REVAMPED Jewellery volunteers who support women and their families on the Mornington Peninsula, started the charity group at home some years ago to help disadvantaged women and children. They moved to a boutique in Carbine Way, Mornington, in February 2013, before moving again in 2016. They are now set up at Bentons Square Community Centre, Tuesdays 10am-3pm (except for school holidays). The small group of volunteers clean, repair and price jewellery ready for sale. “Over this period we have been able to support The Catherine Hamlin Foundation to assist 10 Ethiopian women have life-changing operations at a cost of $600…
Author: MP News Group
SIGHTSEERS – some wearing shorts, t-shirts and thongs – were an unwelcome distraction for firefighters battling a blaze near a vacant property on the corner of Forest Drive and Hearn Road, Saturday 1 December. The fire was near the camp at the Joseph Harris Scout Park – an area rated extreme in a Mornington Peninsula Shire Council assessment of bushfire prone areas on the peninsula. Captain Travis Hutchins said the Mt Martha brigade was called to a “large column of smoke” about 5.30pm. Access was difficult for the larger vehicles and the brigade responded with several ultra-light tankers and other…
LETTERS of congratulation from the Queen, the Governor-General, Premier and Flinders MP Greg Hunt, were welcome acknowledgements to Mornington centenarian Toni Davis. The Village Glen resident celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends in the new building, Thursday 6 December, before a family dinner at Mornington Golf Club on the Saturday. Ms Davis’s son, Brian, described the arrival of the congratulatory letters as “an ongoing scenario”. “They were all beautifully done and very well presented,” he said. He paid tribute to his mother who he said was a “very capable bridge player” who had enjoyed golf in her younger…
MORNINGTON Yacht Club is hoping to attract more women into sailing with their new program, ‘Girl’s Out Sailing’. The program looks at the basics of sailing as well as behind-the-scenes aspects of a sailing club such as volunteering. Mornington Yacht Club board member, Michelle Pickford, said the five-session program is all about have a good time out on the water. “Girls Out Sailing was put together to get women and teenage girls to step out into an unreal program,” Pickford said. “It’s all about socialisation, meeting new people and learning the basic sailing skills to enjoy some time out on…
ROSEBUD Country Club junior golfer, Gracie Larsen, represented Victoria for the first time at the School Sports National Golf Championships on the Bellarine Peninsula on Monday 12 November. Despite it being her first time competing, Gracie was awarded the honour of captaining the under-12s Victorian side, along with the boy’s team captain, Bailey Goodall. Victoria ended up coming away with an overall bronze medal from the five-day championships and Gracie’s father, Tom Larsen, said the competition made them “better people, not just golfers”. “They played awesome as a team and really enjoyed themselves out there,” he said. “They had no…
AUSTRALIAN music icons, Brian Cadd and Russell Morris, have been friends for over forty years and have been touring together from time to time over the past decades and are back after a 7 year break to perform a limited amount of shows. From 1966 until his departure for America in 1975, singer, songwriter, keyboard player and producer Brian Cadd was one of the most prominent musicians on the local scene. Brian moved back to Australia in 1997 where he remained for the next 20 years, still rocking and playing to huge audiences nationwide. In 2007 he was inducted into…
Welcome to the world of Kingswood. Don’t be confused by the veneer. Like the iconic Aussie car of the same name, it’s all about what’s under the hood. “We wanted to make something that would rival Abbey Road,” guitarist Alex Laska told Rolling Stone magazine in the throes of their second album, After Hours, Close to Dawn. “I know it sounds insane but if you don’t strive for that kind of thing, what are you doing? Seriously, what are you doing?” The goal posts refuse to yield on the Melbourne rock quartet’s third album, currently under construction across four studios…
THE new Rye boat ramp was officially opened on Friday with the Safety Beach Coast Guard boat being first off the ramp and into the water. The controversial extra ramp was built as part of a major upgrade, with $648,000 from Mornington Peninsula Shire and $588,000 from Transport Victoria. The mayor Cr David Gill predicted the new ramp would cut boat launching and retrieval times “from 51 minutes to 16 minutes” during the busy season. While seeing the Rye works as an “investment”, Cr Gill said an election policy announcement by the incoming Labor government should reduce the $250,000 spent…
POLICE presence at schools in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula will soon increase to issue fines to speeding drivers. A Frankston Council statement said that “due to ongoing complaints and incidents” there would be an increase in police “patrolling local school zones and issuing fines to drivers doing the wrong thing.” Frankston mayor Cr Michael O’Reilly said “keeping kids safe as they get to and from school is everyone’s responsibility.” “Reducing your speed from 60kph to 40kph to travel through a 400 metre school speed zone only adds around twelve seconds to your overall travel time. This reduction in…
By Barry Morris VOLUNTEER drivers are angry and disappointed that a woman who didn’t have cancer used a free transport service to get a lift to a Melbourne hospital for an x-ray. The woman called the Southern Peninsula Cancer Support Group, where some of the drivers are former cancer patients, and asked for a lift to and from hospital. The woman also requested that the service call her on the day of her appointment to wake her up. She then asked for the driver to take her dog to a friend’s home so that it would be looked after. Taking…
