A shoplifter with a penchant for baby formula is being sought by detectives. The man, pictured, entered the Woolworths supermarket at Bentons Square, Dunns Road, Mornington 5pm, Saturday 9 March, and stole $498 of baby formula. Detectives said he made several attempts to steal formula at the store as well as from other Woolworth’s stores in the area. Police have released CCTV images of the man described as Indian in appearance, late 20s, 175cm tall and with a thin build. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at…
Author: MP News Group
MORNINGTON’S Shelley Heath made her debut for Melbourne Football Club’s AFLW team on 9 March. The 18-year-old, who finished school last year after attending Mornington Secondary College, was drafted by Melbourne in October. “We were surprised and thrilled that Shelley was drafted,” said mum Gill Heath. That was the beginning of a lot of hard work and training that culminated in the start against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium. Shelley’s winning spirit has followed her through life. An Australian Taekwondo champion at age eight, she grabbed the opportunity to play Australian Rules Football with both hands. Rising through the…
IT was February 1986; Tyson was the heavyweight champ, Reagan was president, but the real action was at Kooyong…the night Tom Petty supported Bob Dylan. Re-live that incredible line up at The Bob Dylan and Tom Petty Show, and rock out to Running Down a Dream, American Girl, Don’t Come Around Here No More, The Waiting, Refugee, Like a Rolling Stone, All Along the Watchtower, Hard Rain, Tombstone Blues, House of the Rising Sun and many other classic Dylan-Petty hits. “32 years on, and people still refer to the True Confessions Tour as one of the most remarkable gigs they’ve…
JO Cooper is a woman with a firm grasp on history. The Peninsula Grange resident who celebrated her 102nd birthday on Saturday 9 March with family and friends, lays claim to being born in Sorrento as the great-great-granddaughter of the first white baby born in the area, Jane Watts, in 1803. Daughter Joyce Curry, who says “it’s an education listening to her stories”, confirmed her mum’s great-grandparents owned Watts Cottage next to the Nepean Historical Society building at the back beach end of Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento. Ms Cooper can recall delivering milk and butter to her great-grandmother after school…
Human rights advocate and lawyer Nyadol Nyuon spoke of her family’s difficulties of adjusting to a new society after being brought to Australia from a refugee camp in Kenya. Ms Nyuon, who was born in the refugee camp in Itang, Ethiopia, said the difficulties were faced mainly by her mother, who spoke with “limited English” and had a longing for the place and friends of her birth. Since her family settled in Ballarat, Ms Nyuon has completed a Bachelor Arts from Victoria University and a Juris Doctor from University of Melbourne and currently practises in commercial litigation and as community…
THE billy cart derby organised by Point Nepean Men’s Shed went off without a hitch, Saturday 16 March. “We could not have asked for a better day,” organiser Terry Phippen said. “We had all 20 carts in action over the afternoon, plus a few extras, and a design by shed president John Stevenson became instantly popular with competitors of all ages.” Charities to benefit from the $1200 raised were Rye Community House, “Buy a Bale” and Gippsland Farmers’ Relief. “The kids all took to the idea of racing the carts,” Mr Phippen said. “Some were a bit nervous at first,…
Repairs are being made to the sandbag seawall installed to stop erosion at Portsea front beach in 2010. “The seawall was first installed in 2010 and since then has helped protect the foreshore against storm surge, waves, tides and wind,” the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s Port Phillip regional director, Kelly Crosthwaite, said. “The outer layer of the of the wall is in poor condition, with wear and tear resulting in damage to several areas. Because of the way the sandbag seawall is constructed, the repairs required are extensive and involve replacing most of the existing wall.” Ms…
