DROMANA Primary School pupils have responded to repeated graffiti attacks at the McCulloch Street freeway underpass by decorating the concrete themselves. Working in conjunction with Mornington Peninsula Shire and VicRoads the pupils’ works have helped bring life and vibrancy to the area. The artworks have been developed through workshops with Jill Anderson from the shire’s arts and culture team and prep pupils who created indigenous animal oil crayon drawings. Their Grade 6 buddies recorded the preppies’ stories to accompany the works. A total of 12 artworks will be installed and an eBook with all the artworks and stories will be…
Author: MP News Group
RETURNING to the Grand Hotel Mornington, soulful powerhouse sisters – Vika & Linda Bull. For 30 years, the glorious voices of Vika and Linda Bull have comprised one of the most distinctive, versatile and emotionally charged sounds on the Australian music landscape. Since their multi-platinum conquest of pop radio with the Black Sorrows in the late 1980s, the sisters have forged diverse pathways into soul, gospel, blues, country and the island music of their Tongan ancestry. By turns tender and powerful, their rich solo vocals and instinctive harmonies have spawned eight albums of their own, as well as illuminating studio…
TEN acrobats take us on a stirring journey of what it means to be human, and of how our bodies, our connections, and our aspirations all form part of who we are. Exploring the physical limits of their bodies as they are pushed to the extreme they question how much we can take as humans. How much weight can we carry? Who can we trust to support our load? They lead us to reflect on our lives, our loved ones, the burdens we carry and the physical and emotional strength it takes to overcome them. Created by Yaron Lifschitz, the…
MT ELIZA man Bill Robinson got a shock when he saw what he thought was a man’s body floating face down in the water off Sunnyside beach last week. The retired veterinary surgeon, 74, was on a regular training paddle with Mornington friend Tamsin Visick, Tuesday 26 June, when they came across the wetsuit-clad figure on the way back to Mt Eliza. After the initial shock, they realised the wetsuit did not contain a real person and attached a line to it. “It was hard work getting it back to shore and we appreciated the difficulty we would have had…
AN historic former children’s orthopaedic hospital in Mt Eliza owned by the state government is about to be put up for sale. The 3.2 hectare site at 33 Jacksons Road has been deemed “surplus to requirements” by the Department of Health and Human Services. It is not known how the site will be marketed or what sale price is expected. The department was contacted for comment. Built in the early 1930s, as the orthopaedic branch of the Children’s Hospital, it treated thousands of children with polio, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis and congenital deformities before discharging its last patient in 1971. The centre…
A MAN who handed over fake $50 notes at an outdoors store in Mornington may have handed over another fake note at a Berwick fast-food outlet. Senior Constable Jacinta Allen, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the serial numbers on the notes – CK14947940 – was the same used at both locations. She said on 26-27 May the man used two $50 notes to buy items at the BCF store in Mornington and then, on 29 May, placed a $5 order at a take away food outlet in Clyde Road, Berwick. The man paid for his order with a $50 note…
SPORTY types in Mornington can look forward to using a new athletics track and four soccer pitches at Civic Reserve, Mornington. The $6.25 million project had been made possible with a $3 million federal government community development grant, with the shire contributing $3.25 million. The council agreed at its meeting on Tuesday 26 June to accept a tender for the works. Construction is expected to begin in August and, hopefully, be completed by May next year. The improved facilities will better meet the needs of Mornington Athletics Club, Mornington Little Athletics Club and Mt Martha Soccer Club, the council says.…
PENINSULA Social Club volunteer Michael Hillier is a man on a mission: He wants to end “social isolation and loneliness” among mainly elderly and those with disabilities on the Mornington Peninsula. The social club – part of the not for profit community transport service Peninsula Transport Assist – arranges social and lunch get-togethers designed to get its mainly elderly clients out of their houses and mingling with others in social settings. “Our mission is that nobody should be without company if they want it,” said Mr Hillier, who has run social activities for older people and those with disabilities for…
AUSTRALIA’S best young sailors are gearing up to compete in a series of races off Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron. They will be among 24 teams in the Australian Schools Team Sailing Championships in which sailors race with their school mates in teams of seven (six on-water and one reserve) for what’s billed as the top prize in high school sailing. Teams consist of three helms and three crews from each school. Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron sailing manager Liam Edleston said the teams’ sailing, to be held 11-15 July, was a “great spectacle”. “[It] is a fantastic element of our sport,” he said.…
FLINDERS MP Greg Hunt has promised the federal government will chip in $5 million for the proposed Rosebud Aquatic Centre. “For the past 15 years I have been supportive of the genuine need for improved aquatic facilities in the southern part of the Mornington Peninsula and to see this project start to take shape is truly extraordinary,” Mr Hunt said. (Mr Hunt was once photographed marching with placard-bearing ratepayers demanding the pool be built on the foreshore at Rosebud. The plan was eventually abandoned for not conforming with state government regulations governing buildings on the foreshore.) “This is an incredible…
