening of the pavilion at Mt Martha’s Citation Recreation Reserve. The single level pavilion was opened on Sunday 28 April by the mayor Cr David Gill and Crs Bev Colomb and Rosie Clark. It will be used by both junior and senior players. The building was designed to meet the needs of local sporting and community groups with its social room, multi-purpose change rooms, unisex toilets and showers, office space and store rooms, kitchen/kiosk, first-aid room, accessible toilets and external public toilets. The building has low-energy lighting, heating and cooling…
Police and other emergency services are currently at the scene of a collision which has claimed the lives of two people in Balnarring this afternoon. Police believe a car has collided with a truck near the intersection of Myers Road and Coolart Road just after 1.30pm. The driver of the truck was uninjured. The two rear passengers of the car died at the scene. It is believed they are Chinese nationals visiting a family member in Australia. The 52-year-old driver of the car was transported to hospital with minor injuries and is currently assisting police with their enquiries. Anyone with…
A LYNDHURST man handed himself in to police after an incident in Mornington’s Centro car park in which two brothers were allegedly assaulted, early Saturday 4 May. Detective Alex Montgomery, of Somerville CIU, said the man was interviewed by officers at Cranbourne police station but no charges had been laid, Wednesday. He said the brothers, aged 17 and 20, of Mornington and Mt Martha, were walking through a car park after leaving a nearby hotel when a fight started with a group of men about 3am. They were punched and knocked to the ground in the melee which stopped when…
SOMERVILLE Highway patrol’s Leading Senior Constable Greg Wolfe has a simple answer when asked why police bother doing breath tests in the middle of the day: “It’s because we keep detecting people like the 56-year-old Mt Martha woman pulled over in Osborne Drive at 1.45pm, Thursday 2 May, who blew 0.233 per cent and the 41-year-old Cranbourne West man detected in Frankston at 11.30am, Tuesday 7 May who blew 0.238 per cent.” “Remember, you can be tested for alcohol and drugs while driving anywhere, anytime.” First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 14 May 2019
A MOTORBIKE rider wearing a purple Ellesse leisure suit with matching shoes and scarf showed plenty of attitude while speeding along Peninsula Link Frankston on 22 April. Detectives are keen to speak with him over a range of “high range and excessive speed offences”. The rider with a tattoo on the back of his left hand was colour coordinated, too: his bike is believed to be a purple Harley Davidson V-ROD. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 14 May 2019
THE Access All Terrain program co-designed by YMCA Mt Eliza project coordinator Jason Ellery is a finalist in the VicHealth Initiative of the Year Award. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the awards, which celebrate the achievements of sportspeople with disabilities, as well as the coaches, organisations, officials and volunteers who support them. Mr Ellery has a spinal cord injury and, as a wheelchair user, is able to show the perspective of a person with a disability as well as advocate for them. As a lover of the outdoors and being active, Mr Ellery previously played wheelchair rugby for…
BEFORE Eliza discovered that “the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plane” and Higgins struggled with “why can’t the English learn to speak”, these two characters graced the stage in George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion. Much like an artist sculpting a statue of a goddess, Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering attempt to turn street flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a Duchess. However, women are not stoic pieces of art, they are passionate beings with their own mind, a fact that the men forget to consider. As the original My Fair Lady, Pygmalion not only explores the language barriers that…
BELIEVE it or not, snow and floods hit Peninsula Specialist College early Friday morning – right on school drop-off time. A reader sent in pictures of a frozen white roadway and flooded grounds. “Everyone was quite bewildered,” she said. Principal Peter Koop would not comment on the extreme-weather event which forced the school, in Old White Hill Road, Dromana, to shut for the day. Just kilometres away, Eastbourne Primary School was also faced with a watery dilemma as rain quickly filled a car park exit. No snow, but certainly no lack of water. Pictures: Yanni (main and) supplied First published…
Homicide Squad detectives have charged a man following the death of a man in Hastings on Monday night. Emergency services were called to an address on Salmon Street about 7.45pm on 5 May after reports a man had been stabbed. The 43-year-old Hastings man subsequently passed. A 46-year-old Hastings man was arrested on the night and has today been charged with one count of murder. He will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this afternoon. Victoria Police News – Wednesday, 8 May 2019
AN organisation serving the disadvantaged around Western Port celebrated its 40th birthday with 40 guests at Flinders Golf Club. Western Port Community Support manager Georgia Hourn said the Hastings-based agency founded in humble circumstances in April 1979 had “grown to become the largest provider of emergency relief in the Western Port region”. “Presently we are a team of three part-time staff, including myself, alongside Liz Maher, who is coordinator of volunteers and administrative assistant, and Kara Van Der Heyde, our housing and support case worker.” Ms Hourn praised the “35 dedicated volunteers” who make the service hum. “As a volunteer…
