MT MARTHA artist Bill Caldwell has seven works in this year’s Twenty Melbourne Painters Society’s exhibition. The society – membership by invitation only – has held an exhibition each year since 1918. This will be the 13th year in a row that Caldwell has entered works in the exhibition. His entries – six oils and one pastel – range from a portrait of former Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Antonella Celi, which he entered in last year’s Archibald prize, to a seascape looking from McCrae towards Mt Martha and a still life pastel. Caldwell, above, is pictured with Sign of the…
Day: July 13, 2015
MEMBERS of some of the bands battling it out on the peninsula this year weren’t born when the FReeZA program started in 1997. Musicians, bands, duos and solo artists are being invited to enter the annual Mornington Peninsula Push Start Battle of the Bands. Presented by the young members of the Impakt Freeza committee, with assistance from Mornington Peninsula Shire’s youth services team, the event will be held at Peninsula Community Theatre in Mornington on 21 August. The winner will represent the peninsula in the southeast regional finals. The competition is open to people aged under 21 who live, work…
THE crime may be old, but Frankston police hope public assistance will help them find a man who held up the Blairgowrie Pharmacy with a handgun at 9.05am on 5 May 2012. The thief, who escaped with cash and drugs, is described as being in his late 20s, Caucasian, 170-175cm tall and of medium build. He left behind a navy blue Chrome Tech tool carry bag. The bag has the words ‘SAMUEL J II written inside. Anyone who can identify the owner of the bag or has information about the armed robbery should call Frankston Embona Taskforce on 9784 5590…
MOTORCYCLISTS from Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula joined about 300 riders outside Parliament House on Saturday last week to protest anti-association laws being introduced by state governments in Tasmania and South Australia. They follow the so-called Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment (VLAD) laws introduced in Queensland by the Newman government in 2013. Riders also protested in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra where they rode around Parliament House. Co-organiser Dale Maggs of the Freedom Riders Association, who is known to many people in the region through his former role organising Christmas toy runs, said riders would stand together to prevent any…
THE final two hooded plover chicks to hatch on the Mornington Peninsula in the 2014-15 breeding season died just days before they were able to fly. An autopsy done at Deakin University revealed one chick was killed by a dog and the second drowned, possibly frightened into the water when its mate was attacked. They were about five days away from fledging (being able to fly). They would have been the fifth and sixth birds to survive on the peninsula this year. The deaths devastated Friends of the Hooded Plover, who were confident the birds had a higher chance of…
MORNINGTON student Eddie Swan scored plenty of goals on the basketball court and now he has scored them academically at an American university. The 19-year-old former Padua College student has been offered a full athletics scholarship to Eastern Wyoming College in the United States’ mid-west. The scholarship – to study law, sports science or communications – is valued at $150,000 over four years. Eddie completed Year 12 last year and played representative basketball for Mornington Breakers as a “small forward” – even though his height is 203cm (six feet eight inches). Height runs in the family: dad Phil is six…
OPPONENTS of the planned Arthurs Seat Skylift gondola plan a last-ditch appeal to the state planning tribunal to minimise the impact it will have on the precinct’s heritage landscape. They will ask the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to clarify when the project’s emergency management and bushfire plans must be released – before construction starts or before the ride begins operating. A second matter the opponents, members of Save Our Seat (SOS), will raise with VCAT is the gondola colour that shire councillors approved at their meeting on 22 June. SOS spokeswoman Alison Laird described the bright blue permitted for…
VICTORIAN politicians are again playing political football with infrastructure – not the abandoned East West Link but the state’s future port needs and the fate of Port Phillip. And the Liberal and Labor “players” in their nice new shiny jumpers with no actual mud on them have been joined by a ring-in from another team – federal environment minister Greg Hunt, who is no doubt wearing his Team Australia jumper and knows the field of play quite well being a Victorian and living on the peninsula near Melbourne’s vast waterway. The past few weeks have seen claim and counter-claim about…
THE AFL South East Commission official took over the MPNFL in a caretaker role last week after the clubs voted at a Special General Meeting. Following a notice of “no-confidence” and the subsequent resignation of the entire MPNFL Board last week, member clubs approved a motion put forward to install the AFL South East Commission as the league’s caretaker governing body until the next Annual General Meeting. Member clubs also approved motions directing the commission to undertake immediate reviews into the governance, administration, finances and rules of the MPNFL. The respective reviews, due for completion by early October 2015, will…
PENINSULA LEAGUE LANGWARRIN’S season came to an end in MPNFL Peninsula Division football on Saturday when it was beaten by Edithvale-Aspendale in a thriller. The Kangas (sixth) are now two games behind the Eagles (fifth) and need to produce a miracle in the final seven games of the year to make finals. The reality is that the Kangaroos don’t deserve to play finals. The opportunity was there before them on Saturday and they blew it. Despite having 10 more clearances and eight more inside 50m entries, the home side trailed for the majority of the afternoon. Langwarrin led by seven…