Falls Creek police are warning snow-goers to be prepared before heading to the slopes this weekend. It comes after emergency services were called to a car stuck in icy depths on Bogong High Plains Road about 10am this morning. Police were told the driver was on his way to Mt McKay at Falls Creek and had driven his Toyota SUV from bitumen onto the snow and past road closure signs. The car travelled about a kilometre along cross country trail before becoming bogged in the snow, with an over-snow groomer called out to recover it. Falls Creek Acting Sergeant Peter…
FRIDAY on My Mind – Falling in Love Again – Evie (Parts 1, 2 & 3) – Hey St Peter – Down Among the Dead Men – Love Is In The Air – St Louis – Pasadena – The Love Game – Silver Shoes – Birmingham – Keep On Smilin’ – The Day That My Heart Caught Fire – Standing In The Rain – Walking In The Rain – I Wanna Do It With You – Where The Action Is – I Hate The Music – Yesterday’s Hero – It’s a Long Way To The Top (produced by Vanda &…
FAMILY and friends celebrated the centenary of long-time Baxter and Somerville resident Mabel Grace Blum at Somerville Bowling Club on Sunday 24 June. The mother of five, grandmother of 10, and great-grandmother of 10, was born on her parents’ poultry farm on Hendersons Road, Baxter, on 27 June 1918 – the same year the area known as Mornington Junction was renamed Baxter. Her parents, Allan and Grace Dicker, attended the progress association meeting of that year which voted to adopt the name of Baxter. Following on from this, Ms Blum was a guest of honour at the Baxter centenary celebrations…
UNWANTED x-rays can be recycled for free at the Mornington Resource Recovery Centre. The offer is part of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s efforts to divert waste from landfill. X-ray films are recycled to extract the silver which is converted into a purer form of silver and reused for such things as jewellery, silver solder, electrical components and film manufacture. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said chemicals in X-rays made them a hazardous waste. The decision to accept x-rays for free was made after a suggestion by retired nurse Denise Kempster, of Somers. Mornington Resource Recovery Centre is at 134 Watt Road,…
A NEW treatment for capping hair loss during chemotherapy for cancer is being rolled out at Frankston Hospital. Scalp cooling chills the head and reduces the level of chemotherapy drugs reaching hair follicles to cut down on hair loss. Crib Point mother-of-three Angela Fox this month became the first patient to have scalp cooling. “It’s a marvellous opportunity to have all of this technology in a public hospital, which basically helps you keep your dignity while you’re having all of this treatment done,” she said. “Hair is fairly important – if you’ve still got your hair a lot of people…
A RALLY to oppose the AGL gas import and Kawasaki hydrogen export projects in Western Port will be held at the Fred Smith Reserve, Hastings foreshore, 1pm, Sunday 1 July. The Crib Point AGL gas import project and the Kawasaki Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain pilot project have raised community concerns over the environmental, social and economic risks they pose to the values of Western Port, rally organisers say. Save Westernport and Westernport and Peninsula Protection Council are hosting the rally supported by Environment Victoria, Victorian National Parks Association and Blue Wedges Coalition. The Crib Point AGL floating regasification project aims…
THE daubing of a red swastika on a gum tree outside Bittern train station has drawn condemnation from members of a leading civil rights organisation. Hastings police are also trying to track down the offenders. Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich, who was sent photographs of the graffiti by an offended Bittern resident, Wednesday 20 June, described it as “repugnant”. “This repugnant Nazi graffiti is an assault on all residents of the Mornington Peninsula and violates our nation’s values of acceptance and respect for all people,” Dr Abramovich said. “The Nazi swastika is a universal symbol of hate that represents…
US Blues Rock Royalty Head Down Under With ‘New Beginnings’ California power-trio Radio Moscow have just announced their return to Australia with a two week tour planned for down under in just a few weeks. The hard-hitting band have carved their own sonic niche in international Blues, Rock and Psych circles since their formation in 2003, regularly playing some of the world’s largest festivals including Ride Festival, Desert Daze, Electric Funeral, Psycho California and more, also having supported the likes of Graveyard, Witchcraft, Joe Bonamassa and Pentagram throughout Europe, North America, South America and Australasia. Their retro sound, fuelled by…
A WOMAN in her late 70s died when she became trapped under a car in the driveway of her Mornington home last Friday morning. Sergeant Kylie Vaughan, of Mornington police, said the woman’s husband, also in his 70s, was parking the car at their Strachans Road property on Friday 22 June when she became pinned underneath. Mornington and Dromana CFA, ambulance crews and police rushed to the scene and used lifting equipment to raise the car but the woman had died as a result of her injuries. Sergeant Vaughan said it was unlikely any charges would be laid over the…
POLICE are seeking dash-cam footage of a silver coloured Holden Astra being driven erratically south bound on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, 4.25am Saturday 16 June. The car, which was later involved in a single vehicle collision, was found with extensive front-end damage in the middle of the freeway blocking both lanes. The driver had fled the scene and mid-last week police were making inquiries about the registered owner. Police would like to speak to anyone who may have seen the car travelling on Peninsula Link or the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, or who may have come to the driver’s or passenger’s…