TYABB Airport will be swinging their doors open in the name of Christmas cheer on Sunday December 2. There will be a free sausage sizzle, live music and enjoyment for all the family. Gates open 10.30am with the sausage sizzle from noon. Entry is by donation of an unwrapped toy to fill a Christmas stocking for disadvantaged children on the Mornington Peninsula. Last year the Toy Run collected over 500 toys which were distributed by the charity Food for All. Antique and Warbird aircraft will be on display as well a collection of Classic and Holden Cars. Head down to…
RYE father and daughter Jim and Anna McCauley are carving some special memories as they work alongside each other on the southern peninsula’s newest attraction – Sand Sculpting Australia presents Peter Pan. They have joined 13 other award-winning international and Australian sand sculptors as they intricately carve 3500 tonnes of sand into Peter Pan themed artworks along the wetlands and garden pathways of Boneo Maze. Jim has been involved with the sand sculpting movement on the peninsula from the beginning. In 2000 he approached the Rye Action Group with the idea of a sand sculpture exhibition and competition on the…
VOLUNTEERS and community members at Seawinds Community Hub are keen to get the message out that the centre is “moving forward in a positive way”, having welcomed four new board members at a recent board meeting. New CEO Karen Vanderkaay confirmed last week that the atmosphere at the hub has been “really positive”. This comes after a “turbulent” period when four of the five board members resigned (“Call for new direction at Seawinds” The News 29/10/2018). At the time a petition was presented to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council signed by 78 volunteers, staff, and members of community groups unhappy with…
THE AGL Peninsula Film Festival returns to entertain the crowds on screen and stage this February, and for the first time introduces Musiqua, with live music at Hastings Foreshore. Now in its eighth year, the festival will run from February 1 – 3, 2019 and features a ticketed launch at Rosebud Cinema on the Friday Feb 1, the popular FREE short film festival at the Village Green in Rosebud on Sat Feb 2 and is expanding to include a new music festival at Hastings, Musiqua, on the Sunday Feb 3. The FREE short film festival is the highlight of the…
By Adana Hulett NESTLED in the heart of Balnarring on the Mornington Peninsula is The Red Hill Bakery. A family-run store that provides freshly made breads, cakes and pies as well as salads and takeaway meals. On a Sunday afternoon there is no better place to be than listening to the sounds of trumpets and saxophones live; a tradition run by the bakery. Ray Johns is the face behind the name, owning the store alongside his wife Jill. Ray is a passionate and humble man who loves nothing more than music, bread and his beloved wooden boat. Born in Kew,…
AN elderly McCrae driver who lost control of his Toyota Landcruiser found himself perched atop the outside wire-rope barrier on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Mt Martha, 11am, Thursday 15 November. The 76-year old, who was uninjured, is suspected of having a medical episode. He will undergo a medical review of his licence by VicRoads. “Are you right to drive? If in doubt, speak to your GP,” Leading Senior Constable Greg Wolfe said. First published in the Mornington News – 27 November 2018
MORNINGTON Art Show will feature leading Australian artist David Brayshaw in its 47th art show to run 18-26 January. Brayshaw is listed by the Kevin Hills Gallery in Sydney as one of Australia’s top-10 artists. A professional artist since 1982, and working in oils and mixed media, Brayshaw is well known across Australia with solo and group exhibitions. He has also exhibited in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and the US. He is renowned for his coastal, Great Barrier Reef and alpine paintings. Captivated by the sublime landscapes of Mt Kosciuszko and the Victorian Alps, his alpine paintings have featured in…
FUNDRAISING efforts by the Pesky Peddlers riding club within O’Brien Real Estate has given 10 Dromana Specialist School pupils the thrill of owning their own bikes. The Pesky Peddlers challenged themselves to ride the 210km Around the Bay last month and, with the support of other staff and their network, raised the money to buy the bikes – the children’s first. O’Brien Real Estate’s Jason Mudford said the cycling club was set up to boost “camaraderie and fitness”. “Being competitive by nature we set ourselves the challenge and thought it would be a great idea to raise money to help…
Police are appealing for information following a hit-run collision in Rye on 11 November. Investigators have been told two men left a licensed premises on Point Nepean Road about 9.20pm after being escorted out by security. The pair got into a black ute and began driving towards a ‘no exit’ area onto Point Nepean Road. A security guard tried to deter the pair from driving in the wrong direction as the car continued rolling forward. He grabbed the driver’s side of the car in an attempt to stop it, however the driver accelerated, causing the security guard to fall and…
Armed Crime Squad detectives have arrested a man following an alleged attempted aggravated burglary and firearms incident in Rosebud this morning. Police responded following reports of gunshots heard on Spray Street about 12.50am. It is understood a man allegedly attended a home and tried to force his way inside before firing a shot towards the property and driving away. A 35-year-old Rosebud man was arrested nearby and is currently assisting police with their enquiries. A 17-year-old female who was home at the time was not injured and there was no damage to the house. The investigation is ongoing. Investigators believe…