MESSRS Brody and Mason will hold an extensive clearing sale of farm implements, machinery, live stock, vehicles, and household furniture, on Wednesday, July 28th, on account of Mr G. W. Booth, (who has leased his farm), of Cricklewood, Frankston. Full particulars are advertised in this issue. *** CAPTAIN Sherlock has received word by the last mail, from his son Robert, that he has joined the 226th Company of Royal Engineers, Chatham, and is by this time at the front. *** ON Wednesday, 24th Messrs Brody and Mason will sell, at their rooms, Bay street Frankston, live stock &c in the…
STORIES of refugee courage and perseverance are often downplayed in the current political climate. Too often refugees and asylum seekers are dubbed as “queue jumpers” or brazen economic refugees simply looking for the best place to stash their cash. But cases of real hardship and persecution are not hard to find. Abdi Aden’s world fell apart when, at 13, Somalia’s vicious civil war hit Mogadishu. Separated from his family and effectively an orphan, he survived daily violence, death squads and starvation. Bravely, he set off in a group for Kenya but, of the 300 who left with him, only five…
A HOBBY farm at Moorooduc topped Melbourne’s auction sales on Saturday 4 July when it was knocked down for $3.352 million. The single level 40 square home on 28 hectares at 675 Moorooduc Hwy was sold by Mornington and Mt Eliza agents McEwing Partners. It was described as “providing the most sublime rural lifestyle close to suburbia. A much-loved, impeccably-maintained property, the perfect opportunity to begin a new tree-change lifestyle within minutes of the skate park, football club, Peninsula Link, Mt Eliza village and prestigious schools”. The property was among 864 auctions reported to the REIV for that weekend. Online…
CORMORANTS are reported to have died in agony after baited fish hooks were purposely left on a small fishing jetty at Devilbend reserve. The hooks had apparently been tied to the jetty, ripping out the birds’ throats when they attempted to fly off. Rangers at the 1005 hectare natural features reserve have investigated the report and are closely monitoring the situation to make sure it does not happen again. At least one incident of cormorant baiting at the Devilbend has been reported to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). “Parks Victoria rangers have confirmed they visited the…
LIFE should return to normal in Mt Martha after the shire confirmed in writing that it would remove a wall blocking access to a road reserve by today (Tuesday). The 1.7 metre structure blocks pedestrian access between Potts Lane and Grandview Terrace. It was erected in December by an adjoining property owner without council permission and has caused angst between neighbours. John and Carole Van Der Helm, of Potts Lane, organised a petition opposing the wall with 50 signatures and presented it to the shire earlier this month. They were frustrated with the length of time the shire was taking…
THE shire saving almost $700,000 on its insurance for this financial year occurred due to a number of factors including a more competitive insurance sector. The News reported on 30 June that the savings came from putting its insurance out to tender rather than staying with MAV Insurance. The windfall was revealed when councillors approved the budget in late July and added 10 items totalling $600,000 after saving $690,230 on the estimated cost of insurance. The items included sealing a car park in Mornington, a contribution for an access road near Tyabb airfield, money for cliff stability at Safety Beach…
By Ian Munro* AS he pedals out of Dimboola with three days’ cycling from Melbourne behind him, Stan Proctor will be just beginning to enjoy himself, which is just as well because his destination will be Darwin. His experience of long distance riding tells him that by the fourth day he will be riding for the pleasure of it. “It’s pretty tough for the first three days regardless of the preparation you do,” says Proctor, who has previously ridden from Melbourne to Sydney, and on 27 September will set out to ride to Darwin. “For the first three days your…
FRANKSTON Council says its call for a container port at Hastings is based on economic benefits and concern for the environment. The mayor Cr Sandra Mayer said on Friday that the state government’s “commendable” plan to remove rail level crossings “should not come at the expense of the south east and in particular Frankston City”. Before the November 2014 state election Frankston was touting itself as the logical commercial hub for an expanded port at Hastings. But those dreams have faded with the Labor government planning to lease the Port of Melbourne along with a promise of no new competitive…
THE Thirsty Camel liquor outlet in Nepean Highway, Mornington, was raided by an armed man on Friday afternoon. Frankston Embona Armed Robbery Task Force detectives said “some cash” was stolen and that “a weapon was involved”. It is believed a female attendant was confronted by the man at 1.40pm. He is described as aged 40-50, Caucasian, medium height and build, wearing a dark hoodie, black jeans, beanie, sunglasses and “a five-day growth”. Anyone with information is urged to contact Frankston Embona Taskforce on 9784 5590 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au First…
VOTERS could be forgiven for thinking the state election campaign between the major parties has not ended eight months after the Andrews Labor government defeated the previous Napthine Coalition government to win power. Labor and Liberal politicians were out in force last week along the Frankston line pushing opposing messages about the separation of level crossings from roadways. Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke joined Acting Premier James Merlino at the Overton Rd, Frankston crossing last Friday morning to blast the Liberals and Greens “who opposed getting rid of these level crossings once and for all”. A crowd of partisan protesters,…