THE CFA wants to make sure residents do not “power a house fire” through appliances overheating or being damaged. CFA manager community safety Jude Kennedy said using damaged electrical equipment and appliances could result in fires urged that they be checked before being plugged in. “People need to remember that when electrical appliances are left on for an extended period of time they could overheat and have disastrous effects,” Mr Kennedy said. “We are urging residents to check their electrical appliances, including laptops and televisions, which are highly used in homes. “Make sure you turn off and unplug your electrical…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s draft 2018 Green Wedge Management Plan is open for public comment. The draft plan aims to identify the long-term vision, objectives and actions for the sustainable use and development of green wedge-zoned areas. It also outlines key issues, opportunities and likely future pressures. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said community responses already received showed a “high level of support for protecting our green wedge”. “We must protect and manage the green wedge to ensure it remains an area where the natural environment and biodiversity is preserved,” he said. “The green wedge is renowned for its rural charm…
THE Mornington Peninsula was set to play a greater role in feeding Greater Melbourne’s growing population, a speaker at the Green Wedge Summit at Main Ridge Community Hall, Friday 22 June, said. Melbourne University’s Dr Rachel Carey, who heads the Foodprint Melbourne project, said the increasing urbanisation of large areas of formerly productive farmland around Melbourne highlighted the importance of maintaining agricultural production on the peninsula. “The resilience of city food systems is facing growing challenges from population growth, urban sprawl, climate change and from declining supplies of natural resources, such as land, water and fossil fuels,” Dr Carey said.…
TWO Rosebud Secondary College students will take part in youth science forums in London and Singapore next month. Year 12 students Sean Donoghue and Steven Thein Kha Sie are members of the SEAL (Select Entry Accelerated Learning) program, reportedly the only fully accredited accelerated program on the southern peninsula. The forums run 25 July to 8 August, and are aimed at inspiring “scientists of the future” among students from schools all over the world. The selection program is highly competitive, with only a handful of applicants being chosen. The Rosebud pair will visit research and scientific establishments and hear from…
PENINSULA Aero Club is hosting an open day for members of the public to visit and view some rare and exciting aircraft that participated in the highly successful recent air show, from noon Saturday 23 June. The Aero Club will be donating a record amount of air show proceeds to community groups during the day, continuing a tradition started almost 50 years ago when their first Air Show was held to raise funds for the world’s first fully equipped helicopter air ambulance, ‘The Angel of Mercy’ that initially operated from Tyabb. All air shows since have benefited the local community…
By Barry Morris THE St Vincent de Paul Society has seen a sharp spike in calls for assistance from the needy on the Mornington Peninsula in the past year, figures released by its Melbourne office reveal. The Vinnies’ figures for the southern region showed it provided help and support to the value of $890,000. In 2016-17, the number of food parcels handed out rose 11.3 per cent, the society was called on to provide help with housing for 12.9 per cent more people, the number of prescription medicines paid for rose 13.2 per cent and education costs shot up 27…
BASKETBALL BIG V Division One competition was headlined by a top of the table clash between Shepparton Gators and Chelsea Gulls this Saturday. The two sides lined up against each other at Shepparton Sports Stadium in a matchup between two sides considered among the favourites to take out the championship at the end of the season. It was a slow start for the Chelsea Gulls though, who found themselves in an uncomfortable position down by 14 points at the conclusion of the first quarter of play. With their backs to the walls, Chelsea showed their quality to fight their way…
A POSTIE was lucky to escape serious injury when his bike was sandwiched by two cars in Rosebud, Wednesday afternoon. The postie was returning to the depot about 3.30pm when he found himself sandwiched in Bayview Road. Both cars and the bike were extensively damaged. First Constable Chris Spero, of Somerville Highway Patrol, said it was likely “multiple” charges would be laid against the driver of the green car, a 26-year-old Rye man, depending on the result of blood tests. These could include drug driving, careless driving and driving while disqualified. Spokesman John Pyrros said Australia Post had offered the…
THE cause of a collision causing the death of a cyclist in Moorooduc, Monday 11 June, was still to be determined late last week. The 61-year-old father of adult children from Frankston South, was hit by a garbage truck on Moorooduc Highway, near Bungower Road, about 10.40am. Police attended and later interviewed the truck driver, 53, of Noble Park, at Frankston Police Station. Acting senior sergeant Pat Hayes, of Frankston police, said, Thursday 14 June, that “no cause of death has been ascertained at this point and no charges laid”. He said a pair of headphones found at the scene…
ALERT customers helped foil a potential robbery at the BP service station, Dromana, midnight, Saturday 9 June: they pulled the spark plug leads out of the “getaway” car preventing it being driven. A witness said that, minutes earlier, he and others had watched the store attendant remonstrating with a late-night customer who they thought was acting suspiciously. He said the attendant challenged the man and then shut the front door by remote-control, locking the man inside. The witness said the man attempted to force the door and smash a window to get out but, by the time he made it…