BURGLARS forced a rear window at a Rosebud rental property and stole jewellery, between 1-9 March. Taken from the Eighth Avenue property was a chain, two rings, costume jewellery and a jewellery box, valued at $650. A security door, flywire door and a dishwasher were stolen from a house under construction in Bittern, overnight Friday 8 March. A $4800 yellow kayak was stolen from a Mt Martha house that had earlier been gutted by fire. Detectives said burglars forced a garage door at the Spencer Street house that had been unoccupied for several weeks. Offenders unsuccessfully used a jemmy bar…
A MAN was punched, kicked and threatened with a hammer by five men who then stole his phone in Mornington, 4.45am, Sunday 17 March. Detectives said the man was waiting for a cab just off Mornington-Tyabb Road when a white VT Commodore with flashing red and blue lights with five men aboard pulled up. They threatened the victim and, when he refused to hand over his phone and attempted to run away, he was chased down and assaulted. The phone is valued at $500. One of the men is described as a tall Caucasian, two others are described as Aboriginal…
A MORNINGTON milk bar owner chased two men on bikes after they attempted to steal from her shop, 2.45pm, Friday 15 March. Detectives said the men wearing scarves as face coverings entered the Wandella Road shop with a hammer and a knife and attempted to raid the till. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Somerville CIU, said the woman shopkeeper refused and hit out as she tried to defend herself. The men ran out of the shop but not before swinging the hammer and smashing a display case. The victim drove after the men but lost them. Anyone who recognises…
The federal government may get involved in safety and accessibility issues at The Pillars cliff jumping site if Labor wins the May election. The party’s candidate for Flinders, Joshua Sinclair says the 400 metre long “temporary” fence erected along the Esplanade at Mt Martha by Mornington Peninsula Shire should be replaced by a boardwalk. Mr Sinclair says that if elected he will work closely with the shire “to ensure an environmentally appropriate, safe, and accessible boardwalk is built”. He says he has told “those living off the esplanade” that he wants to see a permanent solution to this issue and…
A PUSH to rid the Mornington Peninsula of plastic straws is gaining traction. The Peninsula’s Last Straw community group promoting the use of less harmful paper straws asked cafes in Dromana to replace their plastic straws with paper ones – for free – to reduce plastic pollution. This followed the success of the Peninsula’s Last Straw project which won a Keep Victoria Beautiful Gift Fund award of $1000 last year. Afterwards the project was launched in Rye and is now included in the shire’s Best Bites food award program. Mornington Peninsula Citizen of the Year 2019 Josie Jones said the…
Mt Martha Primary School plays host to LEGO exhibits from Brickvention’s Master Builders as part of the School’s Carnivale this Saturday 10am to 3pm. Around 15 LEGO exhibits will be on free public display including the Phantom as pictured by Trevor Clark and Sue Ann Barber from MUGS (Melbourne LEGO User Group). Martin Page, Principal at Mt Martha Primary says ‘we are delighted to have teamed up with MUGS this year and be able to offer a unique and interactive LEGO experience for our school and community. Visitors can try their hand at the speed LEGO building competition and even help…
Wildlife carers say the deaths of hundreds of possums earlier this month could have been avoided if suburban gardens were made more wildlife friendly. The aftermath of successive days of high temperatures will see young orphan possums needing care for months to come. Wildlife carers and educators Janet Wheeler and Paula Rivera, from Living with Wildlife, say gardens can be easily modified to provide wildlife with food, water, shelter and “pathways to find a mate”. Their organisation Living with Wildlife will hold a free Gardening for Wildlife workshop 10am-midday this Saturday (23 March) at Karingal Place Neighbourhood Centre, 103 Ashleigh…
MEMBERS of the Somerville Community House and several community groups and the Sage family met on Saturday 23 February to share insight into the late Annie Sage. They watched on as a copy of her portrait, originally painted by Nora Heyson, the first woman to win the Archibald Prize, was unveiled by her great nephew Alan Sage. The print was bought from the Australian War Museum in Canberra with money raised by the Somerville Family Day Committee. Annie Moriah Sage was born in 1895, schooled at Somerville and worked in the local grocer’s shop. Encouraged by her grandparents, she moved…