HOMICIDE Squad detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man in Hastings, Sunday night, 5 May. It is believed two neighbours were involved in an argument at a house on Salmon Street when one, aged 43, was allegedly stabbed with a serrated edged weapon. Emergency services were called to the house about 7.45pm. They placed the injured man in an ambulance, but he died on the way to hospital. Detectives on Monday were interviewing a man, 46, who was arrested at the scene and taken to Frankston CIU. A woman seen speaking to police at the…
THIS legendary Irish folk music duo began in 1975 when Mick Foster & Tony Allen formed their duo FOSTER & ALLEN. For three years they toured cabaret venues in Ireland and the UK. Their big break-through came in 1978 when they released the single A Bunch of Thyme in Ireland which stayed in the Irish Charts for an unbelievable 53 weeks. However, at this stage their success was only known to Ireland and it was not until 1982 that A Bunch of Thyme was released in the UK. It was played by all the radio stations in Britain and…
MORNINGTON archer Zach Tonizzo had great success at the Youth National Archery Championships at Armidale, NSW, 12-16 April. As a member of the Frankston Archery Club he and teammates Jai Crawley, Elizabeth Ainge and Tian Mortimer brought home 11 medals: three gold, three silver and five bronze. Zach, 17, came second in Target in under-20 Male Recurve; third in Field and third in Short Range. Asked what he enjoyed most about the tournament he said: “It’s hard to pick a single event as they were all so much fun. It would have to be the field course because, not only…
ARGUABLY Australia’s best Elvis impersonator Rick Charles together with his son Adrian as Freddie Mercury of Queen are star attractions at a Variety charity fundraiser at Mornington Yacht Club from 7.30pm on Saturday 18 May. “A Musical Affair with a King and Queen” has been organised by Variety Bash stalwarts John Crossin and John Mackie of Mornington as they prepare for another wild ride across Australia in August, from Melbourne to Geraldton in WA, in Car 86, their Ford Fairlane LTD that once carried Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser around Canberra. This will be John Crossin’s 16th Bash and the 15th…
By Barry Morris A MORNINGTON church group wants Australia’s political leaders to increase overseas aid which has dropped to an all-time low. St Macartan’s Catholic Church social justice group says the lack of commitment to foreign aid is a “disgrace”. The group has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Nationals leader Michael McCormack and Greens leader Richard di Natale. As well as publishing the letter in St Macartan’s parish bulletin, it has sent the letter to peninsula church newsletters and bulletins in the hope of alerting all people of goodwill on the dire…
A P-PLATE driver from Skye who rolled his 2000 Toyota ute, above, at Somerville Secondary College oval, 11pm, Saturday 13 April, told police his friends had “egged him on” to drive faster. After asking police to call his mother, the driver admitted to doing doughnuts and skids alongside his two friends before losing control of his vehicle. He was one of two hoon drivers caught by Hastings police with help from Hastings and Somerville eyewitnesses. In a similar incident, a P-plater from Bittern rolled his 1995 Nissan Patrol, above, in the Hastings marina car park about 11pm, Tuesday 26 March,…
Barry Morris THE Hastings-based Dolphin Research Institute is hoping to widen its support base to help safeguard the lives of the entertaining aquatic mammals. Its adopt-a-dolphin program aims to have 100,000 people involved in ‘i sea i care communities’ by 2020 through citizen science, dolphin ecology and health and education. DRI director Jeff Weir last week told a meeting organised by BERG MM at Mt Martha House that the communities were launched in June last year with the Western Port community of Tooradin followed by Mornington on Port Phillip. Programs are run in schools, businesses and there are community events…
RYE’S Amy Foster is one of many new mums celebrating their first Mother’s Day on Sunday 12 May. It’s even more special now that her new-born baby Sonny is home after spending a month in the special care nursery at Frankston Hospital. “Sonny was teeny tiny – only 1762 grams (three pounds eight ounces) when he was born,” Amy said. “He was born at 34 weeks but he was only 31 weeks in size – so he has had a bit of catching up to do.” The first few weeks of Sonny’s life were challenging for the family as Amy…
A wedding guest in Mornington is far from being best man after allegedly getting behind the wheel while drunk and damaging the venue. Police were called to a golf club on Tallis Drive about 10pm last night (4 May) after reports a man had been evicted from the venue and was driving erratically through the car park. The vehicle was then driven onto the golf green, damaging the grounds. Police arrested the driver, who was taken back to the station for an evidentiary breath test. The 33-year-old Langwarrin man returned an alleged reading of .177 per cent and had his…
THE first big load of beautifully knitted scarves, beanies, mittens and jumpers for older children has been delivered to Food for All for the Winter Woollies Appeal. Knitted garments and wool for those who can’t afford to buy them can be left at the Hastings branch of the Bendigo Bank for collection. Among the last load was a huge bag of knitted elephants loved by children who are not well, and also older people with dementia. Southern Peninsula Food for All collects donations which are then distributed by the Mornington Peninsula conferences of St Vincent de Paul to needy families.…