CRIB Point Community Garden, Somerville Rise Primary School and Somerville Fire Brigade are the first groups to share in the annual community grant of $5000 from Peninsula Quarries. The grants go to community groups in the Somerville, Tyabb and Mornington areas for projects supporting the environment. Crib Point Community Garden will receive $1750 for a 4000-litre water tank. This will enable environmentally responsible watering of the garden which provides fresh food for welfare groups. Somerville Rise Primary School will receive $2245 for environmental learning hub The Barn which teaches pupils about sustainability and environment issues. Somerville Fire Brigade will receive…
HASTINGS MP Neale Burgess has made clear his opposition to AGL’s plans to import gas via Crib Point with the placing of a large sign at Crib Point. With just six days to Saturday’s poll his picture adorns this large billboard on the corner of Stony Point Road and Disney Street, opposite the service station. “We appreciate Neale’s support for the Crib Point community in our battle to stop AGL’s major gas importation facility,” Save Westernport spokesperson Julia Stockigt said. “We hope that Neale also understands the fragility of the Westernport environment and opposes other port plans for Western Port,…
FOUR candidates will contest the seat of Hastings held by Liberal Neale Burgess since 2006 and re-elected in 2010 and 2014 with a 9.6 per cent margin. They are Nathan Lesslie, Greens, Simon Meyer, ALP, Neale Burgess, Liberal, and Georgia Knight, Animal Justice Party. Ms Knight is the only female candidate in the three Mornington Peninsula seats. Nathan Lesslie – Greens NATHAN lives on the Mornington Peninsula with my wife and two daughters. As a social worker in the non-profit sector he helps others to reach their potential. He believes the current system is unfair and wants to create a…
THE WESTERN Port Steelers will lead the way when it comes to mental health and wellbeing for basketballers in Victoria as they commence their new resilience project on Tuesday 11 December. Becoming the first basketball association in Victoria to implement this initiative, the Steelers will hold a “resilience project” information session that looks at building resilience within sporting clubs, schools and work places as well as opening up conversations about mental health and positive health habits. The program is targeted towards the junior basketballers, in particular the representative players due to the perceived extra pressure of competing at that level,…
SOME of the best bowlers from the Mornington Peninsula will battle it out in the Regional Triples Final on Wednesday 21 November at the Mount Eliza Bowling Club. Having made their way through the semi-finals in convincing fashion, Mt Eliza will play off against Frankston in the Men’s division while Dromana and Karingal will face off in the Women’s division. A packed crowd is anticipated to attend the final which will be played under-lights and is set to kick off at 6:00pm. Mount Eliza Bowling Club chairman, Dale Verhagen, said he was very much looking forward to seeing how Mt…
MORNINGTON detectives are investigating a suspected road rage punch-up on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, Wednesday 14 November. A Rye man driving a Holden Commodore reportedly clashed with two men in a Mercedes sedan, one of Taylors Hill and the other of Sunshine North, after they pulled over into the emergency lane opposite the Safety Beach Country Club, 6.20am. After the incident the Rye man was taken to the Frankston Hospital but was expected to be released late last week. The others were treated at the scene. The three men are believed to know each other. Police later charged the men…
POLICE are investigating a series of ram raids in a stolen car in the Somerville area. The 2004 silver Ford ute was stolen from a house in Bellary Lane, Langwarrin, 5.30am, Wednesday 7 November. A man broke into a shed and stole tools as well as the keys to the car before driving it away. The next burglary was at Woodleigh School, Frankston South, overnight Thursday 8 November when the ute was reversed into a shed door and tools stolen. The ute was then spotted in Simcox Street, Somerville, where the driver attempted two more ram raids. Both were unsuccessful.…
POLICE Dog Squad member Fargo put his nose to the ground and tracked down a 15-year-old Hastings youth after two houses were allegedly broken into at Hastings, Tuesday night 13 November. Several police units converged on the area about 1.15am after reports of break-ins and began a lengthy search. Fargo tracked the youth after he was seen disappearing into nearby bushland. Another youth was not found. After covering some distance during his “track”, and having earned a break, the Somerville Highway Patrol nightshift unit gave him a lift back to his vehicle. First published in the Mornington News – 20 November…
A SOMERVILLE man has been charged with allegedly assaulting an off-duty female paramedic in a road rage incident in Bungower Road, Thursday 1 November. The man, 21, allegedly started following the 23-year-old when she flashed her headlights at him after he “cut her off”. Police will allege that when the woman parked her car, the man approached and smashed her window and kicked her side mirror. He is then alleged to have punched her in the face and struck her with a can of deodorant. The woman, who was in uniform, suffered facial injuries, including a broken eye socket. She…
VICTORIAN Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp was the guest speaker at a dinner for local fire brigades at the Safety Beach Sailing Club, Thursday 8 November. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council hosted the event at what was Cr Bryan Payne’s last official occasion as mayor. He said the meeting provided an opportunity for councillors and staff involved in fire prevention to meet in the lead up to this year’s fire season. “The efforts and commitment of all emergency service personnel involved in protecting our community is extremely important in providing a safe environment across the Mornington Peninsula,” Cr Payne said. “Council…