HEY Rock & Roll music fans the wait is over – “Let’s go back to where it all began” as we relive the magic & the great hits of legendary music icons Buddy Holly & The Beatles Together Live In Concert. Buddy Holly & The Beatles shook the world in the 50’s & 60’s with their massive chart hits that are still timeless & popular 50 years on with over 400 million record sales between them this will be a concert experience not to be missed with hit after massive hit. After sold out concerts in Australia audiences will absolutely…
A PICTURE-perfect Red Hill day set the scene for the announcement of the 2019 Montalto Sculpture Prize winner: Moonah by Kylie Stillman (above). Montalto owners, the Mitchell family, were joined by fellow judges, artists and guests at the event, Sunday 24 February. The $40,000 acquisitive award aims to encourage artistic pursuit in a public forum. Moonah is a free-standing stack of hand-cut fence palings. The imposing work maintains Stillman’s use of everyday materials and follows her use of books and papers to form the objects into which she carves. These often enigmatic “blocks” have a presence in themselves. In this…
A 24 YEAR old Frankston man was arrested in Hastings on 11 March after a series of alleged car thefts. Frankston Crime Investigation Unit Detective Sergeant Luke Holmes said the man had been “prolific in his offending in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula area.” It is alleged that the man would meet up with people looking to sell their cars on the website Gumtree, and ask to test drive their cars. The man would then allegedly drive off. Police allege his offences occurred in the Frankston, Seaford, and Hastings areas between 19 February and 11 March. The man allegedly would…
SOMERVILLE Highway Patrol nightshift had a busy time Wednesday 13 March pulling over five drivers with drugs in their systems. One had his car impounded. Leading Senior Constable Greg Wolfe said those intercepted included a 30-year-old woman from Southbank who tested positive to methamphetamines, and being an unaccompanied learner driver with no L plates. A Frankston North man, 39, tested positive for methamphetamine in Excelsior Drive, and a Baxter man, 24, tested positive for the same drug in Klauer Street, Seaford. His car was impounded as his licence had already been suspended. A Frankston man, 37, tested positive to methamphetamine…
Mornington Peninsula Shire has agreed to a developer paying $5000 for a thin strip of land overhung by a first-floor balcony. The balcony is part of a three-storey building on the Esplanade, Mornington that has been built next to the shire-owned car park in Vancouver Street. Senior property officer Jonathan Chivers told council’s Tuesday 12 March meeting that it “is not possible” to remove the offending tensioned steel reinforced concrete balcony. He said the solution to the overhanging balcony was to sell the developer a 25-centimetre-wide strip of the shire’s land. The development at 786 Esplanade has shops on the…
Labor candidate for Flinders, Joshua Sinclair, has moved quickly to climb aboard the electrification of the rail line to Baxter project. With the results of a $3 million federal government-financed business case due soon, Mr Sinclair last week “reaffirmed that a Shorten Labor government will move quickly to deliver the much-needed Frankston to Baxter rail upgrade”. “A federal Labor government will electrify and duplicate the track [from Frankston] to Baxter, giving commuters better access to high quality public transport and park-and-ride options,” he said. “Shadow Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said the project was part of Labor’s commitment to increase public…
“IT was good to see people still have good hearts.” Elderly Rosebud resident Maureen Baldwin was speaking after strangers came to the aid of her husband Ron after he fell and cut his head last week. “They were holidaymakers from West Footscray camping on the foreshore for the weekend, but they came over and did all they could to assist us,” she said. “One went and got my car while the others comforted Ron and another waited at the end of the street to tell the ambulance where we were. “Even their little children came over to see if they…
MORNINGTON Pirates Baseball Club has been part of the Mornington sporting scene since 1975. Based at C B Wilson Reserve on Wilsons Road, they fielded eight teams last year across mens, womens and juniors. With the 2019 season just around the corner, they are having two ‘come and try’ days to attract new participants to the sport. “We are hoping to grow the number of teams we field this year, so are calling for anybody out there who’d like to come and see what we are about”, said Jo Schutt from Mornington Pirates. Mornington Pirates pride themselves on being a…
THE newly re-branded Southern Peninsula Sharks could be in for a big year if their pre-season matches are anything to go by. The Sharks’ men’s Big V team have won all three of their pre-season games with their most recent victory coming over Mornington on Saturday 23 February while their women’s team is going just as well having won all bar two of their matches. Those two games were a draw against Frankston and a loss against Waverly who are both NBL 1 league teams. Despite losing several key players at the end of last season, Southern Peninsula Sharks basketball…
THE Pat Carey-trained mare, Swift Sis, broke through for her first victory in Victoria on Saturday 2 March. After making the move from Western Australia, the now eight-time winner stepped out for her second start in Victoria and stormed past her rivals to record a narrow victory down the Flemington straight (1100m). Donning the iconic Makybe Farm silks, worn by three-time Melbourne Cup champion Makybe Diva, Swift Sis lifted in the final 100m to nab the Jason Warren-trained mare Miss Toorak Flyer who had run past her at the 600m mark. Despite going around at the odds of $31, Mornington-based…
ITALIAN Opera is filled with popular and well loved highlights which have stood the test of time and remain the most beloved items in the classical repertoire. In this rousing afternoon, the acclaimed 40 piece Melbourne Opera Orchestra conducted by and introduced by Greg Hocking AM will perform the most popular operatic arias, duets and ensembles. Featuring stars from the opera, this concert will transport you to eras gone by and famous characters of the best known Italian operas. Highlights of the programme include from Verdi’s La Traviata the famous Drinking Song (Libiamo) and of course many of the most…
WITH no end in sight to the recycling crisis Mornington Peninsula Shire has backed the Municipal Association of Victoria’s plan for a “well-designed container deposit scheme”. This would go part way to preventing recyclable rubbish going to the tip. (“Recyclables go to landfill” The News 27/2/19). The shire’s executive manager infrastructure services Jessica Wingad said the move would “increase recycling rates and reduce litter by providing a financial incentive to consumers to return their cans and bottles”. Ms Wingad said councils were “stepping up to identify local solutions” in the row, which included more investment and greater regulation of the…
Slow ahead: The Safety Beach Coast Guard tows the stricken boat back to calmer waters out from the Rosebud Motor Boat Squadron, above; the rescued fisherman was hooked by his own line, top left, while his boat was left to sink off Rosebud with a marker buoy attached. Pictures: Supplied SHARP eyes at Rosebud Motor Boat Squadron helped save the life of a fisherman whose boat sank in rough seas last week. Member Mitch Delic saw the boat being swamped and raised the alarm with the Safety Beach Coast Guard and police before heading out himself, Wednesday 6 March. Gale-force…
Nathan Lesslie, pictured, has been named as the Australian Greens candidate for the seat of Flinders in the May federal election. Mr Lesslie stood for the seat of Hastings in last November’s state election which was won by Liberal Neale Burgess. In his bid to become a federal MP Mr Lesslie is standing against long time Flinders MP, Liberal Greg Hunt, Labor’s Josh Sinclair and former Liberal and now independent Julia banks. Mr Lesslie, 32, married with two children, has been working as a social worker for the past 10 years. He says seeing the barriers faced by the families…
A SWORD was thrust through the security door of a Mornington house during a dispute, 10.10pm, Wednesday 6 March. Detective Acting Sergeant Peter Drake, of Somerville CIU, said a resident of the house in Coimadai Close, aged 30, heard a noise outside. He opened the front door to investigate – leaving the security door locked. On the porch a man, carrying a sword, and a woman, demanded he hand over “property”. The resident refused. As the man tried to force open the security door the sword was thrust through the wire mesh. Two women, aged 30 and 48